NBA: Doncic, Irving carry Mavs past Clippers to advance to second round

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 28 points and 13 assists, Kyrie Irving scored 28 of his 30 points in a second-half surge and the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 114-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Doncic pushed through another rough shooting night with his ailing right knee to do what the Slovenian superstar couldn't three years earlier — close out the Clippers in Dallas in Game 6 of a first-round series.

The fifth-seeded Mavericks beat the Clippers for the first time in three first-round tries over the past five seasons and will open the Western Conference semifinals at the top seed, Oklahoma City, on Tuesday night.

Paul George had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who won the first two times they played without Kawhi Leonard in the series but didn't have enough scoring punch in the last two he was sidelined by right knee inflammation.

James Harden had 16 points and 13 assists but was just 5 of 16 from the field and missed all six of his 3-pointers as LA was eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season.

Irving, Doncic's co-star added at the trade deadline last year for the kind of playoff run the Mavs hope they just started, gave Dallas its biggest lead with a flashy four-point play when he hit a leaning 3-pointer as he was bumped by P.J. Tucker, and made the free throw for a 106-82 lead.

The Clippers answered with an 11-2 run to get within 13 but never seriously threatened a big comeback in the final minutes.

The Mavs broke a 52-52 halftime tie by outscoring the Clippers 35-20 in the third quarter — the same quarter that fueled the Game 5 win in Los Angeles for a chance to clinch — and pushed the lead to 20 early in the fourth.

Doncic, who also has dealt with illness in addition to a sore knee, started 0 of 7 from 3-point range to drop below 25% for the series but made his first try of the second half to start the third-quarter surge.

The NBA scoring champion was 9 of 26 from the field and just 1 of 10 from 3 while going 9 of 11 on free throws. Irving was 10 of 13 from the field after halftime.

Norman Powell scored 20 for the Clippers, and Ivica Zubac had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

P.J. Washington scored 14 points with some big 3-pointers for the Mavs, going 4 of 8 from deep, and Daniel Gafford had 13 points with several emphatic buckets down low.

Dallas' Maxi Kleber didn't return after spraining his right shoulder when he took a hard fall on a blocking foul against Amir Coffey on a drive in the first minute of the second quarter.

Kleber, whose 3-point shooting was a boost for Dallas in the series, returned to shoot free throws, making one of two before leaving at the next dead ball.

-Associated Press-

NBA: Mavericks fined $750,000 after benching stars in Bulls loss

LOS ANGELES -- The Dallas Mavericks have been fined $750,000 fine after controversially fielding a weakened team in their loss to the Chicago Bulls earlier this month, the NBA said Friday.

The NBA said the Mavericks abrupt decision to hold out five key players in a game they had to win in order to have a chance of reaching the postseason represented "conduct detrimental to the league."

"The Dallas Mavericks' decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport," said Joe Dumars, NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations.

"The Mavericks' actions failed our fans and our league."

The NBA said the Mavericks' decision was made to improve the franchise's chances of retaining a first round pick in the 2023 draft.

The Mavericks still owe a first-round pick to the New York Knicks as part of the trade for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019.

But if the NBA's draft lottery determines they have a top-10 selection, they don't have to give it up. A lower finish in the overall standings increases the odds of drawing a top-10 pick in the lottery.

"The Mavericks violated the league's player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization's desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft," the NBA said in a statement.

However the league said there was no evidence that the players who took to the court for the game were not playing to win.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd told reporters before the game that he had intended to field a full-strength side before being informed by billionaire owner Mark Cuban and the front office to rest Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr. and key reserves Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood.

"We were going to play until told otherwise," Kidd said. "And today is the day that we've been told that we're going to do something different."

It is not the first time Dallas and Cuban have fallen afoul of the NBA over the issue of "tanking."

Cuban was fined $600,000 in 2018 after saying in a podcast that he had told players and coaches that "losing is our best option."

Agence France-Presse

Irving will opt into NBA deal and stay with Nets, report says

Brooklyn star guard Kyrie Irving says he will opt into a $37 million player contract option for next season to remain with the NBA Nets, The Athletic reported Monday.

The report came two days before a deadline for Irving, 30, to decide about fulfilling his four-year commitment to the Nets and star big man Kevin Durant.

"Normal people keep the world going, but those who dare to be different lead us into tomorrow. I've made my decision to opt in. See you in the fall," Irving told The Athletic.

The report said Irving is skipping possible opt-in and trade moves to remain with Brooklyn and Durant, with hopes of finally producing an NBA title contender.

Irving has played only 103 games for the Nets over the past three seasons due to a variety of injuries and issues, including not being vaccinated for COVID-19 and prevented from playing in home games by New York safety regulations.

Even with two superstars, the Nets have been a disappointment, going 44-38 last season and being swept by Boston in the first round of the playoffs. Brooklyn lost to eventual champion Milwaukee in the second round last year.

Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game over 29 contests for the Nets last season.

Over three seasons with Brooklyn, Irving has averaged 27.1 points and 6.0 assists.

The Nets traded star guard James Harden to Philadelphia late last season for Australian star Ben Simmons and if he returns at top form after back surgery it could help boost Brooklyn next season.

Durant was waiting to see about Irving's future plans before firming up his own long-term intentions.

The Nets have not gone past the second round of the NBA playoffs since losing the 2003 NBA Finals to San Antonio, when the Nets were based in New Jersey.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Irving shines as Nets advance, Wolves down Clippers

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving produced a near-flawless display of shooting to fire the Brooklyn Nets into the NBA playoffs on Tuesday with a 115-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving drained 12 of 15 from the field to finish with 34 points and 12 assists for a victory that sees Brooklyn into a best-of-seven series against the second-seeded Boston Celtics, starting Sunday.

On the evidence of Tuesday's performance, Irving will be brimming with confidence as he prepares to face his former club in Boston this weekend.

The 30-year-old seven-time All-Star was perfect from the field through the first three quarters, only missing his first shot early in the fourth quarter.

It was the latest in a series of impressive displays from the unvaccinated Irving, who was ruled out of the vast majority of Brooklyn's home games this season due to Covid-19 regulations in New York.

"We only speak positivity on this entire journey thus far," Irving said after Tuesday's win. "It's been ups and it's been downs, but we've stayed together, remained resilient. 

"We've been through a lot of changes and we've evolved since we came out of the All-Star break. It feels good but we know that the job isn't finished."

Irving was backed by another commanding display from Kevin Durant, who finished with 25 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.

Durant was a composed presence throughout, notably helping Brooklyn re-establish a 10-point cushion with back-to-back buckets after Cleveland –- who at one stage had trailed by 22 points –- cut the Nets' lead to just six points late in the fourth quarter.

"That's as advertised," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said of Durant and Irving's performances. "They're superstars. That's what top, top players do."

Brooklyn led from start to finish, exploding out of the blocks to score 40 points in the first quarter to open up a 20-point lead that Cleveland never managed to recover from.

Nash however was satisfied that Brooklyn had been able to close out the win as Cleveland chipped away at the lead.

"You have to be prepared for that in basketball," said Nash.

- Embracing anxiety -

"Anxiety is part of the game, stress is part of the game. You have to embrace that and continue to compete and continue to find clarity and conviction.

"We'll find lots of positives and also lots of room for improvement... Every day is a day for us to learn about ourselves and how we can improve on both ends of the floor."

While the Nets look forward to the playoffs, the Cavaliers will face the winner of the other Eastern Conference play-in game between the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks for a place in the first round of the postseason.

In Tuesday's other play-in game, Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a hard-fought victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Edwards scored 30 points and Russell added 29 as the Wolves won 109-104 to set up a first round playoff series against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

A pulsating clash at Minneapolis's Target Center was briefly interrupted in the second quarter after a woman reported to be an animal rights activist attempted to glue herself to the court in protest. Security staff removed the woman after a few minutes.

Minnesota's victory came despite a poor performance from star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter after scoring just 11 points with three assists and five rebounds.

Towns' departure was the cue for a dramatic late rally from Minnesota, however, with the Timberwolves going on a 13-2 run to take the lead that ultimately proved the difference.

"We've got a special group, it can be anybody's night out there like I've been saying all season," Russell said. 

"Tonight we locked in to the details and what it was going to take to beat that team. Our group is resilient."

Russell, meanwhile, had words of support for Towns, who struggled to impose himself against a hard-nosed Clippers defense.

"That's our guy, he's our All-Star, he's been holding it down for us all season," Russell said. "Tonight their game plan was to take him out of the game and we had to respond as a group."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Durant, Nets try to take 2-0 series lead vs Celtics

At one point in the Eastern Conference playoff opener between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics on Saturday, Brooklyn's Kevin Durant was 2-for-10 from the field, and his team had missed its first 10 3-point attempts.

It was part of a slow start by the Nets, but they ultimately got it done by improving defensively and getting a big second half from their star trio of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden in a 104-93 victory.

On Tuesday night, the Nets hope to get off to a quicker start and take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven quarterfinal series when they host the Celtics in Game 2.

"We found a way to win," Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said after his team shot 41.7 percent from the field. 

"We didn't play well offensively. Some of it was shot-making. Some of it was cohesion. Some of it was the first time out in the playoffs with fans."

The Nets opened the series in front of their largest crowd of the season, with 14,391 fans, 93 percent of whom were vaccinated. Those fans watched the stars align and take over in the second half, and now they will see if the Nets can take a 2-0 lead in a postseason series for the first time since sweeping the New York Knicks in the 2004 first round.

Brooklyn achieved its win Saturday by getting a combined 82 points from Durant, Irving and Harden.

Durant finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and shot 10-of-25 from the field. He was 2-of-10 in the first quarter when the Nets scored 16 points and was on the bench when the Nets faced a 12-point deficit nearly three minutes into the second quarter.

Irving added 29 points while Harden totaled 21, nine rebounds and eight assists. The trio was 11-for-32 from the floor when the Nets trailed by six at halftime and then scored 28 of Brooklyn's 31 points in the third when the Nets went ahead for good.

"We just missed shots. It's not like we don't know what we're doing out there. We just missed shots, that's it," Harden said of the early struggles by Brooklyn's offense on Saturday.

Besides stopping Brooklyn's trio from dominating, the Celtics are looking to even the series by getting better offensive showings from Jayson Tatum.

Tatum scored 50 points in last Tuesday's 118-100 win over the Washington Wizards in the play-in round but struggled to get into a flow, especially after halftime, on Saturday. He led the Celtics with 22 points but was 6-of-20 from the floor and was particularly quiet in the second half.

The Celtics were outscored 57-40 after halftime, and Tatum was 0-of-6 from the field on a night Durant frequently guarded him.

Boston is trying to avoid going down 2-0 in a first-round series for the first time since 2017, when it lost the first two games to the Chicago Bulls and won the series in six, but it knows its low point total from Game 1 is unlikely to be enough.

"We're going to have to go down the court and do better than scoring 93 or 94 points. It's not going to be enough," Boston coach Brad Stevens said Sunday. "We gotta move the ball and move bodies, and then we have to read the over-help at the end of the plays better. It's easier said than done."

Besides doing all the things Stevens mentioned at practice, the Celtics hope to provide better help for Tatum after shooting 36.9 percent in the series opener. Marcus Smart added 17 points on 6-of-13 from the field, but Kemba Walker was held to 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting after getting 29 points in the play-in game.

"We just gotta knock them down," Walker said. "We gotta be confident. Just knock (down) some shots. When we get those opportunities again, I think we'll be a lot better."

-reuters-

Kyrie Irving pledges $1.5-M to WNBA opt outs

MIAMI -- Kyrie Irving has pledged $1.5 million to provide financial support to WNBA players who choose to sit out the season, the Brooklyn Nets star said Monday.

Irving will distribute money from his newly created KAI Empowerment Initiative fund, a statement said.

Several players have already decided to opt out of the WNBA's shortened season, with some citing concerns over COVID-19 or issues surrounding social justice reform.

Irving said he had set up the program after talks with WNBA players Natasha Cloud and Jewell Loyd. Washington Mystics star Cloud was one of the first players to opt out of the season.

"I have connected with several WNBA players who have decided to play and those who have decided not to play," Irving said in a statement.

"In these conversations I have learned about the challenges and opportunities of their decisions and how it will impact their lives, family and overall wellbeing.

"This platform was created to provide support for all WNBA players in hopes to relieve some of the financial strain imposed during these challenging times.

"Whether a person decided to fight for social justice, play basketball, focus on physical or mental health, or simply connect with their families, this initiative can hopefully support their priorities and decisions."

The WNBA season got under way on Saturday, with all teams playing at a single location at Bradenton, Florida.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Walker hits 39 as Celtics end Nets’ win streak

Kemba Walker scored a season-high 39 points in his return from a neck sprain as the host Boston Celtics held off the Kyrie Irving-less Brooklyn Nets 121-110 on Wednesday night.

Jaylen Brown had 22 points and 10 rebounds as six Celtics scored in double figures. Boston won for the third time in its last five games.

The Nets also placed six scorers in double figures, led by Garrett Temple and Joe Harris with 22 and 21, respectively. Despite hitting 21 3-pointers as a team, Brooklyn's four-game winning streak came to an end.

Jarrett Allen (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Spencer Dinwiddie (16 points, 11 assists) each had double-doubles for the Nets.


Irving, who played for the Celtics the past two seasons, missed what would have been his first game back in Boston and his seventh straight contest with a shoulder injury. Walker, meanwhile, missed just one game after getting stretchered off the court with his injury on Friday in Denver.

Walker had 30 points -- including 13 apiece in the second and third quarters -- as the Celtics carried a five-point lead into the final 12 minutes. Boston grabbed the game's first double-digit advantage, 99-89, on a Brad Wanamaker layup with 9:07 remaining.

The Nets got within three, 104-101, on Temple's sixth 3-pointer with 5:28 left, but Walker responded with a 3 as the Celtics used an 8-1 run to restore order.

A Walker basket made it 119-108 with 1:51 left, and the Boston lead grew as high as 13 down the stretch.

Trailing by six at the break, the Celtics roared back to knot the score at 75 on a Walker three-point play with 6:39 left in the third. Boston ended the quarter on a 9-3 run to lead 91-86 entering the fourth.

The Nets drained 10 3-pointers in a 40-point second quarter and led 60-51 with 2:03 to go. The Celtics got back in it with 3s by Brown and Walker, but Dinwiddie answered with a 3 as the Nets entered the half up 63-57.

Temple led Brooklyn with 16 points. Walker had 17 for Boston.

The Celtics held a 30-23 lead after one.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Nets edge Blazers despite Lillard's 60-point night

Damian Lillard became the first NBA player this season to score 60 points, but it wasn't enough as Joe Harris ignited a late run that propelled the visiting Brooklyn Nets to a 119-115 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Lillard drilled a running 34-footer at the final horn, allowing him to surpass his previous career high of 59 points set in April 2017 against the Utah Jazz.

There were three 60-point games in the NBA last season. Houston Rockets guard James Harden had a pair of 61-pointers, while guard Kemba Walker, then of the Charlotte Hornets, went for 60.

Lillard finished 19-for-33 from the field, 7-for-16 on 3-point tries and 15-for-15 from the free-throw line.

The one-man show wasn't enough to overcome 10 combined 3-pointers from Spencer Dinwiddie and Kyrie Irving. Dinwiddie led Brooklyn with 34 points off the bench, and Irving added 33 points.

The Nets outscored the Trail Blazers 48-33 from beyond the arc.

Brooklyn led for most of the first 40 minutes, including by 10 in the second quarter, before a pair of Lillard hoops put Portland on top 99-98 with 7:31 remaining.

The Nets' deficit was 103-98 with 5:45 to go before Dinwiddie scored from the interior and Harris drilled his back-to-back threes, producing a 106-103 lead.

Brooklyn never trailed again, completing a 17-2 run with a 3-pointer by Irving with 1:41 to go that created a 10-point margin at 115-105.

Lillard scored seven straight Portland points to get the host as close as 115-112 with 40.4 seconds to go, but Irving countered with a 9-footer with 17.8 seconds left to clinch it.

Dinwiddie's team-high point total came on 11-for-18 shooting overall and 6-for-10 accuracy from 3-point range.

Irving shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and found time for a game-high 6 assists.

Harris finished with 14 points for the Nets, who were opening a 9-day, 5-game trip, while Jarrett Allen had 10 points to complement a team-high 9 rebounds.

Anfernee Simons added 15 points for Portland, which lost its fourth straight, while Hassan Whiteside contributed 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Kyrie Irving suffers facial fracture after getting elbowed

NEW YORK - Six-time NBA All-Star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a facial fracture when he took an elbow during workouts, the Brooklyn Nets said Wednesday.

Irving, who won an NBA title alongside LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is expected to lead a young Nets club after making the jump from the Boston Celtics as a free agent, signing a four-year, $141 million deal.

General manager Sean Marks, a New Zealander, had downplayed the severity of the injury when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday, saying the player had been sent to hospital for evaluation because "Kyrie gets checked out like everybody else".

The team announced the diagnosis on Wednesday in a statement posted on their Twitter feed.

Irving has dealt with facial fractures before. He had to play wearing a plastic facemask for a few weeks after he took an inadvertent hit from then-Celtics teammate Aron Baynes of Australia in November of 2017.

The Nets have a media availability scheduled for Friday before they open training camp at the weekend.

bb/js

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Durant, Irving discuss merging forces -- report

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving reportedly huddled in New York City to talk about joining forces with the same team in free agency.

Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report said Friday on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Fox Sports Radio that the meeting between the two basketball superstars likely means Durant won't be returning to the Golden State Warriors.

Durant has been in New York City since traveling there to have surgery for a ruptured Achilles he suffered Monday in Toronto during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

He is expected to miss the 2019-20 season.

"I'm told Kevin Durant is out of the hospital, moved into a hotel for the time being in the New York area, and him and Kyrie have met and have continued to discuss playing together next season. KD has moved all his stuff and will spend his summer in New York," Bucher said. 

"... Every indication says KD is making plans to be elsewhere because obviously Kyrie will not be joining the Warriors any time soon."

Multiple reports in recent days said Irving intends to leave the Boston Celtics when he becomes a free agent on June 30, with the Brooklyn Nets predicted to be his desired destination.

Brooklyn has one slot available for a max contract, but Ian Begley of SNY reported a second spot could open up if the Nets don't bring back point guard D'Angelo Russell.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving, Celtics run past Pacers for 3-0 edge

Kyrie Irving had a hand in 11 of Boston's final 16 points Friday night as the Celtics withstood a late charge by the Indiana Pacers to record a 104-96 win at Indianapolis and go up 3-0 in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup.

Boston gets a chance to close out Indiana in the best-of-seven on the road on Sunday afternoon.

Boston led 80-73 entering the fourth period, but the Pacers, playing at home for the first time in the series, chipped away, getting within 88-87 with 6:05 to play when Wesley Matthews made three free throws.

That's when Irving took over.

He had two hoops, assisted on 3- and 2-point baskets by Al Horford and made two free throws down the stretch, helping the Celtics pull away.

Even Irving's only missed shot in the final six minutes turned into a positive, as Gordon Hayward tipped it in to increase the Boston lead to 100-92 with 1:34 to play.

Jaylen Brown had 23 points to lead the Celtics, who held the Pacers under 100 points for the third consecutive game.

Irving finished with 19 points and 10 assists while Jayson Tatum added 18 points, Horford 16 and Marcus Morris 11 for the Celtics.

Tyreke Evans led seven Pacers in double figures with 19 points off the bench.

Bojan Bogdanovic had 15 points, Myles Turner 13, Domantas Sabonis 12, Thaddeus Young and Matthews 11 apiece, and Darren Collison 10 for Indiana. The Pacers were outshot 46.9 percent to 42 percent overall by the Celtics and were outscored 45-33 on 3-pointers.

Young was the game's leading rebounder with nine.

The Celtics led most of the way, using a 37-22 game-opening run to take command early.

The Pacers rallied into a lead in the second quarter, and they were up 64-59 in the first minute of the third period before going into one of their shooting slumps that have plagued them in the series.

This time, they went 5:38 without scoring, allowing the Celtics to take a 67-64 lead.

A 3-pointer by Tatum in the final minute of the third period increased the Boston advantage to 80-73, giving the Pacers an uphill climb to make in the fourth quarter.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving, Celtics sink Pacers for critical conference win

Kyrie Irving made the go-ahead layup with 0.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as host Boston Celtics moved into a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 114-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.

Indiana's Thaddeus Young completed an alley-oop to forge a tie at 112 before missing a driving layup on the next possession. Young redeemed himself with a steal, but Boston made a defensive stop and Irving gained a step on Wesley Matthews and made a ball fake on Young before converting the layup.

Irving scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half and Al Horford added 19 for the Celtics (45-31), who pulled even in the standings with Indiana after winning back-to-back contests on the heels of a season high-tying four-game losing streak.

Jaylen Brown scored 16 points off the bench and Aron Baynes recorded his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, which will visit the Pacers in the regular season finale on April 5.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 18 of his 27 points in the first half for Indiana, which has lost six of its last seven games.

Irving, who sat out Tuesday's 116-106 victory at Cleveland for rest purposes, made a short jumper and then set up Brown for a corner 3-pointer to give Boston a 105-99 advantage with 5 and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. Indiana answered in short order, with Bogdanovic capping the 6-0 run with a driving layup.

Bogdanovic drilled a 3-pointer in transition and Myles Turner sank an uncontested shot from beyond the arc to cap a 12-2 run and give Indiana an 85-82 lead with 3:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Irving scored 10 points in under a two-minute stretch to begin the second half and stake Boston to a 73-64 lead. Bogdanovic and Turner each sank 3-pointers to cut into the deficit before Irving made a nifty feed to a cutting Horford for a layup.

Indiana claimed a 41-40 lead on the strength of a 16-5 run to open the second quarter, with T.J. Leaf making a three-point play, a 3-pointer and a layup on consecutive possessions. Jayson Tatum drained back-to-back 3-pointers and three in total in the second quarter to help Boston seize a 63-60 lead at intermission.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Irving, Celtics overtake Raptors

Kyrie Irving made a go-ahead jumper and added a 3-pointer during an 11-0 run late in the fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics defeated the visiting Toronto Raptors 117-108 Wednesday night.

Irving finished with 27 points and a career-best 18 assists as the Celtics ended a three-game losing streak and snapped Toronto's five-game winning streak.

Al Horford contributed some big points down the stretch in a 24-point game for the Celtics. Gordon Hayward added 18 off the bench, and Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points to top Toronto, which led by four in the middle of the fourth quarter and was tied 106-106 with 2 1/2 minutes to go.

Serge Ibaka added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors. Danny Green scored 15 points, Norman Powell and Greg Monroe scored 11 each, and Kyle Lowry had 10 points and seven assists.

The Celtics, who led by as many 16 during the third quarter, took a four-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Monroe's tip in completed a 9-0 run to give Toronto a three-point lead, but Aron Baynes tied it at 92 on a 3-pointer with 6:44 left.

Leonard's two free throws gave Toronto a four-point lead with 5:16 remaining.

Tatum's 3-pointer put Boston up by two with three minutes to go before Green tied it with a jumper.

Irving's step-back jumper gave Boston the lead again with 2:15 left, and he added a 3-pointer to give Boston a five-point margin with 1:39 left. Horford's layup gave Boston a seven-point lead, and then his dunk made the lead nine with 45.7 seconds left.

The Raptors used a 9-0 run to lead by 11 with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter and finished the period with a 36-30 lead.

The Celtics took their first lead, 41-40, when Baynes, returning from a fractured hand, nailed a 13-foot jumper with 8:39 left in the half.

Toronto had a stretch of 10 straight missed shots while shooting 28.6 percent in a season-low, 17-point second quarter. The Celtics were up 64-53 at halftime after Hayward's floating jumper at the buzzer.

Irving's jumper and free throw increased the lead to 16 in the third quarter. Green's 3-pointer cut that lead in half with 6:01 left in the period.

Boston led 87-83 after three quarters.

The Raptors were without OG Anunoby (personal).

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Smart shots carry Celtics over Nets

Marcus Smart drained 3-pointers on consecutive possessions in the first quarter Monday to begin a game-changing run by the host Boston Celtics, who went on to beat the Brooklyn Nets, 116-95.

The Celtics have won three straight and four of five. The Nets, who were trying to reach .500 beyond the midway point of the season for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign, had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the fourth time in the last 16 games.

Kyrie Irving, who returned after missing two games with a left eye injury, scored 17 points to lead a balanced Celtics attack. Seven other players scored in double figures for Boston, with 16 points by Jayson Tatum and 12 apiece by Smart, Marcus Morris, Al Horford and Gordon Hayward. Daniel Theis had 11 points and Terry Rozier added 10 points.

Rookie Rodions Kurucs scored 24 points and drained five 3-pointers for the Nets, one shy of the franchise's rookie single-game record. Kenneth Faried (13 points, 12 rebounds) had a double-double before exiting in the final minutes with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Spencer Dinwiddie (15 points), Ed Davis (11 points) and Shabazz Napier (10 points) also scored in double figures for Brooklyn.


The Nets opened the game on a 12-4 run behind Kurucs, whose first two 3-pointers began and ended the run. But the Celtics quickly took control. Smart's first 3-pointer snapped a 17-17 tie, gave Boston the lead for good and sparked a 22-5 run that spanned the first and second quarters.

The Nets, meanwhile, missed eight straight shots from the field over a 5:49 stretch in the first and second. A layup by Tatum with 7:38 left in the half gave the Celtics their first 20-point lead at 47-27.

The Nets mounted a 9-0 run early in the third to get within 59-54, but Irving scored seven points as the Celtics answered with a 17-6 run. Boston maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way and scored 12 unanswered points in the fourth to take its biggest lead at 108-84 on Horford's jumper with 4:37 remaining.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving shoots Celtics past 76ers in OT

Kyrie Irving scored 40 points, including two 3-pointers in the final two minutes of overtime, and the Boston Celtics overcame a five-point deficit in the extra session to defeat the visiting Philadelphia 76ers 121-114 on Tuesday.

Irving, who added 10 rebounds, sent the game into OT by sinking a difficult jumper late in the fourth quarter.

The guard's performance helped overcome 34 points and 16 rebounds by Philadelphia's Joel Embiid.

Jayson Tatum added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. Marcus Morris also scored 23 while Terry Rozier chipped in with 10 points.

Jimmy Butler added 24 points for Philadelphia, JJ Redick had 17 points, Wilson Chandler 15 points and Ben Simmons 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

The 76ers overcame an 11-point, third-quarter deficit to take a seven-point lead on a 3-pointer by Furkan Korkmaz with 8:13 to play in the fourth quarter.

Rozier's 3-pointer brought the Celtics to within two with 7:14 remaining. Tatum's 3-pointer tied the game at 101 with 5:26 left.

Tatum made one of two free throws with 4:53 to put Boston up by one. Then Philadelphia led by one after Embiid's dunk.

After the teams exchanged one-point leads, Chandler hit a 3-pointer with 37.1 seconds to go in regulation, and the 76ers led by two points.

Irving tied the game at 108 on his shot with 20.9 seconds left and Redick missed at the buzzer, forcing overtime.

The 76ers scored the first four points of overtime on Embiid's two free throws and Butler's jumper.

Boston's Marcus Smart was called for a technical foul, and Redick made the free throw to give Philadelphia a five-point lead.

Dunks by Tatum and Gordon Hayward cut the lead to one with 2:51 left in overtime.

After Simmons made one of two free throws, Irving gave Boston a two-point lead with a 3-pointer with 2:01 to play. He hit another 3-pointer with 1:29 left, and Boston led by four before pulling away.

The Celtics won their second in a row following a three-game losing streak. The 76ers had won their previous two games.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Celtics rides blistering start to easy win over Hawks

Kyrie Irving scored 12 of his 24 points in a 42-point first quarter to spark the Boston Celtics to their eighth straight win, a 129-108 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

Irving was 8-for-15 from the floor and 4-for-5 on 3s, with five rebounds, five assists and four steals.

The Celtics had two other starters in double figures: Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and Marcus Morris, who was 6-for-8 on 3-pointers and scored 20 points. 

Gordon Hayward added 19 points and five assists and Daniel Theis scored 18, which included two alley-oop dunks.

Irving has shown no lingering effects for the right shoulder soreness that caused him to miss the Dec. 10 game against New Orleans. 

He scored Boston's final 12 points on Wednesday when the game was on the line in Boston's overtime win at Washington. In his last two games, Irving has scored 62 points.

The Hawks got a career-high-matching 19 points from Kevin Huerter for his second straight outing. The rookie from Maryland was 7-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-8 on 3-pointers, with three assists and three steals.

Forward John Collins posted his sixth consecutive double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. Kent Bazemore added 13 points and seven assists.

Boston had a 42-19 lead after the first period, but saw it trimmed to 49-45, before recovering to take a 67-46 halftime lead. The Celtics put the game away with a 41-point effort in the third quarter.

Atlanta has dropped two straight and lost six of its last seven.

The Celtics played without ex-Atlanta standout Al Horford (left knee pain), Guerschon Yabusele (right ankle) and Jabari Bird (personal reasons). 

Atlanta native Jaylen Brown was able to play after being listed as questionable with an illness. 

The Hawks were without Taurean Prince (left ankle), Omari Spellman (right hip) and Alex Poythress (left ankle).

It was the second time Boston has beaten Atlanta this season. The two teams meet again on Jan. 19 in Atlanta.

The Celtics complete a back-to-back on Saturday at Detroit. The Hawks play again on Sunday to complete a three-game road trip in Brooklyn.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving, Celtics shoot past Wizards in OT

Kyrie Irving hit a tiebreaking, 31-foot 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining in overtime, and the visiting Boston Celtics held off the Washington Wizards, 130-125, on Wednesday night.

Bradley Beal and John Wall missed 3-point attempts to tie the score before Irving closed out Boston's victory with two free throws.

Irving's 3-pointer with 38.6 seconds left gave the Celtics a two-point lead, but Wall's jumper tied it with 30.7 seconds to go.

Irving scored 38 points and Marcus Morris added 27 for Boston, which won its seventh straight.

Wall, who returned after missing one game with bone spurs in his left heel, led the Wizards with 34 points and 13 assists, continually driving for baskets over the final minutes of regulation and overtime.

Beal and Jeff Green scored 22 points each for the Wizards, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 20 points.

Beal tied the score 113-113 with 11.3 seconds remaining in regulation when he made a free throw, then got the rebound of his subsequent missed free throw and scored. Irving missed on a drive into traffic at the buzzer.

Boston benefitted from 24 second-chance points and was 25-for-25 from the free throw line while Washington missed 8 of 29 foul shots.

The Celtics trailed by nine to start the third quarter before hitting 13 of 21 field-goal attempts. Boston turned the deficit into a seven-point lead as Morris hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Washington opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run and took the lead on Markieff Morris' 3-pointer with 9:39 remaining. The teams stayed close for the remainder of regulation.

The Celtics were without Al Horford because of an injured left knee as well as Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward due to illness. Aron Baynes returned after missing two games and most of a third.

Washington was without Otto Porter Jr. due to a bruised knee.

The Wizards led 55-46 at halftime.

Washington shot 47.4 percent (18 of 39) in the first half, while the Celtics managed only 38 percent (19 of 50), including 4 of 20 (20 percent) from beyond the arc.

For the game, the Wizards outshot the Celtics 50.5 percent to 45.2 percent from the floor. Washington made 12 of 33 3-point attempts while Boston was 11 of 38 from beyond the arc.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Celtics hand Bulls worst loss in franchise history

Daniel Theis scored a career-high 22 points and Boston opened the game with 17 consecutive points while rolling to an easy 133-77 victory over the host Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Jaylen Brown scored a team-best 23 points off the bench and Jayson Tatum made all four 3-point attempts while scoring 18 points as the Celtics won their season-best fifth straight contest. 

Terry Rozier added 15 points, Kyrie Irving and Semi Ojeleye each scored 13 and Marcus Morris tallied 12 for Boston.

Shaquille Harrison scored a career-best 20 points, Zach LaVine added 11 and Cameron Payne had 10 for the Bulls, who have lost eight of their last nine. The franchise-worst 56-point defeat occurred in Jim Boylen's third game as coach after replacing the fired Fred Hoiberg.

Boston was 22 of 43 from 3-point range as Brown, Ojeleye and Rozier each knocked down three. The Celtics shot 53.8 percent overall.

Theis collected a season-best 10 rebounds to help Boston record a 54-37 rebounding edge. He had an increased role with Al Horford scratched due to a knee injury.

The Bulls shot 38.3 percent and were 6 of 24 from 3-point range.

Chicago missed its first 11 field-goal attempts while the Celtics were scoring the first 17 points. Morris' dunk with 6:12 left capped the burst for Boston.

Jabari Parker's two free throws with 5:42 to play were the Bulls' first points and Robin Lopez's basket 36 seconds later was the team's first field goal.

The Celtics held a 20-point lead on Gordon Hayward's 3-point with 33.1 seconds left before settling for a 35-17 advantage.

Boston led 43-21 early in the second quarter after Rozier drained a 3-pointer with 9:47 left in the half. LaVine's 3-point play moved Chicago within 48-33 with 6:17 to play but Marcus Smart knocked down a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to give the Celtics a 64-43 halftime lead.

The assault continued in the third quarter as Boston pushed the lead over 30 for the time when Irving buried a 3-pointer to make it 83-51 with 5:41 left. The margin was 34 two-plus minutes later on Brown's basket and the Celtics closed the quarter with a 93-60 lead.

The lead topped 40 for the first time when Brown drained a 3-pointer to make it 109-67 with 8:19 remaining.

Brown also did the honors to push the lead over 50 when he connected on a 3-pointer to make it 125-73 with 3:12 to play.

Boston's biggest lead was 58 points.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving leads way as Celtics rout Knicks

Kyrie Irving collected 22 points and eight assists as the host Boston Celtics placed seven in double figures and recorded a wire-to-wire 128-100 victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to four games.

Irving recorded his 15th game with at least 20 points and led Boston in scoring for the 13th time. Irving's showing helped the Celtics win for the fifth time in six games since a 117-109 home loss to New York on Nov. 21 in a game Boston trailed by 26 at one point.

Irving shot 9 of 15 and hit 3-pointers as the Celtics matched a season-best by shooting 53.3 percent and reached 120 points for the fourth time. The Celtics also scored at least 115 points in 4 straight games for the first time since December 1990.

Irving ended the game wearing an ice wrap on his right shoulder as the Celtics set a season high in points and in assists with 32.

Jaylen Brown added a season-best 21 and shot 7 of 10 after sitting out the last three games with a back injury. Al Horford added 19 and a season-high 12 rebounds while Jayson Tatum contributed 17 for the Celtics.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points for the Knicks, who lost their second straight since an overtime win over Milwaukee on Saturday. Emmanuel Mudiay added 17 and Enes Kanter contributed 14 as the Knicks shot 39.6 percent.

The Celtics shot 55.1 percent in the first half and took a 69-58 lead by halftime.

The Knicks were within 43-40 on a 3-pointer by rookie Kevin Knox with about 9 1/2 minutes left but Terry Rozier hit two 3-pointers in a 10-4 run. New York was within 5 points 3 times in the final 4 1/2 minutes but Horford had 2 dunks and scored Boston's last 11 points of the half.

The Knicks were within 89-82 on a 3-pointer by Hardaway with 3:49 left but Irving and Gordon Hayward hit 3-pointers and Boston finished the third with a 10-2 run to get a 99-84 lead into the fourth.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Irving scores 43, rallies Celtics past Raptors in OT

Kyrie Irving scored a season-best 43 points, including four in overtime, and added 11 assists as the Boston Celtics came back to defeat the visiting Toronto Raptors 123-116 Friday night.

Gordon Hayward made a jumper and Irving made a layup to give Boston a four-point lead with 3:43 to play in overtime.

When Jayson Tatum made two free throws with 3:09 to play, Boston led by five. Irving's 13-foot pullup jumper gave Boston a seven-point lead.

Tatum added 21 points, Hayward had 15 and Marcus Morris and Al Horford had 11 each for the Celtics.

Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors with 31 points and 15 rebounds.

Serge Ibaka added 21 points, Pascal Siakam 16, Kyle Lowry 14 and Jonas Valanciunas 11 for the Raptors. Danny Green also had 11 points for Toronto before fouling out with 3:43 to play in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics, who had lost their two previous games, handed the Raptors their third straight loss. The teams have split their first two games this season.

The Raptors, who led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, took a four-point edge into the fourth.

Irving made a running layup after a missed shot by the Raptors to give the Celtics a 92-90 lead with 7:06 to play.

Delon Wright hit a 3-pointer after a Boston miss to give Toronto a four-point lead with 1:29 left.

Boston came back to tie it at 107 with two free throws by Hayward with 24 seconds remaining.

Leonard missed a 17-footer in the final second to force overtime.

The Celtics used a 16-4 burst to lead 21-16 with 3:46 left in the first quarter, which ended with Boston ahead 30-27. Irving topped all scorers with 12 points.

A 15-foot jumper by Morris gave Boston a 44-31 lead with 7:36 left in the second quarter.

The Raptors tightened their defense and took a one-point lead on Ibaka's 20-footer with 1:30 to play in the first half. But Irving's layup gave Boston a 54-52 halftime lead.

Toronto lost OG Anunoby, who scored five points in 9:21, to a sprained right wrist in the first half.

The Raptors led 82-78 after three quarters.

source: news.abs-cbn.com