After relinquishing Game 2 on their home floor on April 24 in a 111-101 defeat, the Boston Celtics cruised to three straight victories in their first round series against the Miami Heat. Wednesday night, they shut the door on the Heat’s season with a blowout 118-84 victory in Game 5. In the second round, the Celtics will face the winner of the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers series, which the Cavaliers lead 3-2.
After relinquishing Game 4 in a thriller on Sunday afternoon against their first round foe the Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks rebounded with a dominant performance Wednesday night. Their 123-93 rout in the all important Game 5 gave them a 3-2 series edge.
The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis for the foreseeable future with a soleus strain in his calf (a Grade 1 tear), the same injury that has kept Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo out in the Bucks’ first round series against the Indiana Pacers. Porzingis is expected to miss the second round.
The team got 25 points apiece in Game 5, from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Sharpshooter Sam Hauser scored 17 off of the bench on five made threes, while Jayson Tatum took just nine shots, making four, and finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Heat, severely undermanned already going into the series without the services of Jimmy Butler or mid-season pickup Terry Rozier, were also without promising rookie Jaime Jacquez in Game 5. Non-rotation guys Patty Mills and Thomas Bryant saw increasing minutes, with Bryant registering a solid 10 points in just 12 minutes.
After dropping Game 2, the Celtics won by 20, 14, and 34 (Wednesday), reminding the league just how good they are. Their three-point shooting and defense is top tier.
The Mavericks were outstanding on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic led the way with 35 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds on 14-of-26 shooting. Maxi Kleber chipped in 15 off the bench, and Dereck Lively II 12 points. In just six minutes in garbage time, seldom used Jaden Hardy scored 14. Kyrie Irving scored 14 but made just one of seven three-point shots, while Derrick Jones Jr. added 12.
For the Clippers, they got poor performances when they needed them the most. Paul George was just 4-for-13, James Harden 2-for-12, and Russell Westbrook 2-for-11. George did have 11 rebounds, and he and Ivica Zubac led with 15 points. Norman Powell scored 14 off the bench, while Terance Mann scored 11. Bones Hyland, in a similar minutes predicament as Hardy, scored 11 points in just seven minutes.
The Clippers no doubt will need George, Harden, and Westbrook to step up if they are going to extend the series on Friday night in Dallas. As a team, when your season is on the line, you need your best guys to step up. The team will need George and Harden to be reminiscent of their Game 4 performance. George scored 26 first half points and finished with 33, while Harden himself put up 33, 7 assists and 6 rebounds on a cool 12-for-17 in 40 minutes.
Friday night should make for an exciting Game 6. Meanwhile, the Celtics’ round 2 series will either begin Sunday (if there is no Game 7), or on Tuesday, May 7 if there is a Game 7. As if the league’s best team (record wise at least) needs more rest. Whoever their opponent is in round 2, they will be primed and ready to go.
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