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NBA Playoffs live: Celtics tame Bucks, 76ers progress, Warriors-Spurs

WE knew Ben Simmons was a talented freak, but he showed us something else today that will only make NBA fans love him more.

8 min read
April 25, 2018 - 3:44PM
Ben Simmons keeps rising to the challenge.
Ben Simmons keeps rising to the challenge.

Live: NBA Playoffs

In NBA Playoff action today the Celtics defeated the Bucks, the 76ers overcame the Heat and the Warriors play the Spurs.

BEN Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers closed out their opening round playoff series with a win over Miami in front of a vocal home crowd in Game 5.

Boston and Milwaukee were tied up at 2-2 heading into Game 5 but Aussie stars Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker weren’t able drive the Bucks to victory as the Celtics left with a 92-87 win to take a 3-2 series lead.

In the final game of the day, the Kevin Durant led Golden State Warriors ended the run of the San Antonio Spurs who were still playing on emotion after the recent passing of coach Gregg Popovich’s wife.

3.40pm

Warriors end Spurs run

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson fuelled the Golden State Warriors to a series deciding victory and ended the season for the San Antonio Spurs.

The duo combined for 49 points as they held off a late Spurs push to advance behind the 99-91 victory.

Warriors forward Draymond Green had one of his biggest games during his playoff career as he ended with 17 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists.

Aussie Patty Mills started at the point guard position for the Spurs and ended the contest as the teams second highest scorer with 18 points.

The Spurs playoff run was rocked by the passing of coach Gregg Popovich’s wife which forced him away from the final games of the series.

It means the Warriors will now face the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round of the playoffs.

With the series not set to get underway until Sunday (AEST), the extended break means the likely return of superstar point guard Steph Curry.

12.45pm

Simmons’ class is ‘something special’

Ben Simmons keeps reaching new heights.
Ben Simmons keeps reaching new heights.

The Philadelphia 76ers advanced to the second round of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs, defeating the Miami Heat 104-91 to seal a 4-1 series victory.

JJ Redick scored 27 points and Joel Embiid weighed in with 19 as the Sixers set up a second round meeting against either Boston or Milwaukee.

Ben Simmons also played a starring role, finishing with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. In doing so he became the first rookie since Dwyane Wade in 2004 to lead his team for assists in each game of a playoff series.

A fiercely contested duel at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center was effectively settled in the third quarter, when the Sixers pulled clear to take a decisive lead.

Prior to that there had been little to separate the two sides, with Miami holding the hosts 46-46 at halftime.

But the Sixers surged into a 66-54 lead after Robert Covington’s three-pointer with 6:11 remaining in the third period.

Philadelphia eventually outscored Miami 34-20 in the third quarter, giving them a healthy buffer that Miami never came close to overturning.

Philadelphia will head into the next round in a buoyant mood after an impressive all-round offensive display that saw five players make double figures.

Simmons took a heavy tumble when Josh Richardson up-ended the Aussie star less than two minutes into the first quarter. The 21-year-old attacked the rim and as he jumped Richardson collected his legs, leaving Simmons in a dangerous position, unable to control himself as he flipped in midair.

The Sixers star bounced straight back up, alleviating the fears of the home fans.

Richardson looked like he tripped, but American sportscaster Skip Bayless saw it differently.

Embiid rushed in to defend his right hand man a few minutes into the third when Goran Dragic slapped Simmons in the back of the head. Dragic was tracking back after a turnover and fouled Simmons before delivering the whack, which earnt him a technical foul.

Tensions threatened to erupt when Embiid came in and both camps clashed, but Simmons — just as he was after his early fall — was all class. Rather than engage and be goaded into losing his cool, he just turned his back and walked away.

He didn’t try to get revenge on his own. Next time Simmons was in possession he drove to the rim before kicking it out to Robert Covington for a three-point attempt.

This attitude, as much as his skills, is why Simmons will live up to the hype.

Philadelphia transformed their fortunes this season after years languishing near the foot of the Eastern Conference.

In 2016 they finished bottom with just 10 wins and 72 defeats but this season turned it around to finish third in the East.

— with AFP

11.45am

Celtics tame Bucks

Boston is one win away from advancing.
Boston is one win away from advancing.

Al Horford scored 22 points as the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 92-87 to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.

Horford finished with 14 rebounds and three assists after the Celtics built an early first quarter lead before holding on to claim a vital win at the TD Garden.

The injury-plagued Celtics now have the opportunity to clinch the NBA Eastern Conference first round series in game six in Milwaukee on Friday.

Boston had led 23-15 at the end of the first period and held a 48-37 advantage at halftime.

Milwaukee responded strongly after the interval but were unable to overturn their first-half deficit despite rallying to outscore the Celtics 26-20 in the final quarter.

Boston’s fans were made to sweat through a nervy final few seconds, when an Eric Bledsoe jumper put the Bucks within three points at 87-84.

But the Celtics hit back with two Terry Rozier free throws to put Boston 89-84 ahead, giving the hosts a five-point cushion they defended through to the buzzer.

Khris Middleton led the scoring for the Bucks with 23 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Jabari Parker had 17 points and eight rebounds.

— AFP

8.15am

Simmons on a mission

Ben Simmons just loves winning.
Ben Simmons just loves winning.

Ben Simmons has led Philadelphia all year and today he can continue the 76ers’ charge into the second round of the playoffs.

In Game 4 he became the first rookie to post a triple double in the playoffs since Magic Johnson in 1980, and the just the fifth rookie to do so in the league’s history — and he isn’t slowing down.

Sixers beat writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer Keith Pompey told SEN radio on Wednesday: “I think Simmons is going to have a hell of a game.”

If he does, that will come as a surprise to very few — not least Miami star Dwyane Wade, who saw a changing of the guard coming long before the Heat started their postseason campaign against Philly.

“A guy like Ben is someone I’ve seen, I’ve worked out with,” Wade said, per the Sun Sentinel.

“He was in high school watching me and LeBron (James) work out in different places and just you could see the way he looked at guys like ourselves and how we worked.

“He was taking mental notes, and to see him a few years later and seeing where he is in this game, the effect he has on the state and the city with his ability to play the game of basketball at such a high level, it’s impressive.

“From a fan standpoint I’m happy for him and his success. As a competitor, it’s fun for me to be going up against one of the future stars of this league and I’m sure for him to be going up against one of the older guys he watched growing up.”

According to ESPN, if Simmons racks up seven rebounds and 11 assists and the Sixers win Game 5, he will join Magic Johnson as the only rookies to average a triple double in a playoff series.

8am

Thon making his mark

Thon Maker is making his presence felt.
Thon Maker is making his presence felt.

Thon Maker is having his biggest games at the biggest time of the year.

Not bad for a bench guy and someone who, as recently as last week, was a roster afterthought.

Maker had never blocked five shots in any NBA game before this postseason began — and now he’s blocked that many in each of the last two playoff contests for the Milwaukee Bucks. There’s an old coaching adage that tells players to stay ready, because they never know when their chance to make an impact has arrived. Maker is proving that axiom to be correct.

“Just trying to be there for my teammates, playing aggressive,” said Maker, the Bucks’ backup centre. “It’s the playoffs. These are the moments everybody plays for. You’ve got to find a way to win, you’ve got to find a way to impact the game. I try to do that every single time.”

Maker is almost an out-of-nowhere story for the Bucks, who’ve pulled even with the Boston Celtics four games into their Eastern Conference first-round series in large part because of a defensive resurgence by the bench. His offence has helped, too: Maker scored 14 points in a Game 3 victory, his highest total since a 16-point effort on New Year’s Day.

There have been some big games from reserve players in these playoffs already: Miami has gotten games of 28 and 25 points from Dwyane Wade and a 26-point effort from Kelly Olynyk, Philadelphia has seen Marco Belinelli reach 21 points twice so far, and Boston saw Greg Monroe get a double-double against the Bucks in only 23 minutes.

Backups can find themselves in the spotlight quickly if they get hot. “When we step on the floor, we need to be assertive with what we do,” Bucks coach Joe Prunty said. “We can’t be a step behind.”

Even the greatest players need help.

LeBron James said everyone on the Cavaliers’ roster — himself included — needed to play better after falling behind Indiana 2-1 in their series. So in Game 4, James was great with 32 points, and Jordan Clarkson had 12 of the bench’s 32 points to help Cleveland tie the series.

“I’m supposed to come and give a spark off the bench,” said Clarkson, who scored just two points in Game 3. “That’s what I’m supposed to do, change the game in that way.”

Toronto had one of the top bench units in the NBA during the regular season, ranking fifth in the league with a combined 41.8 scoring average. But in the East’s No. 1 seed’s first-round series, the Raptors’ reserve scoring down to 34.5 points.

They’re tied at 2 in the series with the eighth-seeded Washington Wizards, whose bench scoring is up in the series by about the same margin to 34.3 points. The Wizards were just 16th in bench scoring this season.

A big reason for Toronto’s problems has been the absence of backup point guard Fred VanVleet, who has an injured right shoulder and played just three minutes so far, sitting out three of the four games entirely.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey blamed his team’s high turnover totals — 37 over Games 3 and 4, both losses — in large part on his reserves, who he also thought were not as productive with the ball as they could have been.

“The second unit turned down some shots that they normally take,” Casey said. “I thought that group started the turnovers. The levee broke on those guys. I’ve got to do a better job of putting them in the right situation where they don’t turn it over.”

The Wizards tinkered with their rotations to try to keep the Raptors’ reserves in check.

“Our bench has done a good job and we’ve kind of tried to change things up and throw maybe a starter or two with our bench,” Washington coach Scott Brooks said.

As for the Celtics, they’re back in Boston hosting the Bucks on Wednesday for Game 5. Their frontcourt reserves of Monroe and Marcus Morris were dominant in the series’ second game last week, when it looked as if Boston might pull off a sweep.

Milwaukee’s reserves have pushed back with active, physical play — matching Boston’s intensity.

“As soon as (we) see that,” Maker said, “we start to get aggressive as well on the defensive end.”

— AP

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/basketball/nba/nba-playoffs-live-bucksceltics-76ersheat-warriorsspurs/news-story/e5cf21d9f41c305c1f728ebfb03b8d71