NBA Today - May 15
Tue, May 15, 2007
By Associated Press
Golden State at Utah (10:30 p.m. EDT). The Jazz can advance to the conference finals for the first time since 1998 with a victory in Game 5.
STARS
Monday
-LeBron James, Cavaliers, had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, leading Cleveland to an 87-85 victory over New Jersey.
-Steve Nash, Suns, had 24 points and 15 assists in Phoenix''s 104-98 win against San Antonio.
ONE WIN AWAY
The Cavaliers moved within one victory from their first conference finals appearance in 15 years by beating the New Jersey Nets 87-85 in Game 4 on Monday night. Cleveland made the last of its two conference finals appearances in 1992. The Cavs fell one win short last year, dropping the final two games to Detroit in the Eastern semifinals.
BOILING POINT
The tension that has been building between Phoenix and San Antonio throughout the Western Conference semifinals, nearly boiled over with 18 seconds to play in the Suns'' 104-98 win Monday night. San Antonio''s Robert Horry hit Steve Nash with a forearm that knocked him into the scorers'' table and had players from both teams rushing to the scene. Phoenix''s Raja Bell tried to get at Horry, as did Nash after he jumped to his feet. Horry was given a flagrant foul and was ejected. Bell was given a technical foul.
MAN OF THE YEAR
Bryan Colangelo, the Toronto Raptors'' president and general manager, was chosen as the NBA''s Executive of the Year for the second time Monday. He also won the award with Phoenix in 2004-05. Colangelo, who spent 15 years with Phoenix before moving to Toronto, received 20 votes to nine for Houston Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson, who finished second in the voting of 45 league executives.
SPEAKING
''Simply, we stuck with it. We could''ve folded a lot of times. They were playing great and made a lot of shots.'''' - Steve Nash after leading the Suns to a 104-98 victory over the Spurs on Monday night. The Western Conference semifinals is tied 2-2 with game five in Phoenix on Wednesday.