Toronto Raptors V Brooklyn Nets (Raptors up 2-0)
The Nets got more bad news after the Raptors stomped them in game two; Joe Harris had to leave the bubble. Harris is the Nets’ second-best player, and him going is the unofficial nail in their coffin.
On Friday, the Raptors quickly took the lead. The Nets played as hard as they could to hang on, but that slight lead devolved into a massacre. The Raptors won 117-92 and took an unbeatable 3-0 lead on the Nets.
This series is over for the Nets. They will probably be leaving the bubble after Sunday’s game, thinking, “What if?” Before the NBA season restart, Nets players were either injured or unwilling to go into the bubble. And as the season unfolded, they ended up facing the reigning champs in the first round of the playoffs.
A sweep was pretty much a guarantee for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam (11-23FG 2-6 3PT 2-4FT 26PTS 8REB 5AST 1STL 2TO 33MIN) had his breakout game of this series and looks ready for the second round. Serge Ibaka (8-12FG 3-3 3PT 1-1FT 20PTS 13REB 2AST 1STL 2TO 23MIN) came out of his slump to lead the bench and give the second unit some much-needed punch.
A team has yet to come back from 3-0 in the history of the NBA, and the Nets have zero chance of breaking that tradition. Sunday’s game will end the pain for the Nets so they can concentrate on the 2020-21 season.
Denver Nuggets V Utah Jazz (Series tied 1-1)
The Nuggets are lucky they are not down 2-0, because the Jazz have outplayed them in every game in this series. In a series tied at 1-1, game three is always a huge advantage to win. The Utah Jazz took that advantage and obliterated the Nuggets 124-87.
Jazz veteran PG Mike Conley Jr (9-13FG 7-8 3PT 2-2FT 27PTS 4AST 1STL) did not disappoint after his much-anticipated return. Rudy Gobert (11-15FG 2-5 24PTS 14REB 1STL 1TO 32MIN) shut down the best center in the league, Nikola Jokic (15PTS). The Jazz only allowed three players to score in double figures.
The Nuggets have to be the most disappointing team of the playoffs so far. The Jazz are missing their second-leading scorer, Bogdan Bogdanovich, which should have been to the Nuggets’ advantage. They might sneak out one more game to make this a six-game series, but I cannot see them making it to the next round.
Boston Celtics V Philadelphia 76ers (Celtics up 2-0)
The Philadelphia 76ers looked like they wanted to throw in the towel after game two. But on Friday, they showed that they are not going to let the Celtics coast into the second round. The 76ers made game three competitive, with a chance to win the game until the last minute was played.
The Celtics won 102-94 after pulling away late in the game with a 10-0 run to seal their victory. Joel Embiid (7-20FG 2-5 3PT 14-16FT 30PTS 13REB 1AST 1STL 1BLK 4TO 35MIN) left it all on the court on Friday night, but the 76ers still came up short.
The most significant factor in the Celtics winning this game was their lockdown defense. The 76ers were only able to shoot 29.5%FG 23.1%3PT. The Celtics offense did enough to win. They finally saw some life out of Kemba Walker (24PTS 8REB 4AST) who will need to be in their second-round matchup to make up for the loss of Gordon Heyward.
The 76ers showed that they do not intend to give up and hand the victory to the Celtics. Being down 3-0 does not mean the 76ers will not steal the game on Sunday.
Los Angeles Clippers V Dallas Mavericks (Series tied at 1-1)
Other than Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers were flat out embarrassing on Wednesday night in their loss to the Mavericks. Luckily for the Clippers, they came out and played Clipper’s basketball on Friday night. The bench played well, they played good defense, and the Mavericks could not handle it.
The score was tied 23-23 at the end of the first quarter. But in the second quarter, the Clippers flipped the switch and scored a monstrous 45 points, opening up a 14 point lead. The Clippers cruised to a victory of 130-122 to take the lead 2-1 over the Mavericks.
The Mavericks did get quite a scare when Luka Doncic hurt his ankle in the third. Doncic tried to come back but had to take himself out for good. Maverick fans are hoping this injury does not take Doncic out of what has been an excellent series where he managed to get his first playoff triple-double (13PTS 10REB 10AST). Kristaps Porzingis (11-18FG 5-9 3PT 7-7FT 34PTS 13REB 1AST 1BLK 1TO 38MIN) stepped up to make up for the loss of Doncic after the subpar play in the earlier games.
The Clippers were paced by Kawhi Leonard (13-24FG 1-4 3PT 9-10FT 36PTS 9REB 8AST 2STL 1BLK 2TO 39MIN), who dominated in every facet of this game. Kawhi holds the Clippers franchise record of earning 100 points through his first three playoff games. The Clippers had a total of 7 players in double digits. This is the depth most NBA fans had come to know and the reason the Clippers are one of the favorites to win it all this season.
Luka Doncic is, without a doubt, the make or break factor for the Mavericks. If Doncic has to miss any games, the Mavericks’ dream season will over, and the Clippers will close it out in five games.