Memphis takes over; Nuggets survive; Mavs take the lead

The 8th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies outscored San Antonio 30-15 in the third quarter, turning a 2-point halftime deficit into a 104-86 rout of the Spurs for a commanding 3-1 lead in their opening series.




Ty Lawson scored a career playoff-high 27 points and J.R. Smith & Danilo Gallinari hit clutch shots down the stretch to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-101 to avoid a first round sweep.




Tyson Chandler wound up with 14 points & 20 rebounds, but his most important contribution might’ve been setting the aggressive, exciting tone the Dallas Mavericks needed to bounce back from a devastating loss as they beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 93-82. Dallas leads the series 3-2 with two days to rest up before trying to close things out in Game 6 on Thursday night in Portland.