Two nights after outscoring Milwaukee 30–13 in the final six minutes of a 119–115 victory in Miami, the Heat came back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit and tied the game on Jimmy Butler's layup with half a second left in regulation.
Despite a late push from Atlanta in the fourth quarter, the Celtics regained control and secured the victory, as they held Dejounte Murray and Trae Young to a combined 15-of-43 shooting.
Jayson Tatum scored 29 points, while Marcus Smart added 24, but Boston was forced to play catch-up the majority of the game, as they allowed Atlanta to knock down 30-of-46 shots (65%) in the first half.
Facing elimination, Trae Young scored 38 points and hit a deep three-pointer with less than two seconds left to give the Hawks the lead and ultimately force a Game 6 in Atlanta.
Although Joel Embiid was held to just 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, he remained dominant on the defensive end and sealed the game by blocking a potential game-tying layup by Spencer Dinwiddie with just under ten seconds left.
Mitchell Robinson anchored the Knicks' defense with 18 rebounds (11 of them offensive) as he outrebounded Cleveland's Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley for the second straight game.
Despite another impressive performance by Anthony Edwards, who scored 36 points, the Timberwolves struggled to keep up, as Denver had two 9–0 runs in the first half and started the second quarter by making 12 of their first 16 shots on their way to a 13-point lead.
After a sluggish start, Denver managed to rally and secure their fourth Western Semifinals appearance in five years behind the performances of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
Stephen Curry was the leading scorer for the Warriors in this game, scoring 30 points on 6-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, but missed the potential game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds.
[43] In the absence of Paul George, Kawhi Leonard took charge for the Clippers, scoring 38 points and hitting two crucial three-pointers in the closing moments to secure the series opener.
The Clippers attempted to come back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter, hitting four straight three-pointers to quickly close the gap, and had multiple chances to tie the game in the final three minutes but could never convert.
Harden, who tied his playoff career-high, hit a go-ahead, step-back three-pointer over Al Horford with less than ten seconds left to help secure the victory.
Joel Embiid returned from injury to score 15 points and notch five blocks, while James Harden struggled to find his rhythm, shooting just 2-of-14 from the field and missing all six of his three-point attempts.
With Joel Embiid receiving his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony in front of his home floor, the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown spoiled the show for Philadelphia, combining for 50 points and giving the Celtics a 2–1 series advantage.
Despite trailing by as much as 16 points in the first half, the 76ers rallied thanks to the efforts of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who helped the team take the lead entering the fourth quarter.
[45] After the Knicks led the majority of the first half, the Heat pulled away in the third quarter with a 21–5 run highlighted by a Kevin Love three-pointer that gave Miami a lead they would not relinquish.
Butler got help from his teammates, however, as Gabe Vincent, Kyle Lowry, and Bam Adebayo each scored 15-plus points as all three players made key plays down the stretch.
Meanwhile, New York struggled to find their rhythm, as their top three scorers from the regular season (Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett) shot a combined 16-of-51 (31%) from the field, including 2-of-17 (12%) from beyond the arc.
[46] After missing their previous matchup in 2021 due to injury, Jamal Murray led the Nuggets' fast-paced offense with 34 points and six three-pointers as Denver snapped their seven-game playoff losing streak to the Suns.
The Lakers regained the lead, and the Warriors' late rally fell short as Jordan Poole missed a three to tie the game with under ten seconds left.
Down by seven entering the final quarter, the Lakers rode a 15-point fourth-quarter performance from Lonnie Walker IV to take a 3–1 series lead over the defending champions.
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had 31 points, ten rebounds, and 14 assists in his third career postseason triple-double, but he missed 11-of-14 three-point attempts and turned the ball over in the final seconds.
Similar to how they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks, the Heat overcame their sixth double-digit deficit of the playoffs to take a commanding 2–0 series lead back to Miami.
The Celtics also lacked effort on defense, as they allowed Miami to shoot 57% from the field and 54% from beyond the arc, resulting in a substantial 33-point deficit in the third quarter that prompted head coach Joe Mazzulla to empty his bench for the final 12 minutes.
In front of their home crowd, the Celtics dominated the Heat from the jump, surging to a 23–7 lead that set the tone for the rest of the game as Boston moved two wins away from becoming the first NBA team ever to overcome a 3–0 series deficit.
With Gabe Vincent out with an ankle sprain, Miami struggled to find their offensive footing, as the Heat were forced into ten first-half turnovers that led to 17 Boston points.
Following their defeat in a decisive seventh game against the Celtics last year, the Heat overcame the setback of squandering a 3–0 series lead to secure their second NBA Finals appearance in four seasons.
[50] Looking to advance to their first NBA Finals in their 47th season, the Nuggets got off on the right track, as Nikola Jokić recorded his sixth triple-double of the playoffs to propel Denver to a 1–0 series lead.
Los Angeles tied the game in the closing minutes after erasing a seven-point deficit, but Nikola Jokić's 25-foot fallaway three-pointer and go-ahead layup sealed the Nuggets' first playoff series sweep in franchise history.
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