National Basketball Association: News

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has been named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Evan Turner scored the go-ahead layup with his back to the basket Monday night and the 76ers survived a frantic finish to beat the Celtics, 82-81, and even their semifinal series at a game apiece. Jrue Holiday scored 18 points, Andre Iguodala had 13 and the Sixers nearly let another double-digit lead go to waste before pulling away in the final minute. Kevin Garnett hit a 3 at the buzzer for the one-point margin. He was called for an offensive foul on a key Boston possession in the final seconds. Game 3 of the Eastern Conference series is Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

The Golden State Warriors announced on Monday that the club promoted Kirk Lacob to assistant general manager.

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh is sidelined indefinitely after an MRI exam on Monday revealed a strained abdominal muscle.

Hooray for Hollywood while Memphis and the Mile High City are in mourning.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving is set to be named NBA Rookie of the Year, according to a report Sunday.

Chris Paul set the pace with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and the LA Clippers ousted the Memphis Grizzlies, 82-72, in an intensely physical Western Conference quarterfinal Game 7 on Sunday. It was the first Game 7 victory, and just the third playoff series win, in the franchise's 42-year history. The Clippers' reserves were critical down the stretch, posting all but two of the team's 27 fourth quarter points. Kenyon Martin, Mo Williams and Nick Young combined to finish with 33 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol scored 19 points apiece, but Mike Conley shot just 2-of-13 from the floor and the team managed a dismal 25-of-77 mark, including missing all 13 of their three-point attempts. The Clippers advance to face the top-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals beginning on Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Chris Paul set the pace with 19 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and the LA Clippers ousted the Memphis Grizzlies, 82-72, in an intensely physical Western Conference quarterfinal Game 7 on Sunday. It was the first Game 7 victory, and just the third playoff series win, in the franchise's 42-year history. The Clippers' reserves were critical down the stretch, posting all but two of the team's 27 fourth quarter points. Kenyon Martin, Mo Williams and Nick Young combined to finish with 33 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol scored 19 points apiece, but Mike Conley shot just 2-of-13 from the floor and the team managed a dismal 25-of-77 mark, including missing all 13 of their three-point attempts. The Clippers advance to face the top-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals beginning on Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh suffered a lower abdominal strain shortly before halftime of Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal opener against the Indiana Pacers.

It took seven games and a series of trials but the Los Angeles Lakers finally put away the Denver Nuggets. On the cusp of elimination, the sixth-seeded Nuggets stormed back with two straight wins and held a lead in the fourth quarter on Saturday, but the Lakers persevered, getting 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists from Pau Gasol en route to a 96-87 victory. Los Angeles, seeded third, will visit the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday in the Western Conference semifinals. Al Harrington and Ty Lawson scored 24 points apiece for the Nuggets, who fell just one victory short of their first-ever series win over the Lakers.