NBA Playoffs 2017: Latest Scores, Round 2 Bracket, Standings and More
In a humorous twist, the NBA's conference semifinals have struggled to match the hype of the first round.
Which doesn't make the playoffs any less entertaining. Rather than seeing the Boston Celtics struggle with the Chicago Bulls, fans get a repeated dose of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, alongside other serious contenders, flipping a switch and running roughshod over the competition.
This was somewhat evident Saturday night when the Golden State Warriors—now with a healthy Kevin Durant who posted a game-high 38 points—slipped past the Utah Jazz in 102-91 fashion. An entertaining series, sure, and Utah deserves credit for sticking to a rebuilding plan and finding wild success, but it's a thing of beauty to watch a machine like Golden State go to work.
Sunday touts three offerings, of which at least two should be competitive affairs. Here's the outlook surrounding the bracket.
Saturday's Scores
| Golden State vs. Utah | GS 102-91 |
Standings
| Boston vs. Washington | BOS 2-1 |
| Toronto vs. Cleveland | CLE 3-0 |
| Golden State vs. Utah | GS 3-0 |
| San Antonio vs. Houston | SA 2-1 |
Full playoff bracket available at ESPN.com.
Sunday Preview
Cleveland at Toronto
This isn't one of the competitive series mentioned above.
Rather, LeBron has decided to put the Cavaliers on his back, scoring 35, 39 and 35 points in 116-105, 125-103 and 115-94 wins, respectively.
Perhaps the most lopsided series in recent memory, this is more about the Toronto Raptors falling apart than it is the Cavaliers hitting full stride. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry continue to struggle as playoff performers after strong regular seasons, and the latter doesn't sound like he'll even suit up Sunday.
Call it the perfect storm, though. Toronto has almost predictably fallen apart at the same time the Cavaliers have done what they do—turned it on. Look at a note by ESPN Stats & Info:
So no, it probably doesn't matter much the Raptors get to play at Air Canada Centre Sunday.
And here's the rub—the Raptors can be a great team and still lose. As the above shows, most teams bow down at the hands of the champs. DeRozan, who dropped 37 points in Game 3, will probably put on a shooting clinic trying to keep the Raptors alive.
The underdogs on the brink against the unstoppable force makes Sunday's early affair worth watching.
Boston at Washington
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, one could make the argument the showdown between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards has been the most entertaining series of the playoffs so far.
Those making the claim wouldn't be far off.
There's something special about watching Boston's Isaiah Thomas—all 5'9" of him—gradually transform into one of the NBA's best scoring options while slashing to the rim and leaving defenders grasping at air or clutching ankles.
Thomas is the catalyst for Boston holding a 2-1 lead going into Sunday, his 33 points in a Game 1, 123-111 triumph merely a minimal talking point compared to his 53-point outburst in Game 2, a 129-119 overtime victory.
Washington took Game 3 in a 116-89 blowout, though the real highlight was an altercation between Kelly Oubre and Kelly Olynyk, which resulted in the suspension of the former:
All of the above poses an interesting question—did Washington figure out how to slow Thomas, and if it did, will it matter without Oubre on the court?
Granted, Oubre only averaged 19.6 minutes over the first three games (26 in Game 1, 28 in Game 2), but it's not so much about losing him outright as it is messing with the rotations.
Maybe Thomas exploits the mental mistake by the Wizards. Or maybe Washington perseveres in front of a home crowd with the understanding falling down 3-1 spells doom. The dynamics and superstars surrounding the matchup make it Sunday's best.
San Antonio at Houston
Leave it to the San Antonio Spurs to come up with an unexpected twist.
The Spurs don't seem to care if James Harden of the Houston Rockets has a massive day. Seeing as how he's prone to those, it sounds like a terrible idea.
But look at Game 3—Harden poured in 43 points, more than his total combined production over the first two games of the series, and the Rockets still went down 103-92.
"It's a battle I've been trying to figure out all year long, to find a happy medium between scoring the basketball and facilitating," Harden said, according to Stats LLC (via ESPN.com).
The Spurs have apparently found their happy medium. Even sans Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard has scored 21, 34 and 26 points to help the Spurs take a 2-1 series lead. More importantly, the reactions to Harden on the defensive end of the court explain the disparity between the two sides.
Houston didn't have too many problems getting past the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1 because Russell Westbrook didn't have the supporting cast necessary to produce when he went cold or the opponent shuttered him.
Funnily enough, now Harden and the Rockets find themselves in a similar position against a more complete team. The chess match comes to a head Sunday evening as Houston flirts with falling in the always-dangerous 3-1 hole.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
