Raptors blaze way to 2-to-nil

Celtics, Pelicans also Pull away

TORONTO – DeMar DeRozan’s big game put the Toronto Raptors in a place they’ve never been before: up 2-0 in a playoff series.

DeRozan matched his career playoff-high with 37 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Raptors beat the Washington Wizards 130-119 on Tuesday night as Toronto took a 2-0 lead in a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.

“I didn’t go out there planning to score 37 points, I went out there to be aggressive,” DeRozan said.

Kyle Lowry had 13 points and a career playoff-high 12 assists as Toronto set team playoff records for points in a quarter, a half, and a game.

C.J. Miles scored 18, Delon Wright had 11 and Serge Ibaka 10 for the Raptors, who snapped an NBA-worst 10-game losing streak in Game 1s with a 114-106 win on Saturday.

In Boston, Jaylen Brown had a playoff career-high 30 points and the Celtics pulled away into second half to earn a 120-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks for a 2-0 lead.

Terry Rozier added 23 points. Game 3 is Friday in Milwaukee.The Celtics led by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter as their ball movement overwhelmed the Bucks.

Brown, who is in his second year, said right now the Celtics are feeling “confident as ever.”

“People have been writing us off all year. And we just keep proving people wrong. So that’s what we’re gonna do,” he said.

Milwaukee got as close as 107-97 with 4:13 to play. But the Celtics responded with an 11-2 run, capped by a banked in 3-pointer by Brown to push their lead back up to 118-99.

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Khris Middleton added 25 points.

In Portland, Oregon, Jrue Holiday fired a career playoff-high 33 points and the New Orleans Pelicans took a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series against the Trail Blazers with a 111-102 victory.

Rajon Rondo had 16 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Pelicans, who host the Blazers on Thursday as the series shifts to New Orleans. Anthony Davis added 22 points and 13 rebounds.