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Denver and Phoenix are headed to a second-round matchup, and Atlanta extended its season.
The Nuggets eliminated Minnesota in five games, the Suns eliminated the Los Angeles Clippers in five games — but Boston couldn't get it done, falling to the Hawks in Game 5 of their matchup. The Celtics are still up 3-2 in the series.
Denver-Phoenix is the first conference semifinal matchup to be locked in. Philadelphia is in the second round but is awaiting an opponent, and the other five spots in the NBA's Elite Eight remain unclaimed.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Three teams can clinch series Wednesday, all bringing 3-1 leads into road games.
In the East, fifth-seeded New York is at fourth-seeded Cleveland and eighth-seeded Miami is at top-seeded Milwaukee. In the West, the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers visit second-seeded Memphis.
There is also a Game 5 on Wednesday in the Golden State-Sacramento series, tied 2-2.
There is one game Thursday, with Boston taking a 3-2 lead into Atlanta. If all goes right, the Atlanta Falcons might make their NFL draft first-round pick around the end of the first quarter and the New England Patriots should pick around halftime.
HOW TO WATCH
— Wednesday’s Lakers-Memphis and Golden State-Sacramento games are on TNT. The New York-Cleveland and Miami-Milwaukee games are on NBA TV.
— Thursday's Boston-Atlanta game is on TNT.
— All those games will be available through local broadcasters.
— The NBA Finals on ABC begin June 1.
I'M SORRY, MS. JACKSON
Game 6 of Boston-Atlanta will put Janet Jackson on the bench.
The pop icon was scheduled to have concerts in Atlanta on Wednesday and Thursday. But, in a bit of nasty scheduling, Atlanta stretching its series to Thursday forced State Farm Arena to move Jackson's second show to Friday.
Someone ... shoulda known better.
THE NEXT ROUND
Phoenix will open the West semifinals at Denver on Saturday. Notable: After Game 2 on Monday, the teams don’t play again until Friday, May 5.
Philadelphia’s East semifinals against Boston or Atlanta starts Monday. The Celtics will open at home if they beat the Hawks; otherwise, the 76ers will host Game 1.
AWARD WINNERS
Another award came Tuesday, when Orlando's Paolo Banchero got 98 of 100 first-place votes for Rookie of the Year.
Still to come: The MVP award, going to either Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, Denver's Nikola Jokic or Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Other winners this season:
— April 17: Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. won defensive player of the year.
— April 18: De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento won the inaugural clutch player award.
— April 19: Sacramento's Mike Brown became the first unanimous coach of the year.
— April 20: Boston's Malcolm Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year.
— Monday: Utah's Lauri Markkanen was the easy winner of Most Improved Player.
RISING STEPH
Golden State’s Stephen Curry keeps climbing the postseason all-time scoring chart.
He was 20th entering the playoffs, and has passed Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Scottie Pippen and Dirk Nowitzki for 16th.
He should move up again Wednesday.
Curry has 3,696 playoff points. Next: No. 15 Magic Johnson, with 3,701, then No. 14 Hakeem Olajuwon, with 3,755.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Entering Wednesday, nine consecutive playoff games have been decided by single digits.
The last time that happened: 2011, spanning the end of the conference finals and most of the Dallas-Miami NBA Finals matchup.
QUOTABLE
“You take the two best players off of anybody’s team, they’re not going to win. I don’t care how you look at it. They’re not going to do it." — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, after his team — without injured Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — lost 4-1 to Phoenix.
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