James leads Cavaliers past Celtics, Suns take 3-0 lead over Spurs

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Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James (R) celebrates with teammate Mo Williams against the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in Game 3 of their NBA Eastern Conference playoff basketball series in Boston, May 7, 2010

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Xinhua) — LeBron James scored 38 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 124-95 rout of Boston Celtics Friday in the third game of the best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.

Cleveland is taking a 2-1 lead and Game 4 is on Sunday.

Showing no ill-effects of an elbow problem, James scored 21 points in the first quarter, which was a franchise postseason record and his feat was doubled by eight rebounds and seven assists.

Antawn Jamison had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Cleveland, while Shaquille O'Neal added 12 points and nine rebounds.

Rajon Rondo, who had 19 assists in Boston's Game 2 victory on Monday, had 18 points and eight assists.

The Celtics missed 10 of their first 13 shots, hitting just 27 percent in the first quarter to spot Cleveland a 21-point lead.

They were never able to recover as the Cavaliers shot 59 percent from the field for the game.

In San Antonio, Phoenix Suns grabbed a 3-0 series lead after overcoming Spurs 110-96 in the Western Conference semifinals, putting the Spurs.

Goran Dragic scored 23 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help Phoenix to this historically irreparable lead as there is no team that has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series, Dragic hit nine of 11 shots in the fourth, including all four of his 3-point attempts.

Game 4 is Sunday in San Antonio.

Jason Richardson had 21 points and Grant Hill added 18 for the Suns.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 27 points while Tony Parker had just 10 points on 5-of-17 shooting in his return to the starting lineup.