NBA Playoffs, Early Round Classics

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, Game 6. David West scored 29 points and the Indiana Pacers pulled away late for a 93-80 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night at the Verizon Center.

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, Game 5. The Miami Heat trailed for most of the second half, but once again it was Ray Allen to the rescue.

LA Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder, Game 5. After losing a 16-point lead and the game on Sunday in Los Angeles, the Oklahoma City Thunder turned the tables on the Clippers Tuesday night, roaring back from 13 points down in the last 3:30 for a thrilling 105-104 win and a 3-2 series lead.

The Clippers know a thing or two about comebacks, rallying from a 21-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to win a playoff game two years ago and by 17 points down with five minutes left in a regular-season game four months ago. They added another one to their record books Sunday under conditions just as unfavorable, getting huge performances from back-up guards Darren Collison and Jamal Crawford in the final quarter of the 101-99 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal at Staples Center, evening the series at 2-2.

Solid play from the starters and a few standout performances from the bench propelled the Nets to the biggest win in their young Brooklyn history in front of a loud crowd. The Nets were prolific from long range and owned the boards, outrebounding Miami 43-27.

The 1-2 combinations for the Thunder and Clippers pretty much cancelled each other out with superior performances Friday night in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal, requiring a third party to step up and steal a victory. That player turned out to be Oklahoma City power forward Serge Ibaka, who overcame early and repetitive foul trouble to finish with 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting, just enough to lift the Thunder to a 118-112 victory at Staples Center and provide them a 2-1 series edge after they dropped the opener earlier in the week.

For a second straight the game, the Miami Heat proved they were more than just the Big Three.A balanced effort led the Heat to a 94-82 victory against the Brooklyn Nets

Following the worst playoff game of his career with one of the best, Hibbert broke loose for 28 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to an 86-82 victory over Washington in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series Wednesday in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

LeBron James scored 22 points to lead the Heat to a 107-86 victory Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Heat lead the best-of-7 series 1-0.

The Washington Wizards snapped a 12-game losing streak in Indianapolis with a 102-96 victory over the Pacers in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference Semifinal series Monday in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Paul Pierce blocked Kyle Lowry's last-second layup attempt to seal a Brooklyn Nets victory over the Toronto Raptors, winning their best-of-seven first-round series 4-3.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers finally dropped his guard as the final seconds ticked down Saturday night in Game 7 of the Western Conference first-round series against the visiting Warriors. He punched his fists in the air, again and again, turned and faced the crowd behind the bench and pumped his fists some more.

Kyle Lowry scored eight of his career-high tying 36 points in the fourth quarter and five in the final minutes to help the Toronto Raptors hang on to beat the Brooklyn Nets 115-113 and take a 3-2 series lead. DeMar DeRozan added 23 points, six rebounds and five assists, including some key free throws to help ice the game down the stretch.

Grizzlies sharp-shooter Mike Miller, who chose Memphis over Oklahoma City in free agency, hit five 3-pointers, two of them in overtime to lead his team to a thrilling 100-99 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Miller led the Grizzlies with 21 points off the bench.

The Spurs jumped out to a big lead but had to hold off a furious Mavericks surge late to secure a 93-89 win Monday to send the series back to San Antonio knotted at two games apiece.

Houston Rockets at Portland Trail Blazers, Game 4. Portland's Wesley Matthews stripped Houston's Patrick Beverley of the ball in the closing seconds, securing the Trail Blazers' 123-120 overtime victory.

With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook struggling offensively, Reggie Jackson scored a career-high 32 points, including the final five points of regulation after Oklahoma City had trailed by five with less than a minute left, to help lift the Thunder to a 92-89 overtime win Saturday in Game 4 and tie the series at 2-2.

Mike Dunleavy scored 35 points with eight 3-pointers and Jimmy Butler made two key shots from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards Friday night at the Verizon Center in Game 3 of their first-round Eastern Conference matchup.

After leading by 17 with 7:43 to play in the fourth quarter, Memphis watched Oklahoma City scored 17 unanswered points before sending the game into overtime with a 21-4 run. But they regrouped in overtime to pull out a win at FedExForum in Game 3 on Thursday, taking a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference series.

The Heat now lead the first-round, best of 7 series 2 to 0. James scored a game high 32 points on 11 of shooting.

Erasing a 10-point deficit in the last seven minutes of regulation, the Washington Wizards forced overtime, then scored the first six points of the extra period on the way to a 101-99 victory over the host Chicago Bulls Tuesday.

The Memphis Grizzlies had enough in the tank Monday night to make it all the way through overtime for a thrilling overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Chesapeake Energy Arena to even their first-round playoff series at 1-1.

After limping off the court in the third quarter, Tim Duncan returned early in the fourth to hit four of his five shots from the floor in the final 9 1/2 minutes, finishing with 27 to lead the Spurs to a 90-85 come-from-behind victory over the Mavericks on Sunday in Game 1.

Paul Pierce scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, including multiple jumpers in the final moments, to help seal a 94-87 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at the Air Canada Centre.