Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the
winningest trio in NBA postseason history, shared hugs. Players wrapped
themselves in flags from around world, a reminder that the San Antonio
Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, as confetti fell
from above. Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Miami Heat, this
victory party was worth the wait. ''It makes last year OK,'' Duncan
said. The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA
championship Sunday night, ending the Heat's two-year title reign with
a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games. ''We had a
great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team,
and that's why they're the champions in 2014,'' said LeBron James, who
led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 13, 2014
Spurs take 3-1 lead with 107-86 victory over Heat
Here
they are again, back on the brink of a championship. It slipped away
from the San Antonio Spurs last year, but it would take something
special - historic, actually - to stop them now. The Miami Heat would
have to make the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. ''They're the
two-time champs, they're a great team, and there is still one more
game,'' Spurs guard Tony Parker said. ''We have to win one more game.''
Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the Spurs routed the
Heat again, winning 107-86 on Thursday night to open a commanding 3-1
lead. The Spurs can win their fifth NBA championship with a victory at
home in Game 5 on Sunday and avenge their seven-game loss to Miami last
year. They have three chances, and the way they're dominating the Heat,
they might need just one. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 11, 2014
Leonard, Spurs roll to 111-92 victory over Heat
Maybe
in a video game. Possibly in the pregame layup line. But shoot this way
in the NBA Finals, against the two-time defending champions? ''It's not
something you can plan for,'' San Antonio reserve Manu Ginobili said.
''There was no magic plays. We just moved the ball and every shot went
in.'' Not quite every shot. But just about. Kawhi Leonard scored a
career-high 29 points, and the Spurs made a finals-record 75.8 percent
of their shots in the first half in a 111-92 victory over the Miami
Heat on Tuesday night that gave them a 2-1 lead. The Spurs made 19 of
their first 21 shots and finished 25 of 33 in the first half, bettering
the 75 percent shooting by Orlando against the Lakers in the 2009
finals. ''It's a hit-or-miss league,'' Miami's Dwyane Wade said. The
Spurs didn't do much missing. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 9, 2014
James carries Heat past Spurs to tie NBA Finals
No
cramps, no problems for LeBron James. And with their superstar making
it to the finish this time, the Miami Heat bounced back from a loss,
just as they always do in the playoffs. ''Obviously, having No. 6 in
the game at the end was a plus for us,'' Dwyane Wade said. James had 35
points and 10 rebounds in a powerful comeback from the cramps that
knocked him out of the opener, as the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a
98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 Sunday night. Chris
Bosh made the go-ahead 3-pointer on a pass from James with 1:18
remaining for the Heat, who have won 13 straight following a loss in
the postseason. Just like last year, they rebounded after losing Game 1
to the Spurs. Bosh had 18 points for the Heat, who are headed home for
Game 3 Tuesday night. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 6, 2014
Spurs handle Heat, win 110-95 in NBA Finals Game 1
''Beat
the Heat!'' had a whole new meaning in a sweltering start to the NBA
Finals. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and
it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldn't make it to the
finish. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat
the Heat 110-95 on Thursday night in Game 1 at steamy AT&T Center.
With an air conditioning failure making it feel like a sauna and
causing James to battle cramps that knocked him out of the decisive
stretch, the Spurs pulled away to win the opener of the first finals
rematch since 1998. ''After I came out of the game, they kind of took
off,'' James said. ''And it was frustrating sitting out and not be able
to help our team.'' Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 11 assists, Tony
Parker added 19 points and eight assists and the Spurs - 6 for 6 in NBA
Finals Game 1s - shot 59 percent. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
June 1, 2014
Spurs beat Thunder in OT, advance to NBA Finals
San
Antonio fought off Father Time, the league MVP and an injury to its
best player to return to the NBA Finals. The Spurs beat the Oklahoma
City Thunder 112-107 in overtime Saturday night in Game 6 of the
Western Conference finals to set up a rematch with the Miami Heat. San
Antonio will host Game 1 on Thursday night and will try to avenge last
year's heartbreaking loss. San Antonio led Miami 3-2 before losing Game
6 in overtime, then dropping Game 7. ''People keep talking like we
weren't close to winning, but we were ready to win last year,'' Spurs
center Tim Duncan said. ''We're happy it's the Heat again. We've got
that bad taste in our mouths still.'' A trio of 30-somethings led the
way for the Spurs. Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Boris Diaw
scored 26 points and Manu Ginobili chipped in 15 points and six
rebounds for the Spurs. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 31, 2014
Heat return to NBA Finals, top Pacers 117-92
For
the entirety of the regular season, the supremacy of the Miami Heat in
the Eastern Conference was brought into serious question by the Indiana
Pacers. Then came the playoffs. And the question was answered -
emphatically. The Heat became the third franchise in NBA history to
reach the title series in four consecutive seasons, a laugher of a
conference-title finale getting them there again Friday night. LeBron
James and Chris Bosh each scored 25 points, and Miami eliminated the
Pacers for the third straight year with a 117-92 romp in Game 6 of the
East championship series. ''I'm blessed. Very blessed. Very humbled,''
James said. ''And we won't take this opportunity for granted. It's an
unbelievable franchise, it's an unbelievable group. And we know we
still have work to do, but we won't take this for granted. We're going
to four straight Finals and we will never take this for granted.'' Read
more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 30, 2014
Spurs rout Thunder to take 3-2 lead in West finals
Back
at home, this blowout went to the San Antonio Spurs. Now they can
clinch their return to the NBA Finals on the road, where they are the
ones taking the beatings in these wacky Western Conference finals.
''This is the craziest series I've ever been involved in,'' veteran Tim
Duncan said. The Spurs took a 3-2 lead in it Thursday night after
Duncan had 22 points and 12 rebounds in a 117-89 victory over the
Oklahoma City Thunder. The Jekyll-and-Hyde series continued between the
past two Western Conference champions, as the road team has been
thumped in every game of the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Saturday
in Oklahoma City. ''I have no clue, honestly,'' Spurs coach Gregg
Popovich said of the disparity. ''I think every game, it's a different
animal. It really is. We talk to our team about that all the time. You
have no clue what's going to happen, how a team is going to come out,
whether they're going to be lethargic or hold the ball, get 50/50 balls
or don't get 50/50 balls.'' Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 29, 2014
Pacers stay alive with 93-90 Game 5 win over Heat
Paul
George went into desperation mode to salvage the Pacers' season. It was
barely good enough. The 24-year-old All-Star scored 21 of his 37 points
in the fourth quarter and inspired Indiana to fend off Miami's late
challenges as the Pacers staved off playoff elimination with a 93-90
Game 5 victory on Wednesday night. ''My message to the whole team was
the light needs to be on green for all of us,'' coach Frank Vogel said.
''You need to go, you need to attack, you need to be aggressive. Paul
took it and ran with it and took it to a crazy level.'' The most
crucial shooting performance of George's career allowed the Pacers to
climb within 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals and postponed Miami's
fourth straight coronation as conference champs. Game 6 is Friday in
Miami. It took everything in George's repertoire to get it done. He was
12 of 19 from the field in the second half, finished with six rebounds,
six steals, five 3-pointers and only three turnovers in 45 minutes.
Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 28, 2014
Westbrook scores 40, Thunder tie series at 2-2
While
accepting the award for himself, Kevin Durant called Russell Westbrook
an MVP-caliber player. And on Tuesday, Westbrook delivered a
championship-caliber effort that got the Oklahoma City Thunder back to
even in the Western Conference finals. He had 40 points, 10 assists and
five steals in a 105-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs 105-92 that
tied the series at two games apiece. ''Coach told us he needed maximum
effort from us tonight, and it starts with me at point guard,''
Westbrook said. ''My job is to play both sides of the ball. If you want
to win a championship, those are things you have to do.'' It matched
the second-highest playoff point total of Westbrook's career, falling
short of the 43 he scored in the 2012 NBA Finals. ''Just his focus on
every possession on the defensive end and his poise on the offensive
end, I think that's what's fun to watch,'' Durant said. ''People
outside of our team don't really look at that type of stuff, but that's
something we can definitely build on as a group, is watching him wreak
havoc on the defensive end and offensively, playing with such
patience.'' Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 15, 2014
Spurs
beat Blazers, back in West finals
The veteran San Antonio Spurs
showed Portland a few things about succeeding in the playoffs. The
biggest lesson was how not to panic when an All-Star goes down. Danny
Green and Kawhi Leonard each scored 22 points, and San Antonio overcame
an injury to Tony Parker to close out the Western Conference semifinals
with a 104-82 victory on Wednesday night. Patty Mills scored 18 points
and Tim Duncan had 16 points and eight rebounds for San Antonio, which
had four blowout victories in the five-game series. It's the third
straight conference finals appearance for San Antonio, which lost a
heartbreaking seven-game series to the Miami Heat in last season's NBA
Finals. San Antonio, which had the NBA's best record, will await the
winner of the series between Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles
Clippers. The Thunder have a 3-2 lead. Read more here.
Heat
rally past Nets to East finals, 96-94
LeBron James leaped onto a
courtside table as the postgame celebration was starting, thumped his
chest and punched the air. Next stop: The Eastern Conference finals.
Again. James scored 29 points, Dwyane Wade added 28 and Ray Allen
delivered two huge plays in the final seconds as the Heat rallied to
beat the Brooklyn Nets 96-94 on Wednesday night, winning the
second-round matchup 4-1. ''It's always been like that for us,'' James
said. ''It's never easy. It's never easy for us.'' Sure looks easy,
though. It was the 10th straight series win for the two-time defending
NBA champions. ''When we met the first day for prep we said the No. 1
key, overwhelmingly the No. 1 key in this series, was great mental
stability,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''That's what it was down
the stretch ... incredible focus.'' Incredible defense, too, when it
was needed most. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 14, 2014
Thunder
rally in final minute to stun Clippers
Russell
Westbrook finished off Oklahoma City's stunning comeback. Clippers
coach Doc Rivers believes he should never have had the chance.
Westbrook scored 38 points and made three free throws with 6.4 seconds
remaining, and the Thunder overcame a seven-point deficit in the final
50 seconds to beat Los Angeles 105-104 on Tuesday night and go up 3-2
in the Western Conference semifinals. ''I think when you get a win like
this it brings everybody closer,'' Westbrook said. ''It lets you know
you can't mess around. You have to take every moment, every play and go
out and win the game.'' The play that led to Westbrook's free throws is
in dispute. Kevin Durant made a 3-pointer, then Los Angeles' Jamal
Crawford missed in close before Durant made a layup with 17 seconds
left. Westbrook stole the ball, and in a scramble, the Thunder got
possession with 11.3 seconds to play, setting up Westbrook's play. Read
more here.
Wizards stay alive with 102-79 blowout at Indiana
The
Wizards were tired of getting shoved around in the Eastern Conference
semifinals. So on Tuesday night, Marcin Gortat and his teammates pushed
back hard. Gortat delivered the best playoff game of his career, 31
points and 16 rebounds, and John Wall scored a playoff-best 27 points
as Washington routed the Indiana Pacers 102-79 to cut the Eastern
Conference semifinals deficit to 3-2. ''We don't have anything to lose
now,'' Gortat said. ''We play desperate. At the end of the day, we
might lose. We have to play every minute of every game like it's the
last one of the season.'' The Wizards made a stunning turnaround after
losing three straight, two on their home court in incredibly
demoralizing fashion. Washington scored a franchise-low 63 points in
Game 3 and then blew a 19-point, second-half lead in Game 4. Washington
refused to let it happen again this time, earning a trip home for Game
6 on Thursday. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 9, 2014
Spurs
roll to 2-0 lead over Trail Blazers
Portland
coach Terry Stotts is running out of adjectives and analogies to
describe the San Antonio Spurs' dominance in the second quarter. Kawhi
Leonard scored 20 points, Tony Parker had 16 points and 10 assists, and
San Antonio rolled to a 114-97 victory over the Trail Blazers on
Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
After being struck by a ''tidal wave'' during the second quarter of the
opener, Portland took on even more water in Game 2. ''The onslaught at
the beginning of the second quarter was obviously the turning point in
the game,'' Stotts said. Boris Diaw scored six straight points to
ignite a 23-8 run that gave San Antonio a 54-36 lead with 7 minutes
remaining in the first half. The Spurs outscored the Trail Blazers
41-25 in the second quarter, raising their advantage to 77-48 in that
period in winning the first two games of the best-of-seven series
convincingly. Read more here.
Miami tops Nets in Game 2, 94-82
Strange
as it sounds, missing shots worked wonders for the Miami Heat. And
after the Brooklyn Nets went nearly 2 minutes - a basketball eternity -
without the ball down the stretch, the two-time defending NBA champions
would soon find themselves two wins from another trip to the Eastern
Conference finals. LeBron James scored 22 points, Chris Bosh added 18
and the Heat pulled away late to beat the Nets 94-82 on Thursday night,
taking a 2-0 lead in the East semifinals. ''To be able to get some
stops like that at the end, and then execute, it's something that's
critical in this series,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Dwyane Wade
had 14 and Ray Allen scored 13 for the Heat, who tied a franchise
record with their eighth straight playoff victory. They'll go for No. 9
on Saturday night, when the best-of-seven series shifts to Brooklyn for
Game 3. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 8, 2014
Westbrook,
Durant help Thunder beat Clippers
Kevin
Durant stood before his adoring home crowd, proudly holding his MVP
trophy above his head during a pregame ceremony. He spent the next few
hours showing how he earned it. Durant had 32 points, 12 rebounds and
nine assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles
Clippers 112-101 on Wednesday night to tie their Western Conference
semifinal series at one game apiece. ''We wanted to come back and
respond,'' Durant said. ''So, I think that's what fueled the team
tonight. We just went out there and played extremely well and left it
all out there, and came out with a good 'W.''' During his emotional MVP
acceptance speech on Tuesday, Durant called teammate Russell Westbrook
an MVP-caliber player. Westbrook backed up Durant's words with 31
points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double in his
past five playoff games. Read more here.
Hibbert leads Pacers past Wizards, 86-82 in Game 2
Big
Roy came up with a big answer for his critics and his teammates
Wednesday night. He played like an All-Star when the Pacers really
needed it. After 48 hours of questions and criticism, Roy Hibbert
scored a season-high 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two
shots and altered a handful of others to help the Pacers get even in
the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 86-82 victory over
Washington. Hibbert sounded more relieved than redeemed. ''David (West)
always talks to me about being the person that rescues yourself when
you're in the middle of the ocean,'' Hibbert said after Indiana tied
the best-of-seven series at 1-1. ''There's nobody who can throw a
lifesaver or a rope out to help you. So I had to do it myself.'' The
next step is proving he can play this way again Friday when Washington
hosts Game 3. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 4, 2014
Clippers
hold off Warriors 126-121 to win Game 7
The
Los Angeles Clippers persevered through seven exhausting playoff games
over two distressing weeks, and they emerged from all the tumult with
their championship dreams intact. Blake Griffin scored 24 points, Chris
Paul had 22 points and 14 assists, and the Clippers outlasted the
Golden State Warriors 126-121 in Game 7 on Saturday night to win their
thrilling first-round playoff series. Jamal Crawford scored 22 points
for the third-seeded Clippers, who earned the franchise's third playoff
series win in 38 years after overcoming a daunting stretch of
challenges. Less than a week after dumping their team warmup jerseys at
center court in a pregame gesture of defiance against team owner Donald
Sterling, the Clippers celebrated a cathartic win. Jamal Crawford
scored 22 points for the third-seeded Clippers. Read more here.
Thunder beat Grizzlies 120-109 in Game 7
Kevin
Durant got back to playing like he's used to against a Memphis team
that had to change things up at the worst possible time. Durant scored
33 points, Russell Westbrook had a triple-double, and the Oklahoma City
Thunder beat the Grizzlies 120-109 on Saturday night in Game 7 of their
first-round Western Conference playoff series. Durant looked like his
usual self after struggling against Memphis' rugged defense for much of
the series. The regular-season scoring champion made 12 of 18 field
goals and all five of his 3-pointers after struggling from long range
throughout the series. ''I got out of my own way,'' he said. ''I was
thinking too much. I was worrying about what you guys (the media) were
saying. I was worrying about what shots I was going to shoot throughout
a game. I was thinking too much, and the game of basketball is played
off of instincts. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
May 2, 2014
Warriors
outlast Clippers 100-99, force Game 7
After
a first-round series filled with drama on the court and off it, the
Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers will put the focus back
on basketball in the biggest way possible. Stephen Curry scored 24
points and dished out nine assists, and the Warriors forced a
winner-take-all series finale by outlasting the Clippers 100-99
Thursday night. ''We are going to a Game 7 despite all the sideline
music, and I like my chances because I've got a group of guys that want
to do whatever it takes to win,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.
Andre Iguodala added 15 points, and Draymond Green had 14 points and 14
rebounds for the Warriors, handing Los Angeles one more obstacle to
overcome in a week full of them after Clippers owner Donald Sterling
earned a lifetime ban from the NBA for his racist remarks. Read more here.
Thunder force Game 7, beat Grizzlies 104-84
Kevin
Durant insisted the Thunder facing elimination was all the motivation
he needed. Thanks to the NBA's best scorer, the Thunder remain alive
and can finish off the Memphis Grizzlies back in Oklahoma City. Durant
scored 36 points to break out of a slump, and the Thunder routed the
Grizzlies 104-84 on Thursday night to force a deciding seventh game in
the first-round Western Conference series. His performance came on a
day where the hometown newspaper questioned his struggles with a
headline calling him ''Mr. Unreliable.'' ''We needed to win this
game,'' Durant said. ''That's more motivation than anything, so our
team responded. We've got to do an even better job in Game 7.'' Russell
Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who haven't been eliminated
in the first round of the playoffs since 2010. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
April 29, 2014
Ginobili,
Diaw help Spurs get even with Mavs 93-89
Boris
Diaw's big third quarter wasn't enough to hold off a Dallas comeback.
The San Antonio veteran's decisive shot in the final minute was. Diaw
hit a go-ahead 3-pointer for the last of his 17 points, Manu Ginobili
scored 23 and the top-seeded Spurs held on to beat the Mavericks 93-89
in Game 4 on Monday night, pulling even in their first-round playoff
series. 'You've got to give up something,'' said Dirk Nowitzki, who was
running at Diaw as the shot was released. ''That was a tough one.''
Just like Vince Carter's buzzer-beating 3-pointer was for the Spurs two
days earlier, when Dallas went up 2-1 with a one-point win. The
difference was, the Mavericks had a chance to do something about Diaw's
shot after San Antonio went up 90-87 with 32 seconds remaining. Read
more here.
Hawks take series lead with 107-97 win at Indiana
Atlanta's
Mike Scott hit Indiana with the first 3-point barrage Monday night. The
Hawks' defense staggered the Pacers with some late stops. Now Atlanta
is heading home with a chance to deliver the knockout punch to the
Eastern Conference's top seed. Scott scored all 17 of his points during
the Hawks' incredible second-quarter run, and the defense fended off
the Pacers' frantic fourth-quarter charge to hold on for a 107-97
victory and a stunning 3-2 lead in the first-round series. ''We can
play with this team,'' Scott said. ''They're a great team, especially
at home, great players, great coach, but we have a belief in ourselves
as well.'' All the Hawks have to do is protect their home court and
they will reach the second round for the first time since 2011, and
throw the East into disarray after the talk all season was about an
Indiana-Miami rematch in the conference finals. Read more here.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
April 21, 2014
Aldridge
leads Portland over Houston 122-120 in OT
LaMarcus
Aldridge scored a franchise playoff-record 46 points and Damian Lillard
added 31, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, to lift the
Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-120 victory over the Houston Rockets on
Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Aldridge
fouled out with about a minute left in overtime and Lillard, who was
making his playoff debut, took over. He scored the next five points for
Portland and put the Trail Blazers on top by one point with a pair of
free throws with 17 seconds left. Joel Freeland made one of two free
throws seconds later to give the Blazers the win in their first trip to
the postseason since 2011. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Houston.
Aldridge, who was playing in his home state, also had 18 rebounds and
two blocks. Read more here.
James,
Wade lead Heat past Bobcats 99-88 in Game 1
Each of the last two Miami
championship runs has been highlighted by moments where a sharpshooter
enters a game and immediately provides a surprise spark. James Jones
got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the
expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the
Heat off and running in these playoffs. James scored 27 points, Wade
added 23 and the Heat rode two big runs - one late in the first half,
the other down the stretch - to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-88 in
Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Miami trailed
for much of the first half, but rallied and has now topped Charlotte 17
straight times. ''We were flat to start,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
said. ''I think our guys were just anxious.'' Read more here.
Here
they are again, back on the brink of a championship. It slipped away
from the San Antonio Spurs last year, but it would take something
special - historic, actually - to stop them now. The Miami Heat would
have to make the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. ''They're the
two-time champs, they're a great team, and there is still one more
game,'' Spurs guard Tony Parker said. ''We have to win one more game.''
Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and the Spurs routed the
Heat again, winning 107-86 on Thursday night to open a commanding 3-1
lead. The Spurs can win their fifth NBA championship with a victory at
home in Game 5 on Sunday and avenge their seven-game loss to Miami last
year. They have three chances, and the way they're dominating the Heat,
they might need just one. Read more 
No
cramps, no problems for LeBron James. And with their superstar making
it to the finish this time, the Miami Heat bounced back from a loss,
just as they always do in the playoffs. ''Obviously, having No. 6 in
the game at the end was a plus for us,'' Dwyane Wade said. James had 35
points and 10 rebounds in a powerful comeback from the cramps that
knocked him out of the opener, as the Heat tied the NBA Finals with a
98-96 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 Sunday night. Chris
Bosh made the go-ahead 3-pointer on a pass from James with 1:18
remaining for the Heat, who have won 13 straight following a loss in
the postseason. Just like last year, they rebounded after losing Game 1
to the Spurs. Bosh had 18 points for the Heat, who are headed home for
Game 3 Tuesday night. Read more 
''Beat
the Heat!'' had a whole new meaning in a sweltering start to the NBA
Finals. The San Antonio Spurs handled the conditions, and the team, and
it sure helped when a suffering LeBron James couldn't make it to the
finish. Tim Duncan had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and the Spurs beat
the Heat 110-95 on Thursday night in Game 1 at steamy AT&T Center.
With an air conditioning failure making it feel like a sauna and
causing James to battle cramps that knocked him out of the decisive
stretch, the Spurs pulled away to win the opener of the first finals
rematch since 1998. ''After I came out of the game, they kind of took
off,'' James said. ''And it was frustrating sitting out and not be able
to help our team.'' Manu Ginobili had 16 points and 11 assists, Tony
Parker added 19 points and eight assists and the Spurs - 6 for 6 in NBA
Finals Game 1s - shot 59 percent. Read more 
San
Antonio fought off Father Time, the league MVP and an injury to its
best player to return to the NBA Finals. The Spurs beat the Oklahoma
City Thunder 112-107 in overtime Saturday night in Game 6 of the
Western Conference finals to set up a rematch with the Miami Heat. San
Antonio will host Game 1 on Thursday night and will try to avenge last
year's heartbreaking loss. San Antonio led Miami 3-2 before losing Game
6 in overtime, then dropping Game 7. ''People keep talking like we
weren't close to winning, but we were ready to win last year,'' Spurs
center Tim Duncan said. ''We're happy it's the Heat again. We've got
that bad taste in our mouths still.'' A trio of 30-somethings led the
way for the Spurs. Duncan had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Boris Diaw
scored 26 points and Manu Ginobili chipped in 15 points and six
rebounds for the Spurs. Read more 
Paul
George went into desperation mode to salvage the Pacers' season. It was
barely good enough. The 24-year-old All-Star scored 21 of his 37 points
in the fourth quarter and inspired Indiana to fend off Miami's late
challenges as the Pacers staved off playoff elimination with a 93-90
Game 5 victory on Wednesday night. ''My message to the whole team was
the light needs to be on green for all of us,'' coach Frank Vogel said.
''You need to go, you need to attack, you need to be aggressive. Paul
took it and ran with it and took it to a crazy level.'' The most
crucial shooting performance of George's career allowed the Pacers to
climb within 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals and postponed Miami's
fourth straight coronation as conference champs. Game 6 is Friday in
Miami. It took everything in George's repertoire to get it done. He was
12 of 19 from the field in the second half, finished with six rebounds,
six steals, five 3-pointers and only three turnovers in 45 minutes.
Read more 
While
accepting the award for himself, Kevin Durant called Russell Westbrook
an MVP-caliber player. And on Tuesday, Westbrook delivered a
championship-caliber effort that got the Oklahoma City Thunder back to
even in the Western Conference finals. He had 40 points, 10 assists and
five steals in a 105-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs 105-92 that
tied the series at two games apiece. ''Coach told us he needed maximum
effort from us tonight, and it starts with me at point guard,''
Westbrook said. ''My job is to play both sides of the ball. If you want
to win a championship, those are things you have to do.'' It matched
the second-highest playoff point total of Westbrook's career, falling
short of the 43 he scored in the 2012 NBA Finals. ''Just his focus on
every possession on the defensive end and his poise on the offensive
end, I think that's what's fun to watch,'' Durant said. ''People
outside of our team don't really look at that type of stuff, but that's
something we can definitely build on as a group, is watching him wreak
havoc on the defensive end and offensively, playing with such
patience.'' Read more 
The veteran San Antonio Spurs
showed Portland a few things about succeeding in the playoffs. The
biggest lesson was how not to panic when an All-Star goes down. Danny
Green and Kawhi Leonard each scored 22 points, and San Antonio overcame
an injury to Tony Parker to close out the Western Conference semifinals
with a 104-82 victory on Wednesday night. Patty Mills scored 18 points
and Tim Duncan had 16 points and eight rebounds for San Antonio, which
had four blowout victories in the five-game series. It's the third
straight conference finals appearance for San Antonio, which lost a
heartbreaking seven-game series to the Miami Heat in last season's NBA
Finals. San Antonio, which had the NBA's best record, will await the
winner of the series between Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles
Clippers. The Thunder have a 3-2 lead. Read more 
The
Wizards were tired of getting shoved around in the Eastern Conference
semifinals. So on Tuesday night, Marcin Gortat and his teammates pushed
back hard. Gortat delivered the best playoff game of his career, 31
points and 16 rebounds, and John Wall scored a playoff-best 27 points
as Washington routed the Indiana Pacers 102-79 to cut the Eastern
Conference semifinals deficit to 3-2. ''We don't have anything to lose
now,'' Gortat said. ''We play desperate. At the end of the day, we
might lose. We have to play every minute of every game like it's the
last one of the season.'' The Wizards made a stunning turnaround after
losing three straight, two on their home court in incredibly
demoralizing fashion. Washington scored a franchise-low 63 points in
Game 3 and then blew a 19-point, second-half lead in Game 4. Washington
refused to let it happen again this time, earning a trip home for Game
6 on Thursday. Read more 
Kevin
Durant stood before his adoring home crowd, proudly holding his MVP
trophy above his head during a pregame ceremony. He spent the next few
hours showing how he earned it. Durant had 32 points, 12 rebounds and
nine assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles
Clippers 112-101 on Wednesday night to tie their Western Conference
semifinal series at one game apiece. ''We wanted to come back and
respond,'' Durant said. ''So, I think that's what fueled the team
tonight. We just went out there and played extremely well and left it
all out there, and came out with a good 'W.''' During his emotional MVP
acceptance speech on Tuesday, Durant called teammate Russell Westbrook
an MVP-caliber player. Westbrook backed up Durant's words with 31
points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double in his
past five playoff games. Read more 
Big
Roy came up with a big answer for his critics and his teammates
Wednesday night. He played like an All-Star when the Pacers really
needed it. After 48 hours of questions and criticism, Roy Hibbert
scored a season-high 28 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked two
shots and altered a handful of others to help the Pacers get even in
the Eastern Conference semifinals with an 86-82 victory over
Washington. Hibbert sounded more relieved than redeemed. ''David (West)
always talks to me about being the person that rescues yourself when
you're in the middle of the ocean,'' Hibbert said after Indiana tied
the best-of-seven series at 1-1. ''There's nobody who can throw a
lifesaver or a rope out to help you. So I had to do it myself.'' The
next step is proving he can play this way again Friday when Washington
hosts Game 3. Read more 
The
Los Angeles Clippers persevered through seven exhausting playoff games
over two distressing weeks, and they emerged from all the tumult with
their championship dreams intact. Blake Griffin scored 24 points, Chris
Paul had 22 points and 14 assists, and the Clippers outlasted the
Golden State Warriors 126-121 in Game 7 on Saturday night to win their
thrilling first-round playoff series. Jamal Crawford scored 22 points
for the third-seeded Clippers, who earned the franchise's third playoff
series win in 38 years after overcoming a daunting stretch of
challenges. Less than a week after dumping their team warmup jerseys at
center court in a pregame gesture of defiance against team owner Donald
Sterling, the Clippers celebrated a cathartic win. Jamal Crawford
scored 22 points for the third-seeded Clippers. Read more 
After
a first-round series filled with drama on the court and off it, the
Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers will put the focus back
on basketball in the biggest way possible. Stephen Curry scored 24
points and dished out nine assists, and the Warriors forced a
winner-take-all series finale by outlasting the Clippers 100-99
Thursday night. ''We are going to a Game 7 despite all the sideline
music, and I like my chances because I've got a group of guys that want
to do whatever it takes to win,'' Warriors coach Mark Jackson said.
Andre Iguodala added 15 points, and Draymond Green had 14 points and 14
rebounds for the Warriors, handing Los Angeles one more obstacle to
overcome in a week full of them after Clippers owner Donald Sterling
earned a lifetime ban from the NBA for his racist remarks. Read more 
Atlanta's
Mike Scott hit Indiana with the first 3-point barrage Monday night. The
Hawks' defense staggered the Pacers with some late stops. Now Atlanta
is heading home with a chance to deliver the knockout punch to the
Eastern Conference's top seed. Scott scored all 17 of his points during
the Hawks' incredible second-quarter run, and the defense fended off
the Pacers' frantic fourth-quarter charge to hold on for a 107-97
victory and a stunning 3-2 lead in the first-round series. ''We can
play with this team,'' Scott said. ''They're a great team, especially
at home, great players, great coach, but we have a belief in ourselves
as well.'' All the Hawks have to do is protect their home court and
they will reach the second round for the first time since 2011, and
throw the East into disarray after the talk all season was about an
Indiana-Miami rematch in the conference finals. Read more 
LaMarcus
Aldridge scored a franchise playoff-record 46 points and Damian Lillard
added 31, including the go-ahead free throws in overtime, to lift the
Portland Trail Blazers to a 122-120 victory over the Houston Rockets on
Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Aldridge
fouled out with about a minute left in overtime and Lillard, who was
making his playoff debut, took over. He scored the next five points for
Portland and put the Trail Blazers on top by one point with a pair of
free throws with 17 seconds left. Joel Freeland made one of two free
throws seconds later to give the Blazers the win in their first trip to
the postseason since 2011. Game 2 is Wednesday night in Houston.
Aldridge, who was playing in his home state, also had 18 rebounds and
two blocks. Read more 
