PREVIEW: The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder open their Western Conference Semifinal matchup at Paycom Center with contrasting paths to this point. Fresh off a seven-game battle with the Clippers, the defending champion Nuggets rely heavily on their league-leading efficiency in attacking the rim and transition play, showcasing why they rank first in both categories according to ShotQuality data. Nikola Jokić, averaging 24 points and 11.6 rebounds, pairs with Jamal Murray, whose reputation as a playoff performer is well-documented with significantly increased production in the postseason. Despite ranking last in three-point attempt frequency at just 35.5%, Denver compensates with the...

PREVIEW: The second-seeded Boston Celtics welcome the third-seeded New York Knicks to TD Garden for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup on Monday night. Boston swept all four regular season meetings, winning by an average of 16.5 points per game, but the Celtics aren't taking anything for granted heading into this series. The Knicks will need exceptional performances from Jalen Brunson, who's averaging 31.5 points in these playoffs, and Karl-Anthony Towns to compete with the defending champions. Boston boasts the league's top-ranked 3-point shooting offense (52.9% frequency) and second-best spacing, which should create problems for the Knicks' defense that...