NEW YORK — LeBron James had 35 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a four-game sweep of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 109-102 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
Kyrie Irving added 27 points for the Cavaliers, including 11 in the fourth quarter, and contributed nine assists. The Raptors led 93-92 with 6:38 left, but Irving put the Cavs back on top with a 3-pointer and James hit a 3 with just under three minutes left for an 11-point lead.
The Raptors played without Kyle Lowry, who sustained a sprained left ankle in Game 2. Serge Ibaka scored 23 points, DeMar DeRozan had 22 points and eight assists, and Cory Joseph had 20 points and 12 assists for Toronto.
"It's rewarding when you can advance," James said. "It's not just given to you, you have to go out and earn it. Once again I'm part of a team that's been able to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. It's going to be my ninth time in 14 years. I'll take those numbers."
Wizards 121, Celtics 102
Bradley Beal scored 29 points and Washington reeled off 26 straight points in the third quarter to beat Boston in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
John Wall finished with 27 points after missing his first nine shots and 12 assists for the Wizards, who evened the best-of-seven series 2-2 after Boston won the first two games at home.
Washington shot 52.4 percent from the field and outscored Boston 42-20 in the third quarter. Wall, Beal and Markieff Morris combined for 34 points in the period. Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 19 points.
"We're capable of those type of runs every game," said Morris, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. "Keep pressing them, go up 50 if we can. That's the mindset I felt like all of us had."
Washington never led by 50, but afterRockets 125, Spurs 104
James Harden recorded a double-double, and Houston's bench was exceptional in a romp over San Antonio in Game 4 of a Western Conference semifinal series at Toyota Center.
The Rockets hit 19 of 43 3-point attempts to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2, with the Spurs set to host Game 5 on Tuesday at AT&T Center. Harden was superb throughout, recording game highs in points (28) and assists (12) to resuscitate an offensive attack that went silent as the Spurs rolled to victories in Games 2 and 3.
Guards Eric Gordon (22 points) and Lou Williams combined to score 35 off the bench for Houston, which did lose reserve center Nene to a left groin injury.
Spurs forwards Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 16 points apiece, while Jonathan Simmons tallied 17 points off the San Antonio bench.
After fighting through a terrible chest cold for the last few days, James Harden finally felt like himself on Sunday night. "I can finally breathe," Harden said.
And the Houston Rockets can, too, after his performance helped them rebound from consecutive losses to beat the San Antonio Spurs and tie their NBA Western Conference semifinal at 2-2.
"I think our energy was just up no matter what," Harden said. "They went on runs. They cut the deficit down ... but no matter, we just stayed with it." Game 5 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.
Warriors coach Kerr's back procedure went well, says GM
Golden State coach Steve Kerr's spinal cord leak procedure went well, the team's General Manager Bob Myers said on Sunday, but there is no timeline for his return. Kerr, 51, first hurt his back during the 2015 NBA Finals, and subsequent surgeries and associated pain kept him sidelined for the first 43 games of last season.
The pain and headaches returned after Game 2 of the Warriors' first-round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers last month, and assistant coach Mike Brown has filled in during his absence. "He was at Duke, he had the procedure done Friday," Myers told reporters in Salt Lake City on Sunday, where the Warriors currently hold a 3-0 lead over the Utah Jazz in the best-of-seven series. — Agencies
