Pelicans head home with 2-0 advantage
Raptors rout Wizards
PORTLAND, April 18, (RTRS): Jrue Holiday scored 33 points and dished out nine assists as the New Orleans Pelicans downed the host Portland Trail Blazers 111-102 Tuesday night to seize a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference firstround playoff series.
Anthony Davis had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Rajon Rondo collected 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Pelicans, who return home for Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series.
CJ McCollum scored 22 points, Damian Lillard added 17 points and AlFarouq Aminu totaled 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
The Pelicans jumped in front for good when Nikola Mirotic (17 points) hit a 3-pointer for a 102-100 lead with 2:44 remaining. Holiday sank a trey to make it 105-100 with 1:36 to play. When Rondo buried a corner 3-pointer, the Pelicans were in front 108-100 with 38.9 seconds left. Lillard’s layup trimmed the difference to 108-102 with 38 seconds on the clock. Holiday made 1 of 2 free throws to up the lead to 109-102 with 25.4 ticks left, and the verdict was decided.
Portland led 59-54 at the half behind 12 points from Aminu and 11 apiece by McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic. Holiday had 14 points and Davis 11 for New Orleans at intermission.
The Pelicans outscored the Blazers 25-9 to take a 79-68 advantage midway through the third quarter. Portland cut it to 81-78, but New Orleans carried an 8778 lead into the final period.
Portland’s Pat Connaughton buried a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 93-89, and Lillard converted a four-point play to tie it at 93-93 with 7:31 remaining. Holiday knocked down a long jumper to push the Pelicans back on top 95-93 with 6:40 to go. Rondo’s driving layup made it 97-93 with 5:49 to play.
Moe Harkless’ follow dunk trimmed New Orleans’ lead to 97-95, and Aminu’s tip-in tied it at 97-97 with 3:43 left. Holiday scored on a jump hook to give the Pelicans the lead back at 99-97, but Harkless knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Blazers ahead 100-99. That was Portland’s last lead. New Orleans jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first 2-1/2 minutes. The Pelicans settled for a 25-23 advantage after one quarter.
Portland started the second quarter 8-2 to take a 33-28 edge. New Orleans went ahead 42-40, but Aminu knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers and the Blazers went back on top 51-44. The lead expanded to 56-47 before the Pelicans whittled the margin to five at the break.
Raptors 130, Wizards 119
DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting, and the Toronto Raptors took a 2-0 series lead by notching a 130-119 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series is Friday at Washington.
Jonas Valanciunas contributed 19 points and 14 rebounds, and CJ Miles added 18 points for the top-seeded Raptors. Kyle Lowry had 13 points and 12 assists, Delon Wright tallied 11 points and Serge Ibaka registered 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for Toronto, which sent a franchise record for points in a playoff game.
John Wall recorded 29 points and nine assists to pace the eighth-seeded Wizards. Mike Scott scored 20 points, Ty Lawson and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 14 points apiece, and Otto Porter Jr. and Ian Mahinmi each had 12 for Washington.
Wizards standout Bradley Beal had just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Washington was outrebounded 48-34.
Celtics 120, Bucks 106
Jaylen Brown had a career-playoffhigh 30 points as the host Boston Celtics took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarter-final series with the Milwaukee Bucks after a 120106 win Tuesday night.
Brown eclipsed his previous playoff high of 20 in the Celtics’ 113-107 overtime victory in Game 1 on Sunday. Terry Rozier finished with 23 points, Marcus Morris had 18 and Al Horford added 16 for Boston.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced Milwaukee with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists after leading all scorers with 35 in Game 1. Khris Middleton added 25 points for the Bucks, who hope to avoid their fourth first-round playoff exit in six years.