Lakers guard
Kobe Bryant and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant share a philosophy.
In clutch
situations — defined as five minutes or fewer left in the game and a scoring
margin within five points — neither player is paralyzed by fear of the result.
Each can
live with failure in those situations.
PHOTOS: The
NBA's most clutch teams and players
Bryant's
outlook is distinctly Kobe-esque.
"You
kind of got to be somewhat of an (expletive) , to be honest, in terms of not
having any concern whatsoever about what people may say, win, lose or
draw," Bryant said. "I don't have that fear. I don't have that
concern. Either we win or we lose, but I'm going to do what I feel is right for
us to be successful."
Said Durant:
"To be honest, I really don't care if I make or miss. You really can't
think about it too much."
As the NBA
playoffs begin Saturday, the next two months will be filled with games decided
in the final minutes. Reputations for teams, players and coaches — the bad with
the good — will be made off those late-game performances. Does Robert Horry
come to mind?
The most
clutch performances
Top five
clutch teams
Chicago
Bulls: 21-8 (.724)
Indiana
Pacers: 21-8 (.724)
Los Angeles
Lakers: 31-12 (.721)
San Antonio
Spurs: 20-9 (.690)
Atlanta
Hawks: 24-12 (.667)
Bottom five
clutch teams
Toronto
Raptors: 12-22 (.353)
Washington
Wizards: 9-18 (.333)
Golden State
Warriors: 12-25 (.324)
Philadelphia
76ers: 6-20 (.231)
Charlotte
Bobcats: 5-19 (.208)
Top five
clutch players by points
Oklahoma
City Thunder forward Kevin Durant
4.7 ppg,
39.2% FG%, 32.6% 3FG%, 88.1% FT%
Thunder
guard Russell Westbrook
4.1 ppg, 42%
FG%, 35% 3FG%, 92% FT%
Los Angeles
Clippers guard Chris Paul
4 ppg, 42%
FG%, 20.8% 3FG%, 96.4% FT%
Miami Heat
forward LeBron James
3.5 ppg,
45.3% FG%, 38.5% 3FG%, 71.1% FT%
Los Angeles
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant
3.6 ppg,
36.1% FG%, 28.6% 3FG%, 81.8% FT%
It's
difficult to have a discussion about clutch performance without mentioning
Horry, who made his mark in the playoffs making 18 of 35 field goals, including
13 of 21 three-pointers, in clutch situations, according to NBA.com.
And the
result from some of that clutch magic? How about seven NBA championships!
During the
playoffs last season, 60% of games were decided in clutch situations. Who
excelled in those situations? Two of the best were the Dallas Mavericks (11-5) and
Miami Heat (10-4) on their way to the NBA Finals.
It's not a
perfect predictor of playoff success or as widely cited as average margin of
victory and defensive efficiency rankings. But it is telling.
The past
four NBA champions finished in the top three in clutch winning percentage
during the regular season. The top teams this season: Chicago Bulls (.733),
Lakers (.721), Indiana Pacers (.700) and San Antonio Spurs (.700), according to
NBA.com's extensive statistical database.
In final
minutes, who gets the ball?
Analyzing
clutch teams is easier than breaking down the best clutch players. A team wins
or loses, simple math. The discussion about clutch players is more polarizing.
An
individual can score a lot of points in the clutch yet have a poor shooting
percentage. Still, his team wins. Or a player can perform exceptionally well
but his team has a poor record in clutch situations. Plus, sample size is small
in one season.
But in
general, a combination of metrics — wins, shooting percentage, points,
rebounds, assists, steals — reveals players who one way or another get the job
done in the final minutes of a close game.
In whose
hands do you want the ball to take an important shot or make a play?
Heading into
the playoffs, these players have proved themselves in the clutch this season:
Bryant and Durant; Thunder guard Russell Westbrook; Atlanta Hawks guard Joe
Johnson; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul; New York Knicks forward Carmelo
Anthony; Mavericks guard Jason Terry; Pacers forward Danny Granger; Spurs guard
Tony Parker; Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and Heat forward LeBron James.
From
interviews with players, coaches and TV analysts, success in crunchtime for
teams goes beyond X's and O's and requisite talent to factors such as
chemistry, trust, confidence, coaching, mental toughness and instinct — the
split-second decision to make a play that leads to a basket.
Durant
admits that he didn't always have that attitude.
"My
first few years in the league, I would go to the bench and we'd be tied with a
couple of seconds left — and I'd go to the bench and I'd be shaking,"
Durant said. "I was so anxious to want the shot and make the shot and I'd
go out and miss."
Now?
"This
year, I was like, 'I don't care. If I make it, cool. If I miss it, learn from
it.' "
The
inspiration for Durant's conversion from consternation to relaxation is not
surprising.
"I
heard Robert Horry say he doesn't care," Durant said.
Clutch
reputations are earned unscientifically. Bryant is clutch. James is considered
not. But in last season's playoffs, James epitomized clutch in the second round
and Eastern Conference finals.
Against the
Bulls in the Eastern finals, James shot 8-for-12, including 2-for-3 on
three-pointers, and averaged 6.3 points in three games with clutch situations.
He was similarly effective against the Celtics in the second round.
However,
James was defined by his poor performance down the stretch against the
Mavericks in the NBA Finals — 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-5 on
three-pointers, with zero points in 18 minutes of clutch time in five games,
three of which the Heat lost.
This season,
James is better than Bryant in clutch situations — just as many points per
game, higher shooting percentage and higher rebounding, assists and steals
averages.
But the
Lakers have a better winning percentage in the clutch than the Heat.
"At the
end of the day, I'm comfortable with the criticism that may come my way,"
Bryant said. "If you're not comfortable with that, there's going to be a
little apprehension."
Preparation
proves key for Bulls
The Bulls
have been successful with an obscene amount of preparation, guard-forward Kyle
Korver said.
With five
minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of an April 12 game, the Bulls led the
Heat by one point.
The Bulls
got up by five points with 2:03 left, fell into a three-point deficit with 11.4
seconds to go and forced overtime on backup guard C.J. Watson's three-pointer
with 2.2 seconds left.
In overtime,
the Bulls were masterful, shooting 5-for-8 on field goals and holding the Heat
to 0-for-5 shooting in Chicago's 96-86 victory, a combination of offense and
defense burying the Heat.
"When
you first come into this system, it's very demanding mentally," Korver
said. "Thibs (coach Tom Thibodeau) says you can't just go out there at the
end of the game and just expect to ball. You just don't play harder. You have
to know what you're doing.
"He's
very thorough. It's definitely the most detailed shootarounds and preparations
that I've been ever around."
Thunder
rumbles with clutch duo
The Thunder
are an interesting case study. They have two players — Durant and Westbrook —
they can rely on in the clutch.
Both
averaged 4.9 minutes in the same 30 clutch games this season. Durant averaged
4.8 points to Westbrook's 4.1. Yet Durant took 32 more shots and had a lower
shooting percentage (39.3%) than Westbrook (43.5%).
Who has the
better reputation in clutch situations?
"Sometimes
we missed them, and sometimes we made them," Durant said. "At the end
of the day, we've got guys who really enjoy that moment and enjoy wanting to
take those shots."
The Bulls'
Thibodeau is quick to point out, "People talk about the last five minutes.
Sometimes, it's the first five minutes." And Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
says the last five minutes are an important stretch, "but getting to that
point matters."
All true.
But in the last five minutes of a tight game, possessions become magnified,
pressure greater, strategy more scrutinized and intensity burning.
"Three
words: 'Have better players,' " ABC/ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said.
"If your article has to be more than that, I would say that teams who
don't beat themselves are the teams who put themselves in position to win more
of those games."
The
Mavericks won 68% of the time when they got to clutch situations last season,
winning 34 of 50 games. When the playoffs arrived, the Mavs not only were a
tested team, but they also were confident they could win close games down the
stretch.
Against the
Heat in the Finals, four of the last five games were considered clutch, and the
Mavs went 3-1, outscoring the Heat 39-20 in those situations. The Mavs were the
superior offensive and defensive team.
This season,
Dallas is 15-17 in clutch situations, a combination of championship hangover,
the crazy lockout-shortened season and the loss of key players such as center
Tyson Chandler and guard J.J. Barea.
Building
clutch chemistry takes time
While the
Heat found playoff success in the clutch last season, they had struggled during
the regular season, going 22-20. Miami had almost a completely new team with
the additions of James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the
core of Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers.
It took
considerable time for chemistry and trust to develop.
"Last
year, we struggled for a large part of the season in those situations to even
feel comfortable," Spoelstra said. "Then, at the end of the year, we
started to become much more familiar and confident in those situations."
The Heat are
a respectable 18-11 in the clutch this season. James is well aware of the
improvement.
"Trust
and chemistry are the No. 1 things in the last five minutes," James said.
"Veteran ballclubs are going to be able to execute. Then it comes to the
trust factor. Once you have that, it definitely helps.
"Last
year was very tough on us because we were learning each other. We didn't know
each other as a team. We struggled in that category. Last year helped us get to
the point where we are now, where we can close out games."
Against the
Thunder on April 4, Miami led 92-91 with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. The
Thunder shot 1-for-8 on field goals and were outscored 6-2 to end the game. The
Heat won 98-93. Miami forced a 24-second violation and played outstanding
defense.
"It
took me a few years in Cleveland for us to get to that point. When we got to
that point, we were very good. We knew what sets to be in, we knew where we
were going to be," James said. "If you just close your eyes, you knew
where guys were going to be on the floor."
Veteran trio
clicks for Spurs
Few teams
underscore the importance of chemistry, trust and familiarity more than the
Spurs. Although the Spurs have made plenty of roster changes, the unflappable
constant of guards Parker and Manu Ginobili and forward Tim Duncan has kept San
Antonio relevant.
Parker,
Ginobili and Duncan have been together for 10 seasons. There isn't a team in
the league with a trio that has been together that long, let alone a trio of
past and current All-Stars, with at least one (Duncan) headed for the Hall of
Fame.
The Spurs
earned the top seed in the Western Conference this season in part because of
their 20-9 record in clutch situations.
"I have
never analyzed it," Ginobili said. "What I can say is that the main
three players are the ones who usually have the ball in their hands. We know
each other very well."
The Spurs
generally are not bothered by late-game situations. Coach Gregg Popovich believes
success in close games starts with defense. If you can make stops, you give
yourself a chance. Although Popovich says the Spurs might not be as defensively
focused for 48 minutes as his teams of the past, they can still play defense
when needed.
They have
outscored opponents 276-231 and held foes to 41.8% shooting, including 25% on
three-pointers, in 125 minutes of clutch time.
"We
have probably been through every big situation possible, and that helps,"
Ginobili said. "Experience is an important thing."
After the
JUMP, April 26, 2012 stat-stuffers:
April 26,
2012 Game Recaps:
SAS over
POR, 124-89
OAKLAND,
Calif. (AP) — For the second straight night, Patty Mills showed San Antonio
he's capable of scoring in bunches.
The timing
is good, too, with the Spurs racing into the postseason as the top seed in the
West — even though Mills will be back in a reserve role.
On a night
San Antonio played without its top three players and coach Gregg Popovich,
Mills looked a lot like the player many have compared to Spurs teammate Tony
Parker.
While Parker
joined Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili back in San Antonio to rest for the
playoffs, Mills had career highs of 34 points and 12 assists to help the
short-handed Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 107-101 on Thursday night.
"Chances
don't come up very often where you send your three big dogs back to San
Antonio," Mills said. "I was very pumped to have this opportunity. I
felt very comfortable to just slide in there and take it on with both
hands."
DeJuan Blair
had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and James Anderson added 19 points for San
Antonio (50-16), which finished with the best record in the Western Conference
despite having one of the league's oldest rosters.
The Spurs
host Utah in the first round of the playoffs beginning Sunday and head into the
postseason on quite a roll. They've won 10 straight and 21 of 23 overall, even
though Popovich has been resting his starters for much of the past two weeks.
Popovich
wasn't at the game in Golden State but had to have liked what he saw from
Mills.
Mills scored
14 points in the first quarter, then made three key baskets in the final four
minutes, including a clinching 19-foot fadeaway jumper with 14 seconds left to
help San Antonio sweep the three-game series.
Mills' big
night came 24 hours after he set his previous career high of 27 points in the
Spurs' 110-106 win over Phoenix.
"For
some of us, we weren't as familiar with him," said San Antonio assistant
Mike Budenholzer, who coached in place of Popovich. "To see it firsthand,
he's been pretty impressive. He's helped us down the stretch for the last two
or three weeks."
Now the Spurs
can turn their attention to the postseason and a march toward a fifth NBA
title.
Golden
State, on the other hand, is focused on the draft lottery.
The Warriors
(23-43) tied New Jersey for the seventh-worst record in the NBA. A draw will be
held Friday to determine which team gets the higher seeding. In Golden State's
case, it could mean the difference between retaining its first-round pick in
the draft or losing it to the Utah Jazz.
"Now
that it's over, you've got to look at it that way," Golden State coach
Mark Jackson said. "But in the middle of it we were trying to win. The
process is now over and we're pulling for a high pick."
The
Warriors, decimated by injuries, were also short-handed and became the first
NBA team in modern history to start five rookies in one game.
Already
missing point guard Stephen Curry (ankle surgery), forward David Lee (abdominal
surgery) and center Andrew Bogut (ankle), Golden State also held out forward
Dorell Wright (right ankle sprain), center Andris Biedrins (mild concussion)
and guard Nate Robinson (hamstring) in the finale.
Jackson, who
played 17 seasons in the NBA, might have been tempted to suit up, so thin was
the Warriors' roster.
Instead, he
fielded a unit of guards Klay Thompson and Charles Jenkins, forwards Chris
Wright and Jeremy Tyler, and Mickell Gladness at center. Thompson, Jenkins and
Tyler are all Warriors draft picks, while Wright was a training camp invitee
and Gladness joined the team after signing a 10-day contract earlier this
month.
According to
the Elias Sports Bureau, which has been tracking the stat since the 1970-71
season, it's the first time an NBA team has started five rookies in a game.
Chris Wright
led Golden State with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Thompson scored 17
points.
With all of
the inexperience on the court — San Antonio started four players with two years
or less in the NBA — the game got sloppy at times.
The lack of
experience didn't bother Golden State's youngsters early on.
All five
rookies played the entire first quarter and helped the Warriors overcome an
early seven-point deficit to take a 29-27 lead.
"Us
rookies, it's going to pay dividends for how much we played throughout the
season," Thompson said. "Chris Wright got his opportunity tonight and
ran with it."
Thompson
made a 3-pointer that put Golden State up 44-41 midway through the second, then
Gladness later hit a one-handed runner in the lane to make it 52-47.
Mills, who
had 14 points in the opening period, pulled the Spurs within 54-53 at halftime
after making a 20-foot jumper at the buzzer.
San Antonio
came back behind Mills and led for most of the third quarter but couldn't shake
the Warriors until late in the fourth quarter.
Notes: Lee
underwent successful surgery earlier Thursday in Philadelphia to repair torn
abdominal and abductor muscles. The injury sidelined Lee for the Warriors final
eight games. He will be restricted from on-court activities for 4-6 weeks. ...
Despite its troubles on the court, Golden State finished with the third-highest
average attendance in franchise history (18,858). ... A Warrior fan was given
the opportunity to win $1 million at the end of the third quarter but the man,
an Oakland citizen, missed the shot from three-quarters court.
Rockets end
season with 84-77 win over Hornets
HOUSTON (AP)
— Houston Rockets lottery pick Marcus Morris didn't have the type of rookie
season he had hoped for.
The former
Kansas star was able to end his disappointing year on a high note after hitting
the go-ahead 3-pointer in Houston's 84-77 victory over the New Orleans Hornets
on Thursday night in the season finale for both teams.
Chase
Budinger scored a season-high 27 points for the Rockets.
"I
thought Marcus played better," Houston coach Kevin McHale said. "I
just think he's going to get better. It was just a rough situation with him not
getting to play much. I like him and I think he's got a chance to help
us."
Morris, who
spent time in the NBA's D-League, appeared in just 16 games and averaged 2.1
points for the Rockets this season.
"It was
fun to go out there and play a little bit," said Morris, who finished with
seven points, five rebounds, a block and a steal in about 21 minutes.
"This was a big learning experience. I didn't get to play much this year.
I've got to work hard in the offseason and make sure this doesn't happen
again."
The Hornets
closed the season in last place in the Southwest Division but finished strong,
winning eight of their last 13 games. That was little consolation to New
Orleans, which was in the playoffs last season.
"I told
our guys: 'If you feel relieved right now, then you're not the kind of guys that
I want to be around,'" coach Monty Williams said. "I really enjoyed
being in the playoffs last year. It's a little tough right now."
Houston
finished one spot above New Orleans in the standings with a 34-32 record after
a late-season collapse that cost the team a playoff spot.
"There's
no way we shouldn't be in the playoffs this weekend, but we're not,"
McHale said. "That's the bottom line."
The Hornets
were led by Jerome Dyson, who had 15 points, and Darryl Watkins, who added 13.
Watkins also had three steals to set career highs in both points and steals.
Samuel
Dalembert had 11 points and 11 rebounds for Houston, and Courtney Lee had 10
points.
Houston took
an 80-77 lead — its first of the game — on the 3-pointer by Morris with 1:18
remaining. A dunk by Budinger had tied it about a minute earlier.
Greg Smith
had a follow dunk after the 3-pointer by Morris to push the lead to 82-77 and
Goran Dragic added a pair of free throws after a missed 3 by Greivis Vasquez.
The Rockets
started the fourth quarter strong, scoring the first eight points to tie the
game at 71 with about seven minutes left. The Hornets missed six shots and had
three turnovers in that stretch.
Houston
opened the second half with a 14-5 run, which included seven straight points
from Lee, to tie it at 47-all with 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Lee
and Budinger both hit 3s in that span to help the Rockets.
The Hornets
answered with an 11-3 spurt to get back on top 58-50 about three minutes later.
Budinger scored Houston's next six points, while New Orleans managed only a
basket, to close the gap to four points. But Thomas got hot for the Hornets
soon after that, scoring six straight points to make it 68-59 with about two
minutes left in the quarter.
A 3-pointer
by Vasquez as time expired in the third quarter left New Orleans ahead 71-63
entering the fourth quarter.
New Orleans
scored the first nine points of the second quarter to extend its lead to 29-12.
The Rockets finally got their offense going after that and had cut the lead to
42-33 at halftime.
The Hornets
led 20-12 after the first quarter behind 11 points from Dyson. Houston's 12
first-quarter points and the 33 the team had at the half were both season lows.
Their 26.7
percent first-half field goal percentage was also a season worst.
NOTES: The
Rockets honored their all-decade team for the 2000s at halftime. The team
included Luis Scola, Steve Francis, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier and Yao Ming.
Aside from Scola, Francis was the only player able to attend the game.
McGrady's wife CleRenda and Yao's parents Yao Zhi Yuan and Fang Feng Di came to
accept the honor on McGrady and Yao's behalf. ... Houston scored a season-high
32 points in the first quarter of its last home game against New Orleans in
January. ... The Rockets were 19-0 this season when holding an opponent to
below 90 points.
-- Kristie
Rieken
Hawks clinch
home court, beat Mavs
ATLANTA (AP)
— Having already exceeded expectations, the Atlanta Hawks weren't about to let
home-court advantage slip away in the final game of the regular season.
Led by Josh
Smith, Atlanta raced to a 23-point lead in the opening quarter on the way to a 106-89
victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, ensuring the Hawks will
open the playoffs at home.
"We
showed a lot of determination," Joe Johnson said. "You could see that
hunger in our eyes even before the tip."
The Hawks
(40-26) wrapped up the fourth-best record in the East and host Boston on
Sunday. The defending NBA champion Mavericks (36-30) begin the playoffs
Saturday at Oklahoma City.
Atlanta
pounced on the Mavericks right from the tip, making 16 of 23 shots (69.6
percent) in the opening period. Smith had the outside jumper working and seemed
to be everywhere, scoring 12 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out five
assists and making a steal. A 28-7 run, capped by Willie Green's 3-pointer,
pushed the lead to 36-13.
"It
just opens up my game when I have the opportunity to gauge whether I should be
driving in or shooting the jumper," said Smith, who finished 10 for 14
from the field. "Whenever I'm shooting the ball like that, it just makes
me that much more deadly on offense."
The Hawks
led 60-44 at halftime and held off a brief spurt by the Mavericks at the start
of the third quarter, capping a season in which Atlanta improved on its winning
percentage from 2011 even after losing All-Star center Al Horford early in the
lockout-shortened year.
Horford, who
is still recovering from pectoral surgery, has ruled himself out for the Boston
series but still hopes to play if the Hawks advance from the opening round for
the fourth year in a row. While the team hasn't gotten past the second round
since moving to Atlanta in 1968, Johnson feels a special vibe with this group.
"I'm
very proud of what we've accomplished," he said. "You saw a lot of
guys come into their own this year."
Dirk
Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 22 points, but it was another tough night for
the reigning champs. Dallas wasn't nearly as dominant coming off its first NBA
title, finishing far behind the top seeds in the West, San Antonio and Oklahoma
City. With only its first-round opponent in doubt, the Mavericks had little to
play for in Atlanta — and their performance reflected it. "
"The
first quarter was horrible," coach Rick Carlisle said. "It'd be a
stretch to say we're playing our best. At this point, we have to move forward.
We're going to have to flush this one — very quickly."
Jason Kidd
rested up for the playoffs, watching the game from the bench in street clothes.
"The
dress rehearsal's over," he said. "Now it's time for us to protect
our crown."
Jeff Teague
added 17 points for the Hawks, Johnson had 15 and Kirk Hinrich contributed 12.
Smith finished with nine rebounds and seven assists.
With the
home court no longer in doubt, Atlanta was finally able to rest its starters in
the final quarter. Green scored 11 points, Ivan Johnson finished with 10 and
the Hawks got 33 points overall from their reserves.
Rodrigue
Beaubois scored 13 points for Dallas. Jason Terry had 11.
"We're
ready," Terry insisted. "That's what you play for, another
championship."
The
Mavericks closed the season losing four of their last six games.
"It
doesn't matter if you're on a high or a low," Terry said. "The last few
games don't matter. It's irrelevant. The only thing that matters is how we come
out in Game 1."
The Hawks
are looking forward to matching up with the Celtics. The teams faced in the
opening round in 2008, after Atlanta made the playoffs for the first time in
nine years and surprisingly forced top-seeded Boston to seven games.
This season,
the Celtics won two of three meetings by a total of 10 points, including an
overtime victory in Boston.
"We've
had a lot of chippy moments with them, a lot of good games," Smith said.
"We've played this team well. It's going to be an exciting series."
NOTES: Hawks
G Jannero Pargo did not dress because of a sore back. ... Atlanta coach Larry
Drew is sounding less and less optimistic about C Zaza Pachulia (sprained left
foot) coming back for the opening round of the playoffs. "Personally, I'm
not getting my hopes up too high that we'll have him," Drew said. ... This
was the only regular-season meeting between the teams. The Mavericks had won
the last three games against the Hawks, including a 2-0 sweep of last year's
series.
-- Paul
Newberry
Other NBA
Capsules
Bobcats
finish as worst team in NBA history
CHARLOTTE,
N.C. (AP) — The Charlotte Bobcats couldn't even beat a New York Knicks team
resting most of its starters, finishing with the worst winning percentage in
NBA history after a 104-84 loss on Thursday night.
J.R. Smith
scored 22 points for the Knicks, who pulled away in the second half to clinch
the Eastern Conference's No. 7 seed and a first-round playoff matchup against
No. 2 Miami beginning Saturday.
Gerald
Henderson had 21 points for the Bobcats, whose 23rd consecutive loss left them
with a winning percentage of .106 (7-59) in the lockout-shortened season. The
record was set 39 years ago, when the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers finished 9-73
(.110) in a full regular season.
The Knicks
held out Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Baron Davis, while Amare
Stoudemire had 21 points over two quarters.
BULLS 107,
CAVALIERS 75
CHICAGO (AP)
— John Lucas III scored a career-high 25 points, Joakim Noah had 13 points and
13 rebounds, and Chicago Bulls clinched the top overall seed in the NBA
playoffs.
With the No.
1 seed in the East already in hand and the playoffs beginning on Saturday,
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau took no chances in the regular-season finale. He rested
Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kyle Korver.
Chicago will
host Philadelphia on Saturday.
Tristan
Thompson scored 13 points for the Cavaliers, who lost four straight games to
end the season, their second straight last-place finish in the Central Division.
Kyrie
Irving, who had a late-season sprained right shoulder and is recovering from
the flu, did not play.
NUGGETS 131,
TIMBERWOLVES 102
MINNEAPOLIS
(AP) — JaVale McGee scored 19 points to help Denver lock down the sixth seed in
the Western Conference.
Arron
Afflalo scored 18 points and Danilo Gallinari had 17 points for the Nuggets,
who won their fourth straight game and eighth in their last 10 as they surge
into the postseason.
The Nuggets
will face the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
Nikola
Pekovic had 18 points and 10 rebounds and J.J. Barea had 20 points and five
assists for the Timberwolves, who will miss the playoffs for the seventh
consecutive season. The Wolves lost 13 of their last 14 games of the season.
CELTICS 87,
BUCKS 74
BOSTON (AP)
— Paul Pierce scored all 12 of his points in the first half despite missing
most of it with a sprained toe and Rajon Rondo had 15 assists for Boston.
Avery
Bradley added 14 points for the Celtics, who were nearly back at full strength
in their final tuneup before the playoffs.
Tobias
Harris led Milwaukee with 17 points. Jon Leuer added 15 points and Brandon
Jennings scored 12 for the Bucks, who were 28-28 on April 7 but never could
return to .500, finishing the season at 31-35 with two straight losses.
WIZARDS 104,
HEAT 70
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Playing without its Big Three, Miami suffered their worst defeat of the
season.
With their
first playoff game just two days away, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra rested LeBron
James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh for the second straight game. The Heat are
locked into the Eastern Conference's second playoff spot and will open the
postseason Saturday against the New York Knicks.
Mo Evans had
a season-high 18 points, Nene and Kevin Seraphin each scored 15, and John Wall
had seven points and 12 assists for the Wizards, who closed the season with
their first six-game win streak since Nov. 11-21, 2007.
With a
lineup featuring only one usual starter — Mario Chalmers — the Heat had only
two players in double figures: Norris Cole had 14 and Eddy Curry 10.
GRIZZLIES
88, MAGIC 76
MEMPHIS,
Tenn. (AP) — Marc Gasol scored 22 points, Rudy Gay added 20 and Memphis claimed
the No. 4 seed in the West.
O.J. Mayo
had 15 points and Zach Randolph, returning to the starting lineup, finished
with 13 points and 12 rebounds to help the Grizzlies win their sixth straight
and 11th in 13 games.
Memphis won
a franchise-best 11 straight home games and will open the playoffs at home
Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, who dropped to the fifth seed.
Hedo
Turkoglu, playing for the first time in 10 games because of a facial fracture,
led the Magic with 18 points, hitting 7 of 13 shots from the field. Justin
Harper scored 16 points and Von Wafer added 11, although he was 4 of 13 from
the field.
The Magic
rested all their starters after earning the No. 6 seed in the East.
RAPTORS 98,
NETS 67
TORONTO (AP)
— Ben Uzoh had 12 points, a career-high 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his
first career triple-double, and Toronto handed New Jersey a loss that slightly
improves the Nets' chances in the NBA draft lottery.
Uzoh's
triple-double was the first by a Toronto player since Alvin Williams did it
against Atlanta on March 23, 2001.
Ed Davis had
a career-best 24 points to go with 12 rebounds, Gary Forbes had 23 points and
Alan Anderson scored 20 as Toronto snapped a four-game skid and beat New Jersey
for the ninth time in 12 meetings north of the border.
Anthony
Morrow and Armon Johnson each had 11 points for the Nets, who lost their fifth
straight and finish last in the Atlantic division, one game behind Toronto.
PISTONS 108,
76ERS 86
AUBURN
HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Ben Gordon scored 26 points, including eight 3-pointers, to
help Detroit rout short-handed Philadelphia.
The 76ers
entered the game with a mathematical chance at the Eastern Conference's seventh
seed, but didn't make much of an effort. Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus
Young and Lou Williams all sat out the game in order to rest for Saturday's
postseason opener against top-seeded Chicago.
Spencer
Hawes led Philadelphia with 16 points, while Jodie Meeks had 15.
The night
was filled with tributes to Detroit's Ben Wallace, who announced his retirement
earlier in the season. Wallace, who set an NBA record for games by an undrafted
player, finished with seven points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
JAZZ 96,
TRAIL BLAZERS 94
SALT LAKE
CITY (AP) — Rookie Alec Burks scored 18 points and NBA Slam Dunk champ Jeremy
Evans led a 10-0 fourth-quarter run as playoff-bound Utah beat Portland.
The Jazz
finished the season on a five-game winning streak and will face top-seeded San
Antonio in a first-round Western Conference matchup starting Sunday.
J.J. Hickson
scored 20 points and Jonny Flynn added 18 to lead the injury-depleted Blazers,
who didn't qualify for the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08
season.
Evans rarely
plays but saw extensive action as Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin played his starters
sparingly. Evans finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.
Wesley
Matthews had a chance to win it for Portland but his 3-pointer missed with 2.4
seconds left.
KINGS 113,
LAKERS 96
SACRAMENTO,
Calif. (AP) — DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and 19 rebounds, Tyreke Evans
scored 17 points and Sacramento beat the Lakers' backups in the regular-season
finale for both teams.
Kobe Bryant
sat out along with four other Lakers' starters, conceding the NBA scoring title
to Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. Los Angeles opens its first-round playoff
series Sunday at home against Denver.
Josh
McRoberts had 16 points and nine rebounds and Ramon Sessions scored 14 to lead
Los Angeles, also playing without Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.
The
atmosphere had a remarkably different feel than last season's Lakers-Kings
finale, when the Kings appeared to be headed to Anaheim. While the doom and
gloom of the town's only professional team leaving has somewhat subsided with
the Kings promising to stay next season, it still lingers until a deal is
signed and a new arena is constructed.
Super Scorers (Top scorers of the night!)
Patty Mills
(SAS) – 34
Chase
Budinger (HOU) – 27
Ben Gordon
(DET) – 26
Ragin’ Rebounders (Top rebounders of the
night!)
Solomon
Alabi (TOR) & DeMarcus Cousins (SAC) – 19
DeJuan Blair
(SAS) – 13
Dynamic Dishers (Top playmakers of the
night!)
Rajon Rondo (BOS)
– 15
Goran Dragic
(HOU) – 13
Too many
with 12!
Terrific Thieves (Top thieves of the
night!)
Morris
Almond (WAS) – 5
Too many
with 4!
Boomin’ Blockers (Top blockers of the
night!)
Bismack
Biyombo (CHA) – 5
Ryan Hollins
(BOS), Taj Gibson (CHI), & Earl Clark (ORL) – 4
Sharpshooters (Top 3-point shooters of the
night!)
Ben Gordon
(DET) – 8
Too many
with 5!
April 26, 2012 First Five
C – DeMarcus
Cousins (SAC) – 23pts, 19rebs, 2asts, 1stl
F – Ed Davis
(TOR) – 24pts, 12rebs, 2asts, 1stl, 1blk
F – Josh
Smith (ATL) – 23pts, 9rebs, 7asts, 1stl
G – Ben
Gordon (DET) – 26pts, 8 treys, 5asts, 2rebs, 1blk
G – Patty
Mills (SAS) – 34pts, 12asts, 5rebs, 4 treys, 1stl, 1blk
Honorable Mention:
Chris Wright
(GSW) – 25pts, 8rebs, 2blks, 1stl
John Lucas
(CHI) – 25pts, 4asts, 3 treys, 2rebs, 2stls
JR Smith
(NYK) – 22pts, 6asts, 3rebs, 3stls
*Game recaps were compiled and compressed
from the Associated Press and the Sports Network.
