The 2019 postseason got underway on Saturday with a four-game slate leading off the first day. The action started with the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers taking on the No. 6 Brooklyn Nets in the first game and it wasn't exactly what many expected.
Even with Joel Embiid being in the starting lineup, the Sixers weren't able to get the job done as the Nets came away with a 111-102 win. D'Angelo Russell led the way for Brooklyn with 26 points on 10-of-25 shooting while Caris LeVert added 23 points off the bench. The Nets were aided by the fact that they connected on 11 of their 26 attempts from beyond the arc.
Also in the East, the No. 2 Toronto Raptors will attempt to start the postseason off on the right foot as they take on the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic. Kawhi Leonard will look to shoulder the scoring load and prove why Toronto traded for him last summer.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference will see the top-ranked Golden State Warriors begin their title defense against the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, who snuck into the playoffs despite trading Tobias Harris at the trade deadline.
Finally, the night is capped off with the No. 2 Denver Nuggets hosting the No. 7 San Antonio Spurs, which could end up being one of the more entertaining series of the opening round.
NBA schedule for Saturday, April 13
*All times Eastern
- Brooklyn Nets 111, Philadelphia 76ers 102 (Box Score)
- Orlando Magic at Toronto Raptors, 5 p.m. (GameTracker) | TV: ESPN
- Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. (GameTracker) | TV: ABC
- San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (GameTracker) | TV: ESPN
Embiid plays through contact and finishes tough layup
Joel Embiid put a less-than-stellar first half behind him and helped the Sixers chip into the deficit in a big way. In the third quarter, Embiid was able to muscle his way through contact and converted a scooping layup despite being fouled.
Butler hits buzzer-beating 3 to end first half
With Joel Embiid struggling, Jimmy Butler has put the Sixers on his back in the first half against the Nets. Butler knocked down a 3 from the wing to end the opening half and has scored 23 points so far for a Philadelphia team that desperately needed the scoring.
Dinwiddie blows by Marjanovic on baseline slam
Spencer Dinwiddie has really been a remarkable find for the Nets and continues to show why. With Boban Marjanovic guarding him in the corner, Dinwiddie decided to exploit the mismatch and threw down a baseline slam dunk as he blew by the Sixers big man.
Butler rejects Russell
The Nets' Jarrett Allen was able to block a Tobias Harris shot at the rim in the early going of Game 1. However, Jimmy Butler decided to return the favor and rejected D'Angelo Russell at the rim.
Allen denies Harris at the rim
Nets center Jarrett Allen has had a knack for blocking several high-profile players throughout the season. In the opening quarter, Allen was able to block a layup attempt from Tobias Harris as Harris cut to the basket.
Embiid available to play
Joel Embiid will end up playing in Game 1, after all. The big man has been made available after being listed as a game-time decision. His presence will only help Philly against its first-round opponent.
How to watch Game 1's on opening day
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) (Series breakdown)
- Date: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Wells Fargo Center -- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Online streaming: WatchESPN
- Odds: 76ers -7.5
Just two seasons ago, the Sixers and Nets were among the worst teams in the conference, so it's fair to say that both franchises have come a long way in a short period of time. Philly is coming off its second straight playoff appearance after getting bounced by the Boston Celtics in the second round last year. Brooklyn, meanwhile, is making its first playoff appearance since the 2014-15 season. Both will be looking to make some noise.
The two teams split the four games that they played over the course of the regular season, though the Sixers won the most recent meeting at the end of March -- Brooklyn simply didn't have an answer for Joel Embiid, who poured in 39 points along with 13 rebounds and six assists. It appears they won't have to deal with the star big man, who's listed as doubtful with a sore left knee.
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Orlando Magic (7) (Series breakdown)
- Date: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 5 p.m. ET
- Location: Scotiabank Arena -- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- TV channel: ESPN
- Live stats: GameTracker
- Online streaming: WatchESPN
- Odds: Raptors -8.5
Will this postseason be a different story for the Toronto Raptors? They've have had their sights set on the NBA Finals for the past few seasons, but have fallen short to the point where they've earned a reputation for severely underachieving on the big stage. This time around they have a new coach and a whole host of new players to help change their playoff fortunes. Their first challenge of the playoffs will be the Orlando Magic, who find their way back into the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
A playoff mainstay against a roster of greenhorns might look like an obvious mismatch, but crazy things can happen in the playoffs, when game plan and matchups become even more important.
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. L.A. Clippers (8) (Series breakdown)
- Date: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Location: Oracle Arena -- Oakland, California
- TV channel: ABC
- Online streaming: WatchESPN
- Odds: Warriors -12.5
The West's top-seeded Golden State Warriors will face off against the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. The defending champs will be looking to get through the Clippers and ultimately win their third consecutive title. Meanwhile, L.A.'s presence in the playoffs is somewhat of a surprise, especially after the team traded away Tobias Harris prior to the deadline. Thanks to some solid play from Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and others, however, the Clippers remain a formidable foe.
The Warriors took the regular-season series 3-1 over the Clippers, and will be looking to continue to have similar success against them in the playoffs.
Denver Nuggets (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7) (Series breakdown)
- Date: Saturday, April 13
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Pepsi Center -- Denver, Colorado
- TV channel: ESPN
- Online streaming: WatchESPN
- Odds: Nuggets -6
The No. 2 seeded Denver Nuggets (54-28) take on the No. 7 seeded San Antonio Spurs (48-34) in a first-round playoff series that could easily go either way.
While the idea of a No. 7 seed upsetting a No. 2 seed is quite rare, this is a different case -- both of these teams split their regular-season series, and while one has the far superior overall record, the other has the clear advantage in experience.
This series can be summed it up as simply as this -- will the Nuggets' superior talent and depth along with their home-court advantage prove to be the difference? Or will the Spurs' experience and the role of Gregg Popovich prove to be pivotal in a potential opening-round playoff upset?
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-scores-highlights-results-nets-sink-76ers-in-series-opener-raptors-host-magic-warriors-take-on/
2019-04-13 22:07:00Z
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