The Miami Heat piled the pressure on bruised and battered Boston by taking a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 102-91 victory on Tuesday.
The Dallas Mavericks overcame a 16-point deficit and an aggressive Kobe Bryant to steal Game One of their second round playoff series with a last-second 96-94 triumph on Monday.
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol exploded for 23 of Los Angeles' 29 points in the third quarter to propel the two-time defending NBA champions to a 98-80 victory over Western Conference rivals the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday, sending them into the next round of the playoffs.
The Miami supporting cast helped the Heat survive one final run from the Philadelphia 76ers to hold on for a 97-91 victory on Wednesday.
Lakers beat Hornet with 106-90, leading the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Derrick Rose showed no effects of his injured left ankle and the Chicago Bulls pushed their way past the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
When Zaza Pachulia showed up for practice this week, one guy was really glad to see him.
Western Conference top seeds San Antonio were pushed to the brink of elimination from the first round of the NBA playoffs after the Memphis Grizzlies took a 3-1 series lead with a 104-86 win over the Spurs on Monday.
Former NBA player Stephon Marbury became an attraction for the crowds during his visit to the Workers Stadium with a T-shirt rooting for Beijing and a hat borrowed from a security guard.
San Antonio were pushed to the brink of elimination from the first round of the NBA playoffs after the Memphis Grizzlies took a 3-1 series lead with a 104-86 win over the Spurs on Monday.
The Boston Celtics swept their way into the Eastern Conference semifinals, holding on for a 101-89 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.
After a tight brawl with Xinjiang Guanghui, defending champions Guangdong Hongyuan sealed the second home win 110-104 on Sunday.