Monday night features a pair of Game fives, one in each conference. Philadelphia is in Boston tonight tied at two victories apiece. Oklahoma City can eliminate the Lakers with a victory at home tonight.
Here are some points to keep in mind. Don't forget to enter your pick for the Bucks Playoff Pick 'em for your chance to win.
Philadelphia at Boston (2-2)
- The home team has won 77% of all Game Fives when a best-of-seven series is tied at 2-2. (124-38)
- The team that wins Game Five when the series is tied 2-2 has won 83% of those series. (135-27)
- Philadelphia has lost nine straight Game Fives. The last victory came in 2001 in the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Bucks.
- Philadelphia’s bench has out-scored Boston’s reserves by 32 points in each of the last two games.
- Paul Pierce has a career Playoff high of 46 points. That came against Philadelphia Game Five back in 2001-02, in the fifth game of a best-of-five opening series.
- Andre Igoudala is hitting 60% of his 3-point shots in this series. (9-15)
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City (3-1 OKC)
- Teams with a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series have won 200 of 208 series.
- The Lakers are 1-15 all-time when trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven series. Los Angeles has lost 10 of its last 12 Game Fives when trailing 3-1.
- Kobe Bryant has scored 35 or more points in the last two games against the Thunder. His 38 career Playoff games with 35-plus are the most among active players.
- Ramon Sessions is playing in his first NBA Playoffs. After starting slowly, he is picking things up, scoring 22 points in his last two games on 50% shooting.
- After blocking 5 shots in Game Four, Serge Ibaka has 24 games (regular and postseason) with 4 or more blocks. Washington’s JaVale McGee is second with 7.
(Information from Stats Inc., Elias and NBA.com/stats)