The question about who will battle it out for the NBA Championships next month will soon be known. The stage has been set for the Conference Finals, which will feature three past champions and a former title contender.
In the West, two-time champion Houston Rockets will open the series against the Golden State Warriors at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning AEST time).
In the East, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will travel down south to Georgia to face the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena in their own series starting on Wednesday night (Thursday morning AEST time).
As in the past two series, the Rockets will again embrace the role of the underdogs. The resurgent Warriors are heavily favoured, being the season’s top performers courtesy of 67 wins and 15 losses.
Current MVP Stephen Curry’s Warriors will have the home court advantage against the Rockets, having won all their season games against Houston.
But the Rockets have become a better team in the post-season.
James Harden, the MVP runner-up who once reached the Finals with the Oklahoma Thunder, has been phenomenal all throughout the season while big man Dwight Howard, hungry for his first title, remains a rebounding force.
The Rockets were the underdogs going into the playoffs but beat the favourites Dallas Mavericks (4-1) in the first round and the revitalised Los Angeles Clippers (4-3) in the second round.
But the three-time champions Warriors, who last saw action in the Conference Final in 1976, have a long rest after finishing off the Memphis Grizzlies in six games. They beat the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.
While many believe the series won’t last seven games for the Golden State, I gave Houston a high chance of winning the series.
In the East, beating the Cleveland three times in the season seems to have given Atlanta a huge confidence boost going into the Conference Final. But the playoffs are a different venue where teams must elevate their game if they want to advance.
Young and untested, it remains to be seen, however, if the Hawks can duplicate Thunder’s accomplishments three years ago. James will continue to star in the series and his dominating offence will be the main factor that will be hard for the Hawks to overcome.
The Hawks should make no mistake. King James is at his best during playoffs, as we have seen with the Miami Heat. He will have a plenty of help from Kyrie Irving and JR Smith.
Like others, I expect James to take another trip to the Finals for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time.
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