LeBron-less Cavaliers fall to Celtics

The Celtics easily overcame a slow start. The Cavaliers couldn’t overcome the absence of LeBron James.

With the NBA scoring leader missing his second straight game because of a sprained finger, Boston beat Cleveland 80-70 on Sunday at Boston.

On Thursday, Boston crushed the New York Knicks 104-59. But on Tuesday night, the Cavaliers handed the Celtics one of their two losses of the season, 109-104 in overtime at Cleveland. James scored 38 points, 11 of them in overtime, and added 13 assists.

But the next night in a 109-74 loss in Detroit, James sprained his left index finger in the second quarter. Cleveland lost again Friday, 91-82 at Toronto.

Ray Allen had 20 points for Boston. Kevin Garnett had only nine points in 26 minutes, and Paul Pierce scored seven in 30 minutes.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Spurs 100, Trail Blazers 79: At San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 27 points, and the Spurs beat Portland after losing Tim Duncan in the second quarter with knee and ankle injuries.

Brent Barry added 17 points for the Spurs in their third straight victory.

Duncan bruised his right knee and sprained his right ankle in the first half and did not return. The team said all of Duncan’s ligaments appeared stable, but that he would undergo an MRI exam today.

Suns 115, Knicks 104: At New York, Grant Hill scored a season-high 28 points, nine during a fourth-quarter flurry that broke open a close game in a Phoenix victory over the Knicks.

Hill shot 13 of 17 in his highest-scoring game in nearly two years.

Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury scored 21 points apiece for the Knicks, and Zach Randolph had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Pacers 101, Clippers 95: At Los Angeles, Jamaal Tinsley scored 10 of his 29 points in the final four minutes, and Jermaine O’Neal added 20 points and 15 rebounds as Indiana beat the Clippers.

Chris Kaman had 22 points and 22 rebounds for the Clippers.

Pistons 118, Nets 95: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Jason Maxiell had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Richard Hamilton added 19 points as Detroit beat New Jersey.

Vince Carter started and led the Nets with 22.

Nuggets 115, Heat 89: At Denver, Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points and Kenyon Martin added a season-high 20 as the Nuggets defeated Miami.

Allen Iverson also scored 20 points, and Marcus Camby had 21 rebounds for the Nuggets.

Dwyane Wade had 13 points for Miami, while Shaquille O’Neal finished with nine points, eight rebounds and four fouls.

Magic 104, Lakers 97: At Los Angeles, Hedo Turkoglu sparked a pivotal 8-0 run with a 3-pointer that put Orlando ahead to stay and added a layup with 55 seconds left to lead the Magic over the Lakers.

Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points, and Dwight Howard had 17 points and eight rebounds.

•Backup point guard Carlos Arroyo wasn’t with the Magic after returning to Orlando to be with his ill 3-year-old daughter, Gabriella.