Two tight and one smooth play-off series: While Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to a 3-2 win over Utah in front of their home crowd, the Raptors surprisingly stole Game 5 in Philadelphia. Boston is already through. The NBA on Tuesday morning.
With a move to the basket: Luka Doncic has recovered from his calf injury.
NBAE via Getty Images
In what was at times a heated game – Hassan Whiteside for the guests and Reggie Bullock for the home side were sent off – the Dallas Mavericks surprisingly beat the Utah Jazz 102:77 following the first four duels had all been pretty close games . So the Mavs are now up 3-2 and have match point, Game 6 is back in Salt Lake City. The Texans have not won a playoff series since winning the title in 2011 with Dirk Nowitzki.
Their superstar Luka Doncic played for the first time in a play-off game in front of his own fans following he made his comeback following a calf strain at 99:100 in Utah. The Slovenian showed his usual strength, let the jazz look old with smooth body deceptions and sank threes in a high arc. He ended up with 33 points in his box score, with Jalen Brunson adding 24. Maxi Kleber got 20 minutes, grabbed five rebounds, but remained without a point. “Nothing is done yet, we still have to win one,” said Doncic following the enthusiastically celebrated victory.
The protagonists of Jazz were disappointing: while center Rudy Gobert still delivered the usual double-double (17/11), Donovan Mitchell (9) and Mike Conley (4) disappointed in the backcourt across the board. In the end, the Jazz scored the lowest since a 68:118 in November 2018 – also in Dallas.
Frustrated Nets out in four games
Not too many had expected a “sweep” in the series between Boston and Brooklyn. But the Celtics got their fourth win in the fourth duel with the Nets – a 116:112 ended the rollercoaster season of Kevin Durant & Co., who had had to do without the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving for a long time and then also James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers lost. In seventh place, Brooklyn had finally slipped into the play-offs via the play-in tournament.
“Their record didn’t show how good they are,” Jayson Tatum told TNT following game four. “But we believed in ourselves and didn’t look too far ahead.” He was the Celtics’ top pitcher with 29 points. Durant’s 39 points weren’t enough for the Nets to at least narrow down and force a game five. Daniel Theis (six points), once more in the starting five, had the best tally with eight rebounds but only played a little less than 20 minutes due to early fouls and the return of Robert Williams.
In the semifinals, the Celtics will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or the Chicago Bulls. Defending champion Bucks leads 3-1 in the series.
Toronto doesn’t buckle
And just as unexpectedly, the streak between the Sixers and the Toronto Raptors isn’t over yet. “Philly” failed in game five at home with 88:103 and allowed the Canadians to close the gap to 2:3 following leading 3:0. Toronto, once once more led by Pascal Siakam (23/10/7), are once more able to equalize in front of their home crowd in game six on Thursday. Never in NBA playoff history has a team turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 lead.
The Sixers, who have “go-to-guy” Joel Embiid struggling with a thumb injury and disappointing James Harden, will have to stretch to secure a place in the next round.
