King Mountain, Once More

Of course, in theory, the Heat could still have staged a comeback.

But that possibility quietly disappeared when their undisputed star, Kawhi Leonard, left the game after playing 30 minutes and scoring 28 points.

In the end, the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Miami Heat without breaking a sweat in Game 6, winning the series 4–2 and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

They also became the first team this season to secure a spot in the conference finals.

All they had to do now was rest up and wait for the Celtics and Bucks to settle things on the other side of the bracket.

That same night, Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals—the King Mountain battle between the Nuggets and Warriors—also tipped off.

It was another thrilling showdown between evenly matched opponents.

The first half was a scoring duel between the two teams' shooting guards.

Jamal Murray struck first in the opening quarter, going 6-for-7 from the field, 3-for-3 from three, and 3-for-4 from the line to pour in 18 points. He helped the Nuggets take a 33–28 lead over the Warriors after the First Quarter.

Then, as the game moved into the Second Quarter, Klay Thompson gradually found his shooting touch and began putting on a scoring show of his own.

He went 5-for-6 in the quarter, including 4-for-4 from three, and made all three of his free throws to score 17 points.

One highlight in particular saw Klay catch the ball at the Top of the Key and, with Jokic guarding him, rise up and bury a ridiculously deep three.

That kind of scorching output, so characteristic of Klay Thompson, helped the Golden State Warriors retake the lead in the Second Quarter.

By halftime, the Warriors had pulled ahead 71–68, giving them a three-point lead.

Three points