A look at where things stand in the NBA playoff picture Da'Ron Payne Redskins Jersey , with five days remaining in the regular season:
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EAST UPDATE
The top two seeds are locked up: Toronto is No. 1 going into the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in franchise history, and Boston will open the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
Everything else is unclear.
Philadelphia (49-30) now leads in the race for the No. 3 spot, passing Cleveland (49-31) by beating the Cavaliers 132-130 on Friday night. The 76ers, who haven’t been a top-three seed in the East since their run to the NBA Finals in 2001, would finish third if they end the season with wins against Dallas, Atlanta and Milwaukee.
The Cavaliers have two games left, both against New York. So if Philly slips even once, Cleveland could return to No. 3 by sweeping the Knicks.
Indiana (47-33) still has a chance at No. 3; to get there, the Pacers have to win out and have both the Cavaliers and 76ers lose out. That seems unlikely, and Indiana is probably heading for the No. 5 spot.
Miami, even after a bad loss in New York, controls its fate in the race for No. 6. Milwaukee is No. 7 for now Kolton Miller Youth Jersey , and Washington – a loser of four straight, including a head-scratcher against Atlanta on Friday – has slipped to No. 8.
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WEST UPDATE
Five days left, five spots left to clinch, and six seeds left to decide.
A frantic finish is coming to the West.
Portland controls the race for the No. 3 seed, and Utah knows that if it wins out the worst it can finish is No. 4 – which is astounding, considering it got off to a 19-28 start and was 10 games out of the fourth spot.
New Orleans (45-34) beat Phoenix to jump two spots to No. 5, and Minnesota (45-35) topped the Los Angeles Lakers to remain a half-game ahead of Denver for No. 8. Those two results mean four teams have exactly 45 wins going into Saturday, with Denver currently at 44 wins and the Los Angeles Clippers still able to get to 45 if they win out.
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SATURDAY’S GAMES
Some clarity might … finally … come to the West.
– Denver at L.A. Clippers: The Clippers have to win out, or the season ends. Denver must try to match that desperation.
– Milwaukee at New York: Milwaukee is 10-12 since the All-Star break. Some momentum might help the playoff cause.
– Oklahoma City at Houston: Means nothing to Rockets. Means plenty to Thunder, who still could get home-court.
– New Orleans at Golden State: The Warriors embarrassed themselves at Indiana on Thursday. Will this be more of the same?
– Portland at San Antonio: The Spurs are trying for a 21st consecutive playoff spot, and the Blazers are trying to lock up the No. 3 seed.
– Brooklyn at Chicago has no playoff implication.
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CURRENT BRACKET
First-round matchups if the season ended Friday …
East: 1-Toronto vs. 8-Washington, 2-Boston vs. 7-Milwaukee Cheap Austin Corbett Jersey , 3-Philadelphia vs. 6-Miami, 4-Cleveland vs. 5-Indiana.
West: 1-Houston vs. 8-Minnesota, 2-Golden State vs. 7-Oklahoma City, 3-Portland vs. 6-San Antonio, 4-Utah vs. 5-New Orleans.
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NOTE OF THE DAY
Philadelphia has a chance to set an NBA record – the longest winning streak to end a regular season.
The 76ers have won 13 straight and have three games left. Win them all, and they would top the 15-game season-ending stretch by the Rochester Royals in 1949-50.
The last double-digit streak to end a season was posted by San Antonio in 2011-12, when the Spurs won their final 10 games. Philly coach Brett Brown was an assistant under Gregg Popovich on that Spurs team.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
”You’ve got to go through whoever it is anyway.” – Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue, asked about the Eastern Conference seeding jumble.
We already know that Antonio Brown has made it to the top of the NFL. Now, he’s made it onto the cover of the video game he played as a youngster while dreaming of getting to the NFL.
EA SPORTS unveiled Brown on Wednesday as the cover guy for Madden NFL 19 and Madden NFL Overdrive. The game will be available Aug. 10 worldwide.
”To be on the cover is a real honor I’ve wanted to always have because I have so much connection with the game,” says Brown, an All-Pro receiver the last four seasons and runner-up to Todd Gurley as NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2017. ”Growing up as a kid I played Madden all the time, was being inspired by the players in the game. And now to be on the cover Connor Williams Jersey , it’s a special feeling.”
Brown, of course, is a special player, one many of his peers consider the best in the league. The fact he’s a self-made success story endears him to the fans, too.
Brown was a sixth-round draft pick (195th overall) in 2010 from Central Michigan, not exactly a college power. He barely got on the field as a rookie, yet by 2011 he was gaining 1,108 yards as Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite new target.
From there, Brown has been virtually unstoppable, averaging just under 1,570 yards in receptions, with 52 touchdowns in the last five years. He’s also a dynamic punt returner.
The only surprise about Brown being on the Madden cover is it took so long for him to get there.
”There’s a lot of milestones athletes dream of Cheap DJ Moore Jersey ,” he says, ”and after being inducted into the Madden 99 Club earlier this year, and now appearing on the cover of this year’s games, it’s clear that business is not just booming, but I’m also among the all-time greatest with these honors.”
Brown believes the Steelers can be a great team this season – why wouldn’t he? – and that Le’Veon Bell’s potential holdout won’t be a detriment. Just like last year, when Bell didn’t reach a long-term contract and also played under the franchise tag, Brown figures even if the star running back reports in September, he’ll have his usual impact.
”I think he is going to be excited, he’s a great player and understands whatever he needs to do to be a great player,” Brown says. ”He will be ready to do whatever he has to do.
”We’re definitely good enough to win the Super Bowl this year, we got all the goods, all the right people Dallas Goedert Eagles Jersey ,” Brown adds. ”We just have to make sure we do it right.”
One thing Brown does right, according to his peers throughout the league and to NFL fans, is celebrate his big plays. He claims his dances and moves aren’t pre-planned and that they come to him ”naturally, however you feel.”
He’s eager for those gyrations to be highlighted in Madden.
”AB has taken the league by storm the past few years and is arguably one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL,” said Josh Rabenovets, senior brand director at EA SPORTS. ”His game is hot, he’s got a ton of personality on and off the field. He was an easy choice for the Madden NFL 19 cover.”
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