SCOREBOARD
Friday, April 20
No games scheduled. The playoffs begin Saturday.
FINALLY
Orlando’s Grant Hill is back in the playoffs after spending the last seven years and 589 games without playing a single minute in the postseason, his career slowed because of a recurring left ankle injury. The eighth-seeded Magic, who have won six of their last seven, open Sunday at Hill’s former team, top-seeded Detroit.
YOU AGAIN?
Miami visits Chicago on Saturday in Game 1 of a best-of-seven Eastern Conference first round series, the second straight year the Heat and Bulls collide in the opening matchup; Miami ousted Chicago in six games a year ago. … Phoenix will face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in a rematch of last year’s tighter-than-expected opening-round series. Los Angeles jumped to a 3-1 lead before the Suns regrouped to win the next three and take the series.
STILL CHAMPS
Miami struggled in its defense of the NBA title this season. Due to injuries and illness, the entire team – all players and coaches – were healthy and available exactly once in 82 games. Miami went on to win only 44 games this season; it’s been 29 years since an eventual NBA champion had that low a regular-season winning percentage.
SPEAKING
“It’s going to be a good old fashioned family feud. I’m sure when Nellie comes down, we’ll get the kids together and hang out and have a good meal. Then the next day we’ll try to rip each other’s throats out.” – Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations and the son of Golden State coach Don Nelson.