Aurélien CANOT, Media365, published on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 8:44 a.m.
Without mercy for the Wizards of Russell Westbrook, hit in the right ankle and mad with rage after receiving a shower of popcorn at its exit, Philadelphia now leads 2-0 against Washington. Defeated in Game 1, Utah and New York equalized. The Knicks hadn’t won a playoff game since 2013.
Utah has set the record straight. Surprised on his floor by Memphis in Game 1 in the absence of Donovan Mitchell, the best team of the regular season reacted immediately, Wednesday night again in Salt Lake City, this time leaving no chance for the Grizzlies (141-129) despite the very good third quarter of the visitors (43-29). Immediately a tone above (36-27 in the first quarter) during this match 2 of their opponent on the occasion of this first round of play-offs, the Jazz led the debates throughout the evening against the men of Tennessee and a unleashed Ja Morant (47 points to 15 of 26 on shots). Opposite, Donovan Mitchell, for his return, showed the way to his teammates, with 25 points and a very valuable 5 out of 10 at three points. The Jazz was also able to rely on a Rudy Gobert much more at ease than in Game 1 and author of a new double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds). Also double-double for Mike Conley (20 points, 15 assists), another architect of this first success of the series of an aggressive Utah at will on Wednesday and who thus equalizes at 1-1 before heading for Memphis for the match 3.
Like Utah, New York also got back together right away, against Atlanta. Beaten on the wire (107-105) by Atlanta in Game 1 three days earlier at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks were not surprised by the Hawks this time. Winners 101-92, they won their first play-off victory since 2013, date of their last participation in the final phase. Derrick Rose, monstrous out of the bench (26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) and the New Yorkers, however, have not gone very far from a new disillusionment on their floor. Worn in particular by the essential Trae Young (30 points, 7 assists), the Hawks were indeed 13 points ahead (57-44) at the break. And it took precisely a huge second half from the former star leader of the Bulls and Knicks of a Julius Randle also boosted on the restart (15 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists) for the fourth of the season regular in the East comes back to height in the series.
And while New York and Utah have reset the counters, Philadelphia, for its part, has driven home the point against Washington. Wednesday evening, the Sixers made short work (120-95) in Game 2 of Wizards very quickly decamped (35-24 at the end of the first quarter, 71-57 at the break) and fell on a Ben Simmons Gala. Unrecognizable in the first match of the series, the Australian, who passed very close to the triple-double, this time pulled out all the stops (22 points, like his teammate Joel Embiid, but also 9 rebounds and 8 assists) and made a living dirty night in Washington despite Bradley Beal’s 33 points, and in particular Russell Westbrook. Hit in the right ankle in the second half, the king of the triple-double – who this time had to be content with 10 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds – also saw red when he left the field, when a spectator threw popcorn at him. Mad with rage, the former Rockets player tried to do battle with the spectator in question, and it took four members of the security service to prevent him from doing so.
BASKET – NBA / PLAY-OFFS 2021
1st round
Eastern Conference
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (1) – WASHINGTON WIZARDS (8) : 2-0
Match 1 – Philadelphia 76ers – Washington Wizards : 125-118
Match 2 :Philadelphia 76ers – Washington Wizards : 120-95
Match 3 : Washington Wizards – Philadelphia 76ers le 29 mai
Match 4 : Washington Wizards – Philadelphia 76ers le 31 mai
Match 5 (if necessary): Philadelphia 76ers – Washington Wizards June 2
Match 6 (if necessary): Washington Wizards – Philadelphia 76ers June 4
Match 7 (if necessary): Philadelphia 76ers – Washington Wizards June 6
NEW YORK KNICKS (4) – ATLANTA HAWKS (5) : 1-1
Match 1 – New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks : 105-107
Match 2 :New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks : 101-92
Match 3 : Atlanta Hawks – New York Knicks on May 28th
Match 4 : Atlanta Hawks – New York Knicks on May 30
Match 5 (if necessary): New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks le 2 juin
Match 6 (if necessary): Atlanta Hawks – New York Knicks le 4 juin
Match 7 (if necessary): New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks le 6 juin
Western Conference
UTAH JAZZ (1) – MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (8) : 1-1
Match 1 – Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies : 109-112
Match 2 :Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies : 141-129
Match 3 : Memphis Grizzlies – Utah Jazz le 29 mai
Match 4 : Memphis Grizzlies – Utah Jazz le 31 mai
Match 5 (if necessary): Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies June 2
Match 6 (if necessary): Memphis Grizzlies – Utah Jazz June 4th
Match 7 (if necessary): Utah Jazz – Memphis Grizzlies June 6
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