Hawks, Pelicans book final NBA playoff berths

Trae Young scored 32 of his 38 points in the second half as the Atlanta Hawks rallied to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and book the final NBA Eastern Conference playoff berth.

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, grabbed the last spot in the West, thwarting a Clippers rally in a 105-101 victory in Los Angeles.

The Hawks erased a double-digit halftime deficit in the play-in contest to line up a first-round series with Eastern Conference top seeds Miami, with game one scheduled for Sunday.

The Pelicans will face the Western Conference top-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round.

New Orleans booked their first playoff berth since 2018 in dramatic style.

Brandon Ingram scored 30 points and Larry Nance Jr. added 14 points with 16 rebounds for New Orleans, who jumped out to a 16-point lead in the second quarter against a Clippers team that learned Friday morning they would be without All-Star Paul George because of coronavirus concerns.

But the Clippers charged back in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 20-2 scoring run. Los Angeles led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Pelicans roared back.

"I knew what the stakes were, all of us wanted to be in the playoffs," said Ingram. "Whatever it took tonight, whether it was on the defensive end, offensive end, whatever it took I was going to do it."

In Cleveland, it was a heartbreaking finish to the season for a young Cavaliers squad, who fell one step shy of qualifying for the post-season for the first time since LeBron James departed the club in 2018.

The Cavs dominated early, but Young found his touch in the second half and five Hawks players scored in double figures to complete the turnaround.

"I felt like I was letting my team down in the first half," said Young, who had four turnovers along with six points before the interval.

"I was missing some shots. We were only down 10 in the halftime and I knew I needed to make some more shots for my teammates."

In fact, Young stepped up his game on all fronts. He scored or assisted on 43 of 56 second-half points for Atlanta, accounting for more than the 40 points that Cleveland scored after the break.

Young said it was just "more motivation" when center Clint Capela departed with a hyper-extended right knee moments before halftime.

Capela had grabbed Cavs rookie Evan Mobley from behind as Mobley was shooting, but Mobley fell back into Capela's legs and the veteran fell to the court holding his knee in pain.

After officials reviewed the play the call of a common foul stood, but Capela was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

- 'Show it' -

"We wanted to win for him," Young said. "We know how hard he's worked all year wanting to get in the playoffs. We hope he's going to be able to bounce back for us."

Cleveland had jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, boosted by the three-point shooting of Lauri Markkanen who scored 17 first-half points.

Markkanen led the Cavaliers with 26 points and Darius Garland added 21.

All-Star center Jarrett Allen returned to Cleveland's starting lineup after missing 19 games with a broken left finger, scoring 11 points with three rebounds.

But with Young leading the way the Hawks turned the tables in the third quarter, taking the lead for the first time on a three-pointer from Young with 1:42 left in the period.

"Nobody had to say anything to me," said Young, whose driving basket early in the fourth quarter put the Hawks up for good. "I know the work I put in, the confidence I have and I've got to go out and show it."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Evan Mobley scores 30 to lead Cavaliers past Clippers in OT

Evan Mobley scored a career-high 30 points to lead the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-111 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Mobley has solidified himself at the center spot after All-Star Jarrett Allen has been sidelined with a fractured finger. Mobley added six rebounds and two blocks.

Darius Garland overcame a slow start to finish with 24 points and a game-high 13 assists. Teammate Isaac Okoro added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Clippers forward Amir Coffey's free throw with 30.8 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 106 and sent the game into overtime. The Cavs outscored the Clippers 14-5 in overtime.

Center Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers with 24 points and a game-high 14 rebounds before he fouled out in overtime. Coffey added 19 points and Terance Mann had 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs are in the midst of playing eight of their next nine games at home, including five in a row.

Cleveland welcomed back swingman Caris LeVert to the lineup against the Clippers. LeVert, who missed the previous nine games with a sprained right foot, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Zubac's two free throws with 6:15 left in the third quarter extended the Clippers' biggest lead, 75-67. However, the Cavs used a 15-2 run, capped by Okoro's two free throws with 2:04 left in the third quarter, to assume an 82-77 lead.

Cleveland outscored the Clippers 31-24 in the third quarter to open up seven-point lead entering the final quarter, 87-81. Mobley had 23 points after three quarters and Okoro added 16. Coffey had 16 points for the Clippers after three quarters.

The Clippers used a 22-8 run in the second quarter to take a 57-56 lead at halftime. Both Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. had 11 points for the Clippers in the first half.

Mobley had 12 points and four rebounds in the first half for the Cavs, who came into the game 3-7 in their previous 10 games.

Besides Allen, forward Dean Wade (knee), and guards Rajon Rondo (ankle) and Collin Sexton (knee) were sidelined for the Cavs.

Things were even worse for the Clippers, as forward Paul George (elbow) was sidelined, along with forward Robert Covington (personal reasons) and guards Norman Powell (foot), Jason Preston (foot) and Jay Scrubb (foot). Both forward Marcus Morris Sr. and guard Reggie Jackson were held out to rest, while Kawhi Leonard (knee) has yet to play this season.

-reuters

NBA: Darius Garland's 41 points lead Cavs past Pacers

All-Star guard Darius Garland scored a career-high 41 points and dished out 13 assists to propel the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers to a hard-fought 127-124 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

His two free throws with 14 seconds remaining handed the Cavs a 126-124 lead they never relinquished. He scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. Cleveland got a key block by Lamar Stevens and a steal by Dean Wade down the stretch.

Rookie Evan Mobley, making the start at center with Jarrett Allen sidelined with a fractured finger, added 22 points, 12 rebounds and five steals.

Forward Lauri Markkanen tallied 21 points for the Cavs, who have won two in a row and completed a four-game season sweep of the Pacers.

Guard Tyrese Haliburton fired in 25 points and had nine assists for the Pacers, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games. Indiana had eight players in double figures. Goga Bitadze added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jalen Smith and Duane Washington Jr. also scored 15 points each.

Mobley's tip-in with 33 seconds left tied the score at 124.

Indiana closed the third quarter on a 14-6 run to grab a 98-90 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Haliburton had 23 points through three quarters. Garland had 20 points and 12 assists after the third quarter.

Cleveland authored an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter to claw back in the game and assume a 99-98 lead after Garland's two free throws with 10:08 remaining.

Guard Duane Washington Jr. erupted for 14 of his game-high 15 points in the second quarter for Indiana, which outscored Cleveland, 39-31, in the period.

Haliburton's driving layup with 22.8 seconds remaining in the second quarter knotted the score at 63, which is the way the first half ended.

Seven-footers Mobley and Markkanen each had 14 points for the Cavs.

Love's layup with about 3 minutes left in the first quarter expanded the Cavs' lead to 24-12. That sparked a 10-2 run by the Pacers, capped by Bitadze's 3-pointer, to pull to within 26-22.

Cleveland recovered, though, and used Markkanen's 10 points for a 32-24 advantage after one quarter. Guard Chris Duarte had six points for the Pacers.

The Cavs were playing without Allen, who fractured his left middle finger and will be sidelined indefinitely. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he's not sure Allen will return by the end of the season.

The Cavs welcomed back veteran point guard Rajon Rondo, who had missed five games with a sprained big toe. He tallied four assists and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

-reuters

NBA: Tyrese Maxey’s big 2nd half propels 76ers past Cavs

Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points, James Harden added 25 points and 11 assists and the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 125-119 on Friday.

The Sixers improved to 4-0 with Harden in the lineup and won their 5th in a row overall.

Joel Embiid had 22 points and 9 rebounds, Georges Niang scored 17 points off the bench and Tobias Harris contributed 15. Shake Milton chipped in with 11.

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 26 points and 19 assists, Isaac Okoro scored 22 points while Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen had 20 each. Kevin Love also had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland has dropped 3 straight.

Maxey knocked down consecutive treys and the Sixers moved out to a 110-106 lead with 6:46 left. Maxey soon threw down a dunk for a 6-point advantage.

Allen followed with a dunk with 5:34 left to cut the deficit to 4. He made back-to-back short baskets in the lane, and Cleveland trailed 116-112 with 2:21 to go.

Embiid hit a tough shot off one leg with 1:24 remaining for a 120-114 advantage, and Maxey made two free throws down the stretch to close it out. Twenty-four of his 33 points came in the second half.

The Cavaliers bolted to a 21-point lead after Love's deep 3-pointer with two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Cleveland maintained a double-digit lead and moved ahead 65-52 when Osman dropped in a trey with 2:43 left in the second. Allen then hit a pair of free throws for a 15-point advantage.

The Sixers chipped away and closed within 71-63 at halftime. Maxey made 2 of 3 free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining after being fouled on a 3-pointer. Embiid led the way with 14 points in the half while Harris added 13.

Okoro hit his first five shots and paced the Cavaliers with 13. Five Cavaliers scored in double figures in the first half.

The Sixers came out aggressive in the third and closed within 82-79 with 6:56 left following a 12-foot jumper by Maxey. Cleveland led just 99-97 at the end of the third.

Niang opened the fourth with a 3-pointer from the wing for a one-point Sixers lead. Harden then drove to the basket and finished with his right hand for a 102-99 advantage.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Team Cavs win Skills Challenge on long heaves

Evan Mobley hit a halfcourt shot as part of the Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, giving Team Cavs the victory Saturday night at Cleveland.

Team Cavs needed one basket in the halfcourt shot phase and Mobley drained it. After Jarrett Allen missed wide left, Mobley swished the team's second attempt, so the group didn't even have to use the rest of its attempts.

Earlier, Darius Garland and Mobley of the hometown Cavaliers combined to give Team Cavs the early lead in the skills competition in the jump shot portion of the event.

Still, Team Rooks -- comprised of rookies Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham and Josh Giddey -- surged into the lead with 200 points compared with 100 points each for Team Cavs and Team Antetokounmpos.

Team Cavs made it to the final when Garland hit a 3-pointer to break the tie with Team Antetokounmpos.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a solid beginning in the shooting category.

This was a new event that featured three three-man teams. It involved shooting, passing, a relay and, as the final, the half-court shooting drill.

-reuters

NBA: Trae Young scores 41 to lead Hawks past Cavs

Trae Young scored 41 points -- his fifth game with 40-plus points this season -- to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 124-116 win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

Young was 13 of 22 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from long distance. He also went 11 of 13 from the foul line and had nine assists. 

It marked the second straight 30-plus-point effort for Young and the 23rd time this season to reach that milestone.

Atlanta also got a season-high 25 points from Danilo Gallinari, who started at forward in place of John Collins, the team's No. 2 scorer, who missed his second straight game with a foot injury.

Cleveland was led by Darius Garland, who scored 30 points and added eight assists. 

Garland has 20-plus points in nine of his past 11 games and remained on pace to become the second player in league history to average 20 points, eight-plus assists, shoot 46-plus percent from the field and 90-plus percent from the line.

Evan Mobley added 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Kevin Love came off the bench to score 21 for the Cavs, who have lost two in a row.

Atlanta, which ended a two-game skid, leads the season series, 2-1. The teams split two earlier games in Cleveland and will meet for the final time on March 31.

Both teams were hot from the field in the first quarter, with Cleveland shooting 56.5 percent -- including eight 3-pointers -- and Atlanta making 54.2 percent. 

The Cavs led, 36-34, and Love scored 14 points, putting him over 14,000 for his career.

Atlanta, led by Young's 11 second-quarter points, took a 66-61 lead into intermission. Garland had 18 points in the first half.

The Hawks led, 94-90, after three quarters and were able to squash any Cleveland attempt to regain the lead in the final period.

The Cavs got within 105-102 on a bucket by Love with 6:33 left, but Atlanta answered with an 8-2 run that included 3-pointers from Young and Hunter that established a nine-point lead. 

Cleveland never got closer than four thereafter.

-reuters

NBA: Rockets beat Cavs to snap winless skid at home

Christian Wood scored 21 points and Kevin Porter Jr. added a late 3-pointer plus an alley-oop against his former team as the Houston Rockets snapped an 11-game home losing skid with a 115-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday.

Wood followed a three-point play from Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley that cut the Houston lead to 105-102 with 2:44 left with a 10-footer and a 3-pointer that keyed a 10-2 closing run. Porter, who totaled 16 points and seven assists, helped seal the Rockets' first home win since Dec. 8.

Rockets rookie Jalen Green, picked second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and one spot ahead of Mobley, tallied 21 points, five rebounds and five assists to emerge from a prolonged slump.

Garrison Mathews and KJ Martin added 16 and 10 points, respectively, off the Houston bench.

Mobley paired a career-high 29 points with 12 rebounds while Kevin Love added 21 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Love scored 19 in the second and third periods combined to keep the Cavaliers afloat, but they could not overcome a 15-point deficit and 12 missed free throws.

Mobley was effective early, tallying eight points and three boards to help the Cavaliers build their largest lead of the game at 17-10 early in the first quarter. But when Mathews sank a 3 through a foul the Rockets were within one point, and despite Mathews' missed free throw, the Rockets later claimed the lead following back-to-back 3s from Mathews and Josh Christopher.

Rookie Alperen Sengun (nine points, eight rebounds, three assists) was instrumental in helping Houston extend to a 57-42 lead with his two-way play, but the Cavaliers used a late 9-2 run to cut into that deficit.

But Cleveland struggled to defend without fouling prior to the intermission, sending the Rockets to the line 29 times, the most by a team in any half this season. That helped Houston take a 64-53 lead at the half, despite Love and Mobley posting double-doubles.

-reuters

Bucks hold off Cavaliers for 10th straight win

LOS ANGELES, United States — Giannis Antetokounmpo drained four clutch baskets down the stretch as the Milwaukee Bucks won their 10th consecutive game with a 119-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Milwaukee led by as many as 22 points in the first half but Cleveland chipped away until they closed the gap to just three late in the fourth but that was as close as they would get.

Every time the Cavs got within striking distance of levelling the score, Antetokounmpo answered with a basket of his own to help seal the win.


Antetokounmpo finished with 33 points and also delivered a double-double with a team-high 12 rebounds for the Bucks, who beat the Cavaliers for the second time this season.

George Hill chipped in with 18 points, while Khris Middleton had 12, Donte DiVincenzo 11, and Eric Bledsoe and Ersan Ilyasova 10 apiece.


Rookie Darius Garland scored 21 points to pace the Cavaliers, who lost their third straight.

Cedi Osman had 20 points, Larry Nance 18, Kevin Love and Collin Sexton 16 apiece, and Tristan Thompson 11 in a balanced Cleveland attack.

Thompson collected a game-high 13 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Elsewhere, Norman Powell scored 19 of his career-best 33 points in the third quarter and the defending champion Toronto Raptors recovered from an early 11-point deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic 90-83.

Fred VanVleet added 22 points for the Raptors, who extended their winning streak to six games.

Pascal Siakam had 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who shot 37 percent from the field.

Evan Fournier scored 19 points for the Magic, who had 22 turnovers compared with just 13 by the Raptors.

source: philstar.com

Cavs' All-Star forward Love could be out until 'new year'

CLEVELAND - Kevin Love may not be back until sometime in 2019 following foot surgery.

Love had an operation on November 2 to relieve pain and pressure in his big left toe, which he injured in the club's preseason opener. At the time, the team said Love would be out at least six weeks and his status would be updated in "approximately" when that period ended.

On Tuesday (Wednesday Manila time), Love said in an interview on ESPN that he expects "to be back sometime after the new year." Love said he's going to in a restrictive boot for two more weeks.


"There's just no telling at this time with the weight-bearing injury what it is going to be like moving forward," he said.

Love's loss was a devastating blow for the reeling and rebuilding Cavs, who are a league-worst 2-13 heading into Wednesday's (Thursday Manila time) game against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

A five-time All-Star, Love signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension this summer.

source: philstar.com

Durant sweetens 2nd straight NBA title with another Finals MVP plum

CLEVELAND —Kevin Durant went back-to-back, twice.

It’s now two straight NBA championships for the Golden State Warriors, and two consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards for the forward who played a huge role in getting them to those titles.

Durant scored 20 points in the Game Four clincher Friday night (Saturday Manila time), a 108-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers — but his series will be remembered most for what he did in Game Three. Durant scored 43 points in that game, including a 33-foot 3-pointer in the final minute to all but clinch the win for the Warriors.

Durant averaged 28.8 points in the series, along with 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists.

“It’s just about the journey, all season,” Durant said. “Getting up every day, going to work with these guys, it’s amazing. The environment is incredible. It’s good for you to be around guys like this. It helps you become a better basketball player and a better man.”

Durant becomes the 11th player to win Finals MVP twice, joining six-time winner Michael Jordan, three-timers Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James,  and two-timers Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Willis Reed and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He’s also the sixth player to win it in consecutive years, with Jordan, O’Neal, James, Olajuwon and Bryant being the others.

Since 2009 the award has been named for Celtics legend Bill Russell, the 11-time champion who surely would have won the award several times if it existed in his playing days. The Finals MVP was first handed out in 1974.

Durant is one of 30 players to win the award.

source: philstar.com

LeBron, back in Boston, for another Cavs farewell

BOSTON- LeBron James and the depleted Cleveland Cavaliers won’t get any sympathy from the Celtics when they return to Boston for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Already laboring to reach his eighth straight NBA Finals with a supporting crew made mostly of cast-offs and throw-ins, James lost the only other All-Star on the roster on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) when Kevin Love was declared out for the series finale with a concussion.

Now, in what could be his final game in a Cleveland uniform — again — James will have to do it largely on his own.

In Boston, where the Celtics are perfect so far this postseason.

And in a series where the road team hasn’t really even come close.

“There’s something different about LeBron, period,” Cleveland forward Larry Nance Jr. said after James scored 46 with 11 rebounds and nine assists on Friday night (Saturday in Manila) to send the series to a decisive seventh game. “I think (coach Tyronn Lue) said it best: ‘We’re going into a Game 7 with the baddest dude on the planet on our team.’ I like our chances.”

James is having what could be the best postseason of his career, averaging 33.9 points and just under nine assists and rebounds, with seven 40-point games, two buzzer beaters, and a sweep of top-seeded Toronto. But he’s played in every game this season — Sunday (Monday in Manila) will be his 100th — and it showed in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics.

He admitted to fatigue afterward and then played all but two minutes in Game 6 despite a sore knee from a collision with Nance.

Still, the four-time MVP carried his team even after Love banged heads with Boston’s Jayson Tatum in the first half and left the game.


“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “Every time we watch. Every time you’re standing out there. Every time you watch him on film. Best player in the game.”

James will probably have to do it again in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals for the eighth straight year, something accomplished only by Bill Russell and some of his Celtics teammates in the 1960s.

Lue said he wasn’t concerned about James’ leg. Or about the team’s history in the TD Garden, where the Cavaliers lost the first three games by an average of 17 points.

“We throw it all out,” Lue said on Saturday. “It’s one game left to go to the NBA Finals.”

The Celtics have had their own injury problems, starting in the first quarter of the season opener — at Cleveland — when top free agent Gordon Hayward went out for the year with a broken leg. Five-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, acquired from the Cavaliers in an offseason roster overhaul, needed knee surgery and was lost in March.

But they caught a break when Tatum was cleared to play on Saturday. Stevens said the team doctors checked on him “and he’s great.”

“So nothing there as far as to be concerned about,” Stevens said.

Well, there’s one thing to be concerned about.

“We know LeBron is different than a lot of other guys, but we’ve got to get the job done,” Celtics guard Terry Rozier said. “That’s no excuse, so we’re looking forward to it.”

For James, it’s an opportunity to extend the season for his hometown team and put off another summer of questions about his future. Eight years ago, he came to Boston for the conference semifinals and had a triple-double — 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists — but shot 8 for 21 with nine turnovers and the Celtics eliminated the Cavs from the playoffs.

As he left the court, James stripped off his Cleveland jersey; then came “The Decision” and the move to Miami.

James is again able to become a free agent this season, with the Lakers, 76ers and Rockets among the most-mentioned destinations. Having led Cleveland to the city’s first major sports title in half a century in 2016, there is less pulling at him to stay home this time.

But another title would ease the pain even more. And with the injury bug hitting the Western Conference finalists — Chris Paul was the latest ruled out for a game — the East champion might not be as big an underdog as expected.

James will be ready.

“You’ve got to be poised. You’ve got to be able to handle a punch or two,” he said. “We know it’s challenging. They’re 10-0 on their home floor, and they’ve been very successful against us, obviously, at home. But if you love challenges, then this is a great opportunity.”

source: philstar.com

LeBron dumps 44 points as Cavs level series with Celtics

CLEVELAND- LeBron James scored 44 points, surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar atop a postseason list and helped the Cleveland Cavaliers even the Eastern Conference finals at 2-2 on Monday night (Tuesday Manila time) with a 111-102 victory over the Boston Celtics who are looking forward to getting home.

Pushed by a raucous crowd that wasn't so confident a few days ago, the Cavs held off Boston's comeback in the fourth quarter and squared a series that is now a best-of-three.

Cleveland is trying to become the 20th team — out of 300 — to overcome a 2-0 deficit and James, who has already orchestrated two such rallies, is a step closer to a third.

But to do it again the Cavs will have to win in Boston, where the Celtics are 9-0 this postseason.

Game Five is Wednesday night at TD Center (Thursday Manila time).

Kyle Korver added 14 points with several hustle plays, and Tristan Thompson had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland.

Jaylen Brown scored 25 and Boston had all five scorers in double figures, but the Celtics fell behind by 19 in the first half and didn't have enough to catch Cleveland.

And, of course, they didn't have James, who moved past Jabbar (2,356) for the most field goals in playoff history. James also recorded his 25th career postseason game with at least 40 points — his sixth in this postseason.

The Celtics hung around in the second half and pulled within 100-93 on Marcus Smart's basket with 4:29 left. But Thompson got free for a dunk, and after a miss by Boston, James recovered after making his seventh turnover by making a steal and layup.

Moments later, James drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to finally put away the young Celtics, who will now feel the immense pressure of trying to hold off the three-time champion.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens considered changing his starting lineup, but decided to stick with the same first five — Brown, Jayson  Tautum, Marcus Morris, Al Horford and Terry Rozier — as the first three games.

Boston's starters held their own, but none of them was able to match James when it mattered most.

The Celtics couldn't afford another slow start and that's exactly what happened.

Boston got some open looks in the first quarter, but the Celtics shot just 27 percent (7 of 26) and both Tatum and Brown missed dunks. Also, Morris picked up three fouls and his teammates all seemed tentative as the Cavs pushed their lead to 15 at halftime.

Blowout city

Like most fans, Lue has been stunned — but not necessarily disappointed — by the number of lopsided wins in the playoffs, especially in the semifinals.

The first six games between Boston-Cleveland and Houston-Golden State were decided by an average of 24 points. The Warriors won Game Three on Sunday night (Monday Manila time) by 41, the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

"It does surprise me," he said. "All four teams are really good. But the home court has shown it's been a factor."

source: philstar.com

NBA Wrap: Bucks stop Cavs; Warriors extend hot start during Filipino Heritage Night

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's Jerryd Bayless held LeBron James scoreless over the final 3:15 of the second overtime to steer the Bucks to a 108-105 win against Cleveland on Saturday (Sunday Manila time), snapping the Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak.

James scored 37 points for Cleveland but could not break the shackles when it mattered most, and the Bucks — last in the Central Division — took a creditable victory over that division's top team.

One man who could not be stopped was Stephen Curry, who again led the way as Golden State won in overtime against Brooklyn to improve to 11-0.

Elsewhere, Blake Griffin sank a clutch late basket to cap a strong individual performance and give the Los Angeles Clippers victory over Detroit, while Washington beat Orlando for the 10th straight time.

Milwaukee's Bayless and Michael Carter-Williams scored 17 points for the Bucks while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points and 11 rebounds in 45 minutes before fouling out with 3:15 left in the second overtime.

Bayless drew the assignment of guarding James after Antetokounmpo fouled out, and he held the Cleveland star scoreless the rest of the game.

Golden State's Curry scored 21 of his 34 points after halftime to steer the Warriors past Brooklyn 107-99.

Andre Iguodala hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to tie the game, while Brook Lopez missed a short shot on the buzzer that would have won it for the Nets.

Iguodala finished with 18 points for the Warriors, who pulled quickly in overtime, scoring the first 10 points.

Jarrett Jack scored a season-high 28 for Brooklyn

Los Angeles' Griffin scored 34 points, including a crucial jumper with 17 seconds left that helped the Clippers down Detroit 101-96.

Jamal Crawford added a season-high 37 points, making all 10 of his free throws, for the Clippers, who were without injured starters Chris Paul and J.J. Redick.

Ersan Ilyasova scored 20 points for the Pistons, who have lost nine in a row against the Clippers.

Such a lopsided head-to-head record was outdone by Washington's domination of Orlando, extending the winning streak to double figures with a 108-99 victory.

Kris Humphries scored 23 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers. The last of them came with 4:45 remaining as part of an 8-0 runs that put the Wizards ahead.

Garrett Temple matched his career high with 18 points for Washington.

Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Magic.

Dallas overcame the absence of three regular starts, including talisman Dirk Nowitzki, and comfortably beat Texas rival Houston 110-98.

San Antonio won 92-83 to inflict a 10th straight loss to start the season for Philadelphia, which has lost 20 successive games dating back to last season.

Phoenix's Eric Bledsoe scored 30 points, and the Suns cruised to a 105-81 win over Denver.

source: philstar.com

Curry, Warriors overcome LeBron’s 40-14-11 night as Golden State beats Cavs in Game 5 to near NBA title

The Golden State Warriors moved just one win away from their first championship in 40 years after dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers, 104-91, in a pivotal Game Five win in the NBA finals Sunday (Monday morning Philippine time) at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry poured in 37 points, 17 in the fourth quarter as he knocked down crucial triples down the stretch to give the Warriors a 3-2 series lead.

Cleveland superstar LeBron James tallied another Herculean triple-double of 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but his Cavaliers just couldn’t contain Curry and the Warriors.

For the first time in the series, the Cavaliers went all out playing small-ball basketball. Big man Timofey Mozgov, who had a career night in Game Four, only saw limited action as Cleveland at times slotted in James as center to counter Golden State’s prolific lineups.

After struggling in his last game, JR Smith came out firing off the bench early, scoring eight points in the first quarter off James’ dishes. He continued his hot shooting in the second quarter with back-to-back triples as they took a 31-26 lead.

But Curry and the Warriors displayed their usual deadly shooting form and kept the game close. An eight-second backcourt violation by James followed by a Harrison Barnes and-one helped put the Warriors ahead, 51-50, at halftime.

Both teams engaged in a tight battle in the third frame but a 13-4 run by the Warriors put them up, 73-67, entering the final period.

Cleveland started the fourth period with an 8-2 run fueled by triples from James and Iman Shumpert that tied things up at 75-all.

The Warriors then waxed hot from downtown, with Curry and Klay Thompson knocking down triples. Andre Igoudala scored five straight crucial points and Curry fired a signature pull-up triple to give Warriors their biggest lead at 10, 96-86, with 2:44 left.

Curry sank a dagger triple from way beyond the arc with over a minute left to ice the win.

The Warriors will try to close out the series in Game Six in Cleveland on Wednesday.

source: interaksyon.com

LeBron scores 40, unlikely hero Dellavedova steps up as Cavaliers go up 2-1 on Warriors

The Cleveland Cavaliers had to hold off a furious fourth quarter comeback from the Golden State Warriors but escaped with a 96-91 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals on Tuesday (Wednesday morning in Manila) at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland led by 20 points late in the third but Golden State was able to come back to as close as one point in the final period. But the Cavs were able to keep the Warriors at bay thanks mainly to superstar LeBron James and unlikely Finals hero Matthew Dellavedova.

James finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists while Dellavedova surprised with a personal playoff-best of 20 points. Both players also made big plays down the stretch.

With their team up, 81-80, with 2:47 remaining, the Australian guard completed a big three-point play while the four-time NBA MVP knocked down a three-pointer to spark a 7-0 run that made it 88-80.

Regular season MVP Steph Curry knocked down a triple on the other end and the Warriors earned a stop for a chance to inch in even closer but Dellavedova made a huge defensive play, diving onto the floor to recover a loose ball and earning another trip to the line, knocking down both of his attempts.

James then added two more free throws to make it 92-83 with 51 seconds remaining.

Curry made a couple of late threes but James was steady from the free throw line to seal the win.

LeBron’s 40 raised his total to 123 points in the first three games of the NBA Finals, the most in NBA history.

Curry led the Warriors with 27 points. His struggles from the previous game continued until the first half of this one, starting the game by making just one of his first six shots. He turned things around in the second half, though, scoring 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting and 6-for-9 from three.

The Cavs blew the game wide open in the third quarter behind huge performances from James and Dellavedova. The pair combined to score 23 of the team’s 28 points in the quarter while the Cleveland defense allowed only 18 as they pushed their lead up to as high as 20 points.

James scored 13 in the quarter and sparked the Cavs’ big run. He knocked down a triple and followed it up by scoring in the post to score the first five points of a 12-0 run that made it 68-48 for Cleveland with 2:52 remaining in the quarter.

The run was capped by baskets from Dellavedova, who hit two big three-pointers earlier in the third quarter, JR Smith and Timofey Mozgov.

Smith and Tristan Thompson finished with 10 points apiece.

The scores:
Cleveland (96) – James 40, Dellavedova 20, Smith 10, Thompson 10, Jones 7, Mozgov 6, Shumpert 3, Miller 0.

Golden State (91) – Curry 27, Iguodala 15, Thompson 14, Lee 11, Green 7, Ezeli 5, Bogut 4, Livingston 4, Barbosa 4, Barnes 0.

Quarterscores: 24-20, 44-37, 72-55, 96-91.

source: interaksyon.com