The Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards and Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried their teams in the first round.
One conference semifinals matchup tips off Saturday in Denver between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Nuggets (7 ET, TNT).
But before stepping ahead for what’s sure to be one of the NBA’s most exciting series of the 2024 playoffs, let’s look back at the opening round and identify the five players who exhibited MVP-level performances in their respective series.
It’s worth noting the main parameter for inclusion on this list is a player’s team must still be alive in the playoffs.
Players are listed alphabetically:
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
First-round stats: 35.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 9 apg
Honorable mention: Josh Hart
Brunson shined even in losses during this series, dropping a 40 piece in Game 5 on the same night Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey poured in a playoff career-high 46 points. Brunson is just the second player in Knicks history to post three consecutive 40-point playoff games. He’s also the second player in NBA history to put together three or more consecutive games with 35-plus points and 10-plus assists in a single postseason series.
Hart, the second-leading scorer for New York in the series, took over late in the fourth quarter of Game 6, knocking down a clutch 3-pointer with 24 seconds left to put the Knicks up for good and send the 76ers on vacation.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
First-round stats: 29.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 9.5 apg
Honorable mention: Kyrie Irving
Luka Magic travels well. We witnessed as much in LA for Game 5 when Doncic posted his 20th career playoff game with 30-plus points to become the fifth player in NBA history with 20 or more such performances at age 25 or younger. The Dallas guard joined LeBron James (35 games), Kevin Durant (33), Kobe Bryant (32) and Jayson Tatum (24).
The backcourt duo of Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 58 points on 44.4% shooting in their Game 6 victory. Irving again earned the nickname ‘Closeout Kyrie’ in the series-clinching win, scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
First-round stats: 31 ppg, 8 rpg, 6.3 apg
Honorable mention: Karl-Anthony Towns
Edwards averaged a career-high 25.9 points in the regular season with 5.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds. The 22-year-old then cranked up his production in the first round. Against the Suns, Edwards averaged 31 points, 8 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2 steals in leading Minnesota’s sweep of veteran-laden Phoenix. Along the way, we saw some viral moments from a player TNT’s Charles Barkley called “a dog” (in a good way).
ANTHONY EDWARDS HAS ARRIVED! 🌟
🐜 40 PTS (31 in 2H)
🐜 9 REB
🐜 6 AST
🐜 7 3PMHUGE performance in a closeout Game 4 as the @Timberwolves advance to the West Semis! pic.twitter.com/DaC10GEagD
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2024
Towns had nothing but praise for his superstar teammate. Still, he deserves a shoutout, too, for his 19.3 ppg effort in the series shortly after returning from a one-month hiatus (knee).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
First-round stats: 27.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg
Honorable mention: Jalen Williams
A recent newlywed and new father, Gilgeous-Alexander produced a solid but lackluster (by his standards) showing in a first-round shredding of the New Orleans Pelicans. We saw the 25-year-old’s star power on full display in Game 2 when he scored 33 points on 68.4% shooting with two steals. Don’t be surprised to see the well-rested Gilgeous-Alexander rack up bigger numbers in the Western Conference semifinals.
Williams exceeded expectations for OKC in the opening round, averaging 21.3 points in four games against New Orleans. The second-year swingman turned heads before games even started with some eye-popping looks, too.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
First-round stats: 28.2 ppg, 16.2 rpg, 9.8 apg
Honorable mention: Jamal Murray
Jamal Murray splashed not one, but two game-winning buckets in Denver’s first-round series.
But Jokic, the reigning Finals MVP, showcased trademark reliability against the Lakers, averaging virtually a triple-double while turning up his production whenever needed. Jokic cobbled together two games with 25-plus points and 20-plus rebounds. But he faces Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert and the NBA’s top defense from the regular season in a playoff rematch against Minnesota.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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