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Although he finished Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals second to only Kevin Durant in scoring for the Warriors, there were several possessions in the first half in which his 3-point shooting created easy baskets for others. Curry wasn’t credited for assists in those situations because he didn’t actually touch the ball or make the pass, but the threat of his jump shot alone was enough to draw multiple defenders in his direction and create openings for his teammates to attack....

With Kyrie Irving out for the remainder of the playoffs, the point spread and total have been adjusted for Game 2 (8 p.m. ET, ABC). About seven hours before tipoff, Golden State is a 7.5- to 8-point favorite, and the total is around 200.5. Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current Las Vegas lines. After 10,000 simulations, AccuScore gives the Warriors a 75.6 percent chance to win the game outright....

Barnes agreed to terms on a four-year, $85 million deal Sunday, Barnes’ agent told ESPN. The Kings got Barnes in a package that included Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph as they tried to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06, an effort that fell short as Sacramento finished ninth in the Western Conference. The Kings were 28-26 when they made the trade and went 11-17 the rest of the season, although the 39 wins was their most since the playoff year....

The 28-year-old wing would “be willing to return to the Pistons” if the “finances were in order,” according to a report from The Athletic, which cites an unidentified league source. Detroit is also interested in bringing back Bullock, according to an earlier report from the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons sent Bullock, who was having a career season, to the Lakers in exchange for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a second-round draft pick before the trade deadline....

The Nets guard has declined his $12.3 million player option for the 2021-22 season, according to Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Winfield reports that Dinwiddie, who missed nearly the entire 2020-21 campaign after partially tearing his right ACL in a Dec. 27 game against the Hornets, is “unlikely” to re-sign with the Nets. MORE: Warriors owner speaks out on Stephen Curry contract extension...

Golden State is a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 219.5 at MGM Resorts in Las Vegas. Check The Linemakers on Sporting News’ odds page for current Game 1 spreads and totals. With an average score after AccuScore ran its 10,000-plus simulations of Golden State 113, Houston 100, our best bet tonight is on UNDER. There’s nearly a 61 percent chance the total combined score in Game 1 stays UNDER 219....

While the format is straightforward, it will probably be confusing to many NBA fans at first because it’s a new concept to the league. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect from the play-in tournament, including the format and rules to fill out the NBA’s playoff picture: NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS:Series-by-series breakdowns & NBA Finals picks NBA play-in format, explained There are two things we need to explain about the play-in format for the Western Conference 8-seed: how teams get into the tournament, and how they advance to the actual playoffs....

The Milwaukee Bucks center loves the national burrito chain. So do many of his colleagues. NBA players bounce from city to city on road trips, and few things are as reliable as that burrito or bowl or tacos. E. coli and norovirus cannot take that away. MORE: Midseason NBA award picks | Best player at each number “I’m not worried; I’ll be all right,” Henson told Sporting News recently. “I actually like it more now because the lines aren’t as long....

The 2022 NBA Playoff bracket is down to its usual 16 teams after a Play-In Tournament that featured both thrilling endings and brutal blowouts. Now comes the constant barrage of postseason contests as contenders fight for the right to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy. Wondering which games are on today’s slate? You’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything you need to know about watching NBA Playoff games, including a complete TV schedule with updated start times and channels....

Game — date — location, time (all ET), TV network * if necessary MORE: SN’s 2013-14 NBA Awards | Mock Draft EASTERN CONFERENCE No. 1 Indiana vs. No 8 Atlanta Game 1 — Atlanta 101, Indiana 93 Game 2 — Indiana 101, Atlanta 85 Game 3 — Atlanta 98, Indiana 85 Game 4 — Indiana 91, Atlanta 88 Game 5 — Atlanta 107, Indiana 97 Game 6 — Indiana 95, Atlanta 88 Game 7 — Sat....

Six of the eight dogs enter(ed) with spreads of seven points or more in first-round series openers on Saturday and Sunday. The Utah Jazz (+2.5) was the lone underdog that Vegas gave a fair shot on Saturday against the LA Clippers — the Jazz ended up winning, 97-95. The Atlanta Hawks (+5) have the next kindest point spread against the Washington Wizards Sunday. MORE: First-round series odds | NBA championship odds...

Not only did the Cavs get the largest halftime lead in NBA postseason history (41 points), the Cavs also gave Boston its largest halftime deficit of any home game since the start of the shot clock era. And, oh, the Cavs beat the No. 1 seed in the East by 44 points. That’s important to note. MORE: Cavs absolutely embarrass Celtics We could wax poetic about what this means for Boston (nothing good) or how this elevates the seemingly inevitable NBA Finals matchup between the Cavs and Warriors....

The Pacers, however, weren’t going to go down without a fight. Indiana kept the game close throughout the entire matchup and even led by two at the half. Boston stars Kyrie Irving and Al Horford didn’t have a strong first half as they struggled to shoot, but they were determined to change the course of the game in the second. The Pacers held the lead until the final seconds of the third quarter before the Celtics managed to pull ahead by one when Marcus Morris made a pair of free throws to make it 73-72 entering the fourth....

The 76ers star said he hopes his team doesn’t blow its 3-1 lead to Brooklyn, like the Warriors did in the 2016 NBA Finals. “It was really important because you wanted to get this one and go home,” Embiid said in his postgame address. “It feels great to be up 3-1, so we definitely don’t want to be in a situation like the Warriors two years ago.” Embiid proceeded to burst into laughter....

Bovada has released a whole helping of other props as they relate to the first round of the NBA’s postseason. Check them out below. MORE: NBA live odds page Odds to win 2016 NBA Championship Golden State Warriors 2/3 San Antonio Spurs 15/4 Cleveland Cavaliers 4/1 Oklahoma City Thunder 10/1 Los Angeles Clippers 28/1 Toronto Raptors 33/1 Boston Celtics 66/1 Atlanta Hawks 75/1 Miami Heat 75/1 Charlotte Hornets 150/1 Portland Trail Blazers 150/1 Detroit Pistons 200/1 Indiana Pacers 200/1 Dallas Mavericks 250/1 Houston Rockets 300/1 Memphis Grizzlies 500/1 Odds to win the Eastern Conference Cleveland Cavaliers 5/13 Toronto Raptors 5/1 Atlanta Hawks 14/1 Boston Celtics 14/1 Miami Heat 14/1 Charlotte Hornets 33/1 Detroit Pistons 50/1 Indiana Pacers 66/1 Odds to win the Western Conference Golden State Warriors 1/2 San Antonio Spurs 9/4 Oklahoma City Thunder 8/1 Los Angeles Clippers 16/1 Portland Trail Blazers 75/1 Dallas Mavericks 125/1 Houston Rockets 125/1 Memphis Grizzlies 200/1...

The true breaking point around the NBA comes just about now. The Celtics, Mavs and Timberwolves have played the most games in the league, at 43, while the Sixers have played the fewest at 38. Nine of the league’s 30 teams have played exactly 41 games. NBA DRAFT 2018: Who tops SN’s latest prospect rankings? So we’re calling this the NBA’s midpoint, and a fine time to size up what we’ve seen so far, as well as to look ahead to the biggest question teams are facing in the second half....

Here, you can find projected win totals, predictions on the best player and best rookie, under-the-radar storylines to follow and a bold prediction among the five teams. Today, the focus shifts to the Southwest Division. 2021-22 NBA season preview: Southwest Division Projected win totals Over/under win totals courtesy of Action Network. Best player: Luka Doncic For the second season in a row, the Slovenian is the favourite to be named Most Valuable Player and is coming off an All-NBA First Team selection and All-Star season....

It has been seven years since Westbrook and Harden wore the same uniform, a series-deciding Game 5 loss to the Heat in the NBA Finals when the duo each scored 19 points. Harden’s contribution came from the bench — as it often did that season — and he soon moved to Houston to become the main man, a distinction he will be expected to keep despite Westbrook’s arrival this offseason....