Mitchell stars as Cavaliers level tie against Celtics

Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 29 points as he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers level their Eastern Conference semi-final series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics at one game apiece.

The Cavaliers fell behind in each of the first two quarters but Mitchell scored 23 points in the second half to lift the visiting Cavaliers to a 118-94 victory.

The shooting guard finished with eight assists and seven rebounds.

“Everybody did their job,” Mitchell said.

“We were extremely confident, even after game one. Understanding that we had some things we could adjust.

“Tonight we executed very well, but at the end of the day, it’s one win. We’ll continue to build upon it. Take care of business at home and protect home court.”

Mitchell also scored a game-high 33 points in game one but Boston earned a 120-95 victory.

The Celtics, who are chasing a record 18th NBA championship, were led by Jayson Tatum, who had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Game three of the best-of-seven series moves to Cleveland on Saturday evening (01:30 BST Sunday).

Elsewhere on Thursday, the Dallas Mavericks secured a 119-110 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder to even their Western Conference semi-final series at 1-1.

Luka Doncic and PJ Washington scored 29 points apiece as the Mavericks hit 18 three-pointers, their highest total in the 2024 postseason.

Doncic, who was struggling with a knee injury, added 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Slovenian star limped through the fourth quarter after colliding with Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder.

The series heads to Dallas for game three on Saturday.