Last night, we witnessed six teams go head-to-head in each of their respective series to move one step closer to the highly anticipated NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Clippers 93 Dallas Mavericks 96
Luka Doncic scored an impressive 32 points in a closely fought competition separated by only three points.
Derrick Jones set the tone for the matchup early on when he dunked the ball into the basket to open the scoring in the first minute.
The Mavericks took a 4-point lead at the end of the first quarter against the Clippers to silence the home fans.
The second quarter was evenly matched with James Harden and Doncic at the centre of the action.
Both players led their team in points at the break and made it difficult to predict who would eventually come out on top.
Kawhi Leonard kicked off the second half with a ferocious dunk which clawed back two vital points.
The Clippers had a 7-0 run in the third quarter to level the game, but Doncic’s incredible attacking play put the visitors three points ahead once again.
Kyrie Irving’s shot from deep extended the Mavericks lead with six minutes remaining in the final six minutes.
Paul George made a final three-point shot in the final seconds which was not enough to change the fate of the game.
This result means that both sides now have one win each and could be in for a series which goes down to the wire.
Milwaukee Bucks 108 Indiana Pacers 125
Pascal Siakam ran riot in the Pacers’ dominant victory to tie a thrilling series which could go through all seven games.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo out of action due to a calf injury, the away team took full advantage and flourished when attacking the rim.
Despite this, the Bucks started strong with a 6-0 lead thanks to a shot from deep by Damian Lillard and extended their lead a few minutes later after Brook Lopez’s highly contested shot from range.
Siakam’s offensive work for the Pacers put the visitors ahead as momentum shifted in the final few minutes of the opening quarter.
Lillard reached an astonishing 20 points with just under five minutes remaining to put the home team ahead once again.
Siakam followed in Dame Time’s footsteps a few minutes later with a three-point shot to help him reach the 20 point mark.
At the break, the Pacers led 60-55 in a tense affair where both teams struggled to contain the opposition's offence.
Tyrese Haliburton’s impressive playmaking abilities were on show throughout the game and his tenth assist, which fell to Myles Turner, extended Indiana’s lead.
In the final quarter, the Pacers were exceptional and solidified their victory with a three-pointer from Ben Sheppard.
This result means that both teams are tied with one win each and adds pressure to the Bucks who are expected to go through to the next round.
Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Phoenix Suns 93
Jaden McDaniels’ surprising 25 points and eight rebounds assisted the Timberwolves in their second victory on the bounce despite Devin Booker’s best attempts.
Rudy Gobert dunked the ball early on to increase Minnesota’s lead to 8-0 in the first three minutes.
Both teams started the game cagey but came to life at the end of the opening quarter with a scoreline of 24-21 to the Timberwolves.
Kevin Durant helped the Suns push ahead in the second quarter with multiple tough close-range shots.
However, brilliant attacking plays from McDaniels and Mike Conley narrowed the deficit to a single point at the break.
McDaniels then proceeded to score two dunks in the third quarter and was uncontainable in the paint to help his team dominate going into the final twelve minutes.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker made multiple incredible offensive buckets to put the game to bed in the closing moments of the game.
This result means that the Timberwolves are 2-0 ahead in the series and seem likely to move into the next round of the competition.
Upcoming games
Today we will see two intriguing matchups which both could go either way.
The Boston Celtics will hope to make quick work of the team that made a surprising upset against them last year.
The Miami Heat are currently without Jimmy Butler due to a knee injury which could be a devastating loss for the underdogs.
The youthful Oklahoma City Thunder are also expected to take victory against the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
The Thunder won by a slim margin in their previous game and seemed cagey at times which the Pelicans could take full advantage of.