NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Updated Bracket, Dates, TV Network List and More
The NBA playoffs didn't begin with the excitement and intrigue they normally possess. The basketball world has been treated to numerous blowouts and one-sided decisions.
Two teams have claimed their spots in the conference semifinals, with the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers completing first-round sweeps on Sunday. One more Western Conference series could come to an end on Monday night. There will also be some crucial Game 4s to watch out for on Monday.
Let's take a look at the updated schedule and more as you get yourself ready for playoff basketball this week.
| Game 4: Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Game 5: Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 4: Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5: Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors | 6 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5: Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5: Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5: Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers | 10 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Game 5: Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors | 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
Looking ahead to the next few days of playoff action, good news came to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon: Kevin Durant will not be suspended for Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Durant was ejected late in Game 4 on Saturday after being assessed a flagrant-2 foul for striking Dallas rookie forward Justin Anderson above the neck. The NBA released a statement on Sunday, per Adi Joseph of Sporting News, saying Durant was fined $15,000 for his actions:
That's good news for the Thunder and bad news for the Mavericks, whose season is likely to end in Oklahoma City. Dallas played hard on Saturday. Most notably, 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki did all he could to keep the Mavericks in the game. His 27 points and eight rebounds weren't enough to contain the likes of Russell Westbrook, Enes Kanter and Serge Ibaka despite Durant's 19-point performance.
Oklahoma City is just too deep and talented, while the Mavericks are too injured to carry on. Wesley Matthews and Nowitzki will not allow Dallas to go away easy, but on the road with not enough offense to go around, Dallas will get a head start on preparing for another crucial offseason.
Following the Mavs and Thunder is an important Game 4 in the Northwest. The Portland Trail Blazers have new life after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers, 96-88, in Game 3 on Saturday. It was the best game of the postseason for Damian Lillard, who had 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting after making only 33 percent of his shots in the first two games.
"The start he got off to, I think it lifted everybody up because he didn't shoot the ball well in the first two games and the fact that he got us going just encouraged everybody like, 'We're going to be OK,'" said Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts after the game, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).
In order for Portland to head back to the Staples Center with this series even at two games apiece, the Blazers will need the same type of production they got from Lillard and this year's Most Improved Player, C.J. McCollum. As ESPN Stats & Info notes, when Portland's young backcourt struggles, the team also suffers. But when they combine for 59 points like they did in Game 3, it's a different story:
The Clippers, meanwhile, suffered by not connecting from long range. After a combined 14 threes in the first two games, L.A. went 3-of-18 in Game 3. Chris Paul and J.J. Redick combined for 11 of those attempts, and Jamal Crawford missed all three long-range attempts.
The Clippers are usually a good three-point shooting team from the corner. According to NBAMiner.com, Crawford, Redick and Paul have made at least 35 percent of their corner threes this year.
This shot chart from ESPN Stats & Info shows the Clippers went away from that in Game 3:
Los Angeles kept it close on Saturday, and the result might have been different if some of those threes went in. Another off night from the Clippers will lead to Portland tying this series with momentum at a stalemate heading back to L.A.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, this is one of those series where you think everything is figured out, but then the Raptors play like they did in Game 4 and the reset button is hit.
Ian Mahinmi, a Dallas hero from its 2011 championship run, had the best playoff game of his career with a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double. The Indiana Pacers won 100-83 and sent the No. 2 seed Raptors back to Canada in need of a win on Tuesday.
It looked like Toronto had everything figured out in Game 3. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 42 points, and the Raptors went up 2-1 in the series. Two days later, Toronto took one step forward, two steps back. The Raptors' All-Star backcourt combined to shoot 8-of-27 for 20 points, and they lost by double digits for the second time this series.
DeRozan is shooting 29.6 percent in this series, while Lowry is at 32.2. The only Toronto player who's made any contribution for the postseason is big man Jonas Valanciunas, who is averaging 15 points and 13.5 rebounds in this series. It's been so rough for Lowry and DeRozan that they could be the worst shooters in a single postseason ever, per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated:
But no one could've expected Pacers point guard George Hill playing like the best point guard in this series. After a quiet 3-of-7 performance in Game 3, Hill erupted for 22 points in Game 4 to offset Paul George's 6-of-16 shooting night. Mahinmi and Hill are the ones who made Tuesday's Game 5 possible, and it comes as a complete shock, per Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com:
The pressure is all on Toronto to win Game 5. Indiana is playing with house money. While the bulk of that team has faced playoff pressure before, being the No. 7 seed removes all weight off Indiana's shoulders. It's a must-win for the Raptors to not only save their season, but to save any potential major shakeups to the roster and management this summer.
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