NBA Playoff picture 2023- LA Lakers and LA Clippers prevail as road teams run riot

The 2023 NBA Playoffs only got more interesting after the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and Miami Heat won on the road. All three stole home-court advantage from their respective higher-seeded opponents.

The Lakers started the road teams’ onslaught by beating the Memphis Grizzlies. Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James headed into this matchup as an underdog for the first time in his career in the first-round series.

The last time “King James” was an underdog in the playoffs that doesn’t include the finals was in 2018. James’ Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Toronto Raptors in the semifinals that year.

James and his teammates didn’t look like the seventh-seeded team against the second-ranked Grizzlies. Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura played with chips on their shoulders.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis were the marquee names on the Lakers’ side, but it was Hachimura and Reaves who picked the Grizzlies apart. The versatile Japanese came off the bench to score 29 points, 21 of them in the second half.

Hachimura’s four three-pointers in the third quarter kept the surging home team at bay. He added six rebounds and one assist to his contributions.

Austin Reaves closed out the Memphis Grizzlies in the dying minutes. He reeled off nine unanswered points to deflate any thoughts of a rally. On a night featuring several incredible performances in the NBA, Reaves’ night should be near the top of that list.

LeBron James told reporters after the game that he expected nothing less from the former undrafted rookie from Oklahoma.

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The Miami Heat toppled the best team in the NBA record-wise

The Miami Heat barged into the postseason picture via the difficult Play-in Tournament. They first lost to the Atlanta Hawks before clinching a playoff spot by beating the Chicago Bulls in a come-from-behind fashion.

Miami got an early break when Giannis Antetokounmpo left the game early due to a back injury. The two-time MVP collided with Kevin Love while going for a layup and brutally landed on his back. Milwaukee will monitor the injury and has not given a definite time frame for his return.

The Heat, however, also lost Tyler Herro in the second quarter due to a broken right hand. Herro, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year winner, suffered the injury while diving for a loose ball.

Milwaukee had itself to blame even before Antetokounmpo’s injury. They looked rusty after several days of rest. The Bucks’ execution wasn’t up to their usual standards and that cost them heavily.

The night, though, belonged to Jimmy Butler, who proved yet again that he’s a big-time playoff performer. “Jimmy Buckets” dropped 35 points to go with 11 assists, five rebounds and three steals.

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Russell Westbrook blocks Devin Booker’s layup to help the LA Clippers beat the loaded Phoenix Suns

The much-maligned Russell Westbrook has come up with his biggest play in probably the last three years. He took the challenge of guarding Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker and blocked his shot to push the LA Clippers to victory.

Westbrook’s crucial denial preserved the Clippers’ 111-108 lead. An exchange of free throws eventually settled the score at 115-110.

The former NBA MVP didn’t shoot the ball well. He was only 3-19 from the field, including 1-6 from behind the arc. His hustle and exceptional defense of Kevin Durant and the end-game block on Booker were just outstanding.