National Basketball Association Playoff Game Capsules
Brooklyn, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Deron Williams had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists and the Nets routed the Toronto Raptors, 97-83, in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. The Nets manhandled the Raptors in the interior over the first 12 minutes, posting a 22-4 points in the paint edge before taking a healthy 15-point advantage into the second. Brooklyn, which outscored Toronto 48-32 in the interior overall, maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game despite the Raptors making a big run in the fourth. After falling to the Chicago Bulls in a Game 7 last year at the Barclays Center, the Nets brought in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in a trade from the Boston Celtics. They ended up with a roster worth over $180 million that features a total of 36 All-Star appearances. But that may all go for naught if the Nets don’t win Game 7 Sunday in Toronto. Joe Johnson posted 17 points, Garnett provided 13 points and five rebounds and Pierce added 12 points and six boards for the sixth-seeded Nets. DeMar DeRozan netted 28 points, while Kyle Lowry, who had 36 points in Game 6, was limited to 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting for Toronto, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2001.
Final Score: Dallas 113, San Antonio 111
Dallas, TX (SportsNetwork.com) – The eighth-seeded Mavericks may not knock off the San Antonio Spurs in their first-round Western Conference series, but they are certainly making the team with the best record in the NBA sweat. Monta Ellis led a fourth-quarter surge and finished with 27 points Friday as Dallas forced a winner-take-all Game 7 in San Antonio with another hard-fought 113-111 victory. Ellis scored 12 of his 29 points in crunch time, but nearly wiped it all away when he threw an ill-advised pass out of bounds with 1.3 seconds remaining to give the Spurs one final look. Patty Mills’ off-balanced shot at the buzzer was well short and came after the clock struck zero, meaning these two longtime postseason mainstays will meet again Sunday with a trip to the second round on the line. Dirk Nowitzki chimed in with 22 points and Dallas’ deep supporting cast came up with big plays down the stretch, notably Shawn Marion and former Spur DeJuan Blair. Tony Parker netted 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Spurs.
Final Score: Portland 99, Houston 98
Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) – It took 14 years, but the Portland Trail Blazers are finally moving forward into the second round of the playoffs. Damian Lillard hit the dramatic 3-point shot as time expired, as Portland beat the Houston Rockets, 99-98, to win their Western Conference quarterfinal series in six games. Chandler Parsons gave Houston the seemingly winning shot, a reverse layup off a scramble under the hoop with 0.9 seconds remaining, but the Rockets couldn’t force a Game 7. Nicolas Batum inbounded the ball to Lillard, whose shot from near the top of the arc over Parsons swished through and set off a wild celebration. The fifth-seeded Blazers won their first postseason set since May 16, 2000 when they beat Utah in five games in the conference semifinals. They had lost seven consecutive series. Next up for Portland will be either the Spurs or Mavericks. That first-round series is headed for a seventh game Sunday in San Antonio. James Harden had 34 points and Dwight Howard totaled 26 points and 11 boards for Houston. Parsons finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Categorized in: NBA