The 2014 NBA Playoffs continued Wednesday with three Game 5s, two conferences and one common theme of home-court resilience.
The San Antonio Spurs hosted their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks, while the Toronto Raptors welcomed the Brooklyn Nets north of the border. The final matchup featured the high-flying Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers in the nation’s Lone Star state.
All three, of course, concluded with the home team on top.
Let’s recap how they got there.
San Antonio 109, Dallas 103
For as close as the underdog made things on Wednesday night, it never actually led at any point in the game.
The Spurs prevailed in Game 5 of this Texas-based rivalry with a 109-103 victory over the visiting Mavericks.
The Mavericks, however, cut into various deficits throughout this playoff contest. They rallied back from 13 points in the first quarter, kept it to within a single possession for most of the second and reduced a 12-point lead to single digits at the end of three.
A three-point barrage from ageless veteran Vince Carter fueled Dallas’ comeback tendencies. He drilled seven of the team’s 12 makes from distance, including his sixth one that cut San Antonio’s lead to just 98-94 at the 2:58 mark of the fourth quarter.
But it was the very next three-play sequence that ultimately decided the final outcome.
After Carter knocked down his 23-footer, Tony Parker missed from just one foot away from the basket on the Spurs subsequent possession. Fellow international icon Dirk Nowitzki snatched up the rebound for Dallas.
Despite being a near-perfect 7-of-8 in the fourth, Nowitzki clanked iron on a mid-range jumper from the baseline. The shocking miss led to Parker hitting his only—but supremely pivotal—three-pointer of the game. A would-be two-point hole inflated to seven, and the Spurs never looked back.
Nowitzki posted a monster 26-PTS, 15-REB double-double, while Carter led the Mavs with 28 PTS off the bench. Monta Ellis played the role of legitimate floor general with 21 PTS and 6 AST in a team-high 40 minutes of floor time.
Parker missed 14 of his 23 shots, but made them when it counted. His 23 PTS paced the assist-happy Spurs that saw four players record at least five dimes. Manu Ginobili added 19 PTS, while Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter once again registered big-time double-doubles.
This fantastic Western Conference battle resumes Friday in Dallas (TBA) with the Mavs down 3-2.
Toronto 115, Brooklyn 113
Anyone in the mood for an historic comeback that fell just short?
The Raptors successfully defended their home court via a 115-113 final over the Nets in Game 5 of this Eastern Conference series.
But what should have ended in an easy double-digit close-out became entirely too close for the Toronto faithful.
The backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan powered the Raptors to a huge cushion after three quarters of play. Even backup point guard Greivis Vasquez contributed, hitting a jumper that made it 91-69 entering the fourth.
Then the wheels came off—and nearly for good.
When most NBA fans switched to pre-game coverage of the later matchup, the Nets steadily chipped away at the 22-point deficit from a variety of sources. Mirza Teletovic, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Alan Anderson and Andray Blatche all joined in on the come-from-behind-fun.
But it was the calm-and-collected Johnson that really put a scare into Air Canada Centre.
Following a Lowry turnover, “J.J’s” ice-cold three-pointer tied the game at 101-apiece. It also upped his team-high output to 30 PTS—with 26 coming in the second half.
So, would the Raptors surrender another colossal lead this season? (See: 27-point collapse on 12/3 at Golden State).
As if on cue, their three-guard dynamo woke up and the team collectively emerged from its zombie-like state. Lowry scored seven points down the stretch, Vasquez hit a three and DeRozan sealed it with two clutch free throws (12-of-13 on the night).
Lowry finished with a playoff career-high 36 PTS, DeRozan and Vasquez added 12 REB and the trio combined for 74 of Toronto’s 115 total points. Center Jonas Valanciunas supplied 16 PTS and six boards on an efficient 7-of-10 from the field.
In addition to Johnson’s 30, Teletovic compiled 17 PTS and 7 REB, making 4-of-8 from downtown. Williams totaled 13 PTS, 9 AST and 4 STL, while Paul Pierce scored just 10 PTS in a limited 24 minutes.
Game 6 is set for Friday night at 7:00 PM ET in the Barclays Center with Brooklyn trailing 3-2.
Houston 108, Portland 98
Welcome to a story of survival—on the hardwood.
The hometown Rockets stifled the Blazers late en route to a 108-98 win in a do-or-die Game 5.
Facing elimination, Houston generated a 17-point cushion—its biggest on the night—behind Jeremy Lin’s three-pointer midway through the second quarter. Momentum was clearly with the team battling for its playoff livelihood in the early goings.
But, in concert with the theme of this series, Portland punched back continually. It trimmed the lead to eight points at half and just five entering the fourth quarter.
The turning point of the game surely arrived with 3:39 flashing on the scoreboard.
Fearless floor leader Damian Lillard completed a driving layup and brought his road squad to within two points of the Rockets 100-98 advantage. The comeback was on.
Yet, like the two playoff matchups that came before, the home team shut the door.
James Harden, one of the Association’s premier closers, lived up to his name with an immediate three (his only one), finishing with six points in the final minutes. His block of Lillard’s three-point attempt officially sealed it at the 1:12 mark.
The frontline of Dwight Howard and Omer Asik discovered some newfound compatibility with a combined 32 PTS, 19 REB and 4 BLK. Lin went for 21 PTS, Chandler Parsons added 20 and Harden collected 17 PTS, 7 AST and 3 STL.
Wesley Matthews notched a Portland-best 27 PTS, while Lillard racked up 26 PTS, 8 REB, 7 AST and 4 STL. Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge was the only Blazers starter who didn’t hit at least 50 percent of his shots. He scored just 8 PTS after exploding for 40-plus in the first two games in Houston.
This series travels back to the Pacific Northwest on Friday at 10:30 PM ET with Portland leading 3-2.
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