Being blown out in Game 2, the Hawks entered Game 3 much better. They opened the first quarter with a 7-0 run and were in the lead for the better part of the first three quarters.

The turning point for Atlanta happened in the last minute of the third quarter when Young stepped on the foot of the referee Sean Wright and injured his ankle. The 22-year-old All-Star fell to the ground in pain and was forced to go to the locker room for examination.

Young eventually returned on the floor early in the fourth quarter but looked obviously bothered by the injury. After scoring 32 in the first three quarters, he only managed to get three points in the final period.

With Young struggling, Milwaukee was able to erase Atlanta’s lead and comfortably get ahead to close out the game. Khris Middleton played a major role in the comeback for the Bucks, outscoring the Hawks by himself in the fourth quarter and finishing the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

Milwaukee’s superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a big outing, posting a double-double with 33 points and 11 boards. Bobby Portis added 15 points off the bench.

The series remains in Atlanta for Game 4 and resumes on Thursday. It is unclear whether Young, who is set to have an MRI on his ankle, will be ready to go by then.

“I got some treatment on it. I’m going to go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is to get treatment,” said Youn about the injury.

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The Suns were carried by All-Star duo Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who had another postseason outing. Paul scored 37 points and dished seven assists, while Booker had 34 points and 11 boards.

Nuggets made a late fourth-quarter push but couldn’t go all the way without their best player Nikola Jokic on the court. Jokic, who recently received the NBA MVP award, was ejected late in the third quarter for a flagrant foul on Cameron Payne.

Jokic made a hard swipe to get the ball out of Payne’s hands but also ended up hitting the Suns guard in the face. After the review, referees called a Flagrant 2 on the Serbian and sent him to the locker room.

Despite ending the game early, Jokic still managed to contribute with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Will Barton had 25 points, and Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 for Denver as well.

This was a bitter end of the postseason for the Nuggets but also an expected one. They entered the playoffs without one of their best players in Jamal Murray and knew they would have a tough time getting all the way without him.

“I’m not going to allow this series to define the season,” said Denver’s head coach Michael Malone. “Hopefully next year we can find a way to stay healthy and be better and see where we can go.”

Phoenix, on the other hand, now waits for the conclusion of the Utah Jazz vs. LA Clippers series to find out their opponent in the Western Conference Finals. This will be the first trip to conference finals for the Suns since the 2009-10 season, which was also the last time the team has made the playoffs.

“It’s a feeling that’s kind of hard to put (into) words,” said Booker. “After a game like this, or after you close a series out, you sit back and reflect a little bit and think about what we’ve been through as an organization and as a team.”

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After trailing 38-35 in the first quarter, the Clippers bounced back in the second and were up by eight at halftime. The Mavs responded with a 19-6 run, only to break down offensively and defensively towards the end of the period.

Following a 24-4 blitz, the Clippers took over the control of the game and then managed to hold off Dallas in the final quarter with some clutch threes by Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr.

Kawhi Leonard followed up his 45-point performance in Game 6 with a near triple-double in Game 7. He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists and played some great defense on Mavs phenom Luka Doncic down the stretch.

“It’s all about the moment,” said Leonard after the game. “You got to be aggressive all night and don’t try to make the game be perfect.”

The Clippers also had huge help from their bench, getting 24 points combined from Terance Mann and Luke Kennard alone.

Doncic put another ridiculous performance for Dallas, finishing the game with 46 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds. And while the Mavs’ other four starters also reached double digits in points, the production of their bench was abysmal. All they got was four points and two rebounds from Dwight Powell, while Jalen Brunson managed two points, four boards, and one assist.

The Los Angeles Clippers will now look to further cement their status as a championship contender in a second-round matchup against the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz.

The Mavericks are back to the drawing board and need to figure out how to prevent another early playoff exit next season.

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The Clippers again didn’t have a response for Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic, who stole the show with a 39-point performance. LA head coach Ty Lue tried several tactics to stop Doncic, including occasionally assigning Kawhi Leonard, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, on him, but nothing seemed to work.

When the Clippers managed to slow down Doncic’s scoring, he torched them in other ways. The 22-year-old star was getting his teammates involved, dishing seven assists while also grabbing seven boards in the process.

Doncic had help in Tim Hardaway Jr, who delivered an impressive outing of 28 points and six three-pointers. Kristaps Porzingis pitched in with 20 points, four boards, and three steals.

Kawhi Leonard headlined the Clippers by dropping 41 points, including 30 points in the first half, while Paul George scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds. Backup Reggie Jackson was the team’s only other player in double digits with 15 points.

Mavericks now have all the momentum on their side and will look to use the most of their chance to wrap up the series in front of their home audience. The Clippers, on the other hand, are on a five-game losing streak in the postseason (including last year) and are in danger of suffering yet another shocking playoff exit following last year’s meltdown against the Denver Nuggets.

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The first game saw the Indiana Pacers, who finished ninth on the standings, hosting the tenth Charlotte Hornets. The winner of this game would get a chance to play for the No. 8 seed against the loser of Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards.

Many believed that the Hornets had a real chance of surprising the Pacers, considering all the turmoil that took place in Indiana during this season. But the Pacers managed to get things together just in time and completely embarrass Charlotte.

It became clear that the Pacers were going to win the game in the first quarter. They opened with a 23-9 lead and continued piling up points as the contest went on. At one point, early in the third quarter, they were ahead by 31 points. Hornets only managed to soften the blow a bit in the fourth period to make it 117-144.

Domantas Sabonis carried Indiana in this game, delivering an impressive stat-line that included 14 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Oshae Brissett added 23 points and five rebounds, while Dough McDermott scored 21.

Miles Bridges had 23 points and eight rebounds for Hornets, with Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier contributing 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

In Boston, the Celtics welcomed the red-hot Washington Wizards in a game that would decide the No. 7 seed. Many expected a close game, but this one saw a one-side result as well, with the home team getting a 118-100 win.

The Celtics hero on Tuesday night was Jayson Tatum, who had a monster performance that saw him score 50 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Tatum was 14-32 from the game and 5-12 from the three-point line while scoring all 17 free-throw attempts.

Boston also saw a big contribution from Kemba Walker, who had 29 points and seven rebounds. Tatum, Walker, and Tristan Thompson (12 points) were the only Celtics in double-digit scoring.

The Wizards, on the other hand, mightily struggled with shooting. Russell Westbrook missed all but six of his 18 attempts from the game, including 0-4 for three points, while Bradley Beal finished the night with 10-25 from the game and 1-6 from the three-point arc. Davis Bertans had an even worse night, failing to hit a single three from seven attempts.

The Boston Celtics will now face the No. 2 seeded Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, while the Washington Wizards are set to host the Indiana Pacers in an attempt to get the No. 8 seed.

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Being blown out in Game 2, the Hawks entered Game 3 much better. They opened the first quarter with a 7-0 run and were in the lead for the better part of the first three quarters.

The turning point for Atlanta happened in the last minute of the third quarter when Young stepped on the foot of the referee Sean Wright and injured his ankle. The 22-year-old All-Star fell to the ground in pain and was forced to go to the locker room for examination.

Young eventually returned on the floor early in the fourth quarter but looked obviously bothered by the injury. After scoring 32 in the first three quarters, he only managed to get three points in the final period.

With Young struggling, Milwaukee was able to erase Atlanta’s lead and comfortably get ahead to close out the game. Khris Middleton played a major role in the comeback for the Bucks, outscoring the Hawks by himself in the fourth quarter and finishing the night with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

Milwaukee’s superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo also had a big outing, posting a double-double with 33 points and 11 boards. Bobby Portis added 15 points off the bench.

The series remains in Atlanta for Game 4 and resumes on Thursday. It is unclear whether Young, who is set to have an MRI on his ankle, will be ready to go by then.

“I got some treatment on it. I’m going to go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is to get treatment,” said Youn about the injury.

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The Suns were carried by All-Star duo Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who had another postseason outing. Paul scored 37 points and dished seven assists, while Booker had 34 points and 11 boards.

Nuggets made a late fourth-quarter push but couldn’t go all the way without their best player Nikola Jokic on the court. Jokic, who recently received the NBA MVP award, was ejected late in the third quarter for a flagrant foul on Cameron Payne.

Jokic made a hard swipe to get the ball out of Payne’s hands but also ended up hitting the Suns guard in the face. After the review, referees called a Flagrant 2 on the Serbian and sent him to the locker room.

Despite ending the game early, Jokic still managed to contribute with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Will Barton had 25 points, and Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 for Denver as well.

This was a bitter end of the postseason for the Nuggets but also an expected one. They entered the playoffs without one of their best players in Jamal Murray and knew they would have a tough time getting all the way without him.

“I’m not going to allow this series to define the season,” said Denver’s head coach Michael Malone. “Hopefully next year we can find a way to stay healthy and be better and see where we can go.”

Phoenix, on the other hand, now waits for the conclusion of the Utah Jazz vs. LA Clippers series to find out their opponent in the Western Conference Finals. This will be the first trip to conference finals for the Suns since the 2009-10 season, which was also the last time the team has made the playoffs.

“It’s a feeling that’s kind of hard to put (into) words,” said Booker. “After a game like this, or after you close a series out, you sit back and reflect a little bit and think about what we’ve been through as an organization and as a team.”

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After trailing 38-35 in the first quarter, the Clippers bounced back in the second and were up by eight at halftime. The Mavs responded with a 19-6 run, only to break down offensively and defensively towards the end of the period.

Following a 24-4 blitz, the Clippers took over the control of the game and then managed to hold off Dallas in the final quarter with some clutch threes by Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr.

Kawhi Leonard followed up his 45-point performance in Game 6 with a near triple-double in Game 7. He had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists and played some great defense on Mavs phenom Luka Doncic down the stretch.

“It’s all about the moment,” said Leonard after the game. “You got to be aggressive all night and don’t try to make the game be perfect.”

The Clippers also had huge help from their bench, getting 24 points combined from Terance Mann and Luke Kennard alone.

Doncic put another ridiculous performance for Dallas, finishing the game with 46 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds. And while the Mavs’ other four starters also reached double digits in points, the production of their bench was abysmal. All they got was four points and two rebounds from Dwight Powell, while Jalen Brunson managed two points, four boards, and one assist.

The Los Angeles Clippers will now look to further cement their status as a championship contender in a second-round matchup against the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz.

The Mavericks are back to the drawing board and need to figure out how to prevent another early playoff exit next season.

The post Clippers Top Mavs in Decisive Game 7 appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Clippers again didn’t have a response for Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic, who stole the show with a 39-point performance. LA head coach Ty Lue tried several tactics to stop Doncic, including occasionally assigning Kawhi Leonard, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, on him, but nothing seemed to work.

When the Clippers managed to slow down Doncic’s scoring, he torched them in other ways. The 22-year-old star was getting his teammates involved, dishing seven assists while also grabbing seven boards in the process.

Doncic had help in Tim Hardaway Jr, who delivered an impressive outing of 28 points and six three-pointers. Kristaps Porzingis pitched in with 20 points, four boards, and three steals.

Kawhi Leonard headlined the Clippers by dropping 41 points, including 30 points in the first half, while Paul George scored 28 points and had 12 rebounds. Backup Reggie Jackson was the team’s only other player in double digits with 15 points.

Mavericks now have all the momentum on their side and will look to use the most of their chance to wrap up the series in front of their home audience. The Clippers, on the other hand, are on a five-game losing streak in the postseason (including last year) and are in danger of suffering yet another shocking playoff exit following last year’s meltdown against the Denver Nuggets.

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The first game saw the Indiana Pacers, who finished ninth on the standings, hosting the tenth Charlotte Hornets. The winner of this game would get a chance to play for the No. 8 seed against the loser of Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards.

Many believed that the Hornets had a real chance of surprising the Pacers, considering all the turmoil that took place in Indiana during this season. But the Pacers managed to get things together just in time and completely embarrass Charlotte.

It became clear that the Pacers were going to win the game in the first quarter. They opened with a 23-9 lead and continued piling up points as the contest went on. At one point, early in the third quarter, they were ahead by 31 points. Hornets only managed to soften the blow a bit in the fourth period to make it 117-144.

Domantas Sabonis carried Indiana in this game, delivering an impressive stat-line that included 14 points, 21 rebounds, and nine assists. Oshae Brissett added 23 points and five rebounds, while Dough McDermott scored 21.

Miles Bridges had 23 points and eight rebounds for Hornets, with Cody Zeller and Terry Rozier contributing 17 points and 16 points, respectively.

In Boston, the Celtics welcomed the red-hot Washington Wizards in a game that would decide the No. 7 seed. Many expected a close game, but this one saw a one-side result as well, with the home team getting a 118-100 win.

The Celtics hero on Tuesday night was Jayson Tatum, who had a monster performance that saw him score 50 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Tatum was 14-32 from the game and 5-12 from the three-point line while scoring all 17 free-throw attempts.

Boston also saw a big contribution from Kemba Walker, who had 29 points and seven rebounds. Tatum, Walker, and Tristan Thompson (12 points) were the only Celtics in double-digit scoring.

The Wizards, on the other hand, mightily struggled with shooting. Russell Westbrook missed all but six of his 18 attempts from the game, including 0-4 for three points, while Bradley Beal finished the night with 10-25 from the game and 1-6 from the three-point arc. Davis Bertans had an even worse night, failing to hit a single three from seven attempts.

The Boston Celtics will now face the No. 2 seeded Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs, while the Washington Wizards are set to host the Indiana Pacers in an attempt to get the No. 8 seed.

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