Shaquille O'Neal scored 22 points and had eight rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 94-73 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday to continue their impressive form. LeBron James also finished with 22 points for the Cavaliers, who led 36-18 after the first quarter and never looked back as they ultimately outpaced the Pacers by some distance. "We were aggressive and able to get to the free throw line," said Mike Brown, the coach of the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers .
"Defensively in the fourth quarter, we did a good job flying around and protecting each other. It was a good win." A delighted James added: "On the road you want a quick start. We were great at knocking down our shots and great at getting stops. "Defensively, we were in tune with about everything they were doing on offence. Offensively, we shared the ball." Danny Granger top-scored for the disappointing Pacers with 13.
Elsewhere, Dwyane Wade poured in 22 points as the Miami Heat crushed the Detroit Pistons 92-65, the damage being done in the middle two quarters as they outscored their opponents 45-25. Wade denied the victory had been as comfortable as it looked. "The game is never as easy as it looks in this league," he said. "We knew that Detroit had lost three in a row, so we wanted to jump on them early. I thought we did that - we set the tone."
The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, ended a five-game losing streak by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 111-97, while Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace both scored 30 points as the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Golden State Warriors 121-110. * With agencies
