RAPTORS BACK ON TRACK
76ers eliminate Pistons with 12th straight win, tie Cavaliers for third
Toronto stymies Boston to take 3-game lead in NBA Eastern Conference
TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points, and Fred VanVleet and Serge Ibaka each had 15 as 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 remaining.
“We had to rely on our defense tonight,” DeRozan said. “We missed a lot of shots but, with that, we played extremely hard defensively and made up for the low percentage that we shot from the field.”
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.
Delon Wright had eight points, eight assists and nine rebounds for the Raptors, who entered having lost five of eight, including the past two. Toronto lost at Boston on Saturday and at Cleveland on Tuesday.
76ERS 115, PISTONS 108: In Detroit, JJ Redick scored 25 points as Philadelphia won its 12th straight game and eliminating Detroit from playoff contention.
The Pistons’ five-game winning streak was snapped, and their defeat clinched a postseason spot for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Eastern Conference playoff field is now set, although there’s still plenty of uncertainty over the actual matchups. Philadelphia pulled even with Cleveland for third place in the East.
Anthony Tolliver scored 25 points for the Pistons and went 7-for-8 from 3-point range. Detroit was without forward Blake Griffin (bruised ankle) and the 76ers were missing center Joel Embiid (concussion, orbital fracture).
“Everyone in this room has stepped up since Joel went down, and we know we’re capable of winning games without him,” 76ers guard Ben Simmons said.
PELICANS 123, GRIZZLIES 95: In New Orleans, E’Twaun Moore scored 30 points, and Anthony Davis had 28 points and 12 rebounds as New Orleans routed Memphis.
Davis struggled in the previous two games after twisting an ankle in a loss to Portland on March 27. In subsequent losses to Cleveland and Oklahoma City, he averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while making 39 percent of his shots. For the season, Davis has averaged 28.1 points and 11.1 rebounds while making 53.5 percent of his shots.
On Wednesday he was 8-for-13 from the field and 11-for-13 from the line.
The eighth-place Pelicans ended a season-worst four-game losing streak and increased their lead over idle Denver to a full game for the final playoff spot in the West. HEAT 115, HAWKS 86: In Atlanta, Kelly Olynyk scored 19 points, including 15 on five 3-pointers when Miami took the lead for good in the second period, as the Heat beat Atlanta.
Miami rested Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic and James Johnson a day after clinching a playoff berth by beating the Hawks in Miami.
Olynyk took over the game for the Heat in the second period. Olynyk’s first two 3s in his streak of four straight for the Heat capped Miami’s 14-0 run for a 42-36 lead. LAKERS 122, SPURS 112: In Los Angeles, Kyle Kuzma scored 30 points to lead LA past San Antonio in overtime.
The victory ended a four-game losing streak for the Lakers. The loss for the Spurs dropped them into a fifthplace tie in the West with Oklahoma City, one-half game behind Utah. MAGIC 105, MAVERICKS 100: In Orlando, Fla., Jamel Artis had 18 points for his second straight career high to help Orlando beat Dallas. Around the NBA BIG GAMES TODAY: Portland at Houston. James Harden and Damian Lillard could be the first-team AllNBA backcourt.
■ Washington at Cleveland. A possible playoff preview, though only if the Wizards start playing better to get the No. 6 seed.
■ Minnesota at Denver. Possibly a must-win for the ninth-place Nuggets, who are a game back of No. 7 Minnesota. STAT LINE OF THE WEEK: 49 — Number of wins San Antonio can finish with, ending the Spurs’ streak of 18 straight 50-win seasons