LeBron James scored 38 points, including a near-midcourt three-pointer, to spark the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 102-84 victory over the Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference playoff opener on Saturday.
James, who also had eight rebounds and seven assists, banked in the long three-pointer to give top-seeded Cleveland a 12-point lead. Eight-seeded Detroit never recovered.
James capped a 22-point first half with his momentum-building three-pointer.
“Once we let him get going downhill like that, game over,” the Pistons’ Tayshaun Price said.
James launched the shot from a step inside midcourt.
“When it brings the house down, the crowd is going crazy ... anytime you can make a shot like that,” he said.
Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 20 points. Game two is tomorrow in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, in Boston Derrick Rose had 36 points and 11 assists in his playoff debut to help the Bulls beat the Celtics 105-103 in overtime Saturday.
Tyrus Thomas made a jumper from the corner with 51 seconds left in overtime to lead the Bulls past the defending NBA champions in Game One of the best-of-seven series.
Rajon Rondo had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Boston.
Paul Pierce scored 23 points on 8-of-21 shooting, but missed the potential winning free throw at the end of regulation and had a potential tying basket blocked with 3.7 seconds left in overtime.
Ray Allen, who had four points on 1-for-12 shooting, had a chance to send it to a second overtime but his jumper bounced off the back of the rim.
Game Two is tonight in Boston, the anniversary of the 1986 playoff game when Michael Jordan scored 63 points against Boston — in a Chicago loss. In fact, Chicago had not beaten the Celtics in 10 postseason games since the Chicago Stags topped the Celtics in the 1948 Basketball Association of America quarter-finals.
At Portland, Oregon, Yao Ming scored 24 points, all in the first half, as Houston spoiled Portland’s back-in-the playoffs euphoria with a 108-81 win.
Yao, who also had nine rebounds, hit all nine of his attempts from the field and all six of his free throws. He did not attempt a shot in the second half and sat for all of the fourth quarter.
Aaron Brooks added 27 points for the Rockets.
Game Two is tomorrow night in Portland.
In the other playoff game, Josh Howard scored 25 points to lead Dallas past San Antonio for its first road playoff victory since its NBA finals run in 2006.
Tim Duncan scored 27 points, and Tony Parker had 24 for the Spurs.
Game Two is tonight in San Antonio.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two