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Friday 6 april 2018
Raptors beat Celtics to close in on top seed in East

By The Associated Press PELICANS 123, GRIZZLIES 95
TORONTO (AP) — DeMar NEW ORLEANS (AP) —
DeRozan scored 16 points, E'Twaun Moore scored 30
Fred VanVleet and Serge points, and Anthony Davis
Ibaka each had 15 and had 28 points and 12 re-
the Toronto Raptors moved bounds in a return to form
closer to clinching the top to help New Orleans rout
seed in the Eastern Confer- Memphis.
ence by beating the Boston Davis struggled in the previ-
Celtics 96-78 on Wednes- ous two games after twist-
day night. ing an ankle in a loss to
Toronto increased its lead Portland on March 27. He
over second-place Boston made 8 of 13 field goals, 11
to three games. Both teams of 13 free throws and had
have four games left. three blocks and two steals.
Kyle Lowry scored 13 The eighth-place Pelicans
points for the Raptors, who ended a season-worst four-
earned a split in the sea- game losing streak and in-
son series with the Celtics creased their lead over idle
and clinched the tiebreak- Denver to a full game for
er over Boston, based on the final playoff spot in the
each team's record in con- Western Conference.
ference play. Toronto is 37- Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives on Boston Celtics centre Aron Baynes (46) dur- MarShon Brooks scored 25
11 against the East, while ing the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 4, 2018, in Toronto. points for the Grizzlies.
Boston is 31-17. Associated Press MAGIC 105, MAVERICKS
With its 56th win of the 100
season, Toronto matched Anthony Tolliver scored 25 150 3-pointers in a season. Olynyk scored 19 points, ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —
the franchise record set in points for the Pistons and He made a 3-pointer and including 15 on five 3-point- Rookie Jamel Artis had
2015-16. went 7 of 8 from 3-point a sky hook to start overtime ers when Miami took the 18 points for his second
Marcus Morris scored 21 range. Detroit was without and give the Lakers a lead lead for good in the sec- straight career high for Or-
points for Boston in its low- star forward Blake Griffin they would not relinquish. ond period, and the Heat lando.
est-scoring game of the (bruised right ankle) and Los Angeles outscored the beat Atlanta, capping a Artis was coming off a
season. The Celtics shot 3 the 76ers were missing cen- Spurs 14-4 in the period. sweep of back-to-back 16-point game Tuesday
for 22 from 3-point range. ter Joel Embiid (concussion, LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 games between Southeast night in a victory at New
76ERS 115, PISTONS 108 orbital fracture). points for the Spurs, who Division rivals. York. Aaron Gordon led the
DETROIT (AP) — JJ Redick LAKERS 122, SPURS 112, OT lost on back-to-back nights Miami rested Dwyane Magic with 20 points with-
scored 25 points, and Phila- LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kyle at Staples Center and are Wade, Goran Dragic and out playing in the fourth
delphia won its 12th straight Kuzma scored six of his 30 tied with Oklahoma City for James Johnson one day af- quarter.
game, eliminating Detroit points in overtime and Los fifth place in the Western ter clinching a playoff berth Jalen Jones led Dallas with
from playoff contention. Angeles swept the three- Conference, a half-game by beating the Hawks in Mi- 15 points. The Mavericks list-
The Pistons had their five- game season series against behind Utah. The Spurs and ami. Josh Richardson also ed seven players out with
game winning streak San Antonio. Thunder both have three had 19 points, and Justise injuries including Dirk Nowit-
snapped, and their defeat Kuzma is the first rookie games remaining. Winslow had 18 for Miami. zki, the 19-year veteran
clinched a postseason spot in NBA history with 1,200 HEAT 115, HAWKS 86 Taurean Prince led Atlanta who missed only his second
for the Milwaukee Bucks. points, 450 rebounds and ATLANTA (AP) — Kelly with 20 points. game of the season.q

Nowitzki's 20th season with Mavs ends early after surgery

ing he intends to return for delphia before finishing the plays, not management.
a 21st season, all with the season at home Tuesday The first foreign-born play-
Mavericks. Nowitzki could against Phoenix. er and sixth overall in the
be the first to play that long Nowitzki averaged 12 NBA to reach 30,000 ca-
with one franchise. points and 5.7 rebounds in reer points, Nowitzki is 232
The team said Thursday 77 games, a record for a behind fifth-place Wilt
that Nowitzki underwent player's 20th season. The Chamberlain. But playing
a procedure to clear out 13-time All-Star shot 41 per- a supporting rather than
unhealthy tissue, called cent from 3-point range, his leading role as his career
surgical debridement. It first time over 40 percent in winds down, Nowitzki is like-
was performed at a Dallas five years. He has career ly to get passed by LeBron
medical clinic. averages of 21.2 points James next season.
Nowitzki, who turns 40 in and 7.7 rebounds. Nowitzki has avoided sur-
June, played his final game The 2011 NBA Finals MVP geries most of his career.
of the season at home when Dallas won its only The most significant was
against Portland on Tues- title, Nowitzki has said he arthroscopic surgery on his
Associated Press day. The 2007 MVP didn't intends to return if his body right knee before the 2012-
make the final road trip, allows it. There is a team 13 season, which sidelined
DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowit- surgery on his left ankle. which started in Orlando option on his $5 million con- him the first 27 games. He
zki's 20th season is over a Now the question is whether on Wednesday. The lottery- tract, but owner Mark Cu- was slowed at the start of
few games early after the the 7-foot German will play bound Mavericks have ban has often said Nowit- last season by a sore right
Dallas Mavericks star had as a 40-year-old after say- games at Detroit and Phila- zki will decide how long he Achilles tendon.q