The Memphis Grizzlies secured their place in the Western Conference semifinals while the Atlanta Hawks are now a game away from following suit in the East.
Marc Gasol led his team with 26 points and 14 rebounds as the Griz made no mistake on home court and won the series 4-1 despite the loss of point guard Mike Conley.
Conley remains sidelined after undergoing surgery on a facial injury, and it is unclear as to when he will return. However, his teammates are giving him as long as possible to feature in the post-season again after seeing off the Portland Trail Blazers.
It is certainly a disappointing end to the season for the Blazers, but they will regroup and come again next year after struggling with injuries in recent months.
However, it will still be a blow for NBA fans with both Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge now done for the season.
Over in the East, the Atlanta Hawks saw off a spirited effort from the Brooklyn Nets to take a 3-2 series lead as they now head to New York for Game 6.
These two teams put on a spectacle on Wednesday night as they traded big-time plays down the stretch to keep it interesting right down to the last minute.
However, the Hawks had too much firepower and got key stops to pick up a crucial win and they will now hope to end their disappointing run away from home and advance to the semifinals themselves to take on the Washington Wizards.
NBA Results:
Brooklyn Nets 97-107 Atlanta Hawks
Portland Trail Blazers 93-99 Memphis Grizzlies
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