The NBA Playoffs continue as the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies and the New York Knicks make their way to Indiana to face the Pacers. Here's Saturday's TV NBA Playoff schedule, so you won't miss a minute of the action.
Tune into ESPN at 5 p.m. for Thunder vs. Grizzlies as one of these two teams will take a 2-1 lead in this series.
The Thunder need somebody to step up and help Kevin Durant with the scoring load. Right now, the Grizzlies's bigs are controlling Serge Ibaka as they are proving to be more than offensive machines. Ibaka has a sweet jumper from the perimeter that should be used more often. If Ibaka can get Zach Randolph away from the paint, it will at least increase their chances of grabbing offensive rebounds leaving only Marc Gasol as the sole big to worry about. So far in the second round, Ibaka is shoot 6-22 with 16 points through the first two games.
That's the key to the Thunder's game. It can be anybody, Kevin Martin, Ibaka or Thabo Sefolosha, who can help Durant with the scoring. In Game 2, Derek Fisher scored 19 points, but this wasn't enough either. The Grizzlies have the series momentum after winning Game 2, let's see if their home crowd can help them. They are undefeated at home so far in the playoffs.
ABC will then air the Knicks vs. Pacers at 8 p.m. ET. The Knicks will look to take their Game 2 victory to Indiana where they hope J.R. Smith can use the arena's animosity to turn his game around. Like Ibaka for the Thunder, Smith has struggled to find his stroke in the second round of the playoffs. As a matter of fact, after his one-game suspension, Smith hasn't been the same guy who helped the Knicks in the first two games against the Boston Celtics.
For the Pacers, they wouldn't mind if Smith continues shooting terribly. If it's only Carmelo Anthony scoring, then it raises their chances of winning. The Pacers are fueled by their home crowd as, similar to the Grizzlies, they have yet to lose a game in front of their fans.
The winner of these games will be only two wins again from the Conference Finals with a chance to fight to make an appearance in the NBA Finals.
