|
 CJ McCollum added 26 points and Allen Crabbe came off the bench
for 16 points for the Trail Blazers (43-37), who clinched a playoff
spot with the victory.
Four Oklahoma City starters, including stars Kevin Durant and
Russell Westbrook, sat out to get a rest.
Enes Kanter scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 20 rebounds
for the Thunder (54-25), who have secured the No. 3 playoff position
in the Western Conference. Dion Waiters scored 25 points and Anthony
Morrow contributed 19 for OKC, which trailed by as many as 23 points
in the second half.
Mavericks 88, Rockets 86
DALLAS -- J.J. Barea added another clutch performance to the best
stretch of his career and Dallas secured a crucial win over Houston
at American Airlines Center.
Dallas has won five in a row and took a two-game lead over Southwest
Division rival Houston going into the last four games of the regular
season. The Mavs and Rockets are locked in a three-team race with
Utah for the final two Western Conference playoff spots.
 The victory also allowed Dallas to split the four-game season series
with Houston. The Rockets would have taken the series and, more
importantly, a playoff tiebreaker with a win.
Pistons 108, Magic 104
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Reggie Jackson scored 24 points and Detroit moved a
step closer to its first playoff appearance in seven seasons by
beating Orlando at the Amway Center.
The Pistons can clinch a postseason berth with one more win or a
loss by the Chicago Bulls. They clinched their first winning season
since 2007-08.
Jackson scored eight points in the final three minutes to hold off a
late Magic rally. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 18 points
for the Pistons. Andre Drummond had 13 points and a game-high 16
rebounds, and Reggie Bullock and Tobias Harris each scored 13 points
for Detroit.
Celtics 104, Pelicans 97
BOSTON -- Boston took another step forward in their fight for
home-court advantage in the playoffs. However, they almost lost to a
decimated New Orleans team despite leading by 14 points late in the
third quarter.
Avery Bradley hit a jumper to snap a 93-93 tie, and Isaiah Thomas
scored 32 points as the Celtics fought off the pesky Pelicans
104-97.
The win moved the Celtics (46-32) into a virtual tie with the idle
Atlanta Hawks (46-32) for third place in the Eastern Conference. The
Heat (45-32) are a half-game back in fifth, and the Charlotte
Hornets (45-33) are a half-game behind Miami in sixth.
Wizards 121, Nets 103
WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 25 points as Washington earned a
needed win without John Wall, downing Brooklyn.
Ramon Sessions had 18 points and a season-high 13 assists for the
Wizards, who outscored the struggling Nets 67-51 in the second half
and led by as many as 28 points. Wall, who played in all of
Washington's previous games this season, was ruled out before tipoff
with a sore right knee. The three-time All-Star ranks third in the
NBA with 10.2 assists per game and leads Washington in scoring.
[to top of second column] |
The victory kept Washington alive in the Eastern Conference playoff
race, but the chances of landing a third straight playoff berth are
low. The 10th-place Wizards remain 3 1/2 games back of the Pistons
for the eighth and final slot with four games remaining. Detroit won
108-104 over the Orlando Magic Wednesday. Washington hosts Detroit
Friday.
Pacers 123, Cavaliers 109
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George scored 29 points, and Indiana took full
advantage of Cleveland's decision to rest LeBron James in a victory
over the Cavaliers.
C.J. Miles added 21 points for Indiana, which remains in the No. 7
slot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase. The Pacers are
one-half game ahead of the Detroit Pistons, who defeated the Orlando
Magic 108-104 Wednesday night.
Solomon Hill and Ian Mahinmi each added 15 for the Pacers, and Monta
Ellis added 13 points and eight assists in Indiana's third
consecutive victory. The Pacers finished 16-for-31 from 3-point
range.
Hornets 111, Knicks 97
NEW YORK -- Kemba Walker poured in 34 points to lead Charlotte to a
win over New York at Madison Square Garden.
Walker now has 13 games with 30 or more points this season, the
third-highest total in the Eastern Conference. He was 11 of 18 from
the floor, making a career-best seven 3-pointers on 10 attempts.
Al Jefferson came off the Charlotte bench to score 24 points in 28
minutes. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Clippers 91, Lakers 81
LOS ANGELES -- For the second time in as many nights, the Los
Angeles Clippers had little trouble handling the Los Angeles Lakers.
DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick scored 15 points apiece, and the
Clippers defeated the Lakers for the 11th straight time with a
victory at Staples Center.
Jordan also grabbed 11 rebounds. Blake Griffin had his best game
since returning from injury and suspension, scoring all 13 of his
points in the first half and collecting eight rebounds. Chris Paul
also had 13 points and handed out eight assists.
Wedneday's Clippers' win comes on the heels of Tuesday's 103-81
romp.
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