NBA playoffs scores, takeaways: Lakers sent home packing by Nuggets, Thunder sweep the Pelicans

Three games were scheduled for Monday in the 2024 NBA playoffs. With a 102-88 victory over the Heat to start the evening the Celtics increased their series lead to 3-1. but Boston might need to win the series without Kristaps Porzingis their power forward. due to calf stiffness he left the game on Monday late in the second quarter On Tuesday he will get imaging.

After dominating Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Pelicans Oklahoma City defeated the Pelicans 97-89 in Game 4 to advance to the next round.

The Lakers comeback attempt was unsuccessful in the series finale as they lost 108-106 to the Nuggets to end the series 4-1. Los Angeles will return home having led the series for the most of its duration but with little to show for it, while the reigning champions advance to the second round.

NBA playoffs scores: Monday, April 29

• Game 4: Celtics 102, Heat 88 (BOS leads 3-1)
• Game 4: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89 (OKC wins series 4-0)
• Game 5: Nuggets 108, Lakers 106 (DEN wins series 4-1)

As they lived, the Lakers died.

From this series the Lakers have led all five games at halftime, which is a worrisome statistic. The Nuggets had only led for 21.4% of the game going into Game 4, and that percentage continued into Game 5 It made no difference. For the majority of the minutes, the Nuggets didnt need to be ahead. They held sway over the most significant ones.

In the 2023 Western Conference Finals 11 crucial minutes were played by the Lakers and nuggets. by a margin of fifteen points the nuggets prevailed during those minutes. during the regular season, they faced off against one another for seven crucial minutes. Denver prevailed by 17 points in those minutes. With 5:10 left in the game, the Lakers led by eight points and lost. In Game 5, they were ahead with 1:33 left, but they lost once more. Its “why” varies from game to game. DAngelo Russell is occasionally pursued defensively off the floor. Anthony Davis is occasionally harassed by Nikola Jokic at the rim.the simplest people to find guilty would be Darvin Ham (for using up all of his timeouts with more than three minutes left) and Rui Hachimura (for failing to assist at the crucial moment in Jamal Murrays game-winning strike).

However, the outcome is the same as it has always been. This series wasn’t lost by the Lakers in five games. They lost it in the identical 5 minute halves that they lose each and every time they play the Nuggets. A crucial run in the third quarter in one place, a meltdown in a pinch in another, and all of a sudden thirty to forty minutes of superb work are lost.

The Heat are unable to use the upset strategy. The Celtics made 22 3 pointers in a decisive victory in Game 1. To say the Celtics do that all the time would be unfair, but it is their usual recipe for success. They are the NBAs top shooting squad. In order to win Game 2, the Heat used that formula, making 23 of their own 3 pointers. In the process, they knotted the series.

For Miami, this was more about the marriage of desperation and variance than it was a stylistic choice ingrained in their entire campaign. Its how you create upsets in basketball making 3-pointers. That’s how the Heat got to the previous years Finals. In Game 2, the Celtics saw it happen again and eventually decided they’d had enough. In Games 3 and 4, they restricted the Heat to only 61 3-point attempts. The Heat lost both games and were restricted to fewer than 90 points, which is not surprising.

With Jimmy butler back to full strength the Heat have a little more creative freedom. he can reach the line and give you an ugly victory. however, now that hes gone, the heat have no choice but to shoot 3 pointers. The Heat had no chance after Boston saw that and changed their defense.

Everything is heading toward thunder.

After winning their season finale earlier in april the thunder became the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history. although few people predicted them to lose in the first round, they werent exactly a popular choice for the title. They were tied with the Timberwolves and Mavericks and, at the very least, behind the Nuggets and Clippers in terms of Western Conference odds going into the playoffs.

Let’s examine the Thunder’s current situation now. They have not only made it past the opening round but also defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in all three games. The Clippers or Mavericks will be their opponent in the second round. They are knotted 2-2 at the moment and are having injury problems. The younger Thunder will, at minimum, have time to recover for the rematch. Meanwhile, all three of the Nuggets starting guards Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell Pope, and Jamal Murray are nursing leg injuries. Even the Celtics, who could face off in the Finals, suffered a significant injury on Monday, but Kristaps Porzingis seems upbeat about his chances.

Although its far too early to declare that the Thunder should be the favorite to make it to or win the finals, an unexpected team always surprises everyone by winning the bracket every year. It appears that team will be the Thunder this year at least for the time being though nothing in the postseason is simple, the circumstances are favorable for the youngest No. 1 seed in history.