Cavaliers advance to Round 2
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the first team to advance to the second round of the playoffs after beating the Indiana Pacers 106-102. LeBron James, who also claimed the fourth spot on the NBA’s all-time playoffs scoring list, had a 33-point, 10-rebound double-double, Kyrie Irving had 28 points, and Deron Williams finished with 14 points.
Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with 22 points and six rebounds, Myles Turner had 20 points and nine rebounds, while Jeff Teague contributed a 15-point, 10-assist double-double.
Nene shines as Rockets go 3-1 up
Houston Rockets forward Nene shot 100 percent from the field and led the team to a 113-109 victory over OKC. He had a 28-point, 10-rebound double-double, Eric Gordon 18 points and eight rebounds, Lou Williams 18 points and seven rebounds, while James Harden finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Russell Westbrook had his third consecutive 30-point playoffs triple-double for the Thunder—a first for the league. He had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, Steven Adams had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Nigerian-American guard Victor Oladipo ended the game with 15 points and four rebounds.
Celtics level series 2-2
After a bumpy start, the Boston Celtics leveled their series after defeating the Chicago Bulls 104-95. Isaiah Thomas had 33 points, four rebounds and seven assists, Gerald Green had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Al Horford finished with a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double.
The Bulls were led by Jimmy Butler with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists, Nikola Mirotic had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Dwyane Wade chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.
Jazz even things up
The Utah Jazz are back in the playoffs race after beating the LA Clippers 105-98. Joe Johnson had 28 points, five rebounds and five assists, Rodney Hood 18 points and four rebounds, Derrick Favors 17 points and six rebounds, and Rudy Gobert a 15-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Chris Paul led the Clippers with a 27-point, 12-rebound double-double, Jamal Crawford had 25 points, and DeAndre Jordan ended the game with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.
By Kaunda Chama
