The Raptors and Heat win seventh games to reach the second round in the East.
MIAMI — Dwyane Wade took a moment before tipoff to reflect on all his Miami Heat endured this season.
They lost Chris Bosh at the All-Star break to a blood clot for a second consecutive year, forcing them to change their style of play. They handled injuries, saw assistant coach Keith Smart deal with cancer treatment that took him away from the team and reshaped their roster in free-agent deals and trades.
Wade realized how it all made his team stronger.
“I’m not a prophet or anything,” Wade said, “but I knew we were winning this game.”
How right he was. Goran Dragic scored 25 points in his first Game 7, Gerald Green added 16 and the Heat ousted the Charlotte Hornets with an emphatic 106-73 victory. Miami won two elimination games to take the series 4-3, and will play Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Tuesday night.
“Just great competition,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, lauding the Hornets. “Our hats go off to them. They made us better.”
Luol Deng scored 15, Wade finished with 12 and Hassan Whiteside had a 10-point, 12-rebound, five-block clincher for the Heat, who have won their last four Game 7s.
Frank Kaminsky scored 12 for Charlotte.
The Hornets’ two biggest stars, Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, combined for 13 points.
RAPTORS 89, PACERS 84
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and Jonas Valanciunas had 15 rebounds and 10 points as Toronto eliminated visiting Indiana in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series to advance to face Miami in the conference semifinals.
Rookie Norman Powell added 13 points, Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists, and Patrick Patterson had 11 pointed to help Toronto win a seven-game series for the first time.
Paul George led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
George Hill scored 19 points, and Monta Ellis had 15 points.
WARRIORS 118 TRAIL BLAZERS 106
In Oakland, Calif., Klay Thompson scored 37 points in another brilliant performance as Stephen Curry watched injured, and Golden State again dominated without its MVP to beat Portland in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.
Draymond Green had his second career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the Warriors.
“Everything has to be ratcheted up,” Green said.
“I just told the guys that we’ve got to come out with a defensive mindset.”
Thompson hit seven 3-pointers to become the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in three straight playoff games.
The Warriors outscored Portland 15-0 in fast-break points in the first half.
Portland’s Andrew Bogut had 10 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.