Preview capsules for the first round of the NBA playoffs, which start Saturday.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 2 NEW YORK KNICKS (50-32) vs. No. 7 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (47-35)
Season series: Knicks, 3-1.
Story line: The Knicks finished with their best record and highest seed since winning 54 games in 2012-13. They didn’t get much of a reward for that, with the opponent being a 76ers team that surged after Joel Embiid returned from knee surgery, winning their final eight games of the regular season and then edging Miami in the play-in tournament to earn the No. 7 seed.
Key matchup: Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Maxey. Both guards were first-time All-Stars and capable of putting up big scoring numbers. Maxey had three 50-point games during the regular season. Brunson had 11 40-point performances, tying Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing for second-most by a Knicks player in a single season, and was fourth in the league with 28.7 per game.
The Florida Panthers are weird. And coach Paul Maurice says that as a compliment
McBride helps Knicks cruise past Raptors 145
UN Appeals Tribunal's First Woman Judge from China
Could Al Murray's Pub Landlord be arrested over Scotland's new hate crime law? Stand
Wondrous Xinjiang: Xinjiang's mobile bazaar blooms ahead
With Grand Slam Breakthrough, Emerging Zheng Leads Charge in China's Collective Tennis Chapter
Village Official Leads Farmers in Promoting Rural Revitalization
China issues red alert for tsunami
Rangers option rookie Jack Leiter 1 day after he allowed 7 runs in his major league debut
Miao Woman Inherits, Promotes Family's Tea
'Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' review: Guy Ritchie amps up WWII heist
Could Al Murray's Pub Landlord be arrested over Scotland's new hate crime law? Stand