An inspirational LeBron James scored 38 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to an emphatic 98-83 home victory over the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Friday.
The All-Star forward filled out the stat-sheet with seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks as Cleveland improved their league-best record to 29-6.
“I don’t think we needed to win tonight to let teams know we’re a confident bunch of guys,” said James, who finished 13-for-25 shooting from the field and scored 23 second-half points to keep the Celtics at bay.
“We just want to continue to play well and protect our home court and we did that once again.”
The struggling Celtics (29-9) were led by Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds, but could not prevent his team from losing for a fourth straight game and for the seventh time in the last nine contests.
Last season, the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 4-3 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-finals, but an improved Cleveland appear ready to lay claim to the conference crown.
Mo Williams, acquired in the off-season to provide the team with added scoring, had 13 points while Anderson Varejao had 14 and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers lifted their perfect home record to 19-0.
Boston trailed the entire game but pulled to within 61-56 with 2:48 left in the third. Cleveland closed the quarter with an 11-4 spurt and never looked back.
Ray Allen had 12 points and Paul Pierce added 11 but shot just 4-for-15 for the Celtics, who looked a shadow of the team that started the season in such fine style.
Boston blazed out to a franchise-best 27-2 start this year, including a 19-game winning streak, but have sputtered since a Christmas Day setback against the Los Angeles Lakers and have now dropped to third place in the Eastern Conference.
MAGIC 121, HAWKS 87
In Orlando, Florida, Orlando built a remarkable 38-point lead by halftime to crush Atlanta.
Hedo Turkoglu hit all five 3-point attempts, scoring 21 points for the Magic, who enjoyed their best offensive night, start-to-finish, this season and notched an 11th straight home win.
The game was decided early and decisively when the Magic ran off a season-high 41 points in the first quarter and tied their season high for a half. The Magic held the Hawks to just 25 percent shooting over the first two quarters and led 71-33 at halftime.
PISTONS 93, NUGGETS 90
In Denver, Tayshaun Prince hit a running jump shot with 20 seconds left to give Detroit their first lead and it hung on to edge Denver.
The Pistons overcame 30 points by Chauncey Billups to get the win in Allen Iverson’s return to the Mile High city.
Iverson, making his first appearance in Denver since being traded to Detroit for Billups and two others. He led the Pistons with 23 points — 20 in the second half.
LAKERS 121, PACERS 119
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant made a tiebreaking jump shot with three seconds left and scored the Lakers’ last 11 points as Los Angeles pipped Indiana.
Bryant finished with 36 points and 13 assists. After his turnaround jumper, the Pacers took a timeout but were unable to get off a shot before the final buzzer.
The Lakers improved their home record to 19-2 and remained tied with Cleveland for the best overall record in the league at 29-6.
SUNS 128, MAVERICKS 100
In Phoenix, the home team used a third-quarter scoring deluge to bury Dallas.
Shaquille O’Neal had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns.
The Suns outscored the Mavs 40-19 in the third, a Phoenix season high in scoring for a quarter, to turn the game into a rout. Phoenix made 13 of their first 15 shots in the second half and finished the third quarter 17-for-22. The 40 points were the most allowed by Dallas in a quarter this season.
BUCKS 104, NETS 102
In Milwaukee, Luke Ridnour’s 5-foot floater with half a second left lifted Milwaukee to a last-gasp win over New Jersey.
It was the first meeting between the teams since a draft day trade sent Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons.
Simmons, who finished with 15 points, made a 3-pointer with nine seconds left that tied it at 102 and he gestured toward the Bucks’ bench after the shot.
But on the next possession, Ridnour got a screen and Simmons slipped to the floor rotating on defense, giving the point guard the lane for the easy floater that rolled around the rim before falling in for the victory.
Jefferson struggled in his first game against the team he spent seven years with, finishing 3-of-15 from the field for 13 points.
Yi scored 16 points, but left late in the third quarter with a broken finger that will keep him out for at least three weeks.
HORNETS 107, CLIPPERS 80
In New Orleans, the home team handed Los Angeles their 10th consecutive loss.
Rasual Butler scored a season-high 27 points, hitting six 3-pointers, as the Hornets made 11 3-pointers and had seven players score in double figures.
The Clippers have lost their past eight games against New Orleans.
76ERS 93, BOBCATS 87
In Philadelphia, the home team won their third straight, downing Charlotte.
Andre Miller scored 22 points and Thaddeus Young had 15 for the Sixers, who have rapidly put a dreary road trip behind them and moved out of last place in the Atlantic Division and into the Eastern Conference playoff race.
They used a 14-2 run in the third quarter to pull away from the Bobcats.
ROCKETS 98, THUNDER 96
In Oklahoma City, Tracy McGrady scored 26 points and made two critical free throws with eight seconds left to help Houston edge Oklahoma City.
McGrady had missed two of the Rockets’ previous three games owing to a left knee injury.
RAPTORS 103, GRIZZLIES 82
In Toronto, Chris Bosh had 32 points and 10 rebounds to lead Toronto over Memphis.
Bosh shot 11-for-13 from the field and 10-for-12 from the line to help Toronto pull away in the fourth quarter and extend their home winning streak to a season-high three games.
Andrea Bargnani added 21 points. He is averaging 21.7 points as a starter in the past six games in place of injured Jermaine O’Neal.
Memphis has lost 11 of their past 13 and have been held under 90 five time in the past six games. The Grizzlies have lost five straight on the road, for a season total of 2-15 away from home.
HEAT 119, KINGS 115, OT
In Sacramento, California, Dwyane Wade scored nine of his 41 points in overtime to help Miami outlast Sacramento.
Wade scored the final five points in overtime for the Heat.
He made 11 of 26 shots and 18 of 24 free throws, as well as notching five rebounds and seven assists.
Wade went down hard on a flagrant foul in overtime. After lying under the basket for over a minute, Wade got up and made one of two free throws for a 112-110 lead.
The Kings had a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter but have now lost five straight and 11 of 12.
BULLS 98, WIZARDS 86
In Chicago, the home team hung on after watching a 21-point lead dwindle to seven in the fourth quarter.
Ben Gordon scored 22 points for the Bulls, who spent most of the night dominating the Eastern Conference’s worst team, then hung on after a defensive lapse allowed the Wizards back into the game.
The Wizards were within 89-82 with just under three minutes left, but Gordon answered with a basket and the Bulls hung on.
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