Scoreboard
Bucks 119, Bulls 95 (MIL leads 3-1)
Nuggets 126, Warriors 121 (GSW leads 3-1)
Heat 110, Hawks 86 (MIA leads 3-1)
Pelicans 118, Suns 103 (Series tied 1-1)
What went down
The Nuggets didn’t want to be the first team to be eliminated from the playoffs.
Not wanting to get swept, Nikola Jokic had a huge game with 37 points, eight rebounds, and six dimes. This time, he had ample support from his teammates. With the game tied at 121-all with 33.5 seconds remaining, Monte Morris broke the deadlock with a bucket. Moments, later, Austin Rivers came up with the steal after foiling the lob pass on the Warriors’ inbound play. Then finally, Will Barton delivered the finishing blow:
WILL BARTON WITH THE DAGGER TO KEEP THE NUGGETS IN THE SERIES 😮 pic.twitter.com/V2tQjw12kv
— ESPN (@espn) April 24, 2022
The Nuggets are down 3-1 in the series, but hey, they’ve been in this situation before. Even though no team has ever come back from a 3-0 hole, the Nuggets became the first team to overcome not one, but two 3-1 deficits in back-to-back series two years ago in the Orlando bubble.
Speaking of a team refusing to give up, the Pelicans tied the series against the Suns at two wins apiece after an inspiring performance at home. Brandon Ingram poured in 30 points while Jonas Valanciunas powered his way to a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Pelicans also got a riveting boost from rookies Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado and their impeccable defense.
The Heat, meanwhile, used a decisive second quarter to pull away against the Hawks. Jimmy Butler led the way with 36 points and 10 rebounds as four other Heat players finished in double-figures. De’Andre Hunter notched 24 points for the Hawks while Trae Young was limited to just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting. Miami outscored Atlanta, 30-15, in the second period, leaning on two momentum-shifting runs to turn a 37-29 deficit to a 55-41 lead heading into halftime.
In the Bucks-Bulls series, the defending champions moved one win away from entering the second round. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up another healthy line of 32 points and 17 rebounds while Grayson Allen had a career-high 27 points amid the boos by the away crowd. Jrue Holiday added 26 points as the Bucks have now won by a combined 54 points in the past two games. Zach LaVine had 24 points and 13 assists as the series shifts back to Milwaukee.
Big-time baller
Jimmy Butler put his imprint all over Miami’s Game 3 win. He had 36 points on 12-for-21 shooting from the field, including 11-for-12 at the line. In signature Butler fashion, he did more with 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals, and a block. Most of all, he didn’t commit a turnover in 36 minutes of action.
What he said
Jokic and the Nuggets did everything to avoid the sweep 💪 pic.twitter.com/IHAjmRTBID
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 24, 2022
Whether or not he earns his second MVP, Nikola Jokic is right. After he and his team battled all-season long shorthanded, they know they still have a lot of fight in them in the playoffs. It also helps that the Joker had 37-8-6 to force another game.
Did you see that?
After a previous failed attempt, Jose Alvarado finally got his steal from behind on Chris Paul.
The undrafted rookie brought out his patented move in the playoffs and snatched the ball out of the future Hall of Famer. This encapsulated the incredible defense by the entire Pelicans team in their Game 4 win.
"The Alvarado"
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2022
He strikes again!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/AXiI63x479
