🏀 An All-Time Playoff Moment

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If there’s one thing we Enjoy as much as Basketball, it’s hats. And y’all seem to agree, because the Enjoy Trucker Hat sold out faster than you could say “Antetokounmpo” back in August. So we’re restocking! Look out for the new batch today at 1pm EST, only at enjoybball.com!

Also, we hopped on a Twitter space yesterday with ESPN’s NBA Insider Bobby Marks, and it was… amazing. We’re gonna give you the highlights below, but check out the recording here to hear what it’s like to be an NBA journalist, executive, and basketball nerd.

Today’s Lineup

Feelin’ Green: The Celtics snatched a win in the Hawks’ nest to take the series.

Jimmy BUCKets: The 8-seeded Heat beat the 1-seeded Bucks and made history!

Insider Trading: We interviewed ESPN’s Bobby Marks about NBA media and front office life…

But first, here’s some NBA playoff trivia:

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Last Night’s Game

Celtics beat Hawks 128-120, close out series in six games

After snatching Game 5 in Boston, the Hawks looked dangerous for 44 minutes before a late-game collapse. The game was extremely tight until the 4:00 mark, when the Celtics went on a gargantuan run led by Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Al Horford. We’re talking brutal rejections, emphatic put-back dunks, and big-time three pointers—it was some of the best hoops we’ve seen these playoffs.

It was a tale of two halves for Trae Young, who had 25 points in the first half but just 5 in the second. Dejounte Murray and De’Andre Hunter had some tough buckets and even tougher clamps, but at the end of the day it wasn’t enough to conquer the Celtics. Boston advances to face Joel Embiid and the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Box Score

Wednesday Night Notes

Heat beat first-seeded Bucks 128-126, win series 4-1

Wow. We’re still processing this. The Heat beat the Bucks to complete the gentlemen’s sweep and become the sixth 8-seeded team in NBA history to beat a 1-seed!! Miami was down 16 points entering the fourth, but they came roaring back in the final minutes. With the game on the line, Jimmy Butler sank a prayer of an alley-oop to tie it up—quite literally one of the most big-time shots we’ve ever seen.

And in overtime, Miami again outplayed Milwaukee as Jimmy (42 points) hit some big shots. HC Mike Budenholzer made some ~questionable~ decisions, and Giannis (38 points) left 14 points worth of free throws on the board—haunting, but fixable.

Are the NBA Playoffs just March Madness 2.0 this year?? Either the #5 seed Knicks or the #8 seed Heat will be in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is why, as Enjoyers of Basketball, we love parity in the NBA!

Warriors scrape out 123-116 win vs Kings, take 3-2 series lead

They say the series doesn’t start until someone wins a road game… well, this series has officially started. Golden State snagged a close win in a back-and-forth thriller (like every game this series). The Draymond Green off-the-bench experiment seems to be working, as it did two impossible things: Dray dropped over 20 points and the 2022-2023 Warriors won on the road!

We kid, but this was a really impressive Warriors win. Steph and Klay combined for 56 points, Draymond (22 points, 4 steals) was a menace, and Kevon “Rodman” Looney pulled down 22 rebounds. Sacramento faces a high-pressure atmosphere tomorrow night in San Fran, but if there’s one man to handle pressure…

Knicks win series 4-1 after 106-95 victory over Cavs

If you crumple up paper and toss it at a trash bin, we guarantee Mitchell Robinson or Josh Hart will get the rebound. The Knicks pulled down 17 offensive rebounds in this one and controlled the game for all 48 minutes. It was just a matter of physicality, and MitchRob and Isaiah Hartenstein made 2022 All-Star Jarrett Allen and DPOY finalist Evan Mobley look like non-factors. Also, we’re big fans of Robinson’s “Block-ness Monster” nickname!

Who would’ve thought the Knicks would win in just FIVE games? Especially when Julius Randle had a mediocre series and starting guard Quentin Grimes missed four out of five games?!? Not us. But we’re happy, because the NBA is better when the Knicks are good. Orange and Blue skies, baby!

Grizzlies handle Lakers 116-99 to make series 2-3

Not gonna lie, we thought the Lakers had the Grizzlies totally figured out after their Game 4 win. But we were SO wrong. In a win-or-go-home game, Memphis broke open a massive lead in the late 3rd quarter by way of a 26-2 run—now that’s marathon good!

Ja Morant (31 points) had some insane buckets, while Desmond Bane (33 points) shot the lights out of the building. LeBron James (15 points) was clearly exhausted from playing 45 minutes in Game 4, and it seemed like Anthony Davis (31 points, 19 rebound) was the only Laker with a noticeably positive impact.

Our Conversation with Bobby Marks

Bobby Marks has had a WILD career in the world of basketball. Currently a journalist and NBA insider for ESPN, Marks was the Assistant General Manager of the Brooklyn Nets from 2010–2015 after working his way up in the organization after college. You can access the full audio of our entire in-depth conversation here, but here are some of the highlights!

Q: How does working in an NBA front office compare to working in NBA journalism?

A: Working in the media is probably a bit better than working in the front office. I sleep a little better at night and I have no rooting interest for any teams out there, which is different than if you’re working for a team!

Q: Do you have a quick piece of advice for those looking to get into NBA journalism or front offices?

A: Certainly, getting into a position with a team is highly competitive. When I was in college we didn't have sports management and the internships were probably more readily available. Since then, the departments have grown and there are more opportunities. But the way to get in, I would say, is network and if you’re in a position to do an internship, do it! Because it’s mostly important to get your foot in the door any way you can.

Q: Your team is down by 2. What NBA player, past or present, are you giving the ball to?

A: I’ve seen Jason Kidd make some tough, tough shots. But how could you not pick Steph Curry? Any time he has the ball in his hands, it feels like its going in.

Q: Which NBA team would be most fun to join their front office today?

A: Oklahoma City just got some play-in experience, some great young guys, and a ton of draft picks in the coming years. And they’ve got flexibility. I think the new CBA rules will help them as far as leveling the playing field. And Orlando is intriguing because Banchero and Wagner and they have 2 picks in the lottery this year.

Frozen Moments

• Jayson Tatum apologized to Janet Jackson for an unusual reason….

• Is that you, Draymond Nowitzki?

• Davion Mitchell’s expression proves it ain’t easy guarding Steph Curry!

What We’re Enjoying

We like to Enjoy some football now and then. Pat McAfee brought the laughs and casual vibes to day one of the NFL Draft last night!

Also, we loved Giannis Antetokounmpo’s response to a reporter’s question about whether Milwaukee’s season was a failure. This right here is a winner’s mentality:

Signing Off

Round one of the playoffs is almost over, but we think round two might be even better. Forget March. This is April Madness, and we can’t express how grateful we are to have you along for the ride!

-Conor Geelan

Trivia Answer: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jimmy Butler leads the 2023 NBA Playoffs with 188 points. Devin Booker is a close second, with 186!

Before you go…

Happy birthday to Zahir, Miles, and Sukhman! Take our survey below so we can wish you well on your birthday: