Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Joe Johnson drained six of his eight attempts from three-point range, and the Atlanta Hawks finished off a series filled with blowout wins with a 91-78 drubbing of the Miami Heat in the deciding Game 7 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup. Johnson finished with 27 points and five steals overall for the Hawks, who won a playoff series for the first time since 1999 and won a best-of-seven playoff series for the first time since 1970. Atlanta will move on to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who had no trouble sweeping the eighth-seeded Pistons. Atlanta led by as many as 29 in this game before coasting to the finish in the fourth quarter. The Hawks had lost their previous six Game 7s, dating back to 1961, when the franchise was located in St. Louis. This was the first Game 7 at home since the team moved to Atlanta, and the hosts made sure the fans enjoyed the experience. Josh Smith contributed 21 points and nine rebounds, and the Hawks ensured that none of the seven games in this series would be decided by a single-digit margin. This was only the second time that feat was ever accomplished in a series, as the Lakers defeated the Suns in seven games in 1970 while the average margin of victory was 16.6 points. Dwyane Wade was unable to muster the magic that helped him will the Heat to a Game 6 win with 41 points, scoring 31 for the Heat on 10-of-25 shooting Sunday. He was not very accurate from three-point range either, making 2- of-9.

Final Score: Denver 109, Dallas 95

Denver, CO (My Sportsbook) - Nene achieved a playoff career-high in leading Denver with 24 points, and the Nuggets overwhelmed the Mavericks down the stretch in a dominating fourth quarter, posting a 109-95 final in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series from the Pepsi Center. Carmelo Anthony was solid with 23 points for Denver, which dismantled New Orleans in five games during the quarterfinals with point guard Chauncey Billups serving as catalyst. Billups ended with six points on just 2-of-8 shooting with six assists in the win. It was the bench that provided the extra spark in Game 1. J.R. Smith had 15 points, Anthony Carter 12 and Chris Andersen 11, tying a playoff career- high off the bench. The trio combined to log crucial minutes down the stretch. Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points for the sixth-seeded Mavs, who dispatched of San Antonio in five games in their first-round matchup. Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Josh Howard each chipped in 15 points in the setback.