Tatum, Celts bounce back vs. Cavaliers in Game 3

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, Jaylen Brown added 28 and the Celtics looked more like themselves after stumbling at home, beating the Cavaliers 106-93 in Game 3 on Saturday night in Cleveland to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The top-seeded Celtics didn’t mess around after dropping Game 2 on their home parquet floor by 24.

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That lackluster performance — Boston was favored by double digits — was reminiscent of the first round, when the Celtics lost Game 2 against Miami before winning three in a row to eliminate the Heat.

“We just wanted to bounce back,” said Tatum, who added 13 rebounds. “Disappointing loss the other night, coming into a hostile environment on the road. It was a good test for us to see how we respond.”

Tatum scored on a three-point play and the Celtics opened the second half with 14 straight points to take a 23-point lead.

That was way too much for the Cavs, who overcame a 22point deficit in the fourth quarter to stun Boston in March.

Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points for Cleveland, but the AllStar guard aggravated a left knee injury in the fourth quarter and was labored. With Boston up 13 and in control, Mitchell left the court with 1:19 left and walked directly to the locker room.

Game 4 is Monday night Cleveland.

Mavericks 105, Thunder 101

In Dallas, Kyrie Irving scored 22 points, including a running left-hander in the lane in the final minute to help Dallas hold on, and the Mavericks beat the Thunder for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

Luka Doncic also had 22 points to go with 15 rebounds, and P.J. Washington scored 27, just two shy of his playoff high from the previous game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, but was called for a charge with Doncic defending on a drive with 29 seconds left and the Thunder trailing by five.