Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Battling Raptors seize control of series

Hawks crush Celtics

TORONTO, April 27, (AP): DeMar DeRozan finally turned in the effort Toronto has been waiting for in the playoffs, scoring 34 points as the Raptors survived a late scare and beat Indiana 10299 on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in their NBA first-round

series.

The Raptors victory was confirmed when officials ruled that Solomon Hill’s apparent gametying 3-pointer had come after the buzzer.

Atlanta also took a 3-2 series lead over Boston, but in much more comfortable circumstances as they cruised past Boston 110-83.

DeRozan’s big game, and an even bigger Raptors comeback, put Toronto on the brink of a second-round berth.

“I just felt like my normal self,” said DeRozan, who came in shooting 29.6 percent (21 for 71) over the first four games of the series but connected on 10 of 22 shots in this one.

“It’s all about patience,” DeRozan added. “You can’t get flustered, you can’t get frustrated. You’ve got to stay the course. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

The Raptors overcame 39 points from Paul George and a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, getting 14 points from Kyle Lowry.

Bismack Biyombo had 10 points and 16 rebounds for the second-seeded Raptors, who can clinch the first seven-game playoff series victory in franchise history by beating the Pacers in Indiana on Friday.

“If we don’t come in (Friday) with the mentality like we had in the fourth quarter, it’s going to be a long game,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.

De Rozan Boston Celtics forward Amir Johnson (90) and Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) dive for a loose ball during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on April 26, in

Atlanta. (AP)

turnaround in its shooting to get right on top of Boston.

The Hawks had 19 points midway through the second quarter. Over the next 1 ó quarters, they poured in 70 on the stunned Celtics, the scoreboard looking more like a slot machine.

Asked if he had ever seen such a tale of two games, Kyle Korver shook his head and said, “Not in the playoffs, for sure. That’s quite the turnaround.”

After losing two straight on the road, the Hawks moved ahead 3-2 in the series and could close it out Thursday in Boston. If Game 7 is needed, it would be Saturday in Atlanta.

The Hawks made only six of their first 34 shots, the sellout crowd’s moans growing louder with each miss as Boston pushed ahead 29-19.

Suddenly, Atlanta ripped off 11 straight baskets — five of them from beyond the arc — in a 28-8 run that put the home team in control before halftime. Mike Scott and Jeff Teague knocked down 3s before Kent Bazemore swished three in a row in the space of about 90 seconds.

Just like that, the double-digit deficit turned into a 10-point lead.

The Hawks went to the locker room up 47-39. They didn’t slow down a bit after the break, shooting 62 percent during a 42-point third quarter that turned the game into a rout.

Scott led the balanced Hawks with 17 points, while Bazemore and Teague had 16 apiece. Evan Turner topped Boston with 15 points.

Celtics star Isaiah Thomas, who averaged 35 points in two victories at Boston that evened the series, managed only seven points on 3-of-12 shooting. He hobbled off to the locker room in the closing minutes with a sprained left ankle.

Thomas said it wasn’t anything serious, and he expects to be ready to go Thursday.