2008 NBA Playoffs

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LeBron James scores 32 as Cavaliers beat Wizards

CLEVELAND (AP)—Flanked by security personnel, one of his own bodyguards and several close friends, LeBron James was escorted from the arena.

He was untouchable.

He could have used the protection earlier.

Bumped and banged by the Wizards on every drive, James scored 32 points, making two tough shots in traffic down the stretch as the Cleveland Cavaliers opened the NBA playoffs with an intense 93-86 win over Washington on Saturday.

Determined to shut up trash-talking Washington guard DeShawn Stevenson, who had called him “overrated” last month, James took a physical pounding. But he led the Cavaliers to their seventh straight postseason win over the Wizards, who had their chances in the fourth but missed 10 straight shots and scored just two points in the final 4:39.

Afterward, James felt no need to rub it in Stevenson’s face.
“93-86,” he said, “is the only words I need to say.”

James scored 20 points—most of them on layups—in the second half to lead the defending Eastern Conference champions, who took a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series that got off to a physical start and appears to have a long way to go.

Game 2, or Round 2, if you will, is Monday night.

“It’s one game,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “They drew first blood.”

Resting a bothersome back, James sat out the early part of the fourth quarter. But once he returned to the floor, Cleveland’s superstar forward came through as usual. With the game on the line, he twice got to the basket and scored over Wizards defenders, who had spent much of the game knocking him to the floor.

James expected a physical game, and he got one. Not that he minded.

“I was built for this,” he said. “I’m not 6-9, 260 pounds to shoot jumpers all night. I go to the hole and I create contact. Don’t ever think I’m the only person feeling that.”

With the score tied 84-84, James knifed his way down the lane and hit a layup between Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood with 1:37 remaining. Following a miss by Gilbert Arenas, who led the Wizards with 24 points, James powered past Stevenson and dropped a floater with 55 seconds left in the game—and one tick to spare on the 24-second shot clock.

The Wizards were still within four, but although Daniel Gibson missed a free throw and James misfired on two attempts from the line in the final minute, Washington’s offense went cold at the worst time possible. Jamison missed three straight outside shots, two of them 3-pointers, in the final minutes.

“They were shots I normally make, but I wasn’t able to convert,” Jamison said. “It’s frustrating.”

Delonte West made four free throws in the final 15.1 seconds to seal Cleveland’s win.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 22 points and 11 rebounds and West finished with 16 points for the Cavaliers, who, unlike the Wizards, stayed quiet in the weeks leading up to the series. Ilgauskas and West both went 8-for-8 from the line and Cavs (37) shot 20 more free throws than the Wizards (17).

Arenas played 27 minutes and fouled out with 13 seconds to go. Still getting his legs after missing 66 games following knee surgery, Agent Zero tired in the fourth. Jamison had 23 points and 19 rebounds and Stevenson finished with three points on just 1-of-9 shooting.

“The talking is over,” Stevenson said. “I didn’t say anything to him and he didn’t say anything to me. The series has already started. We don’t need to talk. We all know what’s in the air. I said what I had to say. He (James) is a good player. I do what I can to get under his skin, on and off the court.”

Meeting for the third straight time in the postseason, these two teams know each other well. They also strongly dislike each other and tempers boiled over in the final seconds of the first half, when Haywood flattened James with a screen near midcourt.

James didn’t appreciate the foul or that Haywood towered over him for several seconds after the call.

“He was standing over me in a very disrespectful manner,” James said.

He squirmed through Haywood’s legs to get up and the pair pushed and screamed at each other. Cavs coach Mike Brown quickly intervened and Jamison came running in to the fray as Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace led Cleveland’s charge.

“I was over top of him and he got a little razzle-dazzled,” Haywood said. “That’s how things go. He ain’t going to do anything. I’m not going to do anything, so let’s play on.”

Jordan said part of Washington’s game plan was to be “very physical” in the paint. And each time, James came inside, the Wizards let him feel it.

“When LeBron drives, he’s getting hit, hit, hit,” Brown said, pounding his hand onto the dais to emphasize his point. “Yes, he had 14 free throws, but if you go back and watch the tape, he’s getting clobbered. He has to make sure that he goes in there and protects himself so he doesn’t get hurt.

“One thing he can’t do, is stop driving the ball.”

James never did, and if there were any questions about the wellness of his back, he answered them with a one-handed dunk off an alley-oop pass from Gibson in the second quarter. Streaking down the left side, James went up to grab Gibson’s lob with his right hand and slammed it in.

“I told Boobie, ‘Just throw the ball anywhere, and I’ll go get it,”’ James said. “He really took that literally.”

Notes

Cavs C Ben Wallace, who normally wears his hair in tight corn rows, let his afro out for Game 1. “I’m a big supporter of the ‘fro coming back for the playoffs,” James said. “I told him I need to see it and I told him my kids needed to see it. He couldn’t say no to my kids.” … Cleveland is only 7-17 in series openers. … Jamison had 10 rebounds in the first quarter. … Washington has lost eight consecutive Game 1s.

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Duncan carries Spurs to Game 1 win over Suns

SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Tim Duncan saved the San Antonio Spurs with a rare 3-pointer at the end of overtime, and Manu Ginobili hit a layup at the end of the second extra period to send the defending champions past the Phoenix Suns, 117-115 on Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The third-seeded Spurs celebrated almost as jubilantly as if they’d won the finals yet again after beating the Suns, their postseason nemesis. The teams will meet again in San Antonio on Tuesday night before the series shifts to Arizona.

This first-round series, which would have been fitting as a Western Conference finals, was the most anticipated. So far at least, it has more than delivered.

Duncan finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds.

Michael Finley sent the Spurs to overtime with a last-second 3 from the wing, tying the game at 93.

The Suns had controlled play for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16 points despite early foul trouble for Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns had a six-point lead with a quarter left in regulation.

The Spurs took their first lead of the game late in the fourth quarter, but were down 93-90 with 1:10 to go after Leandro Barbosa’s fast-break layup.

Two-time MVP Duncan stole the show in the first overtime. With his team down 104-101, Duncan found himself all alone at the 3-point line. After only a slight hesitation, he fired the ball and made it with 3 seconds to play. It was Duncan’s first 3 of the season. He was 0-of-4 previously.

In the second overtime, Shaq’s dunk tied it at 112 with 1:33 to play. Ginobili’s layup made it 114-112 San Antonio.

Steve Nash missed a key 3 from the corner with less than a minute to play. After a long and risky inbounds pass that crossed the width of the court to the Spurs’ Brent Barry, the Suns fouled, and Barry sank one of two from the line to make it 115-112 Spurs.

With 15 seconds on the clock, Nash fired another 3, sinking it this time to tie the game at 115.

Then Ginobili drove the lane and his layup fell with 1.8 seconds left for the win.

Tony Parker added 26 points for the Spurs, and Ginobili had 24.

Amare Stoudemire, who fouled out with 12 seconds left in the first overtime, led the Suns with 33 points. Nash had 25 points and 13 assists, O’Neal scored 11 points

The Suns and Spurs met last season in the second round in what many dubbed the real finals. San Antonio won in six tense and testy games on their way to a fourth NBA title.

This year’s rematch comes in the first round in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

Phoenix acquired O’Neal in a blockbuster midseason trade for a series such as this one to give the run-and-gun Suns a defensive boost.

Notes

There were quite a few orange T-shirts dotting the crowd. … The Spurs have eliminated the Suns in three of their last four postseason appearances. … Raja Bell scored 14 points for the Suns. Barbosa and Boris Diaw each added 12. … Finley had 13 points for San Antonio, and Kurt Thomas, who played for the Suns last season, grabbed 10 rebounds.

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Paul lifts Hornets over Mavs, 104-92 in Game 1

NEW ORLEANS (AP)—So much for playoff experience.

Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first career playoff game Saturday night, lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a 104-92 come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their first-round series.

David West, in his first playoff game since he was a rookie reserve, scored 23 points, and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 15 rebounds to help New Orleans storm back from a 12-point halftime deficit and win going away.

Dirk Nowitzki had his way with New Orleans early and finished with 31 points, but scored only four during Dallas’ fourth-quarter collapse. Josh Howard added 17 points for the Mavericks, a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs in eight seasons and was in the finals two years ago.

Jason Kidd, the All-Star point guard the Mavericks were hoping would be the missing piece to a championship run when they traded for him midseason, finished with 11 points and nine assists.

But the Mavericks had only nine field goals in the second half and no answer Paul, whose third year in the NBA has included a maiden All-Star game nod and serious consideration for league MVP.

The Hornets also got 14 points from Peja Stojakovic, one of their few grizzled playoff vets, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final period to help squelch any notion of a Dallas comeback.

Dallas, which lost, stunningly, in the first round of last year’s playoffs to eighth-seeded Golden State, won’t go down without a struggle. With this game out of reach, the Mavs seemed to be already psyching themselves up for the next contest with physical play.

Nowitzki and West were assessed double technicals after exchanging words, nose-to-nose, with West holding his hand up to the edge of Nowitzki’s cheek.

New Orleans, a young team making its first playoff appearance in four years, looked like a tight group in the first half, missing open jumpers, free throws, even a layup. The Hornets were 9-of-27 shooting in the first quarter, when Dallas took a 26-19 lead behind 11 points from Nowitzki.

Hustling defense kept the Hornets within single digits most of the first half, but Dallas, which missed its first nine 3-point attempts, went ahead 49-38 on Kidd’s open 3 late in the second period. Howard added another in the final seconds, putting the Mavs ahead 52-40 at halftime.

The Hornets desperately needed a player to rise to the occasion on offense in the third quarter, and Paul did so, scoring 15 points in the period.

He had a 7-0 run by himself on a jumper, driving floater and fast-break layup as he was fouled to pull New Orleans to 65-63. The Hornets tied it at 68 on Bonzi Wells’ jumper with 2:20 to go in the third period, then Wells’ steal led to Paul’s fast-break layup for a 70-68 lead.

Chandler’s follow-up dunk made it 76-72 at the end of the third, during which New Orleans outscored Dallas 36-20.

Paul then hit a floater, set up Chandler’s alley-oop and West’s layup during a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter to put New Orleans up 86-74.

Notes

Before tipoff, the Hornets hung their Southwest Division championship banner from the rafters after a brief comment from team owner George Shinn. “Many people didn’t think would come back; they were wrong,” Shinn began. “Many people didn’t think we’d have fan support; they were wrong. Many people didn’t think we’d make the playoffs; they were wrong again.” … The Hornets missed five of their seven free throws in the first half, while Dallas made 16-of-19 during that span.

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Jazz beat Rockets 93-82 in series opener

HOUSTON (AP)—Who says the Utah Jazz can’t play well on the road?

Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 93-82 in the opener of their first-round series Saturday night.

Deron Williams had 20 points and 10 assists as Utah, 17-24 on the road during the regular season, won its second straight playoff game in Houston. The last victory came in Game 7 last season, and that was when Houston got help from Yao Ming.

Yao is out for this series with a foot injury and the Rockets have to wonder after Game 1 how they’re going to compete with the Jazz inside. Utah had a 34-29 rebounding edge through three quarters and Boozer hit 10 of 20 shots.

Utah’s reserves also played well, outscoring Houston’s reserves 28-17.

Shane Battier scored 22 and Tracy McGrady had 20 points for Houston, which shot 37 percent (29 of 79).

The Rockets are also playing without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring late in the season. His backup, Bobby Jackson, scored seven points on 3-for-15 shooting.

As Yao watched from the Rockets’ bench, Utah outrebounded Houston 12-5 in the first quarter and led 23-18. Without the 7-foot-6 Yao to guard him, Boozer was a handful for Houston, grabbing seven rebounds and scoring six points in the quarter.

Houston coach Rick Adelman had three rookies on the floor to start the second quarter—point guard Aaron Brooks and forwards Carl Landry and Mike Harris. Even with McGrady still in the game, Utah took advantage, stretching the lead to 30-20 and forcing Adelman to call time out.

The Rockets outrebounded the Jazz 9-3 over the last five minutes of the half and trailed only 47-41.

Houston opened the second half with a 12-4 burst and McGrady had a hand in every point, with either a basket or an assist. He found Luis Scola open for a layup, then scored on a drive of his own to put the Rockets up 53-51, their first lead since the opening minutes.

Boozer scored on three straight Utah possessions, but picked up his fourth foul with 6:30 left in the third quarter and was replaced by Paul Millsap. Scola, guarded by Boozer most of the game, promptly scored inside to cut Houston’s deficit to 57-55.

But Kyle Korver sank a pair of 3-pointers in the final 2:29 of the third quarter and the Jazz led 68-60. The Rockets hurt themselves further by going 6-for-12 from the free-throw line in the quarter.

Williams sank a 3-pointer with 9:29 left to extend Utah’s lead into double digits again. The Rockets never made a serious threat after that.

Boozer put back an offensive rebound then scored on a drive on back-to-back possessions as the lead swelled to 79-64.

The public-address system played the “Rocky” theme during a time out with 5:51 remaining, but the Rockets couldn’t muster an inspiring comeback. McGrady didn’t score in the final quarter and a half and Houston’s reserves played the final four minutes.

The Rockets won the first two games of last year’s series with Utah, then lost four of the last five games. Now, they’ll have to win a game in Utah, where the Jazz had an NBA-best 37-4 record during the regular season.

Houston won its season opener in Salt Lake City, but the Rockets have lost the last three times they’ve met Utah in the playoffs.

Notes

Boozer has recorded double-doubles in 14 of his last 18 playoff games. … The Jazz won for just the third time in their last 11 road playoff games. … Adelman has won four of five previous playoff matchups against Utah’s Jerry Sloan. … Scola had 12 points and eight rebounds for Houston. … The Rockets haven’t won a playoff series since the 1996-97 season. That year, they lost to Utah in the Western Conference finals.

[angas11]

GoodLuck tomorrow sa LAKERS... Beat DENVER

[AUSTIN316]

I think Kobre and the rest of the team will make a mincemeat of denver.

stonecold316

[AUSTIN316]

I'm sure plus 10 points lamang ng Lakers dito.

stonecold316

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Dwight Howard has big game as Magic beat Raptors 114-100

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)—Dwight Howard was in high school the last time the Orlando Magic won a playoff game. On Sunday afternoon, he made sure Orlando didn’t have to wait any longer.

Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds and blocked five shots, and the Magic defeated the Toronto Raptors 114-100 in the opener of their first-round series. Jameer Nelson added 24 points for Orlando.

“It felt real good—it was an amazing feeling for me,” Howard said. “Actually, I almost got some tears.”

Howard scored six straight points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed Orlando’s first playoff win since 2003. He also blocked five shots and made 9 of 11 free throws.

Anthony Parker had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 21 and Rasho Nesterovic had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Jason Kapono scored 18 off the bench.

The Raptors, who trailed by 20 points after the first quarter, drew within five with 10:24 left in the fourth on two quick 3-pointers by Kapono and a Parker jumper. But Toronto went scoreless for the next 3:16 as Orlando pulled away.

“It is tough digging yourself a hole like that,” Parker said. “Every time we did make a run, they made a play and put it back around 10 or 12. We just never got over that hump, and I believe if we had it would’ve been a tough ballgame for them. The first quarter was the difference.”

The Magic held Bosh mostly in check. Smothered by Rashard Lewis inside the paint and out, the All-Star power forward started 1-of-6 from the field and scored 13 of his 21 points from the free throw line (13-of-13). Bosh picked up four fouls in the third quarter—including two within 20 seconds during tussles with Howard—and played limited minutes in the fourth.

“(Lewis) fronted me the whole game,” Bosh said. “He was up in my space. I should have done a better job expecting that. He did a good job; I’ll be ready for it in game two.”

Lewis, who is known more for scoring than defense, said it took all he had to keep up with Bosh. The Magic forward scored 10 in the first quarter and just three points the rest of the way.

“I just tried my best to keep the ball out of his hands, and when he did get the ball, try to take away his airspace and clog him as much as possible,” Lewis said.

All five Orlando starters scored in double figures. Hedo Turkoglu scored 21, Maurice Evans had 14 and Lewis added 13. Reserve Keyon Dooling scored 10, and Nelson had seven assists.

Orlando looked unbeatable at the start, hitting its first seven shots and going 9-of-11 on 3-pointers in the first quarter. Evans scored 11 in the period as Orlando opened a 43-23 lead.

The 43 points were third highest in a first quarter for the playoffs, and Orlando’s nine 3-pointers tied Boston’s record for most in a playoff quarter. Howard blocked three shots in the period and altered several others.

“The thing we have to try to do a better job of is keeping (Howard) off the glass,” Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. “It’s easy for me to sit here and say it, but I don’t have to do it.”

The Magic shot 53 percent in the game, including 13-of-29 from 3-point range, compared with 38 percent and 9-of-20 for Toronto.

Howard had eight games in the regular season with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. He had seven points and nine rebounds at halftime, but turned it up in the second half when Orlando’s torrid shooting pace dipped.

“He obviously came to play tonight,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Now I think the lesson for our guys is it’s one game. In the playoffs you’ve got to rise to the occasion in each series at least four times, and really more than that, because sometimes you can rise to the occasion and still get beat.”

Notes

Howard had an NBA-leading 69 double-doubles during the regular season. … Game two is Tuesday. … The Magic turned the arena white and blue by giving fans T-shirts. It was the first time Orlando hosted a playoff series opener since 1999. … Masters champion Trevor Immelman watched from courtside.

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Gasol leads Lakers past Nuggets

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Pau Gasol finally discovered how it feels to be on the winning side in a postseason game. The 7-foot Spaniard had a whole lot to do with his first victory.

Gasol established playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists and had 16 rebounds as well Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers took command early in the third quarter and beat the Denver Nuggets 128-114.

Gasol, a 27-year-old forward/center acquired from Memphis on Feb. 1 after spending 6 1/2 seasons with the Grizzlies, was 0-12 in three previous postseasons.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton added 16 points for the Lakers, who entered having won eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday night at Staples Center before the best-of-seven series shifts to Denver for the third and fourth games.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets. Allen Iverson also had 30 points before picking up two technical fouls with 2:10 remaining, calling for immediate ejection. Linas Kleiza scored a career playoff high 23 points and J.R. Smith added 15 before fouling out with 3:14 left.

The Nuggets should have it known wasn’t going to be their day when several players were stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway for about a half-hour when the team bus broke down on the way to the game.

The bus left the team’s hotel about 2 1/2 hours before tipoff as scheduled, but experienced problems about 15 minutes into the trip, spokesman Eric Sebastian said.

“There was a pop, black smoke, there was another pop, more black smoke,” Sebastian said. “We rushed off the bus. We were standing on the side of the road.”

The Nuggets’ second bus, which left the team hotel about 30 minutes after the first one, stopped to pick up their teammates. The entire team made the rest of the trip to the arena, arriving about 90 minutes before game-time.

Denver had a 50-32 regular-season record, its best in 20 years. The Nuggets haven’t won a playoff series since 1994, when as the eighth-seed, they upset the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics, coached by current Denver coach George Karl.

The Lakers led 97-78 entering the fourth quarter, but an 11-2 run by Denver made it 101-91 with 8:17 remaining. The Nuggets drew within nine twice down the stretch, but Bryant wouldn’t allow them to get any closer.

Gasol had eight points and Bryant added five during a 15-4 spurt to start the third quarter, giving the Lakers a 73-60 lead. Gasol added six more points during a 14-5 run to finish the period.

Denver isn’t known for its defense, finishing next-to-last in points allowed during the regular season, and it showed as the Lakers shot 10-of-16 to begin the game for a 21-11 lead.

It was 26-16 when the Lakers suddenly cooled off and Nuggets got hot. The result was a 25-7 run that put Denver on top 41-33. Kleiza and Smith combined to score Denver’s first 20 points of the second quarter, getting 10 each. Then, with Gasol and Walton leading the way, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 18-9 to finish the period for a 58-56 halftime lead.

Many in the partisan crowd chanted: “DUI! DUI!” late in the opening period as Anthony shot two free throws—a reference to his arrest last week.

Notes

Smith picked up a flagrant foul in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, throwing Walton to the floor. … The Lakers were 3-0 against the Nuggets during the regular season, winning by an average of 16.3 points per game. It was more of the same Sunday. … The Lakers haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, when Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal led them to the NBA finals, where they lost to Detroit in five games. O’Neal was traded to Miami shortly thereafter. … The Nuggets have been eliminated 4-1 in the first round of the postseason in each of the last four years after failing to make the playoffs for eight straight years. … The teams are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since Los Angeles swept Denver 3-0 in the first round 21 years ago. The Lakers also eliminated the Nuggets 2-1 in a Western Conference mini-series in 1979 and 4-1 in the conference finals in 1985.

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Miller-led 76ers beat Pistons 90-86 in Game 1 stunner

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP)—Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the Philadelphia 76ers stun the Detroit Pistons 90-86 Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

The Eastern Conference’s second-seeded team was expected to beat the seventh-seeded Sixers by double digits and did lead by 15 midway through the third quarter.

But Philadelphia refused to follow the script.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets to start a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the first.

After Chauncey Billups missed three of four free throws and a layup in 2-plus minutes late in the game, he made two from the line to pull the Pistons within one with 45 seconds left.

Detroit’s Jason Maxiell drew a charge on the ensuing possession, giving the home team a chance to avoid an upset.

The Pistons set up a play that created an open shot for Tayshaun Prince, but his jumper was short. After Andre Iguodala made one of two free throws with 11 seconds left, Rasheed Wallace missed a shot near the basket that would have tied it at 88.

Iguodala then made two free throws with 7 seconds left to seal the win.

Wallace had 24 points, nine rebounds and matched a franchise playoff record with seven blocks.

Both teams will get two days off before Detroit hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Iguodala finished with 16 points after a slow start, reserve Reggie Evans had 11 points and 14 rebounds and Thaddeus Young scored 10 for the Sixers.

Billups scored 14, Richard Hamilton had 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, Maxiell contributed 12 points and a career playoff-high 11 rebounds and Prince added 12.

The Sixers started and closed strong despite being the least-experienced team in the playoffs, matching up with a team that trails only the San Antonio Spurs in combined playoff games.

Philadelphia led by six points early in the game, but Detroit scored the last 11 points of the first quarter and held the Sixers scoreless for 5-plus minutes. That drought spilled into the second and included a cold stretch in which they made just 2-of-21 shots.

Wallace’s 3-pointer midway through the second quarter capped a 23-6 run and gave the Pistons an 11-point lead.

The Sixers scored the first eight points of the second half and Detroit missed its first six shots before going on an 11-2 run to lead by 15.

The Pistons might’ve relaxed, joking with former teammate Flip Murray in the stands during timeouts, and Philadelphia made them pay for it.

Notes

Bob Lainer and Ben Wallace also blocked seven shots in the playoffs for the Pistons. … The Pistons started the playoffs with 678 games of experience to Philadelphia’s 95. … Wallace was called for a technical in the first half, complaining about a call against teammate Prince. He had 12 technicals during the regular season, his fewest since he played for Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheers during the 2002-03 season in Portland. … Theo Ratliff, a former Sixer, made his first playoff appearance for the Pistons since 1997 and had two blocks in his first 2 minutes.

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Allen, Garnett lead Celtics to 104-81 playoff win over Hawks

BOSTON (AP)—Ray Allen scored 18 points and Kevin Garnett had 16 as the two newcomers who led the Boston Celtics to the NBA’s best record sparked them to a 104-81 win Sunday night in their playoff opener against the Atlanta Hawks.

Garnett stopped a 14-3 Hawks run with a jumper, starting a six-point Boston surge that made it 35-27 in the second quarter. And Allen scored 10 straight Celtics points midway through the third that extended a 13-point lead to 67-48 with 5:39 left in the period.

The top-seeded Celtics’ lead ranged from 12 to 27 points the rest of the way.

The second game of the best-of-seven series will be in Boston on Wednesday night.

Eighth-seeded Atlanta, which ended the NBA’s longest playoff drought with its first appearance in nine years, was led by rookie Al Horford with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Joe Johnson added 19 points.

Garnett had skipped two days of practice for personal reasons before rejoining his teammates Saturday. He didn’t miss a beat.

Playing in his first playoff series in four years, the former Minnesota star had 10 rebounds. When he left with 3:26 remaining in the game, fans chanted “MVP, MVP.”


Allen is in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons after being obtained in an offseason trade with Seattle to provide a smooth shooting touch. He showed that when he hit his four consecutive shots, two of them 3-pointers.

Paul Pierce scored 16 for Boston and Rajon Rondo had 15.

The Celtics are 4-0 this season against the Hawks with all the wins by at least 10 points.

They pulled away in the third quarter behind their starting backcourt. They led 57-44 with eight minutes left in the period, before Allen’s shooting spree preceded six straight Boston points by Rondo, who landed on the floor after his final basket that made it 73-55 with one quarter left.

The Celtics led 26-13 with three minutes left in the first before the Hawks made it 29-27 on Marvin Williams’ jumper with 10:39 left in the second. By that time, Atlanta’s Josh Smith, second in the NBA with 2.8 blocks, already had three.

Then Garnett, on Boston’s bench with two fouls, returned and immediately hit a 14-footer to kick off the 6-0 run.

With the score 35-31, Sam Cassell scored the game’s next seven points, giving the Celtics a 42-31 lead with 5:11 left in the second.

Notes

Red Sox owner John Henry sat next to Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck in the front row. Four of Henry’s players, David Ortiz, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, sat behind the basket by Atlanta’s bench. … Celtics coach Doc Rivers watched the third period of the Bruins 5-4 win in which they scored four goals Saturday night to beat Montreal and force a seventh game in their NHL first-round series. “Whether you’re a hockey fan or not, that was great sports,” he said.

[AUSTIN316]

Like I said, the Lakers won via 10 plus points against the Nuggets.

Pau Gasol was spectacular.

Kobe, after only four points in the first half, scored 28 in the second half, to help in the scoring department.

Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, and the rest of the team also contributed offensively that resulted in the win.

If the Lakers wins Game 2, sureball na sila ang mananalo sa series.

stonecold316

[AUSTIN316]

Phili beating Detroit does not surprise me. Magaling din naman ang Sixers as what they have shown in the game. Ang kailangan na lang eh i-maintain nila ang momentum to beat the Pistons in the series.

stonecold316

[AUSTIN316]

1st playoff victory: Gasol leads Lakers vs Nuggets
04/21/2008 | 08:39 AM
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LOS ANGELES - Pau Gasol finally discovered how it feels to be on the winning side in a postseason game. The 7-foot Spaniard had a whole lot to do with his first victory.

Gasol established playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists and had 16 rebounds as well Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers took command early in the third quarter and beat the Denver Nuggets 128-114.

Gasol, a 27-year-old forward/center acquired from Memphis on Feb. 1 after spending 6 1/2 seasons with the Grizzlies, was 0-12 in three previous postseasons.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton added 16 points for the Lakers, who entered having won eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday night at Staples Center before the best-of-seven series shifts to Denver for the third and fourth games.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets. Allen Iverson also had 30 points before picking up two technical fouls with 2:10 remaining, calling for immediate ejection. Linas Kleiza scored a career playoff high 23 points and J.R. Smith added 15 before fouling out with 3:14 left.

The Nuggets should have it known wasn't going to be their day when several players were stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway for about a half-hour when the team bus broke down on the way to the game.

The bus left the team's hotel about 2 1/2 hours before tipoff as scheduled, but experienced problems about 15 minutes into the trip, spokesman Eric Sebastian said.

"There was a pop, black smoke, there was another pop, more black smoke," Sebastian said. "We rushed off the bus. We were standing on the side of the road."

The Nuggets' second bus, which left the team hotel about 30 minutes after the first one, stopped to pick up their teammates. The entire team made the rest of the trip to the arena, arriving about 90 minutes before game-time.

Denver had a 50-32 regular-season record, its best in 20 years. The Nuggets haven't won a playoff series since 1994, when as the eighth-seed, they upset the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics, coached by current Denver coach George Karl.

The Lakers led 97-78 entering the fourth quarter, but an 11-2 run by Denver made it 101-91 with 8:17 remaining. The Nuggets drew within nine twice down the stretch, but Bryant wouldn't allow them to get any closer.

Gasol had eight points and Bryant added five during a 15-4 spurt to start the third quarter, giving the Lakers a 73-60 lead. Gasol added six more points during a 14-5 run to finish the period.

Denver isn't known for its defense, finishing next-to-last in points allowed during the regular season, and it showed as the Lakers shot 10-of-16 to begin the game for a 21-11 lead.

It was 26-16 when the Lakers suddenly cooled off and Nuggets got hot. The result was a 25-7 run that put Denver on top 41-33. Kleiza and Smith combined to score Denver's first 20 points of the second quarter, getting 10 each. Then, with Gasol and Walton leading the way, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 18-9 to finish the period for a 58-56 halftime lead.

Many in the partisan crowd chanted: "DUI! DUI!" late in the opening period as Anthony shot two free throws — a reference to his arrest last week. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Gasol, Bryant lead Lakers past Denver in NBA playoffs

Agence France Presse

LOS ANGELES - Spain's Pau Gasol scored 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds while Kobe Bryant added 32 to power the Los Angeles Lakers past Denver 128-114 in a National Basketball Association playoff opener.

Thanks to Gasol, the Western Conference top seed Lakers dominated much of the game, although Bryant awoke late with 18 points in the fourth quarter.

The Lakers, who won all three regular-season meetings between the clubs by an average of 16.3 points, improved to 16-2 at home against the Nuggets since they began playing in the Staples Center in 1999.

Los Angeles, which will play host to game two on Wednesday, has a 23-5 record since obtaining Gasol in a February deal with Memphis.

That move eased the worries of Bryant, who was looking at leaving the Lakers when the season began.

"He does such a great job moving inside the paint, moving without the basketball," Bryant said. "He's great in the post, defending with both hands. Most teams don't know what to do with him. He does a phenomenal job in there."

On a nine-of-26 shooting day for Bryant, it was Gasol who proved the pivotal difference-maker until the playmaking guard caught fire late to deny the Nuggets a comeback threat.

"I just started knocking down the jump shot," Bryant said. "They were giving me a mid-range shots. They were just a little off. Those are money shots. I should be knocking them down."

Bryant expects both sides to make some significant changes before the best-of-seven series continues after two days off.

"We picked up some things we can do execution-wise," Bryant said. "In game two they will make some adjustments. I'm sure we will as well."

Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony each scored 30 points to lead Denver. Anthony also grabbed 12 rebounds while Iverson contributed seven assists and five rebounds.

Iverson, a four-time NBA scoring champion, was ejected with 2:10 remaining in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls while arguing with referee Ken Mauer. Iverson said he was fouled before attempting a jump shot.