NBA’s two best teams in the regular season, the top seeds in their respective conferences, both lost their playoff openers and looked vulnerable." data-reactid="32">It was just a week ago when the sky was falling on the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. The two top teams in the NBA in the regular season, the first suits in their respective conferences, both lost their opening playoffs and looked vulnerable.
Not so much now.
NBA playoffs with victories on Wednesday at the Disney complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida." data-reactid="34">Order has been resolutely restored, the Bucks and Lakers have been a combined 6-0 since then – winning those games by an average of 15.8 points – and both teams can reach the second round of the NBA playoffs with wins Wednesday at Disney complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Bucks lead the Orlando Magic 3-1; the Lakers lead the Portland Trail Blazers 3-1. The other match in Wednesday’s tripleheader is Game 5 between the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder, that two-game series.
“Obviously, in Race 1, we were all disappointed with ourselves,” Milwaukee center Brook Lopez said Tuesday. “We felt we were not the team we are and capable of being. Every game, our commitment has been there ever since. … The bottom line is that we went out and competed much harder. “
The wake-up call also helped the Lakers. They’ve had some of their best bubble shows since leaving the first game, and now LeBron James has a chance to close another series. James’s teams went 5-5 on his first 10 winning chances of the series; since then I’m 30-5 in those situations.
“One thing about playing a team that is desperate, they understand that if they lose, they go home,” James said. “So, we have to be as desperate as they are.”
A look at the matches on Wednesday:
MAGIC VS. BUCKS
NBA TV." data-reactid="45">Milwaukee leads 3-1. Game 5, 4pm EDT, NBA TV.
– GOOD TO KNOW: If the Bucks win, the first round of the Eastern Conference would be completed in just 17 games. That would have been the fastest opening round, in both conferences, as the league went to the best-of-seven format in 2003. The East needed 19 games to get through Round 1 in 2002, when the first five rounds at best were still played.
– KEEP YOUR EYES: Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic already has three 30-point games in this series. The only other Orlando players to do so were Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady. No Magic player has four 30-point nights in the same series.
– INJURY WATCH: Orlando F. Aaron Gordon (strained left hamstring) is listed as questionable, having missed the first four games of the series. Magic manager Steve Clifford looked far from certain on Tuesday that Gordon would play.
– THE PRESSURE IS ON: The Bucks. Miami is resting and waiting for the second round, where it will face the winner of this series. Milwaukee was great in its two series closing opportunities last year, beating Detroit and Boston by a total of 48 points and would have benefited from a similar effort on Wednesday.
THUNDER VS. ROCKETS
Drawn series 2-2. Game 5, 6:30 pm EDT, TNT.
NBA history to make 100 in a single series. The record for any series is 95, set by the Rockets in the West semifinals last season." data-reactid="52">– GOOD TO KNOW: The Rockets already have 77 points of 3 points in this series, which puts them on pace to be the first team in NBA history to make 100 in a single series. The record for any series is 95, set by the Rockets in the Western semi-finals last season.
– KEEP AN EYE ABOVE: Oklahoma City Defense. The Thunder will give up on 3s; they all do it against the Rockets. But in the two Houston wins, Oklahoma City forced 14 turnovers. In the two Oklahoma City wins, the Thunder forced 30 turnovers.
– INJURY WATCH: Houston G. Russell Westbrook (quad) missed the first four games, and Rockets manager Mike D’Antoni said Tuesday that he remains listed as day-to-day.
– THE PRESSURE IS ACTIVE: Everyone. It’s 2-2. The margin for error is now slim for both sides.
TRAIL BLAZER VS. LAKERS
Lakers lead 3-1. Game 5, 9pm EDT, TNT.
– GOOD TO KNOW: LeBron James’ teams are 13-0 all-time in the first round series, on the verge of making that 14-0 and taking the Lakers to the second round for the first time since 2012. James walked out a winner in 57 of his 68 first-round career matches; Cleveland went 36-8 with him in those, Miami went 16-2.
– KEEP YOUR EYES: Lakers G Danny Green. He was 3 for 4 by 3 points in Game 4, suggesting he may be in a rhythm. Green isn’t a top scorer – his last 50 playoff games, all of which have begun, haven’t resulted in a single 20-point effort – but if teams have to protect him more closely, it’ll all get a lot easier for the Lakers.
– INJURY WATCH: Portland G Damian Lillard (right knee) received an MRI on Tuesday, the results of which could have a huge impact on the Blazers’ hopes of making a comeback in the series.
– THE PRESSURE IS ON: The Lakers. With the Houston-Oklahoma City series set to last until at least Friday, the Lakers are playing for rest and preparation time right now. Ending this in five games ensures they won’t play again until at least Sunday.
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NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports" data-reactid="63">More NBA APs: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
