Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler entered the NBA on the same night. Miami is looking for its first East championship since 2014, Boston its first since 2010.
Denver head coach Mike Malone is well-aware that the NBA is expecting an all-Los Angeles matchup Conference Finals, but he and his team are not going to go down without a fight. “We’re not going home yet, we ain’t gone fishing yet,” Malone said.
Paul Millsap scored 14 of his 17 points in the third quarter, Michael Porter Jr. made a late 3-pointer and the Denver Nuggets overcame a 15-point, second-half deficit to stun the Los Angeles Clippers 111-105 on Friday night in Game 5.
It was a tough end to a tough week for the Rockets. “Tough season for us,” Harden said. “Obviously, it didn’t end like we wanted it to. Just got to figure it out.”
LeBron James is going there for the first time since 2018. For him, that also qualifies as ending a drought. The Los Angeles Lakers are going to the conference finals for the first time in a decade, ending the longest drought in franchise history.
Kawhi Leonard has the Los Angeles Clippers a win away from the franchise’s first-ever trip to the Western Conference finals.