27 April,2009 04:09 PM IST | | AFP
The Cleveland Cavaliers swept into the second round of the National Basketball Association playoffs yesterday while reigning champions Boston remained locked in a dogfight with the Chicago Bulls.
At a Detroit arena packed with Cleveland fans, the Cavaliers beat the Pistons 99-78 to close out their best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series in four straight games.
LeBron James had 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Cavaliers, who will now enjoy at least a week off as they await the winner of the series between Miami and Atlanta, which Miami lead 2-1.
"This is a step for us in our process, a step for us in our journey," said Cavs coach Mike Brown.
In Chicago, Derrick Rose scored 23 points while Ben Gordon and John Salmons sank clutch late baskets to spark Chicago past Boston 121-118 in a double over-time thriller that evened their series at two games apiece.
Orlando also pulled level at 2-2 against the 76ers with a close-run 84-81 victory at Philadelphia.
Hedo Turkoglu drained a 3-pointer over Thaddeus Young with 1.1 seconds to play to lift the Magic to victory.
Dwight Howard had 18 points and 15 rebounds, and every Magic starter scored in double figures. Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis had 17 points apiece.
Andre Miller led the Sixers with 17 and Young had 15 for Philadelphia, who travel to Orlando for game five on Tuesday.
In Detroit, James set the tone early, making his first four attempts including a flashy dunk. The Cavaliers put the game out of reach with a 16-6 scoring run midway through the third quarter.
Mo Williams scored a career playoff-high 24 for the Cavaliers and Brown said it was that kind of support for James that allowed Cleveland to sweep.
"We had everyone step up and contribute in one way or another," said Brown, the NBA Coach of the Year. "LeBron is LeBron. That's two games that he almost had a triple-double for us. He does more than score for us. He is so effective in so many areas."
Detroit had been in the conference finals the past six years, the longest longest such streak in the NBA since the Los Angeles Lakers' run two decades ago.
Now they are in rebuilding mode after trading Chauncey Billups in November.
"It's sort of the changing of the guard," Pistons coach Michael Curry said. "I knew once we traded Chauncey, we were going to be a different team."
While Cleveland's progress into the second round seemed all but pre-ordained, the Celtics and Bulls have provided plenty of drama.
"Everybody I'm talking to is saying this is the most exciting series that they're watching right now," said Gordon, who had 22 points for Chicago.
Salmons added 20 - his 9-for-9 effort from the free throw line including four in the final half-minute to go with his block of Paul Pierce's potential game-tying 3-pointer.
Pierce led the Celtics with 29 points while Ray Allen, who sank a dramatic 3-pointer late in regulation to force the first over-time, added 28 while Rajon Rondo contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his second triple-double of the series.
For the third time in four contests, the game went down to the final possession.
Gordon sank a dramatic 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining in the first over-time to pull the Bulls level at 110-110.
The Celtics host game five on Tuesday.
"It's 2-2 and we're in a fight," Rondo said. "Give them a lot of credit. They stuck with it. They fought back. They executed down the stretch very well and we didn't."
