DALLAS (AP) - Monta Ellis scored 12 of his 29 points to lead a fourth-quarter comeback, Dirk Nowitzki added 22 and the Dallas Mavericks forced a seventh game in their first-round series with top-seeded San Antonio, beating the Spurs 113-111 on Friday night.
The eighth-seeded Mavericks bounced back from consecutive losses by handing the Spurs their first road defeat when leading after three quarters this season.
Tony Parker scored 22 to lead the heavily favored Spurs, who are stuck in a tossup series after they won all four games against Dallas during the regular season. San Antonio took a nine-game winning streak against the Texas rival into the sixth postseason meeting between the teams.
The second Game 7 between these teams is Sunday in San Antonio. The Mavericks won the other one there in 2006.
NETS 97, RAPTORS 83
NEW YORK (AP) - Deron Williams scored 23 points, shaking off a second-half injury, and the Brooklyn Nets forced a seventh game in their first-round series by beating the Toronto Raptors.
Despite appearing to hurt his left foot or ankle early in the third quarter, Williams dominated his matchup with Kyle Lowry and helped the Nets put it away with a 3-pointer with 1:13 left that made it 92-79.
Game 7 is Sunday in Toronto, with the winner advancing to face the defending champion Miami Heat.
It became the fourth first-round series ticketed for a do-or-die game in these playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 for the Raptors, who will have to go the distance if they are to win a seven-game series for the first time in franchise history. They haven’t won any postseason series since 2001.
TRAIL BLAZERS 99, ROCKETS 98
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Trail Blazers stunned the Rockets to take their playoff series in six games and advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in 14 years.
In the raucous postgame celebration, Lillard took the public address microphone and shouted “Rip City!”
Portland, making its first playoff appearance since 2011, had been eliminated in the first round in its last six trips, and hadn’t advanced to the second round since 2000.
Dwight Howard’s layup and foul shot put the Rockets up 96-94 before Nicolas Batum’s fadeaway jumper tied it again with 39.9 seconds left. Chandler Parsons scored on a reverse layup with 0.9 seconds left to give Houston the lead before Lillard won it.
Portland will face the winner of the series between San Antonio and Dallas.
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