Boston and Indiana punched their tickets to the Eastern Conference semifinals, while Denver took control of its series with a dominant Jamal Murray performance. In New York, the Pistons forced a Game 6 with a gritty road win.
Celtics Dominate Magic in Game 5, Win Series 4-1 (Score: BOS 120–89 ORL)
Jayson Tatum delivered a statement performance with 35 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds as the Celtics outclassed the Orlando Magic to close out their first-round series. Boston pulled away decisively in the third quarter after Paolo Banchero picked up his fifth foul and was benched.
Boston, the defending NBA champions, struggled from beyond the arc early and went the entire first half without a made three-pointer — a rare occurrence for the league’s best long-range shooting team. Still, they surged late in the third quarter and never looked back.
The Magic were led by Franz Wagner’s 25 points and Banchero’s 19, but once their star forward was sidelined with foul trouble, Orlando collapsed. The Celtics will face either the Knicks or Pistons in the second round.
Pacers Eliminate Bucks in Overtime Thriller (Score: IND 119–118 MIL)
Tyrese Haliburton’s clutch layup with 1.3 seconds left capped an 8-0 overtime run as the Indiana Pacers edged out the Milwaukee Bucks to clinch their series in five games.
Indiana trailed by seven with under a minute left in OT but forced two turnovers and capitalized in dramatic fashion. Haliburton had 26 points and 10 assists, and Myles Turner chipped in 21 points with nine rebounds. Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks with 33 points but committed two critical turnovers in the final 30 seconds.
The game ended with tempers flaring as players from both teams got into a shoving match midcourt. Indiana now advances to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern semifinals.
Murray Powers Nuggets Past Clippers for 3-2 Lead (Score: DEN 131–115 LAC)
Jamal Murray dropped 43 points — including 24 in the second half — to lead the Nuggets to a convincing win over the Clippers in Game 5. Denver now holds a 3-2 edge in the Western Conference series.
Nikola Jokic notched his third triple-double of the series (18 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds), and Aaron Gordon added 23. Despite a late push by LA, Denver’s offense clicked down the stretch to seal the win.
Ivica Zubac scored a playoff career-high 27 points for the Clippers, who now face elimination in Game 6 on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Pistons Hold Off Knicks to Extend Series (Score: DET 106–103 NYK)
Cade Cunningham led the way with 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists as the Pistons held off the Knicks in a tight Game 5 win to force a return trip to Detroit.
Ausar Thompson added 22 and Tobias Harris scored 17 in a game that saw Detroit control early and withstand a late surge. The Knicks, who now lead the series 3-2, were led by OG Anunoby’s 19 points, while Jalen Brunson struggled with 16 on 4-for-16 shooting.
Game 6 is set for Thursday in Detroit, where the Pistons will aim to even the series and force a decisive Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.
For real-time sports news, expert analysis, and exclusive updates, visit DanredSports.com!