Boston defeats Cleveland in Game 5 and wins the Conference final in the East which will be played against the winner of New York-Indiana, series at 3-2 for the Knicks. Dallas beats Oklahoma City in Game 5, goes up 3-2 in the series against the Thunder and now has the opportunity to close it out in front of its home crowd. Race 6 is scheduled in Texas from 2am Italian night between Saturday and Sunday. Al Horford for the Celtics and Luka Doncic for the Mavericks take the showcase: applause-worthy performances.
BOSTON-CLEVELAND 113-98 (series 4-1)
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Mission accomplished. The Celtics, number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, close the series with the Cavs at the Garden, in front of their fans. This is the good news for the greens, and not a small one, considering that it is worth the third consecutive final in the East. The bad news is that the performance was again anything but sparkling, the best player of the evening for Coach Mazzulla is Al Horford, almost 38 years old, who finished with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Cleveland, without the injured Donovan Mitchell (muscle problem), Jarrett Allen (ribs) and Caris LeVert (knee), remained in the game until the first minutes of the final quarter, even trailing by one possession at 85-88, led by 33 points by Evan Mobley, to a personal best in the playoffs. In short, Boston continues to win, but not to convince. Like against Miami. To win the title it will take much more than that, meanwhile the return of Kris Porzingis, the Latvian center, which seems close if not even imminent.
Cavs terminus
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Difficult to judge them, as a seasonal balance. Injuries did not give continuity to what should have been the starting five with Garland, Strus and Mitchell on the outside and Mobley and Allen as forwards. Not the best assorted team, but capable of qualifying for the playoffs as the fourth force in the East. And then limping against Orlando, but dragging themselves to the 2nd round with a comeback of character in Game 7. Against Boston the absences of the best players made any ambition. Looking ahead, it won’t be easy to renew Mitchell, to convince him that this team is the right one for him in the long term. And thinking of exchanging one of Allen or Mobley, who does his best as a center, is not a utopia. It will be a complicated summer.
the match
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58-52 Boston at halftime. Cleveland “holds” against all logic. Then even, eye-rolling and yet it’s all true, only 88-85 Boston in the 4th quarter. But a 13-2 run enhanced by crucial triples from Horford and White ended the game and the series. Boston defeats the Cavs 4-1, like the Heat. He will have the favorable field factor in the next round against the winner of Knicks-Pacers.
Boston: Tatum 25 (6/9, 3/7, 4/4 TL), Horford 22, White 18. Rebounds: Horford 15. Assists: Tatum 9.
Cleveland: Mobley 33 (15/21, 0/3, 3/5 TL), Morris 25, Strus 12. Rebounds: Mobley 7. Assists: Garland/Strus 9.
OKLAHOMA CITY-DALLAS 92-104 (series 2-3)
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Hurricane Luka sweeps the Thunder away in Game 5. Doncic, with 4 games behind, “enters” this series in time to upset it, perhaps even decide it. Dallas wins, or rather wins by a landslide in Oklahoma City led by the Slovenian and goes up 3-2 in the series. They will be able to play their first match point at home in three days. Doncic scores 31 points, pulls down 10 rebounds, dishes 11 assists, and above all shoots 12/22 from the field after starting the series at 39%. Irving scores just 12 points, but Coach Kidd’s all-star supporting cast continues to convince: Jones, Lively and Washington are fabulous once more. Dallas has a 4-0 record in these playoffs after a defeat: they know how to get back up immediately. The Thunder will have to do it too, or they will go on vacation early as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They make a huge effort in attack: Gilgeous-Alexander does the trick once more, with 30 points, but the others leave him in the lurch. The holes in rotation are obvious: they don’t have an adequate playmaker and second big man. And they pay the price.
the match
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Joe in the starting lineup instead of Giddey for the Thunder. 24-22 Dallas after the first 12′. Then the first real Mavs advantage, ahead 50-35 thanks to a spectacular Doncic, smiling and more physically toned compared to the last sullen and dull outings. 54-44 for the Texans at halftime. Luka with 17 points shooting 7/10 from the field, 15 for Jones with frequent excursions to high altitude. The Thunder shoot 39% from the field and are dominated around the basket. Lively dunks like not even at the All Star Game, after 36′ Dallas +12: 79-67. A triple from Doncic therefore makes it 89-71: it’s the knockout punch: Thunder knocked out, Mavs one success away from the Western final.
Oklahoma City: Gilgeous-Alexander 30 (10/18, 2/4, 4/6 tl), Holmgren 13, Dort/Jal. Williams 12. Rebounds: Gilgeous-Alexander/Jal. Williams 6. Assist: Gilgeous-Alexander 8.
Dallas: Doncic 31 (7/11, 5/11, 273 TL), Jones 19, Irving 12. Rebounds: Doncic/Washington/Lively 10. Assists: Doncic 11.
