NBA Playoffs – Round 2 Winners and Losers

Not many people predicted the Timberwolves to advance to the conference finals, let alone defeat the defending champions. Their defensive has been dominant all year, and they proved why in the playoffs. They held the Nuggets to 90 points or less in 3 of their 4 wins, making it difficult for Jokic and Murray. The whole Timberwolves team has stepped up on offense when they needed it the most.

 

The Nuggets were the favorites to come out of the West and make another finals appearance. However, their lack of depth and their offensive woes caused them to lose in 7 games to the Timberwolves. Jokic and Murray did everything they could to win, but their supporting cast fell short and couldn’t hit their shots.

 

The Pacer’s offense has been incredible all season. They play at a fast pace and shoot the ball very well, hitting 42.5% from three in the series against the Knicks. Their defense has been their weakness for most of the season, but they have improved significantly as of late. They had some luck on their side with Giannis unavailable in the first round and Knick’s facing multiple injuries. They deserve all the credit though, executing a blowout, game 7 victory in Madison Square Garden.

 

A fully healthy Knicks team is tough to beat, but rare to see. When OG Anunoby is healthy, the Knicks are 26-5 in the regular season and playoffs combined. The Knicks were up 2-0 to start the series against the Pacers. Then, Anunoby went down, and the Pacers took this series to 7 games. Even with Anunoby back in game 7, the Knicks were worn down and couldn’t stop the high-powered offense from the Pacers.

 

The addition of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline was a massive win for the Mavericks. Both players played big roles in the series against the Thunder on both sides of the ball. The Mavs slowed down the Thunder (except for SGA) and hit their open shots, especially down the stretch. The Mavs advance to the western conference finals for the second time in three years.

 

The Cavaliers dealt with a lot of injuries throughout the year, and that continued into the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell was having an incredible playoff run but missed the final 2 games against the Celtics. Jarrett Allen missed the entire series, and Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Georges Niang also missed games in this series. The Cavs were a great team when fully healthy. They may not have won the series against the Celtics, but they could’ve pushed it to 7 games. Now, the future of the Cavs is questionable with the rumors of trading Allen and Mitchell heating up.