The Celtics and Grizzlies made sure that they won’t go down 0-2 before they go on the road for their ongoing NBA playoffs series against the Bucks and the Warriors.
Boston put on a dominant display at home, while Memphis eked out a close win and the momentum has shifted to their favour ahead of Game 3.
Meanwhile, the Heat and Suns are peaking at the right time and they’ll look to achieve what the Bucks and the Warriors didn’t tomorrow for Game 2.
Continue to read on below as SBOTOP gives you the latest updates on the NBA postseason.
Celtics and Grizzlies reply with much-needed home wins
Jaylen Brown shook off his dismal Game 1 by putting up a strong performance here in Game 2, finishing with a team-high of 30 points on 11-for-18 shooting to lead the Celtics past the Bucks, 109-86. He was backstopped by Jayson Tatum and Grant Williams, who scored 29 and 21 points.
Boston outscored the defending champions 65-40 in the first half which was the difference in this game. They also finished 20-for-43 from beyond the arc and scored 24 points off 16 Milwaukee turnovers.
The Celtics were without Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart due to a thigh contusion and Derrick White took his place in the starting lineup.
Even without Smart, the Celtics stymied Giannis Antetokounmpo following his triple-double performance in Game 1, and although he finished with 28 points, he only shot 11-for-27 from the field.
Despite losing in Game 2, the Bucks would be satisfied knowing that they’ve split their two road games against the Celtics and they’re hopeful to take a 3-1 lead by winning their next two games at home.
Elsewhere, the fearless Grizzlies survived the playoff-grizzled Warriors 106-101, thanks to Ja Morant’s big scoring night.
With the rest of the Grizzlies struggling, it was their franchise point guard who produced a ton of NBA 2022 highlights as he dropped a playoff career-high of 47 points – which includes some timely buckets to help them win the game.
The NBA’s Most Improved Player scored the last 15 points for Memphis, starting with 4:16 left, and it also helped that Golden State’s top scorers had a rough night shooting the basketball as Klay Thompson and Steph Curry combined for 16-for-44 from the field.
Similar with the Bucks, the Warriors will be looking to tilt the NBA 2022 odds in their favour when they head back home to San Francisco.
James Harden lacklustre form doesn’t help the Sixers
The Sixers are in a dire situation as their franchise center Joel Embiid is sidelined due to an orbital fracture, although there’s a slight chance of him possibly returning for Game 4.
But for now since he’s in the recovery room, they have no choice but to rely on James Harden – who’s notorious for almost always flaming out during the postseason.
James Harden was unable to pick up the slack for Philly as they were smoked by the Heat, 106-92, on Monday at the FTX Arena. The Beard was held to only 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting, which marked the 11th straight time that he had a playoff game below 25 points.
Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey did all they could by scoring 27 and 19 each, but it wasn’t enough against a much more cohesive Heat team – who had five double-digit scorers led by Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro with 25.
Luka Doncic can’t do it all alone for the Mavericks
Luka Doncic scorched the Suns with 45 points in Game 1 of their WCSF series, but it wasn’t enough as Phoenix came away with a 121-114 win at home.
Phoenix’s strategy was simple: let Luka Doncic score all the points while limiting their other playmakers such as Spencer Dinwiddie and Jalen Brunson – who was the star in the first round. The said approach has worked since the rest of the Mavs’ starters combined for only 39 points.
Moreover, what needs to be improved too is their defence since the Suns shot above 60-per cent from the field and 50-per cent from three during the first half where they built a 13-point advantage. Overall, Jason Kidd has his work cut out for him against the defending West champs.
“He got whatever he wanted, when you look at the shots in the paint, behind the arc, midrange, and then also I thought he got his teammates some great looks that we normally had made,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said about Luka Doncic. “I thought he played great. We’ve just got to get someone to join the party.”
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