2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 10

Houston avoided a series sweep despite Kevin Durant's 38pts, in his 2nd game without Westbrook. Houston, without the injured Lin, won by 2 points. Each of the last 3 games has been decided by 3pts or less.

Atlanta evens series up at 2-2 against Indiana.

Brooklyn avoids elimination, trail 3-2 against Chicago.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 9

Miami completes its first playoff sweep since the Big 3 of Bosh/Wade/James teamed up in Miami. Without Wade, Lebron recorded 30pts, 8 rebounds, 7 assists. Bucks’ Brandon Jennings, who famously guaranteed that the Bucks would beat Miami in 6 games, ended up with 3pts on 1-of-7 shooting.

The Spurs beat the Lakers and Dwight Howard was ejected in the 3^rd quarter with his 2^nd technical foul. Kobe Bryant, who guaranteed a Lakers playoff berth this season (and tearing his achilles in the process), attended the game on crutches, only to see his team get swept in the first round. The Lakers were beaten by double digits in each of the 4 games – confirming Terry’s 4-3 Lakers prediction as the worst gamble of the playoff bracket.

Boston required OT in order to avoid a sweep by the Knicks. Carmelo scored 36pts, but the Knicks were without JR Smith who was serving a suspension for elbowing Jason Terry in game 3. “The Jet” got his revenge by scoring Boston’s last 9 points to avoid elimination.

#6 seed GSW go up 3-1 against #3 seed Denver, behind 31pts from Stephen Curry. Curry took a pain-killing injection for his sore ankle, and scored 22pts in the 3^rd quarter, including five 3-pointers.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 8

Bulls beat the Nets in one of the games of the year. The Bulls pulled off a comeback from down 14 with 3 minutes remaining in regulation, and eventually won in triple OT. Nate Robinson scored 23 of his 34 points in the 4^th quarter, the most ever in a playoff game in any quarter by a Bulls player - second to Michael Jordan who scored 24 in the 4^th quarter in 1990.

OKC’s Kevin Durant, playing his first ever game without injured Russell Westbrook, ties his playoff career high of 41 pts, beating Houston for a 3-0 series lead. OKC was up by 26 points at halftime, but allowed Houston to chip away at the lead, with Houston eventually taking the lead with 4 minutes left. But with less than a minute left, KD hoisted a lucky 3-pter which bounced high off the rim and in, giving OKC the lead for good and an eventual win by 3 points.

Grizzlies tie up series with Clippers at 2-2.

Atlanta wins at home, but still trail Indiana 2-1.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 6 Breaking News

Breaking News: OKC's Russell Westbrook will undergo knee surgery and is out indefinitely.

Last year, OKC's "big 3" of Durant, Westbrook and Harden led 1-0 in last year's Finals against Miami, before losing the next 4 to the eventual champs.

Harden (last year's 6th man of the year) was traded to the Houston Rockets, teaming up with Jeremy Lin to lead Houston to a first round playoff berth against his former team OKC. Most people expected a finals rematch between MIA and OKC this year, but Westbrook's injury jeopardises those chances.

Westbrook (dubbed by some as the most athletic in the league) has never missed a game in high school, college or his 5 year NBA career, playing in 394 straight regular season games. Considered a ballhog, he averages the most field goal attempts on OKC, putting up more shots than his teammate Kevin Durant (3-time NBA scoring leader). Durant, considered to be the 2nd best player in the league (behind Lebron James), recently announced that he's "tired of being second". Has having Westbrook as a teammate hindered Durant's chances of taking it to the next level? It will be interesting to see what the Westbrook injury does for the chemistry of OKC.

Does Durant have a right to Complain? (8min 58sec):

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9207323

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 7

Knicks lead Boston 3-0. JR Smith ejected after a flagrant foul 2 elbow to Jason Terry.

Spurs go up 3-0 against Lakers, blowing them out by 31 points, giving the Laker's their worst playoff loss at home in team history. Metta World Peace says he will sit game 4.

Behind Stephen Curry's 29 pts and 11 assists, and playing on a sprained left ankle, GSW take a 2-1 lead with a 2 point win over Denver. They join the Bulls as the only other lower-seeded team to lead in the first round.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 6

Miami takes a commanding 3-0 series lead. Ray Allen hits five 3-pters to pass Reggie Miller for most playoff 3-pters of all time

Bulls win at home by 3pts to become the first lower-seeded to lead in a series, 2-1 over Brooklyn

Grizzlies win at home but still trail the Clippers who still hold a 2-1 lead

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 4&5

OKC overcomes Harden’s 36pts, beats HOU by 3pts. Lin left the game at the half with an injury and did not return.

OKC, SAS and IND all go up 2-0.

Tomorrow all series shift to the lower-seeded team’s home court.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 3

Bulls become the first team to steal a game on the road, to tie the series at 1-1.

Grizzlies had the chance to do the same, but Chris Paul’s game winner at the buzzer put the Clippers up 2-0.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 2

All home teams won again today.

2013 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 1

All the home teams won today.