Pierce scored 19 points, Kevin Garnett added 13 with 12 rebounds, and Allen broke out of a seven-quarter scoring drought with 16 points to help the Boston Celtics beat the Cavaliers, 89-73, last night and take a two-games-to-none lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

One game after going 2 for 18 from the field and missing his last six shots, including a layup to tie the game with 8.5 seconds left, James missed his first three tries and finished with 21 points on 6-for-24 shooting.

This time, it was contagious: The Cavaliers shot 35.6 percent in the game, hitting just 11.8 percent in the second quarter as Boston turned an eight-point deficit into a nine-point lead.

Spurs 110, Hornets 99

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili scored 31 points each as San Antonio won Game 3 of its Western Conference semifinal series with New Orleans, which now has a 2-1 lead.

Wednesday's late game

Bryant received his first MVP trophy from commissioner David Stern in a brief ceremony before the game.

The 29-year-old Bryant was a runaway winner, receiving 82 first-place votes and 1,100 points to far outdistance New Orleans' Chris Paul in the voting of 126 media members.

The Lakers made their first six shots, and after falling behind by 13-12, Bryant scored six points during a 13-0 run that put them ahead for good.

A unanimous pick. Bryant added another honor yesterday to go with his MVP award, becoming the only unanimous selection to the all-NBA team.

The Lakers star was voted to the first team for the third straight season and the sixth time in his career.

Joining Bryant on the first team were the Hornets' Paul, who was three votes shy of being a unanimous pick, along with Boston's Garnett, Cleveland's James and Orlando's Dwight Howard.

Voting was done by a panel of 127 sportswriters and broadcasters, with points being awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

Billups still sore. Chauncey Billups said he was still sore, a night after he was forced to leave the Pistons' loss to the Magic in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals because of a strained right hamstring.

The all-star guard said he wasn't sure if he would be ready to play in Game 4 tomorrow at Orlando. The Magic's victory cut Detroit's lead to 2-1.

Billups spent almost all of Wednesday night in the trainer's room. He was there yesterday, when the rest of the Pistons took the court to practice, and he will be there most of today, too.

Arnie Kander, Detroit's strength and conditioning coach, said the goal was to work on Billups "pretty much around the clock [to] get him ready for Saturday."

He won't attend. Jazz owner Larry Miller said he would not attend Game 4 with the Lakers because it is being played on a Sunday. Miller, a member of the Mormon church, won't attend because of religious reasons. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints encourages members to avoid nonreligious activities on Sundays.

Vandeweghe promoted. Kiki Vandeweghe became the New Jersey Nets' general manager, less than six months after being hired as a special assistant to team president Rod Thorn.

The general manager's job is the second for Vandeweghe. He held the same position with the Denver Nuggets from August 2001 until the end of the 2005-06 season.

Neither Vandeweghe nor the Nets disclosed terms of his new contract.