LeBron James and the Lakers celebrate the victory in Game 4 against Memphis (from Twitter)
A big playoff night awaited NBA fans.
Four crucial games were held between Wednesday and Thursday: it began with the Knicks advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals after a win in Cleveland, continued with Memphis staying alive with a home win over the Lakers, and continued at this time with Milwaukee trying to avoid elimination against Miami and with Golden State trying to complete a series turnaround against Sacramento.
The night's games:
Cleveland (4) - New York (5) 106:95 (the Knicks finished 1:4 in the series and went up a round)
Memphis (2) - LA Lakers (7) 99:116 (the Grizzlies reduced the series to 3:2 )
Milwaukee (1) - Miami (8) (the Heat lead the series 1:3)
Sacramento (3) - Golden State (6) (the series is 2:2)
fortress.
Bain and Morant celebrate (Photo: GettyImages, Justin Ford)
A weak evening by his standards.
LeBron next to Morant (Photo: Reuters)
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Memphis (2) - LA Lakers (7) 99:116 (the Grizzlies reduced the series to 3:2)
There are quite a few teams that would have been broken after the brutal loss in Game 4, but the young Grizzlies have already proven their toughness and character many times - and above all, they once again illustrated how difficult it is to beat them on their court.
After tonight's win, the Grizzlies went 0-5 in 5 games held in Memphis over the years, and showed why they were the team with the best home record in the NBA in the regular season.
The game was controlled by the Grizzlies in most of its phases.
Jah Morant and Desmond Bain led a 4:15 run that gave Memphis a 14-point lead in the second quarter, which grew to 17 at its peak.
8 consecutive points by DeAngelo Russell at the beginning of the second half brought the Lakers closer to minus one point only, but starting from that point the Grizzlies completely took control of the game and with the 2:26 run that closed the quarter, turned the last quarter into garbage time.
Desmond Bain led the Grizzlies with 33 points and 10 rebounds, and together with Jay Morant who finished with a double-double of 31 and 10 (along with 7 assists) they returned the series to Los Angeles, where Memphis will have to win for the first time this season To force a Game 7. Leading the Lakers this time was Anthony Davis who finished with 31 points, 19 rebounds and 2 blocks, but finished the last quarter on the bench after complaining of back pain.
LeBron James was subdued after the big performance in Game 4, starting the game just 1-for-7 from the field and, although he recovered later, finished it with 15 points on just 5-for-17 from the field (including 1-for-9 from three) along with 10 rebounds , 5 assists and 5 turnovers.
Austin Reaves continued to be the X factor with 17, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, but this time it wasn't enough for the Lakers.
Series in one side stand.
Robinson and Quickley celebrate (Photo: GettyImages, Kirk Irwin)
The Cubs' inexperience hurt them, and him.
Mitchell (Photo: GettyImages, Kirk Irwin)
Cleveland (4) - New York (5) 106:95 (the Knicks finished 1:4 in the series and advanced)
This was supposed to be a balanced and close series, but for the most part it was one sided.
The bottom line is one: the Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2013, awaiting the winner between Miami and Milwaukee, and seem ready for the task after passing another test of character without Julius Randle, who aggravated the injury he was carrying and missed the second half.
The Knicks showed dominance from the first quarter, which they finished with a 7 lead, and went into the break with a double digit lead.
Julius Randle's injury in the second quarter could have turned into a moment of crisis, but Obi Taupin, who opened the second half with five at his expense, scored 12 points in the third quarter and helped the Knicks increase the gap to 18.
In the last quarter, Donovan Mitchell and his friends tried to get back into business and managed to narrow the gap to only 6, but the Knicks did not allow them to get any closer, and celebrated together with the hundreds of their fans who supported them in Ohio.
Jalen Bronson, who recorded a wonderful series and knocked out Donovan Mitchell for the second season in a row, starred with 23 points and was helped by 21 from RJ Barrett and 19 from Emmanuel Quickley.
On the other side, Donovan Mitchell did his thing again and finished with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, but the inexperience of the players around him was again felt, and the Cubs finish their first playoffs after a five-year absence, feeling disappointed.
Darius Garland added 21 points and Chris Levert contributed 17, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, but what looked like one of the most promising teams in the league goes into the break with many lessons for the future.
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