Hawks, Warriors advance to NBA final four (AFP)

The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the NBA semi-finals for the first time in 45 years with a 94-91 win over Washington in game six after the referee waved off Paul Pierce's three-pointer at the buzzer. The Hawks will face LeBron James and the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, who eliminated the Chicago Bulls in game six of their Eastern Conference series Thursday. "We made just enough plays down the stretch," said Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer.