Cavs, Mavs even series; Knicks have injury issues; Early CFP predictions

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🏀 Good morning to everyone but especially …

THE DALLAS MAVERICKS AND THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS

This is why, for all the great offenses in the playoffs, the Mavericks‘ might be the most fearsome. Behind a bounce-back performance from Luka Doncic, a career performance from P.J. Washington and an out-of-nowhere performance from Tim Hardaway Jr., the Mavericks evened their series against the Thunder at one apiece with a 119-110 win.

Oklahoma City had not allowed more than 95 points in a game this postseason.

• Doncic scored 29 points and made five of his eight 3-pointers, breaking out of a prolonged slump from deep. Washington had 29 points as well, obliterating his previous playoff career high of 18.
• Doncic and Washington became the first teammates with five 3s and 10 rebounds each in the same playoff game.
• Hardaway, meanwhile, had 17 crucial points off the bench. For reference, he had 19 points over the past four weeks combined.
• Dallas shot 49% from 3 after shooting 34% from deep in Game 1.

But Dallas wasn’t the only team tying things up …

There may be bigger names with more accomplishments or in bigger markets, but when Donovan Mitchell gets going, he’s as good as any of them. The Cavaliers guard scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half, making eight of 13 shots (including five of six from 3) over the final two quarters in a 118-94 Game 2 demolition of the Celtics.

This was Cleveland at its best, and not just because of Mitchell …

• Evan Mobley had a playoff career-high 21 points as well as 10 rebounds and five assists.…