The defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers got off to a great start in their second-round series and beat the Toronto Raptors by 11 points, while the Houston Rockets were explosive and gave San Antonio Spurs a 27-point thumping in their own backyard.
Cleveland ground Toronto
LeBron James’ 35-point, 10-rebound double-double helped the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 116-105 in the first game of their Eastern Conference semifinals series. Kyrie Irving had a 24-point, 10-assist double-double, Kevin Love 18 points and nine rebounds, while Tristan Thompson also had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry with a 20-point, 11-assist double-double, DeMar DeRozan had 19 points and seven rebounds, Congolese forward Serge Ibaka had 15 points and six rebounds, and PJ Tucker finished with a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double.
Rockets strike Spurs
The Houston Rockets got off to an electrifying start and defeated the Spurs 126-99 in San Antonio. Trevor Ariza had 23 points and four rebounds, James Harden a 20-point, 14-assist double-double, and Congolese/Angolan-Swiss center Clint Capela finished with a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Kawhi Leonard had a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Spurs, Tony Parker 11 points and four rebounds, and Jonathan Simmons ended the game with 11 points.
By Kaunda Chama
