Defined 7 of the 8 teams that are still in the race for the NBA ring

Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks finished their first victory in a series of games on Thursday. playoffs in the NBA since the 2011 ring, at the cost of a disappointing Utah Jazz, while the Suns and Sixers also sealed their tickets to the second round.

In a cruel playoff finale for the Jazz, the Mavericks won 98-96 away, ending the series 4-2 and meeting the Suns in the Western Conference semifinals.

Doncic led the Texan offense with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, supported by Jalen Brunson, with another 24 points. At 23 years old, the shooting guard continues to offer a spectacular version every time he steps on the court in the playoffs.

The Slovenian phenom has surpassed 500 points in just 16 postseason games, second only to Michael Jordan, who did so in 14 games. “I am very happy to have won a series for the first time. The last few years were tough,” Doncic acknowledged.

Since their victory in the 2011 Finals against the Miami Heat, with a team led by German Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks had accumulated six eliminations in the first round.

For their part, the Jazz, who let a 12-point lead slip away at halftime (53-41), had a great opportunity to force Game 7 of the series. On the last possession, and with no defender nearby, Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer from the corner almost at the buzzer.

This elimination is a very hard blow for the Jazz project supported by the couple formed by Donovan Mitchell (23 points and 9 assists) and the Frenchman Rudy Gobert (10 points and 12 rebounds).

Under his leadership, the Jazz have failed to meet expectations. Last year they fell in the second round to the Los Angeles Clippers when they were clear favorites and dominated the series 2-0.

Infallible Chris Paul

The rival of the Mavericks in the next round will be the Phoenix Suns, first ranked in the West in the regular season, who on Thursday beat the New Orleans Pelicans 115-109 with a historic performance by veteran Chris Paul.

At the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, his first NBA home, Paul made all 14 of his field goals without a miss in a 4-2 series-sealing win. Until now, no player had scored 13 baskets in a row in the history of the playoffs.

Paul, 36, also made all four of his free throws en route to a tally of 33 points and 8 assists, with three turnovers. “He is great. I always say that this city raised me,” said Paul in an emotional message of thanks to the franchise and the city.

“It’s nice to do it here, in New Orleans… For me it’s my home. I support this team when I’m not playing against them. So beating them was nice,” he stated.

Shooting guard Devin Booker, the team’s offensive leader, returned on Thursday after three games out due to a hamstring problem, but he had 13 points and 5 rebounds. “I have been seeing him since he was eight years old. I’m not surprised,” Booker said of Paul’s immaculate performance.

The other semifinal of the West will be played by the Golden State Warriors and the winner of the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies, who dominate 3-2 in the only series that has not yet been defined.

Sixers liquidate Raptors

With a devastating Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors 132-97 on Thursday and finished this Eastern Conference series 4-2.

The Raptors, who had won the previous two games, dreamed of being the first team in history to qualify after trailing 3-0. The Sixers’ two straight losses had generated nerves around the franchise and coach Doc Rivers himself had to defend his personal career on Wednesday in the playoffs.

This Thursday, the Sixers put an end to doubts thanks to a strong performance at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, led by Cameroonian Joel Embiid (33 points and 10 rebounds) and James Harden (22 points and 15 assists).

The Raptors, who could not count on their guard Fred VanVleet again due to injury, collapsed in the third quarter by conceding a 37-17 run from which they could no longer overcome. Starting Monday, Philadelphia will face the Miami Heat in the Eastern semifinals, the first seed and a great favorite for the title.

The other semifinal will be played by the Boston Celtics, who crushed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s Brooklyn Nets 4-0, and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, the defending champions.

With information from AFP.

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