NBA Playoffs 2016: Schedule, Predictions, X-Factors for Monday’s Round 2 Games

One team down, three to go in the conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs. 

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers capped off a thrilling weekend of action with the dismissal of the Atlanta Hawks, which on its own has huge implications for how this summer’s free-agency action could unfold.

Three series must still crown a winner, though, with injuries playing a major role in each of Monday’s contests. The exception seems like San Antonio-Oklahoma City, which going in seemed like the most competitive series, anyway.

Below, let’s take an updated look at the current round of the postseason before breaking down Monday’s must-see matchups.  

2016 NBA Conference Semifinals Schedule and Results

Miami vs. Toronto X-Factor: The Replacements

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Injuries always play a role in a team’s championship push, but the close series between the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors amplifies this line of thinking. 

For the Raptors, taking a 2-1 lead by winning two in a row after a loss in the first game of the series turned more than a few heads. It appeared one of the most notorious teams for playoff choke jobs had turned a corner.

Then Jonas Valanciunas went down with an injury.

Valanciunas, the guy who averaged 12.8 points, 9.1 boards and 1.3 blocks per game. The guy who, even as Kyle Lowry struggled to find his shot, kept the Raptors afloat with efficient play, as ESPN Stats & Info revealed while SportsCenter gave a timetable for his return:

The Raptors are +39 w/ Jonas Valanciunas on the court this series, the highest +/- of any Raptors player vs the Heat https://t.co/L6wlExhOho

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 8, 2016 …

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