This weekend, the 2015 NBA playoffs get started. We're going to miss Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, but other than that, the league's biggest stars will take the league's biggest stage on Saturday and Sunday, with all eight first-round series kicking off either Saturday or Sunday.
LeBron James scored 32 points, and the Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers, 99-76, in the seventh and deciding game of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami on Monday night.
The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in the sixth game of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series on Saturday to join the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs in the NBA's conference finals. Here's a preview of what to expect as these four teams each attempt to advance to the NBA Finals:
Indiana Pacers 106, New York Knicks 99
Lance Stephenson scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks, 106-99, in Indianapolis on Saturday night to win their second-round NBA playoff series in six games...
San Antonio Spurs 94, Golden State Warriors 82
Tim Duncan scored 19 points and teammate Kawhi Leonard added 16 points and 10 rebounds, as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors, 94-82, in Oakland on Thursday night to win the best-of-seven NBA playoff series between the teams, 4-2...
Eight teams are still alive in the chase for the NBA title. Five of the eight first-round NBA playoff series were won by the higher seeded teams, with sixth-seeded Memphis being the lowest seed still remaining. Here's a look at the match-ups for the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals:
Joakim Noah had 24 points and 14 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets, 99-93, in Brooklyn on Saturday night to win Game 7 and capture the first-round, best-of-seven NBA playoff series. Luol Deng (illness) and Kirk Hinrich (calf) both missed the game for Chicago...
Mike Conley and Zach Randolph each scored 23 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 118-105, in Memphis on Friday night to win Game 6 and take the first-round, best-of-seven NBA playoff series, four games to two...