Boston sweeps; 76ers survive; Hawks lead 3-1; NOLA even series

Kevin Garnett had 26 points & 10 rebounds and Rajon Rondo also had a double-double with 21 points & 12 assists as the Boston Celtics swept their way into the Eastern Conference semifinals, holding on for a 101-89 victory over the New York Knicks.




Philadelphia head coach Doug Collins stated earlier in the day that his team would return to Miami for Game 5 and Lou Williams made sure of that by hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer from the top of the arc over a lunging Dwyane Wade with 8.1 seconds left that lifted Philadelphia to an 86-82 win over the Heat, thus avoiding a sweep.




Joe Johnson hit four big free throws in the final 20 seconds and the Atlanta Hawks finally put away the Orlando Magic, holding on for an 88-85 victory and a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first round series.




Producing his first triple-double of the season, Chris Paul scored 27 points, 15 assists & 13 rebounds as the New Orleans Hornets held on for a 93-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers to even their first round playoff series at 2-2.