The Lakers‘ Game 1 loss brought a lot of questions. They answered nearly all of them with a Game 2 thumping of the Trail Blazers. Portland’s bubble run to the playoffs was incredible but a first-round upset of the Lakers still seemed absurdly improbable. And then they came out and won Game 1, with Damian
NBA Playoffs
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics took Game 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers in dominant fashion. It turns out that Joel Embiid’s production is not a bellwether for this series. Despite an awesome statline from the big fella in Game 2, the Boston Celtics played their game and clicked on all cylinders. The result was
The Dallas Mavericks were able to defeat the Patrick Beverley-less LA Clippers behind Luka Doncic’s 28 points, tying the series in Game 2. Game 2 of the first-round NBA playoff matchup between the LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks began much as the first one did — with one team opening up a massive lead early.
The Orlando Magic were playing with Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac but somehow they still blow out the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1. No one was giving the Magic much of a chance in this series, but they came out energized and well-prepared, blitzing the Bucks in the first quarter and building a 10-point lead.
The Nets played the Raptors much tougher in Game 2, but the result was the same — a solid win for Toronto. The Raptors dominated the Nets in Game 1, running away with a 24-point blowout win. Their offense was running on all cylinders and they easily put up 134 on the undermanned Nets. But
All of the NBA’s greatest heels are circling around this single series, with vengeance on the mind of both the Rockets and Thunder. Having survived the NBA Bubble’s first stage, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets will play a first-round playoff series starting this Tuesday. Then again, neither team really survived the early bout
James Harden and the Houston Rockets steamrolled the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1. The 4-5 matchup is typically expected to be the most competitive, unpredictable series in any postseason, but if Game 1 between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder was any indication, this first-round matchup in the 2020 NBA Playoffs might not
The Portland Trail Blazers‘ amazing NBA bubble run isn’t over just yet, as they shocked the Lakers in Game 1. Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers played themselves into the postseason with a dramatic hot streak in the NBA bubble. They brought all that momentum into Game 1 against the Lakers and it was enough
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The first four games of the 2020 NBA Playoffs gave us a bit of everything — epic scoring performances, a blowout, an overtime squeaker, controversial calls and the
The reigning Most Valuable Player had his dominant seeding round performance marred by foul trouble, an ejection and a suspension. These were Giannis Antetokounmpo’s statistics from his six seeding round games: 27.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 62.6 percent shooting (62-of-99) from the field. On paper, his numbers were fantastic and automatically inserted
Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray combined for 93 points but Murray’s Nuggets escaped with the Game 1 win. Both teams entered this game shorthanded with Gary Harris and Will Barton out for the Nuggets and Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley both out of the bubble completely for the Jazz. (Conley left for the birth of
No need for a long preamble. The first round of the NBA playoffs is finally here. Let’s break down the most interesting question that will define each series. Lakers vs. Blazers What happens when a stoppable force meets a movable object? The Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the West fairly early in the
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images In the absence of an interior anchor or lockdown isolation defender, the Rockets have become the NBA’s peskiest defensive team. When the Houston Rockets effectively swapped Clint Capela for Robert Covington at the trade deadline, they not only unleashed the most progressive offensive system in NBA history but vastly widened
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 07: Chris Paul #3 and Dennis Schroder #17 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on January 07, 2020 in New York City. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by
Dwight Howard is still a quality shot blocker. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) Besides a hope or a prayer, here’s how opponents can try to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The hours of negotiations, epidemiological presentations, and press conferences were nothing more than whitewater following in the wake of LeBron
Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images Catapulted by Luka Dončić’s awesome second season, the Dallas Mavericks go into the Orlando bubble right in the thick of the West’s playoff race. The 2019-20 season has been loaded with parity, especially in the Western Conference. Among the glut of contenders is the Dallas Mavericks, who could fall anywhere
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images The NBA’s reigning champions, the Toronto Raptors, haven’t missed a beat since losing their best player over the summer. About 13 months ago, we saw the Toronto Raptors hoist their first-ever championship trophy. A swing-for-the-fences trade for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, supplemented by an elite support cast that seemed to
Shake Milton, #18, Philadelphia 76ers, (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) As the NBA restarts in Orlando, these five role players on contending teams could have a lot to say about the state of the Eastern Conference. The NBA will finally return on Thursday, and with it, the myriad storylines, trends, and stakes of a season
James Harden and Russell Westbrook will play huge minutes for the Rockets in the playoffs. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) The Houston Rockets’ small-ball experiment has its benefits and in the NBA bubble, they’re a threat to any team in the Western Conference. But will their regular-season strengths ultimately be their undoing when the games
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 06: Danilo Gallinari #8, Chris Paul #3, head coach Billy Donovan, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2, Dennis Schroder #17, and Steven Adams #12 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 6, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics grabs a rebound against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 10, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 22: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers looks on in a game against the Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on February 22, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) The Clippers have the talent to win the 2020 NBA title, but teams looking to knock them
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 08: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat looks on against the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena on March 08, 2020 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms
Joel Embiid can lead the 76ers to an NBA Title. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) The 76ers have a lot of high-end talent but fitting the pieces together is a challenge for head coach Brett Brown. That makes Philadelphia vulnerable. Any team that can trot Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons out in the same starting
Nikola Jokic, #15, Denver Nuggets, (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) The Denver Nuggets may not be a top-tier contender but they’re definitely ready to play spoiler in the NBA playoffs. The Nuggets’ odds of making it through the Western Conference seem slim. 538 gives them just a three percent chance of making it to the
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images The Milwaukee Bucks were nothing short of dominant this season, and there weren’t many counters for their best player. Can someone find a way to beat them four times in two weeks? For a second straight season, the Milwaukee Bucks will likely finish with the best record in the league,
Jorge Masvidal shares ‘rough’ weight cut progress pictures ahead of UFC 251 by Nicole Bosco LeBron James, #23, Los Angeles Lakers, (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) The Lakers didn’t have the best record or point differential when the season was suspended, but they’re heading to Orlando as the title favorites. The NBA restart will kick
The Los Angeles Clippers stand a good chance of being crowned this season’s NBA champions, and in a year without normal, that would be entirely fitting. I don’t know if the NBA‘s players will all pack into boats and sing “It’s a small world after all” or if Space Mountain will be made available. Perhaps
The Denver Nuggets were a second-tier contender in the regular season but they have as good a shot as anyone of breaking through and winning it all. All due respect to the eight games of rhythm re-establishing regular season the NBA has planned, but this postseason is going to be weird. Everyone gets a training
The Rockets may only be the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but they have the talent to take home a title in 2020. Daryl Morey has done everything in his power to assemble a roster capable of winning a title in Houston. The Rockets won’t enter the playoffs as the favorite to conquer their
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