Raptors vs. 76ers Game 5
103-88 Raptors
Series 3-2 76ers
The story of this game is the Toronto Raptors started out hot and never looked back as they win their second game in a row as they try and claw their way back into the series. The young Raptors squad is showing their resilience as they came into the 76ers stadium and did what they needed to do in order to survive the playoffs. The pressure is now on the 76ers as the next game is in Toronto. If the 76ers loose this series, then it will be one of the most embarrassing losses in NBA history. They will have blown a 3-0 lead to a lower seeded team that most sports betters had loosing. Not only this but is puts a bad taint on the legacy of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Joel Embiid was very vocal about how he should be MVP this year and if he did not win it then it meant that the voters hated his character would not want him specifically to win it. Loosing in the first round of the playoffs after having a 3-0 lead would suggest that he is not “the guy” so to speak and is never going to get it done. James Harden has the issue that he has essentially been ring chasing ever since he left Houston. He could not get a ring when he was the focal point on the Rockets, so he left to join the newly formed super team in Brooklyn. However, after two disappointing years on the Nets, Harden essentially forced his way out to join the 76ers. If he loses this year, then he will always be known as the guy who just could not win.
Team Stats:
| Raptors | Team Stats | 76ers |
| 51.2 | Field Goal % | 38.2 |
| 25.8 | 3 Pointer % | 27.0 |
| 84.6 | Free Throw % | 80.0 |
| 40 | Total Rebounds | 37 |
| 24 | Assists | 21 |
| 6 | Blocks | 1 |
| 8 | Steals | 7 |
| 8 | Turnovers | 15 |
| 56 | Points in the Paint | 36 |
| 20 | Fouls | 17 |
Mavericks vs Jazz Game 5
102-77 Mavericks
Series 3-2 Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks beat the brakes off of the Jazz in their 5th game of the series. A must need win game for both teams as the team who wins the 5th game in a tied series win the series 80% of the time. The Dallas Mavericks are just one game away from winning their first playoff series in a decade and the Utah Jazz are just one game away from dismantling this team. If I had to guess, I think that the Mavericks are going to win game 6 even though it is being played in Utah. Their cohesion looks better, they have been shooting the ball good all series, and most importantly their defense is better. If the Jazz end up losing, it is a very strong possibility that they are going to dismantle this team as they have not made it far into the playoffs over the last few years. The question is: Where do the Utah Jazz go from here? Personally, what I think is going to happen is that they are going to trade away Rudy Gobert as he is worth a least a few decent players and there are many teams in the league that would love to have an elite rim protector. I honestly believe that even if the Jazz end up winning this series, they will have to make it to the conference final in order for the organization to not dismantle this current team.
Team Stats:
| Jazz | Team Stats | Mavericks |
| 37.7 | Field Goal % | 43.5 |
| 10.0 | 3 Pointer % | 27.9 |
| 76.2 | Free Throw % | 76.2 |
| 40 | Total Rebounds | 49 |
| 12 | Assists | 16 |
| 2 | Blocks | 1 |
| 8 | Steals | 6 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 10 |
| 44 | Points in the Paint | 46 |
| 24 | Fouls | 18 |
Celtics vs Nets
116-112 Celtics
Series 4-0 Celtics
If you were to ask any basketball fan which lower seed would be the only team swept in the entire 2022 playoffs, very few people would say the Brooklyn Nets, but that is exactly what happened last night. In a must win game the Nets fell short and are the first team eliminated in the 2022 playoffs after getting swept by the Boston Celtics. Many may argue that the Nets were destined to lose because of the controversy that surrounded their team all year. With Kyrie not being able to play many games due to his vaccination status and Harden Leaving in the middle of the season, it made it very hard for any sort of team chemistry to be formed. However, this suggestion is not entirely valid as the Warriors were another team this year that were plagued with injuries and did not have many games together to develop cohesion. However, the Warriors look great right now and may even have a shot at the title, so why did the Nets fail? It is because the Boston Celtics are a legit contender this year and are a force to be reconned with. Their elite defense showed that they can shut down virtually everyone in the league as they were able to hold Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to pretty poor shooting percentages all series. The Celtics are a team that everyone should be on the lookout for as this might be their year. As for KD and Kyrie the future is uncertain. This is one of the most embarrassing sweeps in playoff history because these two guys are supposed to be “the guys” and players that teams can depend on. Even though KD got it going in the 4th game, it was too late as it felt like the entire Nets team was already defeated. The truth is what has KD done without Steph Curry and what has Kyrie done without Lebron. Personally, I feel like neither of these guys are the correct choice to lead a team. Statistically they may be, but they only ever thrive when they know they have a superstar to rely on. Steph was that guy for KD and Lebron was that guy for Kyrie. This Nets team will probably stick together this offseason, but if they do not win a championship next year then I would expect them to break apart.
Team Stats:
| Celtics | Team Stats | Nets |
| 47.2 | Field Goal % | 50.6 |
| 40.0 | 3 Pointer % | 37.1 |
| 81.8 | Free Throw % | 58.6 |
| 45 | Total Rebounds | 38 |
| 26 | Assists | 28 |
| 4 | Blocks | 7 |
| 3 | Steals | 5 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 10 |
| 44 | Points in the Paint | 32 |
| 28 | Fouls | 23 |
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