Kansas basketball: Four NBA Jayhawks advance to conference semifinals

Four of the five former Kansas basketball players in the NBA Playoffs advanced to the conference semifinals.

It is a common occurrence for an NBA Finals-winning team to have a former Kansas Jayhawk on their team. That could be the case this year if any of the four remaining teams with a KU alum win it all.

Former Jayhawk Quentin Grimes advanced to the second round after the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference quarterfinals. After starting the first three games of the series vs. Cleveland, he sat out the final two games of the series due to a shoulder injury he sustained.

Fortunately, he returned to the lineup for Game 1 vs. the Miami Heat but did so in a bench role. Grimes played just 10 minutes in his return, so he should see more playing time as he recovers. His presence will be vital to a Knicks team that looked lost on the court in the series-opening loss, especially with how well Grimes shoots the three (38.6 percent).

Next is Christian Braun, a fan favorite who plays for the Denver Nuggets. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round in just five games.

While the Nuggets face off vs. the new-look Phoenix Suns with Kevin Durant, his defensive presence and energy off the bench will hopefully fight off some of the firepower that Phoenix has. In fact, he recorded four steals in Game 1 — three of them coming while defending KD.

He has played tremendously down the stretch and should continue to provide head coach Michael Malone with quality minutes. Denver took a commanding 2-0 lead vs. the Suns last night.

Andrew “Maple Jordan” Wiggins and the Golden State Warriors are set to face the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals. After missing more than a month due to family issues, Wiggins returned to the Warriors lineup and contributed in a big way.

He averaged 18.1 points and 5.9 rebounds on 46.3 percent shooting in the thrilling seven-game series between Golden State and the Sacramento Kings.

The first game between the Warriors and Lakers is tonight at 9:00 PM CT.

Last but certainly not least is former Jayhawk and MVP front-runner Joel Embiid. He and his team swept the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. He averaged 20.0 points and averaged 5.0 turnovers, which are meager statistics for Embiid’s standards.

Unfortunately for Joel, injuries continue to get the best of him. He missed Game 4 vs. Brooklyn and Game 1 of the semifinals vs. the Boston Celtics due to a serious LCL sprain.

The 76ers season was potentially saved with James Harden’s heroics, scoring a playoff career-high 45 points and sinking the eventual game-winning three to steal one on the road. Embiid is expected to miss Game 2, so this win gives the 6ers some extra comfort before they head back to Philly for Games 3 and 4.

The only ex-Jayhawk to get eliminated in the first round was Marcus Morris of the Los Angeles Clippers. Former KU point guard Jacque Vaughn, who is the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, was swept by Embiid and the 76ers.