The New York Knicks avoided a sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat and ended an 11-year playoff drought by registering an 89-87 victory at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Dallas Mavericks were swept out of the first round of the playoffs on Saturday as the Oklahoma City Thunder wrapped up their Western Conference series with a 103-97 victory.
Tony Parker shooed away the NBA Coach of the Year. The San Antonio Spurs were ahead 36 points and he didn't want Gregg Popovich to end his night just yet.
New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, the first player from the storied franchise to win the award.
Kobe Bryant had a game-high 31 points for the Los Angeles Lakers while the San Antonio Spurs relied on a potent offense as each team earned playoff-opening wins in their respective Western Conference quarter-final series.
The Bobcats, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, couldn't even beat a New York Knicks team which rested most of its starters, finishing with the lowest winning percentage in league history after a 104-84 loss on Thursday.
The Chicago Bulls will open the NBA playoffs tomorrow against the Philadelphia 76ers, just before the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks renew their rivalry.