Nuggets beat Timberwolves to stay in series, Magic closing in on victory over Pistons

[p]The top-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] captured the Western Conference best-of-seven series 4-0, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/phoenix-suns-M1Gy2pra/?mid=ppJ7TKcf"]completing a third consecutive sweep in the opening round[/a].[/p][p]"We just came in ready," said [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Gilgeous-Alexander[/a]. "[b]Love to play basketball, a group full of great kids that have fun together[/b].[/p][p]"[b]We do it for each other. None of us are selfish. We all want the next man to succeed and when you have those three things and put them together you get success[/b]."[/p][p]Oklahoma City will meet either the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Los Angeles Lakers[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a] in a second-round series. The Lakers lead that matchup 3-1.[/p][p]"[b]Ultimately, we've got to get better in the days between our next opponent[/b]," Gilgeous-Alexander said.[/p][embed guid="8a3cfabe-45c2-4f3a-8ce3-359a427d7f59" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2049001810459791655" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Thunder became the first team to reach the second round on the same night the upstart [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-magic/QZMS36Dn/"]Orlando Magic[/a] pushed Eastern Conference top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a] to the brink of elimination with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/detroit-pistons-UcjMRj6J/orlando-magic-QZMS36Dn/?mid=lEDfZkUF"]94-88 triumph[/a] to seize a 3-1 series advantage.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/denver-nuggets/CxvW27TI/"]Denver Nuggets[/a] avoided an early exit as Serbian centre [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jokic-nikola/dUHaiJ5n/"]Nikola Jokic[/a] had a triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds to spark the hosts over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/minnesota-timberwolves/KjBIVQcI/"]Minnesota[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/denver-nuggets-CxvW27TI/minnesota-timberwolves-KjBIVQcI/?mid=ddMtJqop"]125-113[/a], pulling Denver within 3-2 against the Timberwolves.[/p][p]Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player who had a playoff career high 42 points in a game three victory, added eight assists to spark a visiting Thunder squad that boasts the top postseason scoring attack and defensive statistics.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] added 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, who also had 22 points from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a] and 18 points and 12 rebounds from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hartenstein-isaiah/v5FbfBw9/"]Isaiah Hartenstein[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/booker-devin/4MFGDB1n/"]Devin Booker[/a] led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Phoenix[/a] with 24 points.[/p][embed guid="b4bc727c-1d4d-47e5-822b-54b7d88c331d" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2048987760455831887" social-type="twitter" /][p]At Orlando, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bane-desmond/dCwE0YA5/"]Desmond Bane[/a] scored 22 points, hitting 5-of-10 shots from three-point range to lead the Magic, who can send off the Pistons with a victory on Wednesday in Detroit.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wagner-franz/4fJvZAaj/"]Franz Wagner[/a] scored 19 points for Orlando before being benched with a sore right calf while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/banchero-paolo/06ii067b/"]Paolo Banchero[/a] added 18 and grabbed eight rebounds.[/p][p]The Pistons, whose 60-22 record topped the East, must win three in a row to avoid an epic ouster at the hands of eighth-seed Orlando, which went 45-37.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a] led Detroit with 25 points while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/harris-tobias/A7GXRiFJ/"]Tobias Harris[/a] added 20 for the Pistons, who committed 20 turnovers, twice as many as Orlando.[/p][p]The Magic have not reached the second round of the playoffs since 2010, dropping six series in the first round and missing the postseason nine times.[/p][embed guid="7c0e0e6e-5979-459e-80f3-150f74565206" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2048960925487579166" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Pistons have not reached the second round since 2008, dropping four first-round matchups and missing the playoffs 13 times.[/p][h2]Bank open for Bane[/h2][p]Bane banked in a three-point shot with 1:16 remaining to give the Magic a 92-86 lead and Orlando added late free throws to seal Detroit's fate, the Pistons going more than five minutes without a basket from the floor.[/p][p]At Denver, the Nuggets forced a game six at Minnesota on Thursday with a blowout triumph thanks to three-time NBA MVP Jokic and his teammates.[/p][embed guid="cb3445ee-09ee-48c3-a262-07b626796766" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2049003427687023007" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murray-jamal/Ig5nQrEF/"]Jamal Murray[/a] scored 24 points, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-spencer/n10KZ6p9/"]Spencer Jones[/a] had 20 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnson-cameron/MNNkwm43/"]Cameron Johnson[/a] added 18 for Denver while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randle-julius/lhl0euwn/"]Julius Randle[/a] led Minnesota with 27 points.[/p][p]"We did a good job of bringing the energy for 48 minutes," Murray said. "[b]We've got to be poised and relaxed when we go to their building[/b]."[/p][p]The T-Wolves were without two top guards. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edwards-anthony/6u0BMZM2/"]Anthony Edwards[/a] is out with a bone bruise and hyper-extended left knee while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/divincenzo-donte/4zqUIf5Q/"]Donte DiVincenzo[/a] will miss the remainder of the playoffs with a ruptured right Achilles tendon.[/p]