Davis, New Orleans thrash Golden State
Houston takes 2-1 lead over Utah with rout of Jazz
CLEVELAND — LeBron James has perfected a signature, soul-crushing shot that also seems to describe what’s happening again to the Toronto Raptors. The fadeaway. With cold-blooded precision, James worked the 24-second shot clock down to single digits before sinking one fadeaway after the next in Game 2 on Thursday night, each swish pushing the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference closer to ending a season that was supposed to conclude differently.
Instead, it’s a replay: another Raptors extinction is expected.
Back from LeBronto, as some have nicknamed Canada’s multi-cultural metropolis, James and the Cavaliers — featuring a rejuvenated Kevin Love — will host Game 3 tonight. They look to tighten their stranglehold on a semifinal series that has gotten away from the Raptors.
In the East’s other semifinal, the Philadelphia 76ers are trusting their process — and that Ben Simmons will shake off a horrible performance in Game 2 — before they fall into their own 3-0 hole against a Boston Celtics team that added a spectacular comeback to a season of overcoming long odds. Boston wiped out Philly’s 22-point lead on Thursday to open a 2-0 lead.
For the Raptors, this is all so familiar, so painful.
They insist that the magnificent James, who has won eight straight playoff games against the Raptors and eliminated Toronto from the past two postseasons, is not in their heads. That’s what the Raptors are saying; they might not believe it.
After James dropped shots and jaws with 43 points on 28 shots with 14 assists and eight rebounds in Game 2, All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan insisted the Raptors will fight back.
“It’s the first one to win four,” he said. “It’s not over.” History begs to differ. James is 21-0 in playoff series in which he has held a 2-0 lead, and the 33-year-old seems intent on dispatching the Raptors for a third straight postseason and maybe get to his eighth straight Finals.
Friday games
PELICANS 119, WARRIORS 100: In New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 33 points, 18 rebounds and four steals as New Orleans defeated Golden State to trim the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal series lead to 2-1.
Davis was particularly dominant around the basket, scoring numerous times on dunks of the driving, put-back or alley-oop variety, and the Pelicans outscored the Warriors 54-36 in the paint.
Jrue Holiday scored 21 for New Orleans and Ian Clark had 18 points. ROCKETS 113, JAZZ 92: In Salt Lake City, the visiting Rockets raced to a 30-point halftime lead en route to routing Utah and taking a 2-1 advantage in their Western Conference semifinal.
James Harden had 25 points, and so did Eric Gordon off the bench, to lead Houston.
The Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell was held to 10 points on 4-for-16 shooting from the field.
Notes
HORNETS: The Michael Jordan-owned club is narrowing its search for a coach after interviewing several candidates, the AP reported.
The list of coaches who reportedly have interviewed include Spurs assistant and Albuquerque Academy graduate James Borrego, who also reportedly interviewed with New York and Phoenix; Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga, Raptors assistant Nick Nurse, Spurs assistants Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka, and Blazers assistant David Vanterpol.
BUCKS: GM Jon Horst said the search for a coach is underway with interviews starting as early as this weekend. The Bucks’ job is attractive with a new arena opening in the fall and star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading a young core. Academy’s Borrego is scheduled to interview next week.