Pelicans, Warriors go well clear in series
Nikola Mirotic scored a career playoff-best 30 points to go with eight rebounds, three steals and a block, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 119-102 yesterday to take a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Anthony Davis had 28 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks for New Orleans, who can advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2008 with one more victory.
The 6-foot 10-inch Mirotic, acquired in a mid-season trade after DeMarcus Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear, made 12 of 15 shots, scoring on everything from quickrelease three-pointers to cutting dunks and fast-break layups.
Damian Lillard scored 20 for Portland, but also missed nine of 14 shots. CJ McCollum scored 22 and Al-Farouq Aminu added 21, but Portland trailed by double digits for most of the first half and all of the second. Game 4 is tomorrow.
In the day’s other Western Conference playoff game, Kevin Durant contributed 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Golden State Warriors beat San Antonio 110-97 for a 3-0 series lead over the Spurs.
Golden State can close the first-round series with a win on Monday in San Antonio in game 4.
The Spurs were playing a day after the death of Erin Popovich, who passed away after battling an undisclosed long-term illness. Erin and Gregg Popovich were married four decades and had two children and two grandchildren.
San Antonio did not air a video tribute or hold a moment of silence for Erin in an apparent attempt to make the game as routine as possible for their players, but that was impossible.
Coach Popovich was not in his customary position roaming the sidelines, choosing instead to be with his family.
‘‘We are all hurting,’’ Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili said after the morning shootaround. ‘‘We want to be next to Pop, we want to support him, but we’ve got to go out there and compete today. But, for sure, we are toiling. It’s not an easy day to be here.’’
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Ben Simmons fell just short of another triple-double as a masked Joel Embiid made a dominant return from injury in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 128-108 NBA playoff victory over the Miami Heat.
The win in Miami gave the 76ers a 2-1 lead in their first round, best-of-seven, NBA playoff series. Game four will be in Miami tomorrow.