Haliburton gained separation after using a nifty crossover on Patrick Beverley before sinking a shot from the foul line. He added a free throw to complete his 18-point, 16-assist, 10-rebound performance and overcome a scintillating 42-point effort by Milwaukee's Khris Middleton.

Myles Turner collected 29 points and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 17 and nine, respectively, to help the sixth-seeded Pacers seize a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday in Indianapolis.

Middleton drained a 3-pointer to forge a tie at 111-111 with 2.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Middleton was not done, however, as he answered Aaron Nesmith's corner 3 by banking home his shot from beyond the arc with eight seconds left in overtime before Haliburton's heroics.

Milwaukee's Damian Lillard overcame an apparent left leg injury late in the first quarter to finish with 28 points, eight assists and three steals. Bobby Portis collected 17 points and 18 rebounds for the third-seeded Bucks, who played their sixth straight game without two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain).

Milwaukee erased a 19-point deficit and secured a 93-92 lead after Lillard sank consecutive 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter. Lillard added four more free throws and Portis sank a 3-pointer before Turner responded in kind to level the contest at 104-104 with 4:10 remaining.

Lillard made a driving layup to trim Indiana's lead to 16-12 before the Pacers ignited a 23-10 run to finish the first quarter. Obi Toppin drained a mid-range jumper as part of his 11-point contribution during that sequence.

It could've been worse for Milwaukee, which saw Siakam appear to land on Lillard's left leg while the latter drove to the basket for a layup with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter. Lillard immediately clutched at his left knee and limped to the locker room before returning to the court early in the second quarter.

The Nuggets took a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series against the Lakers by rallying once again for a 112-105 victory Thursday. Denver trailed at halftime for the third consecutive game in the series and put its finishing kick on display again.

Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists for the Nuggets, but this is far from a one-man show. Aaron Gordon scored 29 points with 15 rebounds of his own. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points with 10 rebounds.

Denver trailed 53-49 at halftime before grabbing a double-digit lead just over seven minutes into the third quarter. The Nuggets led by as many as 15 points with 3:02 remaining and thwarted a late Lakers rally by making six free throws in the final 1:06.

In Game 1, the Nuggets trailed by three points at halftime and won by 11. In Game 2, it was a 15-point deficit at the half leading to a two-point victory.

"Well, I guess there goes the pregame speech about winning the first quarter and being up at halftime," Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said in jest. "Let's continue to let them outplay us in the first half and settle into the game."

The Nuggets continued their domination of the Lakers, winning their 11th consecutive game against their Western Conference rivals. Making that even more impressive is that a win Saturday would give Denver consecutive playoff sweeps over Los Angeles.

"To be honest, I think every game is tougher and tougher," Jokic said. "... I think it's really hard to play against the same team over and over again. You kind of get bored with the style of the play or whatever. So you just need to trust what we are doing and don't get bored with success. Because it can (go) wrong really quick."

History says the Lakers can make their offseason plans now. No team has ever overcome an 0-3 deficit in a best-of seven NBA playoff series in 151 attempts.

But stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis aren't so much interested in making history as they are in limiting the scope of their focus for the road ahead.

"It's one game at a time, at this point," James said. "And you lose, you go home. So we're gonna come in with the mindset of, ‘Let's get one.' Force a Game 5 and then we go from there.

"So as long as you still have life, then you always have belief. You play until the wheels fall off."

Davis scored 33 points with 15 rebounds in Game 3, while James had 26 points and nine assists. Austin Reaves added 22 points. But D'Angelo Russell didn't score a single point in 24 minutes, going 0 of 7 from the floor and 0 of 6 from 3-point range.

"It's unfortunate man," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of Russell. "He had some good looks that he just didn't knock down. It's as simple as that. (It was) similar to Game 1. He was able to bounce back in Game 2 and I expect him to bounce back in Game 4."

The Nets recently hired Jordi Fernandez as their new head coach, and Howard will bring NBA experience to Fernandez's staff. Howard spent 2013-19 as an assistant for the Miami Heat before taking over his alma mater, Michigan.

Howard, 51, took the Wolverines to an Elite Eight and a Sweet 16 during his five-year stint, but he was also suspended for five games in February 2022 for striking a Wisconsin assistant coach in the face amid a postgame altercation.

Howard was also involved in an incident with the team's strength coach, Jon Sanderson, this past season that led to Sanderson resigning. Sanderson claimed that Howard "aggressively" pursued a fight with Sanderson after Sanderson was reprimanding Howard's son for being disrespectful to a trainer.

Michigan cleared Howard of wrongdoing in a review. After an 8-24 season in 2023-24, by far the worst of his tenure, Howard was fired.

Howard went 87-72 as Michigan's coach.

Fernandez, 41, hails from Spain and was most recently the associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings.

The outlet reported sources saying the streaming service is set to become an NBA destination platform with the contract beginning with the 2025-26 season expected to feature both regular-season and playoff games.

Meanwhile, Puck reported Friday that the league and long-time partner ESPN have "essentially come to terms" on a new agreement that keeps the network in possession of exclusive rights to the NBA Finals.

Both agreements are expected to be at least 10 years in duration.

Another long-time league partner, TNT, is not likely to be left out in the cold, though it reportedly faces a challenge from NBA/Peacock. TNT, as well as ESPN, reportedly have the right to match any offer.

The Athletic said the NBA, Amazon and ESPN declined comment.

The league's current nine-year contracts with ESPN and TNT are set to expire after the 2024-25 season.

With fewer games included in the new deals - one estimate has ESPN moving from 100 games to 80 and TNT aimed for a similar reduction - the NBA cleared the way for a third partner now likely to be Amazon Prime Video.

The Athletic report suggested Amazon's regular-season games could land on Thursday nights, a natural fit because Amazon has NFL games on Thursdays from September through early January.

The Street reported the NBA is likely expecting to double the $2.7 billion annual average that it has been receiving from ESPN and Turner.

The Thunder had a much easier time in Game 2, routing the Pelicans 124-92 Wednesday night.

The eighth-seeded Pelicans will look to break through at home Saturday afternoon in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series.

"Now, the challenge is to continue to grow and learn and improve with the series because the Pelicans are going to improve," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said.

"They're a good team that's going home and they're well coached. They're going to get better so we have to continue to get better."

The Thunder didn't leave a lot of room for improvement after shooting 59.0 percent from the floor and making 14 of 29 attempts from 3-point range in Game 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points, Chet Holmgren added 26 and Jalen Williams had 21.

"In the first game, I thought both teams were kind of calibrating," Daigneault said. "And (in Game 2) we had much quicker recognition of the way that they were guarding us, where we wanted to attack, and we got to those things pretty well."

Oklahoma City's defense was excellent in both games as New Orleans scored fewer than 100 points in consecutive games for just the second time this season. In Game 2, the Pelicans shot 45.2 percent from the floor (including 7 of 26 from 3-point range) and the Thunder scored 22 points off 18 New Orleans turnovers.

Brandon Ingram has averaged 15.0 points and is shooting just 37.0 percent from the floor in the first two games for the Pelicans, who are playing without injured leading scorer Zion Williamson.

Third-leading scorer CJ McCollum has averaged 17.5 points but is just 3 of 14 from 3-point range.

"We've got to be together a little bit more," Ingram said. "If you look at OKC, you can see how together they are. We can't splinter.

"We've got to go back, look at the film, and we've got to talk amongst players about what's our best defense (and) what's our best offense. We've got to go out there and do it."

Center Jonas Valanciunas scored New Orleans' first 11 points in Game 2. He added just eight more as Holmgren turned things around in the matchup of 7-footers.

"We didn't match their physicality on defense," Valanciunas said. "We have to make some adjustments. Have to be better on Saturday. Simple as that. There is no way out. We just have to be better."

New Orleans coach Willie Green said his team is "going to lean into" Ingram and count on him to "find his rhythm."

"We regroup, we get home and we take care of home court," Green said.

New Orleans, which had the best road record in the NBA at 28-14, lost six straight home games before defeating Sacramento in a play-in elimination game.

Oklahoma City, which won eight more games than the Pelicans during the regular season, was 24-17 away from home.

The Thunder were 2-0 at New Orleans in the regular season, prevailing 107-83 on Jan. 26 and 119-112 on March 26.

Antetokounmpo was ruled out Friday at shootaround with Khris Middleton (right ankle) questionable.

The Bucks, the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and sixth-seeded Pacers are tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven first-round series with Game 3 on Friday night.

Middleton scored 23 points in Game 1 and had 15 points and six assists in Game 2. He was listed Thursday as doubtful for Game 3, but head coach Doc Rivers said the former All-Star was able to do light work on Friday.

Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday night in Indianapolis before the series shifts back to Milwaukee for Game 5 on Tuesday (April 30).

Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the final three games of the regular season after the two-time MVP exited the April 9 win over the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers dominated the regular-season series with the Bucks, going 4-1. In Milwaukee's lone win this season over Indiana on Dec. 13, Antetokounmpo scored 64 points with 14 rebounds and four steals to carry the Bucks to a 140-126 victory.

Antetokounmpo, 29, played in 73 regular-season games and the eight-time All-Star averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on a career-best 61.1 percent shooting from the field.

In Game 1 on Sunday, host Boston prevailed 114-94. The Celtics made 22 3-pointers, shooting 44.9 percent from deep.

Miami made just 12 3-pointers, shooting 32.4 percent.

In Game 2 on Wednesday, also in Boston, Miami prevailed, 111-101, tying the best-of-seven series, 1-1. The Heat made 23 3-pointers, setting a franchise postseason record. The Heat shot 53.5 percent from deep. Boston made just 12 3-pointers, shooting 37.5 percent.

Miami's Tyler Herro scored just 11 points in the series opener, shooting 4 of 13 overall. On Wednesday, he scored a team-high 24 points, making 7 of 13 shots, including 6 of 11 from deep.

The Heat also got 21 points each from Bam Adebayo and Caleb Martin.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called Martin, "the X-factor of X-factors."

Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler, who is out for several weeks due to a knee injury he suffered in the play-in round, is the Heat's spiritual leader. But he has passed the metaphorical baton to Herro.

"(Butler) texted me to take the team and lead the guys," Herro said.

Herro did just that on Wednesday, serving up a game-high 14 assists.

Losing Butler has been a big blow for the eighth-seeded Heat. He helps the team across the board, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.3 steals.

He also averages a team-high 7.7 free throws, making 85.9 percent, and it is that skill of getting to the line and converting that is especially valuable late in games.

The Heat are also missing Terry Rozier, who is averaging 19.8 points this season in his two stops, including Charlotte.

Due to those injuries -- and the fact that the Celtics had the best regular-season record in the NBA this season -- Miami was not given much of a shot in this series.

But now the Heat return home with confidence. They also know that they knocked off the Celtics, 4-3, in last year's Eastern Conference Finals.

Then again, the Heat struggled at home this season (23-18). In fact, the Celtics had a better road record (27-14) than Miami's performance at home.

Overall, Boston finished 18 games ahead of the Heat in the standings this year, which should give the Celtics confidence.

Certainly, though, it will help Boston if Kristaps Porzingis plays better than he did in Game 2, when he was held to eight points on 1-for-9 shooting, including 0 of 4 from deep.

For the season, he averaged 20.1 points, and he had an effective field-goal percentage -- which accounts for the value of 2-pointers and 3-pointers -- of 58.9.

In Game 1, Porzingis had 18 points in his typically efficient fashion: 7-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-8 from deep.

"We have to do a better job of getting (Porzingis) the ball in the right spots," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. "We're going to do that on Saturday."

Porzingis' importance as Boston's third option behind Tatum and Jaylen Brown is clear.

Tatum is averaging 26.9 points for the season and 25.5 points in the playoffs. Brown is averaging 23.0 points for the season and 25.0 points for the playoffs.

Porzingis can punish smaller defenders in the post, and he can pump in 3-pointers in the pick-and-pop game.

But the Heat got rough with Porzingis in Game 2.

"They upped the physicality," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Miami. "They did a good job pushing his catches higher."

Added Tatum: "There's a lot of history between these two franchises. We knew it wouldn't be easy."

After being limited to 83 and 86 points in series-opening losses at Cleveland, the Magic regained their offensive footing on their home floor Thursday night, shooting 51.1 percent in a 121-83 romp that narrowed their series deficit to 2-1.

Held to 3-for-11 shooting from 3-point range in the first two games, Magic star Paolo Banchero bombed in 4 of 9 en route to 31 points in the Game 3 win.

He got a lot of help from Jalen Suggs, who rebounded from a 1-for-10 road effort from beyond the arc to bury 3 of 5 in a 24-point performance.

The Magic, who had shot 21.6 and 25.7 percent, respectively, from deep in the two games in Cleveland, overpowered the visitors in Game 3 with a 13-for-37 (35.1 percent) display.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley credited Banchero for setting a new tone, even after he and his mates had missed their first nine shots of the game as the Cavaliers gained an early lead.

"The moment he stepped into his first shot (and) it didn't go in, there was no hesitation to his next one," Mosley observed. "And I think that's the sign of a young man who's continued to get better, continued to grow into who he is becoming, that he does not let a make or a miss rattle what he's doing. And then you saw the result down the stretch. He was fantastic."

The Magic have improved offensively from game to game in terms of points, field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage and number of made 3-pointers. In Game 3, they became the first team in the series to top 100 points.

Orlando also dominated the visitors on the boards, earning a 51-32 overall advantage while also retrieving 14 of their own misses, turning the offensive rebounds into an additional 22 points.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff was more concerned about the rebounding than the fact that his team shot series-lows both overall (39.0 percent) and on 3-pointers (23.5 percent).

"It starts with the things that we talk about that impact winning here on the road," he explained. "We're capable of doing the small things that impact winning ... the rebounding, the 50-50 balls, the physicality, strength ... all those things that we were doing at home doesn't change because we're on the road.

"And it doesn't change just because of one game. We're able to do it. And I expect us to be better (in Game 4)."

While Banchero enjoyed his best game of the series Thursday, Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell suffered through his worst. After having led the way at home with 30- and 23-point games, making 20 of his 43 shots, Mitchell was held to 13 points in Game 3, missing 10 of his 16 shots overall and all but one of his six 3-point efforts.

The losing team has yet to score more than 86 points in the series.

"They started knocking down shots, got their crowd fired up," noted Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, who totaled 18 rebounds in the two wins before collecting just two on Thursday. "So we got to make it tough on them and come up with the rebounds, and maybe their swagger isn't as strong the next game."

Embiid shot 13 of 19 from the field and 19 of 21 from the free-throw line.

Tyrese Maxey added 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 15 and Cameron Payne had 11 for the Sixers, who dropped two close games in New York to start the best-of-seven series.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists. Josh Hart added 20 points and OG Anunoby had 17. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with 14.

Magic 121, Cavaliers 83

Paolo Banchero collected 31 points and 14 rebounds to fuel host Orlando past Cleveland in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Banchero sank four 3-pointers and had seven rebounds on the offensive glass for the fifth-seeded Magic, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. After scoring just 83 and 86 points in the first two games of the series, the Magic had 96 at the end of three quarters.

Jarrett Allen collected 15 points and eight rebounds and Caris LeVert added 15 points off the bench for Cleveland, whose 38-point loss is the worst in the club's postseason history.

Nuggets 112, Lakers 105

Nikola Jokic compiled 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists as Denver moved one win away from the Western Conference semifinals with a victory at Los Angeles.

Aaron Gordon added 29 points with 15 rebounds as the Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets extend their winning streak over the Lakers to 11 games.

Los Angeles' Anthony Davis logged 33 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James produced 26 points and nine assists. The Lakers are on their first losing streak of at least three games since the start of the new year, when they were in the midst of a four-game skid.

The problem began more than a week ago.

"Pretty annoying with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye," Embiid said after scoring a playoff-career-high 50 points in Philadelphia's 125-114 Game 3 win over the visiting New York Knicks. "It's been tough, but I'm not a quitter. Gotta keep fighting through anything. It's unfortunate, that's the way I look at it. But that's not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing."

Bell's palsy causes facial muscle weakness or paralysis, affecting the muscles on one side of the face. It often begins suddenly and worsens over the course of several days, stemming from damage to the facial nerve.

The symptoms typically begin to lessen within a few weeks, with complete recovery generally occurring by six months.

Embiid had noticeable moments of his face appearing to droop to one side during the game.

"I think it started a day or two before the Miami game," Embiid said, referring to the 76ers' play-in win over the Miami Heat on April 17. "I battled migraines and thought it was nothing. Usually I like to tough out, but for some reason I ended up having to tell somebody. That's why that Miami game, my body, I just was not feeling (good)."

Embiid still finished with team highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds in that game.

In the first two games of the New York series, both won by the Knicks, Embiid averaged 31.5 points and nine rebounds.

Aaron Gordon added 29 points with 15 rebounds as the Nuggets grabbed a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jamal Murray scored 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Nuggets extend their winning streak over the Lakers to 11 games. The run includes seven consecutive playoff victories, as Denver swept Los Angeles in last year's conference finals.

The Nuggets, who are the reigning NBA champions, can move into the next round as early as Saturday in Game 4 at Los Angeles.

Anthony Davis logged 33 points and 15 rebounds and LeBron James produced 26 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who are on their first losing streak of at least three games since the start of the new year, when they were in the midst of a four-game skid.

Los Angeles closed the regular season with 11 wins in the final 14 games, then beat the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in game.

Austin Reaves finished with 22 points while D'Angelo Russell did not score in 24 minutes for the Lakers, who held a lead at halftime in every game of the series, including a four-point advantage at the break on Thursday. Russell was 0 of 7 from the floor and 0 of 6 from 3-point range.

The Lakers brought some much-needed desperation early, taking a 33-23 lead through one quarter by holding the Nuggets to 39.1 percent shooting from the floor. Denver hit 44 percent from the field in the second quarter and trailed 53-49 at halftime.

The Nuggets turned a 9-0 run early in the second half into a 69-61 lead and grabbed their first double-digit lead of the game at 81-69 with 2:35 remaining in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Reggie Jackson.

The Nuggets lost Jackson to a sprained left ankle with less than two minutes later, and he did not return.

Denver entered the fourth quarter with an 83-75 lead, and a step-back jumper from Porter put the Nuggets up 97-86 with 6:54 remaining. The Nuggets weren't threatened from there.

The Lakers shot 5 of 27 (18.5 percent) from 3-point range. The Nuggets had a 51-38 rebounding advantage.

Embiid shot 13-of-19 from the field and 19-of-21 from the free throw line.

Tyrese Maxey added 25 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 15 and Cam Payne had 11 as the Sixers won for the first time to trail 2-1.

Game 4 will be Sunday in Philadelphia.

Jalen Brunon led the Knicks with 39 points and 13 assists, Josh Hart added 20 points and OG Anunoby had 17. Isaiah Hartenstein chipped in with 14.

Hart's basket cut the deficit to 120-113 with 1:17 left.

But the Sixers responded with some clutch free throws by Embiid to seal the win.

The Knicks closed within 102-92 with 9:32 remaining in the fourth quarter following a 3-pointer from Miles McBride.

Embiid was fouled on a 3-pointer by Hartenstein with 7:33 left and he knocked down all three shots for a 106-94 lead.

Anunoby made consecutive treys and the Knicks trailed 113-105 with 4:47 remaining.

The game was quite physical from the opening tip and bubbled over when Embiid was whistled for a flagrant 1 foul against Mitchell Robinson with 4:34 left in the first quarter.

The Knicks went ahead 47-45 with 4:53 remaining in the second after a short jumper by Anunoby.

Embiid soon scored a pair of baskets in the lane to tie the game at 49.

Donte DiVincenzo drove to the basket and threw down a one-handed dunk with 1:24 to go for a 56-53 advantage.

The Knicks led 58-55 at halftime thanks in large part to 17 points from Brunson.

Embiid picked up his third foul with 6:27 left in the second but stayed in and finished the half with 17 points.

Maxey hit a deep 3-pointer with 6:58 left in the third and the Sixers led 71-66.

Soon after, the Knicks announced that Robinson would miss the remainder of the game with a sprained left ankle.

Embiid made three straight 3-pointers and the Sixers pulled ahead 82-72 with 4:35 remaining.

Embiid scored 18 in the third and the Sixers led 98-85 at the end of the quarter.

Banchero sank four 3-pointers and had seven rebounds on the offensive glass for the fifth-seeded Magic, who trail 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Saturday afternoon in Orlando.

Jalen Suggs scored 24 points after making 9 of 11 shots from the floor and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Franz Wagner added 16 points, eight assists and five rebounds in the rout.

The Magic scored 35 of the 51 points in the third quarter to seize a 96-61 lead. Orlando mustered just 83 and 86 points, respectively, in the first two games of the series.

The Magic shot a robust 51.1 percent from the floor. They also enjoyed a 51-32 edge in rebounds and committed just eight turnovers.

Cleveland's Jarrett Allen collected 15 points and eight rebounds and Caris LeVert added 15 points. Donovan Mitchell recorded 13 points and seven assists for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who made just 8 of 34 shots (23.5 percent) from 3-point range.

LeVert sank a 3-pointer to give Cleveland a 21-18 lead with 3:13 remaining in the first before Orlando answered with a 13-0 run to end the quarter. Suggs made a three-point play before Banchero and Cole Anthony converted from beyond the arc in that sequence.

The Magic extended their lead to 21 points at 55-34 after Jonathan Isaac sank a 3-pointer to cap his team's 10-0 run. Mitchell made a 3-pointer and a pair of shots from the interior late in the second quarter to trim Orlando's lead to 61-45 at halftime.

Suggs sank a 3-pointer and a layup as the Magic scored 11 of the first 15 points in the third quarter to take a 72-49 advantage. Orlando finished the quarter on a 20-5 run to end any realistic doubt of a comeback.

Introduced last year, when Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox took home the Jerry West Trophy, the award honors the player "who best comes through for his teammates in the clutch," according to the NBA.

Curry edged out Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan for the honor. Curry received 45 first-place votes (five points each), 18 second-place votes (three points) and 19 third-place votes (one point) for a total of 298 total points from a media voting panel. DeRozan finished with 272 points, including 34 first-place votes.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came in third with 160 points, including 11 first-place votes.

Curry led the league with 189 points in "clutch situations," defined by the league as possessions in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the margin is five points or fewer. Curry shot 49.6 percent overall, 45.7 percent from 3-point range and 95.1 percent from the free-throw line in clutch situations.

The future Hall of Famer and two-time league MVP just completed his 15th NBA season having averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 40.8 percent from deep. But the Warriors did not manage to advance out of the Western Conference play-in round.

The Suns can change that with an improved performance in Friday's Game 3. Yet their backs are against the wall as they attempt to get back into the Western Conference first-round series when they host the surging Minnesota Timberwolves.

There was nothing more demeaning for Phoenix than to lose the first two games on Minnesota's floor and hear the fans vociferously chant the following late in Tuesday's 105-93 victory:

"Wolves in four! Wolves in four! Wolves in four!"

Of course, winning on the road in the playoffs is different than chalking up home wins. So that sweep talk might be overly ambitious.

Regardless, Phoenix knows it is in trouble after dropping the first two games by an average of 18.5 points.

"We've got two days to get it right, but they're not going to stop," Suns guard Bradley Beal said after Game 2. "They're going to continue to be aggressive, continue to push the envelope the way they have. And we have to respond. We haven't responded yet."

Phoenix trailed by as many as 27 points in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2.

The Suns, who fancy themselves as a running team, were outscored 31-2 in points off turnovers in Game 2.

"We've got to be better," Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said. "When they're swarming on us and we're not getting the right stops, we can't not be organized offensively."

The Suns' star trio of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Beal were a combined 18-of-45 shooting in Game 2 for 52 points. Booker was the high scorer with 20 as the Minnesota defense repeatedly clamped down.

Phoenix has reached 30 points in just one quarter in the series as three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and do-it-all defender Jaden McDaniels continue to stymie the Suns' attack.

"We can see it. I can feel it. I can see them," Gobert said. "It's tough. No one likes going against the type of defense that we're playing right now."

McDaniels also turned it up on the offensive end with a game-best 25 points in Game 2.

"His activity's been on another level so far in two games," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of McDaniels.

Keeping that intensity is important in the eyes of center Naz Reid, who was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday.

"It's super satisfying, but it's not over," Reid said of the 2-0 series lead. "You've got to kind of continue that and actually up it. We're trying to get to somewhere that we've never been. Two games don't get it done.

"I think everybody has understood and knows the assignment and I think everybody is going to up it. I think we're all ready for it."

Anthony Edwards scored 33 points in Game 1 before dropping to 15 in Game 2. Fellow star Karl-Anthony Towns' outputs were 19 and 12.

So far, it has been a collective effort for Minnesota.

"Everyone down the list has shown they'll be willing to do whatever it takes to sacrifice whatever it is for the betterment of the team," Towns said.

Phoenix will look to take a similar approach at home as the Suns try to solve the Timberwolves, a team they went 3-0 against during the regular season with an average winning margin of 15.7 points.

But now, time is running out on the Suns.

"Don't count us out," Booker said. "It's a series for a reason."

Phoenix 3-point bomber Grayson Allen reinjured his right ankle in Game 2 for the second consecutive contest. X-rays were negative and his playing status will be firmed up after the Suns see how he responds to treatment.

The Mavericks got much more production from their supporting cast, especially from distance, when they evened the series 1-1 with a 96-93 road win on Tuesday.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have grabbed the spotlight for the Mavericks in the first two games, during which they've accounted for more than 60 percent of Dallas' scoring.

But as opposed to Game 1, when Doncic had 33 and Irving 31 but the rest of the team shot just 10-for-36 in a 109-97 loss, P.J. Washington (18) and Derrick Jones Jr. (10) combined for 9-for-16 shooting as part of the rematch win.

Doncic (32) and Irving (23) combined for nine fewer points in the win, shooting just 19-for-44 overall and 9-for-22 on 3-pointers. But led by Washington and Jones, the Dallas supporting cast stepped up its game, especially from beyond the arc, improving from 3-for-15 in the opener to 5-for-11 on Tuesday.

And don't overlook the defensive efforts of Jones, who guarded Paul George much of the night, and Washington, Dallas coach Jason Kidd noted afterward.

"When you talk about the playoffs, he's been big for us," Kidd said of Washington. "We really rely on him defensively to be able to guard those guys from the Clippers, because it's not just one, it seems like he's guarding everyone."

While the Mavericks improved from 30.3 percent to 42.4 percent on 3-pointers from Game 1 to Game 2, the Clippers went from 50.0 percent to 26.7 percent. From strictly a scoring standpoint, Los Angeles dominated 54-30 from the arc in its win before Dallas enjoyed a 42-24 advantage in its three-point victory.

One big difference for the Clippers was the return of Kawhi Leonard, who had missed nine consecutive games -- including the series opener -- with a sore right knee. Admitting he wasn't on top of his game after the long absence, Leonard missed all five of his 3-point attempts in a 15-point effort in Game 2.

"Obviously, there is a little adjustment with him coming back, him getting his rhythm, and us playing while having our best player back on the floor with us," George said. "The more we get back together, the timing and rhythm with everybody being back together, it'll get back to where it was."

James Harden (25.0 ppg) and George (22 in each game) have led the Clippers in scoring in the series. But while the Mavericks got more people in the mix in Game 2, Los Angeles got fewer, with Ivica Zubac going from 20 points to 13, Terance Mann 13 to five and Russell Westbrook 13 to seven.

The teams split two games in Dallas in the regular season. Leonard had 30 points in the most recent Dallas meeting, a 120-111 Clippers win in December.

Middleton tweaked his right leg in the opening quarter of Tuesday's 125-108 loss in game 2. He briefly exited the game before returning and finished with 15 points in 36 minutes.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said he was unsure how to view Middleton's status for Game 3.

"It's another holding-our-breath situation," Rivers said. "Honestly, I don't know."

Middleton is averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists through the first two games, which the teams split.

The Bucks were without two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) for the first two games.

Rivers was optimistic about how Antetokounmpo looked on Thursday.

"I saw him moving around and my mindset is he's getting close," Rivers said. "Does that mean a day, four days? I'm not sure."

Siakam will look to remain hot on Friday when the sixth-seeded Pacers welcome the third-seeded Bucks to Indianapolis for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Siakam followed up his 36-point, 13-rebound performance in the Pacers' 109-94 setback in the series opener on Sunday with 37 points, 11 boards and six assists in Indiana's 125-108 triumph on Tuesday. He is the first NBA player to open the playoffs with consecutive performances of at least 35 points and 10 rebounds since Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain in 1967.

"We've got to be the hungry team," Siakam said. "We've got to be the team that's coming in and wanting to show something. That's the attitude that we've got to have against those guys, because they've done it before."

Siakam has done it before, too. He was a member of the 2019 Toronto Raptors' title-winning team.

"His experience in the playoffs is so valuable," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of Siakam. "He's not a guy that's going to get rattled by anything. Never has once since January, since we got him. He's a guy that people confide in and look up to."

Myles Turner collected 22 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks to help even the series.

"I'm just excited to get back to Gainbridge (Fieldhouse)," Turner said. "It's going to be a (heck) of an environment in there. I've been waiting a long time to give the home fans what they deserve. And I'm just really, really excited for that environment."

Milwaukee's Damian Lillard will look to continue his trend of strong starts on Friday. He scored all 35 of his points in the first half in the series opener before scoring 26 of his 34 points over the first two quarters on Tuesday.

Bobby Portis recorded 14 points and 11 rebounds in Game 2. He added fuel to the fire, however, with his comments after the contest.

"I mean, just quite frankly, they're frontrunners, bro," Portis said of the Pacers. "Y'all can just tweet that or whatever it is, bro. When the (expletive is) going good, they laughing, clapping all that. When it's going bad, they not saying nothing.

"So I think to answer that question, guys always feel good when they're having a good game or hitting shots. I think that's just human nature and basketball. ... So yeah, they're supposed to feel good. They were hitting shots. They game-planned really well, so yeah, they're supposed to feel really good, of course. But Game 3 on the way Friday."

Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed his team's last five games dating back to the regular season due to a left calf injury. Per The Athletic, the two-time NBA MVP has started doing stationary jump shooting but has yet to run or cut in practice.

Indiana exploited the interior on Tuesday with Antetokounmpo reduced to the role of a spectator. The Pacers held a 52-36 edge in points in the paint and shot a robust 55.6 percent from the floor.

Butler trolled the Celtics on Instagram after the eighth-seeded Heat evened the best-of-seven series at one win apiece following a 111-101 victory in Game 2 on Wednesday. Butler put a photo of his face on Jaylen Brown's body with a quote from the Boston guard from last season.

When the Celtics went down 3-0 to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals in 2023, Brown said, "Don't let us get one" -- sending a message to Miami that one win would lead to a series victory. The Celtics won three straight before Miami won Game 7.

After Wednesday's game, Butler decided to have a little fun on social media. He also added, "Feeling cute, might delete later. Sikeeeee I ain't deleting (it)."

Butler, 34, sustained a right MCL injury against the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament game on April 17. The six-time All-Star is expected to be sidelined for several weeks, per reports.

Game 3 is in Miami on Saturday.

Oklahoma City owns its first 2-0 edge in a playoff series since the 2013 first round. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is set for Saturday in New Orleans.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who shot 13 of 19 from the floor, produced his best-ever scoring total in a postseason game. Holmgren hit 9 of 13 as the Thunder shot 59 percent from the field, including 14-of-29 success (48.3 percent) from beyond the arc.

Jonas Valanciunas scored the Pelicans' first 11 points and finished with a team-high 19 after finishing with 13 points in the Pelicans' 94-92 Game 1 loss. His rebound total dropped from 20 in the opener to a team-high seven on Wednesday.

New Orleans' Herbert Jones and Brandon Ingram added 18 points apiece.

The Pelicans led by two after Jones hit a 3-pointer just more than four minutes into the game for the team's first non-Valanciunas points.

Oklahoma City then ripped off a 21-6 run to seize control for what proved to be the rest of the game. After the Thunder took a 13-point lead late in the first quarter, New Orleans never pulled closer than eight in the second quarter and never was closer than 12 in the second half.

Outside of Valanciunas, who went 5 of 7 from the floor, New Orleans was just 3 of 14 from the field in the first quarter.

While Valanciunas made a big impact on the inside early, so did his Thunder counterpart, Holmgren.

The Oklahoma City rookie hit three 3-pointers in the first six minutes, including one that put Oklahoma City ahead for good just after Jones' trey.

Much of the Thunder's early offensive production came thanks to strong defense, as Oklahoma City scored eight first-quarter points off five Pelicans' turnovers while not committing a turnover in the period.

The Thunder finished with 22 points off New Orleans' 18 turnovers while the Pelicans scored just six points off Oklahoma City's nine giveaways.

Jalen Williams added 21 points, Luguentz Dort added 15 and Josh Giddey had 13 for the Thunder.

With the Thunder leading by 34 with 3:29 remaining, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault took out his starters to a large ovation.