The Warriors have inched closer to returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019 as they now hold a 2-0 lead over the Mavericks, while the Celtics reclaimed home court after beating the Heat in Game 2 of their ECF series.
Golden State got a scare from a young and confident Dallas team. However, they’ve leaned on to their collective experience and composure to take control of the series.
Boston, meanwhile, showed exactly why they’re being favoured by the NBA 2022 odds to progress to the NBA Finals after a masterful performance yesterday.
Elsewhere, there’s good news for Orlando fans as they got the top overall selection during the Draft Lottery held last Tuesday.
Continue to learn more about the latest NBA 2022 news here at SBOTOP.
Mavericks left to rue missed opportunities
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd was left disappointed after Game 2 since it was their best chance to take away Golden State’s home court advantage.
They shot significantly better from three in Game 2 after shooting only 11-for-48 in Game 1 (23-per cent). However, it turned out to be fool’s gold.
The Mavericks went 21-for-45 in three-point attempts during Game 2 (47-per cent), but they settled for those outside shots too much and went 2-for-13 in the third quarter much to Jason Kidd’s dismay.
After being down by as much as 19 points with Dallas owning the first two quarters, Golden State replied with a 25-13 run during the third period to cut Dallas’ lead to two heading into the fourth quarter. From there, the hosts outscored their visitors 43-32 to win the ballgame.
Steph Curry had 32 points with six threes, eight rebounds, and five assists to lead Golden State, while Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Klay Thompson had 23, 16, and 15.
Kevon Looney was a huge contributor for the Warriors as he dropped 21 points and 12 rebounds, which marked the first time he scored 20 points in any organised game since he was still a freshman at UCLA in 2015.
Luka Doncic, on the other hand, tallied 42 points with five threes and eight assists while going 12-for-23 from the field and Jalen Brunson had 31 in the losing effort. It was the seventh 40-point playoff game from the Slovenian guard, matching Dirk Nowitzki for the most in team history.
Celtics keen to maximise home court advantage
The Celtics torched the Heat on their home floor, 127-102, as they were boosted by the returns of Marcus Smart and Al Horford.
Smart was out due to a foot sprain and Horford was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols for Game 1, and those two could’ve been the difference between a 1-1 or 2-0 start to this series.
In Game 2, Marcus Smart almost recorded a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and nine assists, while Al Horford only had 10 points but never missed a field goal.
Boston outplayed Miami in the first two quarters in Game 1, but the hosts answered with a 22-2 run in the third period to effectively win the game.
Jimmy Butler had 41 points in the first game while he had 29 in the second. But the main difference was the lack of production by his fellow starters on Friday.
The Celtics went 20-for-40 (50-per cent) from three in Game 2 while the Heat went 10-for 34 (29-per cent). The match got out of hand late in the first quarter when the Celtics unleashed a 17-0 run fueled by their incendiary outside shooting.
Jayson Tatum had a team-high of 27 points with four threes, while Jaylen Brown and Grant Williams added 24 and 19 respectively.
Magic win draft lottery, Thunder, Rockets, and Kings round out Top 4
Orlando have been on a seemingly endless rebuild and they’re hoping that they can finally get their franchise player in the 2022 NBA Draft where they’ll have the No. 1 overall pick for the fourth time in franchise history.
The last time that they drafted first, they selected Dwight Howard in 2004 and it’ll be a major success if they can get someone with his calibre.
However, there is no clear-cut No. 1 pick from this class, although most of them can contribute right away. Some of the potential options include Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith, Jaden Ivey, and Shaedon Sharpe.
Meanwhile, the Thunder will select at No. 2 which will be the team’s first top-four pick since 2009, while the Rockets are at No. 3 after picking second last year, and the Kings are at fourth.
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