Kyrie Irving scored 22 factors, together with a operating left-hander within the lane within the remaining minute to assist Dallas maintain on, and the Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 105-101 on Saturday for a 2-1 lead within the Western Conference semifinals.
Luka Doncic additionally had 22 factors to go along with 15 rebounds, and P.J. Washington scored 27, simply two shy of his playoff excessive from the earlier recreation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 factors, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, however was referred to as for a cost with Doncic defending on a drive with 29 seconds left and the Thunder trailing by 5.
Oklahoma City has misplaced consecutive video games after beginning 5-0 within the playoffs. Game 4 is Monday night time in Dallas.
Irving bounced again from simply the third single-digit scoring recreation of his prolonged playoff profession with 14 factors within the second half, together with six consecutive Dallas factors within the fourth quarter that helped the Mavs to their greatest lead of the ultimate interval at 9.
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Doncic got here into the sport with a sprained proper knee and a sore left ankle and took a tough fall on his again within the remaining two minutes when he and Lu Dort, the first defender on the NBA scoring champion, jumped for a free ball. A leap ball was referred to as, and Doncic retrieved the free ball with Dallas up three.
CELTICS 106, CAVALIERS 93
Jayson Tatum scored 33 factors, Jaylen Brown added 28 and Boston regarded extra like themselves after stumbling at dwelling, beating Cleveland in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead within the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The top-seeded Celtics didn’t fiddle after dropping Game 2 on their dwelling parquet ground by 24.
That lackluster efficiency — Boston was favored by double digits — was harking back to the primary spherical, when the Celtics misplaced Game 2 in opposition to Miami earlier than profitable three in a row to get rid of the Heat.
Tatum scored on a three-point play and the Celtics opened the second half with 14 straight factors to take a 23-point lead.
That was approach an excessive amount of for the Cavs, who overcame a 22-point deficit within the fourth quarter to stun Boston in March.
Donovan Mitchell scored 33 factors for Cleveland, however the All-Star guard aggravated a left knee harm within the fourth quarter and was labored. With Boston up 13 and in management, Mitchell left the courtroom with 1:19 left and walked on to the locker room.
