HOLD IT, BOSTON
WASHINGTON WIZARDS STOP CELTICS FOR 2-1
John Wall scored 24 points, Isaiah Thomas was held to 13 and the Washington Wizards held on for a 116-89 victory over the Boston Celtics in a technical foul-filled Game 3 on Thursday night to cut their series deficit to 2-1.
The Wizards used a 22-0 first-quarter run to take a 34-12 lead as Thomas and the Celtics kept missing shots and turning the ball over. The game was already a blowout in the second when Washington’s Kelly Oubre Jr. was ejected for charging and knocking over Kelly Olynyk after the Boston big man was called for an illegal screen.
There were eight technical fouls and three ejections total.
Otto Porter and Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points apiece for Washington, which improved to 4-0 at home in the playoffs. Washington’s 119 first-quarter points is an NBA record for the first three games of a series.
Now, the Golden State Warriors want Draymond Green to pack his 3-point shot for the altitude of Salt Lake City.
Green showed Quin Snyder his hot hand and range up close, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points before a brief knee scare late in the Golden State Warriors’ 115-104 victory over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
“We love that shot. It gives us a huge lift,” Stephen Curry said of Green’s perimeter touch. “Hopefully that jumper travels when we go to Utah because those shots will be open.”
Kevin Durant added 25 points with 13 free throws, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while Curry had 23 points, seven assists and played smothering defense as Golden State stayed unblemished through six playoff games.
Gordon Hayward overcame a poor Game 1 and slow start in this one to score 33 points, and Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out for a Jazz team missing injured point guard George Hill. He was ruled out earlier in the day because of a sore left big toe.
Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Green received chants of “Dray-mond!” when he headed for the locker room with 7:24 to play, then cheers when he returned at the 5:16 mark. He came up awkwardly after hitting the floor on a drive, then grabbed at his left knee — which the team said he “tweaked.”
“I knew my knee was just locking up a little bit. I had it before,” he said.
Snyder made it clear when the series began he won’t be alienating Green again by daring him to let it fly from long range — or saying anything that could be perceived as a slight.
Five months after the Jazz coach commented about allowing the emotional Golden State star to shoot from way out, Snyder said before the game he had learned his lesson about fueling the All-Star forward.