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SPORTSSaturday 18 April 2015
Let the championship chase begin: it’s NBA playoff time
ANTONIO GONZALEZ Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) whose Warriors clinched
AP Basketball Writer during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. home-court advantage
New Orleans and Brooklyn throughout the playoffs a
are in the NBA playoffs. In- Associated Press couple weeks ago. “Every-
diana and Oklahoma City thing we’ve gone through
are out. And while San Orlando and getting a out. wipe your hands clean to this point will hopefully
Antonio slipped to sixth in boost with Memphis’ win — No. 3 Los Angeles Clip- and then you give it an- prepare us for this journey.”
the loaded Western Con- over a Pacers team that pers will face the Spurs. other go.” A few familiar faces won’t
ference, the defending watched Paul George get — No. 2 Houston hooks up Indeed, the Warriors (67- be part of these playoffs.
champions are looking helped off the floor again, with seventh-seeded Dal- 15) whipped the competi- Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant,
awfully dangerous again. this time with just a sore left las tion in the regular season, Dwyane Wade and Car-
Forget the 82-game grind calf, the team said. — No. 5 Memphis meets setting a franchise record melo Anthony are among
of the past six months. Atlanta, the top seed in the No. 4 Portland, which won for wins. Kerr could be NBA those who will be watch-
There are no more back- East, opens against Brook- the Northwest Division to Coach of the Year and ing after getting injured or
to-back sets, no more un- lyn. LeBron James and the finish with a higher seed Curry might be MVP, but coming up short with their
even schedules, no more Cavaliers begin with Bos- but will start on the road only the team that wins teams — or both.
excuses. ton. Chicago meets Mil- because of the Grizzlies’ 16 more games gets to lift The Knicks missed out on
The playoff brackets are waukee, and Toronto takes better record. the Larry O’Brien Trophy as the best chance to land
set. Everybody’s on equal on Washington. “If you get in, it’s a whole confetti falls from the raf- the No. 1 pick in the draft
ground. It’s time to crown In the wild, wacky West, a new season,” Nets forward ters. lottery; the Timberwolves
a champion. logjam between second Joe Johnson said. “Every- “This is what we’ve been (16-66) won that honor with
“It’s like a new beginning,” and sixth is finally sorted body is 0-0 and then you waiting for,” said Curry, the league’s worst record.
Golden State Warriors The Lakers (21-61), who
coach Steve Kerr said. “It started in Minnesota in
feels like the first game of 1948, lost more games than
the season. You’re excited. any team in their storied his-
There’s a renewed energy tory. And after four straight
and a sense of urgency.” trips — and two titles — to
It took the final night of the the NBA Finals with James
regular season — with more leading the way, the un-
than half the games on the dermanned Miami Heat
closing docket loaded with are home already.
intrigue — to clear up the James found his way home
cluttered playoff picture. to Northeast Ohio last sum-
Stephen Curry and the top- mer.
seeded Warriors will face The four-time MVP will try
Anthony Davis and the again to end the longest
Pelicans in a best-of-seven title drought for any North
series starting Saturday af- American city with three
ter New Orleans snapped professional sports franchis-
San Antonio’s 11-game es. Cleveland hasn’t won
winning streak Wednes- a championship since the
day night. That ran Russell Browns beat the Baltimore
Westbrook — who sealed Colts for the 1964 NFL title,
the NBA scoring title — and but there’s renewed hope
the depleted Thunder out that James, Kyrie Irving
of the postseason and into and Kevin Love can do
the draft lottery. what previous Cavs teams
“A month-and-a-half ago, couldn’t.
nobody thought we would “We’ve been playing the
be in this position,” Pelicans right way — win, lose or
coach Monty Williams said. draw — we’ve played the
“So many people counted right way,” James said.
us out ... We got here.” “We’ve stuck to our system
In the East, the Nets nudged and I think it’s built some
their way in by outlasting great habits for us.”q
SPORTSSaturday 18 April 2015
Let the championship chase begin: it’s NBA playoff time
ANTONIO GONZALEZ Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, right, shoots over Portland Trail Blazers’ Nicolas Batum (88) whose Warriors clinched
AP Basketball Writer during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. home-court advantage
New Orleans and Brooklyn throughout the playoffs a
are in the NBA playoffs. In- Associated Press couple weeks ago. “Every-
diana and Oklahoma City thing we’ve gone through
are out. And while San Orlando and getting a out. wipe your hands clean to this point will hopefully
Antonio slipped to sixth in boost with Memphis’ win — No. 3 Los Angeles Clip- and then you give it an- prepare us for this journey.”
the loaded Western Con- over a Pacers team that pers will face the Spurs. other go.” A few familiar faces won’t
ference, the defending watched Paul George get — No. 2 Houston hooks up Indeed, the Warriors (67- be part of these playoffs.
champions are looking helped off the floor again, with seventh-seeded Dal- 15) whipped the competi- Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant,
awfully dangerous again. this time with just a sore left las tion in the regular season, Dwyane Wade and Car-
Forget the 82-game grind calf, the team said. — No. 5 Memphis meets setting a franchise record melo Anthony are among
of the past six months. Atlanta, the top seed in the No. 4 Portland, which won for wins. Kerr could be NBA those who will be watch-
There are no more back- East, opens against Brook- the Northwest Division to Coach of the Year and ing after getting injured or
to-back sets, no more un- lyn. LeBron James and the finish with a higher seed Curry might be MVP, but coming up short with their
even schedules, no more Cavaliers begin with Bos- but will start on the road only the team that wins teams — or both.
excuses. ton. Chicago meets Mil- because of the Grizzlies’ 16 more games gets to lift The Knicks missed out on
The playoff brackets are waukee, and Toronto takes better record. the Larry O’Brien Trophy as the best chance to land
set. Everybody’s on equal on Washington. “If you get in, it’s a whole confetti falls from the raf- the No. 1 pick in the draft
ground. It’s time to crown In the wild, wacky West, a new season,” Nets forward ters. lottery; the Timberwolves
a champion. logjam between second Joe Johnson said. “Every- “This is what we’ve been (16-66) won that honor with
“It’s like a new beginning,” and sixth is finally sorted body is 0-0 and then you waiting for,” said Curry, the league’s worst record.
Golden State Warriors The Lakers (21-61), who
coach Steve Kerr said. “It started in Minnesota in
feels like the first game of 1948, lost more games than
the season. You’re excited. any team in their storied his-
There’s a renewed energy tory. And after four straight
and a sense of urgency.” trips — and two titles — to
It took the final night of the the NBA Finals with James
regular season — with more leading the way, the un-
than half the games on the dermanned Miami Heat
closing docket loaded with are home already.
intrigue — to clear up the James found his way home
cluttered playoff picture. to Northeast Ohio last sum-
Stephen Curry and the top- mer.
seeded Warriors will face The four-time MVP will try
Anthony Davis and the again to end the longest
Pelicans in a best-of-seven title drought for any North
series starting Saturday af- American city with three
ter New Orleans snapped professional sports franchis-
San Antonio’s 11-game es. Cleveland hasn’t won
winning streak Wednes- a championship since the
day night. That ran Russell Browns beat the Baltimore
Westbrook — who sealed Colts for the 1964 NFL title,
the NBA scoring title — and but there’s renewed hope
the depleted Thunder out that James, Kyrie Irving
of the postseason and into and Kevin Love can do
the draft lottery. what previous Cavs teams
“A month-and-a-half ago, couldn’t.
nobody thought we would “We’ve been playing the
be in this position,” Pelicans right way — win, lose or
coach Monty Williams said. draw — we’ve played the
“So many people counted right way,” James said.
us out ... We got here.” “We’ve stuck to our system
In the East, the Nets nudged and I think it’s built some
their way in by outlasting great habits for us.”q
