NBA Playoff Schedule 2019: TV Info and Outlook for Conference Semifinals
If parity is your thing, the basketball gods have delivered some gems during the second round of the 2019 NBA playoffs.
All eight clubs to make the conference semis have claimed at least one victory, and three of the four series are knotted at two wins apiece.
Tuesday's two-game slate will break two of those ties, with the second-seeded Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets hosting the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.
After laying out the broadcast schedule for Tuesday's tilts and our predictions for the rest of this round, we'll take a closer look at the biggest buzz surrounding the night's two Game 5 collisions.
Tuesday NBA Playoff Schedule
Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors, 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Portland Trail Blazers at Denver Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. ET on TNT
Conference Semifinal Predictions
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks over No. 4 Boston Celtics, 4-1
No. 2 Toronto Raptors over No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers, 4-3
Western Conference
No. 1 Golden State Warriors over No. 4 Houston Rockets, 4-2
No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers over No. 2 Denver Nuggets, 4-3
Latest Buzz
Illness Strikes Joel Embiid Again
A bizarre postseason for Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid took another strange turn in Sunday's Game 2. Three nights after blitzing the Raptors for 33 points on 18 shots, the skilled 7-footer managed just 11 points while only hoisting seven field-goal attempts in more than 35 minutes.
But his problem wasn't the bothersome knee trouble that plagued him down the stretch run, nor the gastroenteritis he fought in Game 2 (a 12-point, 2-of-7 showing). This was what the team termed an upper respiratory infection, bad enough Embiid was unsure he could even go.
"I got a text from him at 6:20 a.m. this morning telling me he didn't sleep all night, he really never felt this poorly, and he was unsure if [he was] going to play," Sixers coach Brett Brown told reporters. "'I want to give you a heads up. I'll try, but I don't know.' With that, started my day."
While Brown credited Embiid for gutting it out, this was the third time in four games the Sixers were left wanting more from their franchise player. Take his Game 3 eruption out of the equation, and he's averaging just 13 points on 28.1 percent shooting this quarter.
Kawhi Is...The New Kobe?
Count Kawhi Leonard's routine regular-season maintenance plan a roaring success.
The former Finals MVP not only looks well-rested, he has found a way to elevate his game to even higher heights. His second-round stats seem too absurd for even the video-game realm: 38 points on 61.8/46.4/82.9 shooting, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
Toronto has wowed with him (plus-7.5 points per 100 possessions this round) and wilted without (minus-48.7).
"It's Kobe," Raptors guard Norm Powell said, per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. "That man is Kobe. He's a superstar, man. He gets after it. He doesn't care who's in front of him, he knows what he's worth, he knows what he can do ... superstars in the league, Kevin Durant, James Harden, he's up with those guys."
The Raptors, who have never advanced beyond the Eastern Conference finals, look as formidable as ever. That all comes back to Leonard, their own version of The Black Mamba.
Jokic, Murray Make History
While both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are taking their debut playoff voyages, you wouldn't know that from their recent statistical outbursts.
With their combined efforts in Games 3 (a quadruple-overtime Portland win) and 4 (a four-point Denver triumph), the two teammates did something the NBA hadn't seen in almost 40 years.
"The duo became only the second pair of teammates to record a triple-double (Jokic) and a 30-point game (Murray) in back-to-back playoff games since the Lakers' Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did so in 1980 against the Suns, according to Elias Sports Bureau research," ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk noted.
Murray dropped 34 points each time out. Jokic followed his 33-point, 18-board, 14-dime eruption with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
For the Nuggets to survive a tough test from the Blazers, they can't afford for their youngsters to look their age. Mimicking the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers is an unexpected but expert way of doing that.
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