Football
Associated Press 17y

Friday's NBA Playoff Capsules

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- LeBron James scored 23 points, and
Cleveland advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first
time in 15 years with an 88-72 victory over New Jersey on Friday
night.

Cleveland won the series 4-2 and heads to Detroit on Monday
night for its third appearance in a conference finals and the first
since 1992. James, who had eight rebounds and eight assists, needed
only four years to get the Cavs into the NBA's final four.

James spent most of the third quarter on the bench in foul
trouble and Cleveland managed just eight points. New Jersey cut
what had been a 22-point deficit to one, but James returned and
reserves Donyell Marshall and Daniel Gibson hit big shots and the
Nets never could take the lead.

Marshall was 6-of-10 from 3-point range for 18 points and Gibson
added eight points. They had combined for 26 points total in the
first five games of the series.

Jason Kidd had 19 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the
Nets, who lost in the conference semifinals for the second straight
year.<
^Spurs 114, Suns 106=

SAN ANTONIO -- Manu Ginobili had 33 points and 11 rebounds
for San Antonio, which advanced to the Western Conference finals
for the third time in five years.

Tony Parker added 30 points and Tim Duncan had 24 points, 13
rebounds and a career-high nine blocked shots for the Spurs, who
saw a 20-point lead cut to five late in the game, but they held on
to win the series in six games.

San Antonio will host the Utah Jazz on Sunday in the opening
game of the Western Conference finals.

The Suns had All-NBA first-team selection Amare Stoudemire and
Boris Diaw back from their one-game suspensions for leaving the
bench area during an altercation. Stoudemire led the Suns with 38
points, 15 in the fourth quarter, and 12 rebounds.

San Antonio's Robert Horry missed the second of his two-game
suspension for the hit on Steve Nash that started the incident.

Phoenix, which trailed 81-67 after three quarters, got as close
as 106-101 with 34 seconds to play behind Nash's 15 points in the
final period.

Ginobili made two free throws and Michael Finley hit a basket to
put the Spurs up by nine points with 17 seconds left.

Nash finished with 18 points and 14 assists.

^End Capsules

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