INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger scored 25 points, and Indiana beat Orlando 105-87 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round Eastern Conference series in five games. INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger scored 25 points, and Indiana beat Orlando 105-87 on Tuesday night
INDIANAPOLIS — Danny Granger scored 25 points, and Indiana beat Orlando 105-87 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round Eastern Conference series in five games.
It was Indiana’s first series win since 2005 and its first clincher on its home court since the first round of the 2000 playoffs. The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round.
Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers, who outscored the Magic 36-16 in the fourth quarter.
Jameer Nelson was 5-of-8 from 3-point range and had 27 points for Orlando, which was 5-of-16 from the field in the fourth quarter.
HAWKS 87, CELTICS 86
ATLANTA — Al Horford scored 19 points in his first start since January, and Atlanta held on for the victory in Game 5.
Game 6 is Thursday in Boston.
The Celtics had a chance to clinch the series when Rajon Rondo stole Josh Smith’s inbounds pass with 10 seconds remaining. But he got hemmed in along the sideline and Smith knocked away a desperation pass.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 16 points apiece. Rondo had 13 points and 12 assists.
Horford, who went down in January with a torn pectoral muscle, had 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
Smith had 13 points and 16 rebounds while Jeff Teague had 16 points and Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams had 15 apiece.
BULLS 77, 76ERS 69
CHICAGO — Luol Deng scored 24 points and Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds as Chicago avoided a first-round playoff exit.
The top-seeded Bulls finally won without point guard Derrick Rose, building a nine-point halftime lead and staying in control down the stretch to pull within 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Philadelphia.
It’s been a brutal series for the Bulls, with Rose tearing the ACL in his left knee late in the opener and center Joakim Noah spraining his left ankle in Game 3. He sat out his second straight game.
The Bulls held the Sixers to a season-low 32.1 percent shooting.
Jrue Holiday scored 16 points on 5-of-17 shooting for Philadelphia while Lou Williams scored 13 and Andre Iguodala and Spencer Hawes both finished with 11.
NUGGETS 102, LAKERS 99
LOS ANGELES — Andre Miller scored 24 points, including two free throws with 12.8 seconds left, and Denver survived Kobe Bryant’s 43-point performance to avoid playoff elimination.
JaVale McGee had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who trimmed the Lakers’ series lead to 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Denver.
Denver had a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but Bryant hit four 3-pointers over the final 4:47 to make it 98-96 with 59 seconds left.
Ramon Sessions hit a 3-pointer with 12.8 seconds left, trimming the Nuggets’ lead to one point.
Los Angeles had two more chances to tie after Miller’s free throws, but Bryant and Sessions missed 3-point attempts.
