The Celtics took step-one towards a berth in the NBA finals last night, while the Bruins took step-one towards an extended summer.

With John Havlicek, Paul Silas and Jo Jo White leading the way, the Celts withstood a furious Cleveland comeback in the third quarter and doused the Cavaliers, 111-99, in the opener of their Eastern Conference playoff final.

Celts Explode

Cleveland had wiped out a 16-point Celtics advantage to tie the score at 77 after three periods, but the Celts then exploded to the tune of 17-4 in the first seven minutes of the final period and pulled away to an easy victory.

The Bruins, meanwhile, were eliminated from Stanley Cup by the Flyers, 6-3, as Reggie Leach clicked for the first five Philly goals. Leach's first tally, to give the Flyers a 1-0 first-period advantage, marked the ninth consecutive playoff contest in which he had scored a goal, an NHL record.

After Gregg Sheppard tied the score for the Bruins in the opening minute of the second stanza, Leach began his rampage, and the Bruins's season was over.