Celtics seize 3-2 lead vs Bucks
OAKLAND, California – Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Draymond Green led a smothering Golden State defense and the Warriors held off the late-charging San Antonio Spurs, 99-91, Tuesday night to win Game 5 and advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Klay Thompson had another stellar shooting performance with 24 points, and Green contributed all over with 17 points, a career-playoff high 19 rebounds and seven assists. Golden State looked dominant until the fourth quarter even without injured two-time MVP Stephen Curry – and he could be back soon from a left knee injury.
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons shined again in front of rapper Meek Mill, and the dominant duo ushered the nightmares-into-dreams Process of the Philadelphia 76ers into the second round with a 104-91 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
The 76ers, winners of 10 games just two seasons ago, are in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2012.
“I kind of promised the city this,” Embiid said.
The Sixers won the series 4-1 and turned the Wells Fargo Center into the wildest house party in the city. Embiid had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Simmons had 14 points and 10 boards.
They’ll have plenty of time to rest and recover – Embiid again played in a black mask to guard a face injury – with the other Eastern Conference playoff series expected to stretch into the weekend.
They await the winner of Milwaukee-Boston. The Celtics lead the series 3-2, after holding off the Bucks, 92-87.
Marcus Smart came off the bench and had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in his first action since right thumb surgery since mid-March. He played 25 minutes wearing a protective splint and had a key assist to Al Horford late from the bottom of a scrum beneath three Milwaukee players.
Horford fired 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
“I just tried to make sure I got him the ball and it was going to take everything I had,” Smart said. “They weren’t taking it from me.”
Terry Rozier added 16 points and five assists for Boston. The home team has won all five games in the first-round series, and Game 6 is Thursday in Milwaukee.
Back in Oakland, LaMarcus Aldridge converted a three-point play with 1:31 left that pulled the Spurs within 93-89, and then a pair of free throws at 57.2 to make it a two-point game. Green responded with a long jumper at the top of the key then two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining.
The Warriors will face New Orleans in the West semifinals beginning this weekend at Oracle Arena, having smoothly eliminated the Spurs aside from a brief Game 4 blip Sunday at San Antonio. New Orleans, coached by former Golden State top assistant Alvin Gentry, swept Portland in the first round.
Durant didn’t have his usual efficient shooting night, going 8 for 19 and missing his initial six 3-point tries. That hardly mattered. After a rebound late in the first half, the reigning Finals MVP drove coast-to-coast for a huge two-handed slam that helped Golden State grab momentum.
Aldridge had 30 points and 12 rebounds, and Patty Mills added 18 points with four 3-pointers for cold-shooting San Antonio. Manu Ginobili had 10 points and seven assists in what might have been the 16th-year pro’s final game at age 40.