LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. And the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics were all rolling.
Close games are hard to find in these NBA playoffs. Entering Sunday, 19 of the first 26 games of the first round were all decided by at least 10 points.
Click to Gallery
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. And the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics were all rolling.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes after a rebound against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April 27, 2024. The Thunder won 106-85. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) and forward Sam Hauser congratulate each other after a play during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler looks on from the bench during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) celebrates with guard Cole Anthony (50) after making a basket and drawing a foul during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) waves his arms to the fans to cheer during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, complains about a foul call against him as guard D'Angelo Russell looks on during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, asks head coach Darvin Ham for a replay review after he was called for a foul during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) stands on the court during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates an offensive foul against the Orlando Magic during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray celebrates after a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during the final minutes of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, left, shoots over Miami Heat's Kevin Love during the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) celebrates with guard Ayo Dosunmu after a Bulls basket during the second half of the team's NBA basketball play-in tournament game against the Atlanta Hawks in Chicago, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Bulls won 131-116. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, back, laughs after a slam dunk late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in San Francisco on Sunday, April 14, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoots over Atlanta Hawks forward Bruno Fernando (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers directs his players against the Orlando Magic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) steals the ball from Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shakes hands with his teammates during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, pushes Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert while they pursue the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with fans as he leaves the court after the Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls in an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game. The Bucks won 104-91. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
All four games on Saturday were double-digit decisions: Orlando beat Cleveland by 23, Oklahoma City beat New Orleans by 21, Boston beat Miami by 20 and the Lakers beat Denver in the “close” game of the day by 11 to avoid a sweep.
Another quadrupleheader awaits Sunday: New York is at Philadelphia (Knicks lead 2-1), the Los Angeles Clippers are at Dallas (Mavericks lead 2-1), Milwaukee is at Indiana (Pacers lead 2-1) and Minnesota — up 3-0 in that series — looks to be the first team to reach the second round when it visits Phoenix.
Sunday
1 p.m. — New York at Philadelphia, ABC
3:30 p.m. — L.A. Clippers at Dallas, ABC
7 p.m. — Milwaukee at Indiana, TNT
9:30 p.m. — Minnesota at Phoenix, TNT
Monday
7:30 p.m. — Boston at Miami, TNT
8:30 p.m. — Oklahoma City at New Orleans, NBA TV
10 p.m. — L.A. Lakers at Denver, TNT
Tuesday
6:30 or 8 p.m. — Orlando at Cleveland, NBA TV
7 p.m. — Philadelphia at New York, TNT
9 or 9:30 p.m. — Indiana at Milwaukee, NBA TV or TNT
9:30 p.m. — Phoenix at Minnesota, TNT (if necessary)
(If Minnesota wins Sunday, the Magic-Cavaliers game is 8 p.m. and the Pacers-Bucks game is 9:30 p.m. on TNT. If Phoenix wins Sunday, Magic-Cavaliers is 6:30 p.m. and Pacers-Bucks is 9 p.m. on NBA TV.)
Boston has home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs and currently is the favorite to win the championship, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Celtics are listed at +130, ahead of defending champion Denver (+240). Next up: Oklahoma City (+1000), Minnesota (+1100), Dallas (+1300), New York (+1600), Philadelphia (+3000), the Los Angeles Clippers (+5000) and Indiana (+5000).
After that, it's Milwaukee (+6000), Cleveland (+6600), the Los Angeles Lakers (+20000), Orlando (+20000), Phoenix (+25000), Miami (+50000) and New Orleans (+75000).
Coach of the Year gets announced on Sunday, with Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, Minnesota’s Chris Finch and Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley the three finalists.
Last week, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey won Most Improved Player over Chicago’s Coby White, Minnesota’s Naz Reid won Sixth Man of the Year in a very close vote over Sacramento’s Malik Monk and Golden State’s Stephen Curry won Clutch Player of the Year over Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan.
The schedule for announcing the remaining individual awards has yet to be revealed. There’s Rookie of the Year (San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren or Charlotte’s Brandon Miller), Defensive Player of the Year (Wembanyama, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert or Miami’s Bam Adebayo) and Most Valuable Player (Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic or Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).
— Jimmy Butler is anxious.
— Damian Lillard is hurting.
— Preview for Sunday's games: Knicks-76ers, Clippers-Mavericks, Bucks-Pacers, Timberwolves-Suns.
Boston, Oklahoma City and Orlando all have two wins by at least 20 points so far in Round 1. No team has had three wins by 20 or more in the opening round since Toronto did that to Brooklyn in 2020.
“We've given ourselves another life. We've given ourselves another lifeline. It's a one-game series for us. Monday's game is the most important game of the season for us and we understand that.” — the Lakers' LeBron James, after Saturday's win over Denver to cut the deficit in that series to 3-1.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) pulls down a rebound against New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April 27, 2024. The Thunder won 106-85. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes after a rebound against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April 27, 2024. The Thunder won 106-85. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) and forward Sam Hauser congratulate each other after a play during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler looks on from the bench during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) celebrates with guard Cole Anthony (50) after making a basket and drawing a foul during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) waves his arms to the fans to cheer during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, complains about a foul call against him as guard D'Angelo Russell looks on during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, asks head coach Darvin Ham for a replay review after he was called for a foul during the second half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) stands on the court during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates an offensive foul against the Orlando Magic during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Nick Cammett)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray celebrates after a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart reacts after scoring a 3-point basket during the final minutes of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, left, shoots over Miami Heat's Kevin Love during the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) celebrates with guard Ayo Dosunmu after a Bulls basket during the second half of the team's NBA basketball play-in tournament game against the Atlanta Hawks in Chicago, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Bulls won 131-116. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, back, laughs after a slam dunk late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in San Francisco on Sunday, April 14, 2024. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) shoots over Atlanta Hawks forward Bruno Fernando (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, April 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers directs his players against the Orlando Magic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) steals the ball from Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shakes hands with his teammates during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, right, pushes Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert while they pursue the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson celebrates with fans as he leaves the court after the Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls in an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sits on the court during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game. The Bucks won 104-91. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts during the second half of the team's NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
