By R.L. Bynum
With Cameron Johnson’s best game of his playoff-debut series, the Phoenix Suns advanced Thursday and he joined the Philadelphia 76ers’ Danny Green in the second round.
While the NBA playoffs are all new for Johnson, Green is seeking his third consecutive NBA title and fourth overall.
Johnson scored in double figures for the third time in the series with 10 points as the Suns won on the road 113–110 Thursday to eliminate the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the series 4–1.
Johnson had two 3-pointers for the third time in the series and contributed two assists, one steal and two steals for a series-high 12.3 game score. He had 11 points in a Game 5 victory and 10 in the Game 1 victory.
Game 1 of the Suns’ second-round series with Denver starts Monday in Phoenix.
While Green’s team last year, the Lakers, are done, he continues pursuit of his third NBA title in three seasons with three teams. Green, who won a title with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, helped the Toronto Raptors win the 2019 title and the Lakers win the 2020 championship.
Green was steady in Philadelphia’s 4–1 series victory over the Washington Wizards, scoring in double figures in three of the four victories, topped by a 15-point, five-3-pointer effort in Game 3 with a series-high 13.6 game score.
Philadelphia opens their second-round series with Atlanta on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ABC.
What sports are on TV?
Get a daily rundown of the TV sports offerings, catered to Triangle viewers, at Triangle Sports TV Schedule. Unlike some newspaper listings, you won’t see TBAs or choices of what game you might get. Bookmark it and check out the schedule every day: trianglesportstvschedule.wordpress.com
Other than Green, the only other UNC alum who starts and made the playoffs was Reggie Bullock, whose New York Knicks fell to the Atlanta Hawks in five games. Theo Pinson didn’t play in the series for New York.
Bullock scored in double figures in three games, with 15 points in the Knicks’ Game 2 win, 11 in the Game 3 loss and 12 in the Game 5 loss, but was held scoreless in Sunday’s Game 4 defeat. He was only held scoreless once during the regular season. That Game 2 effort, which included four 3-pointers and four rebounds, his best game score of the series at 12.1.
Nassir Little played sparingly as his Portland Trail Blazers lost to the Denver Nuggets in six games. Little played 31 seconds in Denver’s clinching 126–115 Thursday win in Portland. Little only played in three games, scoring three in four minutes in Game 2 and two points in five minutes in Game 4.
The Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in four games but Justin Jackson was only active for Game 4, getting no statistics in 68 seconds.
How Tar Heels did in first round
Reggie Bullock, New York Knicks guard/forward
Lost series to Atlanta Hawks 4–1
Game 1: 107–105 May 23 home loss — Started; 19 minutes, 6 points, 3–9 FG, 0–5 3FG, 3 rebounds, -14, 2.2 game score
Game 2: 101–92 May 26 home win — Started: 31 minutes, 15 points, 5–8 FG, 4–7 3FG, 1–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +13, 12.1 game score
Game 3: 105–94 May 28 road loss — Started; 38 minutes, 11 points, 3–8 FG, 2–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, -6, 8.8 game score
Game 4: 113–96 Sunday loss — Started; 34 minutes, 0 points, 0–4 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, -16, -2.0 game score
Game 5: 103–89 Wednesday loss — Started; 40 minutes, 12 points, 4–10 FG, 4–8 3FG, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, -12, 7.8 game score
Series totals — 5 games, 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 38.5FG%, 34.5%3P, 80.0FT%
Regular-season statistics — 63 games, 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 43.7FG%, 40.3%3P, 90.9FT%
Up next — Season over
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Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers forward
Won series with Washington Wizards 4–1
Game 1: 125–118 May 23 home win — Started; 31 minutes, 11 points, 4–6 FG, 3–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, +15, 12.1 game score
Game 2: 120–95 May 26 home win — Started; 22 minutes, 5 points, 2–3 FG, 1–2 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, +8, 5.7 game score
Game 3: 132–103 May 29 road win — Started; 26 minutes, 15 points, 5–9 FG, 5–9 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, +32, 13.6 game score
Game 4: 122–114 Monday road loss — Started; 31 minutes, 11 points, 4–10 FG, 3–8 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, -7, 8.7 game score
Game 5: 129–112 Wednesday home win — Started; 29 minutes, 5 points, 2–7 FG, 1–5 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals, +12, 5.5 game score
Series totals — 5 games, 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 48.6FG%, 46.4%3P, no free-throw attempts
Regular-season statistics — 69 games, 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 41.2FG%, 40.5%3P, 77.5FT%
Up next — Game 1, second-round series with Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, 1 p.m., ABC
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Justin Jackson, Milwaukee Bucks forward
Won first-round series with Miami Heat 4-0
Jackson played 68 seconds in Game 4, with no statistics
Regular-season statistics — 34 games, 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 40.3FG%, 30.8%3P, 83.3FT%
Up next — Game 1, second-round series vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, TNT
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Cameron Johnson, Phoenix Suns wing
Won series with Los Angeles Lakers 4–2
Game 1: 99–90 May 23 home win — 23 minutes, 10 points, 3–7 FG, 2–5 3FG, 2–2FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 turnover, -6, 10.2 game score
Game 2: 109–102 May 25 home loss — 27 minutes, 6 points, 2–4 FG, 2–4 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, -5, 5.2 game score
Game 3: 109–95 May 27 road loss — 17 minutes, 6 points, 1–6 FG, 1–4 3FG, 3–3FT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, -8, 2.1 game score
Game 4: 100–92 Sunday road win — 20 minutes, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–4 3FG, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, +4, 1.6 game score
Game 5: 115–85 Tuesday home win — 13 minutes, 11 points, 2–4 FG, 1–2 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +11, 9.5 game score
Game 6: 113–100 Thursday road win — 20 minutes, 10 points, 2–3 FG, 2–3 3FG, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +18, 12.3 game score
Series totals — 6 games, 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 of an assist, 40.0FG%, 40.9%3P, 93.8 FT%
Regular-season statistics — 60 games, 9.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 42.0FG%, 34.9%3P, 84.7FT%
Up next — Game 1 Monday vs. Denver, time to be determined, TNT
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Nassir Little, Portland Blazers forward/guard
Lost series to Denver Nuggets 4–2
Game 1: 123–109 May 22 road win — Didn’t play
Game 2: 128–109 May 24 road loss — 4 minutes, 3 points, 1–2 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1 turnover, +2, 1.0 game score
Game 3: 120–115 May 27 home loss — Didn’t play
Game 4: 115–95 Saturday home win — 5 minutes, 2 points, 0–2 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–4 FT, 1 rebound, 1 block, -3, 0.8 game score
Game 5: 147–140 two-overtime Tuesday road loss — Didn’t play
Game 6: 126–115 Thursday home loss — 31 seconds, no statistics
Series totals — 3 games, 1.7 points, 0.3 of a rebound, 0 assists, 25.5%FG, 25.0%3FG, 2–4 FT
Regular-season statistics — 48 games, 4.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.5 of an assist, 46.7%FG, 35.0%3P, 80.0FT%
Up next — Season over
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Theo Pinson, New York Knicks guard/forward
Lost series to Atlanta Hawks 4–1
Didn’t played
Regular-season statistics — 17 games, 2 points, 1–9 FG, 0–8 3FG, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Up next — Season over
What is a game score? Here is an exclamation.
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