Harden comes off bench, leads Nets over Spurs

James Harden had 18 points and 11 assists in his return from an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116 on Wednesday night.

Coming off the bench in an NBA game for the first time since he won the league’s Sixth Man award for Oklahoma City in 201112, Harden also had seven rebounds after the longest layoff of his career, missing more than a month because of a strained right hamstring.

Landry Shamet scored 21 points and Nicolas Claxton had a career-high 18 for the Nets. They won their third straight and pulled within 1 1/2 games of Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference lead.

Kevin Durant had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. The Nets played without Kyrie Irving after he left their victory in Chicago on Tuesday with a facial contusion. They still have had their three superstars play together just seven times.

DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points for the Spurs. They missed a chance to secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

HAWKS 120, WIZARDS 116 >> Trae Young scored 33 points and John Collins hit a goahead 3-pointer with 24.4 seconds remaining and Atlanta beat Washington to clinch its first playoff berth since 2017.

Under interim coach Nate McMillan, who should receive strong consideration in the coach of the year balloting, the Hawks have posted a 25-11 mark to stamp themselves as a dangerous opponent heading into the postseason.

Russell Westbrook had 34 points and 15 assists for Washington.

CAVALIERS 102, CELTICS 94 >> Kevin Love scored a seasonhigh 30 points, Collin Sexton added 28 and Cleveland beat Boston to end an 11game losing streak, locking the Celtics into a spot in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Love made six 3-pointers, including two in an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter, and had 14 rebounds as

Cleveland closed out a miserable season at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with its first win since April 21. SEASON RECORD FOR 3-POINTERS PER GAME >> For the ninth consecutive season, the NBA record for 3-pointers made per game has been broken. Even if zero 3s are made in the final four days of a regular season that ends Sunday, the league’s average in 202021 will be higher than any other season. The 3s-pergame record was clinched when Washington’s Davis Bertans made the NBA’s 26,375th 3-pointer of the season Wednesday night. Bertans connected with 10:04 left in the fourth quarter of the Wizards’ game against Atlanta.