DEFENCE BEHIND BOSTON'S SUCCESS

Celtics on track for record 18th title; youthful Thunder continue to rumble to take lead in semis

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The top-seeded Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder proved on May 7 that they deserved to be where they are, with convincing victories in their opening National Basketball Association (NBA) second-round playoff series.

Boston, who led the Eastern Conference and also the league all season, laid down a marker with a 120-95 rout of the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers at the TD Garden.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, were made to work harder by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks before finally pulling clear to seal a 117-95 home victory in the West.

In Boston, Jaylen Brown scored 32 points while Derrick White added 25, including seven three-pointers. That sealed an emphatic win for the Celtics, who are chasing a record 18th NBA championship.

The team were in complete control for most of the game, holding a double-digit lead through the second half to close out an emphatic home win.

Jayson Tatum added 18 points but was disappointing percentagewise, making just seven of 19 from the field.

Donovan Mitchell led the scoring for Cleveland with 33 points, while Evan Mobley added 17 and Darius Garland 14.