New Orleans Pelicans clinch play-off spot with win over San Antonio
Last Updated: 16/04/15 8:42am
Anthony Davis had 31 points and 13 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans earned their first play-off berth since 2011 with a 108-103 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
Davis, who will make his play-off debut against Golden State, came through in the closing minutes with two jumpers, two blocks and two rebounds to prevent the Spurs from pulling off a 23-point comeback.
Tony Parker had 23 points and Borris Diaw scored 20 for San Antonio but it wasn’t enough to secure the win the Spurs needed to the second place in the Western Conference play-offs. The loss ended the Spurs' 11-game winning streak.
In Minneapolis, Oklahoma City’s 138-113 victory over Minnesota wasn’t enough to keep their season alive. The Thunder needed to not only win their final regular-season match but needed the Pelicans to lose to keep their play-off hopes alive. The results mean the Thunder will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008-09.
The Brooklyn Nets clinched the final Eastern Conference play-off spot, beating the Orlando Magic 101-88 and getting help when Memphis knocked off Indiana.
Brooklyn earned the No. 8 seed and will visit top-seeded Atlanta for their play-off opener. If Indiana had won, the Nets would have missed the post-season for the first time since moving to Brooklyn in 2012.
In Memphis, Marc Gasol had 33 points and 13 rebounds as the Grizzlies downed the Pacers 95-83 to end Indiana's playoff hopes. Memphis earned the Western Conference's fifth seed with the victory and home-court advantage in a series with fourth-seeded Portland, winners of the Northwest Division.
The Golden State Warriors finished their best regular season in club history after Klay Thompson scored 25 points before resting in the second half of a 133-126 win over the Denver Nuggets.
The Houston Rockets downed the Utah Jazz 117-91 after James Harden had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in just three quarters.
Tyson Chandler had 22 points and 15 rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Portland Trail Blazers 114-98, while LeBron James sat out Cleveland's regular-season finale to rest for the playoffs as the Cleveland Cavaliers came back to beat the Washington Wizards 113-108 in overtime.
In other games, Kyle Lowry scored 26 points as the Toronto Raptors finished the regular season with a club record 49th victory, beating the Charlotte Hornets 92-87, the Chicago Bulls came back to beat the Atlanta Hawks 91-85 and the Boston Celtics defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 105-100.
The Los Angeles Lakers ended then season with their worst record in club history after losing 122-99 to the Sacramento Kings, the Detroit Pistons trounced the New York Knicks 112-90 and the Miami Heat were 105-101 winners over the Philadelphia 76ers.
NBA RESULTS
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 108 San Antonio Spurs 103
Oklahoma City Thunder 138 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 113
BROOKLYN NETS 101 Orlando Magic 88
DALLAS MAVERICKS 114 Portland Trail Blazers 98
HOUSTON ROCKETS 117 Utah Jazz 91
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 95 Indiana Pacers 83
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 133 Denver Nuggets 126
Sacramento Kings 122 LOS ANGELES LAKERS 99
CELVELAND CAVALIERS 113 Washington Wizards 108
TORONTO RAPTORS 92 Charlotte Hornets 87
Miami Heat 105 PHILADELPHIA 76ers 101
Detroit Pistons 112 NEW YORK KNICKS 90
Boston Celtics 105 MILWAUKEE BUCKS 100
CHICAGO BULLS 91 Atlanta Hawks 85
