LOS ANGELES: The Boston Celtics overpowered the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 to reach a third straight Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday as Western Conference top seeds Oklahoma City moved to the brink of elimination after crashing 104-92 at home to Dallas.

In Boston, Jayson Tatum’s 25 points helped the Celtics subdue an injury-hit Cavs lineup to complete a 4-1 win in the best-of-seven series.

The Eastern Conference No.1 seeds will face either the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks for a place in the NBA Finals.

But while Boston continued their progress, Oklahoma City’s playoff campaign is hanging by a thread after their damaging defeat to Dallas.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic led from the front with a triple-double, finishing with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

The Mavs lead the series 3-2 and can clinch a place in the Western Conference finals with victory in game six back in Dallas on Saturday.

“We just got one more to win out of two games, and that’s it,” Doncic said. “It’s 3-2, but that’s nothing. We’ve got to finish it and go with the same mentality.”

Doncic had been furious after the Mavs surrendered the initiative in a game-four loss in Texas on Sunday, but said a more relaxed approach had been the key to Wednesday’s commanding effort.

“Sometimes I forget that I love to play basketball, it’s the thing I do,” Doncic said. “My mental focus was just to go out there with a smile on my face and play basketball.”

Doncic was given offensive support from Derrick Jones Jr. with 19 points while three other players made double figures.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder scorers with 30 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Earlier, Cleveland’s hopes of clawing their way back into their series with Boston were rocked before the game after confirmation that three of their top six players — Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert — were out with injury.

But Cleveland shrugged off that setback to produce a battling performance that saw them get within three points of the Celtics midway through the fourth quarter.

Evan Mobley was superb for Cleveland, pouring in a game-high 33 points while Marcus Morris Sr. added 25 off the bench.

Yet just when Celtics fans at the TD Garden were nervously wondering if a shock defeat was on the cards, Boston stitched together a decisive 13-2 run — crowned by a three-pointer from Tatum — that left them ahead by 14 points at 101-87.

Tatum, who also added 10 rebounds and nine assists, said Boston had prepared for a dogfight despite Cleveland’s injury-stricken lineup.

“Anybody who’s played in this league understands what happens when somebody’s best players are out,” Tatum said. “The rest of the guys have more freedom, they play with a different level of confidence and they play different.

“Our mindset coming into this game was, ‘However long it takes, that’s how long it takes’. We didn’t expect to win the game in the first or second quarter. We grinded it out.”

Tatum said Boston were now determined to snap their dismal recent record in the Eastern Conference finals. Boston have lost in the Eastern Conference finals in four of five appearances since the 2016-2017 season.

“Each year presents different challenges,” Tatum said. “Myself and the rest of the crew have been to the conference finals something like four or five times.

“We’re battle-tested. We know what it takes. We just have to put the individual things aside and try and get over that hump.”

Tatum was one of six Boston players to finish in double figures on Wednesday, with Al Horford adding 22 points and Derrick White 18.

Jrue Holiday finished with 13 points while Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard had 11 apiece.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla paid tribute to the contribution of Horford, who steadied the Celtics down the stretch to close out the win.

“Tonight you saw his gift, his gift is just passion, inspiration, toughness, competitive nature,” Mazzulla said.

LONDON: Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had just seen his team win their last match at Old Trafford this season when he strode onto the field and took the microphone to address the club’s fans.

There might have been a smattering of boos but there was largely a backdrop of cheers as the under-pressure Dutch coach delivered a speech that felt like an audition to continue in the job next season.

“As you know,” he said after the 3-2 win over Newcastle in the Premier League, “it wasn’t an easy season, but one thing remained constant — and that was the backing of you for the team.

“But this season is not over yet.”

Indeed, United still have to go to Brighton in Sunday’s final round of Premier League games. Then, the following weekend, it’s another FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Two huge games. Two opportunities to qualify for Europe. Two final chances for Ten Hag to stake his claim to stay on as manager of England’s grandest club as it undergoes a shakeup.

United remained in eighth place in the league — hugely disappointing for a club of its stature — but moved level on points with Newcastle in seventh and three behind sixth-place Chelsea, who beat Brighton 2-1 away in Wednesday’s other game.

With Tottenham likely to finish in fifth place, Chelsea, Newcastle and Man United look to be fighting for the final two European qualifying positions. The teams finishing in sixth and seventh place should qualify for the Europa League and Europa Conference League, respectively.

Man United could also get in the Europa League by winning the cup final against City on May 25.

Chelsea’s win at Brighton was their fourth straight in the league. That hasn’t happened since October 2022.

NKUNKU CELEBRATION

Christopher Nkunku inflated a blue balloon and held it between his lips to celebrate his second-half goal that ultimately proved the difference for Chelsea at Amex Stadium.

The France striker’s 64th-minute strike added to Cole Palmer’s 22nd goal of the campaign in the 34th minute.

Second-half Chelsea substitute Reece James was shown a straight red card in the 88th — following a VAR review — after he kicked out at Joao Pedro while on the ground.

Danny Welbeck grabbed Brighton’s consolation goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

HOJLUND STRIKES

A strike by substitute Rasmus Hojlund in the 84th minute proved to be the clinching goal for Man United in a match between direct rivals for Europe.

Kobbie Mainoo put United ahead in the 31st after a pass was slipped through the Newcastle defense by Amad Diallo, who regained the lead for the home side with a fierce left-footed shot through a crowd of players after a 57th-minute corner wasn’t fully cleared.

Anthony Gordon had scored Newcastle’s equalizer in the 49th and Lewis Hall ensured a nervy finish to the game for Man United by making it 3-2 in stoppage time.

FAREWELLS

French players Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane waved goodbye to Man United’s supporters after the game against Newcastle.

They are leaving the club at the end of the season because their contracts are expiring.