NBA: Danny Granger leads Indiana Pacers to series-clinching win over Orlando Magic - San Jose Mercury News

It was just like old times at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Finally.

After years of losing and players finding trouble, the Indiana Pacers finally gave their fans something to really cheer about. Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1.

"I'm just so happy for our fans," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They've endured a lot those years when we struggled. To finally see us come back and have a winning team again and somebody that has a chance to do something special this year. That's what they deserve. Pacers basketball is back."

The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round. Miami leads that series 3-1, and as the final minutes ticked away, fans began chanting, "Beat the Heat."

"It was electric," Granger said. "The crowd was crazy. They had a lot of momentum going. They pushed us in that fourth quarter."

Nuggets 102, Lakers 99: Andre Miller scored 24 points, including two free throws with 12.8 seconds left, and visiting Denver survived Kobe Bryant's late scoring barrage in a 43-point performance, avoiding playoff elimination with a victory over Los Angeles in Game 5.

JaVale McGee had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the sixth-seeded Nuggets, who trimmed the Lakers' series lead to 3-2, but only after a hair-raising finish. Denver had a 15-point

lead midway through the fourth quarter against the lifeless Lakers, but Bryant engineered a stunning comeback before his final three shots missed. Bryant scored 12 points in the final 4:47, hitting four 3-pointers that trimmed the Nuggets' lead to 98-96 with 59 seconds left.

After Bryant missed two late tying attempts, Los Angeles had two more chances to tie near the buzzer, but Bryant and Ramon Sessions missed 3-pointers. Game 6 is Thursday night in Denver.

Hawks 87, Celtics 86: Al Horford scored 19 points in his first start since January, and Atlanta held on for a victory over visiting Boston in a thrilling Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Celtics lead the series 3-2 heading back to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday. If the Hawks can steal one on the road, the deciding game would be Saturday in Atlanta.

Bulls 77, 76ers 69: Luol Deng scored 24 points, Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds, and host Chicago beat Philadelphia to avoid a first-round playoff exit.

The top-seeded Bulls finally won without point guard Derrick Rose, building a nine-point halftime lead and staying in control down the stretch to pull within 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Philadelphia.