EAST

Allegheny 68, Westminster, Pa. 66

Brown 86, Quinnipiac 79, OT

Bucknell 67, La Salle 66

Cabrini 72, Marywood 61

California, Pa. 75, Pitt.-Johnstown 68

SOUTH

Benedict 90, Lane 75

Bethune-Cookman 52, Stetson 51

Coker 70, Newberry 68

Florida 88, Jacksonville 72

MIDWEST

Buena Vista 76, Clarke 67

Carleton 61, St. John’s, Minn. 59

E. Washington 65, UMKC 54

Gustavus 69, Bethel, Minn. 55

Northwestern 88, Arkansas St. 68

SOUTHWEST

Arkansas 70, Missouri St. 51

Baylor 82, MVSU 50

Hardin-Simmons 75, E. Texas Baptist 71

W. Illinois 71, Texas-Pan American 69

The Boston Celtics overcame with a slow start. The Cleveland Cavaliers were not able to overcome the absence of LeBron James. With the National Baseball Association scoring leader missing his 2nd straight match because of a sprained finger, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 80-70 on yesterday. On Thursday, the Celtics crushed the Knicks 104-59. On Tuesday night, Cleveland handed Boston one of their 2 losses of the season, 109-104 in overtime at Cleveland.

Jackson has signed a 2-year extention extension to coach the LA Lakers for about twelve million dollars a season. Phil Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year. On Wednesday, Jackson met with the Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss and said he was going to accept the offer, a raise from the 3-year contract for thirty million dollars he signed in 2005. Phil Jackson has dated Jerry Buss’ daughter Jeanie since September of 1999.

The SuperSonics could not find a way to counter Bryant, who scored thirty-five points in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 106-99 victory. Seattle has now lost eleven of their thirteen games this season, including their last 5 matches. Los Angeles used the SuperSonics’ futility to break their own 3-game losing streak. Odom scored twenty points for the Lakers, while Bynum added twelve points and ten rebounds, and Fisher scored fourteen points and eight assists.

LeBron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers, scored thirty-eight points, including eleven in overtime, and had thirteen assists to lead the team past the Boston Celtics 109-104. Kobe Bryant, from the Los Angeles Lakers, had thirty-five points to help LA beat the Seattle SuperSonics 106-99. Mike Dunleavy, from the Indiana Pacers, scored thirty points to propel the team over the Denver Nuggets 112-110

Lebron James scored forty-five points yesterday, propelling the Cavaliers to a 97-86 victory over the Timberwolves. Lebron James also had 8 rebounds and 5 assists, and Drew Gooden contributed seventeen points and 9 rebounds. The Timberwolves has lost 8 of 9 games this season. Jefferson had thirty points and 8 rebounds for Minnesota. Lebron James has scored at least forty points in twenty National Baseball Association games. He has hit thirty or even more in 5 straight matches against the Timberwolves.

Howard rode the Magic’s surprising success to the National Baseball Association’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. The 6-foot-11, 268-pound franchise center averaged 23.3 points and 13.3 rebounds last week as Orlando compiled 4 consecutive wins. It is already the 2nd time in Dwight Howard’s 3+year National Baseball Association career he’s won this award. Denver’s Allen Iverson won the NBA Western Conference award.

The Celtics won’t go undefeated this year. Howard scored twenty-four points, Lewis had twenty-two, and the Magic sent visiting Boston to its 1st loss of the season, 104-102 yesterday night. Nelson scored eighteen points for Orlando, whose 4th straight victory improved the team’s record to 9-2 under new head coach Van Gundy. At 8-0, Boston was off to the 4th-best start in the history of the franchise. However, it ended after Pierce missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer on the final play of the match.

A big game from Howard yesterday night boosted the Mavericks to a 105-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Josh Howard scored twenty-seven points and helped Dallas go on a 28-11 run to close the 1st period. That gave the Mavericks a 33-18 lead and San Antonio tried without success for the rest of the night to catch up. San Antonio came no closer than ten points during the final 3 periods, in this season’s 1st meeting of the powerful Southwest Division rivals

If the Seattle SuperSonics do not stop their losing streak that has already grew to 8 games after Tuesday’s 103-76 loss to the Orlando Magic, tonight in Miami, then there appears to be no end to their suffering in the nearest future. Seattle’s string of consecutive defeats is tied for 4th longest in team history, it’s the longest in franchise history to start a new season. After trading Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen, their leading scorers in the offseason, the SuperSonics were expected to struggle harder this season.