Three teams went into Friday with a chance to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, but only one did.
The Trail Blazers earned a 106-103 win over the injury-depleted Clippers at home to advance to Round 2 for just the third time since 2000. Damian Lillard led the way with 28 points, and Mason Plumlee hit three of four free throws in the closing seconds to seal the deal. The win was Portland's fourth in a row after starting the series down 2-0.
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The Hornets and Raptors weren't able to do the same.
The Pacers' 101-83 win at home over the Raptors extended their season for at least one more game. Paul George came up big again with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while the Raptors' highly touted back court of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry played well below expectations (combined 18 points on 7-of-27 shooting).
The Heat came up with a 97-90 win over Charlotte, as Dwyane Wade's fourth-quarter shooting helped his team overcome Kemba Walker's 37 points.
The Pacers will travel to Toronto — and the Hornets to Miami — for their respective Game 7s on Sunday. The Trail Blazers will head to Oakland to face the Warriors in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Tweet of the Night
This guy may have gotten under Dwyane Wade’s skin, but it didn’t work out so well for the Hornets. Wade scored 23 points and hit his first two 3-pointers of the calendar year as the Heat beat the Hornets to return home for a Game 7 on Sunday.
"Bruh..." pic.twitter.com/RybUOoughD
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 30, 2016
Stud of the Night
Walker single-handedly kept the Hornets in Game 6 with 37 points on 14-for-30 shooting, including 4 of 8 from the 3-point line. He may need a similar effort if Charlotte is going to win Game 7.
Dud(s) of the Night
As mentioned, Lowry and DeRozan did not perform well. If they repeat that performance in Game 7, Toronto will be one-and-done in the playoffs again.
Looking ahead
Thunder at Spurs, Game 1, 8:30 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City and San Antonio had an easy time moving past the first round, but both teams will need all the weapons in their arsenals when they face off in this Western Conference semifinal series. These teams have met three times in the past five postseasons, and the winner of this series will likely take on the Warriors. Expect an intense Game 1.