The Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks gave us one other barnbuner on Thursday, with the Hawks escaping with their second straight one-point win to take a 2-1 lead of their first spherical sequence. The Knicks are in main bother. This could be a 3-6 sequence, however the Hawks are proving to be every bit their equal.
Elsewhere, the Nuggets additionally discover themselves in a bind after Minnesota dealt them a 113-96 beating to take a 2-1 lead in that first-round sequence, whereas the Raptors received their sequence with Cleveland to 2-1 (nonetheless in favor of the Cavs) with a 126-104 win at house.
Let’s check out the large winners and losers from Thursday evening’s playoff motion.
Winner: Atlanta’s Jonathan Kuminga commerce
People are giving the Hawks hell proper now for buying and selling Luke Kennard (who’s going off for the Lakers) for Gabe Vincent, however no matter. Kennard is just not needed on this staff, and he is very needed on the Lakers.
Meanwhile, it is one other commerce that’s trying like a giant winner for the Hawks, who took an upside swing on the ultra-talented Kuminga in change for Kristaps Porzingis, who was hardly enjoying for them. Kuminga has been sensational over the past two video games of this sequence, posting a mixed 40 factors on 61.5% taking pictures.
This is just not some new growth for Kuminga, who has had big playoff video games within the past for the Warriors. The enigmatic former lottery choose averaged over 24 factors over the ultimate 4 video games of the Warriors-Timberwolves sequence final yr after Steph Curry received damage, functioning as a legit go-to scorer. It’s onerous to imagine a man this good was out of Steve Kerr’s rotation for lengthy stints. He should really feel like he has a brand new lease on his basketball life.
It’s not simply the environment friendly scoring. Kuminga is bringing infectious vitality. He’s clearly feeling his position with this staff, and his protection has been legit superior. Coach Quin Snyder has closed with him the final two video games so he can maintain 4 shooters round CJ McCollum for optimum spacing and giving Jalen Brunson nowhere to cover.
Snyder has additionally matched Kuminga onto Karl-Anthony Towns so the Knicks cannot run pick-and-roll with their finest two gamers with out a lengthy, athletic defender switching onto Brunson. It has thrown a complete wrinkle into New York’s late-game assault. Towns has two factors over the past two fourth quarters.
On the deciding defensive possession of Game 3, Kuminga began on Towns, switching onto Hart, doubled down on Brunson, and then beat Hart to the free ball as time expired. This is big-time stuff.
Indeed, Kuminga has been entrance and middle on each ends on this sequence and he is taking the chance to indicate everybody, as soon as once more, that he is a big-time playoff participant.
Loser: Denver’s Nikola Jokić minutes
You’re not going to listen to this typically, however the Nuggets received slaughtered in Jokic’s 35 minutes on Thursday. He was a team-worst minus-21. They are minus-11 with him on the ground for the sequence. This is a real shock watching Jokic play this poorly.
It clearly speaks to Jokic’s greatness that he is averaging 25/14/7 and we’re saying he is enjoying poorly, however it’s the reality. He’s taking pictures 40%. He’s virtually completely misplaced his 3-ball (5 for twenty-four to this point on this sequence, and he made simply 32% of his 3s over the season’s ultimate two-plus months after coming back from the hyperextended knee). The Wolves can now sag off him and clog the paint with relative impunity.
Meanwhile, within the paint, Rudy Gobert is proudly owning Jokic in a approach we have not seen anybody do to this diploma over the past half-decade, and it has Jokic pondering twice about performs he’s used to creating in his sleep. He has 12 turnovers within the three video games. Here’s a style of what Gobert has been serving up.
And one other …
Jokic made simply 7 of his 26 photographs on Thursday. The 19 misses are the second-most of his playoff profession, with essentially the most being 21, which additionally got here in opposition to Minnesota in 2023. Gobert wasn’t at all times Jokic’s defender in that sequence. Karl-Anthony Towns did a great quantity on him whereas Gobert served as extra of a roaming rim protector earlier than Aaron Gordon turned a deadeye shooter and stopped being a man you might go away alone.
But Gobert has had success in opposition to Jokic within the past, and he’s mirroring his minutes in a straight-up matchup this sequence and completely profitable the lean. Suffice it to say, if Jokic goes to be a unfavorable the Nuggets are in a world of bother. Add to that Aaron Gordon not enjoying Game 3 and being unsure for Game 4, and it will get much more dire.
Loser: Knicks’ Mikal Bridges commerce
Bridges has grow to be a simple goal for Knicks followers, who’ve been questioning for a while how on the planet their staff gave up 5 first-round picks for this man. I preserve it was an affordable commerce on the time. Bridges is not value that in a vacuum, clearly, however within the context of the Knicks and what they wished to create as one thing of a Boston blueprint with a stretch-shooting large and a ton of two-way wings, he felt fairly good.
He’s been tremendous for the Knicks in his two years. Nothing spectacular, however tremendous. Had some large moments in final yr’s playoffs. But in these playoffs, it has been an absolute mess. After lacking the potential game-winning shot in Game 2, right here was Bridges’ line in Game 3: 0 factors, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 4 turnovers.
Mike Brown may solely play him for 21 minutes, and throughout that point the Knicks had been outscored by 26 factors. Meanwhile, take a look at what the lineup with out Bridges did (with Deuce McBride as his substitute, as was the chosen lineup in closing time).
Don’t be shocked if McBride is within the beginning lineup rather than Bridges for Game 4, or on the very least taking loads of his minutes once more if Bridges would not flip this round shortly. The Knicks principally don’t have any margin for error from right here on out.
Winner: Wolves’ Ayo Dosunmu commerce
The Chicago Bulls‘ lack of ability to get even a single first-round choose in change for a number of actually good gamers must be studied. Dosunmu was the most recent to be shipped off in a deadline cope with the Timberwolves, who had a Nickeil Alexander-Walker-sized gap of their rotation till Dosunmu confirmed up.
Dosumnu was actually good for the Wolves from the time he confirmed up. He averaged 14.4 PPG on 52/41/92 taking pictures splits in 24 video games with Minnesota. He shot 44% from 3 for the yr. In the playoffs he is been even higher, averaging 16 factors and 5 assists on 58% taking pictures.
In the Wolves’ Game 3 win, Dosunmu put up 25 factors and 9 assists. Every one in all his 10 buckets got here on the rim. He was downhill all evening. He lower. He drove. He ran in transition. He completed the whole lot, as did just about all of the Wolves as they doubled up the Nuggets in paint factors 68-34.
Not unhealthy for a man that solely price you second-round picks and Rob Dillingham.
Winner: Toronto’s Barnes-Barrett duo
As talked about above, the Raptors made it a sequence in opposition to the Cavs by taking Game 3 at house. They’re nonetheless down 2-1, however had they misplaced on Thursday this factor would’ve been over.
RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes made positive that did not occur by scoring 33 factors apiece. The duo hit 9 of their 13 3s in changing into the primary teammates in NBA historical past to every put up at the least 33 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists on at the least 63% taking pictures.
On the opposite facet, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden had been held to a mixed 33 factors. Together with Evan Mobley, the trio missed 17 of their 21 3-pointers.
You in all probability should not depend on this taking place once more. Mitchell, on the very least, is not going to be held down like this fairly often, and if the Raptors taking pictures 57% total and 61% from 3 whereas outscoring the Cavs 60-40 within the paint is not an outlier, I do not know what’s.
Now, if Toronto manages to win Game 4, then we’ll have one thing actual to speak about. Until then, this can be a pretty widespread prevalence for a determined staff down 0-2 to win Game 3 at house.
