Phoenix Suns News

Lillard did just that, finishing with 31 points and making the go-ahead free throws in overtime to lift the Trail Blazers to a 122-120 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night in a thrilling first-round series opener.

Nene dominated with 24 points and Trevor Ariza scored 18 as the Washington Wizards rallied from 13 points down to beat the Chicago Bulls 102-93 in their playoff opener on Sunday.

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal , center, drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, left, and forward Carlos Boozer during the first half in Game 1 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series in Chicago, Sunday.

Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle reminded everyone after the game that Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan are two of the 10 greatest NBA players ever, either in scoring or in a general evaluation of their skills.

They're both huge centers, skilled and capable of dictating the outcome of a game.

Washington Wizards point guard John Wall is a 23-year-old blossoming superstar. These playoffs are his first opportunity to show a national audience just how great he can be in games that matter.

In their first full season with the Phoenix Suns, GM Ryan McDonough and head coach Jeff Hornacek took the team from bad to good.

But that didn't seem to throw the Warriors off their game too much because they had another playmaker: Klay Thompson.

The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs swept the regular-season series against the eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks 4-0.

Never mind all they overcame. The only obstacle that matters now for the Chicago Bulls is the one in front of them.

Despite missing out on the playoffs in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns finished their Cinderella season with 48 wins - 23 more than they won in 2012-13 and dozens more than most thought they win this year.

Without Andrew Bogut patrolling the Warriors basket, the surprisingly stellar Warriors defense is in need of some emergency backup in stopping Blake Griffin .

The title of the historical novel "Quo Vadis" is an apt question for frustrated Los Angeles Lakers fans to ask of players and coaches after the team's nightmare 2013-14 NBA campaign came to an end.

With their 118-102 victory over the Boston Celtics in the season finale, the Wizards matched the Brooklyn Nets at 44-38 and moved into the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference by virtue of winning the tiebreaker because of sweeping the regular season series, 3-0.

Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak during a press conference held at the Toyota Sports Center, El Segundo Calif., Friday, April 18, 2014.

School: ASU Started with Bonneville Phoenix: June 2013 Moved to Arizona: Summer of '93 -- right after Suns' run to the Finals Favorite sports memory: Staying up late to watch Jake Plummer and ASU shut out top-ranked Nebraska in '96 Favorite all-time athletes: Ben Wallace, Wayman Tisdale, Pat Tillman Favorite sports movies: Field of Dreams, White ... (more)

Apr 12, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Gerald Green is fouled by Dallas Mavericks guard Monta Ellis during the first half at the American Airlines Center.

No need to go too in depth on this one as New York gets the win due to the lack of playing time from Toronto's key players.

A team loaded with castoffs would tank the year to get a top draft pick. Then this scrappy, energetic squad started playing, and winning.

It's hardly a revelation that the Warriors face an awesome task trying to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference playoffs without center Andrew Bogut.