Bucks rout Magic
The Milwaukee Bucks returned to the court and showed no effects of a walkout to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake in a 118-104 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 Saturday in Orlando and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 28 points and 17 rebounds while Khris Middleton chipped in 21 points, 10 rebounds, and a team-high seven assists for Milwaukee who finished off the Magic 4-1 and set a matchup with the Miami Heat.
The Magic threatened 96-93 with 7:39 left in the game but the Bucks countered with a three and never looked back.
Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
Rockets whip Thunder for 3-2 lead
The Houston Rockets took a 3-2 series following a 114-80 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James Harden scored 31 points and Robert Covington added 22 points and seven rebounds to push the Thunder to the brink.
Eric Gordon scored 20 points and Jeff Green had nine points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets who can wrap up the series with a win Monday.
Dennis Schroder led Oklahoma City with 19 points but was ejected halfway through the third quarter for hitting P.J. Tucker of Houston.
Tucker was also ejected for bumping his head into the back of Schroder's head which led to a heated exchange between the two.
Russell Westbrook returned from injury to face with his former team and ended up with seven points.
Lakers beat Trail Blazers
The Los Angeles Lakers ended the Portland Trail Blazers' wishful season in 131-122 victory in Game 5 of their first round Western Conference playoff series.
Anthony Davis scored 43 points and LeBron James had a triple-double -- 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists -- to barge into the second round and eliminate the Blazers who were without Damian Lillard, 4-1.
The Lakers won their first playoff series in eight years and James kept his perfect first-round playoff record alive.
''We knew this was a hot Portland team. We wanted to come in and get better and better as the series went on, and we did that,'' said James.
CJ McCollum scored 36 points and had seven assists while Carmelo Anthony added 27 points for the Trail Blazers.
The Lakers face either the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.
Moment of silence for Boseman, Robinson, Olsen
The Bucks and Magic observed a moment of silence in honor of the late actor Chadwick Boseman, former Trail Blazers star Cliff Robinson, and Hall of Fame basketball coach Lute Olson before their game.
Robinson, 53, and a former NBA All-Star and Sixth Man of the Year, died on Aug. 29 of lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.
Olson was a former head coach of the University of Arizona men’s basketball team who died Aug. 27 at the age of 85 and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
Boseman was honored for being great friend of the NBA. He died due to colon cancer on Aug. 28 at the age of 43.
READ: LeBron James somber after losing Black Panther, Black Mamba in 2020; Sporting world mourns passing of Chadwick Boseman
Kidd wants to coach Sixers -- report
Assistant coach Jason Kidd of the Los Angeles Lakers has reportedly expressed interest in the head coaching position of the Philadelphia 76ers vacated by Brett Brown.
Kidd has been a head coach before for Brooklyn Nets and Bucks. He compiled a 183-190 record in the regular season and 9-15 record in the playoffs.
He is an NBA Hall of Famer, NBA champion, 10-time All-Star and second all-time in NBA history in assists (12,091) and steals (2,684).(Compiled by Tristan Lozano)