James’ Cavs punish Celtics
Los Angeles, April 6: LeBron James scored 36 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers pounded rivals Boston to regain control of the Eastern Conference on Wednesday as Russell Westbrook’s bid for NBA history was delayed.
The titanic battle between Cleveland and Boston — neck and neck at the top of the conference — never materialised as a fired-up Cavs roared to a 114-91 rout against a shellshocked Celtics.
The win completed a 3-1 season series for Cleveland over the Celtics, meaning the Cavs would win the head-to-head tiebreaker in the event of the two teams finishing regular season level.
The victory also gives the Cavs a useful psychological edge over the Celtics as the two teams gear up for the post-season.
James finished just four assists shy of what would have been a third straight triple-double.
All of Cleveland’s heavy hitters delivered performances to silence the home crowd in Boston. Kevin Love finished with 15 points and 16 rebounds while Kyrie Irving chipped in with 19 points.
A second half points spree proved to be the foundation of the Cavs success, with 38 points helping ensure a 15-point cushion at half-time.
Another one-sided quarter in the third saw Cleveland race away to lead 90-66 with the Celtics powerless to halt the slide.
Isaiah Thomas led Boston’s scorers with 26 points.
Thunder edge out Grizzlies In Memphis, Russell Westbrook inspired the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-100 win over the Grizzlies with a 45-point display, but was left just one rebound short of setting a new single-season triple-double record.
Westbrook, who had equaled Oscar Robertson’s 1961-62 season record of 41 triple-doubles on Monday, finished the night with 45 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Westbrook’s pursuit of Robertson’s mark has captivated fans around the NBA this season, and catapulted him to the forefront of the race for MVP
Westbrook now has four more games to achieve the mark.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference, Golden State clinched home advantage through the playoffs with a comprehensive 120-111 win over the Phoenix Suns.
San Antonio (60-18) meanwhile suffered a surprise reverse against the lowly Los Angeles Lakers (23-55), losing 102-95.