Raptors, Warriors, Heat Advance in NBA

DeMar DeRozan pushed the Toronto Raptors into the second round -- finally.

DeRozan scored 30 points and Toronto beat the Indiana Pacers 89-84 on Sunday night in Game 7 to advance to face Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Raptors won a best-of-seven series for the first time in franchise history.

"We got the monkey off our back, more than anything, from these past couple of years," DeRozan said. It just feels good to get that off."

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 series victories. Toronto lost in the first round the previous two seasons, including a Game 7 loss to Brooklyn in 2014 and a sweep to Washington last year.

Jonas Valanciunas had 15 rebounds and 10 points, rookie Norman Powell added 13 points, and Kyle Lowry had 11 for Toronto, set to open at home against the Heat on Tuesday night.

Heat 106, Hornets 73

Dwyane Wade took a moment before tipoff Sunday to reflect on all that his Miami Heat endured this season.

They lost Chris Bosh at the All-Star break for a second consecutive year, forcing them to significantly change their style of play. They handled injuries, saw assistant coach Keith Smart deal with cancer treatment that took him away from the team, and reshaped their roster in free-agent deals and trades.

In that moment, Wade realized how it all made his team stronger.

"I'm not a prophet or anything," Wade said, "but I knew we were winning this game."

How right he was. Goran Dragic scored 25 points in his first Game 7, Gerald Green added 16 and the Heat ousted the Charlotte Hornets with an emphatic 106-73 victory. Miami won two elimination games to take the series 4-3, and will play Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting on Tuesday night.

"Just great competition," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said, lauding the Hornets. "Our hats go off to them. They made us better. ... I think our basketball team needed to go through that, to be pushed and find a different level which we showed in the last two games."

Luol Deng scored 15, Wade finished with 12 and Hassan Whiteside had a 10-point, 12-rebound, five-block clincher for the Heat, who have won their last four Game 7s.

Warriors 118, Trail  Blazers 106

From the opening tip, Klay Thompson shot lights-out and even heaved one in from way out in Stephen Curry territory. Draymond Green began yapping from the start while doing his thing to make plays every which way, calling on his teammates to bring an edge on defense.

With Curry sidelined because of a sprained right knee, Green and Thompson took charge again. Their supporting cast came through in the clutch, too.

Thompson scored 37 points in another brilliant performance as his fellow "Splash Brother" watched injured, and the Golden State Warriors dominated once more without their MVP to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 118-106 Sunday in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.

"Everything has to be racheted up," said Green, who posted his second career postseason triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for the defending champions. "I just told the guys that we've got to come out with a defensive mindset."

The offense happened on its own, with all five starters scoring in double figures.

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.

Sunday, May 1 Scoreboard
    
Miami 106, Charlotte 73

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 7
    
Golden State 118, Portland 106

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - GAME 1
    
Toronto 89, Indiana 84

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND - GAME 7

Monday, May 2 Schedule (All Times Central)

Atlanta at Cleveland, 6 p.m.

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - GAME 1

Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS - GAME 2