Clippers keep streak going
SAN ANTONIO — Chris Paul had 19 points and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs 98-87 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive victory.
DeAndre Jordan added 17 points and 17 rebounds to help Los Angeles preserve its hopes of hosting a first-round playoff series.
Los Angeles is a half-game behind Utah for the fourth seed and homecourt in the first-round series between the two. The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Jazz 101-86 Saturday night.
Doc Rivers tied Mike Dunleavy for the Clippers franchise record with his 215th regular-season victory.
Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points for San Antonio. The Spurs closed out their home schedule with just their 10th loss at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio is playing out the regular season after securing the No. 2 seed and first-round matchup against No. 7-seed Memphis.
The Clippers were 3-1 against San Antonio this season.
The Clippers went on an 8-0 run after the Spurs cut the lead to 72-68 on Leonard’s 15-footer. Los Angeles would take an 82-70 lead into the fourth quarter in a physical matchup between postseason-bound
teams.
Aldridge had 10 points in the opening quarter, shooting 5 for 9 while primarily being defended by Griffin. Aldridge scored eight consecutive points in the opening quarter, including a pair of turnaround jumpers on Griffin and powering past Marresse Speights for a layup.
The Clippers responded by outscoring the Spurs 4832 in the paint.
NETS 107, BULLS 106
NEW YORK — Dwyane Wade returned but the Chicago Bulls sustained a potentially costly loss when the Brooklyn Nets beat them.
Spencer Dinwiddie made four free throws in the final 13.6 seconds for the Nets in their home finale. He scored 19 points, as did rookie Caris LeVert.
Jimmy Butler scored 33 points for the Bulls, who came in tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference.
CELTICS 121, HORNETS 114
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Isaiah Thomas scored 32 points, and the Boston Celtics remained in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Al Horford added 16 points and Kelly Olynyk had 13 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season as the Celtics swept the four-game series and pulled within a half-game of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Nicolas Batum had 31 points and Kemba Walker added 23 for the Hornets.
PACERS 127, MAGIC 112
ORLANDO, Fla. — Paul George scored 37 points and Myles Turner added 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Indiana Pacers move a step closer to a playoff berth with a victory over the Orlando Magic.
The Pacers pulled a game ahead of Chicago for seventh place in the Eastern Conference and climbed back to .500
with their third consecutive victory.
Terrence Ross had 29 points for the Magic, while Evan Fournier had 23 and Aaron Gordon added 17. Orlando has lost six of its last seven.
BUCKS 90, 76ERS 82
PHILADELPHIA — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers to clinch a playoff berth.
The Bucks, who snapped a threegame losing streak, began the night needing a victory and a loss by either Chicago, Indiana or Miami to secure their second postseason berth in three years. The Bulls lost 107-106 to Brooklyn.
Antetokounmpo scored eight points in the third quarter, when the Bucks (4139) outscored the Sixers 25-12 to take command.
HEAT 106, WIZARDS 103
WASHINGTON — Hassan Whiteside scored 30 points and James Johnson hit a layup with 11 seconds left to give the Miami Heat a victory over the Washington Wizards.
Johnson beat Markieff Morris to the basket for the go-ahead basket, Kelly Oubre Jr. threw away the inbounds pass and Josh Richardson made two free throws to seal it as the Heat moved into a tie for eighth in the Eastern Conference.
The Chicago Bulls, who lost to the Brooklyn Nets earlier, own the tiebreaker.
TRAIL BLAZERS 101, JAZZ 86
PORTLAND, Ore. — Damian Lillard scored a franchise-record 59 points and matched his career high with nine three-pointers to help the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz.
Lillard surpassed Damon Stoudamire’s previous record of 54 points with a stepback three-pointer. The crowd on its feet, he raised his arms in celebration and then pounded his chest.
The victory kept the Blazers ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with just two games left.