Carlos Boozer takes Utah to the next round; Ben Gordon lights it up for Chicago; Nash, LeBron rule the paint.

Nike ballers continue to stand out in the postseason. Here are the latest results.

Utah 100, Golden State 87
Carlos Boozer delivered another stellar performance with 21 points and 14 rebounds to take Utah to the conference finals for the first time since 1998. Game 5 summed up the series, as Golden State kept up but Utah pulled away in the final minutes to snag the win. Derek Fisher was clutch as usual, scoring over half of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Andrei Kirilenko stepped it up when his team needed him most with 21 points, 15 rebounds and several crucial late-game steals. And Mehmet Okur (14 points, 10 rebounds) continued to play a crucial role on offense and defense. Utah was masterful around the net, with 59 rebounds to Golden State’s 35, and hit their key free throws down the stretch to wrap things up. Overall the series belonged to Utah and the 4-1 result just makes it official.

Watch Boozer speak on defense in his 25 Years of Force interview

–

Chicago 108, Detroit 92
Led by sharpshooter Ben Gordon, Chicago came out blazing to shoot a near-record 72.2% in the first half, holding on for the decisive victory. BG shot hit 10 of 16 shots from the field, including five of six from 3-point range, for a team-leading 28 points. Luol Deng added 20 points on eight-of-13 shooting to get the squad back in the series. Tyrus Thomas made the most of his minutes, posting 10 points, six rebounds and five steals. Now it’s back to Chicago for what looks to be a must-watch Game 6.

Download Ben Gordon wallpaper from The Collection

–

Phoenix 104, San Antonio 98
Despite building an 11-point lead in the fourth, San Antonio was unable to contain Phoenix, who stepped it up to take Game 4 and even the series 2-2. Steve Nash (24 points, 15 assists) and Amare Stoudemire (26 points, nine rebounds) dominated on offense, with Nash’s behind-the-back passes and Amare’s driving force setting the tempo. Now the stage is set for Game 5, which will be played without Amare, Boris Diaw and Robert Horry, making the outcome far from certain and putting fans of both teams on the edge of their seats tonight.

–

Cleveland 87, New Jersey 85
LeBron James led the way with 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to complete a nailbiter of a win and go up 3-1. He was supported by Larry Hughes (19 points), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (13 points, 11 rebounds) and a persistent effort on defense that kept New Jersey from getting into their rhythm. With only one win between him and the conference finals, LeBron has his eyes on the prize that was nearly in Cleveland’s grasp last year.

Stay tuned as the action gets more serious by the day.