“The fact that he (Irving) was in such a groove this series that we could ride his coattails, I could focus on other things like my individual matchup”, continued James.
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“For our team, it doesn’t matter who is the leading scorer or anything”.
“Right now we’re in a great flow, as far as us three”, James said. “We’re behind. You can’t go down and play for zero points”.
Boston led by four when Thomas, who heard chants of “M-V-P” all night from the rowdy crowd, hit a shot to make it 108-101 with 1:53 left. Ironically, the Cavaliers also swept Detroit in four games during that particular first round series. Irving then started waving goodbye to the fans at the Palace. Cleveland will take on the victor of the series between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks.
Now, after averaging 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in the regular season, the typically reliable Harris has struggled mightily through his team’s first two games of their first round playoff series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Irving fractured his kneecap against the Warriors and needed surgery and months of rehab before coming back. Jackson attempted to draw a foul by leaning in to initiate contact, but Irving didn’t bite, and Jackson forced up an air ball on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
The Pistons are in danger of dropping their 12th straight postseason game to Cleveland and 10th in a row overall.
But the embrace between Jackson and Beyer also showed relief that the Pistons reached their goal this season: ending the Eastern Conference’s longest streak of missing the postseason. For the series, Smith shot.515 from 3-point range (17-of-33) and averaged 13.5 points. “So when our guards get down in the paint, he’s in there waiting on them so they kick it out to the 3-point shot”. It was 87-86 after Detroit’s run, but the 3s by Irving and Smith helped Cleveland hold on.
Detroit made one more run, playing a smaller lineup toward the end and earning a chance to win it or force overtime. No matter how big I am, it feels the same.’ I never thought about it like that. “We see it all the time”, Lue said. “Then when you’re 9 for 17 from three on top of all that, it makes it really hard.”. “We just have to continue to play at a high level”.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat Seattle 12 straight times in the playoffs from 1980-89.
Irving scored 10 quick points in a flurry early in the third quarter, and after his big shot in the final minute, he walked over to the bench, calm as could be. It’s our guys first time throught it. We don’t know whose going to come out of that.
The series began with Van Gundy getting fined $25,000 for criticizing officials during an on-camera interview in Game 1.
Game Four is set for Sunday at the Boston Garden. The Cavaliers’ Twitter account acknowledged that before Sunday night’s basketball game with the following message: “Hey @Indians, can we borrow that broom when you’re done with it?”
The injury plagued Grizzlies learned Friday that forward Jarell Martin will miss the remainder of the playoffs with a sore left foot.
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The three-pointer Reggie Jackson hoisted up could have been a game-winner, but instead knocked the Detroit Pistons out of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs.
