April 9th NBA Game Recaps

The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 120-114, at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Celtics (57-25) rested their starters in the final game of the regular season, but that didn’t prevent them from securing the win over a Hawks (41-41) team that also rested most of their starting unit with a Play-In Tournament berth all but locked up. The first half was tight and Atlanta won the first two quarters, 31-29 and 33-32, so they held a three-point lead at the break. However, the Celtics woke up in the second half and grabbed a lead they’d never relinquish. Boston won the third quarter by a 39-26 score, turning a three-point deficit into a 10-point lead with 12 minutes left. Atlanta won the final quarter by a 24-20 score, but it was not enough and the Celtics secured the victory. The Celtics end the season with a 32-9 record at home and will wait for an opponent in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Hawks end the season with a 17-24 mark on the road. Atlanta will play the Miami Heat on Tuesday.

Payton Pritchard had a career-best game Sunday and finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Boston. Mike Muscala delivered 27 points and eight rebounds. Sam Hauser notched 26 points, six assists and five rebounds. Derrick White played just five minutes, same as Blake Griffin, as both received rest. Luke Kornet logged 33 minutes coming off the bench and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Bruno Fernando led the way for Atlanta and finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Garrison Mathews also had 19 points off the bench, and he also added three boards. Jalen Johnson delivered 15 points, three rebounds and three assists. Deandre Hunter only logged 17 minutes but finished with 14 points. A.J. Griffin delivered 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons, 103-81, at United Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Bulls (40-42) ended the regular season with a losing record, but they ended the campaign on a high note after topping the Pistons (17-65) with a dominant performance. Chicago grabbed control of the game early and won the first quarter by 26-25. The Bulls extended their lead following a 23-21 score in the second quarter, but they were not dominating as much as they would’ve imagined. The third quarter ended with an 18-18 score, so Chicago still held a meager three-point lead with just 12 minutes left in the contest. The Bulls pulled away for good in the final 12 minutes and outscored Detroit by a 36-17 tally, ultimately securing a comfortable win that didn’t really reflect what happened throughout the game. The Bulls end the season with a 22-19 mark at home and will play in the Play-In Tournament next week. Meanwhile, the Pistons end the season with an 8-33 record on the road.

Zach LaVine led the way for the Bulls with 17 points, and he also added three rebounds and two assists. DeMar DeRozan notched 16 points, five assists, two rebounds and a steal. No other Chicago starters scored in double digits here. Carlik Jones had 11 points and three assists off the bench. Dalen Terry delivered 10 points and three boards.

Killian Hayes mustered 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Pistons in this loss. Jaden Ivey recorded 16 points, three boards and three assists. James Wiseman recorded a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jalen Duren only scored four points, but he notched 18 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III posted 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-95, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

The Hornets (27-55) endured a slow start but came from behind and registered a solid win over a depleted Cavaliers (51-31) team despite playing on the road. Cleveland looked good early on and raced out to a 25-17 lead in the first quarter and appeared to be in control. However, the Hornets started their comeback trail with a 32-29 score in the second quarter. The Cavaliers had a five-point lead at the break, and the advantage remained steady following a 21-21 score in the third quarter. The Cavaliers could not close things out, and the Hornets took advantage of that. A 36-20 score in the fourth quarter allowed Charlotte to flip the script and secure the victory here. The Cavaliers end the season with a 31-10 mark at home and are playoff bound, where they’ll face the New York Knicks. The Hornets end the season with a 14-27 record away from home.

Mark Williams was outstanding for the Hornets, recording 22 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 9-for-10 from the field. Theo Maledon recorded 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Svi Mykhailiuk delivered 16 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. Bryce McGowens looked impressive and finished with 22 points, four boards, four assists and two steals. James Bouknight had 12 points coming off the bench. Nick Richards added 11 points and eight boards.

Dean Wade led the starters for Cleveland with nine points, three rebounds and three steals. Sam Merrill notched 17 points, four rebounds and three steals coming off the bench. Raul Neto posted 13 points and six assists. Robin Lopez had 10 points and three boards off the bench. Danny Green had 13 points and four rebounds across 25 minutes.

The Miami Heat defeated the Orlando Magic, 123-110, at Miami-Dade Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Heat (44-38) had already locked up a spot in the Play-In Tournament and the Magic (34-48) were eliminated. As such, there was nothing to play for but pride and the local rivalry between these two teams. Orlando looked good and enjoyed a stronger start following a 24-23 score in the first 12 minutes. The Heat responded with a 29-26 score in the second quarter, however, so the Heat held a two-point lead after the opening 24 minutes. The Magic recovered the advantage following a 35-32 score in the third quarter, and they held a one-point lead with only 12 minutes left. The Heat didn’t want the game to slip away from them, though. Miami won the final 12 minutes by a 39-25 score, which was enough to secure the victory in Udonis Haslem’s final regular-season as a Heat player. The Heat end the season with a 27-14 mark at home. Meanwhile, the Magic end the season with a 14-27 score on the road.

Haywood Highsmith was the only starter who played more than 12 minutes for the Heat, but even in that scenario, no starter scored more than four points. Udonis Haslem was Miami’s top scorer with a season-high 24 points while also adding three rebounds. Duncan Robinson notched 20 points, four assists and two boards. Jamal Cain had 18 points and five rebounds. Victor Oladipo notched 19 points, eight assists and two rebounds. Omer Yurtseven posted 14 points and seven rebounds.

Caleb Houstan led the Magic with 21 points. Franz Wagner recorded 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Chuma Okeke recorded 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Kevon Harris had 22 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

The Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets, 134-105, at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon.

The 76ers (54-28) and Nets (45-37) will meet again in the first round of the postseason, which led to an interesting finale in which backups handled all the minutes for both squads. Philadelphia's reserves came out the hotter group, jumping out to a 36-21 lead through one, and Brooklyn had only made a seven-point dent in its deficit by the beginning of the fourth quarter. The final period then belonged to the visitors, which outscored the home squad by a 34-13 margin in the last 12 minutes.

Shake Milton, Louis King and Mac McClung co-led the 76ers with 20 points. Milton added eight assists, King recorded four rebounds and McClung logged nine rebounds and nine assists. Paul Reed generated a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double that included one assist, five blocks and two steals. Montrezl Harrell totaled 15 points, six boards and two assists. Dewayne Dedmon furnished 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and one steal. Furkan Korkmaz turned in 11 points, four rebounds and two steals.

Cam Thomas paced the Nets with 46 points, supplementing them with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Raiquan Gray managed 16 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and one block. David Duke Jr. supplied 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Patty Mills netted 12 points.

The 76ers and Nets will reconvene again for a quarterfinal-round series, with Game 1 set to unfold at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, April 15 or Sunday, April 16.

The Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks, 141-136, at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

The Pacers (35-47) came into the contest with nothing to lose and the Knicks (47-35) were simply closing out the regular season ahead of entering the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, but both teams put on an offensive showcase in a first quarter New York emerged from with a 45-41 lead. Indiana managed to eliminate its deficit altogether in the second and take a two-point advantage into halftime, but the hosts had a seven-point edge again going into the final period. However, the Pacers regained the hot hand again in the fourth quarter, outscoring the home squad by a 41-29 margin in the last 12 minutes for the hard-fought win.

Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 26 points, supplementing them with six assists, three rebounds and one block. Andrew Nembhard and Jordan Nwora produced matching 19-point contributions while adding nine assists and four rebounds, respectively. Nembhard also posted three rebounds and three steals. George Hill went for 17 points, three boards, three assists and one steal. Buddy Hield supplied 15 points, six boards and four assists. Aaron Nesmith furnished 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal. Oshae Brissett managed 12 points, nine boards, three assists and two blocks.

Obi Toppin paced the Knicks with 34 points, adding seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Immanuel Quickley collected 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Quentin Grimes delivered 22 points, three assists and one rebound. R.J. Barrett poured in 18 points. Josh Hart generated a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double that included four assists, one steal and one block. Mitchell Robinson mustered nine points, 20 rebounds, two assists, seven blocks and one steal.

The Pacers won't take the floor again until the 2023-24 regular season, while the Knicks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in a quarterfinal-round playoff series beginning Saturday, April 15 or Sunday, April 16.

The Houston Rockets defeated the Washington Wizards, 114-109, at Capital One Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The two non-contending squads nothing but pride left to play for, but the Rockets (22-60) also entered the game likely playing their final game under popular head coach Steve Silas. That didn't exactly serve as a source of inspiration early, with the Wizards (35-47) building a 67-55 lead by halftime. However, Houston came out of intermission a different team, outscoring Washington by a 32-18 margin in the third quarter to take a two-point advantage into the final period. Even though they'd go on to eventually lose that edge, a 15-6 run over the final 5:03 turned a four-point deficit into a five-point margin of victory.

Jabari Smith led the Rockets with 20 points, adding five rebounds and one block. Tari Eason delivered 16 points, eight boards, four assists and one block. Jalen Green managed 14 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal. Josh Christopher turned in 13 points, four assists and two rebounds. Alperen Sengun and Kenyon Martin Jr. turned in matching 12-point contributions, with Sengun adding 12 boards, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Boban Marjanovic provided 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

Jordan Goodwin paced the Wizards with 22 points, complementing them with five rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Quenton Jackson posted 19 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals. Corey Kispert furnished 18 points, three boards and one assist. Johnny Davis recorded 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals. Kendrick Nunn registered 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal. Xavier Cooks generated a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double that included two steals and two blocks.

Neither team qualified for the postseason, making Sunday the final time they take the floor until the 2023-2024 season.

The Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, 121-105, at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Raptors (41-41) rolled out a mix of regulars and reserves to close out the regular season and it paid dividends early, with Toronto establishing a 67-55 lead by halftime. The Bucks (58-24), long having clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed, didn't gain any inspiration during intermission, as they fell behind by another four points during the third quarter on the way to the double-digit defeat.

Lindell Wigginton led the Bucks with 17 points, adding one rebound, one assist and one block. Bobby Portis tallied 16 points, four boards and one steal. Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Goran Dragic posted 14 points apiece while recording five and three rebounds, respectively. Jae Crowder finished with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals. Meyers Leonard and Marjon Beauchamp generated matching 10-point efforts while pulling down 12 and six rebounds, respectively.

Gary Trent paced the Raptors with 23 points, complementing them with three assists and one rebound. Malachi Flynn turned in 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal. Precious Achiuwa compiled a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double that included one assist and two steals. Will Barton netted 12 points, Dalano Blanton supplied 11 points, seven assists, five rebounds and one block. Chris Boucher and Ron Harper, Jr. poured in 10 points apiece while adding five and four rebounds, respectively.

The Bucks will host the eventual No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference in the first round of the playoffs, while the Raptors will face the Chicago Bulls in a play-in game on Wednesday night.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the host Dallas Mavericks, 138-117, at American Airlines Center on Sunday.

The Spurs jumped out to a great start with a, 42-14, lead after one quarter, but the Mavs responded in the second and cut it to a 12-point deficit by halftime. The visitors kept the pressure on in the third and pushed their lead up to 17, heading into the final frame. The Spurs did not let up in the fourth and stayed in control the rest of the way to secure the road win.

Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Spurs with 23 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and a block, in 31 minutes. Dominick Barlow followed up with 21 points, 19 rebounds, a steal and a block, while Julian Champagnie tallied 16 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. The Spurs shot 49 percent from the field, including 15-of-38 from long range.

Meanwhile, Jaden Hardy led the Mavericks with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, in 28 minutes. Theo Pinson added 23 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists and a steal, while Davis Bertans tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. The Mavs shot 42.6 percent from the field, including 17-of-53 from deep.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings, 109-95, at Ball Arena on Sunday.

The Kings jumped out to a great start with a, 43-26, lead after one quarter, but the Nuggets picked up their play in the second and cut it to an eight-point game by halftime. The hosts carried the momentum into the third and pulled ahead with a two-point lead heading into the final frame. The Kings had no answers in the fourth as the Nuggets charged their way to the home win.

Bruce Brown led the Nuggets with 21 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals, in 32 minutes. Zeke Nnaji followed up with 18 points, seven rebounds and a steal, while Reggie Jackson added 16 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal. The Nuggets shot 50 percent from the field, including 7-of-28 from long range.

Meanwhile, Harrison Barnes led the Kings with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, in 18 minutes. Keegan Murray followed up with 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal, while Domantas Sabonis added 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks. The Kings shot 43.5 percent from the field, including 11-of-43 from deep.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz, 128-117, at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

The Lakers got out to a strong start with a, 31-25, lead after one quarter, and they kept up the pace in the second to claim a nine-point lead by halftime. The Lakers stayed in front through the third, but the Jazz managed to trim it down to a four-point game heading into the final quarter. The Lakers regained the momentum in the fourth and outscored the visitors, 29-22, to close out the home win and secure their seventh seed in the West.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 36 points, six rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block, in 33 minutes. Anthony Davis totaled 16 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals, while D'Angelo Russell finished with 17 points, two rebounds, five assists and a block. The Laker shot 48.5 percent from the field, including 18-of-45 from long range.

Meanwhile, Kris Dunn led the Jazz with 26 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and a steal, in 40 minutes. Kelly Olynyk followed up with 23 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while Simone Fontecchio added 20 points, nine rebounds and two assists. The Jazz shot 50.5 percent from the field, including 10-of-35 from deep.

The. Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans, 113-108, at Target Center on Sunday.

The Pelicans jumped out to a great start with a, 30-18, lead after one quarter, but the hosts brought a better effort in the second and cut it to an eight-point game by halftime. Both sides kept up the pace in the third, while the Timberwolves outscored the visitors, 36-30, trimming it to a two-point deficit heading into the final frame. The hosts kept the momentum going in the fourth and came up clutch in the end to secure the eighth spot in the West.

Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 30 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a block, in 36 minutes. Anthony Edwards followed up with 26 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four steals and four blocks, while Taurean Prince added 18 points and three rebounds. The Timberwolves shot 47.6 percent from the field, including 13-of-36 from long range.

Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 42 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block, in 42 minutes. CJ McCollum followed up with 23 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Trey Murphy tallied 20 points, four rebounds and two steals. The Pelicans shot 44.4 percent from the field, including 3-of-21 from deep.

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Phoenix Suns, 119-114, at Footprint Center on Sunday.

While Los Angeles played all their starters and Phoenix rested theirs, this game stayed close throughout. There were eight ties and 10 lead changes in total, with neither team leading by more than 11 points. The Clippers rode a 37-28 fourth quarter to their comeback win, closing the game on a 19-14 run over the final seven minutes. LA shot 49 percent from the field while holding Phoenix to 42 percent shooting. The Clippers also out-rebounded the Suns, 64-58. while outscoring them in the paint, 68-50.

The Clippers (44-38) were led by Kawhi Leonard, collecting 25 points, 15 rebounds and six assists. Russell Westbrook tallied 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Ivica Zubac had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while Norman Powell led the bench with 29 points and five rebounds.

The Suns (45-37) were led by Saben Lee, accruing 25 points, three rebounds, nine assists and two steals. Jock Landale had 15 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Landry Shamet finished with 14 points, three rebounds and six assists, while Darius Bazley led the bench with 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists.

This win secured the five-seed for Los Angeles. Phoenix finished with the four-seed, so these teams will face one another in the opening round of the playoffs starting next weekend.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the host Portland Trail Blazers, 157-101, at Moda Center on Sunday.

Golden State kicked off this historic win with a 55-27 first quarter, winning all four individual quarters in this game. They won in wire-to-wire fashion and led by at least 25 points for the final three frames. They got their lead up to 59 points at times. Golden State shot 60 percent from the field, 55 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the free-throw line while holding Portland to 40 percent from the field, 26 percent from long range and 67 percent from the charity stripe. The Warriors also out-rebounded the Blazers, 61-44, while out-assisting them, 47-25.

The Warriors (44-38) were led by Stephen Curry, collecting 26 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Klay Thompson tallied 20 points and five rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo had 10 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Moses Moody led the bench with 25 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Jonathan Kuminga provided 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.

The Trail Blazers (33-49) were led by Skylar Mays, amassing 21 points, four rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. Shaedon Sharpe finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Jeenathan Williams generated 17 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Trendon Watford totaled 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.

That marks the end of the season for Portland. As for Golden State, they finished with the six-seed and will play the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, 115-100, at Payom Center on Sunday.

While there were 12 ties and 11 lead changes through the opening 30 minutes, Oklahoma City rode a 38-24 third quarter to their blowout win. That allowed them to hold a double-digit lead for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City shot 50 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range while holding Memphis to 44 percent from the field and 19 percent from long range. The Thunder also out-rebounded the Grizzlies, 57-48, while out-assisting them, 30-25.

The Grizzlies (51-31) were led by Kenneth Lofton, collecting 42 points and 14 rebounds. Ziaire Williams amassed 24 points, four rebounds and nine assists. Vince Williams totaled 15 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while David Roddy registered 14 points, four rebounds and five assists. They only had six players take the floor.

The Thunder (40-42) were led by Jared Butler, finishing with 25 points, three rebounds and four assists. Tre Mann tallied 24 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and two steals. Olivier Sarr generated 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Ousmane Dieng had 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. They only had seven players record minutes.

Memphis has secured the two-seed in the west and will wait to see who they play. Oklahoma City will be in the play-in tournament and face the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.