Nba Playoffs, Basketball | featured news

A year ago, it was all different. LeBron James calls it a transition phase, one where he was wrapped up in figuring out how his game was going to mesh with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami....

Derrick Rose and the Bulls outclassed the Knicks, who showed improvement but still lost their sixth in a row and fell into a tie with the Bucks for eighth place.

This was how LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh envisioned it when they decided to unite in Miami, and now that a championship is in sight, they're not offering any apologies.

After all the incredible shots Dirk Nowitzki has hit this postseason, it was his vintage stuff - a straightaway 3-pointer and a pair of free throws - that put the Dallas Mavericks back in the NBA finals.

LeBron James scored 35 points, Chris Bosh added 22 and the Miami Heat moved within one win of the NBA finals with a wild 101-93 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference title series on Tuesday night.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 40 points, Jason Kidd hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in overtime and the Dallas Mavericks pushed the Thunder to the brink of elimination.

Carlos Boozer scored 23 points, Rose doled out 12 assists in more of a supporting role and the Bulls cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 93-73 on Thursday night, wrapping up the East semifinals in six games.

Derrick Rose scored 33 points, Luol Deng added 23 and the Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-83 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Josh Smith had 23 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, and Jeff Teague came up with another big game to lead the Atlanta Hawks past the Chicago Bulls 100-88 Sunday night, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece.

Rajon Rondo had six points and 11 assists despite playing the fourth quarter with a dislocated left elbow, and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 97-81 on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.