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MAVS ROLL BEHIND DONCIC! LUKA DONCIC SCORES 35 POINTS, LEADS MAVERICKS TO 123-93 VICTORY AND 3-2 SERIES LEAD OVER CLIPPERS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks LOS ANGELES (AP) Luka Doncic is playing on a sprained right knee that would probably sideline him in the regular season. The Dallas star also has been congested and ill for several days, fighting a bug that's forcing him to blow his nose during timeouts. Doncic simply refused to be slowed in Game 5 - not by multiple ailments, and certainly not by any Los Angeles Clippers during a blowout victory that put his Dallas Mavericks on the brink of the second round. Doncic scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half and added 10 assists and seven rebounds, propelling the Mavericks to a 123-93 victory Wednesday night and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series. Maxi Kleber hit five 3-pointers and Kyrie Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who clamped down on the Clippers defensively and handed Los Angeles the biggest margin of defeat in its playoff history. Dallas needs one more win to claim its first playoff series victory since 2022 and only its third since winning the NBA title in 2011. “I think it was a very big game,” Doncic said. “We win, and now we’ve got to win one out of two. We’ve got to go back to Dallas and play the same way.” Game 6 is Friday night in Dallas. If necessary, Game 7 will be back in Los Angeles on Sunday. Doncic's injured knee has limited him at times in the series, and the symptoms of his apparent illness are slowing him down as well. But he clearly got more comfortable and more dangerous as the night went on in downtown Los Angeles. He had 14 points in the third quarter while the Mavs stretched their lead to 25 and eventually took an 89-69 advantage into the fourth, where the Clippers never threatened to do an imitation of Dallas' rally from a 31-point deficit in Game 4. Doncic said his illness made things “tough,” and his knee is “not really good.” “But you talk about adrenaline in a playoff game,” he added. “Once you get started, you want to do everything you can to help your team win. I just wanted to keep going.” When these teams met in the first round three seasons ago, Dallas also won Game 5 on the road and traveled home with a chance to clinch. The Clippers won the next two to claim the series in seven games - but the star of that comeback was Kawhi Leonard, who hasn't been able to overcome his own nagging ailments in this series. Paul George and Ivica Zubac scored 15 points apiece for the Clippers, who played their second straight game and third of the series without Leonard. LA's leading scorer has right knee inflammation at the most critical point in the season, and his teammates were unable to win without him in Game 5 after doing it twice earlier in the series. Leonard's fellow stars couldn't step up in Game 5, although Dallas' defense deserved much of the credit. The Clippers hit went 9 for 35 on 3-point attempts in Game 5 after making 18 3s in Game 4. “I think it was just the carryover from Game 4, talking about it, watching it,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Being able to play with pace on offense, but just doing a good job of taking the 3 out of the game.” George went 4 for 13 and missed four of his six 3-point attempts, failing to assert himself offensively except during a brief stretch of the third quarter. Harden had another perplexing playoff performance, going 2 for 12 and missing six of his seven 3s. Russell Westbrook also struggled off the bench, missing his first eight shots before finally scoring in the third quarter. George was calm after the thrashing, simply citing “uncharacteristic mistakes that we made.” “That wasn’t who we’ve been in this series, and that’s not who we are,” George added. “We’ve got to be better, especially in this situation. But we’ve been here before, going to Dallas being down 3-2, so we’ve just got to have a win-only mentality in Dallas.” Both teams pulled their starters midway through the fourth quarter, grabbing rest for the potential closeout in Dallas. “We just didn’t play well all around,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Defensively, offensively, we just didn’t play a good game. That’s OK. Turn the page." Although Doncic and Irving each missed their first three 3-point attempts in the first half of Game 5, Dallas got 12 first-half points from Kleber, the German shooter who famously hit a buzzer-beating 3 in this building to beat the Lakers just over a year ago. The loss left the Clippers facing the possibility that it was their last game as the home team at the downtown Los Angeles arena they share with the Lakers. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer's palatial Intuit Dome opens next season in Inglewood. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

DERRICK WHITE SCORES 38, CELTICS TOP HEAT 102-88 TO TAKE A 3-1 EAST PLAYOFF SERIES LEAD! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks MIAMI (AP) The good news for the Miami Heat is that the Boston Celtics might not be back in South Florida for a few months. And that’s also the bad news for the Heat. Boston now has full control of this Eastern Conference series, with Derrick White scoring a career-high 38 points on Monday night and leading the top-seeded Celtics past the eighth-seeded Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their opening-round NBA playoff series. “I made a couple shots early,” said White, who was 15 of 26 from the field and 8 of 15 from 3-point range. “That always helps. Once you make a couple, the basket looks huge.” The Celtics won at Miami for the sixth straight time and improved to 14-3 in their last 17 games on the Heat's home floor. But it was a costly win, with Kristaps Porzingis going down in the first half with what the team said was a right calf injury. He left the arena in a walking boot, often used as a precaution. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he had not gotten a postgame update on Porzingis' condition. “I didn't see what happened,” Mazzulla said. Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who got 17 points from Jaylen Brown and 11 from Jrue Holiday. “We had to keep fighting,” Tatum said, “and play desperate in a way.” Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd - including Lionel Messi - but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler (knee) and Terry Rozier (neck). The Heat managed only 84 points in Game 3 and struggled again on offense in Game 4. Tyler Herro scored 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for the eighth-seeded Heat. Miami lost rookie starter Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the second half with leg tightness; he will be evaluated Tuesday. “Offensively, we struggled again,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had some decent looks early on, weren't able to knock those down, and Derrick White was very good tonight - obviously. ... He was just very efficient, very good.” The Celtics can advance to the second round on Wednesday when they host Game 5. The Boston-Miami winner will meet the Cleveland-Orlando winner in the East semifinals; that Cavaliers-Magic series won't end until at least Friday. “We're going into the lion's den,” Adebayo said. “Everybody knows what's at stake. It's 3-1.” But the Celtics now have an injury concern, with Porzingis lifting his jersey over his face in exasperation after getting hurt late in the first half. “Worried,” said Celtics center Al Horford, who started after halftime in Porzingis' place. “Just concerned. ... Definitely concerning for me. He's in good spirits, but we don't know what it's going to be. I'm just hoping that it's nothing serious and he can get back to us quick.” With 5:04 left, there was some more drama after Tatum tried to shoot a 3-pointer moments after a foul was called. Adebayo defended the dead-ball play, and Tatum rolled his left ankle after Adebayo stepped into his landing area. Referees called a flagrant-1 on Adebayo, and a technical on Horford for reacting. Tatum remained in the game. “I'm sure he's fine,” Mazzulla said. Adebayo didn't want to discuss the explanation he got as to why what he did merited a flagrant-foul designation. “We're just going to move on from that,” he said. The good news for Boston: History says this series is just about over. This is the 29th time a Boston team has taken a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series. The Celtics won all 28 of the previous series, including seven times in the NBA Finals and a first-round series against Miami in 2010 - the last games the Heat played before luring LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Florida and forming a superteam around Dwyane Wade. Miami just couldn't keep up in this one. White had 16 points in the first quarter, when the Celtics built a 34-24 lead. And no matter what the Heat did on defense, the offense couldn't make up any gaps. Consider: The Celtics had 34 points after 12 minutes, and it took the Heat almost 23 minutes - nearly the entire first half - to hit the 34-point mark. Miami had only 59 points through three quarters, matching a season low set in Game 1 of this series at Boston. “I know in my heart we have a game that's there,” Spoelstra said. “It's just a matter of the ball going in a few more times, and all of a sudden it ignites.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

NUGGETS ELIMINATE LAKERS! MURRAY OVERCOMES CALF INJURY TO SCORE 32 AND HIT GAME-WINNER IN NUGGETS' 108-106 WIN OVER LAKERS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks DENVER (AP) Jamal Murray overcame a strained left calf, management's suggestion he sit this one out and another haymaker from the Los Angeles Lakers to score 32 points and sink the game-winner with 3.6 seconds left Monday night. That sent LeBron James to his earliest playoff exit ever and the Denver Nuggets tottering into Round 2 with a 108-106 win in Game 5 that featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties and was only secured when Taurean Prince's halfcourt heave fell short as time expired. “Shout-out to the Lakers, they gave us a great series,” said Murray, who also hit franchise's first playoff buzzer-beater in Game 2. “Those are shots that you dream of as a little kid,” said Murray, who called this one just “a little better.” If not for his dogged determination - and defiance - Murray never would have had the chance to seal the series. “I came in a little earlier today to see if I was going to be able to go, and I felt like I could and they just didn't want me to risk it,” recounted Murray, who warmed up with an ice pack strapped to his injured calf. "They told me no. They told me no. "And I didn't say no. I didn't want to leave my teammates out there,” added Murray, who missed 23 games due to injury in 2023-24. “We've been battling all season. Everybody's hurt at some point, everybody's going through something and I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I wasn't able to play this game. ”I'm just glad they listened to me - and listened to me listening to my body - and just trusting me with it." James' two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen-and-roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves as he crossed through the lane and swishing the 14-footer. “That kid’s a warrior, man," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. "The bigger the moment, the kid just continues to shine.” Nikola Jokic, who committed an uncharacteristic seven turnovers, narrowly missed his 19th career playoff triple-double with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 26. James had 30 points and 11 assists and Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but appeared bothered down the stretch after banging his left shoulder into MPJ in the second half. The Nuggets advanced to face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round starting next weekend. That series starts in Denver, where the Nuggets are a Western Conference-best 36-8, including 3-0 in the playoffs. Not that it was been easy. The Nuggets trailed for about three-fourths of the minutes in this series, they scuffled through extended shooting slumps and they're a banged-up bunch that can definitely use the rest. “First of all, tip your hat to them,” James said. “Defending champions. They’re great team. Super-well coached and made the plays down the stretch to win the series. You give credit where credit is due, that’s for sure.” Davis matched Murray’s 16 first-half points and the Lakers led 53-50 at halftime. They pushed that advantage to nine points but the Nuggets closed on a 21-10 run to take an 81-79 lead into the fourth quarter that was tight until the buzzer. The Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals last summer on their way to winning the franchise's first NBA championship, beat the Lakers for the 12th time in their last 13 games. The only other time James was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs came in 2021 when the Phoenix Suns beat L.A. in six games. So, this was the shortest of James' 17 trips to the playoffs despite the Lakers taking the reigning champs to the brink in all five games. “I couldn’t be more proud of our crew despite everything that happened,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who's sure to be on the hot seat. “Obviously, the series didn’t go in our favor, didn’t start the way we wanted it to, but to win that one at home, fight tooth and nail today to get this one, our guys showed a lot of guts and a lot of character." Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Today at STATION KICKS... We present the Futuristic Nike Pegasus Premium, featuring the innovative Air technology. It integrates Nike's first visible Air Zoom unit, showing off the striking “Airscape” color combination. Designed to efficiently transfer energy to the athlete, the Nike Pegasus Premium “Airscape” will be available in Spring 2025! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #sneakers #nikesportswear #basketball #sneakernews #nikepegasus #nike #sports #news #sportsnews #snkrs #viral #sneaker #sneakerhead #sneakerheads #sneakercon #stationkicks #playoffmode - PLAYOFFMODE, Playoffs, Nike, Nike Pegasus, NIKE PEGASUS PREMIUM,NIKE PEGASUS PREMIUM RELEASES SPRING 2025, Sneaker, Sneakers Release, Anthony Edwards, NBA’s Top 10 Plays of the Night | April 27, 2024, Anthony Edwards' MONSTER PERFORMANCE 😤 The Timberwolves Advance! #PLAYOFFMODE | April 28, 2024, Jalen Brunson Makes Knicks HISTORY In Game 4! 🔥 #PLAYOFFMODE | April 28, 2024, Paul George & James Harden TAKEOVER In Game 4! 🔥 | April 28, 2024, Top 15 Latest Nike shoes for the month of May 2024, Best Hoop Shoes You've Never Heard Of 2024! DON'T SLEEP on these Basketball Shoes!, The Sole Drop, This Will NEVER Happen Again, Nonstop, Why Kareem And Wilt HATED Each Other, I Spent 1.6 MILLION VC Trying To Pull 100 OVR Yao Ming, Ralph Tiama, WAR On FAKE Sneakers Just Got Serious! New Yeezy! & More!, Travis Scott Jumpman Jack TR Sail and Dark Mocha Review and on Foot, ToNYD2WiLD, WearTesters, Air Jordan 1 High OG Artisanal Red + Giveaway, Sneakers Review, Sneakers, Sneaker, Sneakers News, Video, Viral, Nike, Nike pegasus, Sneaker Heads, STATION KICKS,

WOLVES SWEEP SUNS! TIMBERWOLVES OUTLAST SUNS TO FINISH SWEEP. MINNESOTA COACH CHRIS FINCH LEAVES WITH KNEE INJURY. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from our pages: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks PHOENIX (AP) Minnesota star Anthony Edwards noticed early in the third quarter that the Phoenix Suns switched up their defense, playing him one-on-one most of the time instead of using the double teams from the first half. The budding superstar took that as a challenge. “It was like - you've got to beat us,” Edwards said. “And I showed them.” Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half, Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 and the Timberwolves pulled away late to beat the Suns 122-116 on Sunday night and sweep the first-round playoff series. The franchise's first playoff series win in 20 years came after coach Chris Finch left the game late in the fourth after an inadvertent collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team said he had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee. Edwards finished 13 of 23 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. The 22-year-old threw down a powerful, one-handed jam to give Minnesota a 115-111 lead with 2:14 left. “We've watched him grow, evolve as a leader, as a player, as a man,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said. “It's been fun.” Phoenix would never recover. The Wolves finished off the Suns despite Devin Booker’s 49 points on 13 of 21 shooting. He also made 20 of 21 free throws. Kevin Durant added 33, but the rest of the team struggled. Assistant coach Micah Nori took over for Finch for the final 1:41 and the Wolves closed with relative ease. “Everybody has their role, everybody has each other's back,” Nori said. “I know it sounds corny, but it's just next man up, even with the coaching staff.” Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and the Wolves had a 44-33 rebounding advantage. It was a tight fourth quarter and the Suns tied it at 107 on Royce O'Neale's 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining. Edwards and Jaden McDaniels hit back-to-back corner 3s to put the Wolves up 113-109 with 3:20 left. The Wolves now wait to see if they will face the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. “Their whole team created a lot of problems for us,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “The role players, the stars. Anthony Edwards is a special, special talent. And their bigs played really well.” Edwards hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third and McDaniels followed with a powerful dunk, helping Minnesota turn a six-point deficit into a 68-66 lead. It was part of a big third for Edwards, who hit four 3-pointers and had 15 points. Booker responded, scoring 18 points during the quarter and the Suns took a 92-90 lead into the fourth. It was a tough game for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, who scored just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting before fouling out. “They were executing late and we didn't,” Booker said. The Suns threw various looks at the Wolves in the first half, using five perimeter players at various times to try to pull big men Gobert and Towns away from the basket. Booker hit a fallaway jumper at the buzzer to give the Suns a 61-56 halftime lead. Durant led Phoenix with 20 points before the break, while Booker had 17. Towns had 15 for the Wolves. Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his second straight game because of a sprained ankle suffered in Game 1 that he aggravated in Game 2. He averaged 13.5 points per game and led the NBA in 3-point percentage during the regular season. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

CLIPPERS FOIL EPIC RALLY! PAUL GEORGE, JAMES HARDEN HELP CLIPPERS EVEN SERIES WITH MAVS AT 2-2 AFTER BLOWING 31-POINT LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es DALLAS (AP) Paul George and James Harden are two-for-two without Kawhi Leonard in the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round playoff series against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. The healthy LA stars can afford to shrug over the blown 31-point lead in Game 4. George and Harden each scored 33 points while playing key fourth-quarter roles to help the Clippers hold off a huge rally fueled mostly by Irving for a 116-111 victory Sunday to even the first-round series at 2-2. “We knew they would make a run,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But also, we didn’t think we’d come into this building and be up 31 points either. So I told our team, just get the win, however you've got to get it. In the playoffs, it don’t matter how you win.” Leonard was out with right knee inflammation again after missing the series opener, then playing in both Dallas victories. The Clippers aren't sure he'll make it back for the third Western Conference first-round meeting between these teams in the past five seasons. The teams have split a pair on each other’s home court. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Irving scored 40 points for Dallas, including an acrobatic layup with 2:15 remaining for a 105-104 lead that was the first for the Mavericks since the middle of the first quarter. Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his fourth career playoff triple-double - all against the Clippers - while clearly struggling with right knee soreness that had him questionable until he warmed up before the game. “It’s hurting, obviously,” said Doncic, who was 1 of 9 from 3-point range and not as effective on defense, a strength for him in this series. “But it shouldn’t be an excuse. Just came out sloppy. We’ve got to be way better than that.” George scored 26 points in the first half, when the Clippers' lead reached 55-24 on a 3-pointer by Harden. The high-scoring stars combined to go 11 of 15 from long range as LA finished 18 of 29 overall. After Irving's go-ahead layup, George hit his first basket of the second half, a fadeaway 3 from the corner. Irving missed a layup, and Harden converted a three-point play for a 110-105 lead. The 10-time All-Star scored 15 points in the fourth, hitting five of his well-known floaters that were mostly absent in the first three games. This is part of why the Clippers added Harden in an early-season trade, giving them another option with a star such as Leonard sidelined. “I’m blessed to be able to change it up and be a facilitator or a scorer,” Harden said. “My mindset coming to this team was doing whatever it takes to win and get to the end goal. Whether that's scoring or facilitating, I think it goes possession by possession and game by game.” The Clippers tied a franchise playoff record for a quarter with eight 3s in the first, and George had three of them while scoring his playoff first-quarter high with 16 points to match the Mavericks and help build a 39-16 lead. Harden’s 3 for the 31-point lead midway through the second quarter came not long after Doncic was called for a technical foul coming down the court when his miss dropped Dallas to 0-11 from long range.. It was almost a replay of Game 1, when the Leonard-less Clippers led by 26 at halftime and 29 early in the third quarter. Minus the massive rally, although Dallas did whittle the deficit in the second half of the opener. “This is like Game 1,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Early game, for whatever reason we just haven’t played well. We’ve gotten off to slow starts. That’s just something that we’ve got to talk about as a team. If there’s another afternoon game, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go from the jump and we can’t wait.” Irving hit the next two 3s for Dallas, and the rally was on. He scored 16 in the second quarter and kept it going in the third, finishing those two quarters with 26 after a scoreless first. Dallas trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. “We dug ourselves in a hole,” Irving said. “There's no time to complain about it or look to each other for any excuses. It was just time to get it going. Fell short, but this is a consistent thing in this series so far where Kawhi doesn't play and we're just dealing with a barrage of James Harden and Paul George getting off.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Meet the Air Jordan 3 "Flu Game", An icon in the world of NBA sneakers. Debuted in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals by Michael Jordan, this pair is set for a resurgence in 2025. New Episode of STATION KICKS, Watch it now: https://rumble.com/v4qvuy9-air-jordan-12-flu-game-returns-spring-2025-station-kicks.html STATION KICKS, 2024. All Rights Reserved

WOLVES PUT SUNS IN 3-0 HOLE! ANTHONY EDWARDS SCORES 36 POINTS, TIMBERWOLVES BEAT SUNS 126-109 FOR 3-0 SERIES LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es PHOENIX (AP) Anthony Edwards hit a jumper late in the fourth quarter and snarled as he ran down the court, pounding his chest with his fist for emphasis as Minnesota pulled away for another dominant playoff win. The Timberwolves are the undeniable alpha dogs through three games of this increasingly lopsided series. Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Timberwolves used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 126-109 on Friday night and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round matchup. “We're just embracing the moment,” Gobert said. “We have only one goal in mind and we're trying to make sure we don't get distracted by the success or the ups and downs. We're just locked in.” Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix. The Wolves never trailed on Friday. “This is a team you need to dictate terms with,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “You don't want to get behind big on them because of the way they can shoot the ball. That's been part of our messaging, part of our emphasis, we have to get off to good starts.” It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth. Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23. The rest of the team scored just 33 points. The 7-foot-1 Gobert said he's noticed the Suns being hesitant to drive in the lane when he's there. “That's what I do best,” Gobert said. “I try to be a presence, give confidence to my teammates, making sure I'm there for them. I'm trying to get some blocks, but they don't really try me. So at the end of the day, that's better than any block.” Minnesota had a six-point halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 69-58 early in the third after back-to-back 3-pointers from Mike Conley and Karl-Anthony Towns. Late in the third, Alexander-Walker hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 95-73 lead. The Wolves were also dominant on the glass, finishing with a 50-28 rebounding advantage. Edwards shot 12 of 23 from the field and hit all 11 of his free throws while adding nine rebounds and five assists. “We got killed on the boards. This is a bigger, stronger team,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “We've got to compete and win the 50-50 balls. I thought our guys gave the effort, but it wasn't enough.” Six Minnesota players scored in double figures. Towns finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds while Alexander-Walker scored 16. The listless Suns could never cut the deficit to single digits in the fourth. Now they're one loss away from what would be a bitterly disappointing season after entering the year with championship aspirations. By the end of the third quarter, there were scattered boos coming from the home crowd. Booker said he couldn't blame them. “We put ourselves in a hole and we’ve got to dig ourselves out of it,” Booker said. “So that’s that.” Phoenix's Josh Okogie, who had eight points, was ejected late in the fourth after a hard foul on Gobert. The Timberwolves led 59-53 at the halftime break following a competitive first half. Edwards led the Wolves with 16 points while Durant had 14 for the Suns. Eric Gordon gave Phoenix a spark with 10 points in the first quarter, but it was short lived. The Suns played without starting guard Grayson Allen, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season. Allen's dealing with a sprained ankle from Game 1 that he aggravated in Game 2. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

LUKA DONCIC AND DEFENSIVE-MINDED MAVS TAKE A CHIPPY 101-90 WIN OVER CLIPPERS FOR 2-1 SERIES LEAD! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es DALLAS (AP) Luka Doncic called out to his coaches during a flurry of 3-pointers from James Harden. The Mavericks superstar and NBA scoring champion wanted to defend the star guard of the Los Angeles Clippers. It's suddenly defense first in Dallas. Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the defensive-minded Mavericks had a chippy 101-90 victory over the Clippers on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series. The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA, and won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game loss to the Clippers. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas. “I think we all see that when we’re on the defensive side, there’s a different look in everybody’s eyes,” said rookie center Dereck Lively II, who had all 13 of his points in the first half as the Mavs got their lob game going with 10 dunks before the break. “It’s like being aggressive and being the aggressor even though they have the ball.” Daniel Gafford, Lively's tag-team partner as a dunker and rim protector, had an emphatic block of a dunk attempt by Paul George early in the fourth quarter while Dallas was taking control for good in a game with five technical fouls, a flagrant foul and two ejections. Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but just seven after halftime, while fellow stars George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact. Norman Powell also had 21, and Ivica Zubac had 19 points and eight rebounds. But the Clippers had 19 turnovers and the Mavericks had seven blocks - three of them from Gafford and two from Lively. George dealt with foul trouble and finished with seven points, five rebounds, five assists - and five fouls. Leonard never looked comfortable in his second game back after missing nine games with right knee inflammation and had nine points and nine rebounds. “It just didn’t respond the way we wanted after the first game,” Leonard said about his surgically repaired knee. “But we’re going to get it right. Time will tell. We’re doing all the right things.” Kyrie Irving picked up his fourth foul early in the second half before scoring 19 of his 21 points in the final 13-plus minutes, including eight in the final 1:18 of the third quarter. Doncic's co-star was instrumental in Dallas rebuilding an 18-point lead that had been cut to six. An already testy game reached a boiling point midway through the fourth quarter when Russell Westbrook slung Doncic around after fouling him. Westbrook was called for a technical for that contact and for shoving P.J. Washington after Washington confronted him. Washington also was called for a tech during the sequence, and already had one from an earlier shoving match with Terance Mann. Westbrook, who in the first half got a flagrant 1 foul for excessive contact when fouling Josh Green on a breakaway, and Washington were ejected. Westbrook, who missed all seven shots and scored one point, drew the ire of the crowd one other time when he bowled over Doncic after Zubac was called for a foul as Doncic went up for a shot. Officials reviewed the play but ruled Westbrook's contact incidental. “We’ve got to channel our aggression in other ways,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “It’s getting chippy. I like the physicality. I like the tough possessions. I like all of that. But we’ve got to make sure we’re not getting the technical fouls, we’re not getting thrown out of the game, because everybody’s important.” Doncic, who briefly left the court after limping off while grabbing his right knee in the first quarter, was just 7 of 25 from the field and 3 of 14 from 3-point range. But Dallas held George and Westbrook to a combined 1 of 10 from deep, while Leonard didn't even have a 3 attempt among just seven shots in 25 minutes. “He’s trying to find his way back,” Lue said. “We’re just managing it. Just being smart, making sure we do it right by Kawhi and seeing how he feels and just kind of gauge it from there.” Harden scored 12 of his 14 first-half points with four 3-pointers in a three-minute span starting in the final second of the first quarter. He didn’t score again until the final minute of the third as the Clippers finished with 19 turnovers while also losing their composure. “We’re all competing for each inch to find a way to win,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “This series is going to be more mental as it goes on just because of the physicality. I thought the guys did a great job of protecting one another.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

PACERS PROTECT HOME COURT! HALIBURTON BREAKS TIE WITH 3-POINT PLAY, PACERS BEATS BUCKS 121-118 IN OT TO TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Tyrese Haliburton struggled to find his shooting touch Friday night. So he looked for other ways to impact the game - a thunderous slam dunk off a rebound, finding open teammates and patiently waiting for a chance to make a statement. Then in the waning seconds of overtime, Haliburton wanted the ball. The All-Star guard completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. “You know I was going to shoot it, no matter what,” Haliburton said. “What I was going to get was really based off of feel. there. Khris (Middleton) pushed Pascal (Siakam) up to tell Patrick (Beverley) to go under and as soon as I saw Patrick kind of turn his head, I reacted and everything opened up across the middle and I finally made a shot. I couldn't buy a bucket tonight.” Yes, Haliburton was just 8 of 22 from the field and 1 of 12 on 3-pointers. But he did just about everything else right, finishing with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds as two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs, to help give Indiana its first back-to-back postseason wins since taking three straight in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Pacers also have their first lead in the playoffs since Game 3 of a first-round matchup against Cleveland in 2018. Indiana hasn't won a series since reaching the 2014 Eastern Conference finals. “It was a really fun game and overtime, what more could you ask for?” Haliburton said. “It was a really fun atmosphere.” Perhaps not so fun for a Bucks team that has gotten more bruised and battered by the game. Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists after missing practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. He forced overtime by making a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to go in regulation, banked in a 3 to tie the score with 6.7 seconds left in overtime and then missed a 3 at the buzzer that could have forced a second overtime. Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists, most coming after he hurt his left knee in the first quarter and then aggravating an Achilles tendon injury late in the fourth quarter. “We've just got to turn the page and get one win after another,” said Lillard, who is playing in his first postseason with the Bucks, who are 2-6 against Indiana this season. It was a wild finish in front of a festive crowed decked out in gold T-shirts for Indiana's first home playoff game since April 21, 2019 - and with many local favorites in attendance. The crowd included Indiana Fever newcomer Caitlin Clark, former Colts coach Tony Dungy, former Pacers forward Derrick McKey and current Colts players Anthony Richardson, Kenny Moore II and E.J. Speed . But these fans never expected to see the experienced Bucks methodically trim a 19-point first-half deficit to 90-83 after three quarters or to open the fourth on a 10-2 run to take a 95-92 lead on Bobby Portis Jr.'s putback early in the fourth. The teams then traded baskets, ties and leads over the final 7 1/2 minutes of regulation, with Siakam's putback with 19.1 seconds left giving the Pacers a 109-106 lead. But Siakam missed the ensuing free throw, Middleton answered with a midrange shot and the 3 to tie it. Siakam's long 3 to win it hit off the back of the rim at the buzzer. “I thought we picked up our energy, I thought we got more physical," Lillard said. “We just kind of got things under control, we got matched up, got into the gaps and thought once we started to do all of those things, the game started to turn. That's something we've got to focus on.” It was more of the same in overtime - until Haliburton broke free for the mid-range shot that drew a foul and led to the decisive three-point play. Siakam had 17 points and nine rebounds. Portis had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Bucks. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

MAGIC OFFENSE ROARS BACK! MAGIC HAND CAVALIERS WORST PLAYOFF LOSS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY, WIN 121-83 TO CUT THEIR DEFICIT TO 2-1 . Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es The Orlando Magic take Game 3 as they defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-83. Paolo Banchero posted a Playoff career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic in the victory. The Magic trail the Cavaliers, 2-1, in this best-of-seven series, with Game 4 taking place on Saturday, April 27 Paolo Banchero joined Tracy McGrady as the only Magic players to record a 30+ point game in the postseason at the age of 21 years or younger. Paolo Banchero becomes the 6th player in NBA history to tally 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game at 21 years old or younger, joining: Lebron James (3x) Tim Duncan Alvan Adams Luka Doncic Magic Johnson Paolo Banchero becomes the 4th player in NBA history to tally 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a playoff game at age of 21 years or younger, joining: LeBron James (3x) Luka Doncic Magic Johnson Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

EMBIID WITH PLAYOFF-HIGH 50! JOEL EMBIID SCORES 50 POINTS TO LEAD 76ERS PAST KNICKS 125-114 TO CUT DEFICIT TO 2-1 . Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid is suffering from Bell's palsy and played Game 3 with a bulky knee brace to sturdy the 7-footer after dealing with injuries all season. The lingering effects of the time off from his most recent knee surgery s ucked him into a depression - and that was before Embiid was hit with a form of facial paralysis. Embiid pushed aside the pain - mental and physical - and embraced the pressure after he vowed the 76ers were “going to win this series” against the New York Knicks. Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-saving third quarter on Thursday night to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 125-114 win in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. After getting punished in New York, the Sixers pushed back. “They want to bring the physicality,” Embiid said. “We can be physical, too.” Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2. They at least have a shot now - the Knicks lead the series 2-1 and Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers. Embiid, who scored a franchise-best 70 points against San Antonio in January, became the first player in NBA history to score 50 points on fewer than 20 shots in a playoff game. Last season’s NBA MVP, Embiid finally turned the crowd -- which had a distinct New York flavor in South Philly --- into one rocking for the home team. The All-Star center played more like a sharpshooting guard in the third, when he saved the season. The Sixers pecked away at a three-point halftime deficit when Embiid got hot. He hit one 3 and then two more -- the last two with assists from Tyrese Maxey - that gave the Sixers an 82-72 lead. His fourth 3 pushed the lead to 98-85. Not bad for a career 34% 3-point shooter. Maxey added two 3s in the quarter and the 76ers went a whopping 9 of 12 from beyond the arc for 43 points. Embiid mostly kept his cool and was in the mix on both ends of the court all game. Embiid had 17 points, three fouls and he even grabbed Mitchell Robinson and dragged him to the court in a first half where they again weren't good enough to look like a team that could beat the Knicks. Embiid was whistled for a flagrant foul on the play. Robinson suffered a sprained left ankle and left the arena in a boot. “I didn't mean to hurt anybody,” Embiid said. “In those situations, I've got to protect myself.” Embiid said he first started suffering from the affliction about a “day or two” before the Sixers played the Miami Heat on April 17 in the play-in tournament. “My left side of my face, my mouth and my eye,” Embiid said. “It’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep fighting through anything.” The Knicks won the first two games in New York, highlighted by Donte DiVincenzo's go-ahead 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in Game 2. Against the backdrop of two Villanova national championship banners they helped the program win, the trio of former Wildcats were largely stifled in Game 3. Jalen Brunson did lead the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists. Josh Hart - whose spectacular 3-point shooting in New York was an unexpected bonus for the Knicks - scored 20 points but DiVincenzo had five. Hart said he was “all for tough playoff fouls” but Embiid's foul could have put Robinson out for a “serious amount of time.” The Knicks must have felt at home inside a Sixers' arena that sounded more like Madison Square Garden as chants of "Let's Go Knicks!' echoed throughout the arena for a chunk of the game. John Starks wildly cheered them on from his courtside. The Sixers countered with Allen Iverson, who along with Embiid and Billy Cunningham are the only players in franchise history to hit 50 points in a playoff game. But nostalgia didn't matter much between teams that played each other in a postseason series for the first time since 1989. This one could be shaping up as one to remember. Embiid was serenaded with “MVP! MVP!” chants as he stretched the lead from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. “Joel Embiid has been banned from the Empire State Building,” was posted on the skyscraper's social media account. Maxey finished with 25 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 points and showed no lingering effects following his reported involvement in a car crash after Game 2. Cam Payne hit three 3s and scored 11 points. “I think Cam Payne was the MVP of the game," 76ers guard Kyle Lowry said. Outside of a disputed call on Embiid's flagrant, Game 3 was played without any significant disputes with the officiating after the NBA said the referees missed several late calls in Game 2. Embiid's 21 free-throw attempts were more than New York attempted the entire game; the Knicks made 13 of 19. “I'll send my clips in like I do every game,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They'll say marginal contact. Then they'll say marginal contact on Embiid and he'll be at the line 21 times. That's just the way it works.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

GORDON, JOKIC LEAD THE NUGGETS TO THE BRINK OF A SWEEP WITH A 112-105 WIN OVER THE LAKERS IN GAME 3! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es LOS ANGELES (AP) With one championship ring and a tenacious veteran core, the Denver Nuggets are a daunting matchup for any opponent in the NBA. They're clearly a particular nightmare for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who are one game away from an early summer after Denver stretched its winning streak in this lopsided rivalry to a whopping 11 games. Aaron Gordon had a playoff career-high 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and the Nuggets moved to the brink of the second round with a 112-105 victory over the Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series Thursday night. Jamal Murray scored 22 points to help the defending NBA champion Nuggets win their seventh straight playoff meeting with James and the Lakers in dominating style. Denver has rallied from a double-digit deficit in all three games, and the Nuggets went out of their way after Game 3 to praise an opponent they've utterly dominated recently. “I think every game is tougher and tougher,” Jokic said. “They were up 20 in Denver, they were up 12 today in the first half, but I think it’s really hard to play against the same team over and over again. ... That’s a really tough team, and every game is really interesting and tough to win. Every game we’re playing catch-up, and they’re really talented. It’s really hard to close a team out.” Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season's Western Conference finals. “It’s fun to win games,” Porter said. “I don’t think anybody besides the media looks at the 11 (straight victories), because it’s hard. It’s not easy to beat this team. Last game, coming back from 20 points, we had to scratch and claw. So it’s not easy. But of course we like winning, and the more times we can win the better.” Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit. Anthony Davis had 33 points and 15 rebounds, and James added 26 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who haven't beaten the Nuggets since Dec. 16, 2022 - and have rarely looked capable of ending that streak. “You come out with the mindset, ‘Let’s get one, force a Game 5, and then we go from there,’” James said. “As long as you still have life, then you obviously have belief. I just think you play ’til the wheels fall off. That’s what it’s always about for me. That’s a mindset, and I know (Davis) feels the same way.” Austin Reaves scored 22 points for Los Angeles, which surged into the postseason with largely outstanding play since the holidays, capped by an impressive play-in win over New Orleans to snatch the seventh seed. The Lakers had won 12 of 15 heading into this series - but now they're one loss away from failing to win a playoff round for the third time in four years since their 2020 NBA title. “They have a championship confidence,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said about the Nuggets. “That starting group has been together for a long time. Their net rating is off the charts as a starting group. They had guys step up and make plays.” Davis and James were outstanding once again, but they can't do it alone. The Lakers missed 15 of their first 16 3-point attempts in Game 3, going nearly 34 minutes between 3-point buckets. D’Angelo Russell went scoreless in 24 minutes of play for the Lakers, who got only two assists out of their inconsistent third option on offense. Russell missed all seven of his shots, including six 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Gordon had the highest-scoring playoff game of his 10 NBA seasons, highlighted by 10 points in the third quarter while Denver took control. Jokic also made nine of his 13 shots and barely missed his 17th career postseason triple-double. The second-seeded Nuggets began their title defense with two wins in Denver, pulling away late in Game 1 before snatching Game 2 with a furious comeback capped by Murray’s winning jumper at the buzzer. After blowing a 20-point lead in the second half of Game 2, the seventh-seeded Lakers were left feeling frustrated, outmanned - and occasionally confused, according to Davis, who said the Lakers sometimes don’t know what they’re doing when faced with Denver’s offensive versatility. None of those problems had been alleviated in Game 3, and now the Lakers are one loss away from the end of James' remarkable 21st NBA season. Los Angeles hadn't played a home game in 16 days, and it has won just once at home since March 24. “Just last season, I was up 3-0 and ended up in a Game 7,” said Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who played for the Miami Heat last season when they nearly blew a 3-0 lead on Boston. “Crazier things have happened.” But the Nuggets went 16-4 in last season’s playoffs, and they appear capable of another steamroll through the postseason after comfortably handling the talented Lakers through three games. Russell's disappearing act was compounded by another quiet game from starter Rui Hachimura, who had only five points while taking four shots in 28 minutes. Denver turned a small halftime deficit into a 10-point lead with a 24-10 run to start the second half led by Gordon and Murray, who combined for 19 points in the third quarter. The Lakers never got closer than eight points down the stretch in the fourth quarter. While the Lakers' fans left the building in the final minutes, a small group in the Lakers' end chanted “Fire Darvin!” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

THUNDER ROLL TO 2-0 LEAD! SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER'S 33 POINTS LEAD THUNDER PAST PELICANS 124-92 AS OKC TAKES A 2-0 LEAD. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Just a few days ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like a young team struggling through their first playoff game together. On Wednesday night, they looked like grizzled playoff veterans. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and the top-seeded Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-92 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder remained focused instead of worrying about outside issues such as other highly seeded teams struggling at home. “I think it just goes back to us prioritizing winning,” he said. “And all those things are distractions that get in the way of winning. And every night, all 15 of us go to bed and want to win the next game, want to win the next day. And we do everything we can to do so.” Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds and Jalen Williams added 21 points for the Thunder, who shot 59% from the field and made 14 of 29 3-pointers. Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram added 18 each for the Pelicans. In Game 1, Valanciunas had 20 rebounds, including nine offensive, and the Pelicans outrebounded the Thunder 52-44. On Wednesday, Oklahoma City outrebounded New Orleans 37-35 and held the Pelicans to eight offensive boards. The Pelicans continued to struggle on offense without top scorer Zion Williamson, who remained out with a strained left hamstring. Ingram, New Orleans' No. 2 scorer in the regular season, got off just 10 shots in Game 2 as Oklahoma City's Lu Dort harassed him throughout the night. Ingram made just 5 of 17 field goals in Game 1. The Thunder also scored 22 points off New Orleans’ 18 turnovers. Game 3 is Saturday in New Orleans. “Now, the challenge is to continue to grow and learn and improve with the series because the Pelicans are going to improve," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "They’re a good team that’s going home and they’re well coached. They’re going to get better. You know so we have to continue to get better.” The pace picked up significantly from Sunday's game, which Oklahoma City won 94-92. The Thunder, who averaged 120.1 points in the regular season, were much more comfortable with it. “In the first game, I thought both teams were kind of calibrating," Daigneault said. "And, tonight we had much quicker recognition of the way that they were guarding us, where we wanted to attack, and we got to those things pretty well.” Valanciunas scored 11 points in the first three minutes, but Holmgren countered with 13 points in the first seven minutes. Gilgeous-Alexander picked up where Holmgren left off. He didn't score for the first nine minutes, then scored seven in the final three minutes of the quarter to help the Thunder take a 35-22 lead. Holmgren's 15 points were the most by a Thunder rookie in any quarter of a playoff game. “I thought they turned up the pressure offensively,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “They got some early 3's and that opened the floodgates up for them.” Oklahoma City led 63-50 at halftime. Holmgren scored 20 points and Gilgeous-Alexander added 16 before the break. The Thunder extended their lead to 92-74 at the end of the third, and Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren went to the bench for good with the Thunder leading 120-86 in the fourth. “Tough one for us,” Green said. “Give them credit, they took care of home court. It was a dominant win for them. So we’ll get home, we’ll regroup and get back after it.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

HEAT SHOOT TO GAME 2 WIN! HERRO SCORES 24, HEAT HIT FRANCHISE PLAYOFF-RECORD 23 3S TO BEAT BOSTON AND EVEN SERIES 1-1. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es BOSTON (AP) The Miami Heat beat Boston with an unprecedented barrage of 3-pointers on Wednesday night to erase the home-court advantage the Celtics worked all season to establish. Tyler Herro had 24 points and 14 assists, hitting six of Miami's 23 3-pointers - the most in a playoff game in franchise history - to lead the Heat to a 111-101 victory over top-seeded Boston and tie the first-round playoff series at one game apiece. “It was a very good response,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And then we also made some shots. It always looks better when you make shots.” Bam Adebayo had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and new Celtics nemesis Caleb Martin also had 21 points for the Heat, who shot 53.5% (23 of 43) from beyond the arc to bounce back after a Game 1 blowout. That broke Miami's playoff record of 20 3-pointers, set against the Bucks in the 2021 first round. “They obviously made a conscious effort to have free reign to shoot more,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. And shoot and shoot and shoot. Playing their third straight game without playoff stalwart Jimmy Butler, who was injured in the opening play-in game, Miami shot better than 50% from 3-point range in each of the first three quarters (and a still productive 4 of 10 in the fourth). After Boston cut an 11-point lead to six, 102-96, with 3:16 to play, Martin hit a 3 and Boston never got as close as two possessions again. “You have to take ‘em, based on how they were playing us the first two games,” said Spoelstra, who saw Boston hit 22 3-pointers to Miami’s 12 in the opener. “I did not want to get annihilated in that department like we did the game before.” Jaylen Brown scored 33 points for Boston. Jayson Tatum scored 28, showing no ill-effects of Martin’s hard foul that sent him crashing to the floor with under a minute to play in Boston’s 114-94 victory on Sunday. Tatum got up off the parquet floor. But so did Miami. “It seemed we couldn’t get them to miss," Brown said. "They had a record-breaking night. ... They made a lot of shots that usually we’re comfortable with.” The series moves to Miami for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday. “It’s always a good thing if you can get one on the road,” Martin said. “You always look to try to steal one. We were able to do that.” The Celtics won 64 games in the regular season to claim home-court advantage through the NBA Finals, but they didn’t make very good use of it on Wednesday despite a crowd that was still fired up over seeing their star land hard in the series opener. Tatum had his first career playoff triple-double on Sunday, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists in game in which Boston led by as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter. But the big question was how he would bounce back after getting undercut by Martin while going after a rebound. Tatum started Game 2 and had 14 points in the first quarter. And Martin was heartily booed every time he touched the ball. It only seemed to energize him and the Heat, who needed to win a play-in game to earn the right to face the Celtics. “He’s a competitor. He’s the ultimate X factor,” Spoelstra said. “He’s the X factor of X factors.” Miami led by five, 55-50, with two minutes left in the first half before Brown hit three straight 3-pointers to open a four-point lead. Brown missed a 3 the next time down, but his layup in the final seconds made it 61-58 at the half. Miami went on a 10-0 run to take an 82-70 lead with under four minutes to play in the third before the Celtics cut it to six. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy," Tatum said. "There’s a lot of history between these two franchises, especially recently. ... It’s never going to go exactly as people expect it to go and that’s the beauty of it.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

SIAKAM DROPS 37 ON BUCKS🔥 PASCAL SIAKAM LEADS RESURGENT PACERS OFFENSE IN 125-108 VICTORY THAT EVENS SERIES WITH BUCKS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es MILWAUKEE (AP) As a former champion on a team without much postseason experience, Pascal Siakam understands what it’s going to take for the Indiana Pacers to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Siakam’s certainly doing his part. The former Toronto Raptors forward scored 37 points and the Pacers overcame another fantastic first-half performance from Damian Lillard to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 125-108 on Tuesday night and tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece. Game 3 is Friday in Indianapolis. “We’ve got to be the hungry team," Siakam said. “We’ve got to be the team that’s coming in and wanting to show something. That’s the attitude that we’ve got to have against those guys, because they’ve done it before.” The Pacers had plenty of appetite Tuesday as they snapped a 10-game playoff losing streak that began with a Game 7 loss to Cleveland in a 2018 first-round series. Indiana acquired Siakam in January in part because of his experience as a member of the 2019 Toronto Raptors championship team. He followed up his 36-point performance in Game 1 by shooting 16 of 23 from the floor and finishing with 11 rebounds and six assists on Tuesday. According to Stats Perform, Siakam is the first NBA player to open a postseason with consecutive 35-point, 10-rebound performances since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967. “His experience in the playoffs is so valuable,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “He's not a guy that's going to get rattled by anything. Never has once since January, since we got him. He's a guy that people confide in and look up to." The Pacers needed Siakam to step up because Lillard was once again coming up huge for the Bucks, at least in the first two periods. Two nights after scoring all 35 of his points in the first half of the Bucks’ 109-94 Game 1 victory, Lillard had 26 by halftime Tuesday and finished with 34. It wasn’t enough. “I think both games we had a lot of success in the first two quarters mainly, and then in the second half we kind of get away from the things we had a lot of success doing,” Lillard said. Lillard didn’t get enough help with the Bucks once again missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a strained left calf. Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since he was hurt in an April 9 victory over the Boston Celtics. Even after Lillard's big early onslaught, the Bucks still trailed 60-55 at halftime. Indiana stayed ahead throughout the second half. “We were more consistent, played with more force, played with more attitude,” Carlisle said. “There were some tough stretches in the game. I liked the way we kept our poise and our aggression. We kept attacking.” The Pacers led the NBA with 123.3 points per game during the regular season but posted their lowest point total and field-goal percentage (.396) while shooting 8 of 38 on 3-pointers in Game 1. This time, Indiana looked more like the team that won four of five regular-season matchups with the Bucks while scoring at least 122 points in each. “I thought we struggled execution-wise on the offensive end, and I thought that bled over to the defensive end,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought it was more our offense tonight.” Myles Turner scored 22 points and Andrew Nembhard 20 for the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton had 12 points and 12 assists. Milwaukee's Brook Lopez scored 22 points and shot 6 of 7 from 3-point range. Khris Middleton scored 15 points. Bobby Portis had 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucks cut Indiana's lead to one late in the third quarter and got it down to four in the opening minutes of the fourth. The Pacers responded each time and pushed their lead to 23 in the fourth quarter by following Siakam's advice. “He’s established himself on a our team as a veteran leader, as somewhat of a mentor because he’s been there,” Carlisle said. “He’s constantly saying, ‘Keep your edge. Keep your edge. Keep your edge.’ He’s been through these things too many times.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

DONCIC, MAVS EVEN SERIES! LUKA DONCIC AND KYRIE IRVING LEAD MAVS OVER CLIPPERS 96-93 TO TIE SERIES AS KAWHI LEONARD RETURNS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es LOS ANGELES (AP) Led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks bounced back to take away home-court advantage from the Los Angeles Clippers and newly returned and rusty Kawhi Leonard. Doncic scored 32 points, Irving added 23 and the Mavs won 96-93 on Tuesday night to tie their Western Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece. “Obviously it was a must-win and everybody was locked in,” said P.J. Washington Jr., who had a big fourth quarter and finished with 18 points. “They punched us in the mouth in Game 1 and we just wanted to respond.” Game 3 is Friday in Dallas. Leonard had 15 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of his first game since March 31. He hadn’t played or had any contact practices during that stretch because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. “I felt good,” Leonard said. “We still got more games to play and more time to get better. Just keep trying to get a rhythm back.” The Mavs led most of the game two days after they trailed by 29 points and eventually lost 109-97. “We played 48 minutes of physical basketball,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “Both teams were under 100. It was '90s basketball at its best.” Paul George and James Harden led the Clippers with 22 points each. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 12 rebounds. The team shot 37% from the floor and made just 8 of 30 3-pointers. Leonard appeared to pick up steam after halftime and was more active defensively. “Kawhi is one of the best in the world,” George said. “He's going to find his rhythm and we're going to find our rhythm around him.” Plagued by poor shooting and behind for much of the game, the Clippers began rallying in the third. Trailing by seven, they outscored the Mavs 19-10 down the stretch to take a 66-65 lead into the fourth. Doncic tied the game at 65-all before getting called for a technical. Harden’s free throw provided the narrow lead. “It's been a long time since he got a technical, so I think he was just trying to see if he could get a technical,” Kidd said. “He is using that to get himself going.” The Clippers kept it up in the fourth, taking a 73-67 lead. That’s when the Mavs scored 14 straight points to take an 81-73 lead. Washington hit a 3-pointer in front of the Clippers' bench, and Doncic and Irving followed with ones of their own in the spurt. Zubac's dunk cut the Clippers' deficit to 84-81 before Maxi Kleber and Doncic sank consecutive 3s. “The second half is the way we should play the whole game,” Doncic said. “We got to learn from that.” The Clippers trailed 93-90 on Leonard's basket with 20 seconds left. Irving was called for a foul, which the Mavs challenged and got it overturned. Irving made 3 of 4 free throws before George sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer. “I had two timeouts and we felt we could burn one on a challenge,” Kidd said. “Kyrie said he hit the basketball and he was right.” Mavs starting center Daniel Gafford hurt his lower back three minutes into the game, but returned in the second quarter although he was scoreless. Tim Hardaway Jr. sprained his right ankle and didn't return. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

JAMAL MURRAY SINKS SHOT AT BUZZER TO CAP 20-POINT COMEBACK AND LEAD NUGGETS PAST LAKERS 101-99! Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es DENVER (AP) Jamal Murray didn't even see the biggest basket of his career. At least not live, he didn't. Murray swished a step-back 15-footer over Anthony Davis at the buzzer Monday night, giving the Denver Nuggets a stunning 101-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers and capping a comeback from a 20-point second-half deficit. Murray tumbled into the Nuggets' bench along with Davis just as his shot fluttered the net and the roar from the crowd shook Ball Arena. “I just lost my balance and fell. I think A.D. was in my way or somebody was in my way and I just heard everybody scream and that's how I knew it went in," said Murray, who was mobbed by his teammates after his bucket gave the reigning NBA champions their 10th consecutive win over the Lakers. More importantly, it gave Denver a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference series that shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night. Murray missed 13 of his first 16 shots and was easily the most flustered, frazzled and frustrated of all his teammates when it appeared the Nuggets would lose to the Lakers for the first time in 494 days. “I told my teammates when I was struggling, ‘I’m gonna look for y'all,' and every single one of them told me to keep shooting,” recounted Murray, who did just in going 6-for-8 for 14 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 20 points. “They told me to stay aggressive and keep looking for it, keep hunting and when I had the ball with 2 seconds left, I knew once I had made a couple, the next one should go down, as well.” Nuggets coach Michael Malone chose not to call a timeout after Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound off LeBron James' missed 3-pointer with 13 seconds left and the game knotted up at 99. “We got the stop. Tie game. Why let them get set?” Malone reasoned. “Because, when they can get set and they switch out everything, you might not even get the ball inbounds. So, I wanted to make sure we could just flow into it and let our best players make plays.” Murray faked like he was going to take a 3-pointer, got A.D. to close and then beat him to his spot along the right baseline for the clear look. “That's Jamal Murray right there," Malone said. “He can struggle, he can struggle, he can struggle. He sees one go in and he's never shying away from the moment, the spotlight. And that was just an incredible play.” Nikola Jokic said Murray “made the tough shots today and he missed the easy ones. It was that kind of game.” Asked to go though that final sequence, Davis demurred, saying simply, “Jamal Murray made a shot,” then standing up, dropping the mic - and not figuratively - and walking off from the postgame podium. Jokic posted a triple-double with 27 points, 20 boards and 10 assists. Porter added 22 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver. Davis led the Lakers with 32 points, James had 26 and D'Angelo Russell added 23 with a career playoff-high seven 3s, including six in the first half to help the Lakers build a 59-44 lead at the break. The Lakers stretched their advantage to 68-48 two minutes into the second half and they still led by 10 entering the fourth quarter. “I don't have a 20-point play,” Malone said. “You've got to just keep chipping away.” That, they did, finally tying it at 95-all on Porter's 3-pointer with 1:15 left before the frenzied final minute. “A 20-point lead in this league, it's not safe, especially against the defending champion,” James said. “We've got to do better. But we had our chances.” Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Today at STATION KICKS, we present to you a HISTORICAL ICON IN THE HISTORY OF SNEAKERS, AIR JORDAN 12 FLU GAME🔥 The Air Jordan 12 Flu Game stands as a historic milestone in the world of basketball sneakers. Worn by the legendary Michael Jordan during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, this iconic shoe has left an indelible mark on both sports and sneaker culture. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating story behind the Air Jordan 12 Flu Game and incredible return for 2025. Follow STATION KICKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #nbaplayoffs #jordan #airjordan #sneakers #sneaker #sneakerhead #sneakernews #basketball #nba #michaeljordan #flugame - AIR JORDAN 12 “FLU GAME” RETURNS SPRING 2025🔥 | STATION KICKS, AIR JORDAN 12 FLU GAME, AIR JORDAN 12 “FLU GAME” RETURNS SPRING 2025, Complex, Sneaker, Sneakers, Sneakers News, “Flu Game”, Chicago Bulls, Air Jordan Releases, Jordan Releases, Jordan Releases 2025, Michael Jordan Flu Game 1997 NBA Finals Game 5, Fresh Pair PH, ANTHONY EDWARDS CHIRPS AT KEVIN DURANT, TORCHES SUNS IN ADIDAS AE1 LOW, JORDAN 4 MILITARY BLUE SNEAKERS, JORDAN 4 MILITARY BLUE, SneakerFiles.com, nbaplayoffs, Sports, Sports News, WeGotKicks Goes Shopping For Sneakers At COOLKICKS, COOLKICKS, Huge SOLD OUT Sneaker Unboxing!, Feet Review, Seth Fowler, YEEZYS Are BACK! Travis Scott Jordan Shock Drop!? & More!, Elliot Page, STATION KICKS,

SGA, THUNDER HANG ON🔥 SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER SCORES 28 POINTS AS TOP-SEEDED THUNDER EDGE PELICANS 94-92 IN GAME 1. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Hours after the NBA announced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was selected as a finalist for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, Oklahoma City's All-Star guard showed why. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, and the top-seeded Thunder edged the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series Sunday night. New Orleans' CJ McCollum missed a leaning 3-pointer in the closing seconds and the Thunder held on to win their first home playoff game since 2019. “I thought we showed great grit down the stretch," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Obviously, that was a tight game. It was a bit of a brawl for both teams offensively. And we made plays defensively down the stretch - big time plays - and had the resolve to go in and win the game.” Jalen Williams scored 19 points and Chet Holmgren added 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday night. Trey Murphy III scored 21 points, McCollum had 20 and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points and 20 rebounds for the Pelicans. Zion Williamson, New Orleans’ leading scorer in the regular season, sat out with a strained left hamstring. Gilgeous-Alexander made an off-balance jumper in the paint with 32.5 seconds left to break a 90-all tie and was fouled on the play. With the crowd chanting “M-V-P!” Gilgeous-Alexander made the free throw to put Oklahoma City ahead 93-90. “I set a screen on the ball," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And they switched on Dub (Williams). And then I just caught the ball at the elbow and just tried to be aggressive and make a play that I’ve made before.” McCollum's mid-range jumper made it 93-92. Holmgren was fouled with 14 seconds left. He missed the first free throw and made the second to put the Thunder ahead 94-92 and set up McCollum's final shot. Thunder rookie Cason Wallace forced him to scramble and take a difficult shot. “I got the switch," McCollum said. "I should have attacked a little earlier, a little faster. But credit, it was good defense. ... I thought it was cash and I missed it long.” The energy from the Oklahoma City fans - most wearing white Thunder T-shirts - was off the charts, and Holmgren brought them to a fever pitch by opening the scoring with a 3-pointer. “It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They were exactly what I expected. ... They were perfect.” The game was tied at 17 at the end of the first quarter and tied at 43 at halftime. The Thunder held New Orleans to 34% shooting in the first half, but missed a lot of open shots. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 points before the break. New Orleans led 50-48 in the third quarter before the Thunder went on an 11-0 run over a three-minute span that put them up 59-50. New Orleans recovered to briefly take the lead, but Oklahoma City closed the third quarter strong. Isaiah Joe hit a 3-pointer with 6.6 seconds left in the quarter to put the Thunder up 74-68 heading into the fourth. New Orleans missed several opportunities to seize control in the final quarter. “We had quality shots coming down the stretch that we just didn’t make, and it came down to the final play," Pelicans coach Willie Green said. "Our guys fought all night. Defense was solid. Game plan was executed at a high level. We’ve got to knock down some shots.” It was a defensive battle between teams that both averaged more than 115 points in the regular season. “This is what it’s going to be,” Green said. “We’re physical with them, they’re physical with us and that’s a part of the game. That’s a part of playoff basketball.” Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

THE HEAT ARE HEADED TO BOSTON AFTER OUSTING THE BULLS 112-91 IN EAST PLAY-IN FINALE! MIAMI (AP) The chants started raining down in the fourth quarter. “We want Boston,” the Miami Heat crowd kept shouting, over and over. The fans got their wish. And a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference finals awaits in Round 1 this year. Miami - even with Jimmy Butler sidelined for several weeks with a sprained knee - is back in the playoffs. Tyler Herro scored 24 points and was an assist shy of a triple-double, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 21 points and the Heat grabbed the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Chicago Bulls 112-91 in a play-in tournament elimination game Friday night. “I have an appreciation for the things you can’t buy, the things that you have to earn," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We had to earn this. You can’t influence it. You can't pay money for it. You actually have to collectively come together to earn it - and we had to do it the hard way, just to get this first ticket punched for the invitation to this dance.” Kevin Love scored 16 and Bam Adebayo added 13 for Miami, which is now set to be huge underdogs against a Celtics team that is the big favorite to win the NBA title. The Heat are the No. 8 seed again, just like last year when they survived the play-in and went all the way to the NBA Finals. “Ultimately, we’ve just got to bring that Miami Heat culture and that toughness,” Jaquez said. “We’ve got two games in Boston. We’ve got to set the tone extremely early, impose our will on them and make it real physical.” They took control over the Bulls with a 19-0 run in the first quarter, and a 14-0 run midway through the second half ended all doubt. Herro finished with 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the Heat eliminated the Bulls in the last East play-in game for the second straight year. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points for the Bulls, who got 16 points, 14 rebounds and five assists from Nikola Vucevic. Coby White scored 13 for Chicago, which was trying to become the fifth team in the last 35 years to make the playoffs after not spending a single day all season over the .500 mark. “It was tough,” DeRozan said. “We missed a lot of easy shots.” Chicago shot only 38%, with the Heat defense carrying the day. “These games, they’re going to be like that,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s going to be ugly, grind-out. Could we have been better in those areas? Probably. I wouldn’t say we were perfect. I thought our guys were trying to compete.” The 19-0 run - which matched Miami’s longest run of consecutive points all season, done two other times - put the Heat on top, turning an 11-6 deficit into an early 25-11 lead. Jaquez and Nikola Jovic combined for 11 points in the burst, which fueled Miami taking a 17-point lead after one quarter and pushing it to 20 in the second quarter. It was a rare stretch of decent offense on a gritty, gutty, win-or-go-home night. The Heat managed only 13 points in the second and still went into the half with a 47-37 lead, because the Bulls were even colder from the field. Chicago started 4 for 5, then went 8 for 39 over the rest of the half. The Heat started 8 for 9, then finished the half by going 9 for 35. This is how bad it was: Chicago missed 14 of 15 shots in one stretch, while Miami had spans of 0 for 8 and 0 for 6. But the Heat had the two big runs - and now are back as the No. 8 seed, the one they rode all the way to the NBA Finals last season. It'll be far more difficult this time against a Boston team that won an NBA-best 64 games this season and is likely still smarting from losing a Game 7 of last year's East finals to the Heat at home. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be in the playoffs," Spoelstra said. “I’m grateful for this locker room to have this opportunity. And I think they’re appreciative of it, as well.” Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

INGRAM, VALANCIUNAS LIFT ZION-LESS PELICANS PAST KINGS AND INTO THE PLAYOFFS! NEW ORLEANS (AP) Hustle plays and production from up and down the lineup helped the New Orleans Pelicans overcome the absence of leading-scorer Zion Williamson, keep their season alive and avoid a historically significant loss. Brandon Ingram scored 24 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans booked a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 105-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings in a play-in tournament elimination game on Friday night. “We stayed together. We we supported each other. We played for each other," Valanciunas said. “We all want to get to the playoffs. And we did it by playing good basketball, by supporting each other, helping each other on defense, on offense, sharing the ball, you know, making a right play. It's fun basketball to play that way.” Williamson was sidelined by a left hamstring strain that occurred as he reached the 40-point mark in a play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Undaunted, New Orleans used a balanced approach to improve to 8-5 this season without Williamson. Six players scored 10 or more points, including reserves Larry Nance Jr. (13), Naji Marshall (11) and Jose Alvarado (10). “You get 34 points from your bench, it’s a great night for them, a tough night for us,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. Trey Murphy III, starting because of Williamson's absence, added 16 points for New Orleans, which begins a first-round playoff series on Sunday at top-seeded Oklahoma City. “It feels good. This was a goal at the beginning of the year," Ingram said of clinching a playoff berth. "We had another opportunity today and we came in and everybody contributed.” De'Aaron Fox scored 35 points, and Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the ninth-seeded Kings, who set up their matchup with New Orleans by defeating No. 10 seed Golden State in their play-in opener. “We were a little passive offensively and not all of us were aggressive with our play tonight," Brown said, alluding to a combined 4-for-17 shooting from young starters Keegan Murray (4 for 12) and Keon Ellis (0 for 5). “We have to be able to get the ball in the paint,” added Brown, whose team was outscored 58-44 inside and missed seven of 22 free throws. “You’ve got to be able to finish and you’ve got to get to the free throw line and convert.” The game was a test of the Pelicans' ability to handle the pressure of a do-or-die game after squandering two previous chances to lock up a playoff berth at home. New Orleans lost to the Lakers in their regular-season finale on Sunday, missing a chance to clinch the sixth seed, before losing again to the Lakers on Tuesday. They entered their matchup with the Kings facing the possibility of becoming the first 49-win team in more than 50 years (Phoenix in 1972) to miss the NBA playoffs. Instead, New Orleans improved to 6-0 against Sacramento this season, becoming the first team to go 6-0 in a season (without a playoff series) against an opponent since Denver against Minnesota in 1994-95. “We deserved it. That’s how we felt coming into this game,” Nance said. “We deserve to be in the playoffs. You don't win 49 games by accident.” The Pelicans also prolonged a streak of No. 7 seeds never missing the playoffs since the play-in tournament was adopted by the NBA in 2020. Because of their play-in loss to the Lakers, the Pelicans enter the playoffs as an eighth seed. The Pelicans were sloppy early, committing six first-quarter turnovers that led to 11 Kings points. Sacramento, which was missing Malik Monk (right knee) and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder) from its lineup, led 24-17 after a turnover by Herb Jones led to a layup by Fox, who scored 18 points in the first half. CJ McCollum's reverse layup and Murphy's 3 helped the Pelicans quickly closed the gap, and New Orleans built a 13-point lead in the second quarter. Marshall gave the Pelicans a jolt with a 3 and a steal from Murray that he converted into a breakaway dunk. Murray hurt his hip when he fell while losing the ball. He went to the locker room shortly after, but returned for the second half. Valanciunas' short hook shot and Ingram's layup put the Pelicans up 53-40 late in the half before Fox's 3 helped the Kings trim it to 54-45 at halftime. But the Pelicans maintained a lead of 10 or more points for much of the second half, going up by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

TODAY ON STATION KICKS... KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK! Learn about the history of this legendary Sneaker, its participation in the adidas 'Feet You Wear' campaign and the characteristics once known as the KB8 II. Set to release in Spring 2024, the Crazy 98 pays tribute to Bryant's enduring legacy on the basketball court🔥 Follow STATION KICKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Copyright, All rights reserved, STATION KICKS.2024 - #kobebryant #kobe #adidas #adidasbasketball #sneakers #sneaker #snkrs #sneakernews #sneakerhead #sneakerheads #trending #sportsnews #viral - KOBE BRYANT’S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 RETURNS APRIL 2024, “Crazy 98” for the Spring 2024 release, Kobe, Kobe Bryant’s, Kobe Bryant, Adidas Kobe, Adidas KB8 II, adidas Crazy 98 “Core Black” , ADIDAS CRAZY 98, ADIDAS CRAZY 98 RETURNS APRIL 2024, KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK! 🔥| STATION KICKS, KOBE BRYANT'S ADIDAS CRAZY 98 ARE BACK!, NBA Playoffs, Playoffs, Nike GT Cut 3 Performance Review, WearTesters, Jordan 4 Military Blue, Unexpected.. Jordan 4 Military Blue Review & On Foot, RANKING Air Jordan 4 ORIGINAL 1989 Sneaker Collection, Sneakers Collection, FIRST LOOK, Top 15 Latest Nike shoes for the month of April 2024, Lakers, Nike, Nike kobe, Ralph Tiama, Sneakers Retro, Retro Kicks, Kicks News, NBA Kicks, Sneakers 90´s, Retro nba, nba retro,AIR JORDAN 1 HIGH 85 BRED 2025, JORDAN 6 OLYMPIC, J BALVIN AJ 3 RIO, KD 4 NERF + MORE, AIR JORDAN 1 HIGH 85 BRED 2025,

KNICKS SECURE NO. 2 SEED! BRUNSON CARRIES KNICKS INTO NO. 2 SEED IN EASTERN CONFERENCE, SCORES 40 POINTS IN OT WIN OVER BULLS. Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es NEW YORK (AP) Jalen Brunson didn't know where things stood around the NBA as the Knicks were deep into their final game of the regular season. A win meant the No. 2 seed and a loss was going to keep them at No. 3. But Tom Thibodeau's team doesn't worry about who it plays next week. It just wants to beat the one in front of them that day. “I think when you have competitors, it doesn't matter. Competitors compete,” Thibodeau said. That mentality drove Brunson to one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, which he capped with his 11th 40-point game to carry the Knicks into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 120-119 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Knicks finished 50-32, their best season since going 54-28 and also earning a No. 2 seed in 2012-13. They moved past Milwaukee after the Bucks lost earlier Sunday in Orlando, and will await the winner of the play-in game between Philadelphia and Miami on Wednesday. “It’s a goal to be the best team we can be by the end of the year, and for us now it’s just move on from that,” Brunson said. “It’s something to be crossed off and have to get better from here.” Brunson finished with 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and tied Patrick Ewing for the second-most 40-point games in one season by a Knicks player. Hall of Famer Bernard King did it 13 times in 1984-85, when he set a franchise record with 32.9 points per game. Brunson finished up at 28.7, tying Carmelo Anthony for third. His 36 30-point games tied Richie Guerin (1961-62) and Ewing (1989-90) for the most in Knicks history. Donte DiVincenzo added 25 points for the Knicks while playing all but 30 seconds of the 53-minute game. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points for the Bulls, but one of the NBA's best clutch finishers missed a short jumper with 2.8 seconds remaining in OT. Nic Vucevic added 29 points and 11 rebounds, and Coby White scored 26 points. Chicago finished ninth in the East at 39-43 and will host No. 10 Atlanta on Wednesday. If they win that, the Bulls will have to beat the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game on the road Friday to earn the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. Despite having one of the only playoff scenarios that was determined going into the final day of the regular season, the Bulls opted to play their healthy players throughout the game, and DeRozan said he was angry about his missed shot that ultimately meant nothing to his team. “Everybody out there wanted to win,” DeRozan said. “So I don’t know, it just felt like one of those games like we were playing for something, and we are.” Coach Billy Donovan said Ayo Dosunmu (bruised right quadricep) and Andre Drummond (sprained left ankle) were both still feeling pain and discomfort and was unsure if either would be ready for Wednesday's win-or-out game. Milwaukee and Cleveland both lost when they had a track to the No. 2 seed, with a matchup against the defending East champion Heat or a healthy Joel Embiid and the 76ers not exactly a reward for that finish. But the Knicks played it out and won their final five games, finishing higher in the standings than when they lost All-Star Julius Randle for the season in January. “You don’t have to wind these guys up and that’s what I love about them,” Thibodeau said. “Sometimes we’re not going to be perfect, we’ll make some mistakes, but they’re going to compete and I think that’s important.” The Knicks played the second half without center Mitchell Robinson, who recently returned from ankle surgery. Thibodeau said he was told during the game that Robinson was unavailable for the second half but didn't know the details. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024

Stay up to date with all upcoming sneaker releases from STATION KICKS: https://www.youtube.com/@StationKicks Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Rumble: Join Now: https://rumble.com/c/c-2045485 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/station.kicks/?hl=es JAZZ BEAT CLIPPERS 110-109, LA EARNS HOME-COURT ADVANTAGE FOR 1ST ROUND AND LOCKS IN 4TH SEED. LOS ANGELES (AP) Reserve Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored a season-high 27 points and the Utah Jazz beat the Clippers 110-109 on Friday night after playoff-bound Los Angeles clinched the fourth seed in the West. Bones Hyland led the Clippers with 20 points off the bench and Amir Coffey added 16. Dallas' loss to Detroit ensured the Clippers' seeding and put the Mavericks in fifth before the Clippers tipped off. The Mavs and Clippers will meet in the first round for the third time in five years. “Getting the fourth seed in a tough conference - you got four teams that won 50 games - it means a lot to have the homecourt advantage in the first round,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “Winning our (Pacific) division for the first time in 10 years says a lot about just staying with it even through tough times.” Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his seventh straight game with right knee inflammation and is not expected back until the playoffs start next weekend. “Hopefully, he will be playing,” Lue said. “That is what we want to see.” The Clippers beat Denver, Utah, Cleveland and Phoenix shortly after Leonard went down. “To win four games in a row against some good teams with Kawhi being out just shows what we've done to progress and get better,” Lue said, “because before it was hard to win without him on the floor.” Already eliminated, the Jazz managed to win their second straight game for the first time since Feb. 4-6. They snapped a 12-game skid Thursday with a win over Houston, another team that's already been eliminated. “Proud of the guys. It's hard to win back-to-back nights,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “We've struggled on the road this season.” Paul George, who played just eight minutes, and Ivica Zubac added 10 points each for the Clippers, who routed the Jazz by 29 points a week ago. Hyland gave the Clippers a 105-104 lead on a drive in the fourth. The Jazz answered with six in a row to go up 110-105. Los Angeles got within a point with 31 seconds to go on Brandon Boston Jr.'s basket. But Xavier Moon missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the final buzzer. The Clippers led by 13 in the first half. The Jazz scored the first nine points of the third to lead 69-60 and went into the fourth ahead 86-85. Copyright, All rights reserved, DUNK STATION.2024