Hornets Set Stage for Bitter Ending

Miami and New Orleans will have one more chance to shove, scream and squabble. The only first-round series in the NBA playoffs to last beyond five games will go the distance.

On a day when the New Orleans Hornets were the verbal and physical aggressors, defensive specialists P.J. Brown and George Lynch gave Baron Davis enough offensive help to force a deciding Game 7 with an 89-83 victory Sunday.

“It’s going to be a war, just like every other game in this series. It might be a little more intense,” said Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who led his team with 27 points.

The series will end Tuesday night at Miami.

The mind games and brute force that have helped define this series picked up even more in Game 6.

Robert Traylor was called for a technical when he flattened Eddie Jones on a shot attempt in the fourth quarter, then Traylor was ejected as he continued to shout at the Miami bench.

Davis also exchanged words with the Miami bench twice in the final quarter and had to be pulled away by teammates the second time. Lamar Odom, Lynch, Jamaal Magloire and Stacy Augmon also were called for technicals for their behavior toward opposing players.

“It just left a nasty taste in your mouth. I don’t know what they were trying to do,” Miami forward Caron Butler said. “All we did was come to play basketball. Now we’re ready to go back to Miami and redeem ourselves. And we look forward to the challenge.”

New Orleans never trailed and led by double digits for most of the game, but Miami -- after trailing by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter -- got as close as 85-81 on Butler’s runner with 1:07 left. Brown then made a pair of free throws, and Miami could get no closer than four the rest of the way.

Davis’ 15 points were his second-fewest in the series. But when he passed, teammates made big shots, and Davis had a series-high 12 assists.

“I definitely was looking to score a little bit more,” said Brown, who along with Lynch led the Hornets in scoring with 16 points apiece.

Odom has one of his worst games, finishing with nine points on three-for-12 shooting before fouling out with 2:20 left.

“I had a bad game.... It happens like that some times,” Odom said.