Orlando Magic Rally To Take 3-1 Lead As Pistons Go Cold In Game 4

The NBA playoffs delivered mixed fortunes as Denver stayed alive, Orlando moved one win away, and Oklahoma City completed a sweep. Nikola Jokic powered the Nuggets past Minnesota in Game 5, Desmond Bane punished Detroit again late, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander guided the Thunder past Phoenix for a third straight first-round sweep.

Denver’s 125-113 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves featured another huge triple-double from Jokic, who posted 27 points, 12 rebounds and 16 assists while shooting 9 of 15. Jamal Murray added 24 points, seven assists and four steals, while Spencer Jones stepped in for the injured Aaron Gordon and scored 20 points.

The Nuggets led by as many as 27 in the second half before Minnesota cut the gap to 10 with 4:38 remaining. Denver quickly answered with a 10-2 burst to close the door. The Timberwolves, still ahead 3-2 in the series, missed injured guards Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo and committed 25 turnovers.

Live-ball mistakes hurt Minnesota most, as 16 Denver steals produced 29 fast-break points. Julius Randle tallied 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists but turned the ball over five times. Game 4 hero Ayo Dosunmu contributed 18 points and four assists. Game 6 of this NBA playoffs matchup is set for Thursday night in Minnesota.

Orlando tightened its defence again in the fourth quarter, closing out a 94-88 win in Game 4 and a 3-1 lead over the East’s No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons. Desmond Bane banked in a crucial 3-pointer with 1:16 left, pushing the Magic ahead 92-86 on the way to 22 points.

Detroit’s offence faded badly late, going more than five minutes without a field goal. Ausar Thompson’s layup with 5:24 remaining was the Pistons’ last basket until an irrelevant tip-in with three seconds left. Orlando held the 60-win Pistons scoreless from the floor across eight straight attempts in this NBA playoffs clash.

Franz Wagner delivered 19 points before leaving in the second half because of calf soreness, while Paolo Banchero scored 18 despite a poor shooting night. Reserve Jamal Cain swung momentum in the fourth quarter, finishing with eight points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes and producing two standout plays that energised the NBA playoffs crowd.

Cain first grabbed an inbounds pass and drove coast-to-coast for a powerful dunk over Jalen Duren with under nine minutes left. The second highlight was a tie-breaking tip slam in the final five minutes. This NBA playoffs win sends the series back to Detroit on Wednesday, with the Pistons needing three straight victories to avoid elimination.

NBA playoffs: Thunder complete sweep of Suns

In Phoenix, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Suns 131-122 to close another first-round sweep in the NBA playoffs, their third straight season doing so. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 31 points and eight assists, while Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein both finished with double-doubles.

Oklahoma City took control early with a 20-5 first-quarter burst and later stretched the advantage through a 30-14 run that spanned halftime. Hartenstein grabbed seven offensive rebounds, while Ajay Mitchell added 22 points and six assists. The Thunder now wait in the NBA playoffs for the winner between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

Devin Booker scored 24 points for Phoenix, with Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green adding 23 each. Despite the 4-0 defeat, the Suns’ season under first-year head coach Jordan Ott still showed progress by returning to the NBA playoffs. Across the league, Denver, Orlando and Oklahoma City now shape the next phase of the postseason picture.