The Los Angeles Lakers are a win away from the second round, along with the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Miami Heat advanced and the Oklahoma City Thunder tied their series in the first round of the NBA playoffs Monday in Orlando.

The Lakers dominated the Portland Trail Blazers 135-115 to go ahead 3-1 in their Western Conference playoff series.

The win was even more special as the Lakers celebrated Kobe Bryant Day following his 42nd birth anniversary Sunday. At one point in the first quarter, the score was 24-8, representing Kobe's jersey numbers when he played for Los Angeles.

LeBron James noted the score and said: "OK, he is here in the building."

James scored 30 points and issued 10 assists for the Lakers who are just a win away from a matchup either with the Houston Rockets or the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Anthony Davis, who left the game in the third canto due to back spams, added 18 points for the Lakers who can close out the series Wednesday.

Damian Lillard was held to 11 points. He had another injury, this time his right knee, and exited the game in the third period. Lillard has been dealing with a broken finger suffered in Game 2.

Jusuf Nurkic added 20 points and 13 boards for the Blazers.

The Lakers wore "Black Mamba" jerseys with a heart shaped patch with the number 2 in honor of Kobe and his daughter Gianna.

Kobe and Gianna were killed in a chopper crash in California last January.

LeBron spoke about the shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, by cops in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

"I can't even enjoy a playoff game win right now, which is the sad part," he said.

"We are scared as black people in America," James added. "Black men, black women, black kids. We are, we are terrified."

Heat 99, Pacers 87

The Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals by trouncing the Indiana Pacers, 99-87, in Game 4.

Goran Dragic scored 23, Tyler Herro added 16, Bam Adebayo knocked in 14 points and 19 rebounds, and Kelly Olynyk had 11 to lead the fifth seed Heat to a four-game sweep of the fourth-seed Pacers.

The Heat got the lead for good in the second quarter and led by as many as 13.

Victor Oladipo had 25, Myles Turner scored 22 and grabbed 14 rebounds, and T.J. Warren chipped in 21 for Indiana.

Milwaukee is also a win away from the second round with a 121-108 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 4.

Giannis Antetoukounmpo scored 31 points and also had 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks.

Orlando kept the game competitive until the fourth quarter when Khris Middleton scored 13 of his 21 points in a 20-5 run to power Milwaukee to a 19-point lead, 102-83.

Center Nikola Vujecic paced the Magic with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Markelle Fultz added 15 markers, seven assists, and five rebounds.

Thunder 117, Rockets 114

The Oklahoma City Thunder tied their Western Conference series with the Houston Rockets at two games each with a 117-114 victory.

Oklahoma City benefited from Houston's poor shooting and erased a 15-point lead in the third quarter to register the victory.

Dennis Schroeder scored 30 points and Chris Paul added 26 for the Thunder. James Harden had 32 and Eric Gordon chipped in 23 for the Rockets.

Harden was so dejected with the loss he shoved a dispenser on the way to the locker room after the game.

Sixers coach fired

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown has been fired after the team failed to advance to the second round anew.

Brown coached the 76ers for seven seasons and he was relieved of his duties following a first round sweep by the Boston Celtics.

He had a 221-344 record with the team. Brown was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs before he was hired by the Sixers.

Under Brown, Philadephia made the playoffs in the past three seasons. He was under contract until the end of the 2021-2022 season.

Several teams in the NBA (i.e. New Orleans Pelicans, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers) are looking for new head coaches and Michigan Wolverines coach Juwan Howard has been a possible candidate.
Count him out though.

"There was a report of my name as a potential candidate for NBA coaching opportunities. While I am flattered, and know it will more likely happen again, I am not exploring, seeking or listening. I am the head coach at the University of Michigan,” Howard said in a statement.

"I am blessed to be working at the greatest university in the world. I am blessed to be guiding a group of wonderful young men. We have goals, dreams and championships to win. This is where my focus is. Go Blue!”

Howard was an assistant coach in the NBA after he retired. He has two championship rings with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013.

He has lingering ties with the school as he played for them from 1991-1994.
Meanwhile, a report has said that the Brooklyn Nets are interested in hiring Gregg Popovich away from the San Antonio Spurs.

The Nets who were coached by Jacque Vaughn in an acting capacity had just been swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

A Brooklyn team with Popovich on board and Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving back would be a formidable force next season.

It was noted that the Nets' front office is manned by guys who played for Popovich before.

(Compiled by Tristan Lozano)