King James rules in Miami’s playoff opener

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LeBron James scored a game-high 27 points and he also topped all players in rebounds (10) and assists (8) in the Heat’s 110–87 win over the Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.  It was the eighth time that James was the outright leader—that is, no other players even tied with him—in points, rebounds, and assists in the same playoff game.

That’s not only the highest such total in NBA history, but James has recorded more such games than the next three players combined: Larry Bird (3), Michael Jordan (2), and Shaquille O’Neal (2).

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Anthony stars in Knicks’ back-to-back wins

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Carmelo Anthony scored 40 points in the Knicks’ win at Atlanta on Wednesday, one night after he scored 50 points in a victory at Miami.  Anthony became only the second NBA player in the last 25 years to score 40 or more points in road wins played on consecutive days.  Kobe Bryant did it in March 2007.

The only other Knicks player to score 40 or more points on consecutive days—whether at home or on the road, in wins or in losses—was Bernard King, who did it twice in 1984.

 

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Dynamo remain undefeated at BBVA Compass Stadium

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The Houston Dynamo defeated the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-0, on Saturday, to improve their record at BBVA Compass Stadium to 14-0-6 in regular-season MLS matches   The Dynamo became only the third team in a major North American pro sports league  to go undefeated in its first 20 regular-season games at a new home venue.

The first was the Washington Capitols of the Basketball Association of America (predecessor of today’s NBA), who won their first 27 games at Uline Arena in 1946–1947.  The team was coached by Red Auerbach, in his first season in the league.  Uline Arena still stands, having been renamed Washington Coliseum, and is best known as the site of the Beatles’ first concert in the United States. The Capitols didn’t last nearly as long as their arena, folding during the 1950–1951 season.

The second team to go undefeated in its first 20 regular-season games at a home venue was the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, who won their first 22 games at Staples Center (2001–2002).

Honorable mention to the Montreal Canadiens, who posted a 15–0–6 mark in their first 21 road games at the Pacific Coliseum (1970–1979), the original home of the Vancouver Canucks.

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Jerry Buss’s Lakers were the best of the best

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Jerry Buss, who owned the Los Angeles Lakers since 1979, died on Monday at age 80. The Lakers won 10 NBA championships during Buss’ tenure as owner, far more than any other team in any major North American professional sports league. In fact, only four such teams won even half as many titles as the Lakers during that time: the Chicago Bulls (6), New York Yankees (5), San Francisco 49ers (5), and Edmonton Oilers (5).

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A record-setting game for LeBron James

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LeBron James scored 32 points and Dwyane Wade 30, and each shot 12-of-18 from the floor, in the Heat’s 107-97 victory over the Lakers. It marked the fifth consecutive game in which James had scored 30-or-more points while making at least 60 percent of his field-goal attempts, tying the longest such streaks in NBA history, those produced by Adrian Dantley with the Jazz in 1979 and by Moses Malone with the Rockets in 1982. (Utah won only one of the five games in Dantley’s streak, while Houston won all five of the games during Malone’s run, just as Miami has won all five games during LeBron’s streak.)

Through his first three field-goal attempts on Sunday, James had connected on 40 of his last 50 field-goal attempts, the first time in his NBA career that he has had such a stretch. (LeBron then celebrated by hitting each of his next two shots.)

James and Wade became just the fourth pair of teammates each to score 30-plus points and shoot at least 65 percent from the floor in the same game against the Lakers. Walt Bellamy and Gus Johnson did it for the Baltimore Bullets in 1964, Alex English and Dan Issel for the Nuggets in 1982, and Mike Miller and Pau Gasol- yes, that Pau Gasol – for the Grizzlies in 2007.

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