NBA Championship favourites both beaten at home in Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals
Two huge odds wins in the first games of these two NBA Conference semifinals series. New York went to Boston and won at odds of 4.075, and even more impressive was Denver's trip to Oklahoma City winning at odds of 4.63. Having a two game parlay on those two results would have generated odds of 18.87.
KNICKS 108, CELTICS 105, OT
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Knicks, odds 4.075
Line: Knicks (+8.5), odds 1.93
Total Points: Under (213.5 odds 1.909)
Pre-game Prediction
Knicks, 23.4%
Celtics, 76.6%
Knicks lead the Eastern Conference Semifinal series 1-0
BOSTON (AP) — The Knicks grew accustomed to facing big deficits against the Celtics this season.
New York faced another one to open its Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against the defending NBA champions. This time, the Knicks found a way to overcome it.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points before Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Jaylen Brown with a second left in overtime, and the Knicks stunned Boston 108-105 in Game 1 of their series on Monday night.
Karl-Anthony Towns added 14 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which lost all four games against its longtime rival during the regular season and trailed by 20 points in the second half of this game.
“We told each other just keep believing. Just keep fighting and sticking together, and keep chipping away. There wasn’t going to be a 20-point shot," Brunson said.
Jayson Tatum and Brown both had 23 points for the Celtics, who had an NBA playoff-record 45 missed 3-pointers to blow a game they appeared to have in control. Derrick White added 19 points and 11 rebounds.
“In those spots where they have momentum, we can’t just fire up 3s," Brown said. "I felt like we just settled in the second half a lot.”
Jrue Holiday returned to the starting lineup after a strained right hamstring caused him to miss the final three games of Boston’s first-round series against Orlando. He finished with 16 points in 39 minutes, but center Kristaps Porzingis played only 13 minutes and didn’t return after halftime because of an illness.
Game 2 is Wednesday night.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said missing Porzingis impacted the Celtics' approach.
“Obviously it impacts the game with his ability on both ends of the floor,“ Mazzulla said. ”It's no excuse. We had plenty of opportunities. ... Hopefully he's ready for Game 2."
The Knicks struck first in OT, taking a 106-100 edge via a three-point play by Anunoby, followed by 3-pointer by Bridges.
Brown connected on a 3-pointer from the wing with just over a minute left — his only make in 10 attempts behind the arc — to cut it to 108-105.
It stayed that way when Josh Hart misfired on a deep 3. Tatum missed a jumper, but the Celtics were able to retrieve the rebound. After a foul on Towns, Boston called timeout with 3 seconds showing on the clock.
But Bridges ripped the inbounds pass away from Brown to preserve the win.
The Celtics finished 15 for 60 on 3-pointers. Of the 49 shots the Celtics took in the second half and OT, 37 were 3-pointers. They connected on only 10 of them.
Boston led 75-55 midway through the third quarter but New York cut it to 84-75 entering the final period, thanks to a 20-9 run.
The Knicks kept it going, scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter. They eventually tied it at 86 on a steal and dunk by Anunoby.
Three ties and three lead changes later, New York led 97-95 when the Celtics pushed the ball ahead and swung it to White for a corner 3-pointer to put Boston back in front with 2:15 left. A 3 by Anunoby put New York in front by two, but it was answered on the other end by Holiday's layup to tie it again.
The Knicks had a great look to win it in regulation after Brunson got a give-and-go pass from Towns, but missed a short bank shot that was rebounded by Boston. The Celtics called timeout with 0.6 seconds remaining but Tatum missed a lunging jumper at the buzzer.
Brunson said Monday's win was a good start, but hardly a roadmap to win this series.
“I don’t think there is a blueprint per se," Brunson said. "But as long as we stick together, anything is possible.”
NBA's Top 5 Plays of the Night - May 5 - NBA Playoffs
NUGGETS 121, THUNDER 119
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Nuggets, odds 4.63
Line: Nuggets (+10.5), odds 1.908
Total Points: Over (228.5) odds 1.899
Pre-game Prediction
Nuggets, 22%
Thunder, 78%
Nuggets lead the Western Conference Semifinal series 1-0
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Nikola Jokic showed why he's a finalist for another MVP award with his historic stat line. But with Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals at stake, the ball again found Aaron Gordon's hands.
Gordon hit a 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining, supporting Jokic's 42-point, 22-rebound effort and giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 121-119 comeback win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night.
It was the kind of finish one might expect of a team that won the NBA title just two seasons ago.
“We just didn’t want to miss the moment, didn’t want to miss the opportunity," Gordon said. "We knew that if we waited, it may be too late. I’m glad we showed our mettle, our grit, but we’re not satisfied.”
It was Gordon's second game-winner of the playoffs. His dunk on a Jokic miss as time expired lifted the Nuggets past the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 4 of their first-round series.
Gordon did much more than hit the deciding shot against the Thunder.
“Aaron’s going to be a hero again," Denver interim coach David Adelman said. "But I’m also looking at 14 rebounds. I’m looking at 22 points. Looking at ball-handling responsibilities, leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man. Like, he is the soul of our team. So, cool to see him have two moments that no one will forget.”
Jokic became just the fourth player to have at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.
Denver’s Russell Westbrook, who started his career with the Thunder, assisted on Gordon’s game-winner. It was his first playoff game in Oklahoma City as an opposing player.
Jamal Murray added 21 points for the fourth-seeded Nuggets, who stole the opener after closing out a seven-game series against the Clippers on Saturday.
Denver's opportunity came after Oklahoma City's Chet Holmgren missed two free throws with the Thunder leading by a point.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the other MVP finalist in the game, had 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who hadn't played in more than a week after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Alex Caruso added 20 points, six assists and five steals.
Jokic picked up three fouls during a two-minute stretch in the third quarter after committing just one foul in the first half. He stayed in the game with the Thunder leading 73-64.
The Nuggets closed the gap to 90-85 by the end of the third quarter.
With the Thunder leading 104-95 and just under seven minutes remaining, Jokic elbowed Oklahoma City's Lu Dort in the head on a drive, and the play was reviewed. The play was ruled a flagrant 1 on Jokic — his fifth foul — and Dort made two free throws.
Denver spent the rest of the game closing the gap, and Jokic never picked up the sixth foul.
The Thunder helped Denver by fouling intentionally while leading, and the Nuggets took advantage by making all four free throws in the final 12.9 seconds.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he didn't regret the strategy that ultimately kept the Nuggets close.
“It didn’t go our way tonight, but it’s worked out well for us in the past,” Daigneault said. “We’ll continue to look at it and learn from it, but I don’t think that’s why we lost the game.”
Oklahoma City led 113-102 with 4:31 remaining. The Thunder, normally one of the best closing teams in the league, fell apart against the veteran Nuggets.
“I never felt like anybody wavered,” Adelman said. “And that doesn’t mean you’re going to win the game. But we all know in the NBA playoffs these games are so long. You just try to give yourself a chance. We did that.”
