Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Cavaliers escape with slim victory
CLEVELAND — Their regular-season issues followed the Cleveland Cavaliers into the playoffs.
They didn’t win their postseason opener as much as survive it.
LeBron James scored 32 points and the defending champions, looking to flip the switch after a shaky regular season, began the NBA playoffs by escaping with a 109-108 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.
Indiana could have won it in the final seconds, but C.J. Miles, who Cleveland’s players and coaches call a “Cavs killer,” missed a 14-foot jumper just before the horn.
“C.J. had a pretty decent look,” Pacers Coach Nate McMillan said. “We have to make that shot.”
Playing in his 200th playoff game, James added 13 assists and 6 rebounds while winning his 18th consecutive first-round game.
However, it was anything but easy as the Cavs, who had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, had to withstand a strong comeback by the Pacers, who had the ball and a chance to win with 20 seconds left. Indiana wanted star Paul George to take the last shot, but Cleveland double-teamed him and he was forced to pass it to Miles, whose shot was on line but short.
“I talked to C.J. about it,” George said. “In situations like that, I gotta get the last shot. I was asking for it. C.J. took it upon himself.”
Kyrie Irving added 23 points and Kevin Love had 17 for Cleveland, which has won 12 consecutive playoff games at home.
George scored 29 points and Lance Stephenson had 16 for the seventh-seeded Pacers, who will try to even the series Monday night.
Cleveland had several bad possessions down the stretch and the Cavs went only 14 of 27 from the free-throw line.
After dropping their last four and going 10-14 since March 1, the Cavs entered the postseason appearing very vulnerable. It’s too soon to say whether they have their act together, but for three quarters they looked more like a team capable of reaching its third consecutive Finals.
Irving dismissed the idea that Cavs feel vulnerable.
“Hell, no,” he snapped. “Not going into the game with the group that we have.”
Indiana played a solid allaround game, matching the Cavs at both ends and even out-rebounding them.
But, as usual, the Pacers couldn’t contain James, who improved to 45-7 in the opening round and made sure he and his teammates didn’t stumble out of the postseason gate.
BUCKS 97, RAPTORS 83
TORONTO — Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, rookie Malcolm Brogdon had 16 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
Playing his second career playoff series, Antetekounmpo made 13 of 18 shots, and added 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Greg Monroe added 14 points, Tony Snell had 11, and Khris Middleton finished with 10 points and nine assists.
DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 27 points, and Serge Ibaka had 19 points and 14 rebounds. The Raptors have lost the opening game in eight consecutive playoff series.
Toronto’s Kyle Lowry made only 2 of 11 field-goal attempts, missing all 6 three-point efforts, and finished with 4 points. Jonas Valanciunas had nine points and nine rebounds.
Game 2 is Tuesday night in Toronto. Antetekounmpo picked up his fourth foul with 4:33 left in the third and headed to the bench as Toronto’s P.J. Tucker was making two free throws to break a 64-64 tie.
Without Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee closed the quarter on an 11-5 run to take a 75-70 lead into the fourth.
Milwaukee kept it going after Antetokounmpo returned for the final quarter. The Bucks scored eight consecutive points, including four from Khris Middleton, to make it 85-71 with 8:47 left.
Ibaka’s jump shot at 7:49 was Toronto’s first made field goal of the fourth. Toronto shot 7 for 35 in the second half, following up a 3 for 18 showing in the third by going 4 for 17 in the fourth. The Raptors went 27 for 75 overall.
Many in the sellout crowd headed for the exits throughout the final quarter as the Bucks stretched their lead to a game-high 19 points.
Ibaka was the only Raptors starter to make a three-pointer. Toronto finished 5 for 23 from long range, with the starting five going 1 for 13. No Raptors player made more than one three-pointer.