Wall, Wizards battle back in Game 3
Celtics still up 2-1; Spurs lose Parker for rest of playoffs.
John Wall scored 24 points, Isaiah Thomas was held to 13, and the host Washington Wizards jumped out to a fast start and rode it to a 116-89 victory over Boston 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 command as Thomas and the Celtics kept missing 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, with 119 first-quarter points, set an NBA record for the first three games of a series.
Responding to what coach Scott Brooks deemed a “bad shooting night” in Game 2, Bradley Beal scored Washington’s first seven points and finished with 11.
Defensively, the Wizards found a solution to Thomas, who was held to 3-of-8 shooting. Thomas, who had some dental work adjusted at halftime, scored seven points at the free throw line.
The teams built up a hatred during four regular-season meetings, and while hard fouls were part of the first two games in Boston, it was nothing like Game 3. Double technicals to Ian Mahinmi and Jonas Jerebko early gave way to Oubre’s outburst as he leapt up from the floor after an illegal screen from Olynyk and bowled over the Boston big man as he was talking to an official.
Spurs: Point guard Tony Parker will miss the rest of the playoffs with a leg injury.
The Spurs said Parker has a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his left leg. The injury will likely require surgery, meaning they will have to go through the rest of the postseason without their floor leader. The injury came as the Spurs are locked in a second-round battle with Houston, a series tied 1-1 with Game 3 on the road today.
After the Spurs lost Game 1, Parker responded with 18 points in 25 minutes before getting injured to help San Antonio win 121-96 Wednesday night.
With Parker out, backup Patty Mills could move into a starting role and the Spurs will also likely give Kawhi Leonard more ball-handling responsibility. Rookie Dejounte Murray also may get more playing time.
Jazz: Starting point guard George Hill did not play against Golden State in Game 2 of the West series because of soreness in his left big toe, an injury that kept the ninthyear veteran out of 16 regular-season games.
Hill has averaged 15.6 points, 3.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds in the playoffs.
The Jazz have been hesitant to play backups Shelvin Mack, Dante Exum and Raul Neto major minutes during the playoffs, but one of the three was likely to see a significant increase.
Raptors: All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry missed practice with a sprained left ankle, and the team said more tests will determine the severity of the injury.
Coach Dwane Casey said Lowry is questionable for today’s Game 3 of the East semifinal series, which Cleveland leads 2-0.
Lowry was hurt early in the second half Wednesday after colliding with a teammate and taking an awkward fall. Lowry returned to the game briefly, then left when the Cavaliers took control.