The NBA playoffs that start this weekend already have an extremely tough act to follow.

The regular season ended with a flourish.

Wednesday’s final night of the regular season was well beyond dramatic – an overtime game between Minnesota and Denver to decide the last berth Tomas Hertl Jersey , another overtime game between Miami and Toronto to determine some East fates, a 46-point first quarter by Philadelphia , an absurd 20-rebound, 19-assist night from Russell Westbrook.

And now, the best time of the NBA year is finally here.

The playoffs are back, with Golden State and Cleveland – who’ve met in the last three NBA Finals – not exactly looking like the overwhelming favorites the league has come to expect. A fourth straight Warriors-Cavs matchup is no guarantee. A fourth straight trip by either of those teams alone is far from certain, either.

It all starts Saturday, the 16-team tournament that will be a two-month grind following the six-month grind of the regular season.

”I feel pretty ready,” Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said. ”We’re ready to go.”

So are 15 other teams.

Start with the East pairings: Lowry and the top-seeded Raptors play No. 8 Washington, No. 2 Boston faces No. 7 Milwaukee, No. 3 Philadelphia gets No. 6 Miami and No. 4 Cleveland – with LeBron James bidding for an eighth consecutive appearance in The Finals – opening against No. 5 Indiana Womens Esa Lindell Jersey , a surprise team at the start of the season and one that isn’t a surprise anymore.

”We’re one of 16 teams that have a chance to win a championship,” James said. ”That’s all you can ask for.”

Philadelphia, after years of the rebuilding saga known as ”The Process,” has a chance as well. The 76ers are going into the playoffs on a 16-game winning streak.

”Take a deep breath, then reload,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said, talking about what he wants his team to do before getting ready for Game 1.

Out West, it’s No. 1 Houston meeting No. 8 Minnesota – which earned its berth by topping Denver in the NBA’s first win-and-get-in, lose-and-go-home regular-season finale in 21 years. No. 2 Golden State opens its quest for a third championship in four seasons against No. 7 San Antonio, No. 3 Portland drew No. 6 New Orleans and No. 4 Oklahoma City opens against No. 5 Utah.

”The playoffs are about moments, and you just want a chance to have those moments Richard Panik Jersey ,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said.

For the Timberwolves, Wednesday was a moment in itself. They needed overtime to beat the Nuggets and get into the postseason. It’s Minnesota’s first berth since 2004, and ended what was the NBA’s longest playoff drought (which now is bequeathed to the Sacramento Kings, who last played a playoff game in 2006).

”They just made the plays at the end,” Denver’s Will Barton said of the Timberwolves. ”Give them credit.”

There are some rematches from the 2017 playoffs already waiting. Cleveland swept Indiana in the first round last year, and Boston needed seven games to oust Washington in a thrilling East semifinal series.

But the most intriguing should be the Golden State-San Antonio matchup – because once again, just like a year ago, the Spurs will almost certainly be without Leonard.

Those two teams played in the West finals last season, and the Spurs were up by 23 points when Leonard left in the third quarter after getting injured on a play where he tried a jumper and Warriors center Zaza Pachulia closed out aggressively. Leonard got hurt when he stepped on Pachulia on the landing; he and the Spurs haven’t been the same since.

Leonard never returned to that series, and played in only nine games for the Spurs this season.

”There is no pressure on us,” Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge said.

There is on Golden State.

The Warriors are trying for a third title in four seasons Youth Jaden Schwartz Jersey , and will play this first round more than likely without Curry while he continues recovering from a knee injury. Golden State went 7-10 in its final 17 games, and clearly sputtered across the finish line.

But the records all reset now, and the Warriors have been waiting to get the postseason started.

”It’ll be our first meaningful game in about a month,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”Looking forward to that.”

With good reason. There’s a trophy to go chase now.

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The NFL has fined former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson $2.75 million following its investigation into sexual and racial misconduct in the workplace.

The league said Thursday the investigation conducted by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White substantiated the allegations against Richardson, that the improper conduct was limited to him and that the team and its ownership failed to report the allegations or any resolution agreements to the league.

The league also said most of the money will go toward organizations that address racial- and gender-based issues in and outside the workplace.

Richardson put the team up for sale after a Sports Illustrated report in December that Richardson made sexually suggestive comments to women and on at least one occasion directed a racial slur at an African-American Panthers scout. The report also stated that the settlements came with non-disclosure requirements forbidding the parties from discussing the details.

Richardson has an agreement to sell the Panthers for a league-record $2.2 billion to hedge fund president and owner David Tepper. The league owners unanimously approved the sale last month, and NFL officials said the sale is expected to close in the next two weeks. Tepper is a former minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coach Ron Rivera declined to comment Thursday on Richardson’s fine when reached by The Associated Press. General manager Marty Hurney did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

White, who was appointed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as the independent investigator, said her findings and recommendations are the product of a review that included interviews with team executives, former and current employees, document analysis and electronic records.

White states that the Panthers’ anti-harassment and discrimination policy should help prevent a recurrence, and she and Goodell recommend the team report on its internal policies and procedures that address racial discrimination and sexual harassment claims Youth Mark Letestu Jersey , as well as related workplace issues, by the end of the year.

She also recommended the league prohibit non-disclosure agreements to limit the reporting of potential violations or cooperation with league investigations, require workplace misconduct claims to be reported to the league office, establish a confidential hotline for league and team employees to report workplace conduct issues and review policies and procedures with owners, team counsel and human resource executives.

The NFL said the recommendations will be presented to the league’s Conduct Committee before the coming season.

NFL officials have said they didn’t know about the allegations against Richardson until Dec. 15, the same day the Panthers issued a stunning news release first announcing its own investigation of Richardson’s alleged workplace misconduct. That was followed two days later by the Sports Illustrated report that detailed Richardson’s alleged misconduct and also by the announcement that Richardson would sell the team he founded.

The Panthers also promoted Tina Becker to chief operating officer in the wake of the investigation.

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AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.

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