Build a Franchise (Season 4)

[bishnykfan]

April 5

Chicago 92 Philadelphia 83

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Washington 114 Detroit 57

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New Orleans 122 Sacramento 109

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Oklahoma City 111 Golden State 106

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Denver 105 Utah 94

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Clippers 119 Phoenix 84

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[bishnykfan]

April 6

Atlanta 133 Boston 131 OT

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Miami 103 Brooklyn 86

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San Antonio 115 Charlotte 108

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Dallas 100 Toronto 67

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Minnesota 116 New York 108

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[bishnykfan]

April 7

Indiana 106 Philadelphia 95

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Milwaukee 115 Chicago 107 OT

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Miami 115 Cleveland 97

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Charlotte 119 Orlando 112

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Brooklyn 117 Washington 107

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Memphis 94 Detroit 78

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Minnesota 124 Houston 117

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New Orleans 125 Toronto 104

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Denver 127 Golden State 117

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Lakers 119 Phoenix 94

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Sacramento 125 Portland 95

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[bishnykfan]

April 8

New York 108 Boston 83

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Atlanta 119 Chicago 112 OT

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San Antonio 103 Dallas 91

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Oklahoma City 121 Clippers 118

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[bishnykfan]

April 9

Miami 114 Indiana 96

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Milwaukee 119 Philadelphia 90

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Brooklyn 117 Detroit 97

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Cleveland 111 Dallas 93

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Orlando 134 Washington 121

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Sacramento 131 San Antonio 110

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Toronto 119 Houston 107

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Charlotte 128 New Orleans 105

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Denver 93 Memphis 77

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Portland 124 Minnesota 105

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Utah 94 Phoenix 76

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Oklahoma City 116 Lakers 98

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[bishnykfan]

April 10

New York 97 Detroit 83

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Washington 126 Boston 108

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Portland 121 Denver 96

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Clippers 135 Golden State 125

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[bishnykfan]

April 11

Indiana 129 Brooklyn 110

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Philadelphia 102 Chicago 98

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Toronto 116 Orlando 98

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Atlanta 114 Milwaukee 102

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Miami 117 Boston 86

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Charlotte 99 Cleveland 76

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Memphis 103 Minnesota 96

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San Antonio 129 Houston 117

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Dallas 99 New Orleans 81

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Oklahoma City 97 New York 88

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Lakers 97 Utah 95

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Clippers 102 Sacramento 93

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Golden State 83 Phoenix 71

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[bishnykfan]

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE FIRST ROUND


April 14

Atlanta 98 @ Cleveland 121
Toronto 105 @ Philadelphia 120
Indiana 131 @ Orlando 127 OT
Charlotte 102 @ Chicago 84


April 15

Atlanta 85 @ Cleveland 102
Toronto 98 @ Philadelphia 103
Indiana 112 @ Orlando 99
Charlotte 110 @ Chicago 119
Denver 96 @ New Orleans 113
San Antonio 89 @ Portland 116
Clippers 107 @ Dallas 108
Golden State 135 @ Sacramento 127


April 16

Denver 112 @ New Orleans 124
San Antonio 92 @ Portland 107
Clippers 108 @ Dallas 123
Golden State 106 @ Sacramento 122


April 17

Cleveland 99 @ Atlanta 107
Philadelphia 124 @ Toronto 98
Orlando 95 @ Indiana 114
Chicago 100 @ Charlotte 114


April 18

Cleveland 113 @ Atlanta 104
Philadelphia 116 @ Toronto 128
Orlando 114 @ Indiana 130
Chicago 106 @ Charlotte 114
New Orleans 103 @ Denver 91
Portland 126 @ San Antonio 118
Dallas 108 @ Clippers 118
Sacramento 122 @ Golden State 129


April 19

New Orleans 124 @ Denver 103
Portland 126 @ San Antonio 101
Dallas 135 @ Clippers 120
Sacramento 127 @ Golden State 118


April 20

Atlanta 106 @ Cleveland 112
Toronto 102 @ Philadelphia 119
Charlotte 110 @ Chicago 125


April 21

Clippers 123 @ Dallas 101
Golden State 93 @ Sacramento 122


April 22

Chicago 108 @ Charlotte 117


April 23

Dallas 126 @ Clippers 113
Sacramento 129 @ Golden State 114

[bishnykfan]

FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS- SEASON SERIES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland vs. Atlanta

Cleveland wins series 3-0

November 24- Cleveland 124 Atlanta 113
December 8- Cleveland 120 Atlanta 109
December 30- Cleveland 113 Atlanta 106

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Philadelphia vs. Toronto

Philadelphia wins series 3-1

December 10- Philadelphia 106 Toronto 79
January 10- Toronto 99 Philadelphia 98
January 15- Philadelphia 113 Toronto 100
February 9- Philadelphia 98 Toronto 96

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Orlando vs. Indiana

Orlando wins series 3-1

October 18- Indiana 125 Orlando 118
November 18- Orlando 127 Indiana 87
December 8- Orlando 123 Indiana 115
February 9- Orlando 123 Indiana 108

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Chicago vs. Charlotte

Chicago wins series 3-1

January 23- Chicago 111 Charlotte 107
February 13- Charlotte 126 Chicago 113
March 17- Chicago 113 Charlotte 111
March 23- Chicago 122 Charlotte 112

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

New Orleans vs. Denver

New Orleans wins series 3-0

October 26- New Orleans 111 Denver 97
December 20- New Orleans 127 Denver 109
January 19- New Orleans 124 Denver 113

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Portland vs. San Antonio

Portland wins series 2-1

January 22- Portland 132 San Antonio 123
February 4- San Antonio 97 Portland 94
February 11- Portland 135 San Antonio 117

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Dallas vs. Clippers

Dallas wins series 2-1

October 29- Dallas 114 Clippers 105
November 20- Dallas 131 Clippers 105
January 30- Clippers 146 Dallas 116

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Sacramento vs. Golden State

Series tied 2-2

October 18- Sacramento 144 Golden State 136 OT
November 14- Golden State 127 Sacramento 114
December 23- Golden State 112 Sacramento 94
January 2- Sacramento 115 Golden State 109 OT

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[bishnykfan]

April 14

Cleveland 121 Atlanta 98

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Cleveland leads series 1-0

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Build a Franchise's top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, made their franchises initial leap into the postseason with a dominating 121-98 victory over the eighth seeded Atlanta Hawks. The crowd at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse have waited four years for this night and they made their presence felt early in the game. Even a short jumper from Larry Nance which put the Hawks ahead 2-0 on the games first possession couldn't quiet the raucous crowd. The Cavs rewarded their "sixth man" running off nine straight points to take a 9-2 lead, which they would never relinquish. Deandre Ayton led the Cavs with 29 points and 15 rebounds and Julius Randle added 24 and 8 off the bench for the victorious Cavs. Cleveland led by as many as 32 points in the second half as they showed the rest of the league that the regular season was no fluke. Steph Curry led the Hawks with 22 points. Both teams will take the court again tomorrow night as the Hawks will try and even up the series.

Philadelphia 120 Toronto 105

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Philadelphia leads series 1-0

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The Philadelphia 76ers won 59 regular season games to secure the second seed in a very competitive Eastern Conference this season. But coming into game one of the playoffs, most of the talk was about their opponent, the seventh seeded Toronto Raptors who ended the season winning eight of their final ten games to secure their place in the postseason. The 76ers, still playing without second leading scorer CJ McCollum beat up on the Raptors, 120-105 to take a one game to none lead in their best of seven first round matchup. A tie game entering the fourth quarter quickly went in the home teams favor as the 76ers opened the fourth quarter with a 12-4 run in the first four minutes. John Collins led the way with 35 points and 18 rebounds for the Sixers who had seven players score double digits in the game. Philadelphia outrebounded Toronto 51-32 in the game. LeBron James scored 23 points before fouling out to lead Toronto who will look to bounce back tomorrow night in game two.

Indiana 131 Orlando 127 OT

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Indiana leads series 1-0

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The 2021 Build a Franchise postseason started with a bang on Wednesday night as the Indiana Pacers won a back and forth nail biter, 131-127 in overtime, over the Orlando Magic. The Pacers began the season as one of the odds on favorites to win the BaF title. After struggling for a good portion of the regular season, the Pacers clicked in the first game of the postseason, wrestling away home court advantage from the surprising Magic. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Pacers with 30 points and Luka Doncic added 24 points to go along with 14 assists in a game which saw neither team lead by more than seven points throughout. Collin Sexton scored 35 points off the bench to lead Orlando. Indiana will look to take a commanding two games to zero lead tomorrow night before heading back to Indy.

Charlotte 102 Chicago 84

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Charlotte leads series 1-0

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The young Charlotte Hornets won their franchises first ever postseason game in convincing fashion, 102-84 over the veteran Chicago Bulls in Chicago on Wednesday night to take a one game to none lead in the best of seven series. Second year point guard, Ja Morant, led Charlotte with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists and Brandon Ingram contributed 21 points for the victors. The Bulls were led by Kawhi Leonard's 23 points in the loss. The Bulls jumped out to an early 14-8 lead five minutes into the game but the Hornets then proceeded to run off 14 straight points of their own and ended the first quarter on a 23-6 run. Chicago was only able to get the deficit under double digits one time after a Kemba Walker three pointer cut the Charlotte lead to 65-54 midway through the third quarter. The two teams will be back at it tomorrow night in a now crucial game two for the Bulls.

[bishnykfan]

April 15

Cleveland 102 Atlanta 85

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Cleveland leads series 2-0

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Jayson Tatum led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their second consecutive home playoff win 102-85 over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday evening at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Tatum scored 21 points for the Cavs in a dominating performance in which Cleveland never trailed and led by as many as 33 points early in the second half. The Cavaliers again showed off their depth as Dennis Schroder scored 20 points, the second straight night a player coming off the bench poured in 20+ for Cleveland. Atlanta suffered from a pour shooting night against the leagues top defense. They shot just 35% for the game. Steph Curry again led the Hawks in scoring but managed just 15 points on 4-17 shooting. Atlanta will try and figure things out as they head to Atlanta for a crucial game three on Saturday afternoon.

Philadelphia 103 Toronto 98

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Philadelphia leads series 2-0

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The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 103-98 Thursday night to take a two games to none lead in their first round best of seven series. Brandon Clarke scored 32 points and added 13 rebounds and John Collins added 28 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Sixers who once again dominated around the basket. Philadelphia outrebounded Toronto 54-38 and outscored the Raptors 62-38 in the paint. LeBron James led Toronto with 28 points and and 12 assists and Devonte Graham chipped in 18 off the bench in a losing effort. Lonzo Ball came up one assist shy of his first career postseason triple double. He scored 12 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and 9 assists. The series will now head north of the border for what amounts to a near must win for the Raptors.

Indiana 112 Orlando 99

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Indiana leads series 2-0

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The Indiana Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 112-99 on Thursday night to take a commanding two games to zero lead in their best of seven first round series. The Magic were one of only five teams in the league to lose fewer than ten regular season games in their home arena, but have now lost at home on back to back nights against the Pacers. Karl-Anthony Towns led the Pacers with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Luka Doncic threw in 22 points and 13 assists for Indiana. Orlando was the leagues highest scoring team during the season but failed to score 100 points. Collin Sexton once again led the Magic, scoring 21 points off the bench. The series will now head back to Indiana for a game three on Saturday afternoon.

Chicago 119 Charlotte 110

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Series tied 1-1

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The Chicago Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 119-110 on Thursday night at the United Center to even up their first round playoff series at one game apiece. Kawhi Leonard led the Bulls with 31 points and 9 rebounds. Chicago also got an unexpected lift from Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 19 points (11 above his season average). DiVincenzo was also tasked with the job of slowing down Hornet superstar point guard, Ja Morant, which he was able to do, limiting Morant to just 14 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led Charlotte with 20 points off of the bench. The series will now head to Charlotte for a pivotal game three on Saturday evening.

New Orleans 113 Denver 96

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New Orleans leads series 1-0

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Welcome to the playoffs Trae Young. Young scored 38 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists to lead the Pelicans to their first ever postseason victory. Anthony Davis contributed 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists for the home team. The Pelicans, who never trailed in the game, received 99 of their 113 points from just four players (Paul George 19/OG Anunoby 14). D'Angelo Russell led the Nuggets with 23 points. Both teams will be back at it tomorrow night for game two of their best of seven series.

Portland 116 San Antonio 89

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Portland leads series 1-0

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The Portland Trailblazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 116-89 in game one of their Western Conference Quarterfinal matchup on Thursday night. The upstart seventh seeded Spurs kept the game close in the first half, trailing only 56-54 at the half before the veteran Trailblazers broke the game open in the third quarter. Portland outscored San Antonio 38-16 in a third quarter which saw the Trailblazers score the first nine points after intermission. The Blazers never looked back from the point putting the young Spurs away for the 1-0 series lead. Hassan Whiteside scored 26 points and Fred VanVleet scored 17 off the bench to lead Portland. RJ Barrett scored 21 points off the bench to lead the Spurs. Game two will be played tomorrow night in Portland.

Dallas 108 Clippers 107

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Dallas leads series 1-0

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The Dallas Mavericks held on to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 108-107 in an intense game one battle. The Mavericks led by as many as 23 points in the first half and held a 12 point lead entering the games final quarter before watching their lead nearly completely evaporate. Khris Middleton missed a 19 foot jumper in the games final seconds which would have capped the improbable comeback and given the visiting team the victory. The Mavericks were led by their "Big Three", Giannis Antetokounmpo was the games high scorer with 36 points. He also managed 14 rebounds and 9 assists. Jrue Holiday added 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Antetokounmpo and Holiday are used to playing in these types of games for Dallas but first year Maverick, Nikola Jokic, who came to Dallas from Utah in an offseason trade, made a great postseason debut with the 2019 BaF champions. Jokic scored 27 points to go along with 8 assists. Midseason acquisition, Nikola Vucevic led the Clippers with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Middleton added 16 in a losing effort. The Clippers will try to rebound in game two, which will be played back in Dallas, tomorrow night.

Golden State 135 Sacramento 127

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Golden State leads series 1-0

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The defending champion Golden State Warriors began defense of their title with a 135-127 victory on the road against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. Russell Westbrook finished the season strong and continued his sizzling play in game one scoring a game high 34 points and finishing just an assist shy of a triple double. He easily won his matchup with future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul, who struggled with foul trouble throughout the game and finished with just seven points before fouling out. Domantas Sabonis scored 22 points and also contributed 12 rebounds off of the bench for the Warriors. The Kings led 106-92 entering the fourth quarter as the Warriors struggled to stop the inside/out combo of Brook Lopez (28 points) and Markelle Fultz (team high 29 points off the bench). But the defending champion Warriors roared back with a huge fourth quarter, thanks to Westbrook and the bench trio of Sabonis, Lou Williams (19 points) and Kyle Kuzma (14 points) outscoring the Kings 43-21 in the games final 12 minutes to complete the come from behind victory. Game two will be played tomorrow night, again in Sacramento.

[bishnykfan]

April 16

New Orleans 124 Denver 112

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New Orleans leads series 2-0

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The West's top team New Orleans Pelicans struggled for much of their game two 124-112 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
A huge second quarter though which saw them outscore the eight seed 40-25 was more than enough cushion to make up for those lackadaisical moments. The Pelicans used a 13-0 run midway through the second quarter to expand their lead to as many as 24 points before going into halftime with a 19 point advantage. Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Trae Young added 29 points and 12 assists in the win. D'Angelo Russell entered the game questionable due to a leg injury but played admirably in his 22 minutes, leading the Nuggets with 24 points. The series will now head to Denver, where the Nuggets will hope that the high altitude slow down the high flying Pelicans.

Portland 107 San Antonio 92

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Portland leads series 2-0

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The Portland Trailblazers dominated the overmatched San Antonio Spurs 107-92 to take a two games to none lead in the first round best of seven series on Friday night. The 15 point margin of victory was not indicative of the lopsidedness of the game however. After a slow start, Portland was lights out in taking a 63-38 halftime lead. Kevin Durant scored 27 points and Hassan Whiteside scored 23 points to go with a season high 26 rebounds for the Blazers. Portland got another 50 points from their deep bench, led by TJ Warren's 19. The Trailblazers bench outscored the Spurs bench 50-28. The Spurs were led by Bojan Bogdanovich and rookie Tyrese Haliburton's 16 points, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep up with the deep and talented Portland team.
The series now moves to Texas for game three on Sunday evening.

Dallas 123 Clippers 108

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Dallas leads series 2-0

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The Dallas Mavericks may have been overlooked at times this year considering they finished third in the Western Conference. But they seem to be reminding everyone that they were one of the preseason favorites for a reason. Their big three of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Jrue Holiday are as good as any group in the league and they have been unstopable through the first two games of their WC Quarterfinal matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavericks beat the Clippers 123-108 behind 87 points, 29 rebounds and 25 assists from the "Big Three". Antetokounmpo led the way with 44 points and Jokic added 19 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Dallas is clearly getting the player they hoped for when they traded Bradley Beal to Utah for Jokic in the summer. The Clippers found themselves in an early hole after surrendering 39 first quarter points. They never threatened after the games first few minutes and trailed by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter. Nikola Vucevic and Khris Middleton led LA with 22 and 20 points respectively. The teams now head to southern California for a near must win game three for the Clips on Sunday night.

Sacramento 122 Golden State 106

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Series tied 1-1

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The Sacramento Kings showed their toughness with a huge 122-106 home victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors late Friday night. The Kings were in danger of losing the first two games of the series at home before travelling to California for Sunday's game three making tonght's game even more important. Making matters worse, they also faced the possibility of playing the game without their floor general, Chris Paul who was limited in last night's game one loss and came into tonight's game nursing a sore foot. But Paul laced it up and put in 18 gritty, hard nosed minutes scoring 15 points and dishing out 7 assists in his limited time. The slack was once again picked up by Markelle Fultz, who has been dynamic through two games of the series. Fultz scored a team high 24 points and added 10 assists off the bench while Seth Curry also contributed 22 points in the win. Domantas Sabonis led the Warriors with a game high 28 points and 16 rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 27 in the loss. Game three will be played Sunday night in Golden State.

[bishnykfan]

April 17

Atlanta 107 Cleveland 99

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Cleveland leads series 2-1

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The Atlanta Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 107-99 in a crucial game three on Saturday afternoon. With the series moving to Atlanta after the leagues top team was dominant in the first two games, Steph Curry helped the Hawks turn things around with an outstanding first half in which he scored 19 of his game high 29 points to give Atlanta a 62-45 lead going into the locker room. The Cavaliers made things interesting when they cut the Hawk lead to just two points going into the games final quarter. Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder scored 17 points apiece to lead the Cavs. But the Hawks were able to get the momentum back on their side in the fourth quarter thanks to clutch shots by Curry and sixth man, Cedi Osman (16 points). Andre Dummond had a huge game (18 points and 18 rebounds) for the Hawks as Atlanta was able to outrebound Cleveland, the leagues top rebounding team, 48-40. Game four will be played tomorrow afternoon.

Philadelphia 124 Toronto 98

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Philadelphia leads series 3-0

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Brandon Clarke led a balanced Philadelphia attack with 26 points in their convincing 124-98 win on the road against the Toronto Raptors in game three of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal on Saturday night. Six other 76ers scored in double digits in the game including CJ McCollum who finished second in scoring with 20 points in his return from a sprained MCL which cost him nearly six weeks. With the win, Philadelphia has taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Toronto got 25 points from LeBron James and 23 from Devonte Graham but little else from a disappointing supporting cast. The Raptors were once again destroyed on the glass getting outrebounded 50-33 in the contest. The Raptors will look to stave off elimination tomorrow afternoon in a must win game four.

Indiana 114 Orlando 95

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Indiana leads series 3-0

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Luka Doncic scored 43 points to help the Indiana Pacers to a game three rout of the third seeded Orlando Magic on Saturday afternoon. The Pacers led virtually throughout the game and held a 37-22 lead after one quarter. Doncic also had 9 assists and 6 rebounds in the game. The Magic were the leagues top scoring team and failed to score 100+ points in only five games all season, but have now been held below 100 in two consecutive games by the surging Pacers. Collin Sexton (22 points) led the Magic in scoring from the bench for the third straight game but he got little help from the rest of the high scoring group. Donovan Mitchell scored 21 points and Zion Williamson had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Pacers. Indiana will look to close out the series and complete the series tomorrow night.

Charlotte 114 Chicago 100

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Charlotte leads series 2-1

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LaMarcus Aldridge and Ja Morant each scored 23 points to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 114-100 victory in game three of their first round series with the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. Brandon Ingram, coming off the bench for the first time in the series contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets. Charlotte entered the fourth quarter with an 86-82 lead that grew to 11 thanks to a 7-0 run that was capped by an Aldridge three pointer with just over ten minutes to play. The Bulls got that lead down to six twice in the games final six minutes but could not get any closer. Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points in the loss for the Bulls who will look to bounce back and even the series tomorrow night.

[bishnykfan]

April 18

Cleveland 113 Atlanta 104

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Cleveland leads series 3-1

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The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-104 on Sunday afternoon to take a 3-1 series lead in their first round playoff matchup. Jayson Tatum led the way for the Cavs scoring 23 points and adding 7 rebounds. The Cavaliers jumped out to an early lead behind the Zach LaVine who scored 8 of his 13 points in the games first quarter, a quarter that saw Cleveland outscore Atlanta 31-20. Steph Curry did everything he could to shoot the Hawks back into the game making 7 three-pointers in the game and scoring a game high 33 points. But the Cavaliers depth and star power was to much for Curry and the Hawks to overcome. Bam Adebayo had his best game of the postseason for the visitors scoring 15 points to go with a game high 13 rebounds. The series will move back to Cleveland on Tuesday where the Hawks will need a win to stave off elimination.

Toronto 128 Philadelphia 116

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Philadelphia leads series 3-1

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With the Toronto Raptors trailing 3-0 and facing elimination in their best of seven series you can understand why the home crowd at Scotiabank Arena began game four with such a noticeable nervousness. The first 24 minutes of the game did nothing to ease the minds of the 19,800 rabid Raptor fans in attendance as the 76ers held a 53-51 lead at the half. The half was much more of the same for Philadelphia as they were led by the frontcourt dynamic duo of John Collins and Brandon Clarke, who scored 29 and 24 points respectively in the game. But Toronto turned things around after halftime with an amazing offensive performance, scoring 77 points after the break to beat the 76ers 128-116 and extend the series to a game five on Tuesday night. LeBron James was unstoppable in the second half, scoring 27 of his game high 40 points. Veteran power forward Serge Ibaka turned back the clock scoring 30 points in the game and had a huge blocked shot in the final two minutes as Philadelphia threatened the Toronto lead. Toronto finished the game out at the foul like going 8-8 in the last 90 seconds to secure the win. Game five will be played back in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Indiana 130 Orlando 114

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Indiana wins series 4-0

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The sixth seeded Indiana Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 130-114 in game four of the Eastern Conference's first round playoff series on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Pacers completed their four game sweep over the third seed Magic. There has been talk throughout the postseason, especially in the west as to which group has the best "big three". Indiana reminded everyone again on Sunday, that they have as much of a claim to that title as any other team in the league. The Pacers were led once again by Luka Doncic (37 points 14 assists) but also got excellent games from Donovan Mitchell (28 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (26 points) to help make the Magic disappear from the postseason. The Magic were led by Collin Sexton's 23 points off the bench. Sexton led Orlando in scoring in all four postseason games. Orlando had a wonderful, if not somewhat surprising regular season in which they won a franchise best 56 games in securing the third seed in the tough Eastern Conference. But the matchup with the playoff tested Pacers proved to be too much for this inexperienced group. The Magic will now move into offseason mode with a young core set to return in 2021-22. Indiana will have some time off as they will now await the winner of the Philadelphia and Toronto series.

Charlotte 114 Chicago 106

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Charlotte leads series 3-1

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The Charlotte Hornets jumped on the Chicago Bulls early, building a 30-18 lead after one quarter and never trailed in their 114-108 game four victory. Ja Morant led the way with 22 points and 15 assists and Brandon Ingram, once again relegated to bench duty, scored a team high 24 points in the victory. It was a game of runs throughout and Chicago made the next run and was able to cut the Charlotte lead to just three at the half after a Kemba Walker three point jumper from just inside half court fell. But the third quarter belonged to the Hornets as Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. (21 points) led a 13-5 run to end the quarter and extend the Charlotte lead to 11 entering the final 12 minutes. Chicago battled and was able to cut the lead down to a single possession after a Kawhi Leonard jump shot made the score 102-99 with 4:32 remaining. But Morant was to much for the Bulls on this night. He scored the next five points, putting the Hornets up by 8 with just under three and a half minutes to play and the Bulls would not threaten again. Leonard led Chicago once again with a game high 31 points in the loss. The two teams will return to Chicago for game five on Tuesday night, a now must win for the Bulls.

New Orleans 103 Denver 91

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New Orleans leads series 3-0

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Anthony Davis has played the season in the very large shadow cast by Trae Young. But in Sunday's 103-91 game three victory, Davis reminded everyone that he is still one of the game's top players. Davis scored 46 points and added 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots to help New Orleans take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best of seven first round series against Denver. While Young struggled to get going on Sunday scoring just 15 point, it was Davis and Paul George (16 points) who stole the spotlight, at least for a night. The Pelicans led by eight at the half and by as many as 20 in the third quarter while cruising to the win. D'Angelo Russell led Denver with 26 points. Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds in a losing effort. New Orleans will look to close out Denver in game four tomorrow night.

Portland 126 San Antonio 118

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Portland leads series 3-0

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The Portland Trailblazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-118 on the road on Sunday evening extending their lead in the series to three games to none. The Trailblazers struggled at times on the defensive end of the court stopping the young Spurs but their star power (Kevin Durant 38 points) and their depth (5 additional players in double figures) were more than enough to overcome the upstart San Antonio squad. TJ Warren scored 19 points off the bench for Portland while Hassan Whiteside added 17 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Kyle Lowry contributed 11 points and 12 assists in the win. The Spurs were led by the overwhelming favorite for rookie of the year, James Wiseman, who scored a playoff career high, 27 points in the loss. The Blazers will go for the sweep on the road tomorrow night.

Clippers 118 Dallas 108

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Dallas leads series 2-1

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The Los Angeles Clippers entered the fourth quarter of game three against the Dallas Mavericks leading just 82-81 after the Mavericks cut a ten point deficit to one. Game three was a virtual must win for the Clippers after the Mavericks won the first two games of the series in Dallas. But Khris Middleton scored 10 of his 24 points to help the Clippers hold off the Mavericks and win game three 118-108. Richaun Holmes scored 22 points and NIkola Vucevic added 20 points in the win. Dallas struggled shooting all night, a key factor in the game, as LA held Dallas to just 19% (5-26) from downtown. Another key to the game was the Clipper bench showing up at home as they outscored the Maverick bench 37-11, led by Jusuf Nurkic's 14 points. Nikola Jokic continued his stellar postseason play scoring 38 points in the loss. GIannis Antetokounmpo had a triple double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists but it wasn't enough for Dallas. Game four will be played tomorrow night, again in Los Angeles.

Golden State 129 Sacramento 122

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Golden State leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The Golden State Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings 129-122 late Sunday night in game three of their first round playoff matchup at the Chase Center to take a 2-1 series lead. Steven Adams was an unexpected source of offense for the Warriors scoring a game high 29 points while also pulling down 11 rebounds. Tobias Harris scored 20 and Russell Westbrook scored 18 in just 17 minutes while battling foul trouble throughout the night. Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points, Brook Lopez scored 22 and Chris Paul had 21 in the loss for the Kings. The Warriors led 98-92 through three quarters in this high scoring affair and the fourth quarter was a lot of offense and not a lot of stops by either team. The Kings were able to cut the lead down to one at one point midway through the quarter but could not get the defensive stops they needed in crunch time as Harris and Lou Williams each made key buckets down the stretch to preserve the win for the home team. Game four will be played tomorrow night in Golden State.

[bishnykfan]

April 19

New Orleans 124 Denver 103

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New Orleans wins series 4-0

Spoiler:

80 points, 16 rebounds, 16 assists. That would be a pretty amazing stat line for the New Orleans big three in tonight's game four. However, that stat line belonged to just two players as Trae Young and Anthony Davis dominated the Denver Nuggets beating them 124-103 to finish out their four game sweep of the eighth seed. Young scored 41 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds and Davis added 39 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, 5 blocked shots. The pair also made 31 of their 49 shot attempts. The Pelicans led virtually throughout and took an 11 point lead into the final quarter. D'Angelo Russell scored 29 points to lead the Nuggets in their final game of the season. Denver will now enter the offseason with only one impending free agent in center Alex Len. New Orleans will now await the winner of the Golden State and Sacramento series.

Portland 126 San Antonio 101

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland wins series 4-0

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers beat the San Antonio Spurs 126-101 to complete a four game sweep of the seventh seed. Portland used a similar blueprint in Monday's game as they had in the first three games of the series, Kevin Durant and a bench that most teams can not match. Durant scored 31 points and the Portland bench (Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, TJ Warren and Harrison Barnes) outscored the San Antonio bench 65-33. Portland jumped on the overmatched Spurs early leading 37-24 after one quarter and never trailed in the game. James Wiseman finished off an incredible freshman campaign for the Spurs scoring 22 points to go with 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. Fellow rookie Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points in the loss. San Antonio will have a couple of upcoming free agents in swingman Bojan Bogdanovich and power forward Robert Williams. They will also have a guaranteed top five pick in this summers draft as they own the Boston Celtics first round pick. Portland will move on to face the winner of the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers series.

Dallas 135 Clippers 120

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Dallas leads series 3-1

Spoiler:

The Los Angeles Clippers have no answer for the Dallas Maverick duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. Antetokounmpo scored 40 points and Jokic added 34 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the Dallas 135-120 victory which gives Dallas a commanding 3-1 lead in their best of seven series. The Clippers began the game with the momentum after their game three win. That momentum carried over for the first quarter as the Clippers matched the Mavericks blow for blow before Dallas ended the quarter ahead by a point. The game changed in the second quarter as Dallas began to exert its will on LA. The Mavericks ran off seven quick points to begin the quarter and extended their lead to 11 by halftime. The Clippers offense, as it has all season, was not the issue tonight as they tried to shoot themselves back into the game in the final 24 minutes. Seven LA players scored in double digits in the game led by Khris Middleton's 20. The Clippers scored 69 points in the half but could not get the stops they needed down. Dallas scored 73 second half points to seal the win. The series will head back to Dallas on Wednesday where the Clippers will need a win to force a game six.

Sacramento 127 Golden State 118

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 2-2

Spoiler:

The Golden State Warriors led the Sacramento Kings 67-59 after a high scoring first half in which Sacramento struggled to get stops. With the Golden State Warriors leading the Sacramento Kings two games to one in their first round series, the Kings knew that the next 24 minutes may determine the fate of their season. Sacramento, the West's top defensive team, clamped down on Golden State in the third quarter, outscoring the defending champion 36-16 in the pivotal frame. Chris Paul led the Kings with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Danilo Gallinari scored 23 points for Sacramento and Patty Mills provided a huge boost off the bench scoring 19 for the Kings. Tobias Harris scored 37 for Golden State but Russell Westbrook was held mostly in check for the first time in the series. Westbrook scored a series low 16 points after Sacramento made the decision to bring Jaylen Brown off of the bench and inserted Seth Curry into the starting lineup. Game five will be played on Wednesday night back in Sacramento.

[bishnykfan]

April 20

Cleveland 112 Atlanta 106

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland wins series 4-1

Spoiler:

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed out the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in their first round playoff series beating them 112-106 in the game and four games to one in the series. The Cavaliers opened up a big lead early and led 68-47 at the half. Jayson Tatum led a balanced Cleveland attack with 20 points while Zach LaVine added 18 in the victory for the home team. Steph Curry (30 points) and the Hawks tried to shoot their way back into the game in the second half and were able to cut a 24 point lead down to just three after with 2:17 remaining after Curry's seventh three pointer of the game. But they could get no closer as the Cavs scored the next five points to put the Hawks away for good. Atlanta enters the offseason with only one impending free agent. Cleveland will celebrate their first ever postseason series victory and will now await the winner of the Chicago and Charlotte series.

Philadelphia 119 Toronto 102

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Philadelphia wins series 4-1

Spoiler:

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 119-102 in game five on Tuesday night to close out their best of seven first round playoff series. The 76ers led virtually throughout the entire game and they led 66-50 at the half. The home crowd was in celebration mode from the start as Philadelphia jumped on Toronto from the beginning of the game. CJ McCollum scored 34 points as he continues to make his way back from a knee injury which cost him the final six weeks of the regular season as well as the first two games of this series. Brandon Clarke scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds and Lonzo Ball added 18 points and 15 assists in the victory. Toronto was never able to threaten in the second half and could never get the Philadelphia lead below ten points in the half despite the best efforts of Devonte Graham (30 points) and LeBron James (22 points). Toronto will now enter the offseason with nearly their entire roster under contract. Only Landry Shamet is an impending free agent this summer as Toronto will try once again to build around James, a perennial MVP candidate. Philadelphia will now play the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the postseason. The Pacers swept the third seeded Orlando Magic in the first round.

Chicago 125 Charlotte 110

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Charlotte leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

The Chicago Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 125-110 on Tuesday night to extend their first round series back to Charlotte for a game six Thursday. Kawhi Leonard continued his strong postseason scoring 36 points and adding 7 assists to lead the Bulls in the win. The Bulls led 98-96 entering the fourth quarter in what was a close game throughout. But the fourth quarter belonged to the home team as the Bulls outscored the Hornets 27-14 in the game's final quarter. Leonard scored 11 points in the quarter and the Bulls also got big shots from both Kemba Walker (23 points) and Terry Rozier (13 points) in the last quarter. The Hornets got a huge effort from second year point guard, Ja Morant, who scored 40 points in the loss. The two teams will meet again in game six, back in Charlotte on Thursday as the Hornets will look to once again close out the Bulls.

[bishnykfan]

April 21

Clippers 123 Dallas 101

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Dallas leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

Going into game five of their first round playoff series on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Clippers needed a win to keep their season alive. The Dallas Mavericks led the Clippers 89-80 entering what looked like could be the final quarter of LA's season. Then something happened which few could have seen coming. The Clippers ran off the first 16 points of the fourth quarter to turn a nine point deficit into a seven point lead. The Clippers were led by Nikola Vucevic's 22 points and 16 rebounds but it was the backcourt combo Khris Middleton (20 points) and De'Anthony Melton (16 points) who sparked the fourth quarter comeback. Melton opened up the fourth with five quick points making a couple of free throws and a three pointer cutting the deficit to just four points. Then Middleton took over scoring nine of the next eleven points and helping LA take the lead. The Clippers ended up routing the Mavericks outscoring them 43-12 in the final quarter and taking the game 123-101 to extend this series back to LA for a game six on Friday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in the loss for the Mavericks.

Sacramento 122 Golden State 93

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Sacramento leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

The Sacramento Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 122-93 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their first round series. Danilo Gallinari scored a playoff career high 46 points while nailing nine three-pointers and making 18 of 22 shots in the game. Gallinari came to the Kings from the Chicago Bulls (for JaMychal Green and Payton Pritchard) as part of a five team trade at the trade deadline. The Kings opened up a huge lead early over the defending champions as they doubled up the Warriors 30-15 in the first quarter. Markelle Fultz scored 21 points and Jonathan Isaac had 15 points 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocked shots and 2 steals in a dominant performance for Sacramento. Russell Westbrook scored 23 points for the Warriors who will return home for a must win game six on Friday night.

[bishnykfan]

April 22

Charlotte 117 Chicago 108

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Charlotte wins series 4-2

Spoiler:

The Charlotte Hornets beat the Chicago Bulls 117-108 in game six of their first round series and in the process has moved onto the Eastern Conference Semi Finals. The win gives Charlotte their first ever playoff series victory and eliminates a very tough and experienced Bulls team. The series looked like it was going to head back to the Windy City for a decisive game seven as Chicago led 85-75 entering the fourth quarter. The game was being played out just as Chicago would have wanted it. The Bulls were being led by stars Kawhi Leonard (25 points) and Kemba Walker (23 points) as well as getting solid production from their bench as Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell were both playing well and neutralizing the Hornet bench. But things fell apart for Chicago in the games final 12 minutes. Charlotte scored the quarters first six points and were back in the game in the blink of an eye. The Hornets looked like they were playing loose and the veteran Bulls team began making the mistakes. Chicago turned the ball over on four of their first six fourth quarter possessions and Charlotte turned those turnovers into offense. Brandon Ingram came alive in the quarter scoring 11 of his 23 points and Derrick Rose (27 points) was excellent on the offensive end attacking the paint, finishing around the rim and drawing fouls. Charlotte finally passed Chicago on a Rose layup with 4:48 to play which gave them a 103-102 lead. The Bulls would score on their next possession to briefly retake the lead but Charlotte then ended the game on a 14-4 run putting the Bulls away at the foul line where Charlotte made 22-23 in the game. The Bulls had another fantastic regular season after their offseason additions of Draymond Green, Jonas Valanciunas and Terry Rozier as well as their midseason addition of Kemba Walker. They have a few impending free agents, most notably Harrell, but will return a solid core next year to compete in the suddenly very competitive and deep Eastern Conference. The Hornets will now play the leagues top team, the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs beginning next week.

[bishnykfan]

April 23

Dallas 126 Clippers 113

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Dallas wins series 4-2

Spoiler:

The Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers after defeating them 126-113 on Friday night in LA. Jrue Holiday scored 32 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his second triple double of the series after finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. After losing a closeout game in game five, the Mavericks made sure that they would not allow the Clippers to force a decisive game seven as they led 72-51 at halftime and cruised throughout. The Clippers were led by Khris Middleton (27 points), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24 points) and Nikola Vucevic (22 points). But Dallas bench was able to outscore the LA bench 38-15 helping put an end to the series. The Clippers finish their most successful BaF season after winning 50 games during the regular season and making the postseason for a second consecutive season. They enter the offseason with a couple of impending free agents. They should have plenty of cap space to add to a solid core. Dallas moves into the Western Conference semifinals where they will face off against the Portland Trailblazers in what should be an excellent second round series.

Sacramento 129 Golden State 114

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Sacramento wins series 4-2

Spoiler:

The Sacramento Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 129-114 on Friday night at the Chase Center in Golden State. With the victory the Kings have eliminated the defending champion Warriors in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Chris Paul was spectacular in the win scoring 36 points along with 12 assists and 9 rebounds. Sacramento trailed 58-52 at the half but used a huge second half outscoring Golden State 77-56 after intermission. Brook Lopez contributed 24 points and Danilo Gallinari scored 20 for Sacramento. The Kings also got a big effort from Jaylen Brown who scored 24 points off of the bench. A key move of the series occurred when Sacramento moved Brown to the bench after a game three loss. The Kings won the final three games of the series after this key adjustment. Russell Westbrook (31 points) and Lou Williams (17 points) did what they could to extend the series but it was not enough on this night. The Warriors will enter the offseason with 13 players under contract and no key free agents. Sacramento will advance to the Western Conference Semifinals where they will face the west's top team, the New Orleans Pelicans in a series beginning on Tuesday night.

[bishnykfan]

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS


April 27

Charlotte 83 @ Cleveland 99
Indiana 107 @ Philadelphia 122
Sacramento 116 @ New Orleans 111
Dallas 98 @ Portland 113


April 28

No games scheduled


April 29

Charlotte 112 @ Cleveland 113
Indiana 123 @ Philadelphia 114
Sacramento 97 @ New Orleans 117
Dallas 103 @ Portland 122


April 30

No games scheduled


May 1

Cleveland 101 @ Charlotte 108
Philadelphia 115 @ Indiana 124
New Orleans 125 @ Sacramento 111
Portland 93 @ Dallas 102


May 2

No games scheduled


May 3

Cleveland 99 @ Charlotte 103 OT
Philadelphia 106 @ Indiana 129
New Orleans 119 @ Sacramento 115
Portland 94 @ Dallas 98


May 4

No games scheduled


May 5

Charlotte 100 @ Cleveland 119
Indiana 129 @ Philadelphia 107
Sacramento 133 @ New Orleans 110
Dallas 84 @ Portland 100


May 6

No games scheduled


May 7

Cleveland 107 @ Charlotte 93
Philadelphia 132 @ Indiana 130
New Orleans 117 @ Sacramento 120
Portland 111 @ Dallas 99


May 8

No games scheduled


May 9

Indiana 106 @ Philadelphia 119
Sacramento 99 @ New Orleans 104