Jamal Murray

Boston were too strong for Toronto, winning 112-94 at Walt Disney World Resort in the NBA playoffs on Sunday.

Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart posted 21 points apiece, while Kemba Walker put up 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who swept the Philadelphia 76ers and never trailed against the Raptors.

On a tough day for the Raptors, Kyle Lowry led the team with 17 points in Orlando, Florida.

Game 2 between the Celtics and Raptors is on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers booked their spot in the Western Conference semi-finals after accounting for the Dallas Mavericks 111-97.

Kawhi Leonard's 33 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and five steals helped seal a 4-2 series victory for the Clippers.

Leonard became the first player in franchise history to have at least 30 points and five steals in a postseason game.

Luka Doncic's 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists were not enough for the eliminated Mavericks.

The Clippers will face either the Denver Nuggets or Utah Jazz in the west.

Murray's half-century forces Game 7

Another big performance from Jamal Murray helped the Nuggets level their series with the Jazz at 3-3 after prevailing 119-107 in Game 6. Murray finished with 50 points to force a deciding showdown.

Per STATS, Murray is the second player in NBA history to have back-to-back 40-point games to force a Game 7 after being 3-1 down. The other was LeBron James in the 2016 Finals.

Jazz star Mitchell scored 44 points in the losing effort. Per STATS, it marked the fourth time this series Mitchell and Murray have posted 30-plus points in the same game. The only other pair of opposing players in NBA history to achieve the feat in the same series were James and Gilbert Arena in 2006.

Williams struggles

While the Clippers advanced, it was a tough outing for Lou Williams. He was just one of nine from the field and missed all four of his three-point efforts for five points.

Clippers team-mate Paul George also made just six of 19 from the field. The All-Star was two of seven from beyond the arc as he finished with 15 points in 40 minutes of action.

Dallas' Trey Burke struggled. In 35 minutes, Burke was two of 10 from the field and 0 of two for six points.

The Raptors were poor from three-point range. Toronto shot just 25 per cent on 10-for-40 shooting against Boston.

Williams windmill

After Smart's steal, Robert Williams III nailed this dunk for the Celtics.

Sunday's results

Boston Celtics 112-94 Toronto Raptors
Los Angeles Clippers 111-97 Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets 119-107 Utah Jazz

Heat face Bucks

The Miami Heat and the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks will open their Eastern Conference second-round series on Monday.

Trailing 103-102, Davis hit a last-gasp three to break Denver's hearts and give the Lakers a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven NBA playoff series in Orlando, Florida on Sunday.

The third-seeded Nuggets, who became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series twice in the same postseason en route to the Conference finals, were seconds away from levelling the matchup at Walt Disney World Resort.

Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic made a 10-foot shot with 20.8 seconds remaining as Denver moved ahead by a point against top seeds the Lakers.

Jamal Murray also produced some elite defending for the Nuggets, blocking Danny Green's jumper as the clock dropped to 2.2 seconds.

But with no timeouts and time expiring, Davis stepped up in a clutch moment, receiving an inbound pass from Rajon Rondo and putting the Lakers in control of their first Conference finals since going on to win their last championship in 2010.

Davis finished with 31 points and nine rebounds, while team-mate LeBron James posted 26 points and 11 rebounds.

Jokic had 30 points and nine assists and Murray put up 25 points for the shocked Nuggets, who had fought back from as many as 16 points down.

Lakers face Nuggets

The Lakers and Nuggets are back at it again in Game 3 on Tuesday.

Jokic, 27, was a second-round pick in 2014, and after making the All-Rookie First Team in 2016, he evolved into an All-Star and one of the greatest passing big men to ever play.

He has now collected four consecutive All-Star appearances, and in that time he has three All-NBA First Team honours, along with one in the Second Team.

In each of his past two MVP seasons, Jokic has averaged at least 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, and with a game that relies on almost no explosive athleticism at all, he plays a style that projects to age gracefully.

With one season remaining on his current five-year, $147m deal, Jokic's new contract will kick in for the 2023-24 season, meaning he will not become an unrestricted free agent again until after the 2028 playoffs.

The Nuggets made a run to the Western Conference Finals in the 2020 playoffs but have since struggled with the health of star point guard Jamal Murray and exciting wing shooter Michael Porter Jr, who both figure to make their returns near the start of next season.

Darius Garland had a three-point shot on the buzzer blocked by Dillon Brooks, after Steven Adams tipped in with 16 seconds left after Morant's miss.

Bane top scored for the Grizzlies with 25 points, including five-of-eight three-point shooting. Morant added 24 points with eight assists for Memphis, who improved to 31-13, along with 20-3 at home.

Morant had spent time in the locker room in the first quarter after copping a knee to his neck, but re-entered the game in the second quarter.

Game-winner Adams scored 13 points with 10 rebounds and four assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr had an excellent all-round game with 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and four blocks.

Memphis also managed an 11th consecutive game with 115 or more points.

The Cavs were missing Donovan Mitchell due to a groin strain, with Garland top scoring with 24 points on five-of-11 three-point shooting along with 14 assists.

Caris LeVert added 23 points with four rebounds and six assists, with power forward Evan Mobley scoring 18 points and bringing down 15 rebounds with two blocks. The Cavs are now 28-18.

Trae downs Doncic as Hawks win fourth straight

The Atlanta Hawks continued their run of momentum with their fourth straight win in a 130-122 victory over Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks.

Dejounte Murray scored 30 points, making four-of-six three-pointers, while John Collins added 19 along with 18 from Trae Young plus 12 assists, as the Hawks secured a season-best four-game winning streak to move above .500 at 23-22.

Doncic, who was traded as a top-five pick for Young at the 2018 NBA Draft, scored 30 points for the Mavs, but only 11 after quarter-time, while he gave up seven turnovers.

Jokic adds another franchise record in Nuggets win

Nikola Jokic recorded his 14th triple-double of the season as he surpassed Alex English for the most assists in franchise history in the Denver Nuggets' 122-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The MVP candidate finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, going past English's 3,680-assist franchise record with a dime for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Jamal Murray added 28 points for the Nuggets, who secured their eighth straight win and 15th successive victory at home to remain top in the west, at 32-13.

The Nets outscored the Warriors 22-6 after the reigning NBA champions had led by 12 with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Irving scored a game-high 38 points, making five-of-seven three-point attempts, with seven rebounds and nine assists. Irving's performance was his third 30-point game in his past four.

Nic Claxton added a career-high 24 points with 15 rebounds and three blocks, while Ben Simmons contributed a game-high 11 assists. Royce O'Neale, who had 16 points, scored a go-ahead three-pointer with 27.1 seconds remaining.

Stephen Curry top scored for Golden State with 26 points, making four-of-eight from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and seven assists.

Jonathan Kuminga added 20 points off the bench, while center Draymond Green had 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Warriors' home loss means their record at the Chase Center falls to 17-6, having managed 3-2 on their recent road trip where they have struggled throughout this season.

Lakers complete stunning second-half turnaround

LeBron James scored 37 points with 11 rebounds while Thomas Bryant added 31 points as the Los Angeles Lakers stormed home for a 121-112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers had trailed 71-46 at halftime after the Blazers put up 45 second-quarter points, but rallied in a remarkable second-half turnaround to improve to 22-25.

Bryant had 14 rebounds to go with his 31 points, while Dennis Schroder contributed 24 points. Anfernee Simons scored 31 points for Portland, with Damian Lillard adding 24.

OKC snap Nuggets' win streak

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit an eight-footer with 9.2 seconds remaining to end the Denver Nuggets' nine-game win streak as the Oklahoma City Thunder won 101-99. 

The Nuggets were without back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic for the second straight game with tightness in his left hamstring, with Jamal Murray top scoring in his absence with 26 points and nine assists. Murray missed an attempt on the buzzer to force overtime.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 34 points on 13-of-21 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while Josh Giddey added 18 points and nine rebounds. The result also ended Denver's 17th game win streak at home.

The Nuggets came into Monday's play at 39-18, owners of a 4.5-game lead atop the West, but their only All-Star is reigning back-to-back league MVP Nikola Jokic.

Jokic, the favourite to win again this year and earn the first three-peat since Larry Bird from 1984-86, was an obvious selection, but the Nuggets had been campaigning for Aaron Gordon's first selection early in the season, before Jamal Murray also found his footing in the past couple months after an injury-impacted start to the campaign.

Gordon has started 49 of his side's 57 games – the same number as Jokic – while functioning as the team's top defender and averaging 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists on career-best efficiency. In fact, his field goal percentage of 58.7 per cent is the fifth highest in the league among players attempting at least 10 shots per game.

Meanwhile, after a slow start, Murray is averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals on shooting splits of 49/41/91 across his past 15 games.

Speaking to the media ahead of Monday's game against the Miami Heat, Malone said he would have liked to see the best team get rewarded in the All-Star Game for their dominance.

"It definitely bothers you, when you are in first place in the West by four games and you have the second-best record in the NBA," he said. 

"Yes, Nikola is a great player and he's on his way to potentially winning three MVPs in a row, but we have other great players as well. 

"A guy like Aaron Gordon, like Jamal Murray, you would hope they would be given some respect, if you will.

"But we're not going to focus on that because I know for Aaron, for Jamal, for everybody in that locker room, our goals are much bigger than the All-Star game."

There have already been two replacement All-Stars named in the West after it became clear Zion Williamson and Stephen Curry were not going to be able to participate, but those reserve selections went to Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards and Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox.

The Nuggets dominated the Los Angeles Clippers 104-89 in Orlando on Tuesday to progress from an all-or-nothing Game 7, becoming the first team to recover from a 3-1 deficit twice in the same postseason.

Few tipped the third-seeded Nuggets to get past a Clippers team comprising the likes of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, particularly when the team found themselves in such a precarious position.

"You got [Shaquille O'Neal], you got Charles [Barkley], I think Zach Lowe … Stephen A. [Smith], all y'all better start giving this team some damn respect," Murray said. 

"Because we put in the work. We shouldn't have been down 3-1, but to come back down 3-1 against the Clippers is a big achievement, so it's fun just to change that narrative."

Murray was influential for the Nuggets, putting up 40 points, and he feels the star-studded Clippers failed to cope with Denver's enthusiasm.

"We've got a lot of energy, and we brought it and they didn't match that," Murray said. 

"They've got who they got. They've got a talented squad. They've got Doc [Rivers], too. They've got assistant coaches who are about to be head coaches. 

"We know what they have, we just outworked them a little bit with our young legs."

Nikola Jokic had promised head coach Michael Malone one of two presents on his 49th birthday prior to the game: "I'm either going to get you home or get you to the Western Conference Finals." 

After it proved to be the latter, Jokic said the Nuggets are relishing proving the doubters wrong.

"Nobody wants us here. Nobody thinks we can do something. We proved ourselves and proved [to] everybody we can do something," he said.

"This is a really interesting team. We don't have many superstars."

Next up is a daunting task against an in-form Los Angeles Lakers side led by LeBron James, but Jokic said: "They gotta worry about us, too."

Murray, who also hit a buzzer-beater to win Game 2, was a game-time decision due to his calf injury but scored 12 of his 32 points in a fourth quarter in which the teams repeatedly traded leads.

LeBron James hit a pair of free throws to tie the game with 26 seconds left to give the Lakers hope, but Murray drove to his left with help from a high ball screen and pulled up for the go-ahead jumper over Austin Reaves.

Without any timeouts to advance the ball, the Lakers managed only a desperation heave from Taurean Prince at the buzzer which never had a chance.

Much like last year, when the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, Denver’s late-game execution proved to be the difference.

Nikola Jokić finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr. concluded his impressive series with a 26-point performance.

James led the Lakers with 30 points and 11 assists. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but was not involved much in the offence late while playing through a shoulder injury.

The Nuggets will continue their championship defence with a second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who advanced Sunday by completing a sweep of the Phoenix Suns.

Denver eliminated Minnesota in the first round of last year’s playoffs with a five-game series win.

Thunder complete sweep of Pelicans

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams each scored 24 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 97-89 win over the New Orleans Pelicans and secure a four-game series sweep.

The youngest team ever to secure a conference’s No. 1 seed, the Thunder answered questions about play-off inexperience by easily securing their place in the second round, outscoring New Orleans by an average of 15.8 points per game.

Oklahoma City trailed 71-70 to start the fourth quarter but held the Pelicans to 18 points in the final frame.

Williams scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter, including his own 8-0 run that put the Thunder up 93-82 with 3:08 remaining.

The Pelicans played the series without Zion Williamson due to a hamstring strain, with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum failing to rise to the challenge.

Ingram shot under 35 percent from the field during the series and was 2 of 14 in Game 4. McCollum had 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting Monday but was just 7 of 29 from 3-point range in the series.

Celtics rout Heat for 3-1 series lead

Derrick White scored 38 points, and the Boston Celtics overcame an injury to Kristaps Porzingis to beat the Miami Heat 102-88 for a 3-1 series lead.

Porzingis exited with 2:27 remaining in the second quarter with right calf tightness and did not return. Al Horford started the second half in Porzingis’ place.

White, who is better known for his defensive contributions, went 8 of 15 from 3-point range en route to his 38 points, a career high for both the regular season and post-season.

Bam Adebayo led the way for the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists.

Murray starred with 28 points, 12 assists and two late three-pointers to earn the Nuggets a 114-106 victory in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals in Florida.

That hard-fought victory came on the back of a buzzer-beating loss in Game 2, which saw Anthony Davis hit a last-gasp three-pointer to win it for the Lakers.

But having also showed real character to outlast the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semi-finals, Murray is determined to peg back the Lakers at 2-2 on Thursday.

"We had Game 2. I thought we played great in Game 2, we just had a couple of moments that really hurt us," he told reporters. "So we feel like we should be up 2-1 right now." 

"We have to move on to Game 4 now. In the Clippers series we dropped Game 3, so we have to take care of stuff that we can control. We've got to do that if we want to win."  

The Lakers entered the game on a six-game winning run and closed to within three points of Denver in the final quarter, only for their opponents to pull away.

"We're in this series," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after the vital win.

"We let them know we're not going anywhere. That's what you guys have done this whole post-season.

"That's why everybody is rooting for us. Keep on showing that grit and resilience and playing for each other."

James led the Lakers with a 26th career triple-double, which included 30 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers star conceded the better team won on the day.

"We turned the ball over too much and we put them on the free-throw line," he said.

"I give credit where credit is due. They played better than us. They were more aggressive than us for three quarters."

The Nuggets showed great resilience to make it to the Western Conference Finals, where they were beaten 4-1 by eventual NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers.

Murray played a pivotal role for Denver, averaging 26.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the playoffs as Michael Malone's team became the first in history to win two series in the same postseason after trailing 3-1.

The fourth-year guard twice dropped 50 points on the Utah Jazz in the first round and scored 40 points in a Game 7 win against the Los Angeles Clippers in the semifinals.

Anthony, who claimed his two rings alongside LeBron James with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013, was thoroughly impressed by fellow Canadian Murray's playoff displays so early in his career.

"We all had a pretty good idea that kid was going to be pretty good. I'm not even sure if this type of performance, we would have thought to see this early. But I'm absolutely loving what he has been able to do," Anthony told Stats Perform News.

"I feel the ceiling is still extremely high. I love the fact that he has been able to have these moments and do it in the biggest stage, which is the playoffs. That is when you are really tested in the league, and I feel he is proving himself a lot.

"I got to meet him a couple of times and as a person, he is a great kid, great individual, great human being. Definitely a pure spirit about the game. Just how he deals with people, he's definitely a special player.

"Denver is fortunate to have a talent that like, but also a great person like that as well."

Anthony believes Murray's impressive development is part of a wider trend that has seen Canadian basketball move onto an upward trajectory.

"Canadian basketball as a whole, I love it, I absolutely love it. The talent that is coming out of this country is really impressive to me," said Anthony.

"Obviously by the numbers you can see just the fact that we have the second-most NBA players of any country, obviously behind the US. That is a huge jump from when I first came in the league, we had two others... three actually.

"This is something that has actually been a process, and I have actually been able to see this whole process develop, as more and more kids were coming out. I just feel that Canadian basketball is just starting to hit a certain point in the curve, where they are really able to catch up.

"I have been fortunate. I came in undrafted and really had to fight my way to get it. No one really knew about me, I was definitely an unknown. But you have guys coming in that are number one pick in the draft, top-five picks, lottery…

"There is just a lot of talent and I am really happy for the direction that our country is going and it is going to be great to watch."

Anthony hoped to play a part in helping the next generation after joining Canadian Elite Basketball League side the Hamilton Honey Badgers as a player consultant for the 2020 season.

"Coming in my biggest thing was really to just be able to be able to give back to the younger guys. So to be able to help them in any way as they develop as players, trying to help them through these different experiences that they will be going through," said Anthony.

"We have some older players that are a little bit more established, but we also have plenty of younger guys that were just starting to become pros and going through that process, so I really want to be able to help them, give them the type of advice that I would have wanted and that I actually got from different veterans that I had throughout my career.

"I really enjoy that type of role and I was also able to do things on the court with them as well. When you are removed, I was able to actually be on there with them. So physically they are able to see different things, and to have me around was a benefit."

Denver, who came from 3-1 down to beat the Utah Jazz in seven games in the previous round, had overturned a 16-point deficit against the Clippers in Game 5 to keep their seemingly slim title hopes alive.

This time, the Clippers – looking to reach a mouth-watering match-up against rivals the Lakers – were up by as many as 19 points at one stage in the third.

But the Nuggets never gave up and their star duo of Nikola Jokic (34 points and 14 rebounds) and Jamal Murray (21 points) inspired a second straight stunning win.

The game looked to have moved away from Denver at the end of a damaging first half in which they had 10 turnovers, a 10-0 run led by Paul George (33 points) and Kawhi Leonard (25 points) putting the Clippers in control.

Things went from bad to worse for the Nuggets early in the third when Murray went down with a knock to his groin as George blocked, and Leonard and his team stretched into a game-high lead.

But Murray bravely battled on and a 17-0 run took his team to within one with three minutes left in the third.

The momentum then swung entirely in the final period, with the Clippers shellshocked as Patrick Beverley fouled out and Denver seized the initiative, keeping the Lakers waiting with a flurry of late scores.

Game 7 is on Tuesday.

The Nuggets ran out 80-78 winners in Tuesday's decisive Game 7 of the thrilling first-round series, overcoming a 3-1 deficit that had been inspired by Utah's Donovan Mitchell.

On a night where Murray struggled to hit the same heights he had reached in previous games in the series, Jokic put up 30 points and added 14 rebounds to help the third-seeded Nuggets book a semi-final against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Dude's a joke," Murray said of Jokic. 

"He does everything. Post up, he shoots it, he passes, he pushes the pace, he's smart, and we definitely needed him today.

"He made clutch baskets and just kept us poised. Even when I didn't have it going or I missed some bunnies or we messed up on defense and they made their push, especially in the third quarter. 

"He was our leader for that second half and he did it all so, he's gonna be a Hall of Famer one day."

Jokic scored 17 of Denver's 30 second-half points, the highest percentage of a team's points scored in the second half of a Game 7 over the past 20 years, to receive praise from head coach Michael Malone.

"We are not in a Game 7 without Jamal, but quietly Nikola Jokic was having an outstanding series as well," Malone said. 

"And you knew that they would take away Jamal Murray, they tried to do different things tonight, that was their adjustment. 

"We were prepared for that. We knew they would try to get the ball out of his hands. That is when you need Nikola to step up."

Jokic himself was expecting a tense series, just maybe not the levels of excitement it provided.

"Before the series started I felt it was going to be an interesting series. But after 3-1 I didn't think it was going to be this interesting," Jokic said. 

"So I'm glad that we won the game and I'm glad that we won the series."

Mitchell's 33 three-pointers marked a record for a playoff series and he was proud of the way the team battled after trailing by 19 points in the first half.

"We fought hard and came back. I'd go to war with any one of these guys in the locker room, any one of these coaches," Mitchell, who was helped off the floor by Murray at the buzzer, said. 

"We could've easy chalked it up in the first half. We have grit and fight. That's all you can really ask for."

Mitchell added that the emotions following the defeat were nothing compared to what the families who have been affected by police brutality and racism are going through.

"I can only imagine. I wanted to say that. I wanted to get that out there," he said. 

"The way I'm feeling right now is nothing compared to that. I appreciate the NBA and everybody in this league for continuing to push that message. 

"It's not stopping. I just wanted to say that. Whether we won or lost, that was going to be the first thing said. I should've said it first."

Jokic returned with a triple-double including the game-winner in Tuesday's 98-99 win over the New Orleans Pelicans after missing two games with the same hamstring issue.

The Serbian center is averaging 25.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.9 assists this season, putting him in contention to be first player to win three MVPs in a row since Larry Bird (1984-86).

Jokic's absence comes as the Western Conference-leading Nuggets (34-14) take on the Bucks (30-17), who are third in the Eastern Conference.

The Nuggets will also be without Jamal Murray (left knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sprained right wrist) and Michael Porter Jr. (personal reasons) for the game.

Bobby Portis will be absent for Milwaukee due to right MCL and right ankle sprains, with the injuries to be reevaluated in two weeks.

Portis sustained the injuries in Monday's 150-130 win over the Detroit Pistons where both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton returned after injuries.

Jokic and Murray became the teammates in NBA Finals history to record triple-doubles as the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat 109-94 on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Two-time NBA MVP Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists for the first such game in Finals history, or at least the first since assists were tracked.

The triple-double was his 10th this postseason and 16th of his career, a number that trails only LeBron James (28).

Murray had 34 points and 10 assists and completed his first career playoff triple-double with a rebound with nine seconds remaining, and Jokic lauded his teammate for leading the Nuggets through the playoffs so far.

"He's playing phenomenally, I think, the whole playoffs," Jokic said of Murray.

"We're just following him and he's a really good leader. His energy is amazing, and we are just following.

"He's reading the game really well. He's getting guys involved, and I think he's mature, if that makes any sense, and he knows where to find the guys and how to control the game.

"It's not just us, it's the team, and like I said even before the series started, the Denver Nuggets need to beat Miami, not me and Jamal and whoever is on the other side. We as a group need to beat them."

Asked how proud he was of his record-achieving performance, Jokic replied: "To be honest, I just think it's a win because if you lose, nobody is going to even mention it. I don't care. It's just a stat."

The Nuggets' win came after they had lost Game 2 of the series at home.

Jokic added: "When you lose the game, of course it's a bad atmosphere, whatever, it's a bad momentum. But maybe it helped us to refocus and just be better in the details. But that doesn't mean that we can relax now or whatever. We need to have the same effort because they're going to be even better."

Nuggets coach Michael Malone eulogised over the performances of his star players.

"I think it's the first time in Finals history or maybe NBA history that two guys have 30, 10 triple-doubles, so that's incredible right there," Malone said.

"Regarding Nikola, nothing he does surprises me ever. This guy has shown time and time again that he's built for these moments. He thrives in these moments, the biggest stage. He did that once again tonight.

"I'm really proud of Jamal, and I could tell speaking to him yesterday, being around him the last 48 hours, that he was putting a lot of Game 2 on him, and it wasn't just him. It was me and every one of our players. It was collective.

"But that's what champions do. That's what warriors do. They battled back. I felt his presence all day long. Forget the stats for a second. I felt Jamal's presence, his energy, and he was here in the moment and for him and Nikola to do what they did tonight in a game that we needed to take, regain home-court advantage of the series was special to watch."

Reflecting on his performance in Game 2, Murray said: "I felt like I didn't bring the intensity that the moment called for. Even though I didn't play terrible, I felt like I could have done a lot more.

"Most people that have watched the Nuggets play, when I have a game like that, I'm most likely going to bounce back. Just one of those days. I think not just me but everybody bounced back. Everybody brought the energy. 

"Everybody was just coming into the game and wanting to bring the intensity that we're used to playing with."

Leonard and George combined for 67 points to help the red-hot Clippers claim a 3-2 lead in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday.

George has struggled in the series, but the All-Star was back to his best with 35 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the floor and four-of-eight from beyond the arc in Orlando, Florida.

Leonard posted 32 points and seven rebounds as the Clippers moved within a win of advancing to the second round of the playoffs at Walt Disney World Resort.

Per STATS, the Clippers became the first team in NBA playoff history to score 35-plus points in all four quarters of a game.

Luka Doncic overcame an ankle problem to help level the series for the Mavericks in Game 4, however, the reigning Rookie of the Year was unable to inspire Dallas again.

After a triple-double last time out, Doncic finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in the absence of star team-mate Kristaps Porzingis.

Game 6 between the Clippers and Mavericks is on Thursday.

The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, stayed alive in their Western Conference series after defeating the Utah Jazz 117-107.

Jamal Murray was the hero for the Nuggets, scoring 33 of his 42 points in the second half as Denver reduced Utah's series lead to 3-2.

Murray had never had back-to-back 40-point games in the regular season but achieved the feat in the playoffs. The last guard to do that in the postseason before he ever achieved it in the regular season? Kobe Bryant in 2001, per STATS.

Nikola Jokic contributed 31 points for the Nuggets, while Donovan Mitchell's 30 points led the Jazz.

Game 6 is on Thursday.

Trail Blazers face Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers can clinch their Western Conference series against the Damian Lillard-less Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday. Lillard has been ruled out with a knee sprain. The Milwaukee Bucks can also seal a 4-1 series win in the east when they take on the Orlando Magic midweek.

Down 101-96 in the final minute, the second-seeded Knicks scored the game's final eight points to grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Philadelphia for Thursday's Game 3.

DiVincenzo finished with 19 points and Jalen Brunson had 24 along with eight rebounds and six assists for New York, which also got a big effort from center Isaiah Hartenstein to overcome a 10-point deficit late in the first half.

Hartenstein scored all 14 of his points in the second half on 7-of-7 shooting while helping the Knicks contain 76ers' star Joel Embiid. The reigning NBA MVP managed 34 points and 10 rebounds, but made good on just 12 of 29 field goal attempts and missed a potential tying 3-point try at the buzzer.

Tyrese Maxey ended just shy of a triple-double for seventh-seeded Philadelphia, as he compiled 35 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

The Sixers trailed 90-82 early in the fourth quarter before outscoring New York 19-6 over a seven-minute stretch to pull ahead late. Maxey's jumper with 2:22 to go gave Philadelphia a 97-96 edge, and the All-Star buried a 3-pointer shortly afterward to extend the lead to four entering the final minute.

Brunson gave New York some life with a 3-pointer with 27.4 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 101-99, and after Maxey turned it over on the ensuing possession, DiVincenzo knocked down a 26-footer on a second-chance attempt to send the Knicks in front.

Maxey then couldn't get a contested layup to fall with 6.6 seconds left, and New York's OG Anunoby was fouled after grabbing the rebound before making both free throws ahead of Embiid's game-ending miss. 

Nuggets rally from 20 points down to stun Lakers in Game 2

The Denver Nuggets also took a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference series with the Los Angeles Lakers after overcoming a 20-point second-half deficit to rally for a stunning 101-99 win.

Jamal Murray capped Denver's improbable comeback by hitting a game-winning 15-foot jumper with 0.4 seconds left on the clock.

Murray scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half and Nikola Jokić had 15 points after half-time to also spark the defending NBA champions. Jokic ended the night with a 27-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double.

Anthony Davis finished with 32 points and 11 rebounds for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who appeared on the verge of sending the series back to Los Angeles all tied up after opening up a 68–48 lead two minutes into the third quarter.

Second-seeded Denver trailed 74-55 near the midway point of the third before getting back in it with a 10-0 run. The Nuggets later went on a 10-1 spurt to pull within 83-81 on Murray's layup with 6:45 remaining.

Murray was later fouled with 57.6 seconds left and made both free throws to forge a 97-97 tie. LeBron James answered with a layup on the ensuing possession to put Los Angeles back ahead, but Murray sunk a step-back jumper with 30 seconds remaining to even the score once again.

James then misfired on a 3-point try and the Nuggets secured the rebound before getting the ball to Murray, who knocked down the game-winner right before the buzzer sounded with Davis contesting the shot.

James had 26 points and 12 rebounds, while D'Angelo Russell netted 23 points for the Lakers while going 7 of 11 from 3-point range.

Game 3 will take place Thursday night.

Cavaliers shut down Magic again to take 2-0 series lead

Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Jarrett Allen led another strong defensive effort for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who took a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against the Orlando Magic by recording a 96-86 win.

After holding the Magic under 33 per cent shooting in Saturday's series opener, fourth-seeded Cleveland forced 17 turnovers and limited No. 5 seed Orlando to a 36.2 per cent rate from the field to move within two wins of advancing.

Allen particularly made his presence felt by corralling 20 rebounds along with three blocks and two steals. The standout center also contributed 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Evan Mobley added 17 points and Darius Garland had 15 in a game the Cavaliers never trailed while taking control early by building a 30-18 lead after one quarter.

Cleveland's margin grew as high as 17 points in the second quarter as the Magic continued to struggle to score, and Mitchell registered 19 of his points in the first half to help send the Cavs into the break owning a 58-44 advantage.

Orlando never seriously threatened in the second half and will now attempt to reverse momentum when it returns home to host Game 3 on Thursday. 

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 21 points and Franz Wagner had 18 for Orlando, though all but one of those points came during the first half.

With the Lakers holding a four-point lead with just over five minutes remaining in the final quarter, and Murray on 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting, James switched onto the Denver Nuggets guard. 

Murray was held to 0-for-2 shooting by the four-time NBA MVP, with his four points in the last five minutes coming from the free throw line. 

The Lakers consequently closed out a 114-108 victory to move 3-1 up in the Western Conference Finals. 

Asked why he put himself on Murray, James said: "I knew it was winning time, and Jamal had it going. The kid is special. He has an array of shots. Triple threat from the three, mid-range and also in the paint. 

"For me, it's just trusting my defensive keys. Trusting my study of film. Trusting personnel. And living with the results. I told my team-mates that I had him and everyone else can kind of stay at bay and stay home. 

"I was able to get a couple stops and we were able to rebound the basketball, which is the most important thing." 

James is averaging 34.4 minutes in the playoffs, which is the fewest of his career – his previous low was 38.2 with the Miami Heat in 2013-14. 

The 17-year veteran denied that having less time on court helped him stay fresh to guard Murray in the closing stages. 

"I don't reserve any energy. I'm on the floor, I give it all I've got. If I need a break, I ask for a break. Coach has done a good job of getting me out throughout the course of the game," said James. 

"I don't look at it as a reserve tank. I've got pretty good energy when I'm on the floor all the time. It's winning time and I don't have a chance or time to be feeling tired. 

"I'm tired now. That's when I'm tired, when it's zeros on the clock. That's when I'm tired. I'm not tired during the game."

Murray appreciated the respect the Lakers afforded him but felt the Nuggets, who have come back from 3-1 deficits to advance in the past two rounds, still should have found a way to win. 

He said: "I mean, they switched AD [Anthony Davis] on me to be on him, too. 

"Obviously, with LeBron I do the same stuff I do when I see [Alex] Caruso, when I see [Rajon] Rondo and KCP [Kentavious Caldwell-Pope], and Kawhi [Leonard], Paul George and Pat Bev [Patrick Beverley]. 

"I mean, I do the same thing. Appreciate the respect, but we've got to win the game."

Not since winning their last championship in 2010 had storied franchise the Lakers reached the NBA showpiece.

But James helped end that drought as the top-seeded Lakers topped the Nuggets 117-107 on Saturday to seal a 4-1 series victory in the Western Conference finals.

James posted 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Lakers at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, where he will contest his 10th NBA Finals – the fourth player in history to do so.

It was James' 27th career playoff triple-double as the 35-year-old eyes a fourth championship ring, with the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics awaiting in the Finals.

All-Star team-mate Anthony Davis contributed 27 points for the Lakers, who will make their 32nd Finals appearance.

The third-seeded Nuggets became the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series twice in the same postseason en route to the Conference finals.

But they were unable to produce another comeback, despite 20 points apiece from Nikola Jokic and Jerami Grant.

Nuggets star Jamal Murray was limited to just 19 points as the Nuggets bowed out of the Orlando bubble.

Celtics face Heat

Can the Celtics level the series or will the Heat book their spot in the Finals? The two teams will meet in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, with the Heat leading 3-2.

The Nuggets emerged triumphant with a 4-1 series win after beating the Lakers 108-106 in an entertaining Game 5 on Monday.

Despite playing through a calf strain, Jamal Murray hit a pull-up 14-footer with 3.6 seconds remaining of a game which saw the two teams repeatedly trade leads.

LeBron hit a pair of free throws to tie the game with 26 seconds left to give the Lakers hope, but Murray drove to his left and pulled up for the go-ahead jumper over Austin Reaves.

After the painful narrow loss, LeBron was asked how he would approach any decision about Year 22 in the NBA.

"I do not have an answer to be honest, I have not given it much thought," he said, per ESPN.

"We will cross that when we need to. [I will evaluate] what's best for my career."

Asked if the Nuggets game was likely to be his last in a Lakers jersey, the 39-year-old replied: "I'm not going to answer that." 

This was the earliest playoff exit in James' 17 postseason trips. The only other time he was eliminated in the first round was 2021, in a six-game loss to the Phoenix Suns.

"Tip your hat to them," James said about Denver. "Defending champions, they are a great team. Super-well coached and made the plays down the stretch to win the series.

"You give credit where credit is due, that is for sure."

Much like last year, when the Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference finals, Denver’s late-game execution proved to be the difference.

Nikola Jokic finished with 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, while Michael Porter Jr. concluded his impressive series with a 26-point performance.

James led the Lakers with 30 points and 11 assists. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 15 rebounds but was not involved much in the offence late while playing through a shoulder injury.

LeBron has the option to enter the final year of his contract with the Lakers or he could become a free agent.

Also facing an uncertain future after the first-round exit is head coach Darvin Ham, who has been with the team for two years.

Ham, who is now on the hot seat, hopes the defeat will make him a better coach in the long run.

"My mind's all over the place right now," he said. "It's been a hell of a two years, though, I'll tell you that. Sitting in this seat, it's been a hell of a two years. 

"A lot of good things that got done, but ultimately, you want to win that ultimate prize. I know what that feels like. I had that feeling a couple of times.

"So, you want to do everything in your power to prevent and not continue to feel this feeling we're feeling now, the feeling of defeat. So again, control what I can control, continue to grow and hopefully be a better coach for it.

"I couldn’t be more proud of our crew despite everything that happened.

"Obviously, the series didn’t go in our favor, it didn’t start the way we wanted it to, but to win that one at home, fight tooth and nail to get this one, our guys showed a lot of guts and a lot of character."

LeBron James scored a game-high 26 points with six rebounds and eight assists, while Anthony Davis excelled with 23 points and 15 rebounds, although he appeared to nurse a back injury late.

Russell Westbrook was solid again off the bench, adding 18 points on 50 per cent shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists. Westbrook scored four points in the final two minutes to see off any Nuggets' challenge.

The Lakers improved their three-point shooting, making 13-of-30 attempts at 43.3 per cent, while they also scored 48 points in the paint, taking advantage of the defensive limitations of the Nuggets' two-time MVP-winning center Nikola Jokic.

Jokic recorded a double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds while Jamal Murray, who missed the 2021-22 campaign with a ruptured ACL, had his best scoring game of the season with 21 points.

The win ends the Lakers' five-game losing run to start the season. For Denver, the defeat means they are 1-3 on the road this season and 4-3 overall.

Warriors beaten by struggling Pistons

The Golden State Warriors had defensive issues again as they suffered back-to-back losses and fell to a 3-4 record after a 128-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons, who ended their own five-game losing run.

Last year's top NBA Draft selection Cade Cunningham was an assist short of a triple-double, contributing 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Pistons dominated after quarter-time.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points on 10-of-24 shooting, while Jordan Poole added 30 with Klay Thompson rested. The Warriors, who have given up 120-or-more points in five of their past six games, only made 12-of-39 three-point attempts (31 per cent).

Doncic matches rare Jordan feat

Luka Doncic became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1986 to score 30-or-more points in each of the first six games of the season as the Dallas Mavericks won 114-105 over the Orlando Magic.

The Slovenian point guard shot 17-of-26 from the field for 44 points with three rebounds and five assists. Doncic scored 30 of his 44 points in the first half.

Top 2022 NBA Draft pick Pablo Banchero failed to reach 20 points for the first time in his career, scoring 18 on six-of-20 shooting for the Magic.