NBA Playoff Update

So far the NBA playoffs have proven to be evenly matched and very competitive.  Both series are tied at 1 apiece, and all 4 teams have had their moments when their stars have shined.

Who can forget what Dirk did on game 1?  48 points on 24/24 free throws and 12/15 field goals.  No one has ever witnessed a free throw shooting clinic like that.  And 12 for 15 isn't too bad either.  But the Thunder could have won that game if not for JJ Barrea and Jason Terry.  Coming off the bench, they added that extra offense that put the game away for the Mavs.  And after taht game everyone (including me) was saying, "No one can stop Dirk" and "The Thunder don't have a chance."

Then came game 2.  And maybe no one can stop Dirk, but if you can keep the bench players from dominating you have a chance.  And of course if your own bench scores more than 50 points that helps too.  The 2 big stories of game 2 were Durant's massive dunk, and the benching of Russel Westbrook for the entire 4th quarter.  Durant's dunk set off a 21-7 run it was so huge.  And benching Westbrook was kind of a no brainer since Eric Maynard was having such a great game, and it worked.

This series has definitely been interesting.  Much more defensive than the Western Conference Finals.  And that seems a little strange to me when you have the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Derrick Rose on the court.  But they're all so dedicated that they are great defensive players as well.  And both teams from top to bottom are dedicated to defending.  It makes for a physical, frantic series.

Game 1 was even throughout the first half, and then Derrick Rose made his presence felt and led the Bulls to a 21 point win.  Game 2 was the same story for the first half.  But in that case, it was LeBron who came up big in the second half, and especially down the stretch of the 4th quarter to close out the win for the Heat.  Neither game has had a singular defining moment, but the stars have all had at least one good game.

So as the 2 series shift to Miami and Oklahoma City, it would seem that those 2 teams have the advantage having stolen a game away from home.  But who really thinks that Dallas and Chicago are going to go away without putting up a fight?  Has your opinion of who's going to make the finals changed based on what you've seen?  I'm still picking Dallas and Miami, although I think Dallas will have a harder time than I originally expected.