How Far Can Celtics Fans Expect their Team to Go?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

With Boston heading into a key Game 2 tonight against Milwaukee, Cleveland facing an early 0-1 hole in its series against Indiana, and the Sixers tied with Miami, it seems like the East might be as up for grabs as it has been in some time.

So, can the beaten and battered Celtics turn this season into a run to the NBA Finals?

Or, can the Celtics at least defend their way to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances?

By The Numbers: Breaking Down the Celtics vs the Bulls

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

When I previewed the first-round Eastern Conference matchups, I picked the Celtics in five games, as if they were “just another No. 1 seed.” However, as Sean Grande points out, the Celtics own the worst scoring margin of any No. 1 seed since the NBA and ABA merged.

Boston climbed to the top spot after the Cleveland Cavaliers faltered in March and April, including four consecutive losses to end the regular season. The race for the top seed could either be described as the ‘tortoise and the hare,’ or simply no one wanting to have homecourt throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Well, either way, here we are in mid-April, and the Celtics are facing the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs for just the second time since 1987. If the 2009 first-round series is any indication, then we are in for a treat when these two teams tip off on Sunday evening at TD Garden.

Your 2017 NBA Eastern Conference Playoff Primer

They've had their struggles, but LeBron James and the Cavs are still the defending champs.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- Our Adam Lowenstein move onto his preview of every first round matchup of the NBA's Eastern Conference Playoffs. If you missed his Western Conference Primer, you can find that here.

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Chicago Bulls

For the first time since winning their most recent championship (2008), the Celtics are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Interestingly, the 2009 postseason was the one in which the No. 2 Celtics and No. 7 Bulls met in their first series in 22 years. In arguably the best playoff series of all-time, the series between Boston and Chicago went seven games, including four overtime contests.

Doc Rivers, the Celtics’ big three (sans an injured Kevin Garnett) and Rajon Rondo were the victors of that 2009 series, but times have changed. Rivers is now coaching on the West Coast, Paul Pierce is with Rivers and hoping to double his ring count, Ray Allen and Garnett are retired, while No. 9 is in a red jersey.

Rondo will play his first playoff game against Boston on Sunday.

Your 2017 NBA Western Conference Playoff Primer

Russell Westbrook has been a triple-double machine this year and will (probably) win the MVP, but can he get the Thunder out of the first round?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- He's been away for a while, but resident stat expert and NBA guru Adam Lowenstein is back to break down all the first round matchups in the NBA's Western Conference Playoffs. Be on the lookout for Adam's Eastern Conference, and Celtics-specific previews to follow.

#1 Golden State Warriors vs. #8 Portland Trail Blazers

The best offensive team in the league is facing one of the most explosive. Damian Lillard, who scored a franchise-best 59 points on Saturday, and C.J. McCollum, the league’s leader in free throw percentage, are the main men leading the heavy underdog in this series.

Kevin Durant, who made his triumphant return on Saturday, is ready for his first postseason as a part of the Warriors. He and his team are looking to supplant the defending champion Cavaliers, but Durant missed his first nine 3-point attempts after returning. However, the fourth-highest per game scorer in NBA playoff history tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in each of his first two contests since his injury, and he then dominated the Lakers for 29 points on 5-for-7 shooting from deep on Wednesday.

Your NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal Primer

After carrying Toronto past Indiana in Game 7, can DeMar DeRozan top Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- We know that the second round has already begun in the West, but we wanted to wait until all the NBA's playoff matchups were set to post our previews. Deal with it.

Anyways, here are Adam's breakdowns of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #4 Atlanta Hawks

After sweeping the Detroit Pistons in arguably the closest four-game, best-of-seven, series in NBA history, the Cavaliers are well on their way to consecutive Eastern Conference titles.

Although the Cavaliers are under a different head coach this postseason, they have a stronger, healthier roster in 2016. Of course, they have LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but Kevin Love seems to be the x-factor.

Game 5 Was Ugly, But It's Not Over for the Celtics (UPDATE: It is Over)

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- Yep, it's over. Sorry guys.

When I previewed each of the Celtics’ potential first-round opponents, my verdict for the team Boston wanted face was: “Not the Hawks.” Tuesday’s contest, including Atlanta’s 42-point third quarter in Game 5, was the reason I wrote that.

Coming into Game 5’s 27-point loss, the Celtics’ worst losses of the 2015-16 season were both by 24 points. One of those contests was against the Clippers at Staples Center, and the other was, of course, against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.

Your NBA Playoff Primer: The West

There are plenty of quality teams out West, but all signs are pointing to a historic showdown between Kawhi Leonard's Spurs and Steph Curry's Warriors.

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Ed. Note- Today Adam continues his look at the NBA Playoffs with the brutal Western Conference, led by the historic Golden State Warriors, but don't sleep on the always competitive San Antonio Spurs, who have had a regular season for the record books themselves.

If you'd like to see his Eastern Conference preview, click here. Now, onto the best of the West.

#1 Golden State Warriors vs. #8 Houston Rockets

Can the best team in NBA regular season history repeat as champions? If there is not a major Warriors injury, then it looks likely they will be raising the Larry O’Brien trophy again. The best offense in the league plays at the highest pace of any team in the playoffs, because Golden State knows that, the more possessions there are in a game, the better chance the northern Californians are happy.

Who Do the Celtics Want to Face in the First Round?

By Adam Lowenstein (@StatsAdam)

Each of the three Celtics’ potential first-round opponents, the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat, will most likely enter the 2016 playoffs without one of the players that was part of their rotation entering this season: Tiago Splitter, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Chris Bosh, respectively.

Meanwhile, the C’s have been very fortunate on the injury front this season, as they are fully healthy entering the last week of the season. In fact, six of their top seven minutes-per-game producers have played more than 70 games this season. In addition, Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk would finish with an average of 65 games played if each play in the final two contests.

But, how confident should the Celtics feel with one of the lowest strengths of schedule in the NBA this season? On Saturday, Boston fell to the Hawks, with the loss giving Atlanta the season series, and therefore, the tiebreaker in the standings. The C’s are seeking to sweep their season series against the Hornets and Heat, as they host those squads at TD Garden on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

So, who should Boston be hoping to draw in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs? Let's take a look at the candidates.

How are the Bruins and Celtics in the Same Boat?

The absence of David Krejci likely won't help the Bruins' 23rd ranked offense or 22nd ranked power play, but the recent addition of diminutive Isaiah Thomas has helped the Celtics close out a pair of key games late.

 By Andy Dougherty (@AndyDougherty10)

Before the start of the NHL and NBA seasons, experts predicted the Boston Bruins to be championship contenders and the Boston Celtics to be a doormat. About 70% of the way through, their seasons have played out more similarly than anyone expected.

The Bruins are clinging to the final Eastern Conference wild card spot while the Celtics find themselves just percentage points behind the Pacers in what is practically a tie for the final playoff spot in their Eastern Conference. Additionally, the Celtics actually have more room to climb the standings than the Bruins. They are just 1.5 games behind the 7th-seeded Miami Heat, while the Bruins are 7 points (or the equivalent of 3.5 games) behind the next highest team in the standings, the Washington Capitals.

How did this happen?

Good-Bye NBA; I'll Miss You

If this is the last image we see of Tim Duncan on an NBA court, it will be a fitting one.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

At the end of the 2013 season, I said that the Spurs deserved better.

2014 was what they deserved.

After losing the Finals in the most heartbreaking way possible, losing a series only because the rules say one team has to win and one team has to lose, the Spurs rebounded and claimed their spot atop the NBA world.

The 2014 Finals didn’t elicit the same giggling schoolgirl response that the 2013 Finals did. But the 2014 Finals weren’t about beauty, they were about revenge. It was a brutal assault on the establishment. The Spurs, with all their class and professionalism, would never admit to being motivated by something as dark as revenge. But make no mistake, the Spurs wanted to go through *this* Heat team on their way to the title. That they won so convincingly makes it so much sweeter.

The (Probably Way Too Long) 2014 NBA Finals Preview

We're back. I'm not sure we ever left.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

12 months and 100+ games later, we're right back to where we started - Miami and San Antonio for all the marbles.

There are two prevailing opinions about a Finals rematch. Some people think "wait, I don't want to watch these two teams play each other again - last year's series was so amazing, there's no possible way to top that. Let's get some new blood in here." Others think "Last year's series was amazing, but it was so incredibly close that I'm still not even sure the better team won. I need seven more games of that to make sure."

Personally, I'm more in the second group. Yes, I realize that there's probably not much chance that this series can top last year's seven-game instant classic. But even after watching all seven games twice last June (once live, once again the next morning) and then a third time over the last week, I'm STILL not sure which team was better.

For the most part, this year's series is going to be a carbon-copy of last year's series, with a few small changes. Last year's series was as close as a series can be, with Miami barely prevailing. This year, San Antonio has upgraded Gary Neal and Cory Joseph to Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills (although Neal was huge in the Finals last year - he was 14-for-30 from three, with many of them coming in huge moments). Miami has lost Mike Miller and replaced his minutes with Rashard Lewis (but I'm not sure if you can call that a downgrade with Lewis making nine of his last 16 attempts from three, and Miami being +58 in his last 100 minutes on the floor). Manu Ginobili is playing well, but so is Dwyane Wade. There are a few subtle changes, but they wash each other out. The only truly relevant points are home-court advantage shifting to San Antonio (more on that later), and Tony Parker's semi-questionable ankle.

Sports Questions Asked by Terrible Hip-Hop and R&B Artists

Actually, people were way too hard on Ja. He wasn't that bad.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

I'm running out of click bait subjects, so now I'm going to just post things for my own amusement.

A few weekends back, during the Mayweather-Maidana fight, I was discussing how old I am with our boxing correspondent Warren Rodriguez and my co-editor Jeremy Conlin.

I told them that I felt old because Kanye West's brilliant debut album "The College Dropout" was now 11-years old, and that the 10-Year Anniversary of the "Jesus Walks" single dropping was coming up (May 25).

I said that, say what you want about Kanye and his craziness since then, that album brought real rap back. Soul beats and sick verses. There's nothing better than that combo, in my opinion.

Jeremy asked if real rap ever left, so I am here to present the terrible Hip-Hop and R&B artists that ruled the roost in between Dr. Dre's "Chronic 2001" (which came out in 1999, duh) and Kanye's debut in 2003.

Western Conference Finals Preview: (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

With Serge Ibaka out of the lineup, Oklahoma City will need to find other contributors in the frontcourt.

 By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers

San Antonio:
62-20 (32-9 Home, 30-11 Road)
PPG: 105.4 (6th); PPG Allowed: 97.6 (6th)
+7.7 Average Scoring Margin (1st)
Off Rating: 108.2 (6th); Def Rating: 100.1 (4th)
+8.1 Net Efficiency Rating (1st)

Oklahoma City:
59-23 (34-7 Home; 25-16 Road)
PPG: 106.2 (5th); PPG Allowed: 99.8 (12th)
+6.3 Average Scoring Margin (3rd)
Off Rating: 108.1 (7th); Def Rating: 101.0 (5th)
+7.1 Net Efficiency Rating (3rd)

Season Series: Oklahoma City 4-0
Oklahoma City 94, San Antonio 88 (November 27)
Oklahoma City 113, San Antonio 100 (December 21)
Oklahoma City 111, San Antonio 105 (January 22)
Oklahoma City 106, San Antonio 94 (April 3)

Eastern Conference Finals Preview: (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (2) Miami Heat

Dwyane Wade (left) and LeBron James (right) are looking for a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers:

Indiana:
56-26 (35-6 Home; 21-20 Road)
PPG: 96.7 (24th); PPG Allowed: 92.4 (2nd)
+4.3 Average Scoring Margin (7th)
Off Rating: 101.4 (22nd); Def Rating: 96.8 (1st)
+4.6 Net Efficiency Rating (7th)

Miami:
54-28 (32-9 Home; 22-19 Road)
PPG: 102.2 (12th); PPG Allowed: 97.4 (5th)
+4.8 Average Scoring Margin (T-4th)
Off Rating: 109.0 (2nd); Def Rating: 102.9 (11th)
+6.1 Net Efficiency Rating (4th)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Indiana 90, Miami 84 (December 10)
Miami 97, Indiana 94 (December 18)
Indiana 84, Miami 83 (March 26)
Miami 98, Indiana 86 (April 11)

Why The Clippers Didn't Win

Just because the Clippers and Wizards lost on the same night doesn't mean they're similar teams.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

With a 104-98 win Thursday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder knocked the Los Angeles Clippers out of the playoffs. Technically speaking, this puts the Clippers on the same "level" as the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Portland Trail Blazers - they're all teams that lost in Round 2. But that isn't being fair to the Clippers.

Seven Sports Questions Asked By Attractive Celebrities

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Last week, we brought you first installment in our new series of click bait articles.

That Pulitzer-worthy blog featured adorable animals asking all the burning sports questions of the day. Not gonna lie, it's going to be tough to top that one. But, if there's one thing people love to stare at on the internet other than cute animals (and, uh, other stuff), it's a beautiful famous person.

With that in mind, we bring you everything you need to know about sports this week, asked by a bunch of people far more attractive than you or I.

West Round 2 Preview: (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

Terry Stotts isn't a household name like Gregg Popovich, but that could change if the Blazers advance.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers

San Antonio:
62-20 (32-9 Home, 30-11 Road)
PPG: 105.4 (6th); PPG Allowed: 97.6 (6th)
+7.7 Average Scoring Margin (1st)
Off Rating: 108.2 (6th); Def Rating: 100.1 (4th)
+8.1 Net Efficiency Rating (1st)

Portland:
54-28 (31-10 Home; 23-18 Road)
PPG: 106.7 (4th); PPG Allowed: 102.8 (22nd)
+4.0 Average Scoring Margin (8th)
Off Rating: 108.2 (6th); Def Rating: 104.7 (16th)
+3.5 Net Efficiency Margin (T-8th)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Portland 115, San Antonio 105 (November 2)
Portland 109, San Antonio 100 (January 17)
San Antonio 111, Portland 109 (February 19)
San Antonio 103, Portland 90 (March 12)

East Round 2 Preview: (2) Miami Heat vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

Chris Bosh isn't the most heralded member of the Miami Heat, but he plays a pivotal role in this series.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers

Miami:
54-28 (32-9 Home; 22-19 Road)
PPG: 102.2 (12th); PPG Allowed: 97.4 (5th)
+4.8 Average Scoring Margin (T-4th)
Off Rating: 109.0 (2nd); Def Rating: 102.9 (11th)
+6.1 Net Efficiency Rating (4th)

Brooklyn:
44-38 (28-13 Home; 16-25 Road)
PPG: 98.5 (21st); PPG Allowed: 99.5 (11th)
-1.0 Average Scoring Margin (19th)
Off Rating: 104.4 (14th); Def Rating: 104.9 (19th)
-0.5 Net Efficiency Rating (17th)

Season Series: Brooklyn 4-0
Brooklyn 101, Miami 100 (November 1)
Brooklyn 104, Miami 95 - 2OT (January 10)
Brooklyn 96, Miami 95 (March 12)
Brooklyn 88, Miami 87 (April 8)

West Round 2 Preview: (2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Clippers

There are four All-Stars in the series, but Scott Brooks might be the pivotal character.

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By The Numbers

Oklahoma City:
59-23 (34-7 Home; 25-16 Road)
PPG: 106.2 (5th); PPG Allowed: 99.8 (12th)
+6.3 Average Scoring Margin (3rd)
Off Rating: 108.1 (7th); Def Rating: 101.0 (5th)
+7.1 Net Efficiency Rating (3rd)

Los Angeles:
57-25 (34-7 Home; 23-18 Road)
PPG: 107.9 (1st); 101.0 (14th)
+7.0 Average Scoring Margin (2nd)
Off Rating: 109.4 (1st); Def Rating: 102.1 (7th)
+7.3 Net Efficiency Rating (2nd)

Season Series: Tied 2-2
Los Angeles 111, Oklahoma City 103 (November 13)
Oklahoma City 105, Los Angeles 91 (November 21)
Los Angeles 125, Oklahoma City 117 (February 23)
Oklahoma City 107, Los Angeles 101 (April 9)

East Round 2 Preview: (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Washington Wizards

Can Indiana solve their Roy Hibbert problem in time? (Photo: Mark Runyon; Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

By the Numbers

Indiana:
56-26 (35-6 Home; 21-20 Road)
PPG: 96.7 (24th); PPG Allowed: 92.4 (2nd)
+4.3 Average Scoring Margin (7th)
Off Rating: 101.4 (22nd); Def Rating: 96.8 (1st)
+4.6 Net Efficiency Rating (7th)

Washington:
44-38 (22-19 Home, 22-19 Road)
PPG: 100.7 (16th); PPG Allowed: 99.4 (9th)
+1.3 Average Scoring Margin (15th)
Off Rating: 103.3 (18th); Def Rating: 102.4 (T-9th)
+0.9 Net Efficiency Rating (15th)

Season Series: Indiana 2-1
Indiana 93, Washington 73 (November 29)
Indiana 93, Washington 66 (January 10)
Washington 91, Indiana 78 (March 28)