NBA playoffs: Celtics lead wire-to-wire in Miami; Lakers avoid sweep
Miami — For two days, the Boston Celtics lamented getting beaten on their home floor. And when they finally got to play again, they let out all the frustration.
The result: a defensive masterpiece.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points to lead a balanced approach, and the Celtics soundly beat the Miami Heat 104-84 on Saturday night to a take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
“We didn't make too many adjustments,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “We played a little bit harder, we played harder and we dictated the physicality and the tempo of the game. It's the simple things that you have to do under a high level of stress, high level of adversity. I thought our guys did a great job of dictating that tonight.”
Game 4 is Monday in Miami, where the Celtics are 9-2 in their last 11 games and 6-1 in their last seven playoff games.
Tatum added 10 rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who led Game 3 wire-to-wire and reclaimed the home-court edge that they lost when Miami won Game 2 in Boston. Kristaps Porzingis had 18 points and Derrick White scored 16 for the Celtics.
The last time either team saw these kind of numbers – Boston on defense, Miami on offense – was Game 5 of the East finals on May 25, 2022, a 93-80 Celtics road win that helped them reach that season’s NBA Finals. The Heat had scored more than 84 points in every game since and the Celtics had allowed more than 84 in every game since.
“That’s where we’re going to win games, on the defensive end,” Tatum said.
Bam Adebayo scored 20 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which remains without starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier because of injuries. Nikola Jovic and Tyler Herro each scored 15 for the Heat, who got 12 from Jaime Jaquez Jr.
“They took us out of stuff we would like to get to," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They were the more physical team. They bodied us, bullied us on screens, got through stuff, distorted screens, everything. … You have to credit them for that. They were the more physical team, the team with more physicality and force on both ends of the court.”
More Saturday games
(At) Orlando 112, Cleveland 89: Franz Wagner had 34 points and 13 rebounds, and the Magic held the Cavaliers scoreless for a second-half stretch of almost seven minutes to tie the Eastern Conference first-round series at 2-2.
Wagner had 10 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter, matching Cleveland’s total for the entire period, when the Magic outscored them 37-10 and turned what had been a nine-point halftime deficit into their second straight romp.
Jonathan Isaac (14 points, including Orlando’s only two 3-pointers of the first half) and Markelle Fultz (12 points, four rebounds) gave the Magic major help off the bench. Paolo Banchero, who had 35 points in Orlando’s 121-83 win in Game 3 on Thursday night, finished with nine points and five assists.
Jarrett Allen had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell had 18 points, all in the first half, and six assists.
Oklahoma City 106, (at) New Orleans 85: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points and Oklahoma City took a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each scored 21 for the Thunder, who escaped Game 1 with a two-point victory before posting victory margins of 32 in Game 2 and 21 in Game 3.
Top-seeded Oklahoma City hit 17 of 36 (47.2%) from 3-point range and held a lead of 10 points or more throughout the second half, going up by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter.
The eighth-seeded Pelicans, who’ve been without star forward Zion Williamson during the series because of his hamstring injury, will try to avoid elimination at home in Game 4 on Monday night. But even if they do, history is not on their side. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 series deficit.
(At) L.A. Lakers 119, Denver 108: LeBron James scored 30 points, Anthony Davis added 25 points and 23 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers avoided playoff elimination with a victory over Denver in Game 4 of their first-round series.
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves scored 21 points apiece for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who snapped their 11-game losing streak against the defending NBA champions with their first win over the Nuggets since December 2022.
Denver swept Los Angeles out of the Western Conference finals last season, but the current Lakers responded to this 0-3 deficit with a performance more worthy of a team that rolled into the postseason with 12 wins in 15 games. James scored 14 points in the fourth quarter on 6-of-8 shooting, again carrying the Lakers late in his 21st NBA season.
Nikola Jokic had 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists in the two-time MVP’s 18th career triple-double and second in this series.
Game 5 is Monday night in Denver.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee vs. Indiana
(Indiana leads 2-1)
▶ Game 1: Milwaukee 109, Indiana 94
▶ Game 2: Indiana 125, Milwaukee 108
▶ Game 3: Indiana 121, Milwaukee 118 (OT)
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Indiana, 7 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Milwaukee at Indiana, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
Boston vs. Miami
(Celtics lead 2-1)
▶ Game 1: Boston 114, Miami 94
▶ Game 2: Miami 111, Boston 101
▶ Game 3: Boston 104, Miami 84
▶ Game 4: Monday at Miami, TBA
▶ Wednesday, May 1: Miami at Boston, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Boston at Miami, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Miami at Boston, TBA
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Series tied 2-2)
▶ Game 1: Cleveland 97, Orlando 83
▶ Game 2: Cleveland 96, Orlando 86
▶ Game 3: Orlando 121, Cleveland 83
▶ Game 4: Orlando 112, Cleveland 89
▶ Tuesday, April 30: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
▶ Friday, May 3: Cleveland at Orlando, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
New York vs. Philadelphia
(Knicks lead 2-1)
▶ Game 1: New York 111, Philadelphia 104
▶ Game 2: New York 104, Philadelphia 101
▶ Game 3: Philadelphia 125, New York 114
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: New York at Philadelphia, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
Western Conference
L.A. Clippers vs. Dallas
(Dallas leads 2-1)
▶ Game 1: L.A. Clippers 109, Dallas 97
▶ Game 2: Dallas 96, L.A. Clippers 93
▶ Game 3: Dallas 101, L.A. Clippers 90
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: L.A. Clippers at Dallas, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
Denver vs. L.A. Lakers
(Nuggets lead 3-1)
▶ Game 1: Denver 114, L.A. Lakers 103
▶ Game 2: Denver 101, L.A. Lakers 99
▶ Game 3: Denver 112, L.A. Lakers 105
▶ Game 4: L.A. Lakers 119, Denver 108
▶ Monday, April 29: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Denver at L.A. Lakers, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans
(Thunder lead 3-0)
▶ Game 1: Oklahoma City 94, New Orleans 92
▶ Game 2: Oklahoma City 124, New Orleans 92
▶ Game 3: Oklahoma City 106, New Orleans 85
▶ Game 4: Monday at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Oklahoma City at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
Minnesota vs. Phoenix
(Timberwolves lead 3-0)
▶ Game 1: Minnesota 120, Phoenix 95
▶ Game 2: Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93
▶ Game 3: Minnesota 126, Phoenix 109
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Minnesota at Phoenix, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA