In the East bracket, the second round will see the Hawks (10) and their division rival Heat (6) fight for the next round. The Heat have struggled mightily this season, and they tend to lose big games. No other game is bigger than a Game 7, so the Hawks’ chemistry and offensive explosion will carry them to victory. The Celtics will make their tournament debut, and they will battle Doug Collins and his young 76ers (14). The Celtics will have trouble staying in front of the Sixers, but their veteran leadership will be the deciding factor late in the game.
Another exciting second round match-up in the East bracket will be the Portland Trail Blazers (11) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (7). The Blazers have become a great, balanced team, but the trio of Westbrook, Durant and Perkins will be too much to handle for the injury plagued Blazers.
Next: Next Round