The Toronto Raptors are closing in on the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after beating the Brooklyn Nets 117-92 on Saturday (NZ time).
The defending champs now hold a 3-0 series lead and can eliminate the Nets in Game 4 on Monday.
Pascal Siakam scored 26 points for the Raptors while collecting eight rebounds and five assists, while Fred VanVleet finished with 22 points, hitting six 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater from beyond midcourt that put Toronto up 57-42 by halftime.
He also hit another 3-pointer with a minute left in the third that helped Toronto take an 84-68 lead into the fourth quarter.
Reserve Serge Ibaka contributed 20 as the Raptors led by as many as 31 points and posted their second double-digit win of the series.
Also on Saturday, the Boston Celtics went within one game of an Eastern Conference semi-final spot following a 102-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, to take a 3-0 series lead.
Kemba Walker scored a team-high 24 points, including a key jumper with 1:05 remaining that put third-seeded Boston up by four and set the stage for a possible sweep in the best-of-seven series.
The 76ers led 94-92 after a pair of free throws by Embiid with 2:14 to go before the Celtics tightened the defensive screws, shutting out their rival for the rest of the way.
Marcus Smart stole an Embiid pass that led to a clear-path foul on the 76ers. Jayson Tatum blocked an Embiid shot, and a scrambling Celtics defense forced a badly missed 3-pointer by Josh Richardson, providing the crucial stops down the stretch.
Game 4 is set for Monday.
Meanwhile, Mike Conley scored 27 points and Rudy Gobert added 24 points and 14 rebounds to power the Utah Jazz to a 124-87 rout of the Denver Nuggets.
The victory gave the Jazz a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Game 4 is on Monday.
Donovan Mitchell added 20 points while Georges Niang scored a playoff career-high 16 points off the bench. Utah earned its second straight lopsided victory over Denver after going 18-of-37 from 3-point range. Conley led the way, going a career-playoff-best 7-of-8 from long distance.
Nikola Jokic scored 15 points and Jamal Murray added 12 to lead the Nuggets. Both players added five rebounds and six assists. Denver shot just 37.5 percent from the floor, compared to 51.2 for the Jazz.
Reuters
