NBA’s first-round dance card set
MIAMI — The NBA playoffs that start this weekend already have an extremely tough act to follow, after the regular season ended with such a flourish.
Wednesday’s night was well beyond dramatic, with an overtime game between Minnesota and Denver to decide the last berth and another OT game between Miami and Toronto to determine some East fates.
There was also a 46-point first quarter by Philadelphia, and an absurd 20-rebound, 19-assist outing by Russell Westbrook.
And now, the best time of the NBA season is finally here.
The playoffs are back, with Golden State and Cleveland — who’ve met in the last three NBA Finals — not exactly looking like the overwhelming favorites the league has come to expect.
A fourth straight WarriorsCavs matchup is no guarantee. In fact, a fourth straight trip by either of those teams alone is far from certain.
It all starts on Saturday, the 16-team tournament that will be a two-month grind following the six-month grind of the regular season.
“I feel pretty ready,” Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said. “We’re ready to go.”
So are 15 other teams. Start with the East pairings: Lowry and the top-seeded Raptors play No 8 Washington; No 2 Boston faces No 7 Milwaukee; No 3 Philadelphia gets No 6 Miami; No 4 Cleveland, with LeBron James bidding for an eighth consecutive appearance in the Finals, opens against No 5 Indiana, a surprise team at the start of the season ... but not a surprise anymore.
“We’re one of 16 teams that have a chance to win a cham- pionship,” James said. “That’s all you can ask for.”
Philadelphia, after years of the rebuilding saga known as “The Process”, has a chance as well. The 76ers are going into the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak.
“Take a deep breath, then reload,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said, talking about what he wants his team to do before getting ready for Game 1.
In the West, it’s No 1 Houston meeting No 8 Minnesota, which earned its berth by topping Denver in the NBA’s first win-and-get-in, lose-and-gohome regular-season finale in 21 years.
Elsewhere, No 2 Golden State opens its quest for a third championship in four seasons against No 7 San Antonio; No 3 Portland drew No 6 New Orleans and No 4 Oklahoma City opens against No 5 Utah.
“The playoffs are about moments, and you just want a chance to have those moments,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said.
The Timberwolves, needed overtime to beat the Nuggets on Wednesday to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Their win ended what was the NBA’s longest playoff drought — now bequeathed to the Sacramento Kings, who last played a postseason game in 2006.
“They just made the plays at the end,” Denver’s Will Barton said of the Timberwolves. “Give them credit.”
There are some rematches from the 2017 playoffs.
Cleveland swept Indiana in the first round last year, and Boston needed seven games to oust Washington in a thrilling East semifinal.
But the most intriguing should be the Golden StateSan Antonio matchup because once again, just like a year ago, the Spurs will almost certainly be without Kawhi Leonard.
Those two teams played in the West final last season, and the Spurs were up by 23 points when Leonard left in the third quarter after getting injured on a play where he tried a jumper and Warriors center Zaza Pachulia closed out aggressively. Leonard was hurt injured when he stepped on Pachulia on the landing.
Leonard never returned to that series, and played in only nine games for the Spurs this season.
“There is no pressure on us,” Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge said.
The Warriors are trying for a third title in four seasons, and will play this first round more than likely without Stephen Curry while he recovers from a knee injury.
Golden State went 7-10 in its final 17 games, and clearly sputtered across the finish line. Still, the Warriors have been waiting to get the postseason started.
“It’ll be our first meaningful game in about a month,” Steve Kerr said. “I’m looking forward to that.”
With good reason. There’s a trophy to chase now.