Playoff NBA, results of Saturday 26 April

One flies to the second round, the other has one and a half foot forward. Okc and Cleveland, dominatricrs of the Regular Season, win their respective games against Memphis and Miami: the Thunders, with a Shai finally on his levels, close the series with a coat against the Grizzlies, while Cleveland overwhelms Miami and goes on 3-0 thanks to a great choral performance.

Miami Heat (0) – Cleveland Cavaliers (3) 87-124

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Humiliation for Heat, domain for Cavs: in this way a race can be summarized in history as the worst internal defeat of Miami in the playoffs (37 points of margin), while Cleveland carries on 3-0 and mortgage the transition to the second round thanks to an overwhelming team test.

the game

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For a few minutes there is the impression that Miami can have his say, to try to reopen the series. Cleveland starts badly at shooting, while the long heat strikes from 3 (first Adebayo, then Ware): the 15-6 after 5 ‘of the game, however, represents the highest point for the Spoelstra team. From that moment, in fact, Cleveland finds a rhythm in attack and closes every space in defense: a partial of 18-0 comes out, led by the baskets of Allen and the contribution of Hunter from the bench. Miami suffers and disappears from the field, and the partial of the Cavs expands to 33-5, which applies to the men of Atkinson the +19 and puts a tombstone on the hopes of Miami. Net the dominion of Cleveland in every aspect of the game: the Heat have no answers for Allen and Mobley, while Strus and Jerome strike repeatedly, with the second that will close at 11 assists. The excellent ball circulation allows CAVS to retouch their assistance record in a playoff game (32), while in the area there is no game: 60 points to 30 for Cleveland, with Adebayo forced to take several shots of 3 (an excellent 4/7), and the Cavs wacky the bounce duels (46-29). All this becomes even more sensational considering the absence of Garland for the problem on the finger and the bad evening of Mitchell, which closes with 14 points by pulling 4/14. The Cavs will have the first match point in race 4, which will be held at the Kesaya Center on Monday night: Miami will try to avoid the coat five years after the last time (4-0 with the Bucks in the first round of 2021).

Miami: Adebayo 22 (9/20, 4/7), Mitchell 16, Herro 13. Hatches: Adebayo 9. Assist: Mitchell 5.

Memphis Grizzlies (0) – Oklahoma City Thunder (4) 115-117

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Memphis gave everything but it wasn’t enough. With Morant outside, the Grizzlies battle but surrender in front of the first, true, great game in these playoffs by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The MVP candidate, well supported by Jalen Williams, takes the scene after three undertone games and gives his “Sweep” to Memphis and qualifying in the second round. Okc will face the winner of the challenge between Clippers and Nuggets.

The game

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After losing the best player and suffering a sensational comeback from +29 it was worth the 3-0 OKC, one could think of a discharge and discouraged memphis. Still, the Grizzlies take the field combative, determined not to abandon the series. The score is clear: to close Okc’s penetrations and grant the 3 shot. And it works, thanks to the decidedly bad evening of the Thunder from behind the arch. The Daigneult team pulls 4/25 in the first half, and Edey dominates the area with 6 stappets: so how do you explain the great balance, with 15 overtaking? It is a first half as a phenomenon of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to keep the Thunder there, with 19 points and 7/8 at the shot. And if the Achilles heel of the Thunder, in race 4, is the shot, that of Memphis lies in the management of the ball: there are 21 balls lost by the grizzies, caused by the usual, asphyxiating defense of the Thunder (13 The stolen, 4 of Hartentein). The game proceeds balanced, with Scottie Pippen Jr who goes up blows by keeping Botta in Shai, and Aldama to act as a second violin: the two manage not to make Okc run away, who had exploited the minutes on the bench of Edey (4 fouls in the first half) for a mini extension. In the final, however, the two leaders of the Thunder take the scene: a basket with an SGA average followed by a triple in transition (20-5 The points on the counterattack) by Jalen Williams are worth +10. Memphis tries the last, desperate effort and returns to -2, with a series of triples by Williams Jr and Bane, but still a basket of Shai puts Okc at a safe distance, and the defense perfectly spends the fouls to deny the last shot in Memphis.

Memphis: Pippen Jr 30 (9/21, 2/7, 6/6 TL), ALDAMA 23, BANE 23. Hatches: Pippen Jr 11. Assist: Bane 5. Oklahoma City: Gilegous-Alexander 38 (13/24, 1/4, 11/13), Williams 23, Holmgren 11 Gilgeous-Alexander 6