NBA Sunday: Warriors lead Blazers 1-0 without Stephen Curry ,Heat, Raptors take wins
Golden State Warriors 118-106 Portland Trail Blazers
In the absence of an injured Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-106 at the Oracle Arena in California to take a 1-0 playoff lead. With star player Stephen Curry recovering from a knee sprain, teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green led the scoring to take the Warriors to the top.
Thompson scored 37 points – his career highest – at the game, while Green scored the second triple-double of his post-season career.
The Warriors now have a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference semi-final series.
Miami Heat 106-73 Charlotte Hornets
Heat took a decisive 33 point victory over the Charlotte Hornets in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference in Miami. Point guard Goran Dragic scored 25 points to take his team to a one-sided win at the American Airlines Arena on Sunday.
The Heat took an early advantage in the game, leading the Hornets 16-6 at one point as they progressively lengthened that lead.
They will now play the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto Raptors 89-84 Indiana Pacers
The Raptors took a close win over the Indiana Pacers in Toronto in Game 7 to set up a conference semi-final clash against the Miami Heat. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan top scored with 30 points, with Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Lowry and rookie Norman Powell all adding to the scoring.
It marked Toronto’s first ever seven-game series victory.
Although home side Raptors had a fair lead three quarters in the Pacers caught up quickly in the final quarter, with the game eventually going down to the final seconds.
The Raptors now play the Heat in Toronto.