Are You Ready For The 2017 NBA Playoffs?
It’s time for a look back at the best moments of the season so far
We’re less than ten days away from the 2017 NBA Playoffs, and the results are getting tougher and tougher to call. The seeds for the Playoffs still aren’t final, but we’re here to see how the current top contenders have been doing based on their most recent wins.
Western Conference
Golden State Warriors (65W-14L)
On April 5, the Golden State Warriors went up against the Phoenix Suns and the former reigned supreme. Here were the Warriors’ highlights from the game:
- Stephen Curry’s first three point shot, which stole the early lead away from the Suns
- JaVale McGee’s block of what looked like a no-brainer shot from Tyler Ulis
- When Curry lost the ball in a hustle against the Suns and hurriedly passed it to Shaun Livingston, who threw an alley-oop and surprisingly scored
- Curry’s in-bound pass to Klay Thomson that quickly resulted to two points
- When the Sun’s TJ Warren lost control of the ball, and the Warrior’s Patrick McCaw ran across the court to score an easy layup
- Curry’s shot up in the air that was caught and dunked by James Michael McAdoo
San Antonio Spurs (60W-18L)
The San Antonio Spurs went up against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 4 and won by six points. Here’s how they got there:
- Kawhi Leonard’s surprise pass to Tony Parker, who was quietly beyond the paint and scored
- Pau Gasol’s block of Zach Randolph’s shot, which kept the Spurs’ lead at three
- Michael Conley’s pass, which was intercepted by Patty Mills and run down the court for a layup
- Kawhi’s two point shot that tied the game at less than 5 seconds left in the 4th quarter. This was quickly challenged by Randolph’s own two pointer, which left Memphis in the lead once again. Gasol then threw an in-bound pass to LaMarcus Aldridge, who tied the game for a second time in less than three seconds
- Kawhi’s steal during overtime, that stopped Memphis from closing in on the Spur’s lead
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers (51W-27L)
In a battle for the first seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers went up against the Boston Celtics on April 5. The Cavs ultimately won the game that currently placed them at the top of the Eastern Conference. Here’s what happened:
- JR Smith’s block of Avery Bradley’s layup shot, which transferred possession of the ball to the Cavaliers and led to a three point shot by Channing Frye
- Richard Jefferson’s steal, which was caught by LeBron and brought across the court for a two point shot
- LeBron’s block of Isaiah Thomas’ shot. The ball was then caught out of bounds by Kevin Love and correspondingly caught by Kyrie Irving and passed to JR, who then scored two points
- Al Horford’s missed rebound and LeBron’s catch and pass to JR, who then placed an easy layup
Boston Celtics (50W-29L)
On April 2, the Boston Celtics went up against the New York Knicks in a game that ended 110 – 94, in favor of Boston. Here’s what went down:
- Marcus Smart’s pass to the cutting Jaylen Brown that brought the Celtic’s lead up to 11 in the first quarter
- The ball passing that started from Smart to Tyler Zeller, then to Kelly Olynyk and then to an open Isaiah Thomas from behind the arc
- Coming from a missed shot by Kristaps Porziņģis, the ball was caught by Jae Crowder and passed to Jonas Jerebko. The play resulted in a fast break layup
- The pick and roll from Isaiah to Al for a thunderous dunk
Source NBA
