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The second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs has lacked the excitement and intensity of the first round. Heading into game two for the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, that will have to change if they hope for their series against the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat to last much longer.
Both teams got blown out by their respective opponents in their first meeting, and will head back to Texas and Florida to try to stave off dreaded 0-2 starts.
The Blazers simply looked out of their league against the Spurs, while the Nets didn’t look like a team that went 4-0 against the Heat during the regular season at all.
We know things can change dramatically in the playoffs, though, so let’s break both match ups down and try to pick a winner for Thursday’s NBA Playoff action:
Brooklyn Nets (6) @ Miami Heat (2) – 7:00 PM ET
All of the regular season meetings went down to the wire, yet the first meeting between these two teams in the playoffs resulted in a Miami blowout win. It was more than just a statement game for the Heat, who have the youth and athleticism to over power the Nets if they can remain focused.
Nets head coach Jason Kidd is sure to make adjustments and we can bank on the Brooklyn vets playing more minutes after sitting down the stretch in game one. However, it’s still in Miami and the Heat look like they’re on a mission.
Pick: Heat 96, Nets 92
Portland Trail Blazers (5) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 9:30 PM ET
Portland was simply over matched in their game one showdown with the Spurs, as Tony Parker and co. struck early with a 10-2 lead and never looked back. Parker dropped a game high 33 points, while the Spurs dug into their bench to get stellar play from the likes of Marco Belinelli and Aron Baynes.
No, you read that right – Aron Baynes dropped 10 points and seven boards as the clearly deeper and more well rounded Spurs took care of business in emphatic fashion. Damian Lillard was woefully off in game one, and will need to step up his game for the Blazers to hang around. Ultimately, Portland is a younger, less experienced version of the Dallas Mavericks, who the Spurs just ousted in a full seven game series. Portland doesn’t have the mental toughness to go in and get a road win in San Antonio just yet, though.
Pick: Spurs 104, Blazers 95
