When Kobe Bryant high-fived Justin Timberlake after nailing a coffin-closing dagger of a 3-pointer in the final minute Saturday night, it was all but official. The Oklahoma City Thunder finally got their answer as to who they will face in the Western Conference semifinals: The Los Angeles Lakers. The two teams will face off on Monday night in the playoffs for the first time since the Thunder were knocked out of the first round in six games back in the 2009-2010 season,
Remember the Oklahoma City Thunder? They have been out of the news for a while since sweeping the Dallas Mavericks back on May 5. The waiting game will end soon enough as they will learn who their next opponent will be, with the Lakers and the Nuggets playing an elimination game on Saturday. There will be no waiting for the Sixers and the Celtics, who face off in the second round just two days after celebrating their first round victory. Philadelphia (0-0) at Boston
We haven’t had a 76ers-Celtics playoff series in 10 years, so there is a whole generation of NBA fans who may not understand the historical significance of their Eastern Conference semifinal showdown: They once hated each other. This is the 19th playoff meeting between Boston and Philadelphia and should be just an intense as all of the previous matchups. The fourth-seeded Celtics appear to have an edge in experience over the eighth-seeded Sixers. But there is a fine line between
Did you guys hear? Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant is sick and may be questionable for tonight’s contest in Denver! Okay, so no one actually believes Bryant will miss the game in any capacity, including his coach. “If I were a betting guy, which I’m not, I would probably bet that he would play,” Mike Brown said. It’s still big news though, and worth keeping an eye on because he really is “sick as a dog.” Bryant’s Lakers, along with two other teams hoping to eliminate
MAGIC/PACERS Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1. Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and George Hilladded 15 points for the Pacers. Nelson led Orlando with 27 points and made 5 of 8 3-pointers. Glen Davis, a thorn in Indiana’s side throughout the series, scored 15 but made just 6 of 17 shots. CELTICS/HAWKS Al Horford scored 19 points, hit Atlanta’s final two baskets and came
The first round of the playoffs are seemingly coming to a quicker close than many may have anticipated. The Mavericks and Jazz have already been swept out, and one of the remaining teams in each series is on the brink of elimination. Four teams will try to extend their postseason on Tuesday night as they head into their series down 3-1, but history is not on their side, as only eight teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit. The
We’re not gonna get excited about Melo cracking open a 40 and the Knicks fighting off elimination, OK? Win again Wednesday night in Miami. That will make you the lead of the playoffs roundup. Here’s what everyone should be excited about: the 76ers and Celtics look like they will be playing each other in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Thirty years ago, this was the best rivalry in all of sports. Here’s all you need to know about how much these teams hated each
PHILADELPHIA—First off, this isn’t hockey. The No. 8 just seed isn’t supposed to beat No. 1—the way the Philadelphia 76ers are on the verge of doing to the Cbicago Bulls—after grinding out an 89-82 win Suday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. One more “W’’ would make them only the fifth team in NBA history to pull off such an upset, something which happens regularly on ice. The difference basically is there’s may be goaltending in hoops, but no goaltenders to swat