T-wolves move into three-way tie for West top spot
Cavaliers clinch playoff berth
MINNEAPOLIS, April 13, (AP): Rudy Gobert had 25 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks to help the Minnesota Timberwolves defeat the Atlanta Hawks 109-106 on Friday night and move into a three-way tie for first place in the Western Conference.
Minnesota is even with Denver and Oklahoma City atop the conference with one game to play. The Timberwolves hold head-to-head tiebreakers over both teams, but the Thunder would win a threeway tiebreaker for the top spot. So, a victory by Minnesota over Phoenix and a loss by either Denver or Oklahoma City would lock up the top seed for the Timberwolves.
Cavaliers 129, Pacers 120
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Jarrett Allen had 29 points and 13 rebounds and Cleveland clinched a playoff berth with a victory over Indiana.
Indiana pulled to 120-118 with 2:04 remaining on Pascal Siakam’s drive, but Darius Garland answered with a 3-pointer over Siakam. The Cavaliers scored the final six points, capped by an Isaac Okoro three-point play that ended with him somersaulting.
Tyrese Haliburton had 19 points and 12 assists, Siakam scored 19 points and Myles Turner had 17 points for the Pacers, who can still qualify for the playoffs with a win or a Philadelphia loss on Sunday. Indiana had won three straight.
Heat 125, Raptors 103
In Miami, Nikola Jovic scored 22 points, Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 20 points and nine assists, and Miami kept hope alive of escaping the play-in tournament by topping Toronto.
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Bam Adebayo scored 19 points, Tyler Herro scored 18, and Jimmy Butler and Kevin Love each scored 14 for the Heat (45-36). Miami still could get out of the play-in with a win in a rematch against the Raptors on Sunday and some help.
Spurs 121, Nuggets 120
In San Antonio, Devonte’ Graham converted a floater in the lane with 0.9 seconds remaining, and San Antonio handed Western Conference-leading Denver a potentially damaging loss, rallying from 23 points down.
The Nuggets (56-25) fell out of sole possession of first place in the West and into a tie with Minnesota and Oklahoma City. Because of tiebreakers, the Timberwolves were first, the Thunder second and the Nuggets third heading into the final day of the regular season on Sunday.
Lakers 123, Grizzlies 120
In Memphis, LeBron James had 37 points, including six in the final minute, and 10 rebounds and Anthony Davis had 36 points and 14 rebounds as Los Angeles beat the short-handed Memphis.
Davis, returning from a left eye injury that kept him out of the Lakers’ loss to Golden State on Tuesday, was 11 of 22 in this game. James shot 13 for 20 to help the Lakers snap a twogame losing streak.
Suns 108, Kings 107
In Sacramento, Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Jusuf Nurkic made a late free throw and Phoenix rallied to beat Sacramento.
With the game tied at 107 after Phoenix overcame a 16-point deficit, Domantas Sabonis fouled Nurkic fighting for the rebound off a missed shot by the Suns’ Grayson Allen. Nurkic, who finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds, missed the first, but made the second to give the Suns the lead with 8.1 seconds to play.
Pelicans 114, Warriors 109
In San Francisco, CJ McCollum hit a 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to help seal it and scored 28 points, Zion Williamson had 26 and New Orleans boosted their playoff positioning by beating Golden State.
Trey Murphy III converted a pair of free throws with 9 seconds left and finished with 24 points and eight rebounds for New Orleans.
76ers 125, Magic 113
In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had 32 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists after an apparent injury scare in the first half and Philadelphia beat Orlando.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 21 as Philadelphia (46-36) won its seventh straight game and moved into a tie with Orlando for the sixth seed in the East. The Sixers and Magic are a half-game behind Indiana for the No. 5 seed. The Pacers played Cleveland on Friday night.
Jazz 110, Clippers 109
In Los Angeles, Reserve Kenneth Lofton Jr. scored a season-high 27 points and Utah beat the Los Angeles Clippers.
Bones Hyland led the Clippers with 20 points off the bench and Amir Coffey added 16.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard missed his seventh straight game with right knee inflammation and is unlikely to return before the playoffs start next weekend.
Knicks 111, Nets 107
In New York, Jalen Brunson had 30 points and 11 assists after a slow start, OG Anunoby scored all of his 15 points in the third quarter and New York beat Brooklyn, clinching homecourt advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Josh Hart added 16 points and Mitchell Robinson also had 15 for the Knicks, who guaranteed themselves a top-four finish in the East and remained in the hunt for the No. 2 seed. They entered play a game behind Milwaukee for second in the East. The Bucks were playing at Oklahoma City later Friday without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Thunder 125, Bucks 107
In Oklahoma City, Shai GilgeousAlexander scored 23 points and Oklahoma City beat injury-depleted Milwaukee to boost their hopes of taking the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Bucks played Friday without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. They already had announced Wednesday that Antetokounmpo would miss the rest of the regular season with a strained left calf. Lillard was out with a sore left adductor. Milwaukee fell to 4-4 in games without Antetokounmpo this season.
Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez each scored 18 points for Milwaukee.
Celtics 131, Hornets 98
In Boston, Payton Prichard scored a career-high 31 points and the Boston Celtics rolled to a 131-98 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Pritchard added 11 assists for his second double-double this season and helped the Celtics avoid losing three consecutive games for the first time this season.
Luke Kornet finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta both also had 16 points for Boston, which led by as many as 33.
Bulls 129, Wizards 127
In Washington, rookie Adama Sanogo had 22 points and 20 rebounds to shatter his career highs and help shorthanded Chicago beat Washington.
Chicago coach Billy Donovan gave starters DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Alex Caruso the night off after clinching the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference on Thursday night with a victory in Detroit.
Javonte Green added 24 points, Jevon Carter had 20 points and 12 assists and Torrey Craig finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds. The Bulls won two straight for the first time in nearly a month.
Pistons 107, Mavericks 89
In Dallas, Marcus Sasser scored 24 points in his hometown return, including 13 straight points during a stretch of the third quarter, and Detroit beat Dallas.
The Pistons (14-67) led for most of the night against a Mavericks team that had won five consecutive games and 16 of 18 to secure an playoff spot.
Chimezie Metu scored 18 points for Detroit, matching a career high with four 3-pointers.
Rockets 116, Trail Blazers 107
In Portland, Jalen Green had 26 points and Houston spoiled Portland’s final game at home this season.
Aaron Holiday came of the bench to score 18 points while Amen Thompson had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Houston, which was already eliminated from playoff contention.
Scoot Henderson had 30 points for the Blazers, who have lost four in a row and 14 of their last 16 with one game left. Portland was second-to-last in the Western Conference.