CAVALIERS OPEN TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST PACERS ON SATURDAY
Westbrook-Harden matchup earns top first-round billing.
Russell Westbrook against James Harden is a sensational start to the NBA postseason.
Golden State against Cleveland no longer looks like the certain finish.
The playoffs open this weekend, highlighted by a must-see matchup in the first round between record-setting guards who are former teammates and now leading MVP candidates.
They swapped spectacular highlights during the regular season: Westbrook averaging a triple-double in carrying Oklahoma City after Kevin Durant’s departure; Harden leading the league in assists for a Houston offense that set the NBA record for 3-pointers.
“As great a season as LeBron ( James) and Kawhi (Leonard) have been having, the two main guys on the card, the main draws, have been James Harden and Russell Westbrook,” TNT analyst Reggie Miller said. “And to have both of those guys go at one another in the first round — former teammates, great friends, two leading scorers — from our side, this is a dream matchup to sit and have a chance to watch.”
One of them will be gone by May.
Super stats give way to tremendous teams in the playoffs, and the Warriors look the part after going 67-15 in their first season with Durant, now healthy after a late-season injury.
The question is the Cavaliers, the defending champions who were just 10-14 after February, yielding the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference to Boston while James sat out the final two games.
The Warriors and Cavs were overwhelming favorites to meet again after splitting the past two NBA Finals, though Cleveland’s struggles have thrown that into doubt.
“I’m not going into the playoffs thinking that,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “I’m going into it thinking we can win.” The answers start arriving Saturday. The Cavaliers open against No. 7 Indiana, while No. 3 Toronto hosts No. 6 Milwaukee. In the West, it’s seventh-seeded Memphis at No. 2 San Antonio, and the No. 4 Clippers against the No. 5 Utah Jazz.
Sunday, the Warriors open against Portland, and the third-seeded Rockets and No. 6 Thunder play the other Game 1 in the West. The East openers are Boston against Chicago, and No. 4 Washington against No. 5 Atlanta.
Some other things to watch in the first round: Fantastic forwards: James and Paul George have had tremendous battles. The most recent may have been the best. James had 41 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists to George’s 43 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Cleveland’s 135-130 double-overtime win April 2. The Pacers haven’t lost since.
Too close to call? The Clippers and Jazz finished 51-31, with Los Angeles winning the season series 3-1 to earn the tiebreaker and home-court advantage. Should Los Angeles lose the series, count on more questions about whether it’s time to break up the core of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
Boston best? The Celtics are a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2008, when they won their last NBA title. But that was a ready-to-win powerhouse with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. This team has to show it’s ready to take the leap — it hasn’t won a playoff series since 2012.
Raptors ready? Toronto reached the East finals last season and loaded up for another run, fortifying the frontcourt with trades for Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker. Knocked off by the Cavs last season, they would get Cleveland one round sooner this time if both advance. But Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo will be a handful.
Familiar foes: San Antonio and Memphis will meet for an NBA-high fourth time since 2011. This meeting features brothers Pau and Marc Gasol going against each other.