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SPORTS Thursday 12 March 2020
Celtics hold off Pacers, clinch 6th straight playoff spot

By The Associated Press CLIPPERS 131, WARRIORS
Marcus Smart’s leaning 107
bank shot in the final min- SAN FRANCISCO (AP) —
ute gave the Celtics’ the Kawhi Leonard scored 23
lead after the team blew points before sitting out the
a 19-point advantage, and entire fourth quarter along
Boston held on for a 114- with the rest of the Doc Riv-
111 victory Tuesday night ers’ starters, Los Angeles
over the Indiana Pacers to thumped Golden State.
clinch a playoff spot for a Paul George and Patrick
sixth consecutive year. Beverley scored 15 points
Jayson Tatum scored 30 apiece as the Clippers had
points for Boston while Gor- seven players in double fig-
don Hayward added 27 ures. Reggie Jackson add-
points, 10 boards and five ed 16 points and JaMychal
assists in his home state. Green had 13 points and
Smart put the Celtics 10 rebounds.
ahead for good at 111- The Clippers moved a
109 with 49.7 seconds left game ahead of Denver for
by scoring in the lane over second place in the West.
Domantis Sabonis, who led Dragan Bender matched
Indiana with 28 points, nine his career-high of 23 points
rebounds and eight assists. for Golden State. Andrew
Smart made two free throws Wiggins scored 21 and Mar-
with seven seconds to go quese Chriss had 10 points
for a three-point edge, and and 10 rebounds.
Justin Holiday missed badly WIZARDS 122, KNICKS 115
on a contested 3-pointer as WASHINGTON (AP) — Brad-
time expired. ley Beal got back to his
Victor Oladipo finished with high-scoring ways with 40
a season-high 27 points to points, lifting Washington
power a stunning come- past New York.
back for the Pacers, who Beal overcame a slow start
fell into an 85-66 hole late and surpassed the 25-point
in the third quarter. plateau for the 22nd time in
NETS 104, LAKERS 102 23 games.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Spen- His string of 21 such games
cer Dinwiddie scored 23 was snapped Sunday
points and hit the tiebreak- Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) tries to go around the defense of Boston Celtics when he scored 23 in a loss
ing jumper with 28.3 sec- defenders Daniel Theis (27) and Marcus Smart (36) during the first half of an NBA basketball game to Miami.
onds to play, and the Nets in Indianapolis, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Associated Press The Wizards’ win meant
beat the Lakers for their the Heat will have to wait
second straight win since WOLVES 111 Rudy Gay scored 17 points, each. The game, featuring at least one more day to
interim coach Jacque HOUSTON (AP) — James Trey Lyles had 14 points and two teams holding down clinch an Eastern Confer-
Vaughn took over. Harden scored 37 points 11 rebounds and DeMar the eighth and final spot in ence playoff spot.
Anthony Davis missed a and Houston beat Min- DeRozan added 13 points their respective conferenc- Shabazz Napier added 21
wide-open 3-pointer at the nesota, snapping a four- and 12 assists. es, was competitive until points for the Wizards.
buzzer that would have game skid. Dallas remains seventh the final minute. A 3-point Bobby Portis and Frank
won it for the Lakers, whose The Rockets’ losing streak, in the West, 6 1/2 games attempt by Memphis guard Nkilitina led the Knicks with
four-game winning streak which matched a season ahead of Memphis. Tyus Jones bounced off the 20 points apiece.
ended after an emotionally high, came after they won The Spurs moved four rim in the final seconds, pre- BULLS 108, CAVALIERS 103
charged weekend. Los An- six in a row and dropped games behind the Grizzles serving the Magic’s third CHICAGO (AP) — Coby
geles lost to a sub-.500 op- them to sixth in the Western for the eighth seed in their straight victory. White scored 20 points to
ponent in its first game af- Conference with the play- bid to earn an NBA-record TRAIL BLAZERS 121, SUNS help offset a career-high
ter back-to-back victories offs fast approaching. 23rd straight playoff ap- 105 nine turnovers in his first NBA
over NBA-leading Milwau- Russell Westbrook scored pearance. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — start, and Chicago beat
kee and the powerhouse 27 points for Houston. MAGIC 120, GRIZZLIES 115 Damian Lillard scored 25 Cleveland.
Clippers. D’Angelo Russell had 28 MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — points and Portland beat Wendell Carter Jr. added
Caris LeVert added 22 points to lead the Timber- Terrence Ross scored 24 Phoenix. 17 points. Lauri Markkanen,
points as Brooklyn opened wolves, who lost their third points, fueling a rally with 18 The win snapped a two- Denzel Valentine and Otto
its four-game California straight. in the fourth quarter, and game skid for the Blazers, Porter Jr. each scored 15.
road trip by knocking off SPURS 119, MAVERICKS 109 Orlando beat Memphis. who are among several Shaquille Harrison grabbed
the powerhouse Lakers, SAN ANTONIO (AP) — La- Michael Carter-Williams teams vying to pull in front 10 rebounds. And the Bulls
who lost for only the second Marcus Aldridge had 24 added 20 points and Niko- of Memphis for the eighth held off the Eastern Confer-
time in 13 games. Vaughn’s points in his return from injury la Vucevic finished with 19 playoff spot in the West. ence’s last-place team to
Nets unbeaten since he and San Antonio withstood points, 11 rebounds and Trevor Ariza and CJ McCol- win for just the third time in
surprisingly replaced Kenny Luka Doncic’s 38 points to seven assists for the Magic. lum had 22 points apiece 16 games.
Atkinson last week. beat Dallas and keep its Jonas Valanciunas led and Hassan Whiteside Collin Sexton led Cleveland
LeBron James had 29 playoff hopes afloat. Memphis with 27 points and added 16 points and 14 re- with 26 points, giving him 25
points, 12 rebounds and San Antonio had seven 16 rebounds, while Dillon bounds for Portland. or more in seven of the past
nine assists for the Lakers. players in double figures in Brooks and rookie Ja Mo- Devin Booker scored 29 eight games. Andre Drum-
ROCKETS 117, TIMBER- snapping a two-game skid. rant finished with 21 points points for the Suns. mond scored 21.q