The primary spherical of the 2024 NBA playoffs has been nothing in need of thrilling, giving us all the pieces from sweeps to back-and-forth battles on each side of the bracket.
Within the Western Convention, the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have already secured spots within the second spherical, with the Nuggets and Wolves beginning their collection on Saturday in Denver. The Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers, in the meantime, continued their seesaw collection because the Mavericks dominated Sport 5 at Crypto.com Area on Wednesday.
Additionally Wednesday, the Boston Celtics turned the primary Japanese Convention workforce to succeed in the subsequent spherical, ousting the Miami Warmth in Sport 5. The remaining three spots are up for grabs, because the New York Knicks could have a second probability to shut out Philadelphia after the 76ers’ electrifying Sport 5 comeback on Tuesday, led by a 46-point efficiency from Tyrese Maxey.
Our NBA insiders break down the largest storylines to look at going into these principal Sport 6 matchups as we spherical out the second week of the NBA playoffs.
MORE: The whole lot to know concerning the playoffs | Offseason guides for each workforce
If Giannis and Dame return, can the Bucks nonetheless win this collection?
Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
With a win in Sport 5, the Bucks stored their season alive for at the very least another sport and in flip gave their star duo additional time to return to the ground. Each Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are “very shut,” to returning, Bucks coach Doc Rivers mentioned after Sport 5, indicating the Bucks might have assist in Indianapolis.
Antetokounmpo has not performed on this collection, sidelined for the previous three weeks with a calf pressure. Lillard has been out since Sport 3 with an Achilles pressure.
But the Bucks turned the primary workforce in NBA historical past to win a playoff sport with out their high two scorers from the common season, they usually did so in convincing trend. Milwaukee lower off Indiana on the quick break — profitable the transition factors battle 11-7 for the primary time all collection towards the Pacers’ second-ranked offense — and smothered All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton with double-teams.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo have been scheduled for a exercise forward of Sport 6. The query for Milwaukee, even when it will get one or each of its celebrity duo again on the ground, is whether or not will probably be too late within the collection for it to make a distinction.
The Bucks should win an elimination sport on the highway to a workforce that additionally bested them 4 of 5 instances throughout the common season. However a veteran Bucks participant believes they’ve given themselves an opportunity by extending the collection, letting the Pacers know they won’t go residence simply.
“We all know what we’re able to. We all know what we’ve got within the locker room and we’ve got guys that compete,” Bucks ahead Bobby Portis mentioned after Sport 5.
“There wasn’t any weight on our shoulders. I believe there’s extra weight on theirs.”
— Jamal Collier
The margins will resolve whether or not an epic collection goes the gap
Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TNT)
With regards to this battle for I-95, the place ought to we start?
There have been two miraculous comebacks. The Knicks (Sport 2) and 76ers (Sport 5) rallied from five- and six-point deficits, respectively, with underneath 30 seconds remaining. The Knicks prevailed in regulation, whereas the Sixers did so in time beyond regulation.
There have been scoring bursts. A hobbled Joel Embiid dropped 50 factors in Sport 3, Jalen Brunson went for 47 in Sport 4 and Tyrese Maxey completed with 46 in his clutch Sport 5 efficiency. By means of 5 video games and 245 complete minutes, the 76ers, regardless of trailing the collection 3-2, have outscored the Knicks by two factors.
There are crucial teaching choices to be made, most notably: Will Nick Nurse proceed to play Embiid, nonetheless restricted by his knee harm, the complete second half?
This primary-round slugfest has produced a little bit of all the pieces — even Knicks followers loudly making their presence felt in Philly — with every sport a reminder that the one fixed on this collection is that each contest will come all the way down to the hustle performs and frantic remaining possessions.
— Tim Bontemps
Can the Cavaliers generate sufficient offense on the highway?
Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Cleveland has constructed its benefit behind the league’s seventh-ranked protection, however to shut out this collection in Orlando, it has to attain extra. The Cavs lastly broke the 100-point mark in Sport 5, when Darius Garland raced out to 17 first-quarter factors and Donovan Mitchell completed with 28. Max Strus, who had struggled taking pictures, knocked down 4 3-pointers, and Marcus Morris Sr. added 12 factors off the bench.
Sure, that sport was sealed by an Evan Mobley block — his defensive presence is much more necessary with Jarrett Allen’s standing up within the air — however within the two video games the Cavs dropped in Orlando’s Kia Heart, they’d no reply for scoring runs by the Magic, who had the sixth-best residence file within the league throughout the common season.
In Sport 4, Mitchell went scoreless within the second half, whereas the Cavs surrendered a 31-5 run within the third quarter and shot simply 4-of-17 from 3.
— Kendra Andrews
Will historical past repeat itself or can the Mavericks lock in?
Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Luka Doncic did not need to hear it, interrupting a reporter’s query as quickly as the topic of the Mavericks’ final playoff collection towards the Clippers was broached.
These groups have been in the identical place within the 2021 playoffs, when the Mavs took a 3-2 lead in a first-round collection and headed residence for Sport 6. LA received the subsequent two video games, eliminating Dallas for the second consecutive season.
“Current. Current. Not previous,” Doncic insisted after his 35-point, 10-assist efficiency within the Mavs’ Sport 5 blowout win.
Clippers star Paul George, not surprisingly, was rather more prepared to debate the latest historical past between the 2 groups. He really made a degree to deliver it up after what could possibly be the Clippers’ remaining residence sport at Crypto.com Area until their prior Sport 6 highway success repeats itself.
“We have been right here earlier than — going to Dallas, being down 3-2,” George mentioned. “It is bought to be a win, and the one mentality we’ve got is to attempt to go get a win in Dallas.”
In that occasion three years in the past, Kawhi Leonard carried the Clippers to a Sport 6 victory. He matched his playoff profession excessive with 45 factors and performed smothering protection on Doncic down the stretch in that sport.
However the Clippers cannot rely on that taking place once more. Leonard hasn’t been out there since Sport 3 due to persistent irritation in his proper knee, and he is not anticipated to return throughout this collection.
Earlier than this collection began, Doncic identified one other main distinction from the opposite instances the Mavs and Clippers met within the playoffs.
“We have now Kai,” Doncic mentioned, referring to Kyrie Irving, his championship skilled co-star.
“We’ll get some relaxation after this one,” Irving mentioned. “Feelings are excessive, however we simply bought to be prepared for no matter’s going to be thrown at us.”
— Tim MacMahon
