Butler made a layup with 3.9 seconds left and the Wizards held their breath as LeBron James missed a potential series-ending layup at the horn, giving Washington an 88-87 victory on Wednesday night and adding at least one more game to this overheated NBA playoff series.

After Butler scored on a drive past James, the Cavs had one more chance but their superstar couldn’t get a banked runner to drop and the Wizards headed home for Game 6 on Friday night down 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Butler scored 32 points and DeShawn Stevenson had 17 for the Wizards, who played without guard Gilbert Arenas. Agent Zero announced before the game that his season was over because of a bothersome knee. Arenas’ absence figured to be the decisive blow for the Wizards, but they fought to the finish and, at least for now, prevented the Cavs from ending their season for the third straight year.

James scored 34 points—24 in the second half—but was unable to make a final shot in traffic that would have sent the Wizards, who began talking trash weeks ago and haven’t stopped, quietly into the summer. The Cavaliers led 87-82 with 1:47 left, but Washington scored the final six points to end a five-game playoff losing streak in Cleveland.

Takedowns and menacing gestures. Double technicals and flagrant fouls. And the Boston Celtics are heading to Atlanta to try to deliver the knockout punch.

Paul Pierce scored a playoff-high 22 points, and Ray Allen turned back the final Hawks’ charge with three 3-pointers in a three-minute span of the third quarter on Wednesday night to help Boston beat Atlanta 110-85 and take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The first five games have all gone to the home team, with Game 6 in Atlanta on Friday night.

“We still haven’t won a road game, guys,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We have to do it again. We have to do it on the road now. We have to go in there and play like tonight.”

Kevin Garnett scored 20 and Allen had 19 to put the Celtics within a victory of advancing to the second round. Boston got a huge lift from its bench in the second quarter, when Sam Cassell scored nine points and Leon Powe had seven with five rebounds while holding Al Horford to a pair of baskets.

Caron Butler whispered in LeBron James’ ear, one last word in case the Washington Wizards’ season was about to end.

With only a few ticks of the clock left, desperate times called for desperate measures.

“I was messing with LeBron before the play started,” Butler said. “I told him, ‘Miss this shot, make it interesting and let’s take this thing back to D.C.”’

Seconds later, the Wizards were on their way home—for Game 6.

Butler made a layup with 3.9 seconds left and the Wizards held their breath as James missed a potential series and season-ending layup at the horn, giving Washington an 88-87 victory Wednesday night and adding at least one more game to this overheated NBA playoff series.

After Butler scored on a tough drive past James, the Cavs had one more chance, but their superstar couldn’t get a banked runner to drop as the Wizards, who have had their past three seasons ended by Cleveland, pulled within 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.