by Kelly Iko, Eric Name, John Kroczynski, Doug Haller, Ro Murray, Tim Cate
Kawhi Leonard’s first game since March 31st turned out to be a true defensive battle that the LA Clippers couldn’t win. In Game 2, a 96-93 loss to Dallas, the Clippers’ entire nine-man rotation struggled, and the Mavericks won, shooting 36.8 percent from the field, tying the series at one point and taking home court advantage. It was reversed.
Tuesday’s game started with the Minnesota Timberwolves dealing with the Phoenix Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but it turned out to be a painful game. The Timberwolves took the series lead with a 2-0 lead. Won 105-93.
Then the Milwaukee Bucks — Star player Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Game 2 as he continues to rehabilitate a calf strain, resulting in a 125-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers, and the series ended at one game at a time. It was a big night for Pacers forward Pascal Siakam, who recorded 37 points and 11 rebounds. Damian Lillard scored 34 points for the Bucks, but he couldn’t have led his team to victory without the help of the two-time NBA MVP.
Mavericks 96, Clippers 93
The two sides will meet again in Game 3 in Dallas on Friday at 8pm ET.
Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving appear just in time
👑 Puravi MVP 👑 pic.twitter.com/yid5UgPpFs
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 24, 2024
The Mavericks have Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, have you heard? For better or worse, it’s this star duo that drives this team’s success, instills fear in opponents during matches, and helps teammates when they make mistakes. Down by one point entering the fourth quarter, Doncic had an inefficient night and Irving was quiet. Dallas’ role players struggled to make shots, and Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s rotation was down to just a few players he trusted.
And then the two arrived. Loudly and dramatically, Irving and then Doncic hit threes to put Dallas first at three points and then at six. Irving tipped with a baseline floater. With this dignity of his two to take over when needed, he eventually called upon the help of role players, especially PJ Washington and Maxi Kleber. In a game where space narrowed to an abyss of limbo and danger and Leonard’s return made the Clippers’ defense even more intense, every point felt like an oasis.
Dallas matched that intensity. After one game where Kidd said his team didn’t start the first half with enough physicality, the team brought a ton of physicality from the opening whistle. Doncic and Irving led the offense with desperation but focus, just as Kidd had asked. And despite what was taken against them in the third quarter for 36 minutes that Dallas must have felt had killed its chance to take the lead, these two stars were back in the fourth quarter when they needed to be. He appeared.
And the series returns to Dallas for the next two installments. — Tim Cato, Mavericks Beat Writer
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Kawhi Leonard, supporting cast struggles offensively
The Clippers’ worst game all season in terms of field goal percentage was 37.6 percent against the NBA’s top defense of the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, despite only scoring 89 points in that game, the Clippers were able to escape with a one-point victory.
That wasn’t the case in Game 2. In fact, the Clippers held the Mavericks to fewer points than they did in Game 1 (96 points), but the Clippers’ offense struggled and the benefits of Leonard’s return from injury were limited. The two-time NBA Finals MVP played his first game in 23 days Tuesday night, but scored just 15 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and missed all five of his 3-pointers.
Leonard’s co-stars were a little better in field goals, as Paul George and James Harden each scored 22 points on 13-of-28 shooting (46.4 percent allowed). But Harden missed 8 of 10 3s, and George missed 3 of 4 from 3 seconds before the buzzer sounded.
The other Clippers struggled mightily from everywhere. Ivica Zubac was the star of Game 1, scoring 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. However, in Game 2, Zubac was below average, missing 7 of 12 field goals. Outside of George, Harden and Zubac, the Clippers struggled to score efficiently in Game 1, especially in the paint. Game 2 was by far the worst, with the Clippers struggling both inside and outside. Terrence Mann, Norman Powell, Russell Westbrook and Amir Coffey combined for just 20 points on 7-of-27 shooting (25.9 percent).
Reversion to the mean is a great thing to look forward to, and the Clippers could certainly be better at making shots at both the star and role player level. But the Mavericks had arrived. Their top-ranked defense in the final quarter of the regular season makes sense now. — Ro Murray, Clippers beat writer
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Kawhi Leonard’s return is a long-term win for the Clippers, but his rust hurt them in Game 2
Pacers 125, Bucks 108
The games are evenly matched, with each team looking to take advantage in Game 3 in Indianapolis on Friday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Pacer adjusts according to series
After two games, it’s clear that Milwaukee’s defensive game plan is first and foremost about putting pressure on Tyrese Haliburton, forcing him to give up the ball, and trusting the rotation behind him. It paid off in Game 1, when the Pacers missed an astonishing 30 of 38 threes and a surprisingly timid Haliburton seemed unwilling to force the issue. For a team that spent much of the regular season operating as an above-average outside shooting team, Game 1 was a worrying sign, especially against an experienced Bucks team.
At the start of Game 2, the Pacers made it clear that adjustments had been made since Sunday night’s misfire. Haliburton showed poise in controlling the tempo, making sure the ball moved crisply around the floor and allowing the Pacers great shots even when Milwaukee sent doubles and traps his way. Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner and Siakam combined for nine triples, more than they had in all of Game 1. As a team, Indiana shot an impressive 15-of-34 from behind the arc.
Pascal Siakam is cooking ♨️
His consecutive buckets force a timeout. He has reached 37 points. pic.twitter.com/aCvlOxtvO4
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 24, 2024
The Pacers’ 3-point proficiency forced the Bucks to change their offense and approach, leaving a gap in the middle of the floor for Siakam, who made 16 of 23 shots for 37 points. . — Kelly Iko, NBA Staff Writer
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Pascal Siakam elevates Pacers over Bucks in new leadership role: ‘He doesn’t budge at all’
Bucks will greatly miss Antetokounmpo
This hasn’t been easy for the Bucks without Antetokounmpo. They won Game 1 with an incredible performance from Lillard and a sluggish performance from the Pacers, who appeared to be unsettled by the Bucks’ playoff-level intensity and focus. However, the Bucks didn’t have enough power on both ends of the floor as the Pacers were more entrenched and prepared for the moment in Game 2.
Defensively, without a physical freak to move around, the Bucks had to step up their defensive attack and hope the Pacers missed some 3-pointers. In Game 1, they did. In Game 2, he made 10 of his 20 3-point attempts in the first half. In the second half, the Bucs’ offense struggled and they were at a disadvantage.
The Bucks survived the first half of Game 2 with Lillard’s great shooting, but as the game continued, they were unable to display enough offensive power. Once the Pacers took Lillard, the Bucks forced shots near the rim, but struggled with contact and missed, watching as the Pacers broke away on their own and opened up a 20-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Ta. — Eric Name, Bucks Beat Writer
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Timberwolves 105, Suns 93
The Timberwolves earned their first win in the playoffs on Tuesday night, defeating the Phoenix Suns 105-93.
Jayden McDaniels scored 25 points for the Timberwolves, and Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley each added 18 points.Minnesota had three more players. — Karl-Anthony Towns (12), Anthony Edwards (15) and Nickell Alexander-Walker (10) — scored in double figures.
The connection between the MC and Rudy. 🤌 pic.twitter.com/vW21Kg5BsD
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 24, 2024
Booker led the Suns with 20 points and Durant had 18 points.
Minnesota is expected to take a commanding lead in Game 3, which will be played in Phoenix on Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Wolves stop the Big 3
The Timberwolves entered this series facing questions about how to handle the Suns’ star trio of Durant, Booker and Beal, but through two games in this series, the Suns have not answered the question of the Timberwolves’ depth. .
Edwards (15 points, 8 assists) and Towns (12 points, 8 rebounds) had walking games for the Timberwolves in Game 2, but McDaniels and Conley more than made up for it.
Jayden McDaniels, everyone. pic.twitter.com/YYWZxbDg8s
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 24, 2024
The Timberwolves seemed to wear down the Suns as the game wore on, turning a one-point lead at halftime into a seven-point lead after three quarters, and then opened the door wide open at the start of the fourth quarter to continue their run. . McDaniels scored 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, playing great defense against Durant but scoring most of his 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting.
Conley bounced back from 2-of-12 shooting in Game 1 to go 7-of-13 for 18 points. By the end of the game, the Suns looked defeated in more ways than one.
The Timberwolves didn’t hurt the Suns’ star players in two games. Booker scored an innocuous 20 points before fouling out, and Beal finished with 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
Minnesota showed they can compete with any success the Suns have. In Game 1, it was Alexander Walker and Naz Reid who helped Edwards have a big game. What was supposed to be one of the most competitive series in the first round was dominated by Minnesota. It was a matchup between the Suns’ Big 3 and the Timberwolves’ Big 9, but it wasn’t close. — John Kroczynski, Timberwolves beat writer
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Is this series over?
it’s not. However, the Sands have a problem that needs to be addressed immediately upon returning to the desert. Despite Tuesday’s final score, they were the better team in Game 2. In some areas. They rebounded better and largely kept Edwards in check. They got more physical, with Booker going toe-to-toe with McDaniels.
But the Suns have to find a way to get their big three back on track. They have no other choice. That’s how this team was built, with Booker, Durant, and Beal at the top. Through two games, that hasn’t been the case in Minneapolis. Durant scored 31 points in Game 1, but all three players struggled to find their rhythm in Game 2.
This isn’t surprising since Minnesota is the best defensive team in the league. It’s also not something that can be easily fixed. The Timberwolves have elite defenders in McDaniels and Gobert, and another player scheduled to play in Alexander Walker. But Sands can’t win a rock fight. Gritty, rough and feisty, these are not words to describe them.
If you can match the toughness of your opponent, you will have a spurt. But when adversity hits, they need the big three to be the difference-makers they are. It hasn’t happened yet in this series. And it’s probably their only chance. — Doug Haller, Arizona Sports Writer
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Fragile Phoenix loses to Minnesota in Game 2, exposed again
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(Photo: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)