BOSTON (Sporting Alert) — Results and box scores from the NBA Game 4 playoffs series in the Eastern and Western Conference quarterfinals on Sunday, April 26.
LeBron James scored 27 points and Kyrie Irving added 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a 4-0 sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 101-93 victory in Game 4 on Sunday.
Video: Perkins-Crowder Scuffle, Love Hurts Shoulder In Game 4
James went 10-of-24 from the field, but was only 1-of-7 from three-point range and 60-percent from the free throw line.
He also grabbed 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the victory, while Irving pulled down 11 rebounds for the Cavs.
Iman Shumpert scored 15 points and 10 rebounds and Timofey Mozgov finished with 12 points and 11 boards for the Cavaliers, who played without Kevin Love after the forward was forced to leave the game in the first quarter with a dislocated left shoulder.
Love picked up the injury during a loose ball tangle with Boston’s Kelly Olynyk, who grabbed on the shoulder of the Cleveland player, while leaning on his left arm.
James said the tussle “looked different.”
“(I have) seen a lot of tie-ups in my day, but that one looked different,” James said.
Love believes the move was intentional and added that such a challenge is only seen in “bush league.”
Jared Sullinger paced the Celtics with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Isaiah Thomas ended with 21 points and nine boards. Both players did so in reserved roles on Sunday.
“I like our progress but I like to win,” Boston coach Brad Stevens said after the defeat. “So I’m disappointed.”
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-105 to even up their Western Conference quarterfinals series 2-2.
Chris Paul was 11-of-19 in shooting for 34 points and seven assists and Blake Griffin added 20 points, 19 boards and seven assists in the win for the Clippers, who led 51-47 at halftime.
DeAndre Jordan pulled down 14 rebounds and had four block shots.
Los Angeles shot 53.6 percent from the field, but was only 5-of-18 from three-point range.
J.J. Redick scored 17 points, Austin Rivers finished with 16 on 7-of-8 shooting and Jamal Crawford supported with 15 points in the Game 4 victory, as the Clippers responded from losing heavily in Game 3 on Friday night.
“Doc pretty much went at all of us,” Paul said. “He told us about ourselves and he told us what we didn’t do.
“He told us that when it comes to the playoffs, it is the players’ time.”
Defensive Player-of-the-Year Kawhi Leonard led San Antonio with 26 points and Tim Duncan grabbed a double-double of 22 points and 14 rebounds in the defeat.
In the third game on Sunday, the Toronto Raptors were swept in four games by the Washington Wizards after going down 125-94.
The Wizards starters combined for 82 points, with Bradley Beal scoring 23 and Marcin Gortat adding 21 to go along with his 11 rebound and five assists.
John Wall and Paul Pierce each scored 14 points in the win for Washington, which joined the Cavs and Golden State Warriors as the other teams already qualified for the series.
Dallas Mavericks survived the sweep after rolling to a 121-109 victory over Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday.
The Mavs, who trailed by nine after the first quarter, used a big second quarter and then another solid performance in the third to blow the game wide open – outscoring the Rockets 69-41 in Houston in two quarters.
Monta Ellis led the way with 31 points and six rebounds for Dallas, with J.J. Barea serving big with 17 points and 13 assists.
“We weren’t ready to go home,” Ellis said after Dallas cut the series lead to 3-1.
Dirk Nowitzki and Al-Farouq Aminu each finished with 16 points, with the latter also grabbing 12 rebounds. Tyson Chandler added 14 rebounds and 10 points in the win for the Mavericks.
James Harden scored 24 points to lead the Houston Rockets, with Josh Smith finishing with 23 points and Corey Brewer contributing 22. Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones each had 13 for the Rockets in the defeat.
NBA Playoffs Conference Quarterfinals Results
Sunday, April 26
Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0) 101 – 93 Boston Celtics(0-4)
Los Angeles Clippers (2-2) 114 – 105 San AntonioSpurs(2-2)
Houston Rockets (3-1) 109 – 121 Dallas Mavericks (1-3)
Toronto Raptors(0-4) 94 – 125 Washington Wizards (4-0)
