Thursday's NBA playoffs scores and takeaways

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By Jovan Buha, Tony Jones, Mike Vorkunov, Fred Katz, Joe Vardon and Josh Robbins

After dropping the first two games of their respective first-round series, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic held serve at home Thursday, led by a couple of All-Stars in the frontcourt. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are now on the edge of elimination, falling into a 3-0 hole against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Nuggets 112, Lakers 105

Series: Nuggets lead 3-0

Game 4: 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday in Los Angeles (ABC)

Lakers show just how far from contention they are

Three games. Three leads at halftime. Three losses.

That's how the first three games of this series have played out — and to a larger extent, most of the Lakers' 11 consecutive losses to the Nuggets. The Lakers held halftime leads in seven of those 11 games. They never figured out how to maintain their hot offensive starts, how to defend the Nikola Jokić-Jamal Murray two-man actions or the right rotation or lineups.

Anthony Davis (33 points and 15 rebounds) and LeBron James (26 points, six rebounds and nine assists) didn't have enough help outside of Austin Reaves, the only other Laker to score in double figures (22 points). LA shot 16 percent on 3s (4 of 25) and just 70.6 percent on free throws (12 of 17).

D'Angelo Russell showed that his Game 2 breakout was a mirage, missing all seven of his shots and being benched in crunchtime. He's now been unplayable in six of the seven playoff matchups against Denver (and was also benched in the final regular-season meeting). It's difficult to imagine the Lakers feeling confident in bringing him back next season (Russell has a $18.7 million player option and has likely cost himself money this summer if he tests free agency).

Rui Hachimura, who played well against Denver last season, had a quiet outing with five points and two rebounds in just 28 minutes.

The Lakers got more out of their bench, with 19 combined points from Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie and Gabe Vincent, but there were very few positive lineup combinations through the first three games. The Lakers often played too small, with Prince at power forward, or with three-guard lineups, which has been an issue the past two seasons.

Part of this is also a roster construction issue. This Lakers roster lacks a useful backup center in high-stakes situations and 3-and-D wings — two important position groups for a conference that runs through Denver and its gigantic frontcourt. The Lakers need to revamp their frontline next to James and Davis.

Ultimately, this series revealed the Lakers aren't a championship contender as currently constructed — and frankly, they're far from it. — Jovan Buha

Nuggets can't let up now

The Nuggets need to not play with their food.

They need to finish this series against the Lakers on Saturday. Their flight back to Denver on Sunday should be one that gives them a few days of rest, and not one in preparation for a Game 5 on Monday night. We know how much better this team is than the Lakers, and we don't need to see anymore. If this were NBA 2k, we should just simulate Game 4, but, alas, real life intervenes.

What we know is that the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Phoenix Suns series poses more of a threat to the Nuggets. Those are better basketball teams than the Lakers. They are tougher and more skilled. They are more resilient.

With the Nuggets taking a 3-0 lead over the Lakers, the challenge for them is to take Saturday night's Game 4 seriously and get out of the series. A big key to a championship run is playing as few games as possible. Last year, the Nuggets played 20. They went 16-4 and dominated the rest of the league. So what they want is to be as fresh as possible to prepare for the second round. They want as much of a reset as possible. They want as much time to scout as possible.

There is also an injury concern, as backup point guard Reggie Jackson left the second half of Game 3 with a sprained ankle and didn't return. He didn't leave the bench but he also walked pretty gingerly around during timeouts. Even in 10 minutes a night, those 10 minutes are important, because those are the minutes starting point guard Jamal Murray rests. Denver needs to make sure Jackson is healthy, and a quick end to this series is one way to get there. — Tony Jones

76ers 125, Knicks 114

Series: New York leads 2-1

Game 4: 1 p.m. ET Sunday in Philadelphia (ABC)

Reigning MVP leads the way

The Sixers got one, and that's saying something after the way things went the first two games of this series.

They lost an uneven Game 1 against the New York Knicks and then couldn't win Game 2 after a mad scramble for the ages. This time, there was no such lost opportunity, not with Joel Embiid leading the way. He dropped a playoff-career-high 50 points on a tidy 13-of-19 shooting and got to the free-throw line 21 times. The Sixers needed this win, and he gave it to them.

This was a slugfest of a game. Embiid stirred some controversy in the first quarter after falling to the ground and then seemingly taking Mitchell Robinson down with him. Embiid received a Flagrant 1 foul and stayed in the game. He struck Donte DiVincenzo in his face on another play. After the game Embiid revealed he has been has been dealing with a case of Bell's palsy affecting the left side of his face, mouth and eye for more than a week.

Should Joel Embiid have been ejected for this incident with Mitchell Robinson?

🎥 @BleacherReportpic.twitter.com/LtpP2uclQm

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) April 26, 2024

Embiid took over in the third quarter as the Sixers boat raced the Knicks for 43 points. It's been so easy to say the Sixers go as far as Embiid can carry them, but Game 3 was proper evidence of it.

One more thing worth noting: After the Sixers' unhappiness with the officiating at the end of Game 2, and after a Last Two-Minute Report of that game found several calls didn't go Philadelphia's way, the Sixers took 14 more free throws than the Knicks and committed seven fewer fouls Thursday. — Mike Vorkunov

Third quarter dooms Knicks

The quality of the defense doesn't always matter. The Knicks learned that the hard way.

They came out of the tunnel at halftime with energy, holding onto a three-point lead after a physical first two quarters. What followed was an onslaught.

The Sixers could not miss. The Knicks, in turn, could not catch a break. Basketball can go that way.

Philadelphia drained 17 of its 22 shots in the third, which included a 9-of-12 performance from deep. It dropped 43 points, outscoring New York by 16 in the period and roaring to a double-digit lead that it would never lose.

Five Sixers drained 3s. Kelly Oubre Jr., Cameron Payne and Kyle Lowry each hit one. Tyrese Maxey nailed a couple. Embiid, the star of the run and the evening, swished all four of his attempts. When Embiid is hitting his 3s and getting to the line, there is no stopping him. Such was the case Thursday.

Embiid went for 18 points in the third, and he got there on 7-of-8 shooting. It propelled him to one of his most-dominant playoff performances ever.

The other three quarters were competitive, but emerge from the locker room with the inability to miss, and the tenor of the night can flip. — Fred Katz

Magic forward Paolo Banchero elevates for a shot over Cleveland's Max Strus on Thursday. (Mike Watters / USA Today)

Magic 121, Cavaliers 83

Series: Cleveland leads 2-1

Game 4: 1 p.m. ET Saturday in Orlando (TNT)

Orlando finds its swagger

In between his barrage of baskets, Paolo Banchero spent the evening telling the Cavaliers how small they were.

P5 in the 🅿️ost pic.twitter.com/NJ2KAvqFoG

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 25, 2024

When Jalen Suggs wasn't busy burying a 3 or ripping the ball away and tearing the rim off with a dunk, he had all sorts of things to say to the Cleveland bench.

Franz Wagner, after a bucket, turned around and screamed at Marcus Morris, who had yet to play in the game for the Cavs.

It wasn't just that the Magic dominated Game 3. It was the attitude they brought. We're talking about a team with a rotation player (Cole Anthony) who hadn't made a shot through two games, a team that had to swap out its starting center because he'd been rendered unplayable against Jarrett Allen, a team that, until the 5:27 mark of the first quarter, hadn't led in this series.

So quickly, the Magic strutted, jaws way out front, chests not far behind, as though they were ahead 2-1 in this series, which is not the case.

Orlando moved Jonathan Isaac to the bench in favor of Wendell Carter Jr., and while Carter's numbers were almost null, his presence in the middle seemed to change the flow. Allen had 15 points and eight boards in 24 minutes, but he was no longer the dominant player he was in the first two games.

Banchero was awesome, but for the first time in this series, Orlando won the rebounding and paint-scoring battles. Isaac also was better off the bench, with more room to move when only one of Cleveland's two bigs (Allen and Evan Mobley) was on the court.

Cleveland needs more from Darius Garland (five points, 2-of-10 shooting), and Donovan Mitchell was not good (6-of-16 shooting). But above all, there was a glaring lack of fire, intensity and swagger from the Cavs. — Joe Vardon

Guards get going

As Game 3 approached, the Magic faced a troubling trend — a trend that, if it continued, would have almost certainly led to a quick postseason exit.

In the series' first two games, Orlando received almost no offense from its top-four backcourt players: starters Suggs and Gary Harris and reserves Anthony and Markelle Fultz. The quartet entered Thursday shooting a combined 11 of 52 from the field and 5 of 27 from beyond the arc.

The tide started to turn with 7:34 remaining in the second quarter. From the paint, Suggs hurled a pass to Wagner in the left corner, and Wagner sank a 3. That assist appeared to give Suggs some momentum.

On Orlando's next trip, Suggs drained a 3 from the right wing, making him 2 of 11 from long range in these playoffs.

Late in the first quarter, Anthony recorded his first field goal of the series after 11 total misses in the first two games.

In Game 3, the Suggs-Harris-Anthony-Fultz quartet combined to go 17 of 27 from the field, 4 of 11 from 3 and 9 of 10 from the line. They scored 47 of Orlando's 121 points.

Of course, it's too early to know if the Magic's backcourt production Thursday will start a new trend. Suggs, Harris, Anthony and Fultz will have to have a strong Game 4 for that to happen.

But it's fair to say that one trend ended Thursday. Orlando's guards finally broke through. — Josh Robbins

Friday's NBA playoffs schedule

Bucks at Pacers: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Series tied 1-1)

Clippers at Mavericks: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN (Series tied 1-1)

Timberwolves at Suns: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Timberwolves lead 2-0)

This story will be updated.

(Top photo of Joel Embiid and Mitchell Robinson: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)