BBNBA: Bam and Herro lose to injured Hawks, P.J. and Hornets now two games out of 7-seed

It was an action-packed Friday night in the NBA, with former Wildcats playing key roles for playoff teams. Here’s that and more from last night.

RECAP

ADEBAYO AND HERRO FALL TO SHORT-HANDED HAWKS 118-103

In a game where Trae Young was out for the Hawks with a left ankle sprain, Bam Adebayo and the Heat could not take advantage of the injured Hawks and climb out of the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. Adebayo contributed 16 points along with three steals, three rebounds, five assists, and a block, but also turned the ball over five times. Kendrick Nunn was the leading scorer with 21, while Jimmy Butler was right behind him with 19 points and three steals as well. Miami struggled to be consistent from beyond the arc, shooting 35 percent, while 3-point shooters like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro went a combined 4-15 from deep.

Jimmy Butler: "We're actually really consistently inconsistent, if you really want to be honest."

— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) April 24, 2021

The Hawks have had a complete turnaround after starting 14-20 under former head coach Lloyd Pierce, now sitting six games above .500, tied for the fourth seed with the Knicks. Bogdan Bogdanovic led the Hawks, scoring 21 points along with dishing out eight assists, while John Collins shot almost 65 percent from the field, adding 20 points in 32 minutes. Guard Kevin Huerter scored only 11 but managed to steal the ball FIVE times, along with six assists.

The Atlanta Hawks are now 19-7 under Nate McMillan.

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 24, 2021

P.J. WASHINGTON’S HORNETS HANDLE CAVALIERS AT HOME, STRENGTHEN GRIP ON 8^TH SEED

With a 108-102 victory over the Cavaliers, the Hornets continue to place in the Eastern Conference, as P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges, and Terry Rozier all scored 25 points on Friday. However, the high-flying Bridges was the one to continue his excellent output from the last month, hitting a three to put the game out of reach in the fourth. Bridges also added 10 rebounds and two steals, while Washington grabbed five rebounds along with a steal and block on the defensive end.

Miles Bridges. Clutch ❄️ pic.twitter.com/k2xFVRm7Np

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 24, 2021

Cleveland struggled outside of their famed backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, who led the way with 28 and 27 points, respectively. The next highest scorer was the acquisition from the Nets, Jarrett Allen, who scored 15 points while grabbing nine rebounds. The Hornets, who are sitting as the 8^th seed with a 29-30 record, now look to move up the standings, with 10 of their last 14 games at home, with rookie LaMelo Ball slated to return sometime in the next week.

🐝 25 for @MilesBridges
🐝 25 for @T_Rozzay3
🐝 25 for @PJWashington @hornets trio leads the way. #AllFly pic.twitter.com/Xncd24beXl

— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2021

STEPH CONTINUES TO SHIFT MVP DEBATE, DEFEATS #1 MVP CANDIDATE

Stephen Wardell Curry continues his dominance in the month of April, defeating the top MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and Denver 118-97, extending the Warriors’ home record to 18-10. Leading both teams in scoring with 32 points, Steph shot over 60 percent from the field, and was +27 in 34 minutes, while also grabbing eight rebounds. Draymond Green had an unusual double-double with 12 rebounds, and career-high 19 assists while scoring only two points. Steph never let the Nuggets get close in the fourth, especially after this circus shot.

STEPH IS A CHEAT CODE 🎮 pic.twitter.com/Wg8LgACwU7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 24, 2021

Against MVP Candidates, Curry is now 3-2, while averaging 38 points on 54/48/95 shooting splits. One of those MVP candidates, Jokic, scored only 19 points, to go along with six rebounds and six assists. Shooting 0-3 from beyond the arc, Jokic could not compete with the Warriors shooting advantage as the Nuggets shot only 38 percent from the field, and 28 percent from the 3-point line as a team.

Michael Porter Jr. led the team in scoring with 26, hitting seven 3s and picking up for Jamal Murray who is out for the season with an ACL tear. The Nuggets now host the worst team in the league, the Houston Rockets, while Curry faces the Sacramento Kings, who are missing De’Aaron Fox, out 10-14 days due to health and safety protocols.

Steph's April stats 😳 pic.twitter.com/AQYqjxRg8D

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 24, 2021

Here are the full stats from last night:

[table id=762 /]

TONIGHT IN THE NBA

1:00 – Raptors at Knicks (Randle, Quickley, Noel, Knox)

3:30 – 76ers (Maxey) at Bucks

7:00 – Pistons (Diallo) at Pacers

8:00 – Bulls at Heat (Adebayo, Heat)

8:00 – Spurs (Johnson, Lyles) at Pelicans (Bledsoe, Gabriel)

8:30 – Lakers (Davis) at Mavericks (Cauley-Stein)

9:00 – Timberwolves (Towns, Vanderbilt) at Jazz

10:00 – Rockets (Wall) at Nuggets