NBA PLAYOFFS

NBA PLAYOFFS
Tuesday's games
Heat 85, Hornets 77
MIAMI -- With the Heat running from the start and New Orleans guard Baron Davis hobbled by halftime, Miami extended its home winning streak to 16 games and clinch the first-round series, 4-3. The home team won every game, and the Heat became the final NBA team to reach round two -- and the most improbable. They were 25-57 last season, 0-7 in November, 5-15 in December and 25-36 in March before staging a late-season surge. Miami advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers, who have been idle since completing a sweep of Boston on April 25. Game 1 is Thursday in Indianapolis. Smothering defense and a potent transition game gave a crowd of 20,286 -- the largest in Heat history -- plenty to cheer about. Caron Butler led the winner-take-all victory with 23 points, and Rafer Alston made four free throws in the final 2:09 after the Hornets reduced a 16-point deficit to five.
Kings 104, Timberwolves 98
MINNEAPOLIS -- Mike Bibby had another big postseason performance with 33 points, Kevin Garnett was not up to his MVP standard, and the Sacramento Kings started the second round with an impressive win. Sam Cassell scored 40 points for the Timberwolves, who have never been this far in the playoffs. But Garnett, who held up his MVP trophy in a pregame ceremony after remarks by commissioner David Stern, had a quiet 16 points and 18 rebounds -- plus six turnovers. Garnett went 1-for-8 in the second half, Latrell Sprewell missed all six of his shots after halftime and Minnesota totaled 18 turnovers. Bibby, who averaged 23.6 points in a five-game victory over Dallas in the first round, was 10-for-21 from the field. The fourth period featured six ties, the last at 83-all with 5:23 remaining.
-- Associated Press