Author: Monojit Mandal
The NBA playoffs are still intense, with some teams dominating while others are trying not to sink. The Atlanta Hawks, with Trae Young at the helm, got their first win against the Boston Celtics, giving them a fighting chance. The Denver Nuggets are on a roll against the Minnesota Timberwolves and already have a 3-0 lead. The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, were beaten by the Knicks and are now close to the brink. Let’s take a closer look at what happened in each of these games.
Atlanta Hawks get first win in Game 3 against Celtics
The Atlanta-Hawks finally got their first win in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, 130-122. The Celtics took the lead in the first quarter, but the Hawks came back well in the second and never looked back. They managed to fend off any attempt by the Celtics to recover, keeping the dream of a win alive.
The Celtics started strong with their exceptional 3-point shooting, but the Hawks went ahead in the second quarter with an incredible offensive performance, both inside and outside the basket. The Hawks led after the break and kept the lead throughout the game, hitting 17 of 23 shots from outside the basket.
Trae Young had an excellent game, scoring 32 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out an important 9 assists, rounding off an excellent show in the series.
Cavaliers battle Knicks in Game 3
The Cavs had a great showing in Game 2, but everything went downhill for them in Game 3 against the Knicks. With home-court advantage, New York beat Cleveland 99-79, with the help of the noisy fans at Madison Square Garden.
Despite having several chances, the Cavs failed to convert them, shooting 38% from the field and converting just 7 of 33 3-point attempts. The Knicks dominated from start to finish, putting the Cavs in a difficult position for Game 4.
From the start, the Knicks took the lead, leaving the Cavs trailing. The Cavs didn’t have a good night, and they were playing in front of a crowd that really wanted them to lose. If the Cavs want to continue in this series, they need to step up their game for Game 4. If they don’t, they’ll be 3-1 down and it will be difficult to recover.
Nuggets lead 3-0 in series against Timberwolves
The Denver-Nuggets defeated the Minnesota-Timberwolves 120-111 in Game 3, and now have a 3-0 lead in the series. Nikola-Jokic scored a triple-double: 20 important points, 11 vital rebounds and 12 assists, while Michael-Porter-Jr. had 25 points and 9 rebounds and Jamal Murray added 18 points and 9 assists.
Despite Anthony Edwards’ incredible 36 points, the Timberwolves couldn’t keep up with the Nuggets, who proved to be too powerful for them.
The Timberwolves played a decent game, with Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 27 points, but the Nuggets proved to be much better. The Nuggets took advantage of the Timberwolves’ mistakes and made the most of their rushed 3-pointers.
Results
Celtics 122 – 130 Hawks
Cavalier 79 – 99 Knicks
Nuggets 120 – 111 Timberwolves