Warriors Cruise to Complete Sweep of Blazers
The Golden State Warriors got Kevin Durant back for Game 4 on Monday night, but in all honesty, he really wasn't needed as the top seed blew past the Portland Trail Blazers for a 128-103 victory, officially completing the sweep. Steph Curry led the charge with 37 points, while Durant had just 10 points in 21 minutes of his return, but the Warriors became the first team to advance in the West. Golden State got off to a historically quick start, setting an NBA playoff record with 45 points in the opening quarter. They finished the night shooting 55% from the floor as a team, and led by as many as 33, including a score of 72-48 at the half. Damian Lillard led the scoring for Portland with 34 points, as their fourth consecutive playoff appearance ended with an early exit. The Warriors wasted little time getting the upper-hand with a 14-0 start, which ended up being a 22-3 lead heading into the first timeout. They will go against the winner of the Utah Jazz-Los Angeles Clippers series, which is tied at two apiece heading into tonight's Game 5.
Hawks Hold off Wizards to Even Series
The Atlanta Hawks overcame a sluggish start on Monday night to help them come back from a slow start in the series and even it up at two with a 111-101 Game-4 victory. Paul Millsap had an all-around game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Dwight Howard added a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds in the pivotal home win. Dennis Schroder dealt with early foul trouble while going scoreless in the first half, but ended the game with 18 points, despite spending most of the night on the bench. Backup Jose Calderon had 10 points and five assists in 20 minutes to help keep the Hawks in striking distance. In fact, Atlanta outscored the Wizards by 29 points with Calderon on the floor, compared to being outscored by 19 with him off. Atlanta had seven players finish in double figures, including Kent Bazemore with 16 points off the bench. The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal's 32 points, while John Wall had 22 points and 10 assists in their second straight defeat. They will look to take the momentum back when they host Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Raptors Rout Bucks to Take Series Lead
The Toronto Raptors got major contribution from an unlikely source on Monday night, as Norm Powell scored a playoff career-high 25 points in a 118-93 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5. The convincing win gives Toronto a 3-2 series lead despite Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up 30 points for Milwaukee. Kyle Lowry chipped in a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists as he continues to try to regain his old form. The Raptors got plenty of contribution across the board, including Serge Ibaka with 19 points, DeMar DeRozan with 18, and DeMarre Carroll with 12, making that all five starters in double figures. Corey Joseph also put up double figures with 10 points off the bench, as the Raptors returned the favor after getting blown out by 27 points in Game 3. They can advance to face the Cleveland Cavaliers with a Game-6 win on the road Thursday night.
The Golden State Warriors got Kevin Durant back for Game 4 on Monday night, but in all honesty, he really wasn't needed as the top seed blew past the Portland Trail Blazers for a 128-103 victory, officially completing the sweep. Steph Curry led the charge with 37 points, while Durant had just 10 points in 21 minutes of his return, but the Warriors became the first team to advance in the West. Golden State got off to a historically quick start, setting an NBA playoff record with 45 points in the opening quarter. They finished the night shooting 55% from the floor as a team, and led by as many as 33, including a score of 72-48 at the half. Damian Lillard led the scoring for Portland with 34 points, as their fourth consecutive playoff appearance ended with an early exit. The Warriors wasted little time getting the upper-hand with a 14-0 start, which ended up being a 22-3 lead heading into the first timeout. They will go against the winner of the Utah Jazz-Los Angeles Clippers series, which is tied at two apiece heading into tonight's Game 5.
Hawks Hold off Wizards to Even Series
The Atlanta Hawks overcame a sluggish start on Monday night to help them come back from a slow start in the series and even it up at two with a 111-101 Game-4 victory. Paul Millsap had an all-around game with 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Dwight Howard added a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds in the pivotal home win. Dennis Schroder dealt with early foul trouble while going scoreless in the first half, but ended the game with 18 points, despite spending most of the night on the bench. Backup Jose Calderon had 10 points and five assists in 20 minutes to help keep the Hawks in striking distance. In fact, Atlanta outscored the Wizards by 29 points with Calderon on the floor, compared to being outscored by 19 with him off. Atlanta had seven players finish in double figures, including Kent Bazemore with 16 points off the bench. The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal's 32 points, while John Wall had 22 points and 10 assists in their second straight defeat. They will look to take the momentum back when they host Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Raptors Rout Bucks to Take Series Lead
The Toronto Raptors got major contribution from an unlikely source on Monday night, as Norm Powell scored a playoff career-high 25 points in a 118-93 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5. The convincing win gives Toronto a 3-2 series lead despite Giannis Antetokounmpo putting up 30 points for Milwaukee. Kyle Lowry chipped in a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists as he continues to try to regain his old form. The Raptors got plenty of contribution across the board, including Serge Ibaka with 19 points, DeMar DeRozan with 18, and DeMarre Carroll with 12, making that all five starters in double figures. Corey Joseph also put up double figures with 10 points off the bench, as the Raptors returned the favor after getting blown out by 27 points in Game 3. They can advance to face the Cleveland Cavaliers with a Game-6 win on the road Thursday night.
