The 2024 NBA Playoffs continued with two huge conference semifinals games on Wednesday. Back east, the Boston Celtics made quick work of the Cleveland Cavaliers to clinch their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a balanced effort from Boston in the 113-98 victory.
Out west, the Dallas Mavericks went into Oklahoma City and took a 3-2 series lead behind an absolutely brilliant performance from Luka Doncic. He dropped a 31-point triple-double in the 104-92 win. These are among the winners and losers from Wednesday’s action in the NBA Playoffs.
Winner: Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Horford took on an extended role in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined. Up until Game 5 on Wednesday, he had not done much (6.5 PPG in 31 minutes per outing). That changed as Boston clinched its spot in the conference finals. Horford dropped 22 points while hitting on 6-of-13 from three-point range. The veteran added 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocks in a tremendous all-around effort. The Horford we’d become accustomed to in the NBA Playoffs returned in Boston.
Loser: Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Holmgren had come to play at times in his first appearance in the NBA Playoffs. That was not the case as Oklahoma City found itself on the brink of elimination Wednesday night. The former No. 2 pick from Gonzaga scored a mere 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. He added only four rebounds and one assist with Oklahoma City finishing minus-nine in Holmgren’s 39 minutes of action.
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Winner: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Dealing with a plethora of injuries throughout the NBA Playoffs, Doncic actually looked to be near 100% as Dallas took a 3-2 series lead over Oklahoma City Wednesday. The dude was absolutely electric throughout the night, scoring 31 points on a solid 12-of-22 shooting. Doncic added 10 rebounds and 11 assists en route to putting up a triple-double. There is not much more to say about Luka’s performance in what was a must win for the Mavericks in OKC.
Loser: Cleveland Cavaliers fans
The Cleveland Cavaliers are not a serious conference title contender. Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs proved that. Even before Donovan Mitchell was sidelined in the conference semifinals, they were no match for Boston. This team now heads into the summer with major question marks. That includes the likely trade of Mitchell and a complete reboot. A fan base that was excited after Cleveland acquired Mitchell ahead of the 2022-23 season now has to be preparing for a full-scale rebuild. It sucks.
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Winner: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Even in defeat, the NBA MVP candidate continued to star. SGA entered Game 5 averaging 29.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists thus far in the NBA Playoffs. He followed that up by scoring 30 points on 12-of-22 from the field while adding six rebounds and eight assists. From a micro perspective, Gilgeous-Alexander is not the reason why Oklahoma City fell down 3-2 in the series at home Wednesday evening.
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Loser: Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
After struggling earlier in the NBA Playoffs, Garland got it going big time in Game 4. He dropped 30 points in making up for Donovan Mitchell’s absence. Cleveland knew it needed a similar performance from the guard on Wednesday. In no way did that come close to happening. Garland connected on a terrible 4-of-17 from the field while failing to hit a three. He scored just 11 points in 43 minutes of action. This was a Tyrese Haliburton-like disappearing act. It will also lead to renewed questions about Garland’s future in Cleveland.
Winner: Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Evan Mobley picked a perfect time to put up his best performance of the NBA Playoffs. While this wasn’t enough for Cleveland to extend its season, the team hopes it could be a harbinger of things to come. With Donovan Mitchell sidelined and Darius Garland struggling, Mobley dropped 33 points on 15-of-24 shooting. He connected on nearly 80% of his shots from inside the three-point line while adding seven rebounds, four assists, two seteals and two blocks.
Loser: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
It might not have mattered Wednesday evening. Dallas could very well wrap this series up at home over the weekend. But Irving’s inconsistent scoring has been an issue for the team. They need him at at least 20 points to give Luka Doncic more help. That didn’t happen in Oklahoma City. Irving scored a mere 12 points on 11 shots. He also had just four rebounds and two assists. Acting the part of “another role player” doesn’t suit Irving well. That’s what he was in Game 5.
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Winner: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Tatum’s recent perfomance in the NBA Playoffs has Boston looking unbeatable. He dropped a combined 66 points with 24 rebounds and 11 assists in the two games heading into Wednesday’s action. Tatum did not need to score as much to close out the Cavs in five. But his overall game continued to be spectacular. The forward connected on a solid 9-of-16 from the field en route to scoring 25 points. He added 10rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a near triple-double. The dude is playing at another level right now.
Loser: Cason Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder
This rookie from Kentucky took on a larger role in Game 5 due to the struggles of Josh Giddey. It was head coach Mark Daigneault’s way of showing confidence in the top-10 pick. It did not pan out for Oklahoma City. Wallace finished the game having shot 1-of-7 from the field. He scored three points with no rebounds or assists in 26 minutes. That’s just not going to cut it.