Saturday was The Day of the Decisive Victory. Let’s dive into the keys to how each game unfolded.
Milwaukee Bucks 120, Miami Heat 103
Milwaukee wins series 4-0
The Miami Heat started off the game on the right foot. The shots seemed to be falling for once, as they made 52.2 percent of their field goals in the first half. The 3-point shot is what kept them competitive in Game 1, and in the first half they went 7-of-16 (43.8 percent).
Trevor Ariza, who entered the game having scored eight points total on 3-of-15 shooting through the first three games, led his team at halftime with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3. Was Miami getting their groove back? Could they actually be on the verge of winning a game in this series?
No. The Bucks came out of the locker room for the second half and unleashed a 24-4 run that completely flipped the script. On that run, Milwaukee went 8-of-10 from the field, 3-of-3 on 3-pointers, and made 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Miami meekly responded with 2-of-10 shooting and clanked three of their attempts from outside over that span.
Miami won the first half of this game 64-57. Milwaukee then throttled the Heat 63-39 in the second. Like the series overall, the Heat got some shots in, but ultimately didn’t have the personnel to keep up with the Bucks.
Portland Trail Blazers 115, Denver Nuggets 95
Series tied 2-2
The stars of this series did not shine on this afternoon. Damian Lillard had 10 points on 1-of-10 shooting, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. Nikola Jokic fared slightly better with 16 points, but on 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) shooting. So if both team’s best players struggled, how did the game end in a Blazer blowout?
It came down to who else was willing to step up, and the Blazers contributors came up big. Expectedly, CJ McCollum picked up some of the slack with 21 points, eight assists, and four rebounds. However, Norman Powell had the bigger game, dropping a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 (73.3 percent!) shooting. This includes making all four of his 3-point attempts.
Jusuf Nurkic also had a strong game, which tends to bode well for Portland. He had 17 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Notably, head coach Terry Stotts deployed him only when Nikola Jokic was on the court. This allowed Nurkic to only have to focus on how to score against and defend his former teammate. Nurkic had struggled in previous games when taking on smaller lineups while Jokic was resting.
Denver, on the other hand, did not have anyone step up in this game. Jokic didn’t have a great game, yet he still paced his team in scoring. Monte Morris (12 points, four assists) and JaMychal Green (11 points, five rebounds) were the only two Nuggets I saw that gave any solid contributions. This was definitely one of those games where they missed Jamal Murray.
Philadelphia 76ers 132, Washington Wizards 103
76ers lead series 3-0
It was a complete offensive onslaught by Philadelphia in this game. The Sixers outscored the Wizards 109-86 through the first three quarters, shooting 60.9 percent from the field. They went 14-of-28 from 3-point range in those first three frames, outpacing Washington’s 8-of-24 performance, and beat them 40-30 in the paint over that span.
Russell Westbrook paced Washington with his 11th career triple double: 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Bradley Beal followed that up with 25 points, six boards, and three assists. Unfortunately for Washington, that just wasn’t enough to keep up with Philadelphia.
Specifically, the Sixers starters were in peak form. Philadelphia’s five combined for 100 points. Joel Embiid led the way with a masterful performance: 36 points on 14-of-18 shooting, eight rebounds, and three steals. When the 76ers are running this efficiently, it’s hard for any team to stop them, let alone the Wizards.
Utah Jazz 121, Memphis Grizzlies 111
Jazz lead series 2-1
In a repeat of Game 1, this was a matchup of contrasting styles. Memphis pounded the paint, beating Utah 54-34 in the key and 21-10 on second chance points. By contrast, the Jazz outscored the Grizzlies 57-39 from 3-point range and 22-12 from the free throw line. The Jazz got the upper hand this time around, turning the tide of the series back in their favor.
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