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• NBA: Celtics advance to third straight Eastern Conference finals, Mavs take 3-2 lead

  Jayson Tatum had 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and five other players scored in double figures as the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight season with a 113-98 victory over the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers.

  Al Horford added 22 points, 15 rebounds and six of Boston’s 19 3-pointers to notch their third consecutive win of the series in Game 5.

  Derrick White had 18 points with four 3s and Jrue Holiday scored 13 for the Celtics, who will next face either Indiana or the Knicks, with New York currently leading that series 3-2.

  Evan Mobley scored a playoff career-high 33 points and Marcus Morris Sr. added 25 with five 3s for the Cavaliers, who played without All-Star Donovan Mitchell (calf), center Jarrett Allen (rib) and key reserve Caris LeVert (knee).

  Cleveland pulled within 88-85 early in the fourth on Mobley’s dunk, but Boston took control with a 13-2 run that was capped by Tatum’s 3.

   

  Doncic helps Mavericks to 3-2 lead

  Luka Dončić had a 31-point triple double and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

  Doncic shot 12 of 22 from the field and had 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth career playoff triple-double. He averaged 22 points on 39 percent shooting through the first four games of the series.

  Derrick Jones Jr. added a playoff career-high 19 points and P.J. Washington had 10 points and 10 boards for Dallas, which shot 52.6 percent from the floor and had a 46-33 rebounding advantage.

  The Mavericks can advance to the West finals with a win on Saturday at home.

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points for the top-seeded Thunder, but no teammate had more than 13 points.

  Dallas extended to an 18-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City cut the deficit to 90-83 on Chet Holmgren’s dunk with 5:17 remaining. But Washington hit a 3 and then dunked to put the Mavs up by 10 and the Thunder never got closer than nine thereafter.

• 'No excuses', Carlisle insists as Pacers fall behind against Knicks

  Rick Carlisle insists there are "no excuses" after the Indiana Pacers' 121-91 defeat to the New York Knicks saw them fall behind in the Eastern Conference semi-final series.

  Jalen Brunson top-scored with 44 points in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks edged 3-2 ahead in the series with a commanding win that moved them to the brink of their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.

  Pascal Siakam's contribution of 22 points proved academic for Indiana, who must continue their unbeaten postseason run on home soil in Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse if they are to take the series into a decider.

  The Pacers are making their first playoff appearance since 2018-19 - and targeting a first Conference finals appearance in 10 years - and Carlisle believes his side's marginal inexperience proved crucial in Game 5.

  "There are no excuses," he said. "But all the guys on our roster, I believe it's the first time they've been in a Game 5, tied 2-2, going on the road. So, you learn a lot in those situations very quickly.

  "This is a different circumstance, and as a playoff series, it's going to get harder and harder. Their overall level of fight in this game was superior to what ours was, and that's the bottom line."

  Tyrese Haliburton added: "They made a lot of shots today. But with the ones they did miss, they grabbed the offensive rebounds."

  Meanwhile, Knicks guard Miles McBride saluted the character of his team-mates, who bounced back from a humbling 121-89 defeat in Game 4.

  "I think the shift started in the locker room in Indiana," he said. "We talked about it and knew we had to respond."

• Timberwolves' Edwards 'can't be mad' after Jokic masterclass

  Anthony Edwards could only stand back and watch as MVP Nikola Jokic inspired the Denver Nuggets in their victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

  On the night he received the Michael Jordan Trophy after being named the NBA's MVP for the third time, Jokic scored 40 points and provided 13 assists in a 112-97 win.

  It was a victory that put the reigning NBA champions within touching distance of the Western Conference finals.

  And Edwards, who finished with 18 points and nine assists for Minnesota, could not even muster the energy to be angry.

  He said: "I just laugh. That's all I can do.

  "He's good, man. I think I said that after Game 1 when we won, and Game 2, he's the MVP. He's the best player in the NBA.

  "He showed it the last three games, three games in a row. He was special tonight. I've got to give him his flowers. He was that guy tonight."

  Denver coach Michael Malone said: "He did everything for us tonight, and it was fun to watch."

  Jamal Murray chipped in with 16 points for the Nuggets, though he was happy to hand responsibility to Jokic.

  "If Jokic's scoring like that, there's no need to do anything special," Murray said.

  "He's amazing, just the way he picks apart the game and reads the game and trusts his teammates.

  "I'm guessing that for the big fella getting the trophy tonight probably motivated him a little bit. Just being at home was a lot of fun, the place was rocking, kind of felt the energy and he definitely had it going."

  The Nuggets lead the series 3-2 heading into Game 6.