NBA

1 Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25) v 4 Atlanta Hawks (48-34) First Thoughts: The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks, the top two teams in the Eastern Conference during the 2014-15 season, are set to clash in the playoffs for a second-straight year; but in the Eastern Conference Semifinals rather than the Conference Finals like the previous…

1 Cleveland Cavaliers (55-27) v. 8 Detroit Pistons (42-40) First Thoughts: The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, the top seeds in their respective conferences, are heavy favorites to return to the NBA Finals for a rematch of last year's championship series. Most experts and fans expect the Pistons to roll over quickly to the…

3 Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27) v. 6 Dallas Mavericks (42-40) First Thoughts: If there was a theme for this series, it would be the battle between the new and the old. Representing the youthful greenhorn would be the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, while the grizzled veteran would be played by Dirk…

(Mykal McEldowney/Indy Star) 2 Toronto Raptors (56-26) v. 7 Indiana Pacers (45-37) First Thoughts The Toronto Raptors head into the playoffs on a four-game winning streak, including an 111-98 victory on April 8th against their first-round playoff opponents, the Indiana Pacers. In a year overshadowed by the historic Golden State Warriors'…