NBA Playoffs First Round

The first round of the NBA Playoffs is my favorite sporting event all year. It is even better when a lot of the teams who are playing each other are evenly matched, like how the Western conference is. The reason I like it is because there are back-to-back games every night, and the level of play increases dramatically. In the regular season, players half-ass it and don't care as much, but in the playoffs everyone steps up and it is that much more exciting. There are four match-ups this year which I am trying to see every game of. The Celtics vs Cavs, Wizards vs Raptors, Clippers vs Spurs, and Mavericks vs Rockets are all really compelling series. OK, well maybe the Celtics series isn't that compelling, but my favorite team is in the playoffs so to me it is! Some of these series have a lot riding on them, in addition to just simply being eliminated from advancing. I think if a couple of these teams (the Mavericks, and Clippers) lose then they run the risk of being disbanded. The cool thing about the first round is it is often times when new starts are born. I remember when Derrick Rose played my Celtics in the playoffs his rookie year, and he exploded onto the scene and became a superstar and eventual MVP. This year I am looking at the Celtics' Isaiah Thomas and hoping he will make a similar leap.