LeBron on NBA playoff re-seeding: "Let's not get too crazy"

Sport

LeBron on NBA playoff re-seeding: "Let's not get too crazy"

2018-02-22 17:13 Last Updated At：17:13

LeBron James has only followed an Eastern route to the NBA Finals.

He doesn't want to see that change.

While NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently raised the possibility that a change in the playoff format — re-seeding the 16 teams regardless of conference affiliation — could be approaching, James would prefer if things stayed status quo.

"I would disagree with that," James said Wednesday as the remodeled Cavaliers practiced for the first time after the All-Star break. "I think our league has been built the right way as far as when it comes to the postseason."

The league has always had teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences compete separately in the postseason with the respective conference winners meeting in the Finals. At last weekend's All-Star festivities in Los Angeles, Silver advanced the discussion about a potential change in the playoff structure, offering two options that both included teams being re-seeded regardless of conference connection.

"You also would like to have a format where your two best teams are ultimately going to meet in the Finals," Silver said. "You could have a situation where the top two teams in the league are meeting in the conference finals or somewhere else. So we're going to continue to look at that. It's still my hope that we're going to figure out ways."

Any change would require a majority vote by league owners.

For James, who has been to seven straight Finals with Miami and Cleveland, altering the playoff format would be somewhat disrespectful.

"It just changes the landscape of the history of the game," he said. "It's cool to mess around with the All-Star Game, we proved you can do that, but let's not get too crazy about the playoffs. You have Eastern Conference and you have Western Conference. You have Eastern Conference champions, you have guys from the Eastern Conference that win the big dance and sometimes you have it from the West as well."

James loved the change in this year's All-Star game as he and Steph Curry were voted as captains by fans and got to choose their teams. James' team edged Curry's in one of the more competitive events in recent years.

But as for the Finals, James doesn't see a need for change. He noted that there has been conference imbalance before, but time usually evens the score.

"There's been dominant conferences throughout time," he said. "In the '80s you had the Lakers who dominated the league at one point, then you had Boston that dominated the league. In the '90s, you had Chicago that dominated the league. San Antonio also had its run. We had our run in the East with Miami, Golden State is having their run."

James said he never gets caught up in the East vs. West comparisons.

"For what? You go out and play," he said. "I've been a part of the Eastern Conference my whole career and we've been very, very competitive. There's been years where we weren't as good. If I can think from once I got into the league, it's been us (Cleveland), I've done it three times, Detroit, Boston, Miami in '06, that's like seven championships out of 14 years.

"That's half, right? So what are we talking about?"

James was slightly off as the Western Conference has won eight of the past 14 titles.

Haliburton breaks tie with 3-point play, Pacers beats Bucks 121-118 in OT to take 2-1 series lead

2024-04-27 09:08 Last Updated At：09:11

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf.

Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs, to help give Indiana its first back-to-back postseason wins since taking three straight in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Pacers also have their first lead in the playoffs since Game 3 of a first-round matchup against Cleveland in 2018. Indiana hasn't won a series since reaching the 2014 Eastern Conference finals.

Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.

Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists after missing practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists, most coming after he hurt his left Achilles late in the first quarter.

It was a wild finish in front of a festive crowed decked out in gold T-shirts for Indiana's first home playoff game since since April 21, 2019 — and with many local favorites in attendance. The crowd included former Indiana Fever newcomer Caitlin Clark, former Colts coach Tony Dungy, former Pacers forward Derrick McKey and current Colts players Anthony Richardson, Kenny Moore II and E.J. Speed .

But these fans never expected the experienced Bucks to methodically trim a 19-point first-half deficit to 90-83 after three quarters or to open the fourth on a 10-2 run to take a 95-92 lead on Bobby Portis Jr.'s putback early in the fourth.

The teams then traded baskets, ties and leads over the final 7 1/2 minutes, with Pascal Siakam's putback with 19.1 seconds left giving the Pacers a seemingly safe 109-106 lead. But Siakam missed the ensuing free throw, Middleton answered with a midrange and the 3 to tie it. Siakam's long 3 to win it hit off the back of the rim at the buzzer.

It was more of the same in overtime — until Haliburton broke free for a 15-foot runner that drew a foul and led to the decisive three-point play.

Bobby Portis Jr. finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Bucks, while Siakam had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers.

Clark, the WNBA's No. 1 overall pick and Division I career scoring leader, drew a standing ovation as she revved up the crowd in the team's pregame IndyCar replica.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA