The Pacers and the Nuggets managed to avoid a 0-3 hole in the ongoing NBA conference semifinals as they defeated the Knicks and the Timberwolves on Friday night.
Their NBA 2024 results couldn’t be any more different, however, as the Pacers eked out a close win at home while the Nuggets routed the Timberwolves against a hostile crowd.
With all remaining teams at least winning one game, there will be no sweeps in the second round, although the SBOTOP NBA 2024 odds are still slightly in favour of the Knicks and the Timberwolves advancing.
Elsewhere, the Phoenix Suns have decided to fire Frank Vogel after only one season with the team, and they quickly found his replacement in the form of a two-time NBA Coach of the Year awardee.
Nuggets show championship pride against the Timberwolves
After back-to-back lackluster performances at home, the Nuggets reminded everyone about their championship pedigree with a 117-90 romp of the surging Timberwolves.
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic were back at it again, as the former had 24 points, five assists, four rebounds, and three steals on 11-of-21 shooting, while the reigning league MVP flirted with a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and three blocks.
It also helped the defending champions that the rest of their starting five also got it going, as Michael Porter Jr. had 21 points and four rebounds, Aaron Gordon recorded 13 points and five assists, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
The Nuggets used the Timberwolves’ weapon against them, as they held Minnesota to 43.7-per cent shooting from the field and 30.3-per cent from three-point range, which is in stark contrast to Games 1 and 2, when they shot at least 50 per cent from the field and 39 per cent from three-point land.
Anthony Edwards notched 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels combined for only 26 points in the losing effort.
This defeat is a wake-up call for the Timberwolves, who swept the Suns in the first round and dominated the Nuggets in the first two games. It’ll be interesting to see how they respond in Game 4.
Pacers survive thriller at home against Knicks
Game 3 between the Pacers and the Knicks went down to the wire, and it was the hosts who came away with a 111-106 victory. Indiana is now 4-0 at home this postseason, and they will host Game 4 on Sunday.
With the game tied at 106, the Pacers turned to an unlikely hero in Andrew Nembhard, who hit a tough stepback three-pointer with 16 seconds to go to give his team the lead for good.
It was a moment of redemption for the Canadian guard, as he was scoreless through 46 minutes before his tiebreaking layup with 1:55 left in the game. Andrew Nembhard finished the game with five points, five rebounds, and six assists in 31 minutes.
The Pacers were led by the dynamic duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. A much more aggressive Haliburton finished with 35 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals, and six three-pointers on 14-of-26 shooting from the field, while Siakam added 26 points and seven rebounds.
Myles Turner and Aaron Nesmith were the Pacers’ other double-digit scorers, with 21 and 10 points, respectively.
With OG Anunoby sidelined by a sore hamstring, Donte DiVincenzo played a pivotal role for the Knicks, and he had a team-high of 35 points, including seven three-pointers.
Jalen Brunson, on the other hand, had 26 points and six assists, while Josh Hart tallied 10 points, four assists, two steals, and a playoff career-high 18 rebounds.
Suns tap one-time NBA champion to be their new head coach
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that the Suns are set to sign Mike Budenholzer on a five-year contract to become the next head coach.
Like his predecessor, Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer has one NBA title on his resume as head coach. He guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the promised land in 2020-21, ironically beating the Suns in the NBA Finals.
Budenholzer has been out of a job since getting sacked by the Milwaukee Bucks last summer. The two-time NBA Coach of the Year award winner had a 271-120 record in five seasons in Milwaukee and was 213-197 as head coach of the Hawks in his previous stop. The Arizona native will become the Suns third head coach in three seasons since Mat Ishbia’s takeover of the franchise in late 2022.
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