Kicked out: Spurs’ run of 22 straight playoff berths ends
Blazers win thriller to stay alive, face Grizzlies in play-in
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Gregg Popovich didn’t put much thought into San Antonio’s playoff streak when it was rolling along.
He’s not thinking about it now, either.
The Spurs’ record-tying run of 22 consecutive playoff appearances is over, and the longest season in team history — almost 300 days from the first game to the last — also, strangely, is over earlier than the NBA is used to seeing. The final outcome was a 118-112 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday, a game that was meaningless in the standings.
“Looking at the past doesn’t do much good,” Popovich said. “Any success we’ve had has been because we’ve had some great players.”
Rayjon Tucker had 18 points for the Jazz, who finished with eight scorers in double figures and used their regulars either sparingly or not at all. Keldon Johnson had 24 points to lead seven Spurs scorers in double figures.
“You can’t say enough about the Spurs,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. “They’ve been the premier franchise in the NBA for a long time.”
The Spurs were ousted when Memphis beat Milwaukee, and Phoenix completed an undefeated eight-game run in the NBA’S restart bubble with a victory over Dallas.
Those games went final shortly before San Antonio-utah started. The Spurs needed the Grizzlies or the Suns to lose to have any chance of getting into the West play-in series that begins Saturday to decide the NBA’S final postseason berth.
■ Trail Blazers 134, Nets
133: Damian Lillard sent Portland to the NBA’S first play-in series with 42 points and a crucial steal with 1:12 left.
The Blazers secured the West’s No. 8 seed only after Caris Levert, who scored 37 points, missed a jumper just before time expired.
Portland will play ninth-seeded Memphis on Saturday. If the Grizzlies win, the deciding game would be Sunday. The play-in winner earns a firstround series against the Los
Angeles Lakers.
Lillard chased down Levert for a steal with the Blazers leading by two points with 1:12 to go, setting up C.J. Mccollum’s two free throws that made it 134-130.
Levert came back with a three-point play and had a chance to win it after Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer. But Levert’s jumper was off.
■ Grizzlies 119, Bucks 106: Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double in his 559th game, helping Memphis keep alive its season.
Findlay Prep product Dillon Brooks had 31 points and Ja Morant had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Grizzlies.
Milwaukee was missing MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was suspended for head-butting an opponent. Memphis never trailed in its second wire-towire win this season.
■ Suns 128, Mavericks 102: Devin Booker scored 27 points for Phoenix, which finished as the lone unbeaten team since the season restart but was eliminated from playoff consideration with Portland’s win over Brooklyn.
■ Magic 133, Pelicans 127: Nikola Vucevic scored 23 points on 10-for-11 shooting for Orlando, which built a 22-point third-quarter lead in a playoff tuneup.
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Buddy Hield scored 28 points, including a 3-pointer that capped Sacramento’s streak of 11 straight made baskets in the third period, as the Kings won for the third time since the season restart.
■ Wizards 96, Celtics 90: Thomas Bryant had 26 points and nine rebounds for Washington, which notched its lone win in eight games since the season restart.
Kings 136, Lakers 122: