Cavs beat Grizzlies, near playoff spot
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 110-98 on Wednesday night to move within a victory of wrapping up a playoff spot.
All-Star shooting guard Mitchell, who has been bothered by left knee soreness for two months, also had eight assists in just his 10th game since Feb. 15. The Cavaliers have lost 11 of their last 17, but sit fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland would lock up a top-six finish and its second straight playoff appearance with a victory Friday night over Indiana or a win Sunday over Charlotte. Both games are at home.
HORNETS 115, HAWKS 114
In Atlanta, Miles Bridges made a layup with 3.8 seconds left and Charlotte beat the Hawks to spoil Atlanta star Trae Young’s return from a finger injury.
After missing 23 games because of a torn ligament in his left pinkie, Young had 14 points and 11 assists in 21 minutes while making each of his five shots from the field. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter.
Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 27 points. Bridges had 18.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vit Krejci each had 19 points for Atlanta, which suffered its fourth straight loss. Trent Forrest missed a last-second jumper as the Hawks, 10th in the Eastern Conference, missed an opportunity to move within a half-game of No. 9 Chicago in the race for a home game to open the play-in tournament.
MAVERICKS 111, HEAT 92
In Miami, Luka Doncic scored 29 points, Kyrie Irving added 25 and Dallas wrapped up the Southwest Division title by beating the Heat.
Doncic also had nine rebounds and nine assists for Dallas, which will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs — that series starting either April 20 or 21. It’ll be the third opening-round matchup between those teams in the last four seasons; the Clippers won each of the first two.
Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford all finished with 12 points for Dallas.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points. Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Caleb Martin scored 14 and Jimmy Butler had 12 for the Heat.
NETS 106, RAPTORS 102
In New York, Cam Thomas had 23 points, Dennis Schroder scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Brooklyn rallied to beat Toronto.
Nic Claxton added 14 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Noah Clowney had 10 points and a career-high seven blocks for the Nets in their final home game of the season. They finished 20-21 at Barclays Center.
Immanuel Quickley scored 32 points for Toronto. Gradey Dick added a career-high 24.
BUCKS 117, MAGIC 99
In Milwaukee, Bobby Portis had 30 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals to help the Bucks withstand Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence and beat Orlando.
The Bucks played a night after Antetokounmpo left a 104-91 victory over the Boston Celtics because of a strained left calf. The Bucks announced Wednesday that the two-time MVP would miss the final three games of the regular season, though his availability for the start of the playoffs remains uncertain.
Milwaukee (49-31) is 11/2 games ahead of New York (47-32) and two games ahead of Cleveland (47-33) in the race for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed behind the Boston Celtics, who already have clinched the NBA’s best regular-season record.
THUNDER 127, SPURS 89
In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points in 26 minutes, and the Thunder rolled past Victor Wembanyama-less San Antonio.
Josh Giddey had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists and Gordon Hayward added 18 points for the Thunder, who won their third straight and improved to 55-25 overall.
Zach Collins had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Spurs.
NUGGETS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 107
In Denver, Nikola Jokic scored 41 points and powered the Nuggets past Minnesota and into sole possession of first place in the tight Western Conference playoff race with a win over the Timberwolves.
Jokic made 16 of 20 shots against the NBA’s best defense while being guarded most of the night by the league’s top defender, Rudy Gobert. Jamal Murray added 20 points in 27 minutes and Michael Porter Jr. scored 18.
The Nuggets (56-24) took a one-game lead over Minnesota and Oklahoma City, who are both 55-25. The Thunder walloped San Antonio 127-89 on Wednesday night to stay within striking distance of the West’s top seed.
SUNS 124, CLIPPERS 108
In Los Angeles, Devin Booker scored 37 points, Bradley Beal added 26 and Phoenix rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Clippers.
The victory was payback for the Suns after they were embarrassed in the first quarter the previous night in Phoenix. That’s when the Clippers led 35-4 and went ahead by 37 in the second quarter before the Suns got close only to lose 105-92.
The result Wednesday locked Golden State and Los Angeles Lakers into the play-in tournament. The Suns are seventh in the West, a half-game behind New Orleans for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot.