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in: National Basketball Association playoffs, 2013-14 NBA season

2014 NBA Playoffs

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The 2014 NBA Playoffs is the postseason best-of-seven elimination tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2013–14 season, which began on April 19, 2014. Eight teams in the Eastern Conference and eight in the Western Conference are participating, ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the conference finals. For the first time since the 1984 NBA Finals, the Finals will be played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (the higher seed team hosting the first two games, then the other team the next two, then the teams alternate hosting a game until the seventh game which the higher seed hosts).[1][2]

The San Antonio Spurs continue the longest active playoff streak in the NBA at 17 consecutive appearances.[3] The Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards made their first playoff appearance since 2008, while the Charlotte Bobcats made their first playoff appearance since 2010. All three teams from Texas qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2009. For the first time since 2005, both the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks did not qualify for the playoffs in the same year. For the first time since 1994, the Lakers and Celtics missed the playoffs in the same season. In addition, this is the first time in NBA history that all three teams—the Knicks, Celtics, and Lakers—missed the playoffs in the same year (the Celtics and Lakers had each last missed in 2007 but the Knicks managed to reach the postseason that year in a very weak Eastern Conference).[4] The Denver Nuggets also missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

The first 11 days of the playoffs saw at least one road team win on their opponent's home floor. That ended on April 30 with the Raptors, Spurs, and Rockets all winning at home against the Nets, Mavericks, and Trail Blazers, respectively. The 24 road wins is an NBA playoffs record in the First Round. In addition, the 2014 playoffs has also featured a record 8 first round games that went into overtime, including 4 straight between Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder (Games 2 thru 5), another all-time NBA record.

Five of the eight first round series was extended to game sevens. Three of the series, Atlanta Hawks at Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers, were played on May 3, which marked the first time ever in NBA history that three game sevens were played on the same day.[5] Two other game sevens were played on the following day, featuring Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors. The five game sevens in the first round already tied the record for the most number of game sevens in any NBA playoffs, set in the 1994 NBA Playoffs. However, the NBA only adopted a best-of-seven format for the first round since the 2003 NBA Playoffs.[6] The Hawks-Pacers series was the first series to force a Game 7, making this postseason the 15th consecutive postseason to have at least one Game 7. The 1999 playoffs marked the last time a Game 7 wasn't played.Template:Citation needed

Also, this postseason and the previous year's postseason marked the first time since the 2000 and 2001 playoffs that both #5 seeds knocked out both #4 seeds in back-to-back years.Template:Citation needed

After 1974, 1975, 1983, 1986, 2001 and 2005 playoffs, this was the first postseason (and the seventh time since 1972, when the current playoff system was put in place) in which top two seeds played in Conference Semifinals both in the East and the West.

When they defeated Indiana on the road in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat set an NBA record by recording their 15th straight playoff series where they earned at least one road win.

Format

Template:Further Within each conference, the three division winners and the five non-division winners with the most wins from qualified for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record; however, a division winner is guaranteed to be ranked at least fourth, regardless of record.

Each conference's bracket is fixed; there is no reseeding. All rounds are best-of-seven of series; the team that has four wins advances to the next round. As stated above, all rounds, including the NBA Finals are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Home court advantage in any round does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record. If two teams with the same record meet in a round, standard tiebreaker rules are used. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head to head record, followed by record vs. opposite conference.

Tiebreak procedures

The tiebreakers that determine seedings are:

  1. Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division
  2. Head-to-head record
  3. Division record (if all the tied teams are in the same division)
  4. Conference record
  5. Record vs. playoff teams, own conference
  6. Record vs. playoff teams, other conference (only in two-way tie)
  7. Point differential, all games

If there were more than two teams tied, the team that wins the tiebreaker gets the highest seed, while the other teams were "re-broken" from the first step until all ties were resolved. Since the three division winners were guaranteed a spot in the top four, ties to determine the division winners had to be broken before any other ties.

Playoff qualifying

Eastern Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference		 Best record
in NBA
1 Indiana Pacers 56–26 March 5 March 26 April 14 —
2 Miami Heat 54–28 March 10 March 28 — —
3 Toronto Raptors 48–34[lower-alpha 1] March 28 April 11 — —
4 Chicago Bulls 48–34[lower-alpha 1] March 28 — — —
5 Washington Wizards 44–38[lower-alpha 2] April 2 — — —
6 Brooklyn Nets 44–38[lower-alpha 2] April 1 — — —
7 Charlotte Bobcats 43–39 April 5 — — —
8 Atlanta Hawks 38–44 April 12 — — —

— = Did not achieve

Western Conference

Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference		 Best record
in NBA
1 San Antonio Spurs 62–20 March 22 April 2 April 11 April 11
2 Oklahoma City Thunder 59–23 March 27 April 4 — —
3 Los Angeles Clippers 57–25 March 29 April 2 — —
4 Houston Rockets 54–28[lower-alpha 3] April 4 — — —
5 Portland Trail Blazers 54–28[lower-alpha 3] April 6 — — —
6 Golden State Warriors 51–31 April 11 — — —
7 Memphis Grizzlies 50–32 April 14 — — —
8 Dallas Mavericks 49–33 April 12 — — —

— = Did not achieve

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Toronto Raptors clinched #3 seed over Chicago Bulls based on winning Atlantic Division.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Washington Wizards clinched #5 seed over Brooklyn Nets based on a 3–0 regular season series record.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Houston Rockets clinched #4 seed over Portland Trail Blazers based on a 3–1 regular season series record.

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage are shown in italics. Template:2014 NBA Playoffs

Eastern Conference

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

First Round

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks

April 19
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 101, Indiana Pacers 93    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Josh Tiven 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 28–22, 22–28, 30–16, 21–27
Pts: Jeff Teague 28
Rebs: DeMarre Carroll 10
Asts: Jeff Teague 5 		Pts: Paul George 24
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: Paul George 5
April 22
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 85, Indiana Pacers 101    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Ken Mauer, Tony Brown, Marc Davis 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 26–21, 26–27, 13–31, 20–22
Pts: Paul Millsap 19
Rebs: Elton Brand 7
Asts: Jeff Teague 4 		Pts: Paul George 27
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: George, West 6 each
April 24
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 85, Atlanta Hawks 98    Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 18,124
Referees: Tony Brothers, Mark Ayotte, Tom Washington 		NBATV
Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 14–15, 20–28, 27–31
Pts: Lance Stephenson 21
Rebs: Paul George 14
Asts: David West 5 		Pts: Jeff Teague 22
Rebs: Paul Millsap 14
Asts: Jeff Teague 10
April 26
2:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 91, Atlanta Hawks 88    Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 19,043
Referees: Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Bill Kennedy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 29–22, 13–26, 24–17, 25–23
Pts: Paul George 24
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: George, Hill 5 each 		Pts: Paul Millsap 29
Rebs: Kyle Korver 9
Asts: Jeff Teague 7
April 28
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 107, Indiana Pacers 97    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, David Jones 		NBATV
Scoring by quarter: 20–21, 41–19, 26–27, 20–30
Pts: Shelvin Mack 20
Rebs: Kyle Korver 9
Asts: Shelvin Mack 5 		Pts: Paul George 26
Rebs: Paul George 12
Asts: David West 7
May 1
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 95, Atlanta Hawks 88    Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 19,044
Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Bennett Salvatore 		NBA TV
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 24–17, 20–28, 31–21
Pts: George, West 24 each
Rebs: David West 11
Asts: David West 6 		Pts: Jeff Teague 29
Rebs: Paul Millsap 18
Asts: Paul Millsap 5
May 3
5:30 pm 		Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 80, Indiana Pacers 92    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Tony Brothers, Sean Corbin, Rodney Mott 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 13–23, 27–24, 17–21
Pts: Kyle Korver 19
Rebs: Paul Millsap 17
Asts: Shelvin Mack 7 		Pts: Paul George 30
Rebs: Lance Stephenson 14
Asts: Lance Stephenson 5
Indiana wins series 4–3

With the season series between the two tied at 2 games apiece, the series was expected to be close despite the seeding of the two teams. In Game 1, the Pacers's struggles continued as the Hawks snatched away home-court advantage and took a 1-0 series lead. In Game 2, the Pacers were in danger of falling 0-2 in the series when the Hawks led by as much as 11 in the first half. However, the Pacers used a big 32-6 run spanning the second and third periods to take a 101-85 win and to tie the series at 1. In Game 3, the Hawks blew the game open in the second half to take a 98-85 win and a surprising 2-1 series lead. In Game 4, the Pacers were once again in danger after the Hawks led by as much as 10 before the Pacers started to rally back. Paul George and David West hit crucial threes in the final quarter to give the Pacers a 91-88 win and to tie the series at 2. The Hawks still had a chance to force overtime but Pero Antić missed his three pointer as the Pacers took back home-court advantage.

In Game 5, the Hawks embarrassed the Pacers as they used a big second quarter to take a lead of as much as 30 before holding off the Pacers for a 107-97 win and a 3-2 series lead, putting the 1st-seeded Pacers on the brink of elimination. In Game 6, the Hawks looked like they were in position for the second round when they led by 5 with about 3 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. However, West led the way for the Pacers as they forced a decisive Game 7 with a 95-88 win. The Pacers were able to finish off the Hawks in Game 7 with a 92-80 win to avoid becoming the sixth first-seeded team to lose a series to an eight-seeded team in NBA history.

Regular-season series

This is the sixth playoff meeting for these two teams, with Indiana winning three of the previous five playoff series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2013 Eastern Conference First Round (Indiana won 4–2).

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats

April 20
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Charlotte Bobcats 88, Miami Heat 99    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,640
Referees: Marc Davis, Jason Phillips, Scott Wall 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 19–30, 23–23, 23–27
Pts: Kemba Walker 20
Rebs: Al Jefferson 10
Asts: Kemba Walker 6 		Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: Chris Andersen 10
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
April 23
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Charlotte Bobcats 97, Miami Heat 101    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,603
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Mark Lindsay 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 28–28, 25–22, 25–22
Pts: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 22
Rebs: Al Jefferson 13
Asts: Kemba Walker 8 		Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: James, Wade 6 each
Asts: LeBron James 8
April 26
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 98, Charlotte Bobcats 85    Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,633
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ron Garretson, Mark Ayotte 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 35–19, 28–19, 12–20
Pts: LeBron James 30
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: James, Wade 6 each 		Pts: Al Jefferson 20
Rebs: Josh McRoberts 9
Asts: Luke Ridnour 6
April 28
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 109, Charlotte Bobcats 98    Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,092
Referees: Dan Crawford, Michael Smith, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 26–27, 32–17, 25–27
Pts: LeBron James 31
Rebs: Chris Bosh 8
Asts: LeBron James 9 		Pts: Kemba Walker 29
Rebs: Josh McRoberts 10
Asts: Walker, McRoberts 5 each
Miami wins series 4–0

The series pitted the two-time defending champions against a franchise that are only in their second playoff appearance (the Bobcats first played in the playoffs in 2010). Because of this, the Bobcats were touted as heavy underdogs against the Heat. In Game 1, the Bobcats started strong, leading by as much as 9, but they were dealt a big blow when one of their main stars, Al Jefferson, suffered a left plantar fascia strain following a misstep in the first quarter. The Heat then rallied after receiving a big boost from seldom-used James Jones, who scored 12 points, and they eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 99-88 win in the series opener. In Game 2, the Heat were able to build a 16-point first half lead before the Bobcats started to rally back. The Bobcats had a chance to force overtime but Dwyane Wade came up with a key steal and a free throw to ice the game and a 2-0 lead for the Heat.

In Game 3, the Bobcats started strong was again, led by Jefferson who scored 15 points in the first quarter, but the Heat would once again rally behind LeBron James, who led the Heat with 30 points. The Heat led by as much as 26 before holding on to a 98-85 win and a commanding 3-0 series lead. In Game 4, the Bobcats played without Jefferson who was plagued by the injury he suffered in Game 1, leaving Kemba Walker to lead the team. Although he scored 29 points on 11/15 shooting, the Heat were able to complete the sweep with a big third quarter, sending them to the second round, and in the process ending the tenure of the Charlotte Bobcats, who will become the Charlotte Hornets starting next season.

Regular-season series

This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Heat and the Bobcats.

(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

April 19
12:30 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 94, Toronto Raptors 87    Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Ken Mauer, Brian Forte, Ed Malloy 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 21–25, 17–16, 27–25
Pts: Johnson, Williams 24 each
Rebs: Garnett, Johnson 8 each
Asts: Johnson, Pierce 4 each 		Pts: Kyle Lowry 22
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 18
Asts: Lowry, Vásquez 8 each
April 22
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 95, Toronto Raptors 100    Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 20,382
Referees: Monty McCutchen, David Jones, Gary Zielinski 		NBA TV
Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 20–24, 27–19, 29–36
Pts: Joe Johnson 18
Rebs: Pierce, Plumlee 6 each
Asts: Livingston, Williams 5 each 		Pts: DeMar DeRozan 30
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 14
Asts: Greivis Vásquez 8
April 25
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Toronto Raptors 98, Brooklyn Nets 102    Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: Mike Callahan, Rodney Mott, Scott Wall 		ESPN 2
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 22–30, 21–28, 32–25
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 30
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 10
Asts: Greivis Vásquez 6 		Pts: Joe Johnson 29
Rebs: Shaun Livingston 6
Asts: Deron Williams 8
April 27
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Toronto Raptors 87, Brooklyn Nets 79    Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: Jason Phillips, James Capers, Zach Zarba 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 35–22, 16–22, 16–23, 19–12
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 24
Rebs: Patrick Patterson 9
Asts: Greivis Vásquez 9 		Pts: Paul Pierce 22
Rebs: Andray Blatche 7
Asts: Deron Williams 6
April 30
7:30 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 113, Toronto Raptors 115    Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 20,393
Referees: Scott Foster, Tom Washington, Bill Kennedy 		NBA TV
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 19–34, 25–29, 44–24
Pts: Joe Johnson 30
Rebs: Mirza Teletović 7
Asts: Deron Williams 9 		Pts: Kyle Lowry 36
Rebs: Patrick Patterson 8
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
May 2
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Toronto Raptors 83, Brooklyn Nets 97    Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Pat Fraher 		ESPN2
Scoring by quarter: 19–34, 22–26, 18–19, 24–18
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 28
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 9
Asts: DeRozan, Lowry 4 		Pts: Deron Williams 23
Rebs: Alan Anderson 9
Asts: Deron Williams 4
May 4
1:00 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 104, Toronto Raptors 103    Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 20,457
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 35–25, 20–20, 23–30
Pts: Joe Johnson 26
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 11
Asts: Johnson, Williams 4 		Pts: Kyle Lowry 28
Rebs: Amir Johnson 10
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 6
Brooklyn wins series 4–3

The Raptors and the Nets faced off in the playoffs once again after they previously faced each other in 2007, where the Nets prevailed in six games. In Game 1, Paul Pierce led the way for the Nets in the clutch as they stole Game 1, 94-87, and the home-court advantage from the Raptors. In Game 2, the Raptors led by as much as 11 in the first half before holding off the Nets in the final quarter to tie the series at 1. In Game 3, the Nets led by 15 with about 5 minutes remaining in the final period before the Raptors stormed back. With a chance to force overtime, Raptors forward Patrick Patterson missed two crucial free throws as the Nets held on for a 102-98 win and a 2-1 lead. In Game 4, in a reversal of Game 3, the Raptors were able to build a 17-point lead in the first half before the Nets rallied back to tie the game heading into the final period. However, the Raptors finished the game on a 9-0 run to win the game, 87-79, and to tie the series at 2.

In Game 5, the Raptors dominated the first three quarters to lead by as much as 26 but the Nets stormed back in the final quarter. With a chance to force overtime, Andray Blatche threw an errant pass that resulted into a backcourt violation, giving the Raptors the win and the crucial 3-2 series lead. The Nets then proceeded to blow out the Raptors in Game 6 to force a seventh and decisive game. Game 7 was close up until the final seconds of the game. With the Nets leading by 1, Kyle Lowry had a chance to win the game and the series for the Raptors but Pierce blocked his shot, giving the Nets the win and the series victory.

Regular-season series

This is the second playoff meeting for these two teams, with Brooklyn (then New Jersey) winning the previous series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2007 Eastern Conference First Round (New Jersey won 4–2).

(4) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Washington Wizards

April 20
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 102, Chicago Bulls 93    United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,694
Referees: Monty McCutchen, David Jones, Gary Zielinski 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 24–32, 24–21, 30–18
Pts: Nenê 24
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 13
Asts: Bradley Beal 7 		Pts: Hinrich, Augustin 16 each
Rebs: Joakim Noah 10
Asts: Joakim Noah 4
April 22
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 101, Chicago Bulls 99 OT  United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,663
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennie Adams, Bill Spooner 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 31–20, 25–29, 14–26, 21–16, OT: 10–8
Pts: Bradley Beal 26
Rebs: Ariza, Booker 8 each
Asts: Ariza, Wall 7 each 		Pts: D. J. Augustin 25
Rebs: Joakim Noah 10
Asts: D. J. Augustin 7
April 25
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Chicago Bulls 100, Washington Wizards 97    Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 23,356
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Zach Zarba 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 20–21, 24–18, 28–28
Pts: Mike Dunleavy, Jr. 35
Rebs: Joakim Noah 9
Asts: D. J. Augustin 7 		Pts: Bradley Beal 25
Rebs: Gortat, Ariza 11 each
Asts: John Wall 7
April 27
1:00 pm 		Boxscore Chicago Bulls 89, Washington Wizards 98    Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brown, Rodney Mott 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 22–27, 22–27, 27–16
Pts: Taj Gibson 32
Rebs: Joakim Noah 15
Asts: Kirk Hinrich 7 		Pts: Trevor Ariza 30
Rebs: Trevor Booker 9
Asts: John Wall 10
April 29
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 75, Chicago Bulls 69    United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,752
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Bennett Salvatore 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 23–15, 18–26, 20–11, 14–17
Pts: John Wall 24
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 13
Asts: Nenê, Beal, Wall 4 each 		Pts: Hinrich, Butler 16 each
Rebs: Joakim Noah 18
Asts: Joakim Noah 7
Washington wins series 4–1

The Bulls would once again try to make it through the playoffs for a third straight year without their main superstar, Derrick Rose, who suffered an early season-ending injury. Meanwhile, the Wizards made the playoffs for only the first time since 2008. As such, the series was expected to be evenly matched, although most analysts predicted a Bulls series victory. In Game 1, the Bulls led by as much as 13 in the third quarter before the Wizards soon started their comeback. Led by Nenê's 24 points, the Wizards used a big fourth quarter to rally back for a 102-93 win and to steal home-court advantage away from the Bulls. In Game 2, the Wizards would once again rally back from 10 down in regulation to force overtime before hanging on for a 101-99 win to go up 2-0 in the series.

The Bulls would prevent a commanding 3-0 lead by the Wizards in Game 3 with a 100-97 victory. The Bulls were led by Mike Dunleavy who scored 35 points including 8 three-pointers. Meanwhile, the Wizards suffered a big blow for Game 4 when Nenê was suspended after he had an altercation with Bulls' guard Jimmy Butler. In Game 4, the Wizards had no problem defeating the Bulls without Nenê, leading from start to finish en rout to a 98-89 win to take a commanding 3-1 lead. In Game 5, the Wizards closed out their upset of the Bulls, 75-69, in a low scoring affair as they won the series 4-1 to advance to the second round for the first time since 2005.

Regular-season series

This is the third playoff meeting for these two teams, with each team winning one of the previous series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2005 Eastern Conference First Round (Washington won 4–2).

Conference Semifinals

(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Washington Wizards

May 5
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 102, Indiana Pacers 96    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Scott Foster, David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 28–15, 28–28, 13–19, 33–34
Pts: Bradley Beal 25
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 15
Asts: John Wall 9 		Pts: Hill, George 18 each
Rebs: David West 12
Asts: Paul George 5
May 7
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 82, Indiana Pacers 86    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: James Capers, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 22–20, 15–22, 22–21
Pts: Marcin Gortat 21
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 11
Asts: John Wall 8 		Pts: Roy Hibbert 28
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 9
Asts: Lance Stephenson 5
May 9
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 85, Washington Wizards 63    Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: Tony Brothers, Eric Lewis, Tom Washington 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 17–16, 26–12, 25–18
Pts: Paul George 23
Rebs: Paul George 8
Asts: Hill, Stephenson 5 each 		Pts: Bradley Beal 16
Rebs: Trevor Ariza 15
Asts: John Wall 6
May 11
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 95, Washington Wizards 92    Verizon Center, Washington D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 11–29, 33–17, 24–20
Pts: Paul George 39
Rebs: Paul George 12
Asts: David West 8 		Pts: Bradley Beal 20
Rebs: Trevor Ariza 9
Asts: John Wall 7
May 13
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Washington Wizards 102, Indiana Pacers 79    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Dan Crawford, Pat Fraher, Ron Garretson 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 20–19, 31–14, 26–27
Pts: Marcin Gortat 31
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 16
Asts: Ariza, Wall 5 each 		Pts: David West 17
Rebs: David West 6
Asts: Turner, Stephenson, Hibbert, West 3 each
May 15
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 93, Washington Wizards 80    Verizon Center, Washington D.C.
Attendance: 19,502
Referees: Mike Callahan, Sean Corbin, Marc Davis 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 23–17, 19–23, 22–17
Pts: David West 29
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 7
Asts: Lance Stephenson 8 		Pts: Marcin Gortat 19
Rebs: Trevor Ariza 7
Asts: John Wall 9
Indiana wins series 4–2
Regular-season series

This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Wizards and Pacers.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets

May 6
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 86, Miami Heat 107    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,470
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 23–24, 23–33, 20–28
Pts: Johnson, Williams 17 each
Rebs: Paul Pierce 6
Asts: Livingston, Williams 3 each 		Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: Chris Bosh 11
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
May 8
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 82, Miami Heat 94    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,639
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott 		ESPN 2
Scoring by quarter: 21–15, 25–30, 21–24, 15–25
Pts: Mirza Teletović 20
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 12
Asts: Deron Williams 6 		Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: Ray Allen 8
Asts: Dwyane Wade 7
May 10
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 90, Brooklyn Nets 104    Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, David Jones 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 30–29, 19–22, 14–26, 27–27
Pts: LeBron James 28
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 5 		Pts: Joe Johnson 19
Rebs: Andray Blatche 10
Asts: Deron Williams 11
May 12
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 102, Brooklyn Nets 96    Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 17,732
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Zach Zarba 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 29–27, 23–27, 23–20
Pts: LeBron James 49
Rebs: Ray Allen 7
Asts: Mario Chalmers 7 		Pts: Joe Johnson 18
Rebs: Andray Blatche 8
Asts: Deron Williams 7
May 14
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Brooklyn Nets 94, Miami Heat 96    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,615
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 27–19, 26–24, 19–30
Pts: Joe Johnson 34
Rebs: Kevin Garnett 8
Asts: Deron Williams 4 		Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 9
Asts: Mario Chalmers 7
Miami wins series 4–1
Regular-season series

This is the third playoff meeting for these two teams, with Miami winning both previous series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Miami won 4–1).

Conference Finals: (1) Indiana Pacers vs. (2) Miami Heat

May 18
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 96, Indiana Pacers 107    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 21–25, 25–28, 26–24
Pts: Dwyane Wade 27
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: James, Chalmers 5 each 		Pts: Paul George 24
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 9
Asts: Lance Stephenson 8
May 20
8:30 pm 		Boxscore Miami Heat 87, Indiana Pacers 83    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, John Goble 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 20–21, 21–16, 21–26, 25–20
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: Chris Andersen 12
Asts: LeBron James 6 		Pts: Lance Stephenson 25
Rebs: Roy Hibbert 13
Asts: Lance Stephenson 7
May 24
8:30 pm 		Boxscore Indiana Pacers 87, Miami Heat 99    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 20,025
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 21–14, 21–24, 22–33, 23–28
Pts: Paul George 17
Rebs: Lance Stephenson 11
Asts: Lance Stephenson 5 		Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: Chris Andersen 7
Asts: LeBron James 7
Miami leads series 2–1
May 26
8:30 pm 		Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Referees: Dan Crawford, James Capers, Marc Davis 		ESPN
May 28
8:30 pm 		Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana ESPN
May 30
8:30 pm 		Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat*    American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida ESPN
June 1
8:30 pm 		Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers*    Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana ESPN
Regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2013 Eastern Conference Finals (Miami won 4–3)

Western Conference

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

First Round

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Dallas Mavericks

April 20
1:00 pm 		Boxscore Dallas Mavericks 85, San Antonio Spurs 90    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bennie Adams, Bill Spooner 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 12–21, 32–22, 21–22, 20–25
Pts: Devin Harris 19
Rebs: Nowitzki, Dalembert 8 each
Asts: Devin Harris 5 		Pts: Tim Duncan 27
Rebs: Tiago Splitter 11
Asts: Tony Parker 6
April 23
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Dallas Mavericks 113, San Antonio Spurs 92    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Dan Crawford, Michael Smith, Derrick Stafford 		NBATV
Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 32–28, 32–24, 25–17
Pts: Monta Ellis 21
Rebs: Dalembert, Blair 7 each
Asts: Calderón, Harris 5 each 		Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27
Rebs: Tim Duncan 7
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 4
April 26
4:30 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 108, Dallas Mavericks 109    American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,636
Referees: Tony Brothers, Leroy Richardson, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 34–27, 20–32, 20–18, 34–32
Pts: Tim Duncan 22
Rebs: Tiago Splitter 13
Asts: Tony Parker 6 		Pts: Monta Ellis 29
Rebs: Samuel Dalembert 10
Asts: José Calderón 9
April 28
9:30 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 93, Dallas Mavericks 89    American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,796
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Pat Fraher 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 18–23, 32–13, 23–29, 20–24
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 23
Rebs: Leonard, Splitter 12 each
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5 		Pts: Monta Ellis 20
Rebs: Samuel Dalembert 15
Asts: Vince Carter 5
April 30
7:00 pm 		Boxscore Dallas Mavericks 103, San Antonio Spurs 109    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 26–27, 23–31, 22–21, 32–30
Pts: Vince Carter 28
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 15
Asts: Monta Ellis 6 		Pts: Tony Parker 23
Rebs: Splitter, Duncan 12 each
Asts: Boris Diaw 6
May 2
8:00 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 111, Dallas Mavericks 113    American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Attendance: 20,799
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Zach Zarba 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 26–24, 29–18, 30–37
Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: Tim Duncan 9
Asts: Tony Parker 6 		Pts: Monta Ellis 29
Rebs: DeJuan Blair 14
Asts: José Calderón 6
May 4
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Dallas Mavericks 96, San Antonio Spurs 119    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Marc Davis, Bennett Salvatore 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 23–35, 23–33, 22–26, 28–25
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 22
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 9
Asts: Calderón, Carter 4 each 		Pts: Tony Parker 32
Rebs: Tim Duncan 8
Asts: Ginóbili, Diaw 5 each
San Antonio wins series 4–3

Despite the fact that the Spurs swept the season series against the Mavericks, the series was expected to be close because of the rivalry that the two teams have. In Game 1, the Spurs suffered a big blow as Tim Duncan limped off the floor in the third quarter. As he watched the Mavs take a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, he returned in the game to lead the Spurs to a 90-85 victory and a 1-0 series lead. The Mavs proceeded to build another big lead in Game 2 but unlike in Game 1, they never looked back as they blew out the Spurs to tie the series at 1. Game 3 was close until the final minute. With the Mavs down by 2 with 1.7 seconds remaining, Vince Carter hit the game-winning three pointer with no time left on the clock to give the Mavs a 1-point win and more importantly, a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 saw the Spurs erect a 20-point lead before the Mavs rallied back. With the Mavs down by 2 once again, Monta Ellis missed a potential game-tying layup as the Spurs tied the series at 2 and regained the home-court advantage.

The Mavs were dealt a big blow when DeJuan Blair was suspended for Game 5 after kicking Tiago Splitter in the head. In Game 5, the Spurs led from start to finish to win, 109-103, and to take a crucial 3-2 series lead. However, Ellis and Nowitzki led the Mavs to a series-tying 113-111 win in Game 6 to force a decisive game. The Spurs had a chance to force overtime or to win the series after Ellis threw an errant pass but they weren't able to get a shot off in time. In Game 7, Tony Parker scored 32 points as the Spurs blew out the Mavs, 119-96, to win the series, 4-3.

Regular-season series

This is the sixth playoff meeting for these two teams, with San Antonio winning three of the previous five series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2010 Western Conference First Round (San Antonio won 4–2).

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies

April 19
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Memphis Grizzlies 86, Oklahoma City Thunder 100    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Tony Brothers, Tom Washington, David Guthrie 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 18–27, 31–13, 21–31
Pts: Zach Randolph 21
Rebs: Zach Randolph 11
Asts: Mike Conley 11 		Pts: Kevin Durant 33
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 10
Asts: Kevin Durant 7
April 21
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Memphis Grizzlies 111, Oklahoma City Thunder 105 OT  Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 22–27, 22–22, 31–34, OT: 12–6
Pts: Zach Randolph 25
Rebs: Tony Allen 8
Asts: Mike Conley 12 		Pts: Kevin Durant 36
Rebs: Ibaka, Durant 11 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
April 24
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 95, Memphis Grizzlies 98 OT  FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, David Jones 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 18–20, 25–27, 24–14, OT: 10–13
Pts: Durant, Westbrook 30 each
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 13
Asts: Durant, Jackson 3 each 		Pts: Mike Conley 20
Rebs: Zach Randolph 10
Asts: Zach Randolph 6
April 26
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 92, Memphis Grizzlies 89 OT  FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Bennett Salvatore 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 15–18, 27–17, 22–17, 16–28, OT: 12–9
Pts: Reggie Jackson 32
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 14
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7 		Pts: Marc Gasol 23
Rebs: Tony Allen 13
Asts: Mike Conley 10
April 29
9:00 pm 		Boxscore Memphis Grizzlies 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 99 OT  Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Joe Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Bill Spooner 		NBATV
Scoring by quarter: 30–25, 25–18, 21–27, 14–20, OT: 10–9
Pts: Mike Miller 21
Rebs: Marc Gasol 15
Asts: Gasol, Lee, Conley 4 each 		Pts: Russell Westbrook 30
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 13
May 1
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 104, Memphis Grizzlies 84    FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Rodney Mott 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 25–17, 31–24, 26–20, 22–23
Pts: Kevin Durant 36
Rebs: Kevin Durant 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 5 		Pts: Marc Gasol 17
Rebs: Zach Randolph 8
Asts: Mike Conley 6
May 3
8:00 pm 		Boxscore Memphis Grizzlies 109, Oklahoma City Thunder 120    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, John Goble, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 36–27, 22–34, 23–33, 28–26
Pts: Marc Gasol 24
Rebs: Mike Conley 5
Asts: Mike Conley 9 		Pts: Kevin Durant 33
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 16
Oklahoma City wins series 4–3

The series was seen as a chance for the Thunder to avenge their previous season's semifinal loss to the Grizzlies, where the Grizzlies took advantage of a Thunder team without Russell Westbrook who suffered a slight tear in his right meniscus and was ruled out of the previous season's playoffs. In Game 1, the Thunder held the Grizzlies to a 36 percent field goal shooting and led by as many as 25 before holding on to a 100-86 win and a 1-0 series lead. The next four games of the series would all feature overtime games, breaking an NBA record for most number of OT games in a series. In Game 2, the Grizzlies led by 5 with 18 seconds remaining when Kevin Durant hit a miraculous 4-point play and after a made free throw by Mike Conley, Kendrick Perkins made a putback at the buzzer to force overtime. However, the Grizzlies held on in OT and tied the series at 1 game apiece. The Grizzlies would lead by 17 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder cam roaring back. The Thunder trailed by 4 in the final minute when Westbrook hit a 4-point play that eventually forced overtime. However, the Grizzlies held off the Thunder for a 2-1 series lead.

In Game 4, with Durant and Westbrook struggling offensively, Reggie Jackson scored a career-high 32 points that helped the Thunder take a 14-point lead before the Grizzlies stormed back. With the Grizzlies leading by 5 in the final minute, Jackson hit a 3 and a layup to force overtime. The Grizzlies still had a chance to force a second overtime but Conley's three missed as the Thunder tied the series at 2. Game 5 saw the Grizzlies erect a 20-point lead in the third quarter but the Thunder raliied back. With the Thunder trailing by 2, Westbrook came up with a steal and a dunk to force another overtime. The Thunder had a chance to win the game in overtime but Durant's three missed. Luckily, Serge Ibaka made a putback but replays showed that the ball left Ibaka's hands after the buzzer sounded, giving the Grizzlies a 3-2 series lead. Knowing that their season could once again end in Grizzlies's hands if they lost another game, the Thunder blew out the Grizzlies in Game 6, forcing a decisive game. Prior to Game 7, Zach Randolph was suspended for punching Steven Adams while jogging back in transition in Game 6. Though putting up a valiant effort without their leading scorer, the Grizzlies ultimately succumbed to the Thunder who managed to avenge their loss from the year before.

Regular-season series

This is the third playoff meeting for these two teams, with each team winning one of the previous series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2013 Western Conference Semifinals (Memphis won 4–1).

(3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors

April 19
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Golden State Warriors 109, Los Angeles Clippers 105    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,339
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Sean Wright 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 28–23, 35–27, 22–26
Pts: Klay Thompson 22
Rebs: David Lee 13
Asts: Stephen Curry 7 		Pts: Chris Paul 28
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 14
Asts: Chris Paul 8
April 21
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Golden State Warriors 98, Los Angeles Clippers 138    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,570
Referees: Tony Brothers, David Guthrie, Rodney Mott 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 20–31, 21–36, 32–38, 25–33
Pts: Stephen Curry 24
Rebs: Barnes, Speights 6 each
Asts: Stephen Curry 8 		Pts: Blake Griffin 35
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 9
Asts: Paul, Collison 10 each
April 24
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 98, Golden State Warriors 96    Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Eric Lewis, Ed Malloy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 24–21, 22–22, 29–21, 23–32
Pts: Blake Griffin 32
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 22
Asts: Chris Paul 10 		Pts: Klay Thompson 26
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Stephen Curry 15
April 27
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 97, Golden State Warriors 118    Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Joe Crawford, Sean Corbin, Derrick Stafford 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 24–39, 24–27, 23–23, 26–29
Pts: Jamal Crawford 26
Rebs: Griffin, Jordan 6 each
Asts: Chris Paul 6 		Pts: Stephen Curry 33
Rebs: Stephen Curry 7
Asts: Andre Iguodala 9
April 29
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Golden State Warriors 103, Los Angeles Clippers 113    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,657
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Zach Zarba 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 21–31, 29–24, 22–22, 31–36
Pts: Klay Thompson 21
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Andre Iguodala 8 		Pts: DeAndre Jordan 25
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 18
Asts: Chris Paul 7
May 1
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 99, Golden State Warriors 100    Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, Bill Spooner 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 26–23, 16–22, 32–30
Pts: Jamal Crawford 19
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 19
Asts: Chris Paul 8 		Pts: Stephen Curry 24
Rebs: Draymond Green 14
Asts: Stephen Curry 9
May 3
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Golden State Warriors 121, Los Angeles Clippers 126    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,543
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Jones, Ed Malloy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 32–22, 32–34, 20–31, 37–39
Pts: Stephen Curry 33
Rebs: David Lee 13
Asts: Stephen Curry 9 		Pts: Blake Griffin 24
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 18
Asts: Chris Paul 14
Los Angeles wins series 4–3

The series was seen as one of the most dramatic first round series in the NBA, especially after the controversy surrounding Clippers's owner Donald Sterling's racist comments arose. In Game 1, with the Warriors up by 3 in the final seconds, the Clippers had a chance to force overtime but Darren Collison stepped out of bounds after running down the loose ball. Klay Thompson would seal a 1-0 series lead for the Warriors by splitting his free throws as the Warriors took away home court advantage. The Clippers would tie the series at 1 after blowing out the Warriors in Game 2 by 40 to set a franchise record for the largest margin of victory in a postseason game. In Game 3, the Warriors rallied back from an 18 point deficit in the third quarter. Down by 2, the Warriors had a chance to win but Stephen Curry's three missed as the Clippers took back home court advantage and a 2-1 lead in the series.

A day after the Clippers's Game 3 win, controversy regarding Clippers's owner Donald Sterling's racist comments arose. As a result, the Clippers silently protested in Game 4 by shedding their warm-up jerseys and going through the pregame routine with their red shirts on inside out. However, Curry scored 33 points including seven three-pointers as the Warriors blew out the Clippers to tie the series at 2. Before Game 5, the NBA handed out a lifetime suspension to Donald Sterling. As a result, the Clippers felt better and won an emotional Game 5 in front of their home crowd to lead the series, 3-2. DeAndre Jordan led the Clippers in the game with 25 points and 18 rebounds and 4 blocks to become the first player since Tim Duncan in 2008 to have such stats in a playoff game.

The Warriors were able to stave off elimination with a 100-99 win in Game 6 to force a decisive game. The Clippers had many chances to chip into the Warriors's 4 point lead in the final minute but they missed their chances and Matt Barnes' three pointer was already too late. In Game 7, the Warriors controlled the first quarter but the Clippers eventually came back. In the final quarter, it was the Clippers hit the biggest shots as they took Game 7 to advance to the semifinals.

Regular-season series

This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Clippers and the Warriors.

(4) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

April 20
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 122, Houston Rockets 120 OT  Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,240
Referees: Scott Foster, Bennett Salvatore, Derrick Stafford 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 21–29, 25–30, 33–27, OT: 16–14
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 46
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 18
Asts: Damian Lillard 5 		Pts: Harden, Howard 27 each
Rebs: Dwight Howard 15
Asts: James Harden 6
April 23
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 112, Houston Rockets 105    Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,331
Referees: James Capers, Jason Phillips, Zach Zarba 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 30–22, 30–24, 29–28
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 43
Rebs: Robin Lopez 10
Asts: Damian Lillard 11 		Pts: Dwight Howard 32
Rebs: Dwight Howard 14
Asts: Jeremy Lin 5
April 25
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Houston Rockets 121, Portland Trail Blazers 116 OT  Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,302
Referees: Joe Crawford, Sean Corbin, Bill Spooner 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 35–24, 19–31, 27–23, 29–32, OT: 11–6
Pts: James Harden 37
Rebs: Dwight Howard 14
Asts: Harden, Lin 6 each 		Pts: Damian Lillard 30
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
April 27
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Houston Rockets 120, Portland Trail Blazers 123 OT  Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,246
Referees: Ken Mauer, Eric Lewis, Ed Malloy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 32–28, 23–28, 22–27, OT: 14–17
Pts: James Harden 28
Rebs: Dwight Howard 14
Asts: James Harden 6 		Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 29
Rebs: Robin Lopez 11
Asts: Damian Lillard 8
April 30
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 98, Houston Rockets 108    Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,230
Referees: Dan Crawford, David Jones, Michael Smith 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 27–30, 21–26, 29–26, 21–26
Pts: Wesley Matthews 27
Rebs: Lillard, Lopez, Aldridge 8 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 7 		Pts: Dwight Howard 22
Rebs: Omer Asik 15
Asts: James Harden 7
May 2
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Houston Rockets 98, Portland Trail Blazers 99    Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,204
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Bill Kennedy 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 29–28, 21–22, 19–21
Pts: James Harden 34
Rebs: Chandler Parsons 12
Asts: James Harden 6 		Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 30
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 13
Asts: Nicolas Batum 7
Portland wins series 4–2

The two teams faced off in the playoffs for the fourth time and the Blazers would try to finally defeat the Rockets after losing their previous three encounters. In Game 1, the Rockets held an 11 point lead with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter but the Blazers rallied to force overtime. It appeared the Rockets would take Game 1 when they led by 6 in overtime but LaMarcus Aldridge hit a desperation three to spark an 8-0 run. The Rockets had a chance to win but James Harden missed a three pointer as they took away home court advantage and a 1-0 series lead. Aldridge scored a career-high 46 points to lead the Blazers. In Game 2, the Rockets had no answers for Aldridge once again as he scored 43 points to give the Blazers a 112-105 win and a 2-0 series lead heading to the next two games in Portland. In Game 3, Nicolas Batum was able to force overtime with a 3 with 41 seconds remaining in regulation. In overtime, with the two teams tied at 116, seldom-used Troy Daniels hit a crucial 3 pointer. The Blazers had a chance to force overtime but Batum missed his three pointer and Harden made two free throws to clinch the game. In Game 4, the two teams would go to overtime once again after Dwight Howard hit a dunk with 3 seconds remaining in regulation before Mo Williams missed a 3 at the buzzer. However, the Blazers had a 9-2 run in overtime to clinch a 3-1 series lead for the Blazers. The Rockets had a chance to tie the game but Wesley Matthews stole the ball.

Facing elimination in Game 5, the Rockets held Aldridge to 8 points as they lived to fight another day with a 108-98 win to trim the Blazers's series lead to 3-2. Game 6 would be close in the final minute. It seemed that the Rockets would send the series to a Game 7 when Chandler Parsons hit a putback with 0.9 seconds remaining but the Rockets's hearts would be broken when Damian Lillard hit a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer to send Portland to the second round of the playoffs. The most recent person to hit a series-winning buzzer beater prior to Lillard was John Stockton, who hit the game-winning three-point shot against Houston in 1997 to advance to the Finals. With their win, Portland would make its first second-round appearance since 2000, ending a 14 year drought which was previously the longest active post-season win drought.

Regular-season series

This is the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams, with Houston winning all of the previous playoff series.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2009 Western Conference First Round (Houston won 4–2).

Conference Semifinals

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

May 6
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 92, San Antonio Spurs 116    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Tony Brothers, Tony Brown, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 23–36, 26–25, 27–26
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 32
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 14
Asts: Mo Williams 4 		Pts: Tony Parker 33
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Tony Parker 9
May 8
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 97, San Antonio Spurs 114    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford 		ESPN 2
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 25–41, 20–17, 26–27
Pts: Nicolas Batum 21
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Damian Lillard 5 		Pts: Kawhi Leonard 20
Rebs: Tiago Splitter 10
Asts: Tony Parker 10
May 10
10:30 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 118, Portland Trail Blazers 103    Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,321
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Bennett Salvatore 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 32–22, 23–29, 35–34
Pts: Tony Parker 29
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10
Asts: Tony Parker 6 		Pts: Wesley Matthews 22
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 12
Asts: Damian Lillard 9
May 12
10:30 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 92, Portland Trail Blazers 103    Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,141
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, Ed Malloy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 24–21, 20–35, 24–18
Pts: Duncan, Diaw 12 each
Rebs: Leonard, Belinelli, Baynes 7 each
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 3 		Pts: Damian Lillard 25
Rebs: Nicolas Batum 14
Asts: Nicolas Batum 8
May 14
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 82, San Antonio Spurs 104    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Guthrie, Jason Phillips 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 19–19, 25–32, 19–26, 19–27
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 21
Rebs: Nicolas Batum 12
Asts: Damian Lillard 10 		Pts: Green, Leonard 22 each
Rebs: Danny Green 9
Asts: Tiago Splitter 7
San Antonio wins series 4–1
Regular-season series

This is the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams, with San Antonio winning the last two of them.

Last Playoffs meeting: 1999 Western Conference Finals (San Antonio won 4–0).

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (3) Los Angeles Clippers

May 5
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 122, Oklahoma City Thunder 105    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Dan Crawford, Jason Phillips, Michael Smith 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 39–25, 30–27, 35–26, 18–27
Pts: Chris Paul 32
Rebs: Granger, Griffin, Jordan 5 each
Asts: Chris Paul 10 		Pts: Russell Westbrook 29
Rebs: Butler, Ibaka, Lamb 6 each
Asts: Reggie Jackson 5
May 7
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 101, Oklahoma City Thunder 112    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher, David Jones 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 28–37, 28–24, 21–33, 24–18
Pts: J. J. Redick 18
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 8
Asts: Chris Paul 11 		Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Kevin Durant 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 10
May 9
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 118, Los Angeles Clippers 112    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,530
Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Corbin, Bill Kennedy 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 32–30, 25–27, 32–22
Pts: Kevin Durant 36
Rebs: Steven Adams 9
Asts: Russell Westbrook 13 		Pts: Blake Griffin 34
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 11
Asts: Chris Paul 16
May 11
3:30 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 99, Los Angeles Clippers 101    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,365
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Rodney Mott 		ABC
Scoring by quarter: 32–15, 25–31, 18–17, 24–38
Pts: Kevin Durant 40
Rebs: Kevin Durant 7
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8 		Pts: Blake Griffin 25
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 14
Asts: Chris Paul 10
May 13
9:30 pm 		Boxscore Los Angeles Clippers 104, Oklahoma City Thunder 105    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Tony Brothers, Bennett Salvatore, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 24–27, 28–28, 18–25
Pts: Blake Griffin 24
Rebs: Blake Griffin 17
Asts: Chris Paul 14 		Pts: Russell Westbrook 38
Rebs: Kevin Durant 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6
May 15
10:30 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 104, Los Angeles Clippers 98    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,565
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Ed Malloy 		ESPN
Scoring by quarter: 16–30, 26–20, 30–22, 32–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 39
Rebs: Kevin Durant 16
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12 		Pts: Chris Paul 25
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 15
Asts: Chris Paul 11
Oklahoma City wins series 4–2
Regular-season series

This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Thunder and the Clippers. Game 5 ended in some controversy, when upon replay referees decided not to overturn a call made in the final seconds of the game.[7][8]

Conference Finals: (1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (2) Oklahoma City Thunder

May 19
9:00 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 105, San Antonio Spurs 122    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 27–30, 32–37, 23–22, 23–33
Pts: Kevin Durant 28
Rebs: Durant, Perkins 9 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7 		Pts: Tim Duncan 27
Rebs: Tiago Splitter 8
Asts: Tony Parker 12
May 21
9:00 pm 		Boxscore Oklahoma City Thunder 77, San Antonio Spurs 112    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,581
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ron Garretson, Ed Malloy 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 26–24, 18–34, 18–33, 15–21
Pts: Durant, Westbrook 15 each
Rebs: Steven Adams 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 5 		Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: Tim Duncan 12
Asts: Tony Parker 5
May 25
8:30 pm 		Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 97, Oklahoma City Thunder 106    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Tom Washington 		TNT
Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 24–29, 23–26, 21–23
Pts: Manu Ginóbili 23
Rebs: Duncan, Splitter 8 each
Asts: Boris Diaw 6 		Pts: Russell Westbrook 26
Rebs: Kevin Durant 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
San Antonio leads series 2–1
May 27
9:00 pm 		San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TNT
May 29
9:00 pm 		Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TNT
May 31
8:30 pm 		San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder*    Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TNT
June 2
9:00 pm 		Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs*    AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TNT
Regular-season series

This was the fourth playoff meeting for these two teams.

Last Playoffs meeting: 2012 Western Conference Finals (Oklahoma City won 4–2)

Statistical leaders

Category High Average
Player Team Total Player Team Avg. Games played
Points LeBron James Miami Heat 49 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 31.1 14
Rebounds DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers 22 Dwight Howard Houston Rockets 13.7 6
Assists Russell Westbrook
Chris Paul		 Oklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Clippers		 16 Chris Paul Los Angeles Clippers 10.4 13
Steals Paul George
Manu Ginóbili		 Indiana Pacers
San Antonio Spurs		 6 Chris Paul Los Angeles Clippers 2.8 13
Blocks David West Indiana Pacers 6 Dwight Howard Houston Rockets 2.8 6

Media coverage

Television

In the United States, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV will nationally broadcast the 2014 NBA Playoffs in its entirety. In the first round, the regional sports networks affiliated with the teams participating can also broadcast the games. The first round will be mostly televised by ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV, with ABC getting select weekend afternoon games. In the second round, ESPN, ESPN2, and TNT will continue to air games, while ABC again gets a few weekend afternoon games. TNT will televise the Western Conference Finals, and ESPN will air the Eastern Conference Finals (with Game 1 potentially televised on ABC). The NBA Finals will air in primetime on ABC.[9]

Radio

See also: NBA on ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio has exclusive radio rights to broadcast the playoffs in the United States. They will broadcast most of the games, including all of the Conference Finals and NBA Finals.

External links

  1. ↑ "Owners approve move to 2-2-1-1-1 format for Finals". CBS Sports. October 23, 2013. http://mweb.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24128516/owners-approve-move-to-22111-format-for-finals?v=1&vc=1. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
  2. ↑ "NBA owners change Finals format to 2–2–1–1–1". NBA. http://www.nba.com/2013/news/10/23/nba-board-of-governors-format-change.ap. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
  3. ↑ "theScore". TheScore.com. http://beta.thescore.com/news/461242. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
  4. ↑ "This postseason will be the first time ever the Lakers, Knicks and Celtics will all miss the playoffs". Twitter.com. April 13, 2014. https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/455412990805020672. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
  5. ↑ Estes, Ben (May 2, 2014). "NBA playoffs: Historic Saturday of three Game 7s on tap". Sporting News. http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2014-05-02/nba-playoffs-2014-historic-saturday-game-7s-first-time-ever. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
  6. ↑ Keh, Andrew (May 3, 2014). "Game 7s Abound in the First Round of N.B.A. Playoffs". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/sports/basketball/game-7s-abound-in-the-first-round-of-nba-playoffs.html?_r=0. Retrieved May 5, 2014. 
  7. ↑ Witz, Billy (May 14, 2014). "Clippers Lament Miscues and a Costly Call". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/sports/basketball/westbrooks-3-free-throws-cap-thunders-last-minute-rally.html?ref=sports&_r=0. Retrieved May 14, 2014. 
  8. ↑ "Controversial Call in OKC". NBA.com. NBA.com. http://www.nba.com/video/channels/playoffs/2014/05/13/0041300235-lac-okc-controversial-call.nba/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt13a. Retrieved May 14, 2014. 
  9. ↑ Paulsen (March 21, 2014). "2014 NBA Playoffs TV Schedule". SportsMediaWatch.com. http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2014/03/2014-nba-playoffs-tv-schedule/. Retrieved May 4, 2014. 
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