The first round of the NBA playoffs concluded over the weekend, with now only eight teams remaining.

In the Eastern Conference, Atlanta let a two-game lead slip against Brooklyn, but stayed strong to close the series 4-2. Cleveland and prodigal son LeBron James made light work of their rival Boston Celtics, sweeping them four games to zip. Even though the Cavs didn't lose a game, they have lost star forward Kevin Love for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury sustained after coming together with the Celtics' Kelly Olynyk. Even though it was a tough six-game series between the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks, game six was nothing compared to the previous five. The Bulls ran wild in Milwaukee, teaching the young team a harsh lesson about the playoffs, as they beat the Bucks by 54 points, 120-66. Toronto had home court advantage against Washington, but that counted for nothing as they got cleanly swept 4-0.

In the West, Golden State reinforced the notion that they are the hottest team in the NBA, as Steph Curry constantly made it rain, drowning the New Orleans Pelicans. Houston beat their Texas rivals Dallas in five games, ending a questionable and disappointing season for the Mavericks. We witnessed reigning champions San Antonio Spurs and Aussies Patty Mills and Aron Baynes get knocked out in a thrilling and dramatic series against the LA Clippers, leading us to wonder if it's the end of an era for the legendary Spurs trio of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to advance after five games against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Conference Semi-Finals:

East:

Atlanta Hawks (1) vs Washington Wizards (5)

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs Chicago Bulls (3)

West:

Golden State Warriors (1) vs Memphis Grizzlies (5)

Houston Rockets (2) vs LA Clippers (3)