It was a busy nine-game Thursday in the NBA, and one of the games had Finals preview written all over it. One was a rematch of the Western Conference Finals from two seasons ago, while another was decided at the buzzer. Let’s take a look at those three games:
Knicks Turn Back Blazers on Game-Winning 3
Miles Bridges hit a game-winning, buzzer-beating triple from 25 feat to lift the New York Knicks (42-23) to a pulsating 114-113 win over the Portland Trail Blazers (28-39) in overtime at Moda Center.
Bridges also finished with a game-high 33 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 7 rebounds. OG Anunoby chipped in 23 points and Josh Hart put up 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Knicks were without Jalen Brunson, who is sidelined due to a sprained ankle.
Scott Henderson came off the Portland bench to score 30 points, while Deni Avdija had 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists. Donovan Clingan added 6 points, 12 boards, and 3 rejections in a game that was close from the get-go.
Up next:
Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors on March 16
Blazers vs. Toronto Raptors on March 17
Thunder Survive Celtics in Potential Finals Preview
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren powered the Oklahoma City Thunder (54-12) to a rousing 118-112 victory over the Boston Celtics (47-19) at TD Garden in a possible Finals preview.
SGA fired 34 points and dished off 7 dimes while also making 10 of his 11 free throws. Holmgren added 23 points and 15 boards for the Thunder, who clinched a playoff spot with the win. OKC also got a combined 32 points from Isaiah Hartenstein, Isaiah Joe, and Kenrich Williams off the bench.
Jayson Tatum scored a team-high 33 for the Celtics, who attempted an NBA-record 63 triples but made just 20. Tatum also had 8 rebounds and 8 assists but was just 4-for-13 from the arc. Derrick White and Al Horford chipped in 22 and 18, respectively, for Boston. A missing link, though, was Jaylen Brown, who only had 10 points and fouled out.
Up next:
Thunder vs. Detroit Pistons on March 16
Celtics vs. Miami Heat on March 15
Wolves Devour Nuggets with Strong First Half
The Minnesota Timberwolves (38-29) raced out to a 57-48 halftime lead and never looked back en route to a 115-95 triumph over the Denver Nuggets (42-24) at Ball Arena.
Anthony Edwards led the charge for the Wolves with 29 points, while Julius Randle put up 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Jaden McDaniels added 16 points and 8 rebounds and helped lead a smothering defense that held the Nuggets to 40% shooting a day after they shot 60.5% in a win over OKC.
Nikola Jokic was the lone bright spot for Denver with his 34 points and 8 boards. Russell Westbrook added 19. Jamal Murray chipped in 12 but was just 4-for-15 overall.
Up next:
Wolves vs. Orlando Magic on March 15
Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers on March 15
