NBA Finals

Boston Celtics take 2-1 lead over Golden State Warriors in NBA Final Series

Marcus Smart added 24 points.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 31 points and six 3-pointers. He had 15 points in a 33-25 third quarter by the Warriors but was hurt late in the fourth after Al Horford rolled into his leg on a loose ball.

It was similar to a play during the regular season in which Smart dove into Curry’s legs while chasing a loose ball.

Klay Thompson broke out of a finals slump and finished with 25 points and five 3-pointers.

Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is on Friday (Saturday NZT) in Boston.

Lakers beat Heat to clinch 17th NBA title

Anthony Davis had 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo scored 19 for the Lakers, who matched the Boston Celtics for most titles in league history with their first championship since 2010.

James, named the Finals' MVP, earned his fourth title with his third different team.

Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder scored 12 each for the Heat, whose Cinderella run at the NBA bubble came to an end.

LeBron James nears another NBA playoff record

Sunday’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat will be the 260th of James’ playoff career, lifting him into sole possession of first place on the league’s postseason appearances list.

James is in his 17th season. After missing the playoffs in his first two seasons, he has reached the postseason 14 times in 15 years. His teams in Cleveland, Miami and now Los Angeles have gone 14-0 in first-round series with James on the roster, 11-3 in second-round series and 10-1 in the conference-final round.

LeBron James Is Mr. October This Year

October is for baseball glory, and there can only be one Mr. October. By swatting three home runs on three swings in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Reggie Jackson cemented one of the most fitting, enduring nicknames in all of sports.

In 2020, of course, little proceeds as we expected. LeBron James is chasing one more win for his fourth N.B.A. championship at Walt Disney World at the same time Jackson’s beloved Yankees are scuffling with the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Divisional Series at a neutral site in San Diego.

Los Angeles Lakers on verge of securing 17th championship after Game 4 win in NBA Finals

After a lethargic loss in Game 3, the Lakers showed their composure to bounce back and seal victory with a stellar second-half performance.

James led all scorers with 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

His teammate Anthony Davis added 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro finished 22 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Heat.

Despite not producing one of his more prolific performances, James rated it as one of his best ever.

Jimmy Butler torches the Lakers to lead Heat back into the NBA Finals

In what was looking set to be a 4-0 whitewash in the NBA Finals, Butler produced an individual game for the ages as the Heat claimed the 115-104 victory.

Butler stuffed the stat sheet and ended with the first triple-double in his career with 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.

It makes him only the sixth man in NBA Finals history to record a triple-double, joining LeBron James (x2), James Worthy and Jerry West. And makes him only the third player in NBA Finals history to record a 40-point triple-double, joining James and West.

Los Angeles Lakers double lead over Miami Heat with 124-114 win

James scored 33 points and Anthony Davis contributed 32, as the Lakers wore 'Black Mamba' uniforms in honour of Lakers legend Bryant.

The Lakers are now two wins away from their first NBA title since 2010.

Game three will take place in the NBA bubble on Sunday (Monday 00:30 BST).

Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in January.

NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat Miami Heat 116-98 in game one

Anthony Davis scored 34 points for the Lakers, with James adding 25 points and nine assists.

Jimmy Butler had 23 points for the Heat, who lost point guard Goran Dragic and forward Bam Adebayo to injury.

James said: "The job is not done. We're not satisfied winning one game."

Speaking after Thursday's game, he added: "You have to get a feel for how hard Miami plays. We got a sense for that. We got more work to do. It's that simple."

Durant out of Finals opener

Durant has been out since straining his calf in Golden State's Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semi-finals. 

The Warriors went on to close out Houston in six games before sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.

Durant was having a stellar postseason before the injury. He averaged 34.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 51.3 per cent from the field in 11 playoff games.

And Kerr confirmed that two-time NBA Finals MVP Durant will not be fit to play Thursday's opener.

Warriors advance to NBA Finals

Two-time reigning champions the Warriors outlasted the Trail Blazers 119-117 in overtime to seal a 4-0 Western Conference Finals victory on Monday.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green became the first team-mates in playoff history to both record triple-doubles in the same game.

Curry posted 37 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists on the road in Game 4.