The playing field in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs is starting to take shape, as several teams have already advanced. The Nuggets and the Suns are two of them, and they’re going to face each other in what will be a fascinating clash.
The Celtics, meanwhile, had a chance to book their date with the Sixers, who swept the Nets in the first round. However, Trae Young and the Hawks had other ideas, as they lived to fight another day.
Three playoff matches were played today, and SBOTOP is here to recap them. So, without further ado, continue to read below to learn more about the latest NBA 2023 updates.
Nuggets fend off Timberwolves’ valiant stand
The Timberwolves may have successfully avoided a sweep, but the Nuggets were able to close it out at home in gritty fashion.
After securing a thrilling Game 4 win in Minnesota on Sunday, the Timberwolves came out hot in the first quarter of Game 5, opening with a 15-point lead – the largest deficit of the series.
However, the Nuggets came back in the second quarter, and it was a close game all throughout. Anthony Edwards had a chance to send the game to overtime when the Nuggets were up by three, but he missed, and the Nuggets won the series in five.
Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic notched his eighth career playoff triple-double with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists, but he went just 8-for-29 from the field. He showed up when it mattered, though, by scoring eight points during crunch time.
Jamal Murray led the Nuggets in scoring with 35 points, and he recorded five assists, four boards, and five three-pointers.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 and 26 points. Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 14 points.
Suns too much for shorthanded Clippers
Prior to this game, the Suns were favoured by the NBA 2023 odds to win by a huge margin, as they were priced -18.50 at 2.00 in the Asian Handicap market. It looked justified when they were blowing out the Clippers, but the visitors attempted one more comeback, only to fall short in the end.
The Clippers actually took a 70-61 halftime lead, but the Suns went on a huge run in the second half, outscoring their visitors 50-24 in the third period.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Suns were leading by 17 points. The Clippers made it into a one-possession game late, but their fate was sealed when Kevin Durant scored a layup to stretch the Suns’ lead to four points and made two more free throws to put them up six with 31.3 seconds left.
Kevin Durant, the Suns’ prized acquisition during the trade deadline, finished with 31 points. But the man of the match was Devin Booker, who dropped 47 on 19-for-27 shooting from the field.
Norman Powell and Mason Plumlee scored 27 and 20 points for the Clippers in the losing effort, while Russell Westbrook had a rough night with 14 points on 3-for-18 shooting from the field.
It’s a shame that the Clippers went out this way after winning Game 1, but the series took a turn last week when they announced that they’d be without their stars for the rest of this series.
Paul George hadn’t played at all, while Kawhi Leonard played through his knee injury in Games 1 and 2.
Phoenix will play top-seeded Denver in the second round starting on Saturday, while the Clippers will have a lot to think about this summer.
Ice Trae soars high for the Hawks
The Hawks came to TD Garden with their backs against the wall, but Trae Young was there to keep their season alive – at least for one more game.
Young recorded 38 points, including the game-winning triple to complete the Hawks’ comeback and defeat the Celtics 119-117 on Tuesday.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Celtics led by as much as 13 points, but Young grabbed control by scoring the Hawks’ final 14 points. Since Dejounte Murray served his one-game ban for pushing a referee at the end of Game 4, the Hawks needed this performance from Young.
Four other Hawks scored in double digits: John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, and Saddiq Bey had 22, 18, 13, and 12, respectively.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 35 points, but his co-star Jayson Tatum must do better, as he only had 19 points on 8-for-21 shooting from the field.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
