Michael Finley set a San Antonio playoff record with eight 3-pointers and the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals with a 93-78 victory over Denver in the NBA playoffs on Wednesday.
Finley was 8-for-9 on 3s and finished with 26 points, while Tim Duncan had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Tony Parker added 16 points and 10 assists for the Spurs, who dropped Game 1 to the Nuggets at home before winning the next four in the first-round series.
Allen Iverson struggled from the field for his fourth straight game after scoring 31 points in Game 1. Iverson, who the Nuggets acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in December, was 6-of-22 from the field and had 21 points.
PHOTO: AP
Carmelo Anthony had 21 points for Denver, while NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby had 19 rebounds.
Denver has not won a playoff series since 1994, when it beat Seattle in a best-of-five to become the first No. 8 seed to knock out a No. 1.
Suns 119, Lakers 110
At Phoenix, Amare Stoudemire scored 27 points, Shawn Marion added 26, and Phoenix overcame an inspired performance by Lamar Odom and a late scoring binge by Kobe Bryant to win Game 5 over Los Angeles and advance to the Western Conference semi-finals.
The Suns will host San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the second round on Sunday.
Odom, playing the whole series with a hyperextended elbow and torn shoulder cartilage, had 33 points and 10 rebounds, but it was Bryant who put the final scare into the Suns.
The Lakers trailed by 16 points with 5:52 to go. Bryant made consecutive 3-pointers to cut the lead to 111-106 with 2:53 left. Bryant scored 34 points on 13-of-33 shooting.
Steve Nash scored 17 points and had 10 assists for Phoenix.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
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