SportBeep.com
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Combat sports
    • Cricket
    • Figure Skating
    • Racing
    • Skiing
    • Swimming
    • Rugby
No Result
View All Result
SportBeep.com
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
Home Basketball

Tatum leads Celtics over Heat, Clippers thrash Mavs in NBA playoff openers

Inez Watson by Inez Watson
April 21, 2024
in Basketball
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
2
40
SHARES
506
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Minnesota's Anthony Edwards celebrates in the second half of the Timberwolves victory over the Phoenix Suns in game one of their NBA Western Conference first round playoff series. ©AFP

Washington (AFP) – Jayson Tatum posted his first playoff triple-double to propel Boston to an NBA playoff series opening victory over Miami on Sunday as the Los Angeles Clippers thrashed the Dallas Mavericks.

Eastern Conference top seeds Boston raced out to a 14-0 start, setting the tone for a 114-94 wire-to-wire victory that was never in doubt despite Miami making the score more respectable in the fourth quarter.

Related news

NBA team owners approve sale of T-Wolves to Lore and A-Rod

June 25, 2025
409

NBA’s James feels great after first workout since knee injury

June 24, 2025
280

Haliburton says no regrets after Achilles tendon surgery

June 24, 2025
295

Haliburton latest NBA star with severe injury in playoffs

June 24, 2025
316

Flagg expected to be taken first by Dallas in NBA Draft

June 24, 2025
519

Thunder celebrate first NBA title with Oklahoma City parade

June 24, 2025
247

In Los Angeles, the Clippers also led from start to finish, shrugging off the injury absence of Kawhi Leonard in a 109-97 victory over the Mavs — who put up just eight points in a shocking second quarter performance.

Other series-opening games on Sunday saw the Indiana Pacers at the Milwaukee Bucks while the Western Conference top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the New Orleans Pelicans.

With Leonard sidelined with inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee, James Harden scored 28 points and handed out eight assists for the Clippers, drilling six of their 18 three-pointers.

Paul George added 22 points and Ivica Zubac scored 20 points with 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, who seized control early as Dallas, and NBA regular-season scoring leader Luka Doncic struggled.

The Mavs connected on just two of 21 attempts in the second quarter, putting up 30 in the first half to trail by 26 at the break.

Eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving made all eight of his attempts on the way to 20 points in the third quarter as the Mavericks buckled down.

Doncic would finish with 33 points and 13 rebounds and Irving scored 31, but they had dug too deep of a hole to escape and trail by one in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

In Boston the Celtics used a barrage of three-pointers to grab a 60-45 halftime lead and extended that advantage to 91-74 by the end of the third quarter.

The Heat, without injured star Jimmy Butler, had reached the best-of-seven first-round series as the eighth seed after beating the Chicago Bulls in a play-in eliminator on Friday.

Miami took the same route into the playoffs last season, going on to upset the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals before they were beaten by the Denver Nuggets in the championship series.

The chances of such a run this time look remote with Butler battling a knee ligament injury.

In his absence, Bam Adebayo led Miami with 24 points and six rebounds.

Tatum scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided 10 assists.

The five-time All-Star was one of six Boston players to score in double figures, Derrick White adding 20.

“That was a beautiful game from him,” teammate Kristaps Porzingis said of Tatum.

“Getting those assists, especially early on — he wasn’t forcing anything at all, getting everyone involved.

Huge credit to him.”

But Tatum was disappointed that the Celtics took their foot off the gas in the fourth.

“We had some turnovers, some mistakes,” he said.

“They’re not going to give up, they’re not going to lay down.

Human nature can play a factor, but you can’t relax.”

© 2024 AFP

Tags: Minnesota TimberwolvesNBAPhoenix Suns
Share16Tweet10Share
Inez Watson

Inez Watson

Sport journalist whose passion lies in bringing the excitement of live matches to television audiences. With a career spanning decades, Inez's dynamic storytelling and love for the game have made her a beloved figure in sports broadcasting. Whether she's courtside or in the studio, Karen's dedication to her craft shines through, captivating viewers with every match.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
guest
2 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Follow Us

Popular News

  • Haliburton says no regrets after Achilles tendon surgery

    24 shares
    Share 10 Tweet 6
  • Benfica beat Bayern at Club World Cup as Auckland City hold Boca

    16 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • Bradley eyes playing captain role at Ryder Cup after win

    40 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Extreme heat, storms take toll at Club World Cup

    19 shares
    Share 8 Tweet 5
  • Messi’s Miami and PSG progress to set up Club World Cup reunion

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10
SportBeep.com

Welcome to SportBeep, your ultimate destination for all things sports! If you're passionate about the NFL, NBA, MLS, NHL, MLB, or any other sport, you're in the right place. Here, you'll find the latest news, in-depth analyses, and commentary on the most important sporting events and personalities from around the world.

Pages

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

News

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Soccer
  • Hockey
  • Tennis
  • Golf

Network

  • Coolinarco.com
  • CasualSelf.com
  • Fit.CasualSelf.com
  • Sport.CasualSelf.com
  • MachinaSphere.com
  • EconomyLens.com
  • MagnifyPost.com
  • TodayAiNews.com
  • VideosArena.com

© 2024 SportBeep ~ Top Sports News from around the world!

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Baseball
  • Athletics
  • More
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Combat sports
    • Cricket
    • Figure Skating
    • Racing
    • Skiing
    • Swimming
    • Rugby

© 2024 SportBeep.com - Best Sport News