In recent NBA playoff action, the Boston Celtics secured a decisive 120-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of their Eastern Conference semi-final. Jaylen Brown starred for the Celtics with 32 points, while Derrick White added 25 points. The Celtics showed dominance throughout the match, maintaining a substantial lead.

In another notable game, the Oklahoma City Thunder outperformed the Dallas Mavericks with a 117-95 victory in the Western Conference semi-final opener. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. This win marked a record for the youngest team to win a game in an NBA play-off semi-final.

Standouts for the Cavaliers included Donovan Mitchell with 33 points, and for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving and an injured Luka Doncic contributed commendably, albeit in a losing effort. Both losing teams look towards the upcoming games to level their respective series.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves took a commanding lead in their series against the Denver Nuggets, winning 106-80 in Game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals. Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Timberwolves, who managed a strong defensive performance even in the absence of key player Rudy Gobert. This loss put the defending NBA champions, the Nuggets, down 2-0 in the series.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone showed visible frustration during the game, highlighted by an incident involving Jamal Murray throwing a heat pack onto the court. Despite these challenges, Malone has called for resilience from his team as they prepare for further contests in the series. On the other hand, the Timberwolves, maintaining a perfect playoff record so far, aim to continue their success in upcoming games.