Home » Sports » Basketball
James revives Cavs, Rockets rebound
Print Edition
Cleveland superstar LeBron James scored 33 points on Wednesday to lead the Cavaliers to a 106-91 victory over Chicago that knotted their NBA playoff series at one game apiece.
After connecting on just nine of 22 shots in Monday’s 99-92 Game 1 defeat, James came out hot against the Bulls. He scored 22 points in the first half as the Cavs bounced back to even the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series before it shifts to Chicago for the next two games.
“We needed it,” James said. “Our backs were against the wall. We can’t go down 2-0 on our home floor.”
In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets also bounced back from a Game 1 defeat on their home floor, downing the Los Angeles Clippers 115-109 to level their series at one game apiece. James Harden scored 32 points and Dwight Howard added 24 with 16 rebounds for the Rockets, whose 64 attempts from the free throw line were two shy of an NBA playoff record.
After knocking off Dallas in the first round in convincing style and having five days off, Houston had come out flat in the second-round series opener on Monday.
A 10-2 run saw the Clippers pull within 111-107 with a minute remaining, and Corey Brewer air-balled a runner at the other end to give the Clippers life. But Austin Rivers, starting his second game for injured Clippers star Chris Paul, lost the ball out of bounds and Howard sank two free throws at the other end to help Houston hold on.
The Rockets finished 42-for-64 from the line, led by Harden’s perfect 15-for-15, battling back from a nine-point halftime deficit.
In Cleveland, the Cavaliers controlled play except for a two-minute span in the third quarter when the Bulls scored 14 straight points.
James, who donned his trademark headband for the first time in almost two months, added eight rebounds, five assists and two steals for the hosts. He also played a different position than in game one, shifting to small forward with Tristan Thompson inserted into the starting lineup.
Kyrie Irving added 21 points for Cleveland, who are without big man Kevin Love for the series because of a shoulder injury.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
