The 2013 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs were one of the best in the league’s history, especially the final two games. Both teams have made it back to the NBA conference finals, and if the oddsmakers are to be believed, a rematch looks in order.
The strange story that is the Indiana Pacers season and postseason has taken yet another twist. Just when it was safe to write off the Pacers, after a poor finish to regular season, a shaky first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks and a Game 1 loss at home to the Washington Wizards to start the second round, suddenly the Pacers are back again. And it’s no coincidence that their resurgence has run parallel with that of Roy Hibbert.
TheSportsNotebook has posted the Tale of the Tape for the playoff teams in both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference of the NBA playoffs. Now, with tipoff of the postseason set for early Saturday afternoon, it’s time to dive into the first-round matchups. What follows are the series betting odds for each matchup, followed by some of my own thoughts and a misguided prediction.