Bucks Begin Title Quest Against Magic
The Orlando Magic will play the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the 2019-20 Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round.
The Bucks were the best team in The Association for the entire regular season and went 56-17, good enough to finish ahead of the second-seeded Toronto Raptors by a 2.5-game lead. However, the Bucks struggled in the Orlando bubble and failed to show the same intensity they had before play was suspended back in March, going 3-5 in the bubble and losing incredible games against noticeably weaker opponents. The Bucks have all the tools in the world to bounce back and compete for the title, however, but this time will only go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game) and Khris Middleton (career-high 20.9 points per game) can carry them. If both are healthy and at their best, then the Bucks could be close to unstoppable when playing at their best.
Milwaukee is close to full strength ahead of this contest. The lone injury absentee will be Ersan Ilyasova, who is dealing with a sprained elbow.
The Magic struggled during the Orlando bubble, losing five games in a row at one point and stumbling to a 3-5 record in the seeding games. The Magic finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-40 record but, surprisingly, they didn't have problems to clinch the eighth seed in the East -- partially due to the fact the Washington Wizards went 1-7 in the bubble. The Magic have several question marks on both sides of the ball and it seems they won't have enough resources to pull the upset against Milwaukee. As things stand now, the play of Nikola Vucevic (19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds) is the only thing that can keep this team afloat.
Orlando lists Jonathan Isaac (knee), Mo Bamba (illness), Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) and Chuma Okeke (knee) as out of the season, while Michael Carter-Williams (foot) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) are game-time decisions for the coaching staff.
The Bucks were the best team in The Association for the entire regular season and went 56-17, good enough to finish ahead of the second-seeded Toronto Raptors by a 2.5-game lead. However, the Bucks struggled in the Orlando bubble and failed to show the same intensity they had before play was suspended back in March, going 3-5 in the bubble and losing incredible games against noticeably weaker opponents. The Bucks have all the tools in the world to bounce back and compete for the title, however, but this time will only go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game) and Khris Middleton (career-high 20.9 points per game) can carry them. If both are healthy and at their best, then the Bucks could be close to unstoppable when playing at their best.
Milwaukee is close to full strength ahead of this contest. The lone injury absentee will be Ersan Ilyasova, who is dealing with a sprained elbow.
The Magic struggled during the Orlando bubble, losing five games in a row at one point and stumbling to a 3-5 record in the seeding games. The Magic finished eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-40 record but, surprisingly, they didn't have problems to clinch the eighth seed in the East -- partially due to the fact the Washington Wizards went 1-7 in the bubble. The Magic have several question marks on both sides of the ball and it seems they won't have enough resources to pull the upset against Milwaukee. As things stand now, the play of Nikola Vucevic (19.6 points, 10.9 rebounds) is the only thing that can keep this team afloat.
Orlando lists Jonathan Isaac (knee), Mo Bamba (illness), Al-Farouq Aminu (knee) and Chuma Okeke (knee) as out of the season, while Michael Carter-Williams (foot) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) are game-time decisions for the coaching staff.
Pacers and Heat Open Quarterfinal-Round Series
The Miami Heat take on the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal-round series in Orlando on Tuesday afternoon.
The Heat (44-29) come into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed, earning that slotting despite going just 3-5 in their seeding games. That included a pair of contests against these same Pacers, with a 114-92 win in the first encounter clinching the head-to-head advantage for Miami in the season series. The Heat's final tune-up for the postseason also came against coach Nate McMillan's team Friday, when both teams used makeshift rosters in a 109-92 win for Indiana. Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 23 points, adding four assists, two rebounds, three steals and one block. Solomon Hill followed with 21 points that he complemented with seven boards, three assists and one steal. Tyler Herro poured in 16 points. Meyers Leonard and Udonis Haslem saw some rare playing time while manning power forward for the day, with Leonard posting nine points and seven rebounds and Haslem furnishing seven points and eight boards.
The Heat are likely to list Jimmy Butler (foot), Jae Crowder (knee) and Derrick Jones (neck) as questionable for Tuesday's contest.
The Pacers (45-28) enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed, and they built up some momentum during seeding games by forging an impressive 6-2 mark. They'll head into Tuesday with some key health-related question marks (listed below), however. Indiana's most recent time on the court came in the aforementioned 109-92 victory over the Heat on Friday. Doug McDermott led the Pacers with 23 points, a figure he supplemented with four rebounds and one steal. Malcolm Brogdon supplied 16 points, six rebounds and six assists. Alize Johnson, Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday all turned in matching 11-point tallies, with Johnson adding 17 rebounds and Justin Holiday pulling down seven boards. JaKarr Sampson collected 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Pacers will likely list T.J. Warren (foot), Myles Turner (wrist) and Victor Oladipo (ankle) as questionable for Tuesday's game. Domantas Sabonis (foot) remains out. Warren was notably able to practice Sunday with the plantar fasciitis he's attempting to manage.
Tuesday's game marks the fifth meeting overall between the teams this regular season and postseason. The Heat owns a 3-1 series lead, having notched 113-112, 122-108 and 114-92 wins on Dec. 27, Jan. 8 and Aug. 10, respectively.
The Heat (44-29) come into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed, earning that slotting despite going just 3-5 in their seeding games. That included a pair of contests against these same Pacers, with a 114-92 win in the first encounter clinching the head-to-head advantage for Miami in the season series. The Heat's final tune-up for the postseason also came against coach Nate McMillan's team Friday, when both teams used makeshift rosters in a 109-92 win for Indiana. Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with 23 points, adding four assists, two rebounds, three steals and one block. Solomon Hill followed with 21 points that he complemented with seven boards, three assists and one steal. Tyler Herro poured in 16 points. Meyers Leonard and Udonis Haslem saw some rare playing time while manning power forward for the day, with Leonard posting nine points and seven rebounds and Haslem furnishing seven points and eight boards.
The Heat are likely to list Jimmy Butler (foot), Jae Crowder (knee) and Derrick Jones (neck) as questionable for Tuesday's contest.
The Pacers (45-28) enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed, and they built up some momentum during seeding games by forging an impressive 6-2 mark. They'll head into Tuesday with some key health-related question marks (listed below), however. Indiana's most recent time on the court came in the aforementioned 109-92 victory over the Heat on Friday. Doug McDermott led the Pacers with 23 points, a figure he supplemented with four rebounds and one steal. Malcolm Brogdon supplied 16 points, six rebounds and six assists. Alize Johnson, Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday all turned in matching 11-point tallies, with Johnson adding 17 rebounds and Justin Holiday pulling down seven boards. JaKarr Sampson collected 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
The Pacers will likely list T.J. Warren (foot), Myles Turner (wrist) and Victor Oladipo (ankle) as questionable for Tuesday's game. Domantas Sabonis (foot) remains out. Warren was notably able to practice Sunday with the plantar fasciitis he's attempting to manage.
Tuesday's game marks the fifth meeting overall between the teams this regular season and postseason. The Heat owns a 3-1 series lead, having notched 113-112, 122-108 and 114-92 wins on Dec. 27, Jan. 8 and Aug. 10, respectively.
Rockets, Thunder Begin First-Round Action
By Dan Bruno
The Oklahoma City Thunder play the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round playoffs on Tuesday at Orlando.
At the beginning of the season there was virtually no one who picked the Thunder to be a playoff team, never mind the fifth seed, especially after they saw the departure of, not only Paul George, but also their long-time star, Russell Westbrook. Nonetheless, Chris Paul, whom the Thunder received as part of the deal for Westbrook, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom they received in the George deal, did an incredible job leading the Thunder to an impressive record, far surpassing just about every expectation. Despite dealing with some injury trouble through the season, Danilo Gallinari, who came over in the deal with the Clippers, also had a great impact on the Thunder's success and is healthy and ready for playoff action. Over three regular season meetings, the Thunder came out with two wins. The Thunder were one of the better defensive teams during the regular season, as they held opponents to an average of 108.4 points per game, which was sixth fewest in the league.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have the benefit of the league's top scorer leading their lineup, as James Harden enters the playoffs averaging a league-high 34.3 points per game, while shooting 44 percent form the field and 35 percent from long range. Unfortunately for Houston, Russell Westbrook (quadriceps) will miss Tuesday's action. Westbrook missed the last two games of the regular season restart and his timeline for return it not yet definite. On the plus side, Eric Gordon made his return to action during the last two games of the seeding tournament, and he put up double digits in scoring in around 20 minutes of action in each game. Austin Rivers had a notable performance during the seeding games, with a 41-point outing in a win over the Kings, and the Rockets will need him to bring that same energy to help make up for their missing star. The Rockets averaged 117.8 points per game, which was second most in the league, and they made an average of 15.6 three-pointers per game, which was most in the league through the regular season.
At the beginning of the season there was virtually no one who picked the Thunder to be a playoff team, never mind the fifth seed, especially after they saw the departure of, not only Paul George, but also their long-time star, Russell Westbrook. Nonetheless, Chris Paul, whom the Thunder received as part of the deal for Westbrook, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom they received in the George deal, did an incredible job leading the Thunder to an impressive record, far surpassing just about every expectation. Despite dealing with some injury trouble through the season, Danilo Gallinari, who came over in the deal with the Clippers, also had a great impact on the Thunder's success and is healthy and ready for playoff action. Over three regular season meetings, the Thunder came out with two wins. The Thunder were one of the better defensive teams during the regular season, as they held opponents to an average of 108.4 points per game, which was sixth fewest in the league.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have the benefit of the league's top scorer leading their lineup, as James Harden enters the playoffs averaging a league-high 34.3 points per game, while shooting 44 percent form the field and 35 percent from long range. Unfortunately for Houston, Russell Westbrook (quadriceps) will miss Tuesday's action. Westbrook missed the last two games of the regular season restart and his timeline for return it not yet definite. On the plus side, Eric Gordon made his return to action during the last two games of the seeding tournament, and he put up double digits in scoring in around 20 minutes of action in each game. Austin Rivers had a notable performance during the seeding games, with a 41-point outing in a win over the Kings, and the Rockets will need him to bring that same energy to help make up for their missing star. The Rockets averaged 117.8 points per game, which was second most in the league, and they made an average of 15.6 three-pointers per game, which was most in the league through the regular season.
Lakers Host Trail Blazers in Game 1
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round playoffs in Orlando on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers made a miraculous run to sneak into the playoffs, catching the Memphis Grizzlies for the eight-seed in the west. It wasn't an easy trip to get to that point though, winning seven of their last nine games in total and finishing it off with a play-in game on Saturday. The thing that got them there was their offense, with Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic performing at a ridiculous level. In fact, Lillard averaged 35.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.5 steals in those games while Nurkic provided 18.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.0 blocks per game in the restart. Getting Nurkic back was obviously a huge boost to this club and it's truly amazing just how big of a gap this team made up in just eight games. That makes them a scary opponent in the playoffs and it's unfortunate for the Lakers that they have to face a Western Conference finalist from last season.
The Lakers played some lackluster basketball in the Orlando restart, losing four of their last five games coming into this matchup. It looks like a mixture between poor play and not caring because this club had the top-seed locked up at the beginning of the restart. One has to believe that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been saving themselves for this and it has them entering these playoffs as the odds-on favorite to take down the title. Everyone knows that James and Davis will do their part but it's on the role players to help them out. Guys like Dion Waiters, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma will ultimately determine how far this club goes and that really puts the onus on these superstars to carry the load.
These teams played three times in the regular season, with Los Angeles winning two of three. The winning club actually averaged over 130 points per game in the series.
The Trail Blazers made a miraculous run to sneak into the playoffs, catching the Memphis Grizzlies for the eight-seed in the west. It wasn't an easy trip to get to that point though, winning seven of their last nine games in total and finishing it off with a play-in game on Saturday. The thing that got them there was their offense, with Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic performing at a ridiculous level. In fact, Lillard averaged 35.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.5 steals in those games while Nurkic provided 18.1 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.0 blocks per game in the restart. Getting Nurkic back was obviously a huge boost to this club and it's truly amazing just how big of a gap this team made up in just eight games. That makes them a scary opponent in the playoffs and it's unfortunate for the Lakers that they have to face a Western Conference finalist from last season.
The Lakers played some lackluster basketball in the Orlando restart, losing four of their last five games coming into this matchup. It looks like a mixture between poor play and not caring because this club had the top-seed locked up at the beginning of the restart. One has to believe that LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been saving themselves for this and it has them entering these playoffs as the odds-on favorite to take down the title. Everyone knows that James and Davis will do their part but it's on the role players to help them out. Guys like Dion Waiters, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma will ultimately determine how far this club goes and that really puts the onus on these superstars to carry the load.
These teams played three times in the regular season, with Los Angeles winning two of three. The winning club actually averaged over 130 points per game in the series.