National Basketball Association Playoff Game Capsules

Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – The anxiety level down in South Beach was high for several minutes after LeBron James clutched his right leg underneath the basket in the third quarter. A hobbled James dispatched any worries shortly thereafter. James had 31 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and the Miami Heat swept the Charlotte Bobcats with a 109-98 win on Monday night to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. At 8:43 of the third quarter, James took a knee to his right thigh from 7-foot center Bismack Biyombo as he attempted to back Biyombo down along the left baseline. After losing the ball out of bounds, James hobbled to the Heat bench during a timeout and received treatment on the thigh. He returned with a vengeance, scoring the first seven points in a 12-4 Heat run that staked them to a seven-point advantage. Miami was never seriously threatened again, earning its second first-round sweep in a row. The Heat moved to 16-2 in first-round series games during the “Big Three” era. James netted 19 points after the injury. Chris Bosh had 17 points and eight rebounds and Dwyane Wade scored 15 for second-seeded Miami, which will face either Toronto or Brooklyn in the next round. That set is tied 2-2 with Game 5 scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto. Biyombo started for Al Jefferson, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, who sat out due to a lingering foot injury. He strained the plantar fascia in his left foot in the first quarter of Game 1 and didn’t participate in Monday’s shootaround. Kemba Walker tallied 29 points, five assists and five rebounds for the Bobcats, who remained the only current NBA franchise without a playoff win.

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