Top NBA Playoff Performers – April 16

With the first four NBA playoff games finishing on Saturday, it’s time to start looking at who played the best for their respective teams. Below, we will take a look at a few players who performed at the highest level on Saturday.

Raptors vs Sixers

Tyrese Maxey – What Tyrese Maxey was able to do for this Philadelphia 76ers team is irreplaceable. He finished the night carrying both James Harden and Joel Embiid as he led the game with 38 points and did so while being efficient.

Tobias Harris – With all the talk about Tobias Harris possibly being traded in the offseason if Philadelphia doesn’t find success in the playoffs, the last guy that is going to be traded is Tobias Harris, if he can keep playing like this. He finished with 26 points and did so by shooting 9-14 from the field.

Scottie Barnes – Unfortunately, Scottie Barnes went down with an injury in the later stages of the game, but it is now reported that the MRI came back negative, which is great news for this Raptors team. Prior to his injury, he had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

Jazz vs Mavericks

Rudy Gobert – Although Rudy Gobert only finished the night with five points, what he was able to do on the defensive side of the ball and grabbing rebounds certainly cannot be overlooked. For some odd reason, he only took one shot in this game, but still did many of the little things right. Gobert had three blocks and 17 rebounds.

Donovan Mitchell – Donovan Mitchell wasn’t efficient on Saturday as he shot 10-29 from the field, but he was still able to lead the game in scoring with 32 points. He started to find his stoke in the second half, which is exactly what this Jazz team needs. They have had some troubles closing games out in the fourth quarter, so Mitchell needs to be that guy who can step up.

Bogdan Bogdanovic – Bogdan Bogdanovic might’ve been the most important player on the court for Utah outside of Rudy Gobert on Saturday. Utah kept putting him in a mismatch down low as he was able to shoot over smaller defenders all night. He finished shooting over 50% from the field and scored 26 points.

Jalen Brunson – Jalen Brunson has stepped up for this Dallas Mavericks team all season, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough on Saturday. He ended the night with 24 points, but didn’t have a great night from the field as he shot 9-24.

Grizzlies vs Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards – In Anthony Edward’s first-ever playoff game, what he was able to do is nothing short of impressive. He finished the night with 36 points and did so by shooting over 50% from the field.

Karl Anthony Towns – Karl-Anthony-Towns has been waiting for an NBA Playoff moment his entire career, and now that he finally has a chance to show his talent in the playoffs, he went out and dropped 29 points while shooting 11-18 from the field.

Ja Morant – Although Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies lost this game, he certainly wasn’t the reason why. Morant finished the night with 32 points and was able to get to the free-throw line 20 times.

Dillon Brooks – Considering the Memphis Grizzlies don’t have a second star, they’re going to have to rely on guys like Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane to come through for them. Brooks did exactly that on Saturday as he finished with 24 points and shot 50% from the field

Warriors vs Nuggets

Draymond Green – When looking at the stat sheet, Draymond Green isn’t going to be somebody that always stands out. However, the little things that he does on the court are irreplaceable for this Golden State Warriors team. He finished with 12 points, nine assists, and three blocks. He was also a team-high plus-21 in the +/- category.

Andrew Wiggins – Andrew Wiggins has been facing some adversity ever since the All-Star break as he hasn’t performed the same way that he did prior to the All-Star Game. Although he struggled for the second half of the season, Wiggins was able to come out in the first game of the series and do exactly what he needs to do for this Warriors team. He guards at the highest of levels and also dropped 16 points.

Jordan Poole – What Jordan Poole was able to do on Saturday was simply mind-blowing. He finished the night with 30 points and did so while only missing four shots. If he’s going to continue playing like this for Golden State, they have to feel extremely confident about what they will be able to do in the remainder of the playoffs.

The next four games of the NBA Playoffs will take place on Sunday.