MVP James gets 32, Heat top Pacers 95-86 in Game 1
MVP James gets 32, Heat top Pacers 95-86 in Game 1
By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted May 13 2012 7:13PM
MIAMI (AP) LeBron James got his trophy, and then he and Dwyane Wade made sure the Miami Heat got a win in Game 1.
James scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in his first game as a three-time MVP, Wade finished with 29 despite struggling from the floor, and the Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 95-86 to open their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday.
Chris Bosh scored 13 points for Miami, but left late in the first half with a lower abdominal injury and did not return, with the Heat saying he was scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the problem. The Heat outscored Indiana 25-16 in the fourth, with Wade and James combining for 22 of those points.
Wade and James outscored Indiana 42-38 in the second half.
“It’s a battle and we know, regardless of being at home, being away, who we’re playing, what round, it’s tough to win in the playoffs and you have to fight for every single possession,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And that’s what it was.”
David West and Roy Hibbert each scored 17 points and combined for 23 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 10 points each from Darren Collison and George Hill.
“I thought we were just on our heels a little too much,” West said.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Miami.
Pacers at Heat – May 13, 2012 – Game Preview, Play by Play, Scores and Recap on NBA.com.
Clippers advance with 82-72 win over Grizzlies
Clippers advance with 82-72 win over Grizzlies
By TERESA M. WALKER
Posted May 13 2012 5:25PM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers refused to let a third chance to knock the Memphis Grizzlies out of the playoffs slip away.
Kenyon Martin scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with an 82-72 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 on Sunday.
“That’s why it’s seven games,” Martin said. “If you don’t do it before, you get another chance. So they did what they had to do, they came and stole home court back on our floor. … We had a chance to close it out. We knew we let it go, an opportunity get away.”
The Clippers blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter Friday night. So Martin huddled the Clippers together at the start of the fourth quarter Sunday, and the veteran led the bench in outscoring the Grizzlies 25-16. Chris Paul had the only bucket by a starter in the final 12 minutes, and the Clippers’ bench outscored the Memphis reserves 41-11 overall.
“Our bench was our MVP,” Clippers guard Randy Foye said. “They realized what they had to do. We had a lot of guys hurt, so we just continued to grind.”
Now, the Clippers have their third postseason series win in 41 years and their second since relocating to Los Angeles. They last beat Denver in 2006. The Clippers also avoided becoming the ninth NBA team to blow a 3-1 lead in a best-of-seven series in moving on to play the top-seeded Spurs starting Tuesday night in San Antonio.
Clippers at Grizzlies – May 13, 2012 – Game Preview, Play by Play, Scores and Recap on NBA.com.
