Build a Franchise (Season 4)

[bishnykfan]

CONFERENCE SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS- SEASON SERIES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland vs. Charlotte

Cleveland wins series 2-1

November 1- Cleveland 110 Charlotte 107
April 1- Cleveland 91 Charlotte 76
April 11- Charlotte 99 Cleveland 76

Spoiler:

Philadelphia vs. Indiana

Indiana wins series 3-1

November 11- Indiana 121 Philadelphia 109
January 26- Indiana 132 Philadelphia 125
March 4- Philadelphia 123 Indiana 112
April 7- Indiana 106 Philadelphia 95

Spoiler:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

New Orleans vs. Sacramento

New Orleans wins series 2-1

November 16- Sacramento 119 New Orleans 106
November 30- New Orleans 111 Sacramento 106
April 5- New Orleans 122 Sacramento 109

Spoiler:

Portland vs. Dallas

Portland wins series 4-0

January 24- Portland 113 Dallas 94
February 10- Portland 115 Dallas 103
March 18- Portland 100 Dallas 97
March 20- Portland 112 Dallas 99

Spoiler:

[bishnykfan]

April 27

Cleveland 99 Charlotte 83

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The Cleveland Cavaliers blitzed the Charlotte Hornets in the first quarter of their opening game of their second round playoff series leading 11-2 after just three minutes. The Hornets scored the first bucket of the game on a Brandon Ingram (10 points) layup before the Cavaliers scored the next 11 of the quarter. By the end of the frame, Cleveland put Charlotte in a 19 point hole, 29-10, a hole that the Hornets could not dig themselves out of the rest of the contest. DeAndre Ayton scored 21 points and had 19 rebounds while frontcourt mate Bam Adebayo added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers. The Cavalier defense was spectacular all night holding Charlotte to just 83 points on just under 39% shooting. Ja Morant led Charlotte with 17 points. Charlotte will look to even up the series in game two on Thursday night back in Cleveland.

Philadelphia 122 Indiana 107

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Philadelphia leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 122-107 in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night handing the Pacers their first loss of the postseason in the process. John Collins led the way for Philadelphia with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocked shots. Brandon Clarke added 21 points and Miles Bridges scored 20 for the 76ers. Luka Doncic scored a game high 31 points for Indiana and also dished out 10 assists in the loss. Philadelphia led 90-83 after three quarters thanks to the strong play of Collins and Bridges. Philadelphia then scored the first six points of the fourth quarter on a CJ McCollum (10 points) three pointer, a Clarke put back and a Collins free throw to extend their lead to 12. Indiana never got closer than the seven points they trailed by entering the quarter after that 6-0 Philadelphia run. The 76er bench outscored the Pacer bench 40-17 to help Philly outlast Indiana. Game two will be played on Thursday night.

Sacramento 116 New Orleans 111

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Sacramento leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The fourth seeded Sacramento Kings continued their hot play winning their fourth consecutive playoff game after they beat the top seeded New Orleans Pelicans 116-111 in game one of their Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. The loss was New Orleans' first loss this postseason. In a back and forth game that featured 19 ties and 28 lead changes it was the Kings hot shooting in the fourth quarter that eventually secured the victory for the visiting team. New Orleans led 76-74 entering the fourth quarter and extended their lead to after a Paul George (14 points) basket on the quarter's opening possession. Danilo Gallinari (16 points) hit a three pointer to cut the deficit to just one point. It was a back and forth affair from that point on until a Brook Lopez (21 points) three pointer put the Kings ahead 108-106 with 3:23 to play. Sacramento wouldn't trail again in the game. Jonathan Isaac scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in the win. Anthony Davis had 33 points and added 14 rebounds for New Orleans while Trae Young scored 26 points (25% shooting) and had 16 assists. New Orleans will need to win game two on Thursday in order to even up this best of seven series before the series moves to Sacramento.

Portland 113 Dallas 98

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers beat the Dallas Mavericks 113-98 on Tuesday night to take a one game to zero lead in their second round playoff series. Portland never trailed in the game after jumping out to a 35-21 lead after the first quarter. Kevin Durant got off to a hot start scoring 10 of his 23 points in the first quarter. Hassan Whiteside led Portland with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Dallas never really threatened in the game as every run they made was met with a Portland basket. The Trailblazer bench, led by Fred VanVleet (13 points, 11 assists and 5 steals) was once again a key factor in the win. The Portland bench outscored the Dallas bench 46-24. The Mavericks were led by Nikola Jokic who had 28 points in the loss. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 11 points, 12 rebounds and 9 assists in the loss. Game two will be played on Thursday night, once again in Portland.

[bishnykfan]

April 29

Cleveland 113 Charlotte 112

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 2-0

Spoiler:

The Charlotte Hornets seemed to have game two of their Eastern Conference semifinal under control as they led the top seed Cleveland Cavaliers 87-76 entering the fourth quarter. Then Cleveland turned a switch and everything changed. Cleveland outscored Charlotte 37-25 in the final quarter thanks to outstanding shooting from Jamal Murray and Jayson Tatum (23 points apiece). Murray and Tatum hit a combined eight out of twelve field goals in the quarter, scoring 22 points in the decisive quarter. Cleveland took their first lead since the first quarter when Julius Randle (14 points) hit a long three pointer with 1:02 to play gave the Cavaliers a 110-109 lead. After a Ja Morant (31 points) miss, Murray hit the dagger, knocking in a three pointer of his own to put Cleveland up four with just :11 to play. Brandon Ingram put home a three pointer at the buzzer to cut the final deficit to one point. The series will now move to Charlotte where the Cavaliers will look to put a strangehold on the series.

Indiana 123 Philadelphia 114

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 1-1

Spoiler:

Luka Doncic scored 27 points and had 13 assists to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 123-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. The win evens up their best of seven playoff series at one game apiece as the series will now move to Indiana. The score was tied 93-93 entering the fourth quarter before Doncic and running mates Donovan Mitchell (21 points) and Karl-Anthony Towns (20 points) took over scoring in the final 12 minutes. The trio scored 19 points in the frame as Indiana outscored Philadelphia 30-19 to win this matchup. Brandon Clarke and John Collins continued their stellar postseason play combining for 50 points and 18 rebounds for the 76ers. Game three will be played in Indiana on Saturday afternoon.

New Orleans 117 Sacramento 97

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 1-1

Spoiler:

The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 117-97 in game two on Thursday night to even up their second round series. Trae Young and Anthony Davis each scored 27 points in the win. Young added 16 assists in the game also. New Orleans opened up a 16 point lead at the half leading, 68-52 at intermission. Sacramento never cut the lead below 11 after the break. Brook Lopez (12 points) left the game early in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a leg injury. HIs status for game three is up in the air. Chris Paul led the Kings with 28 points in the loss. The series now moves to California where the Kings will host game three on Saturday night.

Portland 122 Dallas 103

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 2-0

Spoiler:

The Dallas Mavericks have lost 30 games all year, regular season and postseason combined. 20% of those losses have come at the hands of their second round playoff opponent, the Portland Trailblazers who have now beaten Dallas in all six games this season. Portland beat Dallas 122-103 on Thursday night to take a two games to none lead in their best of seven playoff series.
Kevin Durant was once again the star of the night scoring 39 points while adding 7 assists and 7 rebounds for the Trailblazers. As has been the case all season and in both games of this series, the Portland bench was key to the victory more than doubling the Dallas' bench production, 44-20. Seven Blazers scored in double digits overall as Portland's depth showed up. Dallas only received 37 points from players not named Giannis Antetokounmpo (25 points), Jrue Holiday (21 points) or Nikola Jokic (20 points). The series will now move to Dallas on Saturday where the Mavericks will need to find an answer to the Trailblazer stars and depth to make sure the series will return again to the Pacific northwest.

[bishnykfan]

May 1

Charlotte 108 Cleveland 101

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The Cleveland Cavaliers led the Charlotte Hornets 83-76 entering the fourth quarter of game three and were 12 minutes away from taking a commanding three games to none lead in their second round playoff series. But Charlotte turned up the defense in the fourth quarter holding the high powered Cavaliers to just 18 points and beat Cleveland 108-101 on Saturday night. Second year point guard, Ja Morant led the way for Charlotte scoring 28 points while dishing out 10 assists. Charlotte trailed through most of the game but battled to stay within striking distance. They took the lead on a Brandon Ingram (19 points) jumper with 5:35 remaining. Both teams traded buckets for the next couple of possessions before a Morant three pointer put Charlotte ahead for good with 4:03 to play. Derrick Rose added 20 points. DeAndre Ayton scored 26 points and 11 rebounds in the loss for Cleveland. Charlotte will try and even up the series on Monday night.

Indiana 124 Philadelphia 115

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Indiana leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The Indiana Pacers were humming on all cylinders on Saturday night as they cruised to a 124-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers to take a 2-1 lead in the series. The Pacers led 89-69 after three quarters as they were led by Luka Doncic's 34 points, 15 assists and 6 rebounds. Tonight though, Indiana also got contributions from three of their other superstar players as Donovon Mitchell (27 points), Karl-Anthony Towns (25 points) and Zion Williamson (21 points) all played extremely well. And when the Pacers get contributions from all four stars, they are very tough to beat as Philadelphia found out. John Collins scored 29 points and CJ McCollum scored 20 points for Philadelphia in the loss. The 76ers will need a win in game four on Monday night to even up their best of seven series.

New Orleans 125 Sacramento 111

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New Orleans leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The New Orleans Pelicans got off to a slow start in game three on Saturday night as they trailed the Sacramento Kings 57-56 at the half. But the second half was a different story as the Pelicans dominated the Kings outscoring them 69-54 to win the game 125-111 and take a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal. New Orleans was led once again by their superstar duo Trae Young (35 points/16 assists) and Anthony Davis (33 points/12 rebounds). Chris Paul scored 28 points for the Kings in the loss. Sacramento played the game without starting center Brook Lopez who missed the game with a strained calf. Lopez should return for game four on Monday night when the Kings will need a win to tie the series up before the series heads back to New Orleans.

Dallas 102 Portland 93

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The Dallas Mavericks held serve beating the Portland Trailblazers 102-93 at home on Saturday night to cut the Portland lead in the series to two games to one. The Mavericks were in control from the outset as Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple double scoring 24 point, grabbing 14 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. Dallas led by 16 entering the fourth quarter as Portland struggled shooting the ball all night. The Trailblazers shot just 38% from the floor in the game as Dallas held superstar Kevin Durant to a season low eight points. Nikola Jokic came off the bench for the first time this postseason and delivered 20 points and 9 rebounds to help Dallas offset the huge advantage that Portland's bench has had this series. TJ Warren led the Trailblazers with 16 points. Game four will be Monday night as Dallas will look to even up the series.

[bishnykfan]

BAF Draft Tiebreakers

First Round Picks

- The Chicago Bulls have won a three way tiebreaker against the Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors. The Chicago Bulls will be in draft slot #21.

- The Golden State Warriors have won a tiebreaker against the Charlotte Hornets. The Boston Celtics own the Warrior first round draft pick and will be in draft slot #22.

- The Phoenix Suns own the Charlotte Hornets first round draft pick and will be in draft slot #23.


- The Orlando Magic have won a tiebreaker against the Dallas Mavericks and will be in draft slot #25.

- The Milwaukee Bucks own the Dallas Mavericks first round draft pick and will be in draft slot #26.


Second Round Picks


- The Houston Rockets own the Charlotte Hornets second round draft pick and will be in draft slot #51.

- The Memphis Grizzlies own the Golden State Warriors second round draft pick and will be in draft slot #52.

- Washington Wizards own the Chicago Bulls second round draft pick and will be in draft slot #53.


- The Dallas Mavericks will be in draft slot #55.

- The Charlotte Hornets own the Orlando Magics second round draft pick and will be in draft slot #56.



UPDATED DRAFT ORDER (PRE LOTTERY)


1. San Antonio Spurs (via Boston)
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Utah Jazz
4. Phoenix Suns
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Houston Rockets
7. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Phoenix Suns (via Minnesota)
9. New York Knicks
10. Oklahoma City Thunder
11. Detroit Pistons (via Washington)
12. Detroit Pistons (via Milwaukee)
13. Utah Jazz (via Brooklyn)*
14. Detroit Pistons (via Miami)

15. Denver Nuggets
16. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta)
17. Los Angeles Lakers (via Toronto)
18. San Antonio Spurs
19. Miami Heat (via Indiana)
20. Los Angeles Clippers
21. Chicago Bulls
22. Boston Celtics (via Golden State)
23. Phoenix Suns (via Charlotte)
24. Sacramento Kings
25. Orlando Magic
26. Milwaukee Bucks (via Dallas)
27. Philadelphia 76ers
28. Boston Celtics (via Portland)
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (via New Orleans)
30. Utah Jazz (via Cleveland)

31. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Boston)
32. Boston Celtics (via Detroit)
33. Phoenix Suns (via Utah)
34. Detroit Pistons (via Phoenix)
35. Boston Celtics (via Memphis)
36. Houston Rockets
37. Detroit Pistons (via the Lakers)
38. Minnesota Timberwolves
39. Houston Rockets (via New York)
40. Oklahoma City Thunder
41. Los Angeles Lakers (via Washington)
42. Miami Heat (via Denver)
43. Los Angeles Lakers (via Milwaukee)
44. Brooklyn Nets
45. Los Angeles Lakers (via Atlanta)
46. Houston Rockets (via Miami)
47. Sacramento Kings (via Toronto)
48. Washington Wizards (via San Antonio)
49. Utah Jazz (via Indiana)
50. Miami Heat (via the Clippers)
51. Houston Rockets (via Charlotte)
52. Memphis Grizzlies (via Golden State)
53. Washington Wizards (via Chicago)
54. Phoenix Suns (via Sacramento)
55. Dallas Mavericks
56. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando)
57. Philadelphia 76ers
58. Miami Heat (via Portland)
59. Memphis Grizzlies (via New Orleans)
60. Oklahoma City (via Cleveland)


*- Top 8 protected (Brooklyn will keep this pick if they move into the top 4 during the lottery)

[bishnykfan]

May 3

Charlotte 103 Cleveland 99 OT

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 2-2

Spoiler:

The Charlotte Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-99 in overtime in game four of their best of seven second round playoff series and have now evened the series at two games apiece. Cleveland held a seven point halftime lead, 45-38, as both teams struggled offensively in the games first 24 minutes. The Cavs Zach LaVine had 13 points in the game but shot just 1-9 from the floor in the first half as Cleveland had the lead despite shooting just 34% from the floor by halftime. Charlotte chipped away at the lead cutting it to just one entering the final quarter. The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair which saw ten lead changes. Charlotte had regulations final possession trailing Cleveland 93-91. Derrick Rose missed a potential game winning three pointer with :05 seconds left but LaMarcus Aldridge was able to gather the long rebound and bank in a jumper at the buzzer to tie the game and force overtime. The overtime belonged to Charlotte's second year star Ja Morant, who scored 7 of his team high 21 points in the extra five to lead the Hornets to the victory. Morant had his first career postseason triple double finishing with those 21 points along with 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Bam Adebayo had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots for Cleveland in the loss. The series will return to Cleveland for a pivotal game five which will be played on Wednesday night.

Indiana 129 Philadelphia 106

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Indiana leads series 3-1

Spoiler:

The Indiana Pacers look like a different team this postseason than they had looked at any point during the regular season.
They once again dismantled the second seeded Philadelphia 76ers beating them 129-106 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Indiana never trailed after taking a 6-5 lead 1:37 into the first quarter. They led by 19 points at halftime, 109-76 after three quarters and by as many as 37 early in the fourth quarter. On this night it was Karl-Anthony Towns turn to lead the way as he tallied 29 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 1 steal in a dominating performance of the Philadelphia front court. Indiana also got the usual all around contributions from Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Zion Williamson who combined for 61 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists in the win. The 76ers were led by Miles Bridges 27 points. The series will now head back to Philadelphia for game five on Wednesday night where the 76ers will look to keep their season alive.

New Orleans 119 Sacramento 115

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New Orleans leads series 3-1

Spoiler:

In a battle of two of the games best point guards, it was the youngster Trae Young who got the better of the surefire Hall of Famer Chris Paul. In a proverbial changing of the guard it was Young's 43 points and 14 assists which bested Paul's 35 and 10 as the Pelicans beat the Kings for the third straight game. New Orleans beat Sacramento 119-115 in a very entertaining game four which saw the visitors jump out to a 14 point halftime lead and then struggle to hang on as the Kings fought back cutting the lead to just one with under :30 to play before a dagger Young three pointer finished the scoring. Anthony Davis helped the Pelicans hold off the Kings scoring 31 points. Brook Lopez returned from a one game absence and scored 18 points in a losing effort. The series will now head back to the Big Easy where New Orleans will look to close out the series on Wednesday night.

Dallas 98 Portland 94

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 2-2

Spoiler:

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trailblazers for the second straight game on Monday night as they topped the visitors 98-94. In a seesaw game that featured 29 lead changes and 15 ties it was the Mavericks who made the biggest shots down the stretch. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game high 33 points as well as 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals as he once again outplayed Portland superstar Kevin Durant (18 points). Nikola Jokic scored 20 points as he came off of the bench for the Mavericks for the second straight game. Portland led 70-69 entering the fourth quarter as both teams struggled with sloppy play and poor perimeter shooting thanks to suffocating defenses. The fourth quarter featured the two teams trading buckets as they took turns jumping ahead. It was finally back to back baskets with just under two minutes to play from Jokic and Jrue Holiday (18 points) which gave the Mavericks the lead (94-91) for good. The home team has now won all four games of the series as the teams will return to Portland for a pivotal game five on Wednesday night.

[bishnykfan]

May 5

Cleveland 119 Charlotte 100

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

Jamal Murray scored a 2021 playoff high 28 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a convincing 119-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. The top seeded Cavs led by 19 points at the half and cruised in the second half to a game five victory. DeAndre Ayton scored 19 points and Bam Adebayo added 15 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Charlotte was led by Ja Morant's 29 points. The series now will move back to Charlotte for game six where the Cavaliers well try to close out the series.

Philadelphia 129 Indiana 107

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Indiana leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

The Philadelphia 76ers staved off elimination by beating the Indiana Pacers 129-107 on Wednesday evening in front of 20,478 at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers got an all around performance with six players scoring at least 12 points led by their standout frontcourt of Brandon Clarke and John Collins, who scored 25 apiece. The 76ers never trailed after the games first three minutes and led by nine entering the fourth quarter. The Pacers scored the first four points of the quarter cutting the lead to just five and making everyone in the building begin to wonder if they were witnessing the final game of the season for their hometown favorites. But Philadelphia scored the games next nine points, upping their lead to 14 in the process, and ending Indiana's hopes of ending the series and moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals. Karl-Anthony Towns led Indiana with 25 points and Luka Doncic had 17 points and 14 assists for the Pacers in the loss. The series will now move back to Indiana on Friday night when the Pacers will try once again to finish off the 76ers and advance into the next round of the playoffs.

Sacramento 133 New Orleans 110

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New Orleans leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

The Sacramento Kings beat the New Orleans Pelicans 133-110 on Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center. The Kings victory allowed them to avoid elimination and will make the #1 seed Pelicans have to make the return trip to California for game six on Friday night. Jaylen Brown, in his second game back in the starting lineup, led the Kings with 25 points while Markelle Fultz scored 23 points and added 8 assists off the bench. Sacramento's offense exploded for 62 first half points and led New Orleans by 18 points at the half. The Kings shot 56% from the floor in the game. New Orleans got off to a hot start scoring the game's first six points as Trae Young hit a pair of three pointers in the games first minute. The home crowd was already planning their first ever trip to the Western Conference Finals before Sacramento found their rhythm. The tough minded Kings team ignored the raucous crowd and went on a 13-4 run to take the lead midway through the first quarter. Jonathan Isaac scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds for the Kings. Young ended the game with 32 points and 11 assists while Anthony Davis scored 25 points in the loss for New Orleans. Game six will be played on Friday night in Sacramento.

Portland 100 Dallas 84

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 3-2

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers held serve in game five on Wednesday night by beating the Dallas Mavericks 100-84 at the Moda Center to take a 3-2 lead in their best of seven second round series. Hassan Whiteside was moved to the bench in game five and led Portland with 23 points and 10 rebounds as well as leading a defensive effort that limited Dallas to under 42% from the floor and just 4-27 from three point range. Dallas started the game ice cold from the floor and found themselves trailing 55-38 at the half. A huge third quarter run fueled by Giannis Antetokounmpo, 28 points (13 in the third quarter) cut the Portland lead to just one entering the fourth quarter. The Mavericks scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to take the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The two teams then traded baskets over the next two minutes before the Trailblazers took the lead for good on a TJ Warren (14 points) jumper. Portland ended the game on a 29-12 run over the games final eight minutes as they once again clamped down on the defensive end. The home team has now won all five games in the series as the series will now head back to Texas for game six on Friday night.

[bishnykfan]

May 7

Cleveland 107 Charlotte 93

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland wins series 4-2

Spoiler:

The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers scored the first eight points of game six on Friday night and jumped out to a nine point advantage after one quarter. In a series which had seen the home team win all five games up to that point, those first 12 minutes were all the momentum that the young Cavaliers would need. The Cleveland lead swelled to as many as 19 points early in the second quarter before Charlotte stabilized the game with a 14-4 run over the final four minutes of the half to cut the Cleveland lead to nine. Both teams traded runs in the third quarter as Charlotte was unable to cut into the Cleveland lead and entered the final quarter still trailing by nine points. The fourth quarter belonged to the top seeded Cavaliers as the their lead never shrunk below seven points in the games final 12 minutes. The Cavs frontcourt was dominant throughout. DeAndre Ayton scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds while Bam Adebayo added 24 and 12. Charlotte was led by Brandon Ingram's 29 points off the bench.
Charlotte moves into the offseason with the majority of their young core returning as only two of their main rotation will be free agents this summer. The Cavaliers now will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history where they will play the winner of the Philadelphia and Indiana series.

Philadelphia 132 Indiana 130 OT

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 3-3

Spoiler:

Momentum is a strong force in the universe as well as in the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers were facing elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday night. The second seeded 76ers then proceeded to fall into a 26 point hole in the first half as the Pacer faithful were celebrating what they thought was going to be a playoff victory. The Pacers had everything going in the first half as Karl-Anthony Towns was dominant. He scored 26 points in the first half and Indiana led 61-42 at intermission. But Philadelphia would not go quietly. They started the third quarter strong with a 9-3 run and cut the Indiana lead to just 13. CJ McCollum (21 points) hit three 3-point field goals in the third quarter and the 76er defense locked down the high scoring Pacers. Philadelphia was able to get the deficit to single digits on a McCollum three with 3:46 remaining in the third quarter. A Brandon Clarke (24 points) putback as the third quarter horn sounded cut the Pacer lead to 80-76 and ensured that the visitors would have all the momentum heading into the final quarter. The final quarter featured 12 lead changes as both teams executed down the stretch. Philadelphia took a two point advantage with :11 seconds remaining after a Clarke bucket but a Donovon Mitchell layup with :04 seconds remaining tied the score and forced overtime. Both teams scored at will in the extra session as neither team got a stop in the first two and a half minutes. Finally Philadelphia took a 132-130 with Indiana having the final possession. The Pacers went for the win as a Luka Doncic (26 points) three pointer missed the mark as time expired and ensured that these two teams would play a game seven on Sunday evening. Towns ended with a game high 45 points in the loss for Indiana while five 76ers finished the game with 21+ points. A deciding game seven will be played back in Philadelphia Sunday evening.

Sacramento 120 New Orleans 117

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Series tied 3-3

Spoiler:

The Sacramento Kings upset the top seeded New Orleans Pelicans 120-117 in a fantastic game six on Friday night and have forced a deciding game seven on Sunday night in New Orleans. Both teams played to their strengths as New Orleans was led by their big three of Trae Young (36 points), Anthony Davis (29 points) and Paul George (26 points). Sacramento's depth and balance won out however as they received 20 points from Chris Paul, 22 from Jaylen Brown, 23 from Jonathan Isaac and a team high 25 from Danilo Gallinari. Sacramento held just a two point lead 85-83 entering the fourth quarter. The Kings and Pelicans fought and executed down the stretch as big shots were made by George and Young for the #1 seed and Brown and Gallinari by the underdogs.
With New Orleans ahead 117-116 it was a Brown basket that put the Kings ahead 118-117 with :25 seconds remaining. New Orleans had an opportunity to make a shot, win the game and end the series. But Young missed a floater and Davis missed the follow up before Isaac ripped down the rebound and hit a pair of free throws to put the Kings up three with 1.7 seconds on the clock. Jonathan Isaac deflected the inbounds pass, after New Orleans called timeout to advance the ball, and the Pelicans couldn't get a tying shot off as time expired. The two teams will travel back to New Orleans for a deciding game seven on Sunday.

Portland 111 Dallas 99

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland wins series 4-2

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers eliminated the Dallas Mavericks beating them 111-99 on Friday night at the American Airlines Center. The Blazers jumped on Dallas early and never trailed in the game. Kyle Lowry had a game high 21 points for Portland who won despite another poor shooting night from superstar Kevin Durant (19 points 6-21 shooting). Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game high 43 points as he did everything he could to keep Dallas in the contest. But the Portland depth was too much for Dallas to overcome. The Portland bench outscored the Mavericks bench 42-22 while the Trailblazers had six players score in double digits.
The Mavericks had the Blazer lead down to just three points midway through the fourth quarter but jumpers by Durant and Fred VanVleet (20 points) along with a pair of Lowry free throws extended the Portland lead to nine with just over two minutes to play to all but end the game. Dallas will try once again next season for a second all time championship as they return most of their top players. Portland will advance to the Western Conference Finals where they will either travel to New Orleans or host the Sacramento Kings beginning Tuesday night.

[bishnykfan]

May 9

Philadelphia 119 Indiana 106

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Philadelphia wins series 4-3

Spoiler:

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 119-106 on Sunday evening and completed an improbable comeback winning the final three games of the series. With the win, the 76ers move onto the Eastern Conference Finals where they will play the Cleveland Cavaliers, the leagues top team. CJ McCollum led the Sixers with 31 points, hitting seven 3-pointers in the contest. Philadelphia jumped out early and led 31-16 after the first quarter. Miles Bridges scored 15 of his 24 points in a first half that saw the 76ers lead by as many as 21 points. Indiana was led by Luka Doncic's 28 points and 12 assists while Zion Williamson added 26 in the loss. The Pacers will enter next season looking for a new GM but that GM will have plenty to work with. Indiana will return every player from their rotation and also have over $100 in cap space. The 76ers will move onto play the Cavaliers in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night.

New Orleans 104 Sacramento 99

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New Orleans wins series 4-3

Spoiler:

The New Orleans Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 104-99 in game seven of their playoff series on Sunday night and will now advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history. New Orleans led from wire to wire as they never trailed in a game in which the final score was closer then the majority of the game would indicate. The Pelicans led by 23 points after three quarters thanks in large part to their superstar backcourt duo of Trae Young and Paul George. Young led the way with a game high 42 points and 10 assists. George found his shooting touch as he scored 26 points for the second consecutive game after averaging just 13 points per game through his first nine postseason games. The fourth quarter saw Sacramento go on a huge 34-16 run to make the final minutes interesting as they cut they New Orleans lead to just five with 1:43 to play. But the Kings would get no closer as a Young three pointer upped the lead back to eight. After a Brook Lopez (16 points) layup cut the lead back to six it was an Anthony Davis (18 points) three point play with :59 seconds remaining that salted the game away for the west's top team. Sacramento was led by Markelle Fultz's 22 points. Impending free agent, Chris Paul finished with 18 points before fouling out with 4:05 to play. The Kings will enter the offseason with Paul being the only rotational piece not under contract. New Orleans will now move onto the Western Conference Finals where they will play the second seeded Portland Trailblazers beginning on Tuesday night.

[bishnykfan]

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE CONFERENCE FINALS


May 11

Philadelphia 103 @ Cleveland 125
Portland 112 @ New Orleans 90


May 12

No games scheduled


May 13

Philadelphia 86 @ Cleveland 107
Portland 120 @ New Orleans 118


May 14

No games scheduled


May 15

Cleveland 104 @ Philadelphia 121
New Orleans 118 @ Portland 115


May 16

No games scheduled


May 17

Cleveland 125 @ Philadelphia 134 OT
New Orleans 112 @ Portland 98


May 18

No games scheduled


May 19

Philadelphia 109 @ Cleveland 119
Portland 106 @ New Orleans 119


May 20

No games scheduled


May21

Cleveland 100 @ Philadelphia 122
New Orleans 103 @ Portland 120


May 22

No games scheduled


May 23

Philadelphia 109 @ Cleveland 110

[bishnykfan]

CONFERENCE FINAL MATCHUPS- SEASON SERIES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland vs. Philadelphia

Cleveland wins series 3-1

October 25- Cleveland 118 Philadelphia 111
November 13- Philadelphia 128 Cleveland 114
February 5- Cleveland 114 Philadelphia 105
March 30- Cleveland 121 Philadelphia 113

Spoiler:

WESTERN CONFERENCE

New Orleans vs. Portland

New Orleans wins series 4-0

November 18- New Orleans 105 Portland 86
January 1- New Orleans 125 Portland 100
January 11- New Orleans 130 Portland 118
March 9- New Orleans 116 Portland 114

Spoiler:

[bishnykfan]

May 11

Cleveland 125 Philadelphia 103

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The Cleveland Cavaliers used a huge second quarter to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 125-103 on Tuesday night to take a one game to none lead in the best of seven Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs outscored the Sixers 34-17 in the quarter thanks to Bam Adebayo and a balanced attack which saw seven Cleveland players score in double digits. Adebayo led the way with 26 points including 12 in the second quarter as the leagues top team pulled away from the visiting 76ers. Zach LaVine scored 16 points and DeAndre Ayton added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland never trailed in the game and led by as many as 29 points midway through the third quarter as they dominated the paint and outrebounded the stout Sixer group 52-39. John Collins and Josh Okogie each scored 15 points for the 76ers in the loss. Game two will be played on Thursday night.

Portland 112 New Orleans 90

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 1-0

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers lost all four games against the #1 seed New Orleans Pelicans during the regular season. That was then, this is now however and it took just one game for Portland to steal homecourt advantage away from New Orleans. Portland led by just two points entering the fourth quarter but exploded for 40 fourth quarter points, outscoring New Orleans by 20 and running away with a 112-90 victory. Midseason trade acquisition Hassan Whiteside, acquired from Orlando for DeMar DeRozan and Jarrett Allen in January, scored 30 points and also grabbed 15 rebounds for the Trailblazers. Kevin Durant suffered through early foul trouble but still was able to score 19 points, including eight in the critical fourth quarter. The Blazer frontcourt depth was on display beyond just Whiteside and Durant as Pascal Siakam (13 points), TJ Warren (10 points) and Harrison Barnes (8 points) all had solid games and helped Portland outrebound New Orleans 50-33. Portland also had 30 assists on their 42 field goals. Trae Young scored a team high 30 points for New Orleans, down from the 48 points per game he averaged in the four previous games against Portland this season. Anthony Davis added 24 points and 11 rebounds in the loss while Paul George scored just 8 points (all in the second half) on 3-12 shooting for the Pelicans. Game two will be played back in New Orleans on Thursday night.

[bishnykfan]

May 13

Cleveland 107 Philadelphia 86

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 2-0

Spoiler:

The Cleveland Cavaliers blitzed the Philadelphia 76ers early in their game two Eastern Conference Finals matchup on Thursday night leading from start to finish in a dominant 107-86 victory to take a 2-0 series lead. The Cavaliers used a 33-16 first quarter to establish their dominance on the court as they led by as many as 29 points late in the first half. Bam Adebayo and Julius Randle scored 19 points apiece to lead the Cavaliers as they defended their homecourt for the second consecutive game. Randle added 12 rebounds off of the Cleveland bench and Adebayo's defense was critical in limiting Philadelphia star Brandon Clarke to just 6 points. It was a sloppy game for Philadelphia who turned the ball over 19 times including six in the decisive first quarter. DeAndre Ayton and Zach LaVine added 14 points for Cleveland while John Collins led Philadelphia with 27 points and 14 rebounds. The series will now head to Philadelphia where the 76ers will hope that their homecourt will provide the lift needed to overcome two straight lopsided losses.

Portland 120 New Orleans 118

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 2-0

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-118 in game two of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night to take a two games to none lead in the series. The two top teams in the west battled down to the final buzzer in what was the best game of the postseason to this point. The game saw 16 lead changes many of those occurring in the fourth quarter as both teams made some big shots down the stretch. Portland jumped on New Orleans leading 58-50 at the half before New Orleans battled back in the second half. The Pelicans outscored the Blazers by seven in the third quarter to cut the Trailblazer lead to just one entering the games final 12 minutes. In the fourth quarter Portland extended that lead to nine 113-104 with three minutes to play. Trae Young (38 points) took over the game at that point scoring 7 points in a 12-2 run which gave the Pelicans the lead 116-115 with just 1:11 to play. The two teams would trade buckets after that starting with a Kevin Durant (13 points) bucket which gave Portland back the lead. It was then an Anthony Davis (23 points) put back which would give New Orleans the lead 118-117 with :43 left. A Kyle Lowry (11 points) miss gave New Orleans the ball back with :29 to play and a one point lead. Portland chose to play the game out and not foul as New Orleans used the clock before Young settled and missing a long jumper with just :05 to play. Patrick Beverley ran down the long rebound took a couple of dribbles and made the game winning three pointer from 35 feet out as the buzzer sounded. It was Beverley's only basket of the game and gave Portland the 120-118 victory. Hassan Whiteside scored 20 points, had 20 rebounds and added 6 blocked shots for Portland. The series now moves to Portland for game three on Saturday when New Orleans will need to win to make sure the series will return to the Big Easy.

[bishnykfan]

May 15

Philadelphia 121 Cleveland 104

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Cleveland leads series 2-1

Spoiler:

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-104 on Saturday night to cut the Cleveland lead in the series to two games to one. John Collins led the way with 35 points and 9 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 22 points for the 76ers who used a big second quarter which saw them turn a two point lead after one quarter to a 16 point lead at intermission. Philadelphia coasted in the second half as Cleveland never cut the lead below 12 in the final 24 minutes. Jamal Murray and Julius Randle each scored 22 points in the loss for the Cavaliers. The home team has now won the first three games of the series. The Sixers will try to even up the series on Monday night as the two teams will play again in game four.

Portland 118 New Orleans 115

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Portland leads series 3-0

Spoiler:

The Portland Trailblazers trailed by 11 points entering the fourth quarter before outscoring the top seed New Orleans Pelicans 40-26 and coming from behind to win 118-115 in game three of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night. Kevin Durant scored 32 points including 10 straight fourth quarter points for the Trailblazers during a critical 10-2 run which saw Portland go from down six to up two with 2:04 to play. Portland has now outscored New Orleans by 35 points in three fourth quarters in the series as they seem to be wearing down the Pelicans. Hassan Whiteside continued his strong postseason play scoring 35 points while adding 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. The Portland depth was also a key factor in the win as their bench outscored the New Orleans bench 35-18. Anthony Davis was unstoppable for the Pelicans. He scored a game high 50 points, had 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocked shots and 4 steals in the loss. Trae Young scored 31 for New Orleans who is not getting enough from their third star, Paul George. George scored just 3 points (1-7 from the field) and is averaging just 7 points per game in the series. Without their third star, New Orleans just can't seem to match the Portland depth. Portland will go for the sweep in game four, which will be played on Monday night at the Moda Center.

[bishnykfan]

The 14th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Detroit Pistons

[bishnykfan]

The 13th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Utah Jazz

[bishnykfan]

The 12th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Detroit Pistons

[bishnykfan]

The 11th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Oklahoma City Thunder

[bishnykfan]

The 10th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

New York Knicks

[bishnykfan]

The 9th pick in the 2021 BaF draft, belongs to the:

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Phoenix Suns