Four stars from Monday's NBA playoffs
One playoff game ended almost before it started. Another came down to the wire. Let's look at the standout performance from Monday's playoff action.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen | 14 points, 12 rebounds, 6 steals
The Cavaliers' center was a huge part of a defensive effort that held the Miami Heat to 33 first-half points, notching a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and getting six steals. Allen had a perfect shooting night, going 5-of-5 from the field and making all four of his free throws. Of course, it helps when some of those shots are breakaway dunks.
Allen's statistics would look more impressive had he played more than 25 minutes. In those 25 minutes, the Cavs outscored the Heat by 42 points, which is why Allen got to stop work early in what ended up a 138-83 victory. He's earned that rest, and the extra rest his team will get from sweeping their first series.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler | 27 points, 6 assists, 12-12 FT
There was some doubt that Butler could even play after the pelvic contusion he suffered in Game 2, which kept him out of Game 3. He ended up playing 40 minutes, scoring the Warriors' last seven points and 11 of their last 14.
Butler wasn't moving all that comfortably, but that didn't stop him from putting up 14 points in the final quarter and grabbing the game-sealing rebound after Draymond Green forced an Alperen Sengun miss in the final seconds.
Butler showed a ton of heart and didn't miss a free throw on a night where the Rockets missed 12 of them. Arguably, his confrontation with Dillon Brooks in the second quarter lit a fire under Butler, who had taken very few shots before them. You don't want to wake up "Playoff Jimmy."
Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet | 25 points, 6 assists, 8 3PM
The Rockets' point guard was 6-of-29 on three-pointers in the first three games of the Warriors series. He hit eight threes in Game 4 alone, while the rest of his teammates combined for three.
VanVleet tied the game with 1:20 to go with his eighth three-pointer, but his desperation three-pointer at the buzzer missed as the Rockets fell to the Golden State Warriors, 109-106. Still, VanVleet's ability to create offense outside the arc, as well as find his teammates, was the biggest factor in the Rockets ability to score with the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski | 26 points, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Jimmy Butler was still slowed by an injury. Stephen Curry got only 13 field goal attempts thanks to a relentless Rockets defense forcing the ball out of his hands. So the Warriors' second-year guard had to step up, scoring 26 points and going 6-for-11 from behind the arc.
Podziemski did the little things along with getting buckets. He grabbed four offensive rebounds. He drew a charge on Tari Eason. With just over two minutes left and the Warriors clinging to a one-point lead, Podziemski blocked VanVleet's lone two-point attempt of the game.
Curry, Butler and Green get the headlines, but Podziemski is making a name for himself as the Warriors come one game away from advancing to the second round.
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