Spurs Finish 4-Game Sweep, Routing Lakers 103-82
The San Antonio Spurs completed a first-round sweep of the injury-plagued Los Angeles Lakers with a 103-82 victory in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday, while the Miami Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 115-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tony Parker scored 23 points and Tim Duncan had 11 points and six rebounds for the second-seeded Spurs, who will face the winner of Denver's series with Golden State in the second round. They'll get plenty of rest after flattening the Lakers, who finished without three regular starters in their first opening-round exit since 2007.
In his final game before unrestricted free agency, Dwight Howard scored seven points before getting ejected early in the third quarter for arguing.
Pau Gasol had 16 points for the Lakers, who were swept from the postseason for the second time in three years despite a late courtside appearance by Kobe Bryant on crutches.
Miami's LeBron James scored 30 points and Ray Allen had another big game against his old team as the Heat swept a playoff series for the first time since James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami three years ago.
Despite Wade missing only the second postseason game of his career — and first since 2005 — with three bone bruises on his right knee the Heat won their fourth straight game by double digits.
Wade will get plenty of time to rest now, too. The Heat will face the winner of the Brooklyn Nets-Chicago Bulls series — Chicago leads 3-1 — but the next round won't begin until next Saturday.
At Oakland, California, Stephen Curry shook off a sore left ankle to score 22 of his 31 points in the third quarter and lead the Golden State Warriors past the Denver Nuggets 115-101 for a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Curry shot 10 of 16 from the floor and added seven assists in a dominant and dazzling display. His five 3-pointers in the third quarter lifted Golden State to a 20-point lead and its third straight victory in this frenetic and flashy series.
Jarrett Jack added 21 points and nine assists and Andrew Bogut broke out in the first half with 12 points and five rebounds for the sixth-seeded Warriors, who can close out the Nuggets in Game 5 on Tuesday night in Denver.
Jason Terry scored Boston's last nine points as the Celtics weathered a strong comeback by the New York Knicks and avoided being swept with a 97-90 overtime win.
Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 29 points as they forced a fifth game in the series, but it was Terry who provided the finishing touches.
In Game 3, he had been elbowed by J.R. Smith, and the NBA suspended the Knicks guard for Sunday's game.
Source: Associated Press
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/81233 |