Celtics cruise by LeBron-less Cavs

BOSTON — 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.

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 night, 91-82 at Toronto.

Ray Allen had 20 points for Boston, an NBA best 14-2. 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 San Antonio beat Portland after losing Tim Duncan in the second quarter with an injured knee and ankle. 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 to the game. The team said all of Duncan's ligaments appeared stable, but that he would undergo an MRI exam Monday.

SUNS 115, KNICKS 104: At New York, Grant Hill scored a season-high 28 points for Phoenix, nine during a fourth-quarter flurry that broke open a close game. Amare Stoudemire added 28 points and 12 rebounds to help the Suns win for the 10th time in 12 games. Phoenix, opening a five-game road trip, also got 15 points from Shawn Marion, and nine points and 15 assists from Steve Nash. 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 for Indiana. Chris Kaman had 22 points and 22 rebounds for the Clippers, 2-9 since a win at Indiana on Nov. 7 that capped their 4-0 start. The Clippers' injury woes grew a bit worse when No. 1 draft pick Al Thornton sprained his left ankle and left the game with 1:22 to go in the first half.