Some analysts said the series was over, the Minnesota Timberwolves were about to sweep the Denver Nuggets, and they were now the favorites to win the title. However, Michael Malone and his squad used the fire to fuel a dominant 117-90 Game 3 win on the road. After three days rest between Game 2 and 3, Jamaal Murray looked fresh and made all the difference by scoring 24 points and dropping five assists. Murray played with force amidst the boos from the Minnesota crowd after escaping a suspension following the heating pad and towel-throwing incidents in Game 2. The Nuggets looked like the dangerous defending champions again, with all members of the starting five scoring in double digits and combining for 94 points. On the East Coast, Andrew Nembhard emerged as an unlikely hero when he drained a shot clock-beating step-back three from 31 feet to propel the Indiana Pacers to a 111-106 home win. It was so miraculous that the shot tied his record for the longest of his career. The results on Friday mean that there will be no sweeps in the Conference Semifinals and sets up an insane weekend of basketball. In this article, we will preview the games on Saturday.
1. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5 Dallas Mavericks (Tied 1-1) ABC Saturday 3:30 pm EST
In Game 2, Luka Doncic persevered despite being hobbled through a sprained knee and delivered when his team needed it by scoring 29 points, grabbing ten rebounds and seven assists. Doncic showed big improvements from the three-point line by shooting 5 of 8 from distance in Game 2 compared to 5-for-35 in the previous four games. It will be interesting to see whether in Game 3, Dallas can continue the hot shooting from Game 2 when they hit 49 percent of their 37 attempts. If the Mavericks can make threes, it will make life difficult for the Thunder in a frenzied home crowd. Another thing to watch is whether the Thunder have the ability to limit Kyrie Irving’s output similar to his Game 2 performance of just nine points. Irving was unusually passive, with just eight shots and two three-point attempts. It’s hard to imagine the Mavericks winning with their number two scorer struggling. On the other hand, the Thunder need more production from Josh Giddey and have struggled in back-to-back games by scoring only 10 points in the first two games. The Australian has a plus-minus of -20 which is the worst of any player to feature in Game 2. I think Kyrie bounces back, and the Mavericks win Game 3.
Mavericks 110-Thunder 106
2. 1 Boston Celtics vs 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (Tied 1-1) ABC Saturday 8:30 pm EST
The Cavaliers battled back to even the series after falling behind by nine points in the first quarter. The difference between Game 1 and 2 for Cleveland is that the supporting cast around Donavan Mitchell stepped up their performances. Evan Mobley and Caris LeVert scored 42 points, while every Cavaliers starter scored in double digits. In Game 3, the Celtics must go on the road and reestablish their defensive intensity because they cannot allow the Cavaliers role players to torch the best starting five in the regular season. The Celtics need their stars to shine brightly on the road, namely Jayson Tatum who has struggled so far in the postseason. The most consistent player on the team in the playoffs has been Derrick White, and Tatum needs to view this swing game in primetime as his opportunity to redeem himself and reclaim the series lead. I think the Celtics play better on the road, and Tatum shines in a win.
Celtics 115-Cavaliers 105.