Siakam scores 34 as Raptors avoid sweep
Raptors 110, 76ers 102: Pascal Siakam scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday to avoid a four-game sweep in their first round playoff series.
Game 5 is Monday night in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid started despite a right thumb injury that required him to wear a brace. He was seen shaking his hand in pain several times, occasionally doubling over as he held the area.
Embiid shot 3 for 10 in the first half. He finished 7 for 16 and scored 21 points in 39 minutes.
Thaddeus Young scored 13 points, OG Anunoby had 10, and newly crowned NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes had six points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Toronto.
Celtics 109, Nets 103: Jayson Tatum scored 39 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and Boston took a 3-0 lead over host Brooklyn.
Again making things difficult on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with their suffocating defense, the Celtics put themselves in position to sweep their way into the second round with a victory Monday night in Brooklyn.
Durant took only 11 shots, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Irving was 6 for 17 and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut on Monday in an elimination game.
Boston led most of the way before the Nets cut it to three with just over a minute remaining in the third quarter. But Marcus Smart scored on a follow shot, made a jumper in transition before Brown got a steal and dunk to make it 81-72 going to the fourth.
Brown kept the Nets at bay from there, repeatedly finding a 1-on-1 matchup and driving to the basket. He set up Tatum for a 3-pointer in the corner after the Nets had gotten back within four, then made a jumper before Tatum converted a three-point play that made it 96-84 with 6:25 to play.
Jazz 100, Mavericks 99: Rudy Gobert gave host Utah the lead with an alleyoop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and the Jazz held off Dallas Saturday in Game 4 to tie the first-round series. Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Dallas.
Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points for Utah, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds – 10 off the offensive glass. Gobert was 3 of 8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and 9 of 18 overall.
Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 30 points, 10 rebounds four assists in his return from a three-game absence because of strained left calf. Jalen Brunson added 23 points, and Dorian FinneySmith, Dwight Powell and Reggie Bullock had 11 points apiece.
Game 5 is Monday night in Dallas.