Cavs not one-man show, bury Celtics
Doncic, Mavs pull even with Thunder
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, and Evan Mobley added 21 points and 10 rebounds as Cleveland beat host Boston 118-94 on Thursday to tie their second-round playoff series at one win apiece.
Two nights after losing by
25, with Mitchell scoring 33 but getting little help, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers seized the lead in the third quarter and breezed to victory.
Mitchell scored 16 in the third and hit three straight baskets early in the fourth, including a 28-foot, banked 3-pointer that left him shrugging his shoulders as he backpedaled back down on defense.
Jayson Tatum scored 25 points and Jaylen Brown 19 for the top-seeded Celtics. But Derrick White, whose 25 points in Game 1 helped Boston coast to a 120-95 win, managed 10 points while missing seven of his eight 3-point tries.
Caris Levert scored 21 off the bench for Cleveland, hitting a pull-up jumper midway through the fourth quarter that gave the Cavs a 20-point lead and started a parade of fans to the exits. Many of those who stayed began booing.
A minute later, after the Celtics missed another 3-pointer — they were 8-for-35 from long distance in all — Levert made a layup and drew a flagrant foul from Tatum. It was a 25-point game, and Boston coach Joe Mazzulla emptied his bench.
■ Mavericks 119, Thunder 110: At Oklahoma City, Luka Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for fifth-seeded Dallas, which took a 99-89 lead into the fourth quarter and tied the series at one win apiece.
Findlay Prep product P.J. Washington, who averaged 12.9 points per game in the regular season, had 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Mavericks. They dealt top-seeded Oklahoma City its first loss this postseason. Shai Gilgeous-alexander had 33 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and Jalen Williams 20 points for the Thunder, who allowed more than 100 points for the first time in their six playoff games. Dallas led 68-62 at halftime. Both teams made 25 of 47 shots before the break, but the Mavs made 12 3s to Oklahoma City’s six.