Back spasms force James to miss Celtics game

Miami Heat star LeBron James sat out Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics because of back spasms, just the third match this season that the four-time NBA most valuable player has missed. Avery Bradley scored 23 points as the Celtics took a 101-96 victory over the Heat, who were playing the second of back-to-back road games. James had been on form Tuesday, scoring 25 of his 43 points in the opening quarter as Miami beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 100-96. The 29-year-old tallied 16 points before missing a shot and drained his first four shots from beyond the arc. He was 10-of-11 from the floor and knocked down five of his six tries from three-point range in the first quarter. James missed a December 28 victory over the Blazers with a groin problem and a February 23 victory over the Bulls with a broken nose. Source: AFP