Basketball, Eastern Conference | featured news

LeBron James better make sure his new MVP trophy isn't missing. The Boston Celtics stole everything else....

The Celtics showed a killer instinct that had been lacking for much of this season by beating Miami 96-86 in Game 5 Tuesday, enabling them to begin preparing for a second-round series with Cleveland.

His team facing elimination, LeBron James scored 37 points to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

As LeBron James pulled up for the final shot, Orlando's crowd gasped, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy gulped and time stood still. Spinning through the air, James' 3-pointer looked good. Not this time, MVP. This was a Magic night. Dwight Howard scored 10 points in overtime and Orlando, raining down 3-pointers like a Florida thunderstorm, withstood 44 points and the last-second fling by James for a 116-114...

Cavaliers guard Mo Williams is guaranteeing his team will win the Eastern Conference finals, despite trailing the Magic 2 games to 1 with Game 4 in Orlando.

From an unforgettable shot to a cheap one. Three games in, the Eastern Conference finals have grown a little nasty. Dwight Howard scored 24 points -- 14 on free throws -- and Rafer Alston added 18 as the Orlando Magic, sick of seeing replays of LeBron James' dramatic buzzer-beater to win Game 2, downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-89 on Sunday night to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Michael Jordan no longer has the most famous buzzer-beater in Cleveland sports history. The Shot has been topped. LeBron James made one better. James dropped a 3-pointer from the top of the key over Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu as the final horn sounded Friday night to give the Cavaliers, their season a heartbeat from major trouble, a 96-95 victory over the Magic that evened the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece.

LeBron James had 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-78 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, sweeping the Eastern Conference first-round series.