The Los Angeles Clippers were ousted while the Miami Heat defense came through in NBA playoff games Tuesday in Orlando.
ADEBAYO BLOCK HELPS MIAMI WIN
All-Star Bam Adebayo blocked a shot by Jayson Tatum in the dying seconds to lead the Miami Heat to a 117-114 win over the Boston Celtics in overtime in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
''When you have great competition like this, you just have to make plays that you can't even really explain,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''And that was Bam tonight.''
Goran Dragic scored 29 points, Jae Crowder added 22, Jimmy Butler had 20, and Adebayo had 18 for the Heat.
Butler made the go-ahead 3-pointer late in regulation to send the game into overtime. He also scored the go-ahead baskets in the extra period.
Jayson Tatum scored 30 points for the Celtics, Marcus Smart had 26 points, Kemba Walker had 19, and Jaylen Brown added 17.
DOOR SLAMMED ON CLIPPERS
The fifth-seed Denver Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a 104-89 rout of the No. 2 seed Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their semifinal series.
Jamal Murray scored 40 points to lead the Nuggets to a stunning comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series.
Denver became the first NBA team to rally from 3-1 deficits twice in the same postseason. They defeated the Utah Jazz in the first round.
The Nuggets will go up against the top-seed LA Lakers in the next round beginning Friday.
Nikola Jokic contributed 16 points, 22 rebounds, and 13 assists for Denver, and Jerami Grant and Gary Harris added 14 points apiece.
The Clippers who have never made to the West Finals in franchise history, got 20 from Montrezel Harrel.
Kawhi Leonard only had 14 points, Patrick Beverley scored 11. and Paul George finished with 10.
Both Clippers superstars were atrocious from the floor, shooting 6 of 22 and 4 of 16 respectively.
MORANT IN ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM
NBA Rookie of the Year Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies leads the 2019-20 All-Rookie first team.
Also in the team were Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Golden State Warriors forward Eric Paschall.
In the second team are Tyler Herro of the Heat, Terence Davis II of the Toronto Raptors, Coby White of the Chicago Bulls, P.J. Washington of the Charlotte Hornets, and Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards.(Compiled by Tristan Lozano)