2024 NBA playoffs roundtable: What to observe heading into huge Recreation 6 matchups – ESPN

Stephen A. Smith factors fingers after the Knicks’ Recreation 5 loss to the Sixers. (3:21)
The primary spherical of the 2024 NBA playoffs has been nothing wanting thrilling, giving us every thing from sweeps to back-and-forth battles on each side of the bracket.
Within the Western Convention, the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have already secured spots within the second spherical, with the Nuggets and Wolves beginning their collection on Saturday in Denver. The Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers, in the meantime, continued their seesaw collection because the Mavericks dominated Recreation 5 at Crypto.com Area on Wednesday.
Additionally Wednesday, the Boston Celtics grew to become the primary Jap Convention crew to succeed in the following spherical, ousting the Miami Heat in Recreation 5. The remaining three spots are up for grabs, because the New York Knicks could have a second probability to shut out Philadelphia after the 76ers‘ electrifying Recreation 5 comeback on Tuesday, led by a 46-point efficiency from Tyrese Maxey.
Our NBA insiders break down the most important storylines to observe going into these principal Recreation 6 matchups as we spherical out the second week of the NBA playoffs.
MORE: Everything to know about the playoffs | Offseason guides for every team

Thursday, 6:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
With a win in Recreation 5, the Bucks stored their season alive for at the least yet another recreation and in flip gave their star duo additional time to return to the ground. Each Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are “very close,” to returning, Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated after Recreation 5, indicating the Bucks might have assist in Indianapolis.
Antetokounmpo has not performed on this collection, sidelined for the previous three weeks with a calf pressure. Lillard has been out since Recreation 3 with an Achilles pressure.
But the Bucks grew to become the primary crew in NBA historical past to win a playoff recreation with out their high two scorers from the common season, they usually did so in convincing trend. Milwaukee lower off Indiana on the quick break — profitable the transition factors battle 11-7 for the primary time all collection in opposition to the Pacers’ second-ranked offense — and smothered All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton with double-teams.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo had been scheduled for a exercise forward of Recreation 6. The query for Milwaukee, even when it will get one or each of its celebrity duo again on the ground, is whether or not it will likely be too late within the collection for it to make a distinction.
The Bucks should win an elimination recreation on the street to a crew that additionally bested them 4 of 5 instances throughout the common season. However a veteran Bucks participant believes they’ve given themselves an opportunity by extending the collection, letting the Pacers know they won’t go house simply.
“We all know what we’re able to. We all know what we now have within the locker room and we now have guys that compete,” Bucks ahead Bobby Portis stated after Recreation 5.
“There wasn’t any weight on our shoulders. I believe there’s extra weight on theirs.”
— Jamal Collier

Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (TNT)
Relating to this battle for I-95, the place ought to we start?
There have been two miraculous comebacks. The Knicks (Recreation 2) and 76ers (Recreation 5) rallied from five- and six-point deficits, respectively, with below 30 seconds remaining. The Knicks prevailed in regulation, whereas the Sixers did so in additional time.
The 2023-24 common season is full, and the postseason is underway. We now have every thing it is advisable to observe alongside for one more epic title chase.
• What we’ve learned in the first round so far
• Pelton: How injuries have shaped playoffs
• MacMahon: The art of the decel move
• Tynes: What fuels Paolo Banchero
• Herring: Top 25 players in playoffs
There have been scoring bursts. A hobbled Joel Embiid dropped 50 factors in Recreation 3, Jalen Brunson went for 47 in Recreation 4 and Tyrese Maxey completed with 46 in his clutch Recreation 5 efficiency. Via 5 video games and 245 whole minutes, the 76ers, regardless of trailing the collection 3-2, have outscored the Knicks by two factors.
There are important teaching choices to be made, most notably: Will Nick Nurse proceed to play Embiid, nonetheless restricted by his knee harm, the complete second half?
This primary-round slugfest has produced a little bit of every thing — even Knicks fans loudly making their presence felt in Philly — with every recreation a reminder that the one fixed on this collection is that each contest will come right down to the hustle performs and frantic remaining possessions.
— Tim Bontemps

Friday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Cleveland has constructed its benefit behind the league’s seventh-ranked protection, however to shut out this collection in Orlando, it has to attain extra. The Cavs lastly broke the 100-point mark in Recreation 5, when Darius Garland raced out to 17 first-quarter factors and Donovan Mitchell completed with 28. Max Strus, who had struggled capturing, knocked down 4 3-pointers, and Marcus Morris Sr. added 12 factors off the bench.

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Yes, that game was sealed by an Evan Mobley block — his defensive presence is much more necessary with Jarrett Allen’s status up in the air — however within the two video games the Cavs dropped in Orlando’s Kia Middle, that they had no reply for scoring runs by the Magic, who had the sixth-best house file within the league throughout the common season.
In Recreation 4, Mitchell went scoreless within the second half, whereas the Cavs surrendered a 31-5 run within the third quarter and shot simply 4-of-17 from 3.
— Kendra Andrews

Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Luka Doncic did not wish to hear it, interrupting a reporter’s query as quickly as the topic of the Mavericks’ final playoff collection in opposition to the Clippers was broached.
These groups had been in the identical place within the 2021 playoffs, when the Mavs took a 3-2 lead in a first-round collection and headed house for Recreation 6. LA received the following two video games, eliminating Dallas for the second consecutive season.
“Current. Current. Not previous,” Doncic insisted after his 35-point, 10-assist efficiency within the Mavs’ Recreation 5 blowout win.
Clippers star Paul George, not surprisingly, was way more keen to debate the latest historical past between the 2 groups. He truly made a degree to deliver it up after what could possibly be the Clippers’ remaining house recreation at Crypto.com Area until their prior Recreation 6 street success repeats itself.
“We have been right here earlier than — going to Dallas, being down 3-2,” George stated. “It is bought to be a win, and the one mentality we now have is to attempt to go get a win in Dallas.”
In that occasion three years in the past, Kawhi Leonard carried the Clippers to a Recreation 6 victory. He matched his playoff profession excessive with 45 factors and performed smothering protection on Doncic down the stretch in that recreation.
However the Clippers cannot rely on that taking place once more. Leonard hasn’t been obtainable since Recreation 3 due to persistent irritation in his proper knee, and he is not anticipated to return throughout this collection.
Earlier than this collection began, Doncic identified one other main distinction from the opposite instances the Mavs and Clippers met within the playoffs.
“We now have Kai,” Doncic stated, referring to Kyrie Irving, his championship skilled co-star.
“We’ll get some relaxation after this one,” Irving stated. “Feelings are excessive, however we simply bought to be prepared for no matter’s going to be thrown at us.”
— Tim MacMahon

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