The top-seeded Detroit Pistons recovered from the brink of elimination with an astounding comeback against Orlando as the Los Angeles Lakers finally saw off Houston at the third time of asking in the NBA playoffs Friday.
The Pistons' come-from-behind win took their series with the Magic to a decisive game seven, while the Toronto Raptors also set up a decider against Cleveland thanks to an overtime thriller triumph.
kAm&A b\a :? E96 D6C:6D 282:?DE s6EC@:E 2?5 D66<:?8 2 4=@D6\@FE G:4E@CJ[ E96 |28:4 925 =65 3J 2D >2?J 2D ac A@:?ED 367@C6 E96:C D9@@E:?8 DF556?=J 4@==2AD65 2?5 E96 !:DE@?D E@@< 7F== 25G2?E286]k^Am
kAmp D96==\D9@4<65 ~C=2?5@ >:DD65 ab 4@?D64FE:G6 7:6=5 8@2=D \\ E96 =@?86DE DEC62< :? A=2J@77 9:DE@CJ \\ 2?5 D4@C65 ;FDE @?6 A@:?E :? @G6C `_ >:?FE6D @7 32D<6E32==[ 2D E96 !:DE@?D D62=65 2 hb\fh H:?]k^Am
kAmQ}6G6C D2J 5:6[ D:>A=6 2D E92E] x >62?[ s6EC@:E 8C:E[ :EVD H92E H6VG6 366? E2=<:?8 23@FE 2== J62C[Q D2:5 s6EC@:EVD r256 rF??:?892>[ H9@ =65 E96 D4@C:?8 H:E9 ba A@:?ED 2?5 `_ C63@F?5D]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 366? 5@H? b\` :? E96 D6C:6D[ E96 !:DE@?D 925 =@@<65 D6E E@ 364@>6 ;FDE E96 D6G6?E9 E@A D665 :? }qp 9:DE@CJ E@ =@D6 :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 E@ E96:C 4@?76C6?46VD 3@EE@> D665]k^Am
kAmqFE E96J ?@H 92G6 2 492?46 E@ H:? E96 D6C:6D 324< :? s6EC@:E @? $F?52J]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2? 6G6? 7:CDE BF2CE6C[ ~C=2?5@ H6?E @? 2 9@E DEC62<[ 367@C6 E96 AC6DDFC6 @7 4=@D:?8 @FE E96:C 7:CDE A=2J@77 D6C:6D H:? D:?46 a_`_ D66>65 E@ <:4< :?]k^Am
kAmq@@D C2:?65 5@H? @? E96 4@FCE 2D 2 f`\dc |28:4 25G2?E286 H2D EC2?D7@C>65 :?E@ 2? g_\fa s6EC@:E =625]k^Am
kAm%96 !:DE@?D[ 92G:?8 5@>:?2E65 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ H:== ?@H 36 72G@C:E6D E@ 4=2:> E96:C @H? 7:CDE A=2J@77 D6C:6D H:? D:?46 a__g]k^Am
kAmQ%92?< v@5 H6 86E E@ E2<6 E9:D 324< E@ E96 4C:3] xEVD 8@??2 36 =@F5 :? s6EC@:E[ 2?5 H6 8@E E@ 7:?:D9 @FC 3FD:?6DD[Q D2:5 rF??:?892>[ H9@ D4@C65 `h :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C]k^Am
k9am\ Vv=@CJV \k^9am
kAmx7 s6EC@:E C6249 E96 t2DE6C? D6>:\7:?2= E96J H:== A=2J 6:E96C E96 r=6G6=2?5 r2G2=:6CD @C E96 #2AE@CD[ H9@D6 D6C:6D 2=D@ DE2?5D b\b 27E6C 2? @G6CE:>6 %@C@?E@ H:?]k^Am
kAm!=2J:?8 2E 9@>6[ E96 #2AE@CD =65 >@DE @7 E96 ?:89E[ 367@C6 E96 r2G2=:6CD A@H6C65 324< :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C E@ D6E FA 2? :?E6?D6 7:?:D9]k^Am
kAm{625:?8 3J EH@ A@:?ED H:E9 =6DD E92? 2 >:?FE6 C6>2:?:?8[ %@C@?E@ 92?565 r=6G6=2?5 2 =:76=:?6 H:E9 2 D9@E\4=@4< G:@=2E:@?]Â k^Am
kAmtG2? |@3=6J 7@C465 9:D H2J E9C@F89 E96 #2AE@CDV 5676?D6 E@ E:6 FA E96 82>6 `_c\`_c[ 2?5 %@C@?E@VD y2>2= $9625 ;FDE >:DD65 2 C6EFC? D9@E 2E E96 6?5 @7 C68F=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? @G6CE:>6[ r=6G6=2?5 ?F5865 :? 7C@?E[ 2?5 =65 3J @?6 A@:?E F?E:= E96 7:?2= 76H D64@?5D]k^Am
kAmqFE #y q2CC6EEVD E9C66\A@:?E6C ;F>A D9@E 3@F?465 @77 E96 966= @7 E96 C:>[ =@@A65 FA :? E96 2:C 2?5 5C@AA65 E9C@F89 E96 ?6E E@ D62= E96 %@C@?E@ H:?]k^Am
kAmQv=@CJ 36 E@ v@5[ >2?] x 5:5?VE >2<6 2?JE9:?8 :? E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C[ @G6CE:>6[ x H2D A=2J:?8 325]]] E92?< v@5 x H2D 23=6 E@ >2<6 E92E D9@E[Q D2:5 q2CC6EE]k^Am
kAmv2>6 D6G6? H:== 36 A=2J65 :? r=6G6=2?5 $F?52J]k^Am
k9am\ Vr=@D6\@FEV \k^9am
kAm%96 {2<6CD[ 92G:?8 =65 E96:C D6C:6D 282:?DE w@FDE@? b\_[ 925 EH:46 H@33=65 E@ 2==@H E96 #@4<6ED E@ 86E 324< E@ b\a]k^Am
kAmqFE {6qC@? y2>6DV >6? <:==65 @77 E96 D6C:6D H:E9 2 4@>7@CE23=6 hg\fg H:? E@ D6E FA 2 (6DE6C? D6>:\7:?2= 282:?DE ~<=29@>2 r:EJ %9F?56C[ E96 C6:8?:?8 }qp 492>A:@?D]k^Am
kAm$FA6CDE2C y2>6D E@A\D4@C65 H:E9 ag A@:?ED[ A=FD 6:89E 2DD:DED 2?5 D6G6? C63@F?5D[ 4@?E:?F:?8 9:D 7:?6 A@DE\D62D@? 7@C> 2E E96 286 @7 c`]k^Am
kAm%96 H:? DA2C65 E96 {2<6CDV 3=FD96D] p =@DD H@F=5 92G6 =67E E96> @?6 56762E 2H2J 7C@> 36:?8 E96 7:CDE E62> :? }qp 9:DE@CJ E@ DBF2?56C 2 b\_ A=2J@77 =625]k^Am
kAmQp =@E @7 @FC 8FJD[ BF:E6 7C2?<=J[ 92G6 ?@E 366? :? E9:D A@D:E:@?[ 92G6 ?@E 366? :? 2 4=@D6\@FE D:EF2E:@?[ 6DA64:2==J @? E96 C@25[ D@ :E H2D :>A@CE2?E 7@C >6 E@ 8@ @FE 2?5 D6E E96 E@?6[Q D2:5 y2>6D]k^Am
kAm2>K^9@=k^Am
