The Celtics are the first team to progress through the second round of the NBA playoffs after they completed a four-game sweep against the Nets – who were one of the super early favourites to win it all according to the NBA 2022 odds.
It should’ve been the Sixers who have done it first, but the Raptors had other ideas as they showed resiliency by forcing a Game 6 back to Toronto.
Elsewhere, the Mavericks are back in pole position by taking a 3-2 series lead against the Jazz as they defeated them via a large margin at home.
Join SBOTOP as we recap the latest NBA 2022 results from today’s three-game schedule.
Sixers in a familiar situation
What was once a 3-0 advantage has now turned to 3-2 as the Raptors have won back-to-back games to keep their season alive. Nick Nurse’s men are fresh from a 103-88 win in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
No team has ever blown a 3-0 lead and lost a playoff series, but if the Sixers can’t close this series out, they’re in huge trouble.
It doesn’t help that Doc Rivers has had the ignominious history of blowing 3-1 leads and that he has the most losses in close out games by a head coach in NBA history (31). So they must go all-out on Game 6 this Thursday.
Pascal Siakam has been the Raptors’ calming presence throughout this series and he was easily their best player in Game 5 where he dropped 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Without Fred VanVleet – who was absent due to a hip injury – the others have stepped up as Precious Achiuwa, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. recorded 17, 16, and 16 respectively.
Joel Embiid notched 20 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. However, his injured hand is clearly bothering him. Meanwhile, James Harden’s struggles continue as he only had 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting.
The Sixers were booed off the court in Game 5 since they were reminded of their recent flameouts in the postseason. The Raptors are playing like they’ve got nothing to lose, while the nerves in Philadelphia are suddenly as tight as ever.
Celtics prove that defense still matters in the NBA
The first round series between the Celtics and the Nets was a battle between two teams who are on different sides of the spectrum.
On one hand, Brooklyn represent the dying era of superteams up until they traded away James Harden during the trade deadline. Moreover, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant aren’t exactly considered as homegrown stars.
Meanwhile, the opposite can be said for Boston as they’ve built this team mostly through the draft especially in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Boston got the last laugh in the end, and there was no reason to worry after all when they were slated to take on Brooklyn after securing the #2 seed on the final day of the regular season.
What’s remarkable about Boston is how they limited Kevin Durant in particular. Even with his 39-point outburst in Game 4, Durant finished the series shooting only 32-for-83 from the field while committing 21 turnovers.
He has now lost in the first round for the first time since 2010 with the Thunder, which was his first-ever playoff run.
The Nets hoped that they could have Ben Simmons make his season debut in Game 4, but he was ruled out due to his back injury, which left them wondering on whether they made the right move of acquiring him in the first place.
Brooklyn leave this series with more questions than answers, while Boston will look to prove more doubters wrong once again as they await the winner between Chicago and Milwaukee.
Jazz stumbling against the Mavericks
The Mavericks have taken control of their seven-game series against the Jazz in dominant fashion as they beat them 102-77 at home to take a 3-2 lead.
Luka Doncic was spectacular in his second game of this postseason with 33 points and 13 rebounds, while backcourt partner Jalen Brunson had 24 points and 5 rebounds.
On the other hand, Donovan Mitchell was held to only nine points and he suffered a hamstring injury, while Jordan Clarkson was their only bright spot with 20 points.
The first four games of this series were decided by eight points or less, which is why this blowout win should give the Mavericks a huge confidence boost.
They’ll need it since they haven’t advanced in the playoffs since winning their title-winning run in 2011, while Utah have been in the postseason for six straight years – progressing to the second round three times.
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