OKLAHOMA CITY, May 9 ------ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to help the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 117-95 in Game 1 of their NBA Western Conference semifinal series. Chet Holmgren added 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for the Thunder. Jalen Williams struggled with his shot for three quarters but scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth to help Oklahoma City remain unbeaten in the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander got the best of the matchup with Dallas’ Luka Doncic, a fellow MVP finalist. Doncic scored 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting and had five turnovers. Lu Dort got most of the work guarding him, with rookie Cason Wallace getting some of the action and Holmgren pestering him near the rim. Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Daniel Gafford added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the fifth-seeded Mavericks.
Game 2 will be Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander rested briefly at the start of the second quarter before subbing in at the 8:20 mark. He scored 11 points in the period to help the Thunder take a 62-53 lead at the break. He scored 19 points in the first half, while reserve Aaron Wiggins scored 12 of his 16 points before the break. Dallas opened the second half on a run, and a 3-pointer by Irving cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 66-65 and forced the Thunder to call a timeout. Isaiah Joe and Dort hit 3-pointers when play resumed, then Dort ripped Doncic, leading to a dunk by Williams that put the Thunder up 74-67.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3-pointer with Doncic in his face put Oklahoma City up 80-69. Irving hit a 3-pointer as the third quarter expired, but the Thunder still led 89-79. Williams scored eight straight points for the Thunder in a run that put Oklahoma City ahead 102-87.
In Boston, Brown scored 32 points, White made seven 3-pointers and added 25, and the Celtics powered past the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-95 in Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series. Tatum finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds to help the Celtics pull away in the second half. The Cavaliers went 11 of 42 from 3-point range and kept pace early. But the Celtics were even more efficient from the outside, connecting on 18 of 46 from beyond the arc for the game. Game 2 is Thursday night in Boston.
Donovan Mitchell had 33 points and six assists for the Cavaliers. He is the fourth player in league history to score 30 or more points in six straight playoff series openers, joining Michael Jordan (three times), Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain. Darius Garland added 14 points. Both teams played without their starting centers. Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen missed his fourth straight game with a bruised rib injury he sustained in the first round against Orlando. Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined for the second consecutive game with a strained right calf.
Source: inquirer.net
Editor's Note:
Here are the current standing of Semi Finals NBA Playoffs:
Eastern Conference:
Boston Celtics - 1 Cleveland Cavaliers - 0
New York Knicks - 1 Indiana Pacers - 0
Western Conference:
Oklahoma Thunder - 1 Dallas Mavericks - 0
Minnesota Timberwolves - 2 Denver Nuggets - 0