Celtics hold off Hawks to advance in NBA playoffs

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 62 points and the Boston Celtics clamped down late to hold off the Atlanta Hawks in a 128-120 thriller on Thursday to win their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The Celtics, trying to get back to the NBA Finals after falling last season to the Golden State Warriors, won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, to line up a conference semi-final showdown with a Philadelphia 76ers team led by Joel Embiid and James Harden.

Trae Young, hero of the Hawks' 119-117 come-from-behind victory in Game 5 that extended the series on Tuesday, scored 30 points with 10 assists.

But Young ran out of gas in the second half, scoring just five points after the break and finishing the game nine-for-28 from the field.

Brown scored 32 points and Tatum had 30 for the Celtics, who used an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter to finally take control of a game that featured 22 lead changes and was tied 15 times.

"I think in that fourth quarter, four minutes left, we made winning plays," Tatum told broadcaster TNT. "We talked about it before the game -- do whatever it takes."

The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter alone. Former Hawk Al Horford put the Celtics up for good with a three-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Tatum followed with another three-pointer, Brown produced a block and Tatum slammed home a Horford miss to cap the 11-0 run that had the Celtics up by eight with 2:07 to play.

Atlanta wouldn't get the deficit below five points the rest of the way.

Marcus Smart scored 22 points, Malcolm Brogdon added 17 off the bench and Horford chipped in 10 for the Celtics.

"I thought Smart was tremendous, especially late in the fourth quarter," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. "He got us organized and then he was kind of the triggerman. They were blitzing, he made the right plays."

Young, whose 38 points in Game 5 included a game-winning three-pointer, said he just couldn't shake Smart in the second half.

"Marcus was being way more aggressive," Young said. "In the second half he was more just connected to me. They picked up the physicality. It was tough."

In the end, Hawks coach Quin Snyder said, the Celtics were just too much.

"Obviously Tatum and Brown were a handful, which we expect," Snyder said. "We blitzed their pick and roll, we hit them on the dribble, hit them on the pass and when we didn't they were able to make plays. When we did, you're susceptible to the three."

The Celtics made 18 of their 42 three-point attempts, Brown draining six from beyond the arc and every Boston starter making at least one trey.

Even so, Snyder said, "we were right there. It's a tough game."

Added Young: "You've just got to tip your cap sometimes and give credit where it's due."

The second-seeded Celtics, the highest seeds left in the East after the Miami Heat's upset of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, host the third-seeded 76ers in game one on Monday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Cavaliers try to ease LeBron's load and stop Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers can't continue to let LeBron James carry the load as they seek to climb out of an 0-2 hole against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference finals, Cavs big man Tristan Thompson said.

"Other guys have to contribute and step up," Thompson said this week as the Cavs prepared to host game three of the best-of-seven series on Saturday.

"We all have to do it collectively. Of course, it's a huge luxury having LeBron on our team. At the same time, we have to be ready to play and we have to do our job."

Teammate JR Smith said the Cavs are forcing James to play "hero ball."

But even a 42-point triple-double by James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, wasn't enough in a game-two defeat in Boston.

The Celtics rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit to win 107-94.

Against a Boston defensive side ranked number one in the regular season, the Cavaliers connected on just 36 percent of their shots from the field -- and only 15 percent from three-point range -- in game one. They shot 46 percent in game two, but still didn't crack 100 points for the game.

"I think they just do a really good job of contesting shots," Cleveland's Kevin Love said. "They've been physical the entire playoffs. We just have to bring it at home and make sure we come out and are in attack mode."

Love said the Cavaliers had targeted improved offensive flow in the practices leading up to game three.

"There have been times throughout this run so far, especially in the second half, where we've either thrown the ball into Bron or myself and we've kind of stopped," he said. "We're finding ways to just get the ball to the next side.

"If it's swung, don't go back to the same side, kind of cross-grain it, get it to the next man, and kind of make those swing- passes because you're seeing that a lot. Boston is doing it a lot, so we need to follow suit and do that as well, get better shots."

The Cavaliers were fine-tuning their approach with a sense of calm, despite the series deficit.

The Cavs have twice won a playoff series after trailing 0-2 -- in the 2007 Eastern finals against Detroit and, spectacularly, in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors, when they trailed both 0-2 and 1-3 in the series.

"We know what it takes," Lue said. "We've got to take care of business on our home floor. We're ready to do that."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kyrie Irving stars as Boston bounce back

LOS ANGELES - Kyrie Irving scored 36 points as the Boston Celtics bounced back to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Boston, beaten by Detroit in their last outing on Monday, held off a determined Sixers fightback in the third period to complete a 108-97 win.

The victory at the TD Garden saw Boston improve to 19-4 to tighten their grip at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Irving led the scoring and also contributed four rebounds and three assists, one of four Boston players to make double figures.

Al Horford weighed in with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Marcus Morris came off the bench to contribute 17 points. Jayson Tatum added 15 points.

Irving and Morris compiled a 17-7 run in the fourth quarter that eventually decided the game, giving Boston their ninth win from their last 10 home games.

The Sixers meanwhile fell to 12-9 after the defeat, with Croatian power forward Dario Saric leading their scoring with 18 points.

In-form Sixers big man Joel Embiid -- who has averaged nearly 23 points per game this season -- was sat for the game.

Ben Simmons meanwhile was kept quiet, with the Celtics defense restricting the Australian star to 15 points.

Simmons also committed five turnovers as the relentless Celtics defense turned the screw on the Sixers star.

J.J. Redick had 17 points while Robert Covington (11), Jerryd Bayless (10), and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (11) also cracked double digits.

rcw/mdo

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cavaliers crush Raptors in Eastern opener

LeBron James made his first nine shots and scored 24 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers hammered the Toronto Raptors 115-84 on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to extend their perfect start to this postseason.

Kyrie Irving scored 27 points and Kevin Love had 14 points and four rebounds, his first game in this postseason without a double-double.

The Cavs became the first team to win their first nine postseason games since the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, who won their first 10 before losing four straight to Oklahoma City.

The victory over Toronto was their most lopsided of this postseason in what has become a dominant run through the East.

DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points for the Raptors, but only six after the first quarter.

Fellow All Star Kyle Lowry, who scored a career-high 43 against the Cavs in a February victory at Air Canada Centre, scored eight on 4 of 14 shooting on Tuesday.

After sweeping through the first two rounds of the playoffs by setting records with their three-point shooting, the Cavs instead attacked the heart of the Raptors' defense.

Each of James' first nine baskets came near the restricted area on a night the Cavs shot 55 percent primarily by pounding the interior of the Raptors' defense for 56 points in the paint.

They made just seven three-pointers after averaging nearly 17 per game through the first two rounds.

The Raptors scored the game's first seven points, although the Cavs had the lead within about seven minutes. They extended it to double figures within the first two minutes of the second quarter and rolled the rest of the way.

They led by as many as 35 in the fourth quarter.

The sweeps in each of the first two rounds meant the Cavs played just eight games in the last 33 days, while the Raptors were stretched to seven games in each of their first two series.

All that time off has done little to disrupt Cleveland's rhythm, however.

They beat the Atlanta Hawks by double figures in each of the first three games following an eight-day layoff and nine days between games certainly did not bother them on Tuesday.

The Raptors have now lost the first game in each of their three series.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cavs use 3-point onslaught to pound Hawks

LOS ANGELES -- The Cleveland Cavaliers fired a record-setting 25 three pointers as they pummelled the Atlanta Hawks 123-98 to seize a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series on Wednesday.

Cleveland produced 18 first half three pointers which propelled them to a 74-38 halftime lead. JR Smith led the barrage from beyond the arc with seven overall as 10 Cleveland players made three pointers in the second round postseason game.

"When he's making shots, it becomes contagious," said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said of Smith.

Dahntay Jones' three-pointer with 2:24 remaining in the fourth gave Cleveland the all-time record, surpassing the 2009 Orlando Magic and the 2013 Houston Rockets, who each made 23 threes.

Mo Williams added the final three-pointer on the Cavaliers' next possession.

"We were getting open shots and taking open shots and we were making them," Lue said.

The Cavaliers also broke the record for most threes in a playoff game of 21, which was set by the Golden State Warriors last month.

The Cavaliers have won their last nine games against the Hawks and all 10 playoff games between the two teams.

The series shifts to Atlanta for game three on Friday and game four on Sunday.

Cleveland's halftime lead of 36 points is the largest in the NBA during a playoff game since 1987. The Cavaliers also led by as many as 41 points in the third quarter.

Lue said he also credited his defence with helping secure the dominating victory.

"Outside of the threes I thought our defence was great," he said. "That was our best defensive effort in a long time. If we compete and we play great defensively we can get out and run and pretty much get anything we want."

LeBron James scored 27 points, Smith scored 23 while shooting seven-of-13 from three-point range, and Kyrie Irving had 19 points.

Kevin Love added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Cleveland began the night averaging an NBA-best 14.4 three-pointers.

"We will just continue to keep sharing the ball. Our guys have a lot of trust. They trust each other on the defensive end and they trust each other on the offensive end. If a guy is open he knows he is going to get the ball," Lue said.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said the Cavs' three-point shooting was a big concern after Cleveland made 15 three-pointers in a game one victory. On Wednesday, Cleveland had 15 three pointers by the second quarter.

Paul Millsap had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta. Jeff Teague scored 14 points and Kris Humphries had 12.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cavaliers beat Hawks in series opener

A week off did not disrupt the Cleveland Cavaliers' momentum, nor was it enough time to alter the Atlanta Hawks' history against them. The Cavaliers still have never lost to the Hawks in the postseason, but this one was not easy.

LeBron James scored 25 points and came up with two big steals late in the Cavs' 104-93 victory on Monday against the Hawks to take a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

It was the eighth consecutive victory for the Cavs over the Hawks after sweeping them in last year's conference finals and winning all three meetings in the regular season this year.

But they had to fight back after blowing an 18-point lead in the third quarter.


"When you get it to 18, all you've got to do is lift the shovel up and pour dirt on 'em, especially if you want to be a high-level team," Cavs reserve Richard Jefferson said. "We didn't do that tonight and it almost cost us."

A dunk by James with 3:56 left in the third quarter put the Cavs ahead 72-54 before the Hawks roared back, scoring 11 straight points and closing the third by scoring 16 of the last 18 points to pull within 74-70 at the start of the fourth.

Al Horford's dunk with eight minutes left gave the Hawks their first lead of the night at 80-79, but Kyrie Irving countered on a corner 3-pointer -- his first basket since early in the second quarter.

There were four lead changes and three ties in the final eight frenetic minutes.

"I thought the way our guys competed for the whole night was what we need," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Going forward I think we can play better."

The Cavs pulled away for good when James stole the ball from Dennis Schroder with Cleveland clinging to a 92-88 lead and 3:11 left.

The Cavs needed three cracks at the offensive end, thanks to two huge offensive rebounds, before James converted a three-point play to extend the lead to 95-88 with 2:09 left. It marked James' first basket of the fourth quarter. He finished with nine assists and seven rebounds.

"I just like how our guys come together when things get tough now," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "That's the biggest thing for us. We've got a great team. When things get tough, we have to come together even more."

Irving had 21 points and eight assists and Kevin Love had 17 points and 11 rebounds despite a tough 4-of-17 shooting night.

Love took another hard blow to his right shoulder on a foul late in the game, the same shoulder he injured during a Game 4 victory against the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The Cavs' trainer worked on the shoulder during a timeout and Love was able to remain in the game.

"I'm fine," Love said. "I can't catch a break with that shoulder, but I'm fine."

Tristan Thompson had 14 rebounds (seven offensive) for the Cavs, who improved to 9-0 all-time against the Hawks in the postseason.

Schroder scored a career-playoff-high 27 points for the Hawks, who went more than four minutes late in the game without a field goal as the Cavs pulled away. Paul Millsap had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Kent Bazemore had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta.

The Cavs again held down the Hawks' starting backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver. Teague shot just 2 of 9 and Korver was held to just one shot attempt -- which he missed. Korver's deadly 3-point shooting has been neutralized by the Cavs for two years now by running multiple defenders at him.

The tradeoff is what they gave up to Schroder.

"They don't leave Kyle anywhere," Budenholzer said. "They'll send two people at him, three people at him and leave other guys with opportunities. Jeff had an off night. Some of his looks, some of his attacks we feel good about."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks overcome slow start to torch Celtics

The Atlanta Hawks overcame a sluggish start with a sizzling run that put away the Boston Celtics 110-83 in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Philips Arena.

Atlanta forward Mike Scott came off the bench to score 17 points, leading five Hawks in double figures. Kent Bazemore, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap all made big shots for the Hawks, who pestered the Celtics into 19 turnovers.

Atlanta lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 with Game 6 to come on Thursday in Boston.

Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, who was booed relentlessly every time he touched the ball, suffered through his worst game of the series and tweaked an ankle in the fourth.

Thomas finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor before limping off the court and back to the locker room with 10 minutes to play and the outcome long decided.

Throughout the back-and-forth series, the Hawks have grabbed big leads after slow starts by the Celtics. But Boston have had a knack at coming from behind, much like they did in the second half of a Game 4 win on Sunday in Boston.

However, there was no coming back from the barrage the Hawks dropped on the Celtics in the second and third quarters -- and especially not with Thomas struggling.

Midway through the second quarter, Atlanta was ice cold and had made only 6 of 34 shots from the field. But the Celtics, in part because of turnover issues and Thomas' early scoring woes, did not take full advantage. Their biggest lead was 29-19 before the Hawks started to heat up.

Bazemore hit three nothing-but-net 3-pointers, fueling a 28-10 Atlanta run to close the half.

The Hawks led 47-39 at intermission, despite an 0-of-8 shooting performance by forward Al Horford.

Thomas did not score in the first half for the Celtics, who turned the ball over nine times in the first half and 20 times for the game.

Boston cut into Atlanta's lead early in the third quarter before things got out of hand. Korver, Scott, Millsap and Dennis Schroder hit triples during a 2 1/2-minute stretch that electrified Philips Arena and put the Hawks in complete control with a 22-point advantage.

The Celtics had no answer and now must find a way to regroup heading back to Boston. Evan Turner had 15 points and Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart each added 10 points.

Scott hit 7 of 9 shots from the field, including two 3-pointers. Bazemore and Teague each finished with 15 points in a balanced effort that saw the Hawks rack up 30 assists on 42 field goals.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LeBron, Love lead NBA's Cavaliers over Celtics

LeBron James scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Kevin Love added 20 points and eight rebounds as the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers ripped host Boston 89-77.

Russian center Timofey Mozgov added nine points and 10 rebounds while Iman Shumpert came off the bench to score 10 points before suffering a groin injury as the Cavaliers won their third game in a row and improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 16-7.

Avery Bradley scored 17 points to top the Celtics, who led 46-40 at half-time but shot only 26 percent in the second half and managed only 31 points after half-time in a physical contest.

"It's fun to have that type of competition," James said.

"We had to take the fight to them and we were ready for it. We love physical games. We can play any type of game. We knew it was going to be physical and we answered the call."

The Celtics, who slid to seventh in the East at 14-11, fell behind during a 12-0 Cavaliers run in the third quarter that included a spectacular reverse slam dunk by James and smothering defensive work.

"That's one of our staples we stress every single day -- defending at a high level and trying to move the ball offensively," James said.

"In the first half, we allowed them to get to some of their spots. Wasn't as aggressive, but we still played very well.

"But in the second half, we just locked down and then we started moving the ball. We just kind of kept them off base."

With Kyrie Irving on the verge of returning from an injury that has kept him out since June's NBA Finals, the Cavaliers could be on the brink of finding their top form and surging ahead of a close pack of rivals.
"We just want to continue to get better no matter who is in the lineup," James said.

"We have to continue to push our game, to push our envelope and if we continue to do that we will be successful."

Shumpert's injury gave Cavs coach Dave Blatt some worries.

"A little bit concerned," Blatt said. "I have no idea what the extent, is but given what our recent history is, I'm concerned."


- Nuggets win at Minnesota -

At Minneapolis, Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 10 rebounds while reserve guard Randy Foye added 19 points off the bench as the Denver Nuggets defeated Minnesota 112-100.

Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each had 14 points for the Nuggets, who shot 56.2 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from 3-point range.

Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting while Zach LaVine added 20 points and five assists off the bench and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points.

The Nuggets (11-14) have won five of their past six games after suffering an eight-game losing streak.

Denver guard Emmanuel Mudiay, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, did not play because of a right ankle sprain.

The 19-year-old, who played last season in China, could return Friday in Utah.

At Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 12 rebounds to power the host Kings over Houston 107-97.

Israeli Omri Casspi added 19 points while Rudy Gay had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Sacramento, which improved to 10-15. James Harden had a game-high 33 points in a losing cause.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacers turn up defense, coast past Raptors

With his team trailing Toronto, 26-5, midway through the first quarter Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indiana Pacers' coach Frank Vogel called a much-needed timeout during which he did not mince words.

"I'm not sure I can actually repeat what I said, but essentially, it was about getting our defense right, something we have talked about for the past five games," Vogel said.

Indiana countered with a 39-4 run on its way to a roller-coaster 106-90 victory over the Raptors.

Indiana's huge run that spanned the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter gave the Pacers a 44-30 lead, and they never trailed again, beating the Raptors for the first time in the past six meetings between the Eastern Conference rivals.


"Obviously, I wasn't happy about our start, but most the shots (the Raptors) were making were over the top (9 of 11), and the key to beating them usually is keeping them out of the lane," Vogel said.

After the hot start, Toronto made only 20 of its final 68 field goal attempts.

Forward Jordan Hill led the Pacers (14-9) with 20 points and 13 rebounds, each a season high. Guard Monta Ellis scored 18, guard/forward C.J. Miles added 17, forward Paul George scored 16, and guard Rodney Stuckey had 10.

Guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each had 20 for Toronto (16-10).

"We started getting up into them and not letting them get comfortable," said Miles, who was 5 of 5 from 3-point range.

"We forced them into some turnovers and into some tough shots. To be good, we have to be active on defense. On offense, it was about making good passes."

Indiana features what Vogel refers to as two lineups -- the spread lineup and the big lineup. With Hill and Lavoy Allen coming off the bench for 28 points and 23 rebounds, the big lineup worked well Monday night.

"The start was pretty scary, but we got back into it and then won it with defense," Jordan Hill said.

A George 3-pointer with 8:57 remaining gave the Pacers an 83-69 lead.

Another George 3-pointer with 7:29 extended the advantage to 88-71. A Miles 3-pointer with 4:50 on clock gave Indiana a 97-76 lead.

"Teams that play a traditional (power forward) have trouble guarding Miles," Vogel said. "We also created a lot of stuff inside and got a good game from Ellis."

Indiana led 73-64 through 36 minutes, limiting Toronto to 37 percent field goal shooting after three quarters. The Raptors wound up at 36.7 percent from the floor, while the Pacers hit 47.7 percent of their shots.

A pair of three-pointers from Miles helped give Indiana a 64-46 lead in the third quarter. The Raptors countered with a 10-0 run to trim the deficit to 64-56. An Ellis layup extended the Indiana lead to 71-59.

Trailing 26-5 after a Lowry field goal with 5:34 remaining in the first quarter, the Pacers scored the game's next 22 points.

"A lot of that was on us, being careless with the ball, and they brought energy and juice," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "We did not match their energy. I don't know if I have ever seen anything like that (22-0 run).

"We shot ourselves in the foot. We were making one-handed passes, playing in the mud, not going anywhere and not being assertive. You can't beat good teams in the league playing like that."

Indiana began the second quarter with a 17-2 run, capped by a three-point play from Ellis. Indiana led 52-41 through 24 minutes, thanks in part to a second quarter in which the Raptors made only three of 15 field-goal attempts (20 percent) and were guilty of seven turnovers.

Ellis had 13 first-half points, and Hill came off the bench for nine. The Pacers' nonstarters outscored the Raptors' reserves, 25-8, during the first 24 minutes, making 10 of 17 field goal attempts. Overall, Indiana enjoyed a 47-27 edge in bench points.

Lowry had 14 in the opening half to lead Toronto, and DeRozan added nine.

"They picked up their aggressiveness, and we didn't match their intensity," Lowry said of Indiana's big comeback. "They picked up their physicality and had more energy than us."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Love leads Cavaliers to win over Hawks

When Jared Cunningham threw a bad pass out of bounds, LeBron James had seen enough. He abruptly signaled for a sub, then stormed off the court and sat down on the bench on Saturday while play continued around him.

The Cavaliers did not have enough time to get a sub into the game and were whistled for a technical -- all while they were ahead by 26 points in the third quarter.

Kevin Love scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while James finished two assists shy of a triple-double in Cleveland's 109-97 victory against the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference finals rematch from last season.

Yet James and coach David Blatt still found plenty to be upset about despite a win that was not as close as the final score indicated.

"He was frustrated, knew we weren't playing right and thought we were playing hockey. Hockey sub," Blatt joked of James' tantrum. "I understand his frustration but obviously you shouldn't do that."

James said he apologized to his team mates afterward.

"I blew a gasket," he said.


Hawks guard Jeff Teague came off the bench to score 13 points, Kyle Korver scored 14 and forward Paul Millsap had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks, who played most of the night without their coach.

Mike Budenholzer was ejected with 6:27 left in the second quarter and the Hawks trailing by 12. Budenholzer stepped out to the three-point line on the court and and appeared to bump referee Ben Taylor, prompting the ejection.

Budenholzer looked bewildered by the ejection and did not have many answers afterward, either.

"He threw me out and that's his prerogative," Budenholzer said. "If there was contact, it was 100 percent unintentional."

Kenny Atkinson took over coaching the Hawks, who have lost four of their last five.

"Coach said we had no intensity on the defensive end and no patience on the offensive end,"

'HELTER-SKELTER'
Hawks guard Dennis Schroder said. "We've got to do better."

The Cavs are a conference-best 10-3, remain unbeaten at home and had little trouble with one of the best teams in the league despite playing without three starters and four of their top eight players overall.

Yet they were unhappy with various parts of the game.

Blatt did not like some of the shot selection in the first half, thought there were too many defensive breakdowns in the second half and thought a lot of bad passes led to silly turnovers.

"It was kind of disjointed in terms of how well we played at some moments and then how helter-skelter and off-keel we played at other moments," Blatt said. "That's not what we should be. We know better than that, let's put it that way."

James had 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists while Tristan Thompson grabbed 16 rebounds and matched a career-high with five assists.

Thompson started at center in place of Timofey Mozgov, who could miss two weeks with a strained right shoulder. Cleveland was also without backup point guard Mo Williams, who has been starting in place of the injured Kyrie Irving.

None of that mattered.

They shot 48 percent, passed for 27 assists on 41 baskets and led by as many as 26 without James.

James did not score until 5:42 remained in the first half, extending the Cavs' lead to 46-31 on a night he was happy to facilitate despite the team's rash of injuries.

"Tonight was one of those nights where the guys did a great job of carrying me," James said. "I tried to do other things, rebound the ball at a high level, get guys the ball. They did a great job of executing offensively."

(Compiled by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks swoop for series lead, Warriors rout Grizzlies

Al Horford's putback layup with 1.9 seconds left lifted the Atlanta Hawks to an 82-81 victory over Washington and within one win of advancing in the NBA playoffs.

The Hawks, the top seeds in the Eastern Conference, now lead the best-of-seven second-round series three games to two.

The Wizards will try to stay alive when they host game six in Washington on Friday.

Western Conference top seeds Golden State also moved within one win of advancing -- taking a 3-2 series lead over Memphis with a 98-78 romp in Oakland, California.

NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry drained six of the Warriors' 14 three-pointers, following up his outstanding game four performance with another stellar display that included 18 points along with seven rebounds and five assists.

Klay Thompson scored 21 points for the Warriors, who will try to wrap up the series on Friday in Memphis.

"This is big," said Curry, whose Warriors had pulled level in the series with a game-four win. "We wanted to capitalize on the momentum we got in game four."

It came down to the wire in Atlanta, where the Hawks and Wizards were tied with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Paul Pierce, whose buzzer-beating jump shot gave Washington a win in game three, tried to drive to the basket but saw the ball poked away by Atlanta's Kyle Korver.

That set up a breakaway for the Hawks, with Horford and DeMarre Carroll exchanging three passes before Carroll's layup gave Atlanta an 80-78 lead.

Pierce responded. Out of a timeout, Bradley Beal drove baseline and tossed the ball to an open Pierce who drained a three-pointer from the corner that put Washington ahead.

With the game on the line, Atlanta went to 21-year-old back-up point guard Dennis Schroder, who drove right for a layup that bounced off the backboard.

- Heck of a play -

Horford timed his jump perfectly, securing the loose ball and landing before firing up the game-winner.

"A heck of a play by Al," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "He went and got it, found a way to put it back in."

Wizards point guard John Wall was back in the lineup after missing three games with broken bones in his left hand and wrist.

He finished with 15 points, seven assists and four steals, but his desperation heave from halfcourt at the buzzer was off-target.

The two teams combined for 44 turnovers and 9-for-39 shooting from three-point range in the lowest scoring game so far this post-season.

"Turnovers. Turnovers," said Wizards coach Randy Wittman. "When we were up nine, we gave them too many easy baskets off our turnovers. Let them get right back in the game."

Budenholzer said that was partly a product of the two teams getting to know each other.

"It's getting harder and harder," he said. "Defense is going to the next level."

But he was pleased that his players kept their composure when trailing late.

"We have to take the same mental focus to Washington for game six," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LeBron's buzzer-beater lifts Cavaliers to win over Bulls

Forward LeBron James made a baseline jump shot as time expired to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to an 86-84 win against the Chicago Bulls in Game Four of their Eastern Conference semi-final playoff series on Sunday.

James finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists as the Cavaliers evened the best-of-seven series at two games apiece ahead of Game Five in Cleveland on Tuesday.

Teammates mobbed James after he drilled the shot from 21 feet along the left baseline.

It was the second consecutive buzzer-beater in the series. In Game Three, Rose banked in a three-pointer as time expired to win the game.

Cleveland trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half before embarking on a 23-5 run that made it 80-73 with 4:03 remaining. Guard J.R. Smith sparked the turnaround with a trio of three-pointers early in the fourth quarter.

Center Timofey Mozgov contributed 15 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland.

Guard Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 31 points and four assists. Guard Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, and center Joakim Noah provided eight points with 15 rebounds.

Already beset by injuries, Cleveland sustained another scare when James rolled his left ankle with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter. He stayed down on the court for a couple of minutes but returned after a Cavaliers timeout.

Bulls forward Pau Gasol missed the game because of a strained left hamstring.

(Editing by Andrew Both)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Paul Pierce sinks Hawks at the buzzer

Washington's veteran forward Paul Pierce broke the hearts of the Atlanta Hawks when he sank a step-back jumper to give the Wizards a 103-101 victory in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semi-finals best-of-seven series.

Pierce banked the jumper over three players, fell to the court with his hands raised, and was promptly mobbed by his teammates as the Verizon Center crowd celebrated.

The win gave the Wizards a 2-1 series lead over the top-seeded Hawks.

Asked later if he called bank on the shot, the former Finals MVP merely said: "I called game. Game."

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LeBron leads Cavaliers past Bulls to tie up series

LeBron James recorded 33 points, eight rebounds and five assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls 106-91 on Wednesday to knot their Eastern Conference semi-final series at 1-1.

Bulls forward Pau Gasol, who tormented the Cavs with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Game One, was limited to 11 points and did not score his first basket until the final two minutes of the first half.

Chicago point guard Derrick Rose had 14 points and 10 assists but shot just 6-for-20 from the floor, while guard Jimmy Butler scored 18 points on 5-of-14 shooting.

The Bulls, however, return home for Game Three on Friday night holding home-court advantage in the best-of-seven series.

The Cavs never trailed, forcing seven turnovers in the first quarter and jumping out to 22-point lead late in the period before settling for a franchise record 38-18 lead at the first buzzer.

It was quite a contrast with Monday's series opener, when the Bulls opened a 16-point lead in the first quarter and never trailed.

The Cavs were again without suspended guard J.R. Smith, and they temporarily lost Iman Shumpert in the third quarter to a left groin strain.

While Shumpert was being treated in the locker room, the Bulls chopped a 25-point deficit down to 11 in the third, but they could not get to within single digits. (Editing by Jahmal Corner)

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Bucks fend off Bulls, Nets claw back in East

MILWAUKEE -- Jerryd Bayless made a buzzer-beating layup to lift Milwaukee to a 92-90 victory over Chicago on Saturday that kept the Bucks alive in their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

With the win, the Bucks pulled within 3-1 of the Bulls in the best-of-seven set.

It came down to quick action by Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd and crisp execution by Nets reserves Jared Dudley and Bayless.

Chicago star Derrick Rose had a chance to seal the series for the Bulls, but turned the ball over with 1.3 seconds to play.

Kidd promptly called a timeout, and with 1.3 still on the clock, Dudley lofted a deft inbounds pass to Bayless, who was cutting to the basket and finished for the Bucks' first playoff game win in five years.

O.J. Mayo led the Bucks with 18 points off the bench. Dudley delivered 13 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Bayless scored 10 apiece.

Jimmy Butler ended with a playoff career-high 33 points and seven rebounds for Chicago.

Rose, who scored 34 points in the Bulls' double-overtime game-three win, was limited to 14 and made eight of Chicago's 28 turnovers.

Despite the defeat, the Bulls remain in a strong position as they try to close out the series at home on Monday.

No team has rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win an NBA playoff series.

The Brooklyn Nets did what they had to do to avoid falling in an 0-3 hole, using a big second half on their home floor to defeat the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks 91-83 and narrow the gap in their series to two-games-to-one.

Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young and Joe Johnson all recorded double-doubles for the Nets, who parlayed an 18-0 scoring run that bridged the third and fourth quarters into the win they needed after dropping the first two games of the series in Atlanta.

Lopez finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, Young bounced back from a two-point performance in game two with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Johnson delivered 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in 19 points for the Nets.

With their backs to the wall, the hosts seized a 15-point first-quarter lead, only for the Hawks to erase the deficit and briefly take the lead in the third quarter.

But the Hawks' shooting woes proved too much to overcome as they connected on just 35.6 percent of their attempts from the floor.

Kyle Korver, the Hawks' leading scorer through the first two games, was held to two points on one-of-eight shooting.

Al Horford was connected on three of 12 attempts for a total of seven points.

"I thought our defense, especially down the stretch, was outstanding," Nets coach Lionel Hollins said.

On Monday, the Nets will try to level the series when they host game four at the Barclays Center.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Wade powers Heat over Blazers

Heat 108, Trail Blazers 104

Dwyane Wade scored 32 points to help the Miami Heat rally from an 11-point deficit in the second half to overcome the Portland Trail Blazers.

With the Heat trailing by two points in the final minute, Wade hit two jumpers then added two free throws to score his team's final eight points and 15 in the fourth quarter.

Miami (31-36) is seventh in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 34 points and 12 rebounds for Portland (44-22), who dropped to fourth place in the Western Conference.

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Bulls 103, Pacers 86

Rookie forward Nikola Mirotic scored 25 points with nine rebounds off the bench as the Chicago Bulls cruised to victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Mike Dunleavy added 21 points for Chicago, which never trailed after the first quarter. Pau Gasol contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls (41-28).

Solomon Hill scored 13 points to lead Indiana (30-37), who remained tied with Boston for eighth in the East.

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Mavericks 107, Magic 102

Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points in Dallas' wire-to-wire win over the Orlando Magic.

The visitors gave the Mavericks (44-25) a late scare after Dallas dominated through a breezy first three quarters.

Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton had a triple-double with 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

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Korver lifts Hawks over Rockets

Hawks 104, Rockets 97

The Atlanta Hawks blew a 16-point lead but steadied with a 7-0 stretch run to beat the Houston Rockets. Kyle Korver finished with a game-high 20 points, including a dagger three-pointer in the middle of Atlanta's late-game run that ended Houston's 19-game home winning streak against Eastern Conference opponents.

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Trail Blazers 114, Pelicans 88

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to power the Portland Trail Blazers to an emphatic victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Trail Blazers showed no signs of weariness a night after a triple-overtime game against San Antonio as they opened a 34-point lead in the third quarter and coasted to their fifth consecutive victory.

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Clippers 106, Bucks 102

Guard Chris Paul scored 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame another poor bench performance to hold off the Milwaukee Bucks.

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Nuggets 76, Pacers 73

Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 19 points and the Denver Nuggets beat the Indiana Pacers in an ugly offensive game in which both teams scored a season-low in points and shot below 40 percent.

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Suns 99, Knicks 90

Eric Bledsoe poured in 25 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a road win over the New York Knicks. Guard Carmelo Anthony, slowed by a sore left knee, scored 25 points for the Knicks, who have lost 14 of their past 15 games.

- - -

Hornets 104, Jazz 86
Guard Kemba Walker scored 20 points, and center Al Jefferson had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets ended a 10-game losing streak to the Utah Jazz.

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Another win for Raptors, the beasts of the East

TORONTO -- Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and handed out 12 assists Wednesday to lead Toronto to a 105-89 NBA victory over Brooklyn that made the Raptors the first Eastern Conference team to 20 wins this season.

Patrick Patterson and Lou Williams contributed eight points apiece in the fourth quarter and Lowry scored six as the Raptors out-scored the Nets 29-16 in the final frame to pull away for their fourth straight win.

Toronto improved to 20-6 and have enjoyed three winning streaks of at least four games this season.

Mason Plumlee had 23 points to lead Brooklyn, Joe Johnson scored 17 and Mirza Teletovic added 14 in the first meeting between the Atlantic Division rivals since the Nets' seven-game win in the first round of last season's playoffs.

While the Raptors' star remained on the rise, the Cleveland Cavaliers and superstar LeBron James endured an embarrassing 127-98 pounding at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks.

The Cavs, expected to be instant contenders in the East thanks to the return of James after four seasons in Miami, were out-scored 30-15 in the third quarter on their home floor as the Hawks avenged a lopsided loss to Cleveland earlier in the season.

Shelvin Mack came off the bench to hit six three-pointers and score 24 points for Atlanta who improved to 18-7, their best start since the 2009-10 season.

James had 21 points, Dion Waiters added 21 points off the bench and Kevin Love provided 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Cavaliers, who have dropped three of their last four games.

"I really don't have too much to say," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "That was embarrassing how we played."

Miami, whose efforts to rebuild in the wake of James' departure have been hindered by a spate of injuries, endured another tough defeat, falling 105-87 to Utah.

Gordon Hayward scored 29 points with seven assists and six rebounds as the Jazz overcame a 42-point effort by Heat star Dwyane Wade.

Dante Exum, the Australian rookie who was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft scored 10 points off the bench for Utah, following up a 12-point performance in a loss to New Orleans for his first back-to-back games in double figures.

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Raptors rout Magic for 3rd straight win

Raptors 95, Magic 82

Lou Williams came off the bench to score 18 points as the Toronto Raptors continued their domination of the Orlando Magic with a comfortable victory on Monday.

The win was the third in a row for the Raptors (19-6), who defeated the Magic for a 10th consecutive time to remain top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Tobias Harris led the Magic with 18 points.

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Cavaliers 97, Hornets 88

After racing to a 21-0 lead over the stumbling Charlotte Hornets, the Cavaliers held on for a ninth consecutive win in contests against Eastern Conference rivals.

Cleveland (14-9) forward LeBron James had 27 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds, and forward Kevin Love had 22 points and a season-high 18 rebounds.

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Hawks 93, Bulls 86
Al Horford did a little bit of everything -- scoring, rebounding and even leading fast breaks -- to lift Atlanta to an exciting win over the Bulls.

Horford finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and point guard Jeff Teague made two free throws with 10.8 seconds remaining to seal the Hawks' (17-7) 10th win in 11 games.

Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 22 points, and Derrick Rose added 14 points and eight assists as Chicago (15-9) saw its three-game winning streak snapped.

- - -

Celtics 105, 76ers 87

Kelly Olynyk scored a career-high 30 points off the bench as the Boston Celtics blasted the Philadelphia 76ers.

Avery Bradley added 15 points for Boston, who snapped a three-game losing streak and dropped Philadelphia to 2-22.

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Cavs serve notice with win over East-leading Raptors

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James matched a Cleveland record in style on Tuesday as his late three-pointer helped the Cavaliers post a 105-101 victory over NBA Eastern Conference leaders Toronto.

James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player who rejoined Cleveland this season after a four-year sojourn in Miami, joined Mark Price atop the Cavs' list of all-time three-pointers made.

He drained the long-range go-ahead basket with 48.1 seconds remaining as Cleveland extended their winning streak to eight games.

The contest was tied 99-99 before Kevin Love pump-faked from the left wing beyond the arc, dribbled to the left and passed to James, who made the shot from beyond the arc for his 802nd three-pointer as a Cavalier.

A free-throw gave Cleveland a 103-99 edge before Terrence Ross cut the deficit to 103-101 with a dunk with 4.2 seconds remaining.

Cleveland's Kyrie Irving made a brace of free throws to seal the win.

Toronto shot 58.1 percent through the first three quarters and led by as many as 10 in the fourth.

But the Cavaliers -- fresh from impressing Britain's Prince William and wife, Kate, with a win in Brooklyn on Monday, held the Raptors to a 30 percent shooting rate in the final period.

"In the fourth quarter we really amped up our defensive intensity," Cleveland head coach David Blatt said. "That was a tough, hard victory."

James finished with 35 points, Love added 17 with nine rebounds and Irving contributed 13 points and 10 assists.

It was Cleveland's second victory over the Raptors in five days. They beat them in Toronto on Friday 105-91.

The Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak is their longest since they won eight on the trot in March of 2010. Their last defeat was a 110-93 setback against the Raptors on November 22.

The Raptors have now lost four of their last seven since starting the season 13-2.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com