2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 14

Indiana won by 18pts at home to beat Toronto and force a game 7. Paul George scored 21pts with 11reb and 6asts, whilst Derozan and Lowry were held to a combined 18pts. Indiana were down by as many as 12pts, but were able to score 18 consecutive points in the 2nd half to take control of the game.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat avoided elimination by beating the Hornets on the road to force a game 7 back in Miami. Miami had a 9pt lead after shooting 60% in the first half. With 3 minutes left in the game, Wade hit a 3-pter with the shot clock running down to extend Miami's lead to 9 points. He had not made a 3-pter since the month of December, and it was only his 2nd attempt in this series. On the Hornets next possession, Whiteside fouled out after fouling Walker on a layup. Walker would miss the free throw, but the Hornets retained the possession and Walker followed with a 3-pter to cut the lead to 4. With 1:39 to go, Walker scored again to give him 12 straight points for the Hornets who had trimmed the lead to only 2. But with 46sec left, Wade hit another 3-pter to give the Heat a 5 point lead. Walker assisted on an Al Jefferson layup to cut the lead to 3, but Wade came back hitting a well-defended turnaround jumper to extend the lead back to 5 with 19sec left. Walker almost had a wide open layup after a timeout, but Wade came up big with a block, ending any hope of a Hornets comeback. Walker finished with a career playoff high 37pts and Wade finished with 23pts and now holds the record for most blocks by a guard in playoff history, surpassing Michael Jordan.

Portland narrowly won by 3 at home to eliminate the Clippers and will face the Warriors in the next round. They won 4 games in a row after being down 0-2 in the series. Portland started the 3rd quarter with 7 3-pointers, and were led by Lillard who had 28pts. Austin Rivers was elbowed above the eye in the first quarter and required 11 stitches before returning to finish with 21pts, including 14 in the 3rd quarter. Jamal Crawford finished with 32pts, but missed a running jumper that would have tied the game on the Clipper's final possession. The Clippers, who were playing without injured Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, also lost Deandre Jordan to injury late in the game.

NBA Top Plays (1min 29sec):

The Starters: Top 10 Plays (3min 19sec):

Heat vs Hornets Game 6 Recap (3min 9 sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 13

The Hawks beat Boston on the road by 12 to progress to the 2nd round for a rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks led by as many as 28, as Boston struggled with only 33pts in the first half on 27.7% shooting. The Hawks extended their 8 point lead after halftime by scoring 39pts in the 3rd qtr on 74% shooting, whilst the Celtics would end the game on 36% shooting, making only 7 of 32 3-pt attempts. Isaiah Thomas finished with 25pts and 10asts, and all Hawks starters scored double figures.

NBA Top Plays (1min 25sec):

Shaqtin' A Fool Apr 28 (2min 25sec): http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2016/04/29/20160428-inside-shaqtin.nba/

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 12

The Hornets narrowly won by 2 on the road in Miami to take a 3-2 lead in a game that went down to the wire. The Hornets were up by 12 halfway through the 2nd qtr, but Miami closed to within 2 at the half, as Wade scored 10 to end the half - including a rare transition dunk in traffic. The Hornet's Nic Batum returned from injury and hit 2 key 3-pters in the 4th qtr. With under 3min left, Wade hit a running shot and a pullup jumper on back-to-back possessions to give Miami a 3pt lead, but Lin came back with a long 2 to pull the Hornets within 1. Down by 1 with a minute to go, the Hornet's Courtney Lee missed a layup on fast break in the final minute. He would later redeem himself as he collected the offensive rebound off a Kemba Walker miss, passed it to Lin who then fed it back to him for a 3-pter to give the Hornets a 2pt lead with 25sec to go. In the closing seconds, Kemba Walker blocked a 3-pt attempt by Goran Dragic, Wade picked up the loose ball and missed a shot in close amongst heavy contact without a foul being called. Walker was held to 14pts on 4-of-18 shooting, Lin had 11pt, 7asts, 6reb, and all Heat starters scored in double-figures, led by 25 from Wade. Charlotte has won their last 3 games in a row, after losing the first 2 games in Miami, and will have a chance to upset 3rd-seeded Miami at home in game 6.

Portland took a 3-2 series lead by winning on the road against the Clippers - who played their best players Blake Griffin and Chris Paul due to injury. The game was tied heading into the 4th qtr, but Portland hit 6 3-pters - including 5 from Lillard, to win by 10 points. McCollum had 27pts and Lillard scored 16 of his 22pts in the 4th qtr, after starting only shooting 1-of-10 in the first 3 quarters. Deandre Jordan has 16pts and 17reb, and both teams had 6 players score in double figures. The Clippers are now 2-5 when both Griffin and Paul do not play.

The Warriors cruised to a 33pt victory against Houston to finish the series 4-1, and will face the winner of the Clippers/Trailblazers series. Harden scored 18pts in the first quarter, whilst the rest of his team shot an abysmal 0 of 16 field goals. Houston was only able to score 37pts in the first half, with 25 of those coming from Harden, who finished with 35pt, 6reb, 6asts. Howard finished with 21reb but only 8pts. Klay led the warriors with 27pts on 7-of-11 3-pters, including a long-range 3-pter from 31feet away. He became the first player in NBA history to score 7 3-pters in 2 consecutive playoff games. Draymond Green had 15pts, 9reb, 8asts. The Warriors improved to 4-2 when playing without Curry this season.

NBA Top Plays (1min 43sec):

ESPN: Heat vs Hornets Game 5 Recap (2min 22sec): http://www.espn.com.au/nba/recap?gameId=400874421

Inside the NBA: Hornets vs Heat Game 5 Analysis (4min 52sec):

Gametime: Jeremy Lin's Impact for Charlotte Hornets (7min):

ESPN: Warriors vs Rockets Game 5 Recap (1min 22sec): http://www.espn.com.au/nba/recap?gameId=400874370

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 11

The Raptors overcame a 4th quarter 13pt deficit with a 23-2 run to win by 3pts, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers. The Pacers were led by George with 39pts, 8reb, 8asts, and led for the first 3 quarters by as many as 17 points, but would only be able to manage 9pts in the 4th qtr. Down by 4, Pacer's Solomon Hill hit a 3-pter with 15.3sec left to bring the Pacers within 1. Derozan was then fouled and was able to make both free throws. Down by 3 with 2.7sec left, Indiana had a chance to send the game into overtime, but Solomon Hill's made 3-pter at the buzzer was ruled too late after an official review.

The Hawks won game 5 against the Celtics by 27pts to take a 3-2 series lead. After making only 6 of their first 34 shots, the Hawks trailed 29-19 in the 2nd qtr, but finished off the half with a 28-8 run in the last 6min, and followed it up by scoring 42pts in the 3rd qtr. Paul Millsap was held to 10pts and Isiah Thomas 7pts, who left the game with a mild ankle sprain after landing awkwardly after a layup.

Blake Griffin will miss the rest of the playoffs after aggravating a regular season injury. Chris Paul will be out at least 4-6 weeks after having surgery to repair a right hand fracture. Game 5 of the series returns to Los Angeles with the score tied at 2-2, as LA will try to win the game at home without their 2 best players.

NBA Top Plays (1min 22sec):

Pacers vs Raptors Game 5 Ending (51sec):

Inside the NBA - Griffin and Paul injuries (8min 7sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 10

The Hornets tied the series at 2-2 with the Heat behind a playoff career 34pts from Kemba Walker. Charlotte were up by as many as 18 in the 2nd half, with Miami eventually clawing back to within 1 midway through the 4th quarter. Walker responded by scoring 11 straight points to keep Charlotte in the lead. Jeremy Lin added 21pts, giving the tandem 55 of Charlotte's 89 points.

Westbrook (36pts, 12reb, 9asts) and Durant (33pts) combined for 69pts to win the series 4-1 against the Mavs, winning the last 3 games in a row. In his previous game, Durant snapped his streak of 67 straight games with at least 20pts - in tonight's game he scored 20 in the first half alone.

The Blazers tied the series with the Clippers at 2-2, as Al-Farouq Aminu scored a career high 30pts including 6 3-pters. The Clippers' Chris Paul would score the first 12 pts for the Clippers, but broke his right hand midway through the 3rd quarter and did not return, whilst Blake Griffin also left late in the game after aggravating an earlier injury in his left quad.

After straining his MCL in his right knee, Curry will miss at least the next 2 weeks, putting the Warriors chance of winning back-to-back titles in jeopardy. Golden State have a chance to close out Houston in their next game, and would then await the winner of the Blazers/Clippers series.

NBA Top Plays (1min 42sec):

Inside the NBA: Spurs Thunder Predictions (4min 52sec):

Inside the NBA: Curry Injury Update (1min 49sec):

Chris Paul Hand Injury (30 sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 9

The Spurs won by 21 to sweep the Grizzlies 4-0 in the first round - their 9th sweep in franchise history, led by Kawhi's 21pts. The Spurs will be matched up against the winner of the OKC/Dallas series in the 2nd round.

Curry returned from a sprained right ankle injury to play game 4, but would leave the game late in the first half after sliding and spraining his right knee. He did not return, but the Warriors would go on to win the game by 27, hitting a playoff record 21 3-pters in the game, including 8 in the 3rd qtr. Klay scored 23pts and Iguodala had a season-high 22pts. Curry finished with only 6pts on 2-of-9 shooting, and 5 turnovers.

The Celtics won at home to tie the series with Atlanta at 2-2. Atlanta's Millsap scored a career playoff high 45pts, including 26pts in the first half. It was a close game in the first half until the Hawks pulled away with a 14-0 run in q3, putting them up by 16. But Boston closed to within 3 to end the quarter by scoring 8 straight points. In the 4th quarter, Atlanta were down by 4 with 50sec left, and were able to take a 2 point lead after back-to-back 3-pters from Jeff Teague. Isiah Thomas was then able to drive down the lane for a layup between two defenders to tie the game with 15sec left. On the last possession, Teague dribbled down the clock but threw the ball away whilst trying to get off a contested shot. In overtime, Teague hit another 3-pter to get Atlanta within 1, but they were unable to score again. With Boston up by 4, Thomas put the game out of reach by hitting a corner 3-pter with 30sec left, giving him 28pts for the game.

The Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons by winning game 4, which was a close game throughout - with each quarter being decided by only 4pts or less. The game would have been tied entering into the 4th quarter, but Kyrie Irving was able to hit a shot from half-court to give the Cavs a 3 point lead.
Irving also hit a 3-pter to give the Cavs a 4 point lead with 42sec left. Detroit would stay in the game and had a chance to tie or win the game whilst down 2 with 10sec left. Reggie Jackson dribbled the ball up the court and was defended by Irving. Irving hounded him on defense, and Reggie missed a 3-pter at the buzzer, pleading for a foul afterwards whilst Irving waved goodbye to the Detroit fans. Irving scored 20 of his 31pts in the 2nd half and combine with Lebron to score 53pts. The Cavs will get up to a week's rest as they await the winner of the Atlanta/Boston series.

NBA Top Plays (1min 35sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 8

The Pacers won at home to even the series with the Raptors at 2-2. Pacer's Ian Mahinmi scored a career highs 22pts with a career playoff best 10reb and 5ast and the Pacers led by as many as 25pts in the first half.

The Hornets won their first playoff game in the last 14 years by beating the Heat. Michael Jordan, owner of the Hornets, watched the game from the end of the team's bench. The Hornets were led by Jeremy Lin who came off the bench to score 18pts, including 13pts in the first half. Luol Deng top-scored for the Heat with 19pts including 4 3-pters in the first 6min. After the game was tied, the Hornets went on an 18-0 run in the 3rd quarter and Miami were held to just 34% field goal shooting for the game.

OKC beat Dallas on the road to take a 3-1 series lead. The Thunder's Enes Kanter scored a career high 28pts whilst shooting 12-of-13 from the field. Westbrook added 25pts and 15asts, making it 2 playoff games in a row with 25 and 15 - numbers that were last put up by the Piston's Isiah Thomas in 1985. Durant was ejected for only the 2nd time in his career after committing a flagrant foul in the final minute. Nowitzki had 27pts for the Mavericks.

Damian Lillard scored 32pts and CJ McCollum - who was awarded the Most Improved Player of the NBA season, scored 27pts to help the Blazers win their first game of the series.

NBA Top 10 Plays (2min 26sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 7

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs won on the road to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. The Cavs beat the Pistons by 10, with Irving scoring 26pts and Lebron and Love adding 20pts each. The game was close in the 4th qtr, but key 3-pters from Irving and Smith put the game away. The dagger came when Cleveland were up by 5 with 45sec, and only 0.7sec left on the shotclock with the inbounds. Irving received the pass in the corner and swished a 3-pter to extend the lead to 8.

The Spurs beat the Grizzlies by 9 as Kawhi scored 32pts, including 6-of-9 3-pters, and 13pts in the 4th quarter. The Defensive Player of the Year also had 4 steals and 5 blocks. After Memphis had only led for a total of 25 seconds over games 1 and 2, this game was a lot closer featuring 8 lead changes and 7 ties. But San Antonio finished the last 3:41 on a 13-6 run whilst forcing 5 turnovers.

The Celtics won at home to even the series at 2-1, led by a career high 42pts from Isaiah Thomas. Boston led by 20pts, until the Hawks came back with a 12-0 run in the 3rd qtr. But Thomas was able to extend the Celtics lead late in the game, hitting on a long 3-pter and a steal on the other end to put the game out of reach. Thomas became an all-star for the first time this year. His father named his son after the Detroit Piston's hall-of-famer Isiah Thomas, after losing a bet with a friend on the 1989 finals - where Detroit beat the Lakers 4-0.

Top 5 Plays (1min 40sec):

Celtic's Isaiah Thomas NBA Top 10 Plays 2015-16 (2min 48sec):

Piston's Isiah Thomas Top 10 Career Plays (5min 8sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 6

Golden State faced the Rockets on the road with Stephen Curry sitting out his 2nd game in a row due to an ankle injury. James Harden scored 35pts including the gamewinner to pull Houston to 2-1 in the series. The Warriors were down by 1 with 14.4sec left when Shaun Livingston stole Trevor Ariza's inbound and Ian Clark scored on a fast break layup to put them up by 1 with 10.6sec left. With no timeouts left, James Harden brang the ball up the court, drove into the lane, made a spin move and stepped back into his signature jumper for the lead. With 2.7sec left, the Warriors had a chance to win the game, however Draymond Green caught an easy inbounds then lost the ball off his foot, sealing Houston's win.


OKC beat the Mavericks on the road, led by Durant's 34pts, including 20pts in the first half, as he bounced back from the worst shooting performance of his career in the previous game. Westbrook added 26pts, including 20pts in the 2nd half, along with 15 assists and 0 rebounds. Kanter also scored a playoff career high 21pts. The Raptor's Derozan and Lowry each scored 21pts as they beat the Pacers on the road, who scored a season-low 36pts in the first half.

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 5

All 3 home teams won their games today by double digits. Miami cruised to a 2-0 lead in the series as 5 Heat players scored at least 15pts. Wade led the Heat with 28pts, 8asts and Whiteside made all 8 of his field goals for 17pts. The Hornets struggled and even missed 8 straight shots in one possession to begin the 2nd half. Miami set franchise records in the first half for pts in a half (72), pts in a qtr (43) and FG% in a half (74.4%). Their 74.4% FG% is the best field goal percentage in a half by any NBA team this season. Charlotte's Nic Batum sprained his left ankle during the game and did not return.

Cleveland beat the Pistons by tying a playoff record of 20 3-pters made. Lebron had 27pts, Irving 22pts and JR Smith hit 7-of-11 3-pters for 21pts. Chris Paul led the Clippers to victory with 25pts, whilst Portland shot a season-worst 34.1% from the field.

Thirty years ago on this date in 1986, Michael Jordan scored a playoff record 63pts against Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, a record that still stands today. His 63pts came after scoring 49pts in his previous game. Jordan played against arguably one of the best teams of all time in the Boston Celtics - playing in Boston where the Celtics had won an NBA-record 40 of 41 games at home that season. This feat came in only his 2nd year in the NBA, after missing 64 games in the regular season due to a broken foot. Jordan would eventually lose in double overtime, but he gained the respect of Larry Bird (who had just won his 3rd consecutive MVP award), as he would famously describe him as "god disguised as Michael Jordan".

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 4

The Hawks and Spurs blew out the Celtics and Grizzlies respectively, with the Celtics being held to 7 1st qtr points, and the Grizzles being held to 11 1st qtr points. The Celtics scored the lowest q1 playoff points since the shot-clock era, making only 3-of-23 fgs - with 6 of those misses coming from blocked shots. The Hawk's Kyle Korver opened the game with 4 3-pters and the team went on to record a team playoff record of 15 blocks (Horford 5blks, Millsap 4blks). Despite the blowout win, both teams only shot a combined 33% from the field. In games 1 & 2 combined, the Hawks have had the lead for 91min and have trailed for only 1min.

The Grizzlies' 11pt 1st qtr and 68pt totals for the game were both a franchise playoff low, as the Spurs held the Grizzles to under 33% from the field. They won with balanced scoring - all 13 players scored, with the game's highest scorer Patty Mills only scoring 16pts.

Jamal Crawford wins the 6th man of the year award for 2015-16, becoming the first NBA player to win the award 3 times. The Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs join the Golden State Warriors with a 2-0 record after their first 2 games. 94.1% of teams that are up 2-0 have gone on to win their 7-game playoff series.

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 3

The Mavs pulled off the biggest NBA playoff upset in 20 years, stealing game 2 and home court advantage from OKC - who were favoured by 14pts. Durant scored 21pts but shot an appalling 7-of-33fgs, tying the playoff record for most missed shots in a playoff game in the last 30 years. Westbrook had 19pts and tied a career playoff high of 14reb. As a team OKC only shot 33.7%, but were in a good position to win the game down the stretch. Down by 4 with 14.4sec left, Durant hit a 3-pter to cut the lead to 1 with 9.5sec left. The Thunder fouled Raymond Felton who had 2 free throws to extend the Mav's 1pt lead, but missed both. Durant grabbed the defensive rebound and Westbrook pushed the fast break, passing it off to Durant who blew the layup. Westbrook missed a tip-in and Adams picked up the offensive rebound and put the ball in the hoop as time expired for what would be the gamewinner, but after an official review the basket was waved off as the shot was not released before the buzzer.

The Raptors beat the Pacers by 11 at home, despite 28pts from Paul George who had 24pts through the first 3 quarters. The Raptor's Valanciunas finished with 23pts and 15reb. Versus the Rockets, Curry was still questionable for game 2, and did not play after cutting short his pre-game practice due to his injury. 5 players from each team scored in double-figures. Klay Thompson tied his career playoff high with 34pts, leading the Warriors over James Harden (28pts, 11reb) and the Rockets.

Kawhi Leonard wins defensive player of the year for the 2nd year in a row.

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 2

All home teams won game 1 today, with the Spurs and Heat along with the Thunder and Warriors able to win their opening game by at least 25pts, the first time in NBA history that 4 teams have won by that margin. The Cav's Big 3 (Irving 31pts, Love 28pts and James 22pts, 11assists) combined for 81pts to beat the Pistons by 6pts in game 1, combining for 80+ pts for the 7th time. The 8th-seeded Pistons made their first playoff appearance since 2009 and had a chance to steal the game from the Cavs after making 10-of-16 3-pters in the first half. With 10:52 left in the game, the Cavs trailed by 7 but closed out the Pistons by outscoring them 30-18. Love was able to hit 2 3-pters in a row late in the game to give the Cavs the lead for good.

Miami blew out Charlotte by 32pts by scoring a franchise playoff record 123pts, including a playoff franchise record 41pts in the 1st quarter. Luol Deng hit 11-of-13 shots for 31pts, and Whiteside added 21pts, 11reb. The Grizzlies, playing without starters Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, suffered their worst playoff loss as they were beaten by the Spurs by 32pts. The game was close in the 1st half, but in the 2nd half the Spurs outscored Memphis 33-14 in q3 whilst shooting 68% from the field. The Spurs sat their starters in q4. The Clippers beat the Blazers by 20pts, as 3 Clippers tallied double-doubles - Paul (28pts, 11ast), Griffin (19pts, 12reb) and Jordan (18pts, 12reb).

2016 NBA Playoff Round 1 - Game Day 1

All home teams won on the first day of round 1, except for the 2nd-seeded Toronto Raptors who were defeated by the 7th-seeded Indiana Pacers. Indiana was led by Paul George who ended with 33pts, scoring 10-of-13 fields in the 2nd half, along with 17pts in the 3rd quarter. George has helped lead Indiana back into the playoffs, after they missed the playoffs last year after George sat out most of the season after the horrific leg injury he suffered during the 2014 world cup. The 2nd-seeded Raptors lose home court advantage, and will need to bounce back in order to make it past the first round, something which they have not done since the 1st round format was changed to a 7-game format.

The Warriors hosted the Rockets in a rematch of last year's western conference finals, a series featuring this season's top 2 scorers: Steph Curry and James Harden. The Rocket's Patrick Beverley would try to set a physical tone, lowering his shoulder into Curry during the pre-game handshake. Curry would respond by singlehandedly outscoring the Rockets team 16-15 in the 1st quarter on his way to 24pts in under 20min - including 5-of-7 3-pters. James Harden was held to 17pts without a free throw attempt. Curry suffered an ankle injury and played briefly before being subbed out of the game as a precautionary measure. It is unknown if he will return for game 2.

The Atlanta Hawks gave up a 19pt lead at home to the Boston Celtics who were led by Isaiah Thomas' 27pts, but would end the game with a 1pt lead to retain home court advantage. OKC blew out the Dallas Mavericks by 38pts, led by Westbrook (24pts) and Durant (23pts) and Dallas would score a franchise-low for playoff points (70pts). 

In other news, "ESPN 30 for 30" recently aired "This Magic Moment", a documentary featuring the 1990's-era Orlando Magic with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. It recounts the beginning of the Orlando Magic as a new expansion team, the rise of Shaq and Penny, the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, and the reasons that contributed to Shaq's ultimate decision to leave the team for the LA Lakers. Shaq would eventually win 3 championships with Kobe in LA, and 1 with Dwayne Wade in Miami, however "This Magic Moment" reflects on the potential the Magic had and how great they were with their nucleus of young talent.

2015-16 NBA Season Final Day Recap

Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a new NBA-record 73 wins in 82 games, beating the 72-10 record that the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls had previously for 20 years. He scored 46pts whilst playing only the first 3 quarters, hitting 10-of-19 3-pters including 6 in the 1st quarter on his way to setting a new record of 402 3-pters in a single season. Curry finished the season as the league leader in both steals and points, but is the only player to average 30 points per game whilst playing under an average of 35min per game. Curry also finished the season with 50/40/90, by shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% of 3-pters and 90% of free throws. Only 7 players have achieved this feat, with Curry being the highest scorer in this group.

The Utah Jazz came into their final game with the 9th seed in the West, and needed a win against the Lakers and for the Rockets to lose their final game in order to sneak into the final playoff spot. Although Utah faced a lowly 16-65 record Lakers team at the bottom of the western conference, Kobe was determined to put on a show in his Kobe Farewell Tour. Nike dubbed the day as Mamba Day and Los Angeles renamed a metro station to Kobe in honour of his final NBA career game. Tributes from around the world flooded Twitter, and even broke the Laker's official Twitter account. The sellout Staples Center crowd included celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Kanye, Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z.

Kobe didn't disappoint as he scored an NBA season high 60 points in his final game, a feat that is arguably one of the greatest final games in sports history. He ended the first half with 22pts, scored 15pts in the 3rd quarter, and then outscored the entire Jazz team 23-21 in the 4th quarter. In addition, Kobe brought the Lakers back from an early 15pt deficit early in the 3rd quarter. With the Lakers down by 10 with 3:04 to go in the game, Kobe scored the Laker's next 15 points without missing a shot, whilst the Jazz were held scoreless for the last 2:35 of the game. Of those 15pts, 7 of them came in the final minute, hitting a 3-pter whilst down by 4, and then knocking down a long 2-pter that would be the gamewinner for the Lakers. Kobe finished the game with 2 free throws to get his 59th and 60th points, capping the game off with a full-court assist before being subbed out for the last time with 4sec left in the game. Kobe (37yrs old) became the oldest player to score 60 points, and the first player to do so in his final game. He achieved this feat by hitting 22-50 field goals whilst playing 42min, after only averaging around 24min in his last few games. Bryant hadn't reached the 50pt mark in the last 7 years, but in his final game was able to put up his 6th 60pt game, good enough for the 5th highest scoring game of his career. Before his final game, Kobe's average for the season was around 17pts, and his highest game total for the season was 38pts.

2015-16 NBA Season Recap

The 2015-16 NBA season began with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the favourites to win the title. However Stephen Curry returned in the new season even better than in his last, and has a chance at becoming the first unanimous regular season MVP in NBA history. No one expected that the Warriors would be able to repeat as champions. However it quickly became apparent that not only would the Warriors become the heavy favourites to win it all, but they would also have the chance to break NBA history for most wins in a regular season. With one game left in the season, they are currently tied with the Chicago Bulls 72-10 record, a record that was set 20 years ago by the 95-96 Bulls led by Jordan on his way to his 4th championship. Golden State's coach Steve Kerr has a chance at breaking the record, which is ironic as he also played as a player on the 72-10 Bull's team.

The San Antonio Spurs with their veteran big 3 have also seen the addition of Lamarcus Aldridge and the emergence of Kawhi Leonard see them quietly amass a 66-15 record, including an NBA-tying 40-1 record at home. OKC has the #3 seed, anchored by Durant and Westbrook - Durant has scored 20pts in his last 64 games in a row, and Westbrook has racked up 17 triple doubles in the season which is tied for the NBA record. The Clippers hold the #4 seed and despite their leading scoring Blake Griffin being out for 29 games due to injury, were still able to go 22-7 without him. The Houston Rockets were once considered to be on their way to being contenders, but are only barely holding onto the West's 8th playoff seed. The LA Lakers ended up at the bottom of the western conference, and both the team's and Kobe's early struggles forced Kobe to decide that this season would be his last. Kobe's final game will be at home versus the Utah Jazz, with ticket prices ranging from $888 to $25,700 USD. In the East, the Toronto Raptors are only 2 games behind Cleveland for the 2nd seed, with the Miami Heat who are still trying to rebuild their team after the loss of James holding onto the 3rd seed. The Chicago Bulls were eliminated from the playoff picture after being touted as potential champion contenders. 

One of the games of the year was on Feb 27 when OKC hosted the Warriors. The Warriors came into the game with the best 58-game record in NBA history at 53-5, as every other NBA team tried their best to slow them down. OKC had an 11pt lead with 4:37 left in the 4th quarter, but Golden State was able to pull within 1pt in the final minute. OKC's Kevin Durant was able to hit what seemed to be a dagger 3-pter with 14.5sec left, giving them a 4pt lead. Golden State's Klay Thompson was able to score on a quick 2, but rather than fouling OKC on the next possession they instead cornered Durant in the corner with a double-team. Durant escaped the double-team by lobbing the ball over to the other side of the court, but the pass was intercepted by Klay Thompson who passed it to Andre Iguodala, who pump faked and drew the foul with 0.7sec remaining. Down by 2, Iguodala - a 62% free throw shooter for the season, calmly knocked down both free throws to tie the game and force overtime. In overtime, the Thunder got an early lead but Durant fouled out and the Warriors were able to tie the game up. With 8.4sec left, Westbrook missed a 14-foot bank shot and Iguodala grabbed the rebound and threw it to Curry. With 6sec left, Golden State didn't call a timeout and the Thunder backpedalled into defensive position. Curry dribbled the ball up the court and then... (watch video below)

... took 3 steps past the half-court line and launched the game-winning 3 with 0.6 sec remaining! The shot tied the NBA's record of 12 3-pters made in a game, and Curry ended up scoring 46. The gamewinner gave Curry his 288th 3-pter of the season, a new NBA record.