(The Sports Xchange) – Highlights of Monday’s National Basketball Association games
Cavaliers 109, Hawks 94
The road to the Eastern Conference title officially goes through Cleveland.
LeBron James scored 19 of his 34 points in the third quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 109-94 Monday to clinch home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
James dominated the game, playing 32 of the first 36 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. He shot 13-for-16 and staked the Cavs (57-24) to a 90-75 lead before Kyrie Irving took over in the fourth.
Magic 107, Bucks 98
Ersan Ilyasova scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 107-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night at the Amway Center.
The Magic (35-46) led from start to finish in their final home game of the season. The Bucks (33-48) will close the season today against the Indiana Pacers.
Hornets 114, Celtics 100
Jeremy Lin turned Asian-American Night at TD Garden into a night of his own.
The former Harvard star ran wild during the second quarter, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the second quarter, 17 of them during a 31-3 explosion that led his Charlotte Hornets to a 114-100 rout of the Boston Celtics on Monday in an important game for playoff seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Wizards 120, Nets 111
Ramon Sessions collected 21 points and 12 assists in three quarters as the Washington Wizards blew an early 20-point lead before pulling out a 120-111 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Starting for the fourth consecutive game in place of star point guard John Wall (sore right knee), Sessions recorded his third double-double of the season, which all have occurred during the past week. He made his first five shots and finished 7-for-10.
