Nuggets and Pacers even series
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MINNEAPOLIS, May 13, (AP): Nikola Jokic scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter, and Aaron Gordon had 27 points on 11-for-12 shooting to propel the Denver Nuggets to a series-tying 115-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Jamal Murray had 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter for the Nuggets in a momentum carryover from his buzzer-beating swish from behind half-court, and the Wolves only cut the deficit below double digits in the second half for brief stretches.
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points in another spectacular performance for Minnesota, shooting 16 for 25 from the floor. But despite a 42-31 rebounding edge, the Wolves were beaten at their own game for the second straight time at home by the defending NBA champions, who were fired up after dropping the first two games of the series on their home court.
The series goes back to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Mike Conley had 15 points, Karl-Anthony Towns went just 5 for 18 from the field for 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Rudy Gobert came alive late to score 11 points and grab 14 rebounds. Still, the Wolves were on their heels at home for a second straight game.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points, T.J. McConnell added 15 points and 10 assists and the Indiana Pacers rolled to their third-biggest postseason victory ever, beating the New York Knicks 121-89 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 2-2.
Haliburton also had six rebounds, five assists, and four 3-pointers as the Pacers led by 43 points during a start-to-finish romp. They fell just short of their most lopsided playoff victory when they beat Cleveland by 34 points in April 2018.
Indiana also won by 33 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals.
Game 5 of the series will be played Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks put just three players in double figures. Alec Burks finished with 20, Jalen Brunson scored 18 – his fewest in this postseason – and Deuce McBride had 16 on a day they shot 33.7% from the field, 18.9% from 3-point range, and faced the largest deficit by any team in this postseason.
It was the fourth-largest margin of defeat in the postseason for the Knicks, who lost to the Bulls by 41 in 1991, 40 to the 76ers in 1978, and 35 to the Pistons in 1990.
And, naturally, the Pacers fed off the energy of a nearly full Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they are now 5-0 with Game 6 coming to Indianapolis on Friday. Those watching from courtside included Indiana-born singer John Mellencamp, Indianapolis 500 winners Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, and former Pacers stars Dale Davis and Derrick McKey.
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