The Road to the NBA Championship: A Preview of the 2015 Conference Finals – blogged by @LoveRubyWoo

And then there were four. After an exciting second round of playoffs, the four teams headed to the NBA Conference Finals have been determined. Over the past week, we watched as Steph Curry hit an impossible 62-foot buzzer-beating shot in Game 6, helping the Warriors close out the series with a road win over the Grizzlies. The Atlanta Hawks knocked out the Washington Wizards in Game 6 after it was ruled that Paul Pierce’s ridiculous three-pointer that would have sent the game into overtime came just a millisecond too late. The Cavaliers proved to be too much for the Bulls to handle, as they defeated them in Game 6 by over 20 points. And last but certainly not least, the Rockets had a tremendous comeback win in Game 6 against the Clippers, overcoming a 19-point deficit in the second half to take the lead and win, which propelled them to then take Game 7 at home. Now, the four teams left standing, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets, will compete in the conference finals to try and win the best of seven games and make it to the NBA Finals. 

So here’s what to expect over the next two weeks as we watch these four teams battle it out for a spot in the 2015 NBA Finals. 

Eastern Conference Finals – Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks

Cleveland Cavaliers:

Led by LeBron James, the Cavaliers look to head back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2007, back when LeBron was on the team the first time around. Though the team is missing a key player in Kevin Love, who is out with a shoulder injury, the combination of LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and JR Smith has proved to be enough thus far. They currently have the highest offensive rating of all the teams that made it to the playoffs, and their defense isn’t too shabby either. While the Cavs lost three of the four matchups against the Hawks in the regular season, two of those losses came in the earlier half of the season before any trades occurred. It wasn’t until the latter half of the season that the team really started to come together and make a solid run for the playoffs. The Cavaliers will have its hands full against the #1 seeded Atlanta team and their strong defense but when push comes to shove, a team headed by LeBron can usually get the job done.

Atlanta Hawks:

Unlike the other three teams left in the picture, the Hawks have become known for their great success on the court despite not having a “superstar” on the team. Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and DeMarre Carroll were all names that flew under the radar prior to this season. However, the strong chemistry between the players has helped the Hawks win game after game this season, giving them the second best record in the NBA behind the Warriors, and it has gotten them to the conference finals for the first time in over 40 years. Because there is not one individual that the team can consistently count on to make all the shots, they will face issues if their team chemistry is off at any point during the series. But when all the parts of the machine are fully functioning, especially when Kyle Korver is successfully hitting all the long-range three pointers that he’s become so accustomed to, the Hawks are hard to stop. 

Western Conference Finals – Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets

Golden State Warriors:

Warriors’ point guard Stephen Curry was named the NBA’s MVP this year. With great efficiency on the court, one of the best shooting percentages in the league, and the ability to steal and force a turnover on defense, Curry is a force to be reckoned with. Shooting guard Klay Thompson will play a huge part in stopping the Rockets’ main offensive threat, James Harden. And with the Rockets focused on stopping Curry, that will most likely free up Thompson to take a lot of shots, making him a key piece on offense. The number one team in the NBA boasts an incredibly strong defense and arguably the best shooter in the game. When you have that combination, it makes the Warriors a very tough team to beat. It is also worthy to note that the Warriors and Rockets have met four times over the course of the season, with the Warriors beating them each time by a fairly large margin. 

Houston Rockets:

Coming into the playoffs, the Rockets were the number 2 seed in the Western Conference. Though ranked right behind the Warriors, it will take a lot for the Rockets to overcome the first place team in this upcoming series. But don’t count them out just yet. The team that Mark Cuban dubbed as “predictable” and “not a very good team” somehow overcame a 3-1 game deficit to come back and take the series against the Clippers. And as good as Stephen Curry is, James Harden, who was also a candidate to be this year’s MVP, is one of the best scorers in the league. He and Dwight Howard will have to work together to attack the basket against a stout Warriors defense. On the flipside, the Rockets will need to find somebody that can keep up with Curry on defense while also guarding Thompson if they are going to have any chance at stopping the Warriors’ offense. The Rockets have already beat the odds once in this year’s playoffs. Let’s see if they can do it again.

The conference finals will begin on Tuesday night. Who do you see going to the NBA Finals in June?