The Spurs and Cavaliers advance to the second round by completing sweeps.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The San Antonio Spurs swept their way into the Western Conference semifinals after an almost perfunctory, yet physical test from the most injurydepleted team in the NBA playoffs. Kawhi Leonard scored 21 points as the Spurs routed the Memphis Grizzlies 116-95 on Sunday, sweeping the bestof-seven, first-round series.
“It wasn’t a fair fight,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of playing a team that set an NBA record with 28 Grizzlies playing this season. “Whoever was available came out and played, and they executed to the best of their ability. They played with a lot of heart and a lot of fortitude.”
The Spurs finished off their ninth sweep of a postseason series in franchise history, their third against the Grizzlies. San Antonio also swept Memphis in the 2004 first round and the 2013 Western Conference finals.
“They play very physical, so it’s a good test for the next round,” Spurs guard Tony Parker said.
The only thing that delayed the Spurs advancing was a power surge that knocked out the lights, stopping the game for about 20 minutes in the second quarter.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Spurs. Parker finished with 16 points.
Lance Stephenson scored 26 points off the bench for the Grizzlies.
This is the third time in the past six postseasons the Grizzlies have been ousted in the first round but the first in that stretch in which they didn’t at least push the series to a Game 7. Fans saluted the Grizzlies, holding up towels that read “ALL HEART” as the game ended, and Memphis coach Dave Joerger was emotional when he talked to reporters.
“This season has been hard, it’s been really hard,” Joerger said. “They could’ve quit, could’ve not made the playoffs. And every day they came out and fought like crazy.”
CAVALIERS 100, PISTONS 98
Kyrie Irving scored 20 of his 31 points in the second half, and Cleveland finished off a four-game sweep of visiting Detroit.
Cleveland advances to the second round to play Atlanta or Boston.
LeBron James had 22 points for Cleveland, but Irving made the biggest shots all night. His midcourt buzzer-beater put Cleveland up 81-78 after the third quarter, and with Cleveland clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute, he calmly sank a 3-pointer from the right wing with 42 seconds remaining.
CELTICS 104, HAWKS 95
Isaiah Thomas scored 28 points, hitting a corner 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in overtime and then adding a pair of clinching free throws as Boston beat visiting Atlanta to send their first-round playoff series back to Atlanta tied two games apiece.
Paul Millsap scored 45 for Atlanta — a career playoff high and one off his all-time best — and added 13 rebounds.
LAKERS TO CAN SCOTT
A person with knowledge of the situation tells the Associated Press that Byron Scott will not return to coach the Los Angeles Lakers next season.