Jayson Tatum recorded his first playoff triple-double, leading the Celtics to a 114–94 Game 1 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.
After Kyle Lowry missed his second free throw, Jalen Brunson, who was previously 7-for-28 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc, hit a three-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped in.
Jalen Brunson scored 47 points, setting a Knicks franchise playoff record en route to securing a commanding 3–1 series lead back to New York.
Trailing by six with under 30 seconds and facing elimination, Tyrese Maxey converted a four-point play and hit a 35-foot game-tying three to force overtime and save the 76ers' season.
With the game tied at 111-111 with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, a wide open Josh Hart made a go-ahead three-pointer to put New York on top as they eliminated the 76ers 4-2.
[60] In his first playoff game in three years, Damian Lillard scored all 35 of his points in the first half to give the Bucks a 27-point halftime lead and ultimately secure a 1–0 series advantage without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Paolo Banchero, the first overall pick in 2022, scored 24 points in his playoff debut but committed nine turnovers, contributing to the Magic's offensive struggles, as they shot 33% from the field, 22% from beyond the arc, and missed 11 free throws.
In a pivotal game 5, the Cavaliers edged past the Magic 104–103, with Evan Mobley blocking Franz Wagner's layup in the final seconds to secure the victory.
Although Cleveland had a significantly higher field goal percentage, they were outrebounded and shot 7-of-28 from deep, as center Jarrett Allen missed his second straight game.
After a Holmgren free throw made it a two-point game with 14 seconds left, Thunder rookie Cason Wallace forced McCollum into a difficult three-pointer that missed as time expired.
[63] In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets won their ninth consecutive game against the Lakers, fueled by Nikola Jokić's 32 points and 12 rebounds on 65% from the field.
Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with a playoff career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Nikola Jokić shot 9-of-13 from the field and finished one assist shy of a triple-double.
The victory was marred for Minnesota, as head coach Chris Finch suffered a ruptured patellar tendon after a collision with Mike Conley in the fourth quarter.
With Dončić struggling with his shooting efficiency, going 7-of-25 from the field and 3-of-14 from beyond the arc, his co-star Kyrie Irving poured 19 of his 21 points in the final 14 minutes of the game to keep the Clippers at bay.
Dončić shot over 50% for the first time this series, Maxi Kleber hit five three-pointers, and Kyrie Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who handed the Clippers the biggest margin of defeat in their playoff history.
Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert each provided 15+ points, while the rest of Cleveland's starters (Garland, Strus, and Okoro) shot a combined 30% (9-of-30) from the field and 19% (3-of-16) from beyond the arc.
Alec Burks, who had played one minute this postseason coming into game 3, provided 14 points off the bench, while Brunson's potential game-tying three-point attempt barely grazed the rim, securing the Pacers' victory.
Dallas cut the Thunder lead to nine with 8:29 left in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City responded with a 15–2 run that prompted the Mavericks to empty their bench.
After averaging just 22 points on 39% shooting over the first four games, Luka Dončić delivered a 31-point triple-double and made 12-of-22 shots to give the Mavericks a pivotal 3–2 series lead heading back to Dallas.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 54 points and shot 21-of-32 from the field, while Kyle Anderson, replacing Gobert in the starting lineup, had seven offensive rebounds and eight assists.
Despite Anthony Edwards setting a franchise playoff record with 44 points, Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets as they evened the series going back to Denver.
Against the number one ranked defense in the league, Nikola Jokić shot 15-of-22 (68%) from the field and finished with 40 points, 13 assists, and zero turnovers as the Nuggets took a 3–2 series lead after falling behind 0–2.
Alongside Jokić's stellar performance, Jamal Murray had 16 points on 50% shooting, Aaron Gordon had a double-double, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made 4-of-5 three-pointers for Denver.
However, Anthony Edwards started off slow, missing 8-of-9 shots in the first half and ultimately finishing with just 18 points as the Timberwolves suffered their first three-game losing streak of the season.
Anthony Edwards, initially slow, finished strong with 16 points, eight boards, seven assists, and hit a three-pointer that pushed Minnesota's lead to 10 with three minutes left.
[71] In a matchup between the top two scoring teams from the regular season, the Celtics rallied behind Jayson Tatum's 36 points and Jaylen Brown's clutch three-pointer to secure the series opener in overtime.
After trailing by as much as 18 in the third quarter, Jrue Holiday gave Boston their first lead of the second half with a three-point play in the final minute, followed by a crucial steal and two free throws to secure the victory.
Luka Dončić recorded his fourth triple-double in five games and drained a game-winning three-pointer over the Defensive Player of the Year (Rudy Gobert), securing a 2–0 series lead for the Mavericks.
On the verge of getting swept, the Timberwolves staved off elimination when Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half and knocked down three critical three-pointers down the stretch to force a game 5 in Minneapolis.
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