Sweep! Celtics finish off Pacers
Boston becomes first team to get to second round of playoffs
INDIANAPOLIS» Gordon Hayward scored 20 points and Marcus Morris started a decisive 3point flurry late in the fourth quarter Sunday to give the Celtics a series-clinching 110-106 victory at Indiana.
It’s the first four-game sweep for the Celtics since 2011 and their second since 1986-87, becoming the first team to reach the second round of the playoffs.
Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 22 points and Tyreke Evans finished with a playoff career-high of 21 to lead the Pacers. It still wasn’t enough to prevent Indiana from enduring its second first-round sweep in three years — the only two best-of-seven sweeps in franchise history.
This game, unlike the previous three, did not turn on Boston’s suffocating second-half defense. Instead, it was a flagrant foul called on Indiana’s Cory Joseph with 6:45 to play.
Jayson Tatum took advantage by making both free throws to give the Celtics an 83-82 lead. Al Horford sank 1 of 2 on Boston’s next possession and then Morris started the decisive flurry with a 3-pointer with 5:08 to play. Hayward’s three-point play with 4:24 left made it 90-83 and Boston made three more 3s over the next three minutes to take an insurmountable 102-90 lead.
Twice in the first half, it looked like Boston might run away with the victory.
But the Pacers charged back to take a 49-47 halftime lead and extended it to 56-49 in the third quarter.
That’s when Boston rallied, closing a methodical comeback with the final four points of the third to take a 73-72 lead and then put it away behind the shooting of Hayward and Morris, who had 18 points and eight rebounds.
Kyrie Irving had 14 points and seven assists for Boston.
Warriors 113, Clippers 105.
Kevin Durant scored 33 points, Klay Thompson added 32 and Warriors took a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Stephen Curry was in foul trouble for the second straight game and finished with 12 points. Andrew Bogut fouled out with 5:50 remaining in the game with eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Warriors were 17 of 19 from the free throw line. They controlled the boards, 49-33, led by Curry and Bogut with 10 rebounds apiece.
Coming off a 27-point loss in Game 3, the Clippers played tougher defensively and hung in after trailing by 11 in the second quarter.
They outscored Golden State 30-25 in the third when they rallied to take a five-point lead. But Curry scored seven of the Warriors’ final 10 points to send them into the fourth ahead 87-84.
Raptors 107, Magic 85.
ORLANDO, FLA.» Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and Toronto beat Orlando to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell each scored 16 for the Raptors, who can advance with a home win in Game 5 on Tuesday. Toronto has now won three consecutive postseason games, only the third time that has happened in franchise history.
Trail Blazers 111, Thunder 98.
CITY» Guard CJ McCollum scored 27 points to give Portland a 3-1 series lead.
Oklahoma City was led by Paul George, who scored 32 points. Russell Westbrook scored 14 points on 5-of-21 shooting.