The top of the NBA's Eastern Conference is very small.
Four teams were within a single loss of each other entering Tuesday.
The Celtics and Heat were to play in Boston and Philadelphia, respectively, on Wednesday, and the Bucks were to play in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
As the top four teams in the conference prepare for the playoffs, let's take 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299 888-353-1299
The two close, competitive games with Milwaukee and Miami both winning on the road whet the appetite for what should be a great spring in the East.
Predicting the best and worst franchises in the NBA.
When he was asked if the kind of performances the Heat expected from Kyle in their win against the Celtics was indicative of the kind of performances he would provide, Spoelstra smiled.
We have been on the other side of it, and I did not like Kyle Lowry for many years.
In the first round of the 2016 playoffs, the Raptors and Heat played seven games, which Toronto won.
The better he played in clutch moments, the better he was.
Kyle Lowry hit a 3-pointer with Grant Williams looking at him.
All of them were made by Lowry on Wednesday. He had 23 points (6-for-12 from 3-point range) and eight assists in 36 minutes. He played his usual defense even though he picked up fourFouls down the stretch.
It is a great advantage to have a Hall of Fame point guard who can take on big challenges defensively but also be able to plan your offense.
It has been an up-and-down season for Lowry in Miami, particularly because he has missed a lot of time to deal with personal matters. This performance was vintage, after a rough week that saw Miami relinquish three fourth-quarter leads and get slammed at home by the Brooklyn Nets.
Coming into Boston, which had been the hottest team in the league over the past two-plus months, and winning a back-and-forth game was a perfect tonic to wash away the ugly moments of last week.
In the first round last year, the Heat were exposed as a team that needed another player. Adding a guard who could helm their offense, remain part of the Heat's defensive identity and provide the kind of offensive shock he gave Miami on Wednesday inside the Garden gave them a guard who could helm their offense.
I'm going to score first and I think I have a real live point guard who is pass-first. Jimmy said that he misses GoranDragic and Tyler Herro handling the ball.
Kyle knows how to get everyone the ball. Yes, we needed Kyle.
The results were mixed in Boston's first test without Robert Williams III.
Adebayo was the center of the game. Adebayo finished with 17 points, 12 rebound and eight assists in a reminder of what he did to Boston in the 2020 East finals. It was not a coincidence that he was a plus-12 in 33 minutes and that Al Horford was minus-14 in 34 minutes. Grant Williams missed all three of his 3-point shots in his first start in place of Robert Williams, and he was 2-for-7 from the field.
Daniel Theis finished with 15 points on perfect shooting.
It reminds us of the different skill sets Boston must use to match Robert Williams impact at both ends of the court.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said that they feel confident with the three bigs, and that they have the flexibility that they have.
Smart passes behind his back.
Even as a help defender, Robert Williams could have helped in trying to contain Adebayo. He could have given Boston a boost with his ability to both create vertical spacing as a lob threat and create easy shots when it mattered most.
Horford said that it was an adjustment not having Rob here.
The Celtics were going to lose a game or two even if they were fully healthy. Their 24-4 stretch through Sunday's win over Minnesota wasn't likely to carry forward. The team will face difficulties in the playoffs with its defensive anchor off the court.
The starting center for the Bucks has been watching in street clothes most of the season. He has played in only eight games in the past three weeks after having back surgery.
It was an important test on Tuesday. How would Lopez hold up over the course of the game against the Philadelphia center?
The answer was quite well.
Lopez played 29 minutes and scored 17 points for Milwaukee, which opened the second half with 11 straight points. Lopez went 4-for-9 from 3-point range, helping create space on the court for Antetokounmpo, who finished with 40 points, 14 rebound, six assists, a steal and three blocks.
The Bucks won in Philadelphia.
Lopez, one of the league's best interior defenders, is mostly watching from the sideline as Milwaukee is 14th in the league in defense. The part of Lopez's game that is forgotten is how he can break the court wide open.
It is rare for a guy of Lopez's size to be able to shape the game at both ends. While he isn't Milwaukee's most important player or even their third, the Bucks looked like a team ready for the playoffs with him on the court.
Wednesday, March 30
Heat at Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Suns at Warriors, 10 p.m.
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