Celtics Nab Win Over Bulls, Tie Series; Cavs Down Pacers

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Published on April 24 2017 6:10 am
Last Updated on April 24 2017 6:20 am

By ESPN

Isaiah Thomas is playing through tears after the death of his sister, drawing strength from the rest of the Boston Celtics.

They found another gear in Chicago.

Thomas scored 33 points, and the Celtics beat the Bulls 104-95 on Sunday to tie their first-round playoff series at 2-all.

"Mentally and emotionally, I'm not here so I just feed off what the guys give me," Thomas said. "They give me a lot of confidence. I can't do it without those guys. They believe in me and being here is what makes me feel sane and somewhat normal through these tough times."

Thomas' life changed just over a week ago when his younger sister Chyna was killed in a one-car crash in their home state of Washington. He spent time with his family in Tacoma between games in Boston and Chicago.

With Game 4 at a critical juncture, the All-Star guard provided a huge lift for a team that has been supporting him in the toughest of times.

Thomas keyed a third-quarter run after the Bulls wiped out a 20-point deficit and briefly went ahead, helping top-seeded Boston return the favor in Chicago after dropping the first two games at home.

Gerald Green made four 3-pointers on his way to 18 points. Al Horford added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and the Celtics pulled even in a series that was in danger of becoming a rout. Game 5 is Wednesday in Boston.

Jimmy Butler carried the Bulls with 33 points and nine assists. Nikola Mirotic and seldom-used Isaiah Canaan each scored 13 points, but Dwyane Wade finished with just 11.

Canaan made his first appearance since April 10, with Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg searching for help at point guard with Rajon Rondo missing his second straight game because of a broken right thumb.

"Just like last game, we were using a lot of energy just to come back," Wade said. "Better starts here at home could've did us a little justice. I thought they did a great job of sticking with their game plan, making tough shots offensively."

The Celtics led by 20 in the second quarter and were still up 10 in the third when Chicago scored 12 straight. The Bulls went ahead 65-63 on Robin Lopez's hook shot with 4:35 left in the quarter.

Thomas answered with back-to-back layups and scored 10 points in a 12-0 run that gave the Celtics a 75-65 lead, and they withstood a push by the Bulls early in the fourth.


Cavaliers 106, Pacers 102

LeBron James stuck to the old script Sunday.

Again, he bailed out the Cleveland Cavaliers. And again, he sent the Indiana Pacers home for vacation.

On yet another milestone day for basketball's king, James' crowning achievement was making the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:08 to play and helping the defending champions hold on for a series-clinching 106-102 victory at Indiana.

"You have to mentally challenge yourself every year and go out and try to do what's right -- putting your body on the line, putting your team on the line and trying to be successful," James said. "It's very hard."

But the four-time MVP makes it look easy. He finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.

By winning his 21st consecutive first-round game, James broke a tie with Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson and James Worthy for the longest streak under the NBA's current playoff format. By sweeping a series for the 10th time, James broke a tie with Tim Duncan for the most in a career, according to Elias Sports Bureau. By going 13 of 25 from the field, he pulled into a tie with Kobe Bryant for the fourth highest postseason field goal total with 2,014.

And by holding on for the win, James improved to 52-0 in the playoffs when his team takes a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter.

James considered the milestones a footnote on a day the Cavs blew a 13-point lead and allowed the Pacers to come all the way back and take a 102-100 lead with 1:31 to go.

"They were giving it all they had," James said. "Obviously, a loss would have ended their season. We just had to weather the storm once again."

Of course that's when James took the cue and came to the rescue.

He made the long 3 to give Cleveland the lead, poked the ball away from Young on the next possession, grabbed the rebound when Paul George missed a 3 with 1.9 seconds to go that could have forced overtime and, of course, made 1 of 2 free throws to seal the win.

Now Cleveland takes a seven-game winning streak into the conference semifinals against either Milwaukee or Toronto.

For Indiana, it will go down as yet another tormenting chapter in their rivalry with James.

James' teams have eliminated the Pacers four times in six years and completed the first-four game sweep in Indiana's NBA history. Cleveland finished the season 7-1 against the Pacers, winning the last four with a defensive stand, a rare 25-point game from three players, the largest second-half comeback in playoff history and now James' knockout punch.

Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 22 points. George had a series-low 15.

"It's real frustrating to continue on losing to the same team or same person," George said. "Ultimately, he (James) is who I'm always going to have to see and face."

The Pacers sure didn't make it easy, though.

They charged back from a 96-83 deficit with a 7-0 spurt early in the in the fourth quarter. Then they methodically continued chipping away until Young tied the score at 100 and then gave them the lead.

But James answered with the go-ahead 3.


Saturday, April 22 Scoreboard

Toronto 87, Milwaukee 76

Eastern Conference 1st Round -- Game 4

Atlanta 116, Washington 98

Eastern Conference 1st Round -- Game 3

Memphis 110, San Antonio 108 (OT)

Western Conference 1st Round -- Game 4


Sunday, April 23 Scoreboard

Cleveland 106, Indiana 102

Eastern Conference 1st Round -- Game 4

Houston 113, Oklahoma City 109

Western Conference 1st Round --  Game 4

Boston 104, Chicago 95

Eastern Conference 1st Round -- Game 4

Utah 105, Los Angeles Clippers

Western Conference 1st Round -- Game 4


Monday, April 24 Schedule (All Times Central)

Milwaukee at Toronto, 6 p.m.

Eastern Conference 1st Round --  Game 5

Washington at Atlanta, 7 p.m.

Eastern Conference 1st  Round -- Game 4

Golden State at Portland, 9:30 p.m.

Western Conference 1st Round -- Game 4