There is a saying in basketball that the series does not start until the road team wins a game. If the statement was applied to the 2023 playoffs, the series has started for 4 of the 8 or 50% series. The playoffs have been thrilling because the lower-seeded has broken through by winning at least 1 of the two road playoff games. It makes this upcoming weekend, a critical juncture in the postseason to see whether the upsets can continue or will the top teams will take the decisive advantage in the series. In this article, we preview the top 4 things to watch for as we prepare for a long and wild weekend of basketball.
1. Can the Warriors Mount the Comeback?
The defending champions are facing a 0-2 deficit for the first time since 2007, which means this is unchartered territory in the Steve Kerr era. The Kings are a young team, but the decided advantage the Warriors have in being savvy and having more experience has not shown in this series. The Kings won a nail-biting Game 1, and in Game 2, Domantas Sabonis made Draymond Green lose hIS cool. Sabonis grabbed Green’s leg while on the floor, and Draymond retaliated by stomping on the Lithuanian star’s chest. Green tried to justify his action after the game, and social media is still divided on whether he should have been suspended. I think his reaction was excessive, and then he failed to leave the court immediately but instead kept jawing with the fans. Green’s absence will hurt the Warriors in Game 3 as the series shifts to the Bay area. Draymond is the heart and soul of the dynastic run because of his defense, playmaking which makes him irreplaceable. Will Green’s absence cost the Warriors? Will the unprecedented streak of 18 western conference series wins end in the battle for California? It will be fascinating to watch what happens next in this series.
2. Will the Knicks and Clippers hold serve at home?
After winning the opening game of the series and then proceeding to lose the second game, the message from the lower-seeded team is, “We did our job and got one on the road.” In theory, the lower-seeded team has wrestled the advantage, but it means nothing if they fail to win the next two games and make it count. The Knicks and Clippers face that scenario after stealing Game One and losing the second game on the road. The Cavaliers met the challenge in Game 2 by increasing their physicality, and Darius Garland rebounded from a rough Game 1 by scoring 32 points in a 17-point win. As the scene shifts to New York, can the Knicks find their way backed by a wild Madison Square Garden crowd? They will need RJ Barrett to score more than 7 and 14 points in the first two games. The Clippers will head home after winning a nail-biting game 1, but the Suns came to life in Game 2 to even the series. The key for the Clippers in this series is whether Kawhi can get a reliable secondary scorer to help him in this matchup. The Clippers have the advantage in depth, while the Suns have 2 of the best three players in the series. It will be fascinating to watch what unfolds.
3. Will the Timberwolves, Nets, and Hawks flip the script?
These three teams have an uphill battle to fight back into their respective series. It makes Game 3 critical because all three play at home and must play with a sense of desperation. The NBA is the only professional league of the four major sports where no team has come back from a 0-3 deficit in the playoffs. In fact, only three series have gone to 7 games after taking a 3-0 lead. It will take a herculean effort from Trae Young for the Hawks to come back in this series. Young has scored 40 points in both games, inefficient in scoring and under duress from the Celtics switching defense. The Nets need to make life harder for Tobias Harris, who has 41 points in the 1st two games as the fourth-best player for the Sixers on the floor. The Minnesota Timberwolves will go as far as Karl Anthony Towns will take them, and two games into the playoffs, it seems like it won’t be very far. Towns scored a dismal 11 points in Game 1 and a disastrous 10 points in Game 2. I think all three teams can get a win this weekend, but I won’t be surprised if there are a few sweeps.
4. Do the Bucks and Grizzlies suffer from the absence of their superstar on the road?
Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are two of the top ten superstars in the league. However, both players got injured in their respective opening games, from taking a tumble from drives to the basket. Interestingly, both teams rose to the challenge by rallying around each other at home to win Game 2 without their superstars comfortably. However, it will be interesting if these teams can play well without their superstars on the road. The Grizzlies are 38-24 when they play without Ja Morant all time, and it shows that they can play without their electrifying player. The Bucks are 11-8 without Giannis, and the record shows they can at least tread water. However, on the road, I believe that is when a team needs their best player to stop the bleeding and to deliver in the clutch. I think the Bucks and Grizzlies will need Giannis and Morant in the lineup to have a shot at winning both games. Get well soon superstars, your teams need you!