Miami & Memphis take command of conference semis, 3-1

The Miami Heat nearly matched a franchise record for the fewest points allowed in a playoff game after pounding the short-handed Chicago Bulls, 88-65, to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. The 65 points allowed were only two more than the all-time postseason low for a Miami opponent and it was easily the worst offensive performance by a Chicago team in the playoffs. Never before had the Bulls scored fewer than 69 in a playoff game nor 10 or less in a quarter during the postseason, but both those marks fell on a night when they were dominated on both ends of the floor. Miami will have a chance to close out the series in Game 5 at home this Wednesday night at 7 pm.




Tony Allen scored on a driving layup to open overtime as the Memphis Grizzlies held off the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-97, to push the defending Western Conference champions to the edge of elimination. Mike Conley led Memphis with 24 points and Marc Gasol & Zach Randolph each had double-doubles. Randolph had 23 points & 12 rebounds while Gasol also had 23 points & 11 rebounds along with six blocks on the day the Defensive Player of Year was named to the NBA's second All-Defensive team along with Conley, who had four steals. With a commanding 3-1 series lead, the Grizzlies will look to wrap up the Western Conference semifinals in Game 5 this Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.