Victory in Game 7 brought more than another crown
for LeBron James and the Miami Heat. It validated the team and its
leader, forever cementing their place among the NBA's greats. For the
vanquished San Antonio Spurs, it simply compounded the misery of a
championship that got away. James led the Heat to their second straight
title, scoring 37 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 95-88 victory
Thursday night in a tense game that was tight until Miami pulled away
in the final minute. Capping their best season in franchise history -
and perhaps the three-superstar system they used to build it - the Heat
ran off with the second straight thriller in the NBA's first
championship series to go the distance since 2010. Two nights after his
Game 6 save when the Heat were almost eliminated, James continued his
unparalleled run through the basketball world, with two titles and an
Olympic gold medal in the last 12 months. Read more here. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 19, 2013
Heat rally from brink to set up Game Seven decider
The
Miami Heat forced an already absorbing NBA Finals to a deciding Game
Seven after a thrilling 103-100 overtime victory over the San Antonio
Spurs on Tuesday tied the series at 3-3. Miami trailed by 13 points in
the third quarter but LeBron James, ditching his trademark headband,
turned on the afterburners to spark a Heat fightback. San Antonio were
not about to roll over under the weight of the onslaught, however,
rallying to eke out a five-point lead with 28.2 seconds remaining as
the championship ribbons were being prepared for them courtside. James
cut the deficit with a vital three-pointer and San Antonio's Kawhi
Leonard could only sink one of his two free throws to give Miami a
glimmer of hope as they trailed by just three points in the closing
seconds. Ray Allen then took center stage, finding the basket with his
first successful three-point attempt of the night with five seconds
remaining to send the game into overtime. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 17, 2013
Manu Ginobili sparks Spurs to Game 5 win
Manu
Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed. He went to the
bench, and they chanted his name. The sights and sounds of so many San
Antonio spring nights were back Sunday - and the real party might be
just a few days away. Ginobili broke out of a slump in a big way with
24 points and 10 assists in his first start of the season, and the
Spurs beat the Miami Heat 114-104 to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.
Tony Parker scored 26 points, Tim Duncan had 17 points and 12 rebounds,
and Ginobili had his highest-scoring game of the season as the Spurs
became the first team to shoot 60 percent in a finals game in four
years. ''He's such a huge part of what we do and how far we've come.
You can see it tonight in how we played and the results of the game,''
Duncan said. ''We're always confident in him. ... we know he has it in
him. We hope he can bring it forward for one more win.'' Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 14, 2013
LeBron inspires Heat to series-tying win over Spurs
LeBron
James had a game-high 33 points to inspire the Miami Heat to a 109-93
victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday as the visitors evened
up the best-of-seven NBA Finals series at 2-2. James, who vowed to make
up for his dismal 7-of-21 shooting performance in Miami's Game Three
loss, went 15-for-25 from the field and added 11 rebounds as the Heat
kept their bid for a second consecutive NBA title on track. Miami's
'Big Three' all contributed to a victory that wrestles back home-court
advantage for the Heat, with Dwyane Wayne adding 32 points and Chris
Bosh chipping in with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Tim Duncan scored a
team-high 20 points while Tony Parker shrugged off a mild hamstring
strain suffered in the previous game to score 15 points on 7-of-16
shooting for the Spurs, but the home side were left chasing shadows for
most of the contest. Game Five is in San Antonio on Sunday before the
teams return to Miami for Game Six and a series decider if necessary.
Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 12, 2013
Spurs rout Heat 113-77 in Game 3 of NBA Finals
Danny
Green and Gary Neal aren't NBA royalty like LeBron James. Either
undrafted or unwanted, they were once more likely to be found playing
in summer league or some other country than against the mighty Miami
Heat. On Tuesday, they led the San Antonio Spurs to one of the
best-shooting, biggest blowouts in NBA Finals history. Green made seven
of the Spurs' finals-record 16 3-pointers, Tim Duncan had 12 points and
14 rebounds, and the Spurs clobbered the Heat 113-77 on Tuesday night
to take 2-1 lead in the series. Green scored 27 points and Gary Neal
made six 3-pointers while scoring 24 as San Antonio went 16 of 32 from
behind the arc, rolling to the third-biggest victory in finals history.
''Those guys shot incredibly,'' Duncan said. ''Gave us the breathing
room when we needed it.'' Neal could be even more important going
forward, after starting point guard Tony Parker revealed fresh concerns
about his sore hamstring. He plans to get an MRI on Wednesday. Read
more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 10, 2013
Heat beat Spurs in Game 2 to tie NBA Finals
Mario
Chalmers marched toward midcourt with a message. ''I felt like we had
them on the ropes at the time. I told him, 'Let's go for the kill,'''
Chalmers said. ''He said, 'I'm with you.''' And once LeBron James
joined in, the Miami Heat were back with a blowout in Game 2 of the NBA
Finals. Chalmers led the charge, James broke out to finish it with a
flurry and the Heat used a 33-5 run to rout the San Antonio Spurs
103-84 on Sunday night and even the series at one game apiece. James
missed 10 of 13 shots through three quarters and the Heat trailed by a
point late in the period before unleashing the lethal brand of
basketball that led them to a franchise-record 66 wins this season.
Chalmers finished with 19 points, and James had 17 points, eight
rebounds, seven assists and three blocks - the best on Tiago Splitter's
dunk attempt - while shooting only 7 of 17 from the field. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 7, 2013
Spurs rally to stun Heat in Game 1 of NBA Finals
The
San Antonio Spurs still have that winning NBA Finals formula of good
defense and a little luck on offense. Tim Duncan overcame a slow start
to finish with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Parker banked in a
desperation jumper on a broken play with 5.2 seconds left and the Spurs
withstood LeBron James' triple-double to beat the Miami Heat 92-88 on
Thursday night in a thrilling Game 1. Parker ended up with 21 points
after referees reviewed his shot to make sure it just beat the shot
clock, giving San Antonio a four-point edge in the game that was close
the whole way. ''We got a little bit lucky in Game 1,'' Parker said.
''Sometimes that's what it takes to win games.'' Playing for the
championship for the first time since sweeping James' Cleveland
Cavaliers in 2007 for their fourth title, the Spurs improved to 5-for-5
in Game 1s, hanging around for three quarters and then blowing by the
defending champions midway through the fourth. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 4, 2013
Heat off to Finals, beat Pacers 99-76 in Game 7
Their
season, their legacy, their reign atop the NBA was all at stake, and
the Miami Heat responded in a manner befitting defending champions -
with a blowout. LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed eight
rebounds, ailing Dwyane Wade matched his postseason high with 21
points, and the Heat ran away from the Indiana Pacers 99-76 in Game 7
of the Eastern Conference series on Monday night. In the NBA Finals for
the third straight year, the Heat will play the San Antonio Spurs in
Game 1 on Thursday in Miami. ''They're just an amazing group of guys,''
Heat managing general partner Micky Arison said after handing the East
trophy to Chris Andersen. ''They've given us an incredible season so
far, but it's a long way from over.'' It could have ended on Monday, of
course. The Heat had alternated wins and losses with the Pacers in the
first six games of the series, and were coming off their worst
offensive outing of the year in Game 6. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 2, 2013
Pacers even up series with 91-77 win over Heat
Indiana staggered Miami
with one more big punch Saturday night. Now the Pacers have a fighting
chance to pull off a stunning playoff upset. Roy Hibbert did everything
but pull out the boxing gloves in Game 6, finishing with 24 points and
11 rebounds, and continually contesting Miami's shots to help Indiana
stave off elimination with an emphatic 91-77 victory over the defending
champs. Paul George scored 28 points, had eight rebounds and five
assists, and the Pacers held Miami to 36.1 percent shooting as they
booked a trip back to Miami for Game 7 on Monday night. ''Myself and
David (West), we throw ourselves in the fray, in the paint. We like to
muck it up,'' Hibbert said. ''Paul and myself, we wanted to make sure
we got this for him as well. We didn't want this to be our last game.''
It wasn't. Instead, after winning their first division crown since
2004, the Pacers are one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals for
only the second time in franchise history. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 31, 2013
James scores 30, Heat take Game 5, 90-79
The
game was very much in doubt. A sold-out arena was basically silent. The
chance of getting back to the NBA Finals for a third straight year
could have slipped away. Cue LeBron James. A third quarter for the ages
by the four-time MVP turned the game, and perhaps the entire Eastern
Conference finals, around. James scored 16 of his 30 points in the
quarter, fueling what was a 20-point turnaround at one point, and the
Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 90-79 in Game 5 on Thursday night. The
Heat lead the series 3-2, with a chance to finish it off in Indiana on
Saturday night and move on to a finals matchup with the San Antonio
Spurs. ''That's what I came here for, to be able to compete for a
championship each and every year,'' James said. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 29, 2013
Pacers even series thanks to late surge
Don't
print those Spurs-Heat programs for the NBA Finals just yet. The
Indiana Pacers aren't ready to concede the Eastern Conference title to
Miami. Staging an impressive rally in the final five minutes and the
beneficiary of several key calls down the stretch, the Pacers beat the Heat 99-92
Tuesday to tie the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece. Game
5 is Thursday in Miami. The Western Conference champion San Antonio
Spurs await the East champ in the NBA Finals, which begin June 6. "Just
resiliency," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "We've shown a great deal
of resolve all year. This is the first chance we've faced adversity
this playoff season, and our guys rose to the challenge to start the
game, and then when Miami came and took the lead, they rose to the
challenge again." Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 28, 2013
Spurs advance to Finals, sweep Grizzlies 93-86
Go
ahead and count out the San Antonio Spurs as simply too old to win
another title with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and coach
Gregg Popovich. They're back anyway with the chance they've wanted so
very much the past six years. Parker scored 37 points in his best game
this postseason, and the San Antonio Spurs finished off a sweep Monday
night of the Memphis Grizzlies with a 93-86 win on Monday night for
their fifth Western Conference title. ''It's a great feeling,'' Parker
said as he sat with the Western Conference trophy perched in front of
him. ''Since last year, I promised to him (Duncan) that we will go
back, go back to the Finals and get an opportunity to win the whole
thing and I'm trying to do my best, try to be aggressive every night. I
think everybody on the team, we really want to do it for him. We win
the West and now it's one more step. This is the hardest one.'' Read
more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 27, 2013
Heat break out in Game 3 for 2-1 lead over Pacers
The
Indiana Pacers didn't see this version of Udonis Haslem coming. There
was no reason to. Haslem, a veteran forward who had scored in single
digits in six of his previous seven playoff games, finished with 17
points on 8-for-9 shooting to help the Miami Heat beat the Pacers
114-96 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night. The
Heat took a 2-1 lead in the series and regained homecourt advantage
with Game 4 set for Tuesday night in Indianapolis. Haslem went a quiet
1-for-7 from the floor in the first two games of the series, but he
looked for his shot early and often in Game 3. His mid-range jumpers
constantly left 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert out of position. Hibbert
had been playing slightly loose defense on Haslem and Chris Bosh to
help protect the rim and the lane against LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Hibbert said Haslem's effectiveness forced him to change his approach.
Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 26, 2013
Spurs take 3-0 lead, beat Grizzlies 104-93 in OT
Tim
Duncan is doing his very best to get the San Antonio Spurs back to the
NBA Finals one more time. The 37-year-old center took control in
overtime for a second straight game, this time scoring the first five
points as the Spurs rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the
Memphis Grizzlies 104-93 Saturday night. That put them a win away from
their first finals since 2007. ''He was huge for us the other night in
overtime and got it done for us, and he did it again tonight,'' Spurs
coach Gregg Popovich said of the two-time MVP. ''That's why he is
considered as great as he has for the last 17 years. He's been
unbelievable. He feels a responsibility to carry us in those kinds of
times, and he did it again tonight.'' Duncan wants to get back to the
finals after being on the verge last year. He said he was more
aggressive in overtime after being a bit tentative with his shot in
regulation. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 25, 2013
Pacers steal Game 2 away from Heat in Miami, 97-93
David
West was more than a little disappointed when the Indiana Pacers failed
to make a defensive play at the end to win Game 1 of the Eastern
Conference finals. So in Game 2, he made those plays himself. Twice, in
fact. And he victimized the game's best player to make them happen.
LeBron James had two turnovers in the last minute - both when passes
that he called ''careless'' got broken up by West - and the Miami Heat
lost both a game and the home-court edge in the series. Roy Hibbert
scored a postseason career-high 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and
the Pacers beat the Heat 97-93 in Game 2 of the East finals on Friday
night. ''I made two mistakes tonight that hurt our team,'' James said.
''And that hurt more than anything. I let my teammates down. They
expect me to make plays down the stretch and I had the ball with an
opportunity to make a couple plays, and I came up short. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 23, 2013
LeBron saves Heat at buzzer of Game 1
LeBron
James caught the inbounds pass, changed direction and immediately
attacked the rim. There was no one in his way. There was no stopping
him, either. James made a layup as time expired in overtime, capping a
30-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist effort as the Miami Heat found a way to
outlast the Indiana Pacers 103-102 in a wildly back-and-forth Game 1 of
the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday night. There were 18 ties and
17 lead changes, the last two of those coming in the final 2.2 seconds.
''Two teams fought hard,'' James said. ''We were able to make one more
play.'' If this is how this series is going to go, then get ready for a
classic between teams that absolutely wanted to face the other with a
trip to the NBA Finals on the line. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 22, 2013
Spurs blow late lead, beat Grizzlies 93-89 in OT
When
Tony Parker started running low on masterful plays, Tim Duncan was
there to take over and lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-0 lead in the
Western Conference finals. Parker had 15 points and a career
playoff-high 18 assists, Duncan scored San Antonio's first six points
of overtime and the Spurs bounced back after squandering a 13-point
lead in the fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-89 on
Tuesday night. ''I hate that we gave up that big of a lead in that
situation,'' Duncan said. ''But we were resilient enough to go to
overtime and not let it affect us.'' Duncan opened the extra period
with a layup, and then made a tiebreaking putback on Parker's missed
jumper. He then made a runner that bounced high of the back iron and
rattled in for a 91-87 lead with 1:08 to play. Read more here.
Clippers won't offer Del Negro new deal as coach
Vinny
Del Negro is out as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after a season in
which the team won its first division title but lost in the first round
of the playoffs. The team said Tuesday he won't be offered a contract
when his current one expires at the end of June. He is just the second
coach to leave the team with a winning record, following Larry Brown in
1993. ''This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best
decision for our franchise moving forward,'' said Gary Sacks, vice
president of basketball operations. Del Negro had a 128-102
regular-season record in three years with the team. The Clippers made
the playoffs the last two seasons, including last year when they
advanced to the second round for only the second time since the
franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 19, 2013
Pacers advance to Eastern Conference Finals
The
Indiana Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the
first time since 2004. But it was a battle. The Pacers beat the New
York Knicks 106-99 on Saturday night to win the best-of-seven series
4-2. "I just want to start by congratulating the Knicks on a heck of a
series, especially this Game 6," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They
really gave us all we could handle. They played an excellent, excellent
basketball game and I'm just glad we prevailed." Indiana will face the
Miami Heat in Game 1 on Wednesday. The Pacers were 2-1 against the Heat
in the regular season. The Pacers are moving on because they used a
balanced attack to beat the Knicks. Swingman Lance Stephenson scored 25
points. Paul George and Roy Hibbert added 23 and 21 points,
respectively. Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 39
points. "It's tough," Anthony said. "We all know what the goal was.
Everybody wanted to go to the championship. That's the ultimate goal.
Unfortunately, our run has to stop here." Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 16, 2013
Heat rally past Bulls to advance, 94-91
The
tape around Dwyane Wade's right knee was soaked with sweat and
beginning to loosen, so he headed to the locker room to get the joint
re-wrapped during the fourth quarter. Must have been one amazing tape
job. Wade was brilliant down the stretch - and the Miami Heat are
heading back to the Eastern Conference finals as a result. LeBron James
scored 23 points, Wade added 18 and the Heat clawed back from an
11-point second-half deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 94-91 on
Wednesday night and close out their second-round series in five games.
''We gave it everything we had,'' James said. ''I have no energy
left.'' The Heat outscored Chicago 25-14 in the fourth quarter to
escape and advance. ''I knew it was going to be a tough fourth
quarter,'' Wade said. ''I just wanted to make sure I was good.'' Wade
made all three of his shots in the fourth, scored six points - his most
in a final period since March 27, when Miami's 27-game winning streak
ended at Chicago - and helped ice the victory with a dazzling 45-second
blitz in the final moments. Read more here.
Grizzlies edge Thunder 88-84, reach 1st West final
With
their trademark grit-and-grind mentality, the Memphis Grizzlies are
making history for a franchise with little prior postseason success.
Zach Randolph had 28 points and 14 rebounds, Mike Conley added 13
points and 11 assists and the fifth-seeded Grizzlies advanced to the
Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history by
beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 88-84 on Wednesday night. ''This is
the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I'm happy, but we've
still got work to do,'' Randolph said. ''I want to win a ring.'' The
Grizzlies, who got swept out of the playoffs in their first three trips
and had won just one postseason series before this season, have already
made it farther than ever before but still aren't satisfied. ''We're
trying to do something really special. We want to go as far as we can
go,'' coach Lionel Hollins said. ''To get there, we had to get through
Oklahoma City. And now, we have to get through either Golden State or
San Antonio to get further.'' Read more here.
The
Miami Heat forced an already absorbing NBA Finals to a deciding Game
Seven after a thrilling 103-100 overtime victory over the San Antonio
Spurs on Tuesday tied the series at 3-3. Miami trailed by 13 points in
the third quarter but LeBron James, ditching his trademark headband,
turned on the afterburners to spark a Heat fightback. San Antonio were
not about to roll over under the weight of the onslaught, however,
rallying to eke out a five-point lead with 28.2 seconds remaining as
the championship ribbons were being prepared for them courtside. James
cut the deficit with a vital three-pointer and San Antonio's Kawhi
Leonard could only sink one of his two free throws to give Miami a
glimmer of hope as they trailed by just three points in the closing
seconds. Ray Allen then took center stage, finding the basket with his
first successful three-point attempt of the night with five seconds
remaining to send the game into overtime. Read more 
Manu
Ginobili ran onto the floor as fans stood and screamed. He went to the
bench, and they chanted his name. The sights and sounds of so many San
Antonio spring nights were back Sunday - and the real party might be
just a few days away. Ginobili broke out of a slump in a big way with
24 points and 10 assists in his first start of the season, and the
Danny
Green and Gary Neal aren't NBA royalty like LeBron James. Either
undrafted or unwanted, they were once more likely to be found playing
in summer league or some other country than against the mighty Miami
Heat. On Tuesday, they led the San Antonio Spurs to one of the
best-shooting, biggest blowouts in NBA Finals history. Green made seven
of the Spurs' finals-record 16 3-pointers, Tim Duncan had 12 points and
14 rebounds, and the 
Mario
Chalmers marched toward midcourt with a message. ''I felt like we had
them on the ropes at the time. I told him, 'Let's go for the kill,'''
Chalmers said. ''He said, 'I'm with you.''' And once LeBron James
joined in, the Miami Heat were back with a blowout in Game 2 of the NBA
Finals. Chalmers led the charge, James broke out to finish it with a
flurry and the Heat used a 33-5 run to rout the San Antonio Spurs
103-84 on Sunday night and even the series at one game apiece. James
missed 10 of 13 shots through three quarters and the Heat trailed by a
point late in the period before unleashing the lethal brand of
basketball that led them to a franchise-record 66 wins this season.
Chalmers finished with 19 points, and James had 17 points, eight
rebounds, seven assists and three blocks - the best on Tiago Splitter's
dunk attempt - while shooting only 7 of 17 from the field. Read more 
The
San Antonio Spurs still have that winning NBA Finals formula of good
defense and a little luck on offense. Tim Duncan overcame a slow start
to finish with 20 points and 14 rebounds, Tony Parker banked in a
desperation jumper on a broken play with 5.2 seconds left and the Spurs
withstood LeBron James' triple-double to beat the Miami Heat 92-88 on
Thursday night in a thrilling Game 1. Parker ended up with 21 points
after referees reviewed his shot to make sure it just beat the shot
clock, giving San Antonio a four-point edge in the game that was close
the whole way. ''We got a little bit lucky in Game 1,'' Parker said.
''Sometimes that's what it takes to win games.'' Playing for the
championship for the first time since sweeping James' Cleveland
Cavaliers in 2007 for their fourth title, the Spurs improved to 5-for-5
in Game 1s, hanging around for three quarters and then blowing by the
defending champions midway through the fourth. Read more 
Don't
print those Spurs-Heat programs for the NBA Finals just yet. The
Indiana Pacers aren't ready to concede the Eastern Conference title to
Miami. Staging an impressive rally in the final five minutes and the
beneficiary of several key calls down the stretch, the 
Tim
Duncan is doing his very best to get the San Antonio Spurs back to the
NBA Finals one more time. The 37-year-old center took control in
overtime for a second straight game, this time scoring the first five
points as the Spurs rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the
Memphis Grizzlies 104-93 Saturday night. That put them a win away from
their first finals since 2007. ''He was huge for us the other night in
overtime and got it done for us, and he did it again tonight,'' Spurs
coach Gregg Popovich said of the two-time MVP. ''That's why he is
considered as great as he has for the last 17 years. He's been
unbelievable. He feels a responsibility to carry us in those kinds of
times, and he did it again tonight.'' Duncan wants to get back to the
finals after being on the verge last year. He said he was more
aggressive in overtime after being a bit tentative with his shot in
regulation. Read more 
Vinny
Del Negro is out as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after a season in
which the team won its first division title but lost in the first round
of the playoffs. The team said Tuesday he won't be offered a contract
when his current one expires at the end of June. He is just the second
coach to leave the team with a winning record, following Larry Brown in
1993. ''This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best
decision for our franchise moving forward,'' said Gary Sacks, vice
president of basketball operations. Del Negro had a 128-102
regular-season record in three years with the team. The Clippers made
the playoffs the last two seasons, including last year when they
advanced to the second round for only the second time since the
franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984. Read more 
The
Indiana Pacers are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the
first time since 2004. But it was a battle. The Pacers beat the New
York Knicks 106-99 on Saturday night to win the best-of-seven series
4-2. "I just want to start by congratulating the Knicks on a heck of a
series, especially this Game 6," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They
really gave us all we could handle. They played an excellent, excellent
basketball game and I'm just glad we prevailed." Indiana will face the
Miami Heat in Game 1 on Wednesday. The Pacers were 2-1 against the Heat
in the regular season. The Pacers are moving on because they used a
balanced attack to beat the Knicks. Swingman Lance Stephenson scored 25
points. Paul George and Roy Hibbert added 23 and 21 points,
respectively. Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 39
points. "It's tough," Anthony said. "We all know what the goal was.
Everybody wanted to go to the championship. That's the ultimate goal.
Unfortunately, our run has to stop here." Read more 
The
tape around Dwyane Wade's right knee was soaked with sweat and
beginning to loosen, so he headed to the locker room to get the joint
re-wrapped during the fourth quarter. Must have been one amazing tape
job. Wade was brilliant down the stretch - and the Miami Heat are
heading back to the Eastern Conference finals as a result. LeBron James
scored 23 points, Wade added 18 and the Heat clawed back from an
11-point second-half deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 94-91 on
Wednesday night and close out their second-round series in five games.
''We gave it everything we had,'' James said. ''I have no energy
left.'' The Heat outscored Chicago 25-14 in the fourth quarter to
escape and advance. ''I knew it was going to be a tough fourth
quarter,'' Wade said. ''I just wanted to make sure I was good.'' Wade
made all three of his shots in the fourth, scored six points - his most
in a final period since March 27, when Miami's 27-game winning streak
ended at Chicago - and helped ice the victory with a dazzling 45-second
blitz in the final moments. Read more 
With
their trademark grit-and-grind mentality, the Memphis Grizzlies are
making history for a franchise with little prior postseason success.
Zach Randolph had 28 points and 14 rebounds, Mike Conley added 13
points and 11 assists and the fifth-seeded Grizzlies advanced to the
Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history by
beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 88-84 on Wednesday night. ''This is
the first time, so it definitely means a lot. I'm happy, but we've
still got work to do,'' Randolph said. ''I want to win a ring.'' The
Grizzlies, who got swept out of the playoffs in their first three trips
and had won just one postseason series before this season, have already
made it farther than ever before but still aren't satisfied. ''We're
trying to do something really special. We want to go as far as we can
go,'' coach Lionel Hollins said. ''To get there, we had to get through
Oklahoma City. And now, we have to get through either Golden State or
San Antonio to get further.'' Read more 
