Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 factors to steer the Oklahoma City Thunder to a slim 117-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, finishing a 4-0 sweep and making them the primary group to advance to the NBA Western Conference semifinals.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been getting ready to advancing, taking a 3-0 stranglehold on their Eastern Conference collection with a 124-87 blowout of the Miami Heat.
And the Denver Nuggets leveled their Western Conference collection with a shocking 101-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, sealed by Aaron Gordon’s put-back dunk on the ultimate buzzer.
Jalen Williams added 23 factors for the Thunder, who have been pushed to the wire in Memphis regardless of the absence of Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who was dominated out with a hip contusion suffered in recreation three.
Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 30 factors and Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane had 23 factors every for the Grizzlies, who trailed by 12 with 3:37 to play however closed inside two within the waning seconds solely to come back up quick.
After the primary three video games featured a complete of 4 lead adjustments, the groups traded the lead 15 occasions within the first three quarters.
Oklahoma City took the primary double-digit lead of the sport with lower than six minutes remaining and, with out Morant, Memphis simply did not have sufficient to increase the best-of-seven collection.
Gilgeous-Alexander had struggled offensively by his requirements within the first three video games of the collection.
But he seemed just like the participant who received the regular-season scoring title as he related on 13 of 24 photographs from the sphere, setting an early tone with 16 factors within the first quarter.
“I didn’t think he played any different,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated. “I just think he got into a groove.”
The Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular-season wins, subsequent face both the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers, who have been tied at 2-2 after the Nuggets’ sensational victory in Los Angeles.
Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 36 factors with 21 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, who led by 22 early within the fourth quarter.
The Clippers, led by 24 factors from Kawhi Leonard and 22 from Norman Powell, surged again to take their first lead of the sport, 97-96, on Bogdan Bogdanovic’s reverse layup with 1:11 to play.
Jokic spun by way of site visitors for a basket that put Denver again on prime, however Ivica Zubac tipped in a basket to tie it at 99-99.
With little greater than a second remaining, Jokic unleashed a high-arching 3-point try that missed, Gordon nabbing the rebound and thrusting the ball within the hoop for a recreation winner that required an agonizingly prolonged video evaluate earlier than officers confirmed he had, certainly, crushed the buzzer.
“That’s a crazy game, man, crazy game,” Gordon stated.
Cavs pummel Heat
In Miami, the Cavs handed the Heat the worst playoff defeat in franchise historical past, regardless of the absence of All-Star guard Darius Garland and a comparatively quiet 13-point recreation from Donovan Mitchell.
Jarrett Allen scored 22 factors and De’Andre Hunter added 21 off the bench as six Cavs gamers scored in double figures.
The Heat, nicely conscious that no NBA group has rallied from 3-0 all the way down to win a playoff collection, bought off to a quick begin and led by 9 halfway by way of the primary quarter.
But the Cavs have been up by 13 by the top of the primary quarter, their lead by no means dipping under double digits the remainder of the best way.
“We took the first punch and from there we just took the game over,” stated newly minted Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, who chipped in 19 factors.
Bam Adebayo scored 22 factors to steer the Heat, however the 37-point margin of defeat surpassed the Heats earlier worst post-season loss, a 36-point defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in recreation three of the 2013 NBA Finals – when the Heat went on to win the title.
In San Francisco, Stephen Curry shook off a gradual begin to rating 36 factors with seven rebounds and 9 assists as Golden State pulled away late for a 104-93 victory over the Houston Rockets that put the Warriors up 2-1 of their collection.
The Rockets had a one-point lead with lower than six minutes remaining within the bruising back-and-forth battle that featured 18 lead adjustments.
Gary Payton II then scored 4 straight baskets for the Warriors and fed Curry for a 3-pointer that gave the Warriors a 95-86 lead.
The hard-fought victory got here with out star ahead Jimmy Butler, who suffered a pelvic contusion in a tough fall in recreation two.
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