The NBA 2024-25 NBA qualifiers are in full swing, and our NBA initiates covered you for each match in the final.
Wednesday, seeded n ° 6 Minnesota Timberwolves made an upheaval by eliminating n ° 3 Los Angeles Lakers In a victory for match 5.
Thursday, n ° 5 The Clippers forced a match 7 with the n ° 4 Denver Nuggets In front of them, behind 28 points of James Harden. They will compete on Saturday to see which team is moving forward to play n ° 1 Oklahoma City Thunder.
Friday, n ° 2 Houston Rockets also forced a match 7 against n ° 7 Golden State Warriors. The winner of the Rockets-Warriors series will face the Timberwolves.
While the western playoffs continue, here is what matters most and what to monitor in the four series.
Jump in a series:
Thunder grizzly | Warriors rocket
Lakers-Timberwolves | Nuggets-Clippers
More cover:
The first -round take -away dishes are
Hours and results | Dissessing guides
Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
What we have learned:
Veteran Houston Guard Fred Vanvleet Clear a 26-foot pointer 3 points from the top of the key with 6:49 to do to put the 12-point rockets, while effectively stifling any real hope for a golden return to match 6. Houston forced match 7 on Sunday at the Toyota Center with a 115-107 victory against the Warriors. All long and Golden State series have devoted significant defensive resources to close the shot Green JalenWho finished with 12 points on shot 3 out of 11, while choosing to play the percentages with Vanvleet. Bad decision for the Warriors because the 31 -year -old is now 18 out of 27 of the 3 -point range in his last three competitions. Led 86-84 to start the third quarter, Vanvleet sparked a Houston 6-0 race by finishing a game of 4 points just six seconds from the frame. Vanvleet has now produced three consecutive games with 25 or more points for the first time in his career in playoffs, while Alperen Sengun And Amen Thompson contributed 20 and 14 points respectively. Now, the teams are heading for match 7 on Sunday, where Golden State has the advantage in the experience. Warriors players participated in a combined match 7, against 10 of these outings for Houston Vanvleet, Jeff Green,, Steven Adams And Aaron Holiday.
– Michael C. Wright
0:26
The 6th 3 -point pointer from Fred Vanvleet gives Rockets their biggest lead
The sixth 3 -point pointer from Fred Vanvleet forces a dead time from Warriors in the fourth quarter.
Game 7: Warriors at Rockets (Sunday, 6.30 p.m. he, tnt))
What to look:
Golden State shocked his 3-1 cushion and must now win a match 7 in what will be a hostile atmosphere of the Toyota Center. The Warriors offensive seemed stuck in the mud against Houston’s defense. They opened the fourth quarter by pulling 1 for 15 and were preceded at a point 20-5. They were outdated by Houston in two consecutive games and could not obtain Stephen Curry Released from the defense of the Rockets when it is important. Now they have to find a way to win in a place where they dragged up to 31 with the starters on the ground in the third quarter of match 5 on Wednesday. If the pedigree of the Warriors championship will make a difference, it’s time. Curry, Draymond Green And Jimmy Butler III have already played in this type of games to do or die. Curry and Green played in five games 7, while Butler was in four of them. But how much are the Big Three of the Warriors left in the tank? Curry and Butler recorded 42 minutes and Green went 37 minutes in match 6 and will have a day off before match 7. Curry and Butler need an offensive help, but where will it come from?
– ohm Youngmisuk
Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105
What we have learned:
Everything is different for mowers when James Harden has space to run or – in its self -proclaimed case – be “the system”. Harden brought the weight of criticism after his 11 lukewarm points on nine shots during the defeat of Tuesday 6. His previous parades made the fodder for the national speech. But before the match, Clippers’ coach, Tyronn Lue, put Harden’s difficulties on himself and the match plan he attracted the two previous games, saying that he had to do a better work of space creation for Harden to work. He did exactly that in match 6, making sure that Harden had the ball in his hands early, and doubled in the second half when he exchanged Nicolas Batum in the starting program for Kris DunnWhether the nuggets often left for defense for double team or hardened blitz. It changed everything for Harden and the offensive, which fired 51% Thursday evening. With Batum on the ground in the second half, it was even better – going 6 for 6 Batum passes.
0:30
Westbrook blows a lay-up, Powell hits the dagger 3
After Russell Westbrook blew a lay-up, the clippers descend and get a 3-point pointer Norman Powell to go up nine at the end of the fourth.
Game 7: Clippers in Nuggets (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. he, tnt))
What to look:
What will the Nuggets do to counter the Movement of the Clippers to exchange in Batum for Dunn? It essentially exchanged the offensive for the defense, and it worked, Batum and the rest of the mowers who are defensively Jamal Murray. Nuggets will surely adapt before match 7 to have Murray made. It is too fast for Batum if he has space. Nuggets must also kick for their 14 reversals, which led to 23 points for the. Denver has exceeded, has scored more points in painting and obtained more bench points than the but lost the match due to botched games, missed Layups and an inability to capitalize on the Batum-Murray match.
– Ramona Shelburne
Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96
What we have learned:
Lakers coach JJ Redick has decided not to start a center, and Rudy Gobert And the Timberwolves absolutely settled inside to take the series in five games.
After having totaled 14 points and 25 rebounds in the first four games, Gobert destroyed the Lakers with 27 points on a shot of 12 for 15 and 24 rebounds in the clincher. He has become the fifth player in the last 20 seasons to publish a line of 25-20 in a closing match, joining Nikola Jokic,, Giannis antetokounmpoDirk Nowitzki and Shaquille O’Neal.
The Lakers played with grain and coverage shooters of Minnesota in one night 7 for 47 (14.9%) of 3 (including 0 for 11 for Anthony Edwards) – Mark the worst percentage of 3 -point shooting in an eliminatory match in the history of the NBA (minimum 40 attempts).
Luka Donic (return) and LeBron James (The left knee) Both recorded 40 minutes to give the Lakers a chance, but the production of Wolves bench, outclassing 22-4, combined with the point battle in painting (56-40) proved to be too much.
The Minnesota, which has won 21 of its last 26 games dating from the last quarter of the regular season, will be a great challenge for Golden State or Houston. And the Lakers, as if it were not already obvious, would go into the offseason in an urgent need of a great man, Redick will trust an eliminatory match.
– Dave McMenamin
2:21
LeBron, Lakers eliminated by the inspired wolves of Gobert
Rudy Gobert’s Timberwolves from Minnesota beaten the Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 to guarantee a victory in the 4-1 series.
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115
What we have learned:
On the whole, Oklahoma City has done a quick job of Memphis, sweeping the Grizzlies, who have not won as a eliminatory series since 2022 and have not broken a team from the Western Conference with a victory record after January. Probable MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had had its first effective score performance of the series in the final, ending with 38 points on 13 shots on 24. Ja more Outside, the Grizzlies were unable to manage the tenacious defensive pressure of the Thunder, committing 22 reversals thatklahoma City converted into 32 points. Now the Thunder will rest and wait for the winner of the Nuggets-Clippers series.
– Tim MacMahon
0:18
SGA sends OKC in the second round with a jumper of joy of playing play
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hits a sweet sweater to finish the balayage of the OKC on the grizzly ones.