# 2024 NBA Playoffs **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [April 15, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297 "2024-04-15T00:39:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/141 "2024-05-15T01:51:46Z")
My Pacers are getting their ears pinned back tonight. Down 20 in the third. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/142 "2024-05-15T11:58:13Z")
As expected, the Wolves blew it again last night. Edwards was apparently either “tired” again or the Nuggets defense shut him down and McDaniels hasn’t been a factor in any of these games. We didn’t watch because of the airing time. They have little to no chance of coming back from 3-2, but weirder things have happened. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/143 "2024-05-15T12:03:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > They have little to no chance of coming back from 3-2, but weirder things have happened. Coming back from being down 3-2 is not all that rare, but I imagine doing it after blowing it three times in a row is a lot harder. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/144 "2024-05-15T12:49:54Z")
Jokic was unstoppable last night. When he plays like that, Denver is damn near unbeatable. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2024, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/145 "2024-05-15T13:38:20Z")
Yeah, the guy is a monster. I have to say that Gobert had a good night for a change, but also that Towns is overrated as a player. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/146 "2024-05-17T06:28:44Z")
Quite a series. Blowout after blowout…but alternated. Wolves just smacked the McNuggets by 45 points. And yet it’s entirely possibly Joker and Co. will beat them by 30 in Denver in Game Seven, too. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/147 "2024-05-17T10:28:17Z")
Yes, quite a series of blowouts. According to my abbreviated notes these are the scores. **M106-99** — closest game, 7 point differential **M106-80** — 26 **D117-90** — 27 **D115-107** — 8 **D112-97** — 15 **M115-79** — 36 Games 3 and 4 were road blowouts, where the road team won big. Each team has won big on the road. Game 7 is on Sunday and should be very interesting! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/148 "2024-05-17T11:52:02Z")
Actually, game six was a 45 point massacre (115-70). MN’s defense was merciless and suffocating. Glad to see them show some energy and cohesion again. I hope Sunday’s game is on at a decent hour, as it should be a real war. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/149 "2024-05-17T13:00:53Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I hope Sunday’s game is on at a decent hour The time, according to ESPN, is still TBD. But the Knicks/Pacers game is at 3:30 ET, so the Nuggets/Wolves game will be sometime Sunday evening. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/150 "2024-05-17T13:12:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Quite a series. Blowout after blowout…but alternated. Has anybody seen a stat regarding largest overall point margin in a series? This has to be a record right? Typically if you have a few blowouts is a lopsided, and thus short, series. But this is just blowouts back and forth. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/151 "2024-05-17T13:27:26Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Has anybody seen a stat regarding largest overall point margin in a series? The total points in this series for each team are Wolves 621 and Nuggets 593, which is a total difference of 28 points. But the difference in points for each game is 7, 26, 27, 8, 15, 45, which is a total of 128 points. I don’t know if that stat is readily available, but if it is, this series has to rank high on the list. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/152 "2024-05-17T13:52:35Z")
Apparently the biggest point spreads in a playoff game were by the Nuggets, who beat NOLA in 2009 by 58 points, and the Minnesota Lakers in 1959, who beat St. Louis by the same margin. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/153 "2024-05-17T14:23:42Z")
Typo fixed! 115-70 not 117-79. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/154 "2024-05-17T15:05:49Z")
As I mentioned, the total margin of difference thus far in the series is 128 points. That’s an average margin of difference of 21.33 points each game. In a series in which each team has won 3 games, that’s a remarkable stat. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/155 "2024-05-17T19:04:12Z")
In 2009, in the Western Conference 1st round, the Nuggets beat the Hornets 4-1. The average margin of difference was 25 points over the 5 games. That included a game that the Hornets won by 2 points, but also a game the Nuggets won by 58. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/156 "2024-05-17T19:06:50Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > That included a game that the Hornets won by 2 points, but also a game the Nuggets won by 58. As I noted above. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/157 "2024-05-17T20:01:32Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The average margin of difference was 25 points over the 5 games. While that is a huge margin of difference, it occurred in a blowout (4-1) series. Nuggets/Wolves will be a 7 game series, which assumes two evenly-matched teams, which assumes close games. Not this year, however. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/158 "2024-05-18T03:35:06Z")
I used to think Spike Lee was the most obnoxious Knicks fan in the world, but Stephen A. Smith takes the cake. GOD, show some objectivity. Pacers force Game 7! Let’s do this thing! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2024, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/159 "2024-05-18T06:21:01Z")
I have no preference except that I want the team that is best capable of toppling Boston to advance. In other news, it’s looking probable that the Mavs could have to share American Airlines Center with the Stars (Mavs in NBA conference finals, Stars in NHL conference finals) at roughly the same time in the next weeks. That would be logistically hectic. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2024, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297/160 "2024-05-19T11:08:29Z")
The Mavericks came back from down 17 in the third quarter to close out the Thunder and advance to the Western Conference Finals, and Kyrie Irving improved to 14-0 lifetime in closeout games. Two Game 7s today: Pacers/Knicks; Timberwolves/Nuggets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2024-nba-playoffs/1000297.md?page=9)