SPORTS
KILLEEN DAILY HERALD | MONDAY, MAY 13, 2024
MAVS FROM PAGE C1
CELTICS AT CAVALIERS
Boston leads, 2-1. Game 4, 6 p.m., TNT
THUNDER AT MAVERICKS
Dallas leads, 2-1. Game 4, 8:30 p.m., TNT NEED TO KNOW: Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is doing his part,
scoring the way he did while finishing the regular season third in scoring. The Mavs owe at least some of their series lead to Washington in his first postseason. He has scored 56 points in the past two games, providing a firsthalf boost while Doncic and Irving slowly have worked their way into back-to-back victories. KEEP AN EYE ON: Doncic’s shooting. The sprained right knee was a factor in him shooting 39.5% overall and 24% from 3-point range through his first seven games of the playoffs. After a bounce-back in Game 2, it was a little rough for the NBA scoring champion again with slightly shorter rest because of an afternoon game. Doncic was 7 of 17 and 1 of 4 from deep. The infrequency of 3s is as telling as anything. It was his fewest attempts in 37 playoff games. INJURY WATCH: Mavericks center Daniel Gafford injured his left shoulder in the second quarter in an inadvertent collision with OKC’s Josh Giddey. He returned for the second half but played just six minutes. Because Dallas is already without center-forward Maxi Kleber with a separated shoulder, Gafford’s availability will be a factor. ... Thunder forward Jalen Williams injured his left ankle in the third quarter. He appeared to be in significant pain but returned in the fourth quarter and played the final 10:22. PRESSURE IS ON: The Thunder have to find a winning formula after holding Dallas to 43% shooting, including 33% from 3 after the Mavs had their best game from deep in the playoffs in Game 2. The answer is probably somewhere in Gilgeous-Alexander’s supporting cast. Chet Holmgren’s rim protection has been important, but his offensive impact hasn’t been the same since the Game 1 win. AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon in Dallas contributed to this report.
RANGERS FROM PAGE C1
outside criticism directed at the 26year-old. Tatum was aware of pointed comments made about everything from his shot selection to leadership. But with so much at stake, he’s not worrying about whether he’s being respected. “My job is to be the best player that I can be for our team on any given night,” Tatum said. “Yeah, I would love to make every shot I take. I know I can shoot better, and I will. At this time of the season, as long as we win and we’re trending in the right direction, I know my scoring will come. I’ve done that plenty of times. “I just try to impact the game in other ways and just dominate. Dominate the game and not just be defined as a scorer.” Along with his points, the Mavericks are counting on Doncic’s healing powers to be ready for Game 4 on Monday night. Already slowed by a sprained knee and bad ankle, he has added a sore back to his long list of ailments after taking a hard fall in the final minutes of Game 3. Doncic undoubtedly will push himself to play, but the Mavericks, who got 27 points from P.J. Washington Jr. in Game 3, are confident they can win without him. “We’ve been here before, we’re not built on one guy,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We’re built on a team. ... It’s not golf where we just have a player and a caddie. This is a group that believes that if somebody is hurting, they are going to pick them up.”
NEED TO KNOW: Maybe it’s due to a sense of urgency or desperation, but the Celtics seem more comfortable on the road in the playoffs. A somewhat surprising 14-14 at home over the past three postseasons, they are 17-7 outside of Boston and 3-0 this year. ... After a competitive first quarter in Game 3, the Cavs couldn’t keep up with the Celtics, who led for 42 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON: Mitchell. While he’s not complaining about a lack of support, it’s becoming more apparent the Cavs don’t have enough complementary pieces around him to challenge for a title. Mitchell has been sensational, averaging 36.8 points in his last five games. But he’s having to shoulder too much by himself as Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Isaac Okoro and others have been inconsistent. INJURY WATCH: Mobley played through rolling his ankle in the second half, but wasn’t as effective when he returned and finished with 17 points. He’s been forced to play center with Jarrett Allen still sidelined by a painful rib injury. Allen has missed the past six games and there are no signs he’ll be back anytime soon. ... The Cavs got a boost from Dean Wade’s return from a knee injury, and he could get more playing time as coach J.B. Bickerstaff found success in the second half with a “five-out” lineup that spaces the floor with shooters. PRESSURE IS ON: The Cavs. They handed back home-court advantage and can’t get down 3-1 in the series and expect to win in Boston again. Garland needs to give Mitchell some relief and Cleveland has to get more from its role players.
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just couldn’t mount a good inning in three games here and that’s what surprises me more than anything.” Bochy also said the Rockies’ defense figured prominently in the outcome. “They made some great plays in the outfield, infield,” Bochy said. “When we did hit it pretty good, they made the plays.” The sweep by the Rockies, who have won a season high four in a row, was their first since May 2-4, 2023, against Milwaukee. It was their only series sweep during last year’s 103-loss season. Jalen Beeks got three outs for his third save in three chances. Blach (1-1) allowed one run on seven hits. He gave up three singles in the first inning, including an RBI single by Adolis Garcia, but limited the damage by inducing a doubleplay grounder from Nathaniel Lowe. He gave up three more singles around a double play in the fifth before Doyle crashed into the wall to snare Corey Seager’s sharply hit line drive to the fence. In the third inning, Seager was denied another swing at the plate when McMahon chased down his foul ball, making an overthe-shoulder catch on a dead run. McMahon also ranged to his left to make a diving stop of pinch-hitter Josh Smith’s sharply hit grounder in the seventh inning before scrambling to his feet and throwing him out by half a step. “I think defense definitely won that game,” said Brendan Rodgers, the Rockies second baseman who was at the center of a pair of double plays. He teamed with Tovar on a fifth-inning gem when the Rockies shortstop snagged Andrew Kizner’s grounder behind second base, flipped the ball to Rodgers, who made a barehanded catch and hustled a one-hop throw to first baseman Hunter Goodman, who made the scoop to complete the double play.