[Sport] Nets liquidate Celtics and LeBron can not avoid the Lakers' loss to Suns who go 3-2 in the NBA playoffs

[#Steeven.™]

Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 147-140 in two overtime times and left the key 3-2.

The Brooklyn Nets already fought the first round of the NBA playoffs in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Boston Celtics, while LeBron James has put himself against the wall after his Lakers fell on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns.

In the early hours, with a triple-double by star James Harden, the Nets beat the Celtics 123-109 and closed their first-round playoff series 4-1, cutting a ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Harden overflowed with 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and was seconded by the other two of the Big 3: Kyrie Irving, with 25 points, and Kevin Durant, with 24. The stellar trio combined to score 83 of the 123 points of the team.

For the Boston team, their scoring star Jayson Tatum had an excellent game with 32 points, nine sacks and five assists. Despite that performance, Tatum fell short as he has 50, 40 and 40 point games in this year's play-in and playoff games.

Despite this, he is the first Celtics player with three 40-point games in a postseason since Larry Bird in 1984-85.

The Celtics lost in the first round of these playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Meanwhile, the victory secures the Brooklyn Nets their ticket to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since 2014. This time they will face the Milwaukee Bucks, who swept the Miami Heat (4-0).

Harden, Nets engine

The game had a much calmer atmosphere at the Barclay Center, away from the electricity that accompanied Irving's return to Boston Garden in the previous two games.

On the court, Harden was the engine of the Nets. Author of a triple-double that he guided on several occasions, he allowed his team to take off on the scoreboard, either by his shots behind the arc or by attacking the painted area.

Without giving the impression of force, Brooklyn gave a big push in the middle of the fourth quarter, with four consecutive three-point actions: a basket plus Harden's free throw, followed by two long-range shots from the other two members of “ Big3, ”Durant and Irving, before Harden hit another. All in two minutes to lead 106-91.

“We did a very good job. Today we were able to toughen up the game in the fourth quarter. We closed the defense and since we know how to do it at the back offensively, we have fun, ”said Harden after the game.

Up front, the pace was too high for the Celtics, thanks to the injury absences of Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown, although Tatum, playing with pain in his right foot, scored 32 points.

Therefore, the logic in favor of the Nets was respected, who will have to assume a little more their status as favorites in the next round, starting on Saturday, against the Bucks of the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.

LeBron, against the wall

At the end, in Phoenix, the host Suns were too much for the Lakers to easily beat them 115-85 and make them uncomfortable in the West, as the Laguners are down 3-2, and LeBron against the wall.

True, the Lakers didn't count on Anthony Davis, the man who posted back-to-back 34-point performances to give the Los Angeles quintet a brief lead in their first-round series, but a knee injury first and then a left groin strain. they questioned it very much for Game 5 this Tuesday.

However, LeBron was the best man for his team with 24 points, but his effort fell on deaf ears as the Suns took 30 cards from his team.

The big man for the Suns was Devin Booker with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

A four-time MVP, LeBron surely had the orientation to shoulder the team, but he really was quite controlled.

However, LeBron had said that “for me, he is putting our team in a position to be successful. I start with my focus, my responsibility, it trickles down to everyone else. So these shoulders are built for a reason. If it takes me to put a little more on top, so be it. I am ready for the challenge ”.

The Lakers' next game will be this Thursday at their home, where the Angelenos could tie the series for the best of seven games.

Nuggets subdue Blazers

In Denver, with the Serbian Nikola Jokic at the helm, the Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 147-140 in two overtime times to also go ahead in the West 3-2.

After a first overtime tied with 14 points each team, the Nuggets went comfortable with a 12-5 offense to clinch the win.

Jokic signed a great game with an offensive waste of 38 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, escorted by Monte Morris, with 28 points coming off the bench, and Michael Porter Jr. with 26 cards.

Two others who stood out for the Nuggets were Aaron Gordon, with 14 points and 10 balls recovered under the boards, and Austin Rivers with 18 points.

The Nuggets also made 20 3-pointers (60 points) in 44 attempts, and 27 of 32 free throws, in addition to good dominance under the boards with 52 rebounds for 45 of their rivals.

On the other hand, the Blazers once again had the excellent performance of their scoring star Damian Lillard, who overflowed with a whopping 55 points, in addition to 10 serves for scoring.