404 - Western Conference first round
Golden State Warriors at Portland Trailblazers
April 22 at Moda Center in Portland, OR
ESPN
403 - Western Conference first round
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies
April 22 at FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN
ESPN
Kawhi Leonard, my goodness. Leonard scored 43 points, including the tying three in the corner with 10 seconds left in overtime. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Marc Gasol's 12-foot floater with less than a second to go was the difference in Memphis' 110-108 victory. Memphis, which was swept by the Spurs in last season's opening round, evened the best-of-7 series at 2-2 with game five set for April 25.
Leonard, who scored the last 16 (!) San Antonio points in regulation & also had six of his team's 11 steals, and Mike Conley (franchise postseason-record 35 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) went back and forth all game.
Gasol (16 and 12) also beat the halftime buzzer with a Conley-assisted long two.
Game 402 - Rio Grande Valley Vipers at Oklahoma City Blue
NBDL Western Conference Finals
April 19 at Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, OK
ESPN
Rio Grande Valley had five in double figures, led by Houston Rockets' rookie Kyle Wiltjer (28 points, including six threes), and advanced to the NBDL finals with a 114-102 victory.
There were 12 lead changes, but Rio Grande Valley had a 31-18 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Vipers will meet Raptors 905, the league's top team with 39 wins during the regular season, in the best-of-3 final starting April 23.
Dakari Johnson was fantastic in a losing effort, finishing with a game-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
April 19 at Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, OK
ESPN
Rio Grande Valley had five in double figures, led by Houston Rockets' rookie Kyle Wiltjer (28 points, including six threes), and advanced to the NBDL finals with a 114-102 victory.
There were 12 lead changes, but Rio Grande Valley had a 31-18 advantage in the fourth quarter. The Vipers will meet Raptors 905, the league's top team with 39 wins during the regular season, in the best-of-3 final starting April 23.
Dakari Johnson was fantastic in a losing effort, finishing with a game-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting.
Game 401 - (6) Milwaukee Bucks at (3) Toronto Raptors
Eastern Conference first round
April l5 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada
ESPN
The playoff series opener has not been kind to the Toronto Raptors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was fantastic, scoring a career-high 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting as the Bucks controlled most of the second half with a 97-83 win, Toronto's ninth consecutive loss in a game one.
Saturday was actually my first time seeing Antetokoummpo play. I'd heard great things, but I watch an obscene amount of college hoops and neglect the NBA quite a bit.
Antetokounmpo was the best player on the floor whenever he was on it. He can shoot from mid-range, he's incredibly strong and athletic, & his passing probably isn't underrated - it should be properly rated - good - but I think that part of Antetokounmpo's game will improve.
And Toronto really stunk over the last quarter and a half of the game.
It was a 68-64 Raptors' lead at about the four-minute mark of the third quarter, but Milwaukee finished the game on a 33-15 run & ended up out-scoring the hosts 51-32 in the second half. All six Bucks who played at least 24 minutes had a positive +/-, including Greg Monroe (+15), who came off the bench to grab a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with 14 points.
Game two is Tuesday.
April l5 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada
ESPN
The playoff series opener has not been kind to the Toronto Raptors.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was fantastic, scoring a career-high 28 points on 13-of-18 shooting as the Bucks controlled most of the second half with a 97-83 win, Toronto's ninth consecutive loss in a game one.
Saturday was actually my first time seeing Antetokoummpo play. I'd heard great things, but I watch an obscene amount of college hoops and neglect the NBA quite a bit.
Antetokounmpo was the best player on the floor whenever he was on it. He can shoot from mid-range, he's incredibly strong and athletic, & his passing probably isn't underrated - it should be properly rated - good - but I think that part of Antetokounmpo's game will improve.
And Toronto really stunk over the last quarter and a half of the game.
It was a 68-64 Raptors' lead at about the four-minute mark of the third quarter, but Milwaukee finished the game on a 33-15 run & ended up out-scoring the hosts 51-32 in the second half. All six Bucks who played at least 24 minutes had a positive +/-, including Greg Monroe (+15), who came off the bench to grab a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with 14 points.
Game two is Tuesday.
Game 400 - (1) Gonzaga vs. (1) North Carolina
NCAA Tournament national championship game
April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
CBS
It's always a 50-50 emotional split for me on the final Monday of the college basketball season. One half of me is excited about watching the national title game, and the other half knows this is it until mid-November.
North Carolina won its sixth national championship, 71-65, though it was far from a well-played/officiated game. Neither team shot well from the field - Gonzaga was 34% on its field goal attempts, Carolina, 35 (the Tar Heels were 4-of-27 from three-point range!) - and the free-throw shooting was horrendous (Gonzaga, 17-for-26, UNC 15-for-26). An absurd 44 fouls were called.
Anyway, we haven't laughed about what announcers say in a while, so let's close the collegiate season with some firsts from Monday's title game:
First time "value the basketball" was said - 18:52 left in first half
"Pick and pop" - 12:23 in first
"Dribble drive" - 11:44 in first
"Blow by" - 12:15 in second
Also, Bill Raftery said "the plum bob" when describing a post move, and I'm just not sure what that means.
April 3 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
CBS
It's always a 50-50 emotional split for me on the final Monday of the college basketball season. One half of me is excited about watching the national title game, and the other half knows this is it until mid-November.
North Carolina won its sixth national championship, 71-65, though it was far from a well-played/officiated game. Neither team shot well from the field - Gonzaga was 34% on its field goal attempts, Carolina, 35 (the Tar Heels were 4-of-27 from three-point range!) - and the free-throw shooting was horrendous (Gonzaga, 17-for-26, UNC 15-for-26). An absurd 44 fouls were called.
Anyway, we haven't laughed about what announcers say in a while, so let's close the collegiate season with some firsts from Monday's title game:
First time "value the basketball" was said - 18:52 left in first half
"Pick and pop" - 12:23 in first
"Dribble drive" - 11:44 in first
"Blow by" - 12:15 in second
Also, Bill Raftery said "the plum bob" when describing a post move, and I'm just not sure what that means.
Games 398-399: Championship game next
NCAA Tournament national semifinals
April 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
CBS
399 - (3) Oregon vs. (1) North Carolina
398 - (7) South Carolina vs. (1) Gonzaga
So, after 4 1/2 months of basketball, top seeds Gonzaga and North Carolina will play for the national title on Monday.
In the first game of the night, Gonzaga used another excellent performance from its best player, Nigel Williams-Goss (23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, six assists) and survived, 77-73.
South Carolina saw its improbable tournament come to an end, though the seventh-seeded Gamecocks' 16-0 run allowed them to erase a 14-point, second-half deficit and lead 67-65 at the seven-minute mark. Gonzaga reasserted itself and followed with seven quick points (Zach Collins hit a three and assisted on another basket and Williams-Goss had the other two assists during the spurt) and the Bulldogs hit just enough free throws to hang on.
It seems pretty fitting that Gonzaga will play North Carolina for the title as these two have seemed like the best all-around clubs in the country for much of the year.
The Tar Heels had a double-digit lead, but a late Oregon flurry (and UNC missing its final four free throws in the last five seconds) made the final score - 77-76 - a bit closer than it really was for much of the second half. Kennedy Meeks came up big for the Tar Heels, pouring in 25 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive!) on a silly 11-of-13 shooting from the field. ACC player of the year Justin Jackson added 22 points for UNC, which returns to the championship game after last year's heartbreak at the hands of Kris Jenkins and Villanova hoping for its sixth national title.
Gonzaga, of course, is playing on the season's final day for the first time.
April 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
CBS
399 - (3) Oregon vs. (1) North Carolina
398 - (7) South Carolina vs. (1) Gonzaga
So, after 4 1/2 months of basketball, top seeds Gonzaga and North Carolina will play for the national title on Monday.
In the first game of the night, Gonzaga used another excellent performance from its best player, Nigel Williams-Goss (23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, six assists) and survived, 77-73.
South Carolina saw its improbable tournament come to an end, though the seventh-seeded Gamecocks' 16-0 run allowed them to erase a 14-point, second-half deficit and lead 67-65 at the seven-minute mark. Gonzaga reasserted itself and followed with seven quick points (Zach Collins hit a three and assisted on another basket and Williams-Goss had the other two assists during the spurt) and the Bulldogs hit just enough free throws to hang on.
It seems pretty fitting that Gonzaga will play North Carolina for the title as these two have seemed like the best all-around clubs in the country for much of the year.
The Tar Heels had a double-digit lead, but a late Oregon flurry (and UNC missing its final four free throws in the last five seconds) made the final score - 77-76 - a bit closer than it really was for much of the second half. Kennedy Meeks came up big for the Tar Heels, pouring in 25 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive!) on a silly 11-of-13 shooting from the field. ACC player of the year Justin Jackson added 22 points for UNC, which returns to the championship game after last year's heartbreak at the hands of Kris Jenkins and Villanova hoping for its sixth national title.
Gonzaga, of course, is playing on the season's final day for the first time.
Game 397 - (2) Mississippi State women vs. (1) Connecticut
NCAA Tournament national semifinals
March 31 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Morgan William!
After some cold water splashed on my face and about 10 minutes of failed leads, that's the best I could come up with for this classic ending.
The Mississippi State guard, all 5-5 (5-3?) of her, hit a pull-up jumper at the overtime buzzer that sent the No. 2 seed to a 66-64 victory over previously-unbeaten Connecticut and into the national championship game.
Not only did Connecticut's bid for five consecutive national championships come to an end, but so did the Huskies' 111-game winning streak. They lost for the first time since November, 2014, while Mississippi State, which will play for its first-ever national title on Sunday, avenged a 60-POINT LOSS TO THE HUSKIES IN LAST YEAR'S SWEET 16.
William followed an absurd, 41-point performance in a win over top seed Baylor in the Elite 8 with the greatest shot in the history of womens college basketball.
Unbelievable.
Connecticut actually had two huge chances to first tie, then win the game themselves at the end of overtime. First, in a two-point game, Mississippi State's Dominique Dillingham was called for a flagrant 1 foul when she hit Katie Lou Samuelson in the throat on a loose ball play with 26.6 left. Terrific commentators Doris Burke and Kara Lawson seemed adamant about it being a flagrant. I wasn't sure. Either way, Samuelson hit two free throws to tie the game at 62-62.
Because of the foul call, Connecticut also kept the ball and should've just held for the final shot, but Saniya Chong inexplicably drove the lane with plenty of time still remaining and threw an air ball out of bounds. The Bulldogs got the ball with 12 seconds to go and after dribbling for a bit at the top of the key, Dillingham handed off to William, who drove to the right elbow and drained the jumper over the out-stretched arm of Gabby Williams.
MSU out-played the defending champions in the first half, stunning basically everyone on the face of the earth by building a nine-point lead after one, as much as a 16-point cushion in the second quarter and eventually taking a 36-28 lead into the halftime locker room.
Not surprisingly, Connecticut fought back and took its first lead of the night (40-39) at the 6:16 mark. The teams were tied at 48-48 after three, then after a back and forth fourth quarter, William actually had her first chance to win the game against Williams, but the Huskies' star, playing with four fouls, blocked a driving lay up with about three seconds to go.
MSU went up 64-62 on a lay-in by Teaira McCowan at the 1:12 mark of overtime. It was one of only three combined field goals made over the final five minutes.
I have a feeling we'll remember No. 3 for a long time.
March 31 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
ESPN2
Morgan William!
After some cold water splashed on my face and about 10 minutes of failed leads, that's the best I could come up with for this classic ending.
The Mississippi State guard, all 5-5 (5-3?) of her, hit a pull-up jumper at the overtime buzzer that sent the No. 2 seed to a 66-64 victory over previously-unbeaten Connecticut and into the national championship game.
Not only did Connecticut's bid for five consecutive national championships come to an end, but so did the Huskies' 111-game winning streak. They lost for the first time since November, 2014, while Mississippi State, which will play for its first-ever national title on Sunday, avenged a 60-POINT LOSS TO THE HUSKIES IN LAST YEAR'S SWEET 16.
William followed an absurd, 41-point performance in a win over top seed Baylor in the Elite 8 with the greatest shot in the history of womens college basketball.
Unbelievable.
Connecticut actually had two huge chances to first tie, then win the game themselves at the end of overtime. First, in a two-point game, Mississippi State's Dominique Dillingham was called for a flagrant 1 foul when she hit Katie Lou Samuelson in the throat on a loose ball play with 26.6 left. Terrific commentators Doris Burke and Kara Lawson seemed adamant about it being a flagrant. I wasn't sure. Either way, Samuelson hit two free throws to tie the game at 62-62.
Because of the foul call, Connecticut also kept the ball and should've just held for the final shot, but Saniya Chong inexplicably drove the lane with plenty of time still remaining and threw an air ball out of bounds. The Bulldogs got the ball with 12 seconds to go and after dribbling for a bit at the top of the key, Dillingham handed off to William, who drove to the right elbow and drained the jumper over the out-stretched arm of Gabby Williams.
MSU out-played the defending champions in the first half, stunning basically everyone on the face of the earth by building a nine-point lead after one, as much as a 16-point cushion in the second quarter and eventually taking a 36-28 lead into the halftime locker room.
Not surprisingly, Connecticut fought back and took its first lead of the night (40-39) at the 6:16 mark. The teams were tied at 48-48 after three, then after a back and forth fourth quarter, William actually had her first chance to win the game against Williams, but the Huskies' star, playing with four fouls, blocked a driving lay up with about three seconds to go.
MSU went up 64-62 on a lay-in by Teaira McCowan at the 1:12 mark of overtime. It was one of only three combined field goals made over the final five minutes.
I have a feeling we'll remember No. 3 for a long time.
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