Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Philadelphia 76ers 101 Boston Celtics 117

The Boston Celtics came into this series tired and beaten down from a grueling series with the Milwaukee Bucks, and they also came into this game without Jaylen Brown, who inuured his hamstring and is listed as day to day. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers came into this series having had a week off after dispatching the Miami Heat relatively easily.

This game started off slowly, with Boston looking sluggish while the Sixers looked rusty, as they missed a series of open shots. But the action would pick up. The Celtics offense would light up, with Terry Rozier scoring 29 points including 13 in the fourth quarter while also grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists. Jayson Tatum also had a great game, scoring 28 points while Al Horford scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

The Sixers would eventually get their offense going, but as mentioned earlier, it took a while to shake off the rust. Joel Embiid led Philly with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Ben Simmons had a somewhat disappointing game, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out six assists while J.J. Redick added 20 points. But it was Philly's defense which was porous in this game, allowing the Celtics to drive at will and get open shots when they needed them.

Boston leads series 1-0.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers 113 Toronto Raptors 112 F/OT

The Toronto Raptors have looked forward to a rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers with eyes on revenge, as the Cavs have eliminated Toronto from the playoffs for the past two seasons. The Cavs, meanwhile, had just advanced from a grueling series against the Indiana Pacers, so the question was whether they had anything left in tank to battle the Raptors.

Early on the Raptors came out with more energy and drive, and they quickly jumped to a 14 point lead. The Cavs would make a comeback in the second quarter to cut Toronto's lead to three, but the Raptors would once again extend their lead to 13 points midway through the third quarter due to some torrid shooting from DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and also from Jonas Valanciunas who finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds.

But Toronto would run out of steam down the stretch, and this allowed the Cavs to come all the way back. Lebron James once again led the Cavs, getting a triple double with 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. But like in game 7 of the last series, he once again got help from his supporting cast, as J.R. Smith scored 20 points including five 3-pointers, Kyle Korver scored 19 points including five 3-pointers, Tristan Thompson scored 14 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds, and Kevin Love added seven points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Toronto had several opportunities down the stretch to extend their lead but missed on multiple occasions even after grabbing several offensive rebounds. Lebron would hit a jumper to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Toronto had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Fred VanVleet would miss an open 3-point shot which Jonas Valanciunas tried to tip in on the rebound, but that missed as well, and after a timeout and Lebron James miss with :00.6 seconds remaining, the game went into overtime.

Cleveland would forge ahead in the overtime period thanks to Lebron and Kyle Korver, but DeMar DeRozan woiuld hit a jumper and Kyle Lowry would get fouled while driving to the basket and scoring and made his free throw to pull the Raptors within one. After Lebron missed the rim at the end of the shot clock, Toronto once again had a chance to win the game on the final shot. DeMar DeRozan would drive to basket but was double-teamed, he dished out to Fred VanVleet who was open behind the 3-point line. VanVleet's 3-point attempt would miss off the rim, and the Raptors tried to tip in the shot three times but missed, and the Cavs would grab the rebound to run out the clock and steal a victory.

Jeff Green scored 16 points of the bench for the Cavs while Kyle Lowry scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Fred VanVleet scored nine points off the bench for Toronto but also re-aggravated his injured shoulder late in the third quarter, which may explain why he missed two crucial shots down the stretch.

Cleveland leads series 1-0.

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers 113 Toronto Raptors 112 F/OT

The Toronto Raptors have looked forward to a rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers with eyes on revenge, as the Cavs have eliminated Toronto from the playoffs for the past two seasons. The Cavs, meanwhile, had just advanced from a grueling series against the Indiana Pacers, so the question was whether they had anything left in tank to battle the Raptors.

Early on the Raptors came out with more energy and drive, and they quickly jumped to a 14 point lead. The Cavs would make a comeback in the second quarter to cut Toronto's lead to three, but the Raptors would once again extend their lead to 13 points midway through the third quarter due to some torrid shooting from DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and also from Jonas Valanciunas who finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds.

But Toronto would run out of steam down the stretch, and this allowed the Cavs to come all the way back. Lebron James once again led the Cavs, getting a triple double with 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. But like in game 7 of the last series, he once again got help from his supporting cast, as J.R. Smith scored 20 points including five 3-pointers, Kyle Korver scored 19 points including five 3-pointers, Tristan Thompson scored 14 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds, and Kevin Love added seven points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Toronto had several opportunities down the stretch to extend their lead but missed on multiple occasions even after grabbing several offensive rebounds. Lebron would hit a jumper to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Toronto had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Fred VanVleet would miss an open 3-point shot which Jonas Valanciunas tried to tip in on the rebound, but that missed as well, and after a timeout and Lebron James miss with :00.6 seconds remaining, the game went into overtime.

Cleveland would forge ahead in the overtime period thanks to Lebron and Kyle Korver, but DeMar DeRozan woiuld hit a jumper and Kyle Lowry would get fouled while driving to the basket and scoring and made his free throw to pull the Raptors within one. After Lebron missed the rim at the end of the shot clock, Toronto once again had a chance to win the game on the final shot. DeMar DeRozan would drive to basket but was double-teamed, he dished out to Fred VanVleet who was open behind the 3-point line. VanVleet's 3-point attempt would miss off the rim, and the Raptors tried to tip in the shot three times but missed, and the Cavs would grab the rebound to run out the clock and steal a victory.

Jeff Green scored 16 points of the bench for the Cavs while Kyle Lowry scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Fred VanVleet scored nine points off the bench for Toronto but also re-aggravated his injured shoulder late in the third quarter, which may explain why he missed two crucial shots down the stretch.

Cleveland leads series 1-0.

Damn it! Lost by one lousy point. That LeBron is a beast and he gets away with so much.

It feels like each of the three other teams left in the East would give the West champ a better run than the Cavs, but none of those teams can beat the Cavs 4 of 7 as long as LBJ is playing and (knock on wood) healthy.

Empress said:

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers 113 Toronto Raptors 112 F/OT

The Toronto Raptors have looked forward to a rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers with eyes on revenge, as the Cavs have eliminated Toronto from the playoffs for the past two seasons. The Cavs, meanwhile, had just advanced from a grueling series against the Indiana Pacers, so the question was whether they had anything left in tank to battle the Raptors.

Early on the Raptors came out with more energy and drive, and they quickly jumped to a 14 point lead. The Cavs would make a comeback in the second quarter to cut Toronto's lead to three, but the Raptors would once again extend their lead to 13 points midway through the third quarter due to some torrid shooting from DeMar DeRozan, who finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, and also from Jonas Valanciunas who finished with 21 points and 21 rebounds.

But Toronto would run out of steam down the stretch, and this allowed the Cavs to come all the way back. Lebron James once again led the Cavs, getting a triple double with 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. But like in game 7 of the last series, he once again got help from his supporting cast, as J.R. Smith scored 20 points including five 3-pointers, Kyle Korver scored 19 points including five 3-pointers, Tristan Thompson scored 14 points while also grabbing 12 rebounds, and Kevin Love added seven points while grabbing 13 rebounds. Toronto had several opportunities down the stretch to extend their lead but missed on multiple occasions even after grabbing several offensive rebounds. Lebron would hit a jumper to tie the game with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Toronto had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Fred VanVleet would miss an open 3-point shot which Jonas Valanciunas tried to tip in on the rebound, but that missed as well, and after a timeout and Lebron James miss with :00.6 seconds remaining, the game went into overtime.

Cleveland would forge ahead in the overtime period thanks to Lebron and Kyle Korver, but DeMar DeRozan woiuld hit a jumper and Kyle Lowry would get fouled while driving to the basket and scoring and made his free throw to pull the Raptors within one. After Lebron missed the rim at the end of the shot clock, Toronto once again had a chance to win the game on the final shot. DeMar DeRozan would drive to basket but was double-teamed, he dished out to Fred VanVleet who was open behind the 3-point line. VanVleet's 3-point attempt would miss off the rim, and the Raptors tried to tip in the shot three times but missed, and the Cavs would grab the rebound to run out the clock and steal a victory.

Jeff Green scored 16 points of the bench for the Cavs while Kyle Lowry scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Fred VanVleet scored nine points off the bench for Toronto but also re-aggravated his injured shoulder late in the third quarter, which may explain why he missed two crucial shots down the stretch.

Cleveland leads series 1-0.

Damn it! Lost by one lousy point. That LeBron is a beast and he gets away with so much.

Jordan, Bird, Magic.....superstars always get preferential treatment from the refs. But the Raptors have no one to blame but themselves. How many layups did they miss?

What's up with Drake flapping his gums at Kendrick Perkins? Mfer needs to sit his ass down and stop acting all rough & shit. Believe me, he wants no part of Perkins. Like Shannon Sharpe said, "Man, leave that alone!"

namepeace said:

It feels like each of the three other teams left in the East would give the West champ a better run than the Cavs, but none of those teams can beat the Cavs 4 of 7 as long as LBJ is playing and (knock on wood) healthy.

Doesn't matter who's representing the East......Warriors sre winning the Finals in five games.

Kevin Durant really screwed up the balance of power in the NBA.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

New Orleans Pelicans 116 Golden State Warriors 121

Fans of the Golden State Warriors had been anticipating this moment for the past six weeks, and they finally witnessed the return of Stephen Curry to the lineup. However, his return came off the bench, and his presence was needed against the pesky New Orleans Pelicans. He made his first appearance at the 4:20 mark of the first quarter and immediately hit a 3-pointer to get going.

As it turned out, Curry was sorely needed, as the Pelicans and Warriors went back and forth with each other pretty much for the entire game until late. Both teams relied on their starting lineup to carry the load (although technically Stephen Curry was coming off the bench, but he played 28 minutes in this game while Nick Young, who was starting in place of Curry during the first round series and game 1 of this series, only played 11 minutes in this game). The game would remain tight until about six and half minutes remaining in the game when Kevin Durant went on overdrive and pulled the Warriors ahead for good. He scored 29 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed six rebounds, blocked three shots, and made two steals. Stephen Curry scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Draymond Green fell just short of a triple double, scoring 20 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing nine rebounds. Andre Iguodala added 15 points.

Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 25 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Jrue Holiday scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out eight assists while Rajon Rondo scored 22 points, dished out 12 assists, and grabbed five rebounds. Nikola Mirotic rebounded from a lackluster game 1 with 18 points and nine rebounds while E'Twaun Moore added 14 points. However, the Warriors would pull away to a 14 point lead late in the fourth quarter before Rajon Rondo led a furious comeback that would fall just short as they ran out of time.

Golden State leads series 2-0.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Utah Jazz 116 Houston Rockets 108

The Houston Rockets were able to easily overcome the Utah Jazz in game 1 with explosive offense, and the Jazz were determined to play much better defense in this game, as they were one of the top defensive squads in the NBA this season. The Jazzz would jump out to a huge early lead as they held the Rockets at bay from behind the 3-point line, leading by as much as 18 points.

But the Rockets would come creeping back, pulling within eight points at the half and even taking the lead in the third quarter. But then the fouls began to pile up on both sides. James Harden got his fourth foul in the fourth quarter, and that created an opening for the Jazz to pull ahead with the play of James Burks, who scored 17 points off the bench, and Dante Exum who scoreed nine points including some key shots in the final two minutes as well as some solid defense. Houston would once again make another run in the fourth quarter, but their vaunted shooting went dry, as they shot 25% from the floor in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell would seal the victory with a dunk and a dish to Joe Ingles under the basket. Ingles had a monster game, scoring 27 points while Mitchell had a subpar night, shooting only 6 for 21 from the floor, but he came up huge when Utah needed him to, as he finished with 17 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. Jae Crowder scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

James Harden led the Rockets with 32 points but struggled from the floor, shooting just 9 for 22 from the field including two 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Chris Paul scored 23 points while Clint Capela added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Eric Gordon added 15 points off the bench.

Series tied at 1-1.

uPtoWnNY said:

namepeace said:

It feels like each of the three other teams left in the East would give the West champ a better run than the Cavs, but none of those teams can beat the Cavs 4 of 7 as long as LBJ is playing and (knock on wood) healthy.

Doesn't matter who's representing the East......Warriors sre winning the Finals in five games.

Kevin Durant really screwed up the balance of power in the NBA.

For now. LBJ did the same thing when he left for MIA, and it was assumed that the Heat's window would be open for the 2010's. Age, games played, unexpected health issues, and free agency defections caught up with them.

It physically pains me to even write this, but the Celtics could catch the Warriors next season. They'll have a good mix of playoff vets and young legs, they'll be fresher, and GSW will have played a lot of basketball (their fifth straight run into June).

GSW has a culture that could extend their window, but after 2018, they're looking at the window gradually closing. Especially if Klay leaves.

uPtoWnNY said:

Empress said:

Damn it! Lost by one lousy point. That LeBron is a beast and he gets away with so much.

Jordan, Bird, Magic.....superstars always get preferential treatment from the refs. But the Raptors have no one to blame but themselves. How many layups did they miss?

What's up with Drake flapping his gums at Kendrick Perkins? Mfer needs to sit his ass down and stop acting all rough & shit. Believe me, he wants no part of Perkins. Like Shannon Sharpe said, "Man, leave that alone!"

I agree about the layups and why did they try for a 3-pointer with seconds left?? Crazy. I think Drake is only trying to stick up for his home team.

728huey said:

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Utah Jazz 116 Houston Rockets 108

The Houston Rockets were able to easily overcome the Utah Jazz in game 1 with explosive offense, and the Jazz were determined to play much better defense in this game, as they were one of the top defensive squads in the NBA this season. The Jazzz would jump out to a huge early lead as they held the Rockets at bay from behind the 3-point line, leading by as much as 18 points.

But the Rockets would come creeping back, pulling within eight points at the half and even taking the lead in the third quarter. But then the fouls began to pile up on both sides. James Harden got his fourth foul in the fourth quarter, and that created an opening for the Jazz to pull ahead with the play of James Burks, who scored 17 points off the bench, and Dante Exum who scoreed nine points including some key shots in the final two minutes as well as some solid defense. Houston would once again make another run in the fourth quarter, but their vaunted shooting went dry, as they shot 25% from the floor in the fourth quarter. Donovan Mitchell would seal the victory with a dunk and a dish to Joe Ingles under the basket. Ingles had a monster game, scoring 27 points while Mitchell had a subpar night, shooting only 6 for 21 from the floor, but he came up huge when Utah needed him to, as he finished with 17 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds. Jae Crowder scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

James Harden led the Rockets with 32 points but struggled from the floor, shooting just 9 for 22 from the field including two 3-pointers on 10 attempts. Chris Paul scored 23 points while Clint Capela added 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Eric Gordon added 15 points off the bench.

Series tied at 1-1.

Live by the 3, die by the 3.

The problem is that by the time you find out you aren't hitting the 3s, you've missed about 20 of them and are way, way behind.

Let's hope that was our one cold spell of the series!

Empress said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Jordan, Bird, Magic.....superstars always get preferential treatment from the refs. But the Raptors have no one to blame but themselves. How many layups did they miss?

What's up with Drake flapping his gums at Kendrick Perkins? Mfer needs to sit his ass down and stop acting all rough & shit. Believe me, he wants no part of Perkins. Like Shannon Sharpe said, "Man, leave that alone!"

I agree about the layups and why did they try for a 3-pointer with seconds left?? Crazy. I think Drake is only trying to stick up for his home team.

LeBron's not going down without a fight....now is the time for DeRozan & Lowry to become superstars.

Poor David Fizdale. He doesn't know what he's in for, working for Brain-Dead Dolan and his garbage franchise.

http://www.espn.com/nba/s...head-coach

[Edited 5/3/18 15:23pm]

Lebron's in Toronto's head, that effort tonight by the Raptors was pathetic

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Cleveland Cavaliers 128 Toronto Raptors 110

The Toronto Raptors had a golden opportunity to win game 1 but fizzled down the stretch, and for many Raptors fans it was reminiscient of the Friday the 13th movie franchise.

However, if game 1 ended like Friday the 13th, than tonight's game was like A Nightmare on Elm Street. the Saw franchise, and a current mega-movie blockbuster starring Lebron James as the omnipotent evil villain that all of the Raptors heroes combined cannot defeat. Early on, though, the Raptors played with more composure, even leading by as much as nine points due to the solid play of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.

But the Cavs would creep their way back into this game late in the second quarter, and at the start of the second half they would explode, jumping out to as much as a 23 point lead before easily cruising to victory. Lebron James sparked this stampede, finishing with 43 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Kevin Love also would pull the Cavs away from the Raptors, scoring 31 points and 11 rebounds. J.R. Smith scored 15 points while Jeff Green added 14 points and George Hill added 13 points.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points but struggled from the floor, shooting 11 for 23. Kyle Lowry scored 21 points and dished out eight assists while Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Fred VanVleet scored 14 points off the bench.

Cleveland leads series 2-0.

Damn the Sixers choked one away to the Celts tonight.

They are in desperate mode now. They can't defend Boston's 3 point shooters well.

Saturday is a must win game. I heard Andrew Toney is supposed to ring the bell

for Saturday's game. We may need him to suit up and play.

phunkdaddy said:

Damn the Sixers choked one away to the Celts tonight.

They are in desperate mode now. They can't defend Boston's 3 point shooters well.

Saturday is a must win game. I heard Andrew Toney is supposed to ring the bell

for Saturday's game. We may need him to suit up and play.

Shit, they need to suit up Bobby Jones too for some defense.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Philadelphia 76ers 103 Boston Celtics 108

The Boston Celtics came into these playoffs banged up and short-handed, yet they have found improbable ways to win and advance. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers came into this game promising to play much better offense than they did in game 1.

And they did come out charging. J.J. Redick scored the first eight points of the game, and the Sixers began lighting it up from behind the 3-point line as Boston struggled to put up any offense for the first quarter and a half. The Sixers led by 22 points midway through the second quarter.

But like most of the Celtics games this season, they found an improbable way to get back into this game. Boston would go on a 50-20 run beginning in the second quarter and continuing well into the third quarter as they took an eight point lead. It took a very balanced effort from the Celtics to do this, as six players would finish with double digits in scoring. Yet Philly refused to go away, as Joel Embiid and Robert Covington would spark a comeback and regain the lead early in the fourth quarter. But Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford would rally the Celtics back, and Tatum would sewal the victory with a dunk and a couple of free throws in the final minute of this game. Tatum led the Celtics with 21 points. Terry Rozier scored 20 points, dished out nine assists, and grabbed seven rebounds, Marcus Smart scored 19 points, Al Horford added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown even scored 13 points in limited duty off the bench while recovering from an injury.

J.J. Redick led the Sixers with 23 ponts while Robert Covington scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Joel Embiid scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out five assists while Dario Saric added 14 points and nine rebounds. However, Ben Simmons was a non-factor in this game, as the Celtics focused much of their defensive efforts against him, limiting him to just four field goal attempts and only allowing a single free throw in scoring.

Boston leads series 2-0.

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Cleveland Cavaliers 128 Toronto Raptors 110

The Toronto Raptors had a golden opportunity to win game 1 but fizzled down the stretch, and for many Raptors fans it was reminiscient of the Friday the 13th movie franchise.

However, if game 1 ended like Friday the 13th, than tonight's game was like A Nightmare on Elm Street. the Saw franchise, and a current mega-movie blockbuster starring Lebron James as the omnipotent evil villain that all of the Raptors heroes combined cannot defeat. Early on, though, the Raptors played with more composure, even leading by as much as nine points due to the solid play of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.

But the Cavs would creep their way back into this game late in the second quarter, and at the start of the second half they would explode, jumping out to as much as a 23 point lead before easily cruising to victory. Lebron James sparked this stampede, finishing with 43 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Kevin Love also would pull the Cavs away from the Raptors, scoring 31 points and 11 rebounds. J.R. Smith scored 15 points while Jeff Green added 14 points and George Hill added 13 points.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points but struggled from the floor, shooting 11 for 23. Kyle Lowry scored 21 points and dished out eight assists while Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Fred VanVleet scored 14 points off the bench.

Cleveland leads series 2-0.

This is becoming painful to watch. Now we have to go into Cleveland down 2. I'm not impressed, but won't give up on the Raps yet.

uPtoWnNY said:

phunkdaddy said:

Damn the Sixers choked one away to the Celts tonight.

They are in desperate mode now. They can't defend Boston's 3 point shooters well.

Saturday is a must win game. I heard Andrew Toney is supposed to ring the bell

for Saturday's game. We may need him to suit up and play.

Shit, they need to suit up Bobby Jones too for some defense.

BOS won that game in the last 8 minutes of the 2d quarter. They erased the lead with great rebounding on both ends of the floor.

Empress said:

728huey said:

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 2

Cleveland Cavaliers 128 Toronto Raptors 110

The Toronto Raptors had a golden opportunity to win game 1 but fizzled down the stretch, and for many Raptors fans it was reminiscient of the Friday the 13th movie franchise.

However, if game 1 ended like Friday the 13th, than tonight's game was like A Nightmare on Elm Street. the Saw franchise, and a current mega-movie blockbuster starring Lebron James as the omnipotent evil villain that all of the Raptors heroes combined cannot defeat. Early on, though, the Raptors played with more composure, even leading by as much as nine points due to the solid play of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.

But the Cavs would creep their way back into this game late in the second quarter, and at the start of the second half they would explode, jumping out to as much as a 23 point lead before easily cruising to victory. Lebron James sparked this stampede, finishing with 43 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. Kevin Love also would pull the Cavs away from the Raptors, scoring 31 points and 11 rebounds. J.R. Smith scored 15 points while Jeff Green added 14 points and George Hill added 13 points.

DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 24 points but struggled from the floor, shooting 11 for 23. Kyle Lowry scored 21 points and dished out eight assists while Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 12 rebounds and Fred VanVleet scored 14 points off the bench.

Cleveland leads series 2-0.

This is becoming painful to watch. Now we have to go into Cleveland down 2. I'm not impressed, but won't give up on the Raps yet.

If LeBron's guys keep stepping up like last night, Raptors are in trouble. That was vintage Kevin Love.

uPtoWnNY said:

Empress said:

This is becoming painful to watch. Now we have to go into Cleveland down 2. I'm not impressed, but won't give up on the Raps yet.

If LeBron's guys keep stepping up like last night, Raptors are in trouble. That was vintage Kevin Love.

They are playing very well. This could go 7 games.

Happy my Cavs are playing much better than round 1. Thanks again everyone for posting the scores and analysis.

namepeace said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Shit, they need to suit up Bobby Jones too for some defense.

BOS won that game in the last 8 minutes of the 2d quarter. They erased the lead with great rebounding on both ends of the floor.

And why Brett Brown didn't call timeout to slow the momentum and make adjustments.

uPtoWnNY said:

Empress said:

This is becoming painful to watch. Now we have to go into Cleveland down 2. I'm not impressed, but won't give up on the Raps yet.

If LeBron's guys keep stepping up like last night, Raptors are in trouble. That was vintage Kevin Love.

phunkdaddy said:

namepeace said:

BOS won that game in the last 8 minutes of the 2d quarter. They erased the lead with great rebounding on both ends of the floor.

And why Brett Brown didn't call timeout to slow the momentum and make adjustments.

Do you think they will use Markelle Fultz in this series?

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 3

Golden State Warriors 100 New Orleans Pelicans 119

The Golden State Warriors were able to get past the spirited play of the New Orleans Pelicans in game 2 due to some torrid shooting from behind the 3-point line. The Pelicans knew if they had any chance of getting back into this series, they had to find a way to slow down the Warriors' offense while still having their stars dominate inside the paint.

The Warriors led by one point with about eight minutes left in the first quarter, but after that the Pelcians would fire up, jumping to a 13 point lead towards the end of the first quarter and never trailed afterward. Golden State would try to come back in the second quarter, gettiing within six points at the half, but their vaunted shooting went bust in the third quarter, and the Pelicans would dominate from then on. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 33 points while grabbing 18 rebounds and making four steals. Jrue Holiday scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists while Rajon Rondo was a monster distributor in this game, dishing out a playoff record 21 assists while also scoring four points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Nikola Mirotic added 18 points and 13 rebounds while Ian Moore added 18 points off the bench and E'Twaun Moore added 13 points.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points and seven rebounds, yet he shot just 9 for 22 from the floor. Kevin Durant also struggled from the floor, scoring 22 points on 8 for 18 shooting from the floor while Stephen Curry missed 13 of his 19 field goal attempts to finish with 19 points. Draymond Green fell just short of a triple double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists.

Golden State leads series 2-1.

Western Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 3

Houston Rockets 113 Utah Jazz 92

The Utah Jazz were able to steal a victory in game 2 with som timely defense and some uncharacteristically poor shooting from the Hosuton Rockets, particularly from behind the 3-point line. The Jazz were hoping to sustan the defensive momentum in from of their raucous home crowd.

But Houston would silence the crowd early, as their explosive offense re-ignited while Utah's offense sputtered throughout the entire game. James Harden and Eric Gordon each led the Rockets with 25 while Harden added 12 rebounds. Chris Paul scored 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out six assists while Clint Capela and Trevor Ariza each added 11 points.

Royce O'Neale led the Jazz with 17 points while Alec Burks scored 14 points off the bench. But Utah's stars strugged mightily in this game, with Donovan Mitchell scoring just 10 points on 4 for 16 shooting and Joe Ingles scoring just six points on 2 for 10 shooting from the floor. Rudy Gobert added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Houston leads series 2-1.

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 3

Boston Celtics 101 Philadelphia 76ers 98 F/OT

The Philadelphia 76ers came into this game feeling as though they gave the game away to the Boston Celtics in game 2, particularly in the second quarter when they had a 22 point lead which the Celtics rallied from. Part of that was due to some untimely turnovers, which was one of the few weak points for this Sixers squad all season. But this game would be decided by a couple of massive turnovers late.

This game would be relatively tight throughout, with no team leading by more than nine points, and that was early in the game. The stars for each team played well in this game, with Joel Embiid leading the Sixers with 22 points and 19 rebounds while J.J. Redick scored 18 points and Ben Simmons scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out eight assists. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 24 points while Terry Rozier scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Jaylen Brown came off the bench to score 16 points and grab nine rebounds and Al Horford added 13 points and six rebounds. But in the end it was a couple of turnovers that determined the outcome.

Philly led by two points with 41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter but Jaylen Brown made a driving layup to tie the game with 24 seconds remaining. With a chance to run down the clock and score the game-winning bucket, J.J. Redick made a bad pass attempt to Ben Simmons who had his back to the ball and was running inside to set up position, which allowed Terry Rozier to steal the ball and drive it down court to a trailing Jaylen Brown who made the short jumper to give the Celtics the lead with 1.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. After a timeout, Ben Simmons passed the ball to Marco Belinelli in the corner to hit a improbable deep shot that went in and had the team running off the bench and the crowd going crazy for the improbable 3-point winning shot. But upon further review, Belinelli had his foot inside the 3-point arc, and it sent the game into overtime.

The overtime period played much like the regulation period, with the Sixers leading by four with a minute remaining in overtime. But Jayson Tatum made another driving layup to get within two, and then Al Horford became the latest Celtics hero. Joel Embiid made a bad pass that was stolen by Terry Rozier, who passed it to Al Horford, and he was fouled by Embiid. After splitting a pair of free throws to get within one and a missed shot by Ben Simmons, the Celtics called timeout. And on the inbounds pass, Joel Embiid was drawn away to Jayson Tatum away from the basket, leaving Robert Covington all alone with Al Horford in the post, who Marcus Morris passed to over the head of Robert Covington and made the easy layup to take a one point lead with 5.5 seconds remaining in overtime. After a Sixers timeout Horford would steal the inbounds pass from Ben Simmons, who was then fouled and made two free throws to put the Celtics up by three with three seconds remaining. Marco Belinelli would attempt to make a game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into double overtime, but it bounced off the rim, and the Celtics once again earned an improbable victory, sending the once fiery 76ers to the brink of elimination.

Boston leads series 3-0.

WTF, Philly? Talk about giving one away!

Is there anyone better at drawing up inbound plays than Brad Stevens?

Eastern Conference Playoffs, Conference Semifinals

Game 3

Toronto Raptors 103 Cleveland Cavaliers 105

The king once again showed why he rules supreme over the NBA.

The Toronto Raptors knew they were facing an uphill battle to get back in this series, considering they dropped their first two games on their home court and knew they had to win four of the next five games in order to win this series. To that effect, they made a change to their starting lineup, inserting Fred VanVleet in place of Serge Ibaka to get more offense on the floor.

However, the Cavs would storm out to an early lead while the Raptors continued to struggle from the floor, with DeMar DeRozan scoring just eight points while shooting 3 for 12 from the field. It came to a head at the end of the first half when Serge Ibaka had a basket waived off and Kevin Love subsequently hit a 3-pointer and Jeff Green hit a layup at the buzzer, putting the Cavs up by 15 at the half and getting coach Dwane Casey yelling at the officals while storming off the court in frustration. The Cavs would lead by 17 points in the third quarter.

But the Raptors would claw all the way back into this game. DeMar DeRozan was benched, and C.J. Miles was put in his place, making some key jump shots including three 3-pointers to get Toronto back into the game, finishing with 13 points. But it was Kyle Lowry and O.J. Anunoby who sparked the furious comeback, with Lowry scoring 27 points and Anunoby scoring 18 points including the game-tying 3-pointer with eight seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

But everyone in the arena knew who would be taking the final shot in the closing seconds. The Cavs chose to advance the ball from their baseline instead of from half court, and Lebron James dribbled the ball into the front court with O.G. Anouby guarding him and forcing him toward the sideline. But Lebron would hit a floating jumper off the glass which went in the bucket as time expired, sealing the Cavs win and once again adding to his incredible NBA legacy. Lebron finished with 38 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while Kevin Love scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Kyle Korver scored 18 points while George Hill added 12 points and Jeff Green added 11 points. Serge Ibaka scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Raptors while Jonas Valanciunas added 10 points and 11 rebounds. The Raptors finaly showed the heart of a champion in this series only to have it ripped out by the King of the (Cleve)Land.

Cleveland leads series 3-0.