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NBA Playoffs 2024: Lakers stay alive, while Celtics, Magic and Thunder all win easily

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. And the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics were all rolling. Close games are hard to find in these NBA playoffs.
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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes after a rebound against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) in the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in New Orleans, Saturday, April 27, 2024. The Thunder won 106-85. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are still alive. And the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics were all rolling.

Close games are hard to find in these NBA playoffs. Entering Sunday, 19 of the first 26 games of the first round were all decided by at least 10 points.

All four games on Saturday were double-digit decisions: by 23, by 21, by 20 and the in the 鈥渃lose鈥 game of the day by 11 to avoid a sweep.

Another quadrupleheader awaits Sunday: New York is at Philadelphia (Knicks lead 2-1), the Los Angeles Clippers are at Dallas (Mavericks lead 2-1), Milwaukee is at Indiana (Pacers lead 2-1) and Minnesota 鈥 up 3-0 in that series 鈥 looks to be the first team to reach the second round when it visits Phoenix.

NATIONAL TV SCHEDULE

Sunday

1 p.m. 鈥 New York at Philadelphia, ABC

3:30 p.m. 鈥 L.A. Clippers at Dallas, ABC

7 p.m. 鈥 Milwaukee at Indiana, TNT

9:30 p.m. 鈥 Minnesota at Phoenix, TNT

Monday

7:30 p.m. 鈥 Boston at Miami, TNT

8:30 p.m. 鈥 Oklahoma City at New Orleans, NBA TV

10 p.m. 鈥 L.A. Lakers at Denver, TNT

Tuesday

6:30 or 8 p.m. 鈥 Orlando at Cleveland, NBA TV

7 p.m. 鈥 Philadelphia at New York, TNT

9 or 9:30 p.m. 鈥 Indiana at Milwaukee, NBA TV or TNT

9:30 p.m. 鈥 Phoenix at Minnesota, TNT (if necessary)

(If Minnesota wins Sunday, the Magic-Cavaliers game is 8 p.m. and the Pacers-Bucks game is 9:30 p.m. on TNT. If Phoenix wins Sunday, Magic-Cavaliers is 6:30 p.m. and Pacers-Bucks is 9 p.m. on NBA TV.)

BETTING GUIDE

Boston has home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs and currently is the favorite to win the championship,

The Celtics are listed at +130, ahead of defending champion Denver (+240). Next up: Oklahoma City (+1000), Minnesota (+1100), Dallas (+1300), New York (+1600), Philadelphia (+3000), the Los Angeles Clippers (+5000) and Indiana (+5000).

After that, it's Milwaukee (+6000), Cleveland (+6600), the Los Angeles Lakers (+20000), Orlando (+20000), Phoenix (+25000), Miami (+50000) and New Orleans (+75000).

AWARD SEASON

Coach of the Year gets announced on Sunday, with Oklahoma City鈥檚 Mark Daigneault, Minnesota鈥檚 Chris Finch and Orlando鈥檚 Jamahl Mosley the three finalists.

Last week, over Chicago鈥檚 Coby White, in a very close vote over Sacramento鈥檚 Malik Monk and won Clutch Player of the Year over Chicago鈥檚 DeMar DeRozan.

The schedule for announcing the remaining individual awards has yet to be revealed. There鈥檚 Rookie of the Year (San Antonio鈥檚 Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City鈥檚 Chet Holmgren or Charlotte鈥檚 Brandon Miller), Defensive Player of the Year (Wembanyama, Minnesota鈥檚 Rudy Gobert or Miami鈥檚 Bam Adebayo) and Most Valuable Player (Denver鈥檚 Nikola Jokic, Dallas鈥 Luka Doncic or Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).

WHAT TO KNOW

鈥 is anxious.

鈥 is hurting.

鈥 Knicks-76ers, Clippers-Mavericks, Bucks-Pacers, Timberwolves-Suns.

STAT OF THE DAY

Boston, Oklahoma City and Orlando all have two wins by at least 20 points so far in Round 1. No team has had three wins by 20 or more in the opening round since Toronto did that to Brooklyn in 2020.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

鈥淲e've given ourselves another life. We've given ourselves another lifeline. It's a one-game series for us. Monday's game is the most important game of the season for us and we understand that.鈥 鈥 the Lakers' LeBron James, after Saturday's win over Denver to cut the deficit in that series to 3-1.

___

AP NBA:

The Associated Press

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