NBA Playoffs Results, Takeaways: Wolves complete win over Suns, Jalen Brunson gives Knicks a 3-1 lead

The 2024 NBA Playoffs roared back into action on Sunday as eight teams competed in Game 4. The Mavericks staged the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history when they erased the Clippers' 31-point lead and briefly held the lead late in the fourth quarter. But that was all they could achieve. Paul George shined in the first half and finished with 33 points, James Harden added 33 and Los Angeles took a 116-11 win to tie the series at 2-2.

In Sunday's opening game, Jalen Brunson got the playoff party started, scoring 47 points to set a franchise playoff record as the Knicks cruised to a 97-92 victory in Philadelphia to take a commanding 3-1 lead secured by the Sixers.

With a 126-113 win over the Bucks, the Pacers put Milwaukee on the brink of elimination with a commanding 3-1 lead. Things got heated early when Bobby Portis found himself ejected after an argument with Andrew Nembhard.

In Sunday's finale, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves completed a victory over Kevin Durant and the Suns. It is Minnesota's first playoff series win in 20 years. Despite the head coach Chris Finch's sudden exit due to injurythe Timberwolves held on to win 122-116.

Here's a recap of the final results from Sunday's game, along with a few takeaways from the evening:

NBA Playoffs Results: Sunday, April 28

• Game 4: Knicks 97, 76ers 92 (NY leads 3-1) – Summary
• Game 4: Clippers 116, Mavericks 111 (Series tied 2-2) – Summary
• Game 4: Pacers 126, Bucks 113 (IND leads 3-1) – Recap
• Game 4: Timberwolves 122, Suns 116 (MIN wins series 4-0) – Summary

Takeaways from Sunday evening

Brunson's burner

As if Jalen Brunson could become even more of a legend in the Knicks world, he went out and set a franchise record with 47 points in Philly's Game 4 win on Sunday. That puts his team just one win away from the conference semifinals. The All-Star point guard hit 18 of 34 from the field, 9 of 11 from the free throw line and scored 24 points in the second half to lead the Knicks to victory.

After struggling early in the series, Brunson has clearly found his rhythm, and the 76ers will need to rethink their approach if they want to avoid elimination on Tuesday night.

Harden comes to the clutch

In a game that started out all about the Clippers, the Mavericks fought back from a 31-point deficit to take the lead by the end of Game 4 on Sunday. That is when James Harden decided to take controlscored 13 points in the final five minutes, almost entirely on floaters in the lane.

Harden has had many forgettable postseason moments throughout his Hall of Fame career, so standout performances like this stand out. Kawhi Leonard may not return in this seriestherefore, the Clippers will need a lot more production from Harden and Paul George if they want to survive in a tied series heading back to Los Angeles.

Short-handed dollars fall…short

The Bucks had a tough battle in their fourth game on Sunday as both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were sidelined due to injuries. Things got more complicated in the second quarter when Bobby Portis was ejected after an altercation with Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.

Milwaukee fought hard to keep the ball close, but eventually they ran out of gas despite 27 points and nine rebounds from Brook Lopez and 25 points and 10 rebounds from Khris Middleton. The Pacers are now just one win away from advancing to the second round. The status of Milwaukee's two best players is still unclear.

Edwards makes Wolves sweep

The Phoenix Suns have officially been sent packing. The Timberwolves became the first team to secure their ticket to the conference semifinals with an impressive win Sunday in Phoenix. Anthony Edwards was the story of the game, scoring 40 points, including 31 in the second half, while making spectacular plays on both ends.

It was the Timberwolves' first playoff series win in 20 years, and they will now play against the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Lakers series. Meanwhile, the Suns will have plenty of questions this offseason with a top-heavy roster was clearly not good enough to compete for a title.