LeBron scores 38 as Cavaliers rout Celtics to take 2-1 series lead

BOSTON - LeBron James scored 21 of his 38 points in the first quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Boston, 124-95, on Friday night, handing the Celtics their worst home playoff loss ever and taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals.

Showing no ill effects of an elbow problem that was the talk of Cleveland during the long layoff, James finished with eight rebounds and seven assists. The 21 points in a quarter was a franchise postseason record.

Antawn Jamison had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Shaquille O'Neal 12 points and nine rebounds for Cleveland.

Rajon Rondo, who had 19 assists in Boston's Game 2 victory Monday, had 18 points and eight assists.

The Celtics missed 10 of their first 13 shots, hitting just 27 percent in the first quarter to spot Cleveland a 21-point lead. They were never able to recover as the Cavaliers shot 59 percent from the field for the game.

James wore a black sleeve on his right elbow, which became a concern after he shot a free throw lefthanded in the closing minutes of Cleveland's first-round playoff game against Chicago. He was 8-for-10 from the field in the first quarter - most of them mid- to long-range jumpers - and after that, it didn't matter.

"I know I'm going to hear a lot about the elbow, but I'm here to play basketball and give our team a chance to win," he said.

The Celtics had high hopes after taking Game 2 in Cleveland and swiping the home-court advantage from the 61-win Cavaliers. But Cleveland earned it back in Game 3, needing just one quarter to silence the Boston crowd that got no solace when the Red Sox and Bruins also fell behind early.

"We knew how important it was to come out and play aggressive after giving away Game 2," James said.

James scored eight straight points to make it a 10-point lead midway through the first and seven points during an 11-0 run that made it 36-15 with 19 seconds left in the quarter. Cleveland led by 24 points in the second quarter, 30 in the third and never by fewer than 20 in the entire second half.

Suns 110, Spurs 96

Goran Dragic scored 23 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter as visiting Phoenix took a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. - AP