Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero made only four of 18 field-goal attempts in Monday's 94-88 win over the Detroit Pistons. He finished with 18 points, doing most of his scoring with a 10-for-13 effort at the line. For the second time in this series, Banchero failed to make a three-pointer, going 0-for-4 from behind the arc. The 2024 All-Star completed his line on Monday with eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. The Pistons have limited Banchero to 37.3 percent field-goal efficiency in the first-round matchup, but Orlando has still grabbed a 3-1 series lead. Banchero has made up for his efficiency woes with improved efforts in other areas. Through four games, he is averaging 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals.

Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Julius Randle scored a team-high 27 points in Monday's 125-113 Game 5 loss to the Denver Nuggets. He tied Nikola Jokic for the game-high, finishing 8-for-15 from the field and 9-for-11 at the line. Randle, who made two of his four attempts from deep, also led the Timberwolves with nine rebounds and matched a team high with six assists. The three-time All-Star stepped up his game, as was expected after Minnesota lost Anthony Edwards (knee). The Timberwolves need Randle to keep up his form to close out the series.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic finished Monday's 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists. He led his team in all categories as the Nuggets extended the first-round series. Jokic has struggled with efficiency this postseason, but the story was different on Monday night. He was 9-for-15 from the field and 8-for-10 at the charity stripe. However, the multi-time MVP still couldn't find his range from deep, going 1-for-4. Defensively, Jokic contributed two blocks. Jokic has posted two triple-doubles in the series, averaging 25.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. He will lead the way again when Denver faces another fight for survival in Game 6.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center Chet Holmgren had the strongest performance of this postseason on Monday, recording a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 131-122 series-clinching win over the Phoenix Suns. He was 9-for-16 from the field, including 2-for-5 from downtown, and nailed all four attempts at the charity stripe. While Holmgren couldn't register any blocks, he helped out on the defensive end with two steals. The 23-year-old also had three assists in 34 minutes. The Thunder swept Phoenix, and Holmgren played a big role, posting averages of 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals.