The Heat, who trailed by as much as 29, struggled to find an offensive rhythm, with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro combining on 13-of-34 (38%) from the field. With the win, the Celtics improved to 15–4 immediately following a loss this season and improved to 6–1 in their last seven road playoff games against Miami. The Mavericks, led by their trio of Dončić, Irving, and Washington, protected homecourt and secured a 2–1 series lead over the top-seeded Thunder. Dončić contributed 22 points and 15 boards while Irving finished with 22 points and seven assists, as the pair made key plays down the stretch. Washington scored 27 points and spearheaded a 16–0 run in the third quarter that gave Dallas a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, while rookie Dereck Lively II, being fouled intentionally in the fourth quarter, finished 8-of-12 on free throws.
Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 25, and Devin Booker finished with 23 points for the Suns, while the rest of the team scored just 33 points. Meanwhile, Minnesota had six players finish in double figures and dominated the boards with a 50–28 avatrade review rebounding margin. 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. Jokić recorded 35 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals making 15-of-26 shots, while Gordon made 11-of-12 for 27 points. Jamal Murray added 19 points and 8 assists, making a 56-foot buzzer-beating half-courter as the Nuggets led by 15 points going into halftime. All Timberwolves starters plus Naz Reid scored in double-digits, although Karl-Anthony Towns shot 1-of-10 in the first half, ultimately finishing on 5-of-18 from the field.
Zion’s mindset: ‘Whatever my team needs’
After suffering a demoralizing blowout loss in game 4, the Knicks responded with a 30-point victory to move one win away from their first conference finals appearance in 24 years. Jalen Brunson led the charge with 44 points and seven assists, marking his fifth 40-point game of the postseason. Josh Hart recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Miles McBride and Alec Burks combined for 35 points on 8-of-15 from beyond the arc. New York dominated the glass, outrebounding Indiana 53–29 and securing 20 offensive rebounds (with 12 of them coming from Isaiah Hartenstein) that led to 26 second-chance points. Pascal Siakam had 22 points, Myles Turner scored 16, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 13 points on nine shot attempts.
Experts’ predictions for 2024 NBA Finals
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. Brunson shot 18-of-34 from the field and finished with an assist-turnover ratio of 10 to 1, as he surpassed the 46 points scored by Bernard King in 1984. Josh Hart had zero field goals but finished with a playoff career-high 17 rebounds, while OG Anunoby had a double-double of 16 points and 14 boards. Joel Embiid had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, but shot 0-of-5 from the field in the fourth quarter and finished the game 7-of-19. Tyrese Maxey scored 23 and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points as the Sixers shot 29-of-82 (35%) from the floor, their second-lowest percentage of the season.
Derrick White added 20 points and four assists for Boston, which finished with six players in double-figures. The Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, never held a lead and trailed by as much as 34 points. Bam Adebayo had a game-high 24 points, while Delon Wright and Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 17 and 16 points respectively, with Wright going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Trailing 2–0 in the series, the Nuggets bounced back with a dominant 117–90 road victory and handed Minnesota their first loss of the postseason. Jamal Murray, who scored two total points in the first half coming into game 3, had 18 of his 24 points in the first two quarters and set the tone for Denver, who led by as much as 34 points. Nikola Jokić shot over 50% from the field and finished an assist shy of a triple-double, while Michael Porter Jr. finished with 21 points as the Nuggets knocked down 14-of-29 (48%) three-pointers.
NBA Finals: (E Boston Celtics vs. (W Dallas Mavericks
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. Jaden McDaniels led all scorers with a playoff career-high 25 points and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Timberwolves to win 105–93. Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley both contributed 18 points while Phoenix was focused on containing Anthony Edwards, who shot 3-of-12 with 15 points and eight assists. Despite Phoenix’s efforts to rally, Minnesota’s 11–0 fourth-quarter run solidified their second-ever 2–0 playoff series lead. Despite being injured the past two games, Damian Lillard suited up for the Bucks hoping to extend the series to game seven. However, Indiana was able to eliminate Milwaukee 4–2 with the help from their bench, outscoring the Bucks 50–10.
About this game
Maintaining control throughout the first half, Dallas briefly lost the lead in the third quarter but regained control with a 15–2 run, as the Thunder never got closer than four points. Dončić and Washington combined to shoot 12-of-19 (63%) from beyond the arc, while Kyrie Irving tallied 11 assists and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a spark off the bench with 17 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 33 points, 12 boards, and eight assists, while Jalen Williams added 20 points for the Thunder, who allowed more than 100 points for the first time this postseason. Battling a sprained knee and an illness, Luka Dončić led the Mavericks with 35 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists as Dallas routed the Clippers by 30 points to take a 3–2 series lead. 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.
After playing a tightly contested game against the eighth seed in game 1, the Thunder routed the Pelicans 124–92 to seize a 2–0 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City onslaught with 33 points on 13-of-19 from the field, while rookie Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting. Jalen Williams added 21 points and seven assists for the Thunder, who shot 59% from the field and made 14-of-29 three-pointers. On the defensive end, they held New Orleans to under 95 points for the second straight game and forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 22 points. Jonas Valančiūnas led the Pelicans in scoring with 19, while Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones both finished with 18 points. With the Knicks’ starters struggling, the New York bench outscored the 76ers’ bench 42–7, with Miles McBride, Bojan Bogdanović and Mitchell Robinson leading the way to win Game 1.
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. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 20 points, while Nikola Jokić notched 16 rebounds on 5-of-13 shooting. The rest of Denver’s starters struggled, particularly Jamal Murray, finishing with eight points and four turnovers on 3-of-18 from the field. J. Washington’s 29 points each, the Mavericks improved to 3–0 following a loss this postseason and leveled the series at one game apiece.
- For the Clippers, Norman Powell had 20 points off the bench and Ivica Zubac recorded his third double-double of the series, while Paul George and James Harden continued to struggle, combining for 34 points on 32% (11-of-34) shooting.
- Towns recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds, but the rest of Minnesota’s starters (Gobert, Conley, and McDaniels) only combined for 24 points.
- In danger of getting swept by the Nuggets for the second straight year, the Lakers responded with a wire-to-wire win in game 4, forcing the series back to Denver and snapping their 11-game losing streak against the Nuggets.
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. After getting blown out in the opening game of the series, the Cavaliers responded with a 24-point victory over the top-seeded Celtics to even the series at 1–1. Donovan Mitchell finished with eight assists and scored 16 of his 29 points in the third quarter to push the Cleveland lead to double digits, as they led by as much as 29 points in the fourth quarter. Evan Mobley recorded his third consecutive double-double, while Caris LeVert provided 21 points off the bench as the Cavaliers shot 13-of-28 (46%) from beyond the arc.
The 2024 NBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV, with ABC as the exclusive broadcaster, concluded with the Boston Celtics winning their 18th championship. The 2024 NBA Playoffs Presented by Google Pixel concluded with the Boston Celtics winning their 18th championship. As per the alternating rotation, ESPN/ABC had exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference finals, while TNT had exclusive coverage of the Western Conference finals. Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 16–19. We pulled together best practice from the NCETM, White Rose Maths, teacher influencers, educators in Shanghai and Singapore and from leading academics.
Darius Garland scored 10 of his 12 points in the final quarter, Caris LeVert scored 15 off the bench, and Evan Mobley tallied five blocks and 16 rebounds. Paolo Banchero’s 38-point effort for Orlando, particularly his 24 points in the first half, wasn’t enough as he struggled shooting 27% in the second half. His co-stars did not fare well either, as Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs combined to shoot 3-of-28 from the field. The Magic never led for the second straight game as the Cavaliers secured a 2–0 series lead. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with a game-high 23 points, while Jarrett Allen grabbed a playoff career-high 20 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland added 17 and 15 points respectively, while Isaac Okoro provided four steals off the bench.
J. Washington scored all nine of his points late in the fourth quarter, including go-ahead free throws with 2.5 seconds left. Dereck Lively II also grabbed 15 boards for Dallas, who shot 16-of-34 (47%) from beyond the arc and outrebounded the Thunder 47–31. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted a playoff-high 36 points, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren had 22 and 21 points, respectively. Holmgren briefly put Oklahoma City ahead on an alley-oop with 20 seconds left, but Gilgeous-Alexander fouled Washington on a three-point shot. The Thunder lost their final timeout challenging the call, leaving them with a desperate half-court heave that missed as time expired.
- J. Washington scored all nine of his points late in the fourth quarter, including go-ahead free throws with 2.5 seconds left.
- J. Washington contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, and a go-ahead three-pointer for the Mavericks, who shot 14-of-28 from beyond the arc and 55.9% from the field.
- Dončić contributed 22 points and 15 boards while Irving finished with 22 points and seven assists, as the pair made key plays down the stretch.
- Anthony Edwards had 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while Towns, previously shooting 28% from the field in the series, finished 9-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey each scored 14 points as the Thunder became the youngest team to win a playoff series. CJ McCollum scored 20 for the Pelicans, who continued their poor three-point shooting, making just 8-of-34 (23%) shots from deep, with Naji Marshall hitting half of them. Jonas Valančiūnas had 19 points and 13 boards but was limited by foul trouble, while Brandon Ingram shot 2-of-14 for the game and finished the series shooting 34% from the field. Trailing by nine at halftime, the Magic opened the second half on a 41–10 run to even the series at two games apiece. With Paolo Banchero having a quiet night (nine points, five assists), Franz Wagner stepped up for Orlando, tallying 34 points and 13 rebounds on 13-of-17 shooting, as he outscored the Cavaliers by himself in the third quarter. After putting up 60 points in the first half, Cleveland struggled mightily in the second half, scoring just 29 points and enduring a scoreless drought that lasted almost seven minutes.