Basketball

DENVER (AP) — Sending LeBron James to his earliest playoff exit was harder than it looked, and Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone doesn’t foresee the next step in their title defense getting any easier.

Dallas Mavericks (50-32, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (51-31, fourth in the Western Conference) Los Angeles; Wednesday, 10 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK : LINE Mavericks -2.5; over/under is 209.

Miami Heat (46-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (64-18, first in the Eastern Conference) Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT BETMGM SPORTSBOOK : LINE Celtics -14; over/under is 199.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — For all the scoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does for Oklahoma City, his hustle back on defense after having a shot blocked was a pivotal part of a playoff series-clinching victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

MIAMI (AP) — 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 on Monday night to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

MIAMI (AP) — The good news for the Miami Heat is that the Boston Celtics might not be back in South Florida for a few months. And that’s also the bad news for the Heat.

MIAMI (AP) — 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. The play happened with about 2:35 left in the second quarter.

DENVER (AP) — Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray started Game 5 of the defending NBA champions’ playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night despite a strained left calf.

MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi took a night off to watch the Miami Heat.

NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps neither Milwaukee nor Philadelphia would've been good enough to beat a Boston team that ran away to the NBA's best record. The Bucks and 76ers surely never thought about going out in the first round of the playoffs, though.