Cavaliers sweep Celtics in wild Game 4

BOSTON -- LeBron James scored 27 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a shoulder injury to Kevin Love to complete a first-round sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 101-93 victory Sunday.

Love left the court in the first quarter after hurting his left shoulder, and J.R. Smith was ejected for swinging his arm at Jae Crowder, but the Cavaliers held on to win a series for the first time since 2010, before James left for Miami.

The Cavaliers won their first series since beating the Bulls in the opening round in 2010 before losing to Boston. James left for Miami two months later and Cleveland missed the playoffs the next four seasons before he returned this season.

The sweep was the Cavaliers' first since 2009, when they did it against Detroit and Atlanta before losing to Orlando in six games in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Cavaliers led 99-89 with 44 seconds left, but the Celtics didn't give up. Isaiah Thomas hit a layup and Avery Bradley sank two free throws to cut the lead to six before the ball went out of bounds off Kyrie Irving. But Gigi Datome missed a 3-pointer before Irving was fouled and made two shots.

For the Celtics, it was a swift end to a rebuilding season that lasted longer than expected. That followed a regular season in which they went a surprising 40-42, a 15-win increase over the previous season. And they have reason for optimism with four draft picks this year and the potential of four first-rounders next year.

They lost the first game against the Cavaliers by 13 points and the next two by eight each, even trailing by just three with 2:45 left before Love hit two 3-pointers.

The Cavaliers didn't need him Sunday.

Irving had 24 points for Cleveland and Iman Shumpert added 15.

Thomas and Jared Sullinger had 21 points apiece.

Clippers 114, Spurs 105

SAN ANTONIO -- Chris Paul had 34 points and seven assists, Blake Griffin added 20 points and 19 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-105 on Sunday to even their first-round series at two games apiece.

J.J. Redick scored 17 points for the Clippers and Austin Rivers provided an unexpected boost off the bench with a postseason career-high 16 points.

Game 5 of the only series that is tied after four games is Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points, Tim Duncan had 22 points and 10 rebounds and Tony Parker added 18 points, but Paul proved too much.

Paul hit jumpers over Parker and Duncan in scoring six straight points for the Clippers beginning midway through the fourth quarter. He then drove the lane and kicked out to Redick, who drained a 3-pointer for a 106-92 lead.

Wizards 125, Raptors 94

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards emphatically completed the first sweep of a seven-game series in club history, getting 23 points from Bradley Beal and 21 points and 11 rebounds from Marcin Gortat to beat the Toronto Raptors 125-94 Sunday night.

Paul Pierce, who repeatedly said he didn't want to have to go back through U.S. Customs for any more games in Canada, added 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter as Washington's lead reached 32 entering the fourth.

Washington has reached the second round of the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since getting to the NBA Finals in 1979, a year after winning the title.

Next up for the Wizards will be No. 1 seed Atlanta or No. 8 Brooklyn.

Sports on 04/27/2015

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