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Jazz Lose Another

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are making the Western Conference finals look way too easy.

Duncan had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Parker lived up to his pledge of giving the Utah Jazz ``no hope'' by sinking all six of his first-half shots, helping the San Antonio Spurs build a big halftime lead that turned into a 105-96 victory in Game 2 of the series Tuesday night..

Mr. Fundamental

After seeing Utah's Deron Williams open the Western Conference finals with a career-best 34 points, San Antonio point guard Tony Parker vowed never to be so generous to his counterpart again.

Not on defense. At the dinner table.

See, the night before the series began, Parker took Williams out for some fine French dining.

Top East Seeds Meet

When threatened, the Detroit Pistons are at their best.

Too much cockiness usually doesn't work for the Pistons because it lulls them into a false sense of security, leading to 1-on-1 moves and lackluster effort on defense and the glass.

Detroit plays up to its vast potential by sharing the ball, defending with passion and rebounding aggressively.

West Conference Finals

After the drama both on and off the court that the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs faced during the Western Conference semifinals, the teams are looking forward to just playing the game.

And getting reacquainted in the postseason. The teams last met in the playoffs in 1998, when the Jazz eliminated San Antonio on their way to the NBA finals, where they lost to Chicago.

Cavs Send Nets Packing

With LeBron James on the bench, Cleveland might have been looking at a Game 7.

Once he returned, the Cavaliers were headed to the Eastern Conference finals.

James, who had a long stint on the bench with foul trouble, scored 23 points, and the Cavaliers advanced to the conference finals for the first time in 15 years by beating the New Jersey Nets 88-72 on Friday night.