The 2024 NBA playoffs were back in action Monday with three games on tap. The Celtics kicked off the night with a 102-88 win over the Heat to push their series advantage to 3-1. However, Boston may have to clinch the series without the services of big man Kristaps Porzingis. He exited Monday's clash late in the second quarter with calf tightness and will undergo imaging on Tuesday.
The Thunder dominated Games 2 and 3 of their series against the Pelicans, and it was no different in Game 4 as Oklahoma City moved onto the next round with a 97-89 win over the Pelicans.
In the nightcap, the Lakers' rally fell short as the team dropped a 108-106 game to the Nuggets to lose the series 4-1. The defending champs will move onto the second round, while Los Angeles will head home having led much of the series but with nothing to show for it.
NBA playoffs scores: Monday, April 29
- Game 4: Celtics 102, Heat 88 (BOS leads 3-1) -- Recap
- Game 4: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89 (OKC wins series 4-0) -- Recap
- Game 5: Nuggets 108, Lakers 106 (DEN wins series 4-1) -- Recap
Here are the biggest takeaways from Monday night's action:
The Lakers died as they lived
Here's a sobering stat from this series: the Lakers led all five games at halftime. Entering Game 4, the Nuggets had only led for 21.4% of game time, a trend that held up in Game 5. It didn't matter. The Nuggets didn't need to lead for most of the minutes. They dominated the most important ones.
The Lakers and Nuggets played 11 clutch minutes during the 2023 Western Conference Finals. The Nuggets won those minutes by 15 points. They played seven clutch minutes against one another during the regular season. Denver won those minutes by 17 points. The Lakers led Game 5 by eight points with 5:10 remaining and lost. They led with 1:33 remaining in Game 5 and lost again. The "why" of it changes every game. Sometimes D'Angelo Russell gets hunted off the floor defensively. Sometimes Nikola Jokic bullies Anthony Davis at the rim. If you're looking for culprits today, the easiest would be Darvin Ham (for running out of timeouts with over three minutes remaining) and Rui Hachimura (for neglecting to help at the nail on Jamal Murray's game-winner).
But the end result is the same as it always has been. The Lakers didn't lose this series in five games. They lost it in the same five-minute intervals that they lose every matchup against the Nuggets within. A key run in the third quarter here, a crunch-time meltdown there, and suddenly 35 to 40 minutes of excellent work go down the drain.
The Heat can't execute the upset formula
The Celtics won Game 1 in a runaway by making 22 3-pointers. It wouldn't be fair to say the Celtics do that often, but that is their typical winning formula. They're the best shooting team in basketball. The Heat borrowed that formula in their Game 2 win by making 23 3-pointers of their own. They tied the series in doing so.
For Miami, this wasn't as a stylistic decision baked into their entire season as it was the union between desperation and variance. Making 3's is how you generate upsets in basketball. It's how the Heat reached the Finals a year ago. After watching it happen again in Game 2, the Celtics finally decided they'd had enough. They limited the Heat to only 61 3-point attempts in Games 3 and 4. Unsurprisingly, the Heat lost both games and were held below 90 points in both.
The Heat have a bit more stylistic flexibility with Jimmy Butler healthy. He can get to the line and help you win ugly. But he's out and the Heat have no alternative to firing off 3's. Once Boston realized that and adjusted their defense, the Heat had no chance.
Everything's coming up Thunder
The Thunder became the youngest No. 1 seed in NBA history when they won their season finale earlier in April, and while few expected them to lose in the first round, they were hardly a common championship pick. At the very least, they trailed the Nuggets and Clippers in terms of Western Conference odds entering the playoffs, and they were neck-and-neck with the Timberwolves and Mavericks.
Well, let's take a look at where the Thunder stand tonight. They've not only advanced beyond the first round, but completed a sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans. Their second-round opponent will be either the Clippers or Mavericks. They are currently tied 2-2 and dealing with injury issues. At the very least, the younger Thunder will have time to rest up for the second round. The Nuggets, meanwhile, are dealing with leg injuries for all three of their top guards, Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. Even the Celtics, a possible Finals opponent, had a meaningful injury on Monday, though Kristaps Porzingis appears optimistic about his prospects.
It's way too early to suggest that the Thunder should be favored to reach or win the Finals, but every year, the bracket tends to break just right for a surprising team. This year, at least for now, it looks like that team will be the Thunder. Nothing comes easy in the postseason, but the stars are aligning for the youngest No. 1 seed ever.
