Brooklyn Nets boost playoff hopes with crucial win at Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers move to brink of sealing Eastern Conference third seed with win over Chicago Bulls
Sunday 7 April 2019 08:47, UK
The Brooklyn Nets enhanced their playoff chances with a dramatic 133-128 victory over the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Brookyln Nets 133-128 Milwaukee Bucks
Joe Harris hit the tiebreaking three-pointer with 84 seconds remaining on Saturday as the visiting Brooklyn Nets enhanced their playoff chances with a dramatic 133-128 victory over the league-leading Milwaukee Bucks.
Harris was among eight players in double figures for Brooklyn, and his final points snapped a 128-128 deadlock.
With 1:28 left, D'Angelo Russell missed an off-balance jumper in the lane, but Jared Dudley grabbed the rebound and tapped it out to Caris LeVert at the top of the key. LeVert then quickly dished it to Harris, who released the uncontested three from the right wing before Eric Bledsoe could rotate defensively.
Russell led the Nets with 25 points and handed out 10 assists. LeVert added 24 points, Dudley collected 16 points, and Harris contributed 14. Brooklyn shot 49.5 percent from the floor and hit 19 three-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore left calf) missed his second game this week and ninth overall this season. Before the game, Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said Antetokounmpo was dealing with some soreness after absorbing contact Thursday in the Bucks' 128-122 win at Philadelphia.
Bledsoe led Milwaukee with 33 points while Khris Middleton contributed 24. The Bucks, who did not score over the final two-and-a-half minutes, lost for only the second time in their past 18 meetings with Brooklyn.
After Harris made his clutch shot, Milwaukee's Sterling Brown missed two free throws with 1:15 left, and Dudley seized the rebound of the second, before Russell pushed the lead to 133-128 by hitting a layup.
The big shot by Harris helped the Nets (40-40) move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Though they own the same record as the Orlando Magic, the Nets own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Brooklyn also moved a half-game ahead of the eighth-place Detroit Pistons, against whom the Nets also own the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Nets also are 1.5 games ahead of the ninth-place Miami Heat, the team Brooklyn hosts in the regular-season finale on Wednesday, after visiting the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Philadelphia 76ers 116-96 Chicago Bulls
JJ Redick made four three-pointers while scoring 23 points to help the Philadelphia 76ers post a 116-96 victory over the host Chicago Bulls.
Joel Embiid recorded 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots as the 76ers (50-30) reached the 50-win mark for the second straight season.
Philadelphia also moved two games ahead of the Boston Celtics with two games to play in the battle for the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed. The Celtics hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Tobias Harris scored 16 points, Ben Simmons added 14, Jonah Bolden had 11 and Boban Marjanovic tallied 10 for the 76ers. Philadelphia hit 52.3 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 9 of 27 from beyond the three-point arc.
JaKarr Sampson scored a career-best 29 points for the Bulls, who lost for the sixth time in the past seven games. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot added 14 points.
Embiid (knee or rest) had missed 12 of the previous 21 games. He has registered a double-double in each of his past 20 appearances.
Philadelphia small forward Jimmy Butler (back) sat out for the third time in the past four games.
Chicago (22-58) was without shooting guard Zach LaVine (thigh) for the eighth straight game, small forward Otto Porter Jr. (shoulder) for the ninth consecutive contest and point guard Kris Dunn (back) for the sixth straight game. In addition, power forward Lauri Markkanen (exhaustion) was recently declared out for the season.
The Bulls shot 42.7 percent from the field, including 8 of 25 from 3-point range. Philadelphia held a 54-38 rebounding edge.
