The Boston Celtics are sticking with Al Horford as their starting center for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, even though Kristaps Porzingis is available to play.

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder looked very much like the dominant teams they were during the regular season in securing lopsided first-round playoff series wins.

Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby each scored 29 points before Mikal Bridges stole the ball from Jaylen Brown with a second left in overtime, and the New York Knicks stunned the Boston Celtics 108-105 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Monday night.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have better size, depth, defense and chemistry than the Los Angeles Lakers and lead the first-round series 2-1.

Even with Jayson Tatum in the starting lineup, the Boston Celtics still couldn’t find a way to win in Orlando.

The chippiness and chirping is beginning to heat up as it usually does during the NBA playoffs.

Jaylen Brown had 36 points and 10 rebounds, Kristaps Porzingis returned to the game after getting a bloody gash to the forehead and finished with 20 points, and the Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 109-100 in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis went to the locker room with a gash on his forehead but returned to shoot a pair of free throws and to the game after taking an elbow from Goga Bitadze of the Magic.

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been listed as doubtful with a bone bruise in his right wrist for Game 2 of Boston’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Orlando Magic.

They’ll be watching in Canada, not just because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though the NBA’s scoring champion and MVP favorite who plays for Oklahoma City surely helps lure in fans who are north of the border.

The Boston Celtics broke the NBA record for 3-pointers in a season Friday night against the Phoenix Suns.

Tyler Herro had 25 points and nine assists and the Miami Heat extended their season-best winning streak to six games with a 124-103 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Jayson Tatum had 25 points and 14 rebounds, Al Horford scored 26 points and the Boston Celtics swept a six-game road trip for the first time in franchise history with a 117-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Jayson Tatum had 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics held off a late rally to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-101.

Payton Pritchard and Derrick White have made NBA history.

Donovan Mitchell had 41 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to help the Cleveland Cavaliers rally from 22 points down and stun the Boston Celtics 123-116 in the final regular-season meeting of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams.

Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Derrick White added 20 and the Boston Celtics showed their championship makeup down the stretch with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

Jayson Tatum scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 26-point deficit to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 118-110.

Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 18 and the Boston Celtics handed the Golden State Warriors their most lopsided home loss in 40 years with a 125-85 victory.

Joel Embiid popped up from a pregame fall and scored 27 points with nine rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-114 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Jaylen Brown had 28 points with nine assists and Kristaps Porzingis added 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to their ninth victory in 10 games, a 130-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers ended Boston’s seven-game winning streak with a 115-111 victory over the Celtics in the second intense matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top teams this season.

The Boston Celtics have raised Banner 18 to the rafters.

Jayson Tatum has agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension to remain with the Boston Celtics, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that the Dallas Mavericks are trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round draft picks to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will miss 5-6 months after left ankle surgery.

The Washington Wizards drafted French 7-footer Alex Sarr with the second pick in the NBA draft.

Kristaps Porzingis returned to play for the Celtics as they attempted to close out the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

The Boston Celtics’ catastrophic performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals gave them a chance to clinch their unprecedented 18th championship under the banners already hanging in the TD Garden rafters.

Kristaps Porzingis will be in uniform and available to play in a limited role when the Boston Celtics try to wrap up a sweep of the NBA Finals in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Jayson Tatum scored 31 points and the Boston Celtics held off a furious Dallas rally to reach the brink of a record 18th championship with a 106-99 victory over the Mavericks for a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

Kristaps Porzingis did not play for the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals because of a rare tendon injury in his lower left leg suffered in the previous game.

Kristaps Porzingis has a dislocated tendon in his lower left leg but hasn’t been ruled out for Game 3 of the NBA Finals for the Boston Celtics against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Boston Celtics had the NBA Finals in mind when they went out and acquired Jrue Holiday.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said before the start of the Finals that he didn’t think Kristaps Porzingis received nearly as much praise for his ability as a shot blocker and someone who can alter opponents’ shots.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Bill Walton only spent one full season with the Boston Celtics, but his impact was unforgettable.

The Celtics are prohibitive favorites to win Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals and odds are on Boston to hoist what would be its record 18th championship banner.

The Celtics traded for 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis this past offseason hoping he might be the missing piece to help them hoist their 18th title.

Kyrie Irving returning to Boston.

So much about the journey the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers have taken to the Eastern Conference finals has been about who – they haven’t had to face to get to here.

The Celtics are back in the Eastern Conference finals for the third consecutive season following their 4-1 series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to extend their season without star Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert, who were both ruled out prior to Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with Boston.

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the short-handed Miami Heat 118-84 in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points, Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Boston center Kristaps Porzingis left the Celtics’ playoff game in Miami on Monday night late in the first half with what the team said was right calf tightness.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points, and the Boston Celtics soundly beat the Miami Heat 104-84 to a take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday night.

There’s a quadrupleheader of playoff games in the NBA on Saturday.

The Celtics spent the regular season racking up superlatives and pulverizing opponents with one of the league’s most versatile rosters.

Jrue Holiday agreed to terms on a four-year, $135 million contract extension with the Celtics, his agent Jason Glushon confirmed.

Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over Boston and a season sweep of the Celtics.

Jayson Tatum made five 3-pointers and scored 32 points and the Boston Celtics overcame Luka Doncic’s second straight triple-double to beat the Dallas Mavericks 138-110 and extend their season-best winning streak to 10 games.

Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Kristaps Porzingis had 22 and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics easily handled the New York Knicks 116-102 for their eighth consecutive victory.

Jayson Tatum had 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the Boston Celtics withstood a late rally to beat the Miami Heat 110-106.

Jayson Tatum scored 35 points and sparked a third-quarter rally to help the NBA-leading Boston Celtics to their 40th win of the season, 133-129 over the Washington Wizards.

Jamal Murray scored 35 points, Nikola Jokic finished with 34 and the Denver Nuggets held on to hand the Boston Celtics their first home loss of the season 102-100.

Pistons coach Monty Williams believes that his team can compete with anybody in the NBA, and now he has proof.

Hoping to avoid a 28th straight loss that would match the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Detroit Pistons forced overtime against the league-best Celtics before Boston recovered to win 128-122.

Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points and 11 rebounds, Jayson Tatum added 25 points and the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time in Christmas Day meetings 126-115 on Monday.

All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton recorded the first triple-double of his career and completed a tiebreaking four-point play with 1:33 left as the surprising Indiana Pacers ousted the Boston Celtics from the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 122-112 quarterfinal victory.

Jayson Tatum shook off an illness to have 23 points and 11 rebounds, carrying the Boston Celtics over the Milwaukee Bucks 119-116 on Wednesday night in an early showdown of top Eastern Conference teams.

The offseason moves by the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks got the attention of the NBA world and those who bet on the sport.

Jaylen Brown wasn't considered to be a surefire NBA superstar when the was drafted in 2016.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are running it back with the Dallas Mavericks after the All-Star pairing flopped in a two-month debut last season.

It's already been a busy offseason for player movement in the NBA.

Two people with knowledge of the deal say the Washington Wizards have agreed to trade center Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Celtics trading Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison isn't say much about an NBA investigation into possible tanking or the future of Kyrie Irving.

Jabari Smith Jr. scored 20 points, and the Houston Rockets went on a 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter to top the Washington Wizards 114-109 in the season finale for both.

Dallas is sitting Kyrie Irving and four other regulars against Chicago in a game with draft implications and with the Mavericks facing postseason elimination if they lose.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 55 points in a return from a one-game absence and the Milwaukee Bucks beat Washington 123-113 to snap the Wizards’ five-game winning streak.

Luka Doncic's unreal stat line on his latest triple-double has gone viral.

Anthony Davis scored 55 points on sizzling 22-of-30 shooting and added 17 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers over the Washington Wizards 130-119.

Bradley Beal and the Wizards renewed their commitment to each other when he agreed to a five-year deal worth up to $251 million to stay in Washington.

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points while Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 with Luka Doncic resting a sore right ankle and the Dallas Mavericks overwhelmed the Houston Rockets in the second half for a 110-91 victory.

Christian Wood set career highs with eight 3-pointers and 39 points as the Houston Rockets used a huge late run to rally for a 115-97 win over the Washington Wizards.

Stephen Curry dazzled for 47 points on his 34th birthday, Draymond Green returned from a 29-game absence to ignite the defense, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Wizards 126-112.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 25 points in his first game for Washington, and the Wizards beat the Indiana Pacers 133-123.

Luka Doncic scored 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first quarter, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-105.

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 41 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 1:01 to play, and tied a season best with 14 rebounds as the surging Dallas Mavericks held off the Toronto Raptors 102-98.

Luka Doncic had a triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and the Dallas Mavericks used a second-half rally to rout Memphis 112-85 on Friday night, ending the Grizzlies’ winning streak at 11 games.

RJ Barrett scored 32 points, Mitchell Robinson had a season-high 19 and the New York Knicks snapped the Dallas Mavericks’ six-game winning streak with a 108-85 victory.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 19 points and seven assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 130-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night despite missing two stars and their head coach.

Luka Doncic scored 26 points and the Dallas Mavericks celebrated before a ceremony to retire Dirk Nowitzki’s number by beating cold-shooting Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 99-82 on Wednesday night.

Rookie Austin Reaves swished a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 107-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Kevin Durant scored 24 points, James Harden had 23 points and 12 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat Dallas 102-99, handing the Mavericks their fifth consecutive home loss.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points, Luka Dončić had 26 in his return to the Dallas lineup, and the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 in overtime.

Mikal Bridges and Devin Booker each scored 19 points, Chris Paul added 18 points and 14 assists and the Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 11, rallying to beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-104 on Friday night.

Devin Booker scored 24 points, Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns ran their winning streak to 10 games, beating the Dallas Mavericks 105-98.

The Western Conference has the best regular season team from last year in Utah.

Luka Doncic has signed the richest contract in the history of the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Doncic is set to sign a $207 million supermax extension with the Dallas Mavericks.

Kawhi Leonard tied his playoff career high with 45 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-97 on Friday night, forcing a Game 7 in the first postseason series in NBA history with the road team winning the first six games.

Luka Doncic scored 42 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. hit two free throws with eight seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks edged the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 to take a 3-2 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, Paul George added 29 and the Los Angeles Clippers spoiled Luka Doncic’s home playoff debut, beating the Dallas Mavericks 118-108 to get back in the first-round playoff series.

Luka Doncic scored 39 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 28 and the Dallas Mavericks again outshot the NBA’s best 3-point team in a 127-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Luka Doncic scored 31 points and the Dallas Mavericks outshot the NBA’s leading team from 3-point range, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 113-103 on Saturday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

Luka Doncic scored 24 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-109 to finish a season sweep.

Buddy Hield scored 27 points, Marvin Bagley III had 23 points and nine rebounds and Sacramento beat Dallas 111-99, giving the also-ran Kings a season sweep of the playoff-contending Mavericks.

Luka Doncic had 18 points and 13 assists and the Dallas Mavericks overcame a 17-point deficit for a 108-93 win over Los Angeles in Lakers star Anthony Davis’ second game back from a long injury absence.