NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Tip Times, TV Network Coverage and More for Saturday
Both the Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers are hoping a little home cooking on Saturday can rejuvenate their floundering postseason campaigns.
The Hornets are down 2-0 against the Miami Heat, while the Blazers are in a 2-0 hole against the Los Angeles Clippers.
If the Hornets and Blazers have their way, their respective series records will at least resemble those of the other two postseason series set to continue on Saturday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to build off a big 29-point Thursday win over the Dallas Mavericks and go up 3-1 in the series. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are hoping to make it three wins in a row over the Indiana Pacers after dropping Game 1 of the series at home on April 16.
Here are the start times, TV coverage info and odds for Saturday's NBA playoff action.
| 4 | 3 p.m. | TNT | Toronto Raptors (-1.5) | Indiana Pacers | 193 | TOR 2-1 IND |
| 3 | 5:30 p.m. | TNT | Miami Heat | Charlotte Hornets (-2.5) | 200.5 | MIA 2-0 CHA |
| 4 | 8 p.m. | ESPN | Oklahoma City Thunder (-9) | Dallas Mavericks | 201.5 | OKC 2-1 DAL |
| 3 | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN | Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5) | Portland Trail Blazers | 207.5 | LAC 2-0 POR |
Note: Odds are via Odds Shark and updated as of Saturday, April 23 at 8 a.m. ET.
Oddsmakers Giving Charlotte A Chance at Home
Despite getting blown out 123-91 in Game 1 and losing Game 2 by 12 points, the Hornets are slim favorites heading into a must-win Game 3 at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Hornets defense has been awful in this series, allowing a Heat team playing without the services of forward Chris Bosh to put up 238 combined points in two games. The Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler noted Miami is putting up those points with frightening ease:
"With only Wade remaining from that trio for this series, Miami has shot a shade over 57 percent in both games. And get this—the Heat is scoring at a clip of 1.32 points per possession in this series.
How good is that? Well, Golden State led the NBA this season in that category, at 1.13. Miami has been “Warriors East,” bombing in shots from 3-point range (53 percent), dunking them from in close or watching Wade create in the paint.
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Slowing down the likes of Dwyane Wade (28 points in Game 2) and Luol Deng (31 points in Game 1) will be crucial in Game 3, as things aren't likely to get easier for the Hornets on offense with forward Nicolas Batum ruled out for the contest with a left foot sprain, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
Batum scored 24 points in Game 1 but struggled in Game 2 before injuring his foot in the fourth quarter. The lengthy Frenchman's ability to clog passing lanes will also be missed.
For Charlotte to have success in Game 3, the three-point shooting will have to improve. The team shot 1-of-16 in Game 2 and were a mediocre 6-of-17 in Game 1.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford could opt to go with a smaller lineup by playing Courtney Lee as a forward and bringing guard Troy Daniels into the rotation. Daniels shot 48.4 percent from beyond the arc this year but has played just a shade under six minutes in this series so far.
Even if the outside shooting picks up, the Heat could clamp down on the Hornets by homing in on the 1-2 game being run by Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson.
“I wouldn’t disagree with what [Clifford] said,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said Friday, per the Miami Herald's Manny Navarro. "Jefferson and Walker are getting to their games over and over and over again. So, yeah they have a right to feel confident. We have to do a better job on those two guys."
Jefferson and Walker combined for 54 points in Game 2, but it took them 46 shots to get there. If the Heat can disrupt their rhythm even further, Charlotte could be out of luck on offense without Batum to pick up the slack. A 3-0 series deficit is something the Hornets would almost certainly be unable to come back from.
Oklahoma City Hoping to Dispatch Pesky Dallas Squad
The Hornets certainly aren't alone in their defensive futility this postseason. After holding the Thunder to 84 points in a win in Game 2, the Mavericks conceded a staggering 131 points in an embarrassing Game 3 loss at home on Thursday.
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook stuffed the box score with 26 points and 15 assists, while Kevin Durant rebounded from a horrid Game 2 to notch a game-high 34 points. Durant missed 26 shots in Game 2 and played with a barely contained fury in Game 3, as evidenced by this dunk:
The emotional contest saw the Mavericks' Raymond Felton and the Thunder's Steven Adams each assessed a technical foul for some extracurricular shoving, per Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver. The NBA also punished Durant for taunting after reviewing the game, per ESPN.com's Royce Young:
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle complained about Oklahoma City delivering cheap shots during the contest, per ESPN.com's Tim McMahon:
"There were four, what I would categorize as non-basketball physical escalations that were initiated by them, including one intentional, unprovoked elbow at the free throw line, which I didn't understand. And I've never seen a guy like Kevin Durant ever do that to a player. Then ultimately, that led to two more escalations between the teams, the fact that that was missed. I'm concerned about that. There's no place for that in our game.
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While Oklahoma City is the overwhelming favorite to win the series—look no further than their one-sided odds as the away side in Game 4—Dallas could at least make it a difficult first round with physical play, occasional mind games and never-say-die attitude. It's a proud team led by a championship-caliber coach in Carlisle and savvy veterans such as Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews and Felton.
A difficult, drawn-out series is the last thing Oklahoma City wants, as Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal noted this talented team will need to be fresh if they are to have any chance of competing with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors later in the postseason:
"San Antonio isn't having any trouble with the Memphis Grizzlies, winning the first two games in its series by a combined 58 points. No one would be remotely surprised if it took just two additional contests for the Spurs to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, granting their veteran-laden roster the chance to rest and recover while the Thunder continue to battle.
Every extra game it takes to dispatch Dallas is another 48 minutes of unnecessary physicality. Each one offers up the possibility of significant injuries. It prohibits freshness in the postseason's later rounds.
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Oklahoma City proved there is a wide gulf in talent in Game 3, and it took an all-time shooting horror show from Durant in Game 2 for the Mavericks to win by a single point. As long as the Thunder stay focused on the task at hand and don't get bogged down with the physical play and emotional outbursts, this series should be over in five games.
Fresh legs will be needed if the Thunder are to have any chance of emerging from the Western Conference, but focused minds would also be part of any potential success story.
