Canada's RJ Barrett shines as Knicks push Cavaliers to brink of elimination

Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, RJ Barrett had 26 and the New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first-round series with a 102-93 victory on Sunday.

New York forced Cleveland all-star Donovan Mitchell into one of the worst games of his post-season career, finishing with just 11 points on five-for-18 shooting. Darius Garland had 23 points and 10 assists for the visiting Cavs, bouncing back nicely after going four for 21 in the Knicks' Game 3 romp. Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert each scored 14 points.

Barrett, a 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., was only six for 25 in the two games in Cleveland but has been outstanding back at home, where fans chanted his name in the second half. He had five straight points to break the Knicks free from a 75-all tie, then added another basket before Hart scored to push it to 90-81 midway during a stretch when Cleveland could only manage two baskets in more than four minutes.

After limiting the Cavs to the lowest point total in an NBA game this season on Friday, the Knicks led most of the way in this one to reach the verge of the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time since beating Boston in 2013.

They've only made it back to the playoffs once since then, falling in five games to Atlanta in 2021. But this team is more complete, thanks largely signing Brunson last summer and acquiring Hart from Portland during this season.

New York pushed it into double digits in the second and Brunson's three-pointer midway through the period made it 46-31. The Knicks were ahead 54-45.

But Garland got the first two baskets of the third quarter, set up Cleveland's next three scores, then had the Cavs' next two field goals to tie it at 59. His three-point play gave Cleveland a 66-63 lead and he had 11 points and five assists in the period, before Brunson made a three-pointer with 6.2 seconds left that sent the Knicks to the fourth with a 73-71 edge.

Curry, Warriors hold off Kings to even series

De'Aaron Fox had 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Sacramento. His three-pointer with 28.7 seconds left pulled the Kings within one, and then Curry missed a 16-foot jumper on the other end and Keegan Murray corralled the rebound. With Curry and Draymond Green defending, Fox dished to former Warrior Barnes for the potential game-winning three, which hit the back of the rim.

Golden State led 126-121 with 42.4 seconds left when Curry called the excessive timeout, and Malik Monk made the technical free throw for Sacramento.

Green, disciplined for stepping on Domantas Sabonis' chest in the fourth quarter of Game 2, checked in to a rousing ovation with 6:38 left in the opening quarter and wound up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. He and Fox picked up double technicals at the 5:43 mark of the first.

Sabonis added 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and now heads home determined to get the Kings closer to winning their first playoff series since eliminating Dallas in the 2004 first round.

Poole scored 22 points, Andrew Wiggins added 18 points and eight rebounds and Kevon Looney pulled down 14 rebounds to go with eight points and six assists.

Celtics put Hawks on brink of elimination

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum each scored 31 points and the visiting Boston Celtics led nearly the entire way, holding off the Atlanta Hawks for a 129-121 victory Sunday night and commanding 3-1 lead in the opening-round playoff series.

Tatum and Brown combined to score Boston's final 16 points.

Brown, who has been wearing a protective mask after sustaining facial contusions in February, took off the device after making only one of seven shots. He went 11 of 15 the rest of the way.

Boston never trailed after grabbing a 4-3 lead on Derrick White's basket just over a minute into the game.

Tatum delivered a huge three-pointer off a loose ball with two minutes remaining, pushing the Celtics to a 118-106 lead.

After Trae Young swished a long three to provide Atlanta's last gasp, Brown knocked one down from beyond the arc seal it for the Celtics.

Marcus Smart added 19 points and Derrick White 18 for the Celtics.

Young had another big game for Atlanta with 35 points, but it wasn't enough. De'Andre Hunter chipped in with 27 and DeJounte Murray had 23.

But Boston closed the first half on a 12-4 spurt, capped by Smart's three-pointer that sent the visitors to the locker room with a 65-53 lead and sapped a lot of energy from the home crowd.

The Celtics tenaciously protected their edge throughout the third period.

Young hit a long three-pointer that brought the Hawks within three, but Boston got the last shot and put the ball in Smart's hands. The Celtics cleared the middle of the court so he could blow by Bogdan Bogdanovic, laying it in for a 92-87 lead heading to the final quarter.

Smart was in the Celtics lineup and looked just fine after a hard fall near the end of Game 3.

He landed on his tailbone while battling for a rebound, prompting Boston to list him as a game-time decision. But coach Joe Mazzulla declared his guard "good to go" well ahead of tipoff.

Timberwolves avoid elimination against Nuggets

Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 114-108 in overtime in Game 4 to avoid elimination Sunday night.

Rudy Gobert added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Minnesota, which held on after Denver scored the final 12 points of regulation to force overtime. Mike Conley had 19 points for the Timberwolves.

Game 5 is Tuesday in Denver.

Jamal Murray finished with 19 points and Aaron Gordon 14 for Denver, which looked prime to have a chance to rest before the second round where it would face the winner of the Suns-Clippers series, which Phoenix leads 3-1.

Minnesota lost in the first round to Memphis last year, surrendering three double-digit, fourth-quarter leads.

This time, Jokic took another Wolves' lead away.

The Nuggets were pressed to a fifth game, but they still look like a team primed for a long playoff run. They also might have found an answer to their biggest issue: surviving when the two-time MVP Jokic isn't on the floor.

With Gordon playing the backup centre minutes, the Nuggets didn't just survive, they outscored Minnesota without Jokic by six points.