Knicks hold off Celtics’ rally, clinch
Pacers, Thunder, Grizzlies advance
BOSTON — Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points and the New York Knicks held on after blowing most of a 26-point lead to beat the Boston Celtics 88-80 in Game 6 on Friday night and advance in the postseason for the first time since 2000.
Iman Shumpert scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, when the Celtics cut a 75- 49 deficit to four points. But Anthony made a jumper to give New York an 81-75 lead and sank a 3-pointer. Then J. R. Smith converted a threepoint play to restore the double-digit lead the Knicks had nursed most of the game.
Jeff Green scored 21 points for the Celtics, who had rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the series and had a chance, at home, to force a decisive seventh game.
The Knicks had not won a playoff series since Patrick Ewing and Latrell Sprewell (and current backup center Marcus Camby) helped them reach the 2000 Eastern Conference finals.
THUNDER 104, ROCKETS 93: In Houston, Kevin Durant scored 27 points and Kevin Martin added 25 to lead Oklahoma City past Houston, sending the Thunder to the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season.
The Rockets were looking to become the fourth team in NBA history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-0.
But the Thunder opened the fourth quarter with a big run to take the lead and cruised to the victory.
Martin finally gave Oklahoma City someone to take scoring pressure off Durant for the first time since All-Star Russell Westbrook had seasonending knee surgery. Martin had 21 points by halftime, and Westbrook’s replacement, Reggie Jackson, helped out by scoring 17.
PACERS 81, HAWKS 73: In Atlanta, George Hill and David West each scored 21 points and Indiana withstood a furious Atlanta comeback in the fourth quarter to close out the opening-round playoff series four games to two.
The home team had won every game until the Hawks returned to Philips Arena and set a franchise record with just nine points in the second quarter on 1-of-15 shooting. The defense broke down in the third, allowing Hill and West to combine for 22 points, and the Pacers built a 65-50 lead going to the fourth.
The Hawks sliced it to 76-73 on Al Horford’s dunk with 2:13 remaining, but the comeback fizzled there as the Pacers advanced to face New York, which holds the home-court edge.
GRIZZLIES 118, CLIPPERS 105: In Memphis, Tenn., Mike Conley and Zach Randolph scored 23 points each as Memphis beat Los Angeles to take the first-round series 4-2 and advance to its second Western Conference semifinal in three seasons.
The Grizzlies had never won four straight postseason games before this series, and they became only the 10th team in NBA history to win four straight after trailing 0-2. They will open the second round at Oklahoma City on Sunday.
Memphis finished with seven players in double figures. Tony Allen had a post season best 19 points, and Jerryd Bayless had 16.