Minnesota advance to semifinals, while Clippers and Dallas are tied 2-2 in NBA’s Western Conference playoffs.
James Harden and Paul George combined for 66 points as the Los Angeles Clippers survived an epic Dallas comeback bid to tie their NBA playoff series, as New York took a 3-1 lead over Philadelphia thanks to Jalen Brunson’s 47 points.
The Clippers squared their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series at 2-2 with a 116-111 triumph in Dallas, but not before the Mavs erased a 31-point deficit in a thrilling comeback on Sunday.
George scored 26 of his 33 points in the first half to help the Clippers build their big lead despite the injury-forced absence of Kawhi Leonard.
Harden scored 15 of his 33 in the fourth quarter when Dallas – led by the star duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic – threatened to match the biggest comeback win in NBA playoff history.
Irving scored 40 points for Dallas, including a driving layup through traffic with 2:14 to play that gave the Mavs their first lead since the first quarter at 104-103.
Doncic delivered a triple-double of 29 points plus 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but in the waning minutes, it was George, Harden and the Clippers who came through.
George made his first basket of the second half, a three-pointer, to put the Clippers back up 107-105 with 1:55 to play.
🏆 SUNDAY’S FINAL SCORES 🏆
Jalen Brunson scores a playoff career-high 47 points and wills the @nyknicks to victory in Game 4!
OG Anunoby: 16 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK
Miles McBride: 13 PTS, 3 3PM, 4 REB
Joel Embiid: 27 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 3 STLGame 5: Tuesday, 7:00pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/H9kZMWfjm6
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024
In Philadelphia, Brunson broke the New York franchise record for points in a playoff game and added 10 assists as the Knicks pushed reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and the Sixers to the brink of elimination in their Eastern Conference series.
OG Anunoby had 16 points and 14 rebounds while putting in an impressive defensive effort against Embiid.
Embiid led Philadelphia with 27 points and 10 rebounds while Tyrese Maxey added 23 points.
With a chance to clinch the series at home on Tuesday, Brunson was not interested in reflecting on his franchise record.
“I’ll look back when I retire,” he said.
“Seriously, it’s great right now, helped us get a win. But it’s not going to do anything for us going forward.”
In Indianapolis, the Indiana Pacers drilled 22 three-pointers in a 126-113 victory over the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks to take a 3-1 series lead.
Myles Turner hit a playoff career high of seven three-pointers on the way to 29 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 24 points for the Pacers, who had six players in double figures.
The Pacers were brutally efficient from beyond the arc, connecting on better than 51 percent of their attempts.
The Bucks, with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined by a calf injury, were also without injured Damian Lillard and saw Bobby Portis ejected in the first quarter after a scuffle with Andrew Nembhard after the two tangled under the basket.
Brook Lopez scored 27 points and Khris Middleton, who tweaked an ankle in the third quarter but stayed in the game, had 25 for the Bucks, who will try to stay alive when they host game five on Tuesday.
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns were eliminated at home in the final game of the night as the Minnesota Timberwolves completed a four-game sweep.
Anthony Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half in a 122-116 victory.
Edwards made seven 3-pointers and had nine rebounds and six assists for the third-seeded Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 points and 10 rebounds as Minnesota won a playoff series for the first time in 20 years.
“I knew we had a chance to sweep them and why would we want to go back to Minnesota,” Edwards said after the game.
“We know the recipe. They came out and competed. They played hard tonight.”
The @Timberwolves advance to the Western Conference Semifinals!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/xxFN5ZojEc
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2024
NBA playoff results on Sunday, April 28:
New York 97, Philadelphia 92 – New York lead series 3-1
LA Clippers 116, Dallas 111 – series tied 2-2
Indiana 126, Milwaukee 113 – Indiana lead series 3-1
Minnesota 122, Phoenix 116 – Minnesota win series 4-0
