UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers were unable to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They now lead the East by two games over Brooklyn with three games remaining.
The Sixers’ season-high, eight-game winning streak is over after Domantas Sabonis had his ninth triple-double of the season and Caris LeVert added 24 points to help Indiana rally past Philadelphia 103-94. Sabonis finished with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists as Indiana won for the third time in four games and clinched a spot in the play-in round. Tobias Harris scored 27 points and Ben Simmons finished with 23 as Joel Embiid sat out with a non-COVID-19 related illness.
Kevin Durant‘s 21 points and eight assists carried the Nets to a 115-107 win over the Bulls. Joe Harris added 17 points and Bruce Brown had 15 as Brooklyn won its second straight after a four-game slide. Chicago wasted Zach LaVine’s 41 points, ended a three-game winning streak and fell three games behind idle Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
The Bucks kept up their chase of the No. 2 seed in the East with a 114-102 victory over the Magic. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and Milwaukee stayed a game behind the Nets while maintaining the tiebreaker over Brooklyn.
Donte DiVincenzo added 19 points, Brook Lopez 17 and Jrue Holiday 15 to help the Bucks bounce back from Monday’s 146-125 loss at San Antonio.
Checking out Tuesday’s other NBA action:
— Nikola Jokic delivered 30 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the Nuggets got past the Hornets, 117-112 to end a two-game skid. Michael Porter also finished with 30 points and nailed six 3-pointers for Denver. The Nuggets withstood Charlotte’s furious late rally led by Devonte Graham, who hit five 3-pointers while scoring 19 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
— The Clippers cruised to a 115-96 win over the Raptors as Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Paul George added 16 to help them stay one game ahead of Denver for the No. 3 seed in the West. Terance Mann also scored 20 points and Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers. The Clippers never trailed after Marcus Morris opened the scoring with a 3-pointer.
— Talen Horton-Tucker made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds remaining in overtime, sending the Lakers past the Knicks, 101-99. Kyle Kuzma had a team-high 23 points and Anthony Davis scored 20 as the Lakers moved one game behind Portland and Dallas for the sixth seed in the West. Julius Randle had 31 points and Derrick Rose 27 for the Knicks, who were attempting to clinch their first postseason berth since 2013.
— The Heat clinched a playoff spot and locked the Celtics into the play-in tournament with a 129-121 victory against Boston. Tyler Herro provided 24 points for Miami, which moved into a tie with Atlanta for the fifth seed in the East. Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson each scored 22 points to help the Heat beat the Celts for the second time in three days.
— Ja Morant had 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Grizzlies crushed the Mavericks 133-104. Dillon Brooks added 22 points and John Konchar had a season-high 18 for the Grizzlies, who outscored Dallas by 11 in the third quarter to take control. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Mavericks with 19 points, while Willie Cauley-Stein finished with a season-high 16 points.
— The Warriors pulled out a 122-106 win over the Suns as Jordan Poole hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:43 left and Andrew Wiggins finished with 38 points. Draymond Green notched his sixth triple-double of the season and 29th of his career with 11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as the Warriors beat a top-2 seed in the West for the second straight day. Stephen Curry contributed 21 points to the win.
— Terence Davis matched his season-high with 27 points and Buddy Hield had 21 as the Kings topped the Thunder, 122-106 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Delon Wright added 21 points and eight assists for Sacramento.
— Karl-Anthony Towns scored 28 points and Anthony Edwards added 22 as the Timberwolves beat the Pistons, 119-100. Ricky Rubio chipped in 19 points for Minnesota while DeAngelo Russell added 15 with 10 assists.
