Breaking down Game 3 of The Finals, which saw Jimmy Butler put forth an all-time performance to lead Miami to victory over a lackadaisical Lakers squad. We discuss Butler's heroic exploits, whether he's actually better than Anthony Davis, how the Heat adjusted defensively to limit Davis and LeBron James, what LeBron can do differently, Kelly Olynyk's offensive impact, the disrespectful decision to play J.R. Smith, and more.

Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and the Lakers completely overwhelmed Miami in Game 1, and the Heat are already dropping like flies.

We build a strawman to defend LeBron James after he publicly admits to tampering with Anthony Davis, react to the news that Doc Rivers is out as Clippers head coach after 7 years, wonder whether the NBA needs its own Rooney Rule, marvel at the number of enticing coaching jobs up for grabs around the league, and eventually get around to previewing a fascinating Finals matchup between the Lakers and Heat.

Dissecting how the Lakers and Heat have moved within a win of the NBA Finals, and trying to figure out what a Mike D'Antoni-led Sixers team would look like.

We delve into the Lakers' Game 2 win, Anthony Davis' incredible buzzer-beater, Denver's botched coverage on the final play, some encouraging signs for the Nuggets, and the great big-man battle at the heart of the series. Then, some thoughts on Heat-Celtics following Gordon Hayward's return and a Game 3 Boston win. Plus: How should we feel about LeBron's MVP gripe?

We dig into Game 1 of Lakers-Nuggets, the first two games of Heat-Celtics, and ask some big picture questions about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the wake of The Greek Freak's second straight MVP award.

We react to the Nuggets' second straight 3-1 series comeback and stunning Game 7 beatdown of the lifeless Clippers - a game that featured transcendent performances from Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, and complete disappearing acts from Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Then, we marvel at yet another high-wire triumph for Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, and the seemingly unkillable Heat.

A Game 6 epic means Raptors-Celtics is going the distance, the eliminated Bucks are at a crossroads, Billy Donovan is out in OKC, Playoff Rondo strikes again, and a moment of appreciation for LeBron James.

With the conference semifinals in full swing, we break down what we've seen so far from all four series, with a focus on the Western Conference. We wonder: Did the Nuggets blow their shot to upset the Clippers with a back-breaking Game 3 loss, or can Nikola Jokic and a solid defensive game plan keep them in the hunt? Can the Rockets overcome Russell Westbrook's struggles? Can the Lakers bank on the kind of high-level production they got from their role players in Game 2? Are the Raptors running out of gas, or can they push the defensively dominant Celtics to a Game 7? And if he can't return in this series, have we seen the last of Giannis in a Bucks uniform?

Kyle Lowry and OG Anunoby breathe life into the Raptors, the Nets hire Steve Nash in a stunning move, and previewing the Western Conference's second round.