NBA playoffs roundup: Wizards, Cavs sweep into second round

Steven J. Gaither and Ron Clements

NBA playoffs roundup: Wizards, Cavs sweep into second round image

The Wizards didn't just win their series against the Raptors. The Wizards didn't just sweep the Raptors. The Wizards made a statement against the Raptors. 

Washington beat Toronto 125-94 on Sunday, earning the franchise's first-ever best-of-seven series sweep. 

MORE: Love's injury will test Cavs | Wizards sweep Raptors, troll Drake | Conley to miss Game 4

The effort was led not only by Washington's talented young backcourt of John Wall (14 points, 10 assists) and Bradley Beal (23 points), but also future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, who has provided clutch scoring as well as veteran leadership. 

Washington's history in the NBA playoffs hasn't been all that stellar since the franchise made it to consecutive NBA Finals in the late 70s, as Sunday's win marked just the sixth playoff series victory since the team's 1978 NBA title. The Wizards now await the winner of the Hawks-Nets series that Atlanta currently leads 2-1.

Also sweeping Sunday were the Cavaliers, while the Mavericks stayed alive with a win over Houston. 

Cavaliers 101, Celtics 93 (Cleveland wins series 4-0)

Takeaway: This was a very physical game. We're not quite talking Knicks vs. Pacers in the 90s, but there were plenty of knockdowns and dust-ups in Boston on Sunday afternoon. Boston's Jae Crowder left the game with an apparent knee injury after being hit with a forearm by J.R. Smith, while Kevin Love dislocated his shoulder in the first half and did not return for Cleveland. 

Beyond that, the Celtics fought hard, but there was just too much LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. James finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists while Irving added 24 points and 11 rebounds. 

Highlight: Kyrie Irving finished his first playoff series strong.

Quotable:  “I thought it was a bush league play,” Cavs forward Kevin Love told reporters of his shove from Celtics center Kelly Olynyk. “I have no doubt in my mind that he did it on purpose.” 

Next up: Cleveland will play the winner of the Bulls-Bucks series in the second round.

Clippers 114, Spurs 105 (Series tied 2-2)

Takeaways: When the Clippers are clicking, they are pretty tough to beat. Unfortunately for the Spurs, that was the case Sunday afternoon. Both of the team's stars came up big as Chris Paul (34 points, 7 assists) and Blake Griffin (20 points, 19 rebounds) stood tall, but role players like J.J. Redick (17 points), Austin Rivers (16 points) and Jamal Crawford (15 points) also added key performances.

Highlight: 

Quotable:  "This was a total team effort," Chris Paul said of the Clippers' series-tying win at San Antonio. 

Next up: Tuesday at Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

Wizards 125, Raptors 94 (Washington wins series 4-0)

Takeaways: The Wizards played like a team on a mission, while the Raptors played like they were ready for a vacation. The Wizards were firing on all cylinders offensively, shooting 58 percent from the field and 65 percent from 3-point range. In addition to big performances from Wall, Beal and Pierce (14 points), the Wizards also got outstanding contributions from Marcin Gortat (21 points, 11 rebounds) and others, with seven players scoring in double figures.

Highlight: To quote Raptors superfan Drake, Bradley Beal's jumper was "on one" Sunday night.

Quotable: "I saw a much more confident group heading into the first round, understanding what going on the road starting the postseason means," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said when asked about the difference coming into the playoffs this season versus last season. 

Next Up: Washington will face the Hawks-Nets winner. 

Mavericks 121, Rockets 109 (Houston leads series 3-1)

Takeaways: The Mavericks may lose the series, but they survived to fight another day thanks to a strong performance from J.J. Barea. The diminutive point guard scored 17 points to go with 13 assists, and the Mavs also got a game-high 31 points from Monta Ellis to stave off elimination. Six Mavericks scored in double figures while the Rockets were led by 24 points from James Harden. Houston's Josh Smith scored 23, and Corey Brewer added 22.

Dallas held off the Rockets despite shooting just 9 of 21 from the free throw line. If the Mavericks hope to pull off an improbable comeback, free points from the charity stripe can't be left to waste. The Mavericks dominated the glass Sunday, out-rebounding the Rockets 52-38 behind strong efforts from Tyson Chandler and Al-Farouq Aminu, who combined for 26 boards.

Highlight: Dwight Howard looks like he found his Orlando athleticism in his closet. 

Quotable: "We weren't ready to go home, so we had to do whatever it took to win," Mavericks guard Monta Ellis told TNT. "The little things we needed to do better, that's what we did."

Next Up: Game 5, Tuesday at Houston, 8 p.m. ET, TNT

Monday's games

(All times Eastern)

Hawks at Nets, 7:00 p.m., NBATV

Bucks at Bulls, 8:00 p.m., TNT

Grizzlies at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m., TNT

Steven J. Gaither and Ron Clements