Boston Routs Miami Anew, 118-84 to End Series at 4-1; Dallas Demolishes LA Clippers, Moves Ahead 3-2
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 02 May 2024
The Boston Celtics became the first team to advance to the second round of the current NBA playoffs in the East by demolishing the Miami Heat in the fifth game of their series, 118-84 at the TD Garden arena.
The Celtics, the first team to qualify in the playoffs and the top seeds in the East, won the series 4-1. All games were determined by more than ten points, but Boston has been unforgiving since it lost on its home floor in the second game. The Celtics won the third and fourth games in Miami by more than twenty points.
The Celtics saved the worst beating for the Heat in this fifth game back in Boston, as if to atone for the game two loss, immediately posting a 41-23 first-quarter lead on the way to a 68-46 halftime lead.
They increased the lead to 30 points in the third quarter, and the margin never went down until the final buzzer as Derrick White continued with his hot shooting, particularly from the three-point area, where he was joined by reserve Sam Hauser.
White shared top scoring honors with Jaylen Brown, with 25 points each. Sam Hauser put in 17 as Jason Tatum scored "only" 16 points but topped in rebounding with 12. Jrue Holiday not only anchored the Celtics' tight defense but even managed to chip in 10 points.
The Celtics await the winner of the Milwaukee-Indiana series in the next round.
Bam Adebayo again topped Miami's offense with 23 points, but only two, namely Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin, could score in double figures with 15 points and 10 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, the visiting Dallas Mavericks, with all but one of the twelve players fielded, scoring, had six in double figures led by Luka Doncic's 35 points, came out like a house on fire in routing the Clippers.
The Mavs shot 47 out of 87 from the field, including 14 of 39 from the three-point line, while limiting LAC to 33 of 87 and 9 of 35, executing the rout of the Clippers.
Supporting Doncic were reserve big man Maxi Kleber with 15 points on 5 of 7 trifecta attempts, Kyrie Irving, and Jaden Hardy had 14 points each, while Derrick Jones and Derrick Lively II contributed 12 points each.
For the Clippers, Paul George and Ivica Zubac had 15 points each. Norman Powell contributed 14 points, while Nashon Hyland and Terance Mann chipped in 11 points each.
The series returns to Dallas with the Mavericks holding a 3-2 advantage.
The winner will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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