Game 1 wins for Celtics, Raptors and Nuggets on Monday night
Tuesday 18 August 2020 11:38, UK
Kawhi Leonard registered 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals to help the LA Clippers produce a 118-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening game of their first-round playoff series.
Kawhi Leonard registered 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals to help the LA Clippers produce a 118-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the opening game of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday night.
The Mavericks led by five points early in the third quarter before Kristaps Porzingis was ejected following his second technical foul of the game.
Paul George scored 27 points and Marcus Morris Sr had 19 points and four steals for the second-seeded Clippers, who shot 47.4 per cent from the field and made 13-of-38 (34.2 per cent) from three-point range. Lou Williams added 14 points, and Ivica Zubac had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Luka Doncic recorded 42 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals, setting an NBA record for the highest point total in a player's postseason debut. He also committed 11 turnovers, one shy of the postseason record set by the Houston Rockets' James Harden in 2015.
Porzingis had 14 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes before getting tossed out with 9:10 left in the third quarter. Porzingis, who also drew a technical midway through the second quarter, was called for his second when he entered a spat between Doncic and Morris and double technicals were called on Porzingis and Morris in the aftermath.
The Mavericks led 71-66 when Porzingis was ejected, and Los Angeles quickly took advantage with a 9-2 run to move ahead by two points. Williams' three-point play pushed the Clippers' lead to 85-78 with 2:38 remaining in the period.
Los Angeles led 87-82 entering the final stanza before Dallas knotted the score at 89 on three-pointer by Hardaway with 9:44 left.
Morris drained a three-pointer to make it 109-102 with 1:58 remaining. George then buried a three to make it 114-106 with 42.6 seconds left as Los Angeles closed it out.
Jayson Tatum scored a playoff-career-high 32 points and Jaylen Brown added 29 as the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 109-101 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff.
Brown had 15 points in the fourth, as the Celtics outscored the 76ers 34-22 in the final quarter to take Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. Tatum finished with 13 rebounds and Kemba Walker chipped in 19 points.
Joel Embiid led Philadelphia with 26 points and 16 rebounds while Josh Richardson and Alec Burks each scored 18. The 76ers played without All-Star guard Ben Simmons (knee surgery).
Brown, who missed time in the third quarter with a right thigh contusion, tied the score at 86 on a three-pointer with 8:34 to go in the fourth. He hit four free throws in a three-second span for a 92-86 margin.
Philadelphia got within three before Brown was at it again, nailing a three-pointer to increase the Celtics' lead to 99-91 with 4:29 remaining. Walker gave Boston a 10-point edge, 101-91, with 3:16 left, but the 76ers got within 103-100 on a Richardson three with 59 ticks to go.
Tatum hit a pair of free throws with 41 seconds left as the Celtics pulled away for the win.
Fred VanVleet scored a career playoff-best 30 points and added 11 assists as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 134-110 the opener of their first-round series.
The Raptors dominated early and led by as many as 33 points in the second quarter only to have the lead shrink to nine points entering the fourth quarter.
Toronto regained control early in the final period and increased the lead to 18 points at 114-96 with 7:09 to play on a dunk and a free throw by OG Anunoby.
Toronto's Serge Ibaka removed all doubt about a Brooklyn comeback with two free throws and then a three-pointer with 3:32 remaining for a 124-102 advantage.
Ibaka had 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Raptors. Pascal Siakam added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry had 16 points, Marc Gasol chipped in with 13 points, Anunoby added 12 and Terence Davis scored 11.
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot matched his career best with 26 points for the Nets. Joe Harris added 19 points, Caris LeVert scored 15 points and had a career-best 15 assists, Jarrett Allen had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Garrett Temple had 12 points.
Jamal Murray scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime and Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 10 rebounds as the Denver Nuggets overcame 57 points from Donovan Mitchell to beat the Utah Jazz 135-125 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series
Mitchell set a franchise scoring record but had just six points in the overtime when Denver outscored Utah 20-10.
Jerami Grant had 19 points, Monte Morris added 14, Michael Porter Jr scored 13 and Torrey Craig had 11 before fouling out for Denver.
For the Jazz, Joe Ingles scored 19, Jordan Clarkson chipped in 18 off the bench and Rudy Gobert had 17 for the Jazz.
The Nuggets scored the first eight points of overtime and never trailed in the extra period. Murray's three-pointer made the score 123-115, and after Clarkson hit a turnaround jumper, Jokic drained another three-pointer to put Denver ahead by nine.
Mitchell, who had 22 points in the fourth quarter, scored on a three-pointer to cut it to 128-122 with 1:08 left but Murray hit his sixth triple of the game and the Nuggets closed it out to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
