TORONTO (AP) - Paul Pierce blocked Kyle Lowry’s shot from the lane on the final play of the game, and the Brooklyn Nets held off the Toronto Raptors 104-103 in Game 7 on Sunday to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Nets will begin the conference semifinals at Miami on Tuesday night to play the two-time defending NBA champion Heat.
Leading by one point, Brooklyn used its final timeout after failing to inbound the ball. On the second opportunity, Shaun Livingston tried a lob pass to Pierce, but Terrence Ross got a hand on the ball and then knocked it off Pierce and out of bounds for a turnover.
Toronto used a timeout and gave the ball to Lowry, whose driving shot was blocked by Pierce as time expired. Lowry lay prone in the key as the Nets surged onto the court in celebration.
Joe Johnson scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nets.
Amir Johnson fouled out with 20 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto, which trailed by 10 with just over six minutes remaining. Lowry finished with 28 points for the Raptors, who fell to 0-2 in franchise history when playing in a Game 7.
SPURS 119, MAVERICKS 96
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker scored 32 points and the San Antonio Spurs led by as many as 31 on their way to rout of the Dallas Mavericks, closing out a tense first-round series in seven games.
Manu Ginobili scored 20 points, Danny Green added 16 points and Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard had 15 points apiece for San Antonio.
The Spurs advance to face the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who beat the Houston Rockets in six games.
Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Dallas.
Last season ended for the Spurs with a Game 7 loss in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. Facing a much earlier end, San Antonio road a raucous home crowd and overwhelmed Dallas in this deciding game.
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