Celtics push Nets to brink, Mavs and T-Wolves pull level in NBA playoffs

Jayson Tatum scored 39 points to lead the Celtics in a 109-103 victory over the Nets in Brooklyn that pushed their lead in the NBA Eastern Conference first-round series to 3-0. No NBA team has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven series, and the Celtics will try to wrap this one up on the Nets' home floor on Monday. "It's about our character now," Nets coach Steve Nash said.

"It's about digging deep and having pride and finding a way over the next 48 hours to come back ready to win on Monday night." Once again the Celtics' suffocating defense neutralized Brooklyn's scoring star Kevin Durant, who finished with 16 points and attempted just 11 shots. Brooklyn's other big star, Kyrie Irving, also finished with just 16 points. The Celtics led most of the game before the Nets cut the deficit to three points late in the third quarter.

Boston responded with two baskets from Marcus Smart and a steal and dunk from Jaylen Brown to take an 81-72 lead into the fourth. Brown finished with 23 points for the Celtics, who pushed the lead to 15 in the fourth quarter before the Nets closed in again, pulling within five points with 22 seconds remaining. Tatum made two free throws and came up with a steal and a final dunk to end it.

"I think it just shows the growth of our team," Tatum said. "Early in the season, we gave up big leads all the time. And we figured it out.

You're never going to be perfect, it's all about how you respond. We kept responding."                    - Raptors stay alive -                                      In Toronto, forward Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 34 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 24 in the Raptors' 110-102 triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers to cut the deficit in their series