Grizzlies

BOSTON - 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. Miami leads the best-of-seven series, two games to one, with Game 4 Monday night in Boston. Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 18 rebounds, and Paul Pierce scored 27 for the defending East champions, who managed to avoid a 3-0 hole that no NBA team has ever overcome.

MIAMI - Dwyane Wade knew his regular-season numbers against the Boston Celtics were lacking. He also knew that wouldn't matter in the playoffs. He was right: Game 1 of their anticipated series went to Wade and the Miami Heat. Wade scored 38 points on 14-of-21 shooting, James Jones set a Miami postseason record with 25 points off the bench, and the Heat beat Boston, 99-90, in Sunday's opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. "It's a big game. It's Game 1, at home," Wade said.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Grizzlies advanced to their first Western Conference semifinals and made NBA history in knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, 99-91, on Friday night. Memphis had been the franchise best known for empty seats and the unenviable NBA mark for playoff futility at 0-12 after being swept in its first three appearances. This time, a third straight sellout crowd cheered every bucket with a couple signs begging the Grizzlies to "Finish Them" in a town in desperate need of a hero.

Zach Randolph had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Grizzlies advanced to their first Western Conference semifinals and made NBA history in knocking off the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, 99-91, last night in Memphis. Memphis had been the franchise best known for empty seats and the unenviable NBA mark for playoff futility at 0-12 after being swept in its first three appearances. This time, a third straight sellout crowd cheered every bucket with a couple signs begging the Grizzlies to "Finish Them" in a town in desperate need of a hero.

Whatever Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said to his team at halftime worked very, very well. The eighth-seeded Grizzlies outscored visiting San Antonio, 30-15, in the third quarter, turning a two-point halftime deficit into a 104-86 rout last night of the Spurs for a commanding 3-1 lead in their opening series. "It was an incredible performance in the third and fourth quarter," Hollins said. "We outscored them 30-15, and from the second quarter on, our defense just kept getting better and better.

  INDIANAPOLIS - Chicago's fans traveled to Indiana by the thousands, planning to celebrate a first-round playoff victory at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers sent them home disappointed, holding off a furious rally to beat the Bulls, 89-84, on Saturday afternoon for their first playoff win since 2006. Chicago's Carlos Boozer missed a three-point attempt that could have tied the game with a second remaining. The Bulls still lead the series, 3-1, and will have a chance to close it out at home Tuesday.

The Grizzlies are still in the playoff chase, and they're doing it with a couple of guys who know a little bit about the postseason. Leon Powe and Tony Allen, members of the Celtics' 2008 championship team, returned to Boston last night to help Memphis win, 90-87, and solidify its hold on the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference. "When you can come on the road and beat a great team like that, and do it on the defensive end, it's huge for a young, up-and-coming team," said Powe, who scored 13 points in his best game since signing with Memphis on March 5. "That just adds to our confidence.

MEMPHIS - If the 76ers had a visible battery life, like in a video game, it would have been blinking red only minutes into Tuesday night's 102-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Everything went wrong. It felt as if the Sixers had been swatted with one massive Grizzlies paw and were stumbling backward: The ball was repeatedly ripped from their hands, the offense looked as if someone had hit pause, and with each possession the score became more and more lopsided. By the end of the first quarter, Memphis was ahead, 26-10.

MEMPHIS - Really, it seemed quite hard to believe the 76ers were as close as they were for much of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. It appeared the Grizzlies got to just about every loose ball. It seemed as though whenever a Sixers player had the ball in his hands, a Memphis player was poking it loose. It looked as though when Memphis wanted to get a shot near the rim, it was met with little or no resistance. Still, the Sixers hung, but could never get that precious lead all game and wound up dropping a 102-91 decision to the Grizzlies last night.

When you've won nine of your past 12 games, it's pretty simple to say you've settled into a nice groove. But that's what 76ers coach Doug Collins has done with his team, which is 23-15 since starting the season 3-13. After a lot of early-season injuries and tinkering by the coach to figure out who fits best where, Collins now has a full group and knows how and when he wants to use them. The results have been very good. "I think the one thing about having balance is that you're not just going to be able to lock in on one guy on our team that if you shut that guy down we're in trouble," said Collins, whose team faces the Grizzlies in Memphis tonight and will play at Houston against the Rockets tomorrow, the last games before the All-Star break.