THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
April 14, 2022 - April 20, 2022 • 36
Sports Brown helps the Nets secure the No. 7 seed and a meeting with the Celtics By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
Pacers on Sunday. “We all love how Bruce has been playing lately,” said Durant after Friday’s game. In a COVID-19 vaccination The Nets had to have big efforts from Irving, commercial featuring Bruce Durant and Brown to hold off a talented Cavs Brown, the versatile Brookteam to avoid playing another game to earn a lyn Nets guard says “my game spot in the postseason. is not pretty,” a description of The Nets shot 71% in the first quarter and took his hard nosed play. “I dive for a 40-20 lead at the end of the period. By halfloose balls. I played the 5-man time they were up 57-43. Yet the Cavs, who face [center] last year when the the winner of last night’s Atlanta Hawks-Charteam needed me to. lotte Hornets Play-In game at home tomorrow, “I’ll literally do anything were down just 99-93 with 4:17 remaining in that the team needs me to do the game. The charge was led by their dynamout there on the floor.” And ic point guard Darius Garland, who tied Irving Brown has, providing grittifor a game-high 34 points. ness on defense and clutch Now the Nets will take on the No. 2 seed baskets. Leading into the Boston Celtics. The best-of-seven series Nets’ 115-108 Tuesday night could be determined by the availability of Play-In Tournament victory Nets forward Ben Simmons (back) and Celtover the Cleveland Cavaliers, ics center Robert Williams. Both defensive Brown’s contributions were specialists are out with injuries. needed for the Nets to lock Nets guard Bruce Brown has made key contributions to the team all season while the availability of “I know that team very well and they know in the No. 7 seed. us very well and it’ll be a back and forth,” said forward Ben Simmons for their upcoming series versus the Boston Celtics is uncertain (Bill Moore photos) The 25-year-old guard Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017who played his college ball at the Universi- ving’s team-high 34 points and Kevin Du- victory to keep the Nets in contention for the 19, “and once you throw that ball in the air, ty of Miami had 18 points, 9 rebounds and rant’s 25. On Friday, he scored 18 points with 7-seed they would secure. Brown followed you’re going to really see some spectacular 3 steals in 40 minutes to augment Kyrie Ir- 10 rebounds in 40 minutes in a 118-107 home up with 21 points and 7 rebounds against the basketball.”
April’s NBA Play-In Tournament has a feeling of March Madness By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor The celebration at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday night after the No. 7 seed Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the No. 8 seed Los Angeles Clippers 109-104 to secure a spot in the playoffs was reminiscent of an NCAA Final Final four triumph. Former Clipper Patrick Beverley, now the emotional leader of the Timberwolves, catalyzed the pomp and AM NEWS circumstance. 04/07/22 “Man, I wanted this one so bad,” said the spirited point guard. “This is just the icing on the cake, the cherry on top…I told you we were going to the playoffs…y’all looked at me like I was crazy when I first Two of the NBA’s best point guards went head-to-head last night (Wednesday) when LaMelo Ball’s said that. I f---ing told y’all.” The Wolves, despite a frustrat- Charlotte Hornets faced Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament game (Bill Moore photos) ing night from their best player, AM NEWS All-Star Karl Anthony Towns, who fouled out after playing only 24 min- fitting that the game had the feel of March of Georgia if he hadn’t decided04/14/22 to enter the utes and scoring 11 points, overcame a Madness. The Wolves’ leading scorer on draft after his freshman year. fourth quarter deficit to move on to face the night, 21-year-old guard Anothony EdIt was a wise choice as Edwards became the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies. It was wards, would be a junior at the University the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft and
was sensational in scoring a team-high 30 points. Twenty-six-year-old D’Angelo Russell, the No. 2 overall selection in 2015, added 29 impactful points for the young and rising squad. Tomorrow, the Clippers, who were paced by Paul George’s 34 points, will host the winner of last night’s game between the Western Conference’s No. 9 seed New Orleans Pelicans and the No. 10 seed San Antonio Spurs. Whichever team emerges victorious will be the West’s No. 8 seed and face the conference’s No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns in the opening round. Two of the NBA’s best point guards battled last night when Trae Young and the 01154 took on East’s No. 9 seed Atlanta Hawks AM NE LaMelo Ball and the No. 10 seed Charlotte 04/07/ 0 7 Hornets. 74470 Whoever came out of that game on 22784 top will travel to Cleveland to play the Cavaliers tomorrow with the winner of that game advancing to meet the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in the first round.
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