BASKETBALL NBA ARTICLES

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the NBA playoffs as the favorites in the Eastern Conference despite an uneven regular season, but the inconsistency has continued in the postseason. The Cavs split the first two games of their first round series against the Pacers and look to be in for a hard fight the rest of the way.
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The Boston Celtics were a fashionable choice to get upset in the first round of the playoffs, but they have grabbed control of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks through two games. Boston won both games at home and can take a commanding lead with a Game 3 victory in Milwaukee. ... 

There has always been a measure of trepidation in believing in the Toronto Raptors to do well in the playoffs. The team has put together several consecutive regular seasons but has subsequently fallen short in the postseason. But this year could be different. The Raptors finished with the best record in the East in the regular season and have picked up two straight victories in their first-round matchup against the Washington Wizards.
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Did you know that you don’t have to limit your wagers to the full game in NBA betting? How many times have you had the right side in an NBA game only to have the other team get a backdoor cover? One way to avoid the backdoor cover is to bet quarters. You don’t have to worry about anything other than your team covering the spread for a single quarter. There are a number of advantages to NBA quarters betting. Let’s take a look at some of them. ... 

The Philadelphia 76ers’ long run of dominance is over, as their 17-game winning streak was snapped last time out. More importantly for the Miami Heat, a win last time out helped them knot the series up at one apiece.
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It was natural to be concerned for the Golden State Warriors as they drew the battle-tested San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. But thus far, there have been no worries at all. The Warriors have rolled in the first two games of this series and can step on San Antonio’s neck with a Game 3 win on the road.
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The Houston Rockets didn’t exactly hit on all cylinders in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they still managed to pull out a victory. The T-Wolves could be in trouble the rest of the way as they may have missed their chance to make this a competitive series. ... 

The Indiana Pacers pulled off the biggest upset of all the opening games in the postseason, as they went on the road and beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland entered the postseason as the favorite in the Eastern Conference despite only grabbing the No. 4 seed.
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The Golden State Warriors may have had their issues down the stretch of the regular season, dealing with injuries and uncharacteristic losses, but they found vintage form with the playoffs opening. The Warriors dominated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their first round matchup and look like they will cruise to the series victory.
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The New Orleans Pelicans made it be known on Saturday that they plan to give the Portland Trail Blazers a run for their money in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Pelicans pulled off the upset in the first game of the series and could take a commanding lead by knocking off Portland on the road once again.
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The Milwaukee Bucks have been a trendy pick to pull off a first-round upset in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and they nearly grabbed Game 1. Milwaukee forced overtime but the Celtics played well in the extra session to squeak out a victory and take a 1-0 series lead. ... 

The Philadelphia 76ers might be newcomers to the playoffs, but they looked like old pros in their first foray on Saturday. The 76ers blew out the No. 6 seed Miami Heat to take an early lead in their first round series and will aim to take a two-game lead when the teams meet once again in Philadelphia early next week. ... 

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not have the smoothest of regular seasons, finishing as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. Even though they are in a 4-5 matchup that is traditionally hard-fought, the Cavaliers are heavy favorites to knock off the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the postseason.... 

The Golden State Warriors’ title defense will begin with a tough first-round matchup against the No. 7 seed San Antonio Spurs. These teams are used to meeting deeper in the postseason, but an injury-plagued regular season dropped San Antonio to one of the final teams into the playoffs.... 

A strong finish helped the Oklahoma City Thunder vault to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, giving it home court advantage in the first round. The Utah Jazz lost its regular season finale to drop to the No. 5 seed. This should be one of the most intriguing series in the first round as it features a pair of wildly different teams.... 

The Portland Trail Blazers were not projected to finish with the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference when the season began, but here they sit heading into the playoffs. Damian Lillard has taken a big step toward superstardom and he has gotten some help from a solid supporting cast.... 

The Golden State Warriors enter the postseason dealing with injuries and without the top seed in the Western Conference, but they are still the favorites to defend their championship. The start of their journey is a tough one as the No. 2 seed Warriors have to face off against the No. 7 seed San Antonio Spurs.... 

The Houston Rockets finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA and are neck and neck with the Warriors as the team to beat in the playoffs. The Rockets will begin their journey in a matchup against the No. 8 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason.... 

The Toronto Raptors have made the playoffs in four consecutive years but the farthest they have gotten is the Eastern Conference Finals. This is their best chance yet at advancing to the NBA Finals and the journey will begin with a first-round matchup against the Washington Wizards. ... 

The Boston Celtics finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, but injuries have oddsmakers wondering how far they can go. The Celtics have been without star Gordon Hayward for nearly the entire season and also won’t have star Kyrie Irving the rest of the way. Boston should still be favored in the first round and it will be interesting to see how well it plays against the No. 7 seed Milwaukee Bucks.
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The Philadelphia 76ers enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NBA. Can the inexperienced up-and-comers keep it going when the heat turns up? The most intriguing team in the Eastern Conference has wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face off against the No. 6 seed Miami Heat in the first round. ... 

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished as only the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, but they have been listed as the favorites to once again advance to the NBA Finals. The faith in LeBron James remains extremely high as the oddsmakers believe he can lift up a team with flaws. The Cavaliers will begin their trek in the first round against a No. 5 seed Indiana Pacers team which will be a sizable underdog.
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A blazing hot winning streak has catapulted the Philadelphia 76ers into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, a spot that seemed impossible to reach a month ago. Philadelphia can stay there if it wins out and will be favored in its regular season finale in a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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The Western Conference jumble is coming down to the final games, as seven different teams can move up or down depending on their finishes. Two teams currently in line for home court advantage in the West are the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, but each could dip with a poor finish. Those two teams will face off in one of many critical matchups down the stretch.
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The Washington Wizards have dropped like a rock of late, and now are sitting in the final seed of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Washington is going to make the postseason but would love to move up as the regular season winds down. The Wizards’ only real chance at catching either the Heat or Bucks ahead of them is by winning next week against the Boston Celtics.
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