2024 NBA playoffsTournament detailsDatesApril 20 – June 17, 2024Season2023–24Teams16Final positionsChampionsBoston Celtics (18th title)Runners-upDallas MericksSemifinalistsIndiana PacersMinnesota Timberwolves← 20232025 →
The 2024 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and concluded on June 17 with the Boston Celtics winning the 2024 NBA Finals over the Dallas Mericks for their 18th championship, the most in NBA history. The 2024 title was the Celtics' first championship since 2008.
Overview[edit] Updates to playoff appearances[edit] The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season, the longest present streak in the NBA. They also won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time since 2008. The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and also clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2013. The Milwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. The Philadelphia 76ers entered the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The Denver Nuggets entered the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. The Miami Heat entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Phoenix Suns entered the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Caliers, and Los Angeles Lakers entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The New Orleans Pelicans returned to the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament the previous year. The Dallas Mericks returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year. The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers entered the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs after making the postseason the previous year. The Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Brooklyn Nets missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Toronto Raptors missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. The Houston Rockets missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. The Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, currently the longest active playoff drought in the NBA. Notable occurrences[edit] This was the first playoffs to not feature Chris Paul since 2010.[1] With an erage age of 23.9 years old, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team to earn the 1-seed in NBA history.[2] The Thunder also became the seventh different Western Conference 1-seed in the last seven years, the longest stretch in the West since the 16-team format began in 1984.[3] The Boston Celtics finished first in the Eastern Conference standings by 14 games, which was the largest margin between No. 1 and No. 2 in either conference since 1976.[4] The Cleveland Caliers won their first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993, doing so against the Orlando Magic in seven games. [5] First round[edit] All home teams in the first-round matchups won game 1 for the first time since 2013. The Knicks' game 2 comeback against the 76ers marked just the fourth time in the play-by-play era (dating to the 1996–97 season) that a team won a playoff game after trailing by at least five points in the last 30 seconds.[6] The Knicks were also the first team to win in regulation, as the other three teams completed their comeback in overtime.[7] The Miami Heat's 23 three-pointers made in game 2 against the Celtics were the most ever by a team in a road playoff win in NBA history. This was also the Heat's franchise record for most threes made in a single playoff game.[8][9] In game 3 against the Knicks, Joel Embiid became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game.[10] The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns, marking the 48th year in a row that a sweep occurred. The last time a sweep did not occur was in 1976. This was the 184th series sweep in NBA playoffs history. The series also marked the Timberwolves' first playoff series win since 2004 and the first sweep of a best-of-7 series in Minnesota men's professional sports history.[11] Kevin Durant was swept in a playoff series for the second time in his career, with both instances occurring in the first round.[12] For the first time in playoff history, there were four 40+ point scorers on the same day, as Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, and Kyrie Irving all scored 40+ points on April 28.[13] Jamal Murray became the fourth player in NBA history to hit two go-ahead shots inside the final five seconds in the same postseason, and the only player to do so in the same series.[14] This marked just the second time LeBron James was eliminated in the first round, with his only previous first round elimination coming against the Suns in 2021.[15] The 76ers became the first team in the play-by-play era (since 1996–97) to win a playoff game when trailing by at least six points in the final 25 seconds of regulation.[16] The Bucks became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without playing their top two leading scorers from the regular season (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard).[16] The Celtics became the first team in postseason history to score 100+ points and hold their opponents to under 90 points in three straight playoff games.[17] The Pacers' elimination of the Bucks marked their first playoff series win since 2014. Jalen Brunson became the third player in NBA history with four consecutive playoff games of 35+ points and 5+ assists in a single postseason, joining LeBron James and Michael Jordan.[18] The Caliers–Magic series was the first of the 2024 playoffs to he a game 7, making it the 25th consecutive NBA postseason to feature a game 7. The last time a game 7 did not occur in the playoffs was 1999. This was the 151st game 7 in NBA playoffs history. Donovan Mitchell scored 52.1% of the Caliers' points in game 6, the most by a player with an opportunity to clinch a playoff series in NBA history.[19] Mitchell recorded his third 50-point playoff game, tying Allen Iverson for the third-most 50+ point games in playoff history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.[20] The Caliers won a playoff series without LeBron James for the first time since 1993. Conference semifinals[edit] This was the first conference semifinals without LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Stephen Curry since 2005.[15] This was the first Western Conference semifinals without a team from California since 2005. Anthony Edwards joined Kobe Bryant as the only players aged 22 or younger to he consecutive 40-point playoff games.[21] Jalen Brunson became the first player in NBA history to record 40+ points and 5+ assists in four straight playoff games.[22] The Caliers' 24-point win over the Celtics in game 2 was the biggest in the playoffs by a double-digit underdog since 1991.[23] This was the third straight year in which there were no series sweeps in the conference semifinals. Jayson Tatum became the second player since 1973 to lead both teams in a playoff series in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks after LeBron James did so in the 2016 NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving extended his win-loss record in close-out NBA playoffs games to 14–0.[24] This streak would end on May 28 however, when Dallas lost game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves.[25] The Timberwolves’ 45-point lead in game 6 against the Nuggets was the largest margin of victory against a defending champion in NBA playoff history.[26] It was also the second largest margin of victory in playoff history by a team facing elimination, surpassed only by the Minneapolis Lakers' 58-point victory over the St. Louis Hawks in the 1956 NBA Playoffs. The Pacers set an NBA playoff record for shooting percentage, making 67.1% of their shots in game 7 against the Knicks.[27] The Pacers also set the highest shooting percentage rate in a half with 76.3%, making 29 out of 38 shots in the first half. This was also the highest rate in the postseason for 25 years since 1997, when the NBA began keeping detailed play-by-play for all four quarters.[28] Aged 20 years and 96 days old, Dereck Lively II became the youngest player in NBA history to record 10+ points and 15+ rebounds in a playoff game, coming during game 6 of the Merick's Western Conference Semifinal win against the Thunder on May 18.[29] The Timberwolves overcame a 20–point deficit to win game 7 against the Nuggets, the largest game 7 comeback in NBA playoffs history.[30] With the defending champion Nuggets losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 2024 playoffs marked the fifth straight year where the defending champion was eliminated before the conference finals. The Nuggets' elimination also confirmed there would be unique NBA champions across a six-year span for the first time since 1975–1980. This marked the first time that two road teams won a game 7 on the same day. Conference finals[edit] Neither the first-seeded team nor the second-seeded team made the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2022. The Celtics entered the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight playoffs. This was the first Eastern Conference finals to feature either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat, but not both, since 2018. Each finals since that year either included both the Celtics and the Heat, or neither team. The Mericks returned to the Western Conference finals after missing the previous playoffs.[24] The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2014.[28] The Timberwolves advanced to the Western Conference finals for just the second time in team history, and the first time since 2004.[30] The erage age of the leading scorer for each team remaining (Tatum, Haliburton, Edwards, and Dončić for the Celtics, Pacers, Timberwolves, and Mericks respectively) was 24.62, the youngest in a conference finals since 1971.[31] Game 1 vs the Pacers was the first time in Celtics' franchise history that three of its players (Tatum, Brown, and Holiday) scored 25 or more points in a Conference Finals game.[32] Dereck Lively II became the first player in NBA history to record a perfect 16/16 (100 percent) from the field in a playoff series.[33] He surpassed Chris Andersen 's previous record of 13/13 FG made at 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals series.[34] This was the third instance (following the 2015 and 2023 playoffs) where both conference finals series had teams go up 3–0 in the series. Just like in 2015, the Celtics would go on to complete the sweep in the East, while the Timberwolves would successfully force a game 5 in the West but fell short. This was also the second time that the Indiana Pacers and the Minnesota Timberwolves were runner-ups in their respective conference finals, the last occurrence being in 2004. NBA Finals[edit] This was the first time the Dallas Mericks played a team other than the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, hing lost to Miami in 2006 and won against them in 2011. The Mericks became the second #5 seed in NBA history to make the finals, joining the 2019–20 Miami Heat. Luka Dončić became the first player to lead all players in points, rebounds and assists entering the NBA Finals. The Dallas Mericks' 38-point lead over the Boston Celtics (122–84) in game 4 of the Finals was the third largest margin of victory in NBA Finals history.[35] Tim Hardaway Jr. joined Ray Allen and Stephen Curry as the only three players to score five or more three-pointers in a single quarter of an NBA Finals game.[36] Format[edit] See also: NBA playoffs § FormatEight teams from each conference participated in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualified for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams was also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules were used.
The NBA Board of Governors adopted a format starting in 2021 to he a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participated in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then played the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeded as normal.[37]
Each conference's bracket was fixed with no reseeding. All rounds were a best-of-seven series; a series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home-court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). For the NBA Finals, home-court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.
Playoff qualifying[edit]On March 14, 2024, the Boston Celtics became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[38] While noted in the below tables, division titles he no bearing on seeding.[39]
Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 16–19.
Eastern Conference[edit] Seed Team Record Clinched Play-in berth Playoff berth Division title Best recordin conference Best recordin NBA 1 Boston Celtics 64–18 — March 14[38] March 20[40] March 24[41] April 3[42] 2 New York Knicks 50–32 — April 10[43] — — — 3 Milwaukee Bucks 49–33 — April 7[44] April 14[45] — — 4 Cleveland Caliers 48–34 — April 12[46] — — — 5 Orlando Magic 47–35 — April 14[47] April 14[47] — — 6 Indiana Pacers 47–35 — April 14[48] — — — 7 Philadelphia 76ers 47–35 April 14[48] April 17[49] — — — 8 Miami Heat 46–36 April 14[48] April 19[50] — — —Chicago (39–43) and Atlanta (36–46) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[50][51]
Western Conference[edit] Seed Team Record Clinched Play-in berth Playoff berth Division title Best recordin conference Best recordin NBA 1 Oklahoma City Thunder 57–25 — March 31[52] April 14[48] April 14[48] — 2 Denver Nuggets 57–25 — March 31[53] — — — 3 Minnesota Timberwolves 56–26 — April 1[54] — — — 4 Los Angeles Clippers 51–31 — April 9[55] April 9[55] — — 5 Dallas Mericks 50–32 — April 9[55] April 10[56] — — 6 Phoenix Suns 49–33 — April 14[48] — — — 7 Los Angeles Lakers 47–35 April 10[57] April 16[58] — — — 8 New Orleans Pelicans 49–33 April 14[48] April 19[50] — — —Sacramento (46–36) and Golden State (46–36) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[50][59]
Play-in tournament brackets[edit] Further information: NBA play-in tournament § 2024 Eastern Conference[edit] Play-in gamesNo. 8 seed gameFinal seeds7Philadelphia1057PhiladelphiaNo. 7 seed8Miami1048MiamiNo. 8 seed8Miami1129Chicago919Chicago13110Atlanta116Bold Game winner Italic Team with home-court advantage
Western Conference[edit] Play-in gamesNo. 8 seed gameFinal seeds7New Orleans1068LA LakersNo. 7 seed8LA Lakers1107New OrleansNo. 8 seed7New Orleans1059Sacramento989Sacramento11810Golden State94Bold Game winner Italic Team with home-court advantage
Bracket[edit]Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk (*). Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
First round Conference semifinals Conference finals NBA Finals E1 Boston* 4 E8 Miami 1 E1 Boston* 4 E4 Cleveland 1 E4 Cleveland 4 E5 Orlando* 3 E1 Boston* 4 Eastern Conference E6 Indiana 0 E3 Milwaukee* 2 E6 Indiana 4 E6 Indiana 4 E2 New York 3 E2 New York 4 E7 Philadelphia 2 E1 Boston* 4 W5 Dallas* 1 W1 Oklahoma City* 4 W8 New Orleans 0 W1 Oklahoma City* 2 W5 Dallas* 4 W4 LA Clippers* 2 W5 Dallas* 4 W5 Dallas* 4 Western Conference W3 Minnesota 1 W3 Minnesota 4 W6 Phoenix 0 W3 Minnesota 4 W2 Denver 3 W2 Denver 4 W7 LA Lakers 1 * Division winnerBold Series winnerItalic Team with home-court advantage First round[edit] Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Eastern Conference first round[edit] (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Miami Heat[edit] ABC April 21 1:00 pm Recap Miami Heat 94, Boston Celtics 114 Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 24–34, 14–31, 35–23 Pts: Bam Adebayo 24Rebs: Adebayo, Jović 6 eachAsts: Herro, Jaquez Jr. 4 each Pts: Jayson Tatum 23Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10Asts: Jayson Tatum 10Boston leads series, 1–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Josh Tiven, Bill Kennedy, Ray AcostaJayson 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. Tatum's performance of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists was complemented by his teammates, as they knocked down 21 of Boston's 22 three-pointers. 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.
TNT/TruTV April 24 7:00 pm Recap Miami Heat 111, Boston Celtics 101 Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 30–34, 27–18, 26–22 Pts: Tyler Herro 24Rebs: Bam Adebayo 10Asts: Tyler Herro 14 Pts: Jaylen Brown 33Rebs: four players 8 each[a]Asts: Porziņģis, White 4 eachSeries tied, 1–1 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Did Guthrie, Sean Wright, JB DeRosaWithout Jimmy Butler, the Heat hit a franchise playoff-record 23 three-pointers as Miami tied the series at one game apiece. Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, while Bam Adebayo finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds on 69% shooting. Caleb Martin also had 21 points and five threes for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23-of-43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a game 1 blowout. Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for the Celtics, who lost just their fifth home game of the season, while Jayson Tatum scored 28. Boston newcomers Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis combined for 15 points and shot 5-of-21 from the field, with Porziņģis finishing with a plus–minus of –32 in a 10-point loss.
TNT April 27 6:00 pm Recap Boston Celtics 104, Miami Heat 84 Scoring by quarter: 21–12, 42–27, 24–22, 17–23 Pts: Brown, Tatum 22 eachRebs: Jayson Tatum 11Asts: Holiday, Tatum 6 each Pts: Bam Adebayo 20Rebs: Bam Adebayo 9Asts: Highsmith, Jaquez Jr. 5 eachBoston leads series, 2–1 Kaseya Center, Miami, FLAttendance: 20,092Referees: James Williams, Mark Lindsay, Jacyn GobleThe top-seeded Celtics responded emphatically to their home loss with a wire-to-wire 104–84 victory over the Heat, retaking the series lead. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's 22 points each, the Celtics improved upon their defense and held Miami to a season-low 84 points. Tatum also contributed 11 rebounds and six assists, while Kristaps Porziņģis and Derrick White added 18 and 16 points respectively. 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.
TNT/TruTV April 29 7:30 pm Recap Boston Celtics 102, Miami Heat 88 Scoring by quarter: 34–24, 19–12, 28–23, 21–29 Pts: Derrick White 38Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11Asts: Jrue Holiday 6 Pts: Bam Adebayo 25Rebs: Bam Adebayo 17Asts: Bam Adebayo 5Boston leads series, 3–1 Kaseya Center, Miami, FLAttendance: 19,600Referees: John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Mitchell ErvinDerrick White scored a career-high 38 points to move the Celtics to the brink of the second round. White shot 15-of-26 from the field and 8-of-15 from beyond the arc for Boston, who are 28–0 all-time in playoff series after taking a 3–1 lead. Jayson Tatum contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 17 points. Despite the win, the Celtics lost Kristaps Porziņģis in the first half to a calf injury, from which he would not return until the NBA Finals. For the Heat, Bam Adebayo recorded a double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds, while Tyler Herro recorded 19 points and five turnovers. Despite a 4-of-8 three-point shooting night from Caleb Martin, the rest of the Heat shot 5-of-25 from deep, as they managed under 90 points for the second consecutive game.
TNT/TruTV May 1 7:30 pm Recap Miami Heat 84, Boston Celtics 118 Scoring by quarter: 23–41, 23–27, 20–30, 18–20 Pts: Bam Adebayo 23Rebs: Nikola Jović 7Asts: Bam Adebayo 6 Pts: Brown, White 25 eachRebs: Jayson Tatum 12Asts: Jrue Holiday 5Boston wins series, 4–1 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Marc Dis, Ben Taylor, Brian ForteThe Celtics dominated the game from start to finish, winning every quarter and blowing out the Heat for a 4–1 series win. Derrick White scored 25 points, including 5 3-pointers. Jaylen Brown also contributed 25 points, while Jayson Tatum completed a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Sam Hauser came off the bench and shot 5-of-8 from beyond the arc en route to 17 points. The Heat endured a hard time on the offensive end, making just 3 3-pointers in 29 attempts, along with an overall field goal percentage of 41.4%, as they were limited to below 90 points for the third straight game. Bam Adebayo led the scoring for them, notching 23 points in the losing effort.
Regular-season series Boston won 3–0 in the regular-season series October 27, 2023 Recap Miami Heat 111, Boston Celtics 119 TD Garden, Boston, MA January 25, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 143, Miami Heat 110 Kaseya Center, Miami, FL February 11, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 110, Miami Heat 106 Kaseya Center, Miami, FLThis was the seventh playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Heat winning four of the first six meetings.[60]
Previous playoff series Miami leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series 2010 Boston Celtics 4, Miami Heat 1 2010 Eastern Conference First Round 2011 Miami Heat 4, Boston Celtics 1 2011 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2012 Miami Heat 4, Boston Celtics 3 2012 Eastern Conference Finals 2020 Boston Celtics 2, Miami Heat 4 2020 Eastern Conference Finals 2022 Miami Heat 3, Boston Celtics 4 2022 Eastern Conference Finals 2023 Boston Celtics 3, Miami Heat 4 2023 Eastern Conference Finals (2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers[edit] ESPN April 20 6:00 pm Recap Philadelphia 76ers 104, New York Knicks 111 Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 12–33, 36–21, 22–32 Pts: Tyrese Maxey 33Rebs: Tobias Harris 9Asts: Joel Embiid 6 Pts: Brunson, Hart 22 eachRebs: Josh Hart 13Asts: Jalen Brunson 7New York leads series, 1–0 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: Scott Foster, Brian Forte, Sean CorbinWith 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. McBride scored 21 points and outscored Philadelphia 13–12 in the second quarter, as he brought the Knicks out of an early 13-point deficit. Josh Hart recorded a double-double and hit multiple three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Brunson had seven rebounds and seven assists. A hobbled Joel Embiid scored 29 points, alongside eight rebounds and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 33 points. Despite a higher field goal percentage, the Sixers were outrebounded, as they conceded 23 offensive rebounds to New York.
TNT/TruTV April 22 7:30 pm Recap Philadelphia 76ers 101, New York Knicks 104 Scoring by quarter: 25–18, 28–31, 21–30, 27–25 Pts: Tyrese Maxey 35Rebs: Joel Embiid 10Asts: Tyrese Maxey 10 Pts: Jalen Brunson 24Rebs: Josh Hart 15Asts: Jalen Brunson 6New York leads series, 2–0 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Gediminas PetraitisIn a dramatic turnaround, the Knicks overcame a five-point deficit in the final 30 seconds to win 104–101 and take a 2–0 series lead. 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. Following the inbound to Tyrese Maxey, Josh Hart stole the ball and kicked it out to Donte DiVincenzo, who missed a three-pointer, but an offensive rebound by Isaiah Hartenstein found the ball back in DiVincenzo's hands, who drained a go-ahead three with 13 seconds left. Maxey then missed a driving layup, New York made two free throws, and the Knicks secured the victory after Joel Embiid's three-point attempt missed at the buzzer. Maxey, battling flu-like symptoms, tallied 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Embiid finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds.
TNT/TruTV April 25 7:30 pm Recap New York Knicks 114, Philadelphia 76ers 125 Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 29–28, 27–43, 29–27 Pts: Jalen Brunson 39Rebs: Mitchell Robinson 7Asts: Jalen Brunson 13 Pts: Joel Embiid 50Rebs: Joel Embiid 8Asts: Tyrese Maxey 7New York leads series, 2–1 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PAAttendance: 21,116Referees: Zach Zarba, James Williams, Kevin CutlerAfter vowing the 76ers were “going to win this series”, Joel Embiid scored a playoff career-high 50 points, with 18 of them coming in a decisive third quarter to win 125–114. Embiid, who's been battling Bell's palsy, was 13-of-19 from the floor, made 19-of-21 free throws, and hit five three-pointers, with four of them coming during Philadelphia's 43–27 third quarter. Tyrese Maxey finished with 25 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points on 75% shooting. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists on an improved 48% from the field, while Josh Hart and OG Anunoby recorded 20 and 17 points, respectively. Mitchell Robinson also had seven rebounds before getting injured following a controversial flagrant foul from Embiid.
ABC April 28 1:00 pm Recap New York Knicks 97, Philadelphia 76ers 92 Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 30–22, 30–27, 20–16 Pts: Jalen Brunson 47Rebs: Josh Hart 17Asts: Jalen Brunson 10 Pts: Joel Embiid 27Rebs: Joel Embiid 10Asts: Kyle Lowry 7New York leads series, 3–1 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PAAttendance: 21,048Referees: Did Guthrie, Sean Wright, Justin Van DuyneJalen 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.
TNT/TruTV April 30 7:00 pm Recap Philadelphia 76ers 112, New York Knicks 106 (OT) Scoring by quarter: 26–17, 17–32, 26–21, 28–27, Overtime: 15–9 Pts: Tyrese Maxey 46Rebs: Joel Embiid 16Asts: Joel Embiid 10 Pts: Jalen Brunson 40Rebs: Josh Hart 9Asts: Jalen Brunson 6New York leads series, 3–2 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: James Capers, Curtis Blair, Nick BuchertTrailing 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 se the 76ers' season. Maxey finished with a playoff career-high 46 points and nine assists on 57% shooting, while Joel Embiid, who shot 7-of-19 from the field and committed nine turnovers, recorded his first playoff triple-double. Jalen Brunson had his second straight 40-point game and scored all nine of the Knicks' overtime points, but committed a crucial turnover in the waning seconds. Tobias Harris had 19 points and Kelly Oubre scored the go-ahead layup in overtime for Philadelphia, while Josh Hart and OG Anunoby tallied 18 and 17 points, respectively, for New York.
TNT/TruTV May 2 9:00 pm Recap New York Knicks 118, Philadelphia 76ers 115 Scoring by quarter: 36–22, 15–32, 32–29, 35–32 Pts: Jalen Brunson 41Rebs: Josh Hart 14Asts: Jalen Brunson 12 Pts: Joel Embiid 39Rebs: Joel Embiid 13Asts: Tyrese Maxey 5New York wins series, 4–2 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PAAttendance: 21,093Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Mark LindsayWith 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. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 41 points and 12 assists on 13-of-27 shots alongside 12-of-16 free throws, his third-straight 40-point game. Hart had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Donte DiVincenzo added 23 points for New York. For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid recorded 39 points and 13 rebounds on 12-of-25 shots, although he committed five turnovers and fouled out in the final seconds of the game. Tyrese Maxey had 17 points on 6-of-18 shots, while Tobias Harris failed to score in 29 minutes of play. Off the bench, Buddy Hield added 20 points for Philadelphia, but he overshot a potential game-tying three-pointer at the end of the game.
Regular-season series New York won 3–1 in the regular-season series January 5, 2024 Recap New York Knicks 128, Philadelphia 76ers 92 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA February 22, 2024 Recap New York Knicks 110, Philadelphia 76ers 96 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA March 10, 2024 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 79, New York Knicks 73 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY March 12, 2024 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 79, New York Knicks 106 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYThis was the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, and the fifth since the Syracuse Nationals relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, with the 76ers winning six of the first nine meetings.[61]
Previous playoff series Philadelphia leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series 1950 Syracuse Nationals 2, New York Knicks 1 1950 Eastern Division Finals 1951 New York Knicks 3, Syracuse Nationals 2 1951 Eastern Division Finals 1952 Syracuse Nationals 1, New York Knicks 3 1952 Eastern Division Finals 1954 New York Knicks 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals 1959 New York Knicks 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 1959 Eastern Division Semifinals 1968 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 2 1968 Eastern Division Semifinals 1978 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 0 1978 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1983 Philadelphia 76ers 4, New York Knicks 0 1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1989 New York Knicks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 0 1989 Eastern Conference First Round (3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Indiana Pacers[edit] TNT/TruTV April 21 7:00 pm (6:00 pm CDT) Recap Indiana Pacers 94, Milwaukee Bucks 109 Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 21–39, 29–14, 23–26 Pts: Pascal Siakam 36Rebs: Pascal Siakam 13Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 8 Pts: Damian Lillard 35Rebs: Bobby Portis 11Asts: Patrick Beverley 8Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WIAttendance: 17,341Referees: Zach Zarba, Tyler Ford, Marat KogutIn 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. Khris Middleton also had 23 points and 10 rebounds on 64% shooting for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers, who eraged a league-high 123.3 points per game, finished with a season-low 94 points and shot 8-of-38 (21%) from three-point range. Pascal Siakam finished with a game-high 36 points and 13 rebounds on 60% shooting, center Myles Turner shot 5-for-17 from the field for 17 points and eight rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton finished with nine points and eight assists in his playoff debut.
NBA TV April 23 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Indiana Pacers 125, Milwaukee Bucks 108 Scoring by quarter: 30–26, 30–29, 32–28, 33–25 Pts: Pascal Siakam 37Rebs: Pascal Siakam 11Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 12 Pts: Damian Lillard 34Rebs: Bobby Portis 11Asts: Khris Middleton 6Series tied, 1–1 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WIAttendance: 17,683Referees: Tony Brothers, James Williams, Jacyn GobleAfter a tightly contested first three quarters, the Pacers used a 23–4 run in the fourth quarter to even the series at 1–1. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with a game-high 37 points on 69.5% from the field, along with 11 rebounds. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard scored 22 and 20 points respectively, as the Pacers shot 55.6% in game 2 compared to 39.6% in game 1. Tyrese Haliburton also provided 12 assists for Indiana, who snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak that dated back to 2018. Damian Lillard scored 26 by halftime for the Bucks but finished with 34, continuing his second-half struggles with just eight points in two games this series. Brook Lopez scored 22 on 6-of-7 from deep, while Bobby Portis had a double-double.
ESPN April 26 5:30 pm Recap Milwaukee Bucks 118, Indiana Pacers 121 (OT) Scoring by quarter: 22–39, 33–28, 28–23, 28–21, Overtime: 7–10 Pts: Khris Middleton 42Rebs: Bobby Portis 18Asts: Damian Lillard 8 Pts: Myles Turner 29Rebs: Tyrese Haliburton 10Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 16Indiana leads series, 2–1 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Did Guthrie, Ed Malloy, Karl LaneTyrese Haliburton's game-winning three-point play in the final seconds of overtime ge the Pacers their first back-to-back postseason wins since 2014. Despite shooting 8-of-22 from the field and 1-of-12 from beyond the arc, Haliburton showcased his resiliency and recorded his first playoff triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds in Indiana's first home playoff win in six years. Pascal Siakam had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Myles Turner's playoff career-high 29 points and nine rebounds also bolstered the Pacers' effort, as they led by as much as 19 in the first quarter. Damian Lillard was hampered by injuries, finishing with 28 points on 6-of-20 from the field, while Khris Middleton stepped up for the Bucks with a playoff career-high 42 points, including a three-pointer that sent the game to overtime. Bobby Portis also had 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee.
TNT April 28 7:00 pm Recap Milwaukee Bucks 113, Indiana Pacers 126 Scoring by quarter: 33–33, 31–34, 21–31, 28–28 Pts: Brook Lopez 27Rebs: Khris Middleton 10Asts: Andre Jackson Jr. 7 Pts: Myles Turner 29Rebs: Siakam, Turner 9 eachAsts: Andrew Nembhard 9Indiana leads series, 3–1 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: James Capers, Brian Forte, Brent BarnakyAlready without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks also entered this game without Damian Lillard, who injured his Achilles tendon in the previous game. Moreover, early in the first quarter, Bobby Portis was ejected after a scuffle with Andrew Nembhard. Without three key players, Milwaukee kept the game close only trailing 67–64 by halftime. However, during the third quarter, Indiana built a 17 point lead and never looked back, taking a 3–1 series lead. Myles Turner again recorded 29 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7–9 from three, while Tyrese Haliburton added 24 points in the win. For Milwaukee, Brook Lopez finished with 27 points and nine rebounds while Khris Middleton added 25 points and 10 rebounds.
TNT/TruTV April 30 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Indiana Pacers 92, Milwaukee Bucks 115 Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 17–30, 19–34, 25–28 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 16Rebs: Obi Toppin 6Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 6 Pts: Middleton, Portis 29 eachRebs: Khris Middleton 12Asts: Patrick Beverley 12Indiana leads series, 3–2 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WIAttendance: 17,341Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Wright, Sean Corbin, Ashley Moyer-GleichAgain, Milwaukee entered game five without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, looking to extend their season. Indiana held an eight point lead after the first quarter, but Milwaukee's defense responded by holding the Pacers to only 17 points in the second quarter, helping the Bucks take a 53–48 halftime lead. Milwaukee carried this momentum throughout the rest of the game, cutting Indiana's series lead 3–2 behind Khris Middleton's 29 points and 12 rebounds, as well as Bobby Portis' 29 points and 10 rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 16 points and six assists, while Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam were held to 13 and 12 points respectively.
TNT/TruTV May 2 6:30 pm Recap Milwaukee Bucks 98, Indiana Pacers 120 Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 23–26, 31–34, 20–27 Pts: Damian Lillard 28Rebs: Bobby Portis 15Asts: Patrick Beverley 5 Pts: Obi Toppin 21Rebs: Obi Toppin 8Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 10Indiana wins series, 4–2 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Tony Brothers, Courtney Kirkland, Justin Van Duyne, Aaron SmithDespite 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. Off the bench for Indiana, Obi Toppin recorded a playoff career–high 21 points and eight rebounds while T. J. McConnell added playoff career–highs with 20 points, nine assists, and four steals. For Milwaukee, Lillard scored 28 points and Bobby Portis recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds. Pascal Siakam scored 19 points while Tyrese Haliburton added 17 points and 10 assists. With this win, Indiana improved to 8–3 against Milwaukee this season.
Regular-season series Indiana won 4–1 in the regular-season series November 9, 2023 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 124, Indiana Pacers 126 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN December 7, 2023 Recap Indiana Pacers 128, Milwaukee Bucks 119 T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV December 13, 2023 Recap Indiana Pacers 126, Milwaukee Bucks 140 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI January 1, 2024 Recap Indiana Pacers 122, Milwaukee Bucks 113 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI January 3, 2024 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 130, Indiana Pacers 142 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INThis was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning the first two meetings.[62]
Previous playoff series Indiana leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series 1999 Indiana Pacers 3, Milwaukee Bucks 0 1999 Eastern Conference First Round 2000 Indiana Pacers 3, Milwaukee Bucks 2 2000 Eastern Conference First Round (4) Cleveland Caliers vs. (5) Orlando Magic[edit] ESPN April 20 1:00 pm Recap Orlando Magic 83, Cleveland Caliers 97 Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 15–20, 17–20, 25–24 Pts: Paolo Banchero 24Rebs: Banchero, Wagner 7 eachAsts: Paolo Banchero 5 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30Rebs: Jarrett Allen 18Asts: Darius Garland 8Cleveland leads series, 1–0 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: James Williams, Mark Lindsay, Pat FraherThe Caliers led wire-to-wire to take the series opener. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen grabbed 18 rebounds, Darius Garland had eight assists, and Evan Mobley notched a double-double. 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. The Caliers, who are 17–1 all-time in playoff series after winning Game 1, set the tone for the game after making five three-pointers in the opening five minutes of the game, giving them an early 12-point lead that they rode for the remainder of the game.
NBA TV April 22 7:00 pm Recap Orlando Magic 86, Cleveland Caliers 96 Scoring by quarter: 18–30, 26–28, 21–22, 21–16 Pts: Paolo Banchero 21Rebs: Franz Wagner 7Asts: Jalen Suggs 5 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 23Rebs: Jarrett Allen 20Asts: three players 4 each[b]Cleveland leads series, 2–0 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Brent BarnakyThe Magic never led for the second straight game as the Caliers 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. Paolo Banchero scored 21 points for the Magic, while Franz Wagner contributed 17 of his 18 points in the first half, as the duo combined for 12 turnovers. Just like in game 1, Orlando shot a dismal 36% from the field and 9-of-35 from beyond the arc as the Magic failed to score over 90 points for the second consecutive game.
NBA TV April 25 7:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 83, Orlando Magic 121 Scoring by quarter: 21–31, 24–30, 16–35, 22–25 Pts: Allen, LeVert 15 eachRebs: Jarrett Allen 8Asts: Donovan Mitchell 7 Pts: Paolo Banchero 31Rebs: Paolo Banchero 14Asts: Franz Wagner 8Cleveland leads series, 2–1 Kia Center, Orlando, FLAttendance: 18,846Referees: Scott Foster, Curtis Blair, Ashley Moyer-GleichAfter never trailing in the first two games of the series, the Caliers were handed the worst loss in their postseason history as the Magic won 121–83. Led by Paolo Banchero's 31 points and 14 rebounds, alongside Jalen Suggs' contribution of 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, the Magic won their first home playoff game since 2011. Franz Wagner added 16 points and eight assists to the Magic's tally, as he and Banchero combined for zero turnovers. On the defensive end, they limited the Caliers to just 39% shooting from the field and 23.5% from deep. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert led Cleveland in scoring with 15 points, while the starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 18 points on 8-of-26 from the field.
TNT April 27 1:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 89, Orlando Magic 112 Scoring by quarter: 23–22, 37–29, 10–37, 19–24 Pts: Jarrett Allen 21Rebs: Allen, Mobley 9 eachAsts: Garland, Mitchell 6 each Pts: Franz Wagner 34Rebs: Franz Wagner 13Asts: Paolo Banchero 5Series tied, 2–2 Kia Center, Orlando, FLAttendance: 18,933Referees: John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Kevin CutlerTrailing 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 hing 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 Caliers 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. Jarrett Allen led the Caliers with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points in the first half. However, Mitchell failed to score after halftime, going 0-of-4 from the field with four turnovers.
NBA TV April 30 8:00 pm Recap Orlando Magic 103, Cleveland Caliers 104 Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 24–15, 23–27, 33–29 Pts: Paolo Banchero 39Rebs: Wendell Carter 11Asts: Franz Wagner 6 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 28Rebs: Evan Mobley 13Asts: Garland, Strus 5 eachCleveland leads series, 3–2 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: Tony Brothers, Tyler Ford, Karl LaneIn a pivotal game 5, the Caliers edged past the Magic 104–103, with Evan Mobley blocking Franz Wagner's layup in the final seconds to secure the victory. After the first four games had a combined eight lead changes, game 5 featured 17 lead changes. Without Jarrett Allen, Mobley filled his shoes in his absence, providing 14 points and 13 rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting, while Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland in scoring with 28 points, and Darius Garland had 17 of his 23 points in the first quarter. In his fifth career playoff game, 21-year-old Paolo Banchero scored 16 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and finished 14-of-24 from the field for the Magic, who lost their seventh consecutive road game dating back to the regular season.
ESPN May 3 7:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 96, Orlando Magic 103 Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 24–24, 29–20, 18–30 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 50Rebs: Morris, Strus 8 eachAsts: Darius Garland 5 Pts: Paolo Banchero 27Rebs: Carter, Isaac 9 eachAsts: three players 4 each[c]Series tied, 3–3 Kia Center, Orlando, FLAttendance: 19,193Referees: Marc Dis, Josh Tiven, Gediminas PetraitisThe Magic overcame a 50-point performance by Donovan Mitchell to defeat the Caliers 103–96 and force a game 7 back in Cleveland. Paolo Banchero scored nine of his 27 points during a 14–7 Orlando run to end the game, Franz Wagner had 26 points, and Jalen Suggs made six three-pointers and finished with 22 points for the Magic. Meanwhile for Cleveland, Darius Garland scored 21 points on 59% shooting, Evan Mobley had five blocks, and Mitchell shot 22-of-36 from the field and scored the Caliers' final 22 points, including all 18 in the fourth. 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.
ABC May 5 1:00 pm Recap Orlando Magic 94, Cleveland Caliers 106 Scoring by quarter: 24–18, 29–25, 15–33, 26–30 Pts: Paolo Banchero 38Rebs: Paolo Banchero 16Asts: Franz Wagner 6 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 39Rebs: Evan Mobley 16Asts: Donovan Mitchell 5Cleveland wins series, 4–3 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Kevin ScottThe Caliers overcame an 18-point first-half deficit and advanced to the conference semifinals for the first time in six years, and the first time without LeBron James on their roster since 1993. Trailing 49–31 midway through the second quarter, Cleveland rallied behind Donovan Mitchell, who finished with 39 points and nine rebounds on 41% from the field. Down by ten at halftime, the Caliers held the Magic to just 4-of-24 from the field in the third quarter, as Mitchell outscored them 17–15 in the period. 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.
Regular-season series Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series December 6, 2023 Recap Orlando Magic 111, Cleveland Caliers 121 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH December 11, 2023 Recap Cleveland Caliers 94, Orlando Magic 104 Amway Center, Orlando, FL January 22, 2024 Recap Cleveland Caliers 126, Orlando Magic 99 Kia Center, Orlando, FL February 22, 2024 Recap Orlando Magic 116, Cleveland Caliers 109 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHThis was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.[63]
Previous playoff series Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series 2009 Cleveland Caliers 2, Orlando Magic 4 2009 Eastern Conference finals Western Conference first round[edit] (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans[edit] TNT/TruTV April 21 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap New Orleans Pelicans 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 94 Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 26–26, 25–31, 24–20 Pts: Trey Murphy III 21Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 20Asts: CJ McCollum 6 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 28Rebs: Chet Holmgren 11Asts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 4 eachOklahoma City leads series, 1–0 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKAttendance: 18,203Referees: Tony Brothers, Kevin Scott, JT OrrShai Gilgeous-Alexander's 28-point performance, including a go-ahead basket in the final minute, secured the Thunder's first home playoff win in five years. Rookie Chet Holmgren delivered a double-double to go along with five blocks, while Jalen Williams provided 19 points. For New Orleans, CJ McCollum had 20 points, Trey Murphy III finished with a team-high 21 points, and Jonas Valančiūnas grabbed 20 rebounds in addition to his 13 points. The game stayed close with 20 lead changes and 13 ties, as no team held a lead bigger than 10. 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.
TNT/truTV April 24 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap New Orleans Pelicans 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 124 Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 28–28, 24–29, 18–32 Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 19Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 7Asts: CJ McCollum 4 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33Rebs: Chet Holmgren 7Asts: Jalen Williams 7Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKAttendance: 18,203Referees: James Capers, Tyler Ford, Pat FraherAfter 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.
TNT April 27 3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 106, New Orleans Pelicans 85 Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 37–27, 25–23, 21–16 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 24Rebs: Jalen Williams 9Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8 Pts: Brandon Ingram 19Rebs: Larry Nance Jr. 13Asts: CJ McCollum 7Oklahoma City leads series, 3–0 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LAAttendance: 18,659Referees: Marc Dis, Mitchell Ervin, Gediminas PetraitisThe young top-seeded Thunder continued their dominance over the Pelicans to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points, eight assists, and four steals, while Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each contributed 21 points. Chet Holmgren also had eight rebounds and four blocks as Oklahoma City connected on 47% of their three-point attempts, hitting 17-of-36 shots from deep. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 19 points, followed by CJ McCollum with 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting. New Orleans continued to struggle from long range, as they shot under 30% from beyond the arc for the third consecutive game, and they committed 21 turnovers that turned into 23 Thunder points.
NBA TV April 29 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 97, New Orleans Pelicans 89 Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 23–22, 26–28, 27–18 Pts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 24 eachRebs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 10Asts: Chet Holmgren 5 Pts: CJ McCollum 20Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 13Asts: Brandon Ingram 6Oklahoma City wins series, 4–0 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LAAttendance: 18,487Referees: Josh Tiven, Bill Kennedy, Ed MalloyOklahoma City closed the series out on a 22–9 run as the Thunder swept a playoff opponent for the first time since their NBA Finals run in 2012. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Williams scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. 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.
Regular-season series Oklahoma City won 2–1 in the regular-season series November 1, 2023 Recap New Orleans Pelicans 110, Oklahoma City Thunder 106 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK January 26, 2024 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 107, New Orleans Pelicans 83 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA March 26, 2024 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 119, New Orleans Pelicans 112 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LAThis was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[64]
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers[edit] ABC April 20 8:30 pm (6:30 pm MDT) Recap Los Angeles Lakers 103, Denver Nuggets 114 Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 27–32, 18–32, 25–25 Pts: Anthony Dis 32Rebs: Anthony Dis 14Asts: LeBron James 8 Pts: Nikola Jokić 32Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12Asts: Jamal Murray 10Denver leads series, 1–0 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,731Referees: John Goble, Mitchell Ervin, Nick BuchertIn 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. Jamal Murray contributed 22 points and 10 assists, as the two-man game of Jokić and Murray yielded 17 assists to zero turnovers. Aaron Gordon secured a double-double while Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. On the Lakers' side, LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Dis added 32, as Los Angeles led for the majority of the first half. But a 13–0 run late in the third quarter by the Nuggets, which included three Kentious Caldwell-Pope three-pointers, allowed them to seize control of the game.
TNT/TruTV April 22 10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) Recap Los Angeles Lakers 99, Denver Nuggets 101 Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 31–20, 20–25, 20–32 Pts: Anthony Dis 32Rebs: Anthony Dis 11Asts: LeBron James 12 Pts: Nikola Jokić 27Rebs: Nikola Jokić 20Asts: Nikola Jokić 10Denver leads series, 2–0 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,711Referees: Scott Foster, Curtis Blair, Sean WrightThe Nuggets came back from a 20-point deficit to win it at the buzzer. The Lakers dominated the first half, cruising to a 59–44 lead at halftime. However, Denver, led by Nikola Jokić's 27-point, 20-rebound triple-double, fought their way back into the game. Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points and made a game-tying three-pointer with 1:15 to go. LeBron James tried a wide-open three with the score at 99–99, but it rimmed out. The Nuggets secured the rebound, and Jamal Murray scored the game-winning fadeaway jump shot over Anthony Dis. Murray, who was 3-of-16 in the first three quarters, shot 6-of-8 and scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Dis led the scoring for the Lakers, tallying 32 points and 11 rebounds, but did not record a point in the fourth quarter. D'Angelo Russell made seven three-pointers after shooting 1-of-9 from deep in game 1, while James notched 26 points and 12 assists.
TNT/TruTV April 25 10:00 pm (7:00 pm PDT) Recap Denver Nuggets 112, Los Angeles Lakers 105 Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 26–20, 34–22, 29–30 Pts: Aaron Gordon 29Rebs: Gordon, Jokić 15 eachAsts: Jokić, Murray 9 each Pts: Anthony Dis 33Rebs: Anthony Dis 15Asts: LeBron James 9Denver leads series, 3–0 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAAttendance: 18,997Referees: Marc Dis, Josh Tiven, Mark LindsayThe defending champions came away with their 11th straight win over the Lakers to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. 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. Jamal Murray contributed 22 points, and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 for Denver, who he trailed by double-digits in every game this series. Anthony Dis posted 33 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, LeBron James contributed 26 points and nine assists, while Austin Rees scored 22. Los Angeles missed 15 of their first 16 three-point attempts, and only got five points combined from starters D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.
ABC April 27 8:30 pm (5:30 pm PDT) Recap Denver Nuggets 108, Los Angeles Lakers 119 Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 25–33, 32–30, 28–28 Pts: Nikola Jokić 33Rebs: Nikola Jokić 14Asts: Nikola Jokić 14 Pts: LeBron James 30Rebs: Anthony Dis 23Asts: Dis, Rees 6 eachDenver leads series, 3–1 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAAttendance: 18,997Referees: Zach Zarba, Tyler Ford, Sean CorbinIn 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. LeBron James led the way with 30 points, Anthony Dis had 25 points and a game-high 23 rebounds, while Austin Rees and D'Angelo Russell contributed 21 points a piece. Nikola Jokić, with 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, recorded his second triple-double of the series, Michael Porter Jr. contributed 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jamal Murray scored 22 points, although he was 0-of-4 from deep. The Lakers this time were able to hold on to their double-digit advantage, never letting the Nuggets get any closer than 7 points.
TNT/TruTV April 29 10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) Recap Los Angeles Lakers 106, Denver Nuggets 108 Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 29–22, 26–31, 27–27 Pts: LeBron James 30Rebs: Anthony Dis 15Asts: LeBron James 11 Pts: Jamal Murray 32Rebs: Nikola Jokić 20Asts: Nikola Jokić 9Denver wins series, 4–1 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,861Referees: James Williams, Kevin Scott, Gediminas Petraitis}}
External videos Game 5 full replay on the NBA's official YouTube channelIn a closely-contested game 5, Jamal Murray hit his second game-winner of the series, thus giving the Nuggets the series-clinching win over the Lakers. Murray led the way for the Nuggets with 32 points, 12 of which came in the fourth quarter. Nikola Jokić, although committing an uncharacteristic 7 turnovers, nonetheless finished the game with 25 points, 20 rebounds and 9 assists, narrowly missing out on his third triple-double of the series. Michael Porter Jr. stood out once again, scoring 26 points and making 5 of his 7 three-point attempts. For the Lakers, LeBron James once again led the way with 30 points and 11 assists, Anthony Dis finished with an efficient 17 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 72.7% from the field, while Austin Rees and D'Angelo Russell had 19 and 14 points respectively, although shot a combined 3-of-14 from three.
Regular-season series Denver won 3–0 in the regular-season series October 24, 2023 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 107, Denver Nuggets 119 Ball Arena, Denver, CO February 8, 2024 Recap Denver Nuggets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 106 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA March 2, 2024 Recap Denver Nuggets 124, Los Angeles Lakers 114 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAThis was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first eight meetings.[65]
Previous playoff series LA Lakers lead 7–1 in all-time playoff series 1979 Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 2 1979 Western Conference First Round 1985 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 1 1985 Western Conference finals 1987 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Denver Nuggets 0 1987 Western Conference First Round 2008 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 0 2008 Western Conference First Round 2009 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 2 2009 Western Conference finals 2012 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 3 2012 Western Conference First Round 2020 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 1 2020 Western Conference finals 2023 Denver Nuggets 4, Los Angeles Lakers 0 2023 Western Conference finals (3) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (6) Phoenix Suns[edit] ESPN April 20 3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) Recap Phoenix Suns 95, Minnesota Timberwolves 120 Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–34, 21–31, 23–28 Pts: Kevin Durant 31Rebs: Kevin Durant 7Asts: Bradley Beal 6 Pts: Anthony Edwards 33Rebs: Rudy Gobert 16Asts: Mike Conley 7Minnesota leads series, 1–0 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,478Referees: Marc Dis, Ben Taylor, Aaron SmithAnthony Edwards scored 18 of his 33 points in a pivotal third quarter to help the Timberwolves take a 1–0 series lead. Edwards led a 19–4 run to close the third quarter, as Minnesota held the Suns to zero field goals in the final seven minutes of the quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 19 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 18 points and four steals off the bench, while Rudy Gobert anchored the defense with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Despite Kevin Durant's 31-point performance on 65% shooting for the Suns, alongside Bradley Beal's 15 points on 60% from the field, the Wolves outrebounded Phoenix 52–28 and outscored them in the paint 52–34. The Minnesota bench also outscored the Suns' reserves 41–18.
TNT/TruTV April 23 7:30 pm (6:30 pm CDT) Recap Phoenix Suns 93, Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 30–26, 20–28, 22–27 Pts: Devin Booker 20Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 14Asts: Bradley Beal 6 Pts: Jaden McDaniels 25Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9Asts: Anthony Edwards 8Minnesota leads series, 2–0 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,310Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Dedric TaylorJaden 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. The Suns' "big three" of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal struggled, shooting a combined 18-for-45 (40%), while the Timberwolves capitalized on turnovers, scoring 31 points off 20 Phoenix errors compared to the Suns' two points from Minnesota's 14 turnovers.
ESPN April 26 10:30 pm (7:30 pm MST) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 126, Phoenix Suns 109 Scoring by quarter: 34–32, 25–21, 36–20, 31–36 Pts: Anthony Edwards 36Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14Asts: Mike Conley 7 Pts: Bradley Beal 28Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 7Asts: Devin Booker 8Minnesota leads series, 3–0 Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZAttendance: 17,071Referees: Tony Brothers, Kevin Scott, JB DeRosaIn a dominant display, Anthony Edwards propelled the Timberwolves to the brink of their first playoff series win in 20 years. Edwards scored 18 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, while Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, who never trailed. For the third consecutive game, the Wolves overwhelmed the Suns in the third quarter, highlighted by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's four three-pointers, to take a 22-point lead into the final quarter. 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 rebounding margin.
TNT April 28 9:30 pm (6:30 pm MST) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 122, Phoenix Suns 116 Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 31–35, 34–31, 32–24 Pts: Anthony Edwards 40Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 10Asts: Mike Conley 7 Pts: Devin Booker 49Rebs: Kevin Durant 9Asts: Devin Booker 6Minnesota wins series, 4–0 Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZAttendance: 17,071Referees: Scott Foster, Curtis Blair, Pat FraherThe Timberwolves completed the sweep of the Suns to advance past the first round for only the second time in franchise history. The game was tied or within four points for almost the entire game, as neither team led by more than six. The Wolves were able to pull away thanks to Anthony Edwards, who scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half on 11-of-15 shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds on 65% from the field. For Phoenix, Devin Booker scored a playoff career-high 49 points on 62% from the field and 20-of-21 from the free throw line, while Kevin Durant scored 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting. But no other player finished with double digits, as Bradley Beal fouled out after finishing with nine points and six turnovers. 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.[66]
Regular-season series Phoenix won 3–0 in the regular-season series November 15, 2023 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Phoenix Suns 133 Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ April 5, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 87, Phoenix Suns 97 Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ April 14, 2024 Recap Phoenix Suns 125, Minnesota Timberwolves 106 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNThis was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[67]
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mericks[edit] ABC April 21 3:30 pm (12:30 pm PDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 97, Los Angeles Clippers 109 Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 8–22, 34–31, 33–22 Pts: Luka Dončić 33Rebs: Luka Dončić 13Asts: Luka Dončić 6 Pts: James Harden 28Rebs: Ivica Zubac 15Asts: James Harden 8LA Clippers lead series, 1–0 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAAttendance: 19,370Referees: Did Guthrie, Ed Malloy, Karl LaneIn their playoff series opener, James Harden and Ivica Zubac led the Clippers to a 109–97 victory over the Mericks, with Harden recording 28 points and eight assists in his playoff debut for the Clippers, while Zubac achieved a playoff career-high of 20 points alongside 15 rebounds. Despite Luka Dončić's 33 points and Kyrie Irving's 31 (with 20 of those points coming on 100% shooting in the third quarter), the Mericks had only one other player finish in double figures. Meanwhile, the Clippers, who were missing Kawhi Leonard due to injury, limited Dallas to their fewest points in a playoff half, as they held them to 22% from the field and 2-of-18 from beyond the arc in the first half to secure a commanding 26-point halftime lead.
TNT April 23 10:00 pm (7:00 pm PDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 96, Los Angeles Clippers 93 Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 22–22, 20–25, 31–27 Pts: Luka Dončić 32Rebs: Dereck Lively II 9Asts: Luka Dončić 9 Pts: George, Harden 22 eachRebs: Ivica Zubac 12Asts: James Harden 8Series tied, 1–1 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAAttendance: 19,370Referees: Marc Dis, Kevin Scott, Brian ForteLuka Dončić had 32 points and nine assists, Kyrie Irving scored 23, and P. J. Washington scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Clippers 96–93. After the Mericks led for most of the game, Dallas trailed by six with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Mericks responded by scoring 14 straight points to permanently give them the lead, with all 14 of those points coming from Dončić, Irving, and Washington. Paul George and James Harden each scored 22 points while Ivica Zubac recorded a double-double. Kawhi Leonard also had 15 points and four steals in his first game since March 31. The Clippers shot 37% from the floor and made just 8-of-30 three-pointers after shooting 50% (18-of-36) from deep in game 1.
ESPN April 26 8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) Recap Los Angeles Clippers 90, Dallas Mericks 101 Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 18–36, 26–24, 23–23 Pts: Harden, Powell 21 eachRebs: Kawhi Leonard 9Asts: George, Harden 5 each Pts: Luka Dončić 22Rebs: Luka Dončić 10Asts: Luka Dončić 9Dallas leads series, 2–1 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,402Referees: James Capers, Bill Kennedy, Justin Van DuyneIn the Mericks' defensive-minded victory over the Clippers, Luka Dončić led the charge with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. 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. Despite a strong first half, James Harden's scoring output diminished in the second half for the Clippers, finishing with 21 points, while Norman Powell scored 21 off the bench. The Clippers' offense was hampered by 19 turnovers, and they also got little offensive support from Paul George and Russell Westbrook, as the pair combined for eight points on 3-of-18 shooting.
ABC April 28 3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) Recap Los Angeles Clippers 116, Dallas Mericks 111 Scoring by quarter: 39–16, 27–33, 16–29, 34–33 Pts: George, Harden 33 eachRebs: George, Harden 6 eachAsts: Paul George 8 Pts: Kyrie Irving 40Rebs: Luka Dončić 10Asts: Luka Dončić 10Series tied, 2–2 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,411Referees: Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor, Nick BuchertThe Clippers squandered a 31-point lead but rallied to win, led by Paul George and James Harden, reclaiming home-court advantage. Without Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles jumped out to an early 55–24 lead as George scored 26 points of his 33 points in the first half. However, the Mericks rallied behind Kyrie Irving, who had his first 40-point playoff game in seven years, as his layup ge Dallas the lead with 2:14 remaining. However, a step-back three by George and key floaters from Harden, who scored 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, secured the victory. Luka Dončić recorded his fourth playoff triple-double, while the Clippers shot 62% from beyond the arc, with George and Harden hitting a combined 11-of-15 three-pointers.
TNT/TruTV May 1 10:00 pm (7:00 pm PDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 123, Los Angeles Clippers 93 Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 31–22, 33–23, 34–24 Pts: Luka Dončić 35Rebs: Dončić, Lively II 7 eachAsts: Luka Dončić 10 Pts: George, Zubac 15 eachRebs: Paul George 11Asts: James Harden 7Dallas leads series, 3–2 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CAAttendance: 19,370Referees: Zach Zarba, James Williams, Mitchell ErvinBattling a sprained knee and an illness, Luka Dončić led the Mericks 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 Mericks, who handed the Clippers the biggest margin of defeat in their playoff history. Ivica Zubac shot 7-of-8 from the field and Bones Hyland had 11 points in garbage time for Los Angeles. Paul George and James Harden shot a combined 6-of-25 (24%) from the field and committed seven turnovers, while Russell Westbrook continued his shooting woes, going 2-of-11 and shooting a mere 6-of-35 (17%) in his last four games.
Game 5 was the last Clippers home game played at Crypto.com Arena, as the team moved its home games to Intuit Dome the following season. ESPN May 3 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Los Angeles Clippers 101, Dallas Mericks 114 Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 26–18, 20–35, 29–27 Pts: Norman Powell 20Rebs: George, Zubac 11 eachAsts: James Harden 13 Pts: Kyrie Irving 30Rebs: Dereck Lively II 9Asts: Luka Dončić 13Dallas wins series, 4–2 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,625Referees: John Goble, Tyler Ford, Sean WrightLuka Dončić set the tone by scoring 18 of his 28 points in the first half, and Kyrie Irving closed out the Clippers by scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half as the Mericks advanced to the Western semifinals for the second time in three years. Dončić finished with 13 assists but struggled with his shooting, going 9-of-26 from the field and missing nine of his 10 three-pointers, while Irving shot 10-of-13 from the field after halftime, as he improved to 13–0 in series-clinching games for his career. 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.
Regular-season series LA Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series November 10, 2023 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 126, Dallas Mericks 144 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX November 25, 2023 Recap Dallas Mericks 88, Los Angeles Clippers 107 Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA December 20, 2023 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 120, Dallas Mericks 111 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXThis was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first two meetings.[68]
Previous playoff series LA Clippers lead 2–0 in all-time playoff series 2020 Los Angeles Clippers 4, Dallas Mericks 2 2020 Western Conference First Round 2021 Los Angeles Clippers 4, Dallas Mericks 3 2021 Western Conference First Round Conference semifinals[edit] Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Eastern Conference semifinals[edit] (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Caliers[edit] TNT/TruTV May 7 7:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 95, Boston Celtics 120 Scoring by quarter: 34–40, 15–19, 28–33, 18–28 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 33Rebs: Evan Mobley 13Asts: Garland, Mitchell 5 each Pts: Jaylen Brown 32Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11Asts: Tatum, White 5 eachBoston leads series, 1–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Scott Foster, Curtis Blair, Mitchell ErvinJaylen Brown scored 32 points on 12-of-18 from the field, while Derrick White made 7-of-12 three-pointers and finished with 25 points as the Celtics cruised to a 120–95 victory in the series opener. Jayson Tatum added 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard added 16 points off the bench as Boston improved to 20–0 this season when holding their opponent to fewer than 100 points. Donovan Mitchell provided a game-high 33 points for the Caliers, while Evan Mobley shot 8-of-12 from the field and finished with a double-double. Darius Garland finished with 14 points as Cleveland struggled from long range, shooting just 11-of-42, while the Celtics capitalized and shot a more efficient 18-of-46 from beyond the arc.
ESPN May 9 7:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 118, Boston Celtics 94 Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 24–30, 36–24, 28–16 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 29Rebs: Evan Mobley 10Asts: Donovan Mitchell 8 Pts: Jayson Tatum 25Rebs: Jayson Tatum 7Asts: Jayson Tatum 6Series tied, 1–1 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Nick BuchertAfter getting blown out in the opening game of the series, the Caliers 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 Caliers shot 13-of-28 (46%) from beyond the arc. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 25 and 19 points, respectively, while Derrick White struggled, managing only 10 points as he and Brown shot a combined 1-of-14 (7%) from three-point range.
ABC May 11 8:30 pm Recap Boston Celtics 106, Cleveland Caliers 93 Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 27–20, 27–21, 22–24 Pts: Jayson Tatum 33Rebs: Jayson Tatum 13Asts: Jayson Tatum 6 Pts: Donovan Mitchell 33Rebs: Evan Mobley 8Asts: Darius Garland 6Boston leads series, 2–1 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: Zach Zarba, James Williams, Mark LindsayJayson Tatum registered his first 30-point game of the playoffs and Jaylen Brown (28 points) shot an efficient 13-of-17 from the floor as the Celtics reclaimed the series lead. Jrue Holiday, who had been struggling with his shooting, scored 15 of his 18 points in the first half on 70% from the field, while Tatum logged 13 rebounds and six assists. Despite a strong start from Donovan Mitchell, who scored 33 points and made seven three-pointers, the Caliers struggled to match the Celtics' intensity, particularly in the second half. 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.
TNT/TruTV May 13 7:00 pm Recap Boston Celtics 109, Cleveland Caliers 102 Scoring by quarter: 37–30, 25–27, 26–21, 21–24 Pts: Jayson Tatum 33Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11Asts: Holiday, Tatum 5 each Pts: Darius Garland 30Rebs: Evan Mobley 9Asts: Garland, Strus 7 eachBoston leads series, 3–1 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHAttendance: 19,432Referees: Marc Dis, Courtney Kirkland, Tyler FordThe Celtics beat the shorthanded Caliers 109–102 to take a commanding 3–1 series lead back to Boston. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 60 points and fought off a late rally by Cleveland by scoring 15 of the Celtics' 21 fourth-quarter points. The duo also made 16-of-18 free throws, compared to just seven total free throw attempts for the Caliers. Jrue Holiday (16 points) hit 4-of-8 three-pointers for Boston, who improved to 4–0 on the road this postseason. Darius Garland stepped up for Cleveland, who were missing starters Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, with his first 30-point game of the playoffs. Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert each tallied 19 points, while Max Strus made 5-of-9 three-pointers before fouling out.
TNT/TruTV May 15 7:00 pm Recap Cleveland Caliers 98, Boston Celtics 113 Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 24–30, 26–27, 20–28 Pts: Evan Mobley 33Rebs: Mobley, Strus 7 eachAsts: Garland, Strus 9 each Pts: Jayson Tatum 25Rebs: Al Horford 15Asts: Jayson Tatum 9Boston wins series, 4–1 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Tony Brothers, Did Guthrie, Ben TaylorThe shorthanded Caliers were unable to overcome the Celtics as they were eliminated 113–98. Jayson Tatum scored 25 points and made 4 steals but was one assist shy of a triple-double while also becoming the second player since 1973 to lead both teams in a playoff series in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks after LeBron James did it in the 2016 NBA Finals. Meanwhile Al Horford sunk 6 three-pointers and tallied 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Derrick White added 18 points. Evan Mobley tied his season-high with 33 points as Cleveland were left without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert. Marcus Morris Sr., who barely saw playing time throughout the playoffs, had a breakout performance with 25 points on 10-of-13 (77%) shooting and made 5 three-pointers. Darius Garland struggled, making only 4-of-17 (24%) for 11 points.
Regular-season series Boston won 2–1 in the regular-season series December 12, 2023 Recap Cleveland Caliers 113, Boston Celtics 120 TD Garden, Boston, MA December 14, 2023 Recap Cleveland Caliers 107, Boston Celtics 116 TD Garden, Boston, MA March 5, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 104, Cleveland Caliers 105 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OHThis was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning four series apiece.[69]
Previous playoff series Tied 4–4 in all-time playoff series 1976 Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Caliers 2 1976 Eastern Conference finals 1985 Boston Celtics 3, Cleveland Caliers 1 1985 Eastern Conference First Round 1992 Boston Celtics 3, Cleveland Caliers 4 1992 Eastern Conference semifinals 2008 Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Caliers 3 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals 2010 Cleveland Caliers 2, Boston Celtics 4 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals 2015 Cleveland Caliers 4, Boston Celtics 0 2015 Eastern Conference First Round 2017 Boston Celtics 1, Cleveland Caliers 4 2017 Eastern Conference finals 2018 Boston Celtics 3, Cleveland Caliers 4 2018 Eastern Conference finals (2) New York Knicks vs. (6) Indiana Pacers[edit] TNT/TruTV May 6 7:30 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 117, New York Knicks 121 Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 31–22, 32–33, 30–39 Pts: Myles Turner 23Rebs: three players 6 each[d]Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 8 Pts: Jalen Brunson 43Rebs: Josh Hart 13Asts: Josh Hart 8New York leads series, 1–0 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: Zach Zarba, Tyler Ford, Sean WrightJalen Brunson recorded his fourth consecutive 40-point game and rallied the Knicks from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win the series opener. Brunson scored 21 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter, Donte DiVincenzo scored 25 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 40 seconds remaining, while Josh Hart shot 69% from the field, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds in 48 minutes played. Myles Turner finished with a team-high 23 points for the Pacers, while Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points as Indiana got strong support from their bench, as they outscored New York's bench 46–3. Tyrese Haliburton had eight assists and four steals but finished the fourth quarter with zero points and three turnovers.
TNT/TruTV May 8 8:00 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 121, New York Knicks 130 Scoring by quarter: 36–36, 37–27, 18–36, 30–31 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 34Rebs: Pascal Siakam 9Asts: T. J. McConnell 12 Pts: Jalen Brunson 29Rebs: Josh Hart 15Asts: Isaiah Hartenstein 8New York leads series, 2–0 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: Marc Dis, Josh Tiven, JB DeRosaAfter missing the entire second quarter due to a foot injury and trailing by ten at halftime, Jalen Brunson's return in the second half sparked a 21–4 run and propelled the Knicks to a 2–0 series lead. Brunson scored 29 points and shot 11-of-18 from the field, while OG Anunoby had 28 points before leing in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Donte DiVincenzo also finished with 28 points, Isaiah Hartenstein had a double-double with eight assists, and Josh Hart played all 48 minutes and finished with 15 rebounds on 8-of-12 from the field. For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton rebounded from a six-point performance in game 1 with 34 points and nine assists, while the Indiana bench provided 46 points for the second straight game.
ESPN May 10 7:00 pm Recap New York Knicks 106, Indiana Pacers 111 Scoring by quarter: 20–29, 38–34, 32–22, 16–26 Pts: Donte DiVincenzo 35Rebs: Josh Hart 18Asts: Jalen Brunson 6 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 35Rebs: Myles Turner 10Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 7New York leads series, 2–1 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: James Capers, Kevin Scott, Brent BarnakyAndrew Nembhard, who had been scoreless through 46 minutes, hit a 31-foot, go-ahead three-pointer with 16 seconds to go, giving the Pacers a critical 111–106 victory. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 35 points and seven assists, as he rallied Indiana from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to oid a 3–0 series deficit. Pascal Siakam shined with 26 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting, while Myles Turner contributed 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Pacers improved to 4–0 at home this postseason. Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks, who were without OG Anunoby, with 35 points and seven three-pointers, backed by Josh Hart's 18 rebounds and Jalen Brunson's 26 points. 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.
ABC May 12 3:30 pm Recap New York Knicks 89, Indiana Pacers 121 Scoring by quarter: 14–34, 27–35, 22–32, 26–20 Pts: Alec Burks 20Rebs: Achiuwa, Sims 6 eachAsts: Jalen Brunson 5 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 20Rebs: Aaron Nesmith 12Asts: T. J. McConnell 10Series tied, 2–2 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor, Ed MalloyIndiana jumped out to a 20 point lead during the first quarter, and never looked back, leading by as many as 43 points in the blowout win to tie the series. The Pacers shot 57% from the field, hitting 14 threes, led by Tyrese Haliburton's 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists as well as Aaron Nesmith's 12 rebounds. Off the bench for Indiana, T. J. McConnell recorded 15 points and 10 assists with Obi Toppin providing 14 points. The Knicks struggled all game, shooting 34% from the field and 19% from three, with Jalen Brunson being the only starter to score in double digits with 18 points on 6-17 shooting and 0-5 from three. Off the Knicks' bench, Alec Burks scored 20 points and Miles McBride provided 16 points.
TNT/TruTV May 14 8:00 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 91, New York Knicks 121 Scoring by quarter: 32–38, 22–31, 21–27, 16–25 Pts: Pascal Siakam 22Rebs: Pascal Siakam 8Asts: Haliburton, McConnell 5 each Pts: Jalen Brunson 44Rebs: Isaiah Hartenstein 17Asts: Jalen Brunson 7New York leads series, 3–2 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: James Williams, Scott Foster, Karl Lane, Gediminas PetraitisAfter 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.
ESPN May 17 8:30 pm Recap New York Knicks 103, Indiana Pacers 116 Scoring by quarter: 30–29, 21–32, 24–27, 28–28 Pts: Jalen Brunson 31Rebs: Achiuwa, Hart 8 eachAsts: Isaiah Hartenstein 6 Pts: Pascal Siakam 25Rebs: Myles Turner 8Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 9Series tied, 3–3 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Zach Zarba, John Goble, Did GuthriePascal Siakam finished with 25 points and seven rebounds, Myles Turner posted 17 points and eight rebounds, and the Pacers improved to 6–0 at home this postseason to force a decisive game 7. Haliburton, Nembhard, and McConnell each scored 15 points and combined for an assist-turnover ratio of 19 to 2. Indiana also held a 47–35 rebounding edge and dominated the Knicks in the paint 62–38, as they led by as much as 23 points in the second half. Jalen Brunson tallied 31 points and five assists on 11-of-26 from the field, but missed his final 11 shots in the first half. Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo scored 20 and 17 points, respectively, while Josh Hart was forced out of the game due to an abdominal injury.
ABC May 19 3:30 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 130, New York Knicks 109 Scoring by quarter: 39–27, 31–28, 31–29, 29–25 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 26Rebs: three players 5 each[e]Asts: T. J. McConnell 7 Pts: Donte DiVincenzo 39Rebs: Hart, Hartenstein 8 eachAsts: Jalen Brunson 9Indiana wins series, 4–3 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYAttendance: 19,812Referees: Marc Dis, James Capers, Bill KennedyAfter the home team won the first six games, the Pacers went on the road and shot a playoff record 67.1% from the field to advance to their first conference finals in ten years. Indiana led by 22 points in the second quarter, and although the Knicks got within six in the second half, the Pacers ultimately prevailed and overcame an 0–2 series deficit for the first time ever. Tyrese Haliburton had 26 points, while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner recorded 20 and 17 points, respectively. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith combined for 39 points on 16-of-18 shooting, and T. J. McConnell tallied seven assists. A hobbled OG Anunoby and Josh Hart started for New York, but Anunoby exited in the first quarter, and Jalen Brunson (17 points) left in the second half with a broken hand, adding to the Knicks' injury woes. Donte DiVincenzo scored 39 points on 9-of-15 from deep, and Alec Burks added 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting.
Regular-season series Indiana won 2–1 in the regular-season series December 30, 2023 Recap New York Knicks 126, Indiana Pacers 140 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN February 1, 2024 Recap Indiana Pacers 105, New York Knicks 109 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY February 10, 2024 Recap Indiana Pacers 125, New York Knicks 111 Madison Square Garden, New York, NYThis was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning four of the first seven meetings.[70]
Previous playoff series Indiana leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series 1993 New York Knicks 3, Indiana Pacers 1 1993 Eastern Conference First Round 1994 New York Knicks 4, Indiana Pacers 3 1994 Eastern Conference finals 1995 Indiana Pacers 4, New York Knicks 3 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals 1998 Indiana Pacers 4, New York Knicks 1 1998 Eastern Conference semifinals 1999 Indiana Pacers 2, New York Knicks 4 1999 Eastern Conference finals 2000 Indiana Pacers 4, New York Knicks 2 2000 Eastern Conference finals 2013 New York Knicks 2, Indiana Pacers 4 2013 Eastern Conference semifinals Western Conference semifinals[edit] (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Dallas Mericks[edit] TNT/TruTV May 7 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 95, Oklahoma City Thunder 117 Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 30–39, 26–27, 16–28 Pts: Kyrie Irving 20Rebs: Daniel Gafford 11Asts: Luka Dončić 9 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 29Rebs: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 9 eachAsts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 9Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKAttendance: 18,203Referees: Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor, Brian ForteShai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists as the Thunder routed the Mericks 117–95 to secure the series opener. Chet Holmgren added 19 points and seven rebounds, Jalen Williams scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, while Aaron Wiggins scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half to help Oklahoma City improve to 5–0 this postseason. 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 Mericks to empty their bench. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Daniel Gafford posted a double-double with five blocks, while Luka Dončić struggled, finishing with 19 points and five turnovers on 6-of-19 from the field.
ESPN May 9 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 119, Oklahoma City Thunder 110 Scoring by quarter: 36–32, 32–30, 31–27, 20–21 Pts: Dončić, Washington 29 eachRebs: P. J. Washington 11Asts: Kyrie Irving 11 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33Rebs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 12Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8Series tied, 1–1 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKAttendance: 18,203Referees: Scott Foster, James Williams, Ed MalloyLed by Luka Dončić and P. J. Washington's 29 points each, the Mericks improved to 3–0 following a loss this postseason and leveled the series at one game apiece. 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.
ABC May 11 3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 101, Dallas Mericks 105 Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 29–25, 26–31, 23–23 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 31Rebs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 10Asts: Jalen Williams 8 Pts: P. J. Washington 27Rebs: Luka Dončić 15Asts: Kyrie Irving 7Dallas leads series, 2–1 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,325Referees: John Goble, Bill Kennedy, Gediminas PetraitisThe Mericks, 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 ge 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. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tallied 31 points and five blocks, but shot 1-of-6 and committed three turnovers in the final quarter, while Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren finished with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
TNT/TruTV May 13 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 100, Dallas Mericks 96 Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 23–24, 22–15, 35–27 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 34Rebs: Holmgren, Williams 9 eachAsts: Jalen Williams 6 Pts: P. J. Washington 21Rebs: Dončić, Washington 12 eachAsts: Luka Dončić 10Series tied, 2–2 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,607Referees: Zach Zarba, Did Guthrie, Curtis BlairIn a critical game 4, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff career-high 34 points and orchestrated a 20–10 run to end the game as the Thunder tied the series. Oklahoma City also got clutch three-pointers from Chet Holmgren (18 points) and Luguentz Dort (17 points), as they surged back from a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Despite a triple-double from Luka Dončić, he and Kyrie Irving struggled shooting, combining for 27 points on 10-of-31 (32%) from the field. Derrick Jones Jr. added 17 points and four blocks for the Mericks, while P. J. Washington posted 21 points and 12 rebounds. Dallas's woes were compounded by missed free throws, shooting just 52% (12-of-23) compared to 95.8% (23-of-24) from the Thunder.
TNT/TruTV May 15 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 104, Oklahoma City Thunder 92 Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 30–22, 25–23, 25–25 Pts: Luka Dončić 31Rebs: three players 10 each[f]Asts: Luka Dončić 11 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 30Rebs: three players 6 each[g]Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8Dallas leads series, 3–2 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKAttendance: 18,203Referees: James Capers, Courtney Kirkland, Jacyn Goble, Kevin ScottAfter eraging 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 Mericks a pivotal 3–2 series lead heading back to Dallas. On the road facing a hostile crowd, the Mericks trailed by six early but seized the lead midway through the first quarter and maintained it for the rest of the game. Derrick Jones Jr. recorded 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, Kyrie Irving added 12 points, and both P. J. Washington and Dereck Lively II notched double-doubles. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and dished out eight assists, but no one else on the Thunder scored more than 13 points, as his teammates combined to shoot 8-of-36 (22%) from deep.
ABC May 18 8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 116, Dallas Mericks 117 Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 34–25, 26–35, 26–34 Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 36Rebs: Jalen Williams 9Asts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 8 each Pts: Luka Dončić 29Rebs: Dereck Lively II 15Asts: Luka Dončić 10Dallas wins series, 4–2 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,555Referees: Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven, Mitchell ErvinThe Mericks overcame a 17-point second-half deficit to reach their second conference finals in three years. Luka Dončić scored 29 points and logged his third straight triple-double, Kyrie Irving and Derrick Jones Jr. each scored 22 points, while P. 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, leing them with a desperate half-court hee that missed as time expired.
Regular-season series Oklahoma City won 3–1 in the regular-season series December 2, 2023 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 126, Dallas Mericks 120 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX February 10, 2024 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 111, Dallas Mericks 146 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX March 14, 2024 Recap Dallas Mericks 119, Oklahoma City Thunder 126 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK April 14, 2024 Recap Dallas Mericks 86, Oklahoma City Thunder 135 Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OKThis was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, and the fourth since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, with the Thunder winning three of the first five meetings.[71]
Previous playoff series Oklahoma City leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series 1984 Dallas Mericks 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2 1984 Western Conference First Round 1987 Dallas Mericks 1, Seattle SuperSonics 3 1987 Western Conference First Round 2011 Dallas Mericks 4, Oklahoma City Thunder 1 2011 Western Conference finals 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Dallas Mericks 0 2012 Western Conference First Round 2016 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Dallas Mericks 1 2016 Western Conference First Round (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (3) Minnesota Timberwolves[edit] TNT/TruTV May 4 7:00 pm (5:00 pm MDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 106, Denver Nuggets 99 Scoring by quarter: 23–25, 17–19, 33–27, 33–28 Pts: Anthony Edwards 43Rebs: Rudy Gobert 13Asts: Mike Conley 10 Pts: Nikola Jokić 32Rebs: Nikola Jokić 8Asts: Nikola Jokić 9Minnesota leads series, 1–0 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,915Referees: James Capers, Courtney Kirkland, Justin Van DuyneIn the Timberwolves' first conference semifinal game in 20 years, Anthony Edwards scored a franchise playoff-record 43 points, leading Minnesota to a 1–0 series lead over the defending champions. Edwards shot 17-of-29 (59%) from the field, while Naz Reid came off the bench and scored 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, igniting an 18–7 run that allowed Minnesota to pull away. Mike Conley tallied 14 points and 10 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting as the Timberwolves shot 71% from the floor in the second half. Nikola Jokić had 32 points but shot under 50% from the field and finished with an assist-turnover ratio of 9 to 7, while Jamal Murray scored all 17 of his points after halftime.
TNT/TruTV May 6 10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 106, Denver Nuggets 80 Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 33–15, 21–25, 24–20 Pts: Edwards, Towns 27 eachRebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 12Asts: Kyle Anderson 8 Pts: Aaron Gordon 20Rebs: Nikola Jokić 16Asts: Nikola Jokić 8Minnesota leads series, 2–0 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,942Referees: Marc Dis, Did Guthrie, Pat FraherThe Timberwolves stunned the Nuggets in the first half, as they jumped out to a 26-point halftime lead that they rode to take a commanding 2–0 series lead back to Minneapolis. Without Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves still held Denver to 80 points, their fewest in any game since 2020. 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.
ESPN May 10 9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) Recap Denver Nuggets 117, Minnesota Timberwolves 90 Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 28–21, 37–25, 24–24 Pts: Jokić, Murray 24 eachRebs: Nikola Jokić 14Asts: Nikola Jokić 9 Pts: Anthony Edwards 19Rebs: Conley, Edwards 6 eachAsts: Mike Conley 6Minnesota leads series, 2–1 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,733Referees: Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven, Jacyn GobleTrailing 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. Anthony Edwards was held to under 25 points for the first time in five games, while Karl-Anthony Towns made 4-of-5 three-pointers for the Timberwolves, who endured their largest defeat of the season.
TNT May 12 8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) Recap Denver Nuggets 115, Minnesota Timberwolves 107 Scoring by quarter: 29–24, 35–25, 26–30, 25–28 Pts: Nikola Jokić 35Rebs: Gordon, Jokić 7 eachAsts: Jamal Murray 8 Pts: Anthony Edwards 44Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14Asts: Mike Conley 9Series tied, 2–2 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,583Referees: Scott Foster, Kevin Scott, Karl LaneDespite 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. Edwards made 16-of-25 shots and made five three-pointers. 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. Towns and Rudy Gobert led the game's rebounding with 12 and 14 boards respectively.
TNT/TruTV May 14 10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 97, Denver Nuggets 112 Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 18–22, 30–38, 23–24 Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns 23Rebs: Rudy Gobert 11Asts: Anthony Edwards 9 Pts: Nikola Jokić 40Rebs: Aaron Gordon 10Asts: Nikola Jokić 13Denver leads series, 3–2 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 19,992Referees: Bill Kennedy, Ed Malloy, John GobleAgainst 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 Kentious Caldwell-Pope made 4-of-5 three-pointers for Denver. Rudy Gobert tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds on 100% shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 23 points. 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.
ESPN May 16 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Denver Nuggets 70, Minnesota Timberwolves 115 Scoring by quarter: 14–31, 26–28, 21–27, 9–29 Pts: Nikola Jokić 22Rebs: Nikola Jokić 9Asts: Jamal Murray 5 Pts: Anthony Edwards 27Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14Asts: Conley, Towns 5 eachSeries tied, 3–3 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,187Referees: James Williams, Marc Dis, Tyler FordFacing elimination, the Timberwolves held the defending champions to the fewest points scored by any team in six years and forced a game 7. Anthony Edwards posted 27 points with a +43 plus-minus, Jaden McDaniels added 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and Mike Conley contributed 13 points in his return from injury. Rudy Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid combined for 38 boards, helping Minnesota outrebound Denver 62–43. The Timberwolves' bench outscored the Nuggets' reserves 36–9, including a 24–0 run in the fourth quarter that pushed the lead to 50 points. Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon combined for 34 points on 50% shooting, while the rest of the Nuggets shot 22%, with Jamal Murray missing 14-of-18 shots.
TNT/TruTV May 19 8:00 pm (6:00 pm MDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 98, Denver Nuggets 90 Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 19–29, 28–14, 32–23 Pts: McDaniels, Towns 23 eachRebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 12Asts: Anthony Edwards 7 Pts: Jamal Murray 35Rebs: Nikola Jokić 19Asts: Nikola Jokić 7Minnesota wins series, 4–3 Ball Arena, Denver, COAttendance: 20,022Referees: Scott Foster, Did Guthrie, Curtis Blair External videos Game 7 full replay on the NBA's official YouTube channelOn the 20th anniversary of their first conference finals berth, the Timberwolves rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit to eliminate the defending champions on the road. Although Jamal Murray's 24 first-half points ge the Nuggets a 15-point halftime lead, Minnesota surged back, as they closed the third quarter with a 28–9 run and took the lead in the fourth. Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 23 points and 12 boards, and Jaden McDaniels notched 23 points on 70% shooting as the Timberwolves finished with six players in double figures. 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. Despite a combined 69 points from Murray and Jokić on 55 shot attempts, no one else on the Nuggets scored more than seven points, as Denver was held to under 100 points in all four losses this series.
Regular-season series Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series November 1, 2023 Recap Denver Nuggets 89, Minnesota Timberwolves 110 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN March 19, 2024 Recap Denver Nuggets 115, Minnesota Timberwolves 112 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN March 29, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 111, Denver Nuggets 98 Ball Arena, Denver, CO April 10, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 107, Denver Nuggets 116 Ball Arena, Denver, CO Previous playoff series Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series 2004 Minnesota Timberwolves 4, Denver Nuggets 1 2004 Western Conference First Round 2023 Denver Nuggets 4, Minnesota Timberwolves 1 2023 Western Conference First RoundThis was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team previously winning one series by four games to one.[72]
Conference finals[edit] Main article: NBA conference finals Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. Eastern Conference finals[edit] (1) Boston Celtics vs. (6) Indiana Pacers[edit] ESPN/ ESPN2 May 21 8:00 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 128, Boston Celtics 133 (OT) Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 33–30, 29–30, 24–23, Overtime: 11–16 Pts: Tyrese Haliburton 25Rebs: Pascal Siakam 12Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 10 Pts: Jayson Tatum 36Rebs: Jayson Tatum 12Asts: Derrick White 9Boston leads series, 1–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Tony Brothers, Did Guthrie, Tyler FordIn 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. Boston opened the game on a 12–0 run, but the Pacers fought back and eventually led by three with 10 seconds remaining. However, Indiana turned it over after failing to inbound the ball, and Brown hit a contested three-pointer to tie the game at 117. Tatum, who also finished with 12 rebounds and four assists, then orchestrated a personal 6–0 run in overtime to put the Celtics ahead for good. Brown finished with 26 points, Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 28 points, and Derrick White dished out nine assists. The Pacers had seven players finish in double figures, but struggled with 22 turnovers, which led to 32 points for Boston. Tyrese Haliburton recorded 25 points and 10 assists, while Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner combined for 47 points and 22 rebounds.
ESPN May 23 8:00 pm Recap Indiana Pacers 110, Boston Celtics 126 Scoring by quarter: 27–25, 24–32, 29–36, 30–33 Pts: Pascal Siakam 28Rebs: three players 5 each[h]Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 8 Pts: Jaylen Brown 40Rebs: Al Horford 10Asts: Jrue Holiday 10Boston leads series, 2–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Scott Foster, James Williams, Sean WrightAfter losing game 2 at home against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Caliers, the Celtics, behind Jaylen Brown's 40 points, protected their home court to take a commanding 2–0 series lead. Brown, matching his playoff career-high and shooting 14-of-27 from the field, spearheaded a 20–0 run in the first half that ge Boston a lead they never relinquished. The Pacers closed the gap to two points in the third quarter, but the Celtics countered with a 16–5 run to maintain a double-digit lead. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each scored 23 points, while Jrue Holiday shot 6-of-7 from the field and dished out 10 assists. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton had 10 points and eight assists before departing in the third quarter with hamstring soreness. Andrew Nembhard provided 16 points, but center Myles Turner finished with eight points, four rebounds, and four turnovers.
ABC May 25 8:30 pm Recap Boston Celtics 114, Indiana Pacers 111 Scoring by quarter: 32–31, 25–38, 24–21, 33–21 Pts: Jayson Tatum 36Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10Asts: Jayson Tatum 8 Pts: Andrew Nembhard 32Rebs: Myles Turner 10Asts: Andrew Nembhard 9Boston leads series, 3–0 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Marc Dis, John Goble, Courtney KirklandTrailing by eight with under 2:30 remaining, the Celtics closed the game on a 13–2 run and moved one win away from their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons. After trailing by as much as 18 in the third quarter, Jrue Holiday ge 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. Jayson Tatum had 36 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and zero turnovers. Jaylen Brown added 24 points, and Al Horford made 7-of-12 three-pointers. Derrick White also tallied four blocks and seven assists as the Celtics improved to 5–0 on the road this postseason and snapped the Pacers' 11-game home winning streak. Without All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard scored a career-high 32 points and nine assists, T. J. McConnell added 23 points and nine rebounds, and both Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner scored 22 points.
ESPN/ ESPN2 May 27 8:00 pm Recap Boston Celtics 105, Indiana Pacers 102 Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 29–30, 22–26, 25–19 Pts: Jaylen Brown 29Rebs: Jayson Tatum 13Asts: Jayson Tatum 8 Pts: Andrew Nembhard 24Rebs: Pascal Siakam 10Asts: Andrew Nembhard 10Boston wins series, 4–0 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, INAttendance: 17,274Referees: Zach Zarba, James Capers, Pat FraherThe Celtics' 7–0 run in the final 3:30 secured their first sweep in the conference finals since 1986 and their 23rd NBA finals appearance in franchise history. Derrick White, previously struggling with his three-point shooting (1-for-8), knocked down a game-winning three-pointer with 44 seconds left, finishing with 16 points, five steals, and three blocks. After a missed three-pointer from Andrew Nembhard with 31 seconds remaining, the Pacers forced Jayson Tatum into a missed shot, but an offensive rebound by Jrue Holiday, who finished with 17 points and nine boards, secured the Celtics' seventh consecutive playoff win. Jaylen Brown finished with 29 points and three steals, while Tatum posted 26 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. Indiana, missing Tyrese Haliburton for the second straight game, dropped to 1–8 all-time in the conference finals and was swept despite holding a lead or being tied in the final minute in three of the four games this series. Nembhard tallied 24 points and 10 assists, Pascal Siakam notched a double-double, and T. J. McConnell produced 15 points off the bench.
Brown was awarded the third annual Eastern Conference finals MVP, eraging 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 51.7% from the field, 37% from beyond the arc, and 65.5% from the free-throw line. Regular-season series Boston won 3–2 in the regular-season series November 1, 2023 Recap Indiana Pacers 104, Boston Celtics 155 TD Garden, Boston, MA December 4, 2023 Recap Boston Celtics 112, Indiana Pacers 122 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN January 6, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 118, Indiana Pacers 101 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN January 8, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 131, Indiana Pacers 133 Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN January 30, 2024 Recap Indiana Pacers 124, Boston Celtics 129 TD Garden, Boston, MAThis was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first six meetings.[73]
Previous playoff series Boston leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series 1991 Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 2 1991 Eastern Conference First Round 1992 Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 0 1992 Eastern Conference First Round 2003 Indiana Pacers 2, Boston Celtics 4 2003 Eastern Conference First Round 2004 Indiana Pacers 4, Boston Celtics 0 2004 Eastern Conference First Round 2005 Boston Celtics 3, Indiana Pacers 4 2005 Eastern Conference First Round 2019 Boston Celtics 4, Indiana Pacers 0 2019 Eastern Conference First Round Western Conference finals[edit] (3) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (5) Dallas Mericks[edit] TNT/TruTV May 22 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 108, Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Scoring by quarter: 27–33, 32–29, 23–21, 26–22 Pts: Luka Dončić 33Rebs: Dereck Lively II 11Asts: Luka Dončić 8 Pts: Jaden McDaniels 24Rebs: Anthony Edwards 11Asts: Anthony Edwards 8Dallas leads series, 1–0 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,433Referees: Marc Dis, Kevin Scott, Mark LindsayKyrie Irving scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half, and Luka Dončić delivered 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Mericks to a 1–0 series lead. In a back-and-forth contest, Dallas trailed by four with under 3:30 remaining, but a decisive 8–0 run over the next three minutes, highlighted by a go-ahead three-pointer by P. J. Washington, secured the victory. Despite a dismal 6-of-25 (24%) three-point shooting night, the Mericks dominated the paint 62–38 and made 16-of-17 free throws, compared to 61% from the Timberwolves. Rookie Dereck Lively II had 11 boards on 4-of-4 shooting, while Dončić tallied eight assists and three steals. For Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels made 6-of-9 three-pointers and recorded over 20 points for the third consecutive game, but Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to find their rhythm, combining for 35 points on 12-of-36 (33%) from the field.
TNT/TruTV May 24 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 109, Minnesota Timberwolves 108 Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 22–28, 31–26, 30–22 Pts: Luka Dončić 32Rebs: Luka Dončić 10Asts: Luka Dončić 13 Pts: Naz Reid 23Rebs: Rudy Gobert 10Asts: Anthony Edwards 7Dallas leads series, 2–0 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,636Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Mitchell ErvinLuka 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 Mericks. Trailing by as much as 18 late in the second quarter, the Mericks shot 60.5% from the floor (23-for-38) after halftime, with Kyrie Irving scoring 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Dončić's 13 assists primarily went to centers Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, who combined for 30 points on 14-of-16 shooting. Following Dončić's go-ahead three with 3.0 seconds left, Naz Reid, who was previously 7-of-8 from deep, missed a potential buzzer-beating three for the Timberwolves. Gobert notched a double-double, while Mike Conley added 18 points, but the All-Star duo of Edwards and Towns continued to struggle, as they combined to shoot 9-for-33 (27%) from the field, with Towns benched during the fourth quarter.
TNT/TruTV May 26 8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 107, Dallas Mericks 116 Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 24–27, 35–27, 20–29 Pts: Anthony Edwards 26Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 11Asts: Anthony Edwards 9 Pts: Dončić, Irving 33 eachRebs: P. J. Washington 8Asts: Luka Dončić 5Dallas leads series, 3–0 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,511Referees: Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor, Curtis BlairFor the third consecutive game, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving delivered in the clutch for the Mericks, finishing with 33 points each and leading a decisive 14–3 run to conclude the game as Dallas took a commanding 3–0 series lead. Dončić and Irving outscored the Timberwolves in the fourth quarter 21–20, as the duo shot 8-of-10 from the field. Dončić also recorded five steals, while P. J. Washington contributed 16 points, eight rebounds, and a go-ahead three-pointer for the Mericks, who shot 14-of-28 from beyond the arc and 55.9% from the field. Anthony Edwards finished with 26 points, nine boards, and nine assists on an improved 11-of-24 shooting for Minnesota, but took just three shot attempts in the final quarter. Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels added 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Karl-Anthony Towns shot 0-of-8 from deep, lowering his series three-point shooting percentage to 13.6% (3-for-22).
TNT/TruTV May 28 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 105, Dallas Mericks 100 Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 22–29, 29–24, 27–27 Pts: Anthony Edwards 29Rebs: Edwards, Gobert 10 eachAsts: Anthony Edwards 9 Pts: Luka Dončić 28Rebs: Luka Dončić 15Asts: Luka Dončić 10Dallas leads series, 3–1 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,477Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Ed MalloyOn the verge of getting swept, the Timberwolves sted 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. 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. Rudy Gobert recorded another double-double, and Mike Conley tallied 14 points and four steals for Minnesota, who shot 58% in the second half. Daniel Gafford had three blocks on 6-of-6 shooting for the Mericks, who were without Dereck Lively II due to a head injury from the previous game. Luka Dončić logged 28 points, 15 boards, and 10 assists for his sixth triple-double this postseason, but he and Kyrie Irving shot an inefficient 13-of-39 (33%) from the field, with Irving losing his first closeout game after previously being 14–0.
TNT/TruTV May 30 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Dallas Mericks 124, Minnesota Timberwolves 103 Scoring by quarter: 35–19, 34–21, 28–33, 27–30 Pts: Dončić, Irving 36 eachRebs: Luka Dončić 10Asts: Dončić, Irving 5 each Pts: Edwards, Towns 28 eachRebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 12Asts: Anthony Edwards 6Dallas wins series, 4–1 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNAttendance: 19,333Referees: Marc Dis, John Goble, Kevin ScottLuka Dončić outscored the Timberwolves by himself 20-19 in the first quarter, as Dallas blew out Minnesota to secure their third finals appearance in franchise history, and their first in 13 years. Dončić and Kyrie Irving scored 36 points each on 28-of-49 (57%) from the field as the Mericks went on a 28-5 run in the first half, building a commanding 69-40 lead by halftime. In his return, Dereck Lively II recorded 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and made all three of his shots, finishing the series with a perfect 16-of-16 shooting. Daniel Gafford and P. J. Washington combined for 23 points. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points each on a combined 19-of-38 (50%) from the field. Towns recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds, but the rest of Minnesota's starters (Gobert, Conley, and McDaniels) only combined for 24 points. Naz Reid performed poorly with 5 points on 2-of-10 from the field, missing all four of this three-point attempts and led the Timberwolves with three turnovers.
Dončić was awarded the third annual Western Conference finals MVP, eraging 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists on 47.3% from the field, 43.4% from beyond the arc, and 84.6% from the free-throw line. Regular-season series Minnesota won 3–1 in the regular-season series December 14, 2023 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 119, Dallas Mericks 101 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX December 28, 2023 Recap Dallas Mericks 110, Minnesota Timberwolves 118 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN January 7, 2024 Recap Minnesota Timberwolves 108, Dallas Mericks 115 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX January 31, 2024 Recap Dallas Mericks 87, Minnesota Timberwolves 121 Target Center, Minneapolis, MNThis was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Mericks winning the first meeting.[74]
Previous playoff series Dallas leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series 2002 Dallas Mericks 3, Minnesota Timberwolves 0 2002 Western Conference First Round NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W5) Dallas Mericks[edit] Main article: 2024 NBA Finals Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given. ABC June 6 8:30 pm Recap Dallas Mericks 89, Boston Celtics 107 Scoring by quarter: 20–37, 22–26, 24–23, 23–21 Pts: Luka Dončić 30Rebs: Luka Dončić 10Asts: Kyrie Irving 2 Pts: Jaylen Brown 22Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11Asts: three players 5 each[i]Boston leads series, 1–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Courtney Kirkland ABC June 9 8:00 pm Recap Dallas Mericks 98, Boston Celtics 105 Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 23–29, 23–29, 24–22 Pts: Luka Dončić 32Rebs: Luka Dončić 11Asts: Luka Dončić 11 Pts: Jrue Holiday 26Rebs: Jrue Holiday 11Asts: Jayson Tatum 12Boston leads series, 2–0 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Tony Brothers, John Goble, Bill Kennedy ABC June 12 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Boston Celtics 106, Dallas Mericks 99 Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 20–20, 35–19, 21–29 Pts: Jayson Tatum 31Rebs: Jaylen Brown 8Asts: Jaylen Brown 8 Pts: Kyrie Irving 35Rebs: Dereck Lively II 13Asts: Luka Dončić 6Boston leads series, 3–0 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,311Referees: Marc Dis, James Capers, Kevin Scott ABC June 14 8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) Recap Boston Celtics 84, Dallas Mericks 122 Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 14–27, 25–31, 24–30 Pts: Jayson Tatum 15Rebs: Jayson Tatum 5Asts: Al Horford 4 Pts: Luka Dončić 29Rebs: Dereck Lively II 12Asts: Kyrie Irving 6Boston leads series, 3–1 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TXAttendance: 20,277Referees: Scott Foster, Did Guthrie, James Williams ABC June 17 8:30 pm Recap Dallas Mericks 88, Boston Celtics 106 Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 28–39, 21–19, 21–20 Pts: Luka Dončić 28Rebs: Luka Dončić 12Asts: Kyrie Irving 9 Pts: Jayson Tatum 31Rebs: Jrue Holiday 11Asts: Jayson Tatum 11Boston wins series, 4–1 TD Garden, Boston, MAAttendance: 19,156Referees: Zach Zarba, John Goble, Bill Kennedy Regular-season series Boston won 2–0 in the regular-season series January 22, 2024 Recap Boston Celtics 119, Dallas Mericks 110 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX March 1, 2024 Recap Dallas Mericks 110, Boston Celtics 138 TD Garden, Boston, MAThis was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[75]
Statistical leaders[edit] Category Game high Average Player Team High Player Team Avg. GP Points Joel EmbiidDonovan Mitchell Philadelphia 76ersCleveland Caliers 50 Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers 33.0 6 Rebounds Anthony Dis Los Angeles Lakers 23 Anthony Dis Los Angeles Lakers 15.6 5 Assists Tyrese Haliburton Indiana Pacers 16 LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers 8.8 5 Steals Kelly Oubre Jr.Luka DončićDerrick White Philadelphia 76ersDallas MericksBoston Celtics 5 LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers 2.4 5 Blocks Chet HolmgrenEvan Mobley (2×)Daniel Gafford (2×)Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City ThunderCleveland CaliersDallas MericksOklahoma City Thunder 5 Chet Holmgren Oklahoma City Thunder 2.5 10 Total leaders[edit]Points
Luka Dončić - 635 Kyrie Irving - 487 Jayson Tatum - 475 Jaylen Brown - 454 Anthony Edwards - 441Rebounds
Luka Dončić - 208 Jayson Tatum - 184 Nikola Jokić - 161 Dereck Lively II - 156 Josh Hart - 150Assists
Luka Dončić - 178 Tyrese Haliburton - 123 Jayson Tatum - 119 Kyrie Irving - 113 Anthony Edwards / Nikola Jokić - 104Steals
Luka Dončić - 41 Anthony Edwards - 24 Jaylen Brown - 23 Kyrie Irving - 23 Mike Conley / Jrue Holiday - 21Blocks
Daniel Gafford - 33 Evan Mobley - 26 Chet Holmgren - 25 Myles Turner - 25 Derrick White - 23Minutes
Luka Dončić - 900 Kyrie Irving - 879 P. J. Washington - 785 Jayson Tatum - 768 Jrue Holiday - 720Media coverage[edit] Linear television[edit]
ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. For the first time, TruTV simulcast or aired alternate broadcasts of select TNT games. Each team's regional broadcaster also televised local coverage of first-round games, with the exception of weekend games on ABC. [76]
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. ABC had exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 22nd straight year.
Streaming[edit]This was the first playoffs in which the streaming service Max had live access to TNT's games on its Bleacher Report Sports Add-on tier.[77] NBA TV games were ailable on NBA League Pass as part of its normal streaming service for that channel.
Sponsorship[edit]For the third straight year, the playoffs is officially known as the "2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel". During the multiyear agreement with Google Pixel, this sponsorship provides the logo branding inside the venues and in official digital properties on-court, as well as commercial inventory during ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV's telecasts of the playoff games.[78]
Notes[edit] ^ Brown, Horford, Porziņģis, and Tatum ^ Garland, Mitchell, and Strus ^ Banchero, Fultz, and Suggs ^ Nesmith, Siakam, and Toppin ^ Nembhard, Sheppard, and Turner ^ Dončić, Lively II, and Washington ^ Dort, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Williams ^ Jackson, McConnell and Siakam ^ Holiday, Tatum and White References[edit] ^ Escarpio, Max. "2024 To Mark First NBA Playoffs Without This Player Since 2010". athlonsports.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024. ^ Sweet, Randall (April 15, 2024). "OKC Thunder Enter Postseason as Youngest One Seed in NBA History". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024. ^ "Starting 5, April 15: The bracket's set. Here's what to know (now)". NBA.com. April 15, 2024. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024. ^ Goss, Nick (April 15, 2024). "Celtics hit some amazing milestones, set franchise records in 2023–24". Yahoo Sports. 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External links[edit] Sports portal Basketball – Reference.com's 2024 Playoffs section vteNBA playoffs List of playoff series Conference finals Finals 60 Greatest Playoff Moments Game sevens Streaks Droughts Records Scoring Leaders Assists Leaders 3 Pt Leaders Rebound Leaders 1940s 1947 1948 19491950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 19591960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 19691970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 19791980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 19891990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 19992000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20092010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 20192020s 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 See also: WNBA playoffs vte2023–24 NBA season by team Draft Summer League In-Season Tournament Championship game All-Star Game Play-in Tournament Playoffs Finals Transactions G League EasternAtlantic Boston Brooklyn New York Philadelphia Toronto Central Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee Southeast Atlanta Charlotte Miami Orlando Washington WesternNorthwest Denver Minnesota Oklahoma City Portland Utah Pacific Golden State L.A. Clippers L.A. Lakers Phoenix Sacramento Southwest Dallas Houston Memphis New Orleans San Antonio Participating teams vteBoston Celtics Founded in 1946 Based in Boston, Massachusetts Franchise History All-time roster Draft history Accomplishments and records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Boston Arena Boston Garden Hartford Civic Center TD Garden Personnel Owner(s) Bill Chisholm President Rich Gotham General manager Brad Stevens Head coach Joe Mazzulla G League affiliate Maine Celtics Retired numbers 00 1 2 3 5 6 10 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 31 32 33 34 35 LOSCY MIC NBA championships 1957 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1968 1969 1974 1976 1981 1984 1986 2008 2024 Rivalries Detroit Pistons Los Angeles Lakers Miami Heat New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Culture and lore Broadcasters Radio network Celtic Pride Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs Mike Gorman Johnny Most "Hlicek stole the ball" 1961 Boston Celtics boycott Auerbach Center North Station The Sports Museum of New England Reebok Pro Summer League Newhart Uncut Gems Extended Family Starting 5 Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum Celtics City Category Commons vteDallas Mericks Founded in 1980 Based in Dallas, Texas Franchise History All-time roster Draft history 1980 Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Reunion Arena (1980-2001) American Airlines Center (2001-present) Personnel Owner(s) Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont President Nico Harrison General manager Nico Harrison Head coach Jason Kidd CEO Cynt Marshall G League affiliate Texas Legends Retired numbers 12 15 22 41 NBA championships 2011 Rivalries Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs Media TV KFAA-TV WFAA-TV Radio KEGL (97.1 FM) Culture and lore Don Carter Mark Cuban Nellie Ball Moody Madness Miki, Milane German Wunderkind The Jet "Eminence Front" Luka Dončić–Anthony Dis trade vteMinnesota Timberwolves Founded in 1989 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota Franchise All-time roster Draft history 1989 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Target Center Personnel Owner(s) Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez President Tim Connelly General manager Tim Connelly Head coach Chris Finch G League affiliate Iowa Wolves Retired numbers 2 Rivalries Denver Nuggets Culture and lore Broadcasters Crunch the Wolf Failed relocation to New Orleans Flip Mayo Clinic Square Timberwolves Brasil Starting 5 vteIndiana Pacers Founded in 1967 Based in Indianapolis, Indiana Franchise History ABA–NBA merger All-time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Indiana State Fair Coliseum Market Square Arena Gainbridge Fieldhouse Personnel Owner(s) Herb Simon President Kevin Pritchard General manager Chad Buchanan Head coach Rick Carlisle G League affiliate Noblesville Boom Retired numbers 30 31 34 35 529 ABA championships 1970 1972 1973 Rivalries New York Knicks Culture and lore Broadcasters The "Se the Pacers" Telethon Boomer Dancing Harry Team Bikeshare The Knick-Killer The Dunking Dutchman Malice at the Palace Reb Porter Hoosiers "WTHelly" vteDenver Nuggets Founded in 1967 Formerly the Denver Rockets (1967–1974) Based in Denver, Colorado Franchise ABA–NBA merger All-time roster Draft history Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Denver Auditorium Arena Denver Coliseum McNichols Sports Arena Ball Arena Personnel Owner(s) Ann Walton Kroenke President Josh Kroenke General manager Vacant Head coach Did Adelman G League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold Retired numbers 2 12 33 40 44 55 432 NBA championships 2023 Rivalries Minnesota Timberwolves Utah Jazz Culture and lore Alex English Mt. Mutombo The Hey Song "Cartman Finds Love" (South Park) Kansas City (ABA) 1976 ABA All-Star Game Knicks–Nuggets brawl The Joker vteNew York Knicks Founded in 1946 Based in New York City, New York Franchise History All-time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Madison Square Garden III 69th Regiment Armory Madison Square Garden IV Personnel Owner(s) Madison Square Garden Sports (James Dolan, chairman) President Leon Rose General manager Gersson Rosas Head coach Mike Brown G League affiliate Westchester Knicks Retired numbers 10 12 15 15 19 22 24 33 613 NBA championships 1970 1973 NBA Cup championships 2025 Rivalries Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Culture and lore Broadcasters Dancing Harry Eddie Spike Lee Diedrich Knickerbocker Whatever Happened to Micheal Ray? Theme from New York, New York Mike Walczewski George Kalinsky Trent Tucker Rule Disputed foul against Scottie Pippen June 17th, 1994 Knicks–Nuggets brawl Linsanity Sweetwater vteOklahoma City Thunder Founded in 1967 Formerly the Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008) Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Franchise History All-time roster Draft history 1967 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Seattle Center Coliseum Kingdome Tacoma Dome Paycom Center Personnel Owner(s) Professional Basketball Club (Clay Bennett, chairman) President Vacant General manager Sam Presti Head coach Mark Daigneault G League affiliate Oklahoma City Blue Retired numbers 1 4 10 19 24 32 43 NBA championships 1979 2025 Rivalries Portland Trail Blazers (I-5 rivalry) Culture and lore Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City Howard Schultz Wheedle Squatch Rumble the Bison "It Was a Good Day" Sonicsgate Thunderstruck "Thunder Up" Radio network KWPN-AM WWLS-FM Love's OU Health vteCleveland Caliers Founded in 1970 Based in Cleveland, Ohio Franchise History All-time roster Draft history 1970 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Cleveland Arena Richfield Coliseum Rocket Arena Personnel Owner Dan Gilbert President Koby Altman General manager Mike Gansey Head coach Kenny Atkinson G League affiliate Cleveland Charge Retired numbers 7 11 22 25 34 42 43 NBA championships 2016 Rivalries Chicago Bulls Golden State Warriors Culture and lore Broadcasters FanDuel Sports Network Ohio Caliers AudioVerse Rock Entertainment Sports Network WOHZ-CD WTCL-LD WUAB "Cleveland Rocks" Cleveland sports curse Fred McLeod Jeff Shreve Joe Tait Olivier Sedra Paul Porter Ted Stepien The Block The Decision The Shot Gordon Gund vteOrlando Magic Founded in 1989 Based in Orlando, Florida Franchise All-time roster Draft history 1989 Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Amway Arena Kia Center Personnel Owner(s) RDV Sports, Inc. (Doug DeVos, chairman) President Jeff Weltman General manager Anthony Parker Head coach Jamahl Mosley G League affiliate Osceola Magic Retired numbers 6 32 Rivalries Miami Heat Culture and lore Broadcasters Paul Porter Stuff the Magic Dragon Summer League This Magic Moment vteLos Angeles Clippers Founded in 1970 Formerly the Buffalo Bres (1970–1978) and played in San Diego (1978–1984) Based in Inglewood, California Franchise All-time roster Draft history 1970 Head coaches Accomplishments and records Seasons Current season Arenas Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Maple Leaf Gardens Pechanga Arena Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Honda Center Crypto.com Arena Intuit Dome Personnel Owner(s) Steve Ballmer President Lawrence Frank General manager Trent Redden Head coach Tyronn Lue NBA G League affiliate San Diego Clippers Rivalries Los Angeles Lakers Culture and lore Broadcasters Buffalo Bres Clipper Darrell James Goldstein Lob City Billy Crystal Donald Sterling Steve Ballmer L.A. Clippers Dance Squad Ralph Lawler Mister Cartoon Clipped Category vtePhiladelphia 76ers Founded in 1946 Formerly the Syracuse Nationals (1946–1963) Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Franchise History All-time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas West Jefferson Street Armory State Fair Coliseum Onondaga County War Memorial Convention Hall Philadelphia Arena Spectrum Xfinity Mobile Arena New South Philadelphia Arena (planned) Personnel Owner(s) Josh Harris and Did Blitzer (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment) President Daryl Morey General manager Elton Brand Head coach Nick Nurse G League affiliate Delaware Blue Coats Retired numbers 2 3 4 6 10 13 15 24 32 34 MIC NBA championships 1955 1967 1983 Rivalries Boston Celtics Culture and lore Allen Iverson "Fo', fo', fo'" Wilt the Stilt Dr. J The Boston Strangler De Zinkoff "Hlicek stole the ball" Curse of Billy Penn Hip Hop Rights to Ricky Sanchez Pat Croce Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame Sir Charles The Kangaroo Kid Harvey Pollack Bill Campbell Marc Zumoff Kate Scott Nine and 73-ers Comcast Spectacor Alan Horwitz South Philadelphia Sports Complex Hustle 76 Place at Market East Category Commons vteMilwaukee Bucks Founded in 1968 Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Franchise History All-time roster Draft history 1968 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas MECCA Arena Bradley Center Fiserv Forum Personnel Owner(s) Wes Edens Jimmy Haslam Jamie Dinan Mike Fascitelli Junior Bridgeman President Peter Feigin General manager Jon Horst Head coach Doc Rivers G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd Retired numbers 1 2 4 8 10 14 16 32 33 NBA championships 1971 2021 NBA Cup championships 2024 Culture and lore Radio network Bally Sports Wisconsin The Big O Bango 1970–71 championship season 1974 NBA Finals MECCA Court Fear the Deer Herb Kohl vteMiami Heat Founded in 1988 Based in Miami, Florida Franchise History All-time roster Draft history 1988 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Miami Arena Kaseya Center Personnel Owner(s) Micky Arison President Pat Riley General manager Andy Elisburg Head coach Erik Spoelstra G League affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce Retired numbers 1 3 10 23 32 33 40 NBA championships 2006 2012 2013 Rivalries Boston Celtics New York Knicks Orlando Magic Culture and lore Broadcasters Micky Arison Pat Riley Michael Baiamonte Burnie "Bring Em Out" "The Heat Is On" The Calhoun Shot Shaq–Kobe feud The Decision The Big Three 27 in a row The Shot Big Face Coffee Starting 5 Category Commons vteLos Angeles Lakers Founded in 1946 Formerly the Detroit Gems (1946–1947) and the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1960) Based in Los Angeles, California Franchise History All-time roster Draft history Accomplishments and records Head coaches Logos and uniforms Seasons Current season Arenas Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Armory Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Kia Forum Crypto.com Arena UCLA Health Training Center Personnel Ownership Mark Walter (majority) Buss Family Trusts, Todd Boehly, Patrick Soon-Shiong, Ed Roski Jr. (minority) Governor Jeanie Buss President and General manager Rob Pelinka Head coach JJ Redick G League affiliate South Bay Lakers Retired numbers 8 13 16 21 22 24 25 32 33 34 42 44 52 99 MIC NBA championships 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1972 1980 1982 1985 1987 1988 2000 2001 2002 2009 2010 2020 NBA Cup championships 2023 Rivalries Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings San Antonio Spurs Principal owners Winston & Boring (1946–1947) Berger, Chalfen & Winter (c. 1947–1955) Berger, Chalfen, and Mikan (1955–1956) Berger (1956–1957) Short (1957–1965) Cooke (1965–1979) Jerry Buss (1979–2013) Jeanie Buss (2013–2025) Mark Walter (2025–present) Culture Broadcasters radio network Laker Girls Laker Band Land of 10,000 Lakes Chick Hearn Lawrence Tanter Dancing Barry Flea James Goldstein Jack Nicholson Star Plaza statues "It Was a Good Day" "I Love L.A." 1989 video game 1992 video game Film and television Backstage: Lakers Fletch Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty Starting 5 Lore 1948 World Professional Basketball Tournament 1948 Globetrotters–Lakers game Lowest-scoring game in NBA history 33-game win streak Showtime Shaq–Kobe feud The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul Kobe Bryant's 81-point game 2020 Calabasas helicopter crash Murals of Kobe Bryant Luka Dončić–Anthony Dis trade vteNew Orleans Pelicans Founded in 2002 Formerly the New Orleans Hornets (2002–2005, 2007–2013) and the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2005–2007) Based in New Orleans, Louisiana Franchise History All-time roster Draft history Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Smoothie King Center Ford Center Personnel Owner(s) Gayle Benson President Dennis Lauscha Vice President of Basketball Operations Did Griffin General manager Bryson Graham Head coach Willie Green G League affiliate Birmingham Squadron Retired numbers 7 Culture and lore Broadcasters Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network Temporary move to Oklahoma City George Shinn Hugo The Brow vtePhoenix Suns Founded in 1968 Based in Phoenix, Arizona Franchise History All-time roster Players by number Draft history 1968 Records Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum Mortgage Matchup Center Personnel Owner(s) Mat Ishbia and Justin Ishbia General manager Brian Gregory Head coach Jordan Ott CEO Josh Bartelstein G League affiliate Valley Suns Retired numbers 5 6 7 9 13 24 31 32 33 34 42 44 Rivalries Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs Culture and lore Ring of Honor The Suns Gorilla Jerry Colangelo Cotton Fitzsimmons John MacLeod Gar Heard 07 Seconds or Less Mixed Company Amar'e Stoudemire Shawn Marion Steve Nash Dan Majerle Al McCoy Jeff Munn Joe Proski NBA outdoor games Stan Richards Arizona's Family Sports