Heat, Thunder win opening playoff rounds as Spurs stay alive

Kevin Durant

MIAMI,  (Reuters) – The Miami supporting cast helped  the Heat survive one final run from the Philadelphia 76ers to  hold on for a 97-91 victory on Wednesday that advanced them to  the next round of the NBA’s playoffs.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder also  advanced after a 100-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets while  the San Antonio Spurs escaped elimination with a 110-103  overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Reserve Joel Anthony made two free throws to put Miami up by  three with 16 seconds left as the Heat narrowly avoided another  fourth-quarter meltdown — Philadelphia went on a 10-0 run in  the final 82 seconds to win Game Four — to wrap up their  best-of-seven series 4-1.

The Heat had allowed a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to be  cut to just one on Wednesday but they made nine of their 10 free  throws in the final three minutes to ensure they advanced to a  second round clash with the Boston Celtics.

“It was very difficult (to finish the series),” Dwyane Wade  told reporters after scoring 12 of his game-high 26 points in  the fourth quarter. “That team (Philadelphia) is resilient.

“We knew it was going to be that way. That team got us ready  for the next round.”

Chris Bosh finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds while  LeBron James had 16 points, but it was the 20 points the home  team got off the bench from Mario Chalmers that proved vital.

Philadelphia’s starting lineup had dominated their Miami  counterparts throughout the series, outscoring them 78-46 before  either side made their first substitutions, which continued on  Wednesday as they opened an 11-point lead in the first quarter.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed tactics and started the  second half with reserves Chalmers and Anthony, with Chalmers’  contribution proving invaluable.

The guard made two of this six three-pointers in the third  quarter, one of which began a 7-0 run that helped Miami to a  72-67 lead heading into the final period.

Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points each for the  76ers.

In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant carried his team with 41  points as the Thunder erased a nine-point deficit in the final  four minutes to clinch the series 4-1 and advance to the next  round.

The Thunder went on a 9-0 run to tie the game with 1:50  left, then Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer during the regular  season, made two free throws to put his team on top 98-97 before  adding the clinching jumper.

Denver’s Arron Afflalo missed a three-point attempt as time  expired. Afflalo finished with a team-high 15 points and Kenyon  Martin added 14 and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets.

The Thunder will meet the Spurs or Grizzlies in the next  round after San Antonio’s Gary Neal made a last-second  three-point shot to send their game into overtime.

The Spurs then saved their season by scoring the final seven  points of the game to prevail 110-103 and reduce their series  deficit to 3-2.

Manu Ginobili scored 33 points and Tony Parker added 24 and  nine assists.

The Grizzlies, who had shocked the NBA by putting the Westen  Conference top-seeds on the brink of elimination, held a 97-94  lead with less than two seconds to go in regulation when Neal  made his shot.

Zach Randolph had 26 points and Mike Conley finished with 20  for Memphis.

Game Six is today in Memphis.

Kevin Durant