News Category: NBA

Luguentz Dort, Thunder ready to limit Luka Doncic, Mavs in Game 2

Before the start of a Western Conference second-round playoff series between the Thunder and Mavericks, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the plan to slow down Dallas star Luka Doncic was simple. “Just make sure Lu (Dort) is on time for the game,” Daigneault said. Dort showed up on time for Game 1 of the series, and he will look to do the same on Thursday night when the host Thunder and Mavericks meet for

Cavs look to brush off opener, ‘steal’ Game 2 in Boston

The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers look to even their second-round Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Boston Celtics when the teams play Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Thursday night. The top-seeded Celtics pulled away in the second half of Game 1 to earn a 120-95 victory on Tuesday. “Obviously there’s a lot of areas that we can improve on,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Facing a team like Boston, I think it’s good to be

Pacers look to muzzle Knicks’ Villanova trio in Game 2

The “Villanova Three” hit plenty of big shots Monday night for New York. Indiana didn’t benefit from last-minute officiating calls. In other words, Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals went exactly as the Knicks and Pacers expected. Second-seeded New York will look to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series on Wednesday night when it hosts sixth-seeded Indiana. The Knicks earned a 121-117 win in Game 1 Monday. Donte DiVincenzo put New York

Thunder, Mavericks look for more from stars as series opens

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks advanced out of the first round without stellar performances from their superstars. But as they prepare for their Western Conference second-round matchup, which begins Tuesday in Oklahoma City, both teams likely will need more from their top players — the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. In Oklahoma City’s first-round sweep of New Orleans, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 27.3 points, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals and shot 47.6

Timberwolves eye 2-0 lead over defending champion Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets blew through the playoffs last year, never trailing in a series and dropping only four games on their way to the title. Things are different this season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves showed in winning Game 1 in Denver on Saturday night. Minnesota’s 106-99 victory gives it homecourt advantage in the Western Conference semifinals with a chance to go up 2-0 Monday night in Game 2. The Timberwolves have started this postseason with

Celtics ride high into matchup with determined Cavaliers

The top-seeded Boston Celtics will open their Eastern Conference semifinal series on notice, as they face an opponent that already has expressed it has more to prove. The well-rested Celtics and the stretched-to-the-limit Cleveland Cavaliers each will attempt to draw first blood when Game 1 gets underway Tuesday at Boston. Boston advanced by beating eighth-seeded Miami in five games. Cleveland was pushed to seven games in its first-round series, getting Donovan Mitchell’s 39-point performance as

Cavs, Magic set for decisive Game 7 in Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers recorded 48 wins during the regular season, one more than the Orlando Magic. As a result, the Cavaliers were able to lock up the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference — and more importantly, home-court advantage for their first-round series with the Magic. Home cooking has proven beneficial for the hosts, as each team has won all three contests on its home floor heading into Game 7 on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

Nuggets plenty familiar with Wolves in rematch of ’23 playoff series

Last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves were a stepping stone to an NBA championship. This time around, Minnesota is a roadblock to the Denver Nuggets’ quest for a repeat. The much-anticipated matchup of the familiar foes and the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the West begins with Game 1 of the conference semifinals on Saturday night in Denver. “We see them four times a year. We saw them in the playoffs last year,” Nuggets guard

Clippers confident they can still take down Mavs again

The Los Angeles Clippers have their backs against the wall after a truly dismal effort in Game 5. The Clippers try to avoid elimination and even their Western Conference first-round series when they visit the Dallas Mavericks for Game 6 on Friday night. Dallas rode a strong performance from star guard Luka Doncic to a convincing 123-93 road victory on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. But the most startling

Bucks not backing down to Pacers: ‘Whatever it takes’

The undermanned Milwaukee Bucks were able to stave off elimination in their last outing despite being without the services of superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. But the Bucks still don’t know if the two stars will be able to return to the court on Thursday night when they play Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. Both players were listed as doubtful on Wednesday afternoon. Bobby Portis