Welcome Back: Buffalo's Return to the Association | A Bigjdotcom01 Production

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New York, NY (AP) - The 2018-19 NBA Playoffs begin on Wednesday evening and here are the match ups:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Cleveland (25-7) vs. (8) Washington (15-17)
(2) New Orleans (20-12) vs. (7) Buffalo (16-16)
(3) Philadelphia (20-12) vs. (6) Detroit (15-17)
(4) Milwaukee (19-13) vs. (5) Indiana (18-14)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:
(1) Golden State (25-7) vs. (8) Houston (17-15)
(2) Minnesota (21-11) vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers (18-14)
(3) Portland (19-13) vs. (6) Memphis (18-14)
(4) Seattle (19-13) vs. (5) Sacramento (18-14)

The Stallions (16-16) will open up the Playoffs on the road in New Orleans as they face the Southeast Division champions Pelicans (20-12). The Pelicans will be without superstar Anthony Davis who tore his achilles back in early February just days after the Pelicans lost at home to the Stallions. Buffalo won the regular season meeting 125-108 Michael Carter-Williams having a career night, scoring 29 points, but dishing out a career high 23 assists. Dwight Powell poured in 28 points on 13 of 16 shooting. Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 28 points. He would tear his achilles just three days later in New York.

New Orleans lost their final three games of the regular season, but won the Southeast Division in their first season in the Eastern Conference. They are now led by point guard Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans.

It will be a tall task for the Stallions even with Anthony Davis out for the Pelicans.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are the favorites to meet in the Finals for the fourth time in five years.

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2019 EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND - GAME #1
PELICANS ESCAPE WITH WIN!
Buddy Hield Sinks Game Winner in Closing Moments

Was Michael Carter-Williams fouled on his last second shot?

4/16/19
New Orleans, LA (AP) - The New Orleans Pelicans opened up their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with a thrilling 116-114 victory over the Buffalo Stallions at the Smoothie King Arena in downtown New Orleans. Buddy Hield scored the game winning basket with 11.7 seconds left, then may have gotten away with a foul in the closing moments on Michael Carter-Williams final shot, to preserve the victory.

The Pelicans celebrate their Game 1 win.

New Orleans came out of the gates blazing, running out to a 15-3 lead just over three minutes into this one. But an unlikely spark off of the bench by Cory Joseph helped the Stallions climb back to within 32-31 after one quarter. Joseph scored 13 points off the bench in the opening period.

A 10-2 run midway through the second pushed the Pelicans to a 64-57 halftime advantage. Their largest lead of the opening half was 12, and they never trailed. The Pelicans shot 58% from the field in the first half, and importantly had just as many rebounds as the Stallions with each team pulling down 20 boards.

The Stallions twice pulled to within a basket of the Pelicans in the third, but a pair of 8-0 runs kept the Pelicans up by eight heading into the fourth at 92-84.

An Alex Len layup with 4:55 left in regulation put the Stallions up 107-106. It was their first lead of the game. Michael Carter-Williams hit a teardrop with 1:41 left to put Buffalo up 111-110. Terrence Jones then knocked down a 12-foot jumper and added a fast break layup to put New Orleans up by three with just under a minute left.

Otto Porter would knock down a corner three, his fourth of the game, with 49.7 left to tie it up. That setup Buddy Hield to hit a runner in the lane with 11.7 left to put New Orleans up by a basket.

After a timeout, the Stallions got the ball to MCW and cleared out, letting him take on Hield. He drove to the lane and looked to get fouled on his arm as he released his shot. The ball bounced off the back rim, and no call from the officials ended the game with a Pelicans win.

"That was a bitter pill to swallow," said Carter-Williams afterwards. "I thought I was fouled, pretty obviously, but I guess you don't get that call on the road."

Otto Porter led the Stallions with 23 points. He struggled down the stretch this season, but looked pretty good in game one. MCW scored 21 and dished out eight assists. Cory Joseph ended up with 18 points after scoring 13 in the first. Alex Len added 15 points and pulled down 14 boards.

Buddy Hield led the Pelicans with 24 points. Terrence Jones added 23 points on 10 of 15 shooting. Kyle O'Quinn, filling in for Anthony Davis, added 15 points on 7 of 7 shooting, while pulling down 14 boards. Jrue Holiday scored 14 points and dished out 13 dimes in the win.

The win gives the Pelicans a 1-0 lead heading into Thursday's game two in New Orleans.

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2019 EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS - FIRST ROUND - GAME #2
REPEAT
Stallions Fall Short at End, Lose 116-113

Buddy Hield knocks down one of his five three-pointers.

4/18/19
New Orleans, LA (AP) - The New Orleans Pelicans survived a late Buffalo Stallions rally to hold on for a 116-113 victory in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal to take a commanding two games to none lead in this best-of-five series. Buddy Hield led all scorers with 32 points, connecting on five from beyond the arc.

The Pelicans celebrate and now have a stranglehold on this series, up 2 games to none..

The Stallions grabbed the lead early in the first, leading by as many as five in the opening minutes, as they went on a shot blocking barrage. The Stallions blocked eight shots in the first quarter and set a club record with 14 blocked shots in the game. But turnovers negated that shot blocking advantage and the Stallions trailed 28-26 after one quarter.

Buffalo would hang close throughtout the second and managed to grab a 54-52 lead heading into halftime. Buddy Hield led all scorers in the opening half with 15 points.

The third quarter saw the Pelicans take control. They ran their lead up to 14 at 91-77, thanks to 17 Buffalo turnovers that gave the Pelicans a 17-2 advantage in points off of turnovers.

The Stallions would make a run late in the game though. They cut a 10 point deficit with 6:23 left down to just two at 104-102 with 3:37 left as Otto Porter got hot.

Buddy Hield and Tyreke Eveans then hit back-to-back backbreaking three pointers to push the Pelicans lead back to nine at 112-103 with 2:20 left.

A Otto Porter jumper, Michael Carter-Williams dunk and Alex Len layup cut the Pelicans lead to just three with 1:09 left. After a Buddy Hield jumper, Dwight Powell hit two free throws and Alex Len got free for a layup to get the Stallions to within one point at 114-113 with 24.3 seconds left.

Jrue Holiday would hit two free throws to setup Buffalo's last possession. Tailing by three, MCW dribbled into the front court and Otto Porter cut off of a Dwight Powell screen, but his three pointer from the left side was too strong, hitting the back of the rim as time expired and the Pelicans escaped with the three point win and a two games to zero lead, pushing Buffalo to the brink of elimination.

Buddy Hield led all scorers with 32 points. Jrue Holiday added 16 points and dished out 11 assists. Kyle O'Quinn scored 10 points and pulled down 15 boards.

Otto Porter led Buffalo with 25 points. Pascal Siakam scored a season high 19 off of the bench for the Stallions. Alex Len scored 16 points, pulled down seven boards and blocked a club record seven shots. Dwight Powell scored 10 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.

Buffalo now returns home for game three on Saturday afternoon. The Stallions must win to extend the series to Monday evening.