NBA Playoffs

The top five winningest coaches in NBA playoff history have led their teams to 707 wins and 30 NBA championships. Each man on this list has at least one NBA title and as a group they have earned Coach of the Year honors seven times.

The NBA should borrow a page from the NHL and re-seed after each round of the playoffs.

A look at how the issue of aging has emerged in some superstars throughout the 2011 NBA playoffs.

NBA used to be a "big names" league. That isn't the case anymore. It's slowly becoming a talent league.

There has been some controversy on how the Bulls and Heat have only played twice in one week. But after Sunday's Game 3, the two will get back to a normal schedule, as they hold a best-of-five the rest of the way.

Despite an eight-day rest, the Mavericks showed no rust to start the Western Conference finals. In fact, Dirk Nowitzki was practically perfect, especially at the free throw line, as the Mavs held off the Thunder in an opening shootout.

There are two NBA games on tap for today, and each couldn't be more different. The first features the end of the Grizzlies-Thunder series, with a conference finals berth on the line, and the second has the start of the Bulls-Heat conference final.

A lot has happened in the NBA postseason, except a Game 7. It didn't look like Memphis would force it in the first half of Game 6 against Oklahoma City. Yet a dominant second half kept the Grizzlies alive, to face the year's first seventh game on Sunday.

The NBA playoffs are normally dull, lacking memorable moments, until later rounds. That wasn't the case this year.

After Monday night's grueling NBA games, the Bulls and Hawks just played one game in regulation Tuesday. But Chicago had a big fourth quarter to avoid getting upset, with the Bulls taking a 3-2 lead going back to Atlanta.

For only the fourth time since 1999, someone other than the Spurs or Lakers will win the NBA title. And for only the second time since then, someone other than the Spurs and Lakers will win the West, as a new order is finally forming in the playoffs.

Miami and Boston were expected to have a long, brutal battle in the NBA second round. But the Heat are sapping the suspense out early after they pulled away in the fourth quarter to take a decisive 2-0 lead in the series.

Road teams are doing well for themselves in the second round so far. The Hawks came in and upset Chicago - which has new reason to panic over Derrick Rose to boot - while the Lakers dropped another Game 1 to the Mavericks.

The NBA first round playoffs ended without a single Game 7, but closed with Memphis's signature upset of San Antonio. Now the Grizzlies get to start the second round in Oklahoma City tomorrow, followed by the first Celtics-Heat showdown.

The Spurs looked ready to complete their historic collapse to the eighth-seeded Grizzlies last night in San Antonio. Instead, a role player gave them new life at the buzzer, and now has the Spurs on the brink of stealing momentum back in Memphis.

Breaking down the Playoff series between Miami and Boston

The NBA Western Conference is in turmoil early, with the Spurs on the brink of elimination and the Lakers in trouble. The defending champs could have been on the brink themselves, yet the Lakers seized back control over the Hornets in Game 5.

My predictions for the 2011 NBA first-round winners

This could be only the fourth NBA postseason to lose a No. 1 seed in the first round. The Spurs looked more like an eighth seed in their latest loss to the Grizzlies, and now they need to win three straight to avoid infamy.

Both the Spurs and Lakers got upset in their first game before pulling out Game 2. But while the Lakers fully took control of their series on the road, the Spurs still can't control theirs, as the Grizzles took back the series lead over the No. 1 seed.

When the NBA postseason started last Saturday, it looked like the Eastern favorites would have a long and hard test in the first round. But Chicago, Miami and Boston are now all far ahead in their series, leaving Atlanta and Orlando to beat each other up.

The Bulls and Heat have been tested more than expected against the Pacers and Sixers. But just as they endured at home, they did the same on the road last night, leaving themselves one win away from a sweep.

NBA playoffs are always fun, but it can be predictable at times - especially in the earlier rounds. The strength of the 7-game series is that the best team almost always wins. The downside is that, not many surprises and shocking upsets.

After the Spurs and Lakers were each stunned in Game 1, all eyes were on whether they would come back or fall into real danger. However, they both restored order by winning in Game 2, as they hope it will put them back in control for round one.

Here is a preview for the 2011 NBA Playoffs including a series by series breakdown filled with analysis and predictions.

Most NBA playoff favorites have bended but not broken so far. The Celtics bended big time once more to the Knicks but survived again, while the Mavs pulled ahead again over the Trail Blazers, and the Magic evened things up with the Hawks.

Predictions for the remainder of the NBA playoffs' first-round series.

After a weekend of scares for the NBA favorites, the Bulls and Heat both took 2-0 leads last night, as expected all along. But Miami had no trouble getting back on track, while Chicago had another hard time getting past Indiana.

The NBA has never seen a No. 1 and No. 2 seed in a conference go down by 1-0 in the first round until yesterday. Having both the Spurs and Lakers lose is something else, although they are used to flipping on the switch later.

The first day of the NBA playoffs tested some postseason favorites. Today, the Spurs, Lakers and Celtics need easier openers, in order to beat back some late doubts, while the Thunder try to live up to being a dark horse pick.

The schedule for the Western Conference begins with the San Antonio Spurs playing at home against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Western Conference not only boasted eight teams with winning records, they also could boast the tightest match-ups...