Category: Games

Basketball games blog

May 16: Cavs 74, Celtics 69

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 32 points—19 in the second half—and the Cavaliers forced a decisive and fitting finale to this home-sweet-home playoff series with a 74-69 victory Friday night over the Celtics, who have gone from regular-season road kings to postseason road kill… James, whose jump shot has mysteriously been missing in this series, made two key baskets midway through the fourth quarter to slow a Boston comeback, Wally Szczerbiak hit a 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining and Joe Smith dropped two free throws with 14 seconds left as the Cavs moved the series back to the East Coast… Leading by nine at halftime, the Cavs quickly extended the lead to 51-36. But just when it appeared the Celtics were in major trouble, they responded behind Garnett, who scored eight points in a 13-0 spurt that pulled Boston within three. James finally ended Cleveland’s offensive lapse with a layup and the Cavs got a tip-in and fling-in from Anderson Varejao for a 59-50 lead entering the fourth. Garnett’s jumper pulled the Celtics within 65-60 before James scored on a drive, and the All-Star hit an off-balance 17-foot jumper to make it 69-60. Eddie House made a 3-pointer for Boston, but Szczerbiak, who missed his first five 3-pointers, finally got one to go down, giving Cleveland a 72-63 lead.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Celtics shot 39.7%, the Cavs just 32.9%. Both teams missed threes. The Cavs had 21-of-25 free throws, the Celtics just 11-of-13. The Cavs controlled the boards but only had 10 team assists.

For the Cavs, LeBron James (9-of-23) had 32 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists (but 8 turnovers) and 2 steals. Delonte West (4-of-7) had 10 points, no assists and 4 turnovers. Wally Szczerbiak (absurd 2-of-11) had 9, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (awful 3-of-11) had 7 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. Joe Smith had 9 points and 5 rebounds off the bench.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett (11-of-21) had 25 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Paul Pierce (lousy 5-of-15) had 16 points and 6 turnovers. Ray Allen (3-of-8) had 9 points and 6 rebounds. Eddie House (3-of-5) came off the bench for rare minutes to score 8.

May 15: Spurs 99, Hornets 80

The AP reports: The defending champions beat the New Orleans Hornets, 99-80 in Game 6, staying alive and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday in New Orleans… Manu Ginobili scored 25 points, Tim Duncan had 20 points and 15 rebounds, and Tony Parker added 15 points to tie the Western Conference semifinals… Chris Paul led the Hornets with 21 points and eight assists, and Tyson Chandler scored 14 points. David West had 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter after aggravating a back injury… Despite the closeness of the series, Game 6, like the five before it, was won by double digits. It was also won, like those before it, in the third quarter, when the Spurs outscored the Hornets 20-12… The Spurs shot 49 percent from the field (38-of-77) to the Hornets’ 41 percent (33-of-80) and outrebounded them 45-40. The Spurs had 28 assists and the Hornets had 13… With 10:11 left in the game, West left the court after aggravating a back injury.

May 14: Lakers 111, Jazz 104

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 26 points despite not attempting a field goal in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers extended the stunning home success by NBA teams in the second round of the playoffs by beating the Utah Jazz 111-104 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals… Bryant, who also had six rebounds and seven assists, scored only three points in the final period, all from the foul line after the outcome had been decided. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor and 13-of-17 from the foul line… Lamar Odom had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Gasol added 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists, Vladimir Radmanovic scored 15 points and Derek Fisher added 14 for the Lakers, who were 17-1 during the regular season when all five starters scored in double figures… All five Utah starters also scored in double figures led by Deron Williams, who had 27 points and 10 assists. Carlos Boozer added 18 points and 12 rebounds, Ronnie Brewer scored a career playoff-high 16 points, Mehmet Okur had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Andrei Kirilenko scored 12 for the Jazz.

May 14: Celtics 96, Cavs 89

The AP reports: Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 16 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 20 points and 13 assists as the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 96-89 on Wednesday night to move within a win of the Eastern Conference finals… “We know it’s a win-or-go-home situation. We’ve got to approach it that way,” said LeBron James, who scored 23 of his 35 points in the first 20 minutes and then went cold again… Paul Pierce scored 29 points and helped shut James down for much of the second half. The Cavaliers forward had 23 points with 3:50 left in the first half but made just one basket in the next 20 minutes as Boston erased a 14-point deficit and took the lead for good… Cleveland cut an 88-77 lead to 91-87 on two free throws by Delonte West with 46 seconds to play. But, after running down the shot clock, Garnett got the rebound of his own miss and Paul Pierce hit five free throws in the last 16 seconds to ice it.

May 13: Hornets 101, Spurs 79

The AP reports: Back pain couldn’t keep David West from taking the court with aggression. The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t stop him from dominating… West had career playoff highs of 38 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots, lifting New Orleans to a 101-79 victory over the Spurs on Tuesday night and a 3-2 series lead… Chris Paul had 16 of his 22 points in the second half and added 14 assists for the Hornets, who’ve never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in the franchise’s 20-year history. Manu Ginobili led San Antonio with 20 points and Tony Parker had 18. The Hornets held Tim Duncan to 10 points, though Duncan was a force on the glass with 23 rebounds… Guarded mostly by Tyson Chandler, Duncan was 5-of-18 shooting, but Chandler left the game early in the fourth quarter with a bruised left foot. Meanwhile, a trainer put an ice pack on West’s back after he left the game in the final minutes as the Hornets All-Star forward grimaced in pain… While Stojakovic managed only nine points, he recognized who had the hot hand. His pass to the corner set up Peterson’s fourth 3, which put the Hornets ahead 68-54. Paul then added two free throws, giving him 12 for the quarter, and West scored his 30th point of the game on a jumper over Parker, giving the Hornets a 72-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Hornets shot 44.7%, the Spurs 37.7%. The Hornets nailed 8-of-15 three-pointers, the Spurs were also good, hitting 9-of-23. The Hornets also hit 25-of-33 free throws, the Spurs just 12-of-18. The Hornets rebounded better, had a few more assists, a few less turnovers, and won the steals category 8-1.

For the Hornets, David West (16-of-25) had 38 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks. Chris Paul (just 6-of-18, but 9-of-11 free throws) had 22 points and 14 assists. Morris Peterson scored 12, Jannero Pargo 10. Peja Stojakovic only scored 9, but somehow managed to grab 11 rebounds.

For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili (just 5-of-15) had 20 points and 7 assists. Tony Parker (7-of-14) had 18 points and little else. Tim Duncan (awful 5-of-18 and just 0-of-1 free throws) had 10 points, an awesome 23 rebounds, but little else. Bruce Bowen (4-of-5) scored 10. Kurt Thomas was an awful 1-of-6. Mike Finley was also 1-of-6. Brent Barry went 1-of-4.

May 13: Pistons 91, Magic 86

The AP reports: Detroit set an NBA playoff record with just three turnovers and made just enough shots and stops to advance to their sixth straight Eastern Conference final with a 91-86 win Tuesday night over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the second-round series. Richard Hamilton scored 31 points, made victory-sealing free throws late in the game and Tayshaun Prince had a key block to help Detroit eliminate Orlando. The Pistons are the first franchise to play in six conference finals in a row since the Los Angeles Lakers went to eight straight in the 1980s… The Pistons were 28-of-32 at the line and didn’t turn the ball over once after the first quarter even though Rodney Stuckey was filling in for Billups. Orlando made just 16 of 28 free throws and had a playoff-high 21 turnovers, which turned into 34 points for Detroit… Detroit led by 10 with 3:49 left, but was clung to a 85-84 lead with just under a minute left after Hedo Turkoglu made back-to-back shots.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Magic shot 48.4%, the Pistons just 36.1%. But Detroit took 83 shots, Orlando just 64. Orlando was better from three-point range. But Detroit made 28-of-32 free throws, Orlando just 16-of-28 (Dwight Howard’s free throws were a miserable 6-of-15). But the big story was turnover: Detroit had an amazing 3 for the entire game, while Orlando had 21.

For the Pistons, Richard Hamilton (just 7-of-20, but 16-of-16 free throws) had 31 points and 4 steals. Antonio McDyess (6-of-9) had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Rodney Stuckey (5-of-10) had 15 points and 6 assists. Rasheed Wallace (just 7-of-20, 0-of-6 threes, no free throw attempts) had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Tayshaun Prince (just 4-of-13) had 10.

Fo the Magic, Hedo Turkoglu on 15 shots had 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, but 5 turnovers. Dwight Howard (4-of-8, awful free throw shooting) had 14 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks. Rashard Lewis (awful 4-of-13) had 14 points, 7 rebounds, just 1 assist with 6 turnovers. Jameer Nelson (6-of-7) had 14 points and 4 assists. Maurice Evans scored 11.

May 12: Cavs 88, Celtics 77

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 21 points, delivering a devastating dunk over a defenseless Kevin Garnett in the final two minutes, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the homesick Celtics 88-77 in Game 4 on Monday night to tie the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Still stuck in a shooting slump, James dominated down the stretch and finished with 13 assists—four in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers, too, showed that they can play stingy defense, holding the Celtics—the NBA’s best defensive team—to just 12 points in the final period… Boston dropped to 0-5 on the road in the postseason, a stunning slip for a team that went 31-10 outside their home floor during the regular season… Garnett scored 15 points, but only two in the second half, as Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao harassed Boston’s All-Star all night. Allen had 15 points and Pierce 13, but the Celtics’ Big Three were only a combined 16-of-40… USC star O.J. Mayo, alleged to have accepted money from a sports agency, sat courtside.

nsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Cavs shot 45.5%, the Celtics just 38.6%. While the Cavs were just 6-of-17 from three-point range, the Celtics were an awful 2-of-14. The Cavs had the edge in rebounds and assists. Both teams committed very few turnovers.

For the Cavaliers, James shot 7-of-20 for 21 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Wally Szczerbiak scored 14. Daniel Gibson had 14, 6 points and 4 assists. Anderson Varejao shot 6-of-8 for 12 points and 6 rebounds.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Rajon Rondo on 14 shots had 15 points and 2 steals. Ray Allen (4-of-10) had 15 points and 6 rebounds. Paul Pierce was just 6-of-17 for 13 points and 5 rebounds. P.J. Brown came off the bench to shoot 4-of-4 for 8 points and 6 rebounds. James Posey, Sam Cassell, Leon Powe and Glen Davis all combined to shoot 0-for-10.

May 11: Spurs 100, New Orleans 80

The AP reports: Tim Duncan had his best game of the series against New Orleans—22 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks—to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 100-80 victory over the Hornets on Sunday… Tony Parker added 21 points for the Spurs, who are assured of a Game 6 back in San Antonio. Game 5 is Tuesday in New Orleans… The Spurs led by as many as 27 and were ahead nearly the entire game. They shot 51 percent (39-of-76), while the Hornets were cold when it counted. They shot 37 percent through three quarters and finished 33-of-82 (40 percent) from the field… San Antonio scored 40 points in the paint. New Orleans’ plan to keep Parker out of the lane didn’t work, as he knifed his way through heavy traffic or found openings to get to the rim, and hit jumpers… In the third quarter, when the Hornets were so dominant in the first two games, the Spurs kept up their hot shooting and New Orleans got worse.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Spurs shot 51.3%, the Hornets just 40.2%. Both teams struggled from three-point range. The Spurs got to the free throw line a bit more, but shot a bit worse. The Spurs had the rebounding edge, and a huge 27-12 assists edge. Turnovers were even.

For the Spurs, Duncan (10-of-13) had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks. Tony Parker (8-of-12) had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Manu Ginobili (just 5-of-13, 2-of-7 threes) had 15 points and 8 assists. Ime Udoka (5-of-8) came off the bench for 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

For the Hornets, Chris Paul (10-of-16) had 23 points, 6 rebounds, but just 5 assists with 4 turnovers, and 3 steals. David West (awful 4-of-15) had just 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Jannero Pargo scored 11 off the bench. Peja Stojakovic was awful, taking 9 shots for 6 points and literally almost nothing else. Tyson Chandler was invisible with 2 points and 4 rebounds.

May 11: Jazz 123, Lakers 115

The AP reports: Andrei Kirilenko blocked Kobe Bryant twice in overtime and converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining as the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-115 on Sunday, tying the Western Conference semifinals at 2-2. The Jazz went 8-for-8 from the foul line in overtime and outscored the Lakers 15-7 in the extra 5 minutes. Deron Williams had 29 points and 14 assists, while Carlos Boozer scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds. Mehmet Okur added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Kirilenko finished with 15 points and five blocks — stuffing Bryant twice as the Lakers tried to rally in overtime… Los Angeles rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final four minutes to force overtime. Derek Fisher scored 10 straight for the Lakers and blocked a shot by Williams just before the end of regulation with the score tied at 108. The Lakers struggled in overtime and didn’t score until a layup by Bryant with 1:10 remaining cut Utah’s lead to 112-110.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Jazz shot 52.5%, the Lakers 47.4%. But the Lakers took 97 shots, the Jazz just 76. Three-point shooting was close, but the Jazz had 37-of-45 free throws, the Lakers just 14-of-25. Rebounding was even but the Jazz won the assists category 32-20. Turnovers were almost even.

For the Jazz, Deron Williams on just 13 shots (9-of-13, 3-of-4 threes) had 29 points, 14 assists and 2 steals. Mehmet Okur had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Andrei Kirilenko only only 4 shots (4-of-4) had 15 points and 5 blocks, though 0 rebounds and more turnovers than assists. Carlos Boozer (just 5-of-15) had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Korver scored 14 plus 2 steals, and Matt Harpring had 12.

For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant (just 13-of-33) had 33 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Lamar Odom (10-of-18, just 5-of-10 free throws) had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocks. Pau Gasol (terrific 11-of-16) had 23 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Derek Fisher (5-of-8, 4-of-5 threes) had 15 with 2 steals. Sasha Vujacic (4-of-6, 3-of-5 threes) scored 11.

May 10: Cavs 108, Celtics 84

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 21 points on another off-shooting night, but Delonte West scored 21, Joe Smith had 17 and the Cavaliers raced to a large, early lead in Game 3 in a 108-84 victory Saturday night over the road-challenged Boston Celtics to pull within 2-1 in their playoff series… James was only 5-of-16 from the floor, but his teammates stepped it up, going a combined 32-of-54 (59 percent). Cleveland roared to a 32-13 lead after one quarter, led by 17 at half, 16 after three and easily withstood a few Boston counter punches… The Cavs played a nearly flawless first quarter. They shot 65 percent (13-of-20), had 11 assists on those field goals and didn’t commit a turnover. Beyond that, Cleveland didn’t rely on James to carry them, as six other Cavs combined for 27 of the club’s 32 points… The Cavaliers were leading 39-17 in the second quarter when this series had its first moment of tension. As he was driving to the basket, James was grabbed around the neck by Posey and fell awkwardly in the lane. He laid face down on the floor as both teams exchanged angry words and Anderson Varejao and Posey earned technicals for their exuberance.

InsideHoops.com Stat Notes: The Cavs shot 53.6%, the Celtics just 40.5%. The Cavs nailed 10-of-19 three-pointers, the Celtics just 5-of-16 (Ray Allen 0-of-5 threes). The Cavs got to the free throw line more, rebounded a bit more, and won the assists total 29-18. Turnovers and steals were around even.

For the Cavs, LeBron James (5-of-16) had 21 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Delonte West (7-of-11, 4-of-6 threes) had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Joe Smith came off the bench to shoot 7-of-8 for 17 points and 6 rebounds. Wally Szczerbiak took 10 shots for 16 points. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett (8-of-13) had 17 points, 9 rebounds and little else. Paul Pierce (just 3-of-8) had 14 points and 5 assists (but 4 turnovers). Kendrick Perkins (4-of-8) had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Ray Allen was just 4-of-12 for 10 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Sam Cassell shot 0-of-6 and Eddie House shot 0-of-3 off the bench.