The Heart Of A Champion

04/21/2023 The Heart Of A Champion

By: Matthew Cahill

Warriors Pull off Shorthanded Victory Without Draymond Green; Devin Booker Catches Fire Against the Clippers

Injuries really suck. We were waiting all day to watch the incredible individual matchup of Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, but now the Klaw is out for an indefinite amount of time with a knee injury. If Los Angeles ends up with another early playoff exit you have to wonder if the front office looks to move one, or both Kawhi and Paul George in the offseason due to them being so unreliable health-wise. You know who is reliable? Stephen Curry. With another heroic effort last night, he added to his already stellar playoff resume. Aside from his 2016 Finals flameout, he’s quietly been one of the most dependable postseason performers in NBA history. Let’s take a look at all that went down last night:

 

#3 76ers def. #6 Nets (102-97)

The refs in this game had quite the quick whistle. Nic Claxton and Joel Embiid had to be separated early after the Brooklyn big man dunked all over the likely MVP. Then at the end of the third quarter, James Harden received one of the softest flagrant 2 fouls we’ve ever seen and was ejected. A few minutes later, Claxton dunked on Embiid once again but was swiftly ejected for staring him down after the play. There is just no way that players should be tossed from playoff games for stuff as minute as these two plays. Nonetheless, a late Tyrese Maxey three followed by a clutch block from Joel Embiid in the final minute secured the victory for Philly. The Sixers will look to go for the sweep on Monday. PHI Leads Series (3-0)

 

#6 Warriors def. #3 Kings (114-97)

The champs were on the ropes heading into game 3. After falling down 2-0 in a series for the first time in the Steph Curry era, the Warriors entered this game without their defensive leader, Draymond Green, as he was serving a one-game suspension for stepping on Domantas Sabonis. Despite that, Steph (36 points) had another vintage performance to get Golden State back into the series. This win was not surprising considering the fact that the Dubs have been great at home all year. In fact, we expect them to win game 4 on Sunday. The big question will be whether or not they can get a road win since Sacramento has home court advantage. SAC Leads Series (2-1)

 

#4 Suns def. #5 Clippers (129-124)

Almost all excitement for this game was lost when it was announced a few hours before tipoff that Kawhi Leonard was ruled out with a right knee sprain. Even though both Leonard and Paul George were on the sidelines against a fully healthy Phoenix squad, Russell Westbrook (30 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists) and Norman Powell (42 points) put up a valiant effort. However, LA had no answer for Devin Booker (45 points), as he torched the Clips from all three levels of the floor to get home court advantage back for his Suns. Kawhi is currently listed as day-to-day, and his status for game 4 is uncertain as of now. PHO Leads Series (2-1)

 

 

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 3: Celtics at Hawks (7:00 pm ET)

Gm 3: Cavaliers at Knicks (8:30 pm ET)

Gm 3: Nuggets at Timberwolves (9:30 pm ET)

 

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images