Russell Westbrook did us a huge favor on Sunday. He hit another clutch shot, this one to beat the Nuggets. That shot eliminated Denver from playoff contention, sewing up the No. 8 seed for the Portland Trail Blazers. (The Blazers thanked Westbrook for his kindness.) By doing that, the West’s NBA playoff bracket is set with only home court in the 4-5 series still at play.
The West’s NBA playoff picture is totally set
Good morning. We have that and more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Here it is:
Warriors (1) vs. Blazers (8)
Clippers/Jazz (4) vs. Jazz/Clippers (5)
Spurs (2) vs. Grizzlies (7)
Rockets (3) vs. Thunder (6)
The 3-6 and 4-5 series are extremely watchable, the 1-8 is watchable because there is going to be so much scoring, the 2-7 is ... eh, can’t win them all. The second round is where the real magic begins: Warriors vs. Jazz (a team many believe is suited to give Golden State nightmares) or the Clippers (the last West team to beat the Warriors in a seven-game series), and Spurs vs. the winner of Rockets-Thunder.
Meanwhile, three teams — Indiana, Chicago, and Miami — continue to fight for two spots in the East and the only seed that is set in stone is the Wizards at No. 4.
Scores Galore ...
TOR 110, NYK 97
CLE 125, ATL 126 (OT)
OKC 106, DEN 105
DAL 111, PHX 124
HOU 135, SAC 128
DET 103, MEM 90
MIN 109, LAL 110
... And Plenty More
The final Sunday Shootaround of the regular season had Paul Flannery delve into the state of the Boston Celtics. That team is on the clock. We know they’re good ... but how good? Can they win in the playoffs? Will the patient development of the roster pay off, or do they still need a big move or a big youth infusion through the draft to be special? We’re about to find out.
Speaking of Mr. Flannery: He’s running the Boston Marathon in one week and has decided to raise money for the Boston Medical Center in the process. Funds you donate will help BMC build a new Emergency Department. Help Paul meet his goal and help improve trauma and emergency care in Boston!
The newest Prada’s Pictures video breakdown tackles what makes Rudy Gobert so special. I just love this series.
Russell Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s record for most triple-doubles in a season with No. 42 on Sunday. A 50-point triple-double sealed with a game-winning three that, as mentioned above, knocked a team out of the playoffs. The dude is unreal. What a finish to his MVP campaign.
Speaking of MVP campaigns, James Harden declared that winning is the most important factor for choosing an MVP. He knows Houston is seven games behind Kawhi Leonard’s Spurs in the standings, right?
In honor of Westbrook’s HAPPY SUMMER shot to end the Nuggets’ season, Whitney Medworth collected the coldest game-winners ever.
Because Westbrook got the triple-double record, we can laugh about the Phoenix Suns going out of their way on Friday to prevent Russ from getting the two assists he needed then in a blowout to set the record. The Suns were intentionally fouling Westbrook to prevent assists!
Welp. The Cavaliers are tuning up for the playoffs by ... giving up a historic 26-point lead to the Hawks in the fourth quarter. It was capped by the refs missing two Hawks standing out of bounds while tying up Kyrie Irving for a jumpball and a Paul Millsap winner.
The Lakers are on a four-game winning streak despite all the lottery ramifications. On Sunday, there was legit magic in the air as D’Angelo Russell hit a game-winning three on the day his grandmother died. His emotional embrace of his family after ending the game was heartwarming. Damn the ping pong balls.
The Nets came from nine down with four minutes left to beat the Bulls and make Chicago’s last couple of games VERY interesting.
Damian Lillard broke a franchise record with 59 points on Saturday ... but sent the game ball to Joe Johnson, who broke the 20,000-point barrier. #class #humble
Malcolm Brogdon told the Bucks to bypass a big Rookie of the Year campaign and instead donate that budget to charity. #class #humble
And finally: I am adamantly against public proposals. But you can’t deny that this member of the Armed Services popping a surprise question to his Houston Rockets dancer girlfiend is special. Multiple levels of surprise!
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