Oklahoma beat Dallas, Boston beat Cleveland

Oklahoma City confirmed their role as the strongest team in the Western Conference in their home opener. The Oklahoma City defeated Dallas 117:95 and took the lead in the series. The best scorer of the game was Alexander with 29 points. Boston beat Cleveland on their home court without any problems.

Oklahoma dominated the game from the 2nd quarter on

The Mavericks were only able to defy the home team during the 1st quarter. However, Oklahoma took the reins later in the game. They led by 11 points at halftime and continued to increase their lead throughout the game.

The Thunder players were able to spare their mainstays in the end of the game and the second string players got the opportunity. The game did not go well for Dallas star Luka Doncic, who scored just 19 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in less than 41 minutes on the floor. And Kyrie Irving wasn’t much better, scoring just one more point.

Oklahoma City was dragged down by Shai – Gilgeous Alexander, who added 9 assists and 9 rebounds to his 29 points. He was attacking the triple-double line. Moreover, he topped his performance with 1 steal and 2 blocks and committed only 2 turnovers in the whole game.

He left the floor with about 3 and a half minutes left for a 111:89 lead for the Thunder. The team’s defense was excellent, as Dallas shot under 40 percent from the field, and that was woefully low.

The Celtics got into a fight with Cleveland

The Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (120 to 95) game was virtually the same as the Oklahoma City game. The home team clearly confirmed the role of the favorite and also took the lead in the series. So everything is going as expected so far and the Celtics – Thunder conference finals are looming.

The home team was led by the duo of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Brown was his team’s top scorer with 32 points, while White, playing in the form of his life, put 25 points in the basket for Cleveland, helped by 7 threes.

White set a new Celtics club record. He has already made 28 threes in the past 6 playoff games, a feat never before accomplished in Boston’s history. The game’s leading scorer was visiting Donovan Mitchell with 33 points.

But it wasn’t enough for the Celtics. The home team dominated all quarters and continuously increased their lead to the final 25 points. The Cavaliers did not succeed on the opponent’s court for the 4th time in this year’s elimination fights.

Source: NBA