NBA: Celtics grab playoff series lead
After falling to a 0-2 series hole, the Boston Celtics climbed back to the top. Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas dropped 24 points each as the Celtics drubbed the Chicago Bulls, 108-97, to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. The top-seeded Celtics get the chance to eliminate the Bulls on Friday night in Chicago.
BOSTON— The Celtics and Bulls found another thing to argue about after Game 5 of their spirited firstround playoff series:
Was Avery Bradley more impressive on offense, or on defense?
“Everyone knows he’s a good defender. Tonight, he got his offensive game going,” Chicago’s Dwyane Wade said after Bradley scored 24 points to lead Boston to a 108-97 victory and a 3-2 lead in the best-ofseven series.
“You expect him to do what he does defensively, but we gave up 24 points to him tonight. He hurt us offensively tonight more than anything.”
Isaiah Thomas also scored 24 for the Celtics, the top seed in the East. After the road team won each of the first four games, the Celtics won at home in Game 5 to earn a chance to eliminate the Bulls on Friday night in Chicago. A Bulls victory would force the series back to Boston for a decisive Game 7 on Sunday.
Al Horford had 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Celtics. Bradley’s 24 points were a career playoff high, but after watching him hold Bulls star Jimmy Butler to 14 points—and just one foul shot—Celtics coach Brad Stevens praised Bradley’s defense.
“Jimmy Butler’s a hard guy to guard. Dwyane Wade’s a hard guy to guard. You’re not going to stop those guys, but you just try to make it as hard as possible,” Stevens said. “Avery… has done a really good job.”
Butler, who shot 23 free throws in Game 4 and made 19, was 0 for 1 on Wednesday.
“I was trying to eliminate letting Jimmy Butler get to the free throw line. That was my goal this game, and I feel like I did it,” Bradley said.
Wade had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.