Live: NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs continue with the Sixers-Heat, Pelicans-Blazers, Wolves-Rockets and Jazz-Thunder doing battle.

BEN Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers took a 3-1 lead against Miami with a hard fought 106-102 win on Sunday.

Simmons became just the fifth rookie in history to record a playoff triple double.

The New Orleans Pelicans completed a clean sweep of their series against the Portland Trail Blazers with an eight-point win in game four.

James Harden and the Houston Rockets suffered their first loss of the playoffs, going down to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Houston now leads their series 2-1.

Aussies Joe Ingles played a pivotal role in helping the Utah Jazz claim the 2-1 series lead as he regained his shooting stroke from beyond the arc.

2.30pm

Joe Ingles torches Thunder defenders

In front of their raucous home crowd, the Utah Jazz made the Oklahoma City Thunder look second rate as they charged to the 115-102 game three win.

Jazz guard Ricky Rubio was the catalyst in the dominant victory as he finished with a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Aussie Joe Ingles endured a nightmare start to the series with Thunder star Paul George not giving him an inch of space.

Being held to a total of 16 points across the opening two games, Ingles bounced back in a big way back on his home floor.

Ending the contest with 21 points that included hitting five shots from beyond the arc.

jingled

jingled

jingled

jingled

jingled pic.twitter.com/7ekg7WUGMg — Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 22, 2018

Rookie Donovan Mitchell again showed his immense class by finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds.

A discumbobulated Thunder weren’t able to find any offensive rhythm as the Jazz’s defensive structure nullified every single look that was thrown their way.

Their key duo of Russell Westbrook and Paul George both struggled with their shot as they ended a combined 12-33 from the floor.

The win hands the Jazz the 2-1 series lead with game four set to take place on Tuesday, again in Utah.

Thunder getting lit up by the legend Joe Ingles — Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) April 22, 2018

Joe Ingles for President! — danny fortson (@dannyfortson) April 22, 2018

OKC's guards have been seriously abused by Utah's penetration during this run. Dribble penetration leaves Ingles wide open in the corner. This is like shelling peas https://t.co/24sFP2KrdD — Ben Mallis (@BenMallis) April 22, 2018

1pm

Simmons transforms in history-making show

Ben Simmons had the first playoff triple-double by a rookie in nearly 40 years, JJ Redick scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Miami Heat 106-102 to move within a victory of the second round.

The 76ers lead the Eastern Conference series 3-1 and can close out the Heat when play resumes in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Simmons became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to post a playoff triple-double — 17 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists. Joel Embiid finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia.

But the Aussie wasn’t getting caught up in the hype.

“It just means I’m doing my job,” he said after the match. “The stats I’ve averaged all season have been up there. It’s not really anything new for the team or myself.”

Teammate JJ Redick has noticed a change in Simmons during the playoffs — and it’s only a good thing for the Sixers.

“He’s very tough physically, but he’s even tougher mentally,” Redick said. “The last four games have been as vocal and demonstrative as I’ve seen him all season. He’s been fantastic.

“He’s coming out of his shell in regards to leadership and that’s huge for us.”

Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 25 points off the bench for the Heat, who led by 12 points in the second half before letting a game they almost certainly had to have slip away.

Wade carried the comeback effort, with the Heat down six and less than two minutes left. His three-point play cut the margin in half and his next two field goals got Miami within one each time.

The Heat got no closer.

Goran Dragic scored 20, James Johnson had 15 and Hassan Whiteside finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which now needs to pull off some history. The Heat have erased a 3-1 deficit only once, in 1997 against New York.

Miami held slim leads at the half — 2-0 in players who went to the locker room injured, 4-0 in stitches received, 61-56 on the scoreboard.

A wild scene was the story of the second quarter. Philadelphia’s Dario Saric was driving from the right wing and had his dribble knocked away by Justise Winslow, and four players wound up on the floor as they went for the loose ball. Josh Richardson took the worst of it, getting slammed into by Embiid. Richardson stayed down for more than a minute, eventually getting helped to his feet and to the Miami locker room.

Hardly anyone noticed.

All eyes were on the other end, where Dragic was shoved to the floor by Robert Covington. James Johnson — a black belt and MMA fighter — took exception and went toward Covington, so Simmons came in for a few words.

It wound up taking two referees, two Heat coaches and a few players to get everyone separated.

Winslow needed stitches to close a gash over his left eye. Richardson, his left shoulder bruised, came back for the second half. Simmons sent another message moments after the dust-up by drilling Wade.

Miami led by 12 in the third, but ceded control in a hurry. The Heat went five minutes without scoring, and Redick’s reverse layup with 9:01 left capped a 14-0 run that put Philadelphia up 87-83.

The 76ers wouldn’t trail again.

Ben Simmons notches his first postseason triple-double, joining some elite names among rookies to do so in the playoffs, according to @EliasSports. pic.twitter.com/wqINnYZjnp — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 21, 2018

Ben Simmons is a monster, man. — Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) April 21, 2018

Angry Ben Simmons is a rare beast to see, but it's fun https://t.co/R1I8NctMZ1 — Wil Reynolds (@wilreynolds) April 21, 2018

Love #MadBen



Ben Simmons lookin possessed



17 points, 12 rbs, 10 assists



First Sixer with triple double in playoffs since Charles Barkley 27 years ago#PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/8hSLiNR0tc — John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) April 21, 2018

Ben Simmons has consecutive games with at least 17 pts, 12 reb, 7 assists and 4 steals.



He’s the first player in at least the last 50 years with consecutive playoff games of 17, 12, 7 and 4. Or even with two in one postseason.



Only 4 others have done it twice in their career. — Reuben Frank (@RoobNBCS) April 22, 2018

— AP

12.50pm

Wolves put up a fight

Jimmy Butler hit four three-pointers among his 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns snapped back from a bad start to the series with 18 points and 16 rebounds, leading the Minnesota Timberwolves past the Houston Rockets 121-105 in Game 3 for their first postseason victory in 14 years.

Jeff Teague scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins pitched in 20 points with another four three-pointers, helping the Timberwolves match the fire-away Rockets from behind the arc and cruise down the stretch behind a 50 per cent shooting performance.

Derrick Rose added 17 points off the bench for the Wolves, who will try to even the series with a win in Game 4 on Tuesday.

James Harden led the way with 29 points, but Chris Paul fouled out with 17 points and the Rockets went just 15 for 41 from three-point range. The Rockets made four three-pointers on their last seven possessions of the first half to turn an 11-point deficit to just one in less than three minutes up until the break.

Butler twisted his left ankle during that stretch, causing some brief anxiety in the arena. He didn’t require, or accept, any medical attention and returned from the intermission without any hint that he was hurt. Taj Gibson hounded Harden and forced an airballed three-pointer, prompting the apex of the noise throughout the night with the Wolves ahead 77-70.

Towns powered his way past Ryan Anderson for a layup and a three-point play with 1:57 left in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 10 points, and he flexed his biceps to the crowd after the whistle in celebration.

The Wolves closed that period on a 26-14 run and produced spurts of 15-3 and 11-2 in the fourth quarter to let loose as their plan to push a faster pace played out perfectly against a Rockets team that lost some energy in the venue shift north.

Harden, who had 44 points in Game 1 but lost his rainbow jumper in Game 2 and finished only two for 18 from the floor for 12 points, wasn’t a whole lot sharper in Game 3. He went nine for 21, including three for eight from three-point range.

Instead, a Wolves team that finished last in the NBA in three-pointers made during the regular season, posted the second-highest total of 2017-18 while launching their way to a 15-for-27 performance.

— AP

10am

Pelicans out-muscle Portland

Anthony Davis scored 33 of his franchise playoff-record 47 points in the second half, and the New Orleans Pelicans completed a first-round playoff sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers with a 131-123 victory.

Jrue Holiday capped his 41-point performance with an 18-foot pull-up jumper that gave the Pelicans a six-point lead with 40 seconds left.

Rajon Rondo added 16 assists, and Davis also had 11 rebounds and three blocks for New Orleans, which is moving on to the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since the NBA returned to the city 16 seasons ago.

CJ McCollum scored 38 for the Trail Blazers, which responded to a blowout loss in Game 3 by keeping Game 4 close until the final minute.

Al-Farouq Aminu scored 27, Damian Lillard added 18 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.

— AP