Steve Nash scored 20 points and played with a right eye that was swollen shut as Phoenix completed a 4-0 sweep over San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals with a 107-101 win Sunday night. Nash's right eye needed six stitches after taking an errant elbow from Tim Duncan. Amare Stoudemire led the way with 29 points to help the Suns get past the Spurs in the playoffs for the first time in five attempts. It continued one of the more remarkable stories of the playoffs. Three months after Phoenix was on the brink of trading Stoudemire and calling it a season, the Suns are returning to the West finals for the first time since 2006. Nash, who looked like he needed a boxing cut man more than a basketball physiotherapist, scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help scotch a Spurs rally. “He looked like Ray ‘Boom Boom' Mancini,” Suns forward Grant Hill said. “It forced him to focus because he was shooting out of one eye.” The injury to Nash recalled the 2007 Western Conference semifinals, when Nash's nose was gashed when he collided with San Antonio's Tony Parker in game one. That time the Suns ended up losing the series, but Nash wasn't going to let that happen again. “I've lost to these guys a lot and we had a great opportunity,” Nash said. “You don't get many cracks like this. I just wanted to give what I could for my teammates.” Celtics 97, Cavaliers 87: At Boston, Rajon Rondo had 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists as the Celtics beat Cleveland to level their Eastern Conference semifinals series at two games apiece. Rondo had a playoff career high in rebounds and matched his best scoring night in his fourth postseason triple-double. He played 47 minutes with some of his bigger-name teammates in foul trouble. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett scored 18 apiece for the Celtics, who rebounded from the worst home playoff loss in franchise history and ensured they'll get at least one more game at home. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Cleveland before the series returns to Boston Thursday night. LeBron James scored 22 points - only one more than he had in the first quarter of Game 3 - and seemed frustrated during a seven-turnover performance. Shaquille O'Neal added 17 points, his high for this postseason, but was on the bench when the Celtics blew by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter.
