NBA Round Up: Celtics beat Cavs top seed as Pacers and Bulls secure playoff berths
The Boston Celtics secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference as reigning NBA champions the Cleveland Cavaliers lost, while the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls made sure of their place in the playoffs.
On the final day of the regular season, the Celtics downed the Milwaukee Bucks 112-94 to secure home-court advantage through the finals.
The Cavs had to settle for second seed as they went down 98-83 to the Toronto Raptors, with the Celtics finishing two games clear of Cleveland heading into the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Pacers and the Bulls claimed playoff spots thanks to respective wins against the Atlanta Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets as the Miami Heat missed out.
The Pacers defeated the Hawks 104-86 and the Bulls routed the Nets 112-73, while the Heat’s 110-102 win against the Washington Wizards was not enough.
Title favourites the Golden State Warriors ended their regular season with a routine 109-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
CELTICS PRIMED FOR PLAYOFFS, CAVS STRUGGLING
The Celtics (53-29) – who have not won a playoff series since 2012 – are ready to roll.
Gerald Green starred as the Celtics extended their winning streak to three.
They will now face the eighth-seeded Bulls (41-41) in the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were rested by the Cavs (51-31), who closed out the campaign with four consecutive defeats.
The Cavs take on seventh seed the Pacers (42-40).
PACERS, BULLS READY FOR UPHILL TASKS
The odds are against the Pacers and the Bulls in the playoffs.
Indiana will go toe-to-toe with defending champions the Cavaliers and Paul George, who scored 32 points in Wednesday’s win, said: “We have to go out and challenge them and play them straight up. It’s going to be tough. They’ve been struggling as of late, but they’re still one of the best teams in this league and have one of the best players in the world. It’s going to be a fun matchup.”
Jimmy Butler posted 25 points against the Nets and the Bulls star has his eyes on the Celtics, telling reporters: “Obviously, Boston are a very good team. Number one seed on the road, we’ll take it, we’re in there. It’s all about us playing the best basketball at the right time.”
DURANT, CURRY STAR FOR WARRIORS
The Warriors (67-15) fine-tuned their preparations for the business end of the season with Kevin Durant and Steph Curry leading the way.
Durant had 29 points and reigning MVP Curry added 20 points and eight assists.
The Warriors will take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference.
PLAYOFFS SET
EAST #NBAPlayoffs Matchups
Celtics (1) x Bulls (8)
Cavs (2) x Pacers (7)
Raptors (3) x Bucks (6)
Wizards (4) x Hawks (5)
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2017
WEST #NBAPlayoffs Matchups
Warriors (1) x Trail Blazers (8)
Spurs (2) x Grizzlies (7)
Rockets (3) x Thunder (6)
Clippers (4) x Jazz (5)
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2017
GASOL REACHES MILSTONE IN SPURS LOSS
Spanish veteran Pau Gasol scored his 20,000th career point with 13 as the San Antonio Spurs (61-21) went down 101-97 at the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz (51-31) – seeded fifth – will feature in the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
San Antonio and the Memphis Grizzlies will lock horns in the west.
Congrats, @paugasol! pic.twitter.com/ljztFGJzIR
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 13, 2017
HARDEN MAKES HISTORY, THUNDER LOSE
James Harden became the first player in NBA history to finish the regular season with at least 2,000 points (2,356), 900 assists (907) and 600 rebounds (659) following Wednesday’s triple-double in the Houston Rockets’ 123-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost 111-105 to the Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Grizzlies 100-93, the Orlando Magic were too good for the Detroit Pistons 113-109, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-95, the New Orleans Pelicans topped the Trail Blazers 103-100 and the New York Knicks edged the Philadelphia 76ers 114-113.
