BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

The hotly-contested first round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics deserved to go to a Game 7, and it has. Milwaukee defended its home court last time out to force an elimination game for both sides next time out. ... 

The New Orleans Pelicans had no problem surprising their foe in the first round, sweeping past the favored Portland Trail Blazers in four games. It will be a different animal this time around as the underdog Pelicans would pull off a titanic upset if they can knock off the defending champion Golden State Warriors. ... 

It hasn’t been as easy as hoped, but a win last time out has given the Toronto Raptors a 3-2 lead in their first round series against the No. 8 seed Washington Wizards. Toronto has yet to win a road game in this series but breaking through in Game 6 would wrap up the series and send them on to the second round.... 

One of the most entertaining first-round series will head to a critical Game 6 when the Cleveland Cavaliers hit the road to face the Indiana Pacers. Despite a rocky regular season the Cavs entered the playoffs as the favorites to advance out of the Eastern Conference and make the NBA Finals once again. However, Indiana has given Cleveland all it can handle in this series.... 

The first-round series between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks has lived up to the hype, as each team has taken care of business on its home court in the first five games. The Bucks need to keep that trend going as their backs are against the wall heading into Game 6. ... 

The Cleveland Cavaliers accomplished what they needed to in Indiana, splitting two games to head back home with a 2-2 series tie. The best-of-seven series against the Indiana Pacers is down to three games, as each side needs two more to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. ... 

The Houston Rockets have larger goals beyond simply getting out of the first round of the playoffs, but this is the first step. Houston will have a chance to close out the Minnesota Timberwolves and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals with a win in Game 5.
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The Philadelphia 76ers have proven that inexperience isn’t a big negative in the postseason. The young, talented squad is on the verge of advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Philadelphia can get there with a victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 this week.... 

The San Antonio Spurs avoided a first-round sweep by knocking off the Golden State Warriors last time out, but they are going to need a miracle to extend this series past five games. The Warriors return home still up 3-1 and will be expected to punch their ticket to the second round with a victory over San Antonio.... 

The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t going down quietly, as a Game 3 victory has pulled them to within striking distance of the Houston Rockets in their first round matchup. Minnesota can really make this series interesting by pulling off another upset next time out in Game 4.
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The Utah Jazz have won two straight games to take the series lead against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as they prepare for a pivotal Game 4 matchup. Utah is at home and will be the favorite next time out, as a victory would give it a 3-1 lead and make the Jazz large favorites to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.
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The masked man may have just tilted the first round series between the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. Joel Embiid returned from an orbital fracture and played very well in Game 3 to help his Philadelphia team cruise to a win and re-take the series advantage. Embiid’s presence has given the 76ers a big boost as the two sides face off in a pivotal Game 4 showdown.
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The Golden State Warriors are back up to their old tricks, as a bumpier-than-usual regular season has made way to a flawless postseason start. Despite injuries to their stars, the Warriors have rolled to three straight wins over the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
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The Oklahoma City and Utah Jazz have traded punches through the first two games of their series, and it doesn’t look like there is going to be a knockout blow any time soon. The series shifts to Utah for the third game after each side picked up a win in Oklahoma City.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA playoffs as the favorites in the Eastern Conference despite an uneven regular season, but the inconsistency has continued in the postseason. The Cavs split the first two games of their first round series against the Pacers and look to be in for a hard fight the rest of the way.
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The Boston Celtics were a fashionable choice to get upset in the first round of the playoffs, but they have grabbed control of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks through two games. Boston won both games at home and can take a commanding lead with a Game 3 victory in Milwaukee. ... 

There has always been a measure of trepidation in believing in the Toronto Raptors to do well in the playoffs. The team has put together several consecutive regular seasons but has subsequently fallen short in the postseason. But this year could be different. The Raptors finished with the best record in the East in the regular season and have picked up two straight victories in their first-round matchup against the Washington Wizards.
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Did you know that you don’t have to limit your wagers to the full game in NBA betting? How many times have you had the right side in an NBA game only to have the other team get a backdoor cover? One way to avoid the backdoor cover is to bet quarters. You don’t have to worry about anything other than your team covering the spread for a single quarter. There are a number of advantages to NBA quarters betting. Let’s take a look at some of them. ... 

The Philadelphia 76ers’ long run of dominance is over, as their 17-game winning streak was snapped last time out. More importantly for the Miami Heat, a win last time out helped them knot the series up at one apiece.
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It was natural to be concerned for the Golden State Warriors as they drew the battle-tested San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. But thus far, there have been no worries at all. The Warriors have rolled in the first two games of this series and can step on San Antonio’s neck with a Game 3 win on the road.
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The Houston Rockets didn’t exactly hit on all cylinders in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they still managed to pull out a victory. The T-Wolves could be in trouble the rest of the way as they may have missed their chance to make this a competitive series. ... 

The Indiana Pacers pulled off the biggest upset of all the opening games in the postseason, as they went on the road and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland entered the postseason as the favorite in the Eastern Conference despite only grabbing the No. 4 seed.
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The Golden State Warriors may have had their issues down the stretch of the regular season, dealing with injuries and uncharacteristic losses, but they found vintage form with the playoffs opening. The Warriors dominated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their first round matchup and look like they will cruise to the series victory.
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The New Orleans Pelicans made it be known on Saturday that they plan to give the Portland Trail Blazers a run for their money in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans pulled off the upset in the first game of the series and could take a commanding lead by knocking off Portland on the road once again.
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The Milwaukee Bucks have been a trendy pick to pull off a first-round upset in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and they nearly grabbed Game 1. Milwaukee forced overtime but the Celtics played well in the extra session to squeak out a victory and take a 1-0 series lead. ...