NBA playoffs schedule and results: Warriors thump Grizzlies, Wizards top Hawks

Curry, 27, has emerged as the NBA’s most gifted shooter the past few years . The league leader in three-pointers attempted and made over each of the past three seasons, Curry is willing to fire it up -- and make it -- from pretty much anywhere on the court.

Improving his ballhandling and understanding of the game over the past couple seasons, Curry has become almost impossible to guard. He can use a dribble-drive to blow right by a defender if he gets too close, and will make you pay with the jumper if you give him too much room.

It’s a still a bit early in the NBA Playoffs, or rather, there are still a lot of games that need to be played and a lot that can happen. But following the first games of the second round, there’s a clear favorite, not just in the Western Conference but in the NBA.

What does jump out is the final score, that 15-point differential, which was basically as close as Memphis ever got. The Warriors were able to win like that without getting ‘A’ games from any of their stars, so imagine what the final score will look like when they do.

The Warriors outscored the Grizzlies 22-14 in the third quarter and entered the fourth leading by 17. It was a deficit that Memphis could not come back from.

Nick Calathes gave an admirable effort, and he did a good job of staying in front of Stephen Curry, but he just doesn’t have the physical ability to make a difference while on the floor. Without Conley, Memphis has no one to create plays from the perimeter. Everything has go start with either Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol on the inside. That’s a strategy that can work for small stretches but not for an entire series, and especially not when playing a team like the Warriors. If Conley doesn’t make it back soon, this is going to be a very short series.

Stephen Curry just makes it all look so easy.

Like there he ruined two defenders and buried a three, and at no point did it look like he was even trying.

Everybody on the Grizzlies bench got a little bit of extra action after Draymond Green hit a three.

Is it worth it? Let Green work it.

Tony Allen does not seem to care what Warriors fans think about him, or what’s going on on the court during timeouts.

Oh, I’m sorry. Didn’t see you guys there.

It almost doesn’t feel fair watching Steph Curry play basketball against other human beings.

That should be illegal.

Clearly these Wizards don’t mind the travel. Behind Bradley Beal’s 28 points and John Wall’s 18-point, 13-assist, seven-rebound effort Washington was able to knock off No. 1 seed Atlanta 104-98 to take a 1-0 series lead. The victory marked the fourth straight time that the Wizards have won the first game of a playoff series on the road.

An 8-2 Wizards run to open the quarter cut Atlanta’s lead to four. The Hawks responded with a 7-0 run of their own, but Washington refused to back down. Entering the fourth quarter the Wizards trailed by two.

Paul Millsap did not see John Wall, but John Wall saw him.

Swatted!

With the Washington Wizards holding a slim lead in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks, star guard Bradley Beal fell to the ground in pain after twisting his ankle. He has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle and returned late in the fourth quarter.

Here’s a look at the play:

As of last Wednesday, he looked very beaten up when interviewed during the Grizzlies’ win in Game 5. His left eye was still swollen shut. Conley was already struggling with injury, playing though a foot issue and a wrist injury that could require surgery this offseason.

Conley participated in pregame warmups with the Grizzlies, but will not take the court during the game.

Nene is an NBA basketball player, but I’m not sure he wants any part of this Hawks fan given how angry he seems.

SIT DOWN. SIT DOWN. OKAY I’LL SIT DOWN.

John Wall left Game 1 of the Wizards’ second round series against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter with an apparent left wrist injury. Wall returned immediately after the commercial break but was grabbing his left wrist.

Wall was driving to the basket and hit the floor hard. Here’s a look at the play:

Why is Drew cryin’?

‘cause he just got dunked on in the Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Here’s how to watch:

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Both teams have been successful at running their styles even while opponents try to disrupt them, so this series may be decided at which team can stay true to themselves. However, the difference between these two is that the Warriors are also the NBA’s best regular season defense, allowing 98 points per 100 possessions, which allows them to shift styles more fluidly.

Here’s how to watch Sunday:

In a match between good defensive teams Atlanta’s superior shooting should give them the edge but the Washington’s size could create some complications for the East’s number one seed. Who gets easy buckets from extra possessions could determine who advances. The Hawks do it by forcing turnovers while the Wizards should look to crash the offensive glass against a subpar defensive rebounding squad.

We asked our Hawks site Peachtree Hoops and our Wizards site Bullets Forever to give us the lowdown on these two teams.