friday’s nba playoff games
Wizards 115, Hawks 99
ATLANTA
John Wall scored 42 points, Bradley Beal added 31 and the Washington Wizards withstood a furious Atlanta comeback to close out the Hawks with a victory, winning the opening-round playoff series 4-2. Wall’s block of Dennis Schroder’s layup kept the Hawks from closing within a single point, and Wall hit every big shot in the closing minutes. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, ensuring that Washington picked up the first road victory by either team in the series. The Wizards advanced to face Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Celtics 105, Bulls 83
CHICAGO
Avery Bradley scored 23 points, and hot-shooting Boston pounded Chicago as the Celtics won their first-round series 4-2. The top-seeded Celtics simply torched Chicago to finish off a tougher-than-anticipated series and advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Boston regrouped after dropping the first two games at home and will meet Washington in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday.
Associated Press