After most of our Round of 32 games early on were resolved fairly quickly, we had three separate seven game classics between heavyweights in the last batch. Of those three, two of them were won by the lower seeded team. And with both of those series, both our #2 overall seed and our #3 overall seed are gone.
At this point, four of our matchups for the Round of 16 have been determined, and the remaining four will be decided with the results of this batch.
The up to date bracket, scores, and results from Group Play can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!
(5) 1983 Philadelphia 76ers vs (1) 2021 Milwaukee Bucks
Game 1: '83 PHI 124, @ '21 MIL 120
A 7-0 Sixers run early in this one got Philly in control while the Bucks went over three minutes without a field goal. A pair of 6-0 runs on top of that later in the quarter helped the Sixers build a nine point lead at period's end. Julius Erving scored six in a row early in the second to get the margin to double digits, but the Bucks were able to keep it close, holding Philly off the board for three minutes later in the period and pulling within two with just 1:29 left in the first half and one with 38 seconds left. But Moses Malone put up an 80 foot heave at the buzzer and by some miracle hit it, giving the Sixers a four point halftime lead. But the Bucks didn't let that get them down, as they used a 9-0 run early in the third to take the lead, though Philly scored the next six to retake control. From there the lead changed hands a few times before Milwaukee took control, leading by as many as seven before going to the final period up five. A Giannis Antetokuonmpo three point play pushed it to eight early, and they would get it up to nine with under six minutes to play. But a 12-0 Sixer run give Philly a three point lead with 2:38 left, and they would not relinquish it. Khris Middleton ended up hitting a meaningless 65 footer at the buzzer to balance out Moses' hit from the first half, but that only succeeded in cutting the final margin to four points.
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 19 pts, 24 reb, 4 ast
Andrew Toney ('83 PHI): 30 pts, 10 ast
Giannis Antetokuonmpo ('21 MIL): 31 pts, 13 reb, 12 ast
Game 2: @ '21 MIL 100, '83 PHI 91
An 8-0 Sixers run in the opening minutes got the home crowd a little nervous, but the Bucks were able to answer, and thanks to a Pat Connaughton tip in with 24 seconds left, Milwaukee led by two after one quarter. Philly ended up with a six minute scoring drought bridging the first and second quarters, and the Bucks used that to build an eight point lead. Milwaukee was able to hold that until a Julius Erving turnaround with four minutes left that tied the game. Connaughton hit another late shot at the end of the second quarter, this one tying the game at 36, a score which held going to the locker room. A Giannis Anteokuonmpo dunk 38 seconds into the second half broke the tie, and the Bucks slowly built a ten point lead. But an 8-1 Sixers run got Philly back into the game, and after Brook Lopez hit a shot with 20 seconds left that put Milwaukee back up two, Maurice Cheeks hit on a drive and tied the game at 65 going to the fourth. The lead changed hands a few times in the fourth, the last coming when Giannis hit a baseline jumper with just under six minutes to play. That was part of a decisive 9-1 run and a nearly six minute stretch without a Philadelphia field goal as the Bucks even the series.
Khris Middleton ('21 MIL): 21 pts, 13 reb
Giannis Antetokuonmpo ('21 MIL): 16 pts, 14 reb, 9 ast, 3 blk
Julius Erving ('83 PHI): 20 pts, 17 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk
Game 3: @ '83 PHI 121, '21 MIL 113
Philly got the big early run once again, going 7-0 early to get a good early lead, but the Bucks weathered the storm, forcing a back and forth for much of the period and taking a 26-25 lead after one. But the Sixers opened the second quarter by immediately taking the lead, but it was short lived as the middle part of the frame saw four ties before the Sixers were able to retake control. A 6-0 run helped push the margin out, but by the halftime buzzer the lead was just three points. Two quick baskets to open the third got the margin out to seven, then the Bucks went back and forth with them, unable to cut into the deficit. Philly led by as many as 14 before going to the fourth up a dozen. An 8-0 Sixer run midway through the fourth got the lead up to 20, and the Sixers were able to cruise from there for the victory.
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 34 pts, 22 reb
Julius Erving ('83 PHI): 28 pts, 6 reb
Khris Middleton ('21 MIL): 25 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast
Game 4: '21 MIL 108, @ '83 PHI 93
The Sixers got two quick buckets in the opening minute of this one, then went cold for a few while the Bucks kept it close. Despite that, the first quarter favored Philly as they led by as many as six before taking a three point cushion to the second. A mini surge for Milwaukee to give them a one point lead was quickly answered, and for much of the period the Sixers held a five point lead. But Milwaukee closed the half on a 16-2 run and by the time the dust settled they led by 10 at the break. A 6-0 Buck run in the third pushed the margin out, and despite Philly cutting it back to eight a couple times, by the end of the period Milwaukee's lead was 11. Two minutes into the fourth the Sixers had cut it back to 10, but the Bucks put the game out of reach with a 7-0 run.
Giannis Antetokuonmpo ('21 MIL): 42 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk
Jrue Holiday ('21 MIL): 10 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast
Julius Erving ('83 PHI): 24 pts, 8 reb
Game 5: '83 PHI 122, @ '21 MIL 111
The offenses came to play early in this one, seeing several ties in the first few minutes with the Sixers taking the early multiple possession lead before back to back threes from Giannis Antetokuonmpo and Pat Connaughton gave Milwaukee the lead. It was fairly short lived though and the final minute, a three point Sixer lead was erased on a Giannis three, followed by a Franklin Edwards jumper answered by one from Giannis at the buzzer, tying the game at 36. Milwaukee got an early five point lead, but it was quickly erased thanks to a pair of 6-0 Philly runs. The Sixers were able to stay just ahead, going to the locker room with the narrowest of leads. The lead changed hands three times in the first 32 seconds of the second half, and that third sparked a 9-0 Milwaukee run. The Bucks were able to keep that momentum and led by seven going to the final period thanks to a Brook Lopez runner in the closing seconds. But the Sixers opened the fourth strong with an 11-2 run. Even with that the Bucks still were able to stay largely in front thanks in part to a Khris Middleton three that broke a 100-all tie with just under eight minutes to play. But at the midway point Julius Erving threw down a go-ahead dunk. Andrew Toney followed with a jumper to push it to three, and after Middleton hit a couple free throws to cut it back to one, Philly effectively sealed the win with a 10-0 run.
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 24 pts, 19 reb
Julius Erving ('83 PHI): 29 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl
Jrue Holiday ('21 MIL): 20 pts, 4 reb, 10 ast, 3 blk
Game 6: '21 MIL 108, @ '83 PHI 101
The Sixers roared out to a 7-0 lead in the first minute plus, and had a nine point cushion just over four minutes in. But a 9-2 Bucks run got the visitors back into the game. Philly closed the period on a 5-1 run and led by seven after 12 minutes. That lead was erased in less than three minutes, though it didn't take the Sixers long to retake the advantage. They held it until there were less than four minutes left in the half when Jrue Holiday knocked down a three to tie the game at 40. Moses Malone scored four straight to give Philly the lead again, but the Bucks once again had an answer, with PJ Tucker burying a three with 10 seconds left that tied the game at 48, a score that went to the locker room with the teams. Just a few minutes into the third Philly was back up by six, but the Bucks continued to hang around. Clint Richardson knocked home a runner in the closing seconds of the period and Philly was back up nine, just 12 minutes away from the Round of 16. After Mo Cheeks split a pair of free throws early in the period to make it double digits for the first time in the contest, the Bucks went on a 12-2 run capped by Giannis Antetokuonmpo hitting a jumper to tie the game at 81. The Sixers retook the lead a couple times only for Milwaukee to immediately answer, and after swapping roles Giannis hit a shot to retake the lead, and Holiday hit a turnaround to put the Bucks up four with five and a half minutes to go. A 6-0 Bucks run helped put them up eight with about three minutes left. Philly scored twice to get it back to a four point game, but Giannis and Khris Middleton hit a couple jumpers, with Middleton's putting Milwaukee up eight with about a minute to play. That was enough to force a Game 7.
Giannis Antetokuonmpo ('21 MIL): 33 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl
Jrue Holiday ('21 MIL): 23 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 20 pts, 19 reb, 5 ast, 4 blk
After watching their chance to close it out in six slip away, Philly got out to a strong start in Game 7, leading 8-2 just over a minute in and going up nine less than six minutes into the contest. A minute later the lead was 10 and the Sixers looked poised to potentially cruise to the next round. But a 14-3 Milwaukee run completely turned that on its head, and after a couple Julius Erving free throws retook the lead for the visitors, Jeff Teague buried a pull up jumper at the buzzer to give Milwaukee a one point lead after 12 minutes. It took Milwaukee four and a half minutes into the second to hit their first field goal, but they were getting to the line and finally the shots started to fall as Milwaukee went on a 13-2 run to build a ten point lead. Back to back possessions with a Bobby Portis three and a three point play from Jrue Holiday kept the momentum up, and the hosts took a 15 point lead to the break. Less than two minutes into the second half the Bucks had pushed it to 20 and got it as high 23. The Sixers tried to claw back into it, getting as close as 14, before Khris Middleton in the final minute had a three, then an open jumper at the buzzer to give Milwaukee a 17 point lead going into the final 12 minutes. Philly would get no closer than 14 in the final stanza as the Bucks manage to advance.
Giannis Antetokuonmpo ('21 MIL): 30 pts, 12 reb, 8 ast
Jrue Holiday ('21 MIL): 17 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast
Moses Malone ('83 PHI): 26 pts, 22 reb
(6) 2012 Miami Heat vs (2) 1967 Philadelphia 76ers
Game 1: '12 MIA 109, @ '67 PHI 103
Dwyane Wade went on a personal 6-0 run early in the game to break a six-all tie and keep the visitors in front for most of the period. The Sixers were able to come back and tie a few more ties, but a LeBron James dunk with 51 seconds left in the period broke a tie at 27 and gave Miami a two point lead after one quarter. The Heat then kept the Sixers off the board for the first three minutes of the second, building an eight point lead, but it was erased by a 17-4 Philly run midway through the period. After trading three point plays with about a minute to go, Billy Cunningham hit a bank shot with 19 seconds left in the half to put the hosts up three, and Philly would take the lead into halftime. Things flipped early in the second half as the Heat went on a 12-0 run, though the Sixers answered that with an 8-0 run of their own. Wali Jones broke a 62-all tie at the halfway mark, and Philly led by as many as five not long after, but a 7-0 Heat run late in the period helped them build a lead with Wilt Chamberlain somehow getting a close shot off at the buzzer after a Chris Bosh jumper with one second left, and the Heat went to the fourth up three. Mario Chalmers opened the period with a three to double the lead, then later added a three point play to push it to nine. Eight straight from the Sixers cut it to one with five minutes left, and with under three and a half to play Wilt Chamberlain had tied the game. But on the ensuing possession, LeBron James got his own rebound off a missed three, and Chalmers broke the tie on a banker. Wade doubled the cushion with two minutes left, and a LeBron jumper off a second chance try with 38 seconds left secured the Game 1 win for Miami.
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 25 pts, 11 reb, 12 ast, 3 stl
Dwyane Wade ('12 MIA): 34 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast
Wilt Chamberlain ('67 PHI): 15 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast, 5 blk
Game 2: '12 MIA 114, @ '67 PHI 102
A 7-0 Sixers run midway through the first got the Sixers out of an early hole, and after the Heat retook the lead and held it for most of the rest of the period, Wilt Chamberlain hit a go-ahead shot with two seconds left in the period. Unfortunately for Philly, Mario Chalmers was fouled on the three at the buzzer, and he calmly hit all three of them to put the Heat up one after one. Early in the second the Heat used a 9-0 surge as part of a larger 15-2 run to take a commanding lead. The margin got up as high as 13, but the Sixers had some fight left before halftime as they were able to pull back within six. Just over two minutes into the third Philly had trimmed the margin to just two points, but a 6-0 Miami run pushed the lead back out. Another 6-0 run midway through got it back to a double digit game, though a late Hal Greer finger roll got it back to an eight point game going into the fourth. Chris Bosh and LeBron James each converted three point plays early in the period, and Chalmers hitting a couple free throws at the halfway point got the lead to its highest at 17. The Sixers would get no closer than 12 the rest of the way as they drop both of their guaranteed home games in the series.
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 37 pts, 14 reb, 10 ast
Dwyane Wade ('12 MIA): 24 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast, 4 blk
Wilt Chamberlain ('67 PHI): 17 pts, 18 reb, 4 ast
Game 3: @ '12 MIA 109, '67 PHI 97
Miami got out to a quick 5-0 lead, then survived the Philly counterattack and pushed the lead to ten less than seven minutes into the game. The Sixers got back within six a few times late, but a Mike Miller three in the final minute helped push the margin going to the second quarter to seven. The margin stayed around the range for almost the entire second quarter, with the Sixers getting no closer than five the rest of the half, and by the intermission we were back where we were at the start of the quarter. But Philly went five and a half minutes without a field goal early in the third quarter, and the Heat used that to push their lead back to double digits. But over the final two minutes the Sixers closed on a 10-4 run and we got back to that seven point margin going to the fourth. Philly once again struggled for field goals, needing three minutes to put one in in the fourth while Miami got the lead back up to double digits. The Sixers got it back down to five with just over seven minutes to go, but a 10-0 Heat run to answer effectively ended the game.
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 29 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast
Dwyane Wade ('12 MIA): 23 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl
Wilt Chamberlan ('67 PHI): 16 pts, 23 reb, 7 ast, 4 blk
Game 4: '67 PHI 109, @ '12 MIA 98
An 11-2 Heat run early in the game made it seem like we were in line for a sweep. But a 7-0 Sixer run got them back in the game, with just over four minutes left they briefly took their first lead, then had an 8-0 run near the end of the quarter to help propel them to a three point lead after 12 minutes. Dwyane Wade had a brief hot stretch early in the second, breaking a 39-all tie from beyond the arc and following a LeBron miss to retake the lead a little later, but a 10-2 Sixer run late in the half built an eight point lead. Four straight makes from Miami tied it, but Wilt Chamberlain retook the lead off a tip in, and a Hal Greer three with 16 seconds left put the visitors up five. Wade would hit a shot at the buzzer that made it a one score game going to intermission. Miami shut the Sixers down to open the second half as Udonis Haslem scored six quick points, but it wasn't enough to fully pull away. A Wilt Chamberlain dunk with 3:32 left in the period broke a 69-all tie, and Hal Greer added five more points to try and keep the lead going to the fourth, but the Heat had another run in them as LeBron James buried a jumper with two seconds left to give Miami a one point lead. The fourth saw a ton of punch-counterpunch, but the decisive run came midway through, as after a James three point play, Matt Guokas tipped home a Billy Cunningham miss to take a 92-91 lead, and that sparked a 12-2 run. Philly hit enough free throws in the closing minutes to avoid the sweep and stay alive going back home.
Wilt Chamberlain ('67 PHI): 36 pts, 34 reb
Hal Greer ('67 PHI): 24 pts, 6 reb
Dwyane Wade ('12 MIA): 34 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast
Game 5: @ '67 PHI 108, '12 MIA 106
Miami got out to a 6-1 lead a minute in, but by the midway point of the opening quarter the hosts were in the midst of an 11-2 run to take the lead. The Heat naturally followed this up with a 9-0 run to retake control, and after Matt Guokas hit a game-tying three late, LeBron James ended the quarter with a tip of a Dwyane Wade miss to give his team a two point lead. Several ties and lead changes covered much of the second quarter before a 10-2 Sixer run put Philly back in front. A James Jones three with less than 90 seconds left cut it to a one point game, but Wilt Chamberlain hit a layup in the closing seconds to give the Sixers a three point halftime lead. Philly followed that up with a 9-2 run early in the third to push the lead to ten. But it was short lived as Miami bounced back and forced three lead changes before Hal Greer tied the game at 75 with 3:30 left, followed by Billy Cunningham hitting a pair of free throws to retake the lead. Wilt got a dunk in the closing seconds that pushed Philly's lead to five, a margin they'd take to the final stanza. The Sixers pushed the margin to seven several times early in the fourth, then seemed like they were going to make enough shots down the stretch to survive Miami's desperate push. Wali Jones, Greer, and Chamberlain all made shots to give Philly a two possession lead as we got towards the end, but the Heat still had something left, as Wade continued his big series with a jumper with 19 seconds left to tie the game at 106 off a Joel Anthony steal. But that left too much time, as Cunningham buried a five footer with two seconds left for the lead. Off a Heat timeout, LeBron got a chance to force overtime, but his turnaround missed badly and the Sixers somehow continue to stay alive.
Wilt Chamberlain ('67 PHI): 28 pts, 21 reb, 8 ast, 3 blk
Chet Walker ('67 PHI): 16 pts, 13 reb
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 37 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast, 4 stl
Dwyane Wade scored six straight for Miami midway through the opening quarter, but it was Norris Cole's three that pushed the Miami lead to seven with 5:29 left that seemed to get the hosts truly going. James Jones and Shane Battier hit threes later in the period to keep the margin around there, and a LeBron James bank shot with one second left gave the Heat a seven point lead going to the second. A 10-2 Heat run midway through the second ended up pushing the margin to 17 as Miami decided it was done with this series. The Heat would lead by as many as 22 late in the period and by 20 going to the locker room. An early 6-2 mini run in the third kept the Heat's momentum up, followed by a 7-0 run midway through that got the margin to 28. A 14-3 Sixer run got them back to within 18, but the Heat closed the quarter on a 6-0 run and cruised the rest of the way to the series upset.
LeBron James ('12 MIA): 36 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast, 5 stl
Dwyane Wade ('12 MIA): 33 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 4 blk
Wilt Chamberlain ('67 PHI): 20 pts, 26 reb, 4 blk
(3) 2009 Los Angeles Lakers vs (2) 2015 Golden State Warriors
Game 1: @ '15 GS 117, '09 LAL 106
Klay Thompson got a couple quick buckets and that got the Warriors going in Game 1. His three less than four and a half minutes in broke a 15-all tie and sparked a 7-0 run, helping Golden State take a seven point lead after 12 minutes. LA managed to cut it to two midway through the second, but Steph Curry hit a three on the ensuing possession to push the margin back out and the Warriors slowly started to pull away. Curry and Thompson each hit threes in the final 76 seconds and that helped them take a 14 point lead to the break. Golden State then opened the second half on a 7-0 run and it seemed like they were poised to run away with this one. But the Lakers responded with a 13-2 run to get it back to single digits. LA got within six late, but Shaun Livingston hit a 13 footer at the period buzzer to push it back to 10 going to the fourth. LA responded by scoring the first 10 of the period to tie the game, but Andre Igoudala broke the tie with a three, Thompson hit a trio of free throws the next trip down, then he scored five straight points midway through the period to effectively seal the win. LA got no closer than seven the rest of the way as Golden State claims the opener.
Klay Thompson ('15 GS): 31 pts, 4 reb
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 27 pts, 6 reb, 10 ast
Pau Gasol ('09 LAL): 30 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast
Game 2: @ '15 GS 106, '09 LAL 77
The Lakers got out to a 7-3 lead in this one, but they couldn't hold it. Festus Ezeli broke a 19-19 tie with about two and a half minutes left in the period and the Warriors ended up scoring the final nine of the period to go up 10. LA went close to five minutes without a field goal in the second, but the Warriors couldn't capitalize as the Lakers were able to pull within seven, then get it down to six at halftime thanks to a late Kobe Bryant jumper. Less than a minute into the third a Pau Gasol dunk got it back to a one possession game for the first time since the opening period, but the Warriors answered with a 10-0 run. The Lakers got it back to four late, but an 8-0 Warrior run helped push the margin back to double digits with 12 minutes to play. A Draymond Green three with 9:15 left sparked a 9-0 run that pushed the margin to 17, and a 15-0 run in the closing minutes finished out a dominant win for the hosts.
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 15 pts, 10 reb, 15 ast, 3 stl
Klay Thompson ('15 GS): 25 pts, 5 reb
Pau Gasol ('09 LAL): 21 pts, 8 reb
Game 3: @ '09 LAL 99, '15 GS 90
The Warriors got an early barrage from beyond the arc and that helped them build an early six point lead. But the Lakers hung around, and by the end of the first had pulled within one. A Lamar Odom three early in the second gave LA the lead, though Shaun Livingston immediately tied the game at 25. The teams swapped leads until a pair of Kobe Bryant threes with 4:16 left in the half broke a 37-all tie, Trevor Ariza hit a three to push the lead out, and a Pau Gasol jumper with 17 seconds left ended up proving huge, as Harrison Barnes scored at the buzzer, but the Lakers still held a two point lead. An early 6-2 run to open the second half got the Lakers some cushion and they would lead by as many as eight late in the quarter, but the Warriors were able to cut it to two before an Ariza shot late got it up to four going to the final stanza. After an Andre Igoudala three cut it to two early, the Lakers were able to pull back away, going up seven with eight minutes left, then used a 6-0 run to push it to double digits. Golden State got it back to six, but an Ariza three with four minutes to go served as a de facto dagger and the Lakers were able to run out the clock and get on the board in the series.
Lamar Odom ('09 LAL): 18 pts, 14 reb
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 24 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 19 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl
Game 4: '15 GS 101, @ '09 LAL 87
Pau Gasol logged a three point play just over a minute into the game, but an 8-1 Warrior run immediately following got Golden State off and running. They survived a brief one point deficit and led by as many as six before taking a four point lead to the second quarter. LA tried to keep it close, but Steph Curry and Klay Thompson hit back to back threes to open up a nine point cushion. Curry hit a late three to push it to 10, but Sasha Vujacic answered with one of his own right before halftime to cut the deficit going to the locker room to seven. LA pulled within two early in the second half, but a Draymond Green three stopped the bleeding and Golden State began to pull away thanks in part to an 8-0 run midway through the period. They got the lead as high as 16 before a Jordan Farmar shot at the third quarter buzzer pulled the Lakers back within 10. That was as close as they'd get, with the Warriors starting the fourth on a 10-2 run and they cruised to a 3-1 series lead.
Draymond Green ('15 GS): 13 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 21 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 18 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl
Game 5: '09 LAL 102, @ '15 GS 91
Lamar Odom got moved to the starting lineup with the Lakers facing elimination, and it sparked something as they roared out to a 10-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest and stunned the home crowd. Steph Curry did score Golden State's first eight points and that helped get the Warriors back into the game, as they were able to tie the game at 12. But the Lakers went on a 15-5 run after that, and a Gasol floater at the quarter buzzer pushed the margin back to double digits going to the second. The margin stayed close to 10 for basically the entire second quarter until the Warriors got hot towards the end; an 11-2 run got it back to a one possession game, but Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant scored six in the final minute-plus to take a four point lead to the locker room. It took Golden State almost three minutes to open their second half scoring, but the Lakers couldn't capitalize, and the Warriors used a 9-0 run featuring a Steph Curry three, three free throws from Draymond Green followed by a tiebreaking three from Green gave the Warriors the lead. Trevor Ariza ended up breaking a 69-all tie late in the period with a shot, then Kobe added a three point play to go up five, a margin the Lakers would take the final quarter. The Warriors would get within four early in the period, but a 12-3 Laker run later in the period decided the contest and sent the series back to Southern California.
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 32 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast
Lamar Odom ('09 LAL): 13 pts, 12 reb
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 31 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast
Game 6: @ '09 LAL 115, '15 GS 94
The quick start wasn't as good as Game 5, but the Lakers still jumped out to a 6-0 lead in this one, then survived the early counterattack with an 8-0 run, though a Leandro Barbosa three point play cut the margin to two with just under a minute to go, and that held up as the teams huddled for the second. Luke Walton buried a three early in the period, and that got LA going as they pushed the lead to double digits less than five minutes in. Golden State hung around, trimming it to three numerous times but only once having a chance to tie, and couldn't cash it in as a Kobe Bryant jumper late got the Laker lead to five going to the break. Golden State pressed and was finally able to retake the lead on a Shaun Livingston three point play three and a half minutes into the second half. The teams swapped the lead seven more times over the next few minutes before an 8-0 Laker run late helped LA take a seven point lead to the fourth. An early 7-0 run doubled that mark, and a 10-0 run midway through the period was enough for the Lakers to cruise into a Game 7.
Pau Gasol ('09 LAL): 26 pts, 10 reb
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 23 pts, 11 reb, 9 ast
Draymond Green ('15 GS): 12 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
Game 7: @ '15 GS 101, '09 LAL 77
Steph Curry buried a three on the game's opening possession, and Golden State's defense kept the Lakers in check as they were able to build a lead. An 8-0 run late in the period countered a Laker push to within two, and Andrew Bynum's layup in the closing seconds only cut the deficit to 12. But that was a spark, as the Lakers opened the second with a 12-3 run and they got within two five minutes into the period. The Warriors responded with a 10-0 run of their own and they led by as many as 15 before going to the break up nine. LA pulled back within two just a couple minutes into the third, but Klay Thompson hit a three to push the lead back out. Curry hit a shot five minutes in to get it back to double digits, and back to back threes by Andre Igoudala nudged it up to 14. The Lakers got it back to ten late, but Harrison Barnes closed the period with another three to go up 13. Separate runs of 6-0 and 7-0 early in the fourth build a 23 point lead by the midway point of the fourth, and that was enough to send the Warriors to the next round.
Steph Curry ('15 GS): 23 pts, 6 reb, 15 ast
Harrison Barnes ('15 GS): 21 pts, 5 reb
Kobe Bryant ('09 LAL): 20 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast
(4) 1997 Utah Jazz vs (1) 2023 Denver Nuggets
Game 1: @ '23 DEN 108, '97 UTA 91
It took a minute and a half for the Nuggets to get going, but once they did they really got going. Back to back threes from Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon just over three minutes in put them up five, and just over eight minutes in the lead was double digits. Gordon hit another shot with one second left in the first that got the margin back to ten going into the second. Six straight from Denver to open the frame got the margin to 16, and a 7-0 run midway through pushed it up to 20. The Jazz got back within a dozen with about a minute left in the half, but thanks in part to a Jamal Murray three at the buzzer, Denver went to the half up 18. A 6-0 run early in the second half got the Jazz a little momentum, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope responded with a three to stem the tide, and Denver was able to push the margin as high as 22. An 8-0 Utah run got them back into the game a bit late in the period, but Murray buried another three late in the period to send Denver to the fourth up 16. Utah locked things down early in the fourth though and used a 7-0 run to get it back to single digits, but a 6-0 Nugget run put an end to that as Porter went off. It was enough to give the hosts a comfortable Game 1 win.
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 18 pts, 13 reb, 9 ast
Michael Porter, Jr ('23 DEN): 24 pts, 9 reb
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 30 pts, 14 reb, 7 ast
Game 2: '97 UTA 127, @ '23 DEN 119
Denver scored twice in the opening minute, but the Jazz were quick to respond in this one, setting up a back and forth opening quarter until Jeff Hornacek was able to throw down two dunks in 16 seconds, breaking a tie at 19 and keeping the Jazz ahead for the rest of the frame. Greg Foster hit a shot at the first quarter buzzer to put Utah up four, but the Nuggets were quick to tie early in the second. Threes from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Nikola Jokic flipped the margin around and highlighted an 8-0 Denver run that put the Nuggets in control. Denver led by seven with two minutes to go, but the Jazz roared back to tie it, with Hornacek answering a late Jamal Murray shot to send the teams to the locker room knotted at 62. After some punch-counterpunch to open the third, an 8-0 Jazz run midway through the period put them up six. Denver was able to answer and briefly led by one in the final minute, but a pair of Shandon Anderson free throws with 36 seconds left flipped that margin Utah's way. Denver again got hot to start the fourth and they led by five just over three minutes into the frame. Utah made it close, but the Nuggets hit more outside shots and stayed just ahead, even getting a Murray three to break a 114-all tie with three and a half to play, followed by two Murray free throws with under three minutes left. But that was the last of Denver's scoring, Karl Malone drained a nine footer with 1:40 to play to put the Jazz in front, Murray missed a response three, Bryon Russell hit a couple free throws off an offensive rebound, and Malone iced the game at the line to even the series.
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 37 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast
Jeff Hornacek ('97 UTA): 17 pts, 9 ast, 4 stl
Aaron Gordon ('23 DEN): 29 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast
Game 3: @ '97 UTA 116, '23 DEN 98
Utah had four chances on its opening possession but couldn't cash in, so naturally Nikola Jokic scored on his first shot to get us going. Bryon Russell hit a couple free throws to tie the game, but Denver had gotten its spark, and went on a 10-0 run to seize early control of the game. Five minutes in after a trio of free throws by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Nuggets led by eight, but the Jazz scored the next 13, highlighted by two three point plays by John Stockton and one by Antoine Carr. That was enough to put the Jazz up three after one quarter. The second saw a lot of back and forth until the halfway point, when a Greg Ostertag shot broke a 35-all tie and sparked a 6-0 run that put the Jazz in control. Utah led by as many as 11 before going to the break up nine. Two and a half minutes into the third it ballooned to 16. The Nuggets halved that a little over halfway through the period, but Carr hit back to back baskets to get it back up to 12, and despite Russell missing a three at the buzzer, the Jazz were up 13 going to the final stanza. Utah briefly got it to 20 early in the fourth, and the Nuggets were able to get no closer than 13 the rest of the way.
John Stockton ('97 UTA): 20 pts, 16 ast
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 23 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 24 pts, 13 reb, 11 ast, 4 stl
Game 4: @ '97 UTA 111, '23 DEN 108
The first couple minutes saw a couple ties and four lead changes, the fourth of which was the spark to an 8-0 Utah run that put the Jazz in control. Denver stayed with it, and right before the halfway mark Nikola Jokic buried a three to tie the game at 17. Utah scored the next six, but the Nuggets stayed with it, even taking a brief lead before the Jazz closed strong to lead by three after 12 minutes. Utah pushed it to seven a few minutes into the second and led by eight with 4:23 left in the half before the scoring really started both ways. The Nuggets climbed back to within two with about two minutes left, but Bryon Russell scored the last two buckets of the half to put the Jazz up six going to intermission. Utah also scored the first four of the second half to push the lead to double digits and got as high as 13, but the Nuggets answered with an 8-0 run to get back into the game midway through the period. Utah, naturally, pushed it back up to a new high of 14 before going to the final frame up eight. A 10-0 Nugget run early in the fourth cut it to just a one point game and finally with 4:07 to play Michael Porter Jr hit two of three free throws to give Denver its first lead since the opening minutes. John Stockton answered with a three, and a Jeff Hornacek tip put the Jazz up four, but the Nuggets answered right back, with a Jokic slam giving them the lead back. After Kentavious Caldwell-Pope split a pair of free throws, Karl Malone tied the game on a shot in the paint with 1:23 to go. Jamal Murray missed a go-ahead three, and Malone came through again, this time from the left wing to go up 108-106 with just over a minute to play. Murray missed again from three, and after getting a stop, Jokic's try to tie the game wouldn't fall with 18 seconds left. Malone got sent to the line and only hit the first one, giving Denver one last desperate chance. Interestingly, Murray opted for the layup and got it with three seconds left, but the foul on Malone came with no time on the clock, and he calmly hit both free throws to secure the three point win and the third victory of the series.
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 28 pts, 17 reb, 8 ast
John Stockton ('97 UTA): 13 pts, 15 ast
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 21 pts, 16 reb, 12 ast
Game 5: @ '23 DEN 87, '97 UTA 82
After an early back and forth, the Nuggets took control off a Nikola Jokic three point play that sparked an 8-0 run. Utah got back within two with about four minutes left in the opening quarter, but those last few minutes were ugly as the teams combined to miss 12 field goals and a couple free throws, so the Nuggets escaped with their two point lead intact. Antoine Carr finally broke the silence a minute and a half into the second by tying the game at 19, sparking a 12-2 run that put the Jazz up eight midway through the period. Denver responded with 11 unanswered, which helped them to even up the score for the second and send us to halftime with the Nuggets still up two. Aaron Gordon and Jokic converted three point plays early in the third to help put the Nuggets up eight as the Jazz went almost seven minutes without scoring, though they would make it a one score game again with 1:24 left in the frame. A 6-0 mini run got the lead back to eight, but Greg Foster got a three point play at the buzzer to cut it to five going to the fourth. The Jazz opened the period with six straight to retake the lead, and we saw a lot of back and forth the rest of the period. Ultimately it was a personal 8-2 run for Michael Porter Jr, including back to back threes around the five minute mark that got the Nuggets back in control, and Denver never had possession with a chance to retake the lead the rest of the way.
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 21 pts, 20 reb, 12 ast
Jamal Murray ('23 DAN): 18 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 20 pts, 18 reb, 7 ast
Game 6: '23 DEN 117, @ '97 UTA 102
This one looked like it was going to be over early. Utah went on an early 9-0 run to take control, they led by double digits around the halfway mark, but it was a 14-4 run late in the period while the Nuggets went three minutes without a field goal that defined the period. Karl Malone put in a layup at the buzzer, and the Jazz were up 18 after 12 minutes. It took Denver two and a half minutes into the second to score, though they were able to lock down the Jazz and keep the margin where it was mostly, but runs in the period of 6-0 and 8-0 helped get it back to a single digit game. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, the Nuggets were back within seven, and they got it to a one possession game quickly once play resumed. Michael Porter Jr buried a three just over three minutes into the second half that gave Denver the lead for the first time since 5-4, and while the Jazz were able to retake the lead and go up by six late in the period, Denver knew they could hang, tying the game a couple times before Greg Ostertag flipped one home to put the Jazz up two with 12 minutes left. Just seconds into the fourth the lead was up to five, but then it all went to hell. Nine straight from Denver gave them the lead back briefly before Utah fought back, tying the game and even taking a lead, but Nikola Jokic threw down a dunk with under seven minutes left, sparking a 10-0 run and got the Nuggets back well in front. They were able to easily close it out and force a Game 7 back at home.
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 32 pts, 16 reb, 11 ast
Michael Porter, Jr ('23 DEN): 27 pts, 8 reb
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 36 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast
Denver looked ready to complete the comeback from down 3-1 as they scored the first nine. But the Jazz slowly worked their way back into the game, taking their first lead on a John Stockton shot with a minute and a half left. But a Michael Porter Jr three tied the game with a minute to go, and that tie held at the quarter buzzer. But Utah kept it up, opening the second on a 9-2 run, then used an 8-0 run midway through to go up by a dozen. The Jazz led by as many as 15 before going to the break up a dozen. Utah got it back up to 15 fairly quickly and mostly held it there, before a Karl Malone three point play with about four and a half minutes left in the third got it to a then-high 17. Malone hit a pair of free throws with about two minutes left to push it to 20 and it got as high as 24 before six straight from the Nuggets closed the period with the deficit at 18. The Nuggest got no closer than 13 the rest of the way as the Jazz pull off the upset and knock off yet another group winner in the Round of 32.
Karl Malone ('97 UTA): 40 pts, 15 reb, 6 ast
John Stockton ('97 UTA): 8 pts, 11 ast
Nikola Jokic ('23 DEN): 23 pts, 14 reb, 10 ast
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