NBA roundup: Top-seeded Celtics and Thunder win playoff openers

On Tuesday, the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, both holding the top seed in their respective NBA playoff series, secured resounding victories.

The Boston Celtics, the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, made a strong statement with a dominant 120-95 victory over the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden.

Led by Jaylen Brown's 32 points and Derrick White's impressive shooting from beyond the arc, the Celtics showcased their offensive firepower.

Despite a slightly off-night shooting-wise for Jayson Tatum, who contributed 18 points, Boston maintained control throughout the game.

The Celtics' defense played a crucial role in setting the tone and limiting Cleveland to under 100 points. Boston's strong start allowed them to establish an early lead, and although Cleveland briefly took the lead, the Celtics quickly regained control and never looked back.

With a comfortable 26-point lead in the fourth quarter, Boston secured a convincing victory. The Celtics' next game against the Cavaliers will take place in Boston on Thursday.

In Oklahoma City, the Thunder and the Mavericks engaged in a closely contested battle before the top-seeded team decisively pulled away in the final quarter.

After trailing by nine points at halftime, Dallas made a comeback in the third quarter to narrow the gap to just one point at 66-65.

However, the young Thunder squad started to hit their stride, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributing 10 points in the third quarter to help OKC establish a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City's offensive momentum carried over into the final quarter, with Jalen Williams scoring 10 points as the Thunder outscored the Mavericks 28-16 to secure a 22-point victory margin.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring for OKC with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and Williams contributed 18.

On the Mavericks' side, Kyrie Irving led with 20 points, while Luka Doncic, dealing with a knee injury, finished with 19 points after shooting six-of-19 from the field.

The Thunder, with an average age of just over 23, became the youngest team to win a second-round playoff game and the youngest team to win a postseason series after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.

"We don't pay attention to the statistics and our age," Gilgeous-Alexander commented post-game. "Our focus is on winning basketball games at a high level, and that's what we strive for every night."

Looking ahead to game two in Oklahoma City, Doncic acknowledged the need for significant improvement from the Mavericks.

"We lost, so who cares about my shooting performance? We need to move on and be better collectively," Doncic stated. "Facing a strong defensive and offensive team like the Thunder won't be easy. We have to play focused, high-quality basketball for the entire 48 minutes."