NBA Playoffs 2020 : Celtics, Raptors in driver seat in NBA playoffs, takes 3-0 lead
Boston Celtics & Toronto Raptors could not have expected a better playoff journey than what they are experiencing. Celtics beat Philadelphia 76ers to take very convincing 3-0 lead in the best of 7 playoff series.
Like Celtics, Toronto Raptors are also in the driving seat agains their Playoff series opponent Brooklyn Nets. Raptors beat the Nets 117-92 to take the first 3-0 lead in a playoff series in franchise history.
Celtics vs 76ers : Walker scores 24 points, Celtics beat 76ers for 3-0 lead in NBA Playoff
Kemba Walker scored 24 points and the Boston Celtics closed with a 10-0 run to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102-94 on Friday night for a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
Jaylen Brown had 21 points and Jason Tatum added 15 for the Celtics.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds to lead the 76ers. They shot 29.5% from the field.
Boston led 51-49 at the half, with Embiid carrying Philadelphia with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
The Celtics were able to stay close despite Tatum picking up his third foul near the end of the first quarter and having to sit the entire second quarter. Tatum entered the game averaging 32.5 points on 10-of-17 shooting from 3-point range in the series.
Midway through the third, Walker completed a personal 8-0 run with a fast-break layup and foul on Embiid — his fourth. But Philadelphia didn’t fold with its All-Star center on the bench, instead battling back to tie it.
The Celtics entered the game having outscored the 76ers 87-42 from beyond the 3-point arc, but were just 8 of 31 on Friday night. Yet that was better than the 76ers, who were 9 of 39.
Raptors vs Nets Live : Siakam scores 26, Raptors trounce Nets for 3-0 series lead in NBA Playoff
Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets 117-92 to take the first 3-0 lead in a playoff series in franchise history.
The defending champs now can eliminate the patchwork Nets on Sunday.
“Our goal is always to win, and that’s what we came into the game for and I don’t think we worried about that,” Siakam said of making some team history with the 3-0 lead. “It’s just about taking every game and then going out and trying to get a win.”
Fred VanVleet scored 22 points, shooting 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Reserve Serge Ibaka added 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Kyle Lowry had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Norman Powell added 11 points.
Tyler Johnson led the Nets with 23 points. Caris LeVert scored 15, Chris Chiozza had 14 points off the bench and Timothe Luwawu had 10. Jarrett Allen, who had a double-double in each of the first two games, was held without a shot attempt as he grabbed 17 rebounds.
“We even got to the point where we ran an after-timeout play for him, he got fouled during it,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said of Allen. “We were definitely trying to keep him involved.”
The Raptors, who led wire-to-wire in winning Game 1, never trailed in this game. VanVleet opened with a 3 for Toronto, and Johnson answered with a 3 before Lowry’s 3 put the Raptors ahead to stay. They led by as much as 31 in the fourth quarter.
“I like the intensity we’re playing with,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said. “I think we’re taking most possessions pretty seriously, right? Not really paying attention to the score. We’re playing defense with some intensity and trying to do the coverages and execute the game plan.”
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