NBA Playoff Notebook: Nuggets-Suns Matchup Clinched, Young Keeps Hawks Alive, Leonard Injury, More

During Tuesday night's NBA action, the Nuggets and Suns clinched series victories, while Trae Young kept the Hawks alive against the Celtics.

After Tuesday night's NBA action, there are two more teams that are headed for the offseason, including the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers. Meanwhile, Trae Young did everything he could to successfully keep the Atlanta Hawks from elimination. 

Trae Young Carries Hawks to Extend Series

Facing possible elimination and being without Dejounte Murray due to suspension, it was clear that Trae Young stepped up for the Atlanta Hawks. He recorded 38 points and 13 assists, including a deep pull-up 3-pointer that ultimately proved to be the game-winner in Game 5, sealing a 119-117 victory over the Boston Celtics.

“I just had to trust in what I’ve done my whole life and shoot it with confidence," Young said.

Young took his game to another level when the Hawks needed him to do so, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter alone. He's scored 60 fourth-quarter points in the series as a whole. 

“I know what time it is. It’s Ice Trae time. He’s clutch. He wants to be in that moment. He wants the big shot," Hawks forward John Collins said. "It’s what he does.”

The Celtics just couldn't quite close out the series to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a victory. Jaylen Brown was Boston's top performer with 35 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, finishing as the team's only player with at least 20 points.

“We had some boneheaded plays, some fouls. Gave them some opportunities to get going," Brown said. "We just gotta finish the game.”

Murray will be back in the Hawks' lineup for Game 6 and they will get a chance to defend homecourt in Atlanta with the goal being to force a pivotal Game 7 in Boston. 

Nikola Jokic's Nuggets Eliminate Timberwolves

Another team's season came to an end as a result of the Denver Nuggets achieving a 112-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the win, the Nuggets finished the series with a 4-1 edge to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, setting themselves up for a matchup against the Phoenix Suns. 

The Nuggets got off to a slow start, trailing 15-5 after Rudy Gobert's dunk at the 6:33 mark of the opening period. Minnesota continued to hold a lead through the end of the first quarter, but the Nuggets created an eight-point scoring differential in the following frame by containing the Timberwolves to 18 points. Denver led 48-47 at the half.

“We started slow,” Murray said, “but once they started talking that woke us up. We locked in. We fought back in the second quarter and then I thought we did a good job executing down the stretch.”

Both teams continued to trade leads coming out of halftime with neither side managing to take control of the game. Anthony Edwards did everything he could to keep the Timberwolves' season alive. He scored 29 points and a 3-point attempt at the buzzer was offline, which would have sent Minnesota to overtime.

While it was an off shooting night for Nikola Jokic, who went 8-29 from the floor, he finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists on the night. Jamal Murray's consistent ability to convert on high degree of difficulty shots proved pivotal, helping him to total a team-high 35 points, while adding four rebounds and five assists.

“And they still managed to be in every game except Game 1. That was the only game that was an easy win for us,” Jokic said. “They did a good job. We were just a little bit better this time.”

Suns Eliminate Clippers; Kawhi Leonard Receives Injury Diagnosis

The Los Angeles Clippers encountered no shortage of bad news on Tuesday. After being eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in a 136-130 loss, it was later revealed that Kawhi Leonard had been diagnosed with a torn meniscus. Paul George didn't appear in the series at all, while Leonard was sidelined since Game 2.

“Take the two best players off any team in the league and see if they can win in the playoffs," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. 

Devin Booker produced an electrifying performance for the Suns, scoring 47 points overall. He took over in the third quarter by scoring 25 of his points within the frame alone. Kevin Durant added 31 points, while Deandre Ayton recorded 21 points and 11 rebounds.

“It was spiritual,” Durant said of watching Booker's third quarter. “I don't scream too much in games as I get older, but when he hit that 3 at the top of the key, I felt that energy and I know everyone in the crowd felt it. We feed off his aggression.”

The focus for the Suns will be to take better control of the game as they continue to progress in their postseason run. It wasn't until the final minute that Phoenix had iced the game with a perfect trip to the free throw line despite facing a shorthanded Clippers team.

“I think it's a good lesson for us moving forward,” Booker said. “Don't play with your food. Finish out as strong as you can. Keep playing all the way until the whistle blows.”

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