April 14th NBA Game Recaps

The Boston Celtics took down the Washington Wizards, 132-122, at TD Garden on Sunday. With the win, Boston sweeps the season series 4-0.

The Celtics (64-18) got things rolling Sunday with a 9-0 run, but the Wizards (15-67) responded with a 7-0 run of their own. The teams exchanged buckets for much of the first half, but Boston was able to put together some small runs to enter halftime up by 10. The Celtics took control in the third frame, as they extended their lead by as much as 24 points. Washington was able to win the fourth quarter, 33-25, but the deficit was too big to overcome as the Wizards dropped to 8-33 on the road. With the win, the Celtics improved to 37-4 at home.

Eugene Omoruyi led the Wizards off the bench with 26 points, two rebounds and five assists. Jared Butler chipped in 22 points, two rebounds and seven assists in reserve. Patrick Baldwin contributed 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Anthony Gill finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jules Bernard tallied 13 points, six rebounds and three assists off the pine.

Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 38 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists for his third double-double of the season. Svi Mykhailiuk contributed 26 points, five rebounds and five assists. Neemias Queta led the bench with 19 points, nine rebounds and six blocks. Sam Hauser added 16 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Luke Kornet supplied 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

Sunday’s contest was the final game of the regular season for both teams. The Wizards will finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, depending on the result of the game between the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile the Celtics finish the regular season with the best overall record and best home record in the NBA.

The Charlotte Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 120-110, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday. With the win, the Hornets captured the season series, 2-1.

It was the home team Cavaliers (48-34) who got off to a strong start, winning the first quarter 33-24. The Hornets (21-61) clawed the deficit back in the second quarter and entered halftime down by one point. Cleveland took control again on the other side of the half, extending their lead by as much as 13 points and entered the final frame up by nine points. Charlotte, however, took over in the fourth quarter, winning the final 12 minutes, 32-14, which was powered by an 18-2 run over the final six minutes of the game. With the win, the Hornets improved to 10-31 on the road, while the Cavaliers dropped to 26-15 at home.

Nick Smith led the Hornets off the bench with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists. JT Thor finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals for the first double-double of his career. Bryce McGowens added 18 points, three rebounds and four assists, while Marques Bolden tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four blocks. Tre Mann finished with 11 points, four rebounds and six assists.

Georges Niang led the Cavaliers off the bench with 16 points. Max Strus recorded the first triple-double of his career with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Jarrett Allen finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Evan Mobley supplied 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Isaac Okoro added 11 points, three rebounds and six assists.

Sunday’s contest was the final game of the regular season for both teams. The Hornets finished 13th in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers finished as the fourth seed, and they will face the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 157-115, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

The Pacers (47-35) knew they needed to win in the regular-season finale to potentially avoid the Play-In Tournament. That’s precisely what happened, as they secured a huge blowout win over the Hawks (36-46) to finish the regular season in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Indiana played with a sense of urgency and built a double-digit lead in the first quarter, winning 49-34 and not looking back at any point of the game the rest of the way. Even though the Hawks won the second quarter by a 38-37 score, it was not a fair fight, and Atlanta didn’t have enough in them to push for a comeback. The Pacers closed things out in the third quarter following a 39-21 score. The final frame also finished with a win for the Pacers, as they cruised to victory by an expressive 42-point margin. The Pacers ended the regular season with a 26-15 mark at home. Meanwhile, the Hawks finished the campaign with a 15-26 mark away from home.

Myles Turner led the way for the Pacers with 31 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Tyrese Haliburton only had 12 points, but he dished out 13 assists and added three steals. Pascal Siakam posted 28 points and six rebounds. Andrew Nembhard posted 10 points, five assists and two rebounds. T.J. McConnell added 17 points, eight assists and four rebounds off the bench. Indiana shot 65 percent from the field and 52.8 percent from three-point range.

Dejounte Murray led the way for the Hawks with 32 points, three rebounds and three assists. Trae Young had a double-double of 12 points and 12 assists. He also added three rebounds and committed eight turnovers. Bogdan Bogdanovic posted 18 points and four rebounds. Bruno Fernando finished with 12 points while starting over Clint Capela. The Hawks shot 43.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.

The Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors, 118-103, at Kaseya Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Heat (46-36) couldn’t escape the fate of playing in the Play-In Tournament despite a dominant win over the Raptors (25-57) in the regular-season finale. Miami ended the season in eighth place of the standings, so they will play on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, which means a date in the first round of the playoffs against the New York Knicks. The first quarter of this game was quite tight, and it finished with a 24-24 score, but the Heat pulled away in the second quarter. Miami outscored Toronto in the second quarter by a 42-33 score and never looked back. A 27-25 score in the third quarter bolstered Miami’s lead even further, and the Heat closed things out in the final 12 minutes with ease. With the win, the Heat end the regular season with a 22-19 mark at home. Meanwhile, the Raptors have ended the regular season with an 11-30 mark on the road.

Seven Miami players scored in double digits in this win. Thomas Bryant and Jaime Jaquez led the way since each had 18 points coming off the bench. Bryant also grabbed 10 rebounds, while Jaquez had four boards and five assists. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro each had 17 points and six rebounds. Herro also added eight assists. The Heat shot 52.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep.

Gary Trent had 18 points for the Raptors. Gradey Dick posted 14 points while shooting 5-for-13 from the field. Ochai Agbaji notched 10 points and six boards. Kelly Olynyk ended with 11 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Jordan Nwora chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds coming off the bench. Toronto shot 42.2 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from deep.

The New York Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls in overtime, 120-119, at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks (50-32) and Bulls (39-43) delivered the most intense, interesting game of the 1 PM ET slate in the season finale. Knowing the second seed in the Eastern Conference was up for grabs with a win and a loss from the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks looked determined to get the win here. However, and after a tight first half that saw the Knicks gain a three-point lead, the Bulls began to pull away in the second half. Chicago outscored New York by a 35-26 score in the third quarter, but the Knicks had an answer down the stretch and forced overtime after outscoring Chicago 33-27 in the final 12 minutes. The overtime period was nervy, as the Knicks already knew the Bucks had lost to the Orlando Magic, and things went down to the wire. In the end, though, the Knicks won the game when DeMar DeRozan missed what would be a game-winner with only 2.1 seconds left. With the win, the Knicks moved to second place in the East and will wait to know their first-round opponent, while the Bulls were already locked in ninth place and will take on the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament.

Jalen Brunson had 40 points for the Knicks, but he also added eight rebounds and seven assists. Donte DiVincenzo posted 25 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Josh Hart had 12 points and 10 rebounds. OG Anunoby had 11 points, five boards, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Hartenstein posted eight points and 13 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic delivered 13 points off the bench. The Knicks shot 50.5 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from deep.

DeMar DeRozan posted 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Nikola Vucevic ended with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Coby White posted 26 points and four assists. Alex Caruso delivered 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds and five steals. Javonte Green recorded 11 points and eight rebounds. The Bulls shot 48.5 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from three-point range.

The Orlando Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 113-88, at Amway Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Magic (47-35) came into the afternoon looking to both protect their postseason position and build some momentum heading into the playoffs, but matters got off on the wrong foot in that regard. The Bucks (49-33), which were aiming to maintain a hold of their No. 2 seed in the East, jumped out to a solid 30-22 lead. That seemed to serve as a wake-up call for Orlando, which dominated Milwaukee to the tune of a 25-12 advantage in the second quarter before extending its advantage by another four points in the third quarter. While that still left the visitors with a reasonably manageable deficit, the hosts left no doubt as to the outcome by opening the final period with an 11-0 run over the first 3:23 on the way to the very comfortable victory.

Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton co-led the Bucks with 17 points apiece while adding 10 rebounds and five assists, respectively. Portis added two blocks and two steals as well. Damian Lillard supplied 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal. Brook Lopez compiled 11 points, three boards and two blocks.

Paolo Banchero paced the Magic with 26 points, complementing them with 11 rebounds and seven assists. Franz Wagner totaled 25 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Cole Anthony turned in 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jonathan Isaac and Moritz Wagner generated matching 10-contributions, with Isaac adding eight rebounds and three blocks.

The Bucks and Magic will now await their final playoff placing and matchups.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 107-86, at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon.

The 76ers (47-35) came into the finale knowing they'd need to take care of business on their end in the hopes of still climbing out of the play-in level, but the non-contending Nets (32-50) got the better of them in the first quarter by forging a 23-22 lead. However, that served as a wake-up call, with Philadelphia going on to outscore Brooklyn by a 59-41 margin in the middle quarters to take control of the game for good.

Cam Thomas led the Nets with 18 points, adding three rebounds and two assists. Noah Clowney furnished 16 points, four boards, two assists, one steal and one block. Trendon Watford delivered 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Lonnie Walker managed 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and one steal.

Tyrese Maxey paced the 76ers with 26 points, complementing them with three rebounds, three assists and one steal. Tobias Harris supplied 21 points, eight boards, two assists, one steal and one block. Buddy Hield registered 19 ponits, seven rebounds, five assists and one steal. Paul Reed generated a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double that included three assists, two steals and two blocks. Cameron Payne recorded 10 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal.

The Nets' season is now over, while the 76ers now will head into the postseason while still awaiting their final placing.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-108, at Smoothie King Center.

Both teams came in looking to secure playoff positioning, but the Lakers (47-35) looked like the more incentivized team right out of the gate. Los Angeles already owned a 30-24 lead after one, and it had expanded its advantage over the Pelicans (49-33) by another 11 points by intermission. When the visitors tacked on another five points to their edge in the third, the final period became a mere formality. With the victory, the Lakers clinched the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, while the Pelicans fell to the No. 7 seed courtesy of the defeat and the Suns' win over the Timberwolves.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 30 points, complementing them with 11 rebounds, three assists and two steals. LeBron James generated a 28-point, 17-assist, 11-rebound triple-double that included five steals and one block. Austin Reaves supplied 20 points, two assists, one rebound, one steal and one block. D'Angelo Russell delivered 19 points, four assists, one rebound, one steal and one block. Rui Hachimura tallied 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

CJ McCollum paced the Pelicans with 25 points, supplementing them with seven assists and four rebounds. Herbert Jones registered 18 points, five boards, one assist and two steals. Larry Nance Jr. and the returning Brandon Ingram produced matching 13-point efforts while also recording six and five rebounds, respectively. Nance added four assists. Zion Williamson finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Trey Murphy compiled 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block.

The two teams will now meet again Tuesday night in a play-in game at Smoothie King Center.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the visiting Utah Jazz, 123-116, at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon.

The game got out to a competitive start but the Warriors rallied to a six-point lead after one quarter. The Jazz kept up the fight in the second and tied the game at 53, before the hosts closed the half on a, 10-3, run to claim a seven-point lead at the break. Both sides came out strong in the third and after a couple of lead changes, the Warriors carried a six-point advantage into the final frame. The hosts kept the upper hand to start the fourth, but the Jazz rallied to a, 114-113, lead with 4:10 left in the game. The Warriors responded with a, 10-2, run to claim control and close out their fourth win in the last five games.

Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 25 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block, in 20 minutes. Andrew Wiggins followed up with 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Gui Santos added 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Meanwhile, Keyonte George led the Jazz with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, in 20 minutes of action. Taylor Hendricks followed up with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block, while Omer Yurtseven totaled 11 points, 18 rebounds and two assists.

This marks the end of the season for the Jazz, who finished 12th place in the West. The Warriors look ahead to a play-in matchup against the Kings on Tuesday.

The Houston Rockets defeated the host Los Angeles Clippers, 116-105, at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The game got out to a competitive start as the Rockets held a three-point edge after one quarter. The Clippers brought a better effort in the second and rallied to a three-point lead by halftime. The both sides brought the fight in the third, where the visitors poured in 37 points to claim a two-point advantage heading into the final frame. The Rockets picked up momentum in the fourth and pushed ahead to the decisive 11-point win, marking a third victory in their last four outings. This also marks the third straight loss for the Clippers.

Cam Whitmore led the Rockets with 21 points, six rebounds, five assists and a block, in 36 minutes. Amen Thompson followed up with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and three blocks, while Jabari Smith totaled 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Meanwhile, Terance Mann led the Clippers with 24 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal, in 28 minutes. Amir Coffey followed up with 18 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, while Daniel Theis logged 16 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.

The Clippers are slated for a first-round matchup against the Mavericks, beginning in L.A. on April 21. This marks the end of the season for the Rockets, who finished 10th in the West.

The Phoenix Suns defeated the host Minnesota Timberwolves, 125-106, at Target Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Suns jumped out to a great start and led, 44-22, after one quarter. The Timberwolves responded in the second and rallied to trim it down to a 13-point game by halftime. Both sides came out relatively even in the third, while the hosts managed to bring it to an 11-point difference entering the final frame. The Suns reclaimed momentum in the fourth and confidently closed out their third straight win. This also marked the second loss in three games for the Timberwolves.

Bradley Beal led the Suns with 36 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block, in 38 minutes. Devin Booker followed up with 23 points, four rebounds, seven assists and a steal, while Grayson Allen logged 20 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert led the Suns with 21 points, seven rebounds, two steals and a block, in 32 minutes. Mike Conley followed up with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks, while Anthony Edwards tallied 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.

The Suns and Timberwolves are set to matchup in the first round of the playoffs, with their series beginning on April 20.

The Sacramento Kings defeated the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, 121-82, at Golden One Center on Sunday.

While Portland led 2-0, that was the only time they held the lead in this game. Sacramento took command with a 30-18 first quarter, closing the game with a 35-19 second quarter and 34-21 third quarter. The Kings led by at least 25 points for the entirety of the second half, getting their lead up to 44 points at times. Sacramento shot 49 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range while holding Portland to 32 percent from the field and 16 percent from long range. The Kings also out-assisted the Blazers, 29-18.

The Trail Blazers (21-61) were led by Dalano Banton, tallying 17 points, three rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Duop Reath led the bench with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals. Rayan Rupert amassed 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Kris Murray totaled nine points and 18 rebounds.

The Kings (46-36) were led by De'Aaron Fox, finishing with 24 points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals. Domantas Sabonis collected 18 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Harrison Barnes had 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Keon Ellis accrued 13 points, three rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks.

That marks the end of Portland's season. As for Sacramento, they play host to the Golden State Warriors in the Play-In Tournament. That will be an elimination game.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the visiting Detroit Pistons, 123-95, at Frost Bank Center on Sunday.

While there were nine lead changes in the opening 10 minutes, San Antonio never gave up the lead after a 29-23 first quarter. They took command with a 34-17 second quarter and closed it out with a 30-23 third quarter. The Spurs led by at least 20 points for the closing 30 minutes, getting their lead up to 34 points at times. San Antonio shot 54 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range while holding Detroit to 39 percent from the field and 24 percent from long range. The Spurs also out-assisted the Pistons, 33-17.

The Pistons (14-68) were led by James Wiseman, finishing with 21 points, 17 rebounds and two steals. Marcus Sasser had 17 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Jaden Ivey accrued 13 points and two assists, while Jared Rhoden led the bench with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists.

The Spurs (22-60) were led by Sandro Mamukelashvili, collecting 18 points and eight rebounds. Zach Collins compiled 17 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Blake Wesley had 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Tre Jones tallied 11 points, six rebounds and six assists. David Duke Jr led the bench with 15 points and three rebounds.

That marks the end of the season for both of these teams. Detroit finished with the worst record in the NBA, while San Antonio finished 14th in the Western Conference.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 135-86, at Paycom Center on Sunday.

Oklahoma City needed this win to capture the top seed in the Western Conference, and they got it in wire-to-wire fashion. They took command with a 39-22 first quarter and completed their blowout behind a 43-19 second quarter. That 41-point halftime lead was extended to 58 points at times in the second half. Oklahoma City shot 56 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range, while Dallas shot 33 percent from the field and 21 percent from long range. The Thunder also out-rebounded the Mavs, 67-47, while out-assisting them, 39-18.

The Mavericks (50-32) were led by Brandon Williams, providing 22 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench. Olivier Prosper led the starters with 15 points and eight rebounds. Jaden Hardy had nine points, four rebounds and three assists, while AJ Lawson amassed 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford all sat this game.

The Thunder (57-25) were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, accruing 15 points and six assists across just 15 minutes. Chet Holmgren collected 13 points and nine boards over 11 minutes. Josh Giddey generated eight points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Aaron Wiggins led the bench with 14 points and six rebounds.

Oklahoma City will await their opponent, while Dallas will play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Memphis Grizzlies, 126-111, at FedEx Forum on Sunday.

Denver held the lead for all but two minutes in this game, outscoring Memphis in the second and third quarters, 65-49. The Nuggets held a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half, getting their lead up to 26 points at times. Denver shot 52 percent from the field, 33 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the free-throw line, while Memphis shot 45 percent from the field, 24 percent from long range and 72 percent from the charity stripe. The Nuggets also out-assisted the Grizzlies, 32-23, while outscoring them in fastbreak points, 18-7.

The Grizzlies (27-55) were led by GG Jackson, generating 44 points, 12 rebounds and two steals. Jake LaRavia totaled 29 points, five rebounds and four assists. Scotty Pippen Jr provided 15 points, three rebounds and seven assists, while Jordan Goodwin accumulated eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

The Nuggets (57-25) were led by Jamal Murray, collecting 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Aaron Gordon accrued 15 points, five rebounds and five assists. Nikola Jokic tallied 15 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Michael Porter Jr amassed 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Christian Braun led the bench with 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.

That marks the end for Memphis. As for Denver, they finished with the two-seed in the West and will play the winner of the Lakers-Suns Play-In game.