Game Time Nation (206)

Jrue Holiday scored 20 points, and Elton Brand had 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead the tough-and-determined Philadelphia 76ers past the Celtics, 82-75 on Wednesday night to send the Eastern Conference semifinals back to Boston for Game 7. No team has won consecutive games in a series where neither team has played well enough to seize control.

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo could be playing their last game together Saturday night if they can’t find a way to hang onto the ball and put away a Sixers team that won’t quit.

Former 76ers All-Star Allen Iverson earned a roaring standing ovation when he presented the game ball. By the end, the fans were on their feet for Holiday, Brand and Andre Iguodala for keeping the eighth-seeded Sixers alive for at least one more game.

The Celtics posted ugly numbers across the board: Blame the loss on the 33 percent shooting, the 17 turnovers or the 3 for 14 3-point shooting. Either way, there’s enough to go around.Pierce had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Garnett had 20 points and 11 boards.

Heat @ Pacers 5pm ESPN

Larry Bird called the Indiana Pacers soft. Players agreed with their team president.

Bird told The Indianapolis Star early Wednesday that he ”can’t believe my team went soft,” making the comments not long after the Pacers were beaten 115-83 in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat.

Miami leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 on Thursday in Indianapolis.

The Pacers practiced in Miami before flying home Wednesday. Indiana forward Danny Granger says the team got ”beat up, we got bullied and we really didn’t respond well” in Game 5.

Granger sprained his ankle in Game 5. The Pacers hope he can play Thursday. Granger also says he expects the league to sanction Heat players Udonis Haslem and Dexter Pittman for flagrant fouls committed Tuesday night.

Pacers @ Heat 5pm TNT

4pm 76ers @ Celtics TNT

6:30pm Lakers @ Thunder TNT

Kevin Durant stood above the 3-point line and watched the shot clock dwindle in the final seconds of Game 4. When Metta World Peace backed up slightly on defense, Durant hesitated only an instant before launching a 26-footer ”It left my hand, (and) I was thinking, `If this doesn’t go in, it’s going to be a terrible shot,”’ Durant said.

The three-time scoring champ trusts his instincts and his silky-smooth jumper. Neither let him down while he and Russell Westbrook engineered yet another late comeback that pushed a frustrated Kobe Bryant to the brink.

Westbrook scored 10 of his 37 points during a stirring fourth-quarter rally, Durant added 31 points and hit that tiebreaking 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left, and the Thunder seized control of their second-round series with a 103-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

Serge Ibaka scored 14 points and the second-seeded Thunder took a 3-1 series lead with a rally from a 13-point deficit in the final 8 minutes, moving one win away from their second straight trip to the Western Conference finals. ”Everybody kept fighting,” Westbrook said. ”We all believed in each other. It’s the playoffs. You can’t afford to sit back and wonder about it.” Game 5 is Monday night in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City improved to 7-1 in the postseason.

Miami’s season, the one that’s supposed to end in an NBA championship and vindication, was slipping away LeBron James brought it back.

And this time, Dwyane Wade helped him.

James scored 40 points, Wade added 30 — 22 in the second half — and Miami’s dynamic duo took over after halftime to get the Heat even in the series with a 101-93 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Sunday.

With Chris Bosh injured and back in Florida, the James-Wade tandem saved the Heat, who will host Game 5 on Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

”Just survival,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ”This is what the playoffs are about.”

James was at his MVP best, adding 18 rebounds and nine assists and refusing to let Miami’s season slip away.

”It’s still going to be a dogfight,” James said. ”It’s a three-game series now.”