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BOSTON: Kevin Garnett cored a season-high 31 points
Wednesday as the Boston Celtics steamed into the National Basketball
Association (NBA) playoffs with a 90-78 victory over Detroit.
Garnett scored 20 of his 31 in
the opening half, while Kendrick Perkins grabbed a career-high 20
rebounds for Boston, who won the season series against their Eastern
Conference rivals.
When the Celtics’ victory was
followed by defeats for New Jersey, Atlanta and Indiana, Boston’s
playoff berth was secured.
Indiana fell 117-99 to the
surging Houston Rockets, who posted their 16th straight victory.
The New Jersey Nets fell 100-93
to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies welcomed Mike Miller back
from injury and ended the NBA’s longest active losing streak at
nine games.
The New Orleans Hornets took care
of the Atlanta Hawks, 116-101.
The Celtics were able to benefit
from those results after taking care of business in Boston.
Rajon Rondo added 16 points as
the Celtics improved to 47-12, and to 4-0 in a five-game home stand.
They opened a five-game lead in
the loss column over the 44-17 Pistons for the best record in the
Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Cleveland superstar
LeBron James scored 50 points Wednesday to lead the Cavaliers to a
119-105 victory over the New York Knicks.
James hit 16-of-30 shots,
including seven of his 13 three-point attempts, and made 11-of-16
free throws as Cleveland made it six wins in their last eight games.
“Tonight, I just got that
feeling,” said James, who notched the fifth 50-point showing of
his career. “I didn’t want to allow us to go out there and not
get this win because we have played pretty well.”
James was six short of his career
best, set at Toronto on March 20, 2005. He was two shy of Kobe
Bryant’s NBA season high set Sunday against Dallas, but equaled
the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s streak of 19 straight games
with 25 or more points set between February 9 and March 25, 2007.
For good measure, James notched
10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, involving his teammates
as well as putting on dazzling individual displays.
“LeBron showed tonight that he
can do it all, and that is why he is the MVP,” said Cavaliers
coach Mike Brown.
Even the New York crowd was
chanting “M-V-P” for James at times, and one fan wearing a James
jersey sprinted toward Cleveland’s bench to express his
appreciation.
--AFP
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