NBA Playoff Schedule

2011 NBA Playoffs: Chicago Bulls Tickets On Sale Friday

Do you want to see your Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls run full bore into the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs? I mean, see it happen live? Then this Friday, April 15, should rank very highly on your personal sports schedule.

That's the on-sale date for the first two rounds of the postseason, actually. The time: 11 a.m. Specifically, you'll be able to choose from eight possible home games, four from Round One and another four from Round Two. (Limit: Four tickets per game.) Assuming the Bulls do get by the 37-44 Pacers, they'll face the winner of an Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks matchup in that second round.

As you might expect, avenues for ticket purchase are the United Center box office, Bulls.com, 1-800-4NBA-TIX and Ticketmaster. The playoffs are due to begin Saturday, April 16. Exact dates for the games thereafter are not yet available.

If you do snag some tix, be sure to wear your red Bulls gear -- or just red clothes in general -- to the games. The team will be promoting a "See Red" playoff campaign in an effort to fill the United Center with crimson during the games. Think of the success the Chicago White Sox had in a similar vein with the "Blackout" campaign during the 2008 playoffs. Plenty of exciting basketball lies ahead this month, Bulls fans!

http://chicago.sbnation.com/chicago-bulls/2011/4/11/2104287/2011-nba-playoffs-chicago-bulls-tickets-on-sale-friday-basketball


Trail Blazers stretch run: 2 games left before NBA playoffs

The season has been filled with everything from season-ending injuries to trades, but the never-say-die Trail Blazers remain in the thick of the playoff race. Here's a look at where things stand today in the Western Conference as the Blazers continue their playoff run:

Today's game to watch
There are three games on tonight's NBA schedule that will have implications on the Western Conference playoff race. The New Orleans Hornets visit the Utah Jazz at 5 p.m. trying to keep their dwindling hopes for sixth place alive. Thirty minutes later, the Dallas Mavericks visit the Houston Rockets – a win would temporarily move the Mavericks into second place in the West. At 7 p.m., the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder enter the game trailing the Lakers and Mavericks by one game in the standings.

Who's hot
The Oklahoma City Thunder share the longest active win streak in the West (four games) with the San Antonio Spurs thanks to their impressive 120-106 win Sunday night over the Lakers in Los Angeles. The Thunder, who are 18-4 since March 1, have given themselves a long-shot chance to finish as high as No. 2 in the standings with two games left.

Who's not
Remember when it seemed like the two-time reigning champion Lakers were destined to snatch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference away from the San Antonio Spurs? Well, with two games left, they are now trying to avoid a free-fall to fourth. After winning 17 of 18 games after the All-Star break, the Lakers have surprisingly lost five consecutive games. It's their longest losing streak since 2006-07, when they lost seven in a row. The Lakers close the season by hosing the Spurs Tuesday and playing at Sacramento Wednesday. The good news? The Lakers own the tiebreaker over Dallas and Oklahoma City.

Fight for the sixth seed
Thanks to the Memphis Grizzlies' commanding 111-89 victory over the New Orleans Hornets Sunday night, the Blazers control their own destiny in the West. If they win out, they will earn the sixth seed. But things remain undecided. The Blazers lead the Hornets and Grizzlies by one game in the standings. The Hornets and Grizzlies have the same record, but the Hornets own seventh place because they own the tiebreaker. All three teams have two games left — with the biggest matchup coming Tuesday night at the Rose Garden, where they Blazers host Memphis. Click the links for a peek at their schedules.

Blazers
New Orleans
Memphis

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2011/04/trail_blazers_stretch_run_2_ga.html

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