The NBA playoffs continue, Lakes and Celtics win

LeBron scores 30 points and the Lakers avoid first-round elimination with a 119-108 win over champion Denver

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers avoided elimination from the playoffs with a 119-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their first-round series. LeBron James scored 30 points and Anthony Davis added 25 points and 23 rebounds. The seventh-seeded Lakers ended their 11-game losing streak against the reigning NBA champions with their first win over the Nuggets since December 2022. Nikola Jokic recorded 33 points, 14 rebounds and 14 rebounds in the 18th triple-double of his career as a two-time MVP Assists and second in the series. Denver knocked Los Angeles out of the Western Conference finals last season, but the current Lakers responded better to that 3-0 deficit.

The Celtics tie in Miami, overcome the Heat 104-84 and lead the East series 2-1

MIAMI (AP) — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 22 points and the Boston Celtics soundly defeated the Miami Heat 104-84 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff game on Saturday night. Tatum contributed 10 rebounds and six assists for the Celtics, who led from the start of Game 3 and regained the home-field advantage they lost when Miami won Game 2 in Boston. Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 and Derrick White 16 for the Celtics. Bam Adebayo scored 20 points for eighth-seeded Miami, which is still without starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier due to injuries.