Westbrook triple-double helps Thunder clinch play-off spot
Cavaliers keep play-off hopes alive with win over Knicks
Paul George scored 27 points and Russell Westbrook bagged a triple-double as the Oklahoma City Thunder overturned an 18-point deficit to clinch a play-off berth with a 115-93 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday.
Westbrook finished with 23 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists in a dynamic performance that assured the Thunder of a postseason berth and kept them in the hunt for home-court advantage in the first round.
The Thunder improved to 47-34 with the win, leaving them level on wins in the Western Conference standings with fourth-placed Utah, who have played a game fewer.
George and Westbrook were backed by Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 11 points, while Jerami Grant contributed 17 off the bench as the Thunder overcame a determined Miami side.
Josh Richardson led the scoring for the Heat with 18 points while Hassan Whiteside had 16. The defeat saw Miami slide back to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of Washington.
George said the Thunder would now aim to finish with a win in front of their home fans today, when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.
“It feels great. We’ve got one more to go, we’re heading in the right direction,” George said.
“It’s what we wanted. We wanted to come off the road trip 2 & 0 and we did that. We’ve got one more to close it up at home and get ready for these playoffs.”
Battle for third place
The Thunder were joined in the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs, who sealed their 21st consecutive appearance in the postseason with a 98-85 win over the Sacramento Kings. The Spurs advanced after strong performances off the bench, with Manu Ginobili chipping in with 17 points and Rudy Gay 18 points.
It remains to be seen where San Antonio will start in the playoffs, however, with the Spurs one of three teams locked on 47 wins heading into the final rounds of the regular season.
Elsewhere Monday, Kevin Love and LeBron James combined for 54 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers kept alive hopes of snagging third place in the Eastern Conference with a 123-109 win over the New York Knicks.
With just one regular season game remaining, the Cavaliers will likely need to defeat New York again today if they are to have any chance of sneaking past the in-form Philadelphia 76ers for the third seeding.
The Sixers will be assured of third if they win their two remaining games against Atlanta and Milwaukee. But Cleveland’s win on Monday handed them the tiebreaker over the Sixers, so should Philadelphia slip up against the Hawks or the Bucks, the Cavs will finish third.