NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, RJ Barrett had 26 and the New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series with a 102-93 victory on Sunday.
Josh Hart moved into the starting lineup and added 19 points and seven rebounds for the fifth-seeded Knicks, who would reach the second round for the first time since 2013 if they take this series.
New York forced Cleveland All-Star Donovan Mitchell into one of the worst games of his postseason career, finishing with just 11 points on 5-for-18 shooting.
Darius Garland had 23 points and 10 assists for the Cavs, while Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert each scored 14.
Game 5 is Wednesday in Cleveland.
CELTICS 129, HAWKS 121
ATLANTA (AP) — Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and Boston led nearly the entire way, holding off Atlanta for a commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.
The Celtics can deliver the clincher Tuesday night when the series returns to Boston for Game 5.
Tatum and Brown combined to score Boston’s final 16 points.
Brown has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February. He took off the device after making only 1 of 7 shots and went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.
Trae Young led Atlanta with 35 points.
TIMBERWOLVES 114, NUGGETS 108, OT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Minnesota avoided a four-game sweep.
Nikola Jokic tied a playoff career high with 43 points and added 11 rebounds and six assists for the Nuggets.
Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota, which held on after Denver scored the final 12 points of regulation to force overtime. Mike Conley had 19 points for the Timberwolves.
Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver, which looked prime to have a chance to rest before the second round where it would face the winner of the Suns-Clippers series, which Phoenix leads 3-1.
Game 5 is Tuesday in Denver.
WARRIORS 126, KINGS 125
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 32 points but gave Sacramento a late chance when he called a timeout Golden State didn’t have, and the defending champion Warriors held on to beat the Kings when Harrison Barnes missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, evening their playoff series at two games apiece.
De’Aaron Fox had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Sacramento. His 3-pointer with 28.7 seconds left pulled the Kings within one, and then Curry missed a 16-foot jumper on the other end and Keegan Murray corralled the rebound. With Curry and Draymond Green defending, Fox dished to former Warrior Barnes for the potential game-winning 3, which hit the back of the rim.
Klay Thompson made a baseline 3-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer and another with 3:24 left, finishing with 26 points for the Warriors.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Sacramento.
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The Associated Press
