Pacers explode for 157 points to close out regular season
Myles Turner had 31 points and Pascal Siakam scored 28 as the host Indiana Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 157115 and avoided falling into the play-in tournament.
Indiana secured the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a dominant regular-season finale. The Pacers shot 65% and made 19 of 36 3-pointers.
The 157 points matched the Pacers' highest-scoring game since they joined the NBA in 1976. The record was set earlier this season in their 157-152 win in the In-Season Tournament on Nov. 21.
Dejounte Murray scored 32 for the Hawks. CELTICS 132, WIZARDS 122 >> Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 38 points and added 12 assists with nine rebounds, and NBA-best Boston (64-18) rested its entire starting lineup in a home win over Washington. THUNDER 135, MAVERICKS 86 >> Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in one half of action, and Oklahoma City rolled past visiting Dallas to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The Thunder finished with the same 57-25 record as the Denver Nuggets but own the tiebreaker. KINGS 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 82
>> De'Aaron Fox scored 24 points and Sacramento assured itself of at least one more home game by beating Portland.
Sacramento will head into the play-in tournament on Tuesday night, hosting the Warriors.
After snapping an NBArecord long 16-year playoff drought last season, the Kings were in good position to finish in the top six before losing five of six games headed into the finale. LAKERS 124, PELICANS 108 >> LeBron James had 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals, and Los Angeles claimed the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a victory at New Orleans that dropped the Pelicans out of a coveted top-six seeding.
Anthony Davis added 30 points and 11 rebounds. KNICKS 120, BULLS 119, OT >> Jalen Brunson capped one of the best regular seasons in franchise history with his 11th 40-point game, carrying New York into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with the home victory over Chicago.
Brunson finished with 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
HEAT 118, RAPTORS 103 >> Thomas Bryant scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and host Miami topped Toronto.
HORNETS 120, CAVALIERS 110 >> Nick Smith Jr. scored 24 points and Steve Clifford won his coaching farewell as Charlotte rallied to win at playoff-bound Cleveland. 76ERS 107, NETS 86 >> After eight straight wins to end the regular season, Philadelphia is set for its first play-in tournament after a win over visiting Brooklyn.
Even with seeding that could have reached as high as fifth in the Eastern Conference at stake, the Sixers rested Joel Embiid as a precaution after he tweaked his surgically repaired left knee on Friday.
MAGIC 113, BUCKS 88 >> Paolo Banchero had 26 points and 11 rebounds and host Orlando avoided a play-in spot with a win over Milwaukee, which left it in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. SUNS 125, TIMBERWOLVES 106 >> Bradley Beal scored 36 points and visiting Phoenix beat Minnesota to stay out of the play-in tournament. NUGGETS 126, GRIZZLIES 111 >> Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and defending champ Denver secured the No. 2 seed in the West with a win at Memphis.