Sixers down Raptors to level series

LOS ANGELES: Jimmy Butler scored 30 points as the Philadelphia 76ers turned the tables on the Raptors in Toronto on Monday with a 94-89 victory that knotted their NBA playoff series at one game each.

The 76ers, beaten 108-95 in the Eastern Conference secondround series opener, thwarted the Raptors’ second-half comeback bid, notching their first win in Toronto since November 2012 to head home for game three tomorrow all square.

Butler added 11 rebounds and handed out five assists for the Sixers, who led 51-38 at halftime despite 13 first-half turnovers.

The Raptors, who trailed by as many as 19 in the first half, closed the deficit to 61-60 late in the third quarter.

But they missed six of their first seven shots in the final period and the 76ers held on for the win.

“My team had a lot of faith in me tonight,” said Butler, who scored just 10 points in game one. “I told them I had to come out and redeem myself.

“More than anything we got back, we guarded,” Butler added, saying defense would be key going forward in the series.

“When we let our defense dictate our offense we’re such a great team,” he said. “We can’t let it be the other way around.”

Sixers coach Brett Brown praised Butler as the team’s “rock.”

“That was James Butler,” Brown said. “That was the adult in the gym.”

The Denver Nuggets, two days removed from their first-round, game-seven victory over the San Antonio Spurs, opened their Western Conference secondround series with a 121-113 home victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Serbian center Nikola Jokic scored 37 points, pulled down nine rebounds, handed out six assists and blocked two shots.

Both teams came out firing, the Trail Blazers connecting on 63.6 per cent of their first-quarter shots and Denver making 61.9 per cent of their shots as the first period ended tied 32-32.

Denver, up 58-55 at halftime, pulled away after the break, taking a 93-84 lead into the final period.

Portland, led by 39 points from All-Star guard Damian Lillard, trimmed a 12-point deficit to 10196 with 8:02 left in the game.

Denver responded with an 8-0 scoring run, ignited by Mason Plumlee’s dunk.

Portland’s CJ McCollum was then whistled for a flagrant foul when he caught a driving Jokic in the face, and the Serbian made both free throws.

Plumlee then slammed home a miss by teammate Malik Beasley and Beasley rebounded another miss and made a layup as the Nuggets seized a 109-96 lead with 6:11 left to play.

Denver were in control from there, although Jokic and coach Mike Malone said they had plenty of room for improvement before they host game two today.

“We kind of went into the game a little sloppy, slow, we didn’t play a lot of defense,” Jokic said.

Malone also felt the Nuggets were lacking defensively, especially in the early going.

“We got the win, and when you know you haven’t played your best basketball that’s a good feeling,” Malone said.