New York and Washington, two of the great stories of this NBA season, are on vacation. Knicks and Wizards were respectively eliminated by Atlanta (103-89) and Philadelphia (129-112) on the night of Wednesday to Thursday. The Hawks and the Sixers, both winners of their series of the first round of the play-offs on the final score of four wins to one, will meet on Sunday in the conference semifinals (the other confrontation in the East will oppose Milwaukee in Brooklyn).
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The part of “Call of Duty” that changed everything
Even in the absence of his pivotal MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who was hit in the knee, Philadelphia, leader of the Eastern Conference, did not crack at home, and relied on a major duo, who had been launched a challenge during a video game session. During a game of Call Of Duty, Ben Simmons challenged Seth Curry to score 30 points in this fifth round. He, he had announced, would be content with a triple-double.
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This is exactly what happened on the floor, Stephen Curry’s brother compiling … 30 units precisely (career record in play-offs, 10/17 on shots), and Simmons registering 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
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“Seth seems to listen to Ben, we will use him as an interpreter from now on when we have a message to convey”, Laughed Doc Rivers, the coach of Philly, after a meeting that ended the incredible fate of the Wizards this season, qualified in the play-offs at the end of the suspense after a catastrophic start to the season (17 wins-32 losses early April), behind a heroic Russell Westbrook.
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“We achieved something that no one believed us capable of, underlined the leader of DC (24 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists), who exceeded the legendary mark of Oscar Robertson in the number of triple-doubles in career (184 against 181) this season. We can be proud of the way we fought, despite the injuries, the ups and downs, collectively. My job is to change the culture, the energy, to make guys better, and I think I did that. “ Bradley Beal added 32 points, Rui Hachimura 21 for Washington.
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Trae Young’s curtsy
In the Big Apple theater, which found the play-offs for the first time since 2013, the leader of Atlanta Trae Young, who plays his first play-offs, knowing he is not far from Broadway, bowed to the public in the last minute after registering the 3-point shot, from the midfielder’s logo, which extinguished the Knicks’ last hopes.
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“I know where we are, that there are shows in town and I know what they do when the show is over”, joked the playmaker of the Hawks, who left no chance to the premises drained and voiceless in attack (only 89 points, 37.8% shooting, 23 points and 13 rebounds for Julius Randle) with 36 points and 9 assists , well supported by the Swiss pivot Clint Capela (14 points, 15 rebounds). Young, who scored the winning basket in Game 1, averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists over the series.
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