NBA star Tony Parker led France to an ultimately comfortable victory over Lithuania to leave them on the verge of a place in the London 2012 quarter-finals after an 82-74 win.The San Antonio Spurs man scored 27 points as the French pulled away in the second half to earn their second win from three games in Group A.Defeat was a blow for three-time Olympic Games silver medallists Lithuania, but is unlikely to deny them a place in the knockout stage.

It looked at one point, though, as if the Baltic side's progression might be a whole lot easier as they turned a nine-point deficit in the first quarter into a 43-39 lead by half-time, helped by two quick-fire three-pointers from Martynas Pocius.But Parker, wearing distinctive goggles to protect an eye injury, inspired his side to a recovery, finishing with nine field goals, including two three-pointers, and seven free throws.The third quarter was key, France winning it 20-9, as their opponents' accuracy from outside the circle deserted them.Nicolas Batum followed Parker with 21 points and Ronny Turiaf led the way on the rebound count with 10.

Boston Celtics also known as the "Celts" are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which they share with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. The Celtics' 17 NBA Championships are the most for any NBA franchise,with their Western Conference rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, following with 16 NBA Titles. From 1957 to 1969, the Celtics dominated the league winning 11 championships in 13 years, and eight in a row (1959–1966), the longest consecutive streak of any North American pro sports team.

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat

Date : June 9,2012

Time : 8:30 PM (ET)

Game 7 - Series tied 3-3

Venue : AmericanAirlines Arena

601 Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33132

Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami. The team is owned by Micky Arison, coached by Erik Spoelstra and managed by Pat Riley. The mascot of the team is Burnie, an anthropomorphic fireball.The Heat were formed in 1988 as an expansion franchise. The Heat along with the Orlando Magic are the two NBA franchises that represent the state of Florida. Since entering the league, Miami has fielded squads that have made the playoffs 16 out of 24 seasons, capturing nine division titles, two Eastern Conference Championships in five appearances, and one NBA Championship, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4–2 in the 2006 NBA Finals.

The Indiana Pacers :

The Indiana Pacers, who have won 16 of their last 20 games dating back to April 1, head into Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena riding a seven-game road winning streak. Indiana's last road loss came to the San Antonio Spurs back on March 31. The Pacers would steal home-court advantage and put all kinds of pressure on the defending Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat if they can extend their road win streak to eight games.Prior to the start of Game 1, LeBron James will be presented with the 2012 NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Two years ago, when he was still a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, James was presented with the 2010 MVP trophy before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Boston Celtics spoiled James' MVP trophy presentation that night by beating the Cavaliers, 104-86, and stealing home-court advantage. Boston went on to win that series.

Indiana Pacers vs Miami Heat

Date : Tuesday, May 22,2012

Time : 8:00 PM E.T.

Venue : American Airlines Arena

601 Biscayne Blvd.

Miami, FL 33132.

The Miami Heat :

The Miami Heat needed two chances to do it, but they did get it done. After taking a 3-0 series lead over the New York Knicks in the opening round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Miami lost Game 4 before closing the series with a 106-94 victory in Game 5.The Heat and their All-Star Trio of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will now face the Indiana Pacers in an Eastern Conference semifinals matchup. The Pacers, who will be appearing in the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2005, earned their trip to the conference semifinals by defeating the Orlando Magic 4-1.During the regular season, Miami and Indiana met four times with the Heat winning the series three games to one. On Sunday, May 13, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will begin their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup.