NBA PLAYOFFS
HEAT 97, HORNETS 90
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dwyane Wade hadn't made a three-point shot since December, enduring a streak of 22 consecutive misses.
That all changed Friday night with Miami's season on the line.
The 34-year-old star hit both three-pointers he attempted, including a big one with 46 seconds left, finishing with 23 points as the Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets 97-90 to force a seventh game in their NBA first-round playoff series.
"If we were going to lose, I was going to go out shooting it tonight," Wade said.
Wade scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, including two threes. He said he was "itching" to get some three-point shots off after attempting just one in the series.
"Once I saw one fall, anybody who is a scorer knows the basket gets a little bigger," Wade said. "Once that first three went in, my confidence grew."
Luol Deng was 9 of 14 from the field and finished with 21 points, while Goran Dragic added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Heat, who will host Game 7 on Sunday.
"I play for these moments," Wade said.
The Heat overcame a playoff career-high 37 points from Kemba Walker to hand the Hornets only their 11th loss of the season at home. Al Jefferson had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Cody Zeller had 12 points off the bench for Charlotte.
"He's not normally known to be a three-point threat, but big-time players make big-time plays," Walker said of Wade. "That is what he did. He rose to the occasion."
With Miami leading by two with less than a minute remaining, Wade made a three from the left wing and added an 18-foot turnaround jump shot over Courtney Lee to help seal the victory.
"I've seen Dwyane enough over the years that it just becomes winning plays -- whatever those may be," Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's borne out of great competition and it brings the absolute best out of him. He works on it all the time but he never shoots it."
The Hornets missed a golden opportunity to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
They trailed the entire second half, never quite able to get over the hump and the Heat made timely shots and grabbed crucial rebounds.
Miami outrebounded Charlotte 46-31.
Walker gave it all he had.
The 6-1 point guard somehow got an up-and-under layup to fall and hit big shots in the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer from the left wing to beat the shot clock and cut Miami's lead to 85-81.
Walker drove the lane and drew a foul for a three-point play with 3 minutes to go, sending Hassan Whiteside to the bench with his sixth foul. Walker then added a step-back jumper to trim the Heat lead to 90-86 with 2:12 left.
Walker had a chance to tie the game with about minute to play, but missed a pull-up jumper.
"They had their response Wednesday night. We had our response tonight," Spoelstra said. "And now we get to hear the two best words in the English language: Game 7."
With their season on the line, the Heat shot 60 percent from the field in the first half to open a 59-50 lead. Deng and Wade led the way, combining for 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting and the Heat outrebounded the Hornets 23-11.
Walker said the Heat made more plays down the stretch and deserved to win.
"We have to lock back in and watch film and be better in Game 7," Walker said. "And we will."
PACERS 101, RAPTORS 83
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored 21 points, Myles Turner added 15 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors to force a Game 7 of their series.
That will be played Sunday in Toronto, and the winner will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph each had 15 points for the Raptors, who haven't won a postseason series since the first round in 2001.
Indiana trailed by as much as 12 early, never led until early in the third quarter and had to fend off a late third-quarter charge from the Raptors before blowing it open in the fourth.
Kyle Lowry (4 for 14) and DeMar DeRozan (3 for 13) struggled again, and now the Raptors will head home and hear again about their troubled playoff problems: a Game 7 loss at home to Brooklyn in 2014, Washington's four-game sweep last season and no series victories in a seven-game series. And their 15-year victory drought is the longest active streak in the league.
Sports on 04/30/2016