How sweet is a sweep?
The Timberwolves blew through the first round of the playoffs, what does that mean?
The podcast today centers on the Knicks and Celtics because that’s who our hosts are fans of, but we’re also talking about the rest of the playoffs, including the Timberwolves picking up their first-ever sweep as they blasted the Suns straight to Cancun.
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Minnesota is on new ground, and it’s fair to wonder: is there danger in sweeping your first-round opponent? Might it obscure flaws in your team? Is there too much rest after the first round?
In the last 20 postseasons, there have been 34 first-round sweeps, and those teams went 24-10 in the next round. That’s good, for sure, but you’d also kind of expect it, too: most first-round sweeps come at the hands of a top team. For instance, the Cavaliers have swept five first-round series in the last two decades, all when they had LeBron James, and Cleveland was 5-0 in the subsequent Eastern Conference semifinals. Likewise, it’s a 4-0 record for the Heat — 2-0 with James, 2-0 with Erik Spoelstra coaching someone else at the top of the roster. The dynasty Warriors also swept two first-round series at their peak.
Everyone else is a combined 13-10 in second-round series after breezing through the first since 2004. That includes trips to the conference finals for the Bucks (two, in fact), Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Pacers, Pistons, Suns, and Thunder. Meanwhile, the teams who have flopped after a sweep are the 76ers, Bulls, Nets, Pelicans, Raptors, and Wizards.
Given those two groups of franchises, the Timberwolves vibe into the latter, but they also have Anthony Edwards. If he does get them past the defending NBA champions, whose repeat as at least West champs has felt inevitable for months, then full apologies for mocking this graphic that Minnesota’s social team posted putting the Ant Man on the same level as MJ and Kobe. Unless and until that happens, this is ridiculous:
The Celtics closed out the Heat with a 118-84 stomping, the first time that’s ever been a playoff score, and the first time it’s been the score of any NBA game since St. Patrick’s Day, 1999 — another Celtics game. That one was Boston 118, Clippers 84, the 21st loss in 22 games to open that season for L.A.
Boston’s starting five that night a quarter-century ago: Kenny Anderson, Antoine Walker, Vitaly Potapenko, Paul Pierce, and Ron Mercer. It was also an eight-point night off the bench for Popeye Jones, his highest total for the Celtics in a home game.
In current Clippers news, they’re on the brink of elimination after a less severe loss… only 30 points. That’s the first time the Clippers have lost by 30 in the postseason, and it’s a reversal of Game 5 between L.A. and the Mavericks in the bubble, when the Clippers won by 43, then closed out the series in six.