The Boston Celtics took care of the Cleveland Cavaliers from TD Garden on Wednesday night, albeit in a game that was a little more tense than they would have liked. On the road in a crucial Game 5, the Dallas Mavericks stayed the course to fend off the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Celtics prevailed by 15, 113-98, but the final score was not indicative of the difficulty of the win. Without Donovan Mitchell once again as well as Caris LeVert, the Cavaliers got a big performance from Evan Mobley (33 points, 7 rebounds, 15-for-24), and another strong performance from an unlikely source.
Marcus Morris Sr., the former Celtic (2017-2019), scored 25 points in 34 minutes off the bench Wednesday night, displaying the scoring prowess that he has shown throughout his career to the tune of 10-for-13 from the field and a cool 5-for-6 from three-point range. However, poor performances from Darius Garland (4-for-17) and Max Strus (3-for-10), left the Cavaliers without enough scoring punch against a Celtic team that saw six players reach double figures.
Jayson Tatum played a complete game (25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals on 9-for-16), while Al Horford had a vintage performance of 22 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The 37-year-old has consistently given his team leadership and timely plays. Derrick White finished with 18 (7-for-17), Jrue Holiday 13 and Jaylen Brown 11, both on nine shots apiece. Payton Pritchard scored 11 off the bench.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics will face either the New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers. The Knicks have a closeout opportunity on Friday in Indianapolis. The Celtics had a 4-1 record against the Knicks in the regular season and were 3-2 against the Pacers.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, will have an off-season that will center around Mitchell. The star guard is eligible for a $200 million extension this summer, but there has been steady chatter about whether he will accept it or be moved elsewhere.
In Oklahoma City, the Mavericks played a consistent game on Wednesday night in a crucial Game 5 road win. Luka Doncic posted a triple-double (31 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds), a major turnaround from his 6-for-20 performance in Game 4. Derrick Jones Jr. hit timely three-pointers, finishing with 19 points (7-for-9 from the field, 3-for-5 from downtown), and Dereck Lively II was big off the bench with 11 points and 10 rebounds. More importantly, he hit his free-throws (5-for-6), helping the Mavericks extend the lead late when the Thunder intentionally fouled. Kyrie Irving had just 12 points on 11 shots, but his effort defensively has been good for his team throughout the series as well as clutch shot-making in spots.
For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led them, with 30 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds on 12-for-22 from the field. Still, the Mavericks made things tough for SGA, crowding him and making others beat them. On many occasions, the Thunder were late in the shot clock or missed shots early in the clock - indicative of an offense that sometimes lacks fluidity and can be left scrambling for a shot. Their others in the starting five (Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Lou Dort, and Isaiah Joe, who was starting for Josh Giddey), were just 5-for-24 from distance. Giddey, to his credit, played well off the bench with 11 points in only 12 minutes. Cason Wallace was just 1-for-7 in 27 minutes off the bench.
The Mavericks secured a 46-33 rebounding advantage, and made 14-of-35 three-point attempts versus the Thunder's 10-for-40. Gilgeous-Alexander played 43 minutes, but both teams' will have an opportunity to rest up before Saturday's Game 6. The Thunder will need a better offensive flow and contributions from their others if they are to extend the series after Saturday.
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