Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was ejected vs the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1 for staring down the officials. The incident happened in the third quarter with just about 10 seconds left on the clock when Tatum argued and gave looks to officials during a foul review against him.

Boston were leading the game 95-94 when Tatum brought the ball up in the halfcourt but was quickly surrounded by Sixers' &nbsp;De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington. Tatum, trying to take a shot, inadvertently hit Covington in the face and the officials called for an offensive foul. Tatum was ejected for having a showdown with the officials while the foul was being reviewed. Have a look at the video below:

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The Celtics, nonetheless, went on to win the game 125-119, in what was a possible preview for the Eastern Conference Championship. The Sixers were without their ace player Joel Embiid as well as Tyrese Maxey but they still managed to give a good fight at the TD Garden in Boston.

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Talking about the game, Boston had a monstrous first quarter, scoring 44 points and taking an eight-point lead over the Sixers. Philadelphia bounced back in the second quarter with another 36 points while Boston managed just 25. At the halftime, the Sixers were in lead by three points.

Come third quarter, the game went neck-to-neck with the Celtics scoring 26 while the Sixers managed 25 and led the game by two points. In the final quarter though, Boston rallied to score 30 points and stopped the 76ers at 22 to not only erase the two-point deficit but gain six-point game-winning advantage as well.

In individual performances, Tatum topped for the Celtics with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Derrick White too scored 21 points for Boston along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. For the Sixers, Patrick Beverley scored 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was ejected vs the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1 for staring down the officials. The incident happened in the third quarter with just about 10 seconds left on the clock when Tatum argued and gave looks to officials during a foul review against him.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was ejected vs the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1 for staring down the officials. The incident happened in the third quarter with just about 10 seconds left on the clock when Tatum argued and gave looks to officials during a foul review against him. Boston were leading the game 95-94 when Tatum brought the ball up in the halfcourt but was quickly surrounded by Sixers' De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington. Tatum, trying to take a shot, inadvertently hit Covington in the face and the officials called for an offensive foul. Tatum was ejected for having a showdown with the officials while the foul was being reviewed. Have a look at the video below: Jayson Tatum ejected vs. Sixers pic.twitter.com/1XdMBmJ8uA — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 2, 2023 × The Celtics, nonetheless, went on to win the game 125-119, in what was a possible preview for the Eastern Conference Championship. The Sixers were without their ace player Joel Embiid as well as Tyrese Maxey but they still managed to give a good fight at the TD Garden in Boston. Also Watch: Fans taunt Ronaldo with Messi chants after Al Nassr's loss vs Al Hilal in Riyadh derby Talking about the game, Boston had a monstrous first quarter, scoring 44 points and taking an eight-point lead over the Sixers. Philadelphia bounced back in the second quarter with another 36 points while Boston managed just 25. At the halftime, the Sixers were in lead by three points. Come third quarter, the game went neck-to-neck with the Celtics scoring 26 while the Sixers managed 25 and led the game by two points. In the final quarter though, Boston rallied to score 30 points and stopped the 76ers at 22 to not only erase the two-point deficit but gain six-point game-winning advantage as well. In individual performances, Tatum topped for the Celtics with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Derrick White too scored 21 points for Boston along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. For the Sixers, Patrick Beverley scored 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

WATCH | Celtics forward Jayson Tatum ejected during game vs 76ers for showdown with officials

Derrick White put up 28 points as the Boston&nbsp;Celtics&nbsp;beat&nbsp;rivals Miami 119-111 on Friday&nbsp;while&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Draft top pick Victor&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;starred in his&nbsp;first&nbsp;win&nbsp;for the San Antonio Spurs. Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and Jaylen Brown contributed 27 in a strong all-around display from Boston, with all five starters in double figures as the&nbsp;Celtics&nbsp;won their home opener, a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference championship series.

Miami trailed by just three points with 47.1 seconds left when Jimmy Butler was called for a foul on White, which was unsuccessfully challenged by furious Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. White then drained his two free throws and when Tyler Herro missed a 3-point jumper and Brown sank his from 30-feet out, Miami's resistance was finally over.

Three crucial blocks added to an impressive performance from White, who was delighted with beating a&nbsp;Heat&nbsp;team that secured a place in the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Finals with a game-seven triumph at Boston. "Anytime you're on home court, you want to protect the home court and obviously, last time we played them here, they came out winning," White said.

"It's always a big game every time we play against them and we're going to see them down the line a lot of times. So it's always fun." Frenchman&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;turned on the style in San Antonio's 126-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, coming up big in the latter stages of the game as he put up 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with three blocked shots and two steals. "It's just a victory but it's a day I'll remember,"&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;said.

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"I really love winning. This is what I love most in life. Of course it feels great." The Spurs trailed by two with 32.1 seconds remaining when the 19-year-old grabbed a defensive rebound and tied the game on a driving layup with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.&nbsp;Wembanyama's 16-foot jumper put his team ahead in overtime and he grabbed four total rebounds in the additional period.

"I'm proud of what we did tonight,"&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;said. "We can see where we can get better. A&nbsp;win&nbsp;is a&nbsp;win&nbsp;but it shows that we got a lot of way to go as a team." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was impressed by the youngster's impact in his second&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;start, despite "Wemby" going only 2-of-10 from the floor in the&nbsp;first&nbsp;half.

"He's a competitor of course. He's gonna be decisive and do everything to&nbsp;win. But they're all like that," he said. "We showed some composure and some not so composed. That's work in progress. Good was they were persistent."

<h2>Proud 'Pop' praise&nbsp;</h2>

Wembanyama&nbsp;finished the night with 7-of-19 shooting from the floor, grabbing five offensive and seven defensive rebounds. "Back in the locker room, Pop acknowledged it was my&nbsp;first-ever&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;win, just made me proud of myself,"&nbsp;Wembanyama&nbsp;said. "But it's just one. We have a whole lot games to come."

Wembanyama's three dunks brought the arena fans to their feet but he received plenty of verbal attention from Popovich in the final minute of the game. "Cause I forgot a play. It's a little mistake -- 100% legit for him to yell at me. I apologize." said&nbsp;Wembanyama.

Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and made 12 rebounds and seven assists as the reigning&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;champion Denver Nuggets went to 2-0 with a 108-104 victory over Memphis. The Chicago Bulls also enjoyed an overtime&nbsp;win, beating the Toronto Raptors 104-103 with Demar DeRozan scoring 33 points.

Alex Caruso's 3-point jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining secured the victory for Chicago. Luka Doncic scored 49 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left, as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Brooklyn Nets 125-120

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Derrick White put up 28 points as the Boston Celtics beat rivals Miami 119-111 on Friday while NBA Draft top pick Victor Wembanyama starred in his first win for the San Antonio Spurs.

Derrick White put up 28 points as the Boston Celtics beat rivals Miami 119-111 on Friday while NBA Draft top pick Victor Wembanyama starred in his first win for the San Antonio Spurs. Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and Jaylen Brown contributed 27 in a strong all-around display from Boston, with all five starters in double figures as the Celtics won their home opener, a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference championship series. Miami trailed by just three points with 47.1 seconds left when Jimmy Butler was called for a foul on White, which was unsuccessfully challenged by furious Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. White then drained his two free throws and when Tyler Herro missed a 3-point jumper and Brown sank his from 30-feet out, Miami's resistance was finally over. Three crucial blocks added to an impressive performance from White, who was delighted with beating a Heat team that secured a place in the NBA Finals with a game-seven triumph at Boston. "Anytime you're on home court, you want to protect the home court and obviously, last time we played them here, they came out winning," White said. "It's always a big game every time we play against them and we're going to see them down the line a lot of times. So it's always fun." Frenchman Wembanyama turned on the style in San Antonio's 126-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets, coming up big in the latter stages of the game as he put up 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds with three blocked shots and two steals. "It's just a victory but it's a day I'll remember," Wembanyama said. Also Read: NFL: Dallas Cowboys rally late for 41-35 impressive win over Seattle Seahawks "I really love winning. This is what I love most in life. Of course it feels great." The Spurs trailed by two with 32.1 seconds remaining when the 19-year-old grabbed a defensive rebound and tied the game on a driving layup with 20 seconds remaining in regulation. Wembanyama's 16-foot jumper put his team ahead in overtime and he grabbed four total rebounds in the additional period. "I'm proud of what we did tonight," Wembanyama said. "We can see where we can get better. A win is a win but it shows that we got a lot of way to go as a team." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was impressed by the youngster's impact in his second NBA start, despite "Wemby" going only 2-of-10 from the floor in the first half. "He's a competitor of course. He's gonna be decisive and do everything to win. But they're all like that," he said. "We showed some composure and some not so composed. That's work in progress. Good was they were persistent." Proud 'Pop' praise Wembanyama finished the night with 7-of-19 shooting from the floor, grabbing five offensive and seven defensive rebounds. "Back in the locker room, Pop acknowledged it was my first-ever NBA win, just made me proud of myself," Wembanyama said. "But it's just one. We have a whole lot games to come." Wembanyama's three dunks brought the arena fans to their feet but he received plenty of verbal attention from Popovich in the final minute of the game. "Cause I forgot a play. It's a little mistake -- 100% legit for him to yell at me. I apologize." said Wembanyama. Nikola Jokic scored 22 points and made 12 rebounds and seven assists as the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets went to 2-0 with a 108-104 victory over Memphis. The Chicago Bulls also enjoyed an overtime win, beating the Toronto Raptors 104-103 with Demar DeRozan scoring 33 points. Alex Caruso's 3-point jumper with 2.1 seconds remaining secured the victory for Chicago. Luka Doncic scored 49 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left, as the Dallas Mavericks held off the Brooklyn Nets 125-120 WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Derrick White helps Boston Celtics beat Miami Heat, Victor Wembanyama shines in first win for Spurs

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami 131-124 on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament. On the final night of group-stage play in the NBA's inaugural version of a World Cup, the Bucks won the East Group B crown at 4-0, taking the top Eastern Conference seed in the fight to reach next month's semi-finals in Las Vegas. "We completed the task," Milwaukee's Khris Middleton said. "To get to Vegas now, we've got to do a little bit more. "We want it. We're hungry for it. It's exciting times for us. We want to go to Vegas so we're happy."

The quarter-finals will find Boston at Indiana and New Orleans at Sacramento on Monday, with New York at Milwaukee and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday. Boston routed Chicago 124-97 to win East Group C and advance while New York, second behind Milwaukee in Group B, beat Charlotte 115-91 and advanced as a wildcard based on superior point differential over Cleveland 42-29.

Sacramento edged Golden State 124-123 to win West Group C, rallying from 24 points down in the second quarter to advance. The Warriors knew they had to win by 12 points to win the group on a point differential tiebreaker and took a 72-55 half-time lead before the Kings, led by 29 points from De'Aaron Fox, rallied late to trim the margin then swipe the triumph.

"We still wanted to win the game, it counts for the regular season, but we knew what the number was," Fox said. Phoenix took a West wildcard spot when Minnesota beat Oklahoma City 106-103 while New Orleans won West Group B when the Dallas Mavericks downed visiting Houston 121-115.

At Miami, the Bucks opened a 15-2 lead, Miami answered with a 16-4 run, then Milwaukee closed the first quarter on a 12-4 spurt for a 31-22 lead. "We started out great, but it's hard," Middleton said. "You're just not going to knock a team down in the first five minutes. They did a great job coming back. We did a great job keeping our composure and finding a way to close this thing out."

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Miami, lacking Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro due to ankle sprains, led 97-93 after three quarters. Middleton, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, hit back-to-back jumpers for a four-point lead and dunks by Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo settled matters. "Thankfully I was able to hit a couple shots," Middleton said. "I'm just happy we won a tough game."

Antetokounmpo made 11-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists while Lillard, 9-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line, added nine assists. At New York, Julius Randle scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Immanuel Quickley had 23 points off the bench to spark the Knicks. Boston needed a lopsided win to advance and got it as Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off six assists to lead the hosts over Chicago. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Al Horford had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics.

<h2>- Injuries hit Warriors -</h2>

Golden State's Chris Paul went out in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness and Gary Payton II went down with a right calf injury in the third quarter at Sacramento, which had lost two prior meetings with the Warriors this season. Golden State's Draymond Green, back from a five-game ban for putting Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a headlock, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing referee calls.

Dallas star Luka Doncic dominated Houston with 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavs, keeping the Rockets winless on the road this season. Western Conference overall season leader Minnesota (13-4) hung on to top spot by edging visiting Oklahoma City (11-6).

Anthony Edwards, who left the game with a bruised right hip, led the Timberwolves with 21 points while Gobert added 17 points and 16 rebounds. But Phoenix took the West wildcard on point differential 34-0 over Minnesota.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami 131-124 on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points and Damian Lillard added 32 as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Miami 131-124 on Tuesday to reach the knockout rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament. On the final night of group-stage play in the NBA's inaugural version of a World Cup, the Bucks won the East Group B crown at 4-0, taking the top Eastern Conference seed in the fight to reach next month's semi-finals in Las Vegas. "We completed the task," Milwaukee's Khris Middleton said. "To get to Vegas now, we've got to do a little bit more. "We want it. We're hungry for it. It's exciting times for us. We want to go to Vegas so we're happy." The quarter-finals will find Boston at Indiana and New Orleans at Sacramento on Monday, with New York at Milwaukee and Phoenix at the Los Angeles Lakers next Tuesday. Boston routed Chicago 124-97 to win East Group C and advance while New York, second behind Milwaukee in Group B, beat Charlotte 115-91 and advanced as a wildcard based on superior point differential over Cleveland 42-29. Sacramento edged Golden State 124-123 to win West Group C, rallying from 24 points down in the second quarter to advance. The Warriors knew they had to win by 12 points to win the group on a point differential tiebreaker and took a 72-55 half-time lead before the Kings, led by 29 points from De'Aaron Fox, rallied late to trim the margin then swipe the triumph. "We still wanted to win the game, it counts for the regular season, but we knew what the number was," Fox said. Phoenix took a West wildcard spot when Minnesota beat Oklahoma City 106-103 while New Orleans won West Group B when the Dallas Mavericks downed visiting Houston 121-115. At Miami, the Bucks opened a 15-2 lead, Miami answered with a 16-4 run, then Milwaukee closed the first quarter on a 12-4 spurt for a 31-22 lead. "We started out great, but it's hard," Middleton said. "You're just not going to knock a team down in the first five minutes. They did a great job coming back. We did a great job keeping our composure and finding a way to close this thing out." Also read: Barcelona, Dortmund, Atletico Madrid and Lazio enter Champions League last-16 Miami, lacking Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro due to ankle sprains, led 97-93 after three quarters. Middleton, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, hit back-to-back jumpers for a four-point lead and dunks by Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo settled matters. "Thankfully I was able to hit a couple shots," Middleton said. "I'm just happy we won a tough game." Antetokounmpo made 11-of-16 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line and grabbed 10 rebounds with five assists while Lillard, 9-of-18 from the floor and 10-of-10 from the line, added nine assists. At New York, Julius Randle scored 25 points and grabbed 20 rebounds while Immanuel Quickley had 23 points off the bench to spark the Knicks. Boston needed a lopsided win to advance and got it as Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off six assists to lead the hosts over Chicago. Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Al Horford had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Celtics. - Injuries hit Warriors - Golden State's Chris Paul went out in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness and Gary Payton II went down with a right calf injury in the third quarter at Sacramento, which had lost two prior meetings with the Warriors this season. Golden State's Draymond Green, back from a five-game ban for putting Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in a headlock, received a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing referee calls. Dallas star Luka Doncic dominated Houston with 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists while Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Mavs, keeping the Rockets winless on the road this season. Western Conference overall season leader Minnesota (13-4) hung on to top spot by edging visiting Oklahoma City (11-6). Anthony Edwards, who left the game with a bruised right hip, led the Timberwolves with 21 points while Gobert added 17 points and 16 rebounds. But Phoenix took the West wildcard on point differential 34-0 over Minnesota.

Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics move forward in NBA In-Season Tournament

Jaylen Brown scored 26 points as the Boston Celtics got back to winning ways with a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in their top-of-the-table NBA Eastern Conference clash on Wednesday. The Celtics had kissed goodbye to a six-game winning streak on Monday after crashing to an upset defeat against the lowly ranked Charlotte Hornets.

But Boston ensured there was no chance of a repeat against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the visiting Bucks in Wednesday's game at the TD Garden, taking control of the contest in the first quarter to clinch a wire-to-wire win. The Celtics were in charge after jumping out to an early 10-0 lead, and although the Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter to get within single digits, Boston regrouped and closed out the win.

Brown received scoring support from Jayson Tatum, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points on a night when no fewer than seven Boston players posted double-digit points totals as the Celtics preserved their unbeaten home record to improve to 12-3.

"Just a team effort. We bounced back and regrouped from the last game," Tatum told ESPN after the win. "Sometimes you need to lose a game to regroup and regain focus. I love the way we started the game. They made a run late, they're a good team -- but I liked the way way we responded in the fourth quarter."

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In other games on Wednesday, the in-form Orlando Magic took down the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 124-119. Franz Wagner (27) and Paolo Banchero (23) combined for 50 points as Orlando overcame a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to outscore Denver 42-31 in the final frame to seal victory.

Nikola Jokic led the Denver scoring with a 30-point triple double that included 13 rebounds and 12 assists. In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves maintained their recent run of good form with a 112-99 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers.&nbsp;

Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points with 11 rebounds and three assists.&nbsp; A Sixers line-up missing NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid (hip injury) were always chasing the game after shipping 37 points in the first quarter alone.&nbsp;

In Atlanta meanwhile, Trae Young poured in 43 points for the Hawks in a 147-145 overtime thriller against the Brooklyn Nets. Young appeared locked in a personal duel with the Net's Mikal Bridges for most of the game.&nbsp;

Bridges finished with a career-high 45 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but Young rattled in 14 points in overtime to seal Atlanta's win. In San Antonio meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points in a triumphant return to his former club, helping the Clips to a 109-102 victory.

French star Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio's scorers with 22 points. The game featured an unusual incident in the second quarter, with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich grabbing a courtside microphone to appeal to Spurs fans to stop booing former player Leonard.

"Excuse me for a second -- please stop all the booing, let these guys play, and show a little class," Popovich barked at the crowd as Leonard lined up a free throw. "It's not who we are -- knock off the booing."

Jaylen Brown scored 26 points as the Boston Celtics got back to winning ways with a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in their top-of-the-table NBA Eastern Conference clash on Wednesday.

Jaylen Brown scored 26 points as the Boston Celtics got back to winning ways with a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in their top-of-the-table NBA Eastern Conference clash on Wednesday. The Celtics had kissed goodbye to a six-game winning streak on Monday after crashing to an upset defeat against the lowly ranked Charlotte Hornets. But Boston ensured there was no chance of a repeat against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the visiting Bucks in Wednesday's game at the TD Garden, taking control of the contest in the first quarter to clinch a wire-to-wire win. The Celtics were in charge after jumping out to an early 10-0 lead, and although the Bucks rallied in the fourth quarter to get within single digits, Boston regrouped and closed out the win. Brown received scoring support from Jayson Tatum, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Kristaps Porzingis added 21 points on a night when no fewer than seven Boston players posted double-digit points totals as the Celtics preserved their unbeaten home record to improve to 12-3. "Just a team effort. We bounced back and regrouped from the last game," Tatum told ESPN after the win. "Sometimes you need to lose a game to regroup and regain focus. I love the way we started the game. They made a run late, they're a good team -- but I liked the way way we responded in the fourth quarter." Also Read: Motor Racing: Honda replaces world champion Marc Marquez with Luca Marini In other games on Wednesday, the in-form Orlando Magic took down the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets 124-119. Franz Wagner (27) and Paolo Banchero (23) combined for 50 points as Orlando overcame a nine-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to outscore Denver 42-31 in the final frame to seal victory. Nikola Jokic led the Denver scoring with a 30-point triple double that included 13 rebounds and 12 assists. In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves maintained their recent run of good form with a 112-99 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 31 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points with 11 rebounds and three assists. A Sixers line-up missing NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid (hip injury) were always chasing the game after shipping 37 points in the first quarter alone. In Atlanta meanwhile, Trae Young poured in 43 points for the Hawks in a 147-145 overtime thriller against the Brooklyn Nets. Young appeared locked in a personal duel with the Net's Mikal Bridges for most of the game. Bridges finished with a career-high 45 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, but Young rattled in 14 points in overtime to seal Atlanta's win. In San Antonio meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points in a triumphant return to his former club, helping the Clips to a 109-102 victory. French star Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio's scorers with 22 points. The game featured an unusual incident in the second quarter, with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich grabbing a courtside microphone to appeal to Spurs fans to stop booing former player Leonard. "Excuse me for a second -- please stop all the booing, let these guys play, and show a little class," Popovich barked at the crowd as Leonard lined up a free throw. "It's not who we are -- knock off the booing."

NBA: Jaylen Brown's 26 points help Boston Celtics defeat Milwaukee Bucks 119-116

The Orlando Magic knocked off another marquee foe on Friday, beating the Boston Celtics 113-96 to boost their bid to reach the knockout stage of the NBA's new in-season tournament.

Two days after beating the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, the Magic bullied the league-leading Celtics in the second half to push their winning streak to six games.

Moritz Wagner scored 27 points off the bench to lead the Magic and Paolo Banchero added 23 with seven rebounds.

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Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points and Jaylen Brown chipped in 18 -- 12 of them in the first quarter.

Brown connected on just two of 17 shots in the last three quarters as the Magic clamped down defensively to hand the Celtics their biggest defeat of the season.

"That's what we take pride in," Banchero said of the Magic's defensive effort. "That's our calling card.

"We just come into every game focused on what we've got to do to stop the team in front of us (and) we did a good job tonight."

Boston got off to a hot start and led by 11 after one quarter. They were up by eight at halftime and by 12 early in the third when Orlando unleashed a 17-0 scoring run to seize a 67-62 lead.

Boston twice managed to regain the lead in the third quarter, but the Magic opened the fourth on a 10-0 run -- capped by Moritz Wagner's running layup -- and rolled from there.

Wagner scored 13 points in the final frame and out-scored the Celtics 65-40 in the second half.

The result saw the Magic conclude group play in the new tournament at 3-1. The Celtics fell to 2-1, level with the Brooklyn Nets and each with a game remaining.

The six group winners and two wild card teams will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament that concludes with semi-finals and the final in Las Vegas in December.

Banchero said the new Cup-style competition, designed to lend interest to early-season games, has been "huge."

"I'm glad we got the win," he said. "Hopefully we'll be in good position to move on."

The Phoenix Suns kept alive their bid to advance as a wild card in the West with a 110-89 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis.

"Hopefully that's enough," said Devin Booker, who scored 40 points to help the Suns overcome the absence of superstar Kevin Durant, who missed his first game of the season with a sore right foot.

"You can't make up for what Kevin Durant does," Booker said. "So it takes multiple efforts. It takes a little bit more from everybody on both ends of the court."

Eric Gordon added 20 points, Grayson Allen and Udoka Azubuike had 14 apiece and Josef Nurkic scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Suns, who pushed their NBA winning streak to six games.

The Orlando Magic knocked off another marquee foe on Friday, beating the Boston Celtics 113-96 to boost their bid to reach the knockout stage of the NBA's new in-season tournament.

The Orlando Magic knocked off another marquee foe on Friday, beating the Boston Celtics 113-96 to boost their bid to reach the knockout stage of the NBA's new in-season tournament. Two days after beating the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, the Magic bullied the league-leading Celtics in the second half to push their winning streak to six games. Moritz Wagner scored 27 points off the bench to lead the Magic and Paolo Banchero added 23 with seven rebounds. Also Read: Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim announces shock international retirement Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points and Jaylen Brown chipped in 18 -- 12 of them in the first quarter. Brown connected on just two of 17 shots in the last three quarters as the Magic clamped down defensively to hand the Celtics their biggest defeat of the season. "That's what we take pride in," Banchero said of the Magic's defensive effort. "That's our calling card. "We just come into every game focused on what we've got to do to stop the team in front of us (and) we did a good job tonight." Boston got off to a hot start and led by 11 after one quarter. They were up by eight at halftime and by 12 early in the third when Orlando unleashed a 17-0 scoring run to seize a 67-62 lead. Boston twice managed to regain the lead in the third quarter, but the Magic opened the fourth on a 10-0 run -- capped by Moritz Wagner's running layup -- and rolled from there. Wagner scored 13 points in the final frame and out-scored the Celtics 65-40 in the second half. The result saw the Magic conclude group play in the new tournament at 3-1. The Celtics fell to 2-1, level with the Brooklyn Nets and each with a game remaining. The six group winners and two wild card teams will advance to the knockout stage of the tournament that concludes with semi-finals and the final in Las Vegas in December. Banchero said the new Cup-style competition, designed to lend interest to early-season games, has been "huge." "I'm glad we got the win," he said. "Hopefully we'll be in good position to move on." The Phoenix Suns kept alive their bid to advance as a wild card in the West with a 110-89 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis. "Hopefully that's enough," said Devin Booker, who scored 40 points to help the Suns overcome the absence of superstar Kevin Durant, who missed his first game of the season with a sore right foot. "You can't make up for what Kevin Durant does," Booker said. "So it takes multiple efforts. It takes a little bit more from everybody on both ends of the court." Eric Gordon added 20 points, Grayson Allen and Udoka Azubuike had 14 apiece and Josef Nurkic scored six points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Suns, who pushed their NBA winning streak to six games.

Orlando Magic stay alive in-season tournament with victory over Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis led a second-half fightback as the Boston Celtics overpowered the New York Knicks 114-98 in the NBA on Monday.

Tatum finished with 35 points – including 17 in the fourth quarter – while Porzingis added 21 to fire the Celtics to their eighth win of the season.

"First half, they were scoring at will, but second half we started making stops," Tatum said after the Celtics bagged their third straight victory.&nbsp;

"We've had three games in four days, now we go out on the road for a week and play some good teams – hopefully we can keep it going," Tatum added.

New York caused Boston problems in the first half, edging into an eight-point lead in the second quarter with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle both influential at Boston's TD Garden.

But Jaylen Brown drained a superb three-pointer from 25 feet on the stroke of half-time to cut the Knicks' lead to just one point at 53-52 heading into the break.

That parting shot from Brown was to herald a third quarter rally from Boston that ultimately took the game away from the Knicks, who had been chasing a fourth straight victory.

Porzingis led the third quarter onslaught with 11 points from 3-of-3 shooting, including two from outside the arc, along with 3-of-3 from the free throw line.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bayern-munich-star-thomas-muller-shows-support-to-indian-team-at-world-cup-wears-jersey-tags-virat-kohli-658168">Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller shows support for Indian team at World Cup; wears jersey &amp; tags Virat Kohli</a>

Tatum then turned it on in the fourth quarter with his 17-point display as the Celtics outscored the Knicks 30-22 in the final frame to complete victory.

Tatum finished with five three-pointers throughout the game from 13-of-23 shooting, with six rebounds and seven assists. Porzingis's 21-point haul included three from three-point range, while Brown had 22 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Brunson led the Knicks scorers with 26 points while Randle finished with 25. Josh Hart added 16 points with Quentin Grimes chipping in 12 points.

"I like that we're finding different ways to win," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said afterward. "We have to understand that it's not always going to be easy, but it's how we respond that's important."

The Celtics improved to 8-2 to remain second in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia 76ers (8-1).

Elsewhere Monday, the Toronto Raptors pulled off a remarkable comeback to snatch victory over the Washington Wizards, overturning a 23-point second-half deficit to win 111-107.

The Wizards looked to be cruising to victory after roaring into a 64-45 half-time lead against a misfiring Toronto offense. But the Raptors flipped the script after half-time, outscoring Washington 66-43 in the final two quarters to take the win.

Pascal Siakam inspired the Toronto fightback with 39 points, while Scottie Barnes added 19 and Jakob Poeltl 13. Kyle Kuzma led Washington's scoring with 34 points.

In Milwaukee, 35 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks bounce back from consecutive defeats on the road to clinch a 118-109 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Milwaukee jumped on Chicago early, opening up a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter before the Bulls rallied in the second and third quarters.

Chicago went briefly in front in the third but Milwaukee pulled clear to open up a double-digit lead in the fourth before coasting to victory.

Bobby Portis supported Antetokounmpo with 19 points from the bench while Khris Middleton added 13 and Damian Lillard 12.

Nikola Vucevic led the Chicago scoring with 26 points.

Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis led a second-half fightback as the Boston Celtics overpowered the New York Knicks 114-98 in the NBA on Monday. Tatum finished with 35 points – including 17 in the fourth quarter – while Porzingis added 21 to fire the Celtics to their eighth win of the season.

Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis led a second-half fightback as the Boston Celtics overpowered the New York Knicks 114-98 in the NBA on Monday. Tatum finished with 35 points – including 17 in the fourth quarter – while Porzingis added 21 to fire the Celtics to their eighth win of the season. "First half, they were scoring at will, but second half we started making stops," Tatum said after the Celtics bagged their third straight victory. "We've had three games in four days, now we go out on the road for a week and play some good teams – hopefully we can keep it going," Tatum added. New York caused Boston problems in the first half, edging into an eight-point lead in the second quarter with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle both influential at Boston's TD Garden. But Jaylen Brown drained a superb three-pointer from 25 feet on the stroke of half-time to cut the Knicks' lead to just one point at 53-52 heading into the break. That parting shot from Brown was to herald a third quarter rally from Boston that ultimately took the game away from the Knicks, who had been chasing a fourth straight victory. Porzingis led the third quarter onslaught with 11 points from 3-of-3 shooting, including two from outside the arc, along with 3-of-3 from the free throw line. ALSO READ | Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller shows support for Indian team at World Cup; wears jersey & tags Virat Kohli Tatum then turned it on in the fourth quarter with his 17-point display as the Celtics outscored the Knicks 30-22 in the final frame to complete victory. Tatum finished with five three-pointers throughout the game from 13-of-23 shooting, with six rebounds and seven assists. Porzingis's 21-point haul included three from three-point range, while Brown had 22 points, five rebounds and six assists. Brunson led the Knicks scorers with 26 points while Randle finished with 25. Josh Hart added 16 points with Quentin Grimes chipping in 12 points. "I like that we're finding different ways to win," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said afterward. "We have to understand that it's not always going to be easy, but it's how we respond that's important." The Celtics improved to 8-2 to remain second in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia 76ers (8-1). Elsewhere Monday, the Toronto Raptors pulled off a remarkable comeback to snatch victory over the Washington Wizards, overturning a 23-point second-half deficit to win 111-107. The Wizards looked to be cruising to victory after roaring into a 64-45 half-time lead against a misfiring Toronto offense. But the Raptors flipped the script after half-time, outscoring Washington 66-43 in the final two quarters to take the win. Pascal Siakam inspired the Toronto fightback with 39 points, while Scottie Barnes added 19 and Jakob Poeltl 13. Kyle Kuzma led Washington's scoring with 34 points. In Milwaukee, 35 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks bounce back from consecutive defeats on the road to clinch a 118-109 win over the Chicago Bulls. Milwaukee jumped on Chicago early, opening up a 17-point lead at the end of the first quarter before the Bulls rallied in the second and third quarters. Chicago went briefly in front in the third but Milwaukee pulled clear to open up a double-digit lead in the fourth before coasting to victory. Bobby Portis supported Antetokounmpo with 19 points from the bench while Khris Middleton added 13 and Damian Lillard 12. Nikola Vucevic led the Chicago scoring with 26 points.

NBA: Jayson Tatum helps Boston Celtics rally past New York Knicks, Bucks pip Bulls

After an astonishing game-six finish that left the Boston Celtics dumbstruck and the Miami Heat reeling, the two teams must now pick themselves up to do battle again in Monday's NBA playoff series decider.

And neither expects anything less than another epic battle in Boston.

Facing elimination, the Celtics won 104-103 in Miami on Saturday thanks to a heart-stopping buzzer-beater tip-in from Derrick White and pulled level at 3-3 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/boston-celtics-derrick-white-game-6-buzzer-beater-final-shot-vs-miami-heat-video-and-twitter-reaction-597401">Derrick White's buzzer-beater in Game 6 vs Heat sends Twitter in frenzy</a>

The Heat were less than a second from booking a place in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets but after leading the series 3-0, Miami will face the real prospect of being the first team in NBA history to lose after taking such a lead.

Momentum and form suggest the Celtics are on course to complete an unprecedented comeback but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to offer a reminder that his team has a habit of bouncing back from blows.

Miami lost a first play-in game to Atlanta before beating Chicago and entering the playoffs as the eighth seed.

The Heat then defeated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks before taking out the New York Knicks and grabbing a surprise three-game lead over Boston.

"When we say we did it the hard way, there were some bone-crushing losses where we did the right things, and then last-second shots, just for the wins against us," said Spoelstra, who has won two NBA championships with the Heat.

"The competitive spirit of this group, we are never to be denied. Even after games like that, we would always come back the next game and find a way to get a win. That's what we have to do right now."

But that will require more than competitive spirit and the right mindset -- the Heat need star Jimmy Butler to rediscover his form from earlier in the series.

Over the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals, he was shooting at 46.0% from the field but in the last three, that number has dropped to 36.5% and on Saturday he made only 5-of-21 attempts from the floor.

Adding to the misfire, Bam Adebayo made just 4-of-16 attempts but Spoelstra said such numbers were of no interest to him.

"I don't give a damn what they shot. We were up one. We may win this thing as ugly as it has ever been done. I don't care what guys shoot," he said.

"It's the competitive will that I'm talking about, and those guys are going to bring it on -- it's the playoffs."

<h2>'Not time to celebrate'</h2>

Jayson Tatum, who led the Celtics with 31 points on Saturday, knows his team must quickly rid itself of the sense of jubilation caused by the manner of their victory.&nbsp;

"We're all aware it's not time to celebrate," he said. "We didn't accomplish anything. We won a big game that we had to win in incredible fashion. We're proud of the way we played, proud of the way we figured it out.

"But the job is far from finished. (Miami) is a great team, really well-coached team, and we've got to be ready on Monday. It's not over. Both teams want this extremely -- like to the highest degree. They want it. We want it. The guys are competing on both ends, giving everything they have.

"You like being a part of series and games like that. It brings the best out of you. It's going to be tough on Monday for sure."

After an astonishing game-six finish that left the Boston Celtics dumbstruck and the Miami Heat reeling, the two teams must now pick themselves up to do battle again in Monday's NBA playoff series decider.

After an astonishing game-six finish that left the Boston Celtics dumbstruck and the Miami Heat reeling, the two teams must now pick themselves up to do battle again in Monday's NBA playoff series decider. And neither expects anything less than another epic battle in Boston. Facing elimination, the Celtics won 104-103 in Miami on Saturday thanks to a heart-stopping buzzer-beater tip-in from Derrick White and pulled level at 3-3 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals. Also Watch: Derrick White's buzzer-beater in Game 6 vs Heat sends Twitter in frenzy The Heat were less than a second from booking a place in the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets but after leading the series 3-0, Miami will face the real prospect of being the first team in NBA history to lose after taking such a lead. Momentum and form suggest the Celtics are on course to complete an unprecedented comeback but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to offer a reminder that his team has a habit of bouncing back from blows. Miami lost a first play-in game to Atlanta before beating Chicago and entering the playoffs as the eighth seed. The Heat then defeated the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks before taking out the New York Knicks and grabbing a surprise three-game lead over Boston. "When we say we did it the hard way, there were some bone-crushing losses where we did the right things, and then last-second shots, just for the wins against us," said Spoelstra, who has won two NBA championships with the Heat. "The competitive spirit of this group, we are never to be denied. Even after games like that, we would always come back the next game and find a way to get a win. That's what we have to do right now." But that will require more than competitive spirit and the right mindset -- the Heat need star Jimmy Butler to rediscover his form from earlier in the series. Over the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals, he was shooting at 46.0% from the field but in the last three, that number has dropped to 36.5% and on Saturday he made only 5-of-21 attempts from the floor. Adding to the misfire, Bam Adebayo made just 4-of-16 attempts but Spoelstra said such numbers were of no interest to him. "I don't give a damn what they shot. We were up one. We may win this thing as ugly as it has ever been done. I don't care what guys shoot," he said. "It's the competitive will that I'm talking about, and those guys are going to bring it on -- it's the playoffs." 'Not time to celebrate' Jayson Tatum, who led the Celtics with 31 points on Saturday, knows his team must quickly rid itself of the sense of jubilation caused by the manner of their victory. "We're all aware it's not time to celebrate," he said. "We didn't accomplish anything. We won a big game that we had to win in incredible fashion. We're proud of the way we played, proud of the way we figured it out. "But the job is far from finished. (Miami) is a great team, really well-coached team, and we've got to be ready on Monday. It's not over. Both teams want this extremely -- like to the highest degree. They want it. We want it. The guys are competing on both ends, giving everything they have. "You like being a part of series and games like that. It brings the best out of you. It's going to be tough on Monday for sure."

NBA: Miami Heat brace for winner-takes-all Game 7 against Boston Celtics after agonizing last loss

Derrick White set Twitter ablaze as his tip-in in Game 6 with 0.2 seconds left blew the Miami Heat cold and put Boston one game away from one of the greatest comebacks in the history of NBA playoffs.

Trailing 0-3 in the series, the Celtics have left Miami with incredulous look on their face as they snatched win after win to force Game 7 in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals series. Have a look at some of the tweets:

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🤯🤯😳
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OMG😮😮😮
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicolas88batum/status/1662659025849270273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 crazy game!!!
— Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) <a href="https://twitter.com/Buddabaker3/status/1662658706335756293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Wow…what a game, what a finish…wow
— Nikola Vucevic (@NikolaVucevic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NikolaVucevic/status/1662658664501592065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Um what just happened…. And we have game 7 in Boston. 🫣🫣🫣
— Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShowtimeTate/status/1662659355702079489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Crazy game Crazy series! Bring on game 7! 🔥💪🏽 <a href="https://t.co/Nua7uF4mus">https://t.co/Nua7uF4mus</a>
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMahomes/status/1662659719822024706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>The Incredible Final Quarter</h2>

The Heat were trailing by 10 points in 4Q and then they rallied to wipe off the deficit to stand at 100 against Boston's 102. Jimmy Butler then was fouled by Boston and got three free throws with three seconds left in the game. Butler made each one count and suddenly Miami were up 103-102, all set to win the series 4-2.

Derrick White, tasked to toss the ball inbound, passed it to Marcus Smart, who attempted a two-point shot from just inside the three-point line but the ball bounced off the rim and White, waiting underneath, nudged it to send Boston camp in frenzy. Have a look at the shot here:

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DERRICK WHITE SENDS THE EAST FINALS BACK TO BOSTON FOR GAME 7! 
 
HE WINS IT FOR THE CELTICS AT THE BUZZER 🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TissotBuzzerBeater?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TissotBuzzerBeater</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TimingEmotions?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TimingEmotions</a> <a href="https://t.co/ybUb5CT6l1">pic.twitter.com/ybUb5CT6l1</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1662660685023657984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The confirmation came 10 seconds later and Miami couldn't believer it. This is the first buzzer-beater by a team facing elimination in the playoffs since Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce shot for the Raptors against the 76ers in 2019.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/2023-east-finals-relentless-celtics-force-game-7-with-final-second-lay-up-against-heat-597359">Relentless Celtics force Game 7 with final-second lay up against Heat</a>

<h2>Game 7 in Boston</h2>

After losing three back-to-back games in the series, it would definitely be hard for Miami when they show up for Game 7 in Boston day after tomorrow. The Celtics, on the other hand, are on cloud 9 as they become the first team since 2003 to force Game 7 in the series after being down in the pits.

The winner of the series would play against the Denver Nuggets for the championship from June 1.

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Derrick White set Twitter ablaze as his tip-in in Game 6 with 0.2 seconds left blew the Miami Heat cold and put Boston one game away from one of the greatest comebacks in the history of NBA playoffs.

Derrick White set Twitter ablaze as his tip-in in Game 6 with 0.2 seconds left blew the Miami Heat cold and put Boston one game away from one of the greatest comebacks in the history of NBA playoffs. Trailing 0-3 in the series, the Celtics have left Miami with incredulous look on their face as they snatched win after win to force Game 7 in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals series. Have a look at some of the tweets: 🤯🤯😳 — Clint Capela (@CapelaClint) May 28, 2023 × OMG😮😮😮 — Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) May 28, 2023 × 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 crazy game!!! — Budda Baker (@Buddabaker3) May 28, 2023 × Wow…what a game, what a finish…wow — Nikola Vucevic (@NikolaVucevic) May 28, 2023 × Um what just happened…. And we have game 7 in Boston. 🫣🫣🫣 — Golden Tate (@ShowtimeTate) May 28, 2023 × Crazy game Crazy series! Bring on game 7! 🔥💪🏽 https://t.co/Nua7uF4mus — Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 28, 2023 × The Incredible Final Quarter The Heat were trailing by 10 points in 4Q and then they rallied to wipe off the deficit to stand at 100 against Boston's 102. Jimmy Butler then was fouled by Boston and got three free throws with three seconds left in the game. Butler made each one count and suddenly Miami were up 103-102, all set to win the series 4-2. Derrick White, tasked to toss the ball inbound, passed it to Marcus Smart, who attempted a two-point shot from just inside the three-point line but the ball bounced off the rim and White, waiting underneath, nudged it to send Boston camp in frenzy. Have a look at the shot here: DERRICK WHITE SENDS THE EAST FINALS BACK TO BOSTON FOR GAME 7! HE WINS IT FOR THE CELTICS AT THE BUZZER 🚨#TissotBuzzerBeater | #TimingEmotions pic.twitter.com/ybUb5CT6l1 — NBA (@NBA) May 28, 2023 × The confirmation came 10 seconds later and Miami couldn't believer it. This is the first buzzer-beater by a team facing elimination in the playoffs since Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce shot for the Raptors against the 76ers in 2019. Also Read: Relentless Celtics force Game 7 with final-second lay up against Heat Game 7 in Boston After losing three back-to-back games in the series, it would definitely be hard for Miami when they show up for Game 7 in Boston day after tomorrow. The Celtics, on the other hand, are on cloud 9 as they become the first team since 2003 to force Game 7 in the series after being down in the pits. The winner of the series would play against the Denver Nuggets for the championship from June 1. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Derrick White's buzzer-beater in Game 6 vs Heat sends Twitter in frenzy - WATCH

A lay-up by Derrick White with 0.2 seconds left in the game took Boston Celtics past Miami Heat 104-103 as they became only fourth team in the NBA history to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 in the conference finals.

Miami looked all set to win after they wiped off 10-point deficit in 4Q and Jimmy Butler put them ahead with three continues free throws after being fouled with three seconds to play. The game went neck-to-neck throughout with Boston staying just inch ahead of Miami and eventually winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the most dramatic style.

<h2>Boston stays ahead most times in 1Q</h2>

The game was in balance most of the quarter with the Celtics keeping their nose ahead just an inch and eventually grabbed the five-point lead. Miami, who did brilliantly to contain Boston, scored 29 points against the Celtics' 34 with Caleb Martin scoring 12 of them while Jimmy Butler scored five. For Boston, Jaylen Brown was in full swing as he scored 10 with Tatum chipping in with 9.

<h2>Miami doesn't let Boston run away</h2>

The second quarter showed some urgency by the Celtics as they took their lead to 11 points at one stage but Miami came back stunningly and kept them in check. By the time the quarter came to an end, the Heat (24) had scored one more point than the Celtics &nbsp;(23). Boston, however, had four-point lead with box score reading 57-53 and Jayson Tatum had a lot to do with it as he dropped 16 points in the quarter. For the Heat, Gabe Vincent stood tall with 11 points.

<h2>Defense steps up for both teams</h2>

There weren't many points scored in the third quarter, thanks to some brilliant defensive plays by both teams. The Celtics, however, had a 7-0 run in the 12-minute period and that's exactly how much they led by at the end of the quarter. The Heat ensured that Boston doesn't run away with the game but could managed only 19 points against the opponents' 22 as the box score read 79-72 in the Celtics' favour.&nbsp;

<h2>Miami keeps pushing but Boston&nbsp;just holds on</h2>

A quarter which was Boston going up again by 10 points with not much time left but thanks to Duncan Robinson's threes which kept Miami in the game. They eventually went ahead by one point with just three seconds to go as jimmy Butler made his three three throws count. Boston took the final shot and it didn't go in but Derrick White made the rebound count with just 0.2 seconds left!

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A lay-up by Derrick White with 0.2 seconds left in the game took Boston Celtics past Miami Heat 104-103 as they became only fourth team in the NBA history to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 in the conference finals.

A lay-up by Derrick White with 0.2 seconds left in the game took Boston Celtics past Miami Heat 104-103 as they became only fourth team in the NBA history to force Game 7 after trailing 0-3 in the conference finals. Miami looked all set to win after they wiped off 10-point deficit in 4Q and Jimmy Butler put them ahead with three continues free throws after being fouled with three seconds to play. The game went neck-to-neck throughout with Boston staying just inch ahead of Miami and eventually winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the most dramatic style. Boston stays ahead most times in 1Q The game was in balance most of the quarter with the Celtics keeping their nose ahead just an inch and eventually grabbed the five-point lead. Miami, who did brilliantly to contain Boston, scored 29 points against the Celtics' 34 with Caleb Martin scoring 12 of them while Jimmy Butler scored five. For Boston, Jaylen Brown was in full swing as he scored 10 with Tatum chipping in with 9. Miami doesn't let Boston run away The second quarter showed some urgency by the Celtics as they took their lead to 11 points at one stage but Miami came back stunningly and kept them in check. By the time the quarter came to an end, the Heat (24) had scored one more point than the Celtics (23). Boston, however, had four-point lead with box score reading 57-53 and Jayson Tatum had a lot to do with it as he dropped 16 points in the quarter. For the Heat, Gabe Vincent stood tall with 11 points. Defense steps up for both teams There weren't many points scored in the third quarter, thanks to some brilliant defensive plays by both teams. The Celtics, however, had a 7-0 run in the 12-minute period and that's exactly how much they led by at the end of the quarter. The Heat ensured that Boston doesn't run away with the game but could managed only 19 points against the opponents' 22 as the box score read 79-72 in the Celtics' favour. Miami keeps pushing but Boston just holds on A quarter which was Boston going up again by 10 points with not much time left but thanks to Duncan Robinson's threes which kept Miami in the game. They eventually went ahead by one point with just three seconds to go as jimmy Butler made his three three throws count. Boston took the final shot and it didn't go in but Derrick White made the rebound count with just 0.2 seconds left! WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2023 East Finals: Relentless Celtics force Game 7 with final-second lay up against Heat

A 17-5 run by the Boston Celtics in the first quarter set the tone early for the Game 5 as they beat the Miami Heat 110-97&nbsp;to make the seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series 3-2. It was Jayson Taum's 12 points in the 1Q which lead the Celtics early on as they forced Game 6 after being 0-3 down.

It was, however, a team effort from the Celtics with four players going past 20 points to hand the Heat a proper beating at TD Garden. Derrick White and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics also deserve a special mention as they went 6-for-8 and 4-for-6, respectively while attempting three-pointers.

<h2>Celtics blow out Heat in 1Q</h2>

Boston knew they had to start fast in the game and so they did with a 17-5 run inspired by Tatum's 12 points in the quarter. The Heat didn't have any answers to the blitzkrieg by the Celtics as they trailed by 15 points at the end of the quarter. The period was skillfully closed by Derrick White's buzzer-beater three after Marcus Smart drained two and Tatum bucketed one earlier in the quarter. The Heat could score only 20 against Boston's 35.

<h2>Miami keeps up in 2Q but Boston runs away</h2>

The Heat seemed to have picked up the pace in the second quarter but Boston once again made a 12-3 run to outscore Miami 26-24. Tatum, who had scored 12 points in the 1Q, couldn't score a single point in 2Q but Jaylen Brown stood up tall and so did Marcus Smart. Both the players had 17 and 15 points, respectively at the half-time as Boston lead by 17 points with box score reading 61-44 in the Celtics' favour.

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<h2>First quarter haunts Miami</h2>

The Heat kept up with the scoring in 3Q but the deficit they had gotten in the first quarter haunted them. Miami scored 28 against The Celtics 28 but this meant that Boston's lead grew by one more point and stood at 18 by the end of 3Q. The box score read 90-72 in Boston;s favour which looked all but sure to push the series to sixth game after trailing 0-3.

<h2>Just the formality in final quarter</h2>

Boston had too much of a lead going into the final quarter and they knew it. Both, Boston and Miami went easy in the final 12 minutes, scoring 17 and 16 points, respectively. The Heat never looked easy after that 1st quarter and the Celtics just pounded their way to Game 6.&nbsp;

<h2>Top scorers of Game 5</h2>

For the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored 21 points each while Derrick White and Marcus Smart scored 24 and 23 points, respectively.

For the Miami Heat, &nbsp;five players scored in 10s but it wasn't enough to match the high-flying Celtics. Duncan Robinson top scored for them with 18, Bam Adebayo scored second-best 16 and Haywood Highsmith came third with 15 points. Apart from them, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin, both scored 14 points each.

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A 17-5 run by the Boston Celtics in the first quarter set the tone early for the Game 5 as they beat the Miami Heat 110-97 to make the seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series 3-2.

A 17-5 run by the Boston Celtics in the first quarter set the tone early for the Game 5 as they beat the Miami Heat 110-97 to make the seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series 3-2. It was Jayson Taum's 12 points in the 1Q which lead the Celtics early on as they forced Game 6 after being 0-3 down. It was, however, a team effort from the Celtics with four players going past 20 points to hand the Heat a proper beating at TD Garden. Derrick White and Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics also deserve a special mention as they went 6-for-8 and 4-for-6, respectively while attempting three-pointers. Celtics blow out Heat in 1Q Boston knew they had to start fast in the game and so they did with a 17-5 run inspired by Tatum's 12 points in the quarter. The Heat didn't have any answers to the blitzkrieg by the Celtics as they trailed by 15 points at the end of the quarter. The period was skillfully closed by Derrick White's buzzer-beater three after Marcus Smart drained two and Tatum bucketed one earlier in the quarter. The Heat could score only 20 against Boston's 35. Miami keeps up in 2Q but Boston runs away The Heat seemed to have picked up the pace in the second quarter but Boston once again made a 12-3 run to outscore Miami 26-24. Tatum, who had scored 12 points in the 1Q, couldn't score a single point in 2Q but Jaylen Brown stood up tall and so did Marcus Smart. Both the players had 17 and 15 points, respectively at the half-time as Boston lead by 17 points with box score reading 61-44 in the Celtics' favour. Also Read: Manchester United back in Champions League with 4-1 rout of Chelsea First quarter haunts Miami The Heat kept up with the scoring in 3Q but the deficit they had gotten in the first quarter haunted them. Miami scored 28 against The Celtics 28 but this meant that Boston's lead grew by one more point and stood at 18 by the end of 3Q. The box score read 90-72 in Boston;s favour which looked all but sure to push the series to sixth game after trailing 0-3. Just the formality in final quarter Boston had too much of a lead going into the final quarter and they knew it. Both, Boston and Miami went easy in the final 12 minutes, scoring 17 and 16 points, respectively. The Heat never looked easy after that 1st quarter and the Celtics just pounded their way to Game 6. Top scorers of Game 5 For the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored 21 points each while Derrick White and Marcus Smart scored 24 and 23 points, respectively. For the Miami Heat, five players scored in 10s but it wasn't enough to match the high-flying Celtics. Duncan Robinson top scored for them with 18, Bam Adebayo scored second-best 16 and Haywood Highsmith came third with 15 points. Apart from them, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin, both scored 14 points each. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2023 East Finals: Boston Celtics rally to beat Heat in Game 5 to make series 3-2

A stunning run of 16-0 in the third quarter by the Boston Celtics has stunned Miami Heat and kept the Eastern Conference Finals series alive. The Celtics, trailing in the series 0-3, won Game four 116-99 and Jayson Tatum was their chief enforcer a do-or-die night.

It was Tatum who hit two back-to-back threes in the 3Q when Miami was threatening to run away with the game with a nine-point lead. Tatum's successful 3P attempts ensured that Celtics stay near Miami's score and the Celtics eventually overtook the Heat for a nine-point lead by the end of third quarter.

<h2>Boston rallies, Heat keep up in 1Q</h2>

The Boston Celtics came as a team on a mission in the first quarter of the game as it matched Heat point-to-point till about half of the quarter.

With the scores reading 12-all, Miami started getting hot and made a 10-4 run which got them seven points ahead in the game.

The quarter eventually ended with a 29-23 score in Miami's favour.

<h2>The quarter of equals</h2>

Both the teams scored 27 points each in the second quarter as they kept getting ahead of each other in &nbsp;a see-saw quarter.

With the points scored being same for both the teams, Miami stayed ahead with a six-point lead they had taken in the first quarter and box score read 56-50 in the hosts' favour.

It was Caleb Martin who came out a the hero for Miami with is 14 points by the half-time during which he went 6-for-6 in FGs and 2-for-2 in three-point attempts.

<h2>Boston stuns Miami in 3Q</h2>

The Celtics played like a team possessed in the third quarter, making a 16-0 run to go up on the Heat.

Miami could never recover from that onslaught and conceded a nine-point lead by the end of quarter in which they were outscored 23-38 by the Celtics.

With only one more 12-minute period to go in the game, the box score read 88-79 in Boston's favour.

<h2>Celtics blow Heat out in 4Q</h2>

The Celtics continued to lead the final quarter of the game as well with a 12-0 run while having a five-point lead in the game. Boston's turnaround was complete has they all but made sure to extend the series to Game 5 with under three to go in 4Q.

<h2>Top scorers of Game 4</h2>

Boston's Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Brown scored 17 and Derrick White chipped in with 11. For the Heat, Jimmy Butler top scored once again with 29 points with Gabe Vincent scoring 17 and Calen Martin dropping 16.

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A stunning run of 16-0 in the third quarter by the Boston Celtics has stunned Miami Heat and kept the Eastern Conference Finals series alive. The Celtics, trailing in the series 0-3, won Game four 116-99 and Jayson Tatum was their chief enforcer a do-or-die night.

A stunning run of 16-0 in the third quarter by the Boston Celtics has stunned Miami Heat and kept the Eastern Conference Finals series alive. The Celtics, trailing in the series 0-3, won Game four 116-99 and Jayson Tatum was their chief enforcer a do-or-die night. It was Tatum who hit two back-to-back threes in the 3Q when Miami was threatening to run away with the game with a nine-point lead. Tatum's successful 3P attempts ensured that Celtics stay near Miami's score and the Celtics eventually overtook the Heat for a nine-point lead by the end of third quarter. Boston rallies, Heat keep up in 1Q The Boston Celtics came as a team on a mission in the first quarter of the game as it matched Heat point-to-point till about half of the quarter. With the scores reading 12-all, Miami started getting hot and made a 10-4 run which got them seven points ahead in the game. The quarter eventually ended with a 29-23 score in Miami's favour. The quarter of equals Both the teams scored 27 points each in the second quarter as they kept getting ahead of each other in a see-saw quarter. With the points scored being same for both the teams, Miami stayed ahead with a six-point lead they had taken in the first quarter and box score read 56-50 in the hosts' favour. It was Caleb Martin who came out a the hero for Miami with is 14 points by the half-time during which he went 6-for-6 in FGs and 2-for-2 in three-point attempts. Boston stuns Miami in 3Q The Celtics played like a team possessed in the third quarter, making a 16-0 run to go up on the Heat. Miami could never recover from that onslaught and conceded a nine-point lead by the end of quarter in which they were outscored 23-38 by the Celtics. With only one more 12-minute period to go in the game, the box score read 88-79 in Boston's favour. Celtics blow Heat out in 4Q The Celtics continued to lead the final quarter of the game as well with a 12-0 run while having a five-point lead in the game. Boston's turnaround was complete has they all but made sure to extend the series to Game 5 with under three to go in 4Q. Top scorers of Game 4 Boston's Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Brown scored 17 and Derrick White chipped in with 11. For the Heat, Jimmy Butler top scored once again with 29 points with Gabe Vincent scoring 17 and Calen Martin dropping 16. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2023 NBA East Finals: Tatum leads Celtics past Heat in Game 4 to keep series alive

The Heat run riot in Miami as they beat Boston Celtics 128-102 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 lead in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics, who had lost 0-2 in the first two games of the series, just couldn't get going and now stare at crashing out of the season as every game from hereon is going to be win or go home.

Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson led the charge for Miami, scoring 29 and 22 points respectively, but it was their three-point shots which made a whole lot of difference.

<h2>Heat set the tone early</h2>

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 11 and 12 points, respectively for the Celtics in first quarter but were matched ably by Jimmy Butler and Max Strus' 12 points each as the Heat took an eight-point lead by the end of 1Q, with the box score reading 30-22 in Miami's favour.

<h2>Boston try and fight</h2>

The Celtics tried to keep up with the Heat in 2Q but Miami ensured that Boston stays at some distance. The Heat scored 31 points in the quarter with bam Adebayo sinking some mean dunks and a 17-6 run didn't help Boston either. The Celtics managed 24 points in the quarter and now were trailing by 15 points at the half-time.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/golf-brooks-koepka-wins-fifth-major-with-pga-championship-title-594882">Brooks Koepka wins fifth major with PGA Championship title</a>

<h2>Miami heats up in 3Q</h2>

Gabe Vincent was on fire as they drained couple of threes and the Celtics missed everything - 3Ps, lay-ups and alley-oops. The hosts scored 32 points and Boston had the most miserable of the quarter, scoring just 17. The heat were in full command as the lead now was 30 points - something which even the Celtics seemed to believe impossible to wipe out as their shoulder dropped.

<h2>A formal last quarter</h2>

The last 12 minutes of the game were just a mere formality as the Heat ensured that its lead doesn't go lower than 27 points. Even though Boston matched Heat in terms of scoring with 39 points against Miami's 35, it was just all too little, too late.

<h2>The top performers</h2>

Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Grant Williams scored in double digits for the Celtics. Along with them, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet too scored in double digits, but none scored more than 12.

As for the Heat, Gabe Vincent top-scored with his career high 29 points and he also made six of his nine attempted 3Ps. Apart from him, Caleb Martin scored 18, Jimmy Butler 16 and Duncan Robinson chipped in with 22 and sank five of seven 3Ps attempts.

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The Heat run riot in Miami as they beat Boston Celtics 128-102 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 lead in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics, who had lost 0-2 in the first two games of the series, just couldn't get going and now stare at crashing out of the season as every game from hereon is going to be win or go home.

The Heat run riot in Miami as they beat Boston Celtics 128-102 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 lead in the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics, who had lost 0-2 in the first two games of the series, just couldn't get going and now stare at crashing out of the season as every game from hereon is going to be win or go home. Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson led the charge for Miami, scoring 29 and 22 points respectively, but it was their three-point shots which made a whole lot of difference. Heat set the tone early Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 11 and 12 points, respectively for the Celtics in first quarter but were matched ably by Jimmy Butler and Max Strus' 12 points each as the Heat took an eight-point lead by the end of 1Q, with the box score reading 30-22 in Miami's favour. Boston try and fight The Celtics tried to keep up with the Heat in 2Q but Miami ensured that Boston stays at some distance. The Heat scored 31 points in the quarter with bam Adebayo sinking some mean dunks and a 17-6 run didn't help Boston either. The Celtics managed 24 points in the quarter and now were trailing by 15 points at the half-time. Also Read: Brooks Koepka wins fifth major with PGA Championship title Miami heats up in 3Q Gabe Vincent was on fire as they drained couple of threes and the Celtics missed everything - 3Ps, lay-ups and alley-oops. The hosts scored 32 points and Boston had the most miserable of the quarter, scoring just 17. The heat were in full command as the lead now was 30 points - something which even the Celtics seemed to believe impossible to wipe out as their shoulder dropped. A formal last quarter The last 12 minutes of the game were just a mere formality as the Heat ensured that its lead doesn't go lower than 27 points. Even though Boston matched Heat in terms of scoring with 39 points against Miami's 35, it was just all too little, too late. The top performers Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Grant Williams scored in double digits for the Celtics. Along with them, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet too scored in double digits, but none scored more than 12. As for the Heat, Gabe Vincent top-scored with his career high 29 points and he also made six of his nine attempted 3Ps. Apart from him, Caleb Martin scored 18, Jimmy Butler 16 and Duncan Robinson chipped in with 22 and sank five of seven 3Ps attempts. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2023 NBA East Finals: Miami heat rout Boston Celtics 128-102 to take 3-0 lead

Jimmy Butler led a fourth-quarter fightback as the Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics 111-105 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference finals series on Friday. Miami talisman Butler finished with 27 points as the eighth seeds grabbed a second straight victory at Boston's TD Garden to leave the Celtics with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the NBA finals.

Miami had trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter and the Celtics led by as much as nine with under seven minutes of the final frame remaining.

But Butler led a sensational 20-9 Miami run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that turned the game on its head and left his team just two wins away from returning to the NBA finals as the best-of-seven series heads to Miami for games three and four.

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Miami closes on a 24-9 run 🔥 
 
They win Game 2 go up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals! 
 
BOS/MIA Game 3: Sunday, 8:30pm/et | TNT <a href="https://t.co/7H1RZQJ165">pic.twitter.com/7H1RZQJ165</a>
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"We got some dogs, and I love it, I love every bit of it," an elated Butler said during an on-court interview after the Miami win. "Guys never quit, guys never give up, we love playing with one another -- we got so much faith and trust in one another."

Nine of Butler's 27 points came during the fourth-quarter rally, with the Miami star seemingly fired up after an angry nose-to-nose exchange with Boston's Grant Williams midway through the fourth quarter.

At that stage in the game, Boston led 96-89, but Miami launched a devastating late run that turned the contest decisively in favor of the Heat.

"Just healthy competition, and I love it," Butler said afterwards of his exchange with Williams. &nbsp;"I'm always here to compete, I like to talk at times, as long as we get the win I'm good with it though."

Butler received offensive support from Caleb Martin, with 25 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo delivered another all-round effort with 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists.

Duncan Robinson added 15 points from the bench, including three three-pointers.

A shellshocked Boston, meanwhile, were left reflecting on another shattering defeat at home despite 34 points from Jayson Tatum.

Jaylen Brown finished with 16 points but had a wayward shooting night, making only seven of 23 from the field, while Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon had 13 points apiece.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla blamed indiscipline and mental frailty for his team's defeat.

"It comes down to the details and the margins," Mazzulla said. &nbsp;"This is a series of discipline and mindset. And there were times throughout the game where we weren't the more disciplined team."

Asked if he believed Boston's late collapse was "mental", Mazzulla agreed.

"It's mental from the standpoint of who can make the right plays at the right times, who can make the simple plays, who can win those details and those margins," Mazzulla said. "So, yeah, it's definitely mental."

Game three takes place in Miami on Sunday.

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Jimmy Butler led a fourth-quarter fightback as the Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics 111-105 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference finals series on Friday.

Jimmy Butler led a fourth-quarter fightback as the Miami Heat stunned the Boston Celtics 111-105 to take a 2-0 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference finals series on Friday. Miami talisman Butler finished with 27 points as the eighth seeds grabbed a second straight victory at Boston's TD Garden to leave the Celtics with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the NBA finals. Miami had trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter and the Celtics led by as much as nine with under seven minutes of the final frame remaining. But Butler led a sensational 20-9 Miami run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that turned the game on its head and left his team just two wins away from returning to the NBA finals as the best-of-seven series heads to Miami for games three and four. Miami closes on a 24-9 run 🔥 They win Game 2 go up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals! BOS/MIA Game 3: Sunday, 8:30pm/et | TNT pic.twitter.com/7H1RZQJ165 — NBA (@NBA) May 20, 2023 × ALSO READ: Basketball: LeBron James, Barak Obama among others pay tribute to NBA great Jim Brown, who passed away aged 87 "We got some dogs, and I love it, I love every bit of it," an elated Butler said during an on-court interview after the Miami win. "Guys never quit, guys never give up, we love playing with one another -- we got so much faith and trust in one another." Nine of Butler's 27 points came during the fourth-quarter rally, with the Miami star seemingly fired up after an angry nose-to-nose exchange with Boston's Grant Williams midway through the fourth quarter. At that stage in the game, Boston led 96-89, but Miami launched a devastating late run that turned the contest decisively in favor of the Heat. "Just healthy competition, and I love it," Butler said afterwards of his exchange with Williams. "I'm always here to compete, I like to talk at times, as long as we get the win I'm good with it though." Butler received offensive support from Caleb Martin, with 25 points off the bench, while Bam Adebayo delivered another all-round effort with 22 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists. Duncan Robinson added 15 points from the bench, including three three-pointers. A shellshocked Boston, meanwhile, were left reflecting on another shattering defeat at home despite 34 points from Jayson Tatum. Jaylen Brown finished with 16 points but had a wayward shooting night, making only seven of 23 from the field, while Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon had 13 points apiece. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla blamed indiscipline and mental frailty for his team's defeat. "It comes down to the details and the margins," Mazzulla said. "This is a series of discipline and mindset. And there were times throughout the game where we weren't the more disciplined team." Asked if he believed Boston's late collapse was "mental", Mazzulla agreed. "It's mental from the standpoint of who can make the right plays at the right times, who can make the simple plays, who can win those details and those margins," Mazzulla said. "So, yeah, it's definitely mental." Game three takes place in Miami on Sunday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Miami Heat beat Boston Celtics 111-105 to take 2-0 lead in NBA Eastern Conference finals series

Miami Heat came from behind in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals as they beat the Boston Celtics 123-116 at TD Garden in Boston. Heat scored 66 points after the half-time against Boston's 50 with Jimmy Butler scoring 35 points in the game.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 20 and 22 points respectively but it was just not enough before a rampaging Miami as they let a nine-point slide in the last two quarters of the game. For Miami, Bam Adebayo also scored 20 points while Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin all dropped 15 points each.

The game started with frantic pace as both teams came out all guns blazing to secure the early lead. Both Boston and Miami, however, were even match for each other as the scores ran neck-to-neck through the first quarter with the box score reading 30-28 in Boston's favor.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-west-finals-2023-jokics-leads-nuggets-past-lakers-in-game-1-593137">NBA West Finals 2023: Jokic leads Nuggets past Lakers in Game 1</a>

Jimmy Butler was in form in the 1Q as he dropped 12 points while Jason Tatum had a quite start, scoring just seven points in the first quarter. The second quarter also started the same way, equal, before ran away with the game on the back of a 16-5 run. The Celtics scored 36 points in 2Q against Miami's 29 to lead by nine points going into the half-time.

Heat, in 3Q, came out all gun blazing and drew level quickly with Boston as the box score read 72-72 in no time. By the time there were only four minutes left in the quarter, Heat were leading by six points with Jimmy Butler and Jason Tatum having 22 points each for the Heat and Celtics, respectively.

Miami dropped 46 points in the third quarter while Boston were thoroughly outscored, managing just 25. By the time game went into the final quarter, Heat were leading by 11 points with scorecard reading 102-91 against Boston. Jimmy Butler has 27 points for the Heat by the end of 3Q while Bam Adebayo had scored 18 and Max Strus going for 15.

For the Celtics, Tatum was the lead scorer till 3Q with 24 points to his name. Apart from him, Jaylen Brown had dropped 18 and Malcolm Brogdon had drained 16 by the the time 4Q started.

It was a street fight in the final quarter with multiple run-ins and players getting tangled with each other and somehow Jaylen Brown was caught in two of them. Boston had scored Miami 14-9 in the 4Q with under six minutes left but were still trailing by six points.

Jimmy Butler then made a clutch three to keep Miami's lead at six points as Boston lost even after outscoring Heat 25-20 in the final quarter.

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Miami Heat came from behind in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals as they beat the Boston Celtics 123-116 at TD Garden in Boston. Heat scored 66 points after the half-time against Boston's 50 with Jimmy Butler scoring 35 points in the game.

Miami Heat came from behind in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals as they beat the Boston Celtics 123-116 at TD Garden in Boston. Heat scored 66 points after the half-time against Boston's 50 with Jimmy Butler scoring 35 points in the game. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 20 and 22 points respectively but it was just not enough before a rampaging Miami as they let a nine-point slide in the last two quarters of the game. For Miami, Bam Adebayo also scored 20 points while Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin all dropped 15 points each. The game started with frantic pace as both teams came out all guns blazing to secure the early lead. Both Boston and Miami, however, were even match for each other as the scores ran neck-to-neck through the first quarter with the box score reading 30-28 in Boston's favor. Also Read: NBA West Finals 2023: Jokic leads Nuggets past Lakers in Game 1 Jimmy Butler was in form in the 1Q as he dropped 12 points while Jason Tatum had a quite start, scoring just seven points in the first quarter. The second quarter also started the same way, equal, before ran away with the game on the back of a 16-5 run. The Celtics scored 36 points in 2Q against Miami's 29 to lead by nine points going into the half-time. Heat, in 3Q, came out all gun blazing and drew level quickly with Boston as the box score read 72-72 in no time. By the time there were only four minutes left in the quarter, Heat were leading by six points with Jimmy Butler and Jason Tatum having 22 points each for the Heat and Celtics, respectively. Miami dropped 46 points in the third quarter while Boston were thoroughly outscored, managing just 25. By the time game went into the final quarter, Heat were leading by 11 points with scorecard reading 102-91 against Boston. Jimmy Butler has 27 points for the Heat by the end of 3Q while Bam Adebayo had scored 18 and Max Strus going for 15. For the Celtics, Tatum was the lead scorer till 3Q with 24 points to his name. Apart from him, Jaylen Brown had dropped 18 and Malcolm Brogdon had drained 16 by the the time 4Q started. It was a street fight in the final quarter with multiple run-ins and players getting tangled with each other and somehow Jaylen Brown was caught in two of them. Boston had scored Miami 14-9 in the 4Q with under six minutes left but were still trailing by six points. Jimmy Butler then made a clutch three to keep Miami's lead at six points as Boston lost even after outscoring Heat 25-20 in the final quarter. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA East Finals 2023: Heat come from behind to beat Celtics in Game 1

The Philadelphia 76ers have fired head coach Doc Rivers after their exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

The 76ers' President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said the decision came after a review of the season.

"Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely. We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise.&nbsp;

"After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship," he said.

Rivers' departure comes after the 112-88 loss to the Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Sunday.

It was the third straight season that Philadelphia were eliminated a game short of the conference finals and it was their sixth straight season of reaching the post-season but failing to get past the second round. The 76ers haven't reached the conference finals since 2001.

Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach - the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and he remains without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career.

Hopes were high for a championship this season given the form of Joel Embiid, the league's Most Valuable Player this season.

Embiid praised Rivers after Sunday's defeat saying: "He’s been a great leader for all of us, a great motivator."

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Rivers joined the 76ers in 2020 after spells with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Celtics and the Orlando Magic.

The coach, who has enjoyed 16 straight winning seasons, had 154-82 (.653) record in his three seasons in Philadelphia.

Rivers won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008 and led them to the NBA Finals again in 2010.&nbsp;

His last appearances in a conference final was in 2012 with Boston, losing to eventual champions&nbsp;the Miami Heat.

Rivers becomes the third coach to reach the post-season this year and then lose their job.

The Milwaukee Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after a first round exit to the Heat while the Phoenix Suns dismissed Monty Williams after their second round loss to the Denver Nuggets.

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The Philadelphia 76ers have fired head coach Doc Rivers after their exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The 76ers' President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said the decision came after a review of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have fired head coach Doc Rivers after their exit from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The 76ers' President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said the decision came after a review of the season. "Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely. We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. "After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship," he said. Rivers' departure comes after the 112-88 loss to the Celtics in game seven of the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Sunday. It was the third straight season that Philadelphia were eliminated a game short of the conference finals and it was their sixth straight season of reaching the post-season but failing to get past the second round. The 76ers haven't reached the conference finals since 2001. Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach - the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and he remains without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career. Hopes were high for a championship this season given the form of Joel Embiid, the league's Most Valuable Player this season. Embiid praised Rivers after Sunday's defeat saying: "He’s been a great leader for all of us, a great motivator." ALSO READ | IPL 2023: Shubman Gill breaks Sachin Tendulkar's unique record with maiden ton for Gujarat Titans Rivers joined the 76ers in 2020 after spells with the Los Angeles Clippers, the Celtics and the Orlando Magic. The coach, who has enjoyed 16 straight winning seasons, had 154-82 (.653) record in his three seasons in Philadelphia. Rivers won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008 and led them to the NBA Finals again in 2010. His last appearances in a conference final was in 2012 with Boston, losing to eventual champions the Miami Heat. Rivers becomes the third coach to reach the post-season this year and then lose their job. The Milwaukee Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer after a first round exit to the Heat while the Phoenix Suns dismissed Monty Williams after their second round loss to the Denver Nuggets. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers fire coach Doc Rivers after playoff exit against Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum poured in an historic 51 points on Sunday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-88 game-seven victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

Tatum added 13 rebounds five assists and a couple of steals and the Celtics' suffocating defense neutralized newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid as Boston booked a return date with the Miami Heat -- the team they beat in seven games in last year's conference finals.

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Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, who broke open a close game in the third quarter as they out-scored the 76ers 33-10.

Philadelphia went six minutes of the period without a basket and trailed by 26 heading into the fourth, when Boston pushed the lead to 30 with less than four minutes to play.

His 51 points eclipsed the game-seven record of 50 set by Golden State's Stephen Curry against the Sacramento Kings in the first round this month.

It was a bounce-back performance for Tatum, who struggled for long stretches in the series and endured a horrific shooting night until drilling four crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' series-extending game-six win on Thursday.

He began fashioning his game-seven masterpiece in the opening minutes.

The 76ers turned an early six-point deficit into a 29-23 lead through one quarter, while a nip-and-tuck second period saw the Celtics up 55-52 at halftime.

Then the Celtics blew it wide open in the third. Tatum scored 17 points in the period, draining four of his six three-pointers as the shell-shocked 76ers struggled, and failed, to find a response.

"Going into game six I was too locked-in, I was too tight, thinking about what I need to do, how many points I need to score," Tatum said.

After a lighthearted practice on Saturday, Tatum said he was more himself.

"That's when I play my best is when I'm having fun."

It was another crushing playoff exit for the 76ers and Embiid, who was held to 15 points on five-of-18 shooting.

Philadelphia's Doc Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach. That's the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and Rivers remained without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career.

The 76ers had the third-best regular-season record behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston, but even with Embiid enjoying an MVP season it failed to translate into post-season success.

They have reached the playoffs for six straight seasons but haven't made it out of the second round.

Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 19 points but Boston limited the Sixers to 37.3% shooting from the floor and harried them into 14 turnovers.

<h2>Turnover trouble</h2>

Star guard James Harden scored just nine, making three of his 11 shots from the field.

Boston veteran Al Horford did a terrific job guarding Embiid. He scored just six points but grabbed 10 rebounds with two steals and three blocked shots.

Rivers said the rot set in for the 76ers in the second quarter.

"We were playing so well. We trusted, the ball was moving, and then we had I think it was three or four turnovers in a row," Rivers said.

Rivers pointed to a flagrant foul called on Harden after his arm hit Brown in the face as the ball slipped out of Harden's hands on a layup attempt.

Instead of going up by 10, the Sixers gave up the ball.

"After that, we never played right again," Rivers said.

The Celtics will host the Heat in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday with an NBA Finals berth on the line.

Last year the Heat were the top seeds in the East. This year they are the first eighth-seeded team to reach the conference finals since the 1999 Knicks.

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Jayson Tatum poured in an historic 51 points on Sunday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-88 game-seven victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals.

Jayson Tatum poured in an historic 51 points on Sunday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 112-88 game-seven victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and into the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Tatum added 13 rebounds five assists and a couple of steals and the Celtics' suffocating defense neutralized newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid as Boston booked a return date with the Miami Heat -- the team they beat in seven games in last year's conference finals. Also Read: La Liga: Barcelona thrash Espanyol 4-2 to win first title since 2019 Jaylen Brown added 25 points for Boston, who broke open a close game in the third quarter as they out-scored the 76ers 33-10. Philadelphia went six minutes of the period without a basket and trailed by 26 heading into the fourth, when Boston pushed the lead to 30 with less than four minutes to play. His 51 points eclipsed the game-seven record of 50 set by Golden State's Stephen Curry against the Sacramento Kings in the first round this month. It was a bounce-back performance for Tatum, who struggled for long stretches in the series and endured a horrific shooting night until drilling four crucial three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' series-extending game-six win on Thursday. He began fashioning his game-seven masterpiece in the opening minutes. The 76ers turned an early six-point deficit into a 29-23 lead through one quarter, while a nip-and-tuck second period saw the Celtics up 55-52 at halftime. Then the Celtics blew it wide open in the third. Tatum scored 17 points in the period, draining four of his six three-pointers as the shell-shocked 76ers struggled, and failed, to find a response. "Going into game six I was too locked-in, I was too tight, thinking about what I need to do, how many points I need to score," Tatum said. After a lighthearted practice on Saturday, Tatum said he was more himself. "That's when I play my best is when I'm having fun." It was another crushing playoff exit for the 76ers and Embiid, who was held to 15 points on five-of-18 shooting. Philadelphia's Doc Rivers fell to 6-10 in game sevens as a coach. That's the most game seven defeats of any NBA coach in history and Rivers remained without a game-seven win on the road in his coaching career. The 76ers had the third-best regular-season record behind the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston, but even with Embiid enjoying an MVP season it failed to translate into post-season success. They have reached the playoffs for six straight seasons but haven't made it out of the second round. Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 19 points but Boston limited the Sixers to 37.3% shooting from the floor and harried them into 14 turnovers. Turnover trouble Star guard James Harden scored just nine, making three of his 11 shots from the field. Boston veteran Al Horford did a terrific job guarding Embiid. He scored just six points but grabbed 10 rebounds with two steals and three blocked shots. Rivers said the rot set in for the 76ers in the second quarter. "We were playing so well. We trusted, the ball was moving, and then we had I think it was three or four turnovers in a row," Rivers said. Rivers pointed to a flagrant foul called on Harden after his arm hit Brown in the face as the ball slipped out of Harden's hands on a layup attempt. Instead of going up by 10, the Sixers gave up the ball. "After that, we never played right again," Rivers said. The Celtics will host the Heat in game one of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday with an NBA Finals berth on the line. Last year the Heat were the top seeds in the East. This year they are the first eighth-seeded team to reach the conference finals since the 1999 Knicks. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Tatum's 51 take Celtics past Sixes for Eastern Conference finals berth

The Denver Nuggets crushed the Phoenix Suns 125-100 on Thursday to become the first team to reach the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;conference finals as the Boston Celtics forced a decisive game seven against the Philadelphia 76ers. Western Conference top seeds Denver dominated from start to finish in Phoenix as they polished off the Suns 4-2 in their best-of-seven conference semi-final. The Nuggets reached the conference finals for the first time since the Covid "bubble" in Florida in 2020 and will face either reigning champions Golden State or the Los Angeles Lakers, who hold a 3-2 lead in their series and host the Warriors on Friday.

Two-time&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic delivered his third triple-double of the series, scoring 32 points with 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Jokic said the Nuggets shrugged off the idea of a "hostile environment" at the Footprint Center and played with "the same mindset that we are playing with at home -- just be aggressive, move them from the spots, make them make tough shots. "And I think we did that," Jokic told ESPN.

The Nuggets silenced the Phoenix crowd as they dominated virtually every facet of the game on the way to an 81-51 halftime lead -- which sparked a smattering of boos from home spectators. Jamal Murray, who was questionable to start because of illness, scored 26 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 for Denver, who out-scored the Suns 62-46 in the paint, out-rebounded them 41-29 and had 18 second-chance points to the Suns' seven.

Cameron Payne drilled seven of nine three-pointers on the way to 31 points for Phoenix. Kevin Durant added 23 and Devin Booker 12. But with veteran point guard Chris Paul missing a fourth straight game with a groin injury and center Deandre Ayton ruled out with a rib injury, the Suns endured another embarrassing exit after last year's elimination on their home floor by the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant wasn't around for that one, having arrived in February via a blockbuster trade with Brooklyn. And he didn't enjoy this year's version. "It sucked," the two-time&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;champion said. "It was a bad feeling. It was embarrassing. They came out and hit us in the mouth and we couldn't recover".

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<h2>- Tatum comes through -</h2>

In Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics held off the 76ers 95-86 to level their Eastern Conference semi-final at three games apiece. The star Boston forward had made just one of 14 attempts from the floor when he erupted with four three-pointers in the final period as the Celtics thwarted Philadelphia's comeback bid.

They'll host game seven on Sunday, trying to deny the Sixers a first trip to the conference finals since 2001 and stay on course for a return to the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Finals themselves. Newly minted&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;MVP Joel Embiid had 26 points with 10 rebounds for Philadelphia. But former MVP James Harden scored just 13 on four-of-13 shooting. Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season, said he never lost confidence even as he struggled. "I'm, humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world," Tatum told ESPN in an on-court interview of maintaining his confidence. "Thankfully I've got some great teammates that held it down... They tell me 'Keep taking great looks, it's going to fall.'"

Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 22 points. Jaylen Brown added 17 and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 off the bench. Even amid Tatum's troubles the Celtics raced to a 15-3 lead, Smart and Brogdon carrying the early load before the Sixers began to find their feet. Philadelphia cut the deficit to three points before the Celtics pulled away again, pushing their advantage to 16 points twice in the second period.

But the Sixers clawed back, finally taking the lead on two free throws from Harden that put them up 64-62 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Philadelphia led 73-71 going into the final frame and were up by two when Tatum made his first three-pointer of the game to put Boston ahead. Tatum then drilled a step-back three-pointer over Tyrese Maxey and another pair from beyond the arc pushed the Celtics' lead to 11 with 37.6 seconds remaining.

"All that mattered was we won this game," said Tatum, who also had seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocked shots. "It's game seven, it doesn't get any better than that."&nbsp;&nbsp;Added Embiid: "Who doesn't love game seven?"

The Denver Nuggets crushed the Phoenix Suns 125-100 on Thursday to become the first team to reach the NBA conference finals as the Boston Celtics forced a decisive game seven against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Denver Nuggets crushed the Phoenix Suns 125-100 on Thursday to become the first team to reach the NBA conference finals as the Boston Celtics forced a decisive game seven against the Philadelphia 76ers. Western Conference top seeds Denver dominated from start to finish in Phoenix as they polished off the Suns 4-2 in their best-of-seven conference semi-final. The Nuggets reached the conference finals for the first time since the Covid "bubble" in Florida in 2020 and will face either reigning champions Golden State or the Los Angeles Lakers, who hold a 3-2 lead in their series and host the Warriors on Friday. Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic delivered his third triple-double of the series, scoring 32 points with 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Jokic said the Nuggets shrugged off the idea of a "hostile environment" at the Footprint Center and played with "the same mindset that we are playing with at home -- just be aggressive, move them from the spots, make them make tough shots. "And I think we did that," Jokic told ESPN. The Nuggets silenced the Phoenix crowd as they dominated virtually every facet of the game on the way to an 81-51 halftime lead -- which sparked a smattering of boos from home spectators. Jamal Murray, who was questionable to start because of illness, scored 26 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 21 for Denver, who out-scored the Suns 62-46 in the paint, out-rebounded them 41-29 and had 18 second-chance points to the Suns' seven. Cameron Payne drilled seven of nine three-pointers on the way to 31 points for Phoenix. Kevin Durant added 23 and Devin Booker 12. But with veteran point guard Chris Paul missing a fourth straight game with a groin injury and center Deandre Ayton ruled out with a rib injury, the Suns endured another embarrassing exit after last year's elimination on their home floor by the Dallas Mavericks. Durant wasn't around for that one, having arrived in February via a blockbuster trade with Brooklyn. And he didn't enjoy this year's version. "It sucked," the two-time NBA champion said. "It was a bad feeling. It was embarrassing. They came out and hit us in the mouth and we couldn't recover". Also Read: NBA: Golden State Warriors edge past LA Lakers, New York Knicks hold off Miami Heat - Tatum comes through - In Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics held off the 76ers 95-86 to level their Eastern Conference semi-final at three games apiece. The star Boston forward had made just one of 14 attempts from the floor when he erupted with four three-pointers in the final period as the Celtics thwarted Philadelphia's comeback bid. They'll host game seven on Sunday, trying to deny the Sixers a first trip to the conference finals since 2001 and stay on course for a return to the NBA Finals themselves. Newly minted NBA MVP Joel Embiid had 26 points with 10 rebounds for Philadelphia. But former MVP James Harden scored just 13 on four-of-13 shooting. Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season, said he never lost confidence even as he struggled. "I'm, humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world," Tatum told ESPN in an on-court interview of maintaining his confidence. "Thankfully I've got some great teammates that held it down... They tell me 'Keep taking great looks, it's going to fall.'" Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 22 points. Jaylen Brown added 17 and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 off the bench. Even amid Tatum's troubles the Celtics raced to a 15-3 lead, Smart and Brogdon carrying the early load before the Sixers began to find their feet. Philadelphia cut the deficit to three points before the Celtics pulled away again, pushing their advantage to 16 points twice in the second period. But the Sixers clawed back, finally taking the lead on two free throws from Harden that put them up 64-62 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Philadelphia led 73-71 going into the final frame and were up by two when Tatum made his first three-pointer of the game to put Boston ahead. Tatum then drilled a step-back three-pointer over Tyrese Maxey and another pair from beyond the arc pushed the Celtics' lead to 11 with 37.6 seconds remaining. "All that mattered was we won this game," said Tatum, who also had seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and two blocked shots. "It's game seven, it doesn't get any better than that." Added Embiid: "Who doesn't love game seven?"

NBA: Nikola Jokic triple-double as Denver Nuggets down Phoenix Suns, Jayson Tatum keeps Boston Celtics going

The Philadelphia 76ers moved to within one win of a series victory over the Boston Celtics in the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;playoffs on Tuesday as the Denver Nuggets thrashed the Phoenix Suns to edge closer to a place in the conference finals.

A towering performance in Boston from&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid helped the Sixers power to a 115-103 victory over the Celtics to stun the home fans into silence. The result gives the Sixers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, meaning they will advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a win in game six back in Philadelphia on Thursday.

In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Nuggets are also in the driving seat against Phoenix after pummeling the Suns 118-102 in Denver. Denver star Nikola Jokic finished with a 29-point triple-double for a win that leaves the Nuggets 3-2 up in the series, with game six in Arizona on Thursday.

The Sixers will head into their clash with Boston brimming with confidence after an assured game-five display. Embiid led the scoring in a superbly balanced Sixers offensive performance, with five players finishing in double figures.

Tyrese Maxey tormented the Celtics with 30&nbsp;points, including six three-pointers, while point guard James Harden was a constant thorn in the side of the Celtics, finishing with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

<h2>- 'Magician' Harden -</h2>

"I thought Joel did a great job of shooting when he needed to shoot and passing when he needed to pass," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "Our composure overall was good. You know they're going to make shots, they're going to make runs. That team is tough, and you've got to breathe through it. I thought our guys did that."

Rivers reserved special praise for the contribution of Harden. "I thought James was a magician tonight. He called a perfect game. He was aggressive early on, when he needed to be aggressive. And then he got everybody else involved."

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla was left ruing what he described as his team's worst performance of the postseason. "That was the first game of the playoffs where we didn't play well," Mazzulla said.&nbsp; "We can't lose perspective because the players have played some really good basketball. But that was our first really really bad game of the playoffs.&nbsp;

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"Doesn't come at necessarily the best time, but we just need to shift perspective and get ready for the next game."

&nbsp;Boston never recovered after the Sixers pulled away to lead by 14 points in the second quarter.

Although the Celtics closed the deficit to nine at half-time they were unable to apply sustained pressure.

The Sixers always found a way of responding to keep them at arm's length throughout the second half, with Philadelphia leading by double digits for almost the entirety of the third and fourth quarters. Boston's scoring was led by a 36-point display from Jayson Tatum while Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points.

<h2>- Jokic triple -</h2>

In Denver, the Nuggets took control early on with a 35-point first quarter before Phoenix roared back to outscore the home side 25-17 in the second quarter. Phoenix took a brief lead in the final minutes of the first half but Denver hit back to lead 52-49 at the break.

The Nuggets then roared out of the blocks in the opening minutes of the second half, outscoring Phoenix 21-6 to open up a 73-55 lead. Denver outscored Phoenix 39-25 in the third quarter and led by as much as 24 points in the final frame.

Phoenix coach Monty Williams pulled his starters from the floor long before the end as Denver celebrated a crucial win. Jokic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists to lead Denver's scorers, while Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points including five three-pointers.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 28 points, while Kevin Durant finished with 26. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said an improved defensive display had laid the foundation for his team's emphatic win.

"We didn't play any defense in the two games we lost in Phoenix," Malone said. "When we're not running, and we're not defending, we’re going nowhere.&nbsp; "And that's what we'll have to do in game six if we're going to close this series out."

Suns coach Williams said his team's challenge wilted in the lop-sided third quarter. "It was like nothing we've put on the floor this year from our standards," Williams said. "We stood still and didn't move them around enough. I felt we were somewhat stagnant.&nbsp; "We've got to meet the challenge with the physicality."&nbsp;

The Philadelphia 76ers moved to within one win of a series victory over the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday as the Denver Nuggets thrashed the Phoenix Suns to edge closer to a place in the conference finals.

The Philadelphia 76ers moved to within one win of a series victory over the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday as the Denver Nuggets thrashed the Phoenix Suns to edge closer to a place in the conference finals. A towering performance in Boston from NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid helped the Sixers power to a 115-103 victory over the Celtics to stun the home fans into silence. The result gives the Sixers a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, meaning they will advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a win in game six back in Philadelphia on Thursday. In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Nuggets are also in the driving seat against Phoenix after pummeling the Suns 118-102 in Denver. Denver star Nikola Jokic finished with a 29-point triple-double for a win that leaves the Nuggets 3-2 up in the series, with game six in Arizona on Thursday. The Sixers will head into their clash with Boston brimming with confidence after an assured game-five display. Embiid led the scoring in a superbly balanced Sixers offensive performance, with five players finishing in double figures. Tyrese Maxey tormented the Celtics with 30 points, including six three-pointers, while point guard James Harden was a constant thorn in the side of the Celtics, finishing with 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. - 'Magician' Harden - "I thought Joel did a great job of shooting when he needed to shoot and passing when he needed to pass," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "Our composure overall was good. You know they're going to make shots, they're going to make runs. That team is tough, and you've got to breathe through it. I thought our guys did that." Rivers reserved special praise for the contribution of Harden. "I thought James was a magician tonight. He called a perfect game. He was aggressive early on, when he needed to be aggressive. And then he got everybody else involved." Boston coach Joe Mazzulla was left ruing what he described as his team's worst performance of the postseason. "That was the first game of the playoffs where we didn't play well," Mazzulla said. "We can't lose perspective because the players have played some really good basketball. But that was our first really really bad game of the playoffs. Also Read: NBA: Unheralded Lonnie Walker sparks LA Lakers rally as Golden State Warriors wobble "Doesn't come at necessarily the best time, but we just need to shift perspective and get ready for the next game." Boston never recovered after the Sixers pulled away to lead by 14 points in the second quarter. Although the Celtics closed the deficit to nine at half-time they were unable to apply sustained pressure. The Sixers always found a way of responding to keep them at arm's length throughout the second half, with Philadelphia leading by double digits for almost the entirety of the third and fourth quarters. Boston's scoring was led by a 36-point display from Jayson Tatum while Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points. - Jokic triple - In Denver, the Nuggets took control early on with a 35-point first quarter before Phoenix roared back to outscore the home side 25-17 in the second quarter. Phoenix took a brief lead in the final minutes of the first half but Denver hit back to lead 52-49 at the break. The Nuggets then roared out of the blocks in the opening minutes of the second half, outscoring Phoenix 21-6 to open up a 73-55 lead. Denver outscored Phoenix 39-25 in the third quarter and led by as much as 24 points in the final frame. Phoenix coach Monty Williams pulled his starters from the floor long before the end as Denver celebrated a crucial win. Jokic finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists to lead Denver's scorers, while Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points including five three-pointers. Devin Booker led the Suns with 28 points, while Kevin Durant finished with 26. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said an improved defensive display had laid the foundation for his team's emphatic win. "We didn't play any defense in the two games we lost in Phoenix," Malone said. "When we're not running, and we're not defending, we’re going nowhere. "And that's what we'll have to do in game six if we're going to close this series out." Suns coach Williams said his team's challenge wilted in the lop-sided third quarter. "It was like nothing we've put on the floor this year from our standards," Williams said. "We stood still and didn't move them around enough. I felt we were somewhat stagnant. "We've got to meet the challenge with the physicality."

NBA: Joel Embiid shines as Philadelphia 76ers sink Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets rout Phoenix Suns

A resurgent James Harden led the way with 42 points and scored a last-gasp three-pointer as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 116-115 in overtime on Sunday to square their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

Harden drained a 24-foot corner three with just 19 seconds remaining in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center for a win that leaves the best-of-seven series finely balanced at 2-2.

In a nerve-shredding finale, Boston's Marcus Smart nailed a potential buzzer-beating basket but it did not count as he was unable to get the shot off before time expired.

That left Philadelphia celebrating a gutsy victory that owed everything to the majestic performance of Harden, who bagged his second 40-point game of the series.

"I put the work in and it was all about being aggressive," said Harden afterwards. "Tonight it was really do or die.

"We found a way to win and that's all that's matters in the postseason."

Harden's performance was especially sweet as it came in front of John Hao, a Chinese student left paralyzed in a mass shooting at Michigan State in February that left three students dead and five others injured.

"He's my good luck charm," said Harden, who has been in regular contact with Hao since the shooting tragedy.

"He just gave me good luck, brought me good vibes, good energy. We knew this game was for him."

Harden -- who scored just 28 points across games two and three –- rediscovered his shooting form just in time as the Sixers fought back from a late attack of the jitters to claim a precious victory.

"James was awesome," said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, saluting Harden's bounce-back performance after a limp game-three display.

"For a day and a half, James had to get himself back. No one did that but James," Rivers said.&nbsp;

"I sent him a gospel song before the game called 'Do You Know My Name'. And James Harden was James Harden tonight."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/luka-modric-to-extend-real-madrid-stay-set-to-sign-new-deal-until-2024-589990">Luka Modric to extend Real Madrid stay, set to sign new deal until 2024</a>

Harden finished with 42 points from 16-of-23 shooting with six three-pointers. NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid had 34 points while Tyrese Maxey added 14.&nbsp;

Jayson Tatum led Boston's scorers with 24 points -- all but two of them coming in the second half -- while Jaylen Brown had 23.

The game had gone into overtime after a frenetic fourth quarter that saw Boston come roaring back from a nine-point deficit to take a 105-100 lead with just over two minutes remaining after Malcolm Brogdon knocked down a 25-foot three-pointer.

That hushed Philadelphia's fans but the Sixers clawed their way back to parity after a Harden layup and three unanswered points from P.J. Tucker.

Two Smart free throws put the Celtics back in front at 107-105 with less than a minute remaining, and Al Horford denied Embiid with a superb block as the tension mounted.

But with just 16.4 seconds on the clock Harden tied it at 107-107 with a deft driving jump shot to set up a frantic finish.

A desperate attempted buzzer-beater by Smart bounced off the rim to send the game to overtime.

'Awful' non-foul call

Once again Boston looked ready to claim a decisive 3-1 series lead when Tatum sank a 27-foot three-pointer to make it 115-113 Boston with 38.1 seconds left in overtime.

The Tatum basket was tinged with controversy as he appeared to commit a clear offensive foul, pushing off on Tyrese Maxey, but the score stood and the Celtics were on the brink of victory.

Harden, however, had other ideas and he nervelessly knocked down the winning three.&nbsp;

Rivers was left fuming at the Tatum non-foul call.

"That was awful that that wasn't called," Rivers said. "It was a push off. That could have decided the game."

The series now heads back to Boston for game five on Tuesday.

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A resurgent James Harden led the way with 42 points and scored a last-gasp three-pointer as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 116-115 in overtime on Sunday to square their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

A resurgent James Harden led the way with 42 points and scored a last-gasp three-pointer as the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics 116-115 in overtime on Sunday to square their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series. Harden drained a 24-foot corner three with just 19 seconds remaining in overtime at the Wells Fargo Center for a win that leaves the best-of-seven series finely balanced at 2-2. In a nerve-shredding finale, Boston's Marcus Smart nailed a potential buzzer-beating basket but it did not count as he was unable to get the shot off before time expired. That left Philadelphia celebrating a gutsy victory that owed everything to the majestic performance of Harden, who bagged his second 40-point game of the series. "I put the work in and it was all about being aggressive," said Harden afterwards. "Tonight it was really do or die. "We found a way to win and that's all that's matters in the postseason." Harden's performance was especially sweet as it came in front of John Hao, a Chinese student left paralyzed in a mass shooting at Michigan State in February that left three students dead and five others injured. "He's my good luck charm," said Harden, who has been in regular contact with Hao since the shooting tragedy. "He just gave me good luck, brought me good vibes, good energy. We knew this game was for him." Harden -- who scored just 28 points across games two and three –- rediscovered his shooting form just in time as the Sixers fought back from a late attack of the jitters to claim a precious victory. "James was awesome," said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, saluting Harden's bounce-back performance after a limp game-three display. "For a day and a half, James had to get himself back. No one did that but James," Rivers said. "I sent him a gospel song before the game called 'Do You Know My Name'. And James Harden was James Harden tonight." ALSO READ | Luka Modric to extend Real Madrid stay, set to sign new deal until 2024 Harden finished with 42 points from 16-of-23 shooting with six three-pointers. NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid had 34 points while Tyrese Maxey added 14. Jayson Tatum led Boston's scorers with 24 points -- all but two of them coming in the second half -- while Jaylen Brown had 23. The game had gone into overtime after a frenetic fourth quarter that saw Boston come roaring back from a nine-point deficit to take a 105-100 lead with just over two minutes remaining after Malcolm Brogdon knocked down a 25-foot three-pointer. That hushed Philadelphia's fans but the Sixers clawed their way back to parity after a Harden layup and three unanswered points from P.J. Tucker. Two Smart free throws put the Celtics back in front at 107-105 with less than a minute remaining, and Al Horford denied Embiid with a superb block as the tension mounted. But with just 16.4 seconds on the clock Harden tied it at 107-107 with a deft driving jump shot to set up a frantic finish. A desperate attempted buzzer-beater by Smart bounced off the rim to send the game to overtime. 'Awful' non-foul call Once again Boston looked ready to claim a decisive 3-1 series lead when Tatum sank a 27-foot three-pointer to make it 115-113 Boston with 38.1 seconds left in overtime. The Tatum basket was tinged with controversy as he appeared to commit a clear offensive foul, pushing off on Tyrese Maxey, but the score stood and the Celtics were on the brink of victory. Harden, however, had other ideas and he nervelessly knocked down the winning three. Rivers was left fuming at the Tatum non-foul call. "That was awful that that wasn't called," Rivers said. "It was a push off. That could have decided the game." The series now heads back to Boston for game five on Tuesday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: James Harden heroics saves Sixers as Philly square series with Celtics

Devin Booker scored 47 points and Kevin Durant added 39 as the Phoenix Suns clawed back into their&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Western Conference semi-final series on Friday with a 121-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

The Suns, who dropped the first two games of the best-of-seven series in Denver, held firm at home despite the injury absence of veteran point guard Chris Paul.

Phoenix were up by 15 at halftime, but the Nuggets -- led by a triple-double of 30 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists from two-time&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic -- didn't back down.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2023-sunil-gavaskar-says-ms-dhoni-could-take-over-india-coaching-role-in-future-589578">IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar says MS Dhoni 'could take over India coaching role' in future</a>

They edged ahead three times in the third quarter, but every time the Suns had an answer.

"It's that time of year," said Booker, who added six rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a blocked shot. "We dropped a couple of games on their home floor and we just want to protect ours."

Phoenix scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter and never trailed in the final period as they pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Durant, who missed eight of his first nine shot attempts, made just 12 of 31 from the field but sunk 14 of 16 free throws and had 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Jamal Murray led Denver's scoring with 32 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 21 and 12 rebounds, but the Nuggets couldn't contain Booker and Durant and the Suns will have a chance to level the series when they host game four on Sunday.

In the Eastern Conference, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points to lead six Boston players in double figures as the Celtics beat the 76ers 114-102 in Philadelphia to take a 2-1 lead in their series.

Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Al Horford scored 17 for the Celtics, who regained home-court advantage with a second straight victory after dropping game one in Boston.

An emotional night in Philadelphia saw Sixers center Joel Embiid accept his Most Valuable Player trophy from&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;commissioner Adam Silver in a pregame ceremony.

Chants of "M-V-P" rang out for Cameroon's Embiid, who celebrated with his parents as he held his toddler son, Arthur -- who was clad in a "My dad is the MVP" T-shirt.

The Celtics cut short the celebrations, however, powering to a quick 14-4 lead.

Tatum, who scored just seven points in game two, bounced back with a vengeance adding 10 rebounds five assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

The Sixers, however, kept it close and led by one after the first quarter.

Embiid scored 30 points with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in his second game back from a sprained knee.

But teammates James Harden and Tyrese Maxey struggled. Harden connected on just three of 14 shots on the way to 16 points while Maxey scored 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

<h2>Awareness and poise</h2>

Philadelphia were down by seven at halftime and never led after the break.

"We knew we could win," Tatum told broadcaster ESPN. "This is a great team, the crowd's electric, you love being in that environment.

"But we are not surprised. To win a championship you've got to win one on the road. We'll take it."

"The guys just kept an awareness and a poise," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who said he expects game four in Philly on Sunday to be an "absolute war".

Celtics forward Grant Williams got a scare in the fourth quarter, when a falling Embiid accidentally stepped on his head on a loose ball play.

Williams was bloodied, but made light of the incident.

"I'm just thankful he didn't fully lean his weight on it because he definitely got me pretty badly, but then I think he felt like he landed on something so he picked his foot up," Williams said.

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Devin Booker scored 47 points and Kevin Durant added 39 as the Phoenix Suns clawed back into their NBA Western Conference semi-final series on Friday with a 121-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Devin Booker scored 47 points and Kevin Durant added 39 as the Phoenix Suns clawed back into their NBA Western Conference semi-final series on Friday with a 121-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets. The Suns, who dropped the first two games of the best-of-seven series in Denver, held firm at home despite the injury absence of veteran point guard Chris Paul. Phoenix were up by 15 at halftime, but the Nuggets -- led by a triple-double of 30 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists from two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic -- didn't back down. Also Read: IPL 2023: Sunil Gavaskar says MS Dhoni 'could take over India coaching role' in future They edged ahead three times in the third quarter, but every time the Suns had an answer. "It's that time of year," said Booker, who added six rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a blocked shot. "We dropped a couple of games on their home floor and we just want to protect ours." Phoenix scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter and never trailed in the final period as they pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Durant, who missed eight of his first nine shot attempts, made just 12 of 31 from the field but sunk 14 of 16 free throws and had 11 points in the fourth quarter. Jamal Murray led Denver's scoring with 32 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 21 and 12 rebounds, but the Nuggets couldn't contain Booker and Durant and the Suns will have a chance to level the series when they host game four on Sunday. In the Eastern Conference, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points to lead six Boston players in double figures as the Celtics beat the 76ers 114-102 in Philadelphia to take a 2-1 lead in their series. Jaylen Brown added 23 points and Al Horford scored 17 for the Celtics, who regained home-court advantage with a second straight victory after dropping game one in Boston. An emotional night in Philadelphia saw Sixers center Joel Embiid accept his Most Valuable Player trophy from NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a pregame ceremony. Chants of "M-V-P" rang out for Cameroon's Embiid, who celebrated with his parents as he held his toddler son, Arthur -- who was clad in a "My dad is the MVP" T-shirt. The Celtics cut short the celebrations, however, powering to a quick 14-4 lead. Tatum, who scored just seven points in game two, bounced back with a vengeance adding 10 rebounds five assists, two steals and a blocked shot. The Sixers, however, kept it close and led by one after the first quarter. Embiid scored 30 points with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in his second game back from a sprained knee. But teammates James Harden and Tyrese Maxey struggled. Harden connected on just three of 14 shots on the way to 16 points while Maxey scored 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting. Awareness and poise Philadelphia were down by seven at halftime and never led after the break. "We knew we could win," Tatum told broadcaster ESPN. "This is a great team, the crowd's electric, you love being in that environment. "But we are not surprised. To win a championship you've got to win one on the road. We'll take it." "The guys just kept an awareness and a poise," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who said he expects game four in Philly on Sunday to be an "absolute war". Celtics forward Grant Williams got a scare in the fourth quarter, when a falling Embiid accidentally stepped on his head on a loose ball play. Williams was bloodied, but made light of the incident. "I'm just thankful he didn't fully lean his weight on it because he definitely got me pretty badly, but then I think he felt like he landed on something so he picked his foot up," Williams said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Suns bounce back to win against Nuggets, Celtics take 2-1 lead over Sixers

James Harden scored 45 points as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics in the&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;playoffs on Monday before Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Phoenix Suns. &nbsp;

In a pulsating Eastern Conference duel in Boston, Harden produced a vintage performance -– including a pivotal go-ahead three-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining -- to leave the TD Garden in stunned silence as the Sixers snatched a 119-115 game-one victory.

The Sixers' win was achieved without their best player, injured talisman Joel Embiid, who watched from the bench after failing to recover from a knee injury.

"We're just a resilient team," Harden said. "Even without Joel, we've got the confidence to come here and win games.&nbsp;

"We've been doing it all year long, that's a good one for us."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/belgiums-luca-brecel-becomes-first-continental-europe-player-to-win-snooker-world-championship-588014">Belgium's Luca Brecel becomes first continental Europe player to win snooker World Championship</a>

Harden's points haul came from 17-of-30 shooting and included seven three-pointers.

"He was awesome," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "Kept his cool, knew when to attack, knew when to give it up."

Tyrese Maxey provided offensive support with 26 points while Tobias Harris added 18 and De’Anthony Melton 17.

The Celtics were led by 39 points from Jayson Tatum while Jaylen Brown chipped in with 23 points and Malcolm Brogdon 20.

With Boston exploiting the absence of Embiid to score freely in the paint, the Celtics jumped out to lead by 12 in the second quarter.

But Harden and Maxey's scoring ensured that the Sixers remained in touch coming down the stretch with only a handful of points separating the two teams in the closing stages.

A loose pass from Brogdon with 32 seconds left on the clock handed Maxey an easy uncontested layup to put Philadelphia 114-113 up, before Tatum hit back with two free throws to give Boston a slender 115-114 advantage.

But with the clock running down, Harden advanced up the court and took his time before nervelessly sinking a sublime three-pointer from 25 feet to give Philadelphia a 117-115 lead with just seconds remaining.&nbsp;

Rivers said Harden's ice-cool three-pointer at the death was a rebuttal to critics who have long accused the 33-year-old former&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Most Valuable Player of folding under pressure.

"I thought he had just the perfect mindset tonight," Rivers said. "I'm so happy for him because it just tells you what he can do on a given night.&nbsp;

"It's amazing -- the guy's a Hall-of-Famer and all you hear is the other stuff about him. He's fantastic."

Game two of the best-of-seven series takes place in Boston on Wednesday.

<h2>Suns eclipsed</h2>

In Monday's other playoff game, Denver's reigning two-time&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;MVP Jokic finished with 39 points as the Nuggets staged a fourth-quarter rally to eclipse the Phoenix Suns 97-87 and take a 2-0 series lead.

Devin Booker finished with 35 points for Phoenix while Kevin Durant added 24, but the Suns were unable to respond as Denver pulled away to outscore the visitors 27-14 in the fourth quarter.

Jokic's 39-point haul included 26 after half-time as the Nuggets took control of a low-scoring contest that saw Phoenix lead by eight points in the third quarter.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope delivered a crucial cameo for Denver with a flurry of three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping to take the game away from Phoenix as the clock ran down.

A gloomy night for Phoenix was compounded by an injury to veteran Chris Paul, who limped to the locker room near the end of the third quarter after appearing to injure his groin.

"Both teams didn't shoot well, it was a low-scoring game 87-97, it was a tough, rough game -- but we won the game and that's the most important thing," Jokic said.

The victory came as Jokic prepares to discover on Tuesday whether he has won the&nbsp;NBA's regular season MVP award for a third straight year.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic had delivered an MVP-caliber performance to drag Denver over the line.

"Nikola's an MVP for a reason. He can take over a game. He can beat you in a lot of ways. I love an aggressive Nikola Jokic," Malone said.

The Denver coach said Jokic however was only focused on ending the Nuggets' wait for a first&nbsp;NBA&nbsp;Championship.

"I know what motivates Nikola Jokic, myself, and the rest of the guys in that locker room - it's not the MVP," Malone said.&nbsp;

"If he wins it, we'll be celebrating and very happy for him because it's a huge accomplishment, three years in a row.&nbsp;

"And if he doesn't win it I'm going to give him a hug because he's still the MVP in my eyes."

The series now heads back to Arizona for game three on Friday.

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James Harden scored 45 points as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs on Monday before Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Phoenix Suns.

James Harden scored 45 points as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs on Monday before Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Phoenix Suns. In a pulsating Eastern Conference duel in Boston, Harden produced a vintage performance -– including a pivotal go-ahead three-pointer with 8.4 seconds remaining -- to leave the TD Garden in stunned silence as the Sixers snatched a 119-115 game-one victory. The Sixers' win was achieved without their best player, injured talisman Joel Embiid, who watched from the bench after failing to recover from a knee injury. "We're just a resilient team," Harden said. "Even without Joel, we've got the confidence to come here and win games. "We've been doing it all year long, that's a good one for us." Also Read: Belgium's Luca Brecel becomes first continental Europe player to win snooker World Championship Harden's points haul came from 17-of-30 shooting and included seven three-pointers. "He was awesome," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "Kept his cool, knew when to attack, knew when to give it up." Tyrese Maxey provided offensive support with 26 points while Tobias Harris added 18 and De’Anthony Melton 17. The Celtics were led by 39 points from Jayson Tatum while Jaylen Brown chipped in with 23 points and Malcolm Brogdon 20. With Boston exploiting the absence of Embiid to score freely in the paint, the Celtics jumped out to lead by 12 in the second quarter. But Harden and Maxey's scoring ensured that the Sixers remained in touch coming down the stretch with only a handful of points separating the two teams in the closing stages. A loose pass from Brogdon with 32 seconds left on the clock handed Maxey an easy uncontested layup to put Philadelphia 114-113 up, before Tatum hit back with two free throws to give Boston a slender 115-114 advantage. But with the clock running down, Harden advanced up the court and took his time before nervelessly sinking a sublime three-pointer from 25 feet to give Philadelphia a 117-115 lead with just seconds remaining. Rivers said Harden's ice-cool three-pointer at the death was a rebuttal to critics who have long accused the 33-year-old former NBA Most Valuable Player of folding under pressure. "I thought he had just the perfect mindset tonight," Rivers said. "I'm so happy for him because it just tells you what he can do on a given night. "It's amazing -- the guy's a Hall-of-Famer and all you hear is the other stuff about him. He's fantastic." Game two of the best-of-seven series takes place in Boston on Wednesday. Suns eclipsed In Monday's other playoff game, Denver's reigning two-time NBA MVP Jokic finished with 39 points as the Nuggets staged a fourth-quarter rally to eclipse the Phoenix Suns 97-87 and take a 2-0 series lead. Devin Booker finished with 35 points for Phoenix while Kevin Durant added 24, but the Suns were unable to respond as Denver pulled away to outscore the visitors 27-14 in the fourth quarter. Jokic's 39-point haul included 26 after half-time as the Nuggets took control of a low-scoring contest that saw Phoenix lead by eight points in the third quarter. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope delivered a crucial cameo for Denver with a flurry of three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, helping to take the game away from Phoenix as the clock ran down. A gloomy night for Phoenix was compounded by an injury to veteran Chris Paul, who limped to the locker room near the end of the third quarter after appearing to injure his groin. "Both teams didn't shoot well, it was a low-scoring game 87-97, it was a tough, rough game -- but we won the game and that's the most important thing," Jokic said. The victory came as Jokic prepares to discover on Tuesday whether he has won the NBA's regular season MVP award for a third straight year. Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Jokic had delivered an MVP-caliber performance to drag Denver over the line. "Nikola's an MVP for a reason. He can take over a game. He can beat you in a lot of ways. I love an aggressive Nikola Jokic," Malone said. The Denver coach said Jokic however was only focused on ending the Nuggets' wait for a first NBA Championship. "I know what motivates Nikola Jokic, myself, and the rest of the guys in that locker room - it's not the MVP," Malone said. "If he wins it, we'll be celebrating and very happy for him because it's a huge accomplishment, three years in a row. "And if he doesn't win it I'm going to give him a hug because he's still the MVP in my eyes." The series now heads back to Arizona for game three on Friday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: 76ers ride on vintage Harden to beat Celtics, Jokic eclipses Suns

James Harden exploded for 45 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 119-115. The win becomes more precious as the Sixers beat Boston without Joel Embiid playing.

The most iconic of Harden's shots on the night was a go-ahead three-pointer with eight seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Boston's Al Horford was putting up screen around Harden outside the paint and Harden just leapt in the air to drain a three to tilt the scores in favour of the Sixers 117-115. Have a look at the shot:

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HE HAS 45. <a href="https://t.co/9FVH9RLh33">https://t.co/9FVH9RLh33</a> <a href="https://t.co/jnjc2Odrfu">pic.twitter.com/jnjc2Odrfu</a>
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) <a href="https://twitter.com/sixers/status/1653215393874427905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Harden, at the post-game press conference, spoke about the shot and said that he just thought to himself that 'this is what he does everyday and just take the best available shot.' Listen Harden explain the entire sequence here:

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James Harden walks through the game-winning 3 that gave him 45 PTS 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel <a href="https://t.co/PgMK8gebJb">pic.twitter.com/PgMK8gebJb</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1653226792449110016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Apart from a mammoth 45 points, Harden also had six assists and caught one rebound. Aside from him, Tyrese Maxey also chipped in with 26 points. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum had a double-double of 39 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Brown dropped 23.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/belgiums-luca-brecel-becomes-first-continental-europe-player-to-win-snooker-world-championship-588014">Belgium's Luca Brecel becomes first continental Europe player to win snooker World Championship</a>

Boston, however, had early lead in the game as they led the first quarter 38-31 against the Sixers. Philadelphia came out strong in the second quarter with 32 points against Boston's 28 but still had a deficit of three points at the half-time with the scores reading 66-63 in the Celtics' favour.

In the first quarter of the second half, the 76ers erased that three-point deficit and brought the game at 87 apiece as they outscored the Celtics 24-21. The fourth quarter was all to fight for and Boston was running away with it before the 76ers scored the final five points in the game, including Harden's go-ahead three-pointer.&nbsp;

Boston were outscored 32-28 in the last quarter despite leading the game 28-27 with just 13 seconds left on the clock and gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the seven-game series.

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James Harden exploded for 45 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 119-115. The win becomes more precious as the Sixers beat Boston without Joel Embiid playing.

James Harden exploded for 45 points in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Boston Celtics 119-115. The win becomes more precious as the Sixers beat Boston without Joel Embiid playing. The most iconic of Harden's shots on the night was a go-ahead three-pointer with eight seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Boston's Al Horford was putting up screen around Harden outside the paint and Harden just leapt in the air to drain a three to tilt the scores in favour of the Sixers 117-115. Have a look at the shot: HE HAS 45. https://t.co/9FVH9RLh33 pic.twitter.com/jnjc2Odrfu — Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 2, 2023 × Harden, at the post-game press conference, spoke about the shot and said that he just thought to himself that 'this is what he does everyday and just take the best available shot.' Listen Harden explain the entire sequence here: James Harden walks through the game-winning 3 that gave him 45 PTS 👀#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/PgMK8gebJb — NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2023 × Apart from a mammoth 45 points, Harden also had six assists and caught one rebound. Aside from him, Tyrese Maxey also chipped in with 26 points. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum had a double-double of 39 points and 11 rebounds while Jaylen Brown dropped 23. Also Read: Belgium's Luca Brecel becomes first continental Europe player to win snooker World Championship Boston, however, had early lead in the game as they led the first quarter 38-31 against the Sixers. Philadelphia came out strong in the second quarter with 32 points against Boston's 28 but still had a deficit of three points at the half-time with the scores reading 66-63 in the Celtics' favour. In the first quarter of the second half, the 76ers erased that three-point deficit and brought the game at 87 apiece as they outscored the Celtics 24-21. The fourth quarter was all to fight for and Boston was running away with it before the 76ers scored the final five points in the game, including Harden's go-ahead three-pointer. Boston were outscored 32-28 in the last quarter despite leading the game 28-27 with just 13 seconds left on the clock and gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead in the seven-game series. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: James Harden drops 45 points, go-ahead 3-pointer in 76ers vs Celtics Game 1 - WATCH

Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series. The final scores were 119-117 in Atlanta's favour and the series stands at 3-2, advantage Boston.

As for the shot, the clock had seven something left until the game got over and Boston got through the semis. Young, meanwhile, got the ball, he dribbled a bit, moved up court, faked to move further and then took a step back to drain a three, leaving TD Garden stunned in silence. Have a look at the shot here:

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WHO ELSE <a href="https://t.co/SO7yyxZ0jw">pic.twitter.com/SO7yyxZ0jw</a>
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1651042061402144770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As for the rest of the game, Atlanta knew they had to win at all cost to keep the series alive and they came out all guns blazing against the Celtics. The Hawks soared high over Boston as they took a three-point in the first quarter with the box score reading 30-27 in their favour.

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The flight was a short lived one though as Boston took the Hawks down in the second quarter, scoring 39 against Atlanta's 28. In the third quarter, the scoreboard battle was on throughout the entire span but Boston managed to steal two points more than Atlanta's 24.&nbsp;

Come last quarter, the Hawks went wild and picked on the Celtics at will, scoring 37 points against Boston's 25 and won the game 119-117. Talking about the individual performances, Jaylen Brown scored 35 for Boston while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White managed 19 and 18, respectively which clearly were less then the requirement.

As for the Hawks, Trae Young scored a double-double of 38 points and 13 assists while John Collins managed 22 in Atlanta's thrilling win.

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Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series.

Trae Young, with the Hawks trailing by one point against the Boston Celtics, dropped a three with 1.8 second left on the clock in the game. The shot was enough to get the game over and take Atlanta to Game 6 in the 2023 NBA Playoffs Round 1 series. The final scores were 119-117 in Atlanta's favour and the series stands at 3-2, advantage Boston. As for the shot, the clock had seven something left until the game got over and Boston got through the semis. Young, meanwhile, got the ball, he dribbled a bit, moved up court, faked to move further and then took a step back to drain a three, leaving TD Garden stunned in silence. Have a look at the shot here: WHO ELSE pic.twitter.com/SO7yyxZ0jw — Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 26, 2023 × As for the rest of the game, Atlanta knew they had to win at all cost to keep the series alive and they came out all guns blazing against the Celtics. The Hawks soared high over Boston as they took a three-point in the first quarter with the box score reading 30-27 in their favour. Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2023: Nuggets vs Timberwolves, Suns vs Clippers Game 5 score, result, highlights and more The flight was a short lived one though as Boston took the Hawks down in the second quarter, scoring 39 against Atlanta's 28. In the third quarter, the scoreboard battle was on throughout the entire span but Boston managed to steal two points more than Atlanta's 24. Come last quarter, the Hawks went wild and picked on the Celtics at will, scoring 37 points against Boston's 25 and won the game 119-117. Talking about the individual performances, Jaylen Brown scored 35 for Boston while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White managed 19 and 18, respectively which clearly were less then the requirement. As for the Hawks, Trae Young scored a double-double of 38 points and 13 assists while John Collins managed 22 in Atlanta's thrilling win. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Hawks' Trae Young drains game-winning three-pointer against Celtics in Game 5 - WATCH

Trae Young nailed a last-gasp three-pointer as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 119-117 to keep their Eastern Conference playoff series alive on Tuesday.

Young drained a 29-footer with just 1.8 seconds remaining to silence Boston's TD Garden and ensure a game six back in Atlanta on Thursday.

Young, who finished with 38 points, 13 assists and four rebounds, said the Hawks had been determined to extend the series following the suspension of key guard Dejounte Murray.

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Murray was suspended after a clash with a referee after game four on Sunday.

"We were missing a big piece of ours and we want him to play game six, so we want to go back home and have him with us," Young said of Murray.

"I didn't feel there was any pressure on me. Obviously we were without (Murray) but we all had to step our game up another level -- not just me, we all did tonight. Total team win."

The Celtics, leading the series 3-1, had looked to be cruising to victory after dominating for most of the second half to lead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter.

But with Boston poised to wrap up a 4-1 series victory, Young and the Hawks took over with a startling late rally in the closing minutes that whittled away the Celtics lead.

Young nailed back-to-back three-pointers to level the scores at 111-111 with 2:42 remaining and then hit three free throws to help Atlanta take a 114-113 lead.

Robert Williams handed Boston a one-point advantage to make it 115-114 to the Celtics with 25.6 seconds left on the clock.

But a rash foul by Boston's Marcus Smart presented Young with two more free throws to edge the Hawks into a 116-115 lead.

Young then had a nervous moment after conceding a foul on Derrick White, who shot two free throws to put the Celtics 117-116 ahead with 7.3 seconds left on the clock.&nbsp;

Young however responded superbly, calmly bringing the ball up court before launching a pullup three-pointer to give Atlanta a 119-117 lead before Boston's final desperate last attack fizzled.

Young's 38-point tally included 16 in the fourth quarter, while John Collins provided offensive backup with 22 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 18 points.

Boston's scoring was led by Jaylen Brown with 35 points while Jayson Tatum added 19. Four other Boston players finished in double figures.

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Trae Young nailed a last-gasp three-pointer as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 119-117 to keep their Eastern Conference playoff series alive on Tuesday.

Trae Young nailed a last-gasp three-pointer as the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics 119-117 to keep their Eastern Conference playoff series alive on Tuesday. Young drained a 29-footer with just 1.8 seconds remaining to silence Boston's TD Garden and ensure a game six back in Atlanta on Thursday. Young, who finished with 38 points, 13 assists and four rebounds, said the Hawks had been determined to extend the series following the suspension of key guard Dejounte Murray. Also Read: Kyle Anderson on verge of being naturalised to represent China at FIBA basketball WC Murray was suspended after a clash with a referee after game four on Sunday. "We were missing a big piece of ours and we want him to play game six, so we want to go back home and have him with us," Young said of Murray. "I didn't feel there was any pressure on me. Obviously we were without (Murray) but we all had to step our game up another level -- not just me, we all did tonight. Total team win." The Celtics, leading the series 3-1, had looked to be cruising to victory after dominating for most of the second half to lead by 13 points midway through the fourth quarter. But with Boston poised to wrap up a 4-1 series victory, Young and the Hawks took over with a startling late rally in the closing minutes that whittled away the Celtics lead. Young nailed back-to-back three-pointers to level the scores at 111-111 with 2:42 remaining and then hit three free throws to help Atlanta take a 114-113 lead. Robert Williams handed Boston a one-point advantage to make it 115-114 to the Celtics with 25.6 seconds left on the clock. But a rash foul by Boston's Marcus Smart presented Young with two more free throws to edge the Hawks into a 116-115 lead. Young then had a nervous moment after conceding a foul on Derrick White, who shot two free throws to put the Celtics 117-116 ahead with 7.3 seconds left on the clock. Young however responded superbly, calmly bringing the ball up court before launching a pullup three-pointer to give Atlanta a 119-117 lead before Boston's final desperate last attack fizzled. Young's 38-point tally included 16 in the fourth quarter, while John Collins provided offensive backup with 22 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic finished with 18 points. Boston's scoring was led by Jaylen Brown with 35 points while Jayson Tatum added 19. Four other Boston players finished in double figures. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Trae Young's three in Game 5 wins it for Hawks against Celtics

Stephen Curry scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors held off a ferocious fourth-quarter fightback from the Sacramento Kings to secure a series-leveling 126-125 victory in the NBA playoffs on Sunday.

Harrison Barnes almost snatched victory for Sacramento on the buzzer, but his long-range effort bounced off the rim to leave the NBA champions celebrating a result that leaves them tied at 2-2 in the best-of-seven series after dropping games one and two.

In the East, meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics moved within a victory of advancing, the Knicks beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93 and the Celtics downing Atlanta 129-121 to each take 3-1 series leads.

Curry breathed a sigh of relief after two uncharacteristic blunders in a frenetic finale at the Chase Center.

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The Warriors talisman missed a wide-open three-pointer with his team leading 126-121 with less than a minute remaining.

Curry compounded that rare miss by erroneously calling a time out when the Warriors had none left, earning a technical foul and allowing Sacramento's Malik Monk to make it a four-point game with a free throw.

A superb De’Aaron Fox three-pointer from 28 feet then left Sacramento within one at 126-125, and when Curry missed another floater, the Kings had a chance to win it only to see Barnes's late effort bounce out.

"I ain't gonna lie, I thought it was the smartest play in the world," Curry said of his timeout call after a failed challenge had cost the Warriors their last time out. "I looked over at the bench and everybody was shaking their head.

"But we did what we needed to do defensively in those last 10 seconds," a relieved Curry said. "We've protected home court, and now we move on."

Barnes's late miss was the final act of a thrilling battle between the Western Conference rivals that saw the lead change hands no fewer than 19 times as momentum ebbed and flowed throughout.&nbsp;

Golden State looked to have turned the screw decisively in the third quarter, outscoring the Kings 37-23 to start the fourth with a 10-point advantage.

Sacramento, however, came surging back with a 7-0 run to start the final quarter and only a handful of points separated the two teams in the waning seconds.

Curry led the Warriors' scoring with 32 points while Klay Thompson added 26, including four three-pointers, and Jordan Poole had 22.&nbsp;

Andrew Wiggins added 18 points while Draymond Green, returning after suspension, had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists off the bench.

Fox produced a dazzling performance for Sacramento with 38 points while Keegan Murray added 23 and Monk 16.

The Kings host game five on Wednesday.

<h2>Knicks almost there</h2>

In New York, Jalen Brunson drained five three-pointers on the way to 29 points for the Knicks, who again electrified Madison Square Garden.

With just one win from three more games the Knicks can advance past the first round for the first time since 2013.

New York led by as many as 15 on the way to a nine-point halftime lead.

A big third quarter saw the Cavs sneak into a narrow lead before a sustained Knicks rally in the fourth.

Brunson was one of four players in double figures with R.J. Barrett providing offensive support with 26 points.

Darius Garland led Cleveland 23 points but Donovan Mitchell had a game to forget after finishing with just 11 points -- only two in the second half.

The Cavs will try to extend the series when they host game five on Wednesday.

The Celtics can wrap up their series at home on Tuesday after bouncing back from a disappointing game-three defeat with a convincing victory in Atlanta.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points apiece for the Celtics, each delivering a dunk in the final minute as the Celtics thwarted the Hawks' final rally bid.

Hawks star Trae Young finished with a game-high 35 points and handed out 14 assists.

But Boston stepped up their defensive intensity and had an answer for every Atlanta run, never trailing after the first quarter.

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Stephen Curry scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors held off a ferocious fourth-quarter fightback from the Sacramento Kings to secure a series-leveling 126-125 victory in the NBA playoffs on Sunday.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors held off a ferocious fourth-quarter fightback from the Sacramento Kings to secure a series-leveling 126-125 victory in the NBA playoffs on Sunday. Harrison Barnes almost snatched victory for Sacramento on the buzzer, but his long-range effort bounced off the rim to leave the NBA champions celebrating a result that leaves them tied at 2-2 in the best-of-seven series after dropping games one and two. In the East, meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics moved within a victory of advancing, the Knicks beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93 and the Celtics downing Atlanta 129-121 to each take 3-1 series leads. Curry breathed a sigh of relief after two uncharacteristic blunders in a frenetic finale at the Chase Center. Also Watch: Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks hits Lakers' LeBron James in groin in Game 3, gets ejected The Warriors talisman missed a wide-open three-pointer with his team leading 126-121 with less than a minute remaining. Curry compounded that rare miss by erroneously calling a time out when the Warriors had none left, earning a technical foul and allowing Sacramento's Malik Monk to make it a four-point game with a free throw. A superb De’Aaron Fox three-pointer from 28 feet then left Sacramento within one at 126-125, and when Curry missed another floater, the Kings had a chance to win it only to see Barnes's late effort bounce out. "I ain't gonna lie, I thought it was the smartest play in the world," Curry said of his timeout call after a failed challenge had cost the Warriors their last time out. "I looked over at the bench and everybody was shaking their head. "But we did what we needed to do defensively in those last 10 seconds," a relieved Curry said. "We've protected home court, and now we move on." Barnes's late miss was the final act of a thrilling battle between the Western Conference rivals that saw the lead change hands no fewer than 19 times as momentum ebbed and flowed throughout. Golden State looked to have turned the screw decisively in the third quarter, outscoring the Kings 37-23 to start the fourth with a 10-point advantage. Sacramento, however, came surging back with a 7-0 run to start the final quarter and only a handful of points separated the two teams in the waning seconds. Curry led the Warriors' scoring with 32 points while Klay Thompson added 26, including four three-pointers, and Jordan Poole had 22. Andrew Wiggins added 18 points while Draymond Green, returning after suspension, had 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists off the bench. Fox produced a dazzling performance for Sacramento with 38 points while Keegan Murray added 23 and Monk 16. The Kings host game five on Wednesday. Knicks almost there In New York, Jalen Brunson drained five three-pointers on the way to 29 points for the Knicks, who again electrified Madison Square Garden. With just one win from three more games the Knicks can advance past the first round for the first time since 2013. New York led by as many as 15 on the way to a nine-point halftime lead. A big third quarter saw the Cavs sneak into a narrow lead before a sustained Knicks rally in the fourth. Brunson was one of four players in double figures with R.J. Barrett providing offensive support with 26 points. Darius Garland led Cleveland 23 points but Donovan Mitchell had a game to forget after finishing with just 11 points -- only two in the second half. The Cavs will try to extend the series when they host game five on Wednesday. The Celtics can wrap up their series at home on Tuesday after bouncing back from a disappointing game-three defeat with a convincing victory in Atlanta. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points apiece for the Celtics, each delivering a dunk in the final minute as the Celtics thwarted the Hawks' final rally bid. Hawks star Trae Young finished with a game-high 35 points and handed out 14 assists. But Boston stepped up their defensive intensity and had an answer for every Atlanta run, never trailing after the first quarter. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Curry guides Warriors to win over Kings; Knicks and Celtics take 3-1 lead

The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown. The Nuggets won Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and in the Knicks vs the Cavaliers, New York took a 2-1 lead.

The next game would be the last for the Timberwolves if they don't win it but the Hawks have given themselves a breather after winning Game 3. The Knicks vs Cavs series, however, is turning out to be a see-saw affair with each team winning the alternative game so far. Here are the full recap, scores and results of all the games:

<h3>Celtics vs Hawks</h3>

The Celtics started out the game in full flow as they took a lead of four points at the end of first quarter with the scoreboard reading 37-33 in their favour. The Hawks, however, came back strongly in the second quarter as they not only erased the four-point deficit but took a seven points lead as well.

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Trae Young put up 32 points with 9 assists to help Atlanta win Game 3! This tough late-game floater is tonight's X-Factor Moment 👀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HisenseXFactor?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HisenseXFactor</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/Hisense_USA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Hisense_USA</a> <a href="https://t.co/W65wlh8wp8">pic.twitter.com/W65wlh8wp8</a>
— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1649640866167013376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The third quarter was equal with both the teams scoring 26 points each but Boston was under pressure clearly for not being able to cut down the deficit. The fourth quarter tilted in the Hawks' favor with a score of 30-29 and Atlanta eventually won the game 130-122.

For the Hawks, Trae Young scored magnificent 32 points while Dejounte Murray ably helped him with 25. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum top scored with 29 points while Marcus Smart dropped 24. Even though the Celtics lost Game 3, they still hold a 2-1 lead in the seven-game series.

<h3>Knicks vs Cavaliers</h3>

Game 3 of NBA Playoffs Round 1 lived up to its billing and the Knicks didn't disappoint their fans with the win against the Cavaliers. The series stands at 2-1 with each team winning alternatively. Going by the trend, New York should win it in Game 7 but that's too far as of now.&nbsp;

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Jalen Brunson leads the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyknicks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyknicks</a> to victory in Game 3 with 21 PTS, 6 AST, and 2 STL! 
 
🏀 CLE/NYK Game 4, Sunday, 1pm/et, ABC <a href="https://t.co/rvtL0Z7MOq">pic.twitter.com/rvtL0Z7MOq</a>
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Coming to the game, the first quarter stood equal with both the teams scoring just 17 points each. Come second quarter, the Knicks ran away, scoring 13 more than the Cavs' 15. Cleveland then could never erase the deficit as the second half saw them scoring four and three points less in the third and fourth quarter, respectively against the Knicks' 27 in each quarter.

For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points while Josh Hart chipped in with 13 as the Knicks beat the Cavs 99-79. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell top scored in the game with 22 points but in vain.

<h3>Nuggets vs Timberwolves</h3>

The Denver Nuggets are looking like a team with a mission, leaving nothing to a chance. Currently, they have a 3-0 lead in the seven-game series against the Timberwolves and the Wolves are just looking very very timid. The game, however, started on a promising note with both the teams scoring 28 points each. The same scenario was in third quarter as well with both the teams scoring 33 points each.

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Anthony Edwards shines in Game 3 ✨ 
 
36 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL 
 
DEN/MIN Game 4, Sunday, 9:30pm/et, TNT <a href="https://t.co/ouSbSmfPxt">pic.twitter.com/ouSbSmfPxt</a>
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In the second and fourth quarter, though, the Nuggets outscored the Wolves 33-27 and 26-33, respectively and won the game 120-111. For Denver, Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points while Nikola Jokic managed&nbsp; a triple-double 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds - his seventh in the playoffs. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27.

The next game would be the last for the Wolves if they don't win it and if they do, well, they'd still have to win all of the games in Round 1 to make it to the next round.

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The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown.

The NBA Playoffs 2023 Round 1 is in full swing with the Hawks making a comeback against the Celtics in Game 3 while the Denver Nuggets showing no signs of slowdown. The Nuggets won Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and in the Knicks vs the Cavaliers, New York took a 2-1 lead. The next game would be the last for the Timberwolves if they don't win it but the Hawks have given themselves a breather after winning Game 3. The Knicks vs Cavs series, however, is turning out to be a see-saw affair with each team winning the alternative game so far. Here are the full recap, scores and results of all the games: Celtics vs Hawks The Celtics started out the game in full flow as they took a lead of four points at the end of first quarter with the scoreboard reading 37-33 in their favour. The Hawks, however, came back strongly in the second quarter as they not only erased the four-point deficit but took a seven points lead as well. Trae Young put up 32 points with 9 assists to help Atlanta win Game 3! This tough late-game floater is tonight's X-Factor Moment 👀#HisenseXFactor | @Hisense_USA pic.twitter.com/W65wlh8wp8 — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × The third quarter was equal with both the teams scoring 26 points each but Boston was under pressure clearly for not being able to cut down the deficit. The fourth quarter tilted in the Hawks' favor with a score of 30-29 and Atlanta eventually won the game 130-122. For the Hawks, Trae Young scored magnificent 32 points while Dejounte Murray ably helped him with 25. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum top scored with 29 points while Marcus Smart dropped 24. Even though the Celtics lost Game 3, they still hold a 2-1 lead in the seven-game series. Knicks vs Cavaliers Game 3 of NBA Playoffs Round 1 lived up to its billing and the Knicks didn't disappoint their fans with the win against the Cavaliers. The series stands at 2-1 with each team winning alternatively. Going by the trend, New York should win it in Game 7 but that's too far as of now. Jalen Brunson leads the @nyknicks to victory in Game 3 with 21 PTS, 6 AST, and 2 STL! 🏀 CLE/NYK Game 4, Sunday, 1pm/et, ABC pic.twitter.com/rvtL0Z7MOq — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × Coming to the game, the first quarter stood equal with both the teams scoring just 17 points each. Come second quarter, the Knicks ran away, scoring 13 more than the Cavs' 15. Cleveland then could never erase the deficit as the second half saw them scoring four and three points less in the third and fourth quarter, respectively against the Knicks' 27 in each quarter. For New York, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points while Josh Hart chipped in with 13 as the Knicks beat the Cavs 99-79. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell top scored in the game with 22 points but in vain. Nuggets vs Timberwolves The Denver Nuggets are looking like a team with a mission, leaving nothing to a chance. Currently, they have a 3-0 lead in the seven-game series against the Timberwolves and the Wolves are just looking very very timid. The game, however, started on a promising note with both the teams scoring 28 points each. The same scenario was in third quarter as well with both the teams scoring 33 points each. Anthony Edwards shines in Game 3 ✨ 36 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL DEN/MIN Game 4, Sunday, 9:30pm/et, TNT pic.twitter.com/ouSbSmfPxt — NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2023 × In the second and fourth quarter, though, the Nuggets outscored the Wolves 33-27 and 26-33, respectively and won the game 120-111. For Denver, Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points while Nikola Jokic managed a triple-double 20 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds - his seventh in the playoffs. For Minnesota, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27. The next game would be the last for the Wolves if they don't win it and if they do, well, they'd still have to win all of the games in Round 1 to make it to the next round. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Celtics vs Hawks, Knicks vs Cavs, Nuggets vs Wolves highlights, scores, results and recap

Jayson Tatum starred as the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, while Darius Garland delivered a 32-point gem in Cleveland's series-leveling rout of the New York Knicks.&nbsp;

Tatum finished with 29 points as the second-seeded Celtics overcame a slow start to dominate the seventh-seeded Hawks for a 119-106 victory at Boston's TD Garden.

"Playoffs are all about adjustments, trying to move on from game-to-game, seeing what you can do better -- and I think we played better," Tatum said after the win.

Also Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-playoffs-warriors-draymond-green-stomps-on-sabonis-chest-gets-ejected-during-game-2-vs-kings-watch-583685">Warriors' Draymond Green stomps on Sabonis' chest, gets ejected during Game 2 vs Kings&nbsp;</a>

"We want to be peaking at this time of year. Everybody's healthy, playing the right way, playing really well -- but we've got another level we can go to hopefully."

Atlanta jumped out to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter before Boston's offense clicked to give the Celtics a 28-25 lead heading into the second quarter.

Once in front, the Celtics never relinquished the advantage, opening up a 61-49 half-time lead and extending that to 20 points midway through the third quarter as Boston's defense shut down Atlanta's scoring.

Atlanta rallied to get within eight points of the Celtics in the fourth quarter, but Boston never looked like squandering their lead down the stretch and pulled away convincingly to ensure they will take a 2-0 advantage into game three in Atlanta on Friday.

Tatum finished with 29 points including five three-pointers, while Derrick White provided offensive support with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 18 points.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta's scorers with 29 points while Trae Young finished with 24.

"They won, we lost -- we've just got to be better," Atlanta playmaker Young said after the defeat.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers roared back into their best-of-seven series with the Knicks to score a 107-90 win&nbsp;

Beaten 101-97 in game one on Saturday, the Cavaliers bounced back in spectacular fashion to score a blowout victory.

Cleveland opened up a 25-22 first quarter lead and never looked back, outscoring Cleveland 34-17 in the second quarter to take a decisive grip on the contest.

New York failed to get within 15 points of the Cavs throughout the second half, as Cleveland powered on to lead by as many as 29 midway through the fourth quarter.

Cleveland point guard Garland produced a sparkling display with 32 points -- 26 of them in a devastating first-half scoring burst.&nbsp;

Caris LeVert added 24 off the bench while Donovan Mitchell added 17 points with 13 assists.

The Knicks offense meanwhile failed to fire, with the team's 90-point total their second lowest tally of the season.

Julius Randle finished with 22 points while Jalen Brunson added 20.&nbsp;

Game three of the series takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.

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Jayson Tatum starred as the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, while Darius Garland delivered a 32-point gem in Cleveland's series-leveling rout of the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum starred as the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, while Darius Garland delivered a 32-point gem in Cleveland's series-leveling rout of the New York Knicks. Tatum finished with 29 points as the second-seeded Celtics overcame a slow start to dominate the seventh-seeded Hawks for a 119-106 victory at Boston's TD Garden. "Playoffs are all about adjustments, trying to move on from game-to-game, seeing what you can do better -- and I think we played better," Tatum said after the win. Also Watch: Warriors' Draymond Green stomps on Sabonis' chest, gets ejected during Game 2 vs Kings "We want to be peaking at this time of year. Everybody's healthy, playing the right way, playing really well -- but we've got another level we can go to hopefully." Atlanta jumped out to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter before Boston's offense clicked to give the Celtics a 28-25 lead heading into the second quarter. Once in front, the Celtics never relinquished the advantage, opening up a 61-49 half-time lead and extending that to 20 points midway through the third quarter as Boston's defense shut down Atlanta's scoring. Atlanta rallied to get within eight points of the Celtics in the fourth quarter, but Boston never looked like squandering their lead down the stretch and pulled away convincingly to ensure they will take a 2-0 advantage into game three in Atlanta on Friday. Tatum finished with 29 points including five three-pointers, while Derrick White provided offensive support with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 18 points. Dejounte Murray led Atlanta's scorers with 29 points while Trae Young finished with 24. "They won, we lost -- we've just got to be better," Atlanta playmaker Young said after the defeat. Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers roared back into their best-of-seven series with the Knicks to score a 107-90 win Beaten 101-97 in game one on Saturday, the Cavaliers bounced back in spectacular fashion to score a blowout victory. Cleveland opened up a 25-22 first quarter lead and never looked back, outscoring Cleveland 34-17 in the second quarter to take a decisive grip on the contest. New York failed to get within 15 points of the Cavs throughout the second half, as Cleveland powered on to lead by as many as 29 midway through the fourth quarter. Cleveland point guard Garland produced a sparkling display with 32 points -- 26 of them in a devastating first-half scoring burst. Caris LeVert added 24 off the bench while Donovan Mitchell added 17 points with 13 assists. The Knicks offense meanwhile failed to fire, with the team's 90-point total their second lowest tally of the season. Julius Randle finished with 22 points while Jalen Brunson added 20. Game three of the series takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs: Celtics take 2-0 lead over Hawks, Cavs equal series against Knicks

The Phoenix Suns have managed to equalise the series against the Los Angeles Clippers while the Cavaliers did the same against the New York Knicks.

The Boston Celtics, however, continued their winning run as they notched up a 2-0 lead in the seven-game Round 1 series against the Atlanta Hawks. Here below are details of each game:

<h3>Celtics vs Hawks</h3>

The Celtics started red hot as they took a 61-49 lead by the half time which the Hawks could never erase as they lost Game 2 106-119. The third and fourth quarters were somewhat of a close contest between the two teams, but the early lead taken by the Celtics proved to be decisive.

For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 29 points while Derrick White managed to drop 26 points. For the Hawks, Dejounte Murray scored 29 points while Ice Trae Young managed 24 but all in a loss.

The Hawks, however, have five more chances left in the series to not only erase the 0-2 deficit but win it as well.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-warriors-draymond-green-suspended-one-game-for-stomping-on-chest-of-kings-sabonis-584047">Warriors' Draymond Green suspended one game for stomping on chest of Kings' Sabonis</a>

<h3>Cavaliers vs Knicks</h3>

The Cavs bounced back from the 0-1 deficit and equalised the series with a 107-90 against the New York Knicks. The scores were 25-22 in favor of the Cavs at the start of the second quarter but Cleveland then ran away with points in the second quarter, scoring 34 points against the Knicks' 17.

The lead taken by the Cavs was too much for the Knicks to erase even as they outscored the Cavs 30-25 in the fourth quarter. For the Knicks, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 20 points, respectively.

For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland scored 32 points while Caris LeVert scored 24 points.

<h3>Suns vs Clippers&nbsp;</h3>

Devin Booker and Kevin Durant scored 38 and 25 points, respectively as the Suns outscored the Clippers in the last two quarters of second game in NBA Playoffs Round 1. The game hanged in the balance at the mid-way with the score reading 59-59 but the Suns won it 123-109 win to bring the series at 1-1.&nbsp;

In the third and fourth quarter, however, read 33-28 and 31-22 in the Suns' favor as Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook's 31 and 28 points, respectively went in vain.

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The Phoenix Suns have managed to equalise the series against the Los Angeles Clippers while the Cavaliers did the same against the New York Knicks. The Boston Celtics, however, continued their winning run as they notched up a 2-0 lead in the seven-game Round 1 series against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Phoenix Suns have managed to equalise the series against the Los Angeles Clippers while the Cavaliers did the same against the New York Knicks. The Boston Celtics, however, continued their winning run as they notched up a 2-0 lead in the seven-game Round 1 series against the Atlanta Hawks. Here below are details of each game: Celtics vs Hawks The Celtics started red hot as they took a 61-49 lead by the half time which the Hawks could never erase as they lost Game 2 106-119. The third and fourth quarters were somewhat of a close contest between the two teams, but the early lead taken by the Celtics proved to be decisive. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 29 points while Derrick White managed to drop 26 points. For the Hawks, Dejounte Murray scored 29 points while Ice Trae Young managed 24 but all in a loss. The Hawks, however, have five more chances left in the series to not only erase the 0-2 deficit but win it as well. Also Read: Warriors' Draymond Green suspended one game for stomping on chest of Kings' Sabonis Cavaliers vs Knicks The Cavs bounced back from the 0-1 deficit and equalised the series with a 107-90 against the New York Knicks. The scores were 25-22 in favor of the Cavs at the start of the second quarter but Cleveland then ran away with points in the second quarter, scoring 34 points against the Knicks' 17. The lead taken by the Cavs was too much for the Knicks to erase even as they outscored the Cavs 30-25 in the fourth quarter. For the Knicks, Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scored 22 and 20 points, respectively. For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland scored 32 points while Caris LeVert scored 24 points. Suns vs Clippers Devin Booker and Kevin Durant scored 38 and 25 points, respectively as the Suns outscored the Clippers in the last two quarters of second game in NBA Playoffs Round 1. The game hanged in the balance at the mid-way with the score reading 59-59 but the Suns won it 123-109 win to bring the series at 1-1. In the third and fourth quarter, however, read 33-28 and 31-22 in the Suns' favor as Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook's 31 and 28 points, respectively went in vain. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs 2023: Suns vs Clippers, Cavaliers vs Knicks, Celtics vs Hawks scores and results

Joel Embiid and James Harden sparked a Philadelphia 76ers romp while the Boston Celtics cruised to victory behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in NBA playoff openers on Saturday.

NBA scoring champion Embiid scored 26 points while NBA assists champion Harden added 23 points and 13 assists in the Sixers' 121-101 rout of visiting Brooklyn.

The host Sixers, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, sank a club playoff record 21 3-pointers in 43 attempts to seize a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven opening series, which continues Monday in Philadelphia.

"(That) was a good win for us," Harden said. "We'll be watching film. Game two is going to be the toughest game of the series for us. We'll be ready to go."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-heat-timberwolves-enter-playoffs-as-number-8-seed-to-complete-bracket-582718">Heat, Timberwolves enter Playoffs as number 8 seed to complete bracket</a>

The Celtics ripped visiting Atlanta 112-99 behind 29 points and 12 rebounds from Brown and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Tatum.

Brown played with a wrapping on cut fingers and a protective mask he has had for two months due to a facial fracture.

"Got to come out and be ready to go," he said. "My team depends on me. My city depends on me. I don't make no excuses. I come out and play ball."

The first NBA playoff nail-biter came at Cleveland, where Jalen Brunson scored 21 of his team-high 27 points in the second half to lead New York over Cleveland 101-97.

The host Cavaliers, who had 38 points from Donovan Mitchell in a losing cause, went on a 9-0 run for a 93-92 lead before the Knicks reclaimed the lead.

Brunson's driving layup boosted the Knicks ahead 99-95 but Jarrett Allen's dunk tightened the game for Cleveland. A Brunson miss was rebounded by New York's Julius Randle, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and that set up two clinching Knicks free throws by Quentin Grimes.

"They don't quit. They just kept fighting," Brunson said of the Cavs. "We kept our composure. Made plays down the stretch, made a couple of huge stops. We just kept fighting, kept sticking together and stayed poised."

The Western Conference opener later sends defending champion Golden State to Sacramento, where the host Kings make their first playoff appearance since 2006.

Philadelphia's Embiid, the NBA season scoring leader with 33.1 points a game, went 7-of-15 from the floor but the Cameroonian star was 11-of-11 from the free throw line.

Harden, who hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range, became the first player in 76ers history with 20 points, 10 assists and five 3-pointers in one contest.

He also helped eight Sixers in all to make 3-pointers.

"Just finding ways to impact the game possession by possession," said Harden, a former Nets backcourt star.

"It's the playoffs. Things don't go the way you want as much as you want them to. You've got to keep pushing, keeping fighting, and I'm happy we got a win."

In the times the Nets stifled Embiid, Harden picked them apart with inside moves, skilled shotmaking and precision passing.

"I've been doing it for a very, very long time at the highest level so it's pretty easy," Harden said. "As long as I get into the paint and create good shots, I'm doing my job. Most of the time my teammates are making the shots."

Philadelphia made a club one-half playoff record of 13 3-pointers on the way to a 67-58 halftime edge.

Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 30 points, but only seven in the second half.

<h2>Come out locked in</h2>

At Boston,&nbsp;Derrick White contributed 24 points for Boston, which used a 20-3 second-quarter run to seize a 74-44 half-time lead.

The Hawks, led by Dejounte Murray's 24 points, rallied in the second half but could not mount a sustained threat.

"Starts on defense," Brown said. "Coming out and being locked in defensively. That's a good young team. We've got to give them respect and come out and play them tight and stay aggressive."

Brown wants to avoid second-half fades after building big leads.

"That's the journey for us, to stay and keep that mentality locked in throughout the playoffs, 48 minutes throughout the game," he said.

"Tonight we waned a little bit but we will pick it up as the playoffs go on."

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Joel Embiid and James Harden sparked a Philadelphia 76ers romp while the Boston Celtics cruised to victory behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in NBA playoff openers on Saturday.

Joel Embiid and James Harden sparked a Philadelphia 76ers romp while the Boston Celtics cruised to victory behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum in NBA playoff openers on Saturday. NBA scoring champion Embiid scored 26 points while NBA assists champion Harden added 23 points and 13 assists in the Sixers' 121-101 rout of visiting Brooklyn. The host Sixers, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, sank a club playoff record 21 3-pointers in 43 attempts to seize a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-seven opening series, which continues Monday in Philadelphia. "(That) was a good win for us," Harden said. "We'll be watching film. Game two is going to be the toughest game of the series for us. We'll be ready to go." Also Read: Heat, Timberwolves enter Playoffs as number 8 seed to complete bracket The Celtics ripped visiting Atlanta 112-99 behind 29 points and 12 rebounds from Brown and 25 points and 11 rebounds from Tatum. Brown played with a wrapping on cut fingers and a protective mask he has had for two months due to a facial fracture. "Got to come out and be ready to go," he said. "My team depends on me. My city depends on me. I don't make no excuses. I come out and play ball." The first NBA playoff nail-biter came at Cleveland, where Jalen Brunson scored 21 of his team-high 27 points in the second half to lead New York over Cleveland 101-97. The host Cavaliers, who had 38 points from Donovan Mitchell in a losing cause, went on a 9-0 run for a 93-92 lead before the Knicks reclaimed the lead. Brunson's driving layup boosted the Knicks ahead 99-95 but Jarrett Allen's dunk tightened the game for Cleveland. A Brunson miss was rebounded by New York's Julius Randle, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and that set up two clinching Knicks free throws by Quentin Grimes. "They don't quit. They just kept fighting," Brunson said of the Cavs. "We kept our composure. Made plays down the stretch, made a couple of huge stops. We just kept fighting, kept sticking together and stayed poised." The Western Conference opener later sends defending champion Golden State to Sacramento, where the host Kings make their first playoff appearance since 2006. Philadelphia's Embiid, the NBA season scoring leader with 33.1 points a game, went 7-of-15 from the floor but the Cameroonian star was 11-of-11 from the free throw line. Harden, who hit 7-of-13 from 3-point range, became the first player in 76ers history with 20 points, 10 assists and five 3-pointers in one contest. He also helped eight Sixers in all to make 3-pointers. "Just finding ways to impact the game possession by possession," said Harden, a former Nets backcourt star. "It's the playoffs. Things don't go the way you want as much as you want them to. You've got to keep pushing, keeping fighting, and I'm happy we got a win." In the times the Nets stifled Embiid, Harden picked them apart with inside moves, skilled shotmaking and precision passing. "I've been doing it for a very, very long time at the highest level so it's pretty easy," Harden said. "As long as I get into the paint and create good shots, I'm doing my job. Most of the time my teammates are making the shots." Philadelphia made a club one-half playoff record of 13 3-pointers on the way to a 67-58 halftime edge. Brooklyn's Mikal Bridges scored a game-high 30 points, but only seven in the second half. Come out locked in At Boston, Derrick White contributed 24 points for Boston, which used a 20-3 second-quarter run to seize a 74-44 half-time lead. The Hawks, led by Dejounte Murray's 24 points, rallied in the second half but could not mount a sustained threat. "Starts on defense," Brown said. "Coming out and being locked in defensively. That's a good young team. We've got to give them respect and come out and play them tight and stay aggressive." Brown wants to avoid second-half fades after building big leads. "That's the journey for us, to stay and keep that mentality locked in throughout the playoffs, 48 minutes throughout the game," he said. "Tonight we waned a little bit but we will pick it up as the playoffs go on." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA Playoffs: Sixers, Celtics, Knicks advance with Game 1 win

Joel Embiid maintained his dominant scoring streak as the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 121-82 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Embiid, one of the front-runners for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, rattled in another 38 points during a one-sided road victory.

The Sixers star is averaging 35 points a game in March and has not scored fewer than 31 in eight games this month.

Embiid's latest tally came on 16-of-21 shooting, with 13 rebounds and five assists.

"Home or road, it doesn't matter," Embiid said afterward. "We know what it takes offensively and defensively, everybody doing their job... tonight we did it as a team."

James Harden had a rare off-night with only 11 points after shooting 4-of-15 from the field, but the Sixers still had far too much firepower and defensive savvy for a Charlotte team that is second from the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Tobias Harris added 18 points while Tyrese Maxey chipped in with 13.

Despite the one-sided nature of the win, Sixers coach Doc Rivers was pleased that his team emerged with a clean bill of health.

"It's just good to get the game over with and be healthy," said Rivers, who also took satisfaction from the Sixers' ruthless performance.

"It just shows that we are focused, and we are showing up and playing," he said.

"There is no guarantee each night how you're going to play, but there is a guarantee how you can show up -- and we're showing up every night."

Philadelphia improved to 47-22 with the win and are third in the East, behind leaders Milwaukee (50-20) and Boston (49-22).

<h2>Boston revival</h2>

Boston's revival continued with a 126-112 win on the road over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, while Jaylen Brown added 27.&nbsp;

Damian Lillard poured in 41 points in Portland's losing effort.

In other games Friday, Maxi Kleber nailed a 27-foot buzzer-beater as the Dallas Mavericks put a dent in the Los Angeles Lakers' postseason charge to snatch a sensational 111-110 road victory.

Kyrie Irving scored 38 points -- and provided the late assist for Kleber -- to set up a thrilling win for Dallas.&nbsp;

Irving's tally included 13 in the fourth quarter as Dallas overturned a late five-point deficit to claim the win.

The defeat dropped the Lakers to 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-37 record. Dallas meanwhile moved up to the sixth spot.

Elsewhere Friday, Golden State's poor road form continued with a 127-119 defeat at Atlanta, with Trae Young leading the Hawks' scoring with 25 points.

With the Warriors missing the defensive presence of the suspended Draymond Green, the reigning NBA champions dropped their 10th straight game on the road.

The Warriors are now 36-35 overall and sixth in a congested Western Conference table.

"Proud of our guys effort, we had our chances and had several shots in the last couple of minutes but just couldn't get anything to go," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the loss.

"These guys are fighting. I believe in them and I believe something good's going to happen with this group. We've just got to keep fighting and keep moving forward," added Kerr, brushing off suggestions that the Warriors' problems away from home were psychological.

"It's not mental," Kerr said. "We've been playing well... but it's hard to win on the road in this league. And we're just not getting it done."

Steph Curry led the Warriors scorers with 31 points, and six Golden State players finished in double figures.

In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan erupted for 49 points as the Bulls completed a 139-131 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves' defeat was compounded by a worrying injury to star Anthony Edwards, who yelled in pain after an awkward landing on his right foot in the first quarter.

Edwards left the game and did not return before appearing on the bench late on wearing a protective boot.

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Joel Embiid maintained his dominant scoring streak as the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 121-82 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Joel Embiid maintained his dominant scoring streak as the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 121-82 thrashing of the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Embiid, one of the front-runners for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, rattled in another 38 points during a one-sided road victory. The Sixers star is averaging 35 points a game in March and has not scored fewer than 31 in eight games this month. Embiid's latest tally came on 16-of-21 shooting, with 13 rebounds and five assists. "Home or road, it doesn't matter," Embiid said afterward. "We know what it takes offensively and defensively, everybody doing their job... tonight we did it as a team." James Harden had a rare off-night with only 11 points after shooting 4-of-15 from the field, but the Sixers still had far too much firepower and defensive savvy for a Charlotte team that is second from the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Tobias Harris added 18 points while Tyrese Maxey chipped in with 13. Despite the one-sided nature of the win, Sixers coach Doc Rivers was pleased that his team emerged with a clean bill of health. "It's just good to get the game over with and be healthy," said Rivers, who also took satisfaction from the Sixers' ruthless performance. "It just shows that we are focused, and we are showing up and playing," he said. "There is no guarantee each night how you're going to play, but there is a guarantee how you can show up -- and we're showing up every night." Philadelphia improved to 47-22 with the win and are third in the East, behind leaders Milwaukee (50-20) and Boston (49-22). Boston revival Boston's revival continued with a 126-112 win on the road over the Portland Trail Blazers. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 34 points, while Jaylen Brown added 27. Damian Lillard poured in 41 points in Portland's losing effort. In other games Friday, Maxi Kleber nailed a 27-foot buzzer-beater as the Dallas Mavericks put a dent in the Los Angeles Lakers' postseason charge to snatch a sensational 111-110 road victory. Kyrie Irving scored 38 points -- and provided the late assist for Kleber -- to set up a thrilling win for Dallas. Irving's tally included 13 in the fourth quarter as Dallas overturned a late five-point deficit to claim the win. The defeat dropped the Lakers to 10th in the Western Conference with a 34-37 record. Dallas meanwhile moved up to the sixth spot. Elsewhere Friday, Golden State's poor road form continued with a 127-119 defeat at Atlanta, with Trae Young leading the Hawks' scoring with 25 points. With the Warriors missing the defensive presence of the suspended Draymond Green, the reigning NBA champions dropped their 10th straight game on the road. The Warriors are now 36-35 overall and sixth in a congested Western Conference table. "Proud of our guys effort, we had our chances and had several shots in the last couple of minutes but just couldn't get anything to go," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the loss. "These guys are fighting. I believe in them and I believe something good's going to happen with this group. We've just got to keep fighting and keep moving forward," added Kerr, brushing off suggestions that the Warriors' problems away from home were psychological. "It's not mental," Kerr said. "We've been playing well... but it's hard to win on the road in this league. And we're just not getting it done." Steph Curry led the Warriors scorers with 31 points, and six Golden State players finished in double figures. In Chicago, DeMar DeRozan erupted for 49 points as the Bulls completed a 139-131 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves' defeat was compounded by a worrying injury to star Anthony Edwards, who yelled in pain after an awkward landing on his right foot in the first quarter. Edwards left the game and did not return before appearing on the bench late on wearing a protective boot. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Joel Embiid continues hot run as Philadelphia 76ers notch up seventh straight win

The Brooklyn Nets recorded the biggest comeback this National Basketball Association (NBA) season as they beat the Boston Celtics 115-105, wiping off a 28-point deficit conceded in the first half.&nbsp;

The Nets were down 51-23 at one point and then, in a fortunate turn of events, outscored the home team 92-54 to win the game. The comeback was also the joint highest in the Nets' history.

“They beat us in every analytical category possible,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla after the game. “If we don’t commit to the margins, no matter how hard we play, we’re not going to win,” he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-denver-nuggets-nikola-jokic-becomes-only-sixth-player-to-record-100-triple-doubles-567267">Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic becomes only sixth player to record 100 triple-doubles</a>

For the Nets, guard Mikal Bridges had a monstrous game as he scored a double-double of 38 points and 10 rebounds. Apart from him, forward Cameron Johnson scored 20 points while Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie chipped in with 17 points each. 
&nbsp; 
For the Celtics, guard Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and star forward Jayson Tatum managed a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled with 3s as went 0-for-8 from the deep.&nbsp;

Brooklyn started clawing their teeth back in the game with 7:11 left on the clock in the second quarter as they closed the first-half with a 32-13 run. The run, going into the half-time, also included a buzzer-beater that brought the deficit down to nice points with the score settled at 64-55.

After being down 37-15 in the first quarter, the Nets managed to score 40 against 27 in the second and kept the momentum going thereafter as the Celtics struggled. In the second half, Brooklyn outscored Boston in the both, third and the fourth quarter, managing 34-20 and 26-21.

The Celtic had 19 turnovers during the game that led to their loss and the crowd at the TD Garden wasn't forgiving as the boos rained down. Boston also managed just 9 three-pointers from 30 attempts, highlighting their struggle on the day.

Nets' top scorer Bridges, after the game, said, "I think we kind of realized over a couple of games that offense wasn’t really our problem. I feel like our offense is pretty good. But our defense, we got stops and stayed together possession-by-possession. … We just kept and stayed together."

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The Brooklyn Nets recorded the biggest comeback this National Basketball Association (NBA) season as they beat the Boston Celtics 115-105, wiping off a 28-point deficit conceded in the first half.

The Brooklyn Nets recorded the biggest comeback this National Basketball Association (NBA) season as they beat the Boston Celtics 115-105, wiping off a 28-point deficit conceded in the first half. The Nets were down 51-23 at one point and then, in a fortunate turn of events, outscored the home team 92-54 to win the game. The comeback was also the joint highest in the Nets' history. “They beat us in every analytical category possible,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla after the game. “If we don’t commit to the margins, no matter how hard we play, we’re not going to win,” he added. Also Read: Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic becomes only sixth player to record 100 triple-doubles For the Nets, guard Mikal Bridges had a monstrous game as he scored a double-double of 38 points and 10 rebounds. Apart from him, forward Cameron Johnson scored 20 points while Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie chipped in with 17 points each. For the Celtics, guard Jaylen Brown scored 35 points and star forward Jayson Tatum managed a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled with 3s as went 0-for-8 from the deep. Brooklyn started clawing their teeth back in the game with 7:11 left on the clock in the second quarter as they closed the first-half with a 32-13 run. The run, going into the half-time, also included a buzzer-beater that brought the deficit down to nice points with the score settled at 64-55. After being down 37-15 in the first quarter, the Nets managed to score 40 against 27 in the second and kept the momentum going thereafter as the Celtics struggled. In the second half, Brooklyn outscored Boston in the both, third and the fourth quarter, managing 34-20 and 26-21. The Celtic had 19 turnovers during the game that led to their loss and the crowd at the TD Garden wasn't forgiving as the boos rained down. Boston also managed just 9 three-pointers from 30 attempts, highlighting their struggle on the day. Nets' top scorer Bridges, after the game, said, "I think we kind of realized over a couple of games that offense wasn’t really our problem. I feel like our offense is pretty good. But our defense, we got stops and stayed together possession-by-possession. … We just kept and stayed together." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NBA: Nets script epic comeback win as they wipe out 28-point deficit to beat Celtics

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