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The Denver Nuggets won their first play-off series since 1994, by beating New Orleans 107-86 in game five of their first round NBA series.

Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points for the Nuggets who had a 58-point blowout in game four and will face the Dallas Mavericks in round two.

"It feels good," Anthony said. "We worked so hard. We still got a lot of business to take care of, but we are going to soak this one in."

Dallas advanced to the Western Conference semi-finals by defeating San Antonio in five games. Denver swept the season series with the Mavericks 4-0.

Anthony's 34 points were a career playoff best. Chauncey Billups had 13 points and 11 assists, and J.R. Smith scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half to fuel Denver, which needed just five games to go from traditional first-round fodder to a playoff success story.

"They have so many weapons," said Chris Paul of Denver. "They have a real tough team and they are tough to deal with."

The game was tied 62-62 halfway through the third quarter before Denver went on a 24-4 run to seal it.

David West led the Hornets with 24 points and Paul had 12 points and 10 assists.

The Nuggets were coming off the most lopsided road win in NBA play-off history, a 121-63 shellacking in New Orleans on Monday.

Denver coach George Karl told his players not to look at game five as a gimme after what happened in game four.

"I am proud of my guys," Karl said. "This has been a year that had a lot of different spirit to it.

"I thought we were trying too hard in the first half and I told them to 'slow down and relax. You are a better basketball team.'"

The Hornets were 13-6 following a loss of 10 or more points, and they looked for much of this night like they were going to win. They built a nine-point first-quarter lead before settling for a 49-49 tie at halftime.

The Hornets went toe-to-toe with the Nuggets until Denver's third-quarter run started the celebration.

It was especially sweet for Billups, who was born and raised in Denver. He came from Detroit in the Allen Iverson trade a week into the season and transformed his beloved Nuggets from an afterthought into the West's second seed.

Meanwhile, Joe Johnson scored 25 points as the Atlanta Hawks outclassed Miami Heat 106-91 to move within a win of the play-offs' second round.

Ronald Murray shot 23 points off the bench in a highly physical contest that left the Heat bruised and the Hawks 3-2 up in the best-of-seven series.

The teams return to Miami for game six on Friday.

"We know where our focus has to be and that's on game six and closing this thing out," Johnson said. "It's going to be a tough game but I think we're up to the challenge."

Miami lead guard Dwyane Wade left the court in the first quarter after a collision with Atlanta's Josh Smith, but returned in the second and managed 29 points for the game. Johnson scored 13 points in a lively second quarter to put the Hawks in control 63-40 at half-time.

Heat rookie forward Michael Beasley had 18 points, while Smith had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks, who lost big man Al Horford to a right ankle sprain in the second quarter after he was fouled.

"That's play-off basketball, you expect that," said Atlanta coach Mike Woodson. "We can't sit here and complain - this is what we worked for all year so we have to keep playing."

AFP / Reuters