Which team has the best player, to this day, still marks a proverbial rule of thumb among NBA personnel in determining which team will win a playoff series. And yet, front offices and coaching staffs consider every seventh and eighth man, every potential bench unit, in order to defeat whichever foe they see in each round of the postseason. For that, here are seven under-the-radar difference-makers for seven championship hopefuls in these playoffs.
Trey Murphy III scored 32 points, Brandon Ingram had 32 points and 13 assists, and the New Orleans Pelicans never trailed in a 131-110 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jamal Murray sparked Denver early by scoring 13 of his 18 points in the first quarter, and the Nuggets led by as many as 43 in cruising to a 122-91 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.