The Miami Heat got a significant return on their massive preseason investment in star players, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 97-91 on Wednesday to take their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1.
Dwyane Wade scored 26 points and Chris Bosh added 22 points and 11 rebounds as Miami advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals and a meeting with Boston — starting in Miami on Sunday.
Mario Chalmers scored 20 points and LeBron James finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Heat, who recorded their first playoff series win since the 2006 NBA finals, indicating the pricey addition of Bosh and James this season was paying off.
Photo: Reuters
Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand each scored 22 points for Philadelphia, which got 13 points from Thaddeus Young, 12 from Jodie Meeks and 10 from Jrue Holiday.
The Heat saw a double-digit lead cut to one in the final minute, but Joel Anthony sank two free throws with 16.8 seconds left to clinch the game.
THUNDER 100, NUGGETS 97
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Kevin Durant matched his best playoff performance with 41 points, including the final nine for Oklahoma City, and the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets to close out their first-round series in five games.
The Thunder, who overcame a nine-point deficit over the final four minutes, won their first playoff series since they were in Seattle in 2005.
NBA scoring champion Durant put the Thunder ahead to stay with two free throws with 46 seconds left. Serge Ibaka then swatted away Nene’s dunk attempt to preserve the hosts’ lead.
Durant added a 19-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 100-97 with 12 seconds left.
He then blocked JR Smith’s shot at the tie from the left wing, and Arron Afflalo missed one last attempt at a tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
Afflalo, who missed the first two games of the series with a hamstring strain, led Denver with 15 points and Kenyon Martin added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
SPURS 110, GRIZZLIES 103, OT
In San Antonio, Texas, the hosts only just staved off elimination, beating Memphis in overtime to cut the series deficit to 3-2.
Gary Neal caught an inbound pass with 1.7 seconds left and forced overtime with a three-point heave as time expired.
Neal’s three-pointer was the second of two remarkable San Antonio baskets in the final 2.2 seconds of regulation. Manu Ginobili, who scored 33 points, hit the other with a long corner jumper while falling out of bounds.
The basket was originally counted as a three that would have tied the score, but the officials went to video review and ruled Ginobili’s toe was on the line.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Tony Parker of the Spurs scored six of his 24 points in overtime.
The eighth-seeded Grizzlies will host the top-seeded Spurs on Friday with a chance to take a shock series victory.
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