Playoffs Day 15
Pre Game: Today we have 2 games from different rounds, #2 Denver vs #7 San Antonio in Game 7 from Denver and #2 Toronto vs #3 Philadelphia in the 2nd round, Game 1. Denver vs San Antonio is the only series so far to go to 7 games, but I think the veteran Spurs have the upper hand here in a pressure filled Game 7.
Game 1: In the 1st game of the night, it’s the first 2nd round game of the playoffs, #2 Toronto vs #3 Philadelphia from Toronto. Both of these teams won their first round match-ups in 5 games and now a heavyweight fight between two titans of the east. The big matchups will be Lowry, Leonard and Siakam vs Simmons, Butler, Harris and Embiid. The 76ers have more firepower, but the Raptors have been very good this season, but this series will be a great one. The Raptors were in control for most of the game, winning 108-95. Kawhi Leonard had 45 points, JJ Reddick had 17 points. The Raptors take a 1-0 series lead, but if you are the 76ers, you need more production from Embiid, Harris, Butler and Simmons.
Game 2: In the 2nd game of the night, it’s Game 7 of #2 Denver vs #7 San Antonio. The San Antonio Spurs blew out the Nuggets in Game 6 to force the Game 7 on the road. The Nuggets have shown that they can handle the pressure in this series, but they have also shown what a young team they are. The Spurs are a team that is filed with veterans like DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay. I think that the Spurs have the upper hand and will win the game. The winner of this game will play #3 Portland in the 2nd round. The Nuggets got off to a great start, leading 10-2 with 7:04 left in the 1st. At the end of the 1st, the Nuggets led by 10, 23-13. Nikola Jokic had 9 points, Rudy Gay had 9 for the Spurs. At the end of the 1st half, the Nuggets led by 13, 47-34. Jokic had 15 1st half points, 11 for Rudy Gay. The Spurs need to play with more energy in the 2nd half if they want to stay in the game. At the end of the 3rd, the Nuggets led by 11, 72-61. 17 for Jokic and Murray, 19 for Rudy Gay. The Spurs need to fight for their playoff lives in the 4th quarter. With 8:20 left in the 4th, the Spurs had cut the lead to 8, 76-68. With 4:13 left in the 4th, the Spurs had the lead cut to 4, 84-80. With 2:44 left, the Nugget pushed the lead to 8, 88-80. With 52.2 seconds left, the Spurs were down by 2, 88-86. The Nuggets hung on to win 90-86. 23 for Jamal Murray, Jokic had 21 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. 21 for Rudy Gay, 19 for both Aldridge and DeRozan. The Nuggets never trailed in this game, but everybody looked exhausted. The Nugget will play #3 Portland. Denver will have the home-court in the series, but they will have to deal with a determined Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
I hope you enjoyed today’s edition of the NBA Playoffs, please leave a comment on how your team is doing and also suggest future posts. Enjoy the rest of the NBA Playoffs.