Pacers better dig deep if they want to get outta this first round. The Hawks mean business. There were a couple of questionable non-calls that hurt the Pacers, but again they looked terrible. What is up with Hibbert? I had high hopes for them (I'm not a fan I just want someone to knock off the Heat). At this point they don't look capable.............Again, the Grizz are showing their grit against OKC! So far these playoffs have been excellent because the unexpected - at least from my standpoint - has happened!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Indiana Pacers 85 Atlanta Hawks 98

The Indiana Pacers rebounded in game 2, but doubts about their ability make the finals continue to pester them, and those rumblings became even louder going into tonight's game in Atlanta, where they have struggled to win for several seasons now. And nothing about tonight's game will put those questions behind them; in fact, they're likely to pile on even more doubts.

In this game, it was the athletic back court of the Hawks which helped down the Pacers. Atlanta was led by Jeff Teague, who scored 22 points for the game, including an improbable 3-point shot with a little over a minute remaining that sealed the victory, though upon replay the shot should not have been allowed since Teague stepped out of bounds just prior to the shot but it was not called by the officials. But that shot in and of itself wasn't the reason why the Pacers were upended by the Hawks. Kyle Korver scored 20 points for Atlanta while DeMarre Carroll added 18 points and Paul Milsap added an equal 14 points and rebounds.

But it was the absence of Indiana's key players which was bothersome. Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 21 points and 13 rebounds, amd Luis Scola once again had a good game off the bench, scoring 17 points. David West added 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. But it was the woes of Paul George and Roy Hibbert which were the most disconcerting. Paul George had a monster game on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds, but he only scored 12 points on 3 for 11 shooting from the floor, and Roy Hibbert was practically invisible, scoring only four points and grabbing just two rebounds in jsut 19 minutes of play. There have been rumors that coach Paul Vogel's job may be in jeopardy if the Pacers do not advance beyond the first round, and those rumors will become louder now.

Atlanta leads series 2-1.

Yes, this is late, but I have a day job not related to sports or entertaimnent news coverage.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 2

Portland Trail Blazers 112 Houston Rockets 105

The Houston Rockets were determined to shut down LaMarcus Aldridge in game 2, especially since he put up 46 points against them in game 1. This time around, they would intensify their defensive pressure.

So much for that.

LaMarcus Aldridge had another monster game for the Portland Trail Blazers, this time scoring 43 points on 28 field goal attempts, many of which were against reserve Rockets center Omer Asik, who came off the bench when Dwight Howard got into foul trouble. Damian Lilliard added 18 points for Portland. Dwight Howard had a monster game of his own, scoring 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking four shots, but his success may have come at the expense of James Harden, who scored 18 points on just 6 for 19 shooting from the floor. The Roickets now find themselvces scrambling to get back into teh series while having to travel to Portland.

Portland leads series 2-0.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Oklahoma City Thunder 95 Memphis Grizzlies 98 F/OT

Memphis came into tonight's game with a bit of confidence after beating the Thunder on the road in game 2, and they got off to an early lead, which they expanded to 17 points by the fourth quarter. But OKC would come storming back, erasing the deficit and tying the game with just 57.3 seconds left. The Grizzles and Thunder traded a couple of baskets, but Memphis had a chance to win the game in regulation when Mike Conley drove to the basket with seconds remaining, but his shot bounced off the rim, and after Kevin Durant missed a 3-point shot attempt in the closing 2.4 seconds the game went into overtime.

Memphis would go on to tale the lead in overtime, thanks to Mike Conley, who scored five of his 20 points in the overtime period. However, OKC had a chance to tie the game with 26.6 seconds left in overtime after Russell Westbrook was fouled shooting a 3-point attempt. But Westbrook missed his second free throw attempt, thus prompting him to miss the third on purpose in hopes of grabbing the rebound, but it was recovered by Memphis instead, and they would seal the victory with free throws of their own. In addition to Mike Conley's 20 points, Zach Randolph scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Marc Gasol added 14 points for the Grizzlies. Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points apiece for OKC, but they were dismal from behind the 3-point line, only making five 3-point shots on 28 attempts.

Memphis leads series 2-1.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Los Angeles Clippers 98 Golden State Warriors 96

The Los Angeles Clippers were determined to keep the momentum they built up in game 2, and they came out physically against the Warriors, brusing them in the paint thanks to Blake Griffin, who scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while teammate DeAndre Jordan scored 14 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. They also held Golden State to just 41 percent field goal shooting during the game and six for 31 shooting from beyond the 3-point line.

Even so, Golden State would not go away. They rallied back from an 18 point deficit thanks to the spirited play pf Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. The Warriors would cut the Clippers lead to just one with 4:24 remianing in the game, and from then on it would be tense. Chris Paul would take over the scoring for the Clippers, hitting key jumpers down the stretch and making his free throws. But Stephen Curry had a chance to win the game for Golden State in the closing seconds with a 3-point shot, but it missed, and the Clippers escaped with the victory. In addition to Griffin and Jordan, Chris Paul scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists for the Clippers while J.J. Reddick added 14 points and Jamal Crawford added 13 points off the bench. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points but Stephen Curry was held to just 16 points. Draymond Green added 13 points while grabbing 11 rebounds.

L.A. Clippers lead series 2-1.

[Edited 4/27/14 16:10pm]

The playoffs have been great so far, hope they can keep it up!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Toronto Raptors 98 Brooklyn Nets 102

Toronto would jump out to an early lead in this game, but Kevin Garnett got the crowd into a frenzy with his spirited play in the second quarter. That would get the Nets going, and they would lead by as much as 15 points in the fourth quarter. But the Raptors would come storming back, cutting Brooklyn's lead to just two with 19 seconds left. Patrick Patterson would be fouled at that point, giving Toronto a chance to tie the game with a pair of free throws, but he missed both of them, with the second clanking off the rim and going out of bounds, and the Nets would ice the game with a pair of their own free throws. Joe Johnson led Brooklyn with 29 points while Deron Williams scored 22 points and dished out eight assists. Paul Pierce added 18 points. DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 30 points while Kyle Lowry scored 15 points and Patrick Patterson scored 17 points, but the two free throws he missed haunted them big time.

Brooklyn leads series 2-1.

Damn Wizards. Could have taken a commanding 3-0 lead.

I don't like Joke heim Noah and them damn Bulls.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Chicago Bulls 100 Washington Wizards 97

The Chicago Bulls were in desperation mode coming into this game, knowing that a loss tonight would basically mean the end of the their season. The Bulls came out hot, shooting 60 percent from the field in the first half, yet the Wizards were still outhustling them early. The Bulls would take a seven point lead late in the first half only to fall behind by three at the buzzer.

But the Bulls would be propelled into the lead in the third quarter thanks to Mike Dunleavy, who scored 35 points off of eight for 10 3-point shooting. They also got some helpful contributions from Carlos Boozer, who scored 14 points and Jimmy Butler, who scored 15 points for the game. The game once again turned in the fourth quarter; this time after Washington was making a run to tie the game. Nene would score a transition layup after a Bulls turnover to cut the lead to one point, but he got into a scuffle with Jimmy Butler that led to a head butt, which would get technical fouls for both players but got Nene ejected from the game.

That would fire up Jimmy Butler. He played some critical defense down the stretch and hit a couple of key 3-point shots, including one with 24 seconds remaining that would put the Bulls up for good, but not before some boneheaded plays on both sides to keep the game interesting all the way to the end. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 25 points while John Wall scored 23 points and dished out seven assists. Trevor Ariza added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Washington in a losing effort.

Washington leads series 2-1.

This game was as taxing on my nerves as it was exciting! The Nets tried their best to give it away, but the Raptors obviously did not want it! The crowd was awesome, although there were a bit more Raptors fans there than I expected.......no way that many fans from an opposing team would've gotten tix to a Knicks game at the Garden........But, we won and went home happy and that's all that counts! And yes Pharrell's "Happy" was played as we left the arena!!!

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Houston Rockets 121 Portland Trail Blazers 116 F/OT

The Houston Rockets knew they were in a bad situtaion being down 2 games to none going into Rip City, and they had to bounce back quickly or face having their season be over sooner than expected. They would jump out to a sizable early lead, but Portland would come back thanks to Damian Lilliard, who scored 30 points for the game while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists. He would put Portland ahead in the third quarter, but the Rockets would bounce back and take the lead late in the fourth. Then Lillard would carry the team on his back and bring them within three with about a minute left in regulation. After Jeremy Lin missed a layup for the Rockets, Nicolas Batum would grab the rebound and hit a 3-point shot to tie the game with 41 seconds left. The game would go into overtime, and Lilliard would put the Blazers up by four with a little over three minutes left in overtime. But James Harden would eventually tie the game for Houston, and it was the little used rookie Troy Daniels who hit the game winning 3-point shot with 11.9 seconds remaining in overtime for the Rockets. James Harden finished with a career playoff high 37 points for Houston while also grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out six assists. Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Patrick Beverley, Chandler Parsons, and Jeremy Lin added 16, 15, and 14 points respectively. In addition to Lillard, Nicolas Batum scored 26 oints and grabbed nine rebounds for Portland while LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Portland leads series 2-1.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Indiana Pacers 91 Atlanta Hawks 88

The Indiana Pacers did not want to leave Atlanta down 3-1, so they were determined to play much better than they have been in this series. They got off to a good start, but Atlanta would take the lead in the second quarter, limiting the Pacers to just 13 points. But Indiana would bounce back, making a run of their own in the thiurd quarter. From then, the game was tight. Atlanta would lead by five late in the fourth, but the Pacers got back thanks to a 3-point shot from an unexpected source: David West. Paul George would also hit a key 3-pointer to put the Pacers up for good, but the Hawks would not go away. Kyle Korver was fouled from behind the 3-point line, and he would go on to make all three of his free throw attempts. But Atlanta would miss its final three field goal attempts, and the Pacers would hang on for the victory. Paul George led Indiana with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while David West added 18 points incluing the critical 3-point shot to put the Pacers up late in the fourth quarter. Paul Milsap led Atlanta with 29 points while Kyle Korver scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Jeff Teague added 14 points along with six rebounds and seven assists.

Series tied at 2-2.

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

San Antonio Spurs 108 Dallas Mavericks 109

In a play that was reminiscent of his glory days in the NBA, Vince Carter made an improbable 3-point shot in the closing 1.7 seconds to propel the Dallas Mavericks to a dramatic victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs got out to an early lead in the first quarter, but Dallas would come back and lead by five at halftime. It would become a back and forth affair in the second half, and with the game tied with just 24.2 secnonds remaining, Manu Ginobili would wind the clock down and score a contested layup over Samuel Dalembert with just 1.7 seconds remaining, which appeared to be the game winning shot. But then Vince Carter made his improbable 3-point shot to win the game for Dallas. Monta Ells led the Mavs with 29 points while Dirk Nowitzski scored 18 points and and grabbed seven rebounds. Jose Calderon added 16 points for Dallas while also dishing out nine assists. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 22 points while Tony Parker added 19 points and Kawhi Leonard added 17 points.

Dallas leads series 2-1.

In less pleasant NBA news, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is being investigated by the NBA after TMZ published a tape made by his girlfriend showing him making racist statements about African Americans. I won't mention too much here, but a thread has already been posted on P&R.

http://prince.org/msg/105/407099

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Miami Heat 98 Charlotte Bobcats 85

The Charlotte Bobcats have never won a playoff game in their history, but they wer hoping the home crowd would help propel them to their first post-season win. They would get off to a good start, leading by as much as seven points in the second quarter, but from that point on it was all Miami, as they would retake the lead with 4:40 left in the second quarter and never looked back. Lebron James led the Heat with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, and Dwyane Wade added 17 points. Al Jefferson led Charlotte in scoring with 20 points while Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 17 points off the bench. Kemba Walker and Josh McRoberts each added 13 points for the Bobcats. BTW, Josh McRoberts came into the game with a $20,000 fine for striking Lebron James in the neck in game 2, and his foul in that game was upgraded to a flagrant foul.

Miami leads series 3-0.

[Edited 4/28/14 19:41pm]

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Oklahoma City Thunder 92 Memphis Grizzlies 89 F/OT

The Oklahoma City Thunder were among the league leaders in offense this season, but the Memphis Grizzlies played stifiling defense on both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in this game, going a combined 11 for 45 shots from the floor, scoring just 15 points apiece for OKC.

Nevertheless, OKC had a 14 point lead on the Grizzlies by the third quarter, but Memphis would come storming back thanks to Marc Gasol, who scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and from Mike Conley and Tony Allen, who each had monster games, each scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 and 13 rebounds respectively. They also were key components in the stifiling defense on both Durant and Westbrook. So how did OKC pull out the victory?

Well, here came Reggie Jackson to the rescue. Jackson had scored only 15 points combined in the first three games of this series, but the guard shook off his shooting woes by going 11 of 16 from the floor, scoring a career high 32 points off the bench, incluing a key drive to tie the game and send it into overtime, and the critical shot in overtime to put the Thunder up for good.

Series tied at 2-2.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 3

Chicago Bulls 89 Washington Wizards 98

The Washington Wizards went into this afternoon's game without the services of Nene, who was suspended for this game after getting into a scuffle with Bulls guard Jimmy Butler in game 3. Nene dominated the Bulls in the paint in the first three games of the series, so Chicago was hoping to take advanatge of his absence on the court.

That would not happen. Washington jumped out to a 14-0 lead to start the game and never trailed. Trevor Ariza had a monster game for the Wizards, scoring 30 points which included shooting 6 for 10 from beyond the 3-point line. Marcin Gortat easily filled in for Nene, scoring 17 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out five assists. The backcourt of Bradley Beal and John Wall had their usual solid games, with Beal scoring 18 points while Wall scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists. But they were even more effective in shutting down the Bulls offense, particularly Carlos Boozer, Mike Dunleavy, and D.J. Augustin, who scored a combined 22 points on 9 for 25 shooting from the floor. In fact, it was so bad for Boozer that he picked up five personal fouls in the third quarter alone. The Bulls did cut the Wizards lead to seven points in the second quarter, thanks to the efforts of Taj Gibson, who scored 32 points for the Bulls, but he was the only player who scored with any consistency for Chicago. The Wizards would go on a run to end the first half with a 15 point lead. Washington would extend that lead to 21 points in the fourth quarter before the Bulls made one final run to cut the Wizards lead to eight with about 1:45 remaining in the game, yet they would get no closer. The Bulls now go home facing elimination on Tuesday night.

Washington leads series 3-1.

[Edited 4/27/14 13:04pm]

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Los Angeles Clippers 97 Golden State Warriors 118

There was a huge question concerning the Los Angeles Clippers on how thgey would react to the revelations of their owner making racist comments about African Americans. When news about this broke yesterday, some Clippers players considered boycotting the game, but they decided against it. Instead, they came out wearing their warm-up gear inside out and dropping that gear on the floor at halfcourt just before game time.

Whether this news distracted the Clippers' focus or not, Golden State would come out on a tear to start the game. Stephen Curry scored 15 of his game high 33 points in the first quarter, hitting his first five 3-point shots. The Clippers looked dazed and confused, and the Warriors would lead by 20 points after the first quarter and never trailed. Andre Igoudala added 22 points and nine rebounds for Golden State while David Lee, Harrison Barnes, and Klay Thompson each added 15 points, yet Thompson got into foul trouble early, getting four fouls in the first half. Jamal Crawford led the Clippers with 26 points while Blake Griffin scored 21 points.

Series tied at 2-2.

[Edited 4/27/14 16:09pm]

Brooklyn blew a golden opportunity tonight!!!! Now the Raptors have the home-court advantage back.......oy!!!!!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Toronto Raptors 87 Brooklyn Nets 79

The Toronto Raptors knew that their only chance of winning this series at this point was to steal a victory on Brooklyn's home court. The Raptors jumped out to an early lead in this game, but the Nets would eventually come back and take the lead in the third quarter thanks to Paul Pierce, who scored 22 points in this contest. However, the other Brooklyn superstars would go MIA in this game. Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams were limited to just 10 points apiece while Joe Johnson only scored seven points. Much of that was due to Toronto's defense, who limited the Nets to 3 for 17 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter and didn't give up a field goal after the 6:00 minute mark. DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points while Kyle Lowry scored 22 points and Amir Johnson added 17 points.

Series tied at 2-2.

I'm not interested in the Brooklyn Toronto series at all in fact today is the

first game I watched in this series. I don't know what's up with Deron Williams

but this guy seems to disappear during playoff series. He never won a series

with Utah and I don't think Brookly won a series last season IIRC. If Brooklyn

is to advance he needs to take over in some of these games.

RIP to legendary NBA coach Jack Ramsay. Class all the way.

http://nba.si.com/2014/04...oach-espn/

@phunk - Deron is not the player the Nets thought he was. He's lost a step or two since coming from Utah. Unfortunately he's not the only problem. Joe Johnson disappears sometimes too. When they signed Joe - he along with Deron were hyped as the "best backcourt" in the NBA. It ain't even close. And Livingston gets on my nerves. He handles the point at different times in the game and it drives me crazy or in this case KA-RAY-ZAY!! He seems to lose focus sometimes. JKidd is an ex-point guard....I wonder has he ever fantasized about coming off the bench and showing them how it should be done??!!!!! Also, Garnett is finished.....all he can do now is complain about the crowd "not having enough energy" or something along those lines.......Pierce is a warrior and is living up to his nickname - "The Truth".....when he's on the Raptors "can't handle the truth"!!! We have issues but I still expect us to advance to the next round..........

Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Houston Rockets 120 Portland Trail Blazers 123 F/OT

The Portland Trail Blazers may remind their fans they live in "Rip City", but it took some effort to live up that title. The Rockets had a 11 point lead on the Blazers at the half, but Portland would make a comeback. Mo Williams hit a 3-pointer to put the Blazers in front 105-104 with 18.9 seconds left. Dorell Wright missed one of two free throws, making it 106-104 with 8.3 seconds to go. Dwight Howard then dunked off a feed from James Harden with 3.6 seconds left to tie the gane, and Williams missed a 3-point shot at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime period, Chandler Parsons was hit with a flagrant foul on LaMarcus Aldridge, who made both free throws to give the Blazers the lead. Nicolas Batum scooped up a layup before adding a 3-pointer, and Damian Lillard made a layup to put Portland ahead 117-110. Houston rookie Troy Daniels nailed a 3-pointer and Harden landed a jumper to narrow it to 119-117, but Lillard made free throws to extend the lead to four points with 17 seconds left. Aldridge missed a pair of free throws, and Daniels was fouled by Wright on a 3-point attempt and made all three shots to narrow it to 121-120 with 8.9 seconds left. After a Portland timeout, Williams made free throws for the final margin.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 29 points and 10 rebounds while Nicolas Batum scored 25 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists. Damian Lillard added 23 points while dishing out eight assists while Wesley Matthews scored 21 points. James Harden led Houston with 28 points while Dwight Howard scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Chandler Parsons added 26 points. The Rockets, who were one of the favorites to advance to the Western Conference Finals, now find themselves on the brink of elimination while the Blazers look to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2000.

Portland leads series 3-1.

RIP to one of Philly's own, Jack Ramsay

728huey said:

In less pleasant NBA news, Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is being investigated by the NBA after TMZ published a tape made by his girlfriend showing him making racist statements about African Americans. I won't mention too much here, but a thread has already been posted on P&R.

http://prince.org/msg/105/407099

Always knew he was kinda on the slow side when it came to running a Basketball team, now we know his slowness extends to other things also. What a Dummy!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 4

Miami Heat 109 Charlotte Bobcats 98

The Miami Heat were looking to close out this series, but the Bobcats were still looking to get their first postseason victory as a franchise. Charlotte played tough the in first half, even leading by two at halftime, but then Lebron James took over. He scored 31 points and would lead the Heat to a relatively easy victory. Chris Bosh would score 17 points while Dwyane Wade added 15 points. Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 29 points, but they would play without the services of Al Jefferson, who sat out of the game with a foot injury. Miami now awaits the winner of the Toronto/Brooklyn series while the Bobcats have played their final game as a franchise. (Charlotte will once again take on the Hornets name next season.)

Miami wins series 4-0.

What a crazy first round! I don't ever remember so many underdogs have a real shot. Aside from Miami dusting Charlotte, every road team will be at least 2-2 after 4 games. As a Portland fan, I am super excited and hope that the Blazers can pull it off. The Rockets and Blazers seem to be so evenly matched. 3 overtime games out of 4 so far!

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round

Game 5

Atlanta Hawks 107 Indiana Pacers 97

The Atlanta Hawks knew the only way they could win this series was by winning another game in the road. The Pacers, on the other hand, wanted to show their home fans they were ready to take the next step in the playoffs. The Pacers got off to a good start in the first quarter, but Atlanta would lay down the gauntlet in the second quarter thanks to Mike Scott, who would make five shots from behind the 3-point line, propelling the Hawks to a 30-6 run and giving them a 21 point lead at the half. Indiana would make a run to bring the game closer in the fourth quarter, but they got no closer than eight points and ran out of time. Shelvin Mack led the Hawks with 20 points while Mike Scott scored 17 points. Paul Milsap added 18 points while Kyle Korver added 16 points. Paul George led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds while David West, George Hill, and Lance Stephenson each added 16 points. The Pacers, who were the prohibitive favorite to unseat the Miami Heat in the East, now find themselves on the brink of elimination.

Atlanta leads series 3-2.