It looked as if Paul Pierce had done it again, but after review, "The Truth" struck too late. Pierce's game-tying three-pointer was reviewed and ruled to come after time expired, giving the Atlanta Hawks a 94-91 game-6 victory and a 4-2 series win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night. DeMarre Carroll scored a playoff career-high 25 points, including two huge layups assisted by Jeff Teague in the final minute of play.
Al Horford went 1-for-2 from the free throw line after the Wizards forced a turnover and got 2 free throws to stay in the game. The Wizards got the ball with 6.4 seconds left and found Pierce in the left corner, where is fade-away three-pointer would come too late. The call from the officials after review sent the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals.
In the postgame press conference, Pierce, who scored just 4 points on Friday, indicated that he might not come back for an 18th season. John Wall had 20 points, 13 assists and 6 rebounds in the Wizards' final game of the season.
The Hawks won three straight games after trailing 2-1 to advance in the semi-finals. It's the Hawks' first conference final since the NBA realigned into conferences in the 1970-71 season. They had not won two playoff series in one season since moving to Atlanta in the 1968-69 season.
Paul Millsap and Teague each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who has been a .500 team in the playoffs after recording 60 wins in the regular season. They will move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, which begins in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors also had a series deficit to come back from, and they completed that comeback on Friday. Steph Curry scored 32 points, including an unforgettable buzzer-beater from beyond half court to end the third, as Golden State took down the Memphis Grizzlies 108-95 in game 6.
The win gives the Warriors a 4-2 series win and sends them to their first Western Conference Finals since 1976. Golden State advanced past the semi-finals with the top shooting since 1985, as they finished with 14 or more threes in three consecutive games. They are the first team to do that in the playoffs in the last 30 years.
Curry was 8-of-13 from three, including the 62-footer, to help Golden State knock down their playoff-record 15 shots from beyond the arc. The NBA MVP added 10 assists to record his first double-double of the postseason.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points, while Draymond Green had 16, Harrison Barnes 13 and Shaun Livingston 10 in the victory. That gives the Warriors five players in double figures on the night. Curry finished the series with 25 three-pointers, which is one more than the Grizzlies overall.
Memphis was led by a double-double from Marc Gasol, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. Vince Carter added 16, Zach Randolph 15, Courtney Lee 12 and Mike Conley 11.
It was all Golden State in from the get-go, as they led by 13 after one quarter, led by a combined 22 points from the "Splash Brothers." Golden State will now take on the winner of the Houston Rockets-Los Angeles Clippers series, which is heading into game 7 on Sunday afternoon.
Al Horford went 1-for-2 from the free throw line after the Wizards forced a turnover and got 2 free throws to stay in the game. The Wizards got the ball with 6.4 seconds left and found Pierce in the left corner, where is fade-away three-pointer would come too late. The call from the officials after review sent the Hawks to their first Eastern Conference Finals.
In the postgame press conference, Pierce, who scored just 4 points on Friday, indicated that he might not come back for an 18th season. John Wall had 20 points, 13 assists and 6 rebounds in the Wizards' final game of the season.
The Hawks won three straight games after trailing 2-1 to advance in the semi-finals. It's the Hawks' first conference final since the NBA realigned into conferences in the 1970-71 season. They had not won two playoff series in one season since moving to Atlanta in the 1968-69 season.
Paul Millsap and Teague each scored 20 points for the Hawks, who has been a .500 team in the playoffs after recording 60 wins in the regular season. They will move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, which begins in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors also had a series deficit to come back from, and they completed that comeback on Friday. Steph Curry scored 32 points, including an unforgettable buzzer-beater from beyond half court to end the third, as Golden State took down the Memphis Grizzlies 108-95 in game 6.
The win gives the Warriors a 4-2 series win and sends them to their first Western Conference Finals since 1976. Golden State advanced past the semi-finals with the top shooting since 1985, as they finished with 14 or more threes in three consecutive games. They are the first team to do that in the playoffs in the last 30 years.
Curry was 8-of-13 from three, including the 62-footer, to help Golden State knock down their playoff-record 15 shots from beyond the arc. The NBA MVP added 10 assists to record his first double-double of the postseason.
Klay Thompson scored 20 points, while Draymond Green had 16, Harrison Barnes 13 and Shaun Livingston 10 in the victory. That gives the Warriors five players in double figures on the night. Curry finished the series with 25 three-pointers, which is one more than the Grizzlies overall.
Memphis was led by a double-double from Marc Gasol, who had 21 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. Vince Carter added 16, Zach Randolph 15, Courtney Lee 12 and Mike Conley 11.
It was all Golden State in from the get-go, as they led by 13 after one quarter, led by a combined 22 points from the "Splash Brothers." Golden State will now take on the winner of the Houston Rockets-Los Angeles Clippers series, which is heading into game 7 on Sunday afternoon.