FloaterDaily Brief
Sunday, May 7, 2023Playoffs · 2 games
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2 games, 1 went to overtime. Biggest comeback: PHX trailed DEN by 2 after the first quarter and won 129–124.

Final · OT · R2 · G4 · Box score
Celtics115
Sixers116
Q1 PHI +8; Q2 PHI +9; Q3 PHI +9; Q4 Sixers 0; OT1 PHI +1
Final · R2 · G4 · Box score
Nuggets124
Suns129
Q1 PHX -2; Q2 PHX +2; Q3 PHX +6; Q4 PHX +5
On this day · 2021–22May 7, 2022: 2 games. Top scorer: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks-Celtics), 42 points.
May 7 in other seasons20262025202420212019201820172016201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199819971996
The lead · Conference semifinals · Game 4 · Nuggets-Suns

D-Book pours in 36, Phoenix beats Denver

James Harden goes for 42 points

Game flow · PHX margin at each break
-15-10-50+5+10+15TipEnd Q1HalfEnd Q3Final0-2+2+6+5PHX AHEAD ↑DEN AHEAD ↓
By quarter
Q1Q2Q3Q4T
Nuggets34273132124
Suns32313531129
Who led
Devin BookerPoints, last 10 games: 15, 26, 38, 45, 30, 47, 27, 35, 47, 36PHX36 PTS · 6 REB · 12 AST
Kevin DurantPoints, last 10 games: 29, 27, 25, 28, 31, 31, 29, 24, 39, 36PHX36 PTS · 11 REB · 6 AST
Nikola JokicPoints, last 10 games: 6, 13, 27, 20, 43, 28, 24, 39, 30, 53DEN53 PTS · 4 REB · 11 AST
Jamal MurrayPoints, last 10 games: 20, 24, 40, 18, 19, 35, 34, 10, 32, 28DEN28 PTS · 5 REB · 7 AST
Second story · Celtics-Sixers · R2 · G4

Philadelphia evens the series with Boston at 2–2

Philadelphia won Game 4, 116–115, in the conference semifinals. James Harden led Philadelphia with 42 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists.

Series tracker · Celtics-Sixers
G1 · @ BOSPHI119–115G2 · @ BOSBOS121–87G3 · @ PHIBOS114–102G4 · @ PHIPHI116–115
Lead changes
Nuggets-Suns16
Celtics-Sixers12
Shot of the night

Harden's three with 19 seconds left in OT puts the 76ers ahead, 116-115 final

The night in charts
Nuggets-Suns combined for 253, 22 more than any other game
Points by game
Nuggets-SunsNuggets 124, Suns 129
253
Celtics-SixersCeltics 115, Sixers 116 · OT
231
2 of 2 games were decided by 5 or fewer
Closest finishes
Celtics-SixersCeltics 115, Sixers 116 · OT
+1 PHI
Nuggets-SunsNuggets 124, Suns 129
+5 PHX
Booker shot 14-of-18 for the night's hottest hand
Hottest shooting · min 10 FGA
BookerPHX · 36 PTS, 12 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL
78% (14-18)
HardenPHI · 42 PTS, 9 AST, 8 REB, 4 STL
70% (16-23)
JokicDEN · 53 PTS, 11 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK
67% (20-30)
Jaylen BrownBOS · 23 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB
63% (10-16)
KDPHX · 36 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL
58% (11-19)
Final · Celtics-Sixers
Celtics 115Sixers 116
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4OTT
Celtics193133248115
Sixers273233159116
The story
Joel Embiid had 34 points and 13 rebounds as Philadelphia beat Boston 116-115 in OT

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 23 PTS, 5 AST, 3 REB 34 PTS, 13 REB, 4 AST · 11-26 FG, 0-3 3PT

The swing

The 76ers won the first 27-19, their biggest quarter edge.

PHI lead by quarter
200 +8+9+90+1 Q1Q2Q3Q4OT
Final · Nuggets-Suns
Nuggets 124Suns 129
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4T
Nuggets34273132124
Suns32313531129
The story
Kevin Durant's 36 points and 11 rebounds carried Phoenix past Denver, 129-124

For Denver, Jamal Murray had 28 PTS, 7 AST, 5 REB 36 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST · 11-19 FG, 2-4 3PT

The swing

The Suns trailed by 2 going into the second, then won it 31-27.

PHX lead by quarter
200 −2+2+6+5 Q1Q2Q3Q4
Fantasy angle
Heating up
+16.2points, last 3 playoff games vs reg. season avg
Points per game
24.5Reg. season avg40.7Last 3 playoff games

40.7 points a game over his last three playoff games, against 24.5 in the regular season (69 games). Today: 53 points in 39 minutes.

Losing minutes
−9.1minutes, last 3 playoff games vs reg. season avg
Minutes per game
21.1Reg. season avg12.0Last 3 playoff games

12.0 minutes a game over his last three playoff games, against 21.1 in the regular season (63 games). Today: 8 points in 17 minutes.

Stepped-up role
+12.1minutes, today vs reg. season avg
Minutes per game
32.9Reg. season avg45Today

45 minutes today, against 32.9 a game in the regular season (74 games). Line: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists.

Top performances

Nikola Jokic leads the day with 53

Nikola JokicPoints, last 10 games: 6, 13, 27, 20, 43, 28, 24, 39, 30, 53Nuggets-Suns · L
30.8 PPG playoffs to date · +25.0 vs his playoff average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Stephen Curry GSW, Oct 31, 2015: 53 PTS · 4 REB · 9 AST
Career high53 PTS · 4 REB · 11 AST
James HardenPoints, last 10 games: 20, 14, 23, 8, 21, 17, 45, 12, 16, 42Sixers-Celtics · W
23.0 PPG playoffs to date · +21.7 vs his playoff average before tonight
Most like it, modern era: Allen Iverson PHI, Feb 15, 2006: 42 PTS · 8 REB · 9 AST
42 PTS · 8 REB · 9 AST
Devin BookerPoints, last 10 games: 15, 26, 38, 45, 30, 47, 27, 35, 47, 36Suns-Nuggets · W
36.8 PPG playoffs to date · −0.9 vs his playoff average before tonight
36 PTS · 6 REB · 12 AST
Kevin DurantPoints, last 10 games: 29, 27, 25, 28, 31, 31, 29, 24, 39, 36Suns-Nuggets · W
30.0 PPG playoffs to date · +6.8 vs his playoff average before tonight
36 PTS · 11 REB · 6 AST
Joel EmbiidPoints, last 10 games: 25, 28, 52, 21, 26, 20, 14, 15, 30, 34Sixers-Celtics · W
23.2 PPG playoffs to date · +13.0 vs his playoff average before tonight
34 PTS · 13 REB · 4 AST
Jamal MurrayPoints, last 10 games: 20, 24, 40, 18, 19, 35, 34, 10, 32, 28Nuggets-Suns · L
26.7 PPG playoffs to date · +1.5 vs his playoff average before tonight
28 PTS · 5 REB · 7 AST