The Memphis Grizzlies barely edged the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage, putting them in position to host Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 7. The Grizzlies have clawed back from a 3-1 series deficit with two straight victories, including Friday’s night’s 90-88 win in Los Angeles over the hobbled Clippers. Memphis has won two of three at home in the series,

It was hard to tell what bothered Kobe Bryant more – his stomach bug or the nauseating performance put forth by his teammates in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ lopsided Game 6 loss at Denver on Thursday night. The Lakers will hope to avoid becoming the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead when they host the resurgent Denver

The Philadelphia 76ers are participating in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in nine years as they open play against the division-rival Celtics in Boston on Saturday. Eighth-seeded Philadelphia defeated the injury-depleted Chicago Bulls in six games in the opening round while fifth-seeded Celtics ousted the Atlanta Hawks in six games. The Boston Celtics are in the second

The stars appeared to be aligned for the Los Angeles Clippers – until a loss at Memphis in Game 5 that left All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin dealing with injuries and putting their availability in question for Friday night’s Game 6 of the Clippers’ first-round series with the Grizzlies. The health of Paul (hip) and Griffin (knee) will be the overriding

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum received a tutorial in his ongoing NBA education, watching the Denver Nuggets stave off elimination with a pulsating road win in Game 5. The Nuggets – admittedly fueled by Bynum’s comments that close-out games can be easy – forced the series back to Denver for Game 6 on Thursday night and have a chance to deadlock the

The Boston Celtics take a second stab at clinching their first-round series when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. Atlanta cut Boston’s lead to 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference matchup by notching an 87-86 victory in Tuesday’s Game 5. The Hawks are vying to become the ninth team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit. The Celtics would like to wrap

The Chicago Bulls stepped up on the verge of elimination Tuesday, turning in a stifling defensive effort to stay alive in the series. With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah out, Luol Deng finally delivered an All-Star performance, burying key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finishing with a game-high 24 points as the Bulls pulled to within 3-2 in the series. The Philadelphia

Losing the series opener after blowing a 27-point lead at home was an ominous sign for the Memphis Grizzlies, who will look to stave off elimination when they host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round series. The Grizzlies have not found a way to solve the Clippers down the stretch, with their three losses

Carmelo Anthony put the New York Knicks on his back on Sunday and made sure that they would not be swept out of the playoffs. But the win came at a cost, with point guard Baron Davis the latest to be lost with an injury. The Miami Heat are healthy, heading home and enjoying a 3-1 lead in the series. LeBron James and company

The Indiana Pacers can advance to the second round for the first time in seven years by beating the visiting Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Indiana has a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series after winning three straight games. Two wins were by double digits before the Pacers recorded a 101-99 overtime victory in Saturday’s Game 4. The Magic are seeking to become