The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets by a 117-107 final score in Orlando on Saturday night, clinching their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2010.

After allowing the Denver Nuggets to momentarily get back into the series after losing Game 3, the Lakers rattled off two consecutive wins to claim their title as the Western Conference’s best in the 2020 season.

Denver put up a fight, rallying from 10 points down at the half to draw the game to 87-84 at the end of the third quarter, but LeBron James and the Lakers pulled away in the final quarter to win by a ten-point margin.

James put together yet another signature playoff performance, recording a dominant triple-double which included 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. His partner in crime Anthony Davis added 27 points of his own to show just how dominant the Davis-James pairing can be.

After missing the playoffs in LeBron’s first season in Tinseltown last year, the Lakers now appear to have a laser-like focus on winning the franchise’s first crown since the Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol era.

Waiting for them in the Finals will be either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat, who currently have a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA Finals are set to kick off on either on Wednesday or Friday, depending on whether the Celtics-Heat series goes to a Game 7.

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Thanks to an impressive showing earlier in the playoffs, Boston Celtics entered the Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Miami Heat as favorites to make it to NBA Finals. But, things didn’t go as planned for Boston so far.

Celtics suffered a narrow 109-112 defeat to Miami on Wednesday night, which saw them fell behind 1-3 in the series. They now face three elimination games and will have to pull off a rare feat if they want to save their title hopes.

Celtics played catch up for the most of the game but managed to get ahead one point in midway through the fourth quarter. Heat quickly regained control of the game, however, and entered the final minute with nine points lead.

Boston attempted another comeback, but it was too late at that point. Miami’s players were calm under pressure on the free-throw line, converting 5 out of 6 shots and sealed another big win.

The heat was led by rookie Tyler Herro, who scored a franchise-record 37 points while adding six rebounds and three assists.

“He has a great competitive humility about him,” said Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra after the game. “He has confidence. He has a fearlessness that is uncommon. But he’s humble enough to work, to be coachable, to take the mentorship from the veteran players that we have on our team, and he just continues to gain more confidence as we go.”

All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo had 24 and 20 points, respectively, while Goran Dragic added 22. No other Heat player had more than three points.

Jayson Tatum scored 28 points for the Celtics, followed by Kemba Walker’s 20 points and Jaylen Brown’s 21 points.

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Denver Nuggets didn’t let the heartbreaking loss in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals get to them. Instead, they bounced back on Tuesday night with a dominant performance in a 106-114 win over Los Angeles Lakers in crucial Game 3.

Nuggets took control of the game from the very start, finishing the first quarter with a 27-29 lead. Denver then kept building the lead in the next two quarters, amassing a 20-point cushion entering the final period. But it turned out Lakers were not going to let them get an easy win.

Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter and came close to staging an impressive comeback by almost completely erasing Nuggets’ lead with five minutes left in the contest. However, Denver held their ground, and thanks to crucial points by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, managed to weather the storm.

“Everybody always has us packing our bags and leaving, but we’re not ready to go,” said Denver’s head coach Michael Malone. “For some reason, we love this bubble.”

Murray finished the game with 28 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists while Jokic had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Jerami Grant added 26 points.

“Maybe they can beat us by 20, 30, they can beat us by a last shot, but we just cannot quit,” said Jokic after the game. “Effort needs to be there.”

Lakers, on the other hand, were led by LeBron James, who had a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Anthony Davis followed with 27 points.

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After two thrilling seven-game series wrapped up this week, the NBA Conference Final matchups are set in both conferences and only four teams are left standing in the Orlando bubble.

Two of the season’s top teams, along with two underdogs who advanced to the Finals in surprising fashion, will meet up with a chance to play for the coveted championship trophy in what should be a thrilling pair of matchups.

Let’s take a look at each one and predict a winner.

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The Heat got off to an early 1-0 lead in this series, whose Game 1 took place before the publication of this article. The Boston Celtics, who are considered to be the favorite in this matchup, will now have to win 4 of the next 6 games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2010.

Boston has a dynamic squad lead by a superstar scoring trio of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. Despite their relative lack of punch on the low block, this team can score with the best of them and plays solid defense. But will it be enough to beat the inspired Heat?

Miami, considered to be an afterthought in the Eastern Conference picture, has been led by inspired performances from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, with Bam Adebayo emerging as one of the top youngsters in the league.

While the Heat did jump out to an early advantage with a three-point overtime win in Game 1, I like the Celtics to come back and win the series, seeing coach Brad Stevens take them to their first NBA Finals in his tenure.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

Western Conference Finals: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

No one expected the Nuggets to be just one series away from reaching the NBA Finals after they stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in their first round matchup with the Jazz, and after meeting up with the heavy favorite Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals.

However, after a dominant Game 7 performance which saw the Nuggets overwhelm Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler with a gargantuan defensive effort, they are now one more LA team away from reaching the Finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

They won’t have it easy, however, as the conference’s top seed and the league’s best collection of talent awaits them in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and company are hungry and have only dropped two games so far in this playoff run.

It’s certainly true that seeing the Nuggets topple yet another heavy favorite would be a thrilling story, but I just don’t think they have the talent to overcome Los Angeles’s star-studded squad.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

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Miami Heat continued their stroll through the Eastern Conference playoffs on Wednesday night, beating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the deciding Game 5 of the second round. With the 103-94 win, Heat completed the gentleman’s sweep over the Bucks with a 4-1 result in the series and advanced to the conference finals.

Bucks entered the game without the reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was sitting out with the ankle injury he suffered in Game 4. Despite this, Milwaukee had a strong opening of the game, closing the first quarter with a nine-point lead.

Heat immediately responded with a huge second quarter, in which they outscored their opponents by 15 points. Miami didn’t have trouble keeping their advantage in the second half and comfortably closed out the game.

By eliminating the Bucks, the Heat are now 8-1 in this year’s playoffs and have emerged as the front-favorites to reach the NBA Finals. They will meet Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics in the East finals.

The standout players for the Heat on Wednesday night were Jimmy Butler, who had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder added 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

The Eastern Conference will be the furthest that Butler reached in the postseason since entering the NBA in 2011.

“It means a lot,” said Butler after the game. “But that’s not my goal. That’s not my guys’ goal. That’s not the organization’s goal. We want to win `it.’ We want a championship and I think that’s what we’re focused on. These next eight are going to be much harder than the previous eight. We know that. But we’re ready for them.”

Buck, on the other hand, were led by Khris Middleton, who had 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Brook Lopez had 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Donte DiVicenzo added 17 points.

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Houston Rockets are through to the second round of the NBA playoffs after getting a 104-102 win over Oklahoma City Thunder in the deciding Game 7 on Wednesday night.

The game was highlighted by James Harden, but not for the reasons you would think. In the closing seconds of the game, Harden blocked Luguentz Dort’s three-point attempt and robbed the Thunder of the chance to win the series with a buzzer-beater.  

Harden had a poor game offensively, shooting 1-9 from the three-point arc and finishing the night with 17 points. Still, his shooting struggles didn’t matter as he made up the difference on the defense.

“It was one of those nights offensively so I just wanted to change the game defensively and I think I did that,” Harden told reporters after the game.

Rockets were led in scoring by Robert Covington and Eric Gordon, who scored 21 each, while All-Star guard Russell Westbrook added 20 against his former team.

On the other side, Dort was a standout for OKC, pouring in 30 points and breaking the franchise’s rookie playoffs record that was previously held by James Harden. Chris Paul had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed with 19 points and four assists.

“It’s a tough one. It’s tough,” said Paul. “We fought hard all year. Honestly, a lot of people doubted us, but we didn’t doubt ourselves. We didn’t give a damn about anybody’s predictions going into any series.”

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The Dallas Mavericks may have been defeated on Sunday night by the Phoenix Suns, but the Grizzlies’ 108-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs guaranteed that the 2011 NBA Champions will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Mavericks will be either the 7th or the 8th seed in this year’s edition of the playoffs and will face a daunting task against either the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, or Houston Rockets in the first round.

Despite the tough task ahead of them, former Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki, the Finals MVP of the 2011 playoff run and the best player in the history of the franchise, couldn’t contain his excitement on Twitter after learning that his beloved team was heading back to participate in playoff basketball.

It is certainly a positive step ahead for a franchise that found itself adrift in the late 2010s, looking for a superstar that would help them forward in the post-Dirk era.

They found that star in Luka Doncic, who is averaging 28.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game in only his second season in the league at the age of 22.

The Mavericks have six regular-season games left to get prepared for their first-round series, which will begin in the middle of August.

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NBA fans are well aware at this point of how intensely focused and competitive star small forward LeBron James is come playoff time. So focused, in fact, that he has traditionally practiced a social media “blackout” during the entirety of the playoffs in order to maintain peak concentration on the task at hand.

In 2020, however, James has said that things will not be the same given the unprecedented circumstances in which the league’s players and teams will complete the season.

James revealed in a virtual press conference on Tuesday that he would, in fact, continue to use social media during the Lakers’ upcoming playoff run. He said that this is due to his desire to remain communicated with the outside world while living in the NBA’s Orlando “bubble.”

James is separated from his family and friends while living in Orlando, and he would like to have at least some outlet to remain in contact with these people while his stay inside the bubble.

The Lakers are set to be the West’s #1 seed in this summer’s playoffs and will almost certainly compete to play for an NBA title, but for the first time in years, LeBron might give us social media updates as he pursues his fourth ring.

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The NBA is one of the principal leagues that has found its 2019-20 season put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world of sports and society in general.

The league came to a grinding halt in early March after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus after coming down ill just before a game, sending the league into a state of suspension.

Currently, the coronavirus outbreak in North America continues to grow and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Despite social distancing and “stay at home” policies enacted by many governmental organizations, it seems like quite a bit of time will past until basketball and other sports are able to return.

With that being said, we think that the NBA still has the opportunity to finish the 2019-20 season with a memorable set of playoffs come summertime when athletes should be able to convene again to compete.

How would the NBA do this? By calling off the rest of the regular season and shortening the playoffs.

In a normal season, the NBA Playoffs are a very long and drawn-out process. Under the current system, 16 of the league’s 30 teams make the playoffs and participate in a long-winded system involving four rounds of games that are part of a best-of-seven series.

While the NBA Playoffs begin in late April, they don’t finish until the end of June. Teams typically reconvene for training camp only a couple of months later, at the end of September or the beginning of October.

So, how could the NBA make the process faster and compact the playoffs to only a month or so? The solution could be in reducing the number of teams that compete.

The best solution for being able to hold the Playoffs and crown an NBA Champion for the 2019-20 season starts by halving the number of teams that compete in the competition. In doing this, the system could be compressed into only 4-5 weeks, especially if series were shortened to best-of-five for at least some rounds.

After reading this, you might be thinking, “But what about the fifth through eighth-seeded teams in their conferences? Wouldn’t they be upset about missing out on the playoffs?”

Well, yes, they probably wouldn’t be happy. But, the facts are the facts. The last time a team seeded lower than #4 in the Playoffs made the NBA Finals was in the 1999 season, and the last time a team seeded lower than #4 won the NBA Finals was twenty years ago when the sixth-seeded Rockets won the whole thing.

The reality of the current NBA landscape is that no matter the length of the Playoffs, two of the league’s eight top teams always make the Finals, and reducing the field in this way would provide the most satisfying end to the season.

The post The NBA’s Best Solution For Finishing the 2019-20 Season is to Shorten the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Can you believe that there is only a month and a half left until the end of the NBA regular season? Teams are in full playoff push mode, looking to grab the best seed that they can for the long and grueling playoff slate that begins in April.

While sixteen teams will make the playoffs, in our opinion, there are two teams, one from each conference, that are clear NBA title contenders based on how they have played this season and the talent on their rosters.

Here are the two NBA championship contenders most likely to triumph in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference

The Lakers are the best-positioned team to win the NBA title this year based on their lethal combination of talent, both from veterans such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as young stars like Kyle Kuzma.

LeBron James, in his 17th NBA season, continues to be a dominant force. The three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.5 points per game and leading the league with 10.6 assists per game. He is a tremendous, multi-dimensional talent who puts the Lakers in a different stratosphere based on his production, talent, and experience.

Davis and James are the fiercest 1-2 combination in the league, and complimentary players such as Kuzma, Avery Bradley, and Danny Green should be enough to make them the title favorites come playoff time as long as they can stay healthy. They’re the most talented team in the NBA, and they have the playoff experience and mental fortitude to win a championship.

Milwaukee Bucks: Eastern Conference

The Bucks are the unquestioned top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference this season. Why? The answer to this question revolves around one single player who is becoming the most transformative player in the league: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak is the leading candidate for the NBA MVP Award, averaging 29.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game with absurd efficiency. He is the clear star and leader of the team, and he works with a supporting cast that allows him to shine.

Don’t think the Bucks are only about Antetokounmpo, however. Under-the-radar veteran pieces such as Khris Middleton (21.1 points per game) and Eric Bledsoe (a strong PG defender and a good ball distributor) are enough to propel their team past a dependence on their superstar. This might just be the team that will lift the title in June.

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The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets by a 117-107 final score in Orlando on Saturday night, clinching their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2010.

After allowing the Denver Nuggets to momentarily get back into the series after losing Game 3, the Lakers rattled off two consecutive wins to claim their title as the Western Conference’s best in the 2020 season.

Denver put up a fight, rallying from 10 points down at the half to draw the game to 87-84 at the end of the third quarter, but LeBron James and the Lakers pulled away in the final quarter to win by a ten-point margin.

James put together yet another signature playoff performance, recording a dominant triple-double which included 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. His partner in crime Anthony Davis added 27 points of his own to show just how dominant the Davis-James pairing can be.

After missing the playoffs in LeBron’s first season in Tinseltown last year, the Lakers now appear to have a laser-like focus on winning the franchise’s first crown since the Kobe Bryant-Pau Gasol era.

Waiting for them in the Finals will be either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat, who currently have a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA Finals are set to kick off on either on Wednesday or Friday, depending on whether the Celtics-Heat series goes to a Game 7.

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Thanks to an impressive showing earlier in the playoffs, Boston Celtics entered the Eastern Conference Finals matchup against Miami Heat as favorites to make it to NBA Finals. But, things didn’t go as planned for Boston so far.

Celtics suffered a narrow 109-112 defeat to Miami on Wednesday night, which saw them fell behind 1-3 in the series. They now face three elimination games and will have to pull off a rare feat if they want to save their title hopes.

Celtics played catch up for the most of the game but managed to get ahead one point in midway through the fourth quarter. Heat quickly regained control of the game, however, and entered the final minute with nine points lead.

Boston attempted another comeback, but it was too late at that point. Miami’s players were calm under pressure on the free-throw line, converting 5 out of 6 shots and sealed another big win.

The heat was led by rookie Tyler Herro, who scored a franchise-record 37 points while adding six rebounds and three assists.

“He has a great competitive humility about him,” said Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra after the game. “He has confidence. He has a fearlessness that is uncommon. But he’s humble enough to work, to be coachable, to take the mentorship from the veteran players that we have on our team, and he just continues to gain more confidence as we go.”

All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo had 24 and 20 points, respectively, while Goran Dragic added 22. No other Heat player had more than three points.

Jayson Tatum scored 28 points for the Celtics, followed by Kemba Walker’s 20 points and Jaylen Brown’s 21 points.

The post Celtics Fall Behind 1-3 in East Finals with 109-112 Loss in Game 4 against Miami appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Denver Nuggets didn’t let the heartbreaking loss in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals get to them. Instead, they bounced back on Tuesday night with a dominant performance in a 106-114 win over Los Angeles Lakers in crucial Game 3.

Nuggets took control of the game from the very start, finishing the first quarter with a 27-29 lead. Denver then kept building the lead in the next two quarters, amassing a 20-point cushion entering the final period. But it turned out Lakers were not going to let them get an easy win.

Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter and came close to staging an impressive comeback by almost completely erasing Nuggets’ lead with five minutes left in the contest. However, Denver held their ground, and thanks to crucial points by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, managed to weather the storm.

“Everybody always has us packing our bags and leaving, but we’re not ready to go,” said Denver’s head coach Michael Malone. “For some reason, we love this bubble.”

Murray finished the game with 28 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists while Jokic had 26 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Jerami Grant added 26 points.

“Maybe they can beat us by 20, 30, they can beat us by a last shot, but we just cannot quit,” said Jokic after the game. “Effort needs to be there.”

Lakers, on the other hand, were led by LeBron James, who had a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. Anthony Davis followed with 27 points.

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After two thrilling seven-game series wrapped up this week, the NBA Conference Final matchups are set in both conferences and only four teams are left standing in the Orlando bubble.

Two of the season’s top teams, along with two underdogs who advanced to the Finals in surprising fashion, will meet up with a chance to play for the coveted championship trophy in what should be a thrilling pair of matchups.

Let’s take a look at each one and predict a winner.

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The Heat got off to an early 1-0 lead in this series, whose Game 1 took place before the publication of this article. The Boston Celtics, who are considered to be the favorite in this matchup, will now have to win 4 of the next 6 games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2010.

Boston has a dynamic squad lead by a superstar scoring trio of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. Despite their relative lack of punch on the low block, this team can score with the best of them and plays solid defense. But will it be enough to beat the inspired Heat?

Miami, considered to be an afterthought in the Eastern Conference picture, has been led by inspired performances from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, with Bam Adebayo emerging as one of the top youngsters in the league.

While the Heat did jump out to an early advantage with a three-point overtime win in Game 1, I like the Celtics to come back and win the series, seeing coach Brad Stevens take them to their first NBA Finals in his tenure.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

Western Conference Finals: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

No one expected the Nuggets to be just one series away from reaching the NBA Finals after they stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in their first round matchup with the Jazz, and after meeting up with the heavy favorite Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals.

However, after a dominant Game 7 performance which saw the Nuggets overwhelm Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler with a gargantuan defensive effort, they are now one more LA team away from reaching the Finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

They won’t have it easy, however, as the conference’s top seed and the league’s best collection of talent awaits them in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and company are hungry and have only dropped two games so far in this playoff run.

It’s certainly true that seeing the Nuggets topple yet another heavy favorite would be a thrilling story, but I just don’t think they have the talent to overcome Los Angeles’s star-studded squad.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

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Miami Heat continued their stroll through the Eastern Conference playoffs on Wednesday night, beating the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the deciding Game 5 of the second round. With the 103-94 win, Heat completed the gentleman’s sweep over the Bucks with a 4-1 result in the series and advanced to the conference finals.

Bucks entered the game without the reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was sitting out with the ankle injury he suffered in Game 4. Despite this, Milwaukee had a strong opening of the game, closing the first quarter with a nine-point lead.

Heat immediately responded with a huge second quarter, in which they outscored their opponents by 15 points. Miami didn’t have trouble keeping their advantage in the second half and comfortably closed out the game.

By eliminating the Bucks, the Heat are now 8-1 in this year’s playoffs and have emerged as the front-favorites to reach the NBA Finals. They will meet Toronto Raptors or Boston Celtics in the East finals.

The standout players for the Heat on Wednesday night were Jimmy Butler, who had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, while Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder added 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

The Eastern Conference will be the furthest that Butler reached in the postseason since entering the NBA in 2011.

“It means a lot,” said Butler after the game. “But that’s not my goal. That’s not my guys’ goal. That’s not the organization’s goal. We want to win `it.’ We want a championship and I think that’s what we’re focused on. These next eight are going to be much harder than the previous eight. We know that. But we’re ready for them.”

Buck, on the other hand, were led by Khris Middleton, who had 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Brook Lopez had 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Donte DiVicenzo added 17 points.

The post Heat Complete the Gentleman’s Sweep over Bucks, Advance to East Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Houston Rockets are through to the second round of the NBA playoffs after getting a 104-102 win over Oklahoma City Thunder in the deciding Game 7 on Wednesday night.

The game was highlighted by James Harden, but not for the reasons you would think. In the closing seconds of the game, Harden blocked Luguentz Dort’s three-point attempt and robbed the Thunder of the chance to win the series with a buzzer-beater.  

Harden had a poor game offensively, shooting 1-9 from the three-point arc and finishing the night with 17 points. Still, his shooting struggles didn’t matter as he made up the difference on the defense.

“It was one of those nights offensively so I just wanted to change the game defensively and I think I did that,” Harden told reporters after the game.

Rockets were led in scoring by Robert Covington and Eric Gordon, who scored 21 each, while All-Star guard Russell Westbrook added 20 against his former team.

On the other side, Dort was a standout for OKC, pouring in 30 points and breaking the franchise’s rookie playoffs record that was previously held by James Harden. Chris Paul had a triple-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed with 19 points and four assists.

“It’s a tough one. It’s tough,” said Paul. “We fought hard all year. Honestly, a lot of people doubted us, but we didn’t doubt ourselves. We didn’t give a damn about anybody’s predictions going into any series.”

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The Dallas Mavericks may have been defeated on Sunday night by the Phoenix Suns, but the Grizzlies’ 108-106 loss to the San Antonio Spurs guaranteed that the 2011 NBA Champions will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The Mavericks will be either the 7th or the 8th seed in this year’s edition of the playoffs and will face a daunting task against either the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, or Houston Rockets in the first round.

Despite the tough task ahead of them, former Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki, the Finals MVP of the 2011 playoff run and the best player in the history of the franchise, couldn’t contain his excitement on Twitter after learning that his beloved team was heading back to participate in playoff basketball.

It is certainly a positive step ahead for a franchise that found itself adrift in the late 2010s, looking for a superstar that would help them forward in the post-Dirk era.

They found that star in Luka Doncic, who is averaging 28.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game in only his second season in the league at the age of 22.

The Mavericks have six regular-season games left to get prepared for their first-round series, which will begin in the middle of August.

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NBA fans are well aware at this point of how intensely focused and competitive star small forward LeBron James is come playoff time. So focused, in fact, that he has traditionally practiced a social media “blackout” during the entirety of the playoffs in order to maintain peak concentration on the task at hand.

In 2020, however, James has said that things will not be the same given the unprecedented circumstances in which the league’s players and teams will complete the season.

James revealed in a virtual press conference on Tuesday that he would, in fact, continue to use social media during the Lakers’ upcoming playoff run. He said that this is due to his desire to remain communicated with the outside world while living in the NBA’s Orlando “bubble.”

James is separated from his family and friends while living in Orlando, and he would like to have at least some outlet to remain in contact with these people while his stay inside the bubble.

The Lakers are set to be the West’s #1 seed in this summer’s playoffs and will almost certainly compete to play for an NBA title, but for the first time in years, LeBron might give us social media updates as he pursues his fourth ring.

The post LeBron James Won’t Stop Using Social Media During This Year’s Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NBA is one of the principal leagues that has found its 2019-20 season put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world of sports and society in general.

The league came to a grinding halt in early March after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus after coming down ill just before a game, sending the league into a state of suspension.

Currently, the coronavirus outbreak in North America continues to grow and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Despite social distancing and “stay at home” policies enacted by many governmental organizations, it seems like quite a bit of time will past until basketball and other sports are able to return.

With that being said, we think that the NBA still has the opportunity to finish the 2019-20 season with a memorable set of playoffs come summertime when athletes should be able to convene again to compete.

How would the NBA do this? By calling off the rest of the regular season and shortening the playoffs.

In a normal season, the NBA Playoffs are a very long and drawn-out process. Under the current system, 16 of the league’s 30 teams make the playoffs and participate in a long-winded system involving four rounds of games that are part of a best-of-seven series.

While the NBA Playoffs begin in late April, they don’t finish until the end of June. Teams typically reconvene for training camp only a couple of months later, at the end of September or the beginning of October.

So, how could the NBA make the process faster and compact the playoffs to only a month or so? The solution could be in reducing the number of teams that compete.

The best solution for being able to hold the Playoffs and crown an NBA Champion for the 2019-20 season starts by halving the number of teams that compete in the competition. In doing this, the system could be compressed into only 4-5 weeks, especially if series were shortened to best-of-five for at least some rounds.

After reading this, you might be thinking, “But what about the fifth through eighth-seeded teams in their conferences? Wouldn’t they be upset about missing out on the playoffs?”

Well, yes, they probably wouldn’t be happy. But, the facts are the facts. The last time a team seeded lower than #4 in the Playoffs made the NBA Finals was in the 1999 season, and the last time a team seeded lower than #4 won the NBA Finals was twenty years ago when the sixth-seeded Rockets won the whole thing.

The reality of the current NBA landscape is that no matter the length of the Playoffs, two of the league’s eight top teams always make the Finals, and reducing the field in this way would provide the most satisfying end to the season.

The post The NBA’s Best Solution For Finishing the 2019-20 Season is to Shorten the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Can you believe that there is only a month and a half left until the end of the NBA regular season? Teams are in full playoff push mode, looking to grab the best seed that they can for the long and grueling playoff slate that begins in April.

While sixteen teams will make the playoffs, in our opinion, there are two teams, one from each conference, that are clear NBA title contenders based on how they have played this season and the talent on their rosters.

Here are the two NBA championship contenders most likely to triumph in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference

The Lakers are the best-positioned team to win the NBA title this year based on their lethal combination of talent, both from veterans such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as young stars like Kyle Kuzma.

LeBron James, in his 17th NBA season, continues to be a dominant force. The three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.5 points per game and leading the league with 10.6 assists per game. He is a tremendous, multi-dimensional talent who puts the Lakers in a different stratosphere based on his production, talent, and experience.

Davis and James are the fiercest 1-2 combination in the league, and complimentary players such as Kuzma, Avery Bradley, and Danny Green should be enough to make them the title favorites come playoff time as long as they can stay healthy. They’re the most talented team in the NBA, and they have the playoff experience and mental fortitude to win a championship.

Milwaukee Bucks: Eastern Conference

The Bucks are the unquestioned top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference this season. Why? The answer to this question revolves around one single player who is becoming the most transformative player in the league: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak is the leading candidate for the NBA MVP Award, averaging 29.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game with absurd efficiency. He is the clear star and leader of the team, and he works with a supporting cast that allows him to shine.

Don’t think the Bucks are only about Antetokounmpo, however. Under-the-radar veteran pieces such as Khris Middleton (21.1 points per game) and Eric Bledsoe (a strong PG defender and a good ball distributor) are enough to propel their team past a dependence on their superstar. This might just be the team that will lift the title in June.

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