Rarely can a single play in the third quarter drastically impact the outcome of a playoff game, but a shot by Max Strus in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics might have been an exception. At the 11:04 mark in the third quarter, Max Strus sank a 3-pointer that cut a deficit that had once gotten as high as 17 down to two. Nearly three minutes later, with Robert Williams III about to take a free throw, an announcement could be heard in the background.

The modern NBA is remarkably impatient. Superstar pairings routinely give up on one another after only a few years. The Boston Celtics know this well, as Kyrie Irving abandoned them after only his second year with the team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been together for five years now. The first four ended in playoff disappointment. This one didn't get off to a promising start.

The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals. For the sixth time in eight years and the first time since 2019, the Warriors won the Western Conference. This time, they ousted the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic in five games, closing out the West finals on Thursday night in San Francisco. The 2022 NBA Finals start Thursday, June 2.

The Phoenix Suns were gutted by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 on Sunday, trailing by as many as 46 points in a 123-90 beating that somehow wasn't even as close as a 33-point margin would indicate. Chris Paul didn't make his first basket until the Suns were down by 40 at the 7:26 mark of the third quarter. He had one point at halftime. Finished with a completely useless 10 and a minus-39 for the game, the worst single-game point differential of his career. 

The Phoenix Suns' season ended in devastating fashion on Sunday, as they lost Game 7 of their second-round series with the Dallas Mavericks, 123-90. Their 33-point loss was the worst defeat at home in a Game 7 since the St. Louis Bombers lost by 39 in 1948.

The 2022 NBA playoffs are in full swing in the second round. Leading off a pair of vital Game 4s on Monday night, the Boston Celtics evened their series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, puts the Memphis Grizzlies in a 3-1 hole after beating them in Game 4 without Ja Morant.

The 2022 NBA playoffs continue Monday with a pair of Game 4s. The Boston Celtics are able to even their series on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Memphis Grizzlies lost Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors without star guard Ja Morant, and now trail 3-1 in their series. The other two series -- Suns-Mavericks and Heat-76ers -- are tied, 2-2. Phoenix and Miami will head home for Game 5s on Tuesday night, hoping to retake the series lead.