The NBA playoffs have provided plenty of nail-biting games, capturing the magic of the postseason.
From upsets in the Western Conference to some lopsided finishes in the Eastern Conference, teams competed hard in their bids for championships.
Here are some surprises from this season’s playoffs.
— Aaron Gordon’s putback dunk at the buzzer during the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets had fallen behind the Clippers 2-1 in the series, but Gordon’s offensive rebound and score tied it back up.
Eight seconds remained in the game, and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic pulled up for a 3-pointer right over defender Ivica Zubac. The shot went wide, but Gordon had already cut to the basket and finished a two-handed dunk as the buzzer sounded. After multiple reviews, Gordon released the ball into the cylinder before time expired.
The Nuggets eventually beat the Clippers in seven games to advance to the second round, where they were tied with the Thunder going into Friday night’s Game 3.
— Against those same Thunder, Gordon hit a game-winning shot that put them up in the series. The Thunder have the best record in the NBA and are the favorites to take home rings this season.
The Thunder led by as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Nuggets went on a 16-6 run. Then, they fouled center Chet Holmgren in the final seconds of the game. Holmgren missed both.
The Nuggets wasted no time and got out in transition before Russell Westbrook found Gordon on the wing for a 3.
— The Knicks have taken an early 2-0 lead in their second-round series against the reigning champions. But it’s not that the Knicks have gained home-court advantage but how they did it.
In both matchups against the Celtics, the Knicks trailed by 20. But the Knicks erased each deficit, both times.
The first time, the Knicks forced overtime before holding the Celtics to just five points in the period.
Then the Knicks outscored the Celtics 30-17 in the fourth quarter.
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