BUCKS CLINCH BEST EAST RECORD
The Milwaukee Bucks win 60 games for the first time in 38 years to clinch the best record in the East
GIANNIS Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and Khris Middleton added 21 to send Milwaukee to a methodical 115-107 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Milwaukee on Sunday night, giving the Bucks 60 wins in a season for the first time since 1981.
The Bucks, who have clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, led from the outset as the Hawks rested leading scorers John Collins and Trae Young.
Milwaukee led 85-72 entering the final period, but Atlanta pulled to 101-98 on a drive by DeAndre’ Bembry with 3:28 left. Middleton countered with consecutive 3-pointers and Antetokounmpo connected from beyond the arc to put Milwaukee up 110-98.
Alex Len had a career-high 33 points for Atlanta, including six 3-pointers.
WARRIORS 131, CLIPPERS 104
In Oakland, Soaking in the franchise’s nostalgia of yesteryear, Stephen Curry scored 27 points and helped Golden State clinch the Western Conference’s top playoff seed with a win in its final regular-season game at Oracle Arena, beating Los Angeles for a fifth straight victory.
Kevin Durant added 16 points and seven assists, making six of seven field goals, as Warriors players opted to honor the past by sporting throwback white “We Believe” jerseys worn during the 2007 playoff run that snapped a 12-year postseason drought.
A banner commemorating 47 years at Oracle was unveiled afterward and it will move across the bay to hang inside new Chase Center in San Francisco where the Warriors will play next season.
Landry Shamet scored 17 points with five 3-pointers for a Clippers team still missing Patrick Beverley because of a right hip pointer. Los Angeles dropped into a seventh-place tie with San Antonio in the West by losing its third straight. Now, the Clippers play the Jazz in the regular-season finale Wednesday and with various scenarios very well could be returning to Oracle next weekend for Game 1 in the first round of the playoffs.
Draymond Green just missed a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in Golden State’s seventh win over the last eight games and fifth in a row at home.
TRAIL BLAZERS 115, NUGGETS 108
In Portland, Damian Lillard scored 30 points to lead Portland past a Denver team that rested its top three scorers after securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Al-Farouq Aminu added 23 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, which held onto fourth place in the Western Conference with two games remaining. The win snapped a six-game losing streak to the Nuggets.
Gary Harris had 18 points for Denver, which played without Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Jamal Murray.
The Trail Blazers got back CJ McCollum, who was out for 10 games with a left knee injury. Coach Terry Stotts said before the game that his minutes would be restricted, but McColllum played 25 minutes and had nine points.
Champions of the Northwest Division, the Nuggets are assured at least the No. 3 seed in the West and can clinch the second seed with two more wins. ROCKETS 149, SUNS 113
In Houston, James Harden scored 30 points in just three quarters as Houston broke its NBA record by making 27 3-pointers in a win over Phoenix.
Eric Gordon led the 3-point brigade by tying a career high with eight, Harden added five, P.J. Tucker had four and Danuel House three.
Gary Clark tied the record with a little over three minutes to play and Houston missed the next four before Austin Rivers broke it with 1:09 remaining. The Rockets have made 26 twice this season with the last time coming Tuesday at Sacramento.
Jamal Crawford had 27 points off the bench for the Suns with rising stars Devin Booker and Kelly Oubre out for the season with injuries.
NETS 108, PACERS 96
In Indianapolis, D’Angelo Russell scored 20 points and Joe Harris added 19, leading Brooklyn back into the NBA playoffs for the first time in four years.
The Nets moved into position to clinch when Miami lost in overtime at Toronto earlier in the day. It’s also the first time since 2014-15 the Nets have not posted a losing record.
Domantas Sabonis finished with 17 points. /