The NBA conference semifinals are already underway, as basketball fans were treated to two fun matchups between the Timberwolves and Nuggets and the Knicks and Pacers on Monday night.
The Timberwolves are up 2-0 against the Nuggets, which is a development not everyone saw coming since the defending champions have now lost both of their first two home games in this series.
As for the Knicks, they have drawn first blood against the Pacers after surviving yet another thrilling match at Madison Square Garden.
Elsewhere, Miami Heat president Pat Riley was asked about the Heat’s current state, especially with his star forward, Jimmy Butler, due to a new extension this upcoming offseason.
Read more below to learn the latest NBA 2024 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
No Gobert, no problem for the Timberwolves
After a 106-99 loss in Game 1, things have gone worse for the Nuggets, as they were blown out in Game 2 with a 106-80 score by the Timberwolves, who were missing one of their best players.
Rudy Gobert was absent in Game 2 due to the birth of his son, which meant that Karl-Anthony Towns and Naz Reid had to shoulder more responsibility for trying to slow down Nikola Jokic.
Towns had 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks, while Anthony Edwards also had 27 points, seven assists, and two steals. Both of them shot above 50 percent from the field in Game 2.
Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker also give the Timberwolves a huge boost from the bench, with 14 points apiece.
The Timberwolves showed everyone why they were the best defensive team during the regular season, as they held the Nuggets to just 34.9 percent shooting and forced 19 turnovers.
Denver Nuggets stars Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic would know because the former was held to eight points on 3-of-18 shooting and four turnovers, while the latter finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists, but shot just 5-for-13 and also had four turnovers after coughing up the ball seven times in Game 1.
With Rudy Gobert, who had six points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in Game 1, expected to return on Friday for Game 3, the NBA 2024 odds are batting for the Timberwolves to go up 3-0 in this series, putting the Nuggets in serious jeopardy.
Brunson’s scoring binge continues
The amazing playoff run of Jalen Brunson continues, as he is fresh from another 40-point game in the Knicks’ 121-117 Game 1 win over the Pacers.
Brunson had 43 points, becoming the fourth player in NBA history with four consecutive 40-point games in the playoffs, joining Bernard King, Michael Jordan, and Jerry West. 21 of his 43 points came in the final period, where he made one clutch shot after another to rally the Knicks after they trailed by nine points early in the quarter.
The good news for Jalen Brunson is that he had enough help from his fellow starters. Donte DiVincenzo scored 25 points, including the late three-pointer to give them the lead for good, while Josh Hart flirted with a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.
The Pacers were led by Myles Turner, who had 23 points and three assists, and Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell, who had 19 and 18 points, respectively. Interestingly, their bench had a whopping 46-3 advantage against their hosts.
Tyrese Haliburton only had six points and eight assists for Indiana, as he was thoroughly outplayed by Jalen Brunson, so he must be better in the next few games.
Riley sounds unhappy with Butler
Meanwhile in South Beach, Pat Riley pointed to his players’ availability, or lack thereof, as a reason why they’re unsuccessful in 2023-24, and the 79-year-old boss said that certain players’ contract extensions will be based on that.
Jimmy Butler is eligible for a two-year extension this offseason that could guarantee him as much as $113 million for 2025-26 and 2026-27. However, Riley is reluctant to give it to him since he will turn 35 in September and has missed 100 regular-season games in his five-year tenure with the team.
Butler, who injured his knee against the Sixers in the play-in, was sorely missed against the Celtics in the first round, and Riley was not a fan of his star forward’s recent trolling of Boston and New York.
“If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams,” Riley said.
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