None of the eight teams competing in the NBA playoffs semifinals and fighting to be crowned this season's champion has managed to win their third game so far.
The Los Angeles Lakers took another 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors with a 127-97 win at Crypto.com Arena. After finishing the first quarter behind on the scoreboard, the Lakers came back and won thanks to a phenomenal comeback in the second and fourth quarters.
2-1, Lakers. pic.twitter.com/nUFbTvLupB
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 7, 2023
Like the first game of the playoffs, Anthony Davis was once again the highlight of the game with his double-double (25 points and 13 rebounds). LeBron James was also a key player. The team's star was just a few plays away from finishing with a triple-double (21 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds). D'Angello Russell (21 points) rounded out the fantastic performance for the Lakers.
The Golden State Warriors need to win in Game 4. They started the game strong in the first quarter. However, Stephen Curry (23 points and 3 assists) and Klay Thompson (15 points and 7 rebounds) didn't play as well as they could have. The most impressive player was Andrew Wiggins (16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists). Draymond Green's performance on the court was disappointing.
Jimmy Butler brings the heat
Jimmy Butler is back and the Miami Heat couldn't be happier. Miami beat the New York Knicks 105-86, taking a 2-1 lead in the playoffs. They were ahead most of the game.
Welcome to Miami. 🔥
2-1, good guys. pic.twitter.com/7VAWfHItdc
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 6, 2023
In the second game, a minor injury sidelined Jimmy Butler and the Heat felt it and were defeated. The star of the team returned for the third game and did not disappoint. All things considered, his stats were impressive (28 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists). Bam Adebayo was also a key player. The Heat center recorded a double-double (17 points and 12 rebounds), beating his opponents.
The New York Knicks were defeated. Only Jalen Brunson (20 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists) showed signs of wanting to come back. Julius Randle grabbed 14 rebounds, but his offense left much to be desired (10 points).
Booker and Durant: Suns could come back
After losing the first two games of the Western Conference semifinals, the Phoenix Suns closed the gap in the series against the Denver Nuggets (2-1) with a 121-114 win. They almost caught up in the third quarter, but the Suns didn't let up in the final 12 minutes and secured Game 5.
The Arizona roster featured Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. Booker finished the game with 47 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds while Durant finished with 39 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds. Together, they are virtually unstoppable. Let's just say it: Booker is the best player in the playoffs so far.
86 COMBINED POINTS FROM THIS DUO. pic.twitter.com/kCKDOceVlE
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 6, 2023
Booker and Durant overshadowed Nikola Jokić's outstanding performance. The Serbian basketball player is unlike anyone else, making him the best center in the world. He is practically unstoppable. He finished the game with a triple-double (30 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists), most of which he got in the third quarter. Michael Porter Jr. was not bad either, with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Jamal Murray was on fire and finished the game as the top scorer for the Nuggets with 32 points. These great individual performances helped Colorado finish with a win.
Tatum puts Celtics ahead in the series
This round of the playoffs started with the Philadelphia 76ers competing against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics had the home-court advantage and finished with a 102-114 win. They are currently ahead in the series (2-1).
TWO DOWN ✅✅#BeatPHILA pic.twitter.com/ZHiTpRqRjI
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 6, 2023
The Celtics' offensive consistency determined their victory. Jayson Tatum (27 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists) was the best. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown (23 points), Al Horford (17 points), Marcus Smart (15 points), Malcolm Brogdon (15 points) and Derrick White (13 points) all had scores in the double digits).
Five Philadelphia 76ers players also surpassed the 10-point individual scoring barrier: Joel Embiid (30 points), James Harden (16 points), De'Anthony Melton (14 points), Tyrese Maxey (13 points) and Georges Niang (10 points). However, it wasn't enough to come out on top. The best player was Embiid who, in addition to his scoring record, grabbed 13 rebounds.
SATURDAY BRACKET UPDATE 🍿
Lakers lead 2-1.
Heat lead 2-1.#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/OjlfQAQ3fD— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2023
