Suns, Nuggets, Celtics can all advance with Game 5 wins

PHOENIX (AP)— Load management is a big topic across the NBA these days.

One great wayto make sure players get rest in the playoffs is to end the seriesearly.

The PhoenixSuns, Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics all have that opportunityon Tuesday night when they host Game 5s with a 3-1 lead in theseries.

“Closeoutgames are always the hardest,” Suns center Deandre Ayton said. “Weexpect it’s going to be a battle. We’re just gearing up.”

The WesternConference top-seed Nuggets already had one opportunity to endtheir series, but the feisty Timberwolves managed to extend it witha Game 4 win in overtime on Sunday.

“We reallywanted to come out and have a sweep under our belt. Didn’t happen,”Nuggets guard Jamal Murray said. “They fought. They fought likehell, all game long. Even when we put a scare in their heart alittle bit, they kept fighting, kept playing, and the crowd wasinto it.”

The Suns-LosAngeles Clippers series has been shaped by Kawhi Leonard’s kneeinjury. Leonard has missed the past two games with a sprained knee,which has helped tip the series in favor of Phoenix.

“He’sdefinitely hurt. It’s not load management where he’s taking timeoff,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “He’s shown in the past thathe’s played through injuries in the playoffs and so if it’ssomething he can’t play through, then it has to be prettyserious.”

L.A.’s PaulGeorge has been out since March 21 with the same injury asLeonard.

HAWKS ATCELTICS

Boston leads3-1. Game 4, 7:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.

— NEED TOKNOW: The Celtics have never lost a best-of-seven playoff seriesafter building a 3-1 lead. They are 27-0 in those situations overtheir storied history.

— KEEP AN EYEON: Jaylen Brown’s facial wear. The Boston star had been using aprotective mask since February, when he sustained a broken bone inhis face. But he ditched the mask in the second quarter of Game 4after making just 1 of 7 shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of theway to finish with 31 points in a 129-121 victory. Presumably, hewon’t be wearing the mask anymore in these playoffs. “As soon as Itook it off, things started to turn around a little bit,” Brownsaid.

— INJURYWATCH: Boston G Marcus Smart looked just fine in Game 4 afterfalling hard on his tailbone in the previous contest. He said theywere times when his lower back tightened up, and he’ll have toremain diligent in his treatment to make sure the pain doesn’t keephim off the court. “Throughout the game, it got a little tight onme. It flared up. But once I got it stretched out again, got itloose, got some heat on it, it was pretty good,” Smart said.

— PRESSURE ISON: The Hawks. It looks like another brief playoff appearanceunless they can pull of a win in Boston, and the challenge got eventougher when guard Dejounte Murray was suspended for Game 5 afterbumping and verbally abusing an official after the end of Game 4.Murray is averaging 25.3 points in the series. Atlanta has lostfive straight at TD Garden since its last victory on Feb. 17, 2021,including a pair of 13-point defeats in the first two games of thisseries. If the Hawks lose, it would be the second straight yearthey’ve gone down in five games in the opening round and couldsignal major changes heading into the offseason.

TIMBERWOLVESAT NUGGETS

Denver leads3-1. Game 5, 9 p.m. EDT, NBA TV.

— NEED TOKNOW: The Nuggets closed the last 2½ minutes of the fourth quarterof Game 4 on a tying 12-0 run, but the Timberwolves recovered withan 18-point overtime on 6-for-8 shooting for a 114-108 victory. Itdenied Denver a first playoff-series sweep in franchise history andkeep the first-round matchup alive despite Nikola Jokic’splayoff-career-high-tying 43 points.

— KEEP AN EYEON: Anthony Edwards. Minnesota’s All-Star guard has 129 points infour games, the second-most in the NBA playoffs behind Phoenix’sDevin Booker (139). He delivered a wide array of clutch basketsdown the stretch for the Wolves in Game 4, including a pull-up3-pointer from the wing with 11.5 seconds left in overtime to pushtheir lead to four. He’s the first player in Wolves’ history with100-plus points over three consecutive playoff games. Only LeBronJames (eight) had more 30-plus-point playoff games before age 22than Edwards does (five). Still, Edwards was aiming for a higherbar after his 12-for-27 shooting performance.

“I playedterrible, if you ask me,” he said. “I took three bad 3s, threeterrible possessions, and I damn near shot us out the game.”

— INJURYWATCH: Wolves sixth man Kyle Anderson was inadvertently struck by astray arm from Edwards during a leap for a rebound late in thethird quarter and did not return after suffering what the teamannounced as a left eye and facial contusion. Coach Chris Finchsaid Anderson went to see an eye specialist. ... Nuggets coach MikeMalone on Jokic’s aggression with 12 free-throw attempts in Game 4after zero in Game 3: “He’s banged up. He’s playing hard.”

— PRESSURE ISON: Jamal Murray. After scoring 40 points in Game 2, Denver’sstandout point guard missed 26 of 43 shots over the two games inMinnesota. He had 19 points in Game 4, with NickeilAlexander-Walker frequently picking up his defense before halfcourt and making him work hard for every shot, drive and pass.

CLIPPERS ATSUNS

Phoenix leads3-1, Game 5, 10 p.m. EDT, TNT

— NEED TOKNOW: The Suns took control of the series with two wins in LosAngeles and now return to Phoenix to try and close it out. The Sunshave taken advantage of the absence of L.A. star Kawhi Leonard, whomissed both Games 3 and 4 because of a sprained knee.

— KEEP AN EYEON: Three-time All-Star Devin Booker is cooking for the Suns,averaging 34.8 points on 57.1% shooting. The 26-year-old isn’t justscoring, he’s averaging 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and1.3 blocks.

— INJURYWATCH: All eyes are on Leonard to see if he can return. The Sunshave been without backup point guard Cam Payne, who hasn’t playedin the series because of a sore back.

— PRESSURE ISON: Russell Westbrook. If Leonard can’t play, the Clippers almostcertainly have to have another massive game from Westbrook, who hasplayed well in the series. He’s improved his scoring total eachgame, rising from 9 points in Game 1 to 28 in Game 2, 30 in Game 3and 37 in Game 4. L.A. might need a 40-spot from him on Tuesday toextend the series.