April 25th NBA Game Boxscore Breakdowns

The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first round in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The Magic bounced back after two subpar performances. Orlando grabbed the lead and never looked back the rest of the way. It was a dominant effort for the Magic en route to a 38-point win. The Magic shot 51.1 percent from the field, compared to Cleveland making just 39 percent of its field goals. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with a 31-point, 14-rebound double-double. Jalen Suggs posted 24 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Franz Wagner delivered 16 points and eight assists. Jarrett Allen finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Donovan Mitchell had 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Caris LeVert had 15 points off the bench.

The Knicks clawed their way to a three-point lead through the first two quarters, but the 76ers outscored them by a 43-27 margin in the third quarter, changing the dynamic of the game for good. Both teams shot particularly well, but Philadelphia drained 54.7 percent, including 48.4 percent from behind the arc. The hosts also took 33 free-throw attempts to just 19 for the visitors, and they were also more efficient by outshooting New York from the charity stripe, 84.8 percent - 68.4 percent. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a 39-point, 13-assist double-double that also included two rebounds. Josh Hart delivered 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and one steal. OG Anunoby furnished 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Isaiah Hartenstein totaled 14 points, four rebounds and one assist. Joel Embiid paced the 76ers with 50 points, supplementing them with eight rebounds, four assists and one block. Tyrese Maxey supplied 25 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. Kelly Oubre recorded 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Cameron Payne netted 11 points.

There was a 27-point swing in this game, with LA blowing a double-digit lead for the third time in this series. Denver rode a 34-22 third quarter to their win, maintaining the lead for the closing 20 minutes. The Nuggets out-rebounded the Lakers, 55-45. Denver also shot 86 percent from the free-throw line (19-of-22) while holding LA to 71 percent from the charity stripe (12-of-17). Aaron Gordon led Denver with 29 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. Nikola Jokic tallied 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. Jamal Murray had 22 points, five rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr amassed 20 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Anthony Davis led LA with 33 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. LeBron James collected 26 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Austin Reaves provided 22 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals.