LeBron James tallied 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 99-91 on Tuesday to seize a 2-0 lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs. James committed six of Cleveland’s 18 turnovers, but came through down the stretch.
“I’ve been in this moment before and a lot of our guys haven’t,” said James, who also passed Jerry West for seventh on the NBA’s all-time playoff scoring list.
“I felt like it was important for me to put a staple on the game the best way I know how and that’s to be aggressive,” he said. “It’s very important for me to be there for my team when needed.”
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Isaiah Thomas once again led the Celtics with 22 points. However, it was not enough for the underdogs to grab home-court advantage in the series. They are to host Game 3 today.
Boston did not get the victory, but they did give the Cavs a scare. They led in the last minute of the opening half and were within four points with just over three minutes to go.
“We made those guys earn everything they got,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said. “I think that is a step in the right direction.”
Boston led 26-25 at the end of the first quarter and used a 12-2 run in the middle of the second quarter to take their largest lead at 45-36.
Again the Cavs had an answer, scoring 15 of the final 19 points in the half to take a 51-50 lead into the break.
They looked as if they were going to pull away with a quick 10-0 run in the third quarter, highlighted by a pair of alley-oop baskets.
The Celtics pulled within two when Thomas converted a three-point play with 9 minutes, 17 seconds remaining in regulation to make it 79-77.
From there, James scored 11 of his game-high total.
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB