Sports

Celtics down Bucks in play-off thriller, Pacers on top of Cavs

Five players scored in double figures against the Bucks.

"That's what we have been about all year," Celtics forward Al Horford, top- scoring for his team with 24 points, said.

"We've been down a lot with injuries and we have always found a way."

Baynes started for the Celtics, but spent most of the game on the bench after drawing two early fouls, missing all four field goal attempts and was burned around the basket by the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Dellavedova, after missing more than two months with an ankle sprain, and Maker did not step foot on the court. Antetokounmpo and Middleton led the Bucks with 35 and 31 points respectively.

Game two is in Boston on Wednesday.

Indiana guard Victor Oladipo scored 32 points to power the Pacers to a 98-80 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of their play-off series at Cleveland.

The Cavs' LeBron James passes as Indiana's Bojan Bogdanovic blocks.

Photo: AP

Oladipo, who sank 11 of 19 shots overall, contributed six rebounds, four assists and four steals.

The Pacers, who dominated most of the game, shot 45.6 percent while holding the Cavaliers to 39 per cent. The teams will play game two on Thursday.

LeBron James contributed a triple-double for the Cavaliers with 24 points on 7-of-17 shooting, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. JR Smith contributed 15 points off the bench, and Kevin Love had nine points and team-high 17 rebounds for Cleveland.

After the Cavaliers closed the deficit to 76-69 with a driving lay-up by James, the Pacers answered with a 12-2 run to take 88-71 lead with 7:28 to go in the fourth quarter.

James-led teams had won 21 consecutive first-round games with the Miami Heat and Cavaliers. The Cavaliers swept the Pacers in last year's first round.

AAP, Reuters

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