Playoffs 2nd Round Game 1 Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center, Houston, Texas.. Los Angeles Clippers lead series (1-0) against the Rockets. Game 2 played on Thu, May 7.

 The second seeded Houston Rockets looked extremely impressive over the seventh seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Houston won the series by a 4-1 margin, with their only loss coming in Game Four on the road. It was the Rockets’ first playoff series win since 2009. In Tuesday night’s 103-94 series clinching victory, MVP Candidate James Harden scored 28 points and handed out eight assists. Josh Smith continued his strong play off the bench with 20 points and eight rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Free throws continue to be a point of concern for Houston, after shooting 19 for 36 in Game Five.

 The third seeded Los Angeles Clippers are coming off an epic seven game series win over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The Clippers faced 2-1 and 3-2 series deficits and won in both occasions on the road in the series. In Saturday night’s 111-109 Game Seven victory, Chris Paul hit a running bank shot with one second remaining to win the game. Blake Griffin recorded his second triple-double of the series with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

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The teams face each other in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, with the first game taking place at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won all three of their regular season games against the Bulls this season. The Chicago Bulls enter this highly anticipated matchup with no injury concerns to speak of and that should give them an advantage over the shorthanded Cavaliers.

 The second seeded Cleveland Cavaliers looked very impressive during their four game sweep over the Boston Celtics in the first round. However, the win proved costly as the Cavaliers will be without Kevin Love for the rest of the postseason with a shoulder injury suffered in the Game Four win. Cleveland will also be without SG J.R. Smith for the first two games of this series as the result of a suspension for striking Boston’s Jae Crowder in the face.

It will be interesting to see if there is any rust for the Cavaliers, after being off for the last eight days. In last Sunday’s 101-93 closeout victory, LeBron James led the way with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

 The third seeded Bulls are coming off a 4-2 series win over Milwaukee in the first round. Chicago raced to a 3-0 lead in the series, before dropping two consecutive games to the scrappy Bucks. In Game Six, the Bulls quieted their doubters with a 120-66 demolition of Milwaukee to close out the series on the road.

All five starters scored in double figures for Chicago, led by Mike Dunleavy’s 20 point night. The Bulls knocked down 15 from 30 from behind the three point line and held the Bucks to just 21 percent from distance.

 Playoffs 2nd Round Game 1 Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio.. Chicago Bulls lead sreries (1-0) against Cavaliers.. Game 2 played on Thu, May 7.

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The Washington Wizards have started their Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 104-98 victory at the Philips Arena.

 The first round series for the Atlanta Hawks with the Brooklyn Nets did not go as easily as many had predicted. The Hawks were pushed to the limit in every game of a competitive six game series win. In the series clincher on Friday night, Atlanta was finally able to pull away on Brooklyn’s home floor in a 111-87 victory.

The Hawks led by six at halftime and pulled away with a 41-21 third quarter to put the Nets away for good. All-Star F Paul Millsap scored 25 points to go along with nine rebounds and six assists in the win. Atlanta connected on 13 for 32 from behind the arc, including six made three pointers by sharpshooter Kyle Korver. During the regular season, Atlanta defeated Washington 3 out of 4 times with the only loss coming when the Hawks rested their starters.

 The Wizards are coming off their impressive first round series sweep over the fourth seeded Toronto Raptors. In that series, Washington came out and stole both games on the road and never looked back. The Wizards have not played since last Sunday, when they closed the Raptors out with an impressive 125-94 home victory.

Washington was very successful in that series using veteran forwards Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden in a stretch four role. Playing small allowed the Wizards to shoot 44 percent from the three point line in the series and certainly is a strategy that they will continue to use against the Hawks.

 The conference's top seeds started the game well, surging 11 points ahead by the end of the first quarter thanks to early shots from DeMarre Carroll and Al Horford. Washington started to cut Atlanta's lead at the start of the third quarter as John Wall found the basket, before a couple of Marcin Gortat free throws tied the scores, but a Kyle Korver three-pointer left the Hawks just in front going into the final spell.

 The Wizards took the lead less than two minutes into the fourth though, and never fell behind again as Atlanta struggled with their shooting, taking almost five minutes to add their first points of the fourth.

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The Golden State Warriors raced through the regular season under rookie head coach Steve Kerr. Golden State comes at you with a frenetic pace, shooting a bunch of three pointers and the ability to lock you down defensively.

The Warriors have perhaps the greatest shooting backcourt of all-time in likely MVP Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Golden State swept through their first round playoff series with the New Orleans Pelicans despite many who predicted the trouble that may exist from a matchup standpoint. I would expect Golden State to attack rugged F Zach Randolph in pick and roll situations with Curry and Draymond Green and create all sorts of problems for the Memphis defense in this series.

 Mike Conley has been ruled out of the Memphis Grizzlies' opening game in their Western Conference semi-final playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. The point guard underwent surgery to repair several fractures to his face last week, and was officially declared out after completing warmups while wearing a protective mask.

 The Grizzlies appeared to be on a collision course with Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. However, a late season slide dropped the Grizzlies into fifth place and a second round date with the Warriors. Memphis defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round by a convincing 4-1 margin. The Grizzlies smothered the Blazers on defense and pounded them inside on offense throughout the series.

 Playoffs 2nd Round Game 1 Memphis Grizzlies vs Golden State Warriors at the ORACLE Arena, Oakland, California.. Game 2 played on Wed, May 6.

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The defending champions knew that a win in their home court would send them through to the Western Conference semi-finals, but the sides could not be separated in the first half.

 The Los Angeles Clippers have ensured that they will play a seventh game against the San Antonio Spurs after winning game six of their first-round playoff series 102-96 Defending champions the San Antonio Spurs have been knocked out of the NBA playoffs after a last-gasp shot from Chris Paul lifted the Los Angeles Clippers to a 111-109 win in the deciding game in their first-round series.

 The Los Angeles Clippers will evaluate Glen Davis after the forward sprained his ankle late in their game against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center last night. Davis landed awkwardly during the fourth quarter of the 102-96 win, resulting in him being taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.

 Paul sustained an injury which forced him out for the majority of the first half, but the guard returned before the break to help leave the home side just ahead at the interval. The Clippers were five points back with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but Blake Griffin added a couple of free throws before a three-pointer from JJ Redick tied it up.

 The lead changed hands several times in the final minutes as both sides battled to remain in the playoffs, with a couple of free throws from Paul being cancelled out by Tim Duncan with less than nine seconds remaining. Paul quickly charged back down the other end though, beating Duncan and Danny Green with a one-handed shot at the buzzer, clinching the series win for the home side.

 The win sets up a Western Conference semi-finals series with the Houston Rockets for the Clippers.

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The New Orleans Pelicans have been more competitive than many experts predicted through the first two games of this series, and are hoping a home game will help to shift momentum in this series. Much like the regular season, New Orleans has been forced to rely heavily on All-Star PF Anthony Davis. In the Game Two loss, Davis scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 45 minutes of action.

Eric Gordon contributed 23 points on 5 for 10 from the three point line. Reserve G Norris Cole has looked good coming in off the bench and will continue to see more action moving forward in this series. Golden State has not been spectacular in winning the first two games, but has managed to hold serve at home.

The Warriors have been getting the job done in this series with their defense. Golden State was the top rated team in defensive efficiency this season and their numbers through the first two games have been even better.

On Monday, the Warriors got 48 combined points from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in a 97-87 victory. Golden State held New Orleans to 38% shooting and just 16 points in the final quarter.

New Orleans PG Jrue Holiday was unable to go in Monday night’s loss and is considered day to day with a sore leg. Golden State F David Lee has missed the first two games and is likely out again for Game Three with a sore back. The Pelicans have given the Warriors trouble and this will be their best opportunity to steal a win in the series.

Playoffs 1st Round Game 3 Golden State Warriors vs New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.. Golden State Warriors lead series (3-0). Game 4 played on Sun, April 26.

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The Milwaukee Bucks are hopeful that the change of venue will spark their struggling offense. The Bucks were 23-18 at home this season, while the Bulls recorded an identical record on the road.

 Milwaukee had much of their success in the first half of the season, when they were defending at a high level and sharing the ball effectively for first year Head Coach Jason Kidd. In Game Two, the Bucks recorded just 13 assists and must find a way to get the ball moving again.

During the season, when Milwaukee recorded less than 21 assists in a game, the team won just five of their 22 games. Better ball movement could be key to snapping the Bucks’ eight game franchise playoff losing streak. The Bulls have flexed their muscle through the first two games and have really tightened things up defensively.

Through the regular season, Milwaukee averaged 103 points per 100 possessions on offense. In the first two games of the series, Chicago has limited the Bucks to just 91 points per 100 possessions. On Monday, Jimmy Butler scored a game high 31 points to spark the Bulls to a 91-82 home win. The 31 points surpassed Butler’s playoff career high of 25 which he set in the series opener. Chicago outrebounded Milwaukee 64-50 on the evening.

 The Chicago Bulls will look to extend their lead in their best of seven first round playoff series with the Milwaukee Bucks, when the visit the Bradley Center on Thursday.


 Playoffs 1st Round Game 3 Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.. Chicago Bulls lead series (3-0). Game 4 played on Sun, April 26.

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Since the All-Star Break, the Boston Celtics had the second best record in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. Boston’s 20-11 mark after the break, was bested only by Cleveland’s 20-7 record.

The Celtics have been competitive in both games of the series and with a little better execution at home could pull off the upset. Boston is very well coached by second year head coach Brad Stevens, and should be a team to contend with over the next few years. In Game Two, Isaiah Thomas came off the bench to score a team high 22 points in a losing effort. The Celtics were out-rebounded 47-39 on the night and will have to be tougher on the boards at home to emerge victorious in Game Three.

 The Eastern Conference first round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers will shift to the TD Garden on Thursday night. The Cavaliers entered the postseason and the odds on favorite to win the NBA Championship this June.

Cleveland took care of business in the first two games of this series, but will have to defend at a higher level if they want to be crowned champions in June. In Game Two, Lebron James scored 15 of his game high 30 points in a 99-91 home win over the Celtics. In his second playoff appearance of his career, Kyrie Irving contributed 26 points on 8 for 18 shooting from the floor. Cleveland must cut down on their 18 turnovers if they hope to win on the road.

 Playoffs 1st Round Game 3 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics at the TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts.. Cleveland Cavaliers lead series (3-0). Game 4 played on Mon, April 27.

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The Los Angeles Clippers were the hottest team in the NBA heading into the playoffs and they were able to carry that momentum into the playoffs in Game One. All-Star PG Chris Paul looked like a man determined to see his team go deep into the playoffs this year.

Paul was aggressive on offense from the start and finished the night with 32 points and six assists. Blake Griffin contributed 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the victory. As a team, the Clippers shot 51% overall from the field and connected on 10 for 18 three point attempts.

 San Antonio finished the season strong, but a loss in the final game of the regular season dropped them from the #2 seed all the way down to the #6 seed. In Game One, the Spurs were unable to match the athleticism of the Clippers in a 107-92 loss.

San Antonio was outscored 30-18 in the first quarter and shot just 37% from the field overall. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points to lead the Spurs, but had a plus minus rating of -21 in his 33 minutes of action. Patty Mills was a spark of the bench with nine points and a plus minus rating of +15. Game two of the Western Conference first round playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs will take place on Wednesday night from Staples Center.

 Playoffs 1st Round Game 2 San Antonio Spurs vs Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.. San Antonio Spurs tied series against Los Angeles Clippers (1-1). Game 3 played on Sat, April 25.

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Playoffs 1st Round Game 2 Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies at the FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee.. Memphis Grizzlies lead series (2-0). Game 3 played on Sun, April 26.

 The Memphis Grizzlies could not have been too happy being a 5 seed in the Western Conference, after sitting in 2nd place for most of the season. The Grizzlies fell in the standings due in large part to a 5-6 record to finish the season. In Game One, Memphis looked a lot like the team that was good enough to be a #2 seed.

The win made it ten out of eleven wins for the Grizzlies over the Blazers overall. Reserve G Beno Udrih provided a huge spark with 20 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists on the night. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph both contributed double figures in scoring and rebound while controlling the paint defensively.

 In Game One, the Banged up Blazers looked overmatch in a 100-86 thrashing. The final score is much closer than the game actually was, as Portland outscored Memphis 24-14 in the final quarter. The Blazers played without SG Arron Afflalo, who was forced to miss the game with a shoulder sprain.

 All-Star PF LaMarcus Aldridge scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a losing effort. If Portland is to win Game Two, they will have to improve on their ice cold 34% shooting in the opener.  

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