Heat, Knicks in the East Semis, Warriors and Grizzlies Win Their Games

The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks are in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors need one more win to enter the West semis. 

Adios Milwaukee

 Giannis and the Bucks had a 16-point lead in the final period, yet managed to lose it and then suffer an elimination from the NBA playoffs following a 128-126 OT defeat. With two seconds to go, the Bucks were up two points, 118-116, but fantastic Jimmy Butler once again showed his playoff mode, forcing overtime with a two-pointer. 

Reporter: "What does it say about this team that you are sitting here now having defeated the No. 1 seed, getting ready for National TV at MSG on Saturday?"

Jimmy Butler: "Don't we play on Sunday?"

R: "Sunday, sorry."

JB: "Look at you. Do your job." 😳pic.twitter.com/3Wlx2YKFxI

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 27, 2023

The Heat had a seven-point edge in the extra five minutes, yet the Bucks came back even having a final possession, yet without flipping the result. Playoff Jimmy was again lethal with 42 buckets and eight boards, while Gabe Vincent scored 22. Bam Adebayo notched a triple-double with 20 points and 10 assists and boards each.

Giannis was excellent on the other side, with 38 points and 20 boards, while Khris Middleton added 33 buckets. 

Knicks in the Playoff Semis After 10 Years

New York needed a decade to reach the East semis, and they did that after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The franchise from Ohio had a home-court edge, but that didn’t stop Tom Thibodeau’s crew from advancing to the next round. 

The last game of the series was in Cleveland, with the Knicks winning 106-95. We again saw their tough defense, which allowed the guest to control the tempo from the tip-off until the end, not having the slightest problem in beating the rivals. 

Knicks fans rejoice 🗽

New York wins its first NBA playoff series since 2013‼️ pic.twitter.com/nTZhZG0CVA

— ESPN (@espn) April 27, 2023

Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, RJ Barrett had 21, and Immanuel Quickley scored 19 buckets. Mitchell Robinson had fantastic 18 boards and 13 points. Among the Cavs, Mitchell scored 28 points with seven boards, and Darius Garland contributed with 21.

Warriors Hit Back, One Win Away From the Semis

The reigning NBA champions looked pal in the opening two games of the series against the Sacramento Kings. But after last night, nobody remembers those two losses because the Dub Nation stole the home-court edge from the Kings and now awaits Sacramento at Chase Center, leading 3-2.

Steve Kerr said the Warriors were calling him "Draymond Nowitzki" after this shot pic.twitter.com/bWf2A2J9lS

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 27, 2023

Last night’s game ended 123-16 for the Warriors, who had four players with 20 or more points. Curry led the way with 31, Thompson had 25, Draymond Green added 21 off the bench, and Andrew Wiggins scored 20. 

The Kings had De’Aaron Fox as the top scorer with 24 points, but with 9-for-25 shooting, which was a consequence of his injured finger. Sabonis scored 21 buckets and had 10 boards, and Malik Monk had the same number of points.

Grizzlies Survive, Defeat Lakers in Game 5

Memphis forced Game 6 following a 116-99 victory over the Lakers at the FedEx Forum. The Grizzlies were pretty confident, having a 25-point lead early inside the fourth period. After that, the LAL decreased the gap but couldn’t do anything noticeable. 

Ja Morant and Desmond Bane are the first pair of teammates in Grizzlies history to record 30+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 5+ AST in a Playoff game. pic.twitter.com/HUK7LZFfKy

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 27, 2023

Desmond Bane had 33 points and 10 boards, Ja scored 31 buckets with 10 rebounds and seven assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 points and 10 boards. The Lakers had Anthony Davis with 31 buckets and 19 rebounds, Austin Reaves scored 17, and LeBron had only 15, 5-for-17 for two.