HOUSTON — Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points apiece to help the San Antonio Spurs, now without Tony Parker, beat the Houston Rockets 103-92 on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
Aldridge had managed just 19 points combined in the first two games, but stepped up in the wake of Parker's season-ending leg injury, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs pull away.
Game 4 is Sunday night in Houston.
James Harden led the Rockets with 43 points after scoring just 13 in Game 2. But he had just five assists and complained about the officiating all night long.
The Spurs were playing in the postseason without Parker for the first time since 2001, ending an NBA record of 221 straight playoff appearances for the Frenchman. The 34-year-old was injured in the fourth quarter of Game 2.
Cavs 115, Raptors 94
TORONTO — LeBron James scored 35 points, Kevin Love had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Toronto Raptors and take a 3-0 lead in their second-round playoff series.
DeMar DeRozan scored 37 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 19 for the Raptors, who were without three-time All-Star Kyle Lowry. They trailed by only two after three quarters before the Cavaliers quickly blew open the game.
Game 4 is Sunday in Toronto.
The Cavaliers are the only team since the Minneapolis Lakers in 1949 and 1950 to win their first seven playoff games in consecutive seasons.
Hawks shake up front office
The Atlanta Hawks' next general manager will have total authority of personnel decisions following moves on Friday which dismantled the two-tier management team of Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox.
Budenholzer resigned as the Hawks' president of basketball operations and will remain as coach, and Wilcox resigned as general manager and "will become an adviser to ownership."
Budenholzer will remain involved in personnel decisions, but principal owner Tony Ressler stressed the new general manager will be in charge.
Warriors' Kerr sees specialist
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr did not travel to Salt Lake City in advance of today's Game 3 against the Utah Jazz and instead saw a specialist at Duke University on Friday as he remains away from the bench due to back pain.