NBA Playoffs: Thunder Baró, Cavs expanded advantage, Nuggets won over the horn and Warriors recovered

Oklahoma City Thunderwith Shai Gilgeous-Alexander As figure, he fulfilled the forecast and sentenced his 4-0 series against Memphis Grizzlies. Cleveland Cavaliers won as a visitor to Miami Heat and put 3-0 another series that goes to a sweep. Denver Nuggets It equaled 2-2 its qualifier before Los Angeles Clippers With a conversion about the horn of Aaron Gordon. AND Golden State Warriorswithout Jimmy Butler But with a great Stephen Curryhe won at home to Houston Rockets to take advantage of 2-1 in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder, the best team during the regular season, culminated its sweep 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs with the victory this Saturday by 117-115 on Memphis Grizzlies.

Those of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander (First of the West) will face the winner of the tie between Denver Nuggets (rooms) and Los Angeles Clippers (fifths).

On the other hand, the Grizzlies (eighth), despite the fact that this Saturday they planted face until the end without having the injured Ja Morant, closed a bitter season that opens many unknowns for the present and future of the Memphis project.

Favorite to the MVP of this campaign, Shai shone with 38 points (13 of 24 in field shots) to seal its maximum score in a playoff match. He also added 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

Jalen Williams (23 points) and Isaiah Hartenstein (11 points and 12 rebounds) stood out.

The Thunder suffered to resist the last attempt of the Grizzlies, it was not fine from the perimeter (7 of 35 in triples) and lost the battle for the rebounds (33 by 51), but it imposed itself with a rinth in a key statistic of the afternoon: the ball losses, with only 8 of Oklahoma City Daigneault).

Without Morant due to the hip injury, the Grizzlies sold their defeat through Scotty Pippen JR (30 points and 11 rebounds), Desmond Bane (23 points) and Santi Aldama (23 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists).

With 0.9 seconds on the clock and 117-115 for the Thunder, Bane failed a free kick on purpose but the Grizzlies did not find a miraculous basket in the last sigh to have forced the extension.

Cleveland Cavaliers was placed at one step away from the semifinals of the East (3-0) after crushing 124-87 to Miami Heat.

The Cavaliers (first of the East) will have the option to close this series against the Heat (eighth) in the fourth game, which will also be played on Monday in Miami.

Cleveland did not have Darius Garland due to discomfort on one foot but had no problem overwhelming Miami, who is about to close a season for the oblivion marked by the controversial departure of Jimmy Butler.

The visitors made it clear from the first quarter that they were not going to waste time with a partial of 0-18, they reached the break with a +20 (42-62) and in the last period they established the maximum difference of the party with a humiliating +40 in the final stretch.

It was an extraordinarily coral recital of the Cavaliers, who did not even need a great Donovan Mitchell (13 points with 4 of 14 in field shots) since they had six players in total in double scoring digits.

Jarrett Allen (22 points with 8 of 9 in shots and 9 rebounds) was the top scorer but also stood out in ‘Hunter (21 points), Evan Mobley (19 points and 6 rebounds), Max Strus (18 points and 9 rebounds) and Ty Jerome (13 points and 11 assists).

Cleveland put 53.5% of his field shots, crushed Miami in the painting (60 points for 30), dominated the rebound (46 against 29) and forced 17 losses of his rival against 11 his own.

Instead, nothing went well to Erik Spoelstra. BAM Adebayo (22 points and 9 rebounds) was the most productive in Miami but committed 6 ball losses. Tyler Herro was not inspired by 13 points and 5 of 13.

Aaron Gordon became the Nuggets hero with a dump on the horn that gave Denver the triumph for 101-99 over Los Angeles Clipperswhat this first round series ties 2-2.

The tie now returns to Denver after the Nuggets (west rooms) recover the court factor on the clippers (fifths).

This series promised to be one of the most disputed and balanced of these playoffs and this Saturday gave an absolutely amazing end.

First, those of Nikola Jokic pointed to a fantastic reaction after the humiliating defeat they suffered in the third match (117-83 for the clippers), since this Saturday they came to be placed with a +22 in the first bars of the last quarter.

It gave the impression that the clippers had no energy for a comeback of that magnitude, but the angels were filing the disadvantage, they surprised with a defense in the area and the Nuggets failed at the worst time.

Thus, from 65-87 in the absence of 11.12 on the clock for the Nuggets, 97-96 was passed for the clippers with 1.05 for the end after a Bogdan Bogdanovic basket that culminated an epic part of 32-9.

Jokic went to the Nuggets relief call with a free kick and an extraordinary basket, but Ivica Zubac replied with a palm that left the score tied in 99 in the absence of 8 seconds.

With possession for visitors, Jokic was obviously the chosen one to play the last shot, but the shot of the Serbian genius came out very deviated.

However, a providential gordon appeared out of nowhere, rescued that launch wrong almost as a pass from ‘Alley-Oop’ and with a dump in the last sigh he gave an epic victory to the Nuggets.

The play was so fair that the referees had to review it to determine if it was in effect in time and finally gave it as valid.

With that explosion of joy ended one night between vibrant and crazy for Nuggets headed by Jokic with 36 points (14 of 25 in shots), 21 rebounds and 8 assists.

Without Russell Westbrook for physical discomfort, the entire Denver quintet ended in double scoring digits: Gordon (14 points and 6 rebounds), Jamal Murray (13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists), Michael Porter Jr. (17 points) and Christian Braun (17 points and 7 rebounds).

For their part, the clippers caressed one night for memory but could not specify the task. His top scorers were Kawhi Leonard (24 points and 9 rebounds), Norman Powell (22 points), Ivica Zubac (19 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists) and James Harden (15 points and 11 assists).

The fifth match will be played in Denver on Tuesday. The winner of this series will face Oklahoma City Thunder.

Without Jimmy Butler for the coup in the pelvis he suffered in the previous game, Golden State Warriors won 104-93 to Houston Rockets and placed 2-1 In this first round series thanks to a magnificent Stephen Curry.

The great base wore 36 points (12 of 23 in shots with 5 of 13 in triples and 7 of 8 from the personnel line), 7 rebounds and 9 assists for some Warriors that will play again in San Francisco the fourth encounter of the tie.

Besides, Curry became the tenth scorer in the history of the NBA playoffs overcoming Tony Parker.

Buddy Hield (17 points) and Gary Payton II (16 points) accompanied Curry in very meritorious Warriors, whose strong defense, with Draymond Green in command, left the rocks below 40% in field and triple shots.

Houston, who came to send 13 points in the second quarter, ended the game without any player above 20 points.

Fred Vanvleet was his top scorer with 17 points but with a 5 of 14 in field shots. Alperen Sengun added 15 points and 11 rebounds, Jalen Green stayed in just 9 points (4 of 11) and Dillon Brooks contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds but was expelled for faults.