Tag: Will Barton

2019 NBA Playoffs Day 1: Return to Playoffs Island

It’s that magical time of year again. The weather is starting to clear up, with warm and sunny days slowly returning to the Northeast. While normal citizens are outside enjoying this weekend’s lovely weather, perhaps at the recently opened ice cream stands so common to the area, members of the basketball community are nowhere to be found. That’s because they’re making the great pilgrimage to the place where legends are made, legacies are secured, and a trail of destruction featuring vanquished foes are strewn about. Nice weather, ice cream and the joys of the outdoors matter not. This is the return to Playoffs Island.

The Playoffs are back and so are we. Awaken from our regular season hibernation to document all of the exciting playoff action that is about to transpire. Joined by my pal Ian, my girlfriend Aubrey, and her friend Liz (be on the lookout for their very own playoffs blog, entitled, Marooned on Playoffs Island), and armed with an ample supply of playoff provisions, we’ve arrived here on Playoffs Island for the start of a new postseason.

Tasked with the sacred honor of kicking off the playoffs are the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. We’re already on Joel Embiid watch. The Sixers center will be a game time decision thanks to his troublesome knee. If he can’t play, it could open up some opportunities for the hard playing Nets to perhaps steal a game.

2:01 pm – 29 minutes before the first game, Aubrey and Liz have already left.

2:21 – EMBIID WATCH

It’ll be interesting to see if he’s limited this afternoon, or if he goes at it with full strength.

2:30 – We’re here! It’s just about game time down in Philadelphia as the Sixers get ready to host the Nets, fresh off the good news about Joel Embiid. Dave Pasch and Doris Burke will narrate the action here on ESPN, with Cassidy Hubbarth reporting from the sidelines.

2:33 – The Nets have become one of my favorite League Pass teams, and I even saw them demolish my Celtics live and in person down in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago. They’re a hard working squad that plays well together, and I’m excited to see them here in the playoffs. I think they can get a win or two in this series, but it’s going to be hard to overcome the Sixers with their powerful starting lineup. That being said, that formidable lineup hasn’t actually played a lot of minutes together due to ongoing injuries, so they may not have the best chemistry yet. They’ll need big performances out of their stars, because they don’t have the best depth amongst the upper class of the playoff teams.

2:37 – If anybody here is new to Playoffs Island, the general rule of thumb is that games on ESPN actually tip off long after the scheduled time, whereas the TNT games generally start right when they say they will. True to form, we’re still watching Michelle Beadle, Paul Pierce, Jalen Rose and Stan Van Gundy in the ESPN studio while the Sixers and Nets continue to warm up.

2:39 – For the second time already, Dave Pasch introduces the game.

2:41 – Dave Pasch introduces the game again before we go back to commercials.

Meanwhile, the Sixers are bringing in some luminaries from their last Finals team to kick things off.

2:44 – We’re once again welcomed to the Wells Fargo Center. Can we please get the playoffs started already?

2:46 – Jarret Allen wins the opening tip, and at long last, the 2019 playoffs are underway down in Philadelphia.

2:47 – A pair of Joel Embiid free throws brings us our first points of the playoffs. The Sixers PA system plays a sound byte of Mr. Burns saying “Excellent!” afterwards.

2:48 – Embiid draws the second foul on Brooklyn’s Jarret Allen, and he hits his free throws to get the Sixers up 4-0, and more importantly, we get to hear Mr. Burns say “Excellent!” again.

2:49 – Joe Harris cans a long three to get Brooklyn on the board, down 4-3. Ian predicts Harris is going for 50 points this afternoon.

2:54 – We’re here at our first timeout with the score Philadelphia 10, Brooklyn 7 with 7:34 left in the opening quarter. Embiid has been very active, and has gotten to the free throw line six times already and he’s scored eight of Philly’s ten points. Like many of the Nets, D’Angelo Russell is playing in his first playoff game, and he’s off to a shaky start, shooting 0-5 from the floor thus far.

2:58 – Embiid’s on the bench resting as we return to action.

3:03 – Jimmy Butler gets to the hoop and draws the third foul on Jarret Allen. This time, Allen comes out of the game, now halfway towards fouling out. Butler hits his free throws, Mr. Burns says, ‘Excellent!” and the Sixers lead, 17-15.

3:08 – Noted behemoth Boban Marjanovic gets an easy bucket to send us into a timeout with the score Philadelphia 22, Brooklyn 19 with 2:38 to go in the first quarter. The Nets have seemed a little jittery, but they’re keeping it close as both teams continue their lackluster shooting.

3:11 – Joe Harris has been instrumental in keeping the Nets close thus far. He’s not on his way to 50 points like Ian thinks he’ll get, but he does have nine on 3-4 shooting from beyond the arc, while the rest of the Nets combined have ten on lousy 2-13 shooting.

3:15 – We’re here at the end of the first quarter, and it comes to an end with a 12-0 run from the Nets to put themselves ahead, 31-22. The Sixers are shooting 6-25 overall, including a dreadful 0-9 on threes and their poor performance even inspired some boos from the home crowd. While he’s 6-7 from the free throw line, Joel Embiid’s 1-7 from the floor, including 0-4 from downtown. He’s got eight points to lead the Sixers. Joe Harris and DeMarre Carroll lead the Nets with nine, and as a team, Brooklyn’s up to 5-8 three point shooting.

It’s a bit of a concern that Embiid’s been launching threes, especially after his early work drawing fouls in the paint. Is that knee of his giving him trouble?

3:20 – Joel Embiid returns to the paint, draws a foul on Jared Dudley, and then he pushes Dudley to the floor for our first technical foul of the playoffs! It was just a good ol’ fashioned hard playoff foul from the veteran Dudley. Embiid must be getting frustrated. The Nets miss their technical free throw, and Embiid goes 1-2 from the line to eventfully start off the second quarter with the Sixers down, 31-23.

3:22 – Caris LeVert knocks down a three and we’re heading into a timeout amidst a chorus of boos from the increasingly angry Philadelphia crowd. The score’s Nets 37, Sixers 23 with 10:07 left until halftime.

Philadelphia’s now 0-11 on threes, while Brooklyn’s up to 7-11. Embiid’s down to 1-9 shooting overall (0-5 from three), not to mention a needless technical foul. The Sixers have missed 12 straight shots, and it’s all happening with Nets all star D’Angelo Russell shooting 0-6.

3:27 – Tobias Harris finally hits a bucket for the Sixers, ending a streak that got up to 13 straight misses. They trail, 39-25.

3:31 – Mike Scott, who has tattoos of emojis all over him, hits the Sixers first three, and they’re down, 46-32.

3:35 – We’re here at a timeout with the score Brooklyn 48, Philadelphia 36 with 5:48 left until halftime. Jimmy Butler’s starting to assert himself a bit as the Sixers attempt to chip away at their deficit. He’s up to nine points and has been aggressively trying to get to the hoop.

3:38 – ESPN shows awesome footage from the 1984 first round matchup between the Sixers and Nets, the last time these two teams tangled in the postseason. Back then, the Sixers were defending champs, but were upset by the Nets, 3-2, back when the first round was still best of five, and the Nets still played in New Jersey. Shoutout to the 1984 Nets.

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3:42 – Joel Embiid is seen gingerly making his way to the Sixers locker room.

3:45 – Cassidy Hubbarth reports that Embiid is just back in the locker room to keep his knee warm with some “planned activation”, as she puts it. No further injuries for the Sixers big man.

3:49 – We’ve got a timeout with just 21.9 seconds left until halftime. The score’s Brooklyn 62, Philadelphia 51. More on that when we get to the break.

3:51 – Jimmy Butler beats the halftime buzzer with a three! He’s singlehandedly keeping the Sixers within shouting distance with 11 of their last 13 points of the first half. It puts our score at Brooklyn 62, Philadelphia 54.

Butler’s up to 23 points and 6 rebounds. He’s 10-12 from the line and he’s taken it upon himself to salvage the afternoon for the Sixers. The rest of Philly’s vaunted starting lineup (Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and JJ Redick) combined to shoot 3-22. Embiid does have 11 points and 7 rebounds, thanks to 9-11 shooting from the line, but he looked far from himself.

Caris LeVert came off the bench to lead Brooklyn with 16, and fellow reserve Spencer Dinwiddie has 11. D’Angelo Russell is a yucky 2-11 from the floor, and they’re going to to need him to heat up if they’re going to be able to fend off the inevitable Sixers run.

So far, the Sixers lack of depth have hurt them. With only one of their starters playing up to snuff, nobody else has stepped up. Meanwhile, the Nets two leading scorers have come off their bench. As always, depth is important.

4:08 – Ben Simmons opens the second half scoring by splitting a pair of free throws to take another point off the Sixers deficit, cutting it to 62-55.

4:10 – JJ Redick, who just finally got himself on the board, commits his fourth foul, and is taken out of the game. An unfortunate development for the Sixers as they continue to try and close the gap.

4:11 – Joel Embiid uses some fancy footwork to get to the hoop and get a bucket, plus a foul, the fourth on Jarett Allen, who heads to the bench. Embiid misses the free throw, but most importantly, it’s just a one possession game with the Sixers down 65-63, thanks to a 16-3 Philadelphia run.

4:15 – D’Angelo Russell misses a layup, but Ed Davis is there to grab the miss and put it in, extending the Nets lead to 67-63.

4:18 – Russell heads to the hoop and scoops in a pretty layup, sending us into a timeout with the score Brooklyn 71, Philadelphia 63 with 7:28 left in the third quarter. Noticeably, Joel Embiid is no longer settling for the same terrible three pointers he was launching in the first half.

4:20 – News from beyond the playoffs!

The Kings had their best season in recent memory and seem poised to take the next step towards the playoffs next season. They could be the Western Conference’s Nets, and Walton should be a great coach for them. He must be excited after the garbage time he had with the Lakers.

4:23 – Jimmy Butler is fouled taking a goofy looking floater, and it goes down! He lets out a wild roar and heads to the free throw line looking for his 30th point. He knocks it down, and we’re back to a one possession game with the Sixers down, 73-70.

Joe Harris immediately answers with a layup to get the Nets lead up to 75-70.

4:24 – Jimmy Butler gets called for traveling, and it sends us into a timeout with the score still Brooklyn 75, Philadelphia 70 with 5:25 remaining in an entertaining third quarter.

4:34 – After getting an offensive rebound and bucket, Ed Davis has to leave the game after he landed wrong on his foot. He’s off to the locker room with 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, and he’s been great this afternoon, especially with Jarrett Allen in foul trouble. Meanwhile, Ben Simmons misses a pair of free throws for the Sixers, and they’re down 89-78 as we approach the end of the third quarter.

4:37 – The third quarter draws to a close with more booing from the Sixers fans because the score’s Brooklyn 93, Philadelphia 82. Jimmy Butler’s up to 32 points, but he is still waiting for more help from his teammates. For the Nets, D’Angelo Russell came alive in the quarter, and has gotten himself up to 21 points, mostly by probing within the three point line and pulling up and hitting midrange jumpers.

4:42 – During the on court interview with Sixers coach Brett Brown, Caris LeVert gets underneath the hoop for a layup to start off the fourth quarter and put the Nets ahead, 95-82.

4:46 – Good ol’ Ed Davis is back in the game for the Nets, by the way. Good news for them, and fans of savvy role players alike.

4:48 – Caris LeVert puts in a three! It sends us into a timeout with the score Brooklyn 100, Philadelphia 86 with 8:40 left in the game. I’m very happy for ol’ Caris, who was ballin’ earlier in the season, but suffered a terrible injury, and hadn’t been the same since returning. He’s looking back to his old self this afternoon. A welcome development for the Nets.

4:51 – Jonah Bolden is on the floor for the Sixers, a sign that Embiid might be done for the afternoon.

4:55 – D’Angelo Russell hits another one from midrange, and Sixers fans might riot with the score Brooklyn 104, Philadelphia 88 with 6:20 remaining.

4:58 – Doris Burke unloads on Amir Johnson and Joel Embiid, who are sitting on the bench peaking at a cell phone while the Sixers are getting punched in the mouth. As we return to action, Embiid’s back on the floor.

Look what you’ve done, guys.

5:00 – Amir Johnson, and his cell phone, presumably, is seen heading to the locker room.

Meanwhile, JJ Redick commits his sixth and final foul and leaves the game with five points on 2-7 shooting. The foul sends D’Angelo Russell to the line, where he splits the free throws to give the Nets a 105-92 lead.

5:04 – We’re having a flagrant foul review after Mike Scott fouls Jared Dudley pretty hard. I’m not sure if I’d call it a flagrant, but then again, I long for the days when Kevin McHale can clothesline Kurt Rambis and not get thrown out of the game.

5:05 – After a lengthy review, it is classified as a common-ass foul.

5:07 – We’ve got a timeout with 3:08 remaining and the score Brooklyn 109, Philadelphia 96. I believe the Sixers have run out of time this afternoon.

5:10 – Another timeout now with the score still Brooklyn 109, Philadelphia 96, this time with 2:47 remaining as cell phone speculation, and lack of a viable Sixers comeback, has derailed attention to the game itself.

5:14 – And another timeout with the score Brooklyn 111, Philadelphia 100 with 1:47 left. The Nets called it after the Sixers trapped them in the backcourt. Let’s just get this one done so we can move onto Magic-Raptors, all right?

5:18 – This one is over with a final score of Brooklyn 111, Philadelphia 102 as the angry boos of the Sixers fans rain down upon the court.

Jimmy Butler led the Sixers with 36 points and 9 rebounds. Joel Embiid had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks, but don’t let that fool you. He was not great this afternoon, and shot just 5-15 from the floor. Tobias Harris was nowhere to be found with 4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, and Ben Simmons wasn’t much better, with 9 points and 7 rebounds.

D’Angelo Russell came alive in the second half, finishing with 26 points to lead the Nets. Caris LeVert added 23 off the Brooklyn bench, and Ed Davis chipped in with 12 points and 16 boards.

That was a concerning performance from the Sixers they played without energy and cohesion, unlike the Nets, who showed up ready to rock, never looked intimidated (even when the Sixers made it a close game in the third) and remained in control throughout the game.

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5:19 – We’re immediately whisked to Toronto for Game 1 between the Raptors and Magic, just in time for Kawhi Leonard to begin the scoring with a jumper to give the Raptors a 2-0 lead. Ryan Ruocco and Chauncey Billups will narrate the action.

5:20 – DJ Augustin knots the score at two apiece with a floater to get the Magic on the board.

5:26 – We’ve got our first timeout in Toronto with the score Raptors 11, Magic 8 with 7:04 left in the first quarter.

This marks the playoff return of Kawhi Leonard, who of course missed the postseason last year during his lost season with the Spurs. It’s great to have him back. Speaking of playoff returns, it’s the Magic’s first trip to the postseason since the Dwight Howard era, which seems like it was 43 years ago, but I assure you, included this decade.

The Raptors have high hopes this postseason, with old enemy LeBron James no longer around to end their season. One of their biggest problems is always shaking off the Ghosts of Playoffs Past. Is this year finally their year? Who knows, but I say that the Raptors will always be the Raptors until proven otherwise.

As for the Magic, not unlike the Nets, they’re a hard playing younger team, and they closed out the regular season on a tear. Toronto has a proud history of losing Game 1 of the playoffs, and the Magic are hoping that tradition carries on.

5:37 – After an offensive foul on Wes Iwundu, we’ve got a timeout with the score Toronto 19, Orlando 18 with 2:46 left in the first quarter.

I forgot to mention earlier, the Raptors are starting the playoffs without key reserve OG Anunoby, who had an emergency appendectomy the other night!

Kawhi’s got 11 points on 4-4 shooting, while the rest of the Raptors have 8 points on 4-13 shooting.

5:46 – The first quarter comes to an end with the score Toronto 30, Orlando 25. Kawhi Leonard’s 11 points on 4-4 shooting leads the Raptors, and DJ Augustin had nine to lead the Magic. Toronto seems ready for action, shooting 54.5% from the floor. The Magic have kept it close, but it seems precarious. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raptors built up a nice lead by halftime.

Meanwhile…

5:50 – Serge Ibaka gets the first points of the second quarter, hitting a hook shot to put the Raptors up, 32-25.

5:53 – Kyle Lowry takes a charge from Terrence Ross and appears to have taken a knee to the nuts. A doubled over Lowry heads to the bench as we head to a timeout with the score Toronto 34, Orlando 27 with 9:38 left until halftime. Hopefully Lowry’s okay.

Meanwhile…

5:57 – We’re back to the action and Kyle Lowry remains on the floor for the Raptors.

6:05 – We’re here at a timeout, following a three from Evan Fournier, and instead of building a nice lead, the Raptors are actually behind, with the score Orlando 48, Toronto 41 with 2:54 left until halftime. The Magic have ramped up the defense, using their superior length to jump out on Raptors players every time they think they’ve found the open man. On top of that, Orlando’s started making some shots to jump ahead.

6:13 – Danny Green knocks down a three just before the buzzer, ending the first half with an 8-0 Raptors run, and it came not a moment too soon with the score Orlando 57, Toronto 49.

Kawhi Leonard still leads the Raptors with 11 points, but he’s missed his last five shots after that 4-4 start. Pascal Siakam is right behind him with ten. Kyle Lowry, on the other hand, has zero points on 0-4 shooting. DJ Augustin leads the Magic with 19, and Evan Fournier’s chipped in with ten.

The Raptors are lucky to have ended the half on that run, as there was a definite, “Oh God, it’s happening again,” vibe in the crowd which has witnessed many the Game 1 disappointment. The Magic are playing disruptive defense and caught fire from the floor. As the Nets did before them, can they keep it until the end?

6:31 – Kawhi Leonard gets the first bucket of the second half, cutting the Raptors deficit down to 57-51 and giving the Raptors a 10-0 run dating back to the first half.

6:33 – Leonard pulls up and drains a three from straightaway, and we’ll have a timeout with the score now Orlando 59, Toronto 58 with 8:48 left in the third quarter. Obviously, a big stretch looms on the other side of this timeout. Can the Magic calm down and get back to playing the way they did in the second quarter, or have the Raptors regained control?

6:37 – Now Marc Gasol puts in a straightaway three, and the Raptors have regained the lead at 61-59.

6:40 – A Magic turnover leads to a breakaway dunk from Pascal Siakam, extending the Raptors lead to 63-59. It’s now a 22-2 run for Toronto.

6:41 – Nikola Vucevic puts in a pair of free throws as the Magic try to keep this close as the Raptors fans give us our first “REFS, YOU SUCK” chant of the playoffs. That is an all time lame-ass chant. The proper chant after a crummy call is of course “BULLSHIT!”

6:42 – Pascal Siakam cleans up a miss from Kyle Lowry and puts it in, but it’s answered by Evan Fournier to keep the Magic down two, at 65-63.

6:43 – Siakam comes right back by slithering to the hoop for a layup, giving the Raptors a 67-63 advantage.

6:44 – DJ Augustin splits a pair of free throws, and the Magic trail, 67-64. No “REFS, YOU SUCK!” chant this time.

6:45 – Danny Green hits a step-back long two pointer, and Toronto’s lead goes up to 69-64.

Wes Iwundu answers with a corner three to keep the Magic within one possession, trailing 69-67.

6:46 – Kawhi Leonard works his way into the paint and to the hoop for a basket, plus a foul! He misses the free throw, however, but the Raptors are ahead, 71-67.

6:48 – Two free throws from Wes Iwundu makes this a two point games again, with the Magic down, 71-69.

6:50 – Marc Gasol goes 1-2 from the line to inch the Raptors lead up to 72-69.

6:51 – Danny Green sidesteps Terrence Ross as he goes flying by and knocks down a three to push the Raptors ahead, 75-69.

6:52 – We’re heading into a timeout after a foul with the score Toronto 75, Orlando 71 with 1:56 left in the third quarter. The Raptors have certainly stepped it up, but the Magic, to their credit, haven’t fallen off a cliff and remain in the game.

6:57 – Terrence Ross, after being fouled trying to dunk all over Serge Ibaka, knocks down his free throws as the Magic continue to hang in there, behind 76-73.

On their next trip down the court, Jonathan Isaac hits a jumper, and we’re back to a one point game with the Magic down, 76-75.

6:59 – The third quarter comes to an end with the score Toronto 76, Orlando 75. Pascal Siakam and Kawhi Leonard each have 18 points to lead the Raptors, while Kyle Lowry remains scoreless on 0-5 shooting. DJ Augustin has 20 to lead Orlando, and Aaron Gordon’s contributed 7 points and 10 boards. All star Nikola Vucevic is shooting just 2-10, but the Magic have impressively kept this one close as the Raptors seemed like they were getting ready to take control. Hopefully it means we’re in store for a great finish, keeping in mind that the longer the Magic hang around, the more nervous the Raptors crowd will become.

7:04 – Evan Fournier has a shot attempt blocked, but as it heads towards the hoop, Khem Birch flies in and dunks it home to score the first points of the fourth quarter, giving the Magic a 77-76 lead!

7:05 – Terrence Ross finds Birch in the paint for a layup, plus a foul! He misses the free throw, but the Magic lead has been extended to 79-76.

7:06 – Serge Ibaka ties us up at 79 with a three. Michael Carter-Williams, noted horrible shooter, cans a three from the corner, and the Magic are on an 11-3 run, giving them an 82-79 lead.

7:07 – Fred Van Vleet answers with a three, but Carter-Willams gets to the hoop for a layup, and the Magic stay ahead, for now, at 84-82.

7:08 – Pascal Siakam puts in a jumper, giving himself 20 points, and tying us back up at 84.

7:09 – Kyle Lowry outlets a pass down the court to Fred Van Vleet for a layup, and the Raptors go back ahead, 86-84.

7:10 – While an injured Michael Carter-Williams bleeds on the floor after being slapped in the nose by Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell extends the Raptors lead to 88-84 on the other end, sending us into a timeout. Carter-Williams then gets up and charges across the court to angrily show the refs his bleeding nose, demanding to know why a foul wasn’t called! All sorts of excitement happening with 6:43 left in the game.

7:14 – As we return to action, Carter-Williams is back in the Magic locker room with his bloody nose.

7:17 – Aaron Gordon hits a corner three as the Magic refuse to go away, trailing 90-89.

7:18 – Kawhi Leonard nails a fadeaway, and the Raptors get their lead up to 92-89, but Nikola Vucevic, quiet all evening, answers with a three to tie us up at 92!

Then, after a Leonard turnover, Evan Fournier is found down the court for a dunk, and the Magic are back in front, 94-92! It’s a 10-2 run for Orlando.

7:19 – Michael Carter-Williams returns to the Magic bench as his team forces a shot clock violation against the Raptors.

7:20 – We’re going to have a timeout with the score still Orlando 94, Toronto 92 with 3:18 remaining. Remember the Ghosts of Playoffs Past I mentioned earlier when it comes to the Raptors?

7:24 – Marc Gasol takes a pass from Kyle Lowry and lays it in, tying us up at 94.

7:25 – Pascal Siakam drives to the hoop, misses, but then corrals his miss and puts it in, putting the Raptors ahead, but Jonathan Isaac hits a three from the corner on the other end, and the Magic lead, 97-96.

Evan Fournier then comes up with a steal, and takes it all the way in for a bucket, but Kawhi Leonard puts in a three, and we’re tied at 99!

7:26 – Leonard dribbles towards the baseline, pulls up, and hits a jumper over Aaron Gordon! We’re heading into a timeout with 62 seconds left in the game and the score Toronto 101, Orlando 99!

We’ve had six ties and seven lead changes here in the fourth. Now this is a playoff game!

7:29 – DJ Augustin gets to the hoop for a layup! We’re tied at 101.

After Kawhi Leonard finds Marc Gasol in the corner, the big Spaniard misses the three! The Magic take the ball down the court without calling a timeout. DJ Augustin whittles down the clock, rises up, and hits a three!! We’ll have a timeout with the score now Orlando 104, Toronto 101 with 3.4 seconds to go!

7:31 – Kyle Lowry inbounds to Kawhi Leonard who…..air balls a three! There’s 0.5 seconds left, and Orlando has its 104-101 lead! They take a timeout.

7:33 – The Magic inbound the ball to Nikola Vucevic, and the clock expires! Our final score: Orlando 104, Toronto 101.

Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 25 points and 6 rebounds, and Pascal Siakam added 24 and 9. Kyle Lowry finished the game with 0 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists on 0-7 shooting.

For the Magic, DJ Augustin had 25 points, 6 assists and the game winner. Aaron Gordon added 10 points and 10 boards in his first playoff game.

What an impressive win for the Magic. They withstood the Raptors run in the second half, and not only survived it, they wrestled the game back away. Now, both the Eastern Conference 6th seed and 7th seed nabbed Game 1 wins on the road. An unexpected, but exciting development.

For the Raptors, after years of playoff flame outs and disappointments, they traded franchise cornerstone DeMar DeRozan in the offseason for Kawhi Leonard, only to open this postseason with more playoff deja vu. Playoff ghosts are real, fam.

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Oh, and if you’re still interested, the Sixers have fined Amir Johnson for fuckin’ with his phone on the bench.

Now we’ve got a bit of a break in the action until our next game between the Warriors and the Clippers in the Western Conference 1-8 matchup. The Clippers are massive, massive underdogs against the current NBA dynasty, but like our first two underdogs, they play hard as a cohesive unit. At times this season, the mighty Warriors have seemed weary and worn down from being the top dogs for so long, but nobody expects them to have too much trouble with the Clippers. It’d really be something if we saw another underdog take Game 1 on the road, especially in these circumstances.

7:45 – We’ve switched over from ESPN to WMUR, Manchester, New Hampshire’s ABC affiliate, to watch the last 15 minutes of an episode of Elementary before coverage of Warriors-Clippers begins.

8:00 – The familiar voice of Mike Breen kicks off NBA Countdown on ABC, and he’s of course joined by Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. The first two ESPN/ABC announcing crews were great today, but now we’re about to sit through the worst. Hopefully the Clippers keep this game close so these three knuckleheads don’t go off on any ridiculous non-game related tangents.

8:02 – I forgot! This will be DeMarcus Cousins’ first playoff appearance! I’m excited to see what Playoff Boogie is all about.

8:19 – I think this game is finally about to start.

8:21 – The Clippers win the opening tip, and we’re underway out in Oakland for Game 1 between Golden State and Los Angeles.

8:22 – Danilo Gallinari kicks off the scoring with a long three to give the Clippers an opening 3-0 lead.

8:23 – Steph Curry finds DeMarcus Cousins for an easy dunk, and the Warriors are on the board, down 3-2.

8:25 – Kevin Durant finds Draymond Green for a dunk, and it’ll bring us our first timeout with the score Golden State 7, Los Angeles 5 with 8:45 left in the first quarter. I am going to take this opportunity to feed my cat.

8:37 – With Pat Beverly hounding the much taller Kevin Durant as he brings the ball up, the Warriors take a timeout with the score Golden State 15, Los Angeles 14 with 5:02 left in the first quarter as both teams are feeling each other out thus far.

8:48 – We’ve made it to the end of the first quarter with a score of Golden State 36, Los Angeles 27. Draymond Green leads the Warriors with 13 points on 5-5 shooting, and the crowd at The Oracle is fired up. If he’s going to be locked in like that offensively, this is going to be a long night for all of us. Montrezl Harrell has come off the bench to lead the Clippers with 11 points to help keep this one relatively close, but it’s quickly become clear that the Clippers don’t have anywhere near enough firepower to keep pace with Golden State.

8:52 – DeMarcus Cousins misses two shots, but sticks with the offensive boards, on on the third attempt, he puts it in to score the first points of the second quarter to put the Warriors up, 38-27.

8:57 – Well, the Clippers are now on a 10-0 to inspire a timeout with the score Golden State 38, Los Angeles 37 with 8:47 left until halftime. As usual, the Clippers bench is leading the way with Lou Williams at the forefront.

9:07 – Draymond Green lobs one up for Andre Iguodala who slams it down to bring us into another timeout with the score Golden State 45, Los Angeles 42 with 6:09 remaining in the second quarter.

9:23 – We’ve got a technical foul called against someone on the Clippers as they’re getting increasingly fed up with the refs. In a related story, after keeping it close throughout most of the second quarter, they’re down 13 as we approach halftime.

9:25 – We’ve reached halftime after a 14-3 Warriors run, and another technical foul against the Clippers! It appears to be on Patrick Beverely, and now Doc Rivers and a few other Clippers are still on the court screaming at the refs. This one went to hell quickly.

Anyway, our score’s Golden State 67, Los Angeles 56. Steph Curry’s got 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, so go ahead and put him on triple double watch. Draymond Green’s added 13 points and 7 assists.

For the Clippers, Montrezl Harrell has 22 points and 5 rebounds off the bench, and for awhile, was keeping LA in the game. Lou Williams has 15 points and 5 assists, also off the Clippers bench, but they also have three starters who haven’t scored, and they became unglued by the end of the half due to frustration with the refs. If you’re focusing that much on the refs when trying to battle the Warriors, you’re never going to win.

9:38 – Our friends up at WMUR Channel 9 in Manchester, New Hampshire just ran a test of the Emergency Alert System. Seems like everything’s in working order.

9:41 – The second half begins with Klay Thompson shooting the technical free throw from that one on the Clippers bench. He hits it, and the Warriors go up, 70-56.

9:44 – Patrick Beverly is now mocking Kevin Durant, saying that he’s flopping and and waving his arms around wildly in imitation. Durant just smirks at him as he inbounds the ball.

9:48 – Kevin Durant ruins a Danilo Gallinari fast break by breaking up his layup attempt and sending the ball out of bounds, off Gallinari. Unfortunately, in the process, Durant took a knee to the ribs, and has to head to the bench as the Warriors take a timeout with the score Golden State 77, Los Angeles 67 with 7:41 left in the third quarter.

9:51 – We’re back and so is Durant as action continues out in Oakland.

9:57 – A Kevin Durant layup sends us into a timeout with the score Golden State 83, Los Angeles 71 with 4:36 left in the third quarter. The only thing keeping this game interesting is the potential for some sort of ruckus between the Clippers and the refs, or Patrick Beverly and all of the Warriors.

10:10 – The third quarter comes to an end with the score Golden State 96, Los Angeles 79. Steph Curry’s up to 30 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists on 8-11 shooting. It doesn’t get much more efficient than that. Montrezl Harrell has 24 points and 5 rebounds for the Clippers, and Lou Williams has 23 and 5 assists, but this one’s slipped away from them.

10:15 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (now there’s a name I hope I don’t have to type often), opens the fourth quarter by hitting a three, but the Clippers have heavy work ahead, trailing 98-82.

10:16 – Andre Iguodala gets a steal and takes it the rest of the way for a dunk. It’ll bring us into a timeout with the score Golden State 102, Los Angeles 85 with 10:10 remaining.

10:24 – After yet another Warriors turnover (they’re up to 19 on the night), Montrezl Harrell takes the ball in for a dunk, and the Warriors take a timeout with the score Golden State 102, Los Angeles 89 with 8:10 to go. This has been one of those games where the Warriors have done just about everything right except take care of the ball.

10:29 – DeMarcus Cousins gets called for an offensive foul, and it’s his sixth, bringing his first playoff game to an end. He finishes the night with 9 points and 9 rebounds on 4-12 shooting in what was an uninspiring outing.

10:30 – Steph Curry knocks down a three to become the NBA’s all time leader in playoff three pointers. It’s got the Warriors up, 108-92.

10:32 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander puts in a three, and it’ll send us into a timeout with the score Golden State 108, Los Angeles 95 with 5:37 left in the ballgame. I guess the Clippers aren’t technically out if it, but they also haven’t felt in this one for a long time.

10:35 – Now Patrick Beverly and Kevin Durant all each called for technical fouls.

Beverly’s definitely done more harm than good tonight.

10:36 – Now both Beverly and Durant have been tossed! Durant fouled him reaching for the ball and Beverly fell out of bounds, after which Durant leaned over him with something to say. Beverly sprung right up to get into his face, but the ref came right in and immediately gave them both technicals, the second of the game for each of them, for an automatic ejection.

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10:41 – Andre Iguodala blocks a shot from Montrezl Harrell out of bounds, and we’ll have a time out with the score Golden State 114, Los Angeles 99 with 3:13 left in the game. Meanwhile, our final game of the evening, San Antonio at Denver, has gotten underway over on ESPN.

10:47 – We’re here at the end of the game with a final score of Golden State 121, Los Angeles 104.

Steph Curry finishes the night with 38 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists on 11-16 shooting. Kevin Durant notched 23 points before being thrown out.

Montrezl Harrell (26 points, 5 rebounds) and Lou Williams (25 points, 9 assists) were great off the Clippers bench, but received little help.

The Clippers were unable to keep their cool after keeping the game close for much of the first half. Some missed calls derailed them, and they never recovered. You just can’t fuck around like that against a team like the Warriors.

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10:51 – We’re back over on ESPN where the Spurs have an early 9-8 lead on the Nuggets. Out of all of the higher seeds here in the first round, the Nuggets seem to be the consensus pick for most vulnerable. Many of their top players are making their playoff debuts, and they struggled a bit down the stretch of the regular season. It doesn’t help that they’re playing San Antonio, one of the savviest, and playoff experienced teams around.

10:59 – We got a timeout after Marco Belinelli gets to the basket for a layup. It gives us a score of Denver 17, San Antonio 17 with 2:48 left in the first quarter.

11:09 – Here at the end of the first quarter, it’s San Antonio 25, Denver 20. Will Barton leads the Nuggets with six points so far, and both Bryn Forbes and Marco Belinelli lead the Spurs, also with six points.

11:13 – Paul Millsap, who has played in more playoff games than the rest of the Nuggets roster combined, hits a pair of free throws to begin the second quarter scoring, cutting Denver’s deficit down to 25-22.

11:15 – After a DeMar DeRozan jumper, we’ll have a timeout with the score San Antonio 29, Denver 22 with 10:51 left until halftime. Denver’s shooting just 7-25, including 1-10 from downtown.

11:27 – Gary Harris goes along the baseline and gets to the basket for a layup, sending us into a timeout with the score San Antonio 41, Denver 33 with 5:57 left until halftime. The Nuggets are in danger of letting this one slip away as the methodical Spurs have been able to keep the game under control so far.

11:33 – Harris hits a jumper, and once again sends us into a timeout with the score San Antonio 47, Denver 39 with 3:20 left in the first half. It seems like every time the Nuggets get within single digits, the Spurs will go ahead and call a timeout.

11:40 – We’re here at halftime with the score San Antonio 59, Denver 51. Jamal Murray and Will Barton each have ten to lead the Nuggets, while Nikola Jokic has 7 rebounds and 9 assists, but just 4 points on 1-3 shooting. They’ll need him to look for his shot more in the second half if Denver’s going to make any progress here.

Meanwhile, the Spurs have four players in double figures, led by Rudy Gay and his 12 points off the bench. DeMar DeRozan has 11, and Bryn Forbes & Derrick White each have ten. So far, San Antonio’s been maintaining an 8-12 point lead, calling a timeout every time the Nuggets seem to be gathering even the slightest amount of momentum.

On top of that, I have to say, it’s been a bit of a lackluster home crowd over at the Pepsi Center. It’s weirdly quiet in the arena. The Sixers fans might have been a little quick to start violently booing their own team, but at least they weren’t quiet.

11:55 – Derrick White begins the second half with a jumper, pushing the Spurs lead back up to double digits at 61-51.

12:00 am – Nikola Jokic flings the ball out to Will Barton for a three, and the Nuggets are doing their best to hang around with the score San Antonio 62, Denver 57 with 9:42 left in the third quarter. Jokic’s up to ten assists.

12:04 – Will Barton twists his way in for a layup, and it’s a one possession game with the Nuggets down, 62-59.

12:07 – After four straight missed threes by the Nuggets that would have tied the game, Derrick White storms down the court and throws down a bug dunk on Paul Millsap, plus a foul! He front rims the free throw, but the dunk was awesome at least, and it pushes the Spurs lead up to 64-59.

12:09 – We’ve got a timeout now with the score still San Antonio 64, Denver 59 with 5:43 left in the third. The Nuggets have been able to keep it close, but they just can’t get over the hump. Those four missed threes certainly hurt.

12:20 – The third quarter comes to an end with a score of San Antonio 72, Denver 68. Will Barton has 15 points for the Nuggets, and Nikola Jokic is approaching a triple double with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Rudy Gay and Derrick White each have 14 for the Spurs.

The Nuggets are still in this one, but they’re going to have to start hitting some shots, as opportunity after opportunity to make some headway has come and gone with a missed shot, punctuated by a 3-21 mark from beyond the arc.

12:26 – Patty Mills hits a jumper for the first points of the fourth quarter, extending the Spurs lead to 74-68.

12:27 – The Nuggets finally hit a three, and it’s from Torrey Craig, who makes this a one possession game with Denver behind, 75-73.

12:28 – Davis Bertans is fouled shooting a three. He goes 2-3 from the line and the Spurs lead goes up to 77-73.

12:29 – Malik Beasley attacks the basket, draws a foul and gets the bucket. He misses the free throw, however, and instead of a one possession game, it’s a 79-75 deficit for the Nuggets as they continue to be unable to get over the hump.

12:34 – Torrey Craig hits another three, and it’ll bring us to a timeout with the score San Antonio 83, Denver 80 with 7:29 left in the ballgame. Will this be the time that the Nuggets finally make some progress, or are some more missed shots and free throws in store for us?

12:37 – Bryn Forbes knocks down a three to double the Spurs lead up to 86-80.

12:38 – In his playoff debut, Nikola Jokic now has a triple double after a layup. He’s got 10 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, but the Nuggets are behind, 86-82.

12:39 – Gary Harris knocks down a three, and it’s a one point game with the Nuggets down, 88-87.

DeMar DeRozan answers on the other end with a jumper, and the Spurs lead, 90-87.

12:40 – Davis Bertans hits a three, and we’ll head into a timeout with the score San Antonio 93, Denver 87 with 4:45 to go. In the meantime, the Nuggets missed yet another potential game tying three. Although we’ve focused on Denver’s unfortunate shooting, DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge have combined to shoot a crummy 11-32 from the field. Either way, whoever loses this game is going to be kicking themselves over the missed opportunities they had, although the Spurs role players are doing a much better job making up for their stars shortcomings.

12:46 – A Patty Mills jumper gets that Spurs lead back to six, and sends us into another timeout with the scoreboard reading San Antonio 95, Denver 89 with 3:21 left in the game.

12:47 – Jamal Murray misses a floater, but he steals the rebound away from Rudy Gay, gets a layup and a foul! He hits the free throw, too, and it’s back to a three point game with the Nuggets down, 95-92.

12:49 – After yet another missed potential game tying three, DeMar DeRozan knocks down a jumper to extend the Spurs lead to 97-92.

12:50 – Two Gary Harris free throws gets the Nuggets back to within three, trailing 97-94.

12:51 – Jamal Murray gets a bucket, and folks, it’s a one point game with the Nuggets down, 97-96.

12:52 – After the ball goes out of bounds off the Spurs, we got a timeout with the score San Antonio 97, Denver 96 with a mere 55.7 seconds left on the clock.

12:54 – After DeMar DeRozan misses a jumper from the free throw line, the Nuggets secure the rebound and call a timeout with 13.3 seconds left and the score still San Antonio 97, Denver 96. The Nuggets will have a chance to win the game here.

12:56 – The Nuggets inbound to Jamal Murray, who comes around a screen from Nikola Jokic and….misses the jumper! LaMarcus Aldridge grabs the rebound, and is fouled, sending him to the free throw line with 6.9 seconds left, and the Nuggets are out of timeouts.

12:57 – Aldridge hits both free throws, making it 99-96, Spurs. On their way up the court, Jamal Murray loses the ball to Derrick White! Murray fouls him, but that’s going to wrap things up here in Denver in what will go down as a rough loss for the home team.

12:58 – White knocks down both of his free throws, and the Nuggets solemnly inbound the ball, finishing off a bitter defeat with a final score of San Antonio 101, Denver 96.

Gary Harris scored 20 to lead the Nuggets, and Will Barton added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Murray scored 17, but shot 8-24 and coughed up the ball on the game sealing play. Nikola Jokic had a triple double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, but honestly, the Nuggets could have used more offensive aggressiveness out of their big man.

DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

That was a rough one for the Nuggets. They had so many opportunities to jump ahead down the stretch, and just couldn’t put the ball through the hoop when they really needed to. The Spurs didn’t play particularly well themselves, but they did enough to come away with a win, making them the third of four lower seeds to begin their playoffs with a Game 1 win on the road.

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That does it for an intriguing start to the 2019 playoffs. There were some major upsets throughout the day, providing the Nets, Magic and Spurs something to build on moving forward. The Sixers got booed at home, and had the goofy cell phone incident, and generally seemed to be in a bad way. The Raptors playoff woes returned once again, and we even had a couple of ejections. All in all, a worthy start to the playoffs. Hopefully we get more of the same tomorrow.

12/1/17 – Thrill Barton

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their tenth straight game, defeating the lowly Atlanta Hawks, 121-114. Dennis Schroder had 27 points and 5 assists for Atlanta, while Marco Belinelli came off the bench to score 22 on 8-11 shooting. It mattered not, as Kevin Love sprung for 25 points and 16 rebounds, and LeBron James chipped in with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 12 assists on 8-11 shooting.

“We know it’s 10 because everyone talks about it and everyone’s on social media and things of that nature,” said LeBron after the game. “But we understand how we got here. And that’s defense and the way we’ve been playing offensively. … If you win 10-plus games in any sport, major sport, that’s very, very good.”

The streak is the longest current winning streak in the NBA, and the Cavs will look to keep it going on Saturday against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies.

“Saturday, it’s another struggling team, and we understand that,” James added. “But we understand we’re going to get their best in Memphis, so we look forward to the challenge.”

The Denver Nuggets, already without Paul Millsap and Wilson Chandler, were dealt another blow last night when Nikola Jokic injured his ankle. It happened towards the end of the first half when he stepped on Jerian Grant’s foot, badly turning his ankle. He was fouled on the play, and was slated to shoot free throws, but he instead tried heading straight to the locker room. The Nuggets had to call a timeout, and veteran Richard Jefferson had to corral him, and explain that if he left the game without shooting his free throws, he’d be unable to return for the rest of the night.

“It was chaotic. It was a timeout, and he was saying he was done,” said Jefferson. “I was like, ‘Dude, if don’t go and shoot the free throws, one, the other team gets to pick who shoots them, and two, if you go back in the half and you start feeling a little better, you can’t come back.”’

It ended up not mattering. After Jokic sank his two throws, he left the game and was not seen again, finishing the night with 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in 15:55 of action. Thankfully, X-Rays were negative, and hopefully, all he has is a sprain. He’ll be looked at again today.

As for the game itself, it came down to a wild finish in the final seconds. First, Chicago’s Kris Dunn drove to the hoop for a layup with 9.6 seconds left to give the Bulls a 110-109 lead. But then…

Will Barton finished the night with a career high 37 points off the bench on 13-19 shooting, taking over in the absence of Jokic.

“There’s Will Barton and there’s Thrill Barton,” said Nuggets coach Mike Malone. “And tonight you saw Thrill Barton.”

“I was telling my teammates give me the ball and get out of the way,” said Thrill Barton after the game.

It was a big win for the Nuggets, who had to finish the game without their entire starting front court. A loss at home to the lowly Bulls would be too much to take, but Barton ensured that at least for one night, panic was averted. That being said, Denver cannot afford to go any significant amount of time without Jokic, who leads them in points, rebounds and assists.

In our Game of the Night, the Celtics pulled away from the Sixers down the stretch for a 108-97 victory. Kyrie Irving scored 36 to lead Boston, and as he often does, led the charge as the C’s put the game away.

“Some guys think a lot quicker than others. I was just fortunate enough that my mind works a lot quicker than other people in the fourth quarter,” explained Irving, whose quick mind has been known to postulate that the world is flat.

Marcus Smart had high praise for his teammate, and a comparison to last year’s heroics from Isaiah Thomas.

“It’s tremendous. Like I said about Isaiah, sometimes you just get caught watching the way he’s able to score the ball. [Irving] came in and it is refreshing to see a guy come in and give you what you need. He gets to where he wants to go. He doesn’t stop until he gets there. When you’ve got a player like that, it’s hard to stop.”

Al Horford added 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists on 9-12 shooting for Boston. The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, who is still restricted from appearing in the second night of a back to back.

Rounding out the night, the Jazz defeated the Clippers, 126-107, in a battle between injury plagued teams, and the Bucks got a win on the road in Portland, 103-91.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Detroit Pistons at Washington Wizards (7:00 pm, League Pass)

The Wizards, a team that considers itself a major player in the East (just ask them), have stumbled out of the gate, and are currently without the services of John Wall, a predicament that might send them spiraling further down the Eastern standings. They’ve lost five of their last seven as they suffer through these trying times. Meanwhile, much has been made of the Pistons fine play of late. Winners of four of their last five games, they seem to be getting better and better each night. They’ll be looking to continue the trend against a team currently headed in the opposite direction.

Another intriguing matchup is between the Raptors and the Pacers. Toronto’s been flying under the radar a bit this season, but they’ve won six of their last eight and have been looking like their usual solid selves. The Pacers will be looking to bounce back after a big loss to the Rockets, which snapped them back to reality after having won seven of their last nine coming into that game. Nevertheless, they’ve been one of the league’s pleasant surprises this season, and they’ll face another good test against the steady Raptors at 7:30 pm on League Pass.

 

 

11/5/17 – Rounding Into Form

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

As is always the case, the New Orleans Pelicans were led by Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins as they defeated the Bulls, 96-90, in overtime. Cousins had 25 points and 11 rebounds, despite shooting 6-20, and Anthony Davis had 27 & 16 on 11-17 shooting. It was not the greatest win, even the Pelicans can expect to not have as tough a time against the Bulls, but they’ll take it.

In our Game of the Night, the Warriors continued their upward trend, taking care of business with a 127-108 victory over the Nuggets. It’s their third straight big win over worthy opponents. They’ve defeated the Spurs, Clippers, and now Denver, by a combined 67 points, and all of these games have been on the road. The Nuggets were able to keep it close at halftime, thanks to a 24-5 run to kick off the second quarter. However, the Warriors stormed out of halftime, outscoring the Nuggets 43-21 in the third to take control of the game.

None of Denver’s starters scored in double-digits, and they were led by 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench from Will Barton. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and Steph Curry scored 22 and dished out 11 assists.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was quite pleased, saying, “Obviously, we’re rounding into form, and we kind of turned the corner on this trip.”

That is a scary thought for the rest of the league.

Detroit continued their hot start with a 108-99 win over the lowly Sacramento Kings. Avery Bradley had 24 points on 10-15 shooting to lead the Pistons, and Andre Drummond scored 16 and grabbed 19 rebounds. The game was tight until Detroit utilized a 14-3 third quarter run to pull ahead.

The Grizzlies got a strong performance from their bench, as Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Brandan Wright and Chandler Parsons combined for 55 points to help Memphis come away with a 113-104 afternoon victory over the Clippers. Los Angeles got 30 points and 11 rebounds from Blake Griffin, but Memphis shot 13-31 from downtown and played just a little better than the Clippers.

Finally, Dallas achieved the unfortunate distinction of becoming the first team to reach ten losses, falling to the Timberwolves, 112-99. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for Minnesota, with 31 points and 12 rebounds.

For the Mavericks, the loss puts them at 1-10, a record they haven’t been since the 1993-94 season, a dark time in Mavericks history which saw them go 13-69, after going 11-71 the year before. Hopefully they’re not heading towards a repeat of those trying times.

THE NIGHT AHEAD

Game of the Night – Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic (6:00 pm, League Pass)

The Magic are off to a surprisingly good start, but they’re coming off a yucky 105-83 loss to the lowly Chicago Bulls. They face a tough test against the team with the best record in the NBA, the Boston Celtics, winners of seven straight after their big second half comeback over the Thunder the other night.