After the NBA playoffs tipped off on Saturday with a handful of one-sided contests, things got a little more interesting on Sunday and Monday, with the Thunder, Knicks, and Nuggets among the teams to pull out victories in games that went down to the wire. All three days of the playoffs so far, however, have had one thing in common: The home team has won. The road teams have an … [Read more...] about Community Shootaround: First Round Playoff Series
Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Jaquez, Wright, Adebayo
As they look to bounce back after a Game 1 loss in Boston, the Heat can’t count on Jimmy Butler to return at some point later in the first round to give them a boost. While the team hasn’t provided any sort of official timetable on Butler’s recovery from an MCL sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic said on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that the star swingman … [Read more...] about Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Jaquez, Wright, Adebayo
Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic Named MVP Finalists
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic were revealed on Sunday as the finalists for the Most Valuable Player award, according to the NBA (Twitter link). Doncic led the league in scoring (33.9 points per game) and finished second in assists (9.8) while also grabbing 9.2 rebounds per contest. Gilgeous-Alexander led the … [Read more...] about Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic Named MVP Finalists
Heat Notes: First-Round Series, Robinson, Rozier, Draft, Lillard
If the Heat have any advantage heading into their first-round series with the Celtics, it comes from being more battle-tested, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. While Miami was fighting its way through a pair of high-stakes play-in games this week, Boston was resting up and preparing for its playoff opener. Chiang notes that the Celtics wrapped up the top seed in the … [Read more...] about Heat Notes: First-Round Series, Robinson, Rozier, Draft, Lillard
Celtics Notes: Heat Rivalry, Brown, Porzingis, Kornet, Hauser
The Celtics got a very familiar playoff opponent when the Heat defeated Chicago Friday night, writes Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. The teams have faced each other in three of the past four Eastern Conference finals, with Miami winning last year and in 2020 and Boston prevailing in 2022. With all the history between the two organizations, Jaylen Brown believed another … [Read more...] about Celtics Notes: Heat Rivalry, Brown, Porzingis, Kornet, Hauser