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Nikola Jokic scored 32 factors in one other triple-double, Jamal Murray added 26 and the Denver Nuggets superior to the Western Convention finals for the primary time since 2020 by beating the short-handed Phoenix Suns 125-100 in Sport 6 on Thursday evening.
Denver’s sequence victory comes two seasons after the Nuggets had been embarrassed in a second-round postseason sweep by the Suns. This time, it was the Suns getting blown out on their residence ground to finish the season for the second straight 12 months.
The Nuggets will play within the convention finals for the primary time since they misplaced to the Lakers in 5 video games within the Florida bubble throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. They’ve by no means reached the NBA finals.
The highest-seeded Nuggets used a 23-2 run throughout the latter a part of the primary quarter to take a 44-26 lead and by no means seemed again. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – averaging 9.5 factors within the playoffs – scored 17 within the first quarter whereas Jokic added 14.
Caldwell-Pope completed with 21 factors. Jokic shot 13 of 18 from the sector and added 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Denver’s offensive onslaught continued within the second because the lead grew to 81-51 by halftime, resulting in boos from Suns followers as gamers made their option to the locker room. The second half was primarily an afterthought.
Cameron Payne scored 31 factors for Phoenix, hitting 7 of 9 three-pointers. Kevin Durant added 23.
The Suns had been enjoying with out injured starters Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ayton sustained a rib contusion in Tuesday’s Sport 5 whereas Paul has been out the previous 4 video games with a strained left groin.
Phoenix had been eradicated within the Western Convention semifinals at residence for a second straight season regardless of a blockbuster commerce deadline deal for Durant, a 13-time All-Star and one of many sport’s most prolific scorers. The 34-year-old had some good moments within the playoffs, however made simply 1 of his first 10 photographs on Thursday because the Suns fell into an enormous gap.
Suns guard Devin Booker was good in a lot of the postseason, averaging 36 factors per sport on 60% earlier than Sport 6. However the three-time All-Star completed with simply 12 factors on Thursday.
The house staff received the primary 5 video games of the sequence till the Nuggets broke by in Sport 6.
Boston Celtics 95-86 Philadelphia 76ers
Jayson Tatum missed his first six three-pointers earlier than he drilled two straight clutch ones late within the sport that pushed the Celtics previous the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday evening to ship the Jap Convention semi-finals again to Boston for Sport 7.
The defending convention champs are in acquainted territory. Boston trailed 3-2 final season within the second spherical towards Milwaukee earlier than it received Sport 6 on the street and the clincher at residence.
Sport 7 is Sunday.
Tatum, who averaged 30.1 factors within the common season, by no means stopped taking pictures even because the misses stored coming. He missed 14 of his first 15 photographs total from the ground and his ineffectiveness was a key motive the Celtics couldn’t maintain a 16-point lead.
With a shot at their first convention ultimate since 2001 at stake, the Sixers slogged by the primary half earlier than Joel Embiid flashed his MVP type and rallied the Sixers to a fourth-quarter lead.
Tyrese Maxey hit two free throws with 5:25 left for an 83-81 edge.
And that was it for Philly.
Tatum buried one three for the 84-83 lead and a second that made it 87-83 and put the Celtics in agency management of Sport 6.
Embiid and Tyrese Maxey every scored 26 factors for the 76ers.
76ers coach Doc Rivers has blown three 3-1 sequence leads over his playoff profession. Whereas the 76ers by no means bought that far forward, that is their second loss at residence within the sequence they usually seemingly had seized momentum within the fourth quarter.
Tatum as an alternative caught it to the 76ers with one ultimate three-point dagger for a 95-84 lead.
After Embiid’s pull-up jumper tied the sport 81-all, the 76ers didn’t make a bucket over the ultimate 6:13 of the sport.
Tatum missed all 10 photographs, together with 5 three-point makes an attempt, within the first half half because the Celtics led by seven. Tatum has stated he might have surgical procedure on his left wrist within the offseason within the wake of a tough fall. No matter the reason for his taking pictures ails, he discovered the treatment within the ultimate 12 minutes and the East champs nonetheless have life.
Tatum completed with 19 factors on simply 5-for-21 taking pictures however the ultimate stat line mattered little after he keyed the 14-3 run that stored the Celtics’ convention repeat hopes alive beneath rookie head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Similar to Sport 3 when the Sixers squandered the momentum off Embiid’s MVP ceremony, the 76ers once more did not hold a packed home as rocking as they had been at tipoff. The Celtics took a quick 15-3 lead and that silenced the gang and discombobulated the Sixers.
The Celtics led 40-26 as a result of – partly due to three threes from Malcolm Brogdon – however an ineffective half from Embiid, James Harden and Tobias Harris. Embiid and Harris began 1 of seven and Harden 2 of 8 and but, the deficit may have been a lot worse.
The Sixers steadied themselves considerably – creaky Harden stunned everybody with a uncommon, thunderous dunk – and the Sixers had life down solely 50-43 on the break.
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