Thus far, the 2017 NBA playoffs flashed a few false alarms with higher seeds overcoming series deficits.The Utah Jazz pulled off the only upset in the first round in a critical Game 7 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. What's their prize' They get the defending Western Conference champions in the semifinals.Before penciling the favored Warriors into the conference championship round, take a look at the highlights of the Houston Rockets annihilating the San Antonio Spurs in front of their fans on Monday night:Unlike the Rockets, the Jazz don't have the shooters to jump out to a big lead and put a stronghold on the opening contest. Do they stand a chance against the Golden State Warriors in a series'You can tune into the game via television or streaming devicedetails available below:Game PredictionsWizards Even Series in BostonThe Washington Wizards came out swinging against the Boston Celtics, and guard Isaiah Thomas lost a tooth in the process. Yet, this resilient Celtics team regrouped to outscore their opponent 36-16 in the third quarter:With a smile that hockey fans can appreciate, Thomas led the Celtics with 33 points on 5-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Forward Jae Crowder put together his best postseason performance with 24 points, which included six triples.The Wizards started Game 1 with hot hands and lost momentum coming out of the locker room in the second half. Guards John Wall and Bradley Beal shot nearly 50 percent from the field, but the defense didn't have an answer for the Celtics' shooting from beyond the arc.Statistically, Washington did everything in its power to steal a road victory, but efficient three-point shooting will always level the playing field. Otto Porter Jr. and Beal must chase the Celtics' shooters away from the perimeter or challenge more shots on the defensive end. Typically, Thomas will create his own shot, but the Wizards must force the Celtics' supporting cast to work harderfor their open looks.Wizards 105, Celtics 100Warriors Crush Tough Jazz TeamThe Jazz carried their hard-nosed defense into the postseason and limited the Clippers to fewer than 100 points in all but one contest. Before forward Blake Griffin went down with a toe injury, Utah kept Los Angeles scoring to a minimum. Though, it'll be a tougher task to repeat the same outcome against the Warriors' explosive starting five.Furthermore, Golden State wrapped up its first-round series more than a week ago. The Jazz come off a full seven-game set. Expect Utah to start a bit sluggish while guard Stephen Curry dribbles laps around the defense on the perimeter.The Warriors have thrown light-hearted jabs at the opposition with comments about their road plans. Curry named a few activities he's interested in when Golden State goes to Utah, per KNBR's Twitter handle:Thirteenth-year veteran, Andre Iguodala added further context to Curry's comments about the nightlife in Utah and his preferences, per ESPN,com's Chris Haynes:Because you're in L.A., you're like, 'Man, this is just the vibe in L.A.' but in Utah, it can kind of lull you to sleep. And then you've slept too long or I'm bored out of my mind and now you got to try to pump yourself up for the game. You know you're in the playoffs and you're supposed to be pumped anyway, but the vibe is just like, 'Man, let's just get out of here.Maybe it's the relaxed nature of the team, but the players come off in an arrogant manner. Then again, Curry and Iguodala candidly answered off-court questions instead of giving generic responses. Golden State should win the series without breaking too much sweat. Nonetheless, Jazz head coach Quin Snyder can certainly use Curry's sound bite and Iguodala's comments as bulletin-board material to wake their opponents out of a lull in Games 3 and 4.Warriors 107, Jazz 94Stats provided by NBA.com and Basketball-Referenceunless otherwise noted.
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