NBA | Cavs top Pistons to reach finals

CLEVELAND - Crown them one and all, the kid called King and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For the first time, they're Eastern Conference champions - and on their way to the NBA Finals.

Lugging an entire region's hopes with him on every trip to the basket, LeBron James had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and unflappable rookie Daniel Gibson added 31 points - 19 in the fourth quarter - to give the Cavaliers a 98-82 victory in Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons.

"Boobie is a guy with a lot of poise and a lot of heart," Cavs coach Mike Brown said of Gibson during the trophy presentation.

"He's a scorer and a shooter. You leave him alone you better watch out, because it's Boobie for three."

Cleveland, a city that hasn't celebrated a world championship since 1964, has the next closest thing. And now the Cavs, who won just 17 games the year before James arrived from just down the Interstate in Akron, will meet the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the finals on Thursday night.

James, who scored 48 points in Cleveland's double-overtime win in Game 5, didn't have to carry the Cavs by himself.

Gibson gave him all the help he needed.

The slender second-round pick from Texas made three three-pointers in the first 2 minutes, 16 seconds of the fourth and drilled another long-range jumper with 6:52 left, setting off a celebration in Quicken Loans Arena.

The season couldn't have ended worse for the top-seeded Pistons, making their fifth straight appearance in the conference finals.

Rasheed Wallace fouled out and then got thrown out after being slapped with two technicals by referee Eddie Rush with 7:44 to play. Rip Hamilton, too, fouled out after scoring 29 points.

The loss could signal an end of an era for the Pistons, with Chauncey Billups (9 points) and Chris Webber (13) both bound for free agency.

"This is the best thing that ever happened to me, man," James said, addressing the 20,562 delirious fans. "But look here, look here. It doesn't stop."