NBA Playoffs 2024: First Round Match-ups, News, by Hussein Abdullahi

Celtics cruise to game One victory over Heat

The first round of the playoffs are underway and full of memorable match-ups between the leagues brightest stars.  The Playoff action will kick off on Saturday live on ABC and ESPN. The Boston Celtics are the top seed in the Eastern Conference, with a leagues-best 64-18 record. The Celtics have secured home-court advantage throughout the postseason. The Celtics will take on the Miami Heat in a Eastern Conference Finals rematch. The Heat will be without star Jimmy Bulter who suffered a sprain MCL in the play-in game vs. 76ers. For the Celtics, they will looking to return back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2022. As for the Miami Heat, they will look to be on another post-season run, this time without the heart and soul of the ball club.

The knicks return the favour in 76ers win

Photo Courtesy of NBA

Among playoff series to watch, the No. 2 seed New York Knicks take on the reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the 76ers. After stealing a Game 1 victory 1 111-104, the Knicks lead the series 1-0. The 76ers’ playoffs hopes hang on the shoulders of their star Joel Embiid. In the second quarter Joel Embid had a brief injury scare after landing awkwardly on his left leg. The 76ers star returned and finished the game with 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 on Monday.

Eastern Conference bracket

No. 1 Boston Celtics leads No. 8  Miami Heat (1-0)

 No. 2 New York Knicks leads. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (1-0)

 No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks leads No. 6 Indiana Pacers (1-0)

 No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers leads. No. 5 Orlando Magic (1-0)

Thunder Return to the playoffs as the No.1 seed

 The Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to secure a No.1 seed. The Thunder will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a first-round matchup. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a on a mission this post-season. The Thunder return back to the playoffs for the first time since the bubble in 2020.

In the Western Conference, The Denver Nuggets are favoured to repeat as defending champions. In a Western Conference first round match-up against the LA Lakers, The Nuggets cruised to a 114-103 victory in Game 1 LeBron James and the Lakers are now 0-5 in the post-season vs. the Nuggets.

Anthony edwards erupts for 33 points in Game one win

The Minnesota Timberwolves stole a 120-95 Game 1 against the Suns. Anthony Edwards got the best of Sun’s Kevin Durant in a iconic duel. Their young dynamic superstar errupted for 33 points, 18 of which came in the third quarter. Edwards third quarter performance was a sight to see, he single-handedly outscored the entire Suns with eight made FGs. Anthony Edwards continues to emerge himself as a young superstar in the league after recording his sixth 30-point performance in the playoffs (one behind Kevin Garnett). The Timberwolves knows what’s at stake this post-season, and Edwards is willing to accept the challenge.

Western Conference Bracket 

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder leads. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (1-0)

 No. 2 Denver Nuggets leads No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (1-0)

 No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves leads No. 6 Phoenix Suns (1-0)

 No. 4 LA Clippers leads No. 5 Dallas Mavericks (1-0)

South Carolina defeats Iowa for the National Championship Title by Hussein Abdullahi

South Carolina completes an undefeated season

The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated Iowa for the 2024 National Championship title. South Carolina completes their undefeated season with a 38-0 record, but more importantly, a National Championship. Coach Dawn Staley cements herself as one of the greatest college coaches in history after becoming the first Black coach - male or female to win three national championships. Coach Staley joins Geno Auriemma, Pat Summit, Tara VanDerveer, and Kim Mulkey as the fifth women's coach to win three national championships. Not to bad for the Philadelphia native, who had an illustrious WNBA career before her collegiate coaching tenure. What made this run special is that South Carolina never had a single starter return from last year's team, yet key player stepped into emerging roles. The Freshman standouts Tessa Johnson and Milaysia Fulwiley embraced the big stage throughout the NCAA tournament. The added leadership of Kamila Cardoso and Raven Johnson paid dividends for the Gamecocks this season.

South Carolina Outlasted the firepower of Caitlin Clark

In Sunday's matchup, South Carolina gave up a 10-0 lead in the first quarter while Caitin Clark erupted for 18 of her 30 points in the Q. The Gamecocks made a defensive adjustment, putting Raven Johnson on Caitlin Clark. It's safe to say Raven Johnson took that matchup personally after being waived off by Clark from behind the arc in last year's final-four matchup. With Johnson as the primary defender, Caitlin Clark scored just 12 points in three quarters.

Caitlin Clark and Iowa have the three top audience for women’s basketball (Iowa-LSU, Iowa-UConn, Iowa-SC).

The Gamecocks had nine players in double-digit minutes while their bench outscored Iowa 37-0. Freshman Tessa Johnson was not afraid of the big stage, scoring a team-high 19 points in 25 minutes. South Carolina owned the glass, out-rebounding Iowa 51-29, including 18 offensive rebounds. Kamilia Cardoso dominated the paint despite early foul trouble she put up 15 points and 17 rebounds. Cardoso earned the Most Outstanding Player honours of the final four and will live out her dreams as a lottery pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft next week.

The South Carolina Gamecocks officially completes its “Revenge Tour” in stellar fashion. The bigger picture here is the Women’s College hoops arrived on a national stage, and both teams delivered a unique showdown for the ages. In the end, the Gamecocks’ depth, 3-point shooting, and defensive prowess winning through. South Carolina’s victory over Iowa draw an audience of 18.7 million on ESPN and ABC. Caitlin Clark and Iowa have the top three audiences for women’s basketball. The new media-rights contact will stretch over eight-years worth $920 million, that includes 40 NCAA Championships, across men’s (excluding basketball) and women’s, in a package that values the women’s basketball tournament at $65 million annually.