sunday’s nba playoff games

Warriors 118, Trail Blazers 106

OAKLAND, CALIF.

Klay Thompson scored 37 points in another brilliant performance as fellow “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry watched injured, and the Golden State Warriors again dominated without their MVP to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals. Draymond Green had his second career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the defending champions. With Curry sidelined because of a sprained right knee, Green and Thompson took charge again. Thompson hit seven more 3-pointers to become the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in three straight playoff games. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. Golden State reserve Anderson Varejao and Portland’s Gerald Henderson were ejected late in the third quarter after receiving their second technical fouls.

Heat 106, Hornets 73

MIAMI

Goran Dragic scored 25 points, Gerald Green added 16 and the Heat emphatically ended Charlotte’s season, beating the Hornets in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. The Heat will play either Toronto or Indiana in the second round starting Tuesday. Luol Deng scored 15 points, Dwyane Wade added 12 and Hassan Whiteside had a 10-point, 12-rebound, five-block clincher for the Heat, who have won their last four Game 7s — each of the previous three coming along the way to winning NBA championships. Frank Kaminsky scored 12 for Charlotte, which got 11 from Courtney Lee and 10 from Nic Batum. The Hornets’ two biggest stars, Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson, never got going — Walker shot 3 for 16 and scored only nine points, while Jefferson put up a mere four points and two rebounds.

Raptors 89, Pacers 84

TORONTO

DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 rebounds and 10 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the first-round playoff series to advance to face Miami in the conference semifinals. Game 1 is Tuesday night in Toronto. Rookie Norman Powell added 13 points, Kyle Lowry had 11 points and nine assists, and Patrick Patterson had 11 pointed to help Toronto win a seven-game series for the first time in franchise history. The Raptors won their first postseason series since a five-game triumph over the New York Knicks in 2001, ending the NBA’s longest active drought between playoff series victories. Paul George led Indiana with 26 points and 12 rebounds, George Hill scored 19 points, and Monta Ellis had 15. Up 78-64 after three quarters, the Raptors didn’t make their first basket of the final quarter until a 3 by Powell at 8:19. Joseph followed with a pullup jumper to make it 81-67, leading to an Indiana timeout. The Pacers responded by scoring 12 of the next 14 points, cutting it to 85-79 with 3:23 remaining. Indiana cut it to three at 85-82 on Ellis’ 3-pointer with 2:37 left, but Lowry answered with a driving layup. George made a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left to pull Indiana within three.

Associated Press