Tatum has 39 points, Celtics beat Nets for 3-0 series lead
NEW YORK (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 39 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and the Boston Celtics took a 3-0 lead over the Brooklyn Nets with a 109-103 victory Saturday night.
Again making things difficult on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with their suffocating defense, the Celtics put themselves in position to sweep their way into the second round with a victory Monday night in Brooklyn.
that just won’t let them get anything going.
Durant took only 11 shots, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Irving was 6 for 17 and also had 16 points for the Nets, who have to decide if they will give Ben Simmons his debut in an elimination game.
JAZZ 100, MAVERICKS 99
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Rudy Gobert gave Utah the lead with an alley-oop dunk with 11.0 seconds left and the Jazz held off Dallas in Game 4 to tie the series.
Spencer Dinwiddie missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for Dallas.
Jordan Clarkson scored 25 points for Utah, Donovan Mitchell added 23 points and seven assists, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Dallas star Luka Doncic had 30 points, 10 rebounds four assists in his return from a three-game absence because of strained left calf.
The Heat are headed to Boston after ousting the Bulls 112-91 in East play-in finale
The NBA playoffs are finally here. And as LeBron James says, 'it's a sprint now'
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. heads into playoffs against Lakers after trying week for family
Clippers fined $25,000 by NBA for violating league injury reporting rules
Game 5 is Monday night in Dallas.
RAPTORS 110, 76ERS 102
TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, Gary Trent Jr. added 24 points and Toronto beat Philadelphia to a avoid a series sweep.
Game 5 is Monday night in Philadelphia. No team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid started despite a right thumb injury that required him to wear a brace. Embiid shot 3 for 10 in the first half. He finished 7 for 16 and scored 21 points in 39 minutes. Before the game, 76ers coach Doc Rivers said Embiid is expected to undergo an MRI.
James Harden had 22 points for the 76ers.