May 16th NBA Game Recaps

The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics, 96-92, at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Knicks (41-31) completed an impressive regular season and finished 10 games over the .500 threshold after topping the Celtics (36-36) in the final game of the regular season. With the win, the Knicks locked up the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference while the Celtics ended in seventh place and will have to participate in the play-in tournament to determine their fate going forward. The Celtics looked better in the first quarter and grabbed a one-point lead (24-23) before the Knicks pulled away following a 31-15 score in the second quarter. Boston attempted a comeback and in the second half and won the final two quarters, including a 27-19 score in the final 12 minutes, but that wasn't enough to turn things around and the Knicks held on to secure the victory.

R.J. Barrett led the Knicks on Sunday with a 22-point performance, while Julius Randle compiled 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as well. Reggie Bullock had 16 points, and Alec Burks contributed 17 points coming off the bench. No other Knicks player scored in double digits in this one, as some of the regular contributors didn't deliver. Derrick Rose only had seven points and Immanuel Quickley had two points (1-7 FG).

The Celtics had five players scoring in double digits but the bench stepped it up with most of the regular starters sidelined. Romeo Langford had 14 points and Grant Williams added 13 to lead the starters, though Jabari Parker lead the way with 18 points off the bench. Tremont Waters notched 17 points, five boards and five dimes. Carsen Edwards had 10 points.

The Washington Wizards defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 115-110, at Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The game set up as a battle for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and early, it appeared the Hornets (33-39) were on their way to securing the spot with a 36-22 lead through one. However, that seemed to wake up the Wizards (34-38), which knocked 10 points off their deficit by halftime. Nevertheless, Charlotte saw the pendulum swing back their way again in the third by boosting its advantage back to 11 points. That set up one more final comeback this regular season for Russell Westbrook and company, which outscored the visitors by a 36-20 margin over the final 12 minutes in what was their best all-around stretch of basketball during the contest.

Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 22 points, complementing them with nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Lonzo Ball provided 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Miles Bridges supplied 17 points, four rebounds and four blocks. Devonte' Graham turned in 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal. Jalen McDaniels compiled 13 points, four rebounds and two assists. P.J. Washington and Cody Zeller furnished 11 points each, with Washington also pulling down nine rebounds.

Bradley Beal paced the Wizards in his return from a hamstring injury with 25 points, supplementing them with six rebounds, four assists and one steal. Westbrook managed a 23-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double that also included one steal. Robin Lopez tallied 18 points, six boards, one assist and one steal. Rui Hachimura registered 16 points, six rebounds and one steal. Ish Smith delivered 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one block.

The Hornets now move on to face the Indiana Pacers on the road on Tuesday a play-in game, while the Wizards do the same against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday as well.

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Toronto Raptors, 125-113, at Amalie Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Pacers (34-38) ended the season four games under the .500 threshold but managed to clinch a win just before the start of the play-in tournament, as they took advantage of a depleted Toronto roster to come away with a comfortable victory -- it also means that the Raptors have ended the season on a seven-game losing streak. Indiana got off to a better start and jumped out to a 31-30 score in the first quarter, but they pulled away for good in the second quarter following a 37-25 score. The Raptors won the third quarter by a 28-26 score and could've attempted a comeback in the final 12 minutes, but the Pacers closed things out with a 31-30 score in the fourth quarter. The Pacers lost Caris LeVert midway through the game due to migraine symptoms, but that didn't stop them from winning this one.

Oshae Brissett had an excellent performance for the Pacers and posted 31 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists. Domantas Sabonis stuffed the stat sheet in his return and finished with 25 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Doug McDermott had 20 points, and Caris LeVert had 13 points before exiting the game. T.J. McConnell had 12 points and 17 assists off the bench.

The Raptors only featured six players and five of them scored in double digits -- Malachi Flynn led the way with 27 points and five assists, while Stanley Johnson (24 points, seven assists, five rebounds) and DeAndre Bembry (23 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals) also surpassed the 20-point mark. Khem Birch had 18 points. Aron Baynes delivered 14 points with 10 boards off the bench.

The Phoenix Suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 123-121, at AT&T Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Suns (51-21) ended the season on a strong note and delivered a second straight win over the Spurs (33-39), though this time the game was tighter than Saturday's 37-point game between these two franchises Saturday. Phoenix got off to a good start and quickly jumped out to a 27-23 lead following the first quarter, but the Spurs responded and grabbed the lead following a 38-25 score in the second quarter. However, Phoenix turned things around in the third and came back from a double-digit deficit to grab a four-point lead thanks to a 37-24 score in the third quarter. The Spurs made it a close game in the fourth and won the final quarter by a 36-34 score, but it wasn't enough and the Suns ended winning the contest despite missing several regulars.

The Suns didn't have Chris Paul and Devin Booker due to rest purposes, so E'Twaun Moore led the way with 22 points off the bench (9-10 FG). Cameron Payne and Jevon Carter each chipped in with 19 points as the starting backcourt duo, while Jalen Smith ended with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Dario Saric had 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Frank Kaminsky notched a double-double off the bench with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan carried the Spurs in this loss, as he finished with 23 points, while Jakob Poeltl contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds -- no other San Antonio starter scored in double digits in this one. Rudy Gay had 12 points coming off the bench, while Quinndary Weatherspoon chipped in with 11 points in only 12 minutes.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 113-101, at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon.

The two squads were playing for the No. 8 seed on the regular season's final day, and given the stakes, it was fitting the Warriors (39-33) held just a one-point lead through one tightly contested quarter. Golden State did gain a bit of breathing room in the second by adding five points to its advantage, and when they tacked on another 11 during the third period, it seemed the hosts were on their way to a comfortable win. However, the Grizzlies (38-34) fought back to open the fourth quarter, going on a 28-9 run over the first 7:11 of the period to to take a brief 97-95 lead. However, that would be the final edge Memphis would hold, as the Dubs turned the tables with the help of laser-sharp three-point shooting from Stephen Curry to finish on an 18-4 run of their own and notch the double-digit win they'd appeared destined for earlier in the contest.

Jonas Valanciunas led the way with a 29-point, 16-rebound double-double that also included one assist and one steal. Dillon Brooks furnished 18 points, six assists and two rebounds but fouled out after 30 minutes. Ja Morant supplied 16 points, nine assists, three rebounds and one steal. Jaren Jackson registered 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks. Kyle Anderson managed 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.

Curry paced the Warriors with 46 points, adding nine assists, seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Andrew Wiggins generated a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double that included one steal and one block. Jordan Poole delivered 15 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals. Draymond Green furnished 14 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and one steal. Juan Toscano-Anderson netted 11 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals.

The Grizzlies head back home to face the No. 10-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first game of the play-in tournament, while the Warriors' next game will come on the road against whichever of the Trail Blazers or Lakers finishes as the No. 7 seed.

The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Houston Rockets, 124-95, at State Farm Arena on Sunday evening.

The Hawks (41-31) came into the contest looking to finish an excellent second half of the season a high note in what shaped up as a very winnable game, but the Rockets (17-55) served notice early they weren't going to lay down despite playing with an extremely abbreviated rotation. Atlanta led by just three points through 12 minutes, but the home squad expanded the lead to 18 points by halftime thanks to a dominant second period. That seemed to take any fight out of Houston, which ultimately put up just 41 second-half points on the way to the lopsided season-ending loss.

D.J. Augustin and Armoni Brooks co-led the Rockets with 18 points each, with both also pulling down four rebounds apiece and Augustin also dishing out five assists. Kelly Olynyk furnished 16 points, six boards, four assists, one steal and one block. Kenyon Martin turned in 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Cameron Oliver generated a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double that also included one assist and three blocks.

Onyeka Okungwu paced the Hawks with a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double that also included three assists, two steals and two blocks. Skylar Mays supplied 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two blocks. John Collins managed 15 points and four rebounds. DeAndre Hunter supplied 14 points, two rebounds, one assist and one block. Nathan Knight generated a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double and two blocks. Lou Williams delivered 11 points, six assists and two rebounds. Trae Young and Bruno Fernando posted matching 10-point tallies with Young dishing out nine assists and Fernando pulling down nine rebounds.

The Hawks will know take on the No. 4-seeded New York Knicks in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 123-109, at Barclays Center on Sunday evening.

The Nets (48-24) knew they'd need to simply win to secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they appeared fully focused on that goal during a first quarter they established a 34-24 lead. However, the Cavaliers (22-50) were more competitive in the second quarter, with Brooklyn only able to expand its edge by one point prior to halftime. That seemed to exhaust whatever fight Cleveland had, however, as the hosts boosted their advantage to 23 points heading into a final period that was mainly a formality.

Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro co-led the Cavaliers with 18 points, with Wade also pulling down eight rebounds. Damyean Dotson offered 17 points, three assists and one rebound. Collin Sexton furnished 16 points, five assists, two rebounds and one steal. Brodric Thomas finished with 14 points, four boards and three steals.

Kevin Durant paced the Nets with 23 points, complementing them with 13 assists and eight rebounds. Kyrie Irving supplied 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks. Mike James totaled 14 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. Jeff Green poured in 13 points. Bruce Brown registered 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Landry Shamet matched Brown's scoring and also recorded three assists and two rebounds.

The Nets will now be off for several days until the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, which will serve as their quarterfinal-round opponent, is determined.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the visiting Orlando Magic, 128-117, at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday evening.

The Sixers got out to a good start with a, 32-26, lead after one quarter. The Magic picked it up in the second and outscored the Sixers by 11 points in the quarter, to take a five-point lead by halftime. The 76ers turned it on again in the third and claimed the lead early in the quarter. They kept pushing and rallied to take a nine-point lead into the final frame. They stayed in control through the fourth and had no trouble closing out the home win, to finish their regular season with a second consecutive win and full possession of the first seed in the East.

Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 30 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block, in 34 minutes. Paul Reed added 17 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block, while Shake Milton tallied 15 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The 76ers shot 48 percent from the field, including 19-of-40 from long range.

Meanwhile, Cole Anthony led the Magic with 37 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal, in 37 minutes. Donta Hall totaled 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, while Moritz Wagner added 14 points, four rebounds, a steal and a block. The Magic shot 47 percent from the field, including 10-of-28 from deep.

This marks the end of the season for the Magic, while the Sixers will look to make another strong playoff run.

The Miami Heat defeated the host Detroit Pistons, 120-107. at Little Ceasar's Arena on Sunday.

A 32-13 first quarter really set the tone for Miami in this game, winning in wire-to-wire fashion. In fact, they held a double-digit lead for the final three quarters after that dominating first frame. Miami shot 56 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point rage while holding Detroit to 47 percent from the field and 31 percent from long range. In addition, the Heat out-rebounded the Pistons, 39-33, while out-assisting them, 32-26. They also recorded 11 steals to Detroit's four, winning the turnover battle, 16-10.

The Heat (40-32) were led by Precious Achiuwa, tallying 23 points, 10 rebounds and two steals on 10-of-13 from the field. Nemanja Bjelica totaled 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Tyler Herro accrued 16 points, six rebounds and 11 assists while Gabe Vincent accrued 15 points, six rebounds, 10 assists and two steals.

The Pistons (20-52) were led by Seddiq Bey and his 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Hamidou Diallo totaled 15 points, five rebounds and two assists. Cory Joseph finished with 14 points, four rebounds and five assists. Josh Jackson led the bench with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists whole Saben Lee had 10 points and seven assists.

That marks the end of the road for the Pistons season. As for Miami, they'll face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs beginning next week.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host New Orleans Pelicans, 110-98, at Smoothie King Center on Sunday evening.

The Lakers got out to a strong start with a, 36-28, lead after one quarter. The Pelicans kept up the fight in the second and managed to trim the deficit to just four points, heading into the final frame. The Lakers bounced back in the third and took their defense to a higher level, as they outscored the hosts, 28-17, through the quarter, to take a 15-point lead into the final frame. The Pelicans kept up the fight in the fourth, but the Lakers were able to hold on and close out the road win. This marks the end of the season for the Pelicans, while the Lakers finish seventh in the West and will take part in the play-in tournament to determine their playoff future.

LeBron James led the way for the Lakers with 25 points, six assists and three steals, in 27 minutes. Andre Drummond totaled 13 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and a two blocks, while Anthony Davis finished with 14 points, five rebounds and a steal. The Lakers shot 46 percent from the field, including 11-of-35 from long range.

Meanwhile, Willy Hernangomez led the Pelicans with 19 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks, in 29 minutes. Naji Marshall followed up with 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a steal, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal. The Pelicans shot 47 percent from the field, including 9-of-25 from deep.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks, 118-112, at United Center on Sunday evening.

The Bulls got out to a strong start with a, 10-point lead after one quarter. The Bucks responded in the second and cut it to a one-point game by halftime. The pace picked up in the third, but the Bulls hung on to the edge as they outscored the visitors by five points in the quarter, to take a six-point lead into the final frame. The contest stayed competitive through the fourth, but the Bulls stayed strong and held off the Bucks, to complete the impressive home win. This marks the end of the Bulls' season, while the Bucks finish third place in the East.

Thaddeus Young led the Bulls with 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks, in 25 minutes. Coby White added 19 points, five rebonds, five assists, a steal and a block, while Lauri Markkanen tallied 17 points and five rebounds. The Bulls shot 51 percent from the field, including 14-of-32 from long range.

Meanwhile, Jordan Nwora led the Bucks with 34 points, 14 rebounds, two blocks and a steal, in 35 minutes off the bench. Jeff Teague followed up with 23 points, seven assists, three rebounds, three steals and a block, while Elijah Bryant chipped in 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and a block. The Bucks shot 42 percent from the field, including 12-of-37 from deep.

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks, 136-121, at Target Center on Sunday evening.

The Timberwolves got out to a great start with a, 38-22, lead after one quarter. The Mavs picked up with pace in the second, but the Timberwolves stayed right with them, as they both scored 38 points in the quarter. The momentum and pace carried over into the third quarter, where the Timberwolves outscored the visitors, 37-35, to take an 18-point lead into the final frame. The Mavs had no answers in the fourth, as they fell short in their final game of the season. However, they are safely in the playoffs, with fifth seed in the West, while this marks the end of the season for the Timberwolves.

Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points, four assists and two blocks, in 38 minutes. D'Angelo Russell followed up with 23 points, 10 assists, three rebounds and three steals, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Timberwolves shot 54 percent from the field, including 17-of-40 from deep.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals, in 20 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis added 18 points and four rebounds, while Dorian Finney-Smith, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson added 15 points each. The Mavericks shot 48 percent from the field, including 16-of-38 from long range.

The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the visiting Denver Nuggets, 132-116, at Moda Center on Sunday.

Portland needed a victory here to avoid a play-in game, winning this matchup in wire-to-wire fashion. A 43-22 first quarter really set the tone for the Trail Blazers, leading by at least 14 points for the final three quarters. Portland shot 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range while holding the Nuggets to 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from long range. In addition, Portland out-rebounded Denver, 51-36, while out-assisting them, 24-20.

The Nuggets (47-25) were led by Nikola Jokic, who finished with 21 points, three rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes of action. Markus Howard led the bench with 23 points, four rebounds and three assists. Paul Millsap and JaMychal Green both reached double figures in scoring off the bench but no other player on the roster reached that threshold.

The Trail Blazers (42-30) were led by C.J. McCollum and his 24 points, two rebounds and five assists. Damian Lillard collected 22 points, three rebounds and 10 assists. Jusuf Nurkic generated 20 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Norman Powell had 19 points and three rebounds while Enes Kanter led the bench with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

These teams will actually face one another when the postseason begins next week.

The Utah Jazz defeated the host Sacramento Kings, 121-99, at Golden 1 Center on Sunday.

Utah needed a win here to secure the best record in the NBA and they got it in dominating fashion. In fact, they led 64-49 at the half and carried a 24-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Jazz shot 21-of-25 from the free-throw line while the Kings shot just 6-of-10. In addition, Utah out-rebounded Sacramento, 50-39, while outscoring their bench, 60-40.

The Jazz (52-20) starters were led by Bojan Bogdanovic, tallying 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jordan Clarkson led the team in scoring, providing 33 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench. Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 16 rebounds while Mike Conley finished with 11 points, six rebounds, nine assists and three steals.

The Kings (31-41) were led by Damian Jones and his 19 points and five boards. Buddy Hield accrued 13 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Louis King compiled 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals while Terence Davis led the bench with 20 points, three rebounds and two steals. Delon Wright had just seven points, three rebounds and three assists.

Utah finished the season with the best record in the NBA and will have homecourt advantage throughout the postseason. Sacramento finishes 12th in the west and will miss the playoffs yet again.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the visiting Los Angeles Clippers, 117-112, at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday.

While Oklahoma City got out to a game-high 13-point lead in the first quarter, neither club ever grabbed a double-digit lead across the final three quarters. In fact, there were seven ties and eight lead changes in total, with the Thunder finishing on a 9-2 run across the final 1:46 to gran their rare win. Oklahoma City shot 53 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range while holding Los Angeles to 43 percent from the field and 23 percent from long range. In addition, the Thunder out-rebounded the Clippers, 54-44, while out-blocking them, 12-3.

The Clippers (47-25) were led by Terence Mann, providing 19 points and two rebounds off the bench. Luke Kennard led the starters with 13 points, three rebounds and three steals. Patrick Beverley had 11 points and four assists while Patrick Patterson totaled 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Daniel Oturu set career-highs with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Thunder (22-50) were led by Aleksej Pokusevski and his 29 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Josh Hall amassed 25 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Moses Brown finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds, three assists and seven blocks. Tony Bradley led the bench with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

That marks the end of the season for Oklahoma City, finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA. Los Angeles finished fourth in the west and will play the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.