By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Portland Trail Blazers took advantage of the Clippers bad luck and got to the Western Conference semifinals, while Miami and Indiana forced a Game 7 in their first round series in the East.
Reeling from a fourth-quarter collapse followed by a sluggish start, the Pacers turned things around just in time with an 18-0 run to save their season. Paul George and George Hill combined for 24 second-half points Friday to help Indiana pull away for a 101-83 victory over the Raptors (3-3). French center Ian Mahimni added 12 points and 4 rebounds for the winners, while Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas had almost a double double (14 p., 9 r., 2 st.) for Toronto.
In Charlotte, Dwyane Wade after a streak of 22 consecutive misses from the three point line, hit both 3-pointers he attempted, including a big one with 46 seconds left, finishing with 23 points as the Heat beat the Hornets 97-90 to tie the series at 3-3. British star Luol Deng had a great first half with 16 points and finished the game with 21, while Slovenian Goran Dragic despite a slow start contributed big in the second half with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Frenchman Nicolas Batum had 6 points in 15 minutes of action and didn’t step on the court during the second half due to his ankle injury.
Last but not least, Damian Lillard scored 28 points and the Blazers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the resilient Los Angeles Clippers 106-103 on Friday night to claim the first-round playoff series 4-2. The Clippers played without injured Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.