The NBA playoffs have fully moved into the second round after a memorably entertaining and prolonged first round in which five series went to a Game 7. Will a pair of Game 2’s create long series or short ones? It’s must-win time for Indiana and Oklahoma City at home.
Game 2: Washington Wizards @ Indiana Pacers
Wednesday, 7:05 PM ET
Odds: Indiana -4
This is a game Indiana has to win. It’s not just that Washington can take a 2-0 series lead home for Games 3 and 4. What’s really going on here is that Indiana – after somehow escaping the Atlanta Hawks in a seven-game first-round series – really needed to get back to being the team that dominated the NBA through the first three months of the season. The Pacers needed to feel good about themselves again. They beat Atlanta in Game 7 and advanced to the second round, but after losing Game 1, they failed to turn their first-round escape into a true turning point. They’re now depressed again. They’re doubting themselves. Losing this game to Washington won’t just create a two-game deficit heading into a pair of road games. The Pacers would lose the last real source of confidence that they can play the way they need to play. This is especially true for center Roy Hibbert, who once again failed to score a point or grab a rebound in Game 1 after doing the same thing during the Atlanta series. Indiana’s season is on the line, but even more so, the Pacers’ pride is at stake. Indiana will win, but Washington will cover.
Pick: Washington +4
Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Wednesday, 9:35 PM ET
Odds: Oklahoma City -5.5
The first game of this series was a total laugher. The Clippers outscored the Thunder 39-25 in the first quarter. They built a 24-point lead late in the first half. They pushed their lead near 30 points late in the third, and they had a 20-point lead late in the fourth quarter. They were never seriously tested. Los Angeles used a free-flowing offense filled with constant motion and a lot of perimeter shots. This kind of offense is exactly what Oklahoma City did not see in its first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, who play in the paint and like to use a slow-paced style with the ball being routed through their big men, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Los Angeles is an extremely different opponent, and in Game 1, Oklahoma City was thrown completely off balance by this reality. In Game 2, Oklahoma City gets a chance to adjust. The bigger thing is that the Thunder have to adjust. They don’t really have a choice about the matter. If they don’t find a way to control the Clippers’ offense, they’ll trail 2-0 in the series before Game 3 in Los Angeles. The Thunder are too good and too talented to get whacked twice at home to start a series. They should be able to find enough defense to win this game by a comfortable margin.
Pick: Oklahoma City -5.5
