Heat rally late to see off Nets while Spurs cruise against Portland.
The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are on a collision course again after both closed out their respective series to advance to the Conference Finals.
LeBron James scored 29 points while Dwyane Wade added 28 and Ray Allen hit two huge plays in the final seconds to see off the Brooklyn Nets with a 4-1 series win.
It was a 10th straight series win for the two-time defending champions and despite being swept by their rivals during the regular season, they proved that it all matters during the post-season and they delivered yet again.
Nets coach Jason Kidd was keen to give Miami credit for their aggressiveness in the fourth quarter to see out the game, but it was undoubtedly a disappointing end to the season for the expensively assembled team from Brooklyn.
In contrast, Miami are looking to make a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals and will now await the winner of the Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers, with the latter holding a 3-2 advantage ahead of Game 6 on Thursday.
Over in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs cruised to victory against the Portland Trail Blazers despite point guard Tony Parker suffering a hamstring injury.
Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points apiece while Patty Mills had 18 off the bench along with 16 points and eight rebounds from Tim Duncan to make up for the Frenchman’s absence.
It’s a third straight conference finals visit for the Spurs as they look to avenge their defeat by the Heat in the Finals last year, and they must now wait to see who prevails between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 21 points for the visitors while Damian Lillard added 17 points and 10 assists, but despite the disappointment of the season coming to an end, Portland can be delighted with the progress that they have made this year.
As for the Spurs they face an anxious wait over news regarding Parker after he left the game in the first half, and although Gregg Popovich wouldn’t provide any details while Duncan admitted he was worried, several Spurs said they were optimistic he would recover in time for the next game.
NBA Results:
Brooklyn Nets 94-96 Miami Heat
Portland Trail Blazers 82-104 San Antonio Spurs
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