#SLOE: People's Basketball Sim League

Which 2nd round playoff match-up will be most tightly contested?
Why are these teams evenly matched?
Who will win, and How/Why?

Rules: 1 point if you give thoughtful answers, which I will award after the timer ends for responses. The timer ends for responses at the moment the corresponding week's Sim is run.

Note: Use approximately 5 sentences as your bare minimum for 1 point. If you write 3 long, complex sentences, you'll still get a point. If you write 5, 3 word sentences, you will not get a point. Don't @ me.

Due: Deadline for Game 3

I think it's going to be Warriors-Lakers. Greeple has shown that he takes this rivalry personally and he's going to be invested in game-planning to the hilt to try to overcome the Lakers. The fact that Adrian Dantley was injured at the end of the regular season, won't be back at all until the middle of the series, and won't be fully healthy throughout gives the Warriors a puncher's chance. Robert Parish and Jeff Ruland give the Warriors the bulk to hang with Eaton and Donaldson inside, Chambers and Natt give them high-octane offense to keep up with the Lakers on the scoreboard, and Michael Cooper's defense may be the X-Factor that allows the Warriors to slow either Magic or (later in the series) Dantley just enough to let the Warriors eke out the win. I do think, ultimately, the Lakers are able to win it in 7 because home court advantage is a strong thing... but only if they are able to get David Thompson to turn back the clock. He's the offensive X-factor that could be tough for the Lakers to account for, especially in Dantley's absence.

@WigNosy
+1 point