NBA Playoffs Weekend Review
Added on Apr 29, 2013 by Scott in
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The second weekend of the NBA playoffs waved goodbye to a pair of teams, saw one avoid elimination, and another move one step closer to springing an upset. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant played his first game without Russell Westbrook, and the duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph steered Memphis to a series tie with the Clippers. Here’s how the action unfolded and what it means going forward.
Heat sweep – As expected, Miami disposed of a feisty but clearly outclassed Bucks team. Dwyane Wade had a quiet series, but it didn’t matter as LeBron and Ray Allen proved too much for Milwaukee to handle. The competition will get tougher after this, although barring injury it will take a herculean effort to dethrone the defending champs.
Celts survive – Paul Pierce and Jason Terry resurrected postseason heroics from yesteryear by combining for 47 points to escape a sweep at the hands of the Knicks. New York is on a roll, so it’s unlikely Boston’s aging crew is a threat to stage a miraculous comeback, but counting them out completely would be premature.
Bye, bye L.A. – The long nightmare that was the Lakers 2012-13 season came to a merciful end on Sunday with the Spurs completing a 4-0 sweep. Dwight Howard’s potentially last game in L.A. ended with his ejection in the third quarter for arguing with the refs. Where the proud franchise goes from here remains to be seen, but a rebuild might be in order.
Curry in control – Steph Curry’s star status continued to rise as the Warriors won their third straight over Denver. After a ho-hum opening game, Curry has been lights out, scoring 90 points and dishing 31 assists in three wins. And he’s doing it all on a sprained ankle. As long as he stays healthy, Golden State will stay dangerous.
Durant dominates – Kevin Durant answered the bell in the absence of Russell Westbrook by dropping 41 points and14 rebounds to give the Thunder a 3-0 series lead against Houston. With Westbrook done for the season, it will take more of the same from Durant for Oklahoma City to reach the Finals.
Overtime madness – The Bulls and Nets staged the best game of the playoffs thus far, a triple-overtime thriller that ended with a 142-134 Chicago victory. Nate Robinson led all scorers with 34, which countered Deron Williams’ 32. Chicago hasn’t missed Derrick Rose, yet.
