NBA

Jackson was solid in his first stint on the court, but his playing time was cut short due to a sprained left ankle suffered during the third quarter. While the Nuggets considered him questionable to return, and Jackson attempted to loosen up his ankle while riding the exercise bike, he did not play again. Nuggets coach Michael Malone decided to stick with his starters in an attempt to stick the proverbial dagger in the Lakers (no team has erased a 0-3 deficit in NBA history), and it worked. Game 4 is on Saturday, with Christian Braun (5/2/1) and Justin Holiday (one rebound) in line for additional minutes if Jackson cannot play.

Gordon was outstanding in Game 3, leading Denver to its 11th straight win over the Lakers (regular season and playoffs). He established playoff career-highs in points and rebounds, and five of his 15 boards were of the offensive variety. All three of Denver’s frontcourt starters scored at least 20 points, with Michael Porter Jr. adding 20 along with 10 rebounds, three assists, and two 3-pointers. Denver will look to close out the Lakers on Saturday night.

New York’s series lead was trimmed in half on Thursday, but that should not overshadow Anunoby’s night on the offensive end of the floor. After scoring 21 points on 9-of-20 shooting in the series’ first two games, he made 63.8% of his shots in Game 3 and chipped in with 17 points. With Mitchell Robinson exiting at halftime with a sprained ankle, the Knicks will need more production from Anunoby, even if he doesn’t play the same position. That’s also the case for Isaiah Hartenstein, who battled through foul trouble and finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 26 minutes. Game 4 of the series is on Sunday in Philadelphia.

Hart continues to flourish offensively, as Philadelphia does not appear convinced in his ability to shoot the basketball. The former Villanova standout shot 4-of-8 from beyond the arc in Game 3, moving to 12-of-23 for the series. Given the sample size, Philadelphia may look to adjust its approach to defending Hart, which means the Knicks will need more from Donte DiVincenzo. While responsible for a thunderous second-quarter dunk, the “Big Ragu” missed all three of his 3-point attempts and finished with five points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 27 minutes. New York will take a 2-1 series lead into Sunday’s Game 4.

While the Knicks won the series’ first two games, they did so with Brunson struggling offensively. The supporting cast stepped up in those victories, and JB shined in a losing effort in Game 3. In addition to the 39 points, he dished out 13 assists and played 45 of a possible 48 minutes. No Knicks reserves reached double figures on Thursday, with Miles McBride (8/2/1/1 with two 3-pointers) leading the way. Getting Brunson back on track is a positive the Knicks can take into Game 4, which will be played on Sunday afternoon.

While Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will lead the way offensively for the 76ers, they will need production from the “others” if they’re to win the series. Oubre and Cam Payne stepped up in Game 3, with the latter making the most of his minutes after not playing at all in Game 2. Oubre was efficient offensively, shooting 75% from the field, and finished one blocked shot shy of a full stat line. As for Payne, he logged 16 minutes and finished with 11 points, one rebound, three assists, two blocks, and three 3-pointers. Philadelphia will need more of the same from Oubre and Payne in Game 4 on Sunday, as the Knicks still hold a 2-1 series lead.

After scoring 33 and 35 points in the series’ first two games, Maxey did not shoot the ball as well in Game 3. However, the winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award managed turnovers better than he did in the two losses in New York. Maxey committed just one turnover in Game 3 after tallying seven in Games 1 (three) and two (four). Even if the field-goal percentage isn’t always where it should be, Maxey is talented enough to compensate for that with increased production in other areas. Philadelphia will look to even the series at two games apiece on Sunday.

Embiid still doesn’t appear to be 100 percent, but the Knicks still did not have an answer for him in Game 3. The reigning MVP scored 19 of his playoff career-high 50 points from the foul line and shot well above 50% from the field. The excellent news for Embiid and the 76ers is that they’ll have another two days “off,” as Game 4 is not until Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia still trails the series by a 2-1 margin. Following the game, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Embiid has been receiving treatment for a mild case of Bell’s palsy, which first became an issue during the 76ers’ Play-In tournament win over Miami. While the left knee is why the reigning MVP continues to show up on the injury report, that isn’t the only problem he’s navigating.

Allen was dominant in the series’ first two games, grabbing 38 rebounds in two Cavaliers victories. In response, Orlando changed its starting lineup, replacing Jonathan Isaac with Wendell Carter Jr., and that appeared to help keep Allen off the boards. Of course, the nature of Game 3 limited the minutes of all ten starters, so DFS players should not read too much into Allen’s stat line. Evan Mobley was also held in check, as he finished with 10 points, two rebounds, one assist, and three blocks in 22 minutes. Cleveland will take a 2-1 series lead into Game 4 on Saturday.

Dominant in the first two games of the series, Mitchell was held in check in Game 3. While he did lead the Cavaliers in assists, only Caris LeVert (15/2/3/0/1 with one 3-pointer) had a worse plus/minus than Spida, who finished at a minus-25. Mitchell largely carried Cleveland’s backcourt in the first two games, but his off night was problematic, with Darius Garland continuing to struggle. Garland shot 2-of-9 from the field in Game 3, finishing with five points, three rebounds, six assists, and one 3-pointer. Game 4 is on Saturday, with Cleveland holding a 2-1 lead.