Basket Ball / Sports

Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez lead Milwaukee to pivotal Game 5 win

The Milwaukee Bucks are one game away from the NBA Finals. On Thursday, they hosted the Atlanta Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals with both sides missing key contributors. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter and Donte DiVincenzo all remain out, but the Bucks did a better job of replacing their superstar’s production. After jumping ahead by as many as 20 points in the first half, the Bucks pulled out the victory, 123-112, to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Four players stood out. Brook Lopez led the way with a playoff career-high 33 points, but three of his teammates were hot on his trail. Khris Middleton scored 26 points of his own to go along with 25 from Jrue Holiday and 22 from Bobby Portis. Combined, they scored all but 17 of Milwaukee’s points for the game. It was a valiant effort from a hobbled Bogdan Bogdanovic to score 28 for the Hawks, but his teammates couldn’t give him enough support to steal this one.

The Bucks and Hawks will now travel to Atlanta for Game 6 on Saturday. If the Hawks win, Game 7 in Milwaukee will be on Monday. If the Bucks win? They’ll meet the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. For now, here are the three biggest takeaways from Game 5.

1. Brook’s time machine

Before Brook Lopez was a stretch big man, he was a traditional low-post threat. He averaged over 20 points per game four times as a member of the Nets, and he got there primarily by punishing opposing bigs near the basket. As the NBA has grown smaller, his combination of size and skill has only grown deadlier inside. He just hasn’t played for a team that has allowed him to use those skills. As good as Lopez is near the basket, Giannis Antetokounmpo is simply better. So he spaces the floor for his MVP teammate and uses the bulk of his energy on defense.

Antetokounmpo’s absence changed the entire geometry of the floor for the Bucks. …

Basket Ball / Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo injured in Milwaukee’s Game 4 loss to Atlanta

The Milwaukee Bucks had a prime opportunity to take control of their series against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night as Trae Young was sidelined with a bone bruise in his foot. While most fans and pundits thought Milwaukee would roll Atlanta for a relatively easy win, the exact opposite is what took place at State Farm Arena as the Bucks fell behind early and then stood no chance once Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out after hyperextending his knee as the Hawks cruised to a 110-88 victory.

Lou Williams was inserted into the starting lineup following Young’s injury and he responded in a major way finishing with a game-high 21 points to lead six Hawks players scoring in double figures. On the other side of the spectrum, Jrue Holiday led all scorers for Milwaukee with 19 points.

With the win, the Hawks have tied the series as things shift back to Milwaukee for Game 5. Given the fact that Atlanta entered the game without the services of Young, and leave it uncertain of Antetokounmpo’s status going forward, the Hawks have to feel good about their position after four games in the Eastern Conference finals.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

1. Giannis goes down

The Hawks were already without Trae Young, and by the end of Game 4 neither team had their star on the court. Early in the third quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo went up to try and deflect a lob that was thrown to Clint Capela. Upon landing, Giannis hyperextended his left knee, which was then pushed further back by by the force of Capela’s landing.

Grimacing in obvious pain, Giannis crumped to the ground on the baseline. He stayed down for some time under the attention of the Bucks’ medical staff, and slowly made his way to his feet with the support of trainers and his brother, Thanasis. Eventually, Giannis was able to hobble off the court and into the tunnel. There was a brief glimmer of hope when he returned to the bench a few …

Basket Ball / Sports

Paul George drops 41 as Clippers coast past Suns 116-102 in Game 5

Paul George had a monster game with 41 points, 13 rebounds and six assists and Marcus Morris chipped in 22 points with as the Clippers sent the series back to Los Angeles with a 116-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns in Game 5. Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points, but shot 9-22 from the floor. Chris Paul also struggled, managing 22 points on 8-19 shooting.

Reggie Jackson and DeMarcus Cousins were vital scoring contributors for the Clippers with 23 and 15, respectively. With Ivica Zubac sidelined, Los Angeles went with a smaller lineup for most of the game and found success.

The Clippers covered the spread at +5.5. The over hit at 214.5. Even with Kawhi Leonard sidelined, Los Angeles continues to strong good team basketball and deliver results.

The Clippers jumped out to a quick 22-10 lead behind Morris’ hot start. The Suns cut the deficit to six on Cameron Johnson’s jumper, but the Clippers held a 44-30 advantage before Phoenix really made a game out of it. The Suns rattled off 12 straight points to make it a 44-42 game and seemed to find their footing. Los Angeles held a 59-52 halftime lead.

The Clippers maintained this distance for much of the third quarter, but went on a 9-2 run to close out the quarter with a 91-78 lead. Los Angeles held its edge early in the fourth quarter, but the Suns went on a 9-3 spurt of their own to cut the gap to 98-94.

It would all Los Angeles from there. Jackson and George were responsible for a 14-2 run to break the game open and Phoenix never got back in the contest.

The Suns committed 14 turnovers, ultimately leading to their downfall. The Clippers also managed to contain Deandre Ayton, limiting him to 10 points and 11 rebounds. Los Angeles will likely continue to go small as the series progresses even if Zubac is healthy.

Game 6 is Wednesday in Los Angeles at 9:00 PM ET…

Basket Ball / Sports

Khris Middleton helps Milwaukee seize 2-1 lead; all eyes on Trae Young’s ankle

The Milwaukee Bucks may have lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Atlanta Hawks, but with back-to-back victories, they have officially retaken home-court advantage in the series. The Bucks won Game 3 113-102 in order to take a 2-1 series lead over the Hawks. They are now only two wins away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1974.

The Hawks led for most of the contest, but the Bucks rallied behind an incredible 20-point fourth quarter from Khris Middleton to take the victory. He ended up with 38 total points, a playoff career-high, and that was enough for the Bucks despite 35 points from Trae Young in another stellar outing.

The Bucks will try to take a commanding 3-1 lead on Tuesday, when the Hawks host them yet again in Game 4. For now, here are the biggest takeaways from Game 4.

A memorable night for Middleton

Khris Middleton had shot 33.9 percent from the floor in his last three games. His 6-of-23 shooting night in Game 1 went a long way in costing the Bucks a 3-0 lead in this series, and that has been the story of his postseason. He struggles for a few nights before going nuclear when Milwaukee needs it most. He scored 30 total points in their first two losses to Brooklyn … and then scored 35 in a critical Game 3 win. He topped that with 38 in Milwaukee’s Game 6 win over the Nets, but Sunday night was his best outing of the postseason yet.

The Bucks scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, but Middleton had 20 of them. He made more 3-pointers (six) than the rest of his teammates combined (five). He tied for the team lead with 11 rebounds and trailed only Jrue Holiday with seven assists.

Speaking of Holiday, Milwaukee’s third star shot 2 of 11 from the field. In Game 2, he scored 22 as Middleton struggled. That has been one of the stranger trends of this postseason. The Bucks can’t get …

Basket Ball / Sports

Paul George, Los Angeles climb back in Western finals with Game 3 win

The Clippers have overcome two separate 2-0 deficits in this postseason, and on Thursday, they took the first step toward doing it for a third time. After falling behind in the first half, the Clippers erupted in the second to win Game 3, 106-92. They will now have a chance to tie the series in Game 4 on Saturday.

Paul George led the Clippers with 27 points, but as has been the case so many times this postseason, it was Reggie Jackson who sealed the win with an incredible fourth quarter. He finished the game with 23 points to help make this a 2-1 series. The Suns, meanwhile, got very little out of their star guard tandem. Chris Paul and Devin Booker combined to shoot a horrific 10 of 40 from the field in the loss for Phoenix.

The Suns hadn’t lost a game since May 27, a staggering nine-game winning streak as they’d run roughshod over the Lakers, Nuggets, and for two games, the Clippers. L.A. fought back on Thursday, and on Sunday, will try to do so again by tying the series at two games apiece. For now, here are the biggest takeaways from Game 3.

A bad day for Phoenix’s guards

The Suns are so deep that they can usually overcome a stroke of bad luck or two. The first two games of this series encapsulated that. Phoenix won both games at home without Chris Paul because Devin Booker was dominant in Game 1 and Cameron Payne played the game of his life in Game 2. Well, let’s take a look at what happened in Game 3:

  • Paul returned to the lineup, but as he hasn’t played in 11 days and may or may not have had COVID-19, he was at the very least rusty. His conditioning and rhythm seemed affected by the layoff.
  • Booker played Game 3 in a facemask after Patrick Beverley head-butted him in Game 2. It would be unfair to attribute his struggles entirely to that mask. Beverley has defended him very well
…
Basket Ball / Sports

Trae Young leads Atlanta Hawks to victory over Milwaukee Bucks

Trae Young scored 48 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-113 in the opening game of the NBA’s Eastern Conference finals.

For a minute, Travis Schlenk’s 2018 draft-night decision to trade Luka Doncic for Trae Young, and the future lottery pick that became Cam Reddish, had the makings of an all-time blunder. That wasn’t a knock on Young, who was an All-Star in his second season and made it obvious early in his rookie season that he was going to be a really good player. It’s just that Doncic was almost immediately one of the best players in the world.

Almost exactly three calendar years later, Doncic still hasn’t gotten the Mavericks out of the first round while Young has the Hawks up 1-0 on the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals. That, in turn, isn’t a knock on Doncic, who still has a legit claim as one of the five best players in the world and simply isn’t working with the supporting cast Schlenk has constructed around Young. This is merely to say: The Hawks, just to put this narrative that won’t die to bed for at least a while, are pretty damn thrilled with how this has all turned out.

Young absolutely blistered the Bucks in Game 1 on Wednesday to the tune of a career-high 48 points. The Hawks also scored 24 points off his 11 assists. Do the math, and Young just did something no player in NBA history has ever done in a conference finals game.

The Bucks missed five late shots as the Hawks come from four points down to win.

Clint Capela put the Hawks 112-111 ahead with 29.8 seconds left and Young then netted four late free throws to shock the hosts.

Game two in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday in Milwaukee.

Young had 11 assists while Capela and John Collins also recorded double-doubles for the Hawks. Capela had 12 points and a game-high 19 rebounds, while Collins added 23 points and 15 rebounds.

For the …

Basket Ball / Sports

D’Tigers call 49 players for Tokyo 2020 Olympics camp in California

With an eye on a podium performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which begins next month, the men’s senior national basketball team, D’Tigers, have invited 49 players to begin final preparations for the global fiesta.

 

The camp will be based in California, U.S, with Head Coach, Mike Brown, looking out for the best possible players that can take Nigeria to the medal table in Japan.

The team is dominated by players from United States’ NBA, including Monte Morris of Denver Nuggets, Miye Oni (Utah Jazz), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors), Kz Okpala (Miami Heat), Festus Ezeli, Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat), Udoka Azubuike (Utah Jazz), and Jahlil Okafor (Detroit Pistons). These stars are all set to make their international debuts for Nigeria.

According to Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves) will join other NBA players, who include Gabe Vincent (Miami Heat), Al-farouq Aminu (Chicago Bulls), Jordan Nwora (Milwaukee Bucks) and Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), who are returning to the team after their 2019 FIBA World Cup exploit which saw Nigeria becoming the first African team to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside Ike Diogu (Bameso, Dominican Republic).

“The European legion comprises Obi Emegano (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Ike Iroegbu (Elan Chalon, France), Michael Oguine (BC Souffelweyersheim, France), Zaid Hearst (Alba Fehervar, Hungary), Ike Nwamu (Samara, Russia) and Michael Gbinije (BC Nevèżíe, Lithuania).

Other European stars in the squad are Talib Zanna (Hapoel Tel-Aviv, Israel), Emmanuel Omogbo (Vellaznimi, Kosovo), Christian Mekowulu (Treviso, Italy), Tonye Jekiri (Baskonia, Spain), Abdul-Malik Abu (Fethiye, Turkey), Chima Moneke (Orleans, France), Amanze Egekeze (Gries/Oberhoffen, France), Calab Agada (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel), TK Edogi (St. Chamond, France), Joshua Ajayi (Hermine Nantes, France), Keith Omoerah (Poitiers, France) and Michael Eric, who recently helped CSKA Moscow of Russia to the European Basketball League,” the NBBF said.

NBA champion, Festus Ezeli, UC Iroegbu, Ike Ndugba (2021 NBA draft prospect), Mike Okauru (UNC- Wilmington), Ben Uzoh (Rivers Hoopers), Michael Adewunmi (UT-Rio Grand Valley), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown University), Manny Obaseki (Texas A&M University), Elijah Olaniyi (Stony Brook University) and Chibuzo Agbo (Texas …

Basket Ball / Sports

Deandre Ayton, Phoenix win Game 2 with game-winner in final second

The Los Angeles Clippers came incredibly close to evening their series against the Phoenix Suns but just couldn’t pull it out. After Paul George missed two free throws with only eight seconds remaining to keep the Clippers’ lead at one, the Suns kept the ball after their missed game-winner attempt went out of bounds off of the Clippers. With only 0.9 seconds remaining, the Suns drew up a perfect lob pass to Deandre Ayton, who dunked it home for the win.

With Chris Paul out of the lineup yet again, the Suns received big-time performances from Cam Payne as well as he led all scorers with a game-high 29 points while Ayton poured in 22 points and 14 rebounds of his own with Devin Booker also contributing 20 points. On the other side, Paul George led the Clippers with 26 points but he needed to attempt 23 shots to reach that total. Not exactly the most efficient performance from Los Angeles’ lone All-Star in the lineup. In the end, it wasn’t enough to get the job done.

Following the loss, the Clippers now trail 0-2 for the third time this postseason. These two teams will meet again on Thursday night with the opening tip scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night’s game.

1. Free throw follies

Before Paul George stepped to the foul line with 8.2 seconds remaining and a chance to give the Clippers a one-point lead, he had already missed three free throws. That was highly out of character for him. George shot nearly 87 percent at the line this season. He didn’t miss his fifth free throw of the regular season until his 11th game. But after missing those two critical freebies in the final moments of Game 2, he closed the night a disappointing 5-of-10 at the line. In a one-point loss, any one of those shots could have sent this game to overtime. Two would’ve won it for them.

There are inevitably going to be those that point to George’s …

Basket Ball / Sports

Atlanta tops Philadelphia in Game 7 to advance to Eastern Conference finals

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2015. The Game 7 loss sent the No. 1 seed home early after one of the most bitterly disappointing series losses in recent memory. The 76ers blew enormous leads in Games 4 and 5, and now, they’ve blown the series as well.

As he has throughout the series, Joel Embiid led the charge for the 76ers on the offensive end of the floor as he finished with a team-high 31 points to go along with 11 rebounds. On the other side, Trae Young struggled mightily finding his shot in this one but Kevin Huerter picked up the slack in a major way, finishing with 27 points. While the Sixers were favored entering the matchup, it was Atlanta that was able to finish the job and knock off the top seed in Game 7.

With the win, the Hawks advance on to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals with Game 1 of that series scheduled for Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Game 7.

1. Sorry Simmons

Ben Simmons’ night, and really, his series, can be encapsulated by a single moment. With 3:30 left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing by two, Simmons spun around Danilo Gallinari and had a wide open dunk sitting there for him. This is what he did.

Whether it was a fear of being fouled and having to take free throws or simply a poor decision, we can’t say. But Matisse Thybulle missed one of the free throws generated by that poor decision. That’s a free point down the drain. Simmons gave up plenty of them. He attempted only four shots in this game and 45 in the series. More distressingly, he took only three shots in the fourth quarter in seven games against the Hawks. Ironically, he made all of them.

It’s hard not to think of all …

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Devin Booker’s triple-double lifts Phoenix past Los Angeles in Game 1

While the story entering the game may have been focused on the players who were unavailable, Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard, the story coming out of Game 1 will be the back and forth battle between Devin Booker and Paul George as the two went at it all day long in the Suns’ 120-114 victory.

Booker finished the win with the Suns’ first playoff triple-double since Steve Nash accomplished the feat in 2005. The All-Star guard was masterful on the offensive end recording 40 points to go along with 13 rebounds and 11 assists as he seemingly made the right play whenever Phoenix needed it. On the other side, George led the charge for the Clippers finishing the game with 34 points, five assists and four rebounds but, in the end, it wasn’t enough to overcome Booker and the rest of the Suns.

With the win, the Suns grab the early momentum in this series as they look to defend their home floor and put themselves in a position to advance to the NBA Finals. These two teams will meet again on Tuesday night with the opening tip scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

Here are three main takeaways from Game 1.

1. The Devin Booker show

With the Suns up two points with 22 seconds left, Booker got the ball on an after-timeout-play, noticed there wasn’t a single Clippers player within spitting distance of him and drove to the rim for a two-handed dunk. The crowd roared and Booker just polished off a 40-point triple-double to carry the Suns to a Game 1 win. It was an exclamation mark on what Booker did over the course of the game, where he went toe-to-toe with each L.A. defender put in front of him and continuously just kept knocking down shots. The magic in it though is the fact that he was getting to his spots with ease.

They ran a high screen and roll, and Booker got to his spot at the elbow and knocked down mid-range jumpers left and right. …

Basket Ball / Sports

Khris Middleton helps Milwaukee force a Game 7

We have another Game 7 on our hands. The Milwaukee Bucks led wire-to-wire to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 104-89 to keep their championship hopes alive.

Kevin Durant put up big numbers again as he finished the loss with 32 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for the Nets. His standout effort wasn’t enough though as Milwaukee’s big three of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday combined for 89 points, 35 rebounds and 13 assists to avoid being eliminated on their home floor.

With the win, the Bucks and Nets will now face off in a winner take all Game 7 matchup at Barclays Center on Saturday. The time of that showdown has yet to be determined. For now, here are the three most important takeaways from Game 6.

1. Giannis, the center

Remember when Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted eight 3-pointers in Game 3? Yea, he doesn’t either. For the first time all postseason, the two-time MVP did not attempt a 3-pointer. In fact, only five of his 20 shot attempts came outside of the paint. In the early portion of this series, the Nets somehow tricked Giannis into playing like a guard. That’s not who he is. He’s a center, and the Bucks are at their best when he plays like one.

Aside from a game in which Antetokounmpo got injured 46 seconds in, he had only played two other games this season without attempting a 3. The Game 6 win pushed Milwaukee to 3-0 when he doesn’t, with a point-differential of plus-63. They went undefeated when he didn’t try a 3 last season as well. In fact, excluding games in which he got injured, the Bucks have now won their last 10 games in which he did not try a 3-pointer. The last time they lost under those circumstances? April 24, 2018. The Bucks need Giannis in attack mode, and he was on Thursday.

That being said, they greased the wheels a bit with their lineup choices as well. In the first five games of the series, …

Basket Ball / Sports

Paul George rallies The Clippers to Game 5 win over Jazz

Once stunned into silence on a night where the expected outcome had not come to pass, the 18,007 inside the arena had begun to regain their belief, and volume, as Clippers teammate Paul George made free throws to push their lead to seven with three minutes remaining. And as he shot, Beverley waved his arms, signaling for more before the Clippers’ finished an improbable 119-111 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Consider his position: It was hard for the noise to get any louder than what the Clippers had already heard Wednesday, long before tipoff. In the hours after All-Star Kawhi Leonard was ruled out for Game 5 of this second-round series because of a strained right knee that could sideline him the rest of this series, if not beyond depending on the injury’s still-unknown severity, gambling odds tilted toward the Jazz.

A sports-talk radio host in Los Angeles described himself as thankful that order had seemingly been restored — a twisted end to a promising Clippers season. If Phoenix, awaiting the winner of this matchup in the Western Conference finals, had fired up film of the Jazz, it might have been understandable.

Leonard, the all-NBA force who had averaged more than 30 points in this postseason, has been that valuable for the Clippers. But removing him from the lineup did not remove the unshakeable confidence this roster forged through short-handed February nights, a May comeback against Dallas and this June encore against the Jazz. Only seconds after George’s free throws, Terrance Mann drove the baseline against 7-foot Rudy Gobert and dunked over the outreached arm of the three-time defensive player of the year.

The victory stakes the Clippers to a 3-2 lead entering Game 6 Friday in Los Angeles and was as loud as any postseason statement the franchise has made in its recent history. Without Leonard, George led the Clippers in points (37), rebounds (16) and assists (5) to push the franchise one victory away from their first conference final berth and, personally, push back after his …

Basket Ball / Sports

Durant scores 49 as Brooklyn Nets take 3-2 series lead against Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Durant scored 49 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Milwaukee Bucks 114-108 to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final series.

Durant also came up with 17 rebounds and 10 assists to inspire victory after the Nets were 17 points down in the third quarter.

He hit a three-pointer and three free throws late on to seal the win.

Nets coach Steve Nash said Durant’s display “makes him one of the all-time greats”.

Milwaukee’s two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who top-scored for the Bucks with 34 points, called Durant “the best player in the world right now”.

LeBron James, widely regarded as one of basketball’s finest players of all time, also praised Durant on social media.

In what Nets coach Nash said would go down as one of Durant’s “signature” games, the power forward played all 48 minutes, shot 16-of-23 from the floor and finished just shy of his play-off career high of 50 points.

It did, however, set a franchise record for points in a play-off game, surpassing Vince Carter’s mark of 43 points set 15 years ago.

He also posted his second career post-season triple-double and joined Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic as the fourth player with at least 40 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a play-off game.

The Nets relied heavily on Durant in game five of their best-of-seven series after Kyrie Irving was injured in the previous game and James Harden had a quiet night on his return from injury.…

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Kawhi Leonard, Paul George rise to occasion, and L.A. has found its blueprint

The Los Angeles Clippers are living dangerously in these playoffs, falling behind 2-0 in each of their first two series. Yet, here they are wrestling back control in the nick of time again, defeating the Jazz 118-104 on Monday night to even their second-round series 2-2, just as they did against the Mavericks in the first round.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Utah.

It feels like all the momentum has swung the Clippers’ way. Kawhi Leonard, who has arguably been the best player in this postseason, was fantastic on both ends, finishing with 31 points. And what can you say about Paul George?

We’re going to need to bring this P.G. roast to an end. The man is playing terrific, and quietly has been through most of this postseason, and he has for most of his career. He brought on much of the mocking with the self-proclaimed nickname and the whole “that’s a bad shot” routine, but a few high-profile stinkers aside, there is no way you don’t want this on your team.

George finished with 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists. He was 4 for 10 from beyond the arc. He’s attacking with force and shooting with confidence, and the impressiveness of that cannot be understated given the spotlight that is on him. It feels like all of social media is just waiting for him to fail, and he’s aware of it. He has to be. It would be so easy for him to get hesitant. And yet he’s playing as though he is oblivious to it all. When he was subbed out for the last time in the fourth quarter, he left to a standing ovation. He deserved it. Good for him.

And good for the Clippers, who have seemingly dialed in their championship formula. That doesn’t mean they’re going to win it, but this is what gives them their best chance: Leonard and George play like stars and the defense suffocates with switches, aggressive rotations and ball pressure.

On Monday, the first half decided the …

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Trae Young, Atlanta even series with Philly after comeback win in Game 4

The Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers provided fans with an exciting playoff game on Monday night as the lower-seeded team picked up the 103-100 win they needed to even the series at 2-2.

After getting off to a slow start, Hawks All-Star Trae Young finished the win with a game-high 25 points to go along with 18 assists and four rebounds. Atlanta needed their star player to be dominant and he was just that in a game that the Hawks had to have.

On the other side, the 76ers saw all five of their starters score in double figures but, in the end, it was not enough to get the job done. As a result, the setting will shift back to Philadelphia on Wednesday night for what is now, essentially, a best-of-three series.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

1. Hawks use 18-point comeback to tie the series

After stealing Game 1 on the road, the Hawks lost the next two games by double digits, and it seemed like the Sixers had figured things out. That was reinforced when the Sixers quickly took control in Game 4 and built an 18-point lead in the second quarter, before going into the halftime break up by 13.

The Hawks were in serious trouble at that point, and it honestly wouldn’t have been surprising if the Sixers had cruised to victory. But the Hawks weren’t ready to go home, and slowly but surely worked their way back into the game. It wasn’t always pretty, but they showed the kind of effort and fight that would make any team proud.

However, with just a few minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they still trailed by four and needed a response. That’s when Trae Young stepped up and used his playmaking and scoring to key a 7-0 run that put the Hawks in front for good. Now, the series is all tied up at 2-2, and the Hawks still have a chance to advance to their first Eastern Conference finals since 2015.…

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Chris Paul, Phoenix take down Denver in Game 3 of series

The Phoenix Suns are one win away from a spot in the Western Conference finals. Following their 116-102 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, Chris Paul and company are now on the verge of being one of the four teams left with a shot at the NBA title.

With the win, the Suns now move to a 3-0 lead in their series against the Nuggets and will have the chance to close things out on Sunday night when these two teams meet again in Game 4.

 …

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Joel Embiid, Philly steal home-court back with Game 3 win over Atlanta

The Philadelphia 76ers have reclaimed home-court advantage in their best-of-seven series with the Atlanta Hawks following their 127-111 win in Game 3 on Friday night.

As he has been throughout the series, Joel Embiid was masterful for the Sixers as he finished the win with a team-high 27 points. He had plenty of help though as Philadelphia had five other players also score in double figures with Tobias Harris leading the way with 22 points to help Embiid’s cause. On the other side, Trae Young led the Hawks with 28 points but, in the end, his contributions combined with the 59 points that John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari totaled weren’t enough to come away with the win at State Farm Arena.

Philadelphia now has an opportunity to push Atlanta’s backs against the wall if they’re able to pick up another win in Game 4 on Monday night.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

1. Embiid dominates again

If you didn’t know that Joel Embiid had suffered a small meniscus tear in the first round, you would never be able to tell by the way he’s played against the Hawks. He put up 39 points and nine rebounds in Game 1.He followed that up with 40 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2, and then recorded 27 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three blocks on Friday night in Game 3.

The Hawks have no answer for him, and he’s showing exactly why he finished second in MVP voting this season. He’s become such a gifted offensive player that opponents often have no choice but to foul him. He got to the line a whopping 16 times in Game 3 and has now earned free throws on 24.5 percent of his offensive possessions in the playoffs, per Synergy Sports.

Of course, he’s no slouch on the defensive end either, and was especially strong in Game 3. Just take this possession for example. He sprints across the lane to show help on Danilo Gallinari, recovers to his man, …

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Bucks Take Game 3 to keep the fight going

Mike Budenholzer could probably feel his job security hanging in the air for three scoreless minutes.

Kevin Durant could taste the thievery of a third game when a 30-footer left his hand, looking on line.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton could remember the frustration of humble beginnings, both arriving in Milwaukee eight years ago and combining to do just enough to stave off extinction.

The Fiserv Forum crowd went from the obscene to a wild scene, fearful Thursday night would be a cruel conclusion: Grand opening, grand closing.

The tension was palpable as the Milwaukee Bucks weren’t just dealing with a “win or go home” situation, but “win or start over,” avoiding disaster and a 3-0 deficit to the Brooklyn Nets with an ugly 86-83 win.

It seemed the Bucks were begging to be put out of their own misery, unable to put the Nets away after a start that gave the impression they would return the favor from absorbing a Game 2 thrashing.

But the despair was in the air whenever Antetokounmpo launched one of his eight stress-inducing 3-pointers, continuing his woeful trend. It’s somewhat of a mind game with him, wanting to make Blake Griffin and the Nets pay for giving him that much space — all the while ignoring the interior hell he unleashed early before Middleton and Jrue Holiday saved them late.

This infatuation with the perimeter seems to parallel his hesitance at the foul line, where he missed five of his nine attempts and was called for a 10-second (actually 13-second) violation. It’s the worst time to fall in love with a shot you can’t make because of shots you don’t want to take, two patterns that are unlikely to change in this series.

Budenholzer said it would be a test of Milwaukee’s character, considering they were smarting after two losses in Brooklyn. Nobody questioned their competitiveness, but nobody expected a throwback game to the ugliest part of the ’90s either.

Brook Lopez blocked six shots and P.J. Tucker riled things up by getting …

Basket Ball / Sports

Chris Paul helps Phoenix dominate Denver in Game 2, take 2-0 series lead

The Phoenix Suns pulled out a dominant 123-98 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the second-round series. The victory was the fifth straight for Phoenix this postseason. Chris Paul led the way for the Suns with 17 points, 15 assists and zero turnovers. Paul’s assist-to-turnover ratio in the series is now a staggering 26-1. Devin Booker also added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the surging Suns.

Phoenix appeared to be a step faster than Denver on both ends of the floor in the second game, as it got virtually whatever it wanted on the offensive end while simultaneously making things difficult defensively for Denver. All five Suns starters scored in double figures,  compared to only two for the Nuggets’ first five. Freshly minted MVP Nikola Jokic paced the Nuggets with 24 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but his production wasn’t nearly enough, especially with minimal help from the guys around him. Moving forward, Nuggets coach Mike Malone is going to have to figure out a way to get his team going, particularly Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., who combined for just 17 points on 6-of-20 shooting in Game 2.

The only good news for the Nuggets right now is that the series if about to shift to Denver for Games 3 and 4. There, the Nuggets will obviously look to play better than they were able to do in Phoenix. Unfortunately for Denver, the math isn’t on its side. A total of 430 playoff series have started 2-0, and only 28 times has the team that gained the early advantage failed to win the series, per Land of Basketball. That’s less than seven percent of the time. The most recent example of this occurred in the first round this year, as the Los Angeles Clippers bested the Dallas Mavericks in seven games after dropping the first two games of the series. So, it’s not an impossible feat, but it is an unlikely one. The Nuggets …

Basket Ball / Sports

Mitchell Drops 45 points to over-come the Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers earned the right to take on the top-seeded Utah Jazz by beating the Dallas Mavericks in a Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. While Kawhi Leonard and company are certainly riding the momentum from that win into this series, nothing will come easy against Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz as Utah was the Western Conference’s top seed for a reason. As we enter the fourth quarter, we have a game on our hands as the Clippers and Jazz are all tied up.

Both of these teams have something to prove. The Clippers were bounced in the second round a year ago after they fell well short of their championship expectations. The Jazz made an even earlier exit in the postseason, losing in the first round to the Denver Nuggets, who went on to beat the Clippers in the next round after coming back from a 3-1 hole. Both of these teams will be hungry to prove that last season’s early playoff exits were just a blip in the grand scheme of things, but at the end of the day only one team can advance.

Rudy

For more on the NBA playoffs, we’ve got you covered with an in-depth look at the Clippers-Jazz series, the round-by-round playoff schedule, a breakdown of our expert predictions for both the second round and the entire postseason. Follow below for all the real-time updates throughout Game 1 between Los Angeles and Utah.…