INDIANAPOLIS — David West scored 21 points and Lance Stephenson had his league-best fifth triple-double of the season, leading Indiana past Oklahoma City 102-97 Sunday — putting the Pacers one win away from clinching the Eastern Conference’s top seed. ADVERTISING
INDIANAPOLIS — David West scored 21 points and Lance Stephenson had his league-best fifth triple-double of the season, leading Indiana past Oklahoma City 102-97 Sunday — putting the Pacers one win away from clinching the Eastern Conference’s top seed.
The Pacers (55-26) lead two-time defending champion Miami by a half game with one to play and hold the tiebreaker based on conference record.
Kevin Durant finished with 38 points for Oklahoma City (58-22) on a day it could have locked up the second seed in the West.
Oklahoma City rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, tying the score at 89 with 2:46 to go. But Paul George hit a 3 and Stephenson made one with 34.2 seconds to go to make it 97-91.
RAPTORS 116,
PISTONS 107
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — DeMar DeRozan scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and Toronto tied a franchise record for victories with a win over Detroit.
The Raptors (47-33) had already clinched the Atlantic Division, and the victory over Detroit was their 10th in 14 games. Toronto has reached the 47-win mark for the third time. The Raptors went 47-35 in 2001 and 2007.
Kyle Lowry scored 28 points for Toronto before fouling out with 5:51 remaining.
Andre Drummond had 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons in the final home game of their dismal season. Detroit’s Josh Smith missed a fourth straight game with tendinitis in his left knee.
GRIZZLIES 102,
LAKERS 90
LOS ANGELES — Mike Conley scored 24 points and Memphis pulled away in the third quarter to beat Los Angeles, moving the Grizzlies a game ahead of idle Phoenix in the race for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
Marc Gasol added 18 points and 15 rebounds and Mike Miller had 13 points for the Grizzlies, who head to Phoenix for a showdown with the Suns on Monday night. Gasol hugged his brother Pau after the game; Pau has been out for the Lakers with vertigo.
Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 20 points in their last home game of a miserable season that has included a franchise-worst 55 losses with two games remaining.
They lost their seventh in a row overall and fifth straight at Staples Center. Wesley Johnson added 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Jordan Hill added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
TRAIL BLAZERS 119,
WARRIORS 117, OT
PORTLAND, Ore. — LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jumper in overtime, and Portland defeated the Warriors despite a season-high 47 points from Golden State’s Stephen Curry.
Aldridge’s jumper with 39.9 seconds to go gave the Blazers a 118-117 lead. Damian Lillard added a free throw for Portland before Andre Iguodala missed a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left and Wesley Matthews grabbed the rebound for the Blazers.
Matthews added 24 points for Portland, which has won four straight and eight of its past nine games.
Both teams are jockeying for final position in the Western Conference. Portland is in fifth place behind Houston and Golden State sits behind the Blazers in sixth.
With the victory, Portland (53-28) was assured of at least the fifth seed in the playoffs. The Blazers close out the season Wednesday against the Clippers.
The Blazers also are assured of facing the Rockets in the first round. Houston can clinch home-court with a victory in one of its last two games.
The Warriors (49-31) missed out on reaching 50 wins for the first time since 1993-94, but they also have two games to go in the regular season.
KINGS 106,
TIMBERWOLVES 103
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ray McCallum hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a pivotal stretch midway through the fourth quarter, DeMarcus Cousins had 35 points and 15 rebounds, and Sacramento beat Minnesota.
The Kings trailed by 11 in the third quarter and were down 82-81 before going on an 11-2 run to go in front for good. Cousins, who had his eighth straight double-double, started the surge with a thunderous dunk and McCallum followed with his 3s, one from the left corner and the other from the right.
Cousins was hit with a technical foul with less than 2 minutes remaining, his 16th of the season. By NBA rules, he must sit out Sacramento’s final regular season game.
Kevin Love had 43 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota after sitting out Friday’s 112-110 win over Houston because of a hyperextended right elbow.
NETS 97, MAGIC 88
NEW YORK — Mirza Teletovic scored a team-high 20 points and Joe Johnson and Mason Plumlee each added 17 and Brooklyn beat Orlando.
Deron Williams had 16 points, five assists and four steals for the Nets, who have a two-game lead for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race over the idle Washington Wizards.
Tobias Harris scored 18 points for the Magic, who have lost their past two games.
Trailing 59-55 with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter, Brooklyn went on a 15-0 run, highlighted by five points from Teletovic, to take a 70-59 lead with 3:23 left in the quarter before Ronnie Price then hit a 3-pointer to end the run.
KNICKS 100, BULLS 89
NEW YORK — Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points and New York, a night after being eliminated from playoff contention, beat Chicago.
No longer with any hopes of their own, the Knicks snapped the Bulls’ seven-game winning streak and dropped them back into a tie with Toronto for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with two to play.
Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith each had 17 points for the Knicks, who were eliminated Saturday when Atlanta beat Miami, ending New York’s run of three straight postseason berths.
