Cleveland and Dallas on Thursday turned the tables on their top-seeded opponents, the Cavaliers shocking the Boston Celtics and the Mavericks silencing the Thunder to level their respective NBA playoff series at one game apiece.
Donovan Mitchell led a comprehensive Cleveland effort as the Cavaliers powered past the Celtics 118-94 in Boston to make it 1-1 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series.
Dallas star Luka Doncic scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while teammate P.J. Washington poured in 29 points for the Mavericks, who beat the Thunder 119-110 in Oklahoma City to knot their Western Conference semi-final at one-all.
Photo: David Butler II-USA Today
Mitchell scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half and received plenty of support from his “attack-minded” teammates as the Cavs bounced back from a rout in Game 1.
Evan Mobley, 22, got Cleveland going early, scoring 15 of his playoff career-high 21 points in the first half. Mobley added 10 rebounds and five assists, while reserve guard Caris LeVert added 21 points off the bench for Cleveland, who had six players score in double figures.
“I like the way that we were just attack-minded,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We didn’t settle for the first quick [shot] that we saw.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
The Cavs fell behind in each of the first two quarters, but had tied it up 54-54 at halftime.
Mitchell scored 16 points in the third quarter as they seized control.
The Cavs, up by 12 going into the fourth, pressed their advantage, as Mitchell drained three straight baskets that included a spinning drive for a hook shot that made it 99-83.
By the time Cleveland pushed their lead to 24 points with less than five minutes to play, fans were streaming out of TD Garden.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla pulled his starters, with Jayson Tatum finishing with 25 points and Jaylen Brown adding 19.
Brown said the Celtics’ defensive effort was simply “unacceptable.”
“We gave up 118 points,” he said. “On top of that we lost the rebound battle — so we didn’t help ourselves tonight.”
Mitchell was delighted with what he called a “complete performance.”
“Everybody did their job,” Mitchell said, adding they need to keep the pressure on when the series shifts to Cleveland.
“At the end of the day, it’s one win,” Mitchell said. “We’ve got to do it at the crib.”
The Mavericks are also to head home for Game 3 with their series level.
Doncic, playing through a right-knee sprain, scored 16 points in the first quarter to set the tone in a bruising battle.
The Slovenian star landed face-first on the court early in the contest when his feet tangled with those of Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort as they raced up court.
Doncic tripped again early in the fourth and came up limping, but stayed in the game and drilled a three-pointer that pushed the Mavs’ lead back to nine points after the Thunder had cut it to four.
“I think that was one of the hardest games I’ve had to play,” Doncic said. “I’m battling out there. Trying to do my best to help the team win. It’s just my mentality to have a great start and then team is going to follow me.”
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