As the first round of the NBA playoffs begins to wrap up, one all-star led his team to a sweep, but several other former Blue Devils are still locked in tight series and playing major roles.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
In the Cavaliers’ 4-game sweep of the Detroit Pistons, Irving played a critical role—leading his team in scoring in both Games 3 and 4. He averaged 28.5 points and 4.5 assists during the final two games of the series and committed just four total turnovers despite being his team’s primary ball handler and playing at least 39 minutes in each of the two games. The 6-foot-3 point guard shot 7-of-17 from beyond the arc in Detroit—including a half-court shot to end the third quarter of Game 4, putting his team in front heading into the final 12 minutes.
If that were not enough, Irving stayed clutch down the stretch of what would be the series’ final game. He hit a 3-pointer with less than a minute left to stake his team to a 4-point lead, and when Detroit guard Reggie Jackson hoisted up a potential game-winning triple at the buzzer, Irving contested it well, causing the final shot of the first-round series to come up well short.
Mason Plumlee, Portland Trailblazers
Although Plumlee's offensive output dropped off after a 17-point Game 2 performance—the third-year center scored just eight combined points in Games 3 and 4—Plumlee has impressed in terms of his other stats. The Warsaw, Ind., native recorded 21 rebounds and nine assists Saturday and followed that up with a double-double Monday night, tallying 14 boards, 10 helpers and three blocks.
Plumlee may not have scored much in front of his home fans, but one of his three made field goals in the last two games was an athletic putback reverse dunk in the third quarter of Game 3.
It was not the first time Plumlee converted an offensive rebound in style, as the play brought to mind his putback against Maryland as a senior at Duke for many Blue Devil fans.
The Clippers took an early 2-0 series lead, but the Trail Blazers turned the series around back home in Portland. Their ball movement could prove to be key in a series that is suddenly wide open, as Los Angeles guard Chris Paul and forward Blake Griffin—both All-Stars—will likely be out for extended periods of time with injuries.
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
Speaking of the Clippers, Redick will need to take on a much bigger role moving forward, increasing his scoring load in order to replace Paul and Griffin. After scoring 17 points in each of the first two games of the first-round series, he combined for just 13 in Games 3 and 4. His 3-point percentage—typically a strength of his game—is at just 30.4 percent for the entire series, and he has knocked down just three triples in the last two contests. Redick has the experience to be a leader in his 10th season, and his team will need him for the rest of the postseason if it hopes to get out of the first round and potentially earn a crack at the top-seeded Golden State Warriors.
Justise Winslow, Miami Heat
In his first career playoff series, Winslow has yet to dazzle—shooting 4-of-15 from the field and 1-of-9 from long range in Miami’s last two games. Winslow’s minutes have dropped since the series shifted to Charlotte, and the rookie forward averaged just 6.0 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game in Games 3 and 4.
Luol Deng, Miami Heat
Even as a grizzled veteran, Deng is still racking up the points and has been a significant offensive factor for the Heat so far. In Saturday’s loss against the Hornets, Deng finished with 19 points—including five made 3-pointers—and he followed that up with a perfect 5-of-5 mark from the free-throw line on Monday night. He is averaging 7.5 rebounds in Miami’s last two games despite Charlotte taking the last two from the Heat as the series heads back to Miami tied at two games apiece.
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Twitter: @mpgladstone13
A junior from just outside Philadelphia, Mitchell is probably reminding you how the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year and that the Phillies are definitely on the rebound. Outside of The Chronicle, he majors in Economics, minors in Statistics and is working toward the PJMS certificate, in addition to playing trombone in the Duke University Marching Band. And if you're getting him a sandwich with beef and cheese outside the state of Pennsylvania, you best not call it a "Philly cheesesteak."