No. 4 Utah vs. No. 8 Golden State

Golden State was five minutes away from the Western Conference Finals. If Houston had held on in Game 7, Don Nelson would have exploited Yao Ming worse than he did DeSagana Diop. Unlike the Rockets, Jerry Sloan’s team is too strong and disciplined for the eighth-seeded wonders.

The Warriors were able to upset Dallas in the first round because of the matchup problems their versatile lineup presented. But against Utah, it’s the methodical Jazz with a slight advantage, especially down low. Golden State showed a glimpse of its potential in a 126-102 win against Utah on April 9 (it was a must-win game for the Jazz, who were battling for home-court advantage in the first round), but the Warriors athleticism and up-tempo style will be no surprise this time around.

Utah in five.

No. 2 Phoenix vs. No. 3 San Antonio

With Dallas out of the picture, ABC might as well bill this series as the NBA Championship.

Just like when these two teams met in the conference finals two years ago, this is a matchup of the league’s top offensive and defensive squads: Phoenix led the league in scoring with 110 points per game, while San Antonio has given up just 90 per contest.

The problem for the Suns is that the Spurs have no trouble playing at their frenzied pace. San Antonio beat Phoenix at its own game in the 2005 playoffs, averaging 108 points for the series, before eliminating the Suns in five games. Unless Amare Stoudemire can contain Tim Duncan ‘ the most dominant player on either team ‘ expect a similar result in this one.

San Antonio in six.