■ RAPTORS BEAT CELTICS
Raptors rout Celtics, increase lead in Eastern Conference to three games
Toronto Raptors moved closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 96-78 on Wednesday night.
DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points, Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka each had 15 and the Toronto Raptors moved closer to clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 96-78 on Wednesday night.
Toronto increased its lead over second-place Boston to three games. Both teams have four games left.
Kyle Lowry scored 13 points for the Raptors, who earned a split in the season series with the Celtics and clinched the tiebreaker over Boston, based on each team’s record in conference play. Toronto is 37-11 against the East, while Boston is 31-17.
With its 56th win of the season, Toronto matched the franchise record set in 2015-16.
Marcus Morris scored 21 points for Boston in its lowest-scoring game of the season.
The Celtics shot 3 for 22 from 3-point range.
76ERS 115, PISTONS 108
In Detroit, JJ Redick scored 25 points, and Philadelphia won its 12th straight game, eliminating Detroit from playoff contention.
The Pistons had their fivegame winning streak snapped, and their defeat clinched a postseason spot for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Anthony Tolliver scored 25 points for the Pistons and went 7 of 8 from 3-point range. Detroit was without star forward Blake Griffin (bruised right ankle) and the 76ers were missing center Joel Embiid (concussion, orbital fracture).
LAKERS 122, SPURS 112, OT In Los Angeles, Kyle Kuzma scored six of his 30 points in overtime and Los Angeles swept the three-game season series against San Antonio.
Kuzma is the first rookie in NBA history with 1,200 points, 450 rebounds and 150 3-pointers in a season. He made a 3-pointer and a sky hook to start overtime and give the Lakers a lead they would not relinquish. Los Angeles outscored the Spurs 14-4 in the period.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points for the Spurs, who lost on back-to-back nights at Staples Center and are tied with Oklahoma City for fifth place in the Western Conference, a half-game behind Utah. /