Celtics sunk by buzzerbeater

ORLANDO: OG Anunoby beat the final buzzer with a threepointer off an inbound pass from Kyle Lowry with 0.5sec remaining as the Toronto Raptors stunned the Boston Celtics 104103 in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series near Orlando yesterday.

Lowry led all scorers with 31 points, Fred VanVleet added 25 and Anunoby had 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Raptors bounced back from losing the first two games of the bestofseven series.

Game 4 will take place tomorrow.

Kemba Walker had 29 points, and Jaylen Brown scored 19 with 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost for the first time in seven playoff games.

Boston appeared headed to a 30 series lead after Daniel Theis slammed home an emphatic dunk for a 103101 edge with a halfsecond to go. The Raptors called timeout, and Lowry fired the inbound over 2.26m tall Tacko Fall to Anunoby, wide open on the far side of the court.

Anunoby connected on his shot to complete the comeback win.

In the Western Conference, Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points as the Los Angeles Clippers rolled past the Denver Nuggets 12097 in Game 1 of their semifinals series.

Leonard connected on 12 of 16 shots from the floor in 32 minutes, sitting out the fourth quarter. Although his streak of five consecutive games with 32 or more points ended, Leonard has scored at least 29 points in each of the Clippers' seven playoff games.

He is averaging 32.3 points per game in the postseason.

Paul George contributed 19 points and seven rebounds and Marcus Morris sen added 18 points, converting seven of 10 shots and four of five threepoint attempts for the Clippers. Montrezl Harrell had 15 points and Lou Williams scored 10.

Denver's Nikola Jokic had 15 points and Paul Millsap finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Jamal Murray, Jerami Grant and Monte Morris chipped in 12 points apiece for the Nuggets, who had just one day off after clinching their sevengame series against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.

Game 2 in the secondround series is tomorrow.

The Clippers, who led by as much as 29 points, took control in the second quarter and buried the Nuggets in the third quarter. The held a 9167 lead heading into the final quarter. — Field Level Media

PHOTO: USA TODAY SPORTS Cometh the hour . . . Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby is mobbed by teammates after making a buzzerbeating threepointer to allow the Raptors to defeat the Boston Celtics in game three of the second round of NBA playoffs in Florida yesterday.