The NBA Playoffs standings were shaken as the Denver Nuggets stayed alive in their meeting against the Golden State Warriors. The Memphis Grizzlies took a lead in their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. The finals scores looked as follows: Nuggets 107-100 over the Warriors, Grizzlies 103-93 over the Clippers. Here's how it went down and how these victories affect the standings.
It looked as though the Nuggets were going to close this one out easily. However, with less than five minutes in the game, the Warriors chipped away at a 22-point lead and knocked the deficit down to just five points.
However, Andre Iguodala stepped it up in Game 5 as he played a major role in the Nuggets' ability to avoid the embarrassment, win the game and keep their season alive. Iguodala finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. He finished with the game high and it seemed that every time the Warriors made a run, there was Iguodala putting up points, grabbing rebounds and making the perfect passes.
For the Warriors, they had a lot of opportunities. The game was scrappy early on, but late in the game, they simply lost their focus. Festus Ezeli committed a ridiculous turnover and followed another possession with an offensive foul.
Now, with the victory, the playoff standings have the Nuggets down just one game behind in the series. The Warriors are up in the series 3-2 with a chance to lock up the series and advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Grizzlies led at the half as their bigs went on an onslaught taking advantage of their size over a Vinny del Negro lineup that was small. In the second quarter, the Clippers were so conscious about Zach Randolph they had three defensive three-second calls in less than six minutes. Basically what the Grizzlies did was fight hard and then take advantage of their height and Clippers miscues.
As Gasol tortured the Clippers in the third quarter, Randolph stepped it up in the fourth and L.A. had no response for this workhorse in the paint. Whether it was on the offensive board, getting put-backs or on the post, Randolph dominated the Clippers every time he touched the ball.
Gasol had to sit out in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth foul, but he finished with 21 points as he helped keep the Grizzlies ahead late hitting free throws late in the game. Randolph and Gasol combined to score 46 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, seven of which were offensive boards.
Here are the playoff standings heading into Wednesday morning:
Eastern Confrence:
Miami Heat beat Milwaukee Bucks 4-0
New York Knicks 3-1 Boston Celtics
Indiana Pacers 2-2 Atlanta Hawks
Brooklyn Nets 2-3 Chicago Bulls
Western Conference:
Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs beat L.A. Lakers 4-0
Denver Nuggets 2-3 Golden State Warriors
Loss Angeles Clippers 2-3 Memphis Grizzlies
