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This year’s postseason will look slightly different with the addition of the play-in tournament, which will expand the field from 16 to 20 total teams. But when it comes down to the playoff bracket, the mission is still the same: Win 16 games, and capture the Larry O’Brien trophy. Here’s everything you need to know about watching the 2021 NBA playoffs, including TV schedules for playoff games. MORE: Watch select NBA playoff games live with fuboTV (7-day trial)...

WASHINGTON — Paul George had a career playoff-high 39 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers back from a 19-point deficit and past the Washington Wizards 95-92 on Sunday night to move one victory away from returning to the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers lead the second-round series 3-1 and can close it out Tuesday night, hosting Game 5. George played 46 minutes and scored 28 points after halftime Sunday, including making six of his franchise playoff-record-tying seven 3-pointers....

SAN ANTONIO — Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points, Tony Parker had 16 points and 10 assists, and the San Antonio Spurs rolled to a 114-97 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. Manu Ginobili added 16 points, Marco Belinelli scored 13, and Tiago Splitter had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the Spurs' second convincing victory to open the best-of-seven series....

Cleveland, which beat the Celtics 135-102 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday, has set themselves up for a third-straight NBA Finals appearance with the Warriors — the first time in NBA history two teams have met in three straight Finals. CLEVELAND WINS EAST: Shop for Cavaliers championship gear Another impressive feat from the game: James scored 35 points, giving him 5,995 points in NBA postseason history, surpassing Michael Jordan for most all-time....

Ten days ago, the Hawks were scuffling after a 2-9 stretch, which included two losses to the lowly Nets. It was so bad that several people in and around the Hawks organization looked at the daunting five games left on the schedule with a twinge of fear. PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: East | West Atlanta’s consecutive playoff streak was in peril. When things were at their lowest, the Hawks got it together....

Millsap scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a performance that set the tone for a physical display from the Nuggets, who lead the Western Conference semifinal series 3-2. The 34-year-old power forward is averaging 19.0 points (on .551 shooting) and 9.6 rebounds against the Trail Blazers in the postseason. “He’s been phenomenal,” Malone told reporters, “but it’s not surprising for any of us. “[He’s a] 13-year vet, a lot of games under his belt and he’s stepping up when we need him to step up....

Boston came away with a 99-91 win over the Pacers on Wednesday at the TD Garden to go up 2-0 in their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The Pacers appeared to take control in the third quarter as they outscored Boston by 13 and ended the period with a 79-68 advantage. Boston, however, responded with an 18-3 run in the early stages of the fourth quarter to swing the scoreboard back in its favor....

As a reminder, we’re looking squarely at on-court ability in a player’s absolute prime. In other words, If you could pick any player in history, with the hopes of winning the title immediately, not knowing the era, rules, coach, or teammates — who would you choose? Part 1 bridged the gap from George Mikan to Joel Embiid and every era in between. Part 2 featured scores of dominant point guards with the likes of Gary Payton, Russell Westbrook, Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, John Stockton, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd jostling for position....

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. First up… the Southeast Division. 2021-22 NBA season preview: Southeast Division Projected win totals Over/under win totals provided by Action Network . Miami Heat: 48.5 wins Atlanta Hawks: 46.5 wins Charlotte Hornets: 37.5 wins Washington Wizards: 34.5 Orlando Magic: 22.5...

Porzingis was attempting a dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo when he landed awkwardly on his left leg, causing the injury that will most likely end his season. NBA TRADE RUMORS: Latest notes ahead of deadline After the game, players from around the NBA offered thoughts and prayers to the third-year pro. The injury was bad enough that even some notable NBA Twitter personalities expressed their frustration. Porzingis is the fourth player to suffer a long-term injury since being chosen to LeBron James’ All-Star roster (DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love and John Wall are the others)....

During the late stages of the Nets' 99-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the first-year head coach seemed to ask guard Tyshawn Taylor to run into him on purpose, knocking his cup of soda over, buying the Nets a few more seconds during a substitution. Kidd publicly denied doing it on purpose, but if you look at the initial contact, it appears as if he tells Taylor to "hit me....

Multiple teams expressed immediate interest in dealing for Bledsoe once he was placed on the trade block, including the Bucks, Knicks and Nuggets. During a “SportsCenter: AM” appearance on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Milwaukee in particular wants to add Bledsoe to the roster in an effort to make a deep playoff run, but there are potential hurdles in any deal. DEVENEY: Knicks accept being bad, resist Bledsoe deal — for now...

With a little over a month to go before the NBA’s opening night on Oct. 17, Anthony has yet to be traded, despite constant rumors surrounding New York’s star forward. It’s no secret Anthony would like to play for the Rockets, and New York and Houston have discussed trade possibilities, though any deal would likely have to involve a third team. However, an outsider may be lurking in the chase for Anthony’s services....

Phoenix met with Bledsoe on Monday morning and sent the 27-year-old point guard home, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes. The Suns are listening to offers for Bledsoe and are currently engaged in trade talks with multiple teams, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The trade rumors come only a day after Phoenix fired head coach Earl Watson following the team’s 0-3 start with an average point differential of minus-30.7, easily the worst mark in the league....

Out of the two, trading Love for George makes the most sense for Cleveland. It doesn’t have anything to do with Love not fitting well with the Cavaliers seeing as he’s one of the best shooters in the NBA at a position where his ability to space the floor comes at a premium. However, Irving and LeBron James are the engines that make the Cavaliers go, and George would be able to replace a lot of what Love brings to the table....

Now, we know who they might be willing to give up to gain an asset that would immediately give Phoenix one of the best backcourts in the NBA. MORE: Kyrie Irving sweepstakes currently has no front-runner It appears the Suns are holding firm that they won’t include rookie Josh Jackson in any deal to bring the suddenly disgruntled Irving to into the fold, according to myriad reports. The 6-8, 205-pounder out of Kansas has shown why he was worthy of the No....

Washington has so far “rejected all trade overtures” about the 26-year-old star, according to a report from the Miami Herald. The Wizards can offer Beal a three-year contract extension later this month and, if he does not accept the new deal, the team could reconsider its options, according to an earlier report from the Washington Post. Beal, 26, averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 82 games for the Wizards last season....

Guards Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson, both passed up by every NBA team on their draft nights, were mainstays in Miami’s rotation throughout the year. Robinson in particular shined down the stretch with his excellent 3-point stroke. So, it’s entirely possible that an undrafted player from the 2020 rookie class will eventually be a contributor. Many post-draft signings are under two-way contracts that could provide multiple NBA opportunities based on G League performance....

The NBPA announced June 18 it would hold the event, branded as the “1st Annual Players’ Awards” and scheduled to air on BET on July 21. MORE: Handing out high school yearbook-style NBA superlatives “We are so excited about the Players’ Awards…first time ever…and will be aired on BET. It is going to be a GREAT event,” Clippers guard and NBPA president Chris Paul said in a statement last month....

He fought through all of that, though, to produce the only consistently great performance on either side of Monday night’s NCAA Championship victory over Gonzaga. He was an easy choice as the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, an honor that automatically means his jersey will be honored in the rafters of the Dean E. Smith Center along with those of James Worthy, Sean May, Wayne Ellington and so many others....