Hawks hold off the Nets 107-97 for 3-2 lead
Hawks hold off the Nets 107-97 for 3-2 lead
Associated Press
ATLANTA — Al Horford banged his dislocated finger and spent much of the game fiddling with it. Jeff Teague twisted his right ankle and hobbled to the locker room for a quick tape job.
By the end of the night, they were both feeling just fine.
Horford and Teague scored 20 points apiece, helping the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks hold off the Brooklyn Nets 107-97 Wednesday night in an NBA playoff series that’s closer than anyone envisioned.
Down by 17 at the end of the first quarter, Brooklyn might have returned home with an improbable lead if not for Horford and Teague.
With two fingers on his shooting hand taped together, Horford flew around the court in the fourth quarter, crashing the boards, knocking down jumpers and exhorting his teammates to hold off the eighth-seeded Nets.
In the final minutes, Teague darted into the lane on his taped ankle for a pair of baskets that sealed another hard-fought victory.
“It’s the playoffs,” said DeMarre Carroll, who led the Hawks with 24 points but also had his right hand wrapped up after taking a hard fall. “You don’t have injuries in the playoffs.”
Alan Anderson led the Nets with 23 points off the bench. Jarrett Jack added 18 as the Brooklyn backups totally dominated Atlanta’s reserves, forcing the Hawks to rely almost entirely on their starters. Carroll played more than 42 minutes.
Grizzlies beat Trail Blazers 99-93 in Game 5
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marc Gasol had 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Grizzlies reached the West semifinals for the third time in five years. They will play Game 1 on Sunday at Golden State.
Memphis closed out Portland in five games despite not having point guard Mike Conley for a second straight game as he recovers from surgery to repair broken bones near his left eye.
Courtney Lee added 20 points for Memphis, Zach Randolph had 16 and Jeff Green added 10 off the bench.
CJ McCollum led Portland with a career-high 33 points. Damian Lillard had 22 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 14 before fouling out late.
as they combined to shoot 13 of 37. The Trail Blazers lost in the first round for the seventh time in their last eight postseasons.
Kevin Love has shoulder surgery, sidelined 4-to-6 months
CLEVELAND — Kevin Love had surgery on his badly damaged left shoulder that could require six months of recovery, officially ending any remote chance he had of returning during Cleveland’s playoff run.
Love, whose arm was yanked from the socket on Sunday by Boston’s Kelly Olynyk during Game 4, had the operation at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York on Wednesday. The team released a brief statement saying the forward had the procedure and that his projected recovery time is 4-to-6 months.
On Tuesday, Cavs general manager David Griffin said it was “highly unlikely” Love would return during the postseason. That distant possibility was erased by the surgery to a shoulder Griffin said sustained “extensive” damage. Love had ligaments in his shoulder torn on a play that has shaken Cleveland’s championship hopes.
Love was battling for a loose ball when his arm got tangled with Olynyk midway through the first quarter of Cleveland’s series-sweeping win over the Celtics. Olynyk pulled on Love’s arm, causing the dislocation. Following the game, Love called the play “bush league” and said he was convinced Olynyk tried to hurt him intentionally.
Olynyk did not get called for a foul on the play, but the next day the NBA suspended him one game for his actions.
Love finally made it to the playoffs in his first season with Cleveland, which acquired him last summer in a trade from Minnesota. The seven-year veteran struggled at times during a bumpy year with the Cavs, who will face either Chicago or Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting next week.
But Love had become more of an offensive weapon in recent weeks, and now the Cavs have to chase a title without him.
Love can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent, but the 26-year-old has insisted he is happy with the Cavaliers.
With Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, the Cavs have a core trio of stars who can keep them among the league’s elite for years — as long as they can keep them together.
James said Tuesday that he didn’t know what Love’s plans are going forward, and now was not the time to consider anyone’s future.
“I don’t think he’s thought about the offseason or what he wants to do,” James said. “I haven’t had that conversation with him and I shouldn’t have to have that conversation with him, especially right now when we’re going through this challenge and this battle of trying to win a championship.”
It will be tough for the Cavs to replace Love’s points, rebounding and his ability to space the floor during the rest of this postseason. Love can shoot from the outside — he made six 3-pointers in Game 3 against Boston — and Cavs coach David Blatt may try to offset his loss by using a smaller lineup and giving more playing time to Mike Miller and James Jones, two proven deep shooters.