Three stars from Wednesday's NBA playoffs
The Boston Celtics put away the remaining healthy Cavaliers, while the Dallas Mavericks got to one game away from their second conference finals appearance in three years. Here are three stars from Wednesday’s second-round NBA games.
Boston Celtics center Al Horford | 22 points, 15 rebounds
In a postseason full of emerging young players and teams, 37-year-old Al Horford showed that the old guys still have something left. He scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Boston Celtics closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-98. Horford achieved a very rare feat: Beating a LeBron James record.
Horford shot 6-for-13 from three-point range during the Celtics' decisive Game 5 win over the injury-decimated Cavaliers, who proved difficult to put away in the series – if not a true challenge to the East’s top seed. Before sinking a corner three four minutes into Game 5, Horford had missed 14 consecutive triples across four games. But once he broke his streak, Big Al was money from deep.
Elevated to the starting lineup after Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis injured his calf, Horford did everything for the Celtics in Game 5. Following the game, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla raved about the “passion, inspiration and toughness” of his big man.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic | 31-point triple-double
The Mavericks won Game 5 behind the third playoff triple-double of Luka Doncic’s career. He scored 31 points, passed out 11 assists and collected 10 boards. His shot was falling right from the game's second play.
But Doncic had all of the parts of his game working Wednesday, not just his jumper. He got a big block on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the Thunder's frantic fourth-quarter charge to try to make it a game after falling behind.
Five of his 11 assists went for dunks, including one pass that came from well beyond half court.
Perhaps the most impressive part of his game was that Doncic refrained from complaining to the officials or stopping to argue foul calls. How did he do it? He remembered how much he loved basketball.
Dallas Mavericks forward Derrick Jones Jr. | 19 points, three 3PM
Back in August, Jones signed with the Mavericks for the league minimum. After a season where he started 66 games, Jones looked like an even bigger bargain after he dunked and shot his way to 19 points in Wednesday's 104-92 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coach Jason Kidd kept Jones in the starting lineup because of his athleticism and defense, something the Mavericks have lacked in previous seasons. Along side the duo of Doncic and Kyrie Irving, any offense from Jones is a bonus. In Game 5, that was a huge bonus, as he went 3-for-5 from three-point range while making all four of his two-pointers.
Down the stretch, he did both, delivering a huge block that he turned into another dunk, stuffing Chet Holmgren and leaking out for the basket. We're not sure if there's such a thing as a "dagger dunk," but if so it looks a lot like that Jones play.
He's headed for a big raise, but Jones will probably settle for a trip to the conference finals with one more victory.
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