The moment we've been patiently awaiting has finally arrived -- it's time for the 2018 NBA playoffs. There's so much intrigue in this year's first round that we don't even know where to begin. Are the Raptors doomed to repeat their postseason struggles? Can the 76ers overcome their inexperience and stay hot through the playoffs? Are the Pelicans the biggest upset candidate in the Western Conference?
We'll get at least partial answers to those questions starting with Saturday's batch of games. Things kick off at 3 p.m. ET, and we'll be here all day and night with live updates from all the action. Thanks for joining us.
NBA playoff schedule for Saturday, April 14
All times Eastern
Live updates
Spurs at Warriors:
Steph Curry to be re-evaluated in one week. Reports on Friday indicated that Curry was targeting the second round to make a return to the court, and on Saturday he had his official three-week examination by Warriors doctors. The team announced he has made functional progress, will increase his workload and will be evaluated again in a week.
Manu Ginobili is still capable of coming up with big plays, as he showed late in the first quarter. Poking the ball away from Kevon Looney, he came down and drilled a 3 to beat the first quarter buzzer.
The Warriors cruised to a 21-point victory in Game 1 behind a huge day from Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds and seven assists. Klay Thompson added 27 points, while Draymond Green chipped in 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Wizards at Raptors:
The Raptors will be without key reserve guard Fred VanVleet. He is listed as day-to-day with a right shoulder injury.
Van vleet will not play. Day to day. — Eric Smith (@Eric__Smith) April 14, 2018
Check out this impressive alley-oop connection between John Wall and Markieff Morris.
John Wall up top to Markieff! 💪
JW has 9 PTS, 4 AST in the 1st quarter.#DCFamily @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/xoYHZk0wMe — NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2018
Kyle Lowry tried to take a charge against Bradley Beal, but the refs let them play on. At first that seemed to mean Beal would get an easy bucket, but Serge Ibaka had other ideas.
The Wizards didn't go down without a fight. Marcin Gortat threw down an absolute hammer when the lane opened up.
GORTAT down the lane for the hammer! 💪#WizRaptors pic.twitter.com/nIJattSEKu — Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 14, 2018
Despite Washington's efforts, the Raptors prevailed in the end with some hot 3-point shooting and defense. Serge Ibaka was incredible all afternoon with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 28 points and Toronto has finally won Game 1.
#WeTheNorth
Game 1 goes to the @Raptors!
TOR has 6 players score in double figures, led by 23 from Ibaka, and tops the @WashWizards 114-106 at home to start their #NBAPlayoffs!
Delon Wright: 18 PTS, 4 AST
DeRozan: 17 PTS, 6 AST
John Wall: 23 PTS, 15 AST pic.twitter.com/DTkVhatvWx — NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2018
Heat at 76ers:
Joel Embiid didn't play in Game 1 while he recovers from a facial injury, but he made an appearance pre-game to literally ring the game in. Phantom of The Process.
Ben Simmons might be a rookie, but he got his playoff career off to a quick and easy start with an emphatic dunk.
Simmons continued his dominant playoff debut with a monstrous crossover and dunk against Kelly Olynyk. He never stood a chance.
As the game went on and the Sixers turned it into a blowout, literally everything was dropping for Philly.
The 2018 NBA Playoffs will get underway this afternoon, tipping off what should be nothing short of the most riveting journey to the Finals in quite some time. After years of looking at the playoff bracket and feeling near certain in mid-April that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors would be duking it out for a championship come June, it finally feels like there is a legitimate chance that some other contenders could make their run. The odds reflect this sentiment, as there are a handful of teams that the sportsbooks believe have a shot at dethroning one or both of these back-to-back-to-back conference winners.
The Dubs and Cavs still have the best odds to meet in the Finals for a fourth consecutive year, but they are no longer a head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Golden State is being pushed in the Western Conference by the Houston Rockets, who are coming off a league-best 65-win season. Houston’s championship odds are currently +170, only a smidge behind the injury-ravaged Warriors—who won less than 60 games for the first time since 2013-14—at +120.
Cleveland had more problems than just injuries in 2017-18, as they needed to make a number of desperation moves at the trade deadline to offload offseason acquisitions that just didn’t pan out and bring in younger, more athletic players. Despite another quality campaign from LeBron James, the Cavs only mustered 51 victories this year—good for only the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. That is the lowest win total (in a non-strike shortened season) for a team with King James on the roster in a decade. Cleveland is currently getting 8-1 odds to raise a banner this year, barely ahead of the top-seeded Toronto Raptors (10-1). The frontrunners are also more than a bit fortunate that former point guard Kyrie Irving is done for the season, sinking the chance of a Boston Celtics—the East’s No.2 seed—postseason resurgence from upwards of 10-1 all the way down to 55-1.
There is still a very real possibility that we could see a fourth consecutive Cavs-Dubs matchup in the Finals, but hoops handicapper Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com believes this could be the year that parity shows up in the NBA. The Vegas pro has provided his take on the two teams he believes have what it takes to navigate through their respective conference playoffs and still offer great value on any future bets placed on them. Before getting to those predictions, take a look at the complete list of championship odds for every team. At the end of the article you will also find a complete first-round schedule, TV coverage, live stream info, matchups, quick picks and more for the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
NBA odds courtesy of BetDSI Sportsbook
2018 NBA Championship Odds
Team Odds Golden State Warriors +120 Houston Rockets +170 Cleveland Cavaliers +800 Toronto Raptors +1000 Philadelphia 76ers +2500 Oklahoma City Thunder +5000 Boston Celtics +5500 Portland Trail Blazers +6000 Utah Jazz +6000 San Antonio Spurs +7000 Washington Wizards +9000 Milwaukee Bucks +12500 Minnesota Timberwolves +15000 Indiana Pacers +20000 Miami Heat +20000 New Orleans Pelicans +25000
2018 NBA Playoffs Conference Champion Odds
Team Odds Western Conference Golden State Warriors -140 Houston Rockets +110 Oklahoma City Thunder +3800 Portland Trail Blazers +4500 Utah Jazz +4500 San Antonio Spurs +5200 Minnesota Timberwolves +11500 New Orleans Pelicans +19000 Eastern Conference Cleveland Cavaliers +125 Toronto Raptors +170 Philadelphia 76ers +545 Boston Celtics +1250 Washington Wizards +2100 Milwaukee Bucks +3000 Indiana Pacers +4800 Miami Heat +4800
Eastern Conference: Philadelphia 76ers (+2500 Championship, +545 Conference)
The 76ers are entering the 2018 NBA Playoffs on the hottest streak ever seen at this time of year. No team in league history has ever won 16 games in a row heading into the postseason, which is exactly how many Philly strung together in the closing weeks of the campaign. This squad hasn’t lost since falling to the Pacers, 101-98, just over one month ago.
The organization tweeted out photos from a pre-playoff team dinner:
After years of toiling at the bottom of the standings, The Process finally paid off for this club. It not only clinched a postseason berth for the first time in a half decade, but was also able to secure the No. 3 seed in one of the best turnarounds the league has seen in a while. The development of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric and others has created an exciting young core that is surrounded by key veteran additions like J.J. Reddick and Marco Belinelli. It’s a strong group that has the talent to go deep in a year where the rest of the Eastern Conference looks beatable.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Embiid will miss at least one game during the team’s opening series against the Miami Heat. Head coach Brett Brown confirmed that his big man will be out for Game 1 and will be wearing a protective mask when he does return, as per The Dan Patrick Show:
He will not play in Game 1. From that point going forward, we'll figure some stuff out. But unless something remarkable happens, I don't plan on him playing in Game 1.
Embiid has missed the last eight games due to orbital bone fracture stemming from a collision with teammate Markelle Fultz, although that hasn’t stopped the Sixers from winning without him. There’s no timetable for the center's return outside of a cryptic “soon” answer from Brown, but he’ll surely be doing everything he can to get in the lineup as quickly as possible. The All-Star’s presence will help Philadelphia immensely in this upcoming series. The Sixers split the season series with Miami, losing their last two outings against this opponent.
Reuben Frank pointed out how good the 76ers have been lately after a slow start:
76ers were 15-19. Went 37-11 the rest of the season. — Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) April 12, 2018
If Embiid—Philly’s best player, averaging a spectacular 22.9 points and 11 rebounds this year—can get back on the floor and only miss a game or two tops, the Sixers shouldn’t have much issue dispatching the Heat. Miami is a quality club, but lacking in stars capable of taking over the way that Embiid can when he's on his game. Price says that Philly’s roster is more talented and deep, which is the reason it should not only win this series, but also make a run to at least the conference finals if healthy. At 25-1 odds to win a championship and 5.5-1 to win the East, there isn’t a better value play than Philly on the board this postseason.
Prediction: 76ers Win East (+545), Lose Finals
Western Conference: Houston Rockets (+170 Championship, +110 Conference)
The Rockets have been a fringe contender for years with James Harden as their centerpiece, an offensive force that continues to improve to the point of being a shoo-in for MVP this year. After averaging 11.2 assists as the team’s primary point guard in 2016-17—Harden’s first time manning the position on a full-time basis in his eight-year career—the Arizona State product finally received some backcourt help during the offseason. Houston cashed in a pile of chips to acquire Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers, arguably the top PG of this generation.
The results have been a smashing success, as the pair has been unstoppable this season. The backcourt tandem was the driving force behind a franchise-record 65 wins, averaging a combined 49 points, 16.7 assists, 10.8 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. Now the Rockets will lean on these guards to lead the organization back to the Finals for the first time 1995.
The team took to Twitter to address those that doubted the Paul trade would work out:
They said it wouldn't work.
They said there was only one ball.
And here we are. The second season starts Sunday. We #RunAsOne as #1. ON pic.twitter.com/78nVFu1IPq — Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 12, 2018
If the Rockets are going to win their third title in franchise history, they’ll likely need to get past the No. 2-seeded Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. The three-time reigning conference champs had a down season in 2017-18, but still possess a wealth of playoff experience and the most talented lineup when healthy. Houston’s stars aren’t nearly as seasoned as Golden State’s, with Paul notably never getting out of the second round in any of his nine prior trips to the playoffs. Harden’s incredible season came to a brutal end last year when he melted down against the Spurs in the second round, a series the Rockets were expected to win with San Antonio playing without Kawhi Leonard.
They’ll both get an opportunity to avenge those shortcomings this year, as this squad represents by far the best chance either player has ever had to get to the Finals. Houston GM Daryl Morey admitted in an ESPN Radio interview in December that he’s assembled a roster with the goal of eliminating Golden State as the focus:
It’s the only thing we think about. I think I’m not supposed to say that, but we’re basically obsessed with ‘How do we beat the Warriors?’ ... We calculated it—it’s like 90 percent if we’re going to win a title, we’ve gotta beat the Warriors at some point. A lot of our signings and what we do during the year is based on that. We spend most of our time just figuring out how we might knock the Warriors out in seven games. Because we’re pretty sure that’s what’s going to define our season.
The Dream Shake pointed out that the narrative that the West is weaker than usual this year isn’t exactly true:
Listening to Mike Francesa on Bill Simmons podcast today... Says the Rockets success is because the 'West is the weakest it's been in years." Nine teams had a win percentage over 56% this year! SMH. Dudes will say anything to rake Houston. — The Dream Shake (@DreamShakeSBN) April 13, 2018
If the Warriors can’t turn things on and continue to struggle with injury, the door is wide open for the Rockets to win the West. Houston won the season series, besting the Dubs in two of three meetings. Price notes that home court advantage adds another edge in favor of the top seed, which will be key in a Houston-Golden State series that will probably go the distance. Because the real odds of the Rockets winning the West—and then being heavily favored against whichever Eastern Conference foe they face with the Larry O'Brien Trophy on the line—are greater than the ones the sportsbooks are offering, they are the best value play for bettors looking to pick a Finals winner in 2018.
Prediction: Rockets win West (+110) and Finals (+170)
2018 NBA Playoffs Bracket, Schedule And Viewing Info
Games can be live streamed via WatchESPN and WatchTNT
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 8 Washington Wizards
Series Odds: TOR -590, WAS +370
Series Pick: Toronto in six
Series Schedule
Game 1: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 14 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 17 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Game 4: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 22 at 6 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks
Series Odds: BOS -190, MIL +145
Series Pick: Milwaukee in six
Series Schedule
Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 15 at 1 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 17 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 22 at 1 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics: April 28 at TBD
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Miami Heat
Series Odds: PHI -425, MIA +285
Series Pick: Philadelphia in five
Series Schedule
Game 1: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 19 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers: April 28 at TBD
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers
Series Odds: CLE -1030, IND +535
Series Pick: Cleveland in five
Series Schedule
Game 1: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 15 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 18 at 7 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 20 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 22 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers April 29 at TBD
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston Rockets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
Series Odds: HOU -1315, MIN +635
Series Pick: Houston in four
Series Schedule
Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 15 at 9 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 23 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets: April 29 at TBD
No. 2 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 7 San Antonio Spurs
Series Odds: GSW -1750, SAS +710
Series Pick: Golden State in six
Series Schedule
Game 1: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 14 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC
Game 2: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 16 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 4: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 22 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC
*Game 5: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors: April 28 at TBD
No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans
Series Odds: POR -180, NOP +140
Series Pick: New Orleans in seven
Series Schedule
Game 1: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 14 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 2: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 17 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 3: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 19 at 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 4: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 21 at 5 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 24 at TBD
*Game 6: Portland Trail Blazers at New Orleans Pelicans: April 26 at TBD
*Game 7: New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers: April 28 at TBD
No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz
Series Odds: OKC -140, UTA +110
Series Pick: Oklahoma City in seven
Series Schedule
Game 1: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Game 2: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 18 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Game 3: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 21 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN
Game 4: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
*Game 5: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 25 at TBD
*Game 6: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz: April 27 at TBD
*Game 7: Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder: April 29 at TBD
*If necessary
The 2018 NBA playoffs tip off Saturday with four series-opening games: Spurs at Warriors, Wizards at Raptors, Heat at 76ers and Pelicans at Trail Blazers.
Sunday features four more Game 1s: Bucks at Celtics, Pacers at Cavs, Jazz at Thunder and Timberwolves at Rockets.
Follow along with live updates, scores and schedule for today's NBA playoff games.
Today's NBA playoff games, scores and how to watch live (all times Eastern).
And if your team didn't make the playoffs ...
All times Eastern.
Sunday, April 15 1 p.m. – Bucks at Celtics – TNT 3:30 p.m. – Pacers at Cavs – ABC 6:30 p.m. – Jazz at Thunder – TNT 9 p.m. – Wolves at Rockets – TNT Monday, April 16 8 p.m. – Heat at Sixers – TNT 10:30 p.m. – Spurs at Warriors – TNT Tuesday, April 17 7 p.m. – Wizards at Raptors – NBA TV 8 p.m. – Bucks at Celtics – TNT 10:30 p.m. – Pelicans at Blazers – TNT Wednesday, April 18 7 p.m. – Pacers at Cavs – TNT 9 p.m. – Jazz at Thunder – NBA TV 9:30 p.m. – Wolves at Rockets – TNT Thursday, April 19 7 p.m. – Sixers at Heat – TNT 9 p.m. – Blazers at Pelicans – NBA TV 9:30 p.m. – Warriors at Spurs – TNT Friday, April 20 7 p.m. – Cavs at Pacers – ESPN 8 p.m. – Raptors at Wizards – ESPN2 9:30 p.m. – Celtics at Bucks – ESPN Saturday, April 21 2:30 p.m. – Sixers at Heat – TNT 5 p.m. – Blazers at Pelicans – TNT 7:30 p.m. – Rockets at Wolves – ESPN 10 p.m. – Thunder at Jazz – ESPN Sunday, April 22 1 p.m. – Celtics at Bucks – ABC 3:30 p.m. – Warriors at Spurs – ABC 6 p.m. – Raptors at Wizards – TNT 8:30 p.m. – Cavs at Pacers – TNT Monday, April 23 8 p.m. – Rockets at Wolves – TNT 10:30 p.m. – Thunder at Jazz – TNT Tuesday, April 24 *TBD – Bucks at Celtics – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Heat at Sixers – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Spurs at Warriors – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Pelicans at Blazers – TNT/NBA TV Wednesday, April 25 *TBD – Wizards at Raptors – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Pacers at Cavs – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Jazz at Thunder – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Wolves at Rockets – TNT/NBA TV Thursday, April 26 *TBD – Sixers at Heat – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Celtics at Bucks – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Warriors at Spurs – TNT/NBA TV *TBD – Blazers at Pelicans – TNT/NBA TV Friday, April 27 *TBD – Cavs at Pacers – ESPN/ESPNEWS *TBD – Raptors at Wizards – ESPN/ESPNEWS *TBD – Rockets at Wolves – ESPN/ESPNEWS *TBD – Thunder at Jazz – ESPN/ESPNEWS Saturday, April 28 *TBD – Heat at Sixers – TNT *TBD – Bucks at Celtics – TNT *TBD – Pelicans at Blazers – TNT *TBD – Spurs at Warriors – TNT Sunday, April 29 *TBD – Pacers at Cavs – ABC/TNT *TBD – Wizards at Raptors – ABC/TNT *TBD – Wolves at Rockets – ABC/TNT *TBD – Jazz at Thunder – ABC/TNT
*If necessary; time, TV TBD.
NBA playoffs: Live updates
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NBA: Aussie Ben Simmons opens his first playoff appearance with a bang, dunking against Miami before getting a neat assist - all in the first quarter
THE NBA playoffs begun with four games taking place on the opening day.
Golden State defeated Aussie Patty Mills and his San Antonio teammates before the Toronto Raptors downed the Washington Wizards.
Ben Simmons led the Philadelphia 76ers to a win over the Miami Heat and New Orlenas became the only road team to record a win by defeating Portland
Pelicans steal opening road game For the first time in seven years the New Orleans Pelicans have won a playoff game after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 97-95. In thrilling scenes, the Blazers came roaring back into the contest as their relentless work on the offensive boards began to pay dividends. Blazers guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum managed to find their offensive rhythm in the fourth quarter but their late charge was denied by stellar defensive efforts from Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. Holiday nullified multiple attempts from the Blazers playmakers when the game was up for grabs and helped hand the Pelicans home court advantage for the series. Pelicans marquee big man Anthony Davis continued his remarkable end of season form as he lead all scorers with 35 points while also pulling down 14 rebounds and adding four blocks. Game two of the series will take place in Portland on Wednesday. Jrue Holiday comes up with the clutch block in crunch time to lift the @PelicansNBA over @trailblazers 97-95 in Game 1!#DoItBigger #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/VjvGMwz4dI — NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2018 Share
Simmons leads the charge Ben Simmons fell just one rebound short of a triple-double to sensationally lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a game one 130-103 blowout victory over the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs. The Melbourne-born rookie was instrumental in his first NBA post-season game and delivered 17 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds. Simmons’ assists were the most recorded by a rookie in a playoff game since Spud Webb had 18 in 1986. He’s also the first rookie with 14 or more assists in his first ever playoff game in nearly 40 years, the feat not having been achieved since Magic Johnson in 1980. .@sixers G-F @BenSimmons25 14 assists are the most by a rookie in a playoff game since Spud Webb had 18 on April 19, 1986.
h/t @bball_ref — Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) April 15, 2018 Ben Simmons is the first NBA rookie with 14 or more assists in his first career playoff game since Magic Johnson of the Lakers had 16 in a 119-110 win over Phoenix on April 8, 1980. — Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) April 15, 2018 The result extended the 76ers’ record win streak to 17 and confirmed to the rest of the league they are legitimate title contenders. Philadelphia, playing in front of a raucous home crowd without injured All-Star centre Joel Embiid, trailed 56-60 at halftime, but with Simmons in control they went on a 20-2 third quarter run and launched a barrage of three-pointers in the final period to extinguish the Heat. JJ Redick scored 28 points to lead the Sixers while Marco Belinelli had 25 and Ersan Ilyasova 17. “There is a gratitude that I have, we have. Finally, here we are and our fans genuinely have something to be proud of with us,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. For a half, the Heat got what they needed against one of the NBA’s toughest teams and James Johnson and Kelly Olynyk helped them take a 60-56 lead at the break. Olynyk led the Heat with 26 points. The Sixers, who set an NBA record with 16 straight wins to end the season, got the rout in full swing with a raucous crowd behind them. The Heat shot 26 per cent in the third and were outscored 34-18. Simmons assisted on Ilyasova’s three-pointer and then hit a jumper for a 66-63 lead. Dario Saric, who the Sixers waited for two years to come over while he played overseas, also buried a three off an assist from Simmons. Simmons made a statue out of Olynyk, crossing him up and busting through for a two-handed slam that brought down the house. ben simmons glides around on the court the same way an air hockey puck moves it's incredible — Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) April 15, 2018 Ben Simmons absolutely destroys teams whenever they try and cross match in transition. When he's in at the 1, it's simply not fair in the open floor. — Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) April 15, 2018 — AAP Share
Raptors bite Washington Serge Ibaka had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Delon Wright scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, and the Toronto Raptors snapped a 10-game losing streak in playoff series openers by beating the Washington Wizards 114-106. DeMar DeRozan added 17 points, C.J. Miles and OG Anunoby each had 12, and Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists for the Raptors, whose only previous victory in the opening game of a playoff series came in the second round against Philadelphia in 2001. Toronto entered having lost an NBA-worst 10 consecutive Game 1s since, including six at home. The top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, Toronto made 16 of 30 three-point attempts, with Miles making four, and Ibaka and Wright each hitting three. The Raptors host Game 2 on Tuesday. John Wall had 23 points and 15 assists for the Wizards, while Markieff Morris had 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bradley Beal scored 19 points for Washington, while Mike Scott had 14 and Marcin Gortat 12. Washington led 91-88 when Scott was called for a flagrant foul after using his elbow to knock Lowry down early in the fourth. Lowry made both free throws and, on the ensuing possession, Wright gave Toronto the lead with a layup. After a missed shot by Morris, Miles hit a three to cap a 7-0 run that gave the Raptors a 95-91 lead with 9:26 left. Kelly Oubre Jr. hit a three and Gortat made a dunk to put Washington back in front, but Wright and Miles each hit three-pointers as Toronto used an 8-0 run to take a 103-96 lead with 6:27 left, and never trailed again. Anunoby made his first two three-pointers and led Toronto with eight points in the first as the Raptors led 28-23 after one. Wall scored nine points in the opening quarter. Gortat and replacement Ian Mahinmi each had two fouls before the first quarter was half over. Gortat picked up his first when he fouled Jonas Valanciunas on the opening tip. Beal scored seven points in the second, five of them in a 10-2 Wizards run that gave Washington a 42-41 lead with 6:20 left in the half. Scott had eight points in the quarter as the Wizards led 59-55 at halftime. Toronto reclaimed the lead with an 11-2 spurt to start the third. DeRozan scored 12 points in the quarter as the Raptors took a slim 86-85 lead into the fourth. The game was about five minutes late tipping off because of an apparent issue with moisture on the court along the baseline adjacent to Washington’s bench. Arena staffers continued to dry the area periodically throughout the game. — AP Share
Thompson shines in ‘scary’ show Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson helped the defending champions get defensive in a hurry. Durant finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Golden State Warriors returned to their old dominant selves at playoff time to beat the cold-shooting San Antonio Spurs 113-92. Durant, Draymond Green and Thompson took charge in Game 1 of the first- round series to elevate the Warriors’ intensity at last playing without fellow All-Star and injured two-time MVP Stephen Curry, still sidelined with a sprained left knee. Thompson found his shot and scored 27 points, making 11 of 13 shots, while 7-footer JaVale McGee started in Steve Kerr’s centre-by-committee approach and contributed 15 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 16 minutes. Per ESPN, Thompson became the first Warrior to score at least 25 points and shoot at least 80 per cent from the field in a playoff game since 1989. Klay went OFF. pic.twitter.com/LbpL3vLQNG — ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2018 Klay Thompson is the first Warriors player with 25+ points while shooting at least 80% from the field in a playoff game since Mitch Richmond in Game 3 of the 1989 First Round. pic.twitter.com/eSItQDxbqC — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 14, 2018 Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 15 points off the bench as leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge was limited to 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday at Oracle Arena. The defending champions looked unbeatable again. And that was without the do-everything Curry. The Warriors said all week it’s a new season, then went out and showed it. They have plans for nothing short of a repeat title. Golden State came with the kind of swarming defence it is so used to playing but hadn’t shown much lately as rotations were mixed and matched because of injuries and illness. San Antonio couldn’t keep up from the opening tip. Beat up and missing its four All-Stars at times, Golden State endured a stretch losing seven of 10 last month. “I noticed that Steph wasn’t there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich cracked before the game. “I watched real closely. I turned it off for a while ... turned it back on and he still wasn’t there. I noticed that. But after that I didn’t watch anything else, it was too scary.” Golden State swept San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals a year ago on the way to a second championship in three seasons and an astonishing, record-setting 16-1 postseason run. Kerr always said his team would be ready when these playoffs came around. The Warriors were determined to pick up their defence ahead of Game 1, and they did just that. Green, Durant and the others quickly closed on shooters and got hands up to alter shots. 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala moved into the starting line-up for the 2018 edition of that “Strength In Numbers” mantra — and all those bright yellow T-shirts through the arena are there to back it. Iguodala, who started just seven games all season before Saturday, had missed four of the final five regular-season games with a sore left knee. After diving into the baseline fans late in the first half, he headed to the locker room early but returned for the third quarter. Share
