WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
Blakely: Raptors Kawhi(etly) getting stronger
For most of the Toronto-Philly series, Kawhi Leonard has been like a one-man wrecking ball that has been smashing the Sixers defense to pieces on a nightly basis. In a big Game 5 matchup, he got some help.
Leonard was still giving Philly the business with 21 points and 13 rebounds, but he was joined by five other Raptors in reaching double figures scoring and get this … he wasn’t their top scorer. That was Pascal Siakam, who had 25 points.
Their balanced scoring attack plus an under-the-weather Joel Embiid (13 points, eight rebounds) has Toronto one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Denver Nuggets find themselves one win away from a trip to the Western Conference Finals out West after blowing out Portland 124-98.
Boston Celtics
Jamal Murray is playing like the best guard in this series, which is no small feat when you consider the Blazers’ potent 1-2 scoring punch in the backcourt, Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
And then there’s Nikola Jokic (25 points, 19 rebounds, six assists) who is a legit Point-Center whose playmaking, scoring around the basket and rebounding are opening the eyes of the casual NBA fan to why this guy is a legit MVP candidate who isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
Forsberg: Sorry, Nuggets
Apology time. While this reporter was bullish on the Nuggets during the regular season, we expected Cinderella’s slipper would come off in the playoffs. Too young, too inexperienced. Heck, we though the Spurs might upset Denver in Round 1 (and, well, they nearly did, but the Nuggets deserve credit for grinding out that series).
So it simply felt like Denver would get exposed against the Trail Blazers. And it hasn’t happened. Nikola Jokic has been a stud, Paul Millsap provides a veteran poise, and the Nuggets have a lot of nice complementary pieces. Then there’s Jamal Murray, who so often dictates how this team fares with his shooting. After a few clunkers in Round 1, he’s averaging 24.8 points while putting up 20 shots per night in the conference semifinals. He hasn’t been super efficient but considering the guard talent across from him in this series, his contributions have been huge.
We’re not sure if either Denver or Portland would stand much of a chance in the West finals but maybe the Warriors and Rockets beat each other up so badly in on the other side of the bracket that there’s a chance to steal a game early.
If nothing else, the Nuggets have proven they are for real and shut up a lot of skeptics like me.
SO... THAT HAPPENED
NUMBER OF NOTE
36 — The Raptors' margin of victory over the 76ers in Game 5. It's the largest postseason margin of victory in Toronto franchise history, and the worst playoff defeat for Philadelphia since Game 1 of the 1982 Conference Finals vs. the Celtics.
THEY SAID IT
"He's walking around like he's on his death bed. As a star player, you can never show weakness. You've got to keep the other guys involved in the game. That's what he does. He complains so much about being sick, he drains the energy out of the room."
— Charles Barkely on Joel Embiid, who had 13 points and eight turnovers while dealing with an upper-respiratory infection in a Game 5 loss in Toronto.
TUESDAY'S SCOREBOARD
- Raptors 125, 76ers 89 (TOR leads series 3-2)
- Nuggets 124, Trail Blazers 98 (DEN leads series 3-2)
WHAT WE'LL BE WATCHING
Blakely: Last call in Boston?
The Boston Celtics are looking at more than just playoff elimination tonight. This will likely be the last time we see this group play ever again if they lose, because it is all but a given that Danny Ainge will significantly alter this roster next season.
Obviously at the top of the list of potential changes is Kyrie Irving, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and may or may not be coming back to Boston, depending on which version of his future plans you want to believe. But his future isn’t the only one that lacks clarity.
Marcus Morris, one of the team’s most consistent performers in this Bucks series, becomes an unrestricted free agent and has played himself into having a good amount of suitors this offseason. Terry Rozier becomes a restricted free agent while Boston’s two big man, Al Horford and Aron Baynes, have player options that could allow each of them to test the free-agent waters as well.
And we’re not even talking about the potential Anthony Davis trade rumors, which would likely involve one if not both of Boston’s prized wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It’s gonna be a busy offseason for the Celtics, one that’s likely to begin within the next 24 hours.
Love the Golden State-Houston series where the home team has held serve through the first four games. James Harden is getting some much-needed help from the Rockets while the Warriors’ lack of depth beyond its starting five is starting to shine more which has made this by far one of the most compelling series in the playoffs as Houston tries to knock off the champs.
Forsberg: You going out like that?
It would be very much on brand for the 2018-19 Celtics to go through the motions tonight and watch their season come to a very unceremonious end. It would also be very much like this team to put together one of its better efforts of the year and rope everyone back into this series despite the very long odds that they could win three in a row against a team that’s only lost back-to-back games ONCE this season.
So how’s it going to be, Celtics? Do Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward care to atone for poor series? Can Boston’s bench not let a third-quarter run snowball to the point where the game slips away?
Can a team that’s made itself hard to love this season give fans a reason to wrap their arms around them for a couple more days?
WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE
- Celtics at Bucks, Game 5 (MIL leads series 3-1) — 8:00pm, TNT (Celtics Pregame Live on NBC Sports Boston at 7:00 pm)
- Rockets at Warriors, Game 5 (Series tied 2-2) — 10:30pm, TNT
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