NBA Live Streaming: San Antonio at Memphis

NBA Live Streaming: San Antonio at Memphis: "Spurs-Grizzlies 9:00 PM ET, April 29, 2011 FedExForum, Memphis, TN Points Rebounds Assists SA Ginobili 21.8 Duncan 10.6 ..."

San Antonio at Memphis

Spurs-Grizzlies

9:00 PM ET, April 29, 2011
FedExForum, Memphis, TN

Points     Rebounds     Assists
SA    Ginobili 21.8    Duncan 10.6    Parker 5.4
MEM    Randolph 19.6    Gasol 12.2    Conley 6.8

WATCH IT LIVE

Grizzlies forward Shane Battier says Memphis is electric, and he sees no problem with his teammates rebounding from Wednesday night's 110-103 overtime loss in San Antonio. They are trying to become the fourth No. 8 seed in NBA history to beat a top seed to win a playoff series, holding a 3-2 lead going into Friday night's game.

"Ah, pressure, shmessure," Battier said. "We're playing with house money. I still contend that. We've proven we can come in here, and we've played well. So we want to win because we want to win, and we want to play well because we want to play well. Bottom line."

His teammates say they can't wait for Game 6 and would've tipped at noon Thursday if they could. Neither can their fans. Tickets went on sale Thursday morning, and the franchise notched its fastest sellout ever less than an hour.

Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said they aren't dwelling over Gary Neal's dagger of a 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left to force overtime or that the Spurs avoided elimination by outscoring them 13-6 in the extra period.

"We're ready to play," Conley said. "After we lost (Wednesday) night, we can't wait to get back in front of the fans and put on a show for them and get a win."

Memphis fans would welcome a series-clinching victory Friday night. Neal's shot dredged up painful memories of Mario Chalmers' three-pointer for Kansas at the end of regulation against the Tigers in the 2008 NCAA national championship game. The Tigers, Memphis' first basketball love, let a title-clinching lead dwindle away with Chalmers' three-pointer forcing OT where Kansas finished off the victory and the title.

Making it even worse those Tigers lost in San Antonio.

The Game 5 loss was so bad for Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph that he barely slept. He scored 18 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime but couldn't help Memphis hold on for the win. Randolph said the Grizzlies know they were supposed to have won that game but also understand Neal hit a tough shot.

Now the Grizzlies face a must-win.

"We don't want to go back" to San Antonio, Randolph said.

That might sound odd considering only eight NBA teams have ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. Then again Memphis had never even won a playoff game before this year, let alone a series.

NBA Live Streaming: Dallas at Portland

NBA Live Streaming: Dallas at Portland: "Mavericks-Trail Blazers 10:30 PM ET, April 28, 2011 Rose Garden, Portland, OR Points Rebounds Assists DAL Nowitzki 26..."

Dallas at Portland

Mavericks-Trail Blazers

10:30 PM ET, April 28, 2011
Rose Garden, Portland, OR

	Points     Rebounds     Assists DAL    Nowitzki 26.2    Chandler 10.0    Kidd 6.6 POR    Aldridge 20.2    Camby 9.8    Miller 5.8
	PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- If the Trail Blazers demonstrated anything this season, it's that they're not about to let a little challenge throw them off.WATCH LIVE STREAMING Portland has become adept at surpassing expectations. But the ultimate test of the team's resolve will come Thursday night, when the Trail Blazers face elimination trailing 3-2 in their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. "When you get in these loser-out games, sometimes everybody tries to do it all, and then you get out of character," guard Brandon Roy said on Wednesday. "So the biggest thing tomorrow is that we stay in character and don't panic if they get up two points or we're up two. We need to play within our game plan like we've done all season, and we can beat this team." Perhaps nothing demonstrates the Blazers' ability to deal with adversity more than their last win in the series. Down 67-44 in the third quarter, Roy led his team on a stunning comeback for an 84-82 Game 4 victory on Saturday. Roy, a three-time All-Star who had been troubled by his knees all season and came on as a reserve, finished with 24 points -- 18 in the fourth quarter. For Roy, there was satisfaction in the performance given what he had gone through. In early December, it became apparent that something was amiss for Roy, the face of the franchise. It was later learned that the cartilage in both of his knees was so depleted that he was nearly playing bone-on-bone. While the condition is something that will likely dog him for the rest of his career, Roy opted to have arthroscopic surgery on both knees in January. All told, he missed 35 regular-season games. When Roy returned from surgery, LaMarcus Aldridge had taken over as the team's top playmaker, and second-year guard Wesley Matthews had taken his spot in the starting rotation. Roy's minutes were tightly controlled off the bench. As they had with other key injuries -- most notably to centers Greg Oden and Marcus Camby -- the Blazers picked themselves up and moved on. They made the necessarily adjustments, and helped themselves by adding forward Gerald Wallace from Charlotte at the trade deadline, to wind up the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Dallas, the third seed, took control of the series with a 93-82 victory at American Airlines Center on Monday night in Game 5. The Mavs caught the Blazers off guard with the emergence of Tyson Chandler and by going to the zone. While the Mavericks have seen the steady play of Dirk Nowitzki all series long, they've also managed to compliment him with a different player each game, ranging from Jason Kidd to Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry, and finally Chandler, who had 14 points and 20 rebounds in Game 5. The Mavericks are hoping to overcome their recent history of wilting in the playoffs. Since the start of the 2006 NBA Finals -- which the Mavs lost in seven games to Miami after taking a 2-0 series lead -- Dallas has gone just 2-18 on the road in the postseason. Dallas has been eliminated in the first round in three of the past four seasons. "We know what we gotta do. We're a veteran team. If we don't have to play a Game 7, then we don't want to play a Game 7," forward Shawn Marion said. "That's our mentality and that's what we gotta do." The Blazers must improve in several areas -- and quick. They've been unable to deal effectively with the Mavs' pick-and-roll. They've sent Nowitzki to the free throw line too often. And, aside from Roy's big breakout, they've seen too little noise from their own bench. Portland has never overcome a 3-2 deficit to win a playoff series, and the team has been unable to get beyond the first round for the previous two seasons. But they certainly have home court advantage. The Trail Blazers have won each time the Mavs have visited their building this season, twice in the regular season and twice so far in the playoffs. Portland has won 12 of its last 13 at the Rose Garden. Overall against the Mavericks, the Blazers are 46-18 all-time in Portland, and 8-1 in playoff games. It's likely that all eyes Thursday will be on Roy, and whether he can stage another comeback -- this time not just to win a game, but to save a series. "I don't think it's any secret that I've got to play well. And not only play well, I've got to be more aggressive," Roy said. "When I'm more aggressive it puts pressure on Dallas' defense to game plan and figure out how to stop me, and then I think it give other guys easier shots. "My goal tomorrow is to go all-out and be as aggressive as I can."

NBA Live Streaming: Los Angeles at New Orleans

NBA Live Streaming: Los Angeles at New Orleans: "Lakers-Hornets 8:00 PM ET, April 28, 2011 New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA Points Rebounds Assists LAL Bryant 22.2 Byn..."

NBA Live Streaming: Orlando at Atlanta

NBA Live Streaming: Orlando at Atlanta: "Magic-Hawks 7:30 PM ET, April 28, 2011 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA Points Rebounds Assists ORL Howard 27.4 Howard 15.6 N..."

Los Angeles at New Orleans

Lakers-Hornets

8:00 PM ET, April 28, 2011
New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA

 Points     Rebounds     Assists
LAL    Bryant 22.2    Bynum 10.0    Bryant 4.2
NO    Paul 24.4    Ariza 6.8    Paul 11.6

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Two transcendent playoff performances by Chris Paul made the Hornets' first-round series with Los Angeles far more interesting than the defending champion Lakers would have preferred.

The question now is whether the Hornets' four-time All-Star can summon another big game back in the Big Easy on Thursday night.

At the very least, Paul welcomes the pressure that comes with a game in which a loss ends the season for his team.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

"This is all or nothing for us," Paul said. "I can't wait."

When Paul has been sensational -- with his 33-point, 14 assist performance in Game 1 and his triple-double in Game 4 -- the Hornets have pulled out a pair of hard fought victories. In the series' other three games, when Paul has still been exceptional, but short of dominant, the Lakers have won -- including twice by double digits.

Now ahead 3-2 in the series, Los Angeles needs only one more win to dispatch pesky New Orleans. If the Lakers own key statistical categories as thoroughly as they did in their 106-90 Game 5 triumph on Tuesday night, the series isn't likely to make it back to the West Coast for Game 7.

The Lakers restored their dominance inside, outrebounding the Hornets 42-25, which included a 15-3 advantage in offensive rebounds. That led to a whopping 22-2 advantage in second-chance points. Los Angeles also outscored the Hornets 42-30 in the paint.

"We should be able to play like that all the time," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "We needed to play physical and control the boards, and use our bodies. ... Our energy was good, and that's why we won the way we won."

The Hornets never looked more outmatched in the series, but if that result shook their confidence, they're not letting it show.

"The great thing about it is now we get to go back to our home court with our fans behind us, and we have to bring the energy," Paul said. "It's the elimination game now. We can't leave anything out there."

Paul has said throughout his career that he never wants to come out and would gladly play 48 minutes if coaches would let him. Such an approach might have served the Hornets well in Game 5.

The Hornets led by nine when Paul went to the bench to rest in the beginning of the second quarter. The Lakers immediately went on a 10-0 run and the momentum seemed to change for good.

Hornets coach Monty Williams said Paul's teammates could have helped him by showing more toughness on defense and fouling hard, the way Lakers star Kobe Bryant did when he thwarted a layup attempt by Emeka Okafor with a forearm across the Hornets center's head.

"At some point, you have to know how to make a playoff foul," Williams said. The coach then referred to the lack of resistance Bryant met on his thunderous driving dunk in the second quarter, which seemed to energize his team. "We have to learn how to not allow him to get that play off."

Williams believes the Lakers have been allowed to get away with too much banging inside. He even made a formal protest to the NBA about it after Game 3.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson didn't seem quite sure what to make of his team being portrayed as the one that hits hardest.

"It was pretty interesting. We're not usually known for that," Jackson said. "We're known as being soft, but sometimes desperation can activate" toughness.

Jackson added that he fully expected the Hornets to respond to their coach's call for more aggression.

"The game will be feisty, no doubt about it," Jackson said. "The team that beats the other team to loose balls is going to win the game."

Bryant, meanwhile, continues to receive treatment for an injury to his left ankle and foot that occurred late in the Hornets Game 4 win. Of course, the Hornets realized by the second quarter of Game 5 that they better not count on the injury slowing the Lakers' superstar down. Although he played less than 29 minutes in Game 5, he was 8 of 13 shooting for 19 points and showed little lack of explosion on a pair of soaring one-handed jams.

Jackson said Bryant was sore on Wednesday, but added that he did not expect to limit Bryant's playing time at all on Thursday night.

"This is a game in which we go all-out to win," Jackson said. "If it's 40 minutes, we will" play Bryant that long.


        

Orlando at Atlanta

Magic-Hawks

7:30 PM ET, April 28, 2011
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA

Points     Rebounds     Assists
ORL    Howard 27.4    Howard 15.6    Nelson 4.8
ATL    Crawford 20.8    Horford 9.8    Johnson 3.4

ATLANTA (AP) -- There's a sign on the wall leading into the Atlanta Hawks' locker room that says: "We Control Our Own Destiny."

Indeed, even after a humiliating loss in Orlando, the Hawks remain in control of their playoff destiny against the Magic. They're still leading the series. They're still one win away from finishing off the Magic.

Best of all, they're back at home for Game 6.

WATCH LIVE STREAM

"We are still in a great position," coach Larry Drew said Wednesday after a lengthy film session with his assistants, breaking down a 101-76 rout by the Magic the night before. "We've put the ball back in our court, with the possibility to close it out at home. That's what we plan to do."

The Hawks won Game 1 in Orlando to steal home-court advantage, and protected that edge with two close wins at home. They had hoped to close out the series on the road, but the Magic were having none of that.

Changing up his game plan, coach Stan Van Gundy ran less of the offense through Dwight Howard, who averaged more than 32 points over the first four games but got little help from his teammates. Running the Hawks ragged with one pick-and-roll after another, Orlando got strong games out of Jason Richardson (17 points) and backup guard J.J. Redick (14 points).

Howard played less than 30 minutes, made only one shot from the field and finished with a mere eight points and eight rebounds. Even so, the Magic dominated from the opening tip, racing out to a 23-point lead by halftime.

"I don't think it can be one or two guys. Those first four games, it was basically just Dwight carrying us," Van Gundy said. "We need more people involved. We need to have a lot of people play well."

Just as Drew is stressing to his team that they still lead the series, Van Gundy wants his team to continue playing with the desperation of a squad that's facing another one-and-done scenario.

"Our energy and effort has to be at least what it was (in Game 5), if not better," he said. "My main message was, we're still behind. My analogy today was it's like a game when you're down 25 and then you make a run to get it back to 10. You feel good that you're playing better, but you can't celebrate because you're still down 10 and you've got a long way to go before you actually win it."

After the game, the first thing Van Gundy wrote on the board was: "3-2, we're still behind."

"All we did was cut into the lead a little bit," he said. "We're still getting our butts kicked. And that's got to be the attitude."

The Hawks shot just 36 percent (25 of 89) in their worst performance of the series. Josh Smith was the only starter in double figures with 22 points.

Drew said no one -- not even Smith -- played up to an acceptable standard.

"I didn't see the effort I saw in games 3 and 4," the coach said. "There was a very glaring difference in our effort on both ends of the floor. We watched it some with the players, so they can see. The bottom line is, this is playoff basketball. This is the time where every possession counts. We played against a team that had their back against the wall, and we didn't respond to their intensity. That was very glaring."

The Hawks expect Van Gundy to keep calling the same style of offense that worked so well in Game 5, so they'll have to work even harder to fight through screens and cut down on the open looks the Magic get from beyond the 3-point stripe. They made 11 of 26 on Tuesday night, quite an improvement on their dismal 2-of-23 showing the previous game.

"It kind of threw us off," Smith said. "The first four games, they were predictable. In Game 5, they ran so much pick-and-roll it was kind of hard to defend with the different coverages we had. It's nothing but a chess match. I know we're going to come up with a different scheme, and hopefully it works for us."

One thing the Hawks don't want to do is return to Orlando for a decisive game.

"This is pretty much our best chance," forward Marvin Williams said. "It would be tough to go back down there and steal a win in Game 7.

Looking for any motivational edge they can get, the Hawks ran off copies of a newspaper article written by an Orlando columnist, who called the Hawks "birdbrains" and guaranteed the Magic would rally to win the series after losing Game 1 at home and falling behind 3-1.

Each Atlanta player got a copy in his locker.

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Denver at Oklahoma City

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Denver at Oklahoma City: "Nuggets-Thunder 9:30 PM ET, April 27, 2011 Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City, OK Points Rebounds Assists DEN Lawson 16.3 N..."

Denver at Oklahoma City

Nuggets-Thunder

9:30 PM ET, April 27, 2011
Oklahoma City Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
Points     Rebounds     Assists
DEN    Lawson 16.3    Nene 9.0    Felton 4.3
OKC    Durant 30.3    Ibaka 11.8    Westbrook 6.8

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- After he makes a big shot, Russell Westbrook likes to gesture with his hands as though they're pistols and then blow the pretend smoke away.

But did he get too trigger-happy in Game 4?

After Oklahoma City's All-Star point guard attempted 30 shots for just the third time in his career as the Denver Nuggets cut their series deficit to 3-1, even his coach thought so.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

"You can't play great basketball every time. His heart and determination are always in the right spot. That's all I care about with Russell," Thunder coach Brooks said Tuesday.

"Did he take too many shots? Absolutely. But that being said, you learn from it and you move on and you get better from it. Russell is a player that will get better every year."

Brooks said that Westbrook wasn't the only Thunder player who didn't play at his best during a 104-101 loss in Denver on Monday night, and he found other reasons Oklahoma City didn't pull off the sweep than his point guard's high-volume shooting night.

Namely, defense.

The Thunder allowed the Nuggets their most points in six meetings this month, having won the previous five. Brooks wasn't happy with Oklahoma City's interior defense early, its 3-point defense in the second half and he saw too many fouls throughout.

"I would like to say that we're going to win every game and we're going to have multiple sweeps, but that's not the way this league works," Brooks said. "There's usually two teams that are trying to win, and they did.

"We knew that they were going to give us their best shot. They were a desperate team. ... Any athlete that has any self pride is not going to want to get beat by a team every time you play them."

Denver got a career playoff best 27 points from Ty Lawson and 18 second-half points from Danilo Gallinari in winning Game 4, sending the series back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

"The mood's good right now. We got the monkey off our back and put it on theirs," Lawson said after the Nuggets arrived at their hotel Tuesday evening.

"So, we'll try to put a little pressure on them with a good game here and go back home."

At the Thunder's practice facility, Westbrook shrugged off suggestions that he took too many shots.

The only two other times he'd had more than 25 field goal attempts in a game came in a triple-overtime win at New Jersey this season that NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant missed with an ankle injury and a loss at Dallas two seasons ago when Durant left in the first quarter.

"Just another game," Westbrook said. "We didn't win as a team, and a tough loss for us."

Westbrook's frequent firing was highlighted when he missed three 3-pointers in the final minute with the Thunder within striking distance. He finished 0-for-7 from 3-point range and 12-for-30 overall, scoring 30 points.

Durant had 31 points on 8-for-18 shooting, making five of his six 3-point attempts, but wasn't about to call his teammate a ball hog.

"He's a star, too," Durant said. "You know, he's an All-Star, too. He's shown that he can win games for us. He did it before. I felt that I had to play my role."

Brooks said he'd consider 30 shots a lot in a game for any player on his team, but his primary complaint about Westbrook was location and not volume. Instead of attacking the basket, or even his best shooting range, Brooks thought Westbrook was settling too much for long jumpers.

"He's a terrific mid-range shooter and when he gets to that sweet spot, he knocks that down," Brooks said. "I don't look at Russell's game last night and say, `You know what? The sky is falling.' He's a terrific player. He has improved a lot, and he is going to get better.

"You're not seeing Russell at this level for the rest of his career. He will develop into a better player."

What Brooks wants just as much, though, is a return to Oklahoma City's strong defensive ways against Denver. The Thunder had held the Nuggets below 95 points in four of their six meetings this month, including a pair of 89-point outings by the NBA's highest-scoring team.

Denver shot 44 and 45 free throws in the two games on its home court in the series.

"I think we're definitely fouling too much," Brooks said. "I think they're averaging 40 free throws a game against us. That leads the league by 10. You want to do a better job of defending.

"I've always felt if you're a good defensive team, you're not fouling as much."

Just who should be the focal point of that defense could be in question on a Nuggets team without Carmelo Anthony. Joining Lawson and Gallinari with big games on Monday was J.R. Smith, who was benched in Game 2 for his role in Oklahoma City's blowout win.

Wilson Chandler, who has made just one of 14 shots in the last three games, took over Smith's spot on the sidelines in Game 4.

"That's the nature of NBA playoff basketball. No one's consistent in NBA playoff basketball," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Some guys can get 40 one night and the next night they can be 4-for-20. That's adjustments, and the other team says, `No, you're not going to do that.'

"I think we have to be ready for that and the depth of our team's got to be ready for it, whoever gets the hot hand or the opportunity."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Memphis at San Antonio

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Memphis at San Antonio: "Grizzlies-Spurs 8:30 PM ET, April 27, 2011 AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX Points Rebounds Assists MEM Randolph 18.0 Gasol 11...."

Memphis at San Antonio

Grizzlies-Spurs

8:30 PM ET, April 27, 2011
AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Points     Rebounds     Assists
MEM    Randolph 18.0    Gasol 11.0    Conley 7.3
SA    Ginobili 18.0    Duncan 10.3    Parker 4.5

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- So is this how the San Antonio Spurs' dynasty might end?

Not with Tim Duncan hoisting a fifth NBA championship trophy -- a scenario that seemed wholly realistic just a month ago -- but with the top-seeded Spurs ousted in the first round by the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, a franchise that previously never won a playoff game?

"We put ourselves in this position," Duncan said. "We gotta stay alive."

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

Duncan meant this series. But the stakes for him may go even further.

Duncan, at the end what became a terrible 35th birthday, spoke softly after Memphis crushed the Spurs 104-86 on Monday in Game 4, putting San Antonio on the brink of becoming just the second No. 1 seed in NBA history to lose a best-of-seven series in the first round.

Drafting the obituary of the Duncan era has been something of a spring tradition since 2008, a year after San Antonio won the last of its four championships. It remains premature to declare this the last run for the Spurs, whether or not Memphis finishes them off Wednesday.

Yet these Spurs won 61 games. They secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They played quicker, became a little younger this season and kept their Big 3 mostly healthy for the first time in years.

If it's not the last run for the Spurs, at the very least, they seem on the verge of squandering a position Duncan may never see again.

"We got a lot to lose," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "We had an unbelievable season. We were the No. 1 seed in the league for 65, 70 games, playing unbelievable."

None of that has mattered to Memphis.

"They're the better team. They won 61 games, and we won 46 games," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "Their record all year long said they were the better team. As I've always said, it doesn't matter who is this better team during the regular season. When you get to the playoffs, each series you have to be the better team."

Hollins walked his players through a 25-minute film session in Memphis before the team left for San Antonio. So good a mood was Hollins in, according to guard Tony Allen, that the Grizzlies were bestowed with rare praise from their coach while re-watching their dismantling of the Spurs in the second half of Game 4.

"That was a first," Allen said.

Hollins is hardly the only one in Memphis in high spirits: the city airport gave the team charter plane a water-cannon send-off before takeoff, before the Grizzlies possibly return late Wednesday night with a spot in the Western Conference semifinals.

"There's not a media person standing around that would've gone and put his house and his paycheck on us being up 3-1," Hollins said Tuesday. "But that's why you play the games."

Dallas is the only No. 1 seed to fall in the first round since the series was expanded to the best-of-seven format. That was in 2007, when Golden State beat the Mavericks in six games after Dallas coasted through the regular season with 67 wins.

Only eight teams have rallied from a 3-1 deficit, Phoenix being the last in 2006. That same year, the Spurs nearly joined the list before losing Game 7 in overtime to Dallas, despite Duncan going for 41 points and 15 rebounds.

Five years later Monday night, on his 35th birthday, Duncan had six points and seven rebounds. The Spurs this season diminished his role while putting together the second-best regular season in franchise history, making Duncan more of a complementary piece alongside Tony Parker and Ginobili.

It's all been a part of what Spurs owner Peter Holt earlier this season called "going from the Tim Duncan era to the next era." He said that March 4, and later that night, Holt sat courtside next to Texas Gov. Rick Perry as the Spurs crushed LeBron James and the Miami Heat by 30 points.

That night, San Antonio improved to an NBA-best 51-11 -- already more wins than the Grizzlies would get -- and few teams looked as legitimate championship contenders as the Spurs.

A lot's changed in one month. But the Spurs don't have time to change much now.

"We'll just go play," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Philadelphia at Miami

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Philadelphia at Miami: "76ers-Heat 7:00 PM ET, April 27, 2011 AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL Points Rebounds Assists PHI Holiday 15.3 Brand 9.0 ..."

Philadelphia at Miami

76ers-Heat

7:00 PM ET, April 27, 2011
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami, FL
Points     Rebounds     Assists
PHI    Holiday 15.3    Brand 9.0    Iguodala 7.5
MIA    James 26.3    James 10.8    James 5.8

MIAMI (AP) -- By the time the ball goes up in Game 5 on Wednesday night, more than 72 hours will have passed since Philadelphia rallied in the final moments to beat Miami and save its season.

The wait seems much longer to the Heat.

"It's horrible, honestly," Heat forward LeBron James said.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

Miami gets its second chance to move into the second round on Wednesday night, when it brings a 3-1 series lead over the 76ers back home. The Heat were outscored 10-0 in the final 82 seconds of Sunday afternoon's Game 4 at Philadelphia, and from that outcome came two predictable mindsets.

The 76ers say they're loose, playing with nothing to lose.

The Heat say they're focused, eager to send Philly home.

"That's they way they should play," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "The way we should play is with a deep sense of urgency and desperation. We had that for the most part in the first three games. We had a sensational second quarter in Game 4. ... But that wasn't enough of a burst. We weren't able to sustain it and we relaxed."

Should Miami win on Wednesday, the Heat will immediately turn attention toward the long-awaited matchup with the Boston Celtics in the East semifinals.

The Heat know the Celtics are waiting. Until win No. 4 against Philadelphia is in the books, they won't profess to care.

"We're talking about Philly right now," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said.

Some Philadelphia veterans, Elton Brand in particular, said before the series began that the Sixers' collective youth would prove beneficial at times in this series. In short, Philly's younger starters -- three of the 76ers' first five had never started a playoff game before this series began -- are still learning the magnitude of the playoff stage.

That's not a bad thing, Brand said. It allows them to just play, even when facing a six-point deficit near the very end of a win-or-get-swept game like the one Philadelphia faced Sunday.

"It was easy for us when we were down seven with 8 minutes to go for guys to pack it in and get ready for that vacation," Sixers guard Lou Williams said. "Instead, guys locked down on defense and made some big shots."

So instead of flying to Miami for vacation, the Sixers are returning for Game 5.

"They wanted to get down there," 76ers coach Doug Collins said. "And guys are loose. They're having fun. It's just a great time to be playing. Anytime you have the chance to play these kind of games, it helps them grow. I'm learning more about them every single day."

Collins brought his team in for a light Monday workout, before another practice Tuesday preceding the flight to Miami. The Monday session might have been one of the most lighthearted of Philadelphia's season, but Collins felt it was necessary to get his players back in the workplace -- if for no other reason than to put the joy of Sunday behind them.

"I didn't want them to think that was good enough," Collins said. "I want them to want more."

The message was delivered.

"We're not happy," Williams said. "We have the opportunity to go down there, try to extend the series and make it 3-2. At the end of the day, all you can ask for."

Miami took Monday off from practice, then returned for a lengthy session Tuesday morning, replete with full contact 5-on-5 work, knee pads and mouthguards in place.

That's what worked best for the Heat all season, and Spoelstra sees no need to change the thinking now.

"We needed to work on some things and get our edge back," Spoelstra said.

Also not getting changed? Miami's lineup.

The Heat have been outscored 78-46 with their starters on the floor to open games in this series, then have outplayed the 76ers by wide margins at times after those initial stints of games.

"We can change what we need to within ourselves and do it with a better motor ... better awareness to start the game," Spoelstra said. "It's all about everybody together."

And together, Miami has grown tired of waiting around for Game 5 to arrive.

James was watching other playoff games on television Monday night, noting that most of those series only have one full day off until their next game. The Heat had two full days off -- more than three in actuality -- to stew over what went wrong in Philadelphia in Game 4.

"When you're a competitor and you just love the game of basketball, you love playoff basketball, you're ready to get back out there after one day off," James said. "But like D-Wade said, we got an opportunity to get some rest, go through the mistakes and some of the good things we did in Game 4. And we're looking forward to the challenge."

New Orleans at Los Angeles

Hornets-Lakers

10:30 PM ET, April 26, 2011
STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA

	Points     Rebounds     Assists NO    Paul 25.5    Ariza 8.0    Paul 11.5 LAL    Bryant 23.0    Bynum 10.0    Bryant 4.3
	EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- After three straight trips to the NBA finals, there are few playoff predicaments the Los Angeles Lakers haven't already escaped. Just last spring, they were in the same jam they currently face: tied at 2 in a first-round playoff series against a young, hungry opponent. WATCH LIVE STREAMING Oklahoma City had the Lakers two games away from a shocking first-round elimination last year before they pulled much the same escape they're hoping to make against New Orleans this week. "We're in the same position, as far as being tied," said Pau Gasol, the Lakers' fourth-leading scorer in the series with 12.3 points per game while making a team-worst 39.5 percent of his shots. "We just have to make sure we come out and get Game 5 as we did in the past, because we know how important it is." When the two-time champions face that pivotal first-round Game 5 against New Orleans on Tuesday night at Staples Center, they'll have to draw from their expansive well of postseason experience just to keep moving forward on the brutal drive toward a threepeat. The Lakers still haven't drained that well, but their task gets a bit tougher each time they have to go there to find the energy necessary to finish off contenders. "They certainly play better when they're in a desperate mode, there's no doubt about that," coach Phil Jackson said after Monday's workout at the Lakers' training complex. "They were somber. They understand the nature of we to have to do with this ballclub." Sure, the Lakers have been here before while playing 67 postseason games over the previous three years. But the dilemma posed by the Hornets is unique. For one thing, few players in recent playoff years have carved up the Lakers' defense as thoroughly as Chris Paul is doing it in this series. Paul, who destroyed Los Angeles with 33 points and 14 assists in Game 1, is averaging 25.5 points, 11.5 assists and 7 rebounds per game after putting up the first triple-double ever posted against the Lakers in 712 playoff games during New Orleans' win in Game 4. For another, Kobe Bryant is limping on a sprained left ankle that might be a bit more serious than the countless injuries he has managed through in the past few seasons. After getting ice and massage during the Lakers' flight home, which landed about 3:30 a.m. local time Monday, he refused any further treatment, preferring to head into Game 5 without knowing the full extent of his latest injury. "He says he'll play," Jackson said of Bryant, who didn't speak to reporters Monday. "He won't let them deal with it. ... Doesn't matter, he's going to play tomorrow. That's his attitude." Jackson also said Paul isn't the biggest problem faced by the Lakers, who have all but conceded they can't shut down the four-time All-Star point guard. Their game plan increasingly focuses on slowing down Paul's teammates -- a tactic that didn't work in Game 4. "We're bothered by (Trevor) Ariza and (Carl) Landry," Jackson said. "We're paying attention to Chris Paul, and he's make big plays. We're not worried about that. We're worried about something we can do something about." The Hornets have remained humble about their upstart run at the Lakers after stumbling into the playoffs and losing leading scorer David West to a season-ending injury. Yet two victories in four games have built a fire of confidence under New Orleans, which is drafting off the remarkable pace set by its star point guard. Paul has accumulated his own share of injuries, including a nasty cut near his right eye, but teammate Jarrett Jack knows the Hornets can count on him. "He's tough as nails," Jack said of his boyhood friend. "The only way he's not going to play is if he can't breathe. Nothing is going to keep him out of the game. It's the same as Kobe. You saw him. He could barely walk, and he was yelling at Phil (Jackson) for taking him out the game. If you want to be that guy in this league, that's what you have to do." Paul lavished postgame praise on Ariza, the former Lakers forward who scored 16 of his 19 points in the first half of Game 4 while holding Bryant scoreless on defense. "He was unbelievable," Paul said of Ariza, who won the 2009 title with Los Angeles. "I told him after the game I fed off of his energy. I might have had four points in the first half, but he single-handedly kept us in the game. It's hard enough to run around with Kobe. For him to be out there to score, he was doing it all." The Lakers are familiar with best-of-three finishes to their playoff series: Three of their four postseason series last year were tied after four games, as were two series during their initial title run in 2009. The Lakers prevailed every time -- but that doesn't mean it gets any easier to do it, point guard Derek Fisher notes. "If you could just play the way you want to every time you go out there, there would be more teams that have done what we're trying to do," Fisher said.

Indiana at Chicago

Pacers-Bulls

8:00 PM ET, April 26, 2011
United Center, Chicago, IL

Points     Rebounds     Assists
IND    Granger 22.0    Hibbert 7.3    Collison 3.8
CHI    Rose 28.3    Boozer 11.5    Rose 6.3
    
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- It would probably take a broken bone for Derrick Rose to miss a playoff game, so consider this good news for the Chicago Bulls.

His sprained left ankle is just that -- sprained.

Rose plans to suit up for Game 5 on Tuesday when the Bulls try again to close out their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

"It's getting better every day," he said Monday. "I've been getting treatment on it the last couple of days, coming in in the morning, coming in at night, getting treatment. Hopefully, it'll be ready tomorrow. It's not broken so I'm definitely playing."

The swelling has gone down, and although he plans to get a painkilling shot before the game, he was in flip flops one day after wearing a walking boot. He did sit out Monday's practice, but the Bulls can breathe a little easier knowing that an MRI confirmed there was no major structural damage.

Rose sprained his ankle driving to the basket late in the first quarter of Game 4 on Saturday and wasn't his usual dominant self as the Pacers beat Chicago 89-84 to avoid the sweep, finishing with 15 points and 10 assists. He scored just eight points on 3-for-16 shooting after the injury but wasn't about to use that as an excuse.

"Just missed shots," he said. "There's no excuses when you're still playing. That's the way I think about it. If I was out there, I should've changed. But I'm going to change some things that I didn't. If anything, I just missed shots. All my shots were short. I twisted my ankle but there are no excuses."

Rose said he was "just off." It was as simple as that.

As for the ankle? He didn't seem too concerned.

"This one is minor, where it takes a couple of days and it's fine," Rose said. "If it was broken, I probably would be panicking or something like that. I'm just happy that the trainers have been making sure I'm getting my treatment and it's coming along fine."

The Bulls, meanwhile, are getting pushed in a big way after a posting a league-leading 62 wins and securing homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

They could just as easily be trailing in this series -- if not out of it -- considering they rallied to win the first three games by a combined 15 points. They made a big run in the closing minutes of Game 4, nearly wiping out a 13-point deficit, but came up short.

A broken play near the end left Carlos Boozer attempting and missing his first 3-pointer since the 2007-08 season and helped keep Indiana's season going. The Pacers see no reason why it has to stop now.

"We've been in every game, could have won every game," Indiana's Danny Granger said. "It's all the confidence we need."

The Pacers have frustrated Rose and the Bulls with traps, throwing the offense out of sync, and they've been fouling hard on shots down low.

That in part explains why Indiana has 67 turnovers into 89 points and why Chicago is shooting 39.8 percent, although Indiana isn't much better at 41.3 percent.

Rose was not shooting particularly well before the sprain, although he is averaging 28.3 points in the series. Now he might be slowed -- not that the Pacers are buying that idea.

"A guy as good as Derrick Rose, I know that he knows that this series needs to be over, so I think that ankle won't play a role in the back of his mind," said Paul George, the 6-foot-8 swingman who has helped frustrate him in this series. "I think the adrenaline will be pumped, and I think he's going to come out here trying to end us."

So does interim Pacers coach Frank Vogel.

"Once you get out there, adrenaline starts flowing, pretty much the rest of the game you don't feel it," he said. "I expect him to be 100 percent."

If he's not? If he has to alter his game?

"I know that I have my teammates," he said.

The Bulls have fared well when short-handed, winning despite losing Boozer and Joakim Noah for significant portions of the season because they have one of the deepest rosters, not to mention an MVP favorite at the point.

Rose played in all but one game even if he wasn't always a picture of health.

"He's tough," Chicago's Kyle Korver said. "He's a hard-nosed kid, never complains. He plays so many minutes. He plays with injuries you guys don't know about. That's something that as a teammate, you really respect. You know. You see him in the training room. You see him in the locker room. You see how he walks around when he's not on the actual court. He's 22 years old, he's the same age as my third brother, but I've got a lot of respect for him."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Hawks-Magic

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Hawks-Magic: "Atlanta at Orlando 7:30 PM ET, April 26, 2011 Amway Center, Orlando, FL Points Rebounds Assists ATL Crawford 24.0 Horford ..."

Hawks-Magic

Atlanta at Orlando

 

7:30 PM ET, April 26, 2011
Amway Center, Orlando, FL
 Points    Rebounds    Assists
ATL    Crawford 24.0    Horford 8.8    2 with 4.0
ORL    Howard 32.3    Howard 17.5    Nelson 4.8

			ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- On the brink of elimination, Magic players were still lamenting what has been plain to see for anyone watching Orlando's first-round playoff series against Atlanta. They can't put the ball in the basket. WATCH LIVE STREAMING "It's the wrong time to be in a collective shooting slump," Magic guard J.J. Redick said. Now facing a 3-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series, time has just about run out for the Magic to shake off their shooting woes. The series swings back to Orlando Tuesday for Game 5 with the Magic on the brink of suffering their first opening round playoff exit since 2007. History is not on Orlando's side. Only eight teams in NBA history have won a best-of-seven series after falling into a 3-1 hole. The Magic have barely shown flashes of the team that averaged 99 points per game during the regular season and was in the top of the league in both field goal and 3-point shooting percentage. Aside from Dwight Howard, who is leading all playoff scorers averaging 32.2 points per game and shooting 66 percent from the field, Orlando is a shell of itself. The Magic are averaging just 90.3 points and three of their go-to outside threats -- Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Redick -- are all shooting less than 35 percent from the field, none more than 23 percent from beyond the arc. As a team, the Orlando is shooting 40 percent from the field and just 20 percent from the 3-point line in the series. The Hawks are at 44 and 39 percent, respectively. It is almost a complete reverse from Orlando's Eastern Conference semifinals sweep of Atlanta last season when the Magic shot 53 percent overall (39 percent from three-point range), compared to 37 percent from the field and (29 percent from beyond the arc) for the Hawks. Coach Stan Van Gundy said his team got makable shots in Game 4, but that the mental side of things is what must be overcome. "On an individual basis as guys are struggling, the mentality becomes 'I gotta get myself going," he said. "And so guys are really hunting out shots and I think taking tougher ones because of that...You've gotta trust the teammates instead of the idea that we need some heroics." In Sunday's 88-85 loss, the Magic set a new NBA low for 3-point percentage by a team in a playoff game, connecting on just 2 for 23 attempts. Some of that is poor shot selection, but the Hawks defense has certainly played a role and fueled their confidence. "We're doing a great job on the 3-point line," Hawks forward Josh Smith said. "We've got to keep that up, just keep doing a good job at everything: Helping each other at defensive end, share ball at the offensive end. If we do that, think we'll be OK." Atlanta also remains content to live with Howard's big numbers and have defended the perimeter just well enough to throw Orlando off. It's also had an unbelievable effort from reserve Jamal Crawford. With his team-high 25-point effort in Game 4 Crawford became the first bench player to score 20 or more points in the first four games of a series since Kevin McHale did it for Boston in 1991. There were some trouble signs for Atlanta in Game 4, though. Aside from letting the Magic back the game after building a 16-point lead, Atlanta also at times reverted back into the isolation-based offensive sets that have gotten it into trouble at times. They also did a poor job down the stretch of managing possessions. It's why Hawks coach Larry Drew said ending the series as soon as possible is paramount. "It's very important," Drew said. "I'm always talking about this team growing. To me, them positioning themselves like they are right now to go into Orlando and to finish this thing off, that's a huge step in our growth process...Particularly after what they did to us last year...it left a bad taste in our mouths." The wildcard in Game 5 may center on who wasn't there in the previous game for both teams. Magic starter Jason Richardson and Hawks' reserve Zaza Pachulia will both return to action after serving one-game suspensions for their altercation near the end of Game 3. Richardson has also struggled to score in this series, but his presence at least increases the chances that somebody in a Magic uniform will have a good shooting night. Like Howard, he doesn't feel it's the best approach for the Magic to go into Tuesday thinking about a "must-win." "That's the kind of team we have and the type of guys we have. If we're uptight and worried about this or worried about that, we never play at our best. We're at our best when we're playing loose." Pachulia's return could be more vital, as he has done one of the most serviceable jobs off the bench banging around underneath with Howard. He said now is not the time to admire what they've accomplished so far, though. "We still have one more game to win," Pachulia said. "But it definitely will give us a great advantage to finish this series Tuesday. The last two years, we went to 7 game series it was very hard. We didn't have any off time to get any rest. Going to second round tired and banged up is not a good idea."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Oklahoma City at Denver

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Oklahoma City at Denver: "Thunder-Nuggets 8:30 PM ET, April 25, 2011 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX Points Rebounds Assists POR Aldridge 22.3..."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Portland at Dallas

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Portland at Dallas: "Trail Blazers-Mavericks 8:30 PM ET, April 25, 2011 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX Points Rebounds Assists POR Aldr..."

Oklahoma City at Denver

Thunder-Nuggets

8:30 PM ET, April 25, 2011

American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

 
      Points     Rebounds     Assists
POR    Aldridge 22.3    Camby 10.3    Miller 5.5
DAL    Nowitzki 26.5    Chandler 7.5    Kidd 4.8

DENVER (AP) -- Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said a few weeks ago he wanted to match up with the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

On the brink of being swept by Oklahoma City in the first round, his feelings are understandable.

Denver's 97-94 loss on Saturday night put the Nuggets a game from losing in the first round for the seventh time in eight years. Injuries, player meltdowns and Karl's battle with throat and neck cancer have been factors in previous early exits.

This time, Denver might just be dealing with a bad matchup.

"There's a big part of me that's disappointed because of our failures," Karl said Sunday. "But I also know that sometimes some of the best teams lose in the first round because of matchups and circumstances. Oklahoma City does a good job against some of our strengths. We like the rim, and they have four defenders that like to protect the rim, and do it pretty well."

The Thunder's defense has frustrated the Nuggets late in games, and Denver has struggled to find a go-to player in crunch time.

On Saturday, J.R. Smith nearly brought his team back from 10 points down in the final 50 seconds when he hit two 3-pointers, but he air-balled a 29-footer in the final seconds that could have sent the game into overtime.

Now the Nuggets are trying to avoid being swept for the second time in four seasons.

"When you're on the verge of getting swept it's always embarrassing," Smith said. "You never want to get swept let alone lose six out of eight to this team in the season. It's not a good feeling."

The Thunder have beaten the Nuggets five times in the past 18 days. Three of those games have been close, including Games 1 and 3 of this series. Denver has hurt itself with poor execution down the stretch and missed free throws.

The Nuggets were 30 for 45 from the free throw line on Saturday and they're shooting 68.7 percent from there in the series.

The Nuggets feel their little mistakes have made this series appear less competitive.

"They're good. They're a good basketball team, but do you reverse it and say we're the best team if we make five more free throws and we win the game?" Arron Afflalo said. "Now we're up 3-0."

The Thunder are trying to maintain a balance while trying to win their first series since moving to Oklahoma City from Seattle three years ago. They have the youngest roster in the league and only three Oklahoma City players have advanced past the first round -- Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson and Nazr Mohammed.

They don't feel their inexperience will be an issue Monday.

"The closeout game is all mental," said Perkins, who won an NBA title with Boston in 2008. "It's going to have to be a mental game for us, mental toughness. It's not going to be easy, we're going to have to stick together and play possession by possession and make sure we make the extra effort."

Denver is trying to do what no other NBA team has done -- win a series after going down 3-0. The first step is getting back in the series, and Karl can draw on his experience when he coached the SuperSonics in the 1996 NBA finals.

"We were 3-0 against a team called the Chicago Bulls, and they had a rehearsal on our court on handing out the trophy," he said. "They had a stage they were going to bring on the court. They had people with scripts on who was going to do what and who was going to be where. We proceeded to win Game 4 and 5."

Karl shared the anecdote with his team Sunday in the hope of giving his players something grab onto, but the biggest motivator for the Nuggets is pride.

"I've been part of that on a bigger stage team celebrating on your home court," forward Kenyon Martin said. "It's not a good feeling by any stretch of the imagination. So we need win -- bottom line. There's no other way to put it."

If they don't win, Denver will again make another early exit from the playoffs. Two years ago, the Nuggets reached the Western Conference finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games, but that's the only time in the past eight years they advanced past the first round.

Despite recent history, Karl's not ready to concede anything.

"We still think the process of learning and winning in the playoffs is still going on," he said.

Portland at Dallas

Trail Blazers-Mavericks

8:30 PM ET, April 25, 2011
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

      Points     Rebounds     Assists
POR    Aldridge 22.3    Camby 10.3    Miller 5.5
DAL    Nowitzki 26.5    Chandler 7.5    Kidd 4.8

DALLAS (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki was a free agent last summer, unshackled from the Dallas Mavericks for the first time in his career. It was his chance to escape a franchise with a long track record of winning big in the regular season and losing painfully in the postseason.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

The former MVP signed up for four more years because he wanted to turn around that reputation.

Just a week into the playoffs, the Mavs are in jeopardy of adding to it.

Dallas went to Portland with the chance to pull off a sweep, but returned home licking its wounds following one of the most humiliating losses of the NBA's shot-clock era. The Mavericks spit up a 23-point lead with 13 minutes left to lose Game 4 and knot the series at 2-2.

Game 5 is in Dallas on Monday night. A return trip to Portland is already set for Game 6 on Thursday night.

"Frustration is definitely at a high level," Nowitzki said. "There is a huge difference from being up 3-1 and 2-2. This is definitely up there with the most frustrating losses."

In Nowitzki's collection of most frustrating losses, nothing can top blowing a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead while up 2-0 in the 2006 NBA finals against the Miami Heat. This one is in the ballpark, though.

Up 2-0 for the first time since that infamous series, the Mavericks were halfway to only their second series win since then. They had the chance to sweep the Trail Blazers, or to return home with a chance to knock 'em out. By losing both games, this title-starved collection of veterans in their 30s guaranteed themselves at least two more games in a series that keeps getting more physical, plus another round-trip flight to the Pacific Northwest.

And, of course, the immediate concern is getting over what Jason Kidd called "one of the toughest losses I've ever been involved in."

"But we can still win the series, and that's where our focus has to be," Kidd said. "We have to stay together and get home and come out Monday with the same focus and intensity as we did today. Then we just have to finish."

The Mavs flew home after Game 4 on Saturday. They didn't practice Sunday.

The biggest thing going for them is that Game 5 is in Dallas, and so would a Game 7. The home team has won all four games this series -- just like the home team won all four games during the regular-season series.

"Game 5 is the pivotal game," Blazers forward Gerald Wallace said. "The advantage is tilted their way because they're at home. But we've got the momentum on the court."

Portland's momentum includes a rejuvenated Brandon Roy.

Roy left Dallas wondering about his career and his role on the Blazers. He hardly played in Game 2 and didn't score. He was so low in the rotation that he said he was nearly in tears on the bench. He picked things up in Game 3, then was the star of Game 4, scoring 18 points in the series-shifting fourth quarter, including the winning basket in the final minute.

"He helped us in Game 3, and people doubted if he could do it again," Portland center Marcus Camby said. "He proved a lot of people wrong. He's got a lot of game left."

Maybe there's a lesson there for Dallas.

Roy said he regained his confidence and his shooting touch with the support of friends and family. He won the fans back with a few more jumpers. If the Mavericks can get the same kind of backing, maybe they can turn things back in their favor.

After all, they did dominate the first three quarters of Game 4. It's just the last one they need to clean up.

"We just have to stay positive," Nowitzki said. "Two out of three we're at home, where our crowd has really carried us, especially in the fourth quarter in the two wins that we got. This is going to sting; this is going to hurt, but we worked hard all through the regular season to get those two at home."

Dallas' sketchy playoff history includes a 2003 matchup against Portland that played out somewhat similarly to this series.

The Mavericks jumped ahead 3-0, then the Blazers won the next three. Game 7 was in Dallas and the Mavs pulled it out. Portland hasn't won a playoff series since; its drought actually stretches to 2000.

"As each game goes on, it becomes the biggest game of the series," Camby said. "Neither team has been able to win on the other team's home court. I know they're thinking the same thing. They don't want another collapse like they did in the finals against Miami."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: San Antonio at Memphis

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: San Antonio at Memphis: "Spurs-Grizzlies 8:00 PM ET, April 25, 2011 FedExForum, Memphis, TN Points Rebounds Assists SA Ginobili 20.0 Duncan 11..."

San Antonio at Memphis

Spurs-Grizzlies

8:00 PM ET, April 25, 2011
FedExForum, Memphis, TN

     Points     Rebounds     Assists
SA    Ginobili 20.0    Duncan 11.3    Parker 5.7
MEM    Randolph 20.3    Gasol 11.7    Conley 7.3

Win a playoff game? Check. Win a playoff game at home? Done.

Next? Well, the Memphis Grizzlies are nowhere near satisfied just yet.

The Grizzlies are up 2-1 in their opening series with the San Antonio Spurs after a 91-88 win Saturday night, and they can take a big step toward becoming only the fourth No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed Monday night when they play Game 4 in the FedExForum.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING

Zach Randolph says the key is staying humble and focused after a big victory that set off a big celebration in Memphis after the franchise won its first home playoff game in its 10th season in town.

"It's not just about winning a game or two," Randolph said. "It's about winning the series and not let our heads get too big with this win and stay humble."

Grizzlies forward Shane Battier, brought back this season in a trade, is the only person to play in all of Memphis' playoff games. He cautioned patience Sunday both for a team and fans suddenly starting to dream ahead if the Grizzlies can clinch this series.

"Well, the C word is a long ways away, two games out. There's a lot of games and a lot of basketball," Battier said.

"But I think ... the tone was different. From the first time I was here, we came back to the Forum 0-2 every time. After winning the first game, I think people were like 'Hey, ya know Maybe. Maybe.' And that hope is pretty inspiring. It's pretty cool. It's a new feeling here."

The Spurs are busy trying to regroup with center Antonio McDyess expecting to play Monday night after hurting his neck late Saturday night, an injury that forced him to the locker room. He practiced Sunday, but guard Manu Ginobili said his right elbow is still ailing a bit.

They are fighting a bit of their own history. With Tim Duncan, the Spurs have never won a series when they started with the home-court advantage only to lose two of the first three games. Duncan said the approach doesn't change trailing 2-1.

"We've got to get a lot better at executing our game plan and being more consistent," Duncan said. "We've made a lot of mental mistakes. A lot of the things we saw on the film are easily fixable if we go out there with a little better focus."

San Antonio also needs to communicate a bit better after failing to take a timeout late, which had Ginobili desperately trying to find someone to pass to when Marc Gasol and Mike Conley kept him from attempting a tying 3-pointer. The NBA's best 3-point shooting team during the regular season also needs to find its shooting stroke after going 2 of 15 Saturday night.

Ginobili credited the Grizzlies with making it tough for the Spurs to get open looks from the corner, and he said he and guard Tony Parker made mistakes not finding teammates open in the paint.

"We've been one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league for 82 games. They're not falling now," Ginobili said. "We either have to find a way to get our teammates or guys more open, or we've got to attack more or do something else."

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said six of nine Spurs are shooting under 40 percent. The Spurs have been outrebounding the Grizzlies, a stat Popovich thought would be a big key coming into this series.

"I'm thrilled with and surprised with, but it was our goal. But we didn't expect to be shooting this poorly," Popovich said. "And they deserve some credit for that. Their closeouts have been great. They've packed it in and done a really good job defensively."

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said the Grizzlies have to keep defending the 3-point line, while watching for the Spurs attacking the basket.

"So we've got a two-edged sword that we're dealing with, and it's going to be a battle throughout the series," Hollins said.

One mistake the Spurs won't make again is leaving Randolph open beyond the 3-point line. The power forward hit the clinching 3 with 41.9 seconds left when Duncan went toward the paint, thinking Randolph wouldn't attempt such a shot at that point of the game. Duncan is expected to be on Randolph even more as the series goes on.

Randolph had 25 points, but the man who averaged a career-high 12.2 rebounds during the regular season needs to improve on the boards. He had only five rebounds in each of the past two games.

The Grizzlies also need to play four full quarters. They jumped up 52-42 at halftime only to watch the Spurs outscore them in each of the third and fourth quarters. The Spurs tied it twice, but couldn't take the lead.

Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo remembers when Memphis couldn't protect such leads, and he said this proves they learned from those mistakes. Now they're focused on getting four wins.

"After we stole the win in San Antonio, our mindset was just to protect our home court, so if we do that, all is well," Mayo said.

Where amazing happens.

Pacific
    GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

    LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

    LOS ANGELES LAKERS

    PHOENIX SUNS

    SACRAMENTO KINGS

Northwest
    DENVER NUGGETS
    MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

    PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
    OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

    UTAH JAZZ
Southwest
    DALLAS MAVERICKS

    HOUSTON ROCKETS
    MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

    NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

    SAN ANTONIO SPURS


Atlantic
    BOSTON CELTICS

    NEW JERSEY NETS

    NEW YORK KNICKS

    PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
    TORONTO RAPTORS

Central
    CHICAGO BULLS

    CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
    DETROIT PISTONS

    INDIANA PACERS

    MILWAUKEE BUCKS

Southeast
    ATLANTA HAWKS

    CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

    MIAMI HEAT

    WASHINGTON WIZARDS

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Los Angeles at New Orleans

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Los Angeles at New Orleans: "Lakers-Hornets 9:30 PM ET, April 24, 2011 New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA Points Rebounds Assists LAL Bryant 25.0 Byn..."

Los Angeles at New Orleans

Lakers-Hornets

9:30 PM ET, April 24, 2011

New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
      Points     Rebounds     Assists
LAL    Bryant 25.0    Bynum 10.3    2 with 3.7
NO    Paul 25.0    Ariza 8.7    Paul 10.3

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Chris Paul insisted he could not remember exactly how or when he wound up with a left thumb injury that forced him to practice with a black wrap on his left hand on Saturday.

He did have an excuse, though.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING 

"We've got more stuff to worry about than my thumb ... such as winning this game," Paul said of the Hornets' Game 4 matchup on Sunday night with the Los Angeles Lakers, who lead the best-of-seven, first-round series 2-1.

"It's a big game for us. It's 2-1. It's nothing to stress about or anything like that, but I think tomorrow is a game we really need to win," Paul said.

Paul expected to be fine for Sunday's game and Hornets coach Monty Williams said his All-Star guard did not appear to be limited by the injury to his non-shooting hand.

The Hornets can ill-afford to be without Paul at his best. He has averaged 25 points, 10.3 assists, five rebounds and two steals during the postseason. His 33-point, 14-assist performance in Game 1 was the main reason the Hornets were able to open the series with an upset on the road.

The Hornets hoped to get a boost from returning home after surprisingly splitting the first two games in Los Angeles. Instead, the Lakers walked out of a jam-packed, boisterous New Orleans Arena with a 100-86 win, the most lopsided result of the first three games.

Kobe Bryant was his typical prolific self with 30 points, but for Lakers coach Phil Jackson, the key to the win was the way Andrew Bynum 14 points, 11 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (17 points, 10 rebounds) alternated in giving the Lakers a dominant presence in the paint.

"The strength of our game kind of came back to play in this series," Jackson said. "Kobe obviously had a big game offensively, but it was really Drew in the first half and Pau in the second getting things done."

If the Lakers win on Sunday, it would give them a chance to close out the series in Los Angeles on Tuesday night and avoid having to come back to the Big Easy for Game 6 on Thursday.

A Los Angeles win also would mark the third time in four games that the visiting team had won in the series.

"It was always funny to us. Everybody talks about home court advantage," Bryant said. "We don't care about that stuff. It doesn't matter to us where we play. ... Our philosophy is, it's just a bunch of noise. That's all it is. I just block it out.

"If you have kids, you're used to dealing with that," added Bryant, who has two young daughters. "If you're trying to get something done and your kids are yelling all over the place, you've just got to focus on what you're doing."

Williams had sought to downplay any home advantage for the Hornets before Game 3, reminding his players that fans cannot shoot or rebound, and that the only way to benefit from the energy of a home crowd is play a well enough all-around game to keep the crowd engaged.

But the Hornets gave up 14 offensive rebounds, committed 14 turnovers and missed six free throws. Although they were as close as 75-70 early in the fourth quarter. They never truly threatened to take a lead in the second half.

Williams said the key is for his players to remember they've been competitive for most of the first three games and not get demoralized now that the Lakers are on the brink of taking a stranglehold on the series.

"I told the guys, 'You don't realize how close you are. You're playing against the defending champs and they're playing some of their best ball and you're right there," Williams said. "It's frustrating personally because for whatever reason, I'm not putting them in a position to make that run."

Part of the problem for the Hornets in Game 3 was that Paul was a non-factor in the second half, when he scored only four of his 22 points. Paul refused to use his thumb injury as an excuse, and instead blamed himself for not being aggressive enough when the Lakers made a defensive adjustment to deny him the ball.

Bryant, meanwhile, has been through enough postseasons to know that a playoff series is all about adjustments, both during and between games.

Indeed, Williams spent Saturday's practice working on ways for the Hornets to make scoring inside and rebounding harder for the Lakers. Meanwhile, some Hornets players have talked about Game 4 being a must-win.

Rather than seize upon that as a sign that the Hornets are in trouble, Bryant said the Lakers need to see it as a reason to ramp up their own efforts.

"We have the series lead. That doesn't mean we're in command of the series," Bryant said. "So their approaching it as a must-win is just a bigger challenge for us to come out and try to match that energy. It should be fun."

Bryant also is drawing motivation from the fact that the game is taking him away from home -- and his children -- on Easter Sunday.

"My girls said, 'Well, just win. It's OK (to be away on the holiday) if you win. Just don't lose," Bryant said.

Then the five-time NBA champion added with a grin: "I don't know where they get that attitude."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Orlando at Atlanta

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Orlando at Atlanta: "Magic-Hawks 7:00 PM ET, April 24, 2011 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA Points Rebounds Assists ORL Howard 33.3 Howard 17.7 ..."

Orlando at Atlanta

Magic-Hawks

 7:00 PM ET, April 24, 2011

Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
      Points     Rebounds     Assists
ORL    Howard 33.3    Howard 17.7    Turkoglu 4.7
ATL    Crawford 23.7    Smith 8.0    Johnson 5.0

ATLANTA (AP) -- Stan Van Gundy says he's getting tired of all the flopping by Atlanta's big men. The Hawks accuse Orlando star Dwight Howard of being a little too loose with his elbows. And Jason Richardson sums up his feelings about Zaza Pachulia this way: "I don't like him."

Yep, this Eastern Conference playoff series is getting downright testy.

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The NBA tried to tone things down a bit Saturday by handing one-game suspensions to Richardson, one of Orlando's top outside shooters, and Pachulia, the Hawks' burly backup center, after their altercation in the closing minutes of Game 3.

The league's disciplinarian, vice president Stu Jackson, was on hand for the contest at Philips Arena and needed less than 24 hours to announce his decision Saturday.

Pachulia will sit out Sunday night's game for head-butting Richardson. The Magic player was suspended for shoving Pachulia in the face. Both also will forfeit one game's pay.

With about 2 1/2 minutes to go Friday night, Pachulia took exception when Howard swung his elbow after a hard foul, responding with an elbow of his own. Richardson jumped in and was head-butted several times by Pachulia as they jawed with each other. Richardson responded with a slap to Pachulia's face before Howard pulled away his teammate.

Pachulia and Richardson were both ejected, and Howard received a technical. The Hawks won 88-84 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

The NBA didn't punish Howard.

"I'm not trying to be dirty. But I never back down from anybody," Pachulia said. "It's just my character. When I feel like I'm disrespected, I'm there. I'm not backing down. That's what happened. It might be a bad thing, but everybody has their own personality. That's my personality."

Richardson said he has no regrets either, except for having to sit out a potentially pivotal game. He plans to watch the game on television at the team hotel.

"I'm not sorry for what I did," he said. "But I kind of feel bad because I'm not there for my teammates."

The best-of-seven series has taken on a nasty tone. The Hawks accuse Howard of freely swinging elbows when he gets in the lane, while Orlando's coach said Atlanta's big men tend to fall down anytime someone gets near them.

Specifically, Van Gundy mocked 7-footer Jason Collins for going down in Game 3 on a charge by Orlando's 6-foot point guard, Jameer Nelson.

"One thing that frustrates me is all the flopping," the outspoken coach said. "It's amazing to me how many times guys as big Jason Collins and Zaza Pachulia get knocked down. You'd think they'd be able to stand up a little bit better."

Collins hasn't been too pleased with some of Howard's tactics, either.

"When the whistle blows, it doesn't end for him," Collins said. "You've got to protect yourself at all times."

At first glance, the suspensions would seem a bigger blow to Orlando. The Magic certainly feel that way, losing their second-leading scorer during the regular season (15.6 points a game) and one of their main defenders on Atlanta star Joe Johnson.

Pachulia is a backup, but the Hawks will clearly miss his emotional style and defensive presence against Howard, who was held to 21 points in Game 3 without a lot of double-teaming, allowing Atlanta to play straight up against Orlando's outside shooters.

"Certainly, he's been an energizer for us," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "He brings another level of energy with his hustle, with his aggressiveness, with his physicality. That's what playoff basketball is all about."

The 6-11, 275-pound Pachulia readily conceded that he banged his forehead into Richardson's several times.

"Maybe the first one or two were a manner of talking. But the third one was a big one," the Hawks player said. "That's a tough situation. Your nerves, tensions are high, people are screaming your name and you just lose yourself."

The Magic felt Pachulia deserved a stiffer penalty.

"It's a little unfair," forward Ryan Anderson said. "You can't just sit there and take a blow like that, three times, from a head-butt. You can't just let that happen. It's a natural instinct to come back at somebody. It's not like he punched him. It was just a little push-away. I think it's a little ridiculous. But what are you going to do?"

Without Pachulia, the Hawks will likely go with a combination of Collins and little-used Etan Thomas against Howard. Collins played only 17 minutes Friday after taking a hard charge from Howard, landing on his tailbone. He said it felt better a day later and there's no doubt he'll be able to go Sunday. The 6-10 Thomas missed Game 3 to attend his grandmother's funeral and played only 13 games during the regular season.

"We still have some big bodies," Drew said. "But the million-dollar question is will those bodies be as effective as Zaza has been? That remains to be seen."

The Magic could turn to Gilbert Arenas to fill some of the scoring void with Richardson out. But the one-time star known as Agent Zero didn't play at all in Game 3, and Van Gundy wouldn't commit to a larger role Sunday.

Someone will have to step up.

"Jason is a key factor on this team," Anderson said. "He's one of our main scorers, a go-to guy. It's going to be tough without him on the court."

As Pachulia talked at his locker, Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins walked up and gave a quick display of shadow boxing.

Wilkins, who's now a Hawks executive and broadcaster, threw punches at a former NBA referee who confronted him after a game last month in a dispute over a clothing bill.

Pachulia smiled and pointed at Wilkins.

"I've been learning from that guy," the center quipped.

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Boston at New York

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Boston at New York: "Celtics-Knicks 3:30 PM ET, April 24, 2011 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -- At his best, Rajon Rondo can seize..."

Boston at New York

Celtics-Knicks

3:30 PM ET, April 24, 2011
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -- At his best, Rajon Rondo can seize a rebound, dart away from defenders, and set himself or an All-Star teammate up for a basket.

Amare Stoudemire can shake a backboard with a powerful dunk, or scare a spectator sitting courtside by forcefully blocking a shot out of bounds.

He can't right now, though.

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Rondo is rolling and Stoudemire is sore, a big reason the Boston Celtics will bring a 3-0 lead over the New York Knicks into Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.

The Celtics will be looking for their first sweep since beating Indiana in three games in 1992, so long ago that it was Larry Bird's last playoff series victory.

After needing seven games just to get out of the first round in both 2008 and '09, they would welcome the chance to do something easily for a change -- especially with likely second-round opponent Miami poised to finish a sweep of its series with Philadelphia.

"I've never been part of a sweep, but I don't like to think about that stuff. We don't worry about that stuff," forward Paul Pierce said after practicing at Madison Square Garden. "It's about getting better one game at a time. We want to close the series, but they're not going to give it to us."

Rondo controlled the last two games, first with a surprising scoring outburst, then with a Celtics playoff-record 20 assists Friday in his sixth postseason triple-double. He is averaging 18.3 points, 12 assists and 8.0 rebounds, the type of all-around play that led Boston to the NBA finals last season.

"He seems always to be at his top level. I'm not surprised by what he does. I think the big thing as far as Rondo that I was shocked about when I arrived to Boston was his knowledge of the game, being so young," center Jermaine O'Neal said. "A lot of that comes through his experience of playing, but he has the ability to take over a game without scoring a lot of points. His ability to direct the offense, direct defense, get guys involved, it's one of the best in the league, if not the best in the league."

Meanwhile, Stoudemire had trouble just moving around, and with his aching back feeling worse Saturday, he said he won't play Sunday unless he feels better, adding he was below 50 percent in Friday's 113-96 loss.

"It's tough, I mean it really is. My game is very explosive. I love contact, I love to get to the basket, I love to draw fouls, I love to dunk ... that's my style of play. And so with a bad back, it's kind of tough to play that way," Stoudemire said. "There are adjustments to be made in order to be effective, but again, I don't want to get out there and further injure my injury, and so it all depends on how I feel tomorrow and see if I can go."

The Knicks will probably be without point guard Chauncey Billups, who missed the last two games after straining his left knee on a drive to the basket in the closing seconds of the opener.

New York nearly won that game and Stoudemire said he felt confident after scoring 28 points that the Knicks could win the series. Then he hurt his back dunking during warmups before Game 2, leaving Carmelo Anthony as the only healthy Knicks star, and that's not nearly enough against a Boston team with four All-Stars in its starting lineup.

Though he said "life ain't fair," Anthony repeated that the Knicks can't use injuries as an excuse.

"We've got to do what we've got to do. The Xs and Os go out the window, and we've just got to play basketball," Anthony said. "We've got to fight. It's a war, it's a battle and the most important thing is just how much pride we got. I don't want to get swept, we don't want to get swept, but we've got to go out there and just leave it all out there on the court and see what happens."

Rondo missed a triple-double by one point and one rebound in the opener, then scored a playoff career-high 30 points in Game 2 before finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds Friday.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, while saying Rondo is a good player, said the high assist total comes from Ray Allen and Pierce making so many shots. Allen did the majority of his damage against rookie Landry Fields, the second-round pick who was a reliable starter during the regular season but has been overmatched against the league's career leader in 3-point shots.

Fields is averaging just two points on 25 percent shooting, but D'Antoni said he would remain in the lineup Sunday after saying Friday he would look at whether a change was necessary.

Pierce is averaging 25.3 points on 53 percent shooting, Allen adding 24.7 and making 15 of 20 3-point attempts. The Celtics still won't have Shaquille O'Neal on Sunday, but have little to fear since no NBA team has blown a 3-0 lead.

The Knicks are just trying to win a playoff game for the first time in a decade, not thinking about winning four straight against the defending conference champions.

"It doesn't matter what the situation is," D'Antoni said. "We've got to play with more energy, more urgency, and get it done. And we can do this. We can beat these guys and we've got to believe that and just try to do it Sunday."

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Miami at Philadelphia

NBA: National Basketball League Live Streaming: Miami at Philadelphia: "Heat-76ers 1:00 PM ET, April 24, 2011 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- LeBron James blew past a yellow-shirted d..."