Hosts Ottawa on Saturday night.
LeBron James is tired. The young Boston Celtics seem to be getting stronger.
Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points – his ninth 20-point game of the postseason – and Boston beat Cleveland 96-83 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics held James to two fourth-quarter points Jeff Allen Jersey , earning their 10th straight victory in Boston to remain perfect at home this postseason and move within one win of their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010.
”I just enjoy playing in the big moments, in the big games. That’s when I have the most fun,” said Tatum, who needs one more 20-point game to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie record of 10 in a postseason.
”I can’t say it enough: We’re one win away from being in the finals,” Tatum said. ”The playoffs bring the best out of people.”
Game 6 is in Cleveland on Friday night, with the decisive seventh game back in Boston on Sunday if necessary. The home team has won every game so far in the series, and none has been closer than nine points.
”We’re looking forward to having an opportunity to force a Game 7,” said James, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds but also had six turnovers. ”It’s up to us to see if we can come back here for one more.”
Al Horford had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and 21-year-old Jaylen Brown had 17 points for Boston. Tatum added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals one day after finishing a single vote shy of a unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie team.
”The sky’s the limit” for Tatum , Brown said. ”He’s going to continue to get better. He’s my workout partner. I expect it in myself and I expect it in him.”
Kevin Love scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, who are trying to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive season. James has played to the end in seven straight seasons.
To extend that streak, he’ll need to win two in a row.
One of them will be in Boston.
”Our focus – LeBron’s focus – is to win,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said. ”That’s the only thing that matters.”
The Celtics opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and nursed it the rest of the way, holding on through a four-minute scoring drought that saw Cleveland score nine straight points to cut the deficit to 83-71. But Terry Rozier hit Horford with an alley-oop to snap the skid Ka'imi Fairbairn Jersey , and that was as close as the Cavs would get.
Reserves Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each scored 13.
FADING STAR
James had one basket on four shots in the fourth quarter, and afterward conceded that he was worn down. He finished 1 for 6 from 3-point range in the game; the Cavaliers made just 9 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc and shot just 42 percent overall.
”I had my moments, but I think everybody at this point is tired, worn down whatever the case may be,” he said. ”I was still trying to make plays, put our team in position to win.”
GOONING IT UP
Boston went on a 15-3 run in the first quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Celtics scored nine in a row at the end of the first quarter and into the second to take a 36-19 lead, their biggest of the game.
That’s when the Cavaliers fought back .
After a hard defensive play by Morris sent Larry Nance Jr. into the first row of seats, Morris appeared to wander over and say something. Nance to jump up and body checked him; Morris responded with a one-handed shove to the face.
Aron Baynes and Brown came in to break it up, and Terry Rozier put a body on Nance. After a review, the referees called technicals on Rozier, Nance and Morris. Kyle Korver made the foul shot to make it 36-20 and Cleveland went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to eight points, 36-28.
But Morris made a long 3-pointer to stop the scoring drought, and soon hit another to cap an 8-2 run that made it a double-digit lead.
Smart said the Celtics wanted to more aggressive at home.
”At their place, they were the aggressor,” he said. ”That showed and they came up with the victory. We just wanted to be that team tonight.”
TIP-INS
Teams that win Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven series win 83 percent of the time. … James had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists at the half. Tatum had 13 points L. P. Ladouceur Jersey , and Horford had 10 points and seven boards at the break. … Baynes made his first start of the series, subbing for Morris. … It took until midway through the third quarter for a Cavs starter other than James or Love to make a basket. J.R. Smith sank a floater to make it 63-50, and George Hill followed with a jumper of his own. … The Celtics were 10-0 in the playoffs at home in 1986. … Horford had his 7th double-double of the postseason, matching a career high he set in 2015.
The Florida Panthers are still alive for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re going to need some help, though.
Jared McCann scored with 5:37 left and Roberto Luongo got the win in his 1,000th career game, helping the Panthers stay in contention with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
The Panthers trail the Philadelphia Flyers by four points for the final Eastern Conference wild card and have two games remaining, including a matchup Sunday night with Boston. Florida needs to win both games and have the Flyers lose to the New York Rangers in regulation Saturday.
”It would be nice to control our own fate, but we don’t have that luxury,” coach Bob Boughner said. ”Who knows what’s going to happen, but we know we have a job to do. Let’s just hope that we are in a situation Saturday when the puck drops we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs.”
The Panthers were also chasing the Devils and Blue Jackets, but both teams clinched playoff spots with victories Thursday.
The 39-year-old Luongo became the third goalie to reach the 1,000-game mark, joining Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur (1,266) and Patrick Roy (1,029). Luongo is the 322nd player to reach the milestone overall. He stopped 26 shots Thursday.
”It wasn’t easy. I was feeling a little bit sluggish today for some reason Terrance Williams Jersey , but tell you what, the boys probably played their best game of the year,” Luongo said. ”That’s the best gift the boys could have given me.”
Aleksander Barkov scored his 100th career goal, and Florida’s Frank Vatrano scored a goal against his former team.
Barkov left the game with 6:51 left in the third period with an apparent upper-body injury after he was checked hard into the boards by Colby Cave. McCann took his spot on the top line and was able to make an impact.
”I was ready to go,” McCann said. ”I look for those opportunities every day. I was able to step up.”
There wasn’t an update on Barkov after the game.
”I know the doctors are back there checking him out, so I don’t have anything as of now. It didn’t look great when he was going off the ice, to be honest,” Boughner said.
Danton Heinen and Ryan Donato scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask stopped 32 shots.
”Yeah, a tough start,” Rask said. ”They came to play, that’s not a surprise to anybody. They’re fighting for their lives and need every point they can get. You have to be ready for that and we weren’t.”
The Bruins have lost three straight, their longest losing streak since a four-game skid from November 8-15.
”You don’t want to go into the playoffs limping,” Rask said. ”You want to go in full stride and that’s something we have to fix the last two games.”
Boston remains tied with Tampa Bay for the lead in the Atlantic Division, but Tampa owns the tiebreaker. Each team has two games left.
”We’ve got one out of six points on this trip,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. ”That’s what happens in this league, I don’t care what teams you play. A bad formula to play from behind. Guys have to be ready to go when the puck drops. That’s something we have to look to correct.”
McCann tipped in the winner off Mike Matheson’s shot from the left side.
The Bruins tied it at 2 on Heinen’s goal 2:11 into the second period. After a defensive turnover Ian Thomas Jersey , David Krejci passed across to Heinen, who beat Luongo on the stick side.
Trailing 2-0, the Bruins closed to 2-1 on a power-play goal by Donato, who corralled a bouncing puck in front and swept it behind Luongo with 4:41 left in the first.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on Barkov’s goal. Evgenii Dadonov made a nice pass from the right side to Barkov, who tucked the puck into the corner of the net at 7:42.
The Panthers went ahead 2-0 after Vatrano, acquired by the Panthers in a trade with Boston on Feb. 22, poked in a rebound at 9:34.
NOTES: Bruins F Brad Marchand played in his 600th NHL game. … Donato has eight points in his first 10 NHL games. … A video tribute to Luongo’s 1,000-game mark, midway through the first period, drew a standing ovation, including from Bruins players.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Hosts Ottawa on Saturday night.
Panthers: Hosts Buffalo on Saturday night.
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.
Rookie Jayson Tatum scored 24 points – his ninth 20-point game of the postseason – and Boston beat Cleveland 96-83 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.
The Celtics held James to two fourth-quarter points Jeff Allen Jersey , earning their 10th straight victory in Boston to remain perfect at home this postseason and move within one win of their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010.
”I just enjoy playing in the big moments, in the big games. That’s when I have the most fun,” said Tatum, who needs one more 20-point game to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie record of 10 in a postseason.
”I can’t say it enough: We’re one win away from being in the finals,” Tatum said. ”The playoffs bring the best out of people.”
Game 6 is in Cleveland on Friday night, with the decisive seventh game back in Boston on Sunday if necessary. The home team has won every game so far in the series, and none has been closer than nine points.
”We’re looking forward to having an opportunity to force a Game 7,” said James, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds but also had six turnovers. ”It’s up to us to see if we can come back here for one more.”
Al Horford had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and 21-year-old Jaylen Brown had 17 points for Boston. Tatum added seven rebounds, four assists and four steals one day after finishing a single vote shy of a unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie team.
”The sky’s the limit” for Tatum , Brown said. ”He’s going to continue to get better. He’s my workout partner. I expect it in myself and I expect it in him.”
Kevin Love scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, who are trying to reach the finals for the fourth consecutive season. James has played to the end in seven straight seasons.
To extend that streak, he’ll need to win two in a row.
One of them will be in Boston.
”Our focus – LeBron’s focus – is to win,” Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said. ”That’s the only thing that matters.”
The Celtics opened a double-digit lead in the first quarter and nursed it the rest of the way, holding on through a four-minute scoring drought that saw Cleveland score nine straight points to cut the deficit to 83-71. But Terry Rozier hit Horford with an alley-oop to snap the skid Ka'imi Fairbairn Jersey , and that was as close as the Cavs would get.
Reserves Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart each scored 13.
FADING STAR
James had one basket on four shots in the fourth quarter, and afterward conceded that he was worn down. He finished 1 for 6 from 3-point range in the game; the Cavaliers made just 9 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc and shot just 42 percent overall.
”I had my moments, but I think everybody at this point is tired, worn down whatever the case may be,” he said. ”I was still trying to make plays, put our team in position to win.”
GOONING IT UP
Boston went on a 15-3 run in the first quarter to turn a three-point deficit into a nine-point lead. The Celtics scored nine in a row at the end of the first quarter and into the second to take a 36-19 lead, their biggest of the game.
That’s when the Cavaliers fought back .
After a hard defensive play by Morris sent Larry Nance Jr. into the first row of seats, Morris appeared to wander over and say something. Nance to jump up and body checked him; Morris responded with a one-handed shove to the face.
Aron Baynes and Brown came in to break it up, and Terry Rozier put a body on Nance. After a review, the referees called technicals on Rozier, Nance and Morris. Kyle Korver made the foul shot to make it 36-20 and Cleveland went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to eight points, 36-28.
But Morris made a long 3-pointer to stop the scoring drought, and soon hit another to cap an 8-2 run that made it a double-digit lead.
Smart said the Celtics wanted to more aggressive at home.
”At their place, they were the aggressor,” he said. ”That showed and they came up with the victory. We just wanted to be that team tonight.”
TIP-INS
Teams that win Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in a best-of-seven series win 83 percent of the time. … James had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists at the half. Tatum had 13 points L. P. Ladouceur Jersey , and Horford had 10 points and seven boards at the break. … Baynes made his first start of the series, subbing for Morris. … It took until midway through the third quarter for a Cavs starter other than James or Love to make a basket. J.R. Smith sank a floater to make it 63-50, and George Hill followed with a jumper of his own. … The Celtics were 10-0 in the playoffs at home in 1986. … Horford had his 7th double-double of the postseason, matching a career high he set in 2015.
The Florida Panthers are still alive for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re going to need some help, though.
Jared McCann scored with 5:37 left and Roberto Luongo got the win in his 1,000th career game, helping the Panthers stay in contention with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.
The Panthers trail the Philadelphia Flyers by four points for the final Eastern Conference wild card and have two games remaining, including a matchup Sunday night with Boston. Florida needs to win both games and have the Flyers lose to the New York Rangers in regulation Saturday.
”It would be nice to control our own fate, but we don’t have that luxury,” coach Bob Boughner said. ”Who knows what’s going to happen, but we know we have a job to do. Let’s just hope that we are in a situation Saturday when the puck drops we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs.”
The Panthers were also chasing the Devils and Blue Jackets, but both teams clinched playoff spots with victories Thursday.
The 39-year-old Luongo became the third goalie to reach the 1,000-game mark, joining Hall of Famers Martin Brodeur (1,266) and Patrick Roy (1,029). Luongo is the 322nd player to reach the milestone overall. He stopped 26 shots Thursday.
”It wasn’t easy. I was feeling a little bit sluggish today for some reason Terrance Williams Jersey , but tell you what, the boys probably played their best game of the year,” Luongo said. ”That’s the best gift the boys could have given me.”
Aleksander Barkov scored his 100th career goal, and Florida’s Frank Vatrano scored a goal against his former team.
Barkov left the game with 6:51 left in the third period with an apparent upper-body injury after he was checked hard into the boards by Colby Cave. McCann took his spot on the top line and was able to make an impact.
”I was ready to go,” McCann said. ”I look for those opportunities every day. I was able to step up.”
There wasn’t an update on Barkov after the game.
”I know the doctors are back there checking him out, so I don’t have anything as of now. It didn’t look great when he was going off the ice, to be honest,” Boughner said.
Danton Heinen and Ryan Donato scored for the Bruins. Tuukka Rask stopped 32 shots.
”Yeah, a tough start,” Rask said. ”They came to play, that’s not a surprise to anybody. They’re fighting for their lives and need every point they can get. You have to be ready for that and we weren’t.”
The Bruins have lost three straight, their longest losing streak since a four-game skid from November 8-15.
”You don’t want to go into the playoffs limping,” Rask said. ”You want to go in full stride and that’s something we have to fix the last two games.”
Boston remains tied with Tampa Bay for the lead in the Atlantic Division, but Tampa owns the tiebreaker. Each team has two games left.
”We’ve got one out of six points on this trip,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. ”That’s what happens in this league, I don’t care what teams you play. A bad formula to play from behind. Guys have to be ready to go when the puck drops. That’s something we have to look to correct.”
McCann tipped in the winner off Mike Matheson’s shot from the left side.
The Bruins tied it at 2 on Heinen’s goal 2:11 into the second period. After a defensive turnover Ian Thomas Jersey , David Krejci passed across to Heinen, who beat Luongo on the stick side.
Trailing 2-0, the Bruins closed to 2-1 on a power-play goal by Donato, who corralled a bouncing puck in front and swept it behind Luongo with 4:41 left in the first.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead on Barkov’s goal. Evgenii Dadonov made a nice pass from the right side to Barkov, who tucked the puck into the corner of the net at 7:42.
The Panthers went ahead 2-0 after Vatrano, acquired by the Panthers in a trade with Boston on Feb. 22, poked in a rebound at 9:34.
NOTES: Bruins F Brad Marchand played in his 600th NHL game. … Donato has eight points in his first 10 NHL games. … A video tribute to Luongo’s 1,000-game mark, midway through the first period, drew a standing ovation, including from Bruins players.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Hosts Ottawa on Saturday night.
Panthers: Hosts Buffalo on Saturday night.
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.