There were some thrillers and some snoozers on Friday and Saturday – here’s what happened:
Cavaliers 97, Wizards 96 (Cleveland leads series, 2-1)
Maybe LeBron James is developing that killer instinct after all. The King scored 41 on 16 of 28 shooting, including the final bucket with 0:05 remaining, which gave Cleveland the lead for good. He clearly traveled on the play and then whined about not getting a foul call as he ran down court. But he scored the winning bucket, and that’s all that matters.
Sacramento 94, San Antonio 93 (San Antonio, 2-1)
I thought the Kings had a shot in this series and the last two games proved why. After losing a heartbreaker in Game 2, Sacramento kept fighting in Game 3, holding a lead for much of the game before finding themselves down, 93-92, with 0:27 remaining in the fourth quarter. Mike Bibby stole the ball from Manu Ginobili with just four seconds to play and pushed the ball up to Kevin Martin, who made a circus layup to win the game at the buzzer.
LA Lakers 99, Phoenix 92 (Lakers, 2-1)
Which team is the #2 seed? The Lakers balanced attack proved to be too much (yet again) for the Suns, who haven’t looked particularly good in this series. Five Lakers scored in double figures, led by Smush Parker’s 18 points. Parker somehow managed to play almost 40 minutes without tallying a single rebound or assist. Lamar Odom has stepped up his game in the postseason, going for 15 points and 17 rebounds in Game 3. And you have to hand it to Luke Walton, who parlayed limited ability (and a NBA father) into a scholarship at Arizona, a starting assignment for the Lakers and 17 points and 10 rebounds on Friday night. Somehow, Walton attempted more shots than any other Laker, even Kobe. If this keeps up, Phoenix is in serious trouble.
New Jersey 97, Indiana 88 (series tied, 2-2)
New Jersey snatched back home court advantage with a win in Game 4. Vince Carter once again led the Nets with 28 points, six boards and seven assists. The Pacers were their own worst enemy, turning the ball over a brutal 22 times.
Dallas 94, Memphis 89 (OT) (Dallas, 3-0)
Poor Memphis. Had they lost a couple more games during the regular season, they would have been the #6 seed with home court advantage over the Denver Nuggets in the first round. Instead, they’re the #5 seed and get to face the Mavericks, one of the league’s elite teams. Dirk Nowitzki was the star again, dropping 36 points, including a difficult, overtime-forcing three at the end of regulation. He also tallied nine boards and five dimes. This series is all but over.
Milwaukee 124, Detroit 104 (Detroit, 2-1)
As a longtime Bucks fan, it feels so good to type this: Bucks rout the Pistons. Michael Redd filleted the Pistons defense for 40 points on a stellar 14 for 21 shooting. Redd scored in every manner imaginable, hitting long jumpers, driving to the hole and at the free throw line. Six Bucks scored in double figures, while T.J. Ford had a game-high 15 assists. Milwaukee’s 124 points was the most that the Pistons gave up all season. Expect Detroit to come out angry in Game 4.
LA Clippers 100, Denver 86 (Clippers, 3-1)
The Nuggets had no bounce in Game 4, and looked like a team that is about to go home for the summer. Seven Clippers scored in double figures, led by Corey Maggette’s 19 points off the bench. If you remember, Maggette was almost traded to the Pacers for Ron Artest, but Indiana backed out of the deal over worries about Maggette’s foot. Maggette has since resigned himself to the notion that he won’t be with the team next season, but I think he’s jumping the gun. Just because the Clippers tried to trade him for Artest doesn’t mean that they don’t think he’s a valuable asset. Anyway, expect this series to be over on Monday, with a possible “Hallway Series” in round two (as the Lakers and Clippers square off).
