BASKETBALL

Warrior, Knicks win in NBA play-offs

Two-time NBA most valuable player Curry ended the game with 32 points while De'Aaron Fox top-scored for Sacramento with 37.

In Summary

• Jalen Brunson scored 29 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93 at Madison Square Garden to open up a 3-1 series lead.

• The Knicks are now only one win away from advancing past the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs for the first time since 2013.

Golden State's Stephen Curry (left) has won four NBA titles and is a two-time NBA most valuable player
Golden State's Stephen Curry (left) has won four NBA titles and is a two-time NBA most valuable player
Image: /BBC

Defending champions the Golden State Warriors held off a fourth-quarter comeback from the Sacramento Kings to win a thriller in the NBA play-offs.

The third-seeded Kings trailed 102-92 after three quarters, but were handed momentum by a Stephen Curry error.

Leading by five, with 45 seconds left, Curry called a timeout with none left, and had to hand over possession.

The Kings reduced the score to 126-125 but Harrison Barnes missed a buzzer-beating three-pointer chance to win it.

That allowed the sixth-seeded Warriors to tie the series at 2-2.

Two-time NBA most valuable player Curry ended the game with 32 points while De'Aaron Fox top-scored for Sacramento with 37.

Game five is in Sacramento on Wednesday evening.

Knicks one win away from semi-finals

Jalen Brunson scored 29 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-93 at Madison Square Garden to open up a 3-1 series lead.

The Knicks are now only one win away from advancing past the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs for the first time since 2013.

Brunson was among four Knicks players to score double figures along with RH Barrett (26 points), Josh Hart (19) and Mitchell Robinson, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Game five is in Cleveland on Wednesday, with the series winner facing either Milwaukee or Miami.

The Denver Nuggets missed the chance to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals when they were beaten 114-108 by the Minnesota Timberwolves in overtime.

Nikola Jokic scored 43 points, made 11 rebounds and registered six assists for Denver, who produced a 12-0 run at the end of regulation time to level the score at 96-96.

Minnesota, whose Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, came out on top after overtime to reduce their deficit to 3-1 in the play-off series.

The Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 129-121 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round play-off series.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 31 points for the Celtics, with the former also having seven rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots.

The Hawks reduced the deficit to five points with three minutes and 36 seconds to play, but the Celtics scored the next seven points on the way to securing victory.