Around the NBA: Conference Semifinals

With the conclusion of some first-round game sevens, the 2020 NBA Playoffs have officially moved into Conference Semifinals.

The 2020 NBA Playoffs run in the usual format, but with some unusual circumstances. Though the Orlando bubble experiment has been a success, it is still a bit strange to not have packed arenas for the best action of the year. Round one went off without a hitch and we are now fully onto Conference Semifinals.

Round one provided ample entertainment with early scares for top-seeded teams, prolific scoring by some of the league’s premier guards, and a pair of game sevens that came down to the wire.

Last night, the Houston Rockets escaped a game seven upset by the OKC Thunder; they draw the Los Angeles Lakers for their trouble. Game one of LA and HOU will be Friday.

The other full seven-game series was between the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray of the Nuggets and Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz both put on historic scoring performances. It was Murray’s Denver squad who survived to move on and face the LA Clippers in game one tonight.

Both Los Angeles teams had their hands full as well with tough Dallas and Portland squads but handled each in the end.

In the East, the Conference Semifinals are already underway. After defeating the Orlando Magic, the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks are stumbling early against the Miami Heat. Miami dispatched the Indiana Pacers in round one and are up 2-0 on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Expect Milwaukee to bounce back, but it will be tough sledding now.

On the other side, the Boston Celtics swept the Philadelphia 76ers to advance. Likewise, the Toronto Raptors swept their opponents, the short-handed Brooklyn Nets. Currently, the Celtics are up 2-0 on the defending champs. Game three is tonight on TNT.

In some quick other news, the Brooklyn Nets have locked in an interesting selection for their next Head Coach:

After an unsuccessful Jason Kidd experiment in the 2013-14 season, the Nets will try another legendary former PG as their skipper. Nash will head up a (hopefully) fully healthy Nets squad that includes Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

That is a quick rundown for those who need to catch up. Continue checking back and following along Twitter as the NBA Playoffs march on.