One day after being announced as the NBA's most valuable player, Joel Embiid could return from a right knee injury when the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday.

Embiid took part in the team's shootaround on Wednesday morning, and he now has a chance to suit up for the first time since Game 3 of the first round against the Brooklyn Nets.

Embiid sat out Game 4 of the opening round on April 22 due to a sprained ligament in the knee as Philadelphia swept Brooklyn. 

The six-time All-Star then missed Game 1 of the semifinals in Boston on Monday, as the 76ers won 119-115 behind James Harden's 45 points.

Embiid finally won MVP honours on Tuesday after runner-up finishes in the previous two seasons. 

He averaged a career-best 33.1 points in 2022-23 to claim his second straight scoring title, also adding 10.2 rebounds and a career high-tying 4.2 assists per game.

Embiid also set a personal best by shooting 54.8 per cent from the field, while his 66 games were the second-most he has played during a single campaign in his career.

James Harden's "perfect mindset" was lauded by Doc Rivers after the Philadelphia 76ers got the better of the Boston Celtics.

The 76ers nudged themselves ahead in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Celtics with a 119-115 win on Monday.

Philadelphia were without talisman and NBA MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who was ruled out of Game 1 due to a sprained ankle.

Yet Harden stepped up, scoring 45 points, matching his playoff career-high.

"I thought that he had just the perfect mindset tonight," 76ers coach Rivers said of Harden.

"He really did. I'm so happy for him because it just tells you what he can do on given nights.

"The guy is a Hall of Famer, and all you hear is the other stuff about him, and he was fantastic."

Harden finished with 17-for-30 from the field and 7-for-14 three-pointers.

"I haven't felt one of those zones in a minute," Harden said. "You know what I mean? Just to be aggressive and shoot the basketball and do what I want.

"That felt really good. I'm capable of doing it, so it felt good. It felt good to make those shots, to give ourselves a chance."

Harden, though, does not feel he needs to prove himself all over again – he just wants to help the Sixers win.

"I don't need to make a statement," Harden added. "My coaches, my team-mates, what they expect me to do all throughout the course of the year was be a facilitator and get Joel the basketball and score when necessary. Joel wasn't here tonight, you know what I mean? And, we knew that going into this series.

"Now it's like, 'All right, open the floor. James, you be aggressive.' And tonight, I was aggressive. So, it's not that I'm not capable of doing it, this is my role for this team. Now, if you want me to do [what I did] tonight, then I can do that as well.

"I don't think a lot of players can do that. So yeah, I appreciate that."

For Harden's team-mate P.J. Tucker, Monday's win was evidence the Sixers are not wholly reliant on star player Embiid.

"I think we take pride in playing without the big fella," Tucker said. "As good as he is, I think it gives others opportunities to step up and play.

"Everybody took a little step up with him out. It's like a pride thing for us."

Jayson Tatum would not be drawn on talk that the Boston Celtics are the new NBA title favourites after clinching their first-round playoffs series against the Atlanta Hawks with Thursday's 118-110 win.

The Celtics clinched the series 4-2, setting up a date in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers who swept the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.

The shock exit of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who boasted the league's best regular-season record at 58-24, to the Miami Heat has opened up the playoffs.

Boston made last year's NBA Finals and finished second in this regular season in the East behind the Bucks with the second-best record in the NBA at 57-25.

"Not looking past nobody," Tatum told reporters when asked about the Celtics being title favourites. "Taking it one game, one series at a time.

"We just had six tough games against the Hawks. Closed it out tonight, now it's time to get some rest and get ready for Philly.

"Not looking past them. It's going to be tough. They've had some time off. It starts with Game 1."

The 76ers benefitted from their sweep, having closed that series out on Sunday, allowing time for MVP candidate Joel Embiid to rest a sprained knee that kept him out of Game 4 against the Nets. The 76ers-Celtics series is due to commence on Monday.

Jaylen Brown, who scored 32 points against the Hawks in Game 6 alongside Tatum's 30, expected a tough test against their old rivals.

"We know they're going to bring the fight," he said. "Philly is a tough environment to win. Their crowd gets involved in the game. It's going to be fun.

"We already know they've got some great players, Joel Embiid, James Harden and company. It's going to be a test again. We've got to be ready to fight and I can't wait for it."

The Celtics were pushed all the way by the Hawks in not only Game 6, but the whole series. Boston needed a final-quarter 11-0 run, which Brown called "winning time", to pull away and punch their ticket into the next round.

"Winning time, I guess," Brown said. "Adrenaline, just that will and perseverance to finish the game. It was close and both teams was exchanging blows, we were both tired.

"And we didn't want to be the team going back home with an 'L.' So we just found a way to win."

Meanwhile, Hawks guard Trae Young was enthused by his side's end to their season after Nate McMillan was axed in February, before an admirable recovery under new coach Quin Snyder.

"Quin is the future," Young said. "I believe with him here, this city's going to win a championship."

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both produced 30-point games as the Boston Celtics secured their spot in the Conference Semifinals with a 128-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

The Celtics clinched the series 4-2 with Thursday's road win at State Farm Arena, booking a date with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 1 scheduled for Monday.

Boston will be relieved to have closed out the series in six after Trae Young's buzzer-beater in Game 5, with the 76ers having had time to rest after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.

But it was not easy for the Celtics, who trailed 100-98 at three-quarter time but raced ahead in the blink of an eye with an 11-0 run on three straight three-pointers before Tatum's dunk with 2:07 left.

Dejounte Murray snapped that run with a triple to cut the score to 121-116 but the Celtics never surrendered that lead with Marcus Smart scoring their final seven points to close it out.

Tatum scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Brown posted a team-high 32 points, making six-of-eight from three-point range.

Smart added 22 points, while Al Horford scored 10 points including two three-pointers with 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Atlanta's Game 5 hero Young top scored with 30 points with 10 assists but went cold after half-time, shooting one-of-12 from the field in the second half. Murray went scoreless in the first half but finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.

Jaylen Brown was frustrated by the way the Boston Celtics gave the Atlanta Hawks "life" in Game 5, passing up a "tremendous opportunity" to clinch their first-round playoff series.

The Celtics were 3-1 up heading into Tuesday's game in Boston, but they now must go on the road again to attempt to finish the job in Atlanta.

That is after the Hawks won 119-117 in perhaps the biggest upset of the postseason so far.

Dejounte Murray was missing for the Hawks, serving a one-game suspension, but All-Star team-mate Trae Young finished with 38 points and 13 assists in a dominant performance.

"We had a tremendous opportunity," Brown said. "We controlled the game for the most part, and then Trae Young just put on a hell of a performance in the fourth quarter."

Indeed, Young had 16 points in the fourth quarter, including each of the Hawks' last 14.

Atlanta outscored Boston by 12 points in the fourth, having still trailed by eight entering the final four minutes before Young took over, hitting a 30-foot, game-winning three over Brown with three seconds left.

"We made some bonehead plays, some fouls," Brown added. "We gave them some opportunities to get going. We've just got to finish the game.

"We let the game get away from us a little bit, and they just hit shot after shot down the line. When you give a team life, you give them a chance, and that's what we did."

Trae Young kept the Atlanta Hawks' season alive with a deep three-pointer in the final seconds of their 119-117 road victory against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Tuesday.

The win, which cut the Celtics' lead to 3-2, looked exceedingly unlikely when a Jaylen Brown three-pointer put Boston ahead 109-96 with 6:10 on the clock.

Seven quick John Collins points brought the Hawks back into the contest, before back-to-back pull-up threes from Young tied things at 111-111 with 2:30 remaining.

After trading free throws late, the Hawks got the ball back with seven seconds, trailing by one with their season on the line.

Showing no fear, Young pulled up from way beyond the three-point line and drilled it, leaving not enough time on the clock for the Celtics to get a shot up.

Young had 14 points in the final 3:18 of play, finishing with a game-high 38 points on 14-of-33 shooting, while also adding a game-high 13 assists as fellow starting guard Dejounte Murray was out serving a one-game suspension.

John Collins chipped in 22 points (nine-of-18 shooting) and Bogdan Bogdanovic made the most of his spot start with 18 points (six-of-nine shooting), six rebounds and five assists.

For the Celtics, Brown was clearly their top performer with 35 points (15-of-23 shooting), while it was another disappointing showing from Jayson Tatum, hitting only one of his 10 three-point attempts on his way to 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Nuggets knock out the Timberwolves

Despite the best efforts of young Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, the Denver Nuggets prevailed 112-109 in Game 5 to secure the 4-1 series win.

Edwards again led the Wolves in scoring with 29 points (13-of-27 shooting), but he was outgunned by Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.

Murray finished with a game-high 35 points (12-of-23 shooting), making up for Nikola Jokic's uncharacteristic shooting night (28 points on eight-of-29 shooting), although he still collected a big triple-double with 17 rebounds and 12 assists.

The Nuggets will face the Phoenix Suns in the second round.

Booker leads the way as Clippers season comes to an end

Devin Booker capped a terrific individual series with another 47 points and 10 assists as his Suns beat the Los Angeles Clippers 136-130 in Game 5.

Booker came into the contest averaging 34.8 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 57.1 per cent from the field and 43.5 per cent from deep in the first four games of the series, and he shot 19-of-27 to close things out for a 4-1 series win.

Kevin Durant added 31 points and Deandre Ayton collected 21 points with 11 rebounds, closing the door on a Clippers team that never stood a chance after injuries to both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

The Atlanta Hawks are preparing for Game 5 against the Boston Celtics without Dejounte Murray after he was hit with a one-game suspension on Monday for his conduct towards an official.

The incident occurred at the end of Atlanta's Game 4 loss, where Murray was seen to make contact with a referee, and he was accused of verbally abusing them also.

He will miss Tuesday's next game in Boston, which could be the last game of the Hawks' season as they go in down 3-1.

Speaking to the media after being alerted of Murray's suspension, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said his young star knows he was out of line, and it makes the task ahead even more difficult.

"Beating Boston in the Garden in the situation we're in right now, we all know is a challenge in and of itself," he said. "[But] it's something the entire group has to absorb.

"Dejounte recognizes his part in the situation. That's just not something you can do. You'd have to ask him directly as far as what had transpired previously. 

"I think there was frustration over the course of the game that built up, and he didn't handle it the way that he needs to – he knows that, we talked about it."

As far as filling the gaping hole Murray's absence leaves in the rotation, Snyder was not willing to reveal his thinking.

"Who starts [for Murray]? I'm not sure," he said. "Normally, historically, when one of those guards is out, you could start another guard, or you can go big. 

"We just found all this out. We need to meet as a staff and talk about it and see what makes the most sense for us relative to our opponent. Dejounte, not just in this series, but over the course of the year, has been a real important part of what our team does. 

"We've got to understand that contributions are going to have to come from a number of different players across the board. I don't think you can plug and play in a situation like this. Everybody's got to do their part."

If the Hawks can take Game 5, they will get a chance to tie the series at 3-3 back home in Game 6.

In the classic 1994 comedy film, Jim Carrey puts on a mask that gives him special powers. In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Jaylen Brown seemingly had the same effect after removing his.

With nine minutes left in the second period, and having only scored two points, Brown emerged from a timeout without the protective mask he has worn since fracturing his cheekbone in February.

He went on to finish with 31 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-121 at State Farm Arena to go 3-1 up in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

"I was talking to [Marcus] Smart when JB took his mask off and was like, 'Oh, s***. It's go time,'" Celtics guard Jayson Tatum said, who also put up 31 points. "I knew he was going to turn it up a notch."

Brown had scored just one from seven field-goal attempts prior to taking off his mask, going on to net 11 from 15 after that.

"Maybe it was all in my head, but I just needed a different look," Brown said. "As soon as I took it off, things started to turn around a little bit."

It was an astonishing turn in form from Brown, who is averaging 23.3 points per game in the playoffs so far.

"I've just started getting comfortable with it since I've been wearing it," he added about the mask. "When I first put it on, I didn't like it too much, and I had to wear it.

"I just needed something different [on Sunday]. I don't know what it was: Change my shoes, wipe my hands off, take the mask off, whatever it is I needed to do, I needed to do to help our team get a win, and that's what I was trying to do."

The Celtics can clinch the series in Game 5 when they return to TD Garden on Tuesday.

The Golden State Warriors almost blew a five-point lead in the final minute as Harrison Barnes missed a buzzer-beater as the reigning champions levelled their first round series with the Sacramento Kings after a 126-125 Game 4 win on Sunday.

The Warriors led 126-121 heading into the final 60 seconds but gifted the Kings an avenue back in after Stephen Curry called for a timeout when they had none left at Chase Center.

Malik Monk scored the subsequent free-throw before De'Aaron Fox's three-pointer cut the margin to one point.

Curry then missed a pullup shot with 14 seconds left but the Kings could not capitalise with the final possession after a timeout, when a double-teamed Fox found Barnes open before his attempt rimmed out.

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry finished with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting with five-of-11 from beyond the arc, along with five rebounds and four assists.

Klay Thompson had 26 points with four three-pointers and Jordan Poole added 22 points, while Draymond Green returned from a one-game ban off the bench with a strong display, holding the Kings to five-of-15 as primary defender.

Clutch Player of the Year Fox did everything but hit the final shot, scoring 38 points on 14-of-31 shooting with four three-pointers.

Keegan Murray added 23 points with five-of-seven three-point shooting and Domantas Sabonis was down on his usual output with 14 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

The Warriors squared the series up at 2-2 ahead of Game 5 in Sacramento on Wednesday. Golden State are 35-8 at home across the regular and postseason but are 11-32 on the road.

Tatum and Brown led Celtics triumph

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 31 points each as the Boston Celtics pulled 3-1 clear in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 129-121 road win.

The Celtics led nearly the entire game, holding off a 68-point Hawks' second half, with Tatum and Brown combining for Boston's final 16 points to round out the win.

Tatum's 31 points came on eight-of-20 shooting from the field including four-of-13 three-pointers, with seven rebounds and three blocks. Brown scored 12-of-22 from the field with three triples.

Trae Young had a strong game for Atlanta with 35 points and 15 assists, while De'Andre Hunter added 27 points and Dejounte Murray scored 23 with nine rebounds.

Knicks pull clear, Timberwolves avoid sweep in OT

The New York Knicks took a 3-1 lead in their first round series with the Cleveland Cavaliers after Jalen Brunson scored 29 points at a loud Madison Square Garden to lead them to a 102-93 win.

Donovan Mitchell had a poor game, managing only 11 points on five-of-18 shooting, with Darius Garland stepping up for 23 points and 10 assists.

But the Knicks were too strong, with R.J. Barrett supporting Brunson with 26 points, while Josh Hart had 19 points and seven rebounds. Brunson shot five three-pointers, while Julius Randle sat out the fourth quarter, scoring on seven points fo the game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves staved off elimination and avoided a first-ever franchise sweep with a 114-108 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, with Anthony Edwards delivering a clutch three-pointer to cap his 34 points. Denver center Nikola Jokic scored 43 points with 11 rebounds.

Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder applauded Trae Young for finding his "rhythm" after a wretched run to inspire Friday's win over the Boston Celtics.

The Hawks won their Eastern Conference first-round Game 3 clash 130-122 to prevent Boston going 3-0 ahead, which would have left them needing just one more win for a series sweep.

Young had previously shot a combined of 14-of-40 (35 per cent) from the field across the first two games of the series.

But on Friday he scored a team-high 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, adding nine assists, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal, while his All-Star backcourt teammate Dejounte Murray chipped in 25 points (11-of-21 shooting), six rebounds and five assists.

Although it was arguably the Hawks' bench who got them over the line – with Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson and Bogdan Bogdanovic combining to shoot 16-of-22 (72.7 per cent) from the field for 44 points – much of the post-game focus was on Young and Murray, who finally seemed to flourish together.

Young in particular has had a difficult time of it, especially in the playoffs – for Snyder, there was an element of just sitting back and letting things unfold as the two-time All-Star and Murray took matters into their own hands.

"First of all, [it was] kind of figuring out what they were thinking together playing off each other," Snyder said when asked about Young and Murray's on-court chatter.

"At one point, I was like, I should just be quiet. Usually when that's happening, as a coach, if you feel that and you respect those guys and they are communicating like that and if they're on the same page, people will play off of them. That's what happened us.

"That's when we're going to be playing our best basketball."

That certainly seemed the case on Friday, with the hard work appearing to pay off for Young.

"Those two guys, over the course of the game, not just with the other guys on the team, but with one another, were connecting and pushing one another," Snyder added.

"You could tell [Young] found a rhythm, and it was good to see that because he's been working on it. He's been watching [film] and trying to figure out how he can attack somebody.

"The message, as much as anything for him and the whole group, is just to stay aggressive and trying to make the right play.

"[Young] got a little down when he turned it over one time and he was shaking his head, and I just said, 'Let’s get to the next play.' I don't want him thinking about what just happened. Every mistake can make you better if you just process it the right way. You can tell he found his rhythm tonight."

Murray was in no doubt about it being his and Young's best performance as a duo.

"Absolutely. I don't want to talk about Boston a lot but I look at Jayson [Tatum] and Jaylen [Brown] a lot, two guys who were going through it a lot, just to get to the level they're at. Great things don't happen overnight. Great things take time."

Young seemingly disagreed to an extent but acknowledged there being a timeliness to his and Murray's link-up.

"You don't want to live in the moment too much," he said. "I mean, we won a game in the playoffs, it's big, but we've had some really good games together.

"I don't consider this our best game together. It's definitely one of them, but it came at the right time and we needed it."

The Hawks can level the series with a win in Game 4 on Sunday.

Trae Young answered his critics in the Atlanta Hawks' crucial 130-122 Game 3 victory at home against the Boston Celtics on Friday.

After shooting a combined 14-of-40 (35 per cent) from the field across the first two games of the series, Young scored a team-high 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting in Game 3, adding nine assists, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

His All-Star backcourt mate Dejounte Murray chipped in 25 points (11-of-21 shooting), six rebounds and five assists, but it was the Hawks' bench who really carried the home team over the line.

The combination of Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson and Bogdan Bogdanovic combined to shoot 16-of-22 (72.7 per cent) from the field for 44 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists, four blocks and two steals.

Boston pulled the margin back to 100-99 early in the fourth quarter, but 15 points from Young in the period was enough to fend off the challenge.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points (nine-of-22), 10 rebounds and five assists, and last year's Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart added 24 points (nine-of-19), eight assists and three steals.

Atlanta will have a chance to tie things up at home in Game 4, before the series heads back to Boston for Game 5.

Jokic toys with the Timberwolves defense

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic was at his playmaking best, putting together a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-111 to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Jokic – who set the single-season record for assists per game by a center (9.8) this season – posted 20 points (nine-of-13), 12 assists and 11 rebounds in a comprehensive effort against three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

After serious injuries in recent years prevented Michael Porter Jr from making an impact in the playoffs, the 24-year-old led the Nuggets in scoring with 25 points (10-of-17 shooting) and nine rebounds, playing a team-high 40 minutes in an indication that his troublesome back is finally at full strength.

Anthony Edwards tried his heart out for the Wolves, scoring a game-high 36 points (10-of-22 shooting) with seven rebounds, five assists and a game-high three steals.

Knicks defense shuts down the Cavs

The New York Knicks became the first team this season to hold their opponent under 80 points with their gritty 99-79 triumph at home over the Cleveland Cavaliers, taking a 2-1 series lead.

Incredibly, the Cavaliers could only score 32 points in the first half, as Darius Garland finished shooting four-of-21 from the field for his 10 points, while Caris LeVert was seven-of-17 for his 17 points.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks in scoring with 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while five different New York players finished with at least two steals each, headlined by Obi Toppin's four off the bench in just 15 minutes.

The Cavaliers ended up shooting 38.8 per cent from the field, 21.2 per cent from long range and 58.8 per cent at the free throw line in a forgettable outing.

Boston Celtics reserve Malcolm Brogdon has been named NBA Sixth Man of the Year for his stellar first season with his new team.

Brogdon, 30, was traded to the Celtics from the Indiana Pacers in July for a 2023 first-round draft pick and a combination of smaller contract for matching salary, and it has proved a shrewd move.

The 2017 Rookie of the Year had put together a rare 50-40-90 shooting season in 2018-19 to earn a big free agent deal with the Pacers, and he returned to his sharpshooting best coming off the bench in Boston.

Registering zero starts from his 67 regular season appearances, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his 26.0 minutes per game, while shooting 48.4 per cent from the field, 44.4 per cent from three-point range and 87.0 per cent from the free throw line.

Among players to play at least 20 games this season while averaging at least four three-point attempts per contest, Brogdon's 44.4 per cent clip is the third-highest in the league, trailing only Memphis Grizzlies sniper Luke Kennard (49.4) and Brogdon's Boston team-mate Al Horford (44.6).

His main competition for the award was New York Knicks spark plug Immanuel Quickley, who incredibly finished with almost identical averages to Brogdon at 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists, and while he played 14 more games than the eventual winner, 21 of his outings came in the starting line-up.

Quickley's performances in the starting line-up boosted his figures considerably, playing 38.6 minutes in those fixtures and averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 46.9 per cent from the field, 40.1 per cent from deep and 84.6 per cent from the free throw line.

His late-season run as a starter likely cost Quickley some votes from voters who are stricter about their definition of a sixth man, as Brogdon received 60 of the 100 first-place votes, while Quickley scooped up 34. Milwaukee Bucks back-up big-man Bobby Portis finished third.

Trae Young is confident he will return to his best after being showered with "overrated" chants by opposition supporters in the Atlanta Hawks' Game 2 defeat to the Boston Celtics.

The Hawks fell 119-106 at TD Garden on Tuesday to go 2-0 down in the series ahead of back-to-back home games.

Young averaged 26.2 points during the regular season – only nine players performed better – but he fell short of that with 16 points in Atlanta's latest loss.

The 24-year-old point guard also struggled in the postseason last year as he averaged just 15 points against the Miami Heat in a five-game first-round defeat.

Celtics fans took aim at Young as he lined up for a free throw attempt during the fourth quarter, but the two-time NBA All-Star will not let the criticism get the better of him.

"I didn't play my best today, and I know I will going forward. I'm not worried," he said. 

"I could be better. I didn't shoot the ball really well. I had some turnovers where I was just driving, and [the ball] left my hands. I'm gonna be better at home.

"The last two years we've played the number one and number two seeds. Everybody knows the defenses are keyed towards me, and it's up to me to make the right decisions."

Young shot just 9-of-22 from the field and had nearly as many turnovers (five) as assists (six), as his disappointing run of postseason performances continued.

"I know Trae," Celtics head coach Quin Snyder said. "He'll be the first one watching the tape on the plane, trying to figure out ways where he can play better.

"I think we have a lot of guys that are gonna do that, and certainly I'm gonna do it, too."

The Cleveland Cavaliers played some role reversal with their star backcourt on Tuesday as Darius Garland led the scoring charge to defeat the New York Knicks 107-90.

The Game 2 victory tied the series at 1-1 after the Knicks took the opener on the road, but following his 38-point performance in Game 1, Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell assumed point guard responsibilities.

Mitchell dished a career-high 13 assists to go with 17 points as he went six-of-11 from the field, setting up Garland to shoulder the scoring workload.

After 17 points in Game 1, Garland posted a game-high 32 on eight-of-17 shooting, draining six-of-10 from long range, and he also chipped in seven assists in a masterful offensive showing.

Evan Mobley, who was third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, blocked two shots and snatched two steals to go with his 13 points and 13 rebounds, while his interior partner Jarrett Allen racked up three steals and three blocks as they controlled the paint throughout.

For the Knicks, who found themselves down 59-39 at half-time and could not claw their way out, Jalen Brunson shot a disappointing five-of-17 from the field for his 20 points, although he added six assists and four steals.

Julius Randle was not much better, finishing with 22 points on eight-of-20 shooting with eight rebounds and six turnovers, and the Knicks shot seven-of-29 (24.1 per cent) from three-point range.

After splitting the first two games, the Knicks will head to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 with home court advantage now in their favour.

Boston's White knight delivers

Complimentary guard Derrick White gave the Boston Celtics a match-winning cameo in their 119-106 Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

White, who was one of only 10 players this season to play all 82 games in the regular season, put together a terrific game with 26 points (11-of-16 shooting), seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal after starting and playing 34 minutes.

His hot-shooting night saw him usurp Jaylen Brown for the evening in shot attempts as the Celtics' second All-Star chipped in 18 points (seven-of-14), three steals and two blocks, while First Team All-NBA candidate Jayson Tatum led the way with 29 points (12-of-22), 10 rebounds and six assists.

Dejounte Murray was strong for the Hawks with 29 points (11-of-24), six rebounds, six assists and four steals, finishing with a dead-even plus/minus in his 40 minutes, but Trae Young was minus 15 and Atlanta were torched when he was left on the floor without Murray.

While the Celtics will take a 2-0 lead to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, the Hawks can put all the pressure back on Boston by holding serve at home.

Booker shines for the Suns

Devin Booker stepped up and helped his Phoenix Suns tie their series at 1-1 with a 123-109 triumph over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

Booker put up a game-high 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting, playing 45 out of a possible 48 minutes while also leading the Suns with nine assists.

Kevin Durant was excellent in support with 25 points (10-of-19), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal, while Deandre Ayton added 14 points with 13 rebounds and Chris Paul chipped in eight assists to go with his 16 points.

It was another ubiquitous performance from two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard as he embarks on his quest to join LeBron James as the only Finals MVP-winner with three different teams.

He had a team-high 31 points (11-of-20), a team-high seven assists and a team-high three steals, while Russell Westbrook posted 28 points (nine-of-16), five rebounds and five assists, but they did not have enough help.

The series will head to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.

Jaylen Brown credited the adrenaline of the game after somehow managing to top-score despite having a hand injury as the Boston Celtics started their NBA playoff first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks with a win.

Brown cut his right hand last week when he smashed a glass vase at his home, but he was able to play on Saturday.

Despite having had stitches following the injury, Brown's cut split open again against the Hawks, and he had to leave the court at TD Garden after just eight minutes to have his bandage changed.

However, he returned to ultimately play 37 minutes and score 29 points as the Celtics won 112-99, with 45 points in the second quarter.

Brown insisted the laceration between his fingers was "fine now", although he is still working out the best way to manage the issue.

"I think it's going to be alright," he said. "It's a constant adjustment, making sure I have a good grip on the ball.

"There's not a lot of padding on it, so it's just a different feel shooting the ball. [The pain] is fine. Especially with the adrenaline of the game, you kind of just get going."

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who scored 25 points, said of his team-mate: "He came out aggressive. He looked like he looked fine and played really well."

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