Utah upends Lakers to clinch playoff spot
Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points to help the Utah Jazz clinch a playoff berth with a 112-97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Utah is the fourth team in the crowded Western Conference to lock up a postseason spot, with five teams still in the running for the other four positions before the regular season ends Wednesday.
Mitchell also had nine rebounds and eight assists, and Joe Ingles had 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting along with 10 assists. Jae Crowder added 18 points off the bench.
For the Lakers, Josh Hart had 25 points and Julius Randle had 17 points and seven rebounds.
76ERS 109, MAVERICKS 97 >> J.J. Redick scored 18 points, and surging Philadelphia matched a franchise record with its 14th consecutive victory over Dallas.
Ben Simmons added 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Robert Covington had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Two years after going 10-72, the Sixers (50-30) clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and secured their first 50-win season since Allen Iverson’s 200001 team, which lost in the NBA Finals.
The only other time the Sixers won 14 straight in a single season, Dr. J and Moses Malone delivered Philadelphia its last NBA title in 1983.
PACERS 123, HORNETS 117 >> Domantas Sabonis scored a career-high 30 points, Victor Oladipo had 27 points on 12-of-15 shooting and the Pacers beat the Hornets to keep alive their slim hopes of winning the Central Division title.
Lance Stephenson, a former Hornet, had 10 rebounds, 10 assists and eight points for the Pacers, who have won seven of their last nine games.
For Indiana (48-33) to win the Central and earn home-court advantage for the first round of the NBA playoffs, it needs to beat Charlotte on Tuesday night and have the Cleveland Cavaliers (49-31) lose their final two games against the New York Knicks.
• Charlotte hired Mitch Kupchak as president of basketball operations and general manager, giving him full control of dayto-day operations. Hornets owner Michael Jordan called Kupchak a “proven winner” in a statement. HAWKS 112, CELTICS 106 >> Taurean Prince scored 33 points, and the Hawks rallied for the road win.
Isaiah Taylor and Dewayne Dedmon scored nine straight points for the Hawks after they trailed 103-101 with 2 minutes remaining. With the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference already locked up, Celtics coach Brad Stevens left Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier on the bench for the fourth quarter. GRIZZLIES 130, PISTONS 117 >> MarShon Brooks scored 25 points, Dillon Brooks added 22 and Memphis beat Detroit to snap a four-game losing streak. Marc Gasol and Kobi Simmons added 20 points apiece for Memphis.
RAPTORS 112, MAGIC 101 >> C.J. Miles scored 22 points and OG Anunoby had a careerhigh 21 for Toronto, which beat Orlando to prevail in their final home game of the regular season.