Celtics take 3-0 lead over Nets • Jazz, T’Wolves knot series
Jayson Tatum scored 39 points as the Boston Celtics led most of the way and beat the Brooklyn Nets 109-103 on Saturday night in New York to open a commanding threegames-to-none lead in their Eastern Conference firstround series.
Tatum made 13-of-29 shots for his second 30-plus-point game of the series, putting the second-seeded Celtics on the verge of sweeping the seventh-seeded Nets in Game 4 on Monday. Tatum, who scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the fourth quarter, also finished with six assists and six of Boston’s 13 steals.
Jaylen Brown added 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting as the Celtics led for the final 39:58. Marcus Smart added 14 points as the Celtics shot 50 percent for the game and heard loud “Let’s Go Celtics” chants in the final minutes.
“My message is, nobody plays harder than we do,” Tatum said.
Bruce Brown led the Nets with 26 points, but superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were held to a combined 32 points as the Nets shot 50.6 percent but also allowed 37 points off 21 turnovers.
Durant and Irving each scored 16 points. Irving made only 6-of-17 shots from the field and missed all seven of his three-point tries.
“We know what it is,” Durant said. “I don’t think no speech or anything will do at this part of the year. You know what it is. We’re down 3-0. We got another game on Monday. Just come out and play.”
Brooklyn remained within striking distance early in the fourth before Boston began pulling away. The Nets got the lead down to 88-84 on a three-pointer by Blake Griffin with 7:42 remaining.
However, Tatum hit a corner three-pointer over Durant on the next possession, and Jaylen Brown banked in a 20-footer for a 93-84 lead with 6:37 to go.
Tatum helped finish it off on consecutive possessions. He drove the lane and passed the ball out to Al Horford for an open corner three with 4:20 remaining, and then converted a finger roll layup for a 101-88 lead with 3:52 to go.
In the third quarter, the Nets were within 75-72 when Patty Mills hit a three-pointer with 1:15 left, but Smart converted a putback and a transition 3-pointer, and Jaylen Brown dunked to give Boston an 81-72 lead into the fourth.
Tatum scored 12 points and hit a pair of jumpers in the final 70 seconds as the Celtics grabbed a 30-25 lead after one quarter. The Celtics built a 39-27 lead on a dunk by Robert Williams III with 8:23 left, and settled for a 53-50 edge by halftime.
Jazz 100, Mavericks 99
Rudy Gobert made a key rebound and an even bigger
dunk with 11 seconds remaining to boost Utah to a series-tying win over Dallas in Salt Lake City.
Jordan Clarkson led Utah in scoring with 25 points, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Gobert finished with 17 points and 15 boards in a game that nearly slipped away.
Luka Doncic, in his first action of the postseason, scored a game-high 30 points with 10 rebounds and gave Dallas a four-point lead with 39 seconds left. Mitchell cut the lead to one with a putback layup and a free throw with 31.2 seconds left after being fouled by Doncic.
The Jazz fouled Dwight Powell with 19.8 seconds remaining, and he missed both shots. Gobert then grabbed the rebound and put Utah up 100-99 with an alleyoop dunk off of a pass from Mitchell. Game 5 will be Monday in Dallas.
Raptors 110, 76ers 102
Pascal Siakam scored a playoff-career-best 34 points and
grabbed eight rebounds as Toronto defeated visiting Philadelphia in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.
Philadelphia leads the bestof-seven series 3-1. Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points for the Raptors, who extended the series to a fifth game, which will be Monday in Philadelphia. Thaddeus Young had 13 points and OG Anunoby 11 for the Raptors.
Joel Embiid, playing with a thumb injury, had 21 points and eight rebounds for Philadelphia, James Harden had 22 points and nine assists, Tobias Harris had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey scored 11 points.
Toronto’s Fred VanVleet left in the first half with a left-hip strain and did not return. He had five points and three assists in about 15 minutes of playing time.
Teammate Scottie Barnes, named NBA Rookie of the Year before the game, had six points and 11 rebounds. He had missed the two previous games with a sprained ankle.
The Raptors, who were ahead by 12 during the second quarter, led by three going into the fourth.
Toronto used a 6-0 surge to take a seven-point lead with 9:11 to play. The lead reached eight when Siakam made two free throws with 7:18 to go. Precious Achiuwa made one of two free throws with 4:40 remaining and Toronto led 96-85. Anunoby’s three-pointer with 3:44 left increased the lead to 12.
Georges Niang, who had nine points, fouled out with 3:28 to play. Siakam made both free throws to bump the lead to 101-87.
The score was 24-24 after one quarter.
Toronto led by 12 with 4:12 left in the first half when Trent made a three-pointer after Young’s steal. The lead was cut to five on Embiid’s layup and free throw with 1:22 remaining. Toronto led 54-49 at halftime.
Maxey’s three cut the lead to one with 6:37 left in the third. Toronto led by five again on Young’s three-pointer with 4:45 remaining. Boucher’s corner three had Toronto ahead by six. Toronto led 80-77 after three quarters.
T’Wolves 119, Grizzlies 118
Karl-Anthony Towns responded to one of the worst performances of his postseason career with 33 points and Minnesota evened its playoff series against visiting Memphis with a Game 4 victory in Minneapolis.
Towns, whose eight-point effort in a home loss in Game 3 equaled the second-fewest of his playoff career, rebounded with a postseason careerhigh in helping the seventh-seeded Timberwolves square the series at 2-2. Game 5 will be Tuesday in Memphis.
Anthony Edwards added 24 points and Patrick Beverley 17 for the Wolves. Desmond Bane scored 34 points to lead Memphis, Dillon Brooks netted 24, and Ja Morant collected 11 points and 15 assists.
(Reuters)