Kobe Bryant scored 34 points and Los Angeles held off a furious rally by the Utah Jazz for a 108-105 victory Friday night, putting the Lakers in the Western Conference finals for the first time in four years.

LeBron James scored 32 points - 19 in the second half - and the Cleveland Cavaliers forced a decisive and fitting finale to this home-sweet-home playoff series with a 74-69 win Friday night over the Boston Celtics.

Go Around the Association for a recap of Friday's playoff action.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday that centre Rasho Nesterovic has exercised the player option on his contract for the 2008-09 season. Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

DAILY HERALD reporter Mike McGraw writes that Chicago Bulls GM John Paxson has plans to interview Jazz assistant Tyrone Corbin and Lakers assistant Brian Shaw for the team's head coaching position.

Pacers coach Jim O'Brien has accepted an invitation to serve as Honorary Chair of the 2008 Special Olympics Indiana Summer Games.

The Phoenix Suns will interview Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner as a replacement for former head coach Mike D'Antoni.

Follow the action of the Celtics' Game 6 clash with the Cavs at The Q as NBA.com's Ben Couch blogs throughout the second-round matchup.

For the first time in more than a year, Dwyane Wade feels no pain in his surgically repaired left knee.

So the NBA says it wants to 'protect players from themselves' by implementing the age-limit rule? After the O.J. Mayo saga, Gary Parrish wants to know who is it saving now?

OK, we're going to Game 7, but can the Cavs take pride in their 74-69 win over the Celtics? LeBron James can. Mike Freeman is disgusted. A win here could have proved Boston's mettle, but the Celtics clank it up.