Source: Agence France-Presse
The Memphis Grizzlies snapped Miami's 17-game home win streak with a 97-82 victory on Friday behind a balanced attack which included a stellar 17-point performance from forward Rudy Gay.
Point guard Mike Conley and centre Marreese Speights scored 15 points each and power forward Zach Randolph came off the bench to finish with 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won six of their past eight National Basketball Association games.
Miami finished one victory short of the franchise record of 18 straight wins at home which was set during the 2004-05 season.
It was their first defeat at the American Airlines Arena since they were beaten by Milwaukee on January 22.
"Everybody's fatigued," said Dwyane Wade. "That's the kind of season it is."
Forward LeBron James scored 11 of his 21 points in the third quarter for the Heat who also got 20 points from guard Wade and 19 from power forward Chris Bosh. James also had six assists and a half dozen rebounds.
The Heat beat Western Conference leading Oklahoma City 98-93 in their most recent game to extend the streak to 17.
The Grizzlies led from wire-to-wire Friday, building a 19-point lead in the first half. Memphis, which had seven players in double figure scoring, led by as many as 21 in the second half.
Miami had 16 turnovers compared to 12 for Memphis.
"When we turn the ball over, we're not that good, and we know that," said James.
Miami dropped three games back of Chicago in the battle for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
gph/mk/dwa
© 1994-2012 Agence France-Presse
Source: Reuters,
BOSTON — LeBron James acquired a minority stake in Liverpool soccer club on Wednesday after the two-time NBA most valuable player's sports marketing firm entered into a partnership with Fenway Sports Group (FSG).
FSG, owners of Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network (NESN) and 50 percent of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing, will partner with James's sports-marketing firm LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive world-wide representative for the Miami Heat All-Star.
Fenway Sports Management (FSM), the marketing arm of FSG that acquires sponsorships for FSG properties, will team up with LRMR to find global marketing and sponsorship opportunities for James, one of the sporting world's most recognizable people.
As part of the agreement, James will acquire an interest in Liverpool FC, ranked as the sixth most valuable soccer team in the world by Forbes.
Both parties declined to provide financial details or the size of James stake in the Premier League club.
"We don't see this as a talent representation or an athlete management deal given the structure of this relationship, FSM president Sam Kennedy told Reuters. "We see it more as a business partnership that we formed between our two companies.
"Our role will be business development and selling the LeBron James brand to the corporate market place as we go out to sell the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool, Roush Fenway.
"LeBron adds another blue chip brand to our portfolio."
LRMR chief executive Maverick Carter, a high school friend of the player, said the success of FSM had attracted them to the partnership.
"Everything these guys have gotten involved in has worked and has won," Carter told Reuters.
"The other thing is they are owners and that's what LeBron wants. ...They are owners and operators and really good at what they do."
FSG chairman Tom Werner said the partnership has targeted emerging international markets such as Asia, which presented opportunities that neither would have been able to realize alone.
"Our goal at Fenway Sports Group is to become the world's most prestigious sports and entertainment company and we took a huge step in that direction when we completed the Liverpool deal," said Kennedy.
"This was a chance to continue down that road to turn Fenway Sports Group into one of the world's most prestigious sports and entertainment companies."
Source: AFP,
NEWARK, New Jersey – The Miami Heat clinched the Southeast Division title with a 108-94 win over the New Jersey Nets behind 31 points and 11 rebounds from LeBron James.
"We don't want to be jaded," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's the first step. It's not our ultimate goal. We want to gobble up as many of those things as possible."
Heat's Dwyane Wade added 18 points and Chris Bosh had 16 as the Heat won their third straight and eighth in nine games.
The victory moved Miami (54-23) within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago Bulls in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago has six games remaining and Miami five.
Deron Williams finished with 18 points and 12 assists to lead the Nets, who have dropped six consecutive and 10 of 11.
Travis Outlaw added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brook Lopez scored 16 points.
Source: AFP,
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers averted a season sweep by Miami and exacted a dose of revenge against LeBron James by beating the Heat 102-90 on Tuesday.
Cleveland took a whopping 23-point lead, then lost it and had to storm back late in the game with a 12-0 run for the victory and a dose of revenge against former teammate James.
It was the second trip back to Cleveland for James since the all-star decided to become a free agent in the offseason and make the switch to Miami. The Heat won both games in Miami against the Cavs this season.
But James took the loss in his stride.
"Anytime we play anybody, we know we're going to get the best out of them," James said. "They came out and played extremely well. It was a good win for them."
JJ Hickson had 21 points and Anthony Parker netted 20 for Cleveland, who were embarrassed by Miami 118-90 on December 2 when James scored 30 points. That night Cleveland fans heckled and booed James throughout the contest.
"The first time we played them here, we were embarrassed and they took a little from us," Parker said. "This is the night that we wanted to get that back, for us, but more for the fans. That was great getting it back for them."
James still had a triple double Tuesday, finishing with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds but couldn't get the win. Dwyane Wade had 24 points and six assists for the Heat, who had a five-game win streak halted.
Miami's Mike Bibby made a season-high seven three-pointers.
Cleveland fans have not forgotten James' snub but they weren't as outwardly angry towards James as they were in December. James was booed throughout but there were no blatant incidents. Cavaliers management also stepped up security for Tuesday's game.
James said things weren't as hostile as his previous visit.
"I expect the worst," he said. "But worse than last time, December 2? No."
Miami fought back from 23 down, and tied it 83-83 on Bibby's seventh three-pointer with 7:03 left. The Heat then went scoreless for the next four minutes.
The Cavaliers shot 56 percent from the field to post their 15th win and their most lopsided victory this season.
Baron Davis made his first start since coming to Cleveland in a trade and finished with 10 points.
Centre Ryan Hollins also made his presence known with 13 points and blocking three shots.
Source: AFP,
WASHINGTON - LeBron James scored 32 points and added 7 rebounds and 6 assists as the Miami Heat rallied in the final seconds to edge Washington 95-94 and extend their NBA win streak to 12 games.
Dwyane Wade, who hit the deciding free throw with 7.9 seconds remaining and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points for the Heat. Bosh, who scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, also had nine rebounds.
Nick Young scored 30 points and Andray Blatche added 20 points and 12 rebounds but late turnovers and missed free throws left the Wizards frustrated and mired in a seven-game losing skid.
The Heat improved to 21-8, second only to Boston in the Eastern Conference, while the Wizards fell to 6-19, worst in the conference.
US President Barack Obama had been expected to attend the game at one point in the afternoon but extra security precautions were withdrawn hours before the game as he did not make an appearance, missing a stellar rally by the Heat.
James stole the ball and slammed down a breakaway dunk to pull Miami within 89-86 but the Wizards answered with 32 seconds to play on a jumper by Josh Howard, making his season debut after missing 24 games with a torn left knee ligament.
Bosh answered with a 3-pointer to pull the Heat within 91-89 but Howard hit a key free throw, grabbed his own miss from the line and sank 1-of-2 from the line again after being fouled to give Washington a 93-89 edge.
Bosh was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Blatche with 16 seconds to play and the Miami forward went 2-of-3 from the line to lift the Heat within 93-91.
But Young lost the inbounds pass and after the turnover, Young fouled Miami's James Jones, who sank two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to pull the Heat level at 93-93.
Kirk Hinrich, the first Wizard to play every minute of a game since 2007, hit 1-of-2 from the line with 12 seconds to play.
But Wade was fouled on a drive to the hoop with 7.9 seconds to play and made two free throws to give Miami a 95-94 lead, their first advantage since early in the third quarter.
Hinrich missed a last shot and Miami's win streak remained intact while Washington's futility continued in heartbreaking fashion.
Blatche sank a jumper at the buzzer to give the Wizards a 74-72 lead after three quarters and ignite a 10-2 Washington run that put the hosts ahead 82-74 as late as 6:20 from the finish.
Chris Bosh had a basket and a free throw as Miami pulled within 84-77 but the Heat struggled to close the gap as Hilton Armstrong blocked a Dwyane Wade shot inside and LeBron James was called for a charging foul.
Bosh rebounded a blocked Wade shot to pull Miami within 84-79 with 4:10 to play. Washington's Blatche hit a free throw but Bosh answered with two of his own from the line to trim the deficit to 85-81 with 3:32 remaining.
James missed a 3-pointer on Miami's next possession and Young answered for the Wizards with a jumper.
James followed with two free throws for Miami but Blatche hit a jumper to give Washington an 89-83 edge with 2:10 to play, setting up the final drama.
Source: AP,
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Dwyane Wade came flying down the lane, grabbed a miss with his right hand and slammed it home in one motion.
If coach Erik Spoelstra wanted the Miami Heat to end a West Coast trip with an exclamation point, Wade provided the proper punctuation.
Wade’s fourth-quarter dunk highlighted his 36-point night and led the Heat to their season-best eighth straight win, 104-83 over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Two weeks after having a team meeting in Dallas following their fourth loss in five games, the Heat are finally clicking the way people expected when they added LeBron James and Chris Bosh last summer.
“We have a different mentality both off the floor and on the court as well," Wade said. “That team meeting really propelled us to where we are now. We understood and knew November was a tough month for us. But with that adversity there was a lot of growth going on. It was just about when it was going to click and right now it’s clicking for us."
James scored 25 and Bosh added 14 points and a season-high 17 rebounds as the Heat broke open a close game in the third quarter to complete a perfect four-game road trip.
Miami has won every game during this winning streak by double digits.
“It’s two weeks to the night when we were walking out of Dallas’ locker room and we did not feel that great about ourselves as a team," Spoelstra said. “Now, two weeks later it feels like a different feeling in the locker room."
The Kings, who have lost 15 of 17 and have the second-worst record in the NBA, offered little resistance to James, Wade, Bosh and Co.
Source: AFP,
MIAMI – Chris Bosh scored 27 points and Dwyane Wade added 26 to power the Miami Heat to their fourth consecutive NBA victory, an 89-77 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.
Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James added 22 points for Miami in his first game since an emotional homecoming victory at Cleveland two nights earlier, where "King James" was booed by the fans he spurned to come to Miami.
Miami improved to 13-8 to pull into a share of second place in the Southeast division with the Hawks, who saw their five-game win streak snapped.
Only Orlando and Boston have better records in the Eastern Conference, the Heat appearing to have found the form expected of them when Bosh, James and Wade were assembled as a superstar trio.
"We're figuring it out," James said. "We're figuring out what it takes for us three to be successful and to have the team win."
The Heat scored 11 points in a row in the dying minutes to deny Atlanta after the Hawks rallied to make it tight.
"It's just a better feel in the locker room, away from the game, but also on the basketball court," Wade said. "We're starting to 'get it' with each other.
"It's making a world of difference."
Wade and Bosh each grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, who saw their lead trimmed to 74-72 with 4:39 to play. But the Hawks missed their next six shots and Miami went on their run, which included a slam dunk by James, for an 85-72 edge.
James supporters chanted "Miami loves you" -- a response to Cleveland chants of "Akron hates you" in a reference to the hometown of James.
"We got the crowd into it and we won," Bosh said.
Al Horford led Atlanta with 22 points, hitting 10-of-11 from the field, while Jamal Crawford and Josh Powell each added 12 for the Hawks, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half.
"They are a tough team," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "Anytime you have three guys that can potentially be 20-plus (points) every night, you have got your hands full."
Source: ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines -- After a long wait in free agency, Erick Dampier may be close to getting a contract with the Miami Heat.
Sources say Dampier, who spent the past 6 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, has emerged as the Heat's top choice to replace Udonis Haslem.
Dampier has a career average of 7.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
His presence inside the paint is expected to bolster Miami’s defense.
The Heat would have to release a player to make room to sign Dampier to a 1-year deal believed to be worth the league's $1.4 million veteran minimum.
Haslem went down with a torn ligament in his left foot on Saturday, which will sideline him for at least 6 weeks, and likely, much longer.
Haslem, whose 8.2 rebounds a game are the most of any National Basketball Association (NBA) non-starter, suffered the injury in a 97-95 loss Saturday at Memphis when he fell backward onto the floor trying in vain to draw a foul against Zach Randolph of Memphis.
"We lose a warrior," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Medical tests Monday showed the need for surgery that will sideline Haslem far longer than hoped, even though he had to be carried off the floor Saturday.
"I knew it was probably something a little more serious when he couldn't get up," Spoelstra said.
Source: Reuters,
MEMPHIS – Rudy Gay landed a 15-foot buzzer-beater over LeBron James to snap the Memphis Grizzlies five-game losing streak with a 97-95 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday (Sunday, in Manila).
Reserve Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies (5-9) with 21 points and 13 rebounds, Mike Conley had 16 points and Gay added 15 as Memphis snapped the Heat's three-game winning streak.
"This was the most unified we've been," Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins said. "That's how you win tough, close games, everybody rooting for each other, everybody picking each other up."
It was a tight contest throughout with the teams trading the lead constantly in a back-and-forth second half.
"That's a tough loss," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We just could not find a way to get over the hump."
James and Chris Bosh carried the Heat (8-5) in the absence of Dwyane Wade, who did not play due to a left wrist injury. James scored a game high 29 points and added 11 assists while Bosh scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds.
Eddie House came off the bench to score 20 points, including six three-pointers, but there was more bad news for the Heat when forward Udonis Haslem collided with Randolph late in the third quarter and was carried off the court.
"It's huge," said James of Haslem's injury. "He's like our heart of our team. He's our power. He's our pride. He brings everything every night. Size never really matters to him. He always plays above his height, plays above his weight."
Source: AP,
MIAMI —Dwyane Wade had 39 points. LeBron James had a triple-double. The Miami Heat had a 22-point lead.
The Utah Jazz were unimpressed on all counts.
Paul Millsap scored a career-high 46 points—11 coming in the final 28 seconds of regulation as Utah rallied from eight down—and the Jazz stunned the Heat 116-114 in overtime on Tuesday night.
“I guess when it rains, it pours," Millsap said.
Utah never led by more than three points, which didn’t matter. The Jazz had more than enough at the end, and Francisco Elson’s free throws with 0.4 seconds left won it.
“At some point in the year, unfortunately, we have to go through something like this," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
It’s still early, but Utah can make an argument for being the NBA’s comeback kings so far. The Jazz rallied from 18 points down to beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night, and dug themselves an even bigger hole this time around, trailing by 22 in the second quarter and 51-32 at halftime while getting run out of Miami’s building.
Deron Williams had 21 points and 14 assists before fouling out late in regulation, and Andrei Kirilenko scored 16—including a 3-pointer with 1:50 remaining, after which the Jazz wouldn’t trail again.
“It’s speechless, to be down like that to a team like this and to come out with a win," Millsap said. “We clawed our way out of it. But this says a lot about our team."
Wade’s 39 came on 12-of-23 shooting. James finished with 20 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds for his 29th triple-double, the seventh that came in a loss. Chris Bosh scored 17, James Jones added 11 and Carlos Arroyo had 10 for the Heat, who gave up a staggering 84 points after halftime.
“I think we panicked a little bit as a group," Wade said.
Source: AP,
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY —LeBron James scored 20 points, and Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were close behind as the Miami Heat ended the New Jersey Nets’ two-game unbeaten start with a 101-78 victory Sunday.
Bosh finished with 18 points and Wade added 17, both getting most of them in Miami’s dominant first half before sitting out the fourth quarter. James played a little of the final period and added seven rebounds and seven assists.
It was the most impressive offensive performance yet for the Heat, who have won three straight since beginning their new era with a loss in Boston on opening night. Miami shot 68 percent in the first half, when its Big Three combined for 41 points—one fewer than New Jersey—and the stats only lowered when the reserves took over toward the end.
Mavericks 99, Clippers 83
At Los Angeles, Jason Kidd ended the first half with a 65-foot shot-put heave from inside the 3-point arc at the opposite end, and Caron Butler scored 17 points and Shawn Marion had 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter as Dallas beat the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dirk Nowitzki added 16 points and seven rebounds for the defending Southwest Division champions in their first road game of the season. Kidd finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Rookie Blake Griffin had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers, who fell to 0-3 on the season under new coach Vinny Del Negro. None of the starters reached double digits until Griffin converted a slam dunk with 5:32 left in the third quarter.
Source: Reuters,
MIAMI – The much anticipated home debut of the Heat's "Big Three" exceeded expectations as Miami routed their interstate and divisional rival Orlando Magic 96-70.
The Heat dominated the second half defensively, limiting the Magic to just 25 points to turn a narrow six point halftime lead into a comfortable victory.
"The guys now can't go back on this," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "They've showed me defensively what they're capable of."
Dwyane Wade led all scorers with 26 points, including 12 in the third quarter as the Heat took command of the game.
LeBron James had 15 points and seven assists and Chris Bosh had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Udonis Haslem had a double-double coming off the bench with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
"When me and Chris (Bosh) decided to join him (Wade), and even the rest of the guys, this is what we envisioned," said James.
"Is it going to be a 26-point win every night? No, it's the NBA and we know that, but the fans, they came out and the least we could do is play hard for them."
Dwight Howard scored 19 first half points for Orlando but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter without scoring in the second half to lead the Magic. The Magic starters combined for a meager 37 points, and just seven in the second half.
"I think their defense was very good," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
"I think that their length and the way that they got into the passing lanes made it tough for us to get good ball movement. Passing's a major problem with our team. It really is."
Source: AFP,
PHILADELPHIA - Miami's Big Three won their first game as the trio combined for 61 points as the Heat spoiled Philadelphia's home opener with a 97-87 win Wednesday (Thursday, in Manila).
Dwyane Wade scored a game-high 30 points while LeBron James (16) and Chris Bosh (15) also did their part for the Heat who rebounded from an opening night loss to the Boston Celtics.
"We're not at our peak, we're not even close," Wade said. "Eventually when it's time to be there, we will."
Wade made of 10-of-20 from the floor and went 9-of-12 from the free throw line. Wade also had seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
"He was letting the game come to him," said Miami head coach Eric Spoelstra. "He is a feel type player and I think he felt a lot more comfortable tonight and was able to get to the rim."
James Jones buried six three pointers for the Heat who hit three straight three-pointers in the third quarter to bust open an eight-point halftime lead.
The Heat tried but couldn't run away with it as the Sixers went on a 15-3 run late in the fourth to make it close.
The Heat shot 50 percent from three-point range. It was sufficient enough to make up for mediocre shooting nights from James and Bosh (combined 11 for 24).
"When we have our long ball going like that, it's unlimited what we can do offensively," said James who had nine turnovers.
Miami may not have been able to the Celtics but James' former team did it.
Playing its first game in seven years without James, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated Boston 95-87 in their season opener.
J.J. Hickson scored 21 points, Daniel Gibson added 16 and the Cavaliers made several big, clutch plays to hold off the Celtics, who defeated James and Miami on Tuesday.
"This was for the city," forward Antawn Jamison said. "It was for the fans to let them know the Cavs will survive and this is a place where you can still watch good basketball. And most of all, you can watch a team that wins."
Rajon Rondo scored 18, Ray Allen 12 and Kevin Garnett had 15 rebounds for Boston, which led by 11 points in the third quarter.
In Denver, Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Arron Afflalo added 22 and the Denver Nuggets opened the season with a 110-88 win over the Utah Jazz in coach George Karl's return to the bench.
Chauncey Billups had 14 points and eight assists, while Shelden Williams grabbed 16 rebounds.
Deron Williams had 17 points for the Jazz, who finished 8-0 in the preseason for the first time in franchise history.
Anthony, the subject of trade rumors all summer, and Karl received the loudest ovations in pregame introductions.
Karl missed the final two months of last season after being diagnosed with throat and neck cancer.
Source: AFP
BOSTON – The Miami Heat and their vaunted "Big Three" were the hottest ticket in town, but they started off cold and even once LeBron James warmed up they couldn't stop the Boston Celtics.
In the first game of the NBA season, the league's latest star-studded team managed just nine points in the first quarter and fell 88-80 to the veteran Celtics.
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen - Boston's own "Big Three" who showed in 2007-08 that a trio of superstars could mesh into a championship team - showed Miami's star trio of James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade how it's done.
Before the game James said that Celtics trio was a model of what he, Bosh and Wade hoped to achieve after coming together in Miami in a seismic free agent shift.
"They sacrificed everything. They didn't worry about points or rebounds, anything individual," James said before the contest. "They just went out to compete as a team. I don't think I have to score a lot for us to be in the game, because we have a lot of options."
James scored 21 of his 31 points in the second half in his first time back at the new Boston Garden since the Celtics eliminated his Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season.
That second playoff loss in three years helped convince the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player to depart Cleveland.
"I'm excited about this new start. I'm excited about this season. I'm excited about this team and this franchise," James said. "I'm excited to get it going in a city where (I've) struggled."
Despite the Celtics' status as reigning conference champs, it was the Heat - and James, Bosh and Wade in particular - attracting the big media contingent and driving up the price of game tickets into five figures on resale sites on the internet.
Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said some 500 journalists had received credentials for the contest, four times the normal number.
"You don't usually see this many cameras unless you're in the finals," Wade commented after a morning shoot-around. "And it's the first game of the season."
Wade, Bosh and James played together just three minutes during the pre-season before Wade strained his right hamstring in the October 5 exhibition opener. He returned to practice on Saturday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra noted that the three stars had played together plenty - at the 2006 world championships and again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where they helped the United States win gold.
"I think it will be easy with these guys," he said. "It's not their first rodeo."
Miami fans have wasted no time in adopting James, but the resentment is still simmering back in Cleveland, where a radio host hired a witch doctor to try to hex James and his new team.
The standing-room only crowd in Boston was no more affectionate - chanting "Over-rated!" and booing every time James touched the ball.
Boston led by as many as 19 points and by 63-57 at halftime. James's 15 points in the third-quarter saw that lead dwindle to 63-57, and the Heat closed within three points with less than two minutes remaining.
The Celtics responded by scoring the final five points.
"It was fun," Boston guard Rajon Rondo said.
Source: Reuters
-- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who had the NBA's top record in the regular season, suddenly have their backs against the wall and need league MVP LeBron James to step up or else they will take an early playoff exit.
James behaved more like a passive bystander than the best player on the planet in the last three quarters of Tuesday's 120-88 home-court loss to the Boston Celtics in a game that gave Boston a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
National basketball team coach Mike Krzyzewski said he expects a bounce back from James, who helped the coach lead the squad to Olympic gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
"LeBron's a winner and when you lose you hate it. When you lose the way they did you really hate it," Krzyzewski said in an interview Wednesday with ESPN radio. "I would think (LeBron would) come out in an amazing fashion in their next game."
With the other three NBA title hopefuls -- the Magic, Lakers and Suns -- watching from the comfort of their couches after sweeping their conference semi-finals, the Cavs will be fighting for survival Thursday.
The lackluster performance by James, who scored 15 points on three-for-14 shooting, clouded expectations of an NBA Finals pitting the Cavs star against last year's MVP Kobe Bryant, winner of four championships with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Besides a first NBA crown for the man known as King James, his playing future in his home state of Ohio might also be hanging in the balance.
James, 25, becomes a free agent after the close of the season and some experts wonder if he might decide to seek a new address should he fall short of his maiden title.
Boston, the 2008 NBA champions, came alive with a team effort sparked by their aged Big Three.
Ray Allen, 34, led the scoring on Tuesday with 25 points. Paul Pierce, 32, added 21 points and 11 rebounds, while 33-year-old Kevin Garnett contributed 18 points.
Even if Cleveland can return the favor with a road win in Boston to set up a decisive Game Seven back home Sunday, they will head straight into an Eastern Conference finals against an Orlando Magic team that has not lost since April 2.
The Magic, who lost last year's NBA Finals 4-1 to the Lakers, have looked formidable trouncing the Atlanta Hawks by an average of 25 points a game after also sweeping the Charlotte Bobcats in the opening round.
Los Angeles and Phoenix will open their best-of-seven Western Conference finals on Monday.
Source: AFP
-- Ray Allen scored 22 points and the Boston Celtics beat Cleveland 104-86 on Monday to even their best-of-seven second round NBA Eastern Conference playoff series at one victory each.
Kevin Garnett added 18 points and 12 rebounds for Boston and Rasheed Wallace came off the bench to contribute 17 points while Rajon Rondo matched a Celtics playoff record with 19 assists.
The Cavaliers, 10-0 in playoff series after winning the opener as they did against the Celtics, now face Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday in Boston.
One day after being named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the second season in a row, new concerns were raised about a sore right elbow for James as the Celtics overpowered the Cavaliers, who won an NBA-best 61 games this season.
James led Cleveland with 24 points but hit only 7-of-15 from the field and joined his teammates in struggling at the free throw line.
Boston seized a 91-66 lead, the largest any team had owned at Cleveland all season, before the Cavaliers struck back with a 15-0 run, keeping the Celtics scoreless for 5:30 and trimming the deficit to 91-81.
Paul Pierce snapped the drought for the Celtics and Boston awoke from the slump to finish off the Cavaliers over the final 3:28 despite the rally.
"We were playing the clock instead of the game," Rondo said. "We were looking at the clock instead of the score. We stopped pushing the ball up and lost our tempo."
The Celtics slammed shut the door on a comeback before Cleveland could seize any momentum ahead of Game 3, which is 4 days away but important to Boston, which swiped the home court edge and can win 3 at home to advance.
"It's important to do the same things we did in the first three quarters and the way we closed the game out," Rondo said.
Before the game, NBA commissioner David Stern said he hopes superstar playmaker James remains with the Cavaliers despite looking at free agent deals once the season is over.
"Hopefully he'll stay," Stern said. "That's the way the system is designed."
The current union deal allows teams to pay more money and add an extra year on contracts to retain free agents.
"That's the way it should be," Stern said. "It allows teams to keep their own players."
Source: AP
-- CLEVELAND – LeBron James has joined one of the NBA's most exclusive clubs.
Cleveland's superstar was voted the league's MVP for the second straight year, a person familiar with the announcement told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the league has not announced the results of the vote.
James, who averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists this season, will receive the trophy Sunday at the University of Akron. The presentation by commissioner David Stern will come in front of Cleveland's fans. The Cavaliers play the Boston Celtics on Monday in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series.
James is the 10th NBA player to be the MVP in consecutive seasons. The 25-year-old star joins Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash. Russell, Chamberlain and Bird won it three times in a row.
"I don't think anyone deserved it over LeBron," Miami's Dwyane Wade said. "LeBron could get it every year. It's his award to lose. That's how it is with certain players. Jordan didn't win it every year. Jordan could have won it every year. But the criteria was apparently a little different."
James' win was expected after he had the finest season of his seven-year pro career. What remains to be seen is his margin of victory. Last season, James received 109 of 121 first-place votes, winning in a landslide in voting by a nationwide media panel of sports writers and broadcasters over Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who won the award in 2008.
The Plain Dealer of Cleveland first announced that James won the award.
For the second straight year, James will accept the award in his hometown. A year ago, he went back to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater, for a ceremony in the school's gymnasium that was attended by family, friends, former teachers and the student body.
As a high school star, James played many of his games at Rhodes Arena on Akron's campus. James also holds his summer basketball camps at the university and the Zips are coached by Keith Dambrot, who coached the All-Star for a time in high school.
James, paired this season with center Shaquille O'Neal to help Cleveland win its first NBA title, led the Cavaliers to 61 wins in the regular season and the top seed in the playoffs. Cleveland's lineup was constantly changing because of injuries, but the Cavs could always count on James, the first forward in league history to average more than eight assists a game.
James delivered nightly jaw-dropping highlights, many of them coming at the defensive end on chase-down blocks. His value was never more obvious than when he sat out the Cavaliers' final four games, and they lost each one.
Despite playing with a strained and bruised right elbow, James averaged 31.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 steals as the Cavaliers eliminated Chicago in the first round of the playoffs.
"I give a lot of credit to my teammates, the coaching staff and my family," James said last week when asked about winning a second MVP. "It solidifies a lot of hard work and dedication I was able to put in the offseason to try to get better as an individual and bring it to this team."
Source: AP
-- LeBron James has a busy summer ahead. Maybe too busy to play basketball.
Cleveland's superstar said Wednesday night that he's "probably not playing" for Team USA this summer in the world championships in Turkey. James, who was a captain on the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the Beijing Games in 2008, is eligible for free agency after the season and is scheduled to film a movie.
His crammed itinerary may make it impossible to play for his country for the third time. James also was a member of the 2004 Olympic team in Athens — and choosing not to take part this summer could jeopardize his chances of playing in London in 2012.
"I got a really, really, really, really, really busy summer," James said about an hour before tip-off against the Milwaukee Bucks. "I would love if I had the opportunity and the time to play to represent my country and go out there and do that. But there's a lot of things I need to take care of first."
So will he play?
"It's very, very shady right now," he said. "I'm probably not playing. There are a lot of decisions I need to make this summer before I decide to get back out on the court."
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he won't worry about who is playing until July, when the Americans report to training camp. He was already aware that players such as James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh might be unavailable while dealing with free agency.
However, Colangelo also warned that blowing off the world championships without a good reason and then playing in the Olympics wouldn't be allowed, just as it wasn't last time around.
"Same thing has to apply here," he said.
"If someone chooses not to play this summer just because he chooses not to play, there's no guarantee he'll be in London."
James was one of the few Americans to play all three summers from 2006-08, but Colangelo said there are "no free passes, regardless who it is." Colangelo said he hadn't heard from James, but doesn't need to right now.
"Why speculate now when it's still too early?" he said. "I don't even care at this point. I'll care when we get to July."
Source: AP
-- LeBron James has a new All-Star sidekick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Antawn Jamison from Washington on Wednesday night, the forward they hope will fit in between James and Shaquille O'Neal on a championship front line.
Jamison was the centerpiece of a three-team deal that also sent Drew Gooden to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Washington received Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a 2010 first-round draft pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic, who was selected in the second round of last year's draft from Cleveland.
The Wizards also received forward Al Thornton from Los Angeles.
Cleveland gets guard Sebastian Telfair from the Clippers.
"Antawn is a great pro. We are very excited to have an experienced all-star player of Antawn's caliber and character join us," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement announcing the trade. "He has the ability to add a special, unique dimension to our team with a strong inside presence and the ability to stretch teams defensively, while impacting the entire court."
The Cavaliers had long coveted an athletic power forward who could play on the perimeter after they were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in last year's Eastern Conference finals.
They had reportedly been involved in trade talks with Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire, but instead ended up with another former All-Star.
Jamison, who had been with the Wizards since 2004, is averaging 20.5 points this season. He was not in uniform for Washington's game with Minnesota on Wednesday.
"Antawn Jamison has been the embodiment of leadership on and off the court for this franchise for five-and-a-half seasons and we thank him for all he has done for the Wizards and the city of Washington," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "Unfortunately, our on-court results have not met our expectations and we felt it was necessary to make changes to improve our future and our financial flexibility. This trade accomplished both of those objectives."
Jamison left the arena shortly before the game. As he entered his car, he said to reporters: "Not now."
He did have a message for Wizards fans: "You know I love them more than they love me."
Jamison should immediately step in at power forward for Cleveland and supply James with another legitimate scoring option as the Cavaliers' seek their first championship. Jamison is still owed $28 million over the next two seasons.
Cleveland (43-11) has the best record in the NBA and can set a new franchise mark by winning its 14th straight game Thursday night against Denver. Still, the Cavaliers couldn't pass on the opportunity to add a proven veteran like Jamison, who can stretch opposing defenses with his perimeter shooting and open up the lane for James and O'Neal.
Ilgauskas, who is 34, has played his entire 12-year NBA career with the Cavaliers. He was supplanted as the starting center by O'Neal this season. He's averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. His career averages are 13.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.
"Z has been a cornerstone part of this franchise and his jersey will hang in the rafters here some day, not only because of his play, but because of the tremendous person he is and what he has meant to the franchise and the community," Ferry said. "He has represented the Cavaliers, Cleveland and the NBA at a consistently high level for many years. We wish Z and his family the best."
James can become a free agent this summer, leaving this as Cleveland's final shot at a championship before he decides to stay or go. The Cavaliers also had the league's best record last season, when they failed to reach the NBA finals.
Maybe Jamison can help them take that next step.
He was extremely popular not only with fans in Washington, but also with his teammates and the late owner Abe Pollin. After Gilbert Arenas was suspended indefinitely early last month, Jamison was the one who was chosen to speak to the crowd before the Jan. 8 game. He apologized for a skit that pantomimed shooting guns, calling it: "very embarrassing."
Now Jamison is gone and Wizards coach Flip Saunders lauded him.
"He's one of the most professional guys I've ever been around," Saunders said.
The Wizards acquired Gooden on Saturday in a multiplayer trade that sent Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to the Dallas Mavericks.
Gooden was reportedly seeking a buyout. Unlike his three former Mavericks teammates, he did not practice with the Wizards on Tuesday, but was at shootaround Wednesday morning. He was listed as inactive.
"Basically, we started looking at opportunities to clear cap space for this summer and in the meantime acquire assets that we also liked," Clippers general manager Mike Dunleavy said. "In the last two days, we were able to do that. And it gives us the flexibility to pretty much go in a lot of different directions."
Jamison was an All-Star in 2005 and 2008, and averaged 20.5 points in 41 games. He missed the first nine games of this season with a sprained right shoulder.
The 33-year-old played his first five seasons with Golden State and after playing the 2003-04 season with Dallas, was traded to Washington. Jamison has a career average of 19.9 points.
The 6-foot-7 Thornton has averaged 13.7 in his three-year career with the Clippers.
Telfair, who's 24, will be playing for his fourth team. The former first-round pick has averaged 7.9 points in his career.
Source: AP
-- LeBron James scored 32 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 12th straight win Tuesday night, a 104-97 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
The win gives Cleveland the longest winning streak in the NBA this season. The Cavaliers (42-11) also have the best record in the league.
New Jersey (4-47) has the NBA's worst record and has lost seven straight. The Nets played without point guard Devin Harris, who has a sprained left shoulder. Courtney Lee led the Nets with 24 points.
James, who was named the Eastern Conference's player of the week for the fifth time this season Monday, was 13-of-21 from the field with 11 assists and three rebounds.
Jawad Willams scored a career-high 17 points while Anderson Varejao added 15 for Cleveland.
The Nets built an eight-point lead in the first quarter thanks primarily to 11 points by Jarvis Hayes, who hit three 3-pointers. Cleveland scored the last seven points of the quarter and went ahead for good early in the second period.
The Cavaliers' spurt was capped when with a highlight reel play at both ends of the court. It began when Shaquille O'Neal blocked Brook Lopez's shot at the basket. The 7-foot-1, 325-pound center grabbed the ball and dribbled up the floor before finding James on the wing. James made a perfect alley-oop pass to Varejao, who finished the play with a dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet. O'Neal then gave Varejao a resounding chest bump and the Nets called timeout.
James converted his own dunk off a lob pass from Daniel Gibson moments later.
The Cavaliers led by six points at halftime and stretched the margin to 10 on two occasions. The Nets cut the lead to four late in the period, but the Cavaliers put the game away with away with a 13-2 run to start the fourth quarter. Jawad Williams hit two 3-pointers while James added a 3-pointer and a fast break dunk, which built the lead to 91-74.
Lopez scored 23 points and Hayes added 19 for the Nets.
The Cavaliers are a league-best 23-3 at home, winning 10 straight and 21 of 22. The Nets have lost 15 straight on the road and are 1-27 away from home.
Cleveland hosts Orlando on Thursday night in a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals, which the Magic won in six games.
