Bri One Three.

As of April 29th, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets head to the West Conference Semi-finals. The Los Angeles Clippers or Dallas Mavericks will fill the last spot, as their series remains tied at 2-2.

Phoenix Suns are swept 4-0 by Timberwolves

The Timberwolves lost their final regular season to the Suns, but their record of 56-26 allowed them to clinch the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, where they played the Suns (6th seed). 

During the regular season, the Wolves lost all three games they played against the Suns, including an In-Season Tournament game. Despite their losses, people knew not to count them out. They instantly proved themselves in Game 1, leading through three quarters for a 25-point victory. They then went on to win Game 2 by 12, Game 3 by 17, and closed out Game 4 with their lowest margin of 6-points.

Although Edwards led the Wolves in scoring throughout Games 1, 3, and 4, the MVP of Game 2 would have to go to Jaden McDaniels who offensively finished with 25/8/3 and defensively helped to hold Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to 38 points total. 

Edwards has proved himself countless times this year, and it’s no surprise that media outlets often refer to him as one of the league’s best guards who will be one of the greatest of all time. The Wolves will have their first semi-final appearance in 20 years against the Denver Nuggets. If they succeed, and subsequently win the Western Conference Finals, they’ll have the opportunity to try and carry their franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance in history.

The Wolves vs. Nuggets series will begin on Saturday, May 4, at a time yet to be determined.

The second (and final) 4-0 sweep is completed by OKC Thunder against New Orlean Pelicans

With a huge win over the Mavericks, OKC Thunder closed out their regular season 1st in the Western Conference.

Their impressive offensive display has them ranked 3rd overall in the NBA, so it was no surprise that they could make a playoff appearance, a first for many of the young athletes on the team. As a franchise, this is the Thunder’s first playoff appearance since 2019 and their first time making the semi-finals since 2016.

Their starting roster includes 2024 MVP Finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2024 ROTY Finalist Chet Holmgren, and 2024 Rising Star Jalen Williams. This trio scored a combined 80 points against the Pelicans in Game 2, which they won by 32 points.

By the end of the regular season, SGA had the most 30-point games, with 51 games in which he scored 30 or more. He averaged 30.1/5.5/6.2 in the regular season and 27.3/6.0/5.0 in the playoffs through the First Round.

The OKC Thunder are dependable, consistent, and driven to win. As the youngest team in the playoffs, they clearly have an insatiable desire to win. We’ll be able to see how far they go as they face the Clippers or Mavericks at an undetermined date and time in early May.

Denver Nuggets gentleman sweep the Los Angeles Lakers

Jamal Murray’s clutch game-winner in their 5th game secured their spot in the West Conference Semi-finals and highlighted the Denver Nuggets’ resilience and determination to win it all again this year.

It took a lot of effort for the Nuggets to win the First Round over LeBron James and the Lakers. Despite winning four of their five games, their highest margin was only 11 points in Game 1. Games 2 and 5 were both won by one shot (2 points), each time by Murray.

For most of their series, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets for longer periods each game. However, the Nuggets ended up having more clutch points when the games were on the line in the fourth quarter. One of the most significant displays of this was at the end of Game 2 when Murray hit a buzzer-beating jump shot for a close win to avoid overtime.

The Nuggets currently have one of the best offenses in the NBA, and their defense has also proven to be strong. It’s fair to assume that all eyes will be on their next series against the Timberwolves, another powerful offensive and defensive team.