NBA Playoffs Round Up: IT, Beal leads Celtics & Wizards to a 3-2 leads
The Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards took control of their respective NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchups.
Top seeds the Celtics were too good in game five on Wednesday, overcoming the Chicago Bulls 108-97.
All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas led the way with 24 points as the Celtics moved ahead 3-2 in the series at TD Garden.
Team-mate Avery Bradley was 11-of-19 from the floor as the Celtics became the first team in the series to win on home court.
There is no way Isaiah can’t score. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/GPthcF84KO
— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2017
Bulls guard Jimmy Butler had just 14 points on six-of-15 shooting and Chicago were minus-11 with their star on the floor.
Butler also went to the free-throw line just once and missed his only attempt.
Dwyane Wade had 26 points and 11 rebounds for the beaten Bulls, who host game six in Chicago on Friday.
John Wall did not have a great shooting night, but good thing for the Wizards, Bradley Beal did.
Beal scored a team-high 27 points while Wall posted 20 on nine-of-20 shooting to lead the Wizards to a 103-99 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
John Wall wastes no time. @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/wDgroYaHnV
— NBA (@NBA) April 26, 2017
The victory saw the Wizards grab a 3-2 series lead in the east.
While Wall did not shoot the ball particularly well, the Washington offence ran through him with 14 assists. He also scored the game-sealing shot, a 21-foot jumper with 47 seconds remaining.
Wall’s bucket answered a basket by Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder that brought the Hawks within 101-99. Schroder scored a game-high 29 points and had 11 assists.
Game six is in Atlanta on Friday.
