Thursday, 10 May 2012:

The Miami Heat moved into the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 106-94 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday that completed a 4-1 series victory.

LeBron James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points for the Heat, who progressed to a second-round series against the Indiana Pacers, starting in Miami on Sunday.

"We will savour this win tonight," James said. "And then we get to work tomorrow and get ready for Indiana."

Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points for the Knicks, but it wasn't enough and the man chosen two spots behind James and immediately ahead of Bosh and Wade in the 2003 NBA draft has won just two of 11 post-season series.

New York's Amare Stoudemire scored 14 points before fouling out, Landry Fields and JR Smith both scored 12 and Tyson Chandler grabbed 11 rebounds.

In Memphis, the hosts avoided elimination by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80 and cutting the series deficit to 3-2.

Marc Gasol scored 23 points and Zach Randolph added 19 for the Grizzlies, who looked more like the team that knocked off top-seeded San Antonio last season and took Oklahoma City to seven games in the conference semi-finals.

Game six is on Friday in Los Angeles.

Mo Williams had 20 points for the Clippers while Chris Paul scored 19 and Blake Griffin had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Clippers are chasing their first series victory since 2006 and a second-round series against top-seeded San Antonio.

AAP