Jamal Murray ends Lakers’ season; Thunder sweep Pelicans; concern for Celtics

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Good morning everyone, but especially…

JAMAL MURRAY AND THE DENVER NUGGETS…

Jamal Murray is a cold killer, and his latest victim is the Lakers‘ entire season. Murray nailed it jumper with 3.6 seconds remaining like the final dagger in the Nuggets‘ 108-106 victory in Game 5, which clinched the series.

• Murray, who finished with 32 points, also hit the game winner in game 2. He joins LeBron James (2018), Hedo Turkoglu (2009) and Robert Horry (2002) as the only players with multiple go-ahead plays in the final five seconds in a single postseason in the play-by-play era (since 1997).
• He is the only one do this twice in the same series.
• Nikola Jokicin turn, he had 25 points and 20 rebounds, and Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points. It’s the second time in the last 35 years that three Nuggets have scored at least 25 points in the same playoff game.

That’s what the Nuggets do. They he can dominate and they he can produce big upsets, but mostly keep things close and then win the hearts of opponents late. They have had the best net efficiency in clutch games this season. Jokic and Murray are magnificent. Then they make a great test against the Timber Wolves.

… AND ALSO THE THUNDER OF OKLAHOMA CITY

Forget the bright future. O Thunder They arrived now. Oklahoma City completed the sweep of the Pelicans with a 97-89 victory in which all five starters scored in double figures.

• Oklahoma City held New Orleans to 92 points or less in all four games, an impressive feat in today’s NBA even considering Zion Williamsonthe absence.
• No Pelicans player has scored more than 21 points in any game across the entire series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderabout that, scored at least 24 in all four games.

This is a really good and fun team. Gilgeous-Alexander is a star. With Luguentz Dort It is Jalen Williams as excellent perimeter defenders and Chet Holmgren protecting the paint, defensive excellence is no coincidence. They are young, but they seemed like a group of veterans, taking care of business in a straightforward manner. A meeting with the Independents or Clippers wait.

Honorable mentions

And it’s not such a good day for…

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

There is no shame in losing to the defending champions. The Lakers lost in five games, of course, but they were right in three of their four losses. That wasn’t an explosion.

This still doesn’t change the other facts, however.

• The Lakers have lost 12 of their last 13 to the Nuggets, which is the class of the West and a class (or two) above the Lakers.
• In four seasons since winning the 2020 championship, Los Angeles has: lost in the first round (2021), missed the playoffs (2022), got swept in the conference finals (2023) and was eliminated in the first round.
• Anthony Davis played the most games of his career, and James played the most games as a Laker, and they only managed seventh place before seeing their season end in the first round.

So where do the Lakers go? Maybe start by letting Darvin Ham goSam Quinn writes.

• Quinn: “In fact, the roster may have been too flawed to seriously compete for a championship. At the very least, it’s hard to imagine any world in which this set of players could beat the Nuggets in a seven-game series, regardless of who was coaching. But Ham didn’t exactly help matters with his rejection of what often seemed like common-sense solutions to this team’s problems.

And then there’s the question of LeBron. He will turn 40 in December. He has a player option. If an incredibly healthy and productive season from him and Davis results in this, could he look elsewhere? He avoided a question about his post-gaming futurebut there is a real possibility that he will not return, even if Ham doesn’tany.

Not-so-honorable mentions

Celtics’ victory over the Heat hampered by Kristaps Porzingis’ calf injury

O Celts regained full control of their first round series with the Warm with a 102-88 victory to take a 3-1 series lead, but potentially suffered a huge loss. Kristaps Porzingis took one non-contact injury in the second trimester and he didn’t come back with “calf tightness.” He will undergo imaging tests today, but the good news is that it does not appear to be an Achilles injury.

The long-term good news is that if the Celtics blow out the Heat in Game 5, they’ll have a lot of time off between rounds (although I’d never count out the Heat). Boston would then face the winner of Cavaliers-Magica series tied at 2-2. Furthermore, as Brad Botkin writes: “Neither of these teams should be able to threaten Boston, even without Porzingis, who becomes a huge need starting in the conference finals…” Assuming it’s not too severe, Boston should be able to delay Porzingis’ return.

Still, it’s a reminder that health and luck are important in the playoffs. Porzingis is the biggest reason why the Celtics are so much better than they were last year. He’s a 3-point threat, a rim runner, and a rim protector who can create his own offense, which is huge for a team that sometimes struggles in close games. We have already seen a problem with calves derailing Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s – and in turn the Money‘- postseason. For now, Boston is hoping for the best.

UEFA Champions League semi-final preview

O UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals open today with Bayern Munchen accommodation Real Madrid. Here they are TV programming across CBS and Paramount+.

Let’s start with Tom Fornelli’s singing choices.

• Fornelli: “Real Madrid [have] He’s been a little leaky defensively lately. In three matches against City of Manchester It is Barcelona they have allowed six goals in 4.9 xG. Despite the results, Real have also been weaker defensively away from home all year. Two months ago I would never have imagined myself making this choice, but now there is a lot of value available for Bayern. The choice: Bayern Munich (+150)”

As for the rest of our expert picksthey are everywhere.

Finally, I loved James Benge explaining why each of the four finalists could lift the trophy.

NFL Draft Roundup: Superlatives, rookie QB expectations, more

The NFL Draft — and the immediate reactions — are in the rearview mirror. We gave grades (It is more notes) and declared winners and losers and much more.

Now we can take a step back, let our initial thoughts breathe… and dive back in. Will Brinson has superlatives draftand my favorite is…

• Brinson: “Most likely to reignite an elite offensive en route to a three-peat: Bosses – The rich got richer over the weekend, with the arrival of the Chiefs Texas wide Xavier Worthy in the first round and BYU offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia in the second round. Worthy set the all-time combined record for the fastest 40-yard dash… Worthy and Brown Marchioness (quick free agent addition) gives the Chiefs not only insurance for a Rashee Rice suspension, but an explosive component on the field that the attack lacked last year.”

Worthy is is already in the Professional Football Hall of Fame without having played a snap, in fact.

I also loved Doug Clawson’s look what should we expect of the historic quarterback class.

• Clawson: “How many will have a standout debut season? Probably one. … There have been 69 QBs selected in the first round from 2000 to 2023. Ten or fewer have done ANY of the following as rookies: – Make a Pro Bowl (10) – Average 20 fantasy points per game (nine) – Start a playoff game ( nine) ) – Throw for 4,000 yards (five).”

Here’s more:

What will we watch on Tuesday

Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich3pm on CBS and Paramount+
Game 5: 76ers vs. Knicks7pm on TNT
Game 5: Maple Leafs at Bruins7pm on ESPN
Game 5: Islanders in Hurricanes7:30 p.m. on TBS
Game 5: Magic in the Cavaliers8pm on NBA TV
Game 5: Pacers at Bucks9:30 pm on TNT
Game 5: Avalanche at Jets9:30 pm on ESPN
Game 5: Predators on Canucks10pm on TBS