The Thunder won Game 4 against the Mavericks on Saturday, but it may have come at a cost.
Kevin Durant's Flagrant 2 foul against Justin Anderson with 50 seconds remaining in the game could come with heavy repercussions, such as a suspension for Game 5 in Oklahoma City.
MORE: Must-see NBA playoff photos
The referees were quick to review the footage and determined Durant's blow to Anderson's head was worthy of an ejection.
"I texted (Anderson) and told him I wasn’t trying to hurt him," Durant said after the game. "It was a flagrant, even though I wan’t trying to hurt him. The refs made the right decision."
To add salt to the wound, Durant left the game with 19 points, the first time in 67 consecutive games he hadn't scored 20 points or more in a game.
Tweet of the night:
For the first time since 2002, the Hornets won a playoff game with a 96-80 win over the Heat. No one was more excited than Kemba Walker.
First playoff victory for @KembaWalker 🙌🏽 #EnterTheSwarm https://t.co/PCnP5ZcYTY
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 24, 2016
Studs of the night:
Enes Kanter came off the bench for the Thunder to score a game-high 28 points in the victory over the Mavericks. Kanter missed just once on 13 attempts from the floor and even drained all four of his free throws.
Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers to a 96-88 victory over the Clippers. Lillard was went 10 for 20 from the floor, including 3 of 8 from behind the arc, on his way to a game-high 32 points. The victory gave Portland a much-needed win and cut the series deficit to 2-1. In the same game, Portland center Mason Plumlee had 21 rebounds to become the first Trail Blazers player since Sam Bowie in 1985 to record 20 rebounds in a playoff game.
Duds of the night:
The Raptors' starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined to make just eight of their 27 shots (just 30.8 percent) for a measly 20 total points. DeRozan also had six turnovers to accompany his 8-point effort.
"I feel like the shots I'm personally taking, and DeMar is taking, they're shots we've made all year," Lowry told TNT. "They're shots I'm comfortable with taking, they're just not falling right now. But I'm not gonna shy away from taking them, and I feel like the same thing with DeMar."
Looking ahead:
Spurs at Grizzlies (SA 3-0), 1 p.m. ET, ABC: The Grizzlies have one last chance to take down the Spurs before they are swept out of the playoffs. They came close in Friday night's 96-87 loss, leading by one point going into the fourth quarter, but Kawhi Leonard's 13 points in the last 12 minutes put the game away for the Spurs. The Grizzlies will have to bring their A-game if they want to stick around.
Rockets at Warriors (GS 2-1), 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC: Stephen Curry should be back after Golden State came up short against the Rockets in Game 3. He is still listed as questionable with a sprained right ankle, but coach Steve Kerr said he expects Curry to be back on the court Sunday. Eyes will also be trained on James Harden, who should have been hit with a foul on his game-winning shot Thursday.
Hawks at Celtics (ATL 2-1), 6 p.m. ET, TNT: For the Hawks to maintain their lead in the series, they need to stop Isaiah Thomas in his tracks. Thomas posted a whopping 42 points over the Hawks in Boston's 111-103 win Friday night, which seemed to surprise the Hawks. Before the series heads back to Atlanta, the Hawks would like to secure a 3-1 cushion.
Cavaliers at Pistons (CLE 3-0), 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT: With a series sweep Sunday, the Cavaliers can hit the longest postseason winning streak over an opponent in league history. On the other hand, if the Pistons keep chipping away at the Cavaliers as they did Friday, they have a chance at becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit. With Kyrie Irving averaging 26.3 points so far this series and Kevin Love posting a double-double in each game, the Cavs could get a lengthy rest before the second round.