NBA Analysis:

Less than two weeks ago, the Miami Heat were trailing with under five minutes to go in the final Eastern Conference play-in game against the Chicago Bulls. At that point, it was easy to see a world in which the Heat wouldn’t even make the playoffs — and more challenging to see them pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history after doing so.

And yet, that’s exactly what the Heat did Wednesday night, riding 42 points from Jimmy Butler to beat the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks — who entered the postseason as the clear favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy for a second time in three years — 128-126 in overtime at Fiserv Forum in Game 5 of this first-round series, sending Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates crashing out of the postseason in the process. Miami advances to face the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals beginning Sunday.

In many ways, Game 5 was a repeat of the one the teams played in Miami 48 hours earlier — up to and including the Heat pulling off a ridiculous comeback to stun the Bucks. While Miami controlled more of this game than it did Game 4, the Bucks were in control for large portions of it and took a 22-6 lead into the fourth quarter.

But after Milwaukee didn’t score for over three minutes to start the fourth and didn’t make a field goal for nearly five minutes, Miami slowly dragged itself back into the game — in large part because Milwaukee’s offense couldn’t get started in the final period.

Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Draymond Green had his highest-scoring game in more than five years and the Golden State Warriors won the first road game of their series against Sacramento, beating the Kings 123-116 Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead.

Green had 21 points and seven assists in his first game back in Sacramento since getting ejected and later suspended for stepping on Domantas Sabonis chest in a Game 2 loss.

Golden State now can try to wrap up the series with a fourth straight win at home on Friday night.

The defending champion Warriors withstood another raucous crowd in Sacramento and showed off their road mettle that had been missing so often this season.

Golden State won only 11 games away from home in the regular season and lost the first two games in Sacramento before making the key plays in the second half to beat the Kings and extend their record to 28 straight playoff series with at least one road win.

The Kings trailed by 12 early in the fourth quarter after a layup by Curry but wouldn’t go away. They chipped away at the deficit behind 11 points in the next five minutes from Monk — who went down briefly with what looked like a left knee injury — to make it a one-point game with just over four minutes left.

But the Warriors pulled away late after Monk missed a potential game-tying 3 with 1:04 to play.

Andrew Wiggins made a turnaround jumper to make it a five-point game and Curry put it away with a three-point play with 22.1 seconds left that made it 122-114.

Klay Thompson added 25 points, Wiggins had 20 and Kevon Looney matched his career-high with 22 rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox scored 24 despite a broken index finger on his shooting hand, and Monk and Sabonis added 21 points apiece for Sacramento.

NBA Prediction: 

Two nights after promising that the Memphis Grizzlies would stave off elimination, Bane delivered in a 116-99 Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, scoring a game-high 33 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out five assists. Then Bane guaranteed that the Grizzlies would return to FedExForum, where they had the best home record in the NBA this season.

“We got to come with the right edge and the right road mentality, but I said it out there and I’ll say it again,” Bane said. “We’re going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA.”

FIBA WORLD CUP in the Philippines SOON!!!

COMING THIS AUGUST 25 2023

For our country and pride  LABAN PILIPINAS

Gilas Pilipinas will face three familiar foes in the group stage of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after they were drawn into Group A with world no. 10 Italy, no. 23 Dominican Republic, and no. 41 Angola at the draw held Saturday night in Manila.

Gilas is ranked 40th in the latest FIBA rankings.

Based on the schedule on the official event page, Gilas will open its campaign against the Dominican Republic on Aug. 25 at Philippine Arena before facing Angola on the 27th and Italy on the 29th — both at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.