76ers take 2-0 lead in win over Raptors
76ers 112, Raptors 97: Joel Embiid took a stiff arm moments after tipoff and the 7-footer pushed back. Trying to keep his composure, Embiid absorbed a few more deliberate blows from a Raptors defense clearly trying to bully the big guy.
Coach Doc Rivers gave Embiid a quick message: “No, Jo, you be the dominant guy.”
The NBA MVP finalist quit deferring and started dominating.
Embiid took his lumps and powered his way to 31 points and 11 rebounds, Tyrese Maxey showed he was no onegame postseason wonder and host Philadelphia beat Toronto on Monday night for a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
Game 3 in the Eastern Conference series is Wednesday in Toronto.
The Raptors trailed by 27 points but showed some life in the fourth cutting it to 11 until Maxey, the Game 1 star, buried a 3 that got the Sixers rolling again.
OG Anunoby led the Raptors with 26 points. Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanvleet each had 20.
Mavericks 110, Jazz 94: Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 41 points, Maxi Kleber had 25 with eight of host Dallas’ playoff-record 22 made 3-points and the Mavericks, without superstar Luka Doncic, evened up their firstround series with a win over Utah in Game 2.
The Mavericks, in danger of dropping the first two games after opening the playoffs with home-court advantage for the first time since their NBA title 11 years ago, overcame a 10-point deficit after halftime.
Kleber, who had made only 19% of his 3-point attempts since the All-star break, was 8-of-11 from beyond the arc when the Mavs needed them the most. His 3-pointer with 4:21 put Dallas ahead to stay at 99-98, and he then added another on the next possession.
Game 3 is Thursday night in Utah, where Dallas has lost its last 11 games.
Donovan Mitchell had 34 points for Utah, while Bojan Bogdanovic had 25 and Jordan Clarkson 21.
Warriors 126, Nuggets 106: Stephen Curry came off the bench for a second straight game and showed he’s healthy at last, scoring 34 points to lead host Golden State past Denver for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.
Nikola Jokic had 26 points and 11 rebounds before being ejected with 7 minutes left following a second technical and was held back from a referee, after his first technical came with 2:31 to go in the third. The MVP candidate’s emotions ran high all night. In the first quarter, Golden State guard Gary Payton II patted Jokic on the backside and the big man turned and came toward Payton when Curry stepped in and held the 7-footer back and Poole came in to help.
Jordan Poole started for Curry again and contributed 29 points — just missing a chance to become the first Warriors player ever to score 30 in his first two playoff games.