NBA Playoffs Results

vs(From the Associated Press) - Derrick Rose(notes) heard the “MVP! MVP!” chants and thought he would faint, the loud chorus rattling the All-Star point guard.

Funny thing, though.

Being guarded by LeBron James(notes) late in the game didn’t faze him. And now, the Cleveland Cavaliers can forget about sweeping the Bulls out of the playoffs.

Rose scored 31 points, Kirk Hinrich(notes) added 27 and Chicago hung to beat the top-seeded Cavaliers 108-106 Thursday night in Game 3 of a first-round series after its 21-point lead dwindled to one.

“We stayed strong,” said Chicago’s Joakim Noah(notes), who fought through foul trouble to finish with 15 rebounds. “D-Rose played huge for us. It just feels really good to come out with a win right now.”

James scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 after Mo Williams(notes) nailed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left. They immediately fouled Luol Deng(notes), who hit the first free throw but missed the second.

Cleveland’s Anthony Parker(notes) got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a 3 at the buzzer, and the Bulls escaped with the win despite some shaky foul shooting late in the game.

They will try to tie the best-of-seven series on Sunday.

Hinrich, a career 80.9 percent foul shooter, missed two with 26 seconds left and the Bulls up 104-99.

James then buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. The Cavaliers immediately fouled Rose, who missed the first free throw before converting the second to make it 105-102 with 10.1 seconds left.

Chicago fouled Anderson Varejao(notes) to prevent a 3-point attempt, and he made the first but missed the second. Brad Miller(notes) got the rebound and converted both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls hung on for a wild win.

“They kept us on our heels and we can ill afford to let that happen,” said Antawn Jamison(notes), who scored 19.

Rose was serenaded by that “MVP!” chant late in the third quarter and was guarded down the stretch by the player who figures to win the award. That didn’t shake him, but the chorus did, though.

“I almost passed out,” Rose said. “Hopefully one day, but I’m just worried about winning games right now.”

So is James, who said he made the call to take Rose down the stretch.

The Bulls appeared to be in good shape up 21 in the third, only to see the Cavaliers cut it all the way to 94-92 on a pair of free throws and a layup by Jamison with 4:10 remaining in the game.

Deng, who scored 20, then made a jumper and Noah stole a pass from James. That led to a jumper by Rose, who then buried a fadeaway as the crowd chanted “Let’s go Bulls!” to make it 100-92 with 2:42 remaining.

James charged into Deng with 1:18 remaining and the Bulls up by six, then got stripped by Noah. Deng picked up the loose ball and Hinrich hit two free throws to make it 104-96 with 38 seconds remaining.

About that charge, James didn’t agree with the call.

“I saw him backpedaling,” James said. “Me as a driver, I’m watching the defender’s feet. I’m seeing if he’s stationed or is still moving. To me, I felt like he was still backpedaling, and as soon as I saw him backpedaling, that’s when I decided to take off. They called a charge. I haven’t seen the replay, but I know exactly what I’ve seen on the court with the defender right in front of me.”

Noah said he was particularly concerned Deng would get whistled after seeing James’ shot go in.

“I think one of the refs was about to call a block and then he looked at the other ref because he wasn’t sure, and the other ref—thank God—called a charge,” Noah said. “That was a huge play for us. I’m really happy that play went our way. I think I’m kind of biased, but to me, I thought it was a charge the whole time.”

As for his five fouls?

“Stupid, stupid fouls,” said Noah, who collected several going for offensive rebounds.

Still, at times the Bulls looked as if they might run away with this one.

They were leading 39-23 early in the second after a three-point play by Deng, and they finished the half with a flourish after Cleveland pulled within seven.

Miller hit a 19-footer with a minute left and Hinrich nailed 20-footer from the wing to make it 56-45 before Noah blocked a driving layup by James in the closing seconds. The Bulls continued to pour it on in the third.

Taj Gibson(notes) started it with a jumper and capped the run with another one, making it 68-47 with 7:37 left in the third, before the Cavaliers scored 13 straight.

“I believe we’re going to be fine,” Varejao said. “We just have to play the way we did in the second half.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - Scuffling through a rough shooting night, Kevin Durant(notes) wanted to do anything he could to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling hopelessly behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

So, why not take on the task of defending Kobe Bryant(notes)?

Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk while guarding Bryant to lead the decisive run, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night in the first playoff game in Oklahoma City.

“Scoring’s a big part of my game. It kind of overshadows the other parts of my game,” said Durant, who at 21 became the youngest player to lead the NBA in scoring. “But if I continue to play hard on both ends, it’s going to come around for me. I was able to get free and make a couple shots, and that’s what got us going.”

Durant and Russell Westbrook(notes) scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay.

The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Bryant’s driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

Durant celebrated by thumping his chest and popping his jersey to show off the “Thunder” printed on the front while Westbrook, who scored 27 points, flapped his arms to egg on the screaming crowd.

“It feels good. Playing against the reigning champs makes it even better. But we have a long ways to go,” said Durant, who missed his first seven shots and 15 of his first 19. “It does feel good to get our first win. It feels even better to bring the first win in the playoffs here to Oklahoma City. That’s what I’m most excited about.”

Bryant scored 24 points to surpass Jerry West’s franchise record for playoff scoring, and Pau Gasol(notes) had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles.

But when it came down to crunch time, Bryant couldn’t deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers’ 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.

“It was a matchup that caught me by surprise,” said Bryant, who’s nearly half a foot shorter than Durant. “I think he did a great job.”

Undaunted by a raucous sellout crowd, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and were in control until the Thunder roared back with an electrifying run of eight straight points late in the third quarter.

The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back from an 11-point deficit set off by Westbrook’s right-handed tomahawk dunk. James Harden(notes) and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter.

“That was the loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd get,” said Harden, a rookie reserve who scored 18 points after going scoreless in Games 1 and 2. “That Russell dunk was just amazing and the back-to-back 3s, it just rattled the place.”

Nick Collison(notes), the only player left from the franchise’s last playoff appearance five years ago in Seattle, said, “It was so loud, it was almost quiet. It’s a weird feeling.”

Andrew Bynum(notes) pulled Los Angeles even for the final time by powering through Collison’s hard foul for a right-handed dunk, then hitting the ensuing free throw to tie it at 80.

Durant answered at the other end with a jumper from the right side with 8:41 left to give Oklahoma City the lead for good, then converted Bryant’s turnover into a two-handed jam on a fast break.

His 19-foot jumper from the right wing put Oklahoma City up 90-82 with 4:28 remaining, and that lead was just big enough for the Thunder to hang on down the stretch.

“We just fell asleep. We probably thought we had it in the bag,” said Ron Artest(notes), charged with defending Durant most of the game. “In this game, especially, you’ve got to respect the possessions. … You really can’t take it for granted.”

Fans wearing free blue “Rise Together” T-shirts were standing even 15 minutes before the game to chant “Beat L.A.!” and rose to their feet again when the Thunder brought out a new pregame video that showed key moments from Oklahoma City’s time in the NBA.

It was billed as the biggest sports day in the city’s history, with three Oklahoma players taken among the top four picks in the NFL draft on the same night as the first home playoff game for the Thunder or the New Orleans Hornets — who were displaced to the Ford Center for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.

And it came on the 121st anniversary of the date the state, which was formerly American Indian territory, was first settled in a land run.

All that didn’t seem to bother the defending NBA champions.

They kept the fans standing—and waiting for the Thunder’s first basket— until coach Scott Brooks burned a timeout 2:34 into the game with his team already down 10-0. Los Angeles made its first seven shots, taking advantage of three early Thunder turnovers and the 7-foot Bynum’s size advantage inside with a series of lobs.

“I was actually disappointed in the crowd because all year long I thought they were the best crowd. They just gave us so much energy and were so loud throughout the year,” Brooks said. “But now, I realize they were sandbagging.”

vs(From the Associated Press) - —Jason Richardson(notes) kept finding himself alone behind the 3-point line, so he obliged.

Richardson made eight 3-pointers and finished with playoff career-high 42 points Thursday night in the Suns’ 108-89 victory over the Trail Blazers, which gave Phoenix a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
PORTLAND, OR - APRIL 22: Martell Webster(notes) #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers takes a shot against Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) #1 of the Phoenix Suns in Game Three of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2010 at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
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* 1 of 41
* Pho-Por Gallery

Series at a Glance
Portland vs. Phoenix
Suns lead series 2-1

1. Game 1: at PHO

POR 105, PHO 100 - Final
Recap | Box Score
2. Game 2: at PHO

POR 90, PHO 119 - Final
Recap | Box Score
3. Game 3: at POR

PHO 108, POR 89 - Final
Recap | Box Score
4. Game 4: at POR

Sat, Apr 24 - 4:30 pm EDT

TV: TNT, My45
5. Game 5: at PHO

Mon, Apr 26 - 10:30 pm EDT

TV: TNT, FSAZ
6. Game 6: at POR

Thu, Apr 29 - TBA

TV: My45
7. Game 7: at PHO

Sat, May 01 - TBA

TV: TNT, FSAZ

Series Breakdown

“I was surprised they kept leaving me,” Richardson said.

Richardson hit his first three late in the first half as the Suns built a lead that would extend to 31 points. He made 13-of-19 shots from the floor.

The secret to Richardson’s success? Portland was occupied with Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash(notes).

“They’ve done a good job of taking Amare’s game away on the rolls, but in order to do that you have to have an extra defender in and we’ve done a good job of swinging the ball and finding Jason,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. “Obviously he’s in a good groove shooting the ball right now.”

Portland mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, closing within 91-80 after Rudy Fernandez(notes) hit three consecutive 3-pointers. But the burst came too late for the Blazers, who suffered a setback when starting forward Nicolas Batum(notes) aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return.

Phoenix dropped the opening game of the series 105-100 at home but rebounded with a 119-90 victory on Tuesday night. Game 4 is Saturday at Portland.

Home-court advantage meant little for the Blazers. The red-clad Rose Garden fans even booed their team as the players left the court with a 66-37 deficit at the break.

LaMarcus Aldridge(notes) led the Blazers with 17 points. Andre Miller(notes), who scored 31 in Portland’s Game 1 win, was off for the second straight game and finished with just 11. And the home team was dismal from the free throw line, making just 16-of-28 attempts.

Stoudemire had 20 points for the Suns, while Nash finished with 13 points and 10 assists. Richardson ended up the beneficiary.

“I think that is my best game as a pro,” Richardson said. “Nine years in the league, only been to the playoffs twice, so it’s been seven summers at home. Right now I don’t take anything for granted.”

The Suns jumped on Portland early, quickly quieting the sellout crowd. Nash’s left-handed layup midway through the first quarter put Phoenix in front 16-6.

The Blazers were conservative, hampered by early fouls on both Fernandez and Aldridge. It didn’t help when Jerryd Bayless(notes) was hit with a technical, and coach Nate McMillan had to signal his team to calm down.

Richardson hit a 3-pointer and Leandro Barbosa(notes) made a layup to close out the first period with a 34-16 Suns lead.

“Once I hit the first 3, it felt like it opened up the basket for me,” Richardson said.

Richardson, who had 29 points in the Suns’ Game 2 victory, had 21 in the first half alone while the Blazers unsuccessfully used second-year guard Bayless to defend him.

Batum was questionable before the game after hurting his shoulder in the second half of Game 2 when he collided with Nash. But he started—and answered any questions about his shoulder with an early two-handed dunk.

But late in the first half, Batum was fouled under the Blazers basket and appeared to re-injure himself. He quickly retreated to the locker room.

The injury was of concern because Batum, the team’s primary perimeter defender, had surgery on the shoulder just before the opener and missed the first 45 games of the season.

The Blazers are already thin because of injuries. All-Star guard Brandon Roy(notes) tore the meniscus in his right knee and had arthroscopic surgery two days before the playoffs got under way.

“We have lost Nick now. We have to keep going through it,” Aldridge said. “This is our season—we take a step forward, and we take a step back.”

Portland mustered some energy in the second half, closing to 82-67 on Bayless’ 20-foot jumper early in the fourth quarter before Fernandez went on his 3-point flurry.

“Tonight we just seemed tight,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “The first half, we seemed to be a little tight, maybe put some pressure on ourselves. The second half, we won that. We started to play basketball. We started to fight and won both of those quarters. Somehow we have to get that fight, that scrappiness, in the first half.”

Batum’s injury was yet another in a string that have afflicted the Blazers all season. Centers Greg Oden(notes) and Joel Przybilla(notes) needed season-ending knee surgeries and Fernandez had midseason back troubles. Former forward Travis Outlaw(notes), who was traded to the Clippers, sat out for a time with a foot injury.

Roy missed more that a dozen games with a sore hamstring earlier this year before the slight meniscus tear was discovered.

In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to the Warriors this season. Only Miller and forward Martell Webster(notes) played in all 82 games.