2024 NBA playoffs
Tournament details | |
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Dates | April 20 – June 2024[a] |
Season | 2023–24 |
Teams | 16 |
The 2024 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and will conclude with the 2024 NBA Finals in June.
Overview
Updates to playoff appearances
- The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season, currently the longest such streak in the NBA. They also won the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for clinching the best record in the NBA for the first time since 2008.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and also clinched the number one seed in the Western Conference for the first time since 2013.
- The Milwaukee Bucks entered the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.
- The Philadelphia 76ers entered the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.
- The Denver Nuggets entered the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
- The Miami Heat entered the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Phoenix Suns entered the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
- The Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers entered the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
- The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans returned to the playoffs after missing the postseason the previous year.
- The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers entered the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
- The Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs after making the postseason the previous year.
- The Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
- The Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
- The Brooklyn Nets missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
- The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
- The Charlotte Hornets missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, currently the longest active playoff drought in the NBA.
Notable occurrences
- This is the first playoffs to not feature Chris Paul since 2010.[2]
- With an average of 23.9 years old, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team to earn the 1-seed in NBA history.[3]
- The Thunder also became the seventh different Western Conference 1-seed in the last seven years, the longest stretch in the West since the 16-team format began in 1984.[4]
- The Boston Celtics finished first in the Eastern Conference standings by 14 games, which is the largest margin between No. 1 and No. 2 in either conference since 1976.[5]
First round
- All home teams in the first-round matchups won game 1 for the first time since 2013.
- The Knicks' game 2 comeback against the 76ers marked just the fourth time in the play-by-play era (dating to the 1996–97 season) that a team won a playoff game after trailing by at least five points in the last 30 seconds.[6] The Knicks were also the first team to win in regulation, as the other three teams completed their comeback in overtime.[7]
- The Miami Heat's 23 three-pointers made in game 2 against the Celtics, are the most ever by a team in a road playoff win in NBA history. This is also the Heat's franchise record for most threes made in a single playoff game.[8][9]
- In game 3 against the Knicks, Joel Embiid became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game.[10]
- The Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns, marking the 48th year in a row that a sweep occurred. The last time a sweep did not occur was in 1976. This was the 184th series sweep in NBA playoffs history.
Format
Eight teams from each conference participate in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualify for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams is also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules are used.
The NBA Board of Governors adopted a format starting in 2021 to have a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participate in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then plays the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeds as normal.[11]
Each conference's bracket is fixed with no reseeding. All rounds are a best-of-seven series; a series ends when one team wins four games, and that team advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home-court advantage goes to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). For the NBA Finals, home-court advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties are broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.
Playoff qualifying
On March 14, 2024, the Boston Celtics became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[12] While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.[13]
Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 16–19.
Eastern Conference
Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | ||||
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Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
1 | Boston Celtics | 64–18 | — | March 14[12] | March 20[14] | March 24[15] | April 3[16] |
2 | New York Knicks | 50–32 | — | April 10[17] | — | — | — |
3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 49–33 | — | April 7[18] | April 14[19] | — | — |
4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48–34 | — | April 12[20] | — | — | — |
5 | Orlando Magic | 47–35 | — | April 14[21] | April 14[21] | — | — |
6 | Indiana Pacers | 47–35 | — | April 14[22] | — | — | — |
7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 47–35 | April 14[22] | April 17[23] | — | — | — |
8 | Miami Heat | 46–36 | April 14[22] | April 19[24] | — | — | — |
Chicago (39–43) and Atlanta (36–46) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[24][25]
Western Conference
Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 57–25 | — | March 31[26] | April 14[22] | April 14[22] | — |
2 | Denver Nuggets | 57–25 | — | March 31[27] | — | — | — |
3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 56–26 | — | April 1[28] | — | — | — |
4 | Los Angeles Clippers | 51–31 | — | April 9[29] | April 9[29] | — | — |
5 | Dallas Mavericks | 50–32 | — | April 9[29] | April 10[30] | — | — |
6 | Phoenix Suns | 49–33 | — | April 14[22] | — | — | — |
7 | Los Angeles Lakers | 47–35 | April 10[31] | April 16[32] | — | — | — |
8 | New Orleans Pelicans | 49–33 | April 14[22] | April 19[24] | — | — | — |
Sacramento (46–36) and Golden State (46–36) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[24][33]
Play-in tournament brackets
Eastern Conference
Play-in games | No. 8 seed game | Final seeds | |||||||||||
7 | Philadelphia | 105 | 7 | Philadelphia | No. 7 seed | ||||||||
8 | Miami | 104 | 8 | Miami | No. 8 seed | ||||||||
8 | Miami | 112 | |||||||||||
9 | Chicago | 91 | |||||||||||
9 | Chicago | 131 | |||||||||||
10 | Atlanta | 116 | |||||||||||
Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
Western Conference
Play-in games | No. 8 seed game | Final seeds | |||||||||||
7 | New Orleans | 106 | 8 | LA Lakers | No. 7 seed | ||||||||
8 | LA Lakers | 110 | 7 | New Orleans | No. 8 seed | ||||||||
7 | New Orleans | 105 | |||||||||||
9 | Sacramento | 98 | |||||||||||
9 | Sacramento | 118 | |||||||||||
10 | Golden State | 94 | |||||||||||
Bold Game winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage
Bracket
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
First round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
E1 | Boston* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E8 | Miami | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
E4 | Cleveland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E5 | Orlando* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
E3 | Milwaukee* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E6 | Indiana | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
E2 | New York | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E7 | Philadelphia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E | |||||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
W1 | Oklahoma City* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W8 | New Orleans | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
W4 | LA Clippers* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | Dallas* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
W3 | Minnesota | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W6 | Phoenix | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||||
W | |||||||||||||||||||
W2 | Denver | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
W7 | LA Lakers | 1 |
First round
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Miami Heat
April 21
1:00 pm |
Miami Heat 94, Boston Celtics 114 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 24–34, 14–31, 35–23 | ||
Pts: Bam Adebayo 24 Rebs: Adebayo, Jović 6 each Asts: Herro, Jaquez Jr. 4 each |
Pts: Jayson Tatum 23 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10 Asts: Jayson Tatum 10 | |
Boston leads series, 1–0 |
Jayson Tatum recorded his first playoff triple-double, leading the Celtics to a 114–94 Game 1 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat. Tatum's performance of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists was complemented by his teammates, as they knocked down 21 of Boston's 22 three-pointers. Derrick White added 20 points and four assists for Boston, which finished with six players in double-figures. The Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier, never held a lead and trailed by as much as 34 points. Bam Adebayo had a game-high 24 points, while Delon Wright and Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 17 and 16 points respectively, with Wright going 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.
April 24
7:00 pm |
Miami Heat 111, Boston Celtics 101 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 30–34, 27–18, 26–22 | ||
Pts: Tyler Herro 24 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 10 Asts: Tyler Herro 14 |
Pts: Jaylen Brown 33 Rebs: four players 8 each[b] Asts: Porziņģis, White 4 each | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Without Jimmy Butler, the Heat hit a franchise playoff-record 23 three-pointers as Miami tied the series at one game apiece. Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, while Bam Adebayo finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds on 69% shooting. Caleb Martin also had 21 points and five threes for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23-of-43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a game 1 blowout. Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for the Celtics, who lost just their fifth home game of the season, while Jayson Tatum scored 28. Boston newcomers Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis combined for 15 points and shot 5-of-21 from the field, with Porziņģis finishing with a plus–minus of –32 in a 10-point loss.
April 27
6:00 pm |
Boston Celtics 104, Miami Heat 84 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–12, 42–27, 24–22, 17–23 | ||
Pts: Brown, Tatum 22 each Rebs: Jayson Tatum 11 Asts: Holiday, Tatum 6 each |
Pts: Bam Adebayo 20 Rebs: Bam Adebayo 9 Asts: Highsmith, Jaquez Jr. 5 each | |
Boston leads series, 2–1 |
The top-seeded Celtics responded emphatically to their home loss with a wire-to-wire 104–84 victory over the Heat, retaking the series lead. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's 22 points each, the Celtics improved upon their defense and held Miami to a season-low 84 points. Tatum also contributed 11 rebounds and six assists, while Kristaps Porziņģis and Derrick White added 18 and 16 points respectively. The Heat, who trailed by as much as 29, struggled to find an offensive rhythm, with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro combining on 13-of-34 (38%) from the field. With the win, the Celtics improved to 15–4 immediately following a loss this season and improved to 6–1 in their last seven road playoff games against Miami.
Boston won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
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This is the seventh playoff meeting between the two teams, with the Heat winning four of the first six meetings.[34]
Miami leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series |
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(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
April 20
6:00 pm |
Philadelphia 76ers 104, New York Knicks 111 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 12–33, 36–21, 22–32 | ||
Pts: Tyrese Maxey 33 Rebs: Tobias Harris 9 Asts: Joel Embiid 6 |
Pts: Brunson, Hart 22 each Rebs: Josh Hart 13 Asts: Jalen Brunson 7 | |
New York leads series, 1–0 |
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Attendance: 19,812 Referees: Scott Foster, Brian Forte, Sean Corbin |
With the Knicks' starters struggling, the New York bench outscored the 76ers' bench 42–7, with Miles McBride, Bojan Bogdanović and Mitchell Robinson leading the way to win Game 1. McBride scored 21 points and outscored Philadelphia 13–12 in the second quarter, as he brought the Knicks out of an early 13-point deficit. Josh Hart recorded a double-double and hit multiple three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, while Jalen Brunson had seven rebounds and seven assists. A hobbled Joel Embiid scored 29 points, alongside eight rebounds and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 33 points. Despite a higher field goal percentage, the Sixers were outrebounded, as they conceded 23 offensive rebounds to New York.
April 22
7:30 pm |
Philadelphia 76ers 101, New York Knicks 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–18, 28–31, 21–30, 27–25 | ||
Pts: Tyrese Maxey 35 Rebs: Joel Embiid 10 Asts: Tyrese Maxey 10 |
Pts: Jalen Brunson 24 Rebs: Josh Hart 15 Asts: Jalen Brunson 6 | |
New York leads series, 2–0 |
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Attendance: 19,812 Referees: John Goble, Courtney Kirkland, Gediminas Petraitis |
In a dramatic turnaround, the Knicks overcame a five-point deficit in the final 30 seconds to win 104–101 and take a 2–0 series lead. After Kyle Lowry missed his second free throw, Jalen Brunson, who was previously 7-for-28 from the field and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc, hit a three-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped in. Following the inbound to Tyrese Maxey, Josh Hart stole the ball and kicked it out to Donte DiVincenzo, who missed a three-pointer, but an offensive rebound by Isaiah Hartenstein found the ball back in DiVincenzo's hands, who drained a go-ahead three with 13 seconds left. Maxey then missed a driving layup, New York made two free throws, and the Knicks secured the victory after Joel Embiid's three-point attempt missed at the buzzer. Maxey, battling flu-like symptoms, tallied 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while Embiid finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds.
April 25
7:30 pm |
New York Knicks 114, Philadelphia 76ers 125 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 29–28, 27–43, 29–27 | ||
Pts: Jalen Brunson 39 Rebs: Mitchell Robinson 7 Asts: Jalen Brunson 13 |
Pts: Joel Embiid 50 Rebs: Joel Embiid 8 Asts: Tyrese Maxey 7 | |
New York leads series, 2–1 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 21,116 Referees: Zach Zarba, James Williams, Kevin Cutler |
After vowing the 76ers were “going to win this series”, Joel Embiid scored a playoff career-high 50 points, with 18 of them coming in a decisive third quarter to win 125–114. Embiid, who's been battling Bell's palsy, was 13-of-19 from the floor, made 19-of-21 free throws, and hit five three-pointers, with four of them coming during Philadelphia's 43–27 third quarter. Tyrese Maxey finished with 25 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points on 75% shooting. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists on an improved 48% from the field, while Josh Hart and OG Anunoby recorded 20 and 17 points, respectively. Mitchell Robinson also had seven rebounds before getting injured following a controversial flagrant foul from Embiid.
April 28
1:00 pm |
New York Knicks 97, Philadelphia 76ers 92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 30–22, 30–27, 20–16 | ||
Pts: Jalen Brunson 47 Rebs: Josh Hart 17 Asts: Jalen Brunson 10 |
Pts: Joel Embiid 27 Rebs: Joel Embiid 10 Asts: Kyle Lowry 7 | |
New York leads series, 3–1 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 21,048 Referees: David Guthrie, Sean Wright, Justin Van Duyne |
Jalen Brunson scored 47 points, setting a Knicks franchise playoff record.
New York won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||
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This is the tenth playoff meeting between these two teams, and the fifth since the Syracuse Nationals relocated to Philadelphia in 1963, with the 76ers winning six of the first nine meetings.[35]
Philadelphia leads 6–3 in all-time playoff series |
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(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Indiana Pacers
April 21
7:00 pm (6:00 pm CDT) |
Indiana Pacers 94, Milwaukee Bucks 109 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 21–39, 29–14, 23–26 | ||
Pts: Pascal Siakam 36 Rebs: Pascal Siakam 13 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 8 |
Pts: Damian Lillard 35 Rebs: Bobby Portis 11 Asts: Patrick Beverley 8 | |
Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |
In his first playoff game in three years, Damian Lillard scored all 35 of his points in the first half to give the Bucks a 27-point halftime lead and ultimately secure a 1–0 series advantage without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton also had 23 points and 10 rebounds on 64% shooting for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis added 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Pacers, who averaged a league-high 123.3 points per game, finished with a season-low 94 points and shot 8-of-38 (21%) from three-point range. Pascal Siakam finished with a game-high 36 points and 13 rebounds on 60% shooting, center Myles Turner shot 5-for-17 from the field, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with nine points and eight assists in his playoff debut.
April 23
8:30 pm (7:30 pm CDT) |
Indiana Pacers 125, Milwaukee Bucks 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–26, 30–29, 32–28, 33–25 | ||
Pts: Pascal Siakam 37 Rebs: Pascal Siakam 11 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 12 |
Pts: Damian Lillard 34 Rebs: Bobby Portis 11 Asts: Khris Middleton 6 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
After a tightly contested first three quarters, the Pacers used a 23–4 run in the fourth quarter to even the series at 1–1. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with a game-high 37 points on 69.5% from the field, along with 11 rebounds. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard scored 22 and 20 points respectively, as the Pacers shot 55.6% in game 2 compared to 39.6% in game 1. Tyrese Haliburton also provided 12 assists for Indiana, who snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak that dated back to 2018. Damian Lillard scored 26 by halftime for the Bucks but finished with 34, continuing his second-half struggles with just eight points in two games this series. Brook Lopez scored 22 on 6-of-7 from deep, while Bobby Portis had a double-double.
April 26
5:30 pm |
Milwaukee Bucks 118, Indiana Pacers 121 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–39, 33–28, 28–23, 28–21, Overtime: 7–10 | ||
Pts: Khris Middleton 42 Rebs: Bobby Portis 18 Asts: Damian Lillard 8 |
Pts: Myles Turner 29 Rebs: Tyrese Haliburton 10 Asts: Tyrese Haliburton 16 | |
Indiana leads series, 2–1 |
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Attendance: 17,274 Referees: David Guthrie, Ed Malloy, Karl Lane |
Tyrese Haliburton's three-point play in the final seconds of overtime gave the Pacers their first back-to-back postseason wins since 2014. Despite shooting 8-of-22 from the field and 1-of-12 from beyond the arc, Haliburton showcased his resiliency and recorded his first playoff triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds in Indiana's first home playoff win in six years. Pascal Siakam had 17 points and nine rebounds, while Myles Turner's playoff career-high 29 points and nine rebounds also bolstered the Pacers' effort, as they led by as much as 19 in the first quarter. Damian Lillard was hampered by injuries, finishing with 28 points on 6-of-20 from the field, while Khris Middleton stepped up for the Bucks with a playoff career-high 42 points, including a three-pointer that sent the game to overtime. Bobby Portis also had 17 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee, who dropped to 2–6 against Indiana this season.
April 28
7:00 pm |
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Indiana Pacers 126 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 33–33, 31–34, 21–31, 28–28 | ||
Pts: Brook Lopez 27 Rebs: Khris Middleton 10 Asts: Andre Jackson Jr. 7 |
Pts: Myles Turner 29 Rebs: Siakam, Turner 9 each Asts: Andrew Nembhard 9 | |
Indiana leads series, 3–1 |
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Attendance: 17,274 Referees: James Capers, Brian Forte, Brent Barnaky |
Already without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks entered game 4 without Damian Lillard who was injured in game 3.
Indiana won 4–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||
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This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning the first two meetings.[36]
Indiana leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
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(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Orlando Magic
April 20
1:00 pm |
Orlando Magic 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–33, 15–20, 17–20, 25–24 | ||
Pts: Paolo Banchero 24 Rebs: Banchero, Wagner 7 each Asts: Paolo Banchero 5 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 18 Asts: Darius Garland 8 | |
Cleveland leads series, 1–0 |
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Attendance: 19,432 Referees: James Williams, Mark Lindsay, Pat Fraher |
The Cavaliers led wire-to-wire to take the series opener. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen grabbed 18 rebounds, Darius Garland had eight assists, and Evan Mobley notched a double-double. Paolo Banchero, the first overall pick in 2022, scored 24 points in his playoff debut but committed nine turnovers, contributing to the Magic's offensive struggles, as they shot 33% from the field, 22% from beyond the arc, and missed 11 free throws. The Cavaliers, who are 17–1 all-time in playoff series after winning Game 1, set the tone for the game after making five three-pointers in the opening five minutes of the game, giving them an early 12-point lead that they rode for the remainder of the game.
April 22
7:00 pm |
Orlando Magic 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 96 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–30, 26–28, 21–22, 21–16 | ||
Pts: Paolo Banchero 21 Rebs: Franz Wagner 7 Asts: Jalen Suggs 5 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 23 Rebs: Jarrett Allen 20 Asts: three players 4 each[c] | |
Cleveland leads series, 2–0 |
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Attendance: 19,432 Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Brent Barnaky |
The Magic never led for the second straight game as the Cavaliers secured a 2–0 series lead. Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with a game-high 23 points, while Jarrett Allen grabbed a playoff career-high 20 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland added 17 and 15 points respectively, while Isaac Okoro provided four steals off the bench. Paolo Banchero scored 21 points for the Magic, while Franz Wagner contributed 17 of his 18 points in the first half, as the duo combined for 12 turnovers. Just like in game 1, Orlando shot a dismal 36% from the field and 9-of-35 from beyond the arc as the Magic failed to score over 90 points for the second consecutive game.
April 25
7:00 pm |
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Orlando Magic 121 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–31, 24–30, 16–35, 22–25 | ||
Pts: Allen, LeVert 15 each Rebs: Jarrett Allen 8 Asts: Donovan Mitchell 7 |
Pts: Paolo Banchero 31 Rebs: Paolo Banchero 14 Asts: Franz Wagner 8 | |
Cleveland leads series, 2–1 |
After never trailing in the first two games of the series, the Cavaliers were handed the worst loss in their postseason history as the Magic won 121–83. Led by Paolo Banchero's 31 points and 14 rebounds, alongside Jalen Suggs' contribution of 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, the Magic won their first home playoff game since 2011. Franz Wagner added 16 points and eight assists to the Magic's tally, as he and Banchero combined for zero turnovers. On the defensive end, they limited the Cavaliers to just 39% shooting from the field and 23.5% from deep. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert led Cleveland in scoring with 15 points, while the starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 18 points on 8-of-26 from the field.
April 27
1:00 pm |
Cleveland Cavaliers 89, Orlando Magic 112 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–22, 37–29, 10–37, 19–24 | ||
Pts: Jarrett Allen 21 Rebs: Allen, Mobley 9 each Asts: Garland, Mitchell 6 each |
Pts: Franz Wagner 34 Rebs: Franz Wagner 13 Asts: Paolo Banchero 5 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Trailing by nine at halftime, the Magic opened the second half on a 41–10 run to even the series at two games apiece. With Paolo Banchero having a quiet night (nine points, five assists), Franz Wagner stepped up for Orlando, tallying 34 points and 13 rebounds on 13-of-17 shooting, as he outscored the Cavaliers by himself in the third quarter. After putting up 60 points in the first half, Cleveland struggled mightily in the second half, scoring just 29 points and enduring a scoreless drought that lasted almost seven minutes. Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 21 points and nine rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points in the first half. However, Mitchell failed to score after halftime, going 0-of-4 from the field with four turnovers.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||
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This is the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.[37]
Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Western Conference first round
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans
April 21
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
New Orleans Pelicans 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 94 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 26–26, 25–31, 24–20 | ||
Pts: Trey Murphy III 21 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 20 Asts: CJ McCollum 6 |
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 28 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 11 Asts: Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams 4 each | |
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0 |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 28-point performance, including a go-ahead basket in the final minute, secured the Thunder's first home playoff win in five years. Rookie Chet Holmgren delivered a double-double to go along with five blocks, while Jalen Williams provided 19 points. For New Orleans, CJ McCollum had 20 points, Trey Murphy III finished with a team-high 21 points, and Jonas Valančiūnas grabbed 20 rebounds in addition to his 13 points. The game stayed close with 20 lead changes and 13 ties, as no team held a lead bigger than 10. After a Holmgren free throw made it a two-point game with 14 seconds left, Thunder rookie Cason Wallace forced McCollum into a difficult three-pointer that missed as time expired.
April 24
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
New Orleans Pelicans 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 124 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 28–28, 24–29, 18–32 | ||
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 19 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 7 Asts: CJ McCollum 4 |
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 33 Rebs: Chet Holmgren 7 Asts: Jalen Williams 7 | |
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–0 |
After playing a tightly contested game against the eighth seed in game 1, the Thunder routed the Pelicans 124–92 to seize a 2–0 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City onslaught with 33 points on 13-of-19 from the field, while rookie Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting. Jalen Williams added 21 points and seven assists for the Thunder, who shot 59% from the field and made 14-of-29 three-pointers. On the defensive end, they held New Orleans to under 95 points for the second straight game and forced 18 turnovers, converting them into 22 points. Jonas Valančiūnas led the Pelicans in scoring with 19, while Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones both finished with 18 points.
April 27
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
Oklahoma City Thunder 106, New Orleans Pelicans 85 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 37–27, 25–23, 21–16 | ||
Pts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 24 Rebs: Jalen Williams 9 Asts: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8 |
Pts: Brandon Ingram 19 Rebs: Larry Nance Jr. 13 Asts: CJ McCollum 7 | |
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–0 |
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Attendance: 18,659 Referees: Marc Davis, Mitchell Ervin, Gediminas Petraitis |
The young top-seeded Thunder continued their dominance over the Pelicans to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 24 points, eight assists, and four steals, while Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each contributed 21 points. Chet Holmgren also had eight rebounds and four blocks as Oklahoma City connected on 47% of their three-point attempts, hitting 17-of-36 shots from deep. Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 19 points, followed by CJ McCollum with 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting. New Orleans continued to struggle from long range, as they shot under 30% from beyond the arc for the third consecutive game, and they committed 21 turnovers that turned into 23 Thunder points.
Oklahoma City won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This is the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[38]
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers
April 20
8:30 pm (6:30 pm MDT) |
Los Angeles Lakers 103, Denver Nuggets 114 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 33–25, 27–32, 18–32, 25–25 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis 32 Rebs: Anthony Davis 14 Asts: LeBron James 8 |
Pts: Nikola Jokić 32 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 12 Asts: Jamal Murray 10 | |
Denver leads series, 1–0 |
In a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets won their ninth consecutive game against the Lakers, fueled by Nikola Jokić's 32 points and 12 rebounds on 65% from the field. Jamal Murray contributed 22 points and 10 assists, as the two-man game of Jokić and Murray yielded 17 assists to zero turnovers. Aaron Gordon secured a double-double while Michael Porter Jr. finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. On the Lakers' side, LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis added 32, as Los Angeles led for the majority of the first half. But a 13–0 run late in the third quarter by the Nuggets, which included three Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three-pointers, allowed them to seize control of the game.
April 22
10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) |
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Denver Nuggets 101 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 31–20, 20–25, 20–32 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis 32 Rebs: Anthony Davis 11 Asts: LeBron James 12 |
Pts: Nikola Jokić 27 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 20 Asts: Nikola Jokić 10 | |
Denver leads series, 2–0 |
The Nuggets came back from a 20-point deficit to win it at the buzzer. The Lakers dominated the first half, cruising to a 59–44 lead at halftime. However, Denver, led by Nikola Jokić's 27-point, 20-rebound triple-double, fought their way back into the game. Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points and made a game-tying three-pointer with 1:15 to go. LeBron James tried a wide-open three with the score at 99–99, but it rimmed out. The Nuggets secured the rebound, and Jamal Murray scored the game-winning fadeaway jump shot over Anthony Davis. Murray, who was 3-of-16 in the first three quarters, shot 6-of-8 and scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Davis led the scoring for the Lakers, tallying 32 points and 11 rebounds, but did not record a point in the fourth quarter. D'Angelo Russell made seven three-pointers after shooting 1-of-9 from deep in game 1, while James notched 26 points and 12 assists.
April 25
10:00 pm (7:00 pm PDT) |
Denver Nuggets 112, Los Angeles Lakers 105 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–33, 26–20, 34–22, 29–30 | ||
Pts: Aaron Gordon 29 Rebs: Gordon, Jokić 15 each Asts: Jokić, Murray 9 each |
Pts: Anthony Davis 33 Rebs: Anthony Davis 15 Asts: LeBron James 9 | |
Denver leads series, 3–0 |
The defending champions came away with their 11th straight win over the Lakers to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with a playoff career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Nikola Jokić shot 9-of-13 from the field and finished one assist shy of a triple-double. Jamal Murray contributed 22 points, and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 for Denver, who have trailed by double-digits in every game this series. Anthony Davis posted 33 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, LeBron James contributed 26 points and nine assists, while Austin Reaves scored 22. Los Angeles missed 15 of their first 16 three-point attempts, and only got five points combined from starters D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.
April 27
8:30 pm (5:30 pm PDT) |
Denver Nuggets 108, Los Angeles Lakers 119 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 25–33, 32–30, 28–28 | ||
Pts: Nikola Jokić 33 Rebs: Nikola Jokić 14 Asts: Nikola Jokić 14 |
Pts: LeBron James 30 Rebs: Anthony Davis 23 Asts: Davis, Reaves 6 each | |
Denver leads series, 3–1 |
Denver won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
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This is the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning seven of the first eight meetings.[39]
LA Lakers lead 7–1 in all-time playoff series |
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(3) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (6) Phoenix Suns
April 20
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
Phoenix Suns 95, Minnesota Timberwolves 120 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–34, 21–31, 23–28 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant 31 Rebs: Kevin Durant 7 Asts: Bradley Beal 6 |
Pts: Anthony Edwards 33 Rebs: Rudy Gobert 16 Asts: Mike Conley 7 | |
Minnesota leads series, 1–0 |
Anthony Edwards scored 18 of his 33 points in a pivotal third quarter to help the Timberwolves take a 1–0 series lead. Edwards led a 19–4 run to close the third quarter, as Minnesota held the Suns to zero field goals in the final seven minutes of the quarter. Karl-Anthony Towns chipped in with 19 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 18 points and four steals off the bench, while Rudy Gobert anchored the defense with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Despite Kevin Durant's 31-point performance on 65% shooting for the Suns, alongside Bradley Beal's 15 points on 60% from the field, the Wolves outrebounded Phoenix 52–28 and outscored them in the paint 52–34. The Minnesota bench also outscored the Suns' reserves 41–18.
April 23
7:30 pm (6:30 pm CDT) |
Phoenix Suns 93, Minnesota Timberwolves 105 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 30–26, 20–28, 22–27 | ||
Pts: Devin Booker 20 Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 14 Asts: Bradley Beal 6 |
Pts: Jaden McDaniels 25 Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9 Asts: Anthony Edwards 8 | |
Minnesota leads series, 2–0 |
Jaden McDaniels led all scorers with a playoff career-high 25 points and spearheaded another stifling defensive performance by the Timberwolves to win 105–93. Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley both contributed 18 points while Phoenix was focused on containing Anthony Edwards, who shot 3-of-12 with 15 points and eight assists. Despite Phoenix's efforts to rally, Minnesota's 11–0 fourth-quarter run solidified their second-ever 2–0 playoff series lead. The Suns' "big three" of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal struggled, shooting a combined 18-for-45 (40%), while the Timberwolves capitalized on turnovers, scoring 31 points off 20 Phoenix errors compared to the Suns' two points from Minnesota's 14 turnovers.
April 26
10:30 pm (7:30 pm MST) |
Minnesota Timberwolves 126, Phoenix Suns 109 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 34–32, 25–21, 36–20, 31–36 | ||
Pts: Anthony Edwards 36 Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14 Asts: Mike Conley 7 |
Pts: Bradley Beal 28 Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 7 Asts: Devin Booker 8 | |
Minnesota leads series, 3–0 |
In a dominant display, Anthony Edwards propelled the Timberwolves to the brink of their first playoff series win in 20 years. Edwards scored 18 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, while Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, who never trailed. For the third consecutive game, the Wolves overwhelmed the Suns in the third quarter, highlighted by Nickeil Alexander-Walker's four three-pointers, to take a 22-point lead into the final quarter. Bradley Beal scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 25, and Devin Booker finished with 23 points for the Suns, while the rest of the team scored just 33 points. Meanwhile, Minnesota had six players finish in double figures and dominated the boards with a 50–28 rebounding margin.
April 28
9:30 pm (6:30 pm MST) |
Minnesota Timberwolves 122, Phoenix Suns 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 31–35, 34–31, 32–24 | ||
Pts: Anthony Edwards 40 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 10 Asts: Mike Conley 7 |
Pts: Devin Booker 49 Rebs: Kevin Durant 9 Asts: Devin Booker 6 | |
Minnesota wins series, 4–0 |
Edwards closed out the series with a 40 point performance, in addition to 9 rebounds and 6 assists, to propel the Timberwolves to their first playoff series win since 2004 and first series sweep in franchise history. The game was tied or within 4 points for almost the entire game; neither team led by more than 6 points, a far cry from the blowouts in Games 1-3. For the Suns, Booker scored 49 points and Durant score 33, but no other player finished with double digits. Minnesota once again dominated the boards, a 44-33 rebounding margin.
Phoenix won 3–0 in the regular-season series |
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This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams.[40]
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks
April 21
3:30 pm (12:30 pm PDT) |
Dallas Mavericks 97, Los Angeles Clippers 109 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–34, 8–22, 34–31, 33–22 | ||
Pts: Luka Dončić 33 Rebs: Luka Dončić 13 Asts: Luka Dončić 6 |
Pts: James Harden 28 Rebs: Ivica Zubac 15 Asts: James Harden 8 | |
LA Clippers lead series, 1–0 |
In their playoff series opener, James Harden and Ivica Zubac led the Clippers to a 109–97 victory over the Mavericks, with Harden recording 28 points and eight assists in his playoff debut for the Clippers, while Zubac achieved a playoff career-high of 20 points alongside 15 rebounds. Despite Luka Dončić's 33 points and Kyrie Irving's 31 (with 20 of those points coming on 100% shooting in the third quarter), the Mavericks had only one other player finish in double figures. Meanwhile, the Clippers, who were missing Kawhi Leonard due to injury, limited Dallas to their fewest points in a playoff half, as they held them to 22% from the field and 2-of-18 from beyond the arc in the first half to secure a commanding 26-point halftime lead.
April 23
10:00 pm (7:00 pm PDT) |
Dallas Mavericks 96, Los Angeles Clippers 93 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 22–22, 20–25, 31–27 | ||
Pts: Luka Dončić 32 Rebs: Dereck Lively II 9 Asts: Luka Dončić 9 |
Pts: George, Harden 22 each Rebs: Ivica Zubac 12 Asts: James Harden 8 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Luka Dončić had 32 points and nine assists, Kyrie Irving scored 23, and P. J. Washington scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Clippers 96–93. After the Mavericks led for most of the game, Dallas trailed by six with 9:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks responded by scoring 14 straight points to permanently give them the lead, with all 14 of those points coming from Dončić, Irving, and Washington. Paul George and James Harden each scored 22 points while Ivica Zubac recorded a double-double. Kawhi Leonard also had 15 points and four steals in his first game since March 31. The Clippers shot 37% from the floor and made just 8-of-30 three-pointers after shooting 50% (18-of-36) from deep in game 1.
April 26
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
Los Angeles Clippers 90, Dallas Mavericks 101 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 18–36, 26–24, 23–23 | ||
Pts: Harden, Powell 21 each Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 9 Asts: George, Harden 5 each |
Pts: Luka Dončić 22 Rebs: Luka Dončić 10 Asts: Luka Dončić 9 | |
Dallas leads series, 2–1 |
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Attendance: 20,402 Referees: James Capers, Bill Kennedy, Justin Van Duyne |
In the Mavericks' defensive-minded victory over the Clippers, Luka Dončić led the charge with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. With Dončić struggling with his shooting efficiency, going 7-of-25 from the field and 3-of-14 from beyond the arc, his co-star Kyrie Irving poured 19 of his 21 points in the final 14 minutes of the game to keep the Clippers at bay. Despite a strong first half, James Harden's scoring output diminished in the second half for the Clippers, finishing with 21 points, while Norman Powell scored 21 off the bench. The Clippers' offense was hampered by 19 turnovers, and they also got little offensive support from Paul George and Russell Westbrook, as the pair combined for eight points on 3-of-18 shooting.
April 28
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
Los Angeles Clippers 116, Dallas Mavericks 111 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 39–16, 27–33, 16–29, 34–33 | ||
Pts: George, Harden 33 each Rebs: George, Harden 6 each Asts: Paul George 8 |
Pts: Kyrie Irving 40 Rebs: Luka Dončić 10 Asts: Luka Dončić 10 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Attendance: 20,411 Referees: Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor, Nick Buchert |
The Clippers almost fell victim to a massive comeback from down 31 points by the Mavericks, but they held on and ultimately prevailed.
LA Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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|
This is the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first two meetings.[41]
LA Clippers leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series |
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Statistical leaders
Category | Game High | Average | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
Points | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 50 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | 37.7 | 3 |
Rebounds | Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | 23 | Anthony Davis | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.8 | 4 |
Assists | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | 16 | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | 12.0 | 3 |
Steals | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Philadelphia 76ers | 5 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Denver Nuggets | 2.3 | 4 |
Blocks | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | 5 | Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder | 3.7 | 3 |
Media coverage
Linear television
ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. For the first time, TruTV simulcasts or air alternate broadcasts of select TNT games. Each team's regional broadcaster also televises local coverage of first-round games, with the exception of weekend games on ABC. In general during the first two rounds, ABC will air Sunday afternoon games, TNT will broadcast Sunday through Wednesday night games, and ESPN will televise Friday night games (including a rare Friday Tripleheader on April 26).[42] For Thursday night games, TNT has them in the first round and ESPN in the second round. NBA TV also televises selected Monday through Thursday night first-round games. Saturday first- and second-round games are split by ABC, ESPN, and TNT. As per the alternating rotation, ESPN/ABC has exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference finals while TNT has exclusive coverage of the Western Conference finals. ABC has exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 22nd straight year.
Streaming
This is the first playoffs that the streaming service Max will have live access to TNT's games on its Bleacher Report Sports Add-on tier.[43] NBA TV games are available on NBA League Pass as part of its normal streaming service for that channel. Only selected ESPN/ABC games may stream live on ESPN+.
Sponsorship
For the third straight year, the playoffs will be officially known as the "2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel". During the multiyear agreement with Google Pixel, this sponsorship provides the logo branding inside the venues and in official digital properties on-court, as well as commercial inventory during ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV's telecasts of the playoff games.[44]
Notes
References
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- ^ a b c "Starting 5, April 10: Clippers, Mavs clinch; Knicks, Pelicans climb". NBA.com. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
- ^ Trigg, Dalton. "Dallas Mavs Win Southwest Division, Lock In NBA Playoff Series vs. LA Clippers: 'We're Just Getting Started'". si.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
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- ^ "New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Head-to-Head in the NBA Playoffs - All-Time". landofbasketball.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
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