2008 NBA Playoffs

[RedHunks½]

Cavs Boot Out Wizards for Third Straight Year

The Cleveland Cavaliers did it again, eliminating the Washington Wizards in the first round of the NBA playoffs on the Wizards' home court for the third straight year.

LeBron James posted his third career playoff triple-double, and helped contain Caron Butler as the Cavaliers routed the Wizards, 105-88, to end their Eastern Conference best-of-seven series in six games on Friday.

James recorded 27 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists, while two other Cavaliers scored 20 points or more. Wally Szczerbiak scored a career playoff-best 26 and reserve Daniel Gibson added 22. Szczerbiak and Gibson combined for 10 of Cleveland's 11 3-pointers.

Antawn Jamison led Washington with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Butler, the hero of the Wizards' Wednesday Game 5 victory, was limited to 18 points, a far cry from his 32-point outburst in the series' fifth game. Brendan Haywood added 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wizards played without forward Darius Songaila, who was suspended from Friday's game. Washington was already without guard Gilbert Arenas, who ruled himself out for the rest of the season before Game 5 because of his surgically repaired left knee.

Cleveland went on a 21-4 run midway through the second quarter to pull away from Washington. The Wizards coasted along the rest of the way.

Cleveland, which reached the NBA finals a year ago, will face the winner of the Boston-Atlanta series. The series is now tied at 3-3. The deciding Game 7 is on Sunday.

[RedHunks½]

Jazz Rout Rockets, Advance to Face Lakers

Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz dealt Tracy McGrady more first-round heartbreak.

Williams scored 13 of his 25 points in the pivotal third quarter and added nine assists as the Jazz rolled to a 113-91 home victory over McGrady and the Houston Rockets, wrapping up their Western Conference series in six games.

Utah opened a 19-point second-quarter lead, then watched it nearly evaporate as McGrady sparked a comeback by Houston. He scored 16 of his 40 points in the period as the Rockets pulled within a point before settling for a 58-54 halftime deficit.

But McGrady - who fell to 0-7 in the first round in his otherwise illustrious career - was scoreless in the third period, when Williams took over. He made four 3-pointers to rebuild Utah's advantage to 77-59 with 4:35 to go, and the Jazz led by at least 16 points thereafter as they moved into the conference semifinals for the second straight year.

Mehmet Okur had 19 points and 13 boards and Carlos Boozer added 15 and 10 for the Jazz, who will face the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in a series starting Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Luis Scola had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets, who again were hurt by the absence of Rafer Alston. The point guard missed the first two games - both home losses - with a hamstring injury and left Game 6 in the second quarter with an ankle sprain.

[AUSTIN316]

Lakers' Kobe Bryant wins 1st MVP award - report
05/03/2008 | 12:58 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant has won the NBA's MVP award for the first time, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Friday night, citing anonymous sources familiar with the outcome of voting by media members.

The newspaper reported that commissioner David Stern will be in Los Angeles next week to present the trophy to Bryant.

"We have not been told anything by the league," Lakers spokesman John Black told The Associated Press.

Bryant, who entered the season as the league's two-time defending scoring champion, had third in the MVP voting twice — after the 2002-03 campaign, when he averaged 30 points for the first time, and again last season, when Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki won the award.

Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.84 steals while playing in all 82 games despite tearing a ligament in his right pinkie finger in February. A hand specialist recommended surgery, but Bryant decided to put it off until after the Olympics this summer.

He led the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference and a sweep of Denver in the first round of the playoffs.

Bryant, second in the NBA in scoring behind Cleveland's LeBron James, will be the first Lakers player to win the MVP award since Shaquille O'Neal was a near-unanimous choice in 2000. Other previous Lakers to win the award dating to 1956, when it was first presented, were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, who each won it three times. Abdul-Jabbar also won three with the Milwaukee Bucks. - AP

[RedHunks½]

^ ito pa isa!

Stern will make the official presentation to Lakers star next week.

By Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 3, 2008
It took 12 seasons, but Kobe Bryant has finally been selected the NBA's most valuable player, The Times has learned.

Sources familiar with the outcome who were not authorized to speak publicly about the award until the official announcement from the league said Commissioner David Stern will be in Los Angeles next week to present the trophy to Bryant.


The award, selected by NBA writers and broadcasters, figured to go to either Bryant or New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who guided the Hornets to second place in the Western Conference in the regular season.

Bryant's season capped a massive turnaround from a tumultuous off-season in which he asked to be traded.

The Lakers went from shaky preseason forecasts to winning the top spot in the tough West at 57-25. The Lakers then swept Denver in the first round of the playoffs, with Bryant averaging 33.5 points, although the votes had been cast by then.

Bryant, 29, lost a little in the scoring column during the regular season after winning scoring titles the last two years at 35.4 and 31.6 points a game. He was second to LeBron James at 28.3 a game during the 2007-08 season, but his defense was notably better and he averaged 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists, numbers that were tied for the second- and fourth-best outputs of his career.

He also deferred to teammates much more than in the last few seasons and rarely forced his will on games, a trait that saddled him in the past.

Despite his explosive on-court ability, Bryant never engendered much MVP support until this season. He was third in the voting last season, fourth two seasons ago, and did not receive a vote three years ago when the Lakers failed to make the playoffs.

He was fifth when the Lakers last advanced to the NBA Finals, in 2004.

As the 2007-08 regular season wound down, Bryant spoke about the MVP award.

"MVP nowadays is not an individual award," he said last month. "You really have to make your teammates better and elevate your ballclub. For me to be nominated in that race is a tremendous honor because that's really been one of the criticisms that people have had of me, is how well do I make my teammates better. From that standpoint, I feel like I've already won."

The Lakers usually let the fortunes of their players rest on their own achievements, but the team took the added step of creating a Bryant-for-MVP campaign by sending material to NBA writers around the league.

The concept mimicked an old-style political election campaign and consisted of bumper stickers, campaign buttons, red suspenders and a letter from "campaign manager" Jerry Buss, who urged writers to vote for Bryant.

It might have lent a helping hand, although Bryant's season-long play ultimately had the final say.

Bryant is the fourth Laker to win the MVP award. Shaquille O'Neal won in 2000, Magic Johnson won three times, the last in 1990, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP three times as a Laker, the last time in 1980.

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[AUSTIN316]

Home > Sports > Top Stories Jazz oust Rockets with 113-91 victory in Game 6
05/03/2008 | 01:57 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us SALT LAKE CITY - Deron Williams scored 13 of his 25 points in the decisive third quarter, and the Utah Jazz beat Houston 113-91 on Friday night to win the series 4-2 and knock the Rockets out of the playoffs in the opening round for the second straight year.

The Jazz were determined to avoid a Game 7 in Houston, site of their embarrassing 95-69 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday. Instead, the Jazz are headed to Los Angeles and open the second round against the Lakers on Sunday.

Tracy McGrady scored 40 for the Rockets, but could not beat the Jazz by himself and fell to 0-7 in playoff series.

Luis Scola was the only other Rockets player in double figures with 15 points. The Rockets lost point guard Rafer Alston with a sprained ankle late in the second quarter and the offense never recovered.

The 69 points Utah scored Tuesday was the lowest total this season. The Jazz passed that dubious mark early in the third quarter and kept going, playing with a bit of a nasty streak and intensity they didn't have the first time they tried to clinch the series.

Mehmet Okur had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer added 15 points and 10 boards. Andrei Kirilenko scored 11 points and Williams added nine assists.

The Jazz found their long-range shooting and made 10 of 22 3-pointers. Utah was 2-for-23 from beyond the arc in the previous two games.

Jazz fans once again taunted McGrady with the chant "Over-rated!" then replaced it with "Beat LA!" as the fourth quarter wound down.

McGrady finished 13-for-26 and tried to carry the Rockets, but few of his teammates climbed aboard. McGrady pushed the Rockets through the end of the second quarter, going on a 9-0 run and scoring 13 straight for Houston while cutting a 17-point lead to 58-54 at halftime.

But the Rockets could get nothing going in the third, scoring only 11 points while going 4-for-22 from the floor and looking a lot like the Jazz had when Houston staved off elimination Tuesday at home.

McGrady had just one point in the quarter. He came out firing in the fourth, but even the two-time scoring champion couldn't save the Rockets, who lost to the Jazz in a Game 7 at Houston a year ago.

The Jazz didn't want to put themselves in that situation again and snuffed the Rockets' hopes by opening the third quarter with a 20-5 run, which Williams capped with seven straight points. He made back-to-back 3-pointers to put Utah up 77-59 and prompted Houston to call a timeout before it could get any worse.

On his way to the Jazz bench, Williams was pumping his fist and shaking his head while saying "No way" — apparently to the idea of another visit to Houston. - AP

[RedHunks½]

Hornets Storm Back to Beat Spurs in Game 1

David West looked like Tim Duncan, who looked nothing like himself.

West scored a playoff career-high 30 points and the New Orleans Hornets harassed Duncan into one of his worst postseason performances as they stormed back for a 101-82 home victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series.

An All-Star for the first time this season, West got off to a slow start, one of the reasons why the second-seeded Hornets found themselves trailing by 11 points late in the second quarter. But New Orleans closed to 49-45 at halftime and took control in the third quarter, when West scored 11 points on jumpers and nifty lefthanded shots to help build a 74-66 lead entering the final period.

While West was flourishing, Duncan was struggling. A three-time NBA Finals MVP, Duncan found rough going against Tyson Chandler and made just 1-of-9 shots and 3-of-6 free throws. His five points matched his postseason career low set June 4, 1999 vs. Portland.

Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points and Chris Paul overcame a slow start to finish with 17 points, 13 assists and four steals for the Hornets, who shot 50 percent and held a 50-34 advantage in rebounds. Chandler swept 15 boards and West grabbed nine.

Tony Parker scored 23 points, Manu Ginobili added 19 and Bruce Bowen 17 - all in the first half - for the third-seeded Spurs, who shot under 41 percent. They get another shot Monday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT.

[RedHunks½]

Pistons Swarm Howard, Magic in Opener

Having advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in 12 years, the Orlando Magic were supposed to be a different team. But it was the same old story against the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons defeated the Magic in the postseason for the eighth consecutive time, swarming superstar Dwight Howard and pulling away in the second half for a 91-72 home victory in the series opener. Orlando has not beaten Detroit in a playoff game since April 27, 2003, dropping the last three of that first-round series and all four in last year's opening-round set.

Using a quartet of big men, the Pistons limited Howard to 12 points and eight rebounds. The NBA rebounding champion had averaged 22.6 points and 18.2 boards in a first-round series win over Toronto. Overall, Detroit held Orlando to 40.5 percent shooting, including just 2-of-15 from the arc.

Despite their struggles, the Magic held a 46-45 lead early in the second half before the Pistons put together a 19-3 run that featured five different scorers. Detroit led by at least nine points thereafter and avoided the letdown it had in Game 1 of its first-round series against Philadelphia.

Chauncey Billups had 19 points and seven assists and backcourt mate Richard Hamilton added 17 points for the Pistons, who had five players in double figures and held a 47-40 advantage on the glass. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu each had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Magic.

Game 2 is Monday at Detroit at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

[AUSTIN316]

Pistons rout Magic 91-72 in Game 1 of second-round series
05/04/2008 | 04:59 PM
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Hedo Turkoglu's uncontested dunk early in the second half gave the Orlando Magic their first lead. Less than a minute later, the Detroit Pistons took over.

Chauncey Billups had 19 points, seven assists and played a key role in the decisive run of the game, leading Detroit to a 91-72 win over Orlando on Saturday night in Game 1 of the second-round series.

Dwight Howard had a relatively quiet night with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks after being the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 20 points and grab 20 rebounds in three playoff games since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1972.

Howard played for much of the second half with blue tape wrapped around his left hand, seemingly to protect his thumb he injured after trying to grab a rebound.

After Turkoglu's dunk and the ensuing timeout Pistons coach Flip Saunders called, the Magic took their last lead with 10:08 left in the third quarter.

Then, Detroit went on its first of two big runs in the second half to take a a 64-49 lead.

Orlando rallied to trail by just seven points entering the fourth despite making only 1-of-10 3-pointers and 7-of-16 free throws.

Jason Maxiell squashed any comeback hopes the Magic had.

Detroit's power forward, starting again for Antonio McDyess, scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter with surprising touch on jumpers and free throws. He helped the second-seeded team build an 18-point lead it didn't have trouble maintaining with the starters resting on the bench.

The Pistons will host Game 2 Monday night.

Detroit's backcourt gave Orlando a lot of problems.

Billups blew past the Magic whenever he wanted and Richard Hamilton got open around screens to score 17 points.

Tayshaun Prince also had 12 points for the Pistons.

Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis both scored 18 for the Magic, who didn't get much offensively out of anybody other than those two and Howard.

The next-leading scorers for them were Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling, both of whom scored seven points.

Orlando relied on 3-point shooting to eliminate the Toronto Raptors in five games, but made just two of 15 against the Pistons. It also struggled at the line, missing half of its 20 attempts.

The game was tied at 22 after the first quarter and Detroit led by only a point at halftime.

Notes@ The game got heated at times, leading to technicals against Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, Turkoglu and Lewis. ... Orlando's Maurice Evans and Carlos Arroyo are former Pistons. ... Hamilton said Evans is one of his best friends, adding he gave him a pit bull named Diamond. ... Detroit acquired Orlando's first-round pick in the 2007 draft from the Magic in exchange for Darko Milicic and chose Rodney Stuckey. ... Detroit and Orlando split the four regular season meetings. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Hawks take Celtics to Game 7
05/03/2008 | 05:40 PM
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ATLANTA - This was supposed to be the biggest mismatch of the playoffs, the series that would surely be four and done.

Well, look who's still alive in the opening round.

While all the other series are finished, Atlanta has improbably forced a Game 7 with the Boston Celtics, whose 66-win regular season suddenly looks a lot less impressive as they struggle to put away the sub-.500 Hawks.

Atlanta won for the third straight time on its home court, a 103-100 victory Friday night that sent the series back to Boston one more time for a decisive game Sunday.

"They are playing great," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "They're athletic. They're playing with energy. We have to match that."

While the Celtics looked a bit shell-shocked after their third loss to the Hawks in seven days, they insisted their confidence wasn't shaken. After all, they won the first three games in Boston by an average of 22 points — and they're heading home.

"No one has lost a home game," Rivers said. "That's why home court is so important."

Also on Friday night, Utah closed out its series against Houston in Game 6 with a 113-91 victory. LeBron James had a triple-double and Cleveland ended its series against Washington, with a 105-88 win in Washington.

The Hawks, just 37-45 during the regular season and making their first playoff appearance in nine years, sure took advantage of their place. Streamers again poured from the rafters at Philips Arena while the record crowd of 20,425 chanted, "Seven! Seven! Seven!"

"I feel very good," said Zaza Pachulia, a little-used center who's making quite an impact in this series. "You've got to be able to win on the road. We've lost three in a row. We should be able to win one up there. It would be sad if we lost four in a row."

Marvin Williams led the Hawks with 18 points despite missing much of the fourth quarter with a sprained left knee. Kevin Garnett had 22 points for the Celtics and Ray Allen added 20, but Paul Pierce — the other member of Boston's Big Three — fouled out on a disputed call with 4:44 remaining.

"It's definitely a dream," Atlanta's Josh Smith said.

Joe Johnson, who went to the final period with just seven points on 3-of-9 shooting, saved his biggest shot for the end. He got James Posey in the air with a pump fake before hitting Atlanta's only 3-pointer of the game to make it 100-95 with 1:07 remaining.

"I felt like it would go in when it left my hand," Johnson said.

Posey returned the favor by making a tough 3 from the wing with 48 seconds left, and the Celtics had a chance when Johnson missed a runner in the lane.

Wanting to finish off the pesky Hawks, Boston drew up a play to give Allen a look from beyond the arc. He missed, though; Johnson grabbed the rebound, was fouled and hit two free throws with 10.6 seconds left.

After a quick basket by Garnett, Mike Bibby made only one of two free throws with 7.4 seconds to go, giving the Celtics a shot at overtime. But the Hawks kept the ball from Allen and Posey, forcing Rajon Rondo to launch a long 3 that didn't even hit the rim as the horn sounded.

The place went nuts.

"I've played 13 years, and I've been here every year for 13 years," Garnett said. "This is the first time I've seen this atmosphere like this (in Atlanta). That's the intensity of the playoffs."

Pierce has apparently had enough of Atlanta. He watched the final minutes with a towel over his head, barely able to watch, then cleared out of the locker room by the time reporters were let him. The only thing left behind was a banana peel on the shelf of his stall.

Pierce was called for his sixth foul away from the play fighting for rebounding position with Pachulia. The Boston star was livid over the call, ripping off his headband and standing under the basket in disbelief.

The officials called a technical on Pierce while "Hit The Road Jack" blared throughout the arena. Johnson made the free throw, giving the Hawks a 96-89 lead.

Williams twisted his knee awkwardly trying to guard Pierce on a drive through the lane early in the fourth. The Hawks initially announced the third-year forward would not return, but he checked in to play defense with 20 seconds to go, still hobbling.

He'd already done enough at that point. In his best game of the series, Williams went 6-of-9 from the field and made all six of his free throws.

Atlanta got double figures from every starters. Besides Williams' 18, Bibby had 17, rookie Al Horford 16, Johnson 15, and Smith — who played less than 30 minutes because of foul trouble — finished with 11. Off the bench, Childress had 15 points and six rebounds, while Pachulia contributed nine points and six rebounds.

"We're going to Game 7! Woooooooooo!" Pachulia screamed.

Cavaliers 105, Wizards 88

At Washington, LeBron James compiled 27 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his third career playoff triple-double, all the while helping slow Caron Butler at the defensive end, and Cleveland ended its contentious series with Washington in six games.

Wally Szczerbiak added a career playoff-best 26 points and reserve Daniel Gibson had 22, combining for 10 of Cleveland's 11 3-pointers.

Butler finished with 18 points and nine rebounds. Antawn Jamison led Washington with 23 points and 15 boards. The Wizards played without Darius Songaila, who was suspended for hitting James in the face in Game 5.

Jazz 113, Rockets 91

Deron Williams scored 13 of his 25 points in the decisive third quarter, and Utah knocked Houston out of the playoffs in the opening round for the second straight year.

The Jazz were determined to avoid a Game 7 in Houston, site of their embarrassing 95-69 loss in Game 5 on Tuesday. Instead, the Jazz are headed to Los Angeles and open the second round against the Lakers on Sunday.

Tracy McGrady scored 40 for the Rockets, but could not beat the Jazz by himself and fell to 0-7 in playoff series. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Fire used in mascot stunt delays Spurs-Hornets game
05/04/2008 | 01:25 PM
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NEW ORLEANS - Trouble putting out a ring of fire used in a mascot stunt caused a 19-minute delay during Game 1 of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hornets second round playoff series Saturday night.

The delay occurred between the first and second quarter after Super Hugo, a Hornets mascot who uses a trampoline to dunk a basketball, soared through a large hoop that had been set ablaze before slamming the ball through the basket.

While Super Hugo celebrated the success of his stunt, workers struggled to put out the fire with a carbon dioxide extinguisher, then had to douse the fire with foam extinguishers for several seconds before it would go out.

Maintenance crews then tried to clean up the mess by using dry mops normally used to soak up sweat, but that ended up smearing it from end to end.

After the floor had been cleaned to the referees' satisfaction, the teams were given a couple minutes to warm up.

The Hornets also canceled the halftime show so the court could be cleaned again.

San Antonio led 49-45 at halftime. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

West scores 30; Hornets take Game 1 from Spurs, 101-82
05/04/2008 | 04:56 PM
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NEW ORLEANS - David West scored a career playoff-high 30 points to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 101-82 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Saturday night.

Chris Paul added 17 points, 13 assists and four steals for New Orleans, which trailed by as much as 11 in the first half but stormed into the lead for good in the third quarter.

Tim Duncan had a rare terrible night, going 1-of-9 from the field for a career playoff-low five points and only three rebounds.

The Hornets swarmed Duncan with double teams throughout the game, forcing San Antonio to look for points from outside.

The Spurs hit 12 3-pointers in the game, but also missed 19.

The Hornets dominated the inside, outrebounding San Antonio 50-34 and outscoring the Spurs 46-26 in the paint. The Hornets also shot 50 percent, while the Spurs finished at 40.8 percent.

Tyson Chandler had 10 points, 15 rebounds and three blocked shots for New Orleans. Peja Stojakovic added 22 points for the Hornets on 9-of-15 shooting, while reserve Bonzi Wells added 10 points, all but two in the fourth quarter.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 23 points and Manu Ginobili had 19. Bruce Bowen added 17 points and Michael Finley 13, but San Antonio needed more help inside from Duncan and Kurt Thomas, who had only two points and two rebounds.

After trailing most of the first half, the Hornets surged into the lead for good with a 13-0 run in the third quarter that opened with Chandler's driving layup and ended with Stojakovic's second 3-pointer of the game.

That gave the Hornets a 61-54 lead, which they built to 74-66 heading into the fourth quarter.

Jacque Vaughn's driving layup got the Spurs as close as 76-71 early in the period, but the Hornets, despite being in the playoffs for the first time in four years, were not rattled and pushed the lead back up to double digits before turning it into a blowout during the last 5 minutes, with Paul scoring seemingly at will.

The Hornets scored the first eight points of the game, with Stojakovic and Mo Peterson each hitting 3s, and San Antonio didn't have a point until Parker's free throws with 7:36 left in the first quarter.

It didn't take long for the San Antonio to settle down, however, and they didn't need much help from Parker or Duncan. Ginobili hit his first four shots, including three 3s, and Bowen hit three 3s of his own as the Spurs stormed back to take a 27-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

New Orleans fought back to take a 35-34 lead on Chandler's alley-oop dunk of Paul's lob, but Bowen, who minutes earlier had been face down on the floor with his hands over his face after apparently getting poked in the eye on foul by Wells, hit two more 3s, one while being fouled.

Finley had another 3 during a 10-0 run that put San Antonio up 44-35. San Antonio finished the first half 9-for-17 on 3s, and with a 49-45 lead.

Notes:@ The game was delayed 19 minutes between the first and second quarters because of a mess on the floor caused by fire extinguishers used after a mascot's stunt. Super Hugo had used a trampoline to soar through a ring of fire before dunking a basketball. Workers then struggled to put the fire out, leaving a white residue all over the floor. The halftime show also was canceled so the floor could be cleaned again. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Pistons rout Magic 91-72 in Game 1 of second-round series
05/04/2008 | 04:59 PM
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Hedo Turkoglu's uncontested dunk early in the second half gave the Orlando Magic their first lead. Less than a minute later, the Detroit Pistons took over.

Chauncey Billups had 19 points, seven assists and played a key role in the decisive run of the game, leading Detroit to a 91-72 win over Orlando on Saturday night in Game 1 of the second-round series.

Dwight Howard had a relatively quiet night with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks after being the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to score 20 points and grab 20 rebounds in three playoff games since Wilt Chamberlain did it in 1972.

Howard played for much of the second half with blue tape wrapped around his left hand, seemingly to protect his thumb he injured after trying to grab a rebound.

After Turkoglu's dunk and the ensuing timeout Pistons coach Flip Saunders called, the Magic took their last lead with 10:08 left in the third quarter.

Then, Detroit went on its first of two big runs in the second half to take a a 64-49 lead.

Orlando rallied to trail by just seven points entering the fourth despite making only 1-of-10 3-pointers and 7-of-16 free throws.

Jason Maxiell squashed any comeback hopes the Magic had.

Detroit's power forward, starting again for Antonio McDyess, scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter with surprising touch on jumpers and free throws. He helped the second-seeded team build an 18-point lead it didn't have trouble maintaining with the starters resting on the bench.

The Pistons will host Game 2 Monday night.

Detroit's backcourt gave Orlando a lot of problems.

Billups blew past the Magic whenever he wanted and Richard Hamilton got open around screens to score 17 points.

Tayshaun Prince also had 12 points for the Pistons.

Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis both scored 18 for the Magic, who didn't get much offensively out of anybody other than those two and Howard.

The next-leading scorers for them were Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling, both of whom scored seven points.

Orlando relied on 3-point shooting to eliminate the Toronto Raptors in five games, but made just two of 15 against the Pistons. It also struggled at the line, missing half of its 20 attempts.

The game was tied at 22 after the first quarter and Detroit led by only a point at halftime.

Notes@ The game got heated at times, leading to technicals against Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, Turkoglu and Lewis. ... Orlando's Maurice Evans and Carlos Arroyo are former Pistons. ... Hamilton said Evans is one of his best friends, adding he gave him a pit bull named Diamond. ... Detroit acquired Orlando's first-round pick in the 2007 draft from the Magic in exchange for Darko Milicic and chose Rodney Stuckey. ... Detroit and Orlando split the four regular season meetings. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Celtics rout Hawks in Game 7 to set up matchup with Cavs
05/05/2008 | 08:56 AM
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BOSTON - Kevin Garnett took a behind-the-back pass from Paul Pierce, slammed in the dunk to make the lead three dozen points and then slashed his hand across his throat to signal what the Atlanta Hawks already knew. "It's over," he told the crowd. The game. The series. The surprising little scare Atlanta put into the NBA's best.

Garnett had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Pierce scored 22 points, and the Celtics turned back the pesky Hawks with a 99-65 victory Sunday in Game 7 of their playoff series to advance to the second round.

Next up: LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Game 1 is Tuesday night.

"They're a group that's defending Eastern Conference champs," Garnett said. "To do anything, you've got to go through them. "It's good that we have home-court advantage. I think it should be a good series."

The Celtics started the celebration early, holding the Hawks to 10 points in the second quarter and doubling their 18-point halftime lead in the third.

The fans yelled "We want Cleveland!"

The public address announcer explained how to buy tickets for the second round.

And, in the background, the new Boston Garden shook with Gladys Knight and the Pips singing that the Hawks were "Leaving on a Midnight Train" to Georgia.

"I wish we could have played all of our games in Atlanta," said coach Mike Woodson, whose team won all three home games but never came close to stealing one in Boston. "Nobody thought we had an opportunity to even win a game in this series. We battled them right to the end. We just didn't have it today."

Rajon Rondo, who missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the Game 6 loss that forced the series back to Boston, had 10 points and six assists, taking his lumps on a key play. Kendrick Perkins had 10 points and 10 rebounds before joining the rest of the starters on the bench in the formality of a fourth quarter, just like the Celtics did for much of the regular season.

Boston went 66-16 for the league's best record — 29 games better than the young Hawks team that earned the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The home-court advantage proved pivotal against an upstart team that fed off its own crowd but wilted on the road, losing four times by a total of 101 points.

"I really had no doubt in my mind how we were going to come out," Pierce said. "You kind of saw it from the guys after Game 6 on the plane, there wasn't a lot of talking. We knew that we let a couple of games get away in Atlanta and I knew we were just going to take care of business."

The skirmishes of the first six games boiled over with 9:09 left in the third quarter, with Boston already leading 51-28, when Rondo got the ball on a breakaway in the third quarter and had only Marvin Williams to beat.

The Hawks forward put an arm across his chest and took Rondo to the floor, where he lay for a few minutes while Celtics coaches and teammates checked on him. The officials immediately signaled a Flagrant 2 foul and, after reviewing the play, threw Williams out of the game.

"I saw it on TV and it did look pretty bad, so I can't argue that at all. I just want Rondo to know that I would never try to hurt him," said Williams, who called Rondo a friend since high school. "He knows the type of person I am. ... It was a physical series, but I have no bad blood with Rondo."

Boston coach Doc Rivers also vouched for Williams. "Two good kids playing hard," he said.

Woodson said it was just the latest in a series full of hard fouls, but he conceded that making the Celtics angry probably wasn't the best approach.

"This series has been so hard-fought, guys' bodies all over the floor," the Hawks coach said. "It probably did energize them some. But I don't think that was the difference in the ballgame. We struggled right from the start."

Rondo hit both free throws, the Celtics got the ball and Ray Allen, who hadn't made a basket since the first quarter, drained a 3-pointer to make it a 28-point game.

Then came showtime.

The Celtics brought out some fakes and behind-the-back passes straight out of the Harlem Globetrotters. Rondo found Garnett underneath for an emphatic dunk — and the menacing gesture that will surely earn Garnett a fine from the league office — with 3:05 left in the third.

A minute later, he got his payback, knocking Zaza Pachulia to the floor on a backcourt pick. Rivers, who earned his first playoff series coaching victory, took Garnett out of the game; he wasn't needed.

With 10:44 left in the game, Pierce and Rondo joined him on the bench. Pierce, who was fined for what the league called a "menacing gesture" in Game 3, was the only Celtics starter to play more than 30 minutes. Sub Leon Powe was the third-leading scorer, with 12 points and four rebounds in 20 minutes. - AP

[AUSTIN316]

Kobe fires 38 as Lakers take opener vs Utah Jazz
05/05/2008 | 08:58 AM
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LOS ANGELES - Kobe Bryant, celebrating what is expected to be his first NBA MVP award, did just enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to another postseason victory. Bryant had 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists Sunday, and the Lakers made it five straight playoff wins by beating the Utah Jazz 109-98 to begin the second round.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday night before the best-of-seven series shifts to Utah for Games 3 and 4. Word leaked late Friday that Bryant had won his first Most Valuable Player award and he expressed his joy on Saturday. The NBA has declined comment, but Bryant is expected to receive the MVP trophy from commissioner David Stern before Game 2.

The "MVP! MVP!" chants from the capacity crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center began before the opening tip, with the volume increasing significantly when Bryant was introduced with the other Los Angeles starters.

Bryant scored 24 points to help the Lakers take a 54-41 halftime lead, and although they were on top the rest of the way, there were some anxious moments down the stretch.

Pau Gasol added 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Lamar Odom had 16 points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 45 seconds to play, and Sasha Vujacic scored 15 for the Lakers.

Forward Luke Walton, who shot 22-for-31 and averaged 14 points in the Lakers' sweep of Denver in the first round, played despite an upper respiratory infection and wasn't at his best, getting five points and three rebounds in 13 minutes.

Mehmet Okur had 21 points and a career playoff-high 19 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost despite outrebounding the Lakers 58-41. Carlos Boozer had 15 points, 14 rebounds and four assists before fouling out with 3:28 left, and Deron Williams added 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. - AP

[RedHunks½]

Second-Half Hornets Burst Stuns Spurs Again

The San Antonio Spurs looked like two different teams in Monday's Game 2 at New Orleans Arena. In the first half, they bounced back from their Game 1 defeat in typical Spurs fashion, with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker leading the charge. But the second-half Spurs returned to Game 1 form, stunned by the New Orleans Hornets on both ends of the court as they fell 102-84 and dug themselves a 0-2 hole for the series.

Chris Paul scored 13 of his game-high 30 points to lead a crucial third-quarter charge that saw the Hornets go from one point down, at 43-42 at halftime, to having an 18-point lead. The Hornets point guard also finished with 12 assists.

The usually dependable David West had a rare bad night, scoring 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field, but other Hornets stepped up to fill the gap. Peja Stojakovic hit five 3-pointers on his way to 25 points and Morris Peterson shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the floor to add 12.

After scoring just five points in the two teams' second-round opener, Duncan opened Game 2 by hitting for 11 in the first half. After intermission, as the Hornets widened their lead, Duncan again felt the sting of New Orleans' defense. Forced into bad shots and turnovers, the three-time Finals MVP scored just two points in the stanza. Duncan finished with 18 points and eight boards.

Parker had it even tougher. Closed out of the lane time and again, the Spurs point guard also struggled from outside. Parker scored 11 points and had three assists as San Antonio again had no answer for the Hornets' stifling defense and their adjustments and quickness on offense.

Monday night's downfall marks the first time the Spurs have lost the first two games of a series since 2001, when San Antonio was swept in the Conference Finals by the Los Angeles Lakers. The Spurs will try to make a comeback Thursday when the series moves to the AT&T Center for Game 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.