LeBron leads Lakers to next round, epic Pistons, Hawks force Game 7

With a LeBron James decisive, Los Angeles Lakers capped Friday's elimination of the Houston Rockets with a resounding 98-78 win, on an NBA playoff day in which Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors survived with epic victories.

The Pistons, who came from 24 points down against the Orlando Magic, and the Raptors, who beat Cleveland Cavaliers on an unlikely three-pointer by RJ Barrett, forced the seventh and final game of their first-round series.

Lakers advance out of first series for first time in three years

The only ones to seal the ticket Friday were the Lakers, who crashed the Rockets by 20 points on their home court to clinch the series 4-2. The fourth-seeded Los Angeles team will now face a much bigger challenge in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top seed.

The Lakers will have to face the reigning champions with the possible absence of their top player, Luka Doncic, who has been injured for a month. Even without the Slovenian, the NBA's leading scorer this season, the Lakers were able to overcome the Rockets, who also were without their leader, Kevin Durant, in five of the six episodes of the series.

After Wednesday's loss in Los Angeles, the Lakers conceded no more room for an upset and on Friday dominated from start to finish with a majestic performance from LeBron, who had 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.

"My mission has always been the same and that's to go out there and try to dominate," James said in remarks picked up by AFP. "Obviously, I'm the one with the most team and playoff experience, so I know how a series can unfold. I'm just trying to convey confidence to my teammates."

LeBron's best offensive ally was Rui Hachimura of Japan, who scored 21 points. In addition, shooting guard Marcus Smart had 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks and was fundamental on a defense that completely suffocated the Texans' offense.

The Lakers thus advanced past the first round after having lost at that stage the last two seasons. For the Rockets, on the other hand, the elimination caps a very disappointing season in which they started as strong contenders after signing Durant.

Orlando self-immolates at home

The Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons won at Orlando 93-79 to tie the series at 3-3. To the despair of their fans, the Magic suffered an offensive collapse, scoring just 19 points in the second half.

The Pistons will host the deciding game on Sunday with everything in their favor to end nearly two decades without advancing past a playoff round. Should they win, the Pistons will also become the fourteenth team in history to come back from a 3-1 overall deficit.

The Pistons will host the deciding game on Sunday with everything in their favor to end nearly two decades without advancing past a playoff round. Should they win, they would also become the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

"Never give up, it's as simple as that. Detroit's grit is what we've been talking about all year," said Cade Cunningham, who again led the Pistons with 32 points, 19 of them in the final period.

The Magic appeared to have qualification in hand at halftime, when they led by 22 points (60-38) after a flawless first half. But the Pistons unexpectedly rallied to overcome a 24-point deficit, which no visiting team had ever accomplished in an elimination game.

After a furious 24-1 run, Detroit was ahead 80-72 with six minutes left against a shorthanded Magic with as many as 23 consecutive missed shots from the field.

An agonizing last-second three-pointer by Barrett forces Game 7 for Toronto

The winner of the final matchup will meet the winner of the Raptors-Cavaliers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals, which will also be played Sunday. Toronto snapped a 3-3 tie with a 112-110 victory over Cleveland, which had to overcome a 15-point deficit.

Scottie Barnes, with 25 points, was the Raptors' leading scorer, although the hero ended up being Toronto native R.J. Barrett (24 points). The visitors led 110-109 with 10 seconds left in overtime, but an Evan Mobley miss gave the home team one final possession.

Barrett launched a three-pointer that bounced off the rim, rose over the backboard and fell dramatically into the Cavaliers' net amid jubilation from the Canadian players and fans. The ball's trajectory evoked other memorable shots, such as Kawhi Leonard's for Toronto in the 2019 playoffs and Tyrese Haliburton's for the Pacers last year against the Knicks.

"I knew (the shot) was still good because it went straight up," Barrett explained. "If it goes straight up you have a chance, like that Haliburton shot."