The 2014 NBA Playoffs: Round 3

It's Finals week (at least, for me it is) so I'll keep this extremely short, yet long enough to get my points across this blog into your eye-holes. 

Second Round Prediction: Trail Blazers beat the Spurs in 5.
Reality: Never doubt Greg Popovich. Spurs won in 5.
What We Learned: 
1. The Blazers are a year or two away and maybe a player away from dominance.
2. Which guy Aron Baynes is...

Thank you, TNT.

Second Round Prediction: Thunder over Clippers in 7 exciting, well-played games
Reality: Thunder in 6 excitingly sloppy games.
What We Learned:
1. Chris Paul is not in any way "clutch".
2. Kevin Durant loves Russell Westbrook, his mom, and glasses.

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
At least these shades look semi-necessary.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

#1 San Antonio Spurs v. #2 Oklahoma City Thunder

Just like the Zach Randolph suspension for the Grizzlies, Serge Ibaka's post-season-ending calf injury means absolutely everything in this series. Fun Fact: The Thunder are the only team in the conference finals who were not here last season. The team replacing them? Zach Randolph's Memphis Grizzlies.

Key Match-up To Watch: Russell Westbrook vs. Tony Parker. Just for pure entertainment value.

My Pick: Spurs in 5.

Over on the East Coast...

Second Round Prediction: Wizards defeat the Indiana Pacers in 6.

Reality: Pacers plod their way through 6 games & advance somehow.

What We Learned:

1. Absolutely Nothing. This series was a completely different story with a wide variety of narratives after each individual game. I know less coming out of this series than I did going in.

Second Round Prediction: Heat sweep the Nets.

Reality: The scissors were a little bit rusty as it took Miami 5 games to cut down the Nets.

What We Learned: 

1. Lebron is doing way more than any previous player has done in any previous season by being the lead shooter, passer, rebounder, and he's counted on defending the best opposing player.

2. The Nets are in for a rough Summer where they'll try to trade Deron Williams for anything.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports 

#1 Indiana Pacers v. #2 Miami Heat

Can every individual Pacer get their collective shit together for a series against the two-time defending champs? Probably not. The NBA doesn't and shouldn't want a Pacers-Spurs finale. I might even choose to ignore that snore-fest.

Key Match-up To Watch: Lance Stephenson vs. Dwyane Wade. My reasoning.

My Pick: Heat in 6. I want to say sweep but the Indiana Larry Birds have proved me wrong previously.

Good luck and may all your series go to game 7's! Now, here's a photo I took of an albino deer scampering away from me. 

I mean... I don't intend to brag or anything but this Bigfoot-esque blurry shot of an albino deer is mine.