HOUSTON – Kobe Bryant took the inbounds pass, dribbled away from Ron Artest and swished a shot from 33 feet to end the third quarter.

He struck a frozen pose after another signature moment, sending a clear message to the hostile crowd that he and the Los Angeles Lakers are in control of their Western Conference semifinal.

Bryant scored 33 points in the Lakers’ 108-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday in Houston.

“I’m just doing what I do best,” Bryant said, “just challenging other teams to try to do something with me.”

Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick.

Artest, who scored 25, was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol in the final minute, the only carry-over of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2.

———

NBA PLAYOFFS

Saturday – Denver at Dallas, 2 p.m., ESPN; Cleveland at Atlanta, 5 p.m., ABC

Sunday – L.A. Lakers at Houston, 12:30 p.m., ABC; Boston at Orlando, 5 p.m., TNT

2-1 series lead in Eastern Conference semifinal

Orlando center Dwight Howard blocks a shot by Boston forward Paul Pierce in Friday's game. Howard had five blocks in the Magic's 117-96 win.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Into the stands. Off the backboard or in another player’s face, Dwight Howard sent Boston Celtics’ shots everywhere.

Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

“Just the whole team stepped up the defensive intensity,” said Howard, the NBA’s defensive player of the year. “It starts with me. I have to do that every night if we want to be successful.”

Rashard Lewis had 28 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 for Orlando, which played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. He was suspended by the NBA for slapping Boston’s Eddie House in the back of the head in Game 2.

Paul Pierce broke out of his series slump to score 27 points, and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the defending champion Celtics, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to seven before the Magic regained control.

“You give them their inside game and their outside game, then you don’t have a chance,” Pierce said.

Game 4 is Sunday in Orlando, and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he won’t spend time enjoying his team’s latest win.

“This is not the time of year to celebrate a win in the playoffs, especially against a team like Boston,” Van Gundy said. “It’s basically like being at halftime with a one-point lead.”

It was the second time this postseason the Magic won with a starter suspended.

Howard lost his cool and threw an elbow at Samuel Dalembert’s head to draw a suspension for Game 6 of their first-round series against Philadelphia – but Orlando still managed to get a blowout win and eliminate the 76ers.

Anthony Johnson had 13 points in place of Alston.

“I can’t explain that,” Van Gundy said about winning two games shorthanded.

But this time, it was the Magic’s big man who made sure a teammate wasn’t missed.

Howard had four blocks in the first half, turning the Celtics into a jumpshooting team much like the Magic did to win Game 1.

On the first play of the second quarter, Howard soared so high he had to brace his left hand against the backboard so he wouldn’t smack his head, swatting Stephon Marbury’s layup attempt into the stands.

It was no different on offense.

Howard sprinted down the middle of the lane to take a pass zipped from the wing by J.J. Redick, gripping the ball with two hands for a thunderous dunk that gave Orlando a 43-31 lead. The Magic would eventually go ahead by 14 points in the period.

“Our defense was awful. They made every shot,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought they were the aggressors and we were the retaliators all night.”

James’ sensational play, including buzzer-beater, overwhelms Atlanta

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks over Atlanta Hawks' Solomon Jones in the first quarter of an NBA Eastern Conference semifinal gamein Cleveland on Thursday.

CLEVELAND – From his corner cubicle in Cleveland’s locker room, LeBron James kept his eyes riveted on the flat-screen TV. He wanted to see every replay.

There was his no-look pass to Wally Szczerbiak. There was his reverse dunk in the final seconds of the first quarter. And then there was his majestic, step-back 3-pointer to beat the halftime horn, a shot he admired before playfully swinging his arms back and forth.

Seeing it on tape for the first time, James smiled, stood and repeated his arm-swinging gesture.

It’s all easy. Maybe too easy.

James scored 27 points, ending the first and second quarters with last-second baskets, and Mo Williams added 15 points as the untested Cavaliers overpowered the Atlanta Hawks 105-85 on Thursday night to open a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“I’m having fun,” James said. “I’m having a ball.”

Now a perfect 6-0 in the postseason, the Cavaliers tied a league record by winning their sixth consecutive playoff game by double digits. The only other team to do it was the 2004 Indiana Pacers. Cleveland also matched the 1986 Los Angeles Lakers by winning three straight games by at least 20 points in a postseason.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised,” James said of Cleveland’s playoff dominance. “We’re just a really good team. We’re really confident and we believe in each other.”

Maurice Evans scored 16 points and ex-Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby had 11 for the Hawks, who were missing center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams because of injuries.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Atlanta’s leading scorer, Joe Johnson, rolled his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return.

X-rays were negative, but Johnson wore a walking boot as he and his teammates went to their bus to head home for Game 3 on Saturday.

“I can’t see me not playing,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to let this opportunity go by. We’re down 0-2. I want to be out there for my teammates. Hopefully in 48 hours it will feel a lot better.”

While the rest of the NBA exchanges elbows, flagrant fouls and menacing stares in the playoffs, the Cavaliers are looking for a fight.

So far, they can’t find one.

Just like Game 1, this was easy for the Cavs.

James, named MVP earlier this week, gave the Cavs a 24-point lead with his 3-pointer to end the half, a lead that grew to 36 in the third quarter.

James and the Cavaliers starters spent the entire fourth quarter lounging on the bench as Atlanta’s reserves outplayed the Cavs’ backups in 12 minutes of garbage time.

The series switches to Philips Arena, where the Hawks went 31-10 in the regular season and beat Cleveland once. That was on Dec. 13, when the Cavaliers were just finding out how good they were and the Hawks were at full strength.

Atlanta coach Mike Woodson refused to use injuries as an excuse.

“We’re just not playing well right now and they are playing at a high level,” he said. “We got a chance to go home, regroup, play in front of our fans and see what we’re made of.”

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (left) and Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest exchange words during the second half of Wednesday's playoff game in Los Angeles. Artest was ejected from the game. The Lakers won 111-98.

LOS ANGELES – Another rough-and-tumble game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets turned bloody. This time, though, the Lakers defended their home court.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and the Lakers won 111-98 in Game 2 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference semifinal series.

Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half. Houston’s Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds after picking up three fouls in the first half.

Game 3 is Friday night in Houston.

Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Artest getting ejected and technical fouls assessed to Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who had 11 rebounds.

“It’s the playoffs,” Bryant said. “This is what it’s about.”

Artest was sent off the court by referee Joe Crawford with 6:57 remaining in the game after he pointed across the court at Bryant and made a gesture near his throat. Artest complained that he was elbowed in the throat by Bryant under the basket.

“We are playing basketball, there is a lot of contact taking place,” Bryant said. “If you are going to be physical you have to expect to get physical back.”

The final 30 seconds of the third quarter turned into a foul fest. Scola and teammates Odom and Walton all were hit with technicals after they jawed at the Lakers’ end of the court.

Moments later, Fisher was called for a flagrant foul when he collided with Scola as the Rockets brought the ball up the court. Scola fell to the court and Fisher received a bloody cut on his head near his right ear. Scola made both free throws and Houston kept possession.

“Right from the opening tip we wanted to be aggressive, get after it a bit,” Bryant said. “We are being tested and this is fun.”

———

THURSDAY ON TV

> Atlanta at Cleveland, 5 p.m., ESPN

Ex-ASU star has career playoff high 31 points for Celtics

Boston's Rajon Rondo drives on Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston on Wednesday. Boston won 112-94.

BOSTON – Rajon Rondo took the pass from Eddie House and bolted for the basket, cutting between 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard and 6-10 Rashard Lewis for a thunderous dunk.

In a crucial game for the Boston Celtics, the little guys came up big.

Rondo had 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the playoffs, and House scored a career playoff high 31 points on Wednesday night to lead Boston to a 112-94 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 2, which evened the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I’ve seen some great shooting shows in my life, but that was unbelievable,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We didn’t take away anything. They got everything they wanted. They just had us running around, and we did not handle it well.”

Howard had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Lewis had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who stole Game 1 on Monday night despite blowing almost all of a 28-point lead. Orlando never led Wednesday night, trailing by 15 at halftime and by as many as 26 in the second.

Game 3 is Friday night in Orlando.

“They got what they wanted: They got a win. Now they have home court,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We have to go there trying to get wins.”

Rondo had 12 assists without a turnover at halftime and finished one assist short of his career high. The only time the 6-1 point guard has had more than 18 assists was the triple-overtime Game 6 of the first-round series against Chicago in which he played 57 1/2 minutes.

Rondo has five career triple-doubles – three in the past eight games. He is the only Celtic other than Larry Bird to have three playoff triple-doubles in a season.

“I was sluggish to start Game 1 and didn’t come out with enough passion,” Rondo said. “And that will never happen again.”

Ray Allen scored 22 points for the defending NBA champions, who will have at least one more home game.

Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce scored three points in 16 minutes, hitting a 3-pointer for the first basket of the game. But he picked up two fouls in 50 seconds early in the first quarter and headed to the bench, played just 2 more minutes in the second quarter before picking up his third and lasted 4:07 into the third before drawing his fourth and sitting back down.

By the time Pierce came back in, Boston was coasting to victory with an 18-point lead and just 7:06 left and a crowd was chanting “Eddie!” for the backup whose 20 second-half points were more than he had scored in any playoff game in his career.

House, who once scored 31 in a regular-season game but never more than 16 in the playoffs, also goaded Magic guard Rafer Alston into a head slap that led to a double-technical.

Van Gundy, who coached House in Miami, put the blame on his own team.

“If he gets under guys’ skin, it’s just because he gets very excited when things are going good,” he said. “He’s really excited and he’s going to let you know he’s kicking your butt. There’s a lot of guys like that in this game.”

Van Gundy said he couldn’t worry about whether Alston would be suspended by the NBA. The Magic lost Howard to a suspension for Game 6 of the first-round series against Philadelphia – but won.

House, a former Arizona State star, went 11 for 14 from the field, making all four of his 3-point attempts and adding four 2-pointers from at least 20 feet in 27 minutes – the most he’s played in a playoff game since he was a rookie with Miami in 2001. In the past three games, House is 18 for 24 from the field and 10 for 12 from 3-point range.

<h4>Meet the press </h4>

Former Catalina Foothills pitcher Matt McCune, left, and Tucson Toros manager Tim Johnson speak to reporters after McCune was given a contract to play pro baseball.

Matt McCune has taken advantage of his first opportunity of being a professional baseball player.

The 22-year-old Catalina Foothills High graduate signed with the independent Tucson Toros Wednesday after emerging from a list of local prospects.

“This is awesome,” said McCune during a press conference near the pitcher’s mound at Hi Corbett Field. “I am ready to get the season going. This is a good opportunity for me. It has always been my dream to be a professional baseball player. I am excited to pitch for the Tucson Toros.”

McCune, who works at a local UPS Store and also attends classes at the University of Arizona, was chosen from six pitchers invited back following Saturday’s tryout that drew 160 players.

“I knew I threw well even though no one spoke to me,” McCune said. “I felt I threw to my potential. I felt I did my job.”

McCune, a right-hander, went 5-0 at Foothills in his senior season of 2005, earning all-state honorable mention honors. He also played for GateWay Community College in Phoenix before going to Kansas Wesleyan University.

“He opened a lot of eyes,” Tucson manager Tim Johnson said. “We felt he was the right guy. I am going to put him in situations to get his feet wet a little bite and I am going to put him in situations where it’s going to be tough. We’re going to go game to game. But I feel good and our coaching staff feels good.

“He has good presence on the mound. He throws 88 and 89 (miles per hour). He’s not just a guy who tries to nibble. He know how to throw balls by guys. He has a good breaking ball and changeup. He has a good fastball.”

McCune was working his afternoon shift Tuesday at the UPS store near North Kolb Road and East Sunrise Drive when the Toros dropped in to tell him about the contract.

He plans to put his communication degree on hold at UA.

“I was leaning toward getting my degree in that and see what job openings there are,” McCune said. “Once I found out that the Toros were coming, there was nothing I wanted to be. I want to work hard and be a part of this club. I can always go back to (UA). This is my No. 1 priority.”

The Toros plan to invite 30-plus players to their spring training on Monday, including former local high school pitchers Jason Hanna and Tom Wihelmsen and Canadian Byron Bell, the club said.

Terry, Mavs need help

DALLAS – Ex-UA Wildcat Jason Terry is the Dallas Mavericks’ mood-lifter, the guy who pumps up teammates and fans every chance he gets.

Yet after enduring a second straight pounding in Denver, Terry couldn’t even fake being positive on Tuesday.

“Not tonight,” he said, declining to be interviewed. “I don’t have anything tonight.”

The Mavericks went into this second-round series convinced they could hang with the Nuggets, pointing to three narrow losses in the regular season as proof of how close they were. Besides, they proudly noted, they were on their best roll of the season, having blown through the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

So far, Denver has toyed with Dallas. Denver is up 2-0 in the series and 6-0 for the season. The Mavs must win four of the next five. Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.

The Associated Press

NBA star has intruder

DALLAS – FBI agents have arrested a woman on a probation violation and theft of service warrants at the home of Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki.

Dallas police said 37-year-old Cristal Taylor was taken into custody Wednesday at Nowitzki’s home. She has eight aliases, police said.

The Associated Press

Big 12: Keep tiebreaker

PHOENIX – Big 12 coaches have rejected a proposal to change the controversial tiebreaker that gave Oklahoma the nod over Texas in the three-way tie in the Big 12 South last season.

Meeting at a resort on Wednesday, they voted to keep the Bowl Championship Series standings as the method to break ties between more than two teams. Under that rule, the Sooners edged the Longhorns by 13 thousandths of a point in December.

The coaches had considered adopting a three-team tiebreaker that would eliminate the lowest-ranked team in the BCS standings, then go to the head-to-head result of the remaining two teams.

If that had been in place last year, Texas Tech would have been eliminated, and Texas would have emerged as the division champion because it had defeated Oklahoma.

The Associated Press

ASU lands running back

PHOENIX – Deantre Lewis, a 5-foot-10, 189-pound running back from Norco (Calif.) High School has given an oral commitment to Arizona State, according to Scout.com.

Lewis, who was also being recruited by Oregon and Oregon State, is ASU’s second commitment for 2010, along with running back Taylor Walstad of Chandler High.

The Arizona Republic

TRIVIA QUESTION

Who was lowest-seeded team to win the NBA Finals?

Answer: The 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who defended their NBA title as the sixth seed. With series victories over the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic, the Rockets became the first NBA team to beat four teams with 50 or more wins in the playoffs.

QUOTABLE

'It was a fun game to be a part of. I knew I was going to get a foul.'

RON ARTEST,

Houston Rockets player, ejected in Wednesday's 111-98 loss to the Lakers after scuffling with Kobe Bryant

———

ON THIS DATE

1972: The Los Angeles Lakers win their first NBA championship with a 114-100 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5.

1977: Heavily favored Seattle Slew, ridden by Jean Cruguet, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Run Dusty Run.

1982: A federal jury rules that the NFL violated antitrust laws when it unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles.

1995: Reggie Miller scores eight points in the last 16 seconds to lead Indiana to a 107-105 win over the Knicks in the second-round opener of the NBA playoffs.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Readers mixed on getting top basketball recruit

Re: Cats in running for Lance Stephenson

• Getting Lance out of New York and the circle of influence he runs with., and you may find a fresh start is exactly what he needs to rise above it all. ZOMBIE

• Take a guy with his issues, move him all the way across the country away from any sort of family/friends, and you’re asking for trouble. Regardless of how good this guy might be, it’s not worth the risk to the university’s basketball reputation. Pass on him. ARIZONA91

• I’m sure he isn’t the only kid brought into our program with a checkered past. The key is, UA has always had great leadership and a strong influence over these kids. If he brings value to the team, I say give the kid a chance. AZCAT01

• Did you guys see his YouTube stuff? He is just trying to market himself for the NBA. YOUSTRUELY

Former NBA basketball star Dave Bing celebrates his mayoral victory on Tuesday in Detroit.

DETROIT – Basketball legend Dave Bing was elected Tuesday as Detroit’s mayor through the end of the year, sweeping the incumbent from office in the city with myriad problems.

“The real work starts now,” Bing said to loud cheers during his victory speech.

“What we will bring … is efficiency, transparency, honesty and integrity back to the mayor’s office,” he said.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Bing had 52.3 percent of the vote, or 49,054 votes, to 47.7 percent, or 44,770 votes, for Cockrel. Both are Democrats.

Bing, 65, will be mayor through 2009, serving the balance of the term that belonged to Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September and went to jail after admitting he lied during a civil trial to cover up an affair with his chief of staff.

Bing must run again in the regular Aug. 4 nonpartisan primary and win the Nov. 3 general election to hold the mayor’s seat for a full four years.

The founder of steel manufacturer The Bing Group announced his run for mayor the day after Kilpatrick stepped down as part of pleas to two criminal cases.

Cockrel, 43, was City Council president before Kilpatrick’s departure automatically promoted him to the mayor’s office. He’ll go back to that job now.

“You have not seen the last of me,” Cockrel told supporters to cheers and chants of “Run Ken run!”

Shortly after the speech, Cockrel spokesman Daniel Cherrin said he expected a decision in a few days on whether or not Cockrel will run again in the upcoming primary.

In other races around the country, the indicted mayor of Jackson, Miss., was taken from his home in an ambulance Tuesday, just before losing his bid for re-election in a contentious Democratic primary.

Mayor Frank Melton, a 60-year-old who has a history of heart problems, was resting in a Jackson hospital, said his attorney, John Reeves. Melton faces a federal trial next week related to a sledgehammer attack on a duplex in 2006 that he considered a crackhouse.

Harvey Johnson, the former mayor Melton unseated in 2005, and city Councilman Marshand Crisler advanced to a May 19 runoff.

In Alaska’s biggest city, Anchorage residents were deciding their next mayor in a run-off election betweeen former state lawmaker Eric Croft and former assembly member Dan Sullivan.

In Detroit, Bing praised Cockrel for running “a hard-fought campaign” and said he looked forward to working together when Cockrel returns to the council.

About 15 percent of the city’s registered voters participated. A proposal to revise the city charter also was on the ballot and passed overwhelmingly.

“I don’t like either one; it’s like tossing a coin. But I’ll give Bing a chance,” Bonnie Brookslee, 78, said after voting at King High School, east of downtown. “Cockrel went along too much with Kwame when he was on the council.”

Bing said earlier Tuesday he would release the names of about 31 people ready to join his team after a board of canvassers certifies vote totals. Prominent names are on that list, Bing said.

Canvassers have 14 days to certify the totals, but it’s more likely certification will be complete in about 10 days, elections director Daniel Baxter said Monday.

Scandal caused the special election, which cost $2.5 million including the Feb. 24 primary, but Detroit has other issues on its plate. The city has a $250 million to $300 million budget deficit, double-digit unemployment and a wave of home foreclosures.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Bing would bring business acumen and credibility to Detroit.

“When he played basketball he thrilled us. When he moved into business he hired us. Now he will lead us,” the civil rights leader said during a telephone interview.

Bing was the No. 2 overall pick by the Pistons in 1966 out of Syracuse. He played in Detroit until he was traded in 1975 and is a member of professional basketball’s Hall of Fame.

His Bing Steel company opened in Detroit in 1980, and The Bing Group is a manufacturer and supplier to the auto industry that employs about 500 workers.

He had supported Kilpatrick, but grew disenchanted by the sex scandal that drove Kilpatrick from office and the lethargy that followed at City Hall.

Cockrel was elected in 2005 to his third term on the Detroit City Council and was elevated to president after receiving the most votes.

He moved up to the mayor’s office on Sept. 19 and found evidence of fiscal mismanagement and incomplete financial records. He announced the city’s deficit could be as high as $250 million.

Bing overcame criticism about his sudden move from suburban Oakland County to an apartment near downtown Detroit to run for mayor.

He also was on the hot seat when he acknowledged he was “not correct” when he claimed to have earned a master’s degree in business administration. A comment made on a videotape touting education and staying in school on the National Basketball Retired Players Association Web site was meant to be interpreted in a different manner, Bing told The Associated Press in March.

Bing also said he didn’t receive his bachelor’s degree in 1966 from Syracuse as he claimed. The economics degree actually was awarded in 1995 after Bing completed lost coursework.

The Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks in front of the Hawks' Zaza Pachulia during the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinal in Cleveland on Tuesday. James scored 34 points in the Cavs' win.

CLEVELAND – Alone under his basket, LeBron James braced himself for Atlanta’s onslaught.

As two Hawks swooped down on a fast break, James held his ground, stepped in front of Joe Johnson and took the charge.

The only play. The smart play. A game-changing play.

MVP? Indeed.

James dunked the first time he touched the ball and scored 34 points – 22 in the first half – as the Cavaliers, who waited nine days between playoff games after a first-round sweep, shook off some early rust and pulled away for a 99-72 win over the Hawks in their Eastern Conference semifinal opener on Tuesday.

Showing why he was voted the league’s best player in a landslide, James added 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals as the top-seeded Cavs won their fifth straight lopsided game in a postseason that has so far mirrored the best regular season in franchise history.

James stuffed the stat sheet again, but it was his defensive stop on Johnson in the third quarter that meant as much as anything.

“An MVP taking a charge on the break?” Cavs guard Mo Williams said. “That’s amazing. You get that effort from him, how could I not take a charge? The whole night was about him and he came out and showed why he is the MVP – in the first quarter.”

The Cavs weren’t sure how the layoff would affect them.

“It was unbelievable how sharp we were,” James said. “We just picked up where we left off.”

Williams added 21 points for Cleveland, which became the first team since the 2004 Detroit Pistons to win each of its five playoff games by double figures.

With the Cavs up by 21, James was pulled with 4:29 left – extra down time before Game 2 on Thursday night at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavaliers are 42-2.

Josh Smith scored 22 and ex-Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby added 19 for the Hawks.

———

WEDNESDAY’S NBA

Orlando at Boston, 5 p.m. Magic lead series 1-0

Houston at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Rockets lead series 1-0

The Houston Rockets' Yao Ming looks to pass while being defended by the Los Angeles Lakers' Trevor Ariza on Monday in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES – Blood flowed, players sprawled on the court and the Houston Rockets came into Staples Center and outmuscled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Yao Ming, who briefly left with a knee injury in the closing minutes, had 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 100-92 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Ron Artest added 21 points and Aaron Brooks had 19 for the Rockets, who are in the second round for the first time since 1997.

Bryant, who finished a distant second to LeBron James in league MVP voting announced earlier Monday, scored 32 points, doing his best to keep the Lakers in the game despite missing practice on Sunday with a sore throat. He scored 22 of the Lakers’ final 42 points.

Houston forward Shane Battier needed four stitches to close a gash over his left eye late in the first quarter.

The Rockets took the brunt of the hits, but Yao was too much for the Lakers. The Rockets were much livelier on offense and wrested homecourt advantage from the top-seeded Lakers.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Bryant drove on Yao in the key and the two collided, with Yao falling to the court. Los Angeles’ Pau Gasol picked up the ball for a slam dunk that pulled the Lakers to 85-79 with 4:54 left.

Yao grabbed his knee and grimaced in pain as he sat on the court. After being tended to, he limped off the court. Moments later, after stretching his knee in the tunnel, he was back in the game.

“It’s not an injury. I was not hurt,” Yao said. “I got hit pretty hard, but I know I am fine and need to walk around, then it will go away and I’ll be able to (play).”

“I think we were hungry to win the first game, like we had in the first game of the last (series),” Yao said, referring to the six-game win over Portland. “We know we have to respect them. They will come back strong in Game 2.”

———

TUESDAY’S NBA

Atlanta at Cleveland, 5 p.m., TNT

Dallas at Denver, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (top) is called for a charging foul as he drives against Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series in Boston on Monday.

BOSTON – The Orlando Magic avoided an epic collapse when the clock ran out on the Boston Celtics’ comeback bid.

There would be no overtime this time.

Just another hole from which the defending NBA champions will try to escape.

Dwight Howard returned from his one-game suspension to get 16 points and 22 rebounds Monday night and Orlando, which led by as many as 28 points in the second half, held off the late-charging Celtics 95-90 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“The last 16 minutes was a debacle,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We were sort of trying to run out the clock, and you can’t do that in games like this. Especially in the playoffs, teams are going to keep fighting and keep coming back.

“(But) how about the fact that we were up 28? You play these games to win, and that’s it. We won. Right now, the series is 1-0.”

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.

Orlando led 65-37 early in the third quarter, but Boston trailed by four points when Ray Allen’s 3-pointer rimmed out with 43 seconds left. Orlando’s J.J. Redick made two free throws with 14 seconds left before Paul Pierce’s high 3-pointer made it a three-point game with 6.6 seconds to play.

But Redick made two more free throws to ice it.

“We got complacent as a team, stopped doing what we did to get the lead and against a good Celtics team you can’t do that,” Howard said. “You don’t want to focus on them coming back. We still won the game and we saw what we have to do to win the series.”

Pierce scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Pierce said the Celtics never feel like they’re out of a game, and there’s a good reason why: They came back from 21 points down to beat New Jersey in the 2002 conference finals, and they rallied from 24 points down to beat the L.A. Lakers in Game 4 of last season’s NBA finals.

“We cannot wait until we’re down 25, 26 points until we wake up,” said Pierce, who is the only remaining Celtic to play in both those games. “There’s no excuses for us not to be ready.”

Kendrick Perkins had 16 rebounds for Boston, but Rondo and Allen both went 2 of 12 from the field. The Magic had a cold spell of their own in the fourth quarter, going just 5 of 20 from the field to lose most of a once-dominating lead that had the Boston fans booing their team off the court at halftime.

“If we had played the rest of the game like the second half . . . ,” said Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who scored 12 points before fouling out. “It’s hard to play from behind. That’s what we did and we lost.”

Orlando finished off Philadelphia in six games on Thursday night, and Howard has been resting up even longer: He was suspended for the finale of that series for elbowing Sixers center Samuel Dalembert.

“It felt like I was out 10 games,” Howard said. “I was a little rusty. We’ll be ready for Game 2.”

Boston had just one day off after eliminating the Chicago Bulls in a best-of-seven series – 7 3/4, actually – one many consider the best first-round playoff series in NBA history. The teams played a record four overtime games and seven overtimes periods in all – nearly three extra quarters.

<h4>Jump if you just scored </h4>

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (right) jumps into the arms of teammate Sergei Fedorov after notching his third goal of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday in Washington.

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AKRON, Ohio – On one of the biggest days of his life, LeBron James took the long way home.

Once inside his hometown’s city limits, James pulled his high-powered Ferrari off Interstate 77 and drove the back roads to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater.

Turning on Maple Street, he went past his first house on Hickory. Then, it was past the one on Silver Street, where his mother, Gloria, began raising him by herself.

James visited The Boondocks, where he and his friends first dribbled on the playgrounds.

James retraced the steps on Monday. His path to NBA superstardom.

An unstoppable offensive force who became an elite defender this season, James claimed the league MVP, receiving the award in the gym where he first became a star.

“This is a place where all my dreams started and where I thought they could become real,” James said. “There’s really not a better place.”

An MVP vote some expected to be close was another slam dunk by James. He received 109 of a possible 121 first-place votes to easily outdistance Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. James totaled 1,172 points in balloting by media members in the U.S. and Canada.

Bryant, last year’s winner, got two first-place votes and finished with 698 points. Miami guard Dwyane Wade was third with 680 points and was named first on seven ballots. Orlando center Dwight Howard (328) was fourth followed by New Orleans guard Chris Paul (192).

The race was never in doubt. It was James all along.

“I’m 24 years old and I’m receiving this award. I never thought it would happen this fast,” he said, standing under three state title banners he helped win for the Fighting Irish.

James is the first Cavaliers player to win the award. He averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, his sixth as a pro.

Obama to greet Heels

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina made President Obama’s bracket a winner with its romp through the NCAA Tournament.

Now Obama will get the chance to thank the Tar Heels for making him look good.

The president will honor the national champions at the White House next Monday.

Obama – who played a pickup game with the team last spring – picked the Tar Heels to win the title before the tournament.

Joba’s mom in trouble

LINCOLN, Neb. – The mother of New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain has been arrested on charges of selling methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in February.

Jacqueline Standley was arrested at her apartment Saturday night, Lincoln Police Capt. David Beggs said Monday.

Beggs said she sold 1 gram of a substance believed to be meth to an officer for $110 on Feb. 11. The substance was confirmed as meth at the state laboratory.

The 44-year-old Standley was charged Monday with delivery of an exceptionally hazardous drug, a felony. Her bail was set at $5,000 and she was assigned a public defender, whose name was not on her jail record.

Last month, Chamberlain pleaded guilty to drunken driving and was given nine months probation and a $400 fine for his October arrest.

Structure collapse probed

IRVING, Texas – Government investigators began sorting through the Dallas Cowboys’ flattened practice facility Monday, trying to figure out why fierce winds sent the tentlike structure crashing down during a rookie workout session.

Twelve people were hurt, including Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who underwent surgery Monday to stabilize a fractured vertebrae in his neck.

The most seriously injured was Rich Behm, the team’s 33-year-old scouting assistant who was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed. Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, 35, had surgery on his fractured right leg. Both DeCamillis and Gaither are expected to get out of the hospital this week.

Inspectors were at the collapse site Monday, said Elizabeth Todd, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA, which investigates workplace accidents, has six months to make a report, she said.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show the city of Irving granted the Cowboys’ request to replace the fabric roof last year, five years after the structure was built.

The team listed itself as the contractor for the roof replacement, but Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team would not comment about the work.

A-Rod getting closer

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Alex Rodriguez hit a long homer, played seven innings in the field and drew a walk off Philadelphia’s J.C. Romero on Monday in his latest extended spring training game.

The Yankees third baseman did not take questions after the game, which was played on the same day a book, “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez,” was scheduled for release. As he was leaving, a smiling and upbeat Rodriguez said he “feels good.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said it was possible Rodriguez could rejoin the team Friday, when New York starts a trip at Baltimore.

“Is Friday the day? I can’t tell you,” Girardi said in New York. “So much of it just depends on how he feels and when he believes that he’s ready to go. I have not really put a date on it, because I want to see how he bounces back on Wednesday or even (Tuesday).”

Pima women’s tennis

Pima Community College is in 15th place after two rounds of the NJCAA National Tournament at the Randolph Tennis Center.

Ali Brackey is the only Aztec player still alive in a championship bracket. She will face the No. 2 seed in Flight 3 Tuesday.

Citizen Staff Report

NUMBER OF THE DAY

1,172

Total points by Cleveland’s LeBron James in the NBA’s MVP voting Monday. Other leaders:

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 698

Dwyane Wade, Miami 680

Dwight Howard, Orlando 328

Chris Paul, New Orleans 192

Chauncey Billups, Denver 33

Paul Pierce, Boston 21

Tony Parker, San Antonio 9

Brandon Roy, Portland 7

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ON THIS DATE

1904: Cy Young of the Red Sox pitches a perfect game against the Philadelphia Athletics, beating Rube Waddell 3-0.

1966: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 to win the Stanley Cup in six games.

1969: The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-102 in the seventh game to win the NBA championship for the 10th time in 11 years. Player-coach Bill Russell retires as a player.

1973: Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the Kentucky Derby with a record time of 1:59.2.

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SPORTS SOUND-OFF

‘Nice grab’ by new basketball coach

Re: UA hoops lands recruit Kevin Parrom

• Wow, I cannot believe what Miller is able to do so quick. I realize that they are mostly Xavier recruits, which aren’t quite what Lute would get, but it is 100 times better than what we were looking at just a few months ago. Way to go, Miller.

YOUSTRUELY

• Another stud finds his way from the East Coast. Great recruit as this kid can play the game. Nice touch on the ball and a great first step. Next year’s team is really taking shape. . . . Can’t wait for the fun to begin. It’s Miller Time!

TW

• Nice grab. With or without Stephenson, this is a nice late recruiting bonanza by Miller. . . . With the guys we have on the roster, I’m sensing a four-guard offense next year.

TRODELPOST

Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith reacts to the fans as he leaves the court after the Hawks defeated the Miami Heat 91-78 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference NBA playoff series on Sunday in Atlanta.

ATLANTA – The final blowout went to Atlanta, so it’s the Hawks who’ll get a shot at LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Joe Johnson scored 27 points to make up for a mostly disappointing series and the Hawks won the first Game 7 ever played in Atlanta, beating Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat 91-78 Sunday to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in a decade.

A series totally devoid of drama ended in appropriate fashion. After a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with Atlanta ahead 20-18, the Hawks pulled out to a 49-36 lead by halftime.

They might as well have started the celebration right then. There were only 15 lead changes in seven games – not one of them after the opening period. Every game was decided by at least 10 points, and this one wasn’t nearly as close as the final margin.

Johnson got off to a sluggish start but came alive when the Hawks needed him. His most dramatic shot was a long 3-pointer over Wade from out near Atlanta’s winged logo at center court, which left the Miami star standing there with a look of disbelief.

The Hawks turned the contest into a laugher in the final quarter. Flip Murray hit a 3-pointer to give Atlanta its biggest lead at 85-66, and both teams cleared their benches in the closing minutes as Miami’s reserves outplayed the home team’s substitutions to make the end result somewhat respectable.

Things got ugly in the closing minutes while the Hawks fans chanted “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye!” Zaza Pachulia, who provided more quality minutes off the bench, drove to the hoop and was collared around the neck by Udonis Haslem. The Miami forward was tossed out of the game for a flagrant foul, while Atlanta coach Mike Woodson charged onto the court to make sure no punches were thrown.

The Hawks will need everyone for the Cavaliers, the top seed in the playoffs. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Cleveland.

Nuggets win opener

DENVER – Nene kept Denver in it until his teammates could turn this one into another runaway.

Nene scored 18 of his career playoff high 24 points in the first half and the Denver Nuggets raced past the Dallas Mavericks 109-95 in the first day game in the Pepsi Center’s 10-year history.

Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, including a dunk off J.R. Smith’s behind-the-back assist that rocked the arena in the closing minutes. Smith added 15 points, leading a bench that outscored Dallas’ celebrated reserves 38-24 before both teams emptied their benches in the meaningless final minutes.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 28 points and 10 boards and Josh Howard, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry each scored 15.

Game 2 is Tuesday night.

LeBron James

CLEVELAND – Unstoppable at both ends of the floor this season, LeBron James is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a team-record 66 regular-season wins and the top overall seed in the playoffs, will receive the award Monday, a person with knowledge of the choice told The Associated Press. James chose Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, his alma mater, for the presentation, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.

The Cavaliers announced a “major” news conference for 4 p.m. at the school, but did not give the reason.

James is the first Cavaliers player to win the award. He averaged 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists this season, his sixth as a pro. He also finished second in voting for defensive player of the year, making him perhaps the league’s most dominant two-way player since Michael Jordan.

At 24 years, 106 days on the final day of the regular season, James is the youngest player to win the award since Moses Malone (24 years, 16 days) in 1978-79. Wes Unseld was 23 when he won it in 1968-69.

James vied all season for MVP honors with the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Miami’s Dwyane Wade. The three played on the U.S. gold medalist Olympic team last summer and seemed to upstage each other nightly.

“He deserved it,” Wade said. ” I said all year, I thought LeBron was the MVP of this league. He’s a guy who every year is going to be in that conversation. … He showed it all year, especially with his team’s success.”

Focused right from the start, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound James sharpened his already formidable skills this season.

He started a career-high 81 games and set personal bests in field-goal (49) and free-throw (79) percentages as well as blocks (93). James became the second player to post five straight seasons of at least 27 points, six rebounds and six assists. The other is Oscar Robertson, whose extraordinarily versatile game is the one James’ is most often compared.

James nearly averaged a triple-double — 32 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists — as the top-seeded Cavaliers breezed through the first round of the playoffs, sweeping the Detroit Pistons in four games. Cleveland will host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 on Tuesday.

It’s no surprise James would select his high school for the ceremony. It’s where he won three state basketball championships and where he burst onto the national scene, becoming a Sports Illustrated cover subject at just 17 years old. He announced plans to skip college in the Fighting Irish’s quaint gym and recently filmed a “60 Minutes” interview there, where his retired No. 23 jersey hangs on a wall.

A few days after the Cavaliers were eliminated in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals, losing a Game 7 in Boston, James got back in the gym.

Despite scoring 45 points in the finale, James didn’t feel he had done enough to get his team past the Celtics. So he went to work. He spent endless hours at the Cavaliers’ training facility working on his jump shot, which has never looked better or been more accurate. He practiced finishing at the rim with his left hand, making him nearly impossible to stop inside.

James also began lifting weights like never before, adding muscle to his considerable frame. Then, once he began working out with the Olympic team, James set out to refine his defensive game and became an elite stopper, often guarding the other team’s best player — regardless of position.

In a league of remarkable athletes, James, with his package of power and speed, may well stand alone.

“His leaping ability with his strength and explosion, he’s by himself,” said Cavaliers assistant coach Chris Jent, who spent most of last summer working with James. “We don’t have anyone in the league like him. Baseline to baseline he has to be the fastest or one of the fastest guys ever, and he can do it with the ball.

“And then once he gets there, his jumping is up there — maybe by himself. That combination along with his mental attitude and aggressiveness make him unguardable.”

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) finds an obstacle in Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith near the basket in Friday's game in Miami.

MIAMI – A season-saving win in the books, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat walked off the court Friday night with a stoic look. No celebrating, nary even a smile.

“Strictly about business,” Wade said. “Now we move on.”

To Sunday. To Game 7.

Wade scored 41 points, Michael Beasley busted out of a slump with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat stayed alive by routing the Atlanta Hawks 98-72 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night.

So a wild back-and-forth series – three routs for the Hawks, three routs for the Heat – will be decided Sunday in Atlanta.

“No pressure on us,” Wade said. “We’re the underdogs in this series.”

Ex-Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby scored all 20 of his points in the first half for Atlanta, which fell behind by 15 in the opening quarter, cut the deficit to nine by halftime, but never really challenged after that.

Flip Murray and Joe Johnson added 13 apiece for the Hawks, who lost a first-round Game 7 last season against Boston.

That, though, didn’t come with the comfort of the home-court advantage they’ll enjoy Sunday. It’s winner-take-all time, with one team going to Cleveland to open the second round against LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday, the other heading into the offseason.

“Game 7. That speaks for itself,” Hawks forward Josh Smith said. “It’s two young teams that want the same thing. We’re going to have to come out focused and with energy. Hopefully, we’ll answer the challenge.”

The wacky run of outcomes continued: Atlanta’s wins have been by 26, 10 and 15 points. The Heat have prevailed by 15, 29 and 26 points.

“They did what they had to do tonight and played extremely well,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “We were just there.”

James Jones scored 11 points for Miami, nine in the first quarter. Just like every other game in this series, the team that took control early kept it throughout, and Miami wasted no time in putting Atlanta on its heels.

The Hawks hoped they would be in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon for Game 1 of the second round. Instead, they got blown away, meaning they still haven’t won a playoff series since 1999, or prevailed in any best-of-seven matchup since 1970.

They’ll get one more chance.

“It’s going to be hectic,” Beasley said. “It’s going to be crazy.”

Wade spent two days imploring his teammates to match the Hawks’ challenge. He mentioned Beasley by name, asking the rookie to live up to his star billing.

Beasley listened. Two hours before game time, he was out on the court, taking shot after shot after shot. Something must have clicked; Beasley finished 11-for-25 from the floor.

The Heat needed him, too. Udonis Haslem only played 11 minutes, saddled by foul trouble, and Jermaine O’Neal didn’t play at all, because of a concussion he sustained during Game 5 of the series.

Bulls’ rookie nets 28, blocks shot in triple OT to force Game 7

CHICAGO – One more overtime thriller has the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics headed for a Game 7. Seems only fitting for this series.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo’s potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to even the first-round series at 3-3.

Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but it’s back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday night after another instant classic in a series that had already seen its share of drama.

Three of the first five games went to overtime, including a Game 4 that went two extra periods. Another came down to the wire in regulation, but Thursday’s trumped them all.

Rondo penetrated and pulled up on the left block with 8 seconds left and turned, only to be rejected by Rose. The NBA’s rookie of the year then missed two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining, before Rondo launched a harmless heave from beyond midcourt.

That ended the game. The series, however, continues.

“This series is a lot of fun for the fans, the people of Chicago, the people of Boston,” said Joakim Noah of the Bulls, who made the go-ahead three-point play after a steal. “It’s a lot of fun for us, too, playing in environments like this on the big stage.”

Rose added: “It’s crazy, but you got to love it.”

Things might be different with a healthy Kevin Garnett, but without him, the Celtics are locked in a classic.

“It’s unbelievable,” Boston’s Kendrick Perkins said. “Shot after shot, tough make after tough make. It’s a tough series. They’re a young team playing with a lot of confidence.”

At 123-123 in the third overtime, Noah stole a pass by Paul Pierce and broke upcourt for a dunk, got fouled by Pierce and hit the free throw with 35.5 seconds remaining. Eddie House quickly answered with a corner jumper, his feet on the 3-point arc, to pull the Celtics within 126-125, but Brad Miller hit two free throws to get the lead back up to three with 28 seconds left.

Allen was spectacular for Boston, finishing three points shy of John Havlicek’s club playoff record and tying the NBA playoff mark with nine 3-pointers.

“It’s very bittersweet,” Allen said. “There’s nothing to really talk about anymore. We lost and we had the agony that it wasn’t enough.”

Glen Davis added 23 points and Pierce had 22 for Boston.

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