Page 22 - aruba-today-20190509

A22 SPORTS
Thursday 9 May 2019
Millsap, Jokic spark Nuggets' 124-98 blowout of Blazers

By ARNIE STAPLETON crum of Jokic and Murray before a parade of back-
AP Sports Writer running the pick-and-roll. ups gave the starters some
DENVER (AP) — Paul Millsap "And then when all else much-needed breathers.
is showing the young'uns fails, you've got to guard Coming off a resounding
how it's done. Millsap," Lillard lamented. Game 4 win that followed
Millsap scored 19 of his 24 "He's a handful for guys to that epic quadruple-over-
points in the first half Tues- guard because he's in the time loss, the Nuggets were
day night, sparking Den- paint, he's making face-up focused and efficient just
ver's 124-98 blowout of the jumpers, he's making 3s. In as coach Mike Malone
Portland Trail Blazers that transition, you've got to find promised when he said
put the Nuggets on the him, and then he's a mon- Denver wouldn't dare let
verge of their first trip to the ster on the glass." up and exhale at home
Western Conference finals Leaning on Millsap's ex- after reclaiming the home-
in a decade. perience and well-round- court advantage.
The 34-year-old forward ed game, he said, "is just Whatever adjustments
with nearly 100 games of something they can always Blazers coach Terry Stotts
playoff experience has in- go to, something they can tried to make at the half
jected some savvy into a always count on. So, it's didn't take as the Nuggets
series dominated by youth Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap, left, is defended bu Port- tough to deal with." outscored Portland 28-18 in
and emerging stars. land Trail Blazers forward Zach Collins during the second half of Millsap helped the Nug- the third quarter, and be-
Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Tues-
"It's not his first time, you day, May 7, 2019, in Denver. The Nuggets won 124-98. gets turn in the first lopsided fore long, the Blazers were
know? He's been here be- Associated Press game of a series that was thinking more about sal-
fore," Jamal Murray said. so evenly matched com- vaging Game 6 and hop-
"He's showing everybody "that calming factor" for a scoring 25 points and pull- ing in that Denver held a ing to regroup for a return
the ropes. ... He does all the team making its first playoff ing down 19 rebounds, ty- cumulative scoring advan- trip to Denver in hopes of a
little things that can help appearance in six seasons. ing a team NBA playoff tage of 464-462 and both different outcome.
us win games and sets the "He's been huge for us this high. Murray added 18 teams had made the same "We've got two must-wins
tone for us." series. He's been bringing it points to go with nine assists number of free throws and ahead of us," Stotts said.
Millsap is averaging 19 offensively, defensively and and zero turnovers. 3-pointers. CAUTION AHEAD
points and 9.6 boards in the he helped us get off to a Damian Lillard, who led The Nuggets never trailed Malone said he hopes
best-of-seven series that great start today." Portland with 22 points, and stretched a six-point his team learned from its
the Nuggets lead 3-2 with After Millsap got the Nug- said it's exhausting facing lead after one quarter to Game 6 loss at San Antonio
Game 6 coming up Thurs- gets going with a dozen the waves of young sharp- 18 at the half and 28 head- last series and doesn't have
day night in Portland. first-quarter points, Nikola shooters the Nuggets send ing into the fourth quarter. a similar letdown in Port-
Gary Harris called Millsap Jokic took over from there, at you, starting with the ful- They led by as many as 31 land. q

5 for 7 from 3-point range high 40 points on a dunk by bounds, and five turnovers.
and finished with 17 points. Normal Powell with 2:24 re- Siakam scored nine points
Marc Gasol scored 11 maining. in the first and Lowry had
points and Serge Ibaka had The Raptors shot 16 for 40 eight as Toronto led 27-26
10. All five Toronto starters from 3-point range, set- after one. Leonard had
scored in double digits. ting a franchise record for seven rebounds and five
"Kawhi still had a great 3-pointers in a postseason points in the first.
game and the surround- game. They hadn't made Ibaka needed three stitch-
ing cast contributed," 76ers more than 10 in the four es to close a cut on his fore-
coach Brett Brown said. previous games this series. head after he was inadver-
The 36-point margin was "The 3-point shot was pun- tently elbowed by Leonard
the largest in Toronto's post- ishing tonight," Brown said. in the opening quarter.
season history, and marked Jimmy Butler scored 22 Ibaka returned to start the
Philadelphia's worst playoff points and Tobias Harris second and, despite a vis-
defeat since a 40-point loss had 15 for the 76ers, who ible bump on his head,
to Boston in Game 1 of the have lost two straight after soon scored his first points
Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) dunks as Philadel- 1982 Eastern Conference winning the previous two. by blowing past Embiid for
phia 76ers forward James Ennis III (11), forward Tobias Harris (33) finals. Joel Embiid scored 13 a dunk.
and center Joel Embiid (21) watch during the first half of Game
5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Tuesday, "The spirit, I thought, went points and had eight turn- Green scored nine points in
May 7, 2019, in Toronto. away a little bit quicker overs. Embiid started de- the second, making three
Associated Press than I'd wished," Brown spite missing the morning of Toronto's four 3-pointers.
said. shoot-around because of Toronto shot 12 for 21 in the
RAPTOR-76ERS and two steals. Up by one after the first, flu-like symptoms. second while Philadelphia
Continued from Page 17 "Tonight was one of those the Raptors outscored the "Offensively there was a shot 6 for 20.
If the 76ers can extend the games where we let him 76ers 37-17 in the second to rhythm to his game that Leonard, who missed six of
series to a seventh game, it rest a little bit, which is im- take a 21-point lead, 64-43, was clearly out of synch," his first eight shots, punctu-
would be played in Toronto portant," Raptors guard at halftime. Brown said. "He's been in ated Toronto's decisive sec-
on Sunday night. Kyle Lowry said. "He had a "The second period is where bed for two days." ond quarter with a power-
Leonard, who had scored big double-double, but he it got away from us," Brown Embiid also battled illness in ful one-handed slam, driv-
33 or more points in each of didn't have to do every- said. "I give Toronto credit, Games 2 and 4. ing into the paint from near
the first four games of the thing offensively." we didn't have the answers "I know I've got to do a bet- center court and splitting a
series, shot 7 for 16 from the Leonard scored 39 points for a few of their players ter job for us to win," Embiid pair of defenders to throw it
field and 7 for 8 at the line in Toronto's Game 4 win on and it snowballed." said. down with 2.6 seconds left.
before checking out with Sunday. Ahead 92-70 at the start Sixers guard Ben Simmons "That was pretty impressive,"
7:22 to play and Toronto up Lowry scored 19 points, of the fourth, Toronto ex- shot 3 for 5 and finished Siakam said. "Plays like that
103-73. He had four assists while Danny Green shot tended its lead to a game- with seven points, seven re- always give us energy."q