NBA Playoffs schedule and results: Cavaliers, Spurs sweep into 2nd round

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

KNEE DEEP: Stephen Curry slipped on sweat and hurt his knee right before halftime in Game 4. The game went to the break tied. Curry tried to warm up for the second half, but instead returned to the locker room, looking dejected. So, the rest of the Warriors smoked the moribund Rockets by 27 in the second half to go up 3-1 in the series. Curry has a sprained MCL; we await a clear prognosis. Here’s Ethan Strauss on how The Other Warriors responded. And the incredible Marcus Thompson on the waiting game for Dub Nation.

Right now, no one knows his condition, although sitting out Game 5 seems like a safe bet. Diagnosing a timetable for Curry’s return is for actual team doctors, not the Internet. But what we do know very well, thanks to many similar cases repeated over time, is that sports are cruel and injuries are fickle. There are too many examples of a team seeming too good to beat before they fall ignominiously at the hands of an “unworthy” competitor. The Warriors won 73 games this season, more than anyone in the history of the league. If Curry’s out, they could lose in the second round and nobody would bat an eye.

But as admirable as their performance was, that was a half and this is the playoffs. Curry’s absence won’t inspire the team to success like his actual presence drives them to wins, not against any team besides the Rockets. Golden State began Monday as the favorites to win it all, and now, at least until there’s any word from Curry’s MRI tomorrow, doubt has been cast.

How’s that for paying attention?

He’s The King: This is why you shouldn’t disrespect LeBron

Talk about a swing in momentum!

Both teams need a win in this pivotal Game 4, so expect them to play with the urgency that the occasion demands.

Place: TD Garden