On Saturday night, the Toronto Raptors handled the Philadelphia Sixers easily. At the start of the game, Philadlephia got off on a 7-2 run and looked to be more than ready for their opponents but that quickly changed.

Toronto started to get in the swing of things and led by eight after one quarter, nine at the half, 11 points after three quarters and walked away with a 108-95 win despite missing some key players.

Raptors Host 76ers For Game 2

For game two, OG Anunoby will be out again due to appendicitis and coach Nick Nurse will sit Jordan Lloyd. Mike Scott will be out for the Sixers due to a barrage of foot injuries.

In Game 1, Toronto leaned heavily on Kawhi Leonard, who scored 45 points and Pascal Siakam, who kicked in 29 more. Those stars should expect to do the same in Game 2 and allow Toronto legend Kyle Lowry to focus on distributing and defense, which he did well last game, racking up eight assists. Trade deadline pickup Marc Gasol also came through big time. He used his prior playoff experience and shut down Sixers center Joel Embiid, limiting him to only 16 points and eight rebounds.

Game 2 will take place at Scotiabank Arena before the two teams head south to Philly and the Wells Fargo Arena for Games 3 and 4. Already up a game, Toronto seems to be in the groove of things. Game 2 will air at 8 p.m. EST and will air on TNT.

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Currently, Toronto is favored by 6.5 points in Game 2. The over-under is set at 220.5. It’s important to note that after Game 1, Leonard is now 14-0 against the Sixers in his career. In those 14 games, his teams have won by an average of 14.9 points per game. As Philadelphia hopes to win a title and get the ultimate validation for “the process,” they face what may be their toughest competition in Leonard.

After a sensational performance from Red Sox ace David Price against Los Angeles, Boston is now two games away from its fourth title in 14 years.

Sox And Dodgers Exchange Highlights In Tense game 2

Second baseman Ian Kinsler took the lead in the second, batting in a runner on second for a commanding early score for Boston. Incredibly, the Red Sox are 8-0 this postseason when they score first.

The night was marked by a handful of remarkable plays, topped by a J.D. Martinez tie-breaking single in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded and two outs. Andrew Benintendi grabbed a potential double with the Red Sox down one early after Dodgers star outfielder Yasiel Puig took the lead in the previous inning.

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Perhaps the most remarkable play of the night came from the arm of Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor, who threw Kinsler out at third base in unorthodox fashion. The throw slipped through Kinsler’s legs at the perfect moment as he began to slide toward third base, with Manny Machado lurking above. Machado kept stride and tagged Kinsler out to the amazement of spectators, and the befuddlement of announcer Joe Buck.

The bag of tricks wasn’t to stave off the Red Sox For Game two. The Dodgers now desperately need a win, and home field back in L.A. for Game three on Friday may be their only saving grace. The Sox have now won six straight postseason games. The only other years where they won six or more consecutive games was 2004, where they won eight, and 2007 with seven straight. Both years ended up with trophies in Boston.

Stephen Curry made history in the Golden State Warriors‘ home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

Steph Curry Sets NBA Finals Record For 3s

The 30-year-old, two-time MVP finished with nine 3-pointers — and 33 points — in the 122-103  win to break the NBA Finals record for most 3s in a game.

Five of Curry’s 3-pointers came in the fourth quarter to help Golden State get ahead for good after the Cavs got to within seven points at the beginning of the period. Curry has now surpassed Ray Allen, who completed eight 3s in a contest in 2010 while playing for the Boston Celtics, and also jumped ahead of LeBron James for the career lead with 90 3s in the last round of the playoffs. Curry also had seven rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors now lead the series 2-0, with Game 3 set for Wednesday at 9pm EST in Cleveland. Golden State coach Steve Kerr poked fun at James — who had 29 points and 13 assists on Sunday — during the press conference after Game 2.

“By the way, I thought you guys were much better today,” Kerr told reporters. The coach was referencing James’ comment to the media after Game 1 on Thursday. The Cavs forward told the press to “be better tomorrow” as he walked out of the conference.

The Houston Rockets dominated in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night, securing a 127-105 home victory over the Golden State Warriors to tie the series 1-1.

Rockets Tie Western Conference Finals With Game 2 Win

Eric Gordon scored 27 points in 37 minutes of play. All-Star James Harden also had 27 points and 10 rebounds, despite struggling substantially to make many of his shots. Harden went 9-for-24 from the floor and a surprisingly low 3-for-15 from 3-point range.

P.J. Tucker — who had much trouble with offensive play in Game 1 — finished with a career postseason-high 22 points, as well as four assists, seven rebounds and a major dunk over Stephen Curry.

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On the defending NBA champion Warriors’ side, Kevin Durant stood out greatly in the defeat by scoring a game-high 38 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Curry only managed 17 points on 19 shots and didn’t score a 3-pointer until early in the final period. Klay Thompson also underperformed relative to earlier in the playoffs: he had only eight points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Even the opponents praised Durant for his performance on Wednesday.

“My gosh, he’s unbelievable,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, per NBA.com. “He was incredible tonight.”

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Game 3 is set for Saturday in Oakland. Game 4 will also be held at Oracle Arena.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have found themselves in a rut after trailing the Eastern Conference Final series against the Boston Celtics 2-0, but LeBron James and Tyronn Lue are two of the Cavs organization’s members who have voiced confidence that Cleveland will bounce back when play shifts to Quicken Loans Arena.

Cavs Will Play Better In Game 3 At Home, Says Lebron James

During the post-game news conference after the Celtics’ 107-94 victory in Boston on Tuesday night, Lue said, “We’ll be better going back home, we know that. They played well in that second half, and we gotta be ready to go on Saturday.”

Game 3 is set for Saturday at 8:30pm EST in Cleveland. This marks the first time ever that a team led by James trails by two games in the playoffs.

The King reiterated his coach’s comments, telling reporters, “We have an opportunity go back home and protect home court. They did what they had to do and that was protect home,” James said of the Celtics. “Now it’s our time to try to do that as well.”

James was responding to a question about his level of concern about having lost Game 2 even after finishing with 42 points and a triple-double. The reporter cited the power forward’s comment after the Cavs’ Game 1 loss about having “zero concern” for the rest of his team’s playoff run.

James also had 12 assists and 10 rebounds on Tuesday, but suffered a neck strain in the first half after crashing into another player.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points and Marcus Smart added 11 points. James and Lue both praised Smart — who returned from a thumb injury late in Boston’s first-round playoff series win over the Milwaukee Bucks — for the impact he has had on the Celtics since coming back from surgery. Smart also had nine assists, four steals and five rebounds in 31 minutes of play on Tuesday.

Smart and J.R. Smith got into a heated exchange in Game 2 after Smith shoved Al Horford in the back to stop a layup attempt. Smith drew a flagrant foul and he and Smart both received technical fouls. According to NBA.com, Smart called Smith’s push a “dirty shot.”

The Boston Celtics will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and here is what you need to know.

Cavaliers vs. Celtics Conference Finals Game 2 Preview

Boston leads the series 1-0 after winning 108-83 in Game 1 on Sunday. The Celtics have the edge for Game 2, as they are 8-0 at home in the 2018 playoffs. Boston forced LeBron James into seven turnovers on Sunday.

However, the Cavs have also been performing well and setting records during this postseason. James is set to become the first player in NBA history to score 1,000 points in the playoffs against one team over the duration of his 14-year career.

Tuesday’s game will begin at 8:30pm EST and will air on ESPN.

On Monday night, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 119-106 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Durant led the defending NBA champions with 37 points.

Here is the full series schedule for the Cavs and Celtics:

Game 3 in Cleveland: Saturday, May 19, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 4 in Cleveland: Monday, May 21, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 5 (if necessary) in Boston: Wednesday, May 23, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 6 (if necessary) in Cleveland: Friday, May 25, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Game 7 (if necessary) in Boston: Sunday, May 27, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers for Game 2 of their second-round payoffs series on Thursday night, and here is what you need to know.

Sixers vs. Celtics Round 2, Game 2 Preview

Boston leads the series 1-0 after defeating Philadelphia 117-101 in Game 1 on Monday. The No. 2-seeded Celtics, however, are missing several players like Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward due to injury. Jaylen Brown has been listed as doubtful for Game 2 due to a hamstring strain.

The Sixers do not have any injuries listed. The series will shift to Philadelphia for Game 3.

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Thursday’s game will begin at 8:30pm EST and will air on TNT.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the seven-game series:

Saturday: Game 3, 5 p.m., at Wells Fargo Center

May 7: Game 4, 8: 6 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center

May 9: *Game 5, TBD, at TD Garden

May 11: *Game 6,  TBD, at Wells Fargo Center

May 13: *Game 7, TBD, at TD Garden

* – if necessary

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On Wednesday, the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 116-108 in Game 2 to tie their second-round series 1-1.

The Houston Rockets will host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night for Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets Vs. Jazz Game 2 Preview

Houston beat Utah 110-96 in Game 1 on Sunday, and now the Rockets will hope to win again on Wednesday before the series moves to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday.

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According to CBS Sports, Houston are the favorites to win Game 2 by 11 points. James Harden scored 41 points in Game 1. The Rockets beat the Jazz in all four of their regular-season matchups by double digits.

On Sunday, Jae Crowder and Donovan Mitchell led the Jazz with 21 points apiece. Utah was missing starting point guard Ricky Rubio, who sat out with a strained hamstring.

Wednesday’s game will begin at 8pm EST and will air on TNT.

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On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 113-112 to take a 1-0 series lead in Round 2 and the Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 121-116 to gain a 2-0 series lead in the second round.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers are facing off at Quicken Loans Arena for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Pacers vs. Cavaliers Game 2 Preview

Indiana won Game 1 by a score of 98-80 on Sunday. That marked the first time a team that LeBron James was on lost the first game of a first-round NBA playoff series.

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The Pacers have displayed great offensive power thanks to players like Victor Oladipo. 

Here are all the details for Game 2:

• Date: Wednesday, April 18
• Time: 7 p.m. EST
• Location: Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland
• TV: TNT
• Live stream: TNTDrama.com/WatchTNT or the WatchTNT app

Here is how the rest of the series between the two teams looks like:

• Game 3 in Indianapolis: Friday, April 20, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 4 in Indianapolis: Sunday, April 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
• Game 5 in Cleveland: TBA (if necessary)
• Game 6 in Indianapolis: TBA (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Cleveland: TBA (if necessary)

The Pacers — who were eliminated by the Cavs in the opening round of last year’s playoffs — won the regular-season series against Cleveland 3-1 this year.

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Cleveland guard George Hill is questionable for Game 2 as he continues to suffer from a back injury.

The Boston Celtics will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday for Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoffs series, and here is what you need to know.

Bucks Vs. Celtics Playoffs Game 2 Preview

On Sunday, the second-seeded Celtics defeated the seventh-seeded Bucks 113-107 in Game 1. The two teams tied their regular-season series 2-2. Boston’s Marcus Smart, who is injured, is believed to be able to return by April 27.

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Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks lost to the Toronto Raptors in the first round.

Tuesday’s game at TD Garden will begin at 8pm EST and air on TNT. Here is the rest of the Bucks/Celtics playoff series schedule:

• Game 3 in Milwaukee: Friday, April 20, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Game 4 in Milwaukee: Sunday, April 22, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
• Game 5 in Boston: TBA (if necessary)
• Game 6 in Milwaukee: TBA (if necessary)
• Game 7 in Boston: TBA (if necessary)

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Also playing Game 2 on Tuesday will be the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors, and the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers. Toronto and New Orleans lead their respective series 1-0.

The defending champion Golden State Warriors will host the seventh-seeded San Antonio Spurs on Monday night for Game 2 of their first-round NBA playoff series, and here is what you need to know.

Spurs vs. Warriors NBA Playoffs Game 2

Second-seeded Golden State defeated San Antonio 113-92 in Game 1 on Saturday.

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The Spurs struggled significantly in shooting from the field in Game 1: they finished with just 32-of-80 attempts (40 percent) made. From three-point range, they went 9-of-22.

Meanwhile, Klay Thompson scored a game-high 27 points on Saturday, and Kevin Durant added 24. The Dubs took a 28-17 lead in the first quarter of Game 1 and maintained their advantage from that point on.

Stev Kerr’s team has won nine of the last 10 contests against the Spurs.

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Game 2 at Oracle Arena will begin at 10:30pm EST and will air on TNT. The seven-game series will shift to the AT&T Center for Games 3 and 4.

Also playing the second game of a playoffs series on Monday night will be the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers at 8pm EST at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers lead the series 1-0 after winning 130-103 on Saturday.

Phil Kessel scored on his lone shot on goal with 6:55 remaining in the third period to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 1-0 Game 2 home victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.

Phil Kessel Scores Game-Winner, Penguins tie series Vs Senators 1-1

The right winger took a pass from Evgeni Malkin and netted a shot after Jean-Gabriel Pageau stopped the first try. Kessel re-fired his own rebounded past Craig Anderson’s left pad to snap his three-game scoring drought and tie the Eastern Conference Final series 1-1.

“Lucky bounce,” Kessel said. “It got blocked. I got it off quick. It went in.”

Kessel’s game-winner was the latest he had ever scored in 60 career NHL Playoff games.

Marc-Andre Fleury recorded 23 saves for his second shutout in his last three starts. He has allowed two goals during that stretch. Anderson stopped 28 shots for Ottawa.

The Penguins were missing three regulars on Monday: forward Patric Hornqvist, right wing Bryan Rust and defenseman Justin Schultz. The latter two left in the first half of the first period. 

Rust exited after taking a hit from Dion Phaneuf in the middle of the offensive zone 4:58 into the game. Then, Schulz crashed into the end boards at 9:30 of the first after attempting to fight Mike Hoffman for a puck behind Pittsburgh’s net. Schultz headed straight to the locker room. The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins played the remainder of the game with 11 forwards and five defenseman.

Hornqvist did not play due to an undisclosed injury after participating in line rushes during warmups. He skipped practice Sunday and the Penguins’ optional morning skate Monday before being marked as a game-time decision.

Coach Mike Sullivan did not reveal any updates on Rust, Schultz or Hornqvist after the game. Forward Conor Sheary replaced Hornqvist on the third line and was also moved to the first line after Rust left in the opening period.

Carl Hagelin, meanwhile, returned for Pittsburgh. The forward, who had also been labeled a game-time decision, sat out the previous two games with a lower-body injury.

Jake Guentzel missed a great scoring opportunity for the Penguins in the second period. Crosby won a face-off and immediately fed his teammate, who raced toward the net. Guentzel went on a breakaway and, all alone in front, fired a shot over Ottawa’s goal and into the netting with 7:58 left in the second.

Ottawa’s first shot of the third period came on a backhand from forward Zack Smith with 4:54 remaining. The Senators’ previous shot came with 3:47 left in the second period.

The Senators were shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24 (a 36-game stretch). Ottawa forward Viktor Stahlberg missed his second straight game due to an undisclosed injury.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Wednesday at 8pm EST in Ottawa.

PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 15: Phil Kessel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins shoots the puck against the Ottawa Senators during the third period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on May 15, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Ryan Johansen lashed out at Ryan Kesler following the Anaheim center’s elbow to the head of his Nashville counterpart in the Ducks‘ 5-3 Game 2 home victory over the Predators on Sunday.

Predators’ Ryan Johansen Criticizes Ducks’ Ryan Kesler Game 2

Kesler and Johansen were physical with each other the entire night, and one of the biggest hits came early in the game when the former aggressively elbowed the latter in the head. The Predators star also took a high-sticking penalty on the Ducks center in the second period.

“He just blows my mind,” Johansen told reporters after the game. “I don’t know what’s going through his head out there. His family and friends watching him play, I don’t know how you cheer for a guy like that.”

The 24-year-old Canadian, who scored Nashville’s opening goal at 4:18 of the first period, continued his diatribe against Kesler.

“It just doesn’t make sense how he plays the game,” Johansen said. “I’m just trying to go out there and play hockey, and it sucks when you have to pull a stick out of your groin after every shift.”

Kesler, meanwhile, seemed unapologetic about his violent playing style.

“I play the game hard and obviously he doesn’t like that,” the Ducks center responded.

Predators coach Peter Laviolette lauded Johansen for his performance on Sunday and for remaining calm after Kesler’s hits.

“I think Ryan has been completely composed,” Laviolette said. “The penalty that he took tonight was a face-off where he was battling for a puck, and the stick came up. I think it was more accidental than anything.”

Johansen’s teammate Filip Forsberg echoed Laviolette’s sentiment: the Predators forward also noted how well the center played in Friday’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Ducks at Honda Center.

“I think (Johansen) is playing unbelievable. You saw the first period, he was the best player on the ice by far and after that I think he was still playing well,” Forsberg said. “You can look at the statistics. He is showing up every category and I think he has been playing really well for the first two (games).”

The NHL Conference Finals between the Ducks and Predators is tied 1-1. Game 3 is Tuesday at 8 pm in Nashville.

ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 14: Ryan Johansen #92 of the Nashville Predators protects the puck from Ryan Kesler #17 of the Anaheim Ducks in the first period of Game Two of the Western Conference Final during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on May 14, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

LeBron James discussed his views on racist fans in the NBA following the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 125-103 Game 2 home victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, and confessed he has also been the target of slurs throughout his career.

LeBron James, Draymond Green on Adam Jones Incident, Racism in NBA

“For me, I just try to be respectful, for one, to be respectful toward others,” James said. “I feel like if you do that consistently, then the karma will come back to you.”

The Cavs star, nicknamed “The King,” also spoke about the types of lessons he tries to teach his children regarding the respectful treatment of everyone, even those who look differently than them, but acknowledged he can only have so much control over them after a certain point.

“Racism, we know, exists,” James stated. “For me as a father, I try to just give my kids the blueprint on how life is going to be but at the end of the day… I can only tell them so much, and then they have to go out and live with themselves.”

The forward also discussed his take on the incident involving Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, an African-American who was insulted with racial taunts during the team’s home opener against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Monday. James said he didn’t know the details of the incident (who said what, or everything that happened before and after), partly because he’s off social media at the moment, but said he has heard from several other athletes, both in the NBA and in other major sports leagues, that they believe Boston has a reputation for being a racist city. James, nevertheless, says he doesn’t remember ever being subjected to racist behavior in the city, partly because he makes a conscious effort to block out any unnecessary noise.

“I’ve heard a couple athletes say that, you know, you expect that when you go to Boston,” James said. “I’ve played in Boston a lot, but I just try to have tunnel vision when I play. I can’t recall me ever hearing something that was racist toward me.”

James also praised both the Orioles and the Red Sox for rallying behind Jones and even Boston fans for giving the outfielder a standing ovation at Fenway Park for his first at-bat the next day. The Cavs star finished off by citing the great work civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. have done, and said he hopes everyone in the sports world can continue their legacy of helping to unite everyone regardless of race or color rather than dividing with this type of hatred, which he said is “not good for society.”

“Racism is going to be around forever, I believe” James added in conclusion. “But I think for us, the people that have opportunities to have a voice or some kind of play on the youth that’s coming up, we have to lead them the best way we can and live with the results.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, meanwhile, also revealed he related to the way Jones felt after Monday’s game because he too has been verbally abused with racial epithets. Green did not cite any specific examples or name any cities where this happened to him, however.

“I’ve gotten the N-word, all of that,” Green told The Undefeated on Tuesday night after learning about Jones’s incident in Boston. “I’d rather not get into [where]. A few places, especially being that it is me. Athletes are just not protected in that regard. Maybe something like [the Jones incident] will help.”

Jones said, after the way he was treated Monday, that there should be harsher punishments than simple ejections dealt to disrespectful fans. The outfielder suggested hefty fines among other things, and Green seemed to agree that stricter consequences were needed.

“Cheer for your team. Do what you want. But if I’m playing in the game and you’re cheering for your team, it doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you want to say to me,” Green also told The Undefeated. “This is my job, and I can’t go to your job and say whatever I want to you. If I went to someone else’s job and said whatever I wanted to say, I’d get arrested for harassment. It’s a fine line. I don’t think any league does a great job of making sure that athletes are protected.”

In a separate incident from Jones’ on Tuesday night, a fan called out a man at Fenway Park for directing racial taunts at a Kenyan singer who was performing the national anthem before the Red Sox’ game. The Red Sox banned the fan for life as a result, according to NPR.

“Yes, it was a racial comment,” Red Sox club President Sam Kennedy said in a statement from the team. “It was a racial comment used to describe the national anthem that was taking place, the performance of the national anthem. It was sickening to hear.”

James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become second on the all-time NBA playoff career scoring list with 39 points in Wednesday’s win, which put the Cavaliers up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. James now has 5,777 points and only trails Michael Jordan (5,987) in this category.

”You hear a name like Kareem, a guy who’s done so many great things, not only as an individual but as a teammate,” James said. ”Winning championships in the `80s and things of that nature and how many points he’s put up. He’s somebody you read about. I didn’t get an opportunity to actually watch him play growing up, but I just read about his accomplishments and things he was able to do, so, it’s pretty cool.”

Game 3 is Friday night in Toronto.

CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 7: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks for a pass while under pressure from DeAndre’ Bembry #95 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on April 7, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Isaiah Thomas’s young son stole the show before the Boston Celtics’ 129-119 home victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Isaiah Thomas’s Son Steals Show before Celtics’ Game 2 Win vs Wizards

The 28-year-old guard and his toddler son Jaden sat in a near-empty press conference room prior to the game, and Thomas pretended to be a reporter and asked Jaden what the best strategy to defend Wizards guard John Wall is.

The youngster had an incredibly endearing set of answers to his father’s questions:

“How do you guard John Wall?” Thomas asked.

“I just work hard,” Jaden replied. “I start to guard John Wall every day.”

Isaiah then asked his child a follow-up question: “He’s really fast so what do you have to do to stop him?”

“Get fast shoes and I would catch him,” Jaden said. “I would block his dunk.”

Thomas’s son became the star of another adorable moment when he was spotted doing warm-up drills with the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown before the win at TD Garden, which gave Boston a 2-0 lead in the second round Eastern Conference series.

Clearly, Jaden is very invested in supporting his father’s NBA career.

Thomas scored a playoff career-high 53 points — the second-highest total in Celtics playoff history — in leading the Celtics to Tuesday’s win, which came on what would have been his late sister Chyna’s 23rd birthday. The guard’s younger sister died in a horrific car accident in Washington nearly three weeks ago, just before the playoffs began.

”The least I can do is go out there and play for her,” said Thomas, who spent about four or five hours in the dentist’s chair having work done on the tooth that was knocked out in Game 1. ”I knew once game-time came, my guys would get me going, get me the energy to go out and win a game. There was no way I was sitting out.”

See the rest of the guard’s touching tribute to his sister here:

John Wall contributed 40 points and 13 assists for the Wizards, who will host the Celtics for Game 3 on Thursday.

MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 28: Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on November 28, 2016 in Miami, Florida.

Golden State was missing Kevin Durant due to injury on Wednesday night, but it made do without him and JaVale McGee scored 15 points in just 13 minutes to lift the Warriors to a 110-81 home rout of the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2.

NBA Playofs Round 1: Warriors Rout Blazers In Game 2 For 2-0 Lead

The Warriors now lead the Western Conference first-round series 2-0. Durant sat out with a strained left calf he injured in Game 1 on Sunday, while his teammates Shaun Livingston and Matt Barnes also did not play due to sprained right index finger, and a sprained right ankle and foot, respectively.

McGee made all seven of his field-goal attempts and added many of his signature alley-oop dunks.

”That’s my whole thing, I just try to be efficient out there,” the backup big man said.

Stephen Curry had an off night shooting, going 6 for 18 for 19 points in addition to six points and six rebounds in 31 minutes of play.

“You’ve got to be aggressive,” Curry said. “Obviously you’re missing 25 points, 26 points [out of] the lineup. So the shot is available you kind of do it a different way. But tonight we didn’t really get it going much or consistently throughout the game. We had some dry spots, but we won the game with our defense tonight.”

Klay Thompson was 6 of 17 with 16 points and Draymond Green contributed 12 rebounds, ten assists, six points for a spectacular game. Green also recorded three blocks to add to the five he had on Sunday.

The Warriors were also strong on defense, holding the Blazers to just 12 points in the third for Portland’s lowest scoring in any period this season. This also tied for the least in a quarter by a Golden State playoff opponent in the shot clock era.

”Our offense got scattered, we were rushing everything. We were just not poised offensively and that put our defense in a bad position,” coach Steve Kerr said. ”I thought in the third quarter we settled our offense down which helped our defense.”

The Blazers’ two big men, CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, struggled on Wednesday. McCollum, who had 41 points in Sunday’s playoff opener, scored 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting on Tuesday. Lillard was 5 for 17 and managed just 12 points.

”Coming in the first two games we just wanted to take one,” Lillard said. ”We didn’t do that.”

Coach Terry Stotts urged Portland to be more balanced in order to have a chance at defeating the top-seeded Warriors, who finished with the NBA’s best record (67-15) for the third consecutive year.

Maurice Harkless scored all 15 of his points in the first half, and the Blazers allowed seven straight points to open the third quarter. Portland again missed center Jusuf Nurkic. The 7-foot, 22-year-old Bosnian, acquired this offseason in a trade with the Denver Nuggets, is still suffering from a non-displaced fracture in his right leg that sidelined him for the last seven regular-season games.

Zaza Pachulia added 10 points for Golden State on 5-of-8 shooting, Ian Clark added 13 points, and Andre Iguodala finished with 10 rebounds, six assists and six points.

Game 3 of this series is set for Saturday in Portland.

In the other two Game 2 playoff matchups on Wednesday, the Washington Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-101 to take a 2-0 series lead, while the Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to also lead their series 2-0.

OAKLAND, CA – APRIL 19: JaVale McGee #1 high-fives Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors during their game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on April 19, 2017 in Oakland, California.

The Boston Celtics, the top seed in the East, are clearly angry after losing the first two games of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Chicago Bulls.

Marcus Smart Flips Off Fan, Celtics Beat Bulls In Game 2 to Lead Series 2-0

Marcus Smart decided to show that anger in a quick but noticeable way in the Celtics’ 111-97 home loss to the Bulls on Tuesday night.

After missing a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter with the Celtics down 100-86, the Boston guard sped back down-court to play defense, and after a fan booed and jeered at him, Smart retorted with angry words of his own and flipped the fan off while pointing at him and running backwards.

Smart’s middle-finger display can’t be seen clearly at first, although cameras later showed a close-up that revealed the 23-year-old former first-round pick (2014) clearly making the insulting gesture. Here is a clip Bleacher Report tweeted of the incident:

The Bulls, who finished the regular season 41-41, barely made the 2017 playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but are now up 2-0 and will enjoy home-court advantage for Game 3 on Friday night.

Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade led Chicago with 22 points each on Tuesday, and Rajon Rondo added 11 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.

Butler said that unlike many fans, he is not shocked at how his team has played these playoffs given their regular-season finish.

”I’m not surprised because everybody’s so locked in right now,” said Butler, who added eight rebounds and eight assists.

Wade scored 16 of his points in the second half, and Robin Lopez contributed 18 points. All five Bulls starters recorded double figures.

Isaiah Thomas scored 20 points for the Celtics.

The Celtics got the first four rebounds of the night and scored the game’s first seven points. However, the Bulls countered with a 20-4 burst.

Boston, which shot 46 percent for the night, trailed 91-82 early in the fourth before Chicago went on a 14-4 run to stretch its lead to 19. The Bulls out-rebounded the Celtics 43-38 on offense, and also outscored Boston 32-20 for the second half.

”I feel like in the second half, the ball stopped moving. It wasn’t moving at all,” Celtics guard Avery Bradley said. ”Even when we made a good play, got a steal, got an offensive rebound, we were just thinking quick 3s. As a polished team we have to know when to take those shots and when not to.”

The Bulls capitalized on 16 Celtics turnovers to score 23 points.

Boston fell to just 14-4 in Game 2 at home following a loss in Game 1. Chicago’s win also snapped the Celtics’ six-game winning streak in such games.

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 16: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Marcus Smart #36 of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at TD Garden on April 16, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Jake Arrieta carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, finishing with one run allowed over 5 2/3 innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on Wednesday night, thus tying the World Series at one game apiece.

Jake Arrieta Carries Cubs To 5-1, World Series Game 2 Win Over Indians

The win marked the Cubs’ first in the World Series since Oct. 8, 1945. Game 3 is set for Friday night, when Wrigley Field hosts its first World Series game in 71 years.

“Wrigley, it’s going to be — you know, it’s always good. It’s always crazy good, but I’d have to imagine a little bit more than that, especially coming back at 1-1,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “I think the folks will be jacked up about the win tonight. But it is, it’s the finest venue there is in professional sports and maybe in all of sports. … But now having a World Series to root for, it’s going to be incredibly special.”

Arrieta threw a first-pitch strike to only half the batters he faced. He tossed 98 pitches in all, but only 55 were strikes. The right-hander walked three batters.

“Maintaining a consistent feel on a night like this, with the weather the way it was, can be tough,” he said.

Yet here Arrieta was at the beginning of the sixth inning, carrying the longest no-hit bid in a World Series game since the Mets’ Jerry Koosman in 1969. The Cubs righty was two outs shy of matching the team’s longest no-hit bid in the World Series, done in 1906 by Ed Reulbach, who tossed six no-hit innings in Game 2 against the crosstown rival White Sox..

“He had so much movement on his ball, and he was kind of effectively wild,” Indians slugger Mike Napoli said of Arrieta. “He hit the corners when he needed to, and then you can’t really sit in an area because he was moving the ball all over the place. He did a good job. He shut us down for five innings without even getting a hit.”

Arrieta found himself in the same mess as Game 1 starter Jon Lester. Both got two outs to start the game, but then walked Francisco Lindor and Napoli back-to-back. Lester allowed two runs Tuesday night en route to a 6-0 loss, but Arrieta escaped when he got Jose Ramirez to fly out.

The reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers were in attendance, including LeBron James, but they couldn’t help the Tribe win. Indians starter Trevor Bauer, making his first postseason start since his bloody finger incident in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series, was chased out after 3 2/3 innings. Bauer threw 87 pitches in his abbreviated outing.

“They never let him settle into the game,” Tribe manager Terry Francona said. “You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. … As a staff in general, we worked behind a lot tonight, a lot more than is helpful. I think some of their hitters deserve credit for that also.”

Kyle Schwarber recorded two hits and drove in two runs for the Cubs, while Anthony Rizzo provided a spark with an RBI double in the first. Rizzo drew a walk with two outs in the third and scored on Schwarber’s single, and then he battled Zach McAllister in a 10-pitch at-bat in the fifth, fouling off five straight pitches before drawing a walk and scoring on Ben Zobrist’s triple.

Bryant praised Schwarber, saying: “They’re going to make a movie about him,”

Said Schwarber: “I want to help this team get to the ultimate goal. I want to have a good at-bat every time I go to the plate.”

Maddon must have been very proud of his team. The Cubs became the first team to win a World Series game with six players under 25 in the starting lineup.

Following an off-day, the series shifts to Chicago, where right-hander Kyle Hendricks will get the start for the Cubs on Friday.

Righty Josh Tomlin will take the mound for the Indians. Tomlin has won both of his postseason starts, posting a 2.53 ERA.

CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 26: Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Two of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on October 26, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Clayton Kershaw struck out six over seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits and one walk to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night at Wrigley Field, a win that evened the National League Championship Series at one game apiece.

Clayton Kershaw Leads Dodgers To 1-0 Game 2 Win vs Cubs And Ties NLCS

Adrian Gonzalez hit a home run in the second inning off regular-season NL ERA leader Kyle Hendricks, and there was Kershaw’s lone run. Gonzalez has homered in six straight playoffs, just one shy of the Major League record, with three of the homers providing go-ahead runs.

The left-handed Kershaw made a few mistakes that led the crowd at Wrigley to taunt him, “KER-Shaw. KER-Shaw. KER-Shaw:” a four-pitch walk to lead off the seventh, and a dropped foul pop-up.

With no margin for error — three days after his first save, five days after his last start — Kershaw made the homer stand, but only barely, as a laser line-out to the track in center by Javier Baez capped off the seventh.

Manager Dave Roberts then turned to Kenley Jansen for a six-out save, only three days after Jansen’s 51-pitch setup of Kershaw’s save in the NL Division Series clincher.

“To see how Kersh takes this team on his back, you just want to go out there and give it the extra inch and try to get the win,” said Jansen.

This postseason, Kershaw has tossed 19 1/3 innings in three starts and one historic save over 10 days. After dropping Game 1 of the NLCS, 8-4, Los Angeles turned to their ace to prevent trailing 0-2, in the best-of-seven series that moved to Dodger Stadium for games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

“It should surprise me what he’s doing,’’ Dodgers president Andrew Friedman says, “but being around him, the way he prepares, how he competes, it really doesn’t surprise me.

“It almost feels like I’m being too flippant about it, but I just know him well enough not to be surprised about it.’’

And Friedman is right. Kershaw has won three Cy Young Awards, and a NL MVP award. However, his playoff struggles lowered his status as one of MLB’s top aces. He entered this month with a 1-5 postseason record and 5.12 ERA.

Many ignored the fact that the ERA was inflated by his relievers allowing nine of his 14 inherited runners to score.

The only games the Dodgers have won this postseason are the ones in which Kershaw has pitched.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Kershaw. “I don’t know how to rank games or anything like that, but we needed this win tonight bad, and going back home after splitting [the two games] in Chicago, we like where we’re at right now, and it feels good to get that win.”

The lefty retired the first 14 batters he faced before Baez singled to left. Rookie Wilson Contreras followed with another base hit, but Kershaw got Jason Heyward to pop up and end the fifth.

According to Elias, Kershaw tied Jerry Reuss (Game 2, 1981 NLDS) and Sandy Koufax (Game 1, 1963 World Series) for the longest no-hit bid by a Dodgers pitcher in the postseason at 4 2/3 innings.

Kershaw also set a Dodgers record for an NLCS game, topping previous record holder Hyun-Jin Ryu, who went four innings before giving up a hit in Game 3 of the 2013 NLCS.

Even the opposing team’s manager praised the Dodgers ace.

“Give him credit, man,” said Cubs manager Joe Maddon. “I thought he pitched primarily with his fastball. The thing that I was really curious about was velocity and location before the game, and he had both. … He kept the ball off the fat part of our bat. He threw strikes like he normally does. So despite not having rest, his command and velocity were still good.”

Kershaw now is 5-6 in the postseason.

The two teams will face off for Game 3 in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Left-hander Rich Hill was named to start Game 3 for the Dodgers. Hill, on short rest, started for the Dodgers in the epic Game 5 of the NL Division Series vs. the Nationals, allowing one run in 2 2/3 innings with six strikeouts. 

Righty Jake Arrieta will start for the Cubs.

CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 16: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field on October 16, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)