NBA: Mavericks and Celtics seize conference semifinal leads

(AFP) Both Kyrie Irving for the Dallas Mavericks and Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics led their respective teams to victory this Saturday, giving them a 2-1 lead in their respective conference semifinal games in the NBA.

The Dallas Mavericks won their second consecutive game 105-101 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the Western Conference semifinals, clinching the home-field advantage by winning the second game.

PJ Washington scored 19 of his 27 points in the first half, leading the way for the rest of his teammates. Kyrie Irving scored in the final seconds of the game, bringing his team to a five-point lead.

Irving finished the game with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds while Luka Doncic, who is still recovering from an injury, finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the leading scorer in the game with 31 points. He closed out the game with a double-double including 10 rebounds but it was not enough for the Thunder.

Boston made a comeback

In the second round, the Boston Celtics recovered from their loss in the second game of the series and regained a 2-1 lead in the semifinal series in the East Conference against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 106-93 victory.

The Celtics gave it all they had. They went into halftime with a nine-point lead and began the third period with a 14 consecutive-point scoring streak, extending their lead to 23 points.

Their offense was the perfect complement to what was already an excellent night defensively.

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points and made 13 rebounds, finishing the game with a double-double. Jaylen Brown scored 28 points. Jrue Holiday was a pleasant surprise of the day for Boston. He scored 18 points and made eight rebounds as well as five assists.

The conference semifinal series continues this Sunday. The New York Knicks face the Indiana Pacers with a 2-1 lead while the champions, Denver Nuggets, will try and secure their second consecutive victory on the road to tie the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.