Paul George hits clutch three-pointer to seal Oklahoma City Thunder victory over Houston Rockets
Wade stars in final home game but Heat eliminated from postseason contention; Detroit and Charlotte win to take race for last East playoff spot to final night
Wednesday 10 April 2019 10:04, UK
Paul George's corner three in the final seconds earned the Oklahoma City Thunder a dramatic 112-111 home win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night
Houston Rockets 111-112 Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook scored 29 points but it was Paul George's corner three in the final seconds that sent the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 112-111 home win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma City trailed by 14 early in the fourth quarter and by four in the final minute before Westbrook's and George's heroics.
James Harden made his first 12 free throws in the game but with less than 10 seconds left, he missed one, giving the Thunder a chance to tie or take the lead.
Westbrook barreled up the court, briefly handing the ball off to Steven Adams near midcourt before getting the ball back and firing it to George in the corner for what proved to be the game-winner.
George had struggled from the floor, finishing just 9-of-25 from the floor and 4-of-14 on three-pointers but came up big in the final seconds.
The shot also gave Westbrook his 137th career triple-double. He finished with 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Rockets had a chance to win the game after George's shot, but Harden's shot at the buzzer bounced off the front of the rim and off the backboard before bouncing away to end Houston's six-game winning streak and extend Oklahoma City's to four.
The win kept the Thunder in contention for the sixth spot in the Western Conference entering the final day of the regular season. With Denver's loss earlier in the day, Houston had a chance to clinch the No 2 seed with a win. But that determination will go down to Wednesday as well.
Harden finished with 39 to lead Houston. He finished the season averaging 36.1 points per game, the most in an NBA season since Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 in 1986-87.
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Phoenix Suns 109-120 Dallas Mavericks
In the final home game of a legendary career, Dirk Nowitzki gave an exuberant sellout crowd one final show with a season-high 30 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 120-109 win against the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Nowitzki, 40, announced after the game that he would retire following the Mavericks' season finale Wednesday at San Antonio.
The seven-footer, who entered the league in the lockout-shortened 1999 season and revolutionised the power forward position, scored 10 points in the opening seven minutes and had 19 points on a season-high 18 shot attempts in the first half to power Dallas to a 68-38 half-time lead.
He secured his season-high in points with a straightaway three-pointer, his fifth of the game, early in the third quarter for 22 points. That was followed by a rare slam dunk that elicited howls from the crowd and a big smile across Nowitzki's face.
The 14-time All-Star and sixth-leading scorer in NBA history then drained another jumper for 26 points and an 80-49 Dallas lead. He re-entered the game with three minutes left and hit two more buckets to go 11-of-31 from the floor. He finished with eight rebounds, three assists and a block in a season-high 33 minutes.
Suns veteran Jamal Crawford wasn't going to let Nowitzki totally steal the stage. He put in seven three-pointers in posting a season-high 51 points - one short of his career-best - with 26 coming in the fourth quarter, to get Phoenix as close as 105-100 with 4:19 to play after being down 80-49 early in the third.
The Suns closed out a miserable season, finishing 19-63.
Charlotte Hornets 124-97 Cleveland Cavaliers
Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb scored 23 points apiece as the Charlotte Hornets kept their playoff hopes alive with a 124-97 victory over the host Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Hornets led by 12 in the first half and then pushed the lead all the way to 27 in the fourth quarter, winning their fourth straight and eighth in their last 11 games. They hit a season-high 22 three-pointers on 44 attempts and shot 57.7 per cent from the field.
With the win and Detroit's win over Memphis, the Hornets (39-42) remained ninth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Pistons. The Hornets need to beat Orlando at home on Wednesday and have the Pistons lose at New York in order to leapfrog the Pistons for the final playoff spot. The Hornets swept four games from the Pistons this season and hold the tie-breaker advantage.
Miles Bridges and Dwayne Bacon added 18 points apiece for the Hornets. Frank Kaminsky scored 14 and Devonte Graham had 10.
The Cavs (19-63) ended their season on a 10-game losing streak. They finished with the second-worst record in the NBA.
Collin Sexton led the Cavs with 18 points. Cedi Osman scored 17, Jordan Clarkson scored 16, Larry Nance Jr. had 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Channing Frye closed out his career with 10.
Philadelphia 76ers 99-122 Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade, playing the final home game of his NBA career, scored 30 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 122-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
With his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, sitting courtside, Wade made 10-of-23 shots, including 4-of-10 on attempts from beyond the arc. It was his second-highest scoring game of the season.
But it was a bittersweet night for the Heat (39-42), who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the evening when the Detroit Pistons rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.
This is the third time in the past five years that Miami have failed to make the playoffs. Prior to that, they won four straight Eastern Conference titles and two NBA championships with Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh as core stars.
Wade, who is retiring at age 37, will end his career on Wednesday at the Brooklyn Nets.
Miami, which snapped a four-game losing streak, also got 19 points and nine rebounds from Bam Adebayo. Hassan Whiteside added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Goran Dragic dished a season-high 13 assists.
Philadelphia (50-31), who have already clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested Joel Embiid and JJ Redick (back). The 76ers got 16 points from point guard Ben Simmons.
Memphis Grizzlies 93-100 Detroit Pistons
Andre Drummond scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons came back from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 100-93.
Despite winning, the Pistons (40-41) were unable to clinch the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte (39-42) beat Cleveland and remain one game behind Detroit heading into Wednesday night's final regular-season games.
The Pistons finish against the Knicks at New York while the Hornets host the Orlando Magic.
Detroit outscored Memphis 36-14 in the fourth quarter with reserve Ish Smith leading the way with 14 points in the period. The Pistons, who trailed by 22 in the second quarter, climbed all the way back and took an 85-83 lead on Smith's jumper just moments after his three-pointer tied the game at 83-all.
Smith finished with 22 points off the bench, and Luke Kennard added 15 for Detroit.
Delon Wright, starting in place of the injured Mike Conley, scored 15 points and had nine rebounds for the Grizzlies. Memphis also got 15 points from Bruno Caboclo.
Golden State Warriors 112-103 New Orleans Pelicans
DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 12 rebounds against his former team as the visiting Golden State Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 112-103.
Cousins, who left the Pelicans to sign with the Warriors as a free agent last summer, was booed each time he touched the ball in his only game in New Orleans this season. He led the way while several key team-mates rested.
After clinching home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs on Sunday, the Warriors had Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut among their inactive players.
Stephen Curry left for game after scoring five points in nine minutes in what the Warriors called "a precaution" after he sustained a mild foot sprain. Golden State (57-24) will visit Memphis on Wednesday to conclude the regular season before beginning the playoffs in search of a third consecutive NBA title. The Warriors have won six games in a row and 10 of the past 12.
Even with so many absences, the Warriors still played 12 players, and 10 of them scored. Damion Lee added 20 points. Another former Pelican, Quinn Cook, scored 19, Jacob Evans had 11, and Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell 10 apiece.
Jahlil Okafor scored 30 points to lead the short-handed Pelicans, who dressed just eight players and finished the season 33-49. Christian Wood added 26 points and 12 rebounds, Ian Clark scored 20 and Cheick Diallo had 11.
All-Star forward Anthony Davis sat out his seventh consecutive game because of back spasms in what was presumably his final game as a member of the Pelicans after asking the team to trade him.
Denver Nuggets 108-118 Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell matched his career best of 46 points as the Utah Jazz posted a solid 118-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Salt Lake City.
Rudy Gobert added 20 points and 10 rebounds as Utah notched their ninth straight home win against Denver. Derrick Favors scored 16 points and Joe Ingles contributed 10 points and 13 assists as the Jazz (50-31) reached the 50-win mark for the second straight season. Utah locked up at least the No 5 seed for the Western Conference playoffs.
Malik Beasley scored 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Nuggets, who have lost four of their past six games.
Jamal Murray and Monte Morris each scored 22 points and Gary Harris added 15 points for the Nuggets.
Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic had just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 16 minutes before fouling out with 8:12 remaining.
Utah shot 52.6 per cent from the field, including 10 of 27 from three-point range, while winning for the 13th time in 15 games.
Mitchell drained two free throws to give the Jazz a 100-92 lead with 7:44 remaining.
Utah later scored 11 straight points to put the game away. Gobert scored back-to-back inside baskets to increase the advantage to 109-98 with 4:11 left. Mitchell followed with a three-pointer to match his previous career high of 46 points and Royce O'Neale added a fast-break slam dunk to increase the margin to 16 with 3:24 remaining.
Gobert finished the flurry with a tip-in with 2:11 left to give the Jazz a 116-98 advantage.
Toronto Raptors 120-100 Minnesota Timberwolves
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points as the visiting Toronto Raptors completed their regular-season schedule with a 120-100 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Raptors (58-24) secured the second-best record in the NBA with the win, behind only the Milwaukee Bucks (60-21), who play their final game Wednesday.
Fred VanVleet added 16 points for the Raptors, Chris Boucher added career bests with 15 points and 13 rebounds, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell each scored 10 points.
Gorgui Dieng and Andrew Wiggins each scored 16 points for the Timberwolves. Dario Saric added 15 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota while Tyus Jones contributed 11 points and 10 assists.
The Raptors, who had a 22-point lead at half-time and led by 20 after the third quarter, scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to lead by 29. The lead reached 32 with six minutes to play in the game.
The Timberwolves (36-45), who were up by as many as seven, led 28-26 after the first quarter. They have one game remaining.
The Raptors were without Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry, who were rested for the playoffs. Among the Timberwolves who did not play were Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) and Jerryd Bayless (ankle).
Boston Celtics 116-110 Washington Wizards
Terry Rozier led seven Celtics in double figures with 21 point as visiting Boston closed out the regular season with a 116-110 win over the Washington Wizards.
The Celtics (49-33) rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit for their sixth win in eight games. Boston, who will be the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, will face the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.
Semi Ojeleye, Brad Wanamaker and RJ Hunter had 17 points apiece for Boston, who outscored Washington 27-15 in the fourth quarter. Celtics reserve PJ Dozier had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Celtics regulars Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes and Gordon Hayward all sat out while nursing minor injuries.
Tomas Satoransky led Washington with 19 points, and Bradley Beal scored 16 points in 16 minutes.
Beal became the first person in Wizards franchise history to finish a season averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
Washington (32-50) ended the regular season with four straight losses.
New York Knicks 96-86 Chicago Bulls
Dennis Smith Jr scored 25 points and Kevin Knox and Luke Kornet both notched double-doubles to lead the New York Knicks past the host Chicago Bulls 96-86 in the penultimate regular season game for both teams.
Knox had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Kornet chipped in 12 points and 13 rebounds and Damyean Dotson added 12 points for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson snagged a game-high 17 rebounds.
The Bulls (22-59) closed the home portion of their schedule with a 9-32 record, setting a franchise record for home-court futility. The 2000-01 team held the previous club standard for fewest home victories with 10.
Chicago came within six points of New York with 4:18 to play but were unable to draw closer down the stretch. Ryan Arcidiacono scored 14 points to lead five Bulls in double figures. Shaquille Harrison was next with 13 points, while Robin Lopez (12), JaKarr Sampson (11) and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (10) followed.
Already assured of the NBA's worst record, the Knicks (17-64) can do no worse than tie the franchise record for fewest wins in a regular season, set in 2014-15. A victory against the visiting Detroit Pistons in Wednesday's regular season finale would keep the Knicks clear of the mark.
Portland Trail Blazers 104-101 Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers thought they would sneak quietly into the offseason after closing out their season at home against the playoff-bound Portland Trail Blazers.
All that changed about 90 minutes before tip-off, however, when Magic Johnson announced his resignation as president of basketball operations for the Lakers, further complicating their offseason.
The game still meant something for Portland, though, and the Trail Blazers clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs when Maurice Harkless made a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 104-101 win.
The Trail Blazers can overtake the Houston Rockets and finish third in the West with a win against the visiting Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
Harkless, who left the last game with left hip tightness, finished with 26 points, Enes Kanter had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and Damian Lillard had 20 points and eight assists for the Trail Blazers.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 32 points and eight assists, Mike Muscala scored 16 points, Alex Caruso had 12 points and 13 assists, and Jemerrio Jones finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who finished with 37 wins - two more than last season.
Harkless scored the final 10 points for Portland, starting with a three-point play that tied the score at 97-97 with 1:38 left.
