2018 NBA Playoffs: Scores, updates, highlights as Celtics win Game 7; Warriors dominate Pelicans in Game 1
We've got all the news, scores, and highlights from Saturday night's NBA playoff action
The NBA playoffs had one interesting Saturday night. It featured a Game 7 and the first game of the second round. The Celtics started off the evening with a dominant victory over the Bucks in a do-or-die contest. The better team came through in an elimination setting, and Al Horford came through for Boston with a big 24-point night.
Meanwhile in the West, the Warriors and Pelicans tipped off the second round with a massively one-sided contest. Golden State sent an early message and dominated Game 1 in a way that only it can. Draymond Green (16 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists) had a triple-double as everything went the Warriors' way, and somehow it's even scarier than that. They still don't have Stephen Curry.
Check below for all the news, highlights and results from Saturday's NBA action.
NBA playoff scores for Saturday, April 28
- Game 7: Boston Celtics 112, Milwaukee Bucks 96 (box score)
- Game 1: Golden State Warriors 123, New Orleans Pelicans 101 (box score)
If you are unable to view the live application below, please click here.
Game 7: Bucks vs. Celtics
Jaylen Brown left Game 7 with a hamstring injury. He was available to return, but the Celtics played it safe and kept him on the bench. Full story
The Celtics were just fine in Game 7 despite losing Brown. They controlled most of the game with relative ease and fended off a couple Bucks runs. Al Horford in particular was a monster all night long. He finished with 26 points and even had a block on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
🚫 Horford 🚫#PhantomCam #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/AlUUUquSsm
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2018
Horford was incredible all night on both ends. The first half was just a highlight reel of all the different ways he can score on the Bucks.
Horford leading the charge for the @celtics at the break with 14!#CUsRise #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/OjNX6Lg9Y6
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2018
The most disrespectful thing he did all night was power through some Bucks defenders for a layup and then flex on his way back up the court. Horford doesn't show much emotion when he's playing so this was a rare outburst on his part.
Horford sticks with it!
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2018
The @celtics big man is up 22 #CUsRise
📺: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/ftCPyrflCd
With Boston's victory, the home team won every single game in this series. The injured Celtics will now take on the 76ers in a matchup between the East's No. 2 and No. 3 seeds. Despite being the higher seed, Boston is going to come in as underdogs. If the Celtics are going to win that series, they'll need to do to Philadelphia what they did in Game 7 against Milwaukee.
Game 1: Pelicans vs. Warriors
Stephen Curry missed the entirety of the first round while he recovers from an MCL injury. He was out for Game 1, but there is a chance he'll play in Game 2. Full story
Not that the Warriors needed Curry, because they just looked like they were in a different class from the Pelicans. Once they extended their lead to double digits it just kept growing until everything was out of hand by halftime. Draymond Green recorded a triple double before anybody could blink.
#TripleDoubleAlert
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2018
Draymond Green (14 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST) records his 4th career Playoff triple-double!#DubNation pic.twitter.com/LhTPMD63UX
Green finished with 16 points, 11 assists, and 15 rebounds. The Warriors 76 first half points was a franchise high which just goes to show how locked in they were from the start.
The Warriors have posted their highest scoring postseason first half with 76 points (prev. 73 vs. Phoenix on May 4, 1994) in addition to their highest scoring postseason second quarter with 41 points (prev. 40 vs. Utah on May 11, 2007).
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) April 29, 2018
Of course, it didn't help the Pelicans that anything that could go right for the Warriors went right. They had one of the most insane sequences ever go there way that had to have everybody in New Orleans throw their hands up in disgust. What is the proper way to defend this?
Just how you draw it up 🔥 (@NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/KkUgYuilXz
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 29, 2018
Message received loud and clear by Golden State. The playoffs are here and the Warriors are ready to roll through them with dominance. It was only Game 1, and the only place for the Pelicans go from here is up, but it's hard to see how they're are going to bounce back from a loss like this.
Updated bracket
















