Celtics crush Bulls to finish series
Wall scores 42 as Wizards drop Hawks
CHICAGO — Avery Bradley scored 23 points as the hot-shooting Boston Celtics pounded the Chicago Bulls 105-83 to win their first-round series 4-2 on Friday night.
The top-seeded Celtics torched Chicago to finish off a tougher-thananticipated series and advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Boston regrouped after dropping the first two games at home and will meet Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday.
Bradley finished one point shy of a playoff career high he set in Game 5. He nailed three 3-pointers and the Celtics hit 16 of 39 from long range.
Gerald Green scored 16 and Isaiah Thomas had 12 before heading home to Washington state for his sister Chyna’s funeral today. Her death in a car accident the day before the playoff opener dealt a blow to the Celtics. But Boston rallied around its star player and regrouped when it looked like the series might slip from reach.
Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 23 points. But the Bulls never really found their rhythm over the final four games with point guard Rajon Rondo sidelined by a broken right
thumb.
WIZARDS 115, HAWKS 99: In Atlanta, John Wall scored 42 points, Bradley Beal added 31 and Washington withstood a furious Atlanta comeback to close out the Hawks with a victory, winning the openinground playoff series 4-2.
The Hawks fell behind by 22 early in the third quarter before making a game of it down the stretch. But the home team never led, and Wall stymied the rally with huge plays at both ends of the court.
Wall’s block of Dennis Schroder’s layup kept the Hawks from closing within a point, and Wall hit every big shot in the closing minutes. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, ensuring that Washington picked up the first road victory by either team in the series.
Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 31 points, and Schroder had 26.
BALL: Looks like ex-UCLA guard Lonzo Ball will begin his NBA career without an endorsement contract from one of the big shoe companies.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that Nike, Under Armour and Adidas have informed Ball’s father, LaVar, that they have no interest in doing a shoe deal with Lonzo.
According to Rovell, the three companies balked at LaVar Ball’s demand that the companies license “his upstart Big Baller Brand from him.” LaVar Ball also showed the companies a shoe prototype he wanted for his son’s first shoe.
In the past, LaVar Ball demanded a $1 billion shoe contract for Lonzo and his younger brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo.
George Raveling, Nike’s director of international basketball, called LaVar Ball, “the worst thing to happen to basketball in the last hundred years.” PACERS: Larry Bird started the week by driving an IndyCar down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to stump for the NBA’s All-Star weekend returning to Indiana. He ended it by stepping down as president of basketball operations for the Pacers.
Bird made the call Friday and GM Kevin Pritchard will be elevated to take his place, The AP reported.