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Thursday 28 March 2019
Clippers top Timberwolves to clinch playoff berth

By The Associated Press squad went 57-25.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dani- Nikola Jokic finished with 23
lo Gallinari scored 25 points points and 15 rebounds for
and the Los Angeles Clip- his 51st double-double this
pers clinched a playoff season.
spot Tuesday night with a Griffin had 29 points and 15
122-111 win over the Min- rebounds for the playoff-
nesota Timberwolves. chasing Pistons, who fin-
Coach Doc Rivers' club is ished a 1-4 road trip. Andre
back in the postseason af- Drummond had 13 points
ter falling short last year. Los and 18 rebounds before
Angeles finished 42-40 last fouling out.
season, missing the playoffs KINGS 125, MAVERICKS 121
after making it six straight DALLAS (AP) — De'Aaron
years — four under Rivers. Fox scored 23 points, in-
The Clippers (45-30) be- cluding a crucial basket
came the fifth Western to help Sacramento stay
Conference team to se- in front in the final minute
cure a postseason berth. against Dallas.
Lou Williams added 20 With the Kings leading by
points off the bench for the two, Fox drove and missed
Clippers, who outscored a layup but got his own re-
Minnesota's reserves 53-25. bound and tried again. The
The Clippers have won six second attempt went in for
in a row, the longest active a 121-117 lead with 26 sec-
streak in the NBA, and 10 of onds remaining, and the
11 overall. Los Angeles Clippers' Danilo Gallinari, left, eyes the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves' Dario Kings finished 3-0 against
Saric defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Minne-
Karl-Anthony Towns led apolis. Gallinari led the Clippers with 25 points in their 122-111 win. Mavericks to sweep the
Minnesota with 24 points Associated Press season series for the first
and 13 rebounds. time since 1997-98.
BUCKS 108, ROCKETS 94 ary 2011. San Antonio to stretch its points before sitting out the Dallas rookie sensation Luka
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Eric Dion Waiters scored 26 longest winning streak of final quarter, and Pascal Doncic tied Magic Johnson
Bledsoe scored 23 points, for the Heat, who lost on the season to four games. Siakam had 13. The Raptors with his seventh triple-dou-
including 16 in the decisive the night they retired Chris Walker took over in the ex- never trailed and avoided ble in his first season, get-
third quarter as Milwaukee Bosh's No. 1 jersey and tra period, scoring Char- their first three-game home ting 28 points, 12 rebounds
topped Houston. raised it to the rafters during lotte's first seven points and losing streak of the season. and 12 assists. It's the third-
Giannis Antetokounmpo a halftime ceremony. Dwy- going 4 of 4 from the field, Toronto lost to Charlotte most triple-doubles by a
had 19 points and 14 re- ane Wade had 22 points. including a pair of clutch on Sunday on a halfcourt rookie. Dwight Powell had
bounds for the Bucks, who CELTICS 116, CAVALIERS 3-pointers. He barely missed buzzer-beater by Jeremy 21 points and a season-
improved to an NBA-best 106 his third career triple-dou- Lamb. high 13 rebounds.
56-19. CLEVELAND (AP) — Jayson ble, finishing with 11 assists Wayne Selden scored 20 Harrison Barnes scored 18
James Harden scored 23 Tatum and Marcus Smart and nine rebounds. points as the Bulls lost for points in his first appear-
and Chris Paul 19 for the each scored 21 points, and It was Charlotte's first over- the seventh time in nine ance in Dallas since the
Rockets, who lost for just Boston broke away from a time win this season in five games. Chicago was with- Mavericks traded him to
the third time in 17 games. fourth-quarter tie to defeat tries. out leading scorer Zach Sacramento while he was
Harden shot 9 of 26, in- Cleveland. Dwayne Bacon established LaVine (bruised right thigh, playing in a game Feb. 6.
cluding 1 for 9 from 3-point Kyrie Irving (rest) didn't play a career high for the sec- right knee tendinitis) for the Buddy Hield scored 15 of
range with Bledsoe closely for Boston, but the Celt- ond straight game, pour- third straight game while his 17 points in the second
guarding him throughout ics snapped a four-game ing in 24 points with four forward Otto Porter Jr. half, including a 3-pointer
most of the game. losing streak and are 11-2 3-pointers. Frank Kaminsky (strained right rotator cuff) to put the Kings ahead for
MAGIC 104, HEAT 99 without their leading scorer. added 15 points and 10 missed his fourth in a row. good with 1:07 remaining.
MIAMI (AP) — Nikola Al Horford had 19 points, rebounds off the bench for NUGGETS 95, PISTONS 92 HAWKS 130, PELICANS 120
Vucevic had 24 points including eight in the fourth the Hornets, who are chas- DENVER (AP) — Jamal Mur- NEW ORLEANS (AP) —
and 16 rebounds, Jona- quarter and the go-ahead ing Orlando and Miami for ray scored 33 points, includ- Rookie guard Trae Young
than Issac added 19 points layup early in the period. the final playoff spot in the ing six in the final minute, had 33 points and 12 assists
and Orlando extended its The Celtics ended the Eastern Conference. and Denver held off Detroit for his 24th double-double
longest winning streak in game with a 24-14 run also DeMar DeRozan had 30 after nearly squandering a of the season, leading At-
eight years to six games by sparked by three-point points to lead the Spurs, but 27-point lead. lanta past New Orleans.
downing Miami. plays from Smart and Mar- missed a jumper at the end Trailing 66-39 at halftime, Young finished 12 of 24
D.J. Augustin scored 17 cus Morris to pull away. of regulation that would the Pistons cut it to one on from the field, including 5
points and Aaron Gordon Collin Sexton led the Cava- have won the game. La- a 3-pointer by Reggie Jack- for 12 from 3-point range,
finished with 14 points and liers with 24 points. Marcus Aldridge had 20 son with 11.2 seconds re- and had one turnover in 31
10 rebounds for the Magic The Celtics' slide dropped points and 15 rebounds. maining before Murray hit minutes.
(37-38), who won the sea- them to fifth in the Eastern RAPTORS 112, BULLS 103 a pair of free throws. Blake DeAndre' Bembry and
son series 3-1 and moved Conference with seven TORONTO (AP) — Norman Griffin's last-gasp 3-point at- Dewayne Dedmon each
past the Heat (36-38) into games to play in the regu- Powell scored 20 points, tempt bounded away. scored 18 points, and the
eighth place in the Eastern lar season. Serge Ibaka had 16 and To- At 50-23, the Nuggets Hawks shot 19 for 51 from
Conference playoff race. HORNETS 125, SPURS 116, OT ronto beat struggling Chi- moved into a tie with Gold- beyond the arc to win their
Evan Fournier added 11 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — cago for the eighth con- en State for the top spot in third straight.
points for Orlando, which Kemba Walker scored 11 secutive time. the Western Conference. Julius Randle led the Peli-
hadn't had a winning of his 38 points in overtime Kawhi Leonard and Kyle It's the first 50-win season for cans with 24 points and
streak this long since Janu- and Charlotte outlasted Lowry each added 14 Denver since the 2012-13 nine rebounds.q