After 2: IND/MKE, BOS/ORL, GSW/HOU, MIN/LAL

INDIANA 2, MILWAUKEE 0

The largest test of the Pacers' reformed defense awaits. Milwaukee may not make changes in Game 3, Bobby Portis could stick to that bench, doesn't matter. Bobby will still get minutes, there are plenty of looks to go around and the Bucks will hit shots in Milwaukee that the Bucks clunked in Indianapolis.

How does Indiana handle taking the ball out of the net? How does Indiana defend its goal after missing its own best attempts at a score? Milwaukee's group of free throw-grabbers secured a long rebound and are tip-toeing downhill, who talks it up? Milwaukee will be patient at home with its offense, will Indiana remain as steady?

The Pacers should win a road Game 3 and they know it and that is dangerous. Individual Pacers might wear themselves out trying to go hard, keep a strong jaw, teams tend to crumble when an individual "steps up" to "help." Referees will be swept in with Milwaukee's crowd, Pacer performers can't be the 13,982nd NBA defender since 2012 to see the ball in Dame Lillard's hands and decide to slap.

The Pacers are better, quicker, that doesn't mean the series can't go seven games. Indiana has the ability score on every Buck defender on the floor, four drips plus a panting Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pacers must take time to pass the ball until the opening reveals itself.

Giannis is at worst the NBA's third-best player but the Pacers have an approximation in Pascal Siakam, rare, a craw which can go both ways. Clyde Drexler and Reggie Miller never overwhelmed Michael Jordan, Bernard King didn't unseat Larry Bird, DeMar nor Joe Johnson did not shake LeBron James.

Magic Johnson ... well, the West stunk when Magic was rolling all over it. Apologies to Mike Mitchell.

Siakam is one professional dude, and I don't know if the Bucks can stop him from doing his job.

What Milwaukee can do is remain patient, wait for the Pacers to play imperfectly, take hold of whatever advantages remain in this group of olllllll' Bucks.

Game 3 on Friday in Milwaukee on NBA TV at 8:00 PM Eastern

BOSTON 2, ORLANDO 0

The two teams who average the fewest possessions per game are playing that way. The Magic (29th in pace, 96.1 possessions per game) and Celtics (95.7 per game) gave us an 87-possession Game 1 and a 90-possession Game 2 and, to me, this is a track meet.

If you're of an age where Bryce Drew's NCAA splash felt as if it were only last month, 88 possessions per game is plenty for the playoffs. I try to consider these games, and it is harder to with everyone flying around for 1oo possessions per game. Boston's league-lowest 95.7 possessions per game is still 11.4 possessions per game faster than what Chuck Daly's league-slowest Orlando Magic averaged in the Bryce Drew Year.

Boston badly needs to park 40 percent of its threes on Friday, it has to down Orlando and soon. Boston has to end this series, give the Magic a reason to stop playing so hard, so damn well.

If the Celtics treat Friday's Game 3 like any other regular season date in Orlando, good. Treat it like a February game to get in and out of, real quick, onto the next city. The Celtics need to treat Game 3 like there is a plane waiting to take the team to Miami or Atlanta immediately after the game.

Defending a championship every night is wearying, so eliminate extra nights. Boston badly needs to cut the amount of games in this series, Kristaps Porziņģis looked gassed in Game 2 and Al Horford should be gassed. Jaylen Brown responded wonderfully to Jayson Tatum's absence in Game 2, but acting The Man while all alone is an all-time NBA burden. It could catch up with Brown even if his knees are in top shape, even if he's had plenty of rest, even if he didn't get my joke about Atlanta.

It isn't a comparison to Tatum: Jayson feels the same crush while cracking out of bed after the evenings he leads the Celtics when Brown is sidelined. Jaylen's done this before but not at these heights, he'll be exhausted in ways he won't see coming down in Orlando's arena, he has to find a way to keep his game simple. Brown is great enough to pull it off.

Orlando is not, but holy cow does Jamahl Mosley's team compete. Coach cut the minutes of the players he thinks aren't cutting it and the players (Cole Anthony isn't creating or hitting, Jonathan Isaac wasn't rebounding) made it easy on him. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gets minutes because Orlando has nobody left and no Gary Harris doesn't count.

KCP is 3-14 on the series. One of those makes was the worst attempt (a long two pointer with 19 on the shot clock from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, in the first place, but also with the Magic down 11 and only 3:08 left in Game 2) and make (he missed it by three feet but it accidentally banked in) of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Orlando never had a chance, but were never out of it. We've all seen one-sided NBA playoff games with victors safely holding opponents at arm's length all evening, keeping control, only for the score to creep in late in the contest, wholly unrepresentative of the entire competition. That wasn't really a nine-point game.

This ain't that. That was a nine-point game, in the champs' place. With missed opportunities to keep Magic players rolling in their own beds all night.

Orlando's up for the entire competition, and have been throughout Mosley's tenure. A series like this – the playoff team with the most injuries vs. the playoff team which needs a nap the most – should go terribly. Especially once pace (what's funnier than No. 30 against No. 29?) and playcalling are concerned. Not this one, I'm rolling in it.

Then again, I thought Chuck Daly's 1998 Magic were fun. Danny Schayes and his Don Flamenco hair.

Game 3 on Friday on ESPN at 7:00 PM Eastern so 7:12ish

CLEVELAND 2, MIAMI 0

D. Mitchell on D. Mitchell had me jumping and clapping. D. Mitchell plays like selected NBA executives banded together to doubt his playoff credentials midseason, on sports' biggest website. D. Mitchell plays like a newsletter-only sportswriter (with limited appeal) told a couple-hundred people that he "couldn't shoot, dribble or pass."

We're surprised when either of them misses, D. Mitchell's long jumper was maligned in the press, D. Mitchell's playoff accuracy was called into question. I'm pretty sure I was talking about the Miami version in the former, but now even I'm not sure anymore. Two-hundred some people are not surprised.

This is another delightful series, Miami returning to competitive fore not because of gimmick or luck or letdown, but because Miami is good enough to not be blown out by Cleveland in Cleveland.

Cleveland needs to be a better Cleveland, however. Cleveland won't always have a Tyler like this to turn around, Tylers are better in the second round. Cleveland can survive with DeAndre Hunter hitting 27.8 percent of his shots but don't, DeAndre Hunter. Don't.

The Cavs can outlast but it would be encouraging to watch them overcome. Deal with the crowd, rise to new flashes of offense after taking the ball out of the net after Alec Burks got lucky.

Miami will improve, it knows it has a Herro to hide and the Heat understand it can rely on the role players to hit the shots role players didn't hit in Ohio. Not worried about D. Mitchell in Miami because that stroke is nice. Plus he can pass, dribble.

Also, how hasn't this taken off?

That's me, looking at your posts. Stopping social media. Asking for a review of your posts.

Game 3 at 1 PM on a Saturday on TNT, the same TNT timeslot usually slotted for 'Space Cowboys' starring James Garner and William Devane

GOLDEN STATE 1, HOUSTON 1

Thank goodness, for basketball, that Golden State has until Saturday evening to play Game 3.

The Warriors need the time off, the Rockets require it. Houston needs a break, it needs to catch its usual wind, not keep this sprint. The Rockets didn't win the second-most games in the West this season by pinning arms behind backs. They won the second-most games in the West by pushing people, maybe pinching them, the occasional slap. But not the obvious stuff.

The Rockets need a few days off to remind themselves of how talented they are, and get back to a smoother blend of hoop. Jalen Green is the league's streakiest scorer but he needs to find some balance between missing dunks and taking every shot from three-point range. Alperen Şengün can't try to sneak something in that will get him suspended for a game, same for Dillon Brooks after he saved the season for Houston in Game 2. Nobody get suspended for Game 4 for doin' something silly in Game 3.

Luckily, Game 3 isn't on Friday, but Saturday. And if Wednesday's Warriors show up in Game 3, rested but still battered and beleaguered, the Rockets should roll.

Golden State is back to banking on Buddy Hield. Hoping bananas and broth do the thing for Brandin "Potassium-Free" Podziemski. Maybe Golden State can gunk up a few jumpers in Game 3 with Kevon Looney out there, the only person brave enough to not cover his face when the ball crashes off the glass at a dangerous angle.

Houston will have a test in Game 3, Golden State's role players will improve, Gary Payton II isn't in the business of missing two dunks in a row. Jonathan Kuminga might get some of his Al Harrington-buckets. Maybe Pat Spencer will swish his jumpers instead of missing them by four feet and banking them in.

Amen Thompson is yet to showcase the mix of abandon and confidence that 22-year olds are best at. He won't be as timid in San Francisco, and how well that translates into sound defense and helpful offense should tip (can't stop Amen, even if Amen is expected) or tank Houston's advantage. Steve Kerr will have sets, but each of them must find their way around Thompson, who has eyes on the back of his shoulders.

Also, if each of these coaches want to roll with two-pivotman lineups again in San Francisco, please. Gotta counter height with height, Steve.

Steve and I both watched Bill Wennington play power forward, Steve, we saw it, nobody can tell us we didn't.

You gotta believe, Steve. So spot up for three, Gui, loosen opportunities for Looney, head down to the post, Post. Nothing rhymes with any of the names in "Trayce Jackson-Davis."

Game 3 on ABC at 8:42ish PM Eastern on Saturday evening

MINNESOTA 1, LOS ANGELES LAKERS 1

We haven't really talked about maybe the greatest dunk I've ever seen.

Is this more impressive than Jordan switching hands? Yes. Infamously amongst us WGN snobs, Jordan's 1991 NBA Finals hand-switch was, like, his sixth-best move of 1990-91. Very cool, but a layup.

This dunk springs from similar impetus, but consider the difference in design. Jordan, like your dad, decided to switch to a left hand well below his right, then flipped the ball up toward the goal and hoped the glass did the work.

Anthony Edwards? Same idea, except for the part about completely avoiding the oncoming defender. Also, above goal. Well above goal.

Rather than switching approaches, like Jordan's move from northeast to southwest, Anthony added a second hand for strength and guided precision. For accuracy and torque and, sure, a little flair.

Or, as I noted upon seeing it live, "unfuckingwow."

Most poster dunks are done with one hand. Grab the ball and hope to dunk a little higher than the other guy can jump. Most aren't two hands because, well, most absolutely nobody in NBA history is like Anthony Edwards.

Speaking of the most like nobody, ever: LeBron James pulled off a Jordan-esque steal to save Game 2. An MJ-like, my guy might be up there, but I just stole the ball from you right here.

This is a marvelous series, in spite of its one-sided split. As far as Anthony Edwards' hilarious NBA fine, the testiness (I said "testiness") should plateau (I said "plateau") at this particular level (I said whatever you heard). The Wolves won't let it get out of hand at home, win mean or lose ugly.

We knew it would render to this: Ant and Randle and hopefully someone else steps up. Minnesota has Game 2 excuses, it was up 1-0 on the road and no NBA team avoids the pratfalls of playing the playoffs from ahead. Stars trust teammates more in that scenario, look for the helpers to hit home runs.

That's the excuse, here's the reason: Minnesota needs someone else to step up and create consistent offense. Box score offense. Same shit, all season, figure it out this weekend, thanks.

So Minnesota's defense has holes that may not be able to be plugged by playing hard, so what, I don't care about the defense, I care about Minnesota's 5-25 performance from long range in Game 2. Fix it. Do what Julius Randle did with his elbow.

Los Angeles proved for the second NBA season in a row that the key to an ascendent spring defense is putting Luka Dončić out front. We all saw what Dallas did to teams last season, now Los Angeles, and it has to be Luka. Defense wins championships.

Game 3 on Friday at 9:42ish PM Eastern on ESPN

GUYS

We love guys, but try to keep our playoff preview rotations tidy. Space is valuable in these emails, we need it to tell people the last time I saw that weird scene where young Superman runs fast. It looked like it was put together by that computer Peter Gabriel used to make all his records. I need room to regale the robot meltdown in the Richard Pryor one. Still a little scary. Very scary.

I can't waste your time talking about extra guys, no matter how much I love them, even if "antonio mcdyess game log" pops up the minute a finger is placed on my keyboard.

Guys show up, though, in important minutes.

Aforementioned Gui. Nationally screen-credited Jericho Sims in Game 1. In Game 2 Terrence Shannon got to keep his old rookie hands up defensively in full view of coaching staff and Ted Turner at home. We thought we knew Goga Bitadze's hair was that long, but I guess we didn't know it was that long. Pelle Larsson was not entirely enthused with getting back in his cameo, but Nikola Jovic busted tail in his.

Probably cost Jovic, and the Heat. The quagga mussel-crusted air in Cleveland can confuse a man, Nikola lost his wind.

Jovic looked like a crowd member asked to shoot three-pointers after spinning forehead-first around a baseball bat a few times. Erik Spoelstra knew he blew it, knew he left Jovic in too long after a blown defensive assignment, and still failed to pull Nikola before the poor guy was left to whiff another open three. So then Erik, down two strikes, calls a timeout but leaves Jovic in to show he loves him. Jovic blows the inbound play.

Later, Jovic is asked to hit an open corner three, we've seen him hit those, 48 percent in the regular season, three dozen of 'em, not in Game 2. Missed, badly, ended his follow-through by hugging himself sideways.

Now, Haywood Highsmith?

He's from Baltimore, he's got the taste for crab air. Haywood Highsmith can survive in a five-star hotel room with a shower that still smells like salty mollusk. If it gets to Game 5, put Haywood in the corner.

REMOTE CONTROL

Thank you for reading!

NEXT: After 3, Pistons/Knicks, Thunder/Grizzlies, Clippers/Nuggets.