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How the Underdogs can Prevail in the Second Round of the NBA Playoffs
It takes a special strategy for a team to achieve an upset in the NBA
playoffs. The winner of each series must win four out of seven games,
so the underdog will need more than luck to advance to the conference
finals. Here are several strategies that lower playoff seeds can use to
defeat the NBA’s top contenders. –amir shaw
Atlanta Hawks (4) can Defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers (1) If … They Create Chaos
The
Atlanta Hawks are the most explosive fast break team in the NBA
playoffs, but to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks will have to
keep LeBron James out of the lane and take advantage of every turnover.
If the Hawks can consistently cause mayhem on the defensive end and
keep the game at a fast pace, they will advance to the Eastern
Conference finals.
Houston (5) can defeat the L.A. Lakers (1) if….Ron Artest can Bait Kobe Bryant into a One-on-One Battle
Bryant
will never back down from a challenge on the basketball court. He
continues to approach the game as if he has something to prove. Artest
will try to frustrate Bryant by forcing him to take bad shots. If
Bryant only focuses on conquering the defensive-minded Artest, he will
neglect his teammates and allow the Houston Rockets to capitalize
offensively.
Dallas Mavericks (6) can defeat the Denver Nuggets (2) If … They can Offset Chauncey Billups’ Leadership
Chauncey Billups has proven that one player can change the culture of
an entire team. However, it doesn’t take much for Carmelo Anthony, J.R.
Smith, Kenyon Martin, or Chris Andersen to get excited. If the
Mavericks can force those players to get into foul trouble early, it’s
likely that at least two of them will lose composure and draw a couple
of technical fouls. By causing the Nuggets to become emotionally
charged early in the game, the Mavericks can establish an advantage
that could offset Billups’ leadership.
Orlando Magic (3) can defeat the Boston Celtics (2) If … They Take Advantage of the Absence of Kevin Garnett
Although
the Boston Celtics were challenged by a young and inexperienced team in
the first round of the playoffs, the NBA title can’t be captured
without going through Bean Town. The Orlando Magic can send the Celtics
home early by making sure that Dwight Howard gets 20-25 shots per game.
The Celtics will depend on Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to provide outside
scoring, but the Magic can win easily if they give Howard an
opportunity to dominate in the paint.
