BBNBA: Karl-Anthony Towns takes down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to secure playoff berth
Three teams with former Kentucky players vied for two playoff berths on Friday, as the Miami Heat took on the Chicago Bulls and the Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the latter game, Karl-Anthony Towns led his team to a victory over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s Thunder to win the 8th seed in the West.
Towns started off strong and never looked back. He scored his first 24 points in just 21 minutes of action en route to a game-high 28. He also grabbed 11 boards and rejected three shots.
Timberwolves fans received a scare in the first half when KAT appeared to jam his finger, but after a brief exit, he returned and resumed dominance. After blazing into the Play-In round with an aura more like a dumpster fire than a team on a heater, this game was a welcomed reignition for a pesky Minnesota team that will make things difficult for the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, it wasn’t his best game. The size of Minnesota’s defense gave him fits all night and he could never really get much going. To add injury to insult, he took a Rudy Gobert elbow to the eye that left a sizable cut on his face.
He ended up with 22 points and seven rebounds but don’t let one Play-In game defeat diminish his excellent season. SGA will either win or finish second for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, is a top-5 MVP candidate, and was named first-team All-NBA by ESPN. He finished 4th in the league in scoring with 31.6 points per game, and once Chet Holmgren gets healthy (and perhaps they acquire a little more talent), the sky is the limit for Quade Green’s former backup.
Bam Adebayo snags 17 rebounds, Heat snag win
In a much more competitive game, the Miami Heat bested the Chicago Bulls 102-91 to secure the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Heat were down in the 4th quarter but took the lead with just over two minutes left as part of a 15-1 run to close the game. Bam Adebayo came up with a big block with under a minute to play that put the nail in the proverbial coffin.
It wasn’t the best scoring night for Adebayo, as he mustered just eight points on 1-9 shooting from the field. However, the former Kentucky big man came away with 17 boards, four assists, a steal, and the aforementioned game-sealing block.
Similarly, his teammate, Tyler Herro, struggled from outside, missing all five of his 3-point attempts but messed around and nearly got a triple-double with 12 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
The Heat won the honor of facing the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs beginning Sunday.
Play-in Game Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | MIN | +/- |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 120-95 W vs. OKC | 28 | 11-16 (1-4) | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 29 | +19 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 95-120 L vs. MIN | 22 | 5-19 (0-1) | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 36 | -22 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 102-91 W vs. CHI | 12 | 5-12 (0-5) | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 39 | -3 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 102-91 W vs. CHI | 8 | 1-9 (0-0) | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 37 | +16 |
| Olivier Sarr (OKC) | 120-95 W vs. OKC | DNP-CD |
Today in the NBA Playoffs
1:00 (ESPN): Nets @ 76ers (Maxey)
3:30 (ESPN): Hawks @ Celtics
6:00 (ESPN): Knicks (Randle, Quickley) @ Cavaliers
8:30 (ABC): Warriors @ Kings (Fox, Monk, Lyles)
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