One team got swept, two teams took commanding leads and the Clippers evened up their first-round series in a quadruple-header of postseason action. Here are four stars from Sunday's slate of NBA playoff games.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
47 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, 18-for-34 shooting, one turnover
On a night where three of the eight Knicks who saw action didn't make a field goal, Jalen Brunson scored the most points ever by a Knick in the playoffs, pouring in 47 points in New York's 97-92 win over Philadelphia. His outside shot wasn't falling (2-for-8 from three-point range), but he managed to hit 11 shots inside the paint, even against Joel Embiid.
WHAT A PERFORMANCE FROM JALEN BRUNSON ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024
47 PTS
10 AST
Road W
Both a playoff career high AND the most ever by a Knick in a playoff game @nyknicks take a 3-1 lead in the First Round of the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel. pic.twitter.com/zjXyc18BaP
In the two games in Philly, Brunson scored 88 points and handed out 24 assists, as his Knicks took a 3-1 series lead. While they weren't as spectacular as Brunson was Sunday, we also want to recognize OG Anunoby and Josh Hart of the Knicks, who played 47 and 46 minutes and grabbed 14 and 17 rebounds at 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-4, respectively.
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
33 points, eight assists, six rebounds, four steals, one block, seven three-pointers
With Kawhi Leonard out of Game 4 with knee inflammation, Paul George took a much more assertive role in the Clippers offense, scoring 33 points and delivering eight assists in L.A.'s 116-111 victory over the Mavericks.
While James Harden also had 33 points and seven assists Sunday, George delivered on the defensive end as well, grabbing four steals. He managed to avoid the foul trouble that's dogged him all series, and hit his seventh three-pointer late to give the Clippers a lead they'd never give up.
PG DRILLS THE TOUGH 3... PUTS THE CLIPPERS BACK UP BY 2 ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2024
UNDER 2 MINUTES TO GO ON ABC https://t.co/JTsucw3JIr pic.twitter.com/yv9BWoMcHi
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
24 points, four rebounds, four assists, five three-pointers, one steal
Haliburton shifted up his pass-first strategy this series by taking a dozen shots from behind the three-point arc, making five of them in the Pacers' 126-113 win over the Bucks.
He finished with 24 points, second on the team to Myles Turner's high-scoring performance. But even with Haliburton ramping up his scoring all series, from nine points to 12 points, to 18 points to 24, he still delivered some sweet dimes.
Tyrese Haliburton throws the lob to Obi Toppin from halfcourt @obitoppin1 with six-straight points. pic.twitter.com/Rj3mqjCsNy
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 28, 2024
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
40 points (31 in the second half), nine rebounds, six assists, seven three-pointers, two blocks
Edwards powered Minnesota to their first playoff series win in two decades with his monster performance, which got stronger and more impressive as the game went on. Minnesota went into the fourth quarter trailing, but Edwards scored 16 points and shot 6-for-7 in the final quarter, while blocking two shots in Minnesota's 122-116 win over the Suns.
The last showed Edwards' incredible athleticism to deny Devin Booker at the rim, as Edwards was guarding Bradley Beal in the corner when Booker's drive began.
ANTHONY EDWARDS ELEVATES FOR THE BLOCK ON DEVIN BOOKER pic.twitter.com/pIm0QvBEoL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 29, 2024
Whenever the game got tight, Edwards would block a shot, drive for a dunk or drill a three-pointer.
ANTHONY EDWARDS AGAIN ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2024
Wolves up 4 with under 4 to go https://t.co/Gm0voOD28y pic.twitter.com/m44FA3scfu
The Wolves hadn't won a series since 2004, but they haven't had a player like Edwards in almost that whole time. He's different and so is this Minnesota team.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!