(AP) — Boston is through to Round 2 after eliminating Atlanta. Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from joining the Celtics.
The opening round of the NBA playoffs could end Friday if the Warriors beat Sacramento and the Lakers beat Memphis. Those are the only first-round series still going.
Round 2 starts Saturday: Phoenix and Denver open their Western Conference semifinal series. The Suns practiced in Denver on Thursday, starting the process of getting used to the mile-high altitude that awaits in Games 1 and 2.
The other conference semifinals: Miami-New York starts Sunday, Boston-Philadelphia starts Monday and the Lakers-Grizzles winner will play the Warriors-Kings winner.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Friday’s schedule has the Warriors playing host to Sacramento and the Lakers playing host to Memphis. Golden State and Los Angeles hold 3-2 leads in their respective series.
HOW TO WATCH
— Friday’s two games are on ESPN. Sacramento is at Golden State, a 5 p.m. local start in San Francisco and 8 p.m. Eastern. That’ll be followed by Memphis at the Lakers at 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
— Those two games will also be available through team broadcasters.
— Saturday’s Game 1 of the Phoenix-Denver series will air on TNT. Sunday’s Game 1 of the Miami-New York series will air on ABC. Monday’s Game 1 of Philadelphia-Boston, as well as Game 2 of Phoenix-Denver that night, will air on TNT.
— The NBA Finals on ABC begin June 1.
UNDETERRED
Seeding hasn’t guaranteed anything in these playoffs.
So far, the presumed underdogs — teams seeded No. 5 through No. 8 — are 18-22 in this opening round. That winning percentage of .450 is the third-best for those seeds in Round 1 since the NBA went to the 16-team bracket in 1984.
Teams seeded 5th through 8th in Round 1 went 24-26 (.480) in 2014, and 15-17 (.469) in 1991. If the Lakers and Warriors win Friday, this year’s records for 5th through 8th seeds will trail only the 2014 mark.
Top-four seeds went 24-5 (.828) in 1986 and 32-7 (.821) in 2004. They also clobbered teams seeded 5 through 8 last year, going 32-11 (.744).
LEBRON THE CLOSER
When LeBron James gets a chance to close a team out, it usually happens.
Even with Memphis staving off elimination by beating James and the Lakers on Wednesday night, James’ teams are 39-12 when they have a chance to clinch a series. The only team to beat a team with James on the roster twice while facing elimination was the 2006 Detroit Pistons.
Cleveland was 21-6 with a chance to close out teams during James’ stints there. Miami was 14-4, and the Lakers are 4-2.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Jimmy Butler has passed 12 players on the NBA’s career playoff scoring list already in these playoffs.
The names are impressive: Al Horford, Bob Dandridge, Bob Cousy, Kevin Johnson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jason Kidd, Tom Heinsohn, Steve Nash, Moses Malone, Jeff Hornacek, Pau Gasol and Allen Iverson.
Butler is now No. 53 on the list.
AWARD WINNERS
Official word came from the NBA on Thursday: As expected, when this year’s All-NBA and All-Defensive teams get revealed, they will be the last to be broken down by position. Starting next season, the NBA says “voters will be directed to vote for the most deserving players each season without regard to position.”
The MVP award, as well as the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams and some other awards — such as the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award — have yet to be announced for this season.
A recap of this season’s awards revealed thus far:
— April 17: Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. won Defensive Player of the Year.
— April 18: De’Aaron Fox of Sacramento won the inaugural Clutch Player award.
— April 19: Sacramento’s Mike Brown became the first unanimous Coach of the Year.
— April 20: Boston’s Malcolm Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year.
— Monday: Utah’s Lauri Markkanen was the easy winner of Most Improved Player.
— Tuesday: Orlando’s Paolo Banchero was a near-unanimous Rookie of the Year.
QUOTABLE
“This is what the playoffs is about, the best teams, the best players going heads-up.”