Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Atlanta Hawks secured an NBA playoff berth with a 124-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own. CJ McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that will see the seventh- through 10th-placed teams battle for the last two playoff berths in each conference.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists for the Hawks, who led 61-48 at halftime and surged away with a 16-0 scoring run late in the third quarter. The Cavaliers, assured of the fourth seed in the East and home court advantage in the first round, rested Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.
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The Celtics, who had missed a chance to secure the second seed with a loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday, got the job done with a record-equaling 29 three-pointers in a 144-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s the second time in two seasons the Celtics have matched the record of 29 treys, first set by the Milwaukee Bucks in December 2020 and also matched this season by the Memphis Grizzlies.
All 30 teams played on the penultimate day of regular-season action, with more than a dozen of those headed for the post-season still jostling to cement their playoff or play-in positions. The Knicks secured the third seed in the East with a 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Toronto slipped from fifth to sixth in the East with one game remaining and the same 45-36 record as the seventh-placed Orlando Magic — who beat the Chicago Bulls 127-103.
The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers shook off the absence of star big man Joel Embiid, who is recovering from an appendectomy, to beat the Pacers 105-94 in Indiana. Eighth in the East, the Sixers still have a mathematical chance of overtaking both the Raptors and Magic on Sunday and avoiding the play-in. But the Charlotte Hornets were locked into the play-in with their 118-100 loss to Eastern Conference top seeds Detroit.
– Wembanyama returns – The playoff-bound San Antonio Spurs, fueled by 40 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and two blocked shots from superstar Victor Wembanyama, beat the Dallas Mavericks 139-120. Wembanyama returned to action after missing one game with bruised ribs and with 64 regular-season games and the NBA Cup final under his belt has met the 65-game minimum to be eligible for season honors including Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Wembanyama underscored his status as an MVP contender with his fifth 40-point game of the season in just 26 minutes on the floor.
© 2024 AFP
