The Los Angeles Clippers labored additional time to clinch a playoff spot – and ship the Golden State Warriors to the NBA’s play-in event.
The ultimate sport to finish the common season was an enormous one for seeding within the Western Convention, with the Clippers beating the Warriors 124-119 in additional time Sunday to clinch the No 5 seed. The Warriors fell to No 7 and can host No 8 Memphis on Tuesday, with the winner incomes the No 7 seed.
Had Golden State gained, the Clippers would have fallen to seventh. However James Harden prevented that with 39 factors, 10 assists and 7 rebounds to cap an All-Star season for the previous NBA MVP and provides the Clippers an eighth straight win and a 50-32 report.
“We’re a great crew and we’re excited to point out the world, however we’re a great crew,” Harden mentioned in a postgame interview with ESPN on the courtroom.
The West bracket wasn’t set till a closing day that had quite a few groups within the working for a number of positions after the highest three of Oklahoma Metropolis, Houston and the Los Angeles Lakers was already decided.
The Denver Nuggets regrouped after their chaotic closing week that included the firing of coach Michael Malone and common supervisor Calvin Sales space to safe the No 4 seed and home-court benefit within the first spherical towards the Clippers by beating the Rockets 126-111. The Lakers, Nuggets and Clippers all completed 50-32, with Los Angeles having the tiebreaker to complete No 3 and begin a sequence in Los Angeles for the primary time since 2012.
The Timberwolves — who might have slipped all the best way to eighth in some eventualities – as a substitute landed within the No 6 spot at 49-33 following their 116-105 victory over Utah. Anthony Edwards scored 43 factors after stressing to his teammates the urgency to keep away from having to play not less than yet one more sport.
“Like, we don’t need to play within the play-in, as a result of I’ve been in each conditions,” the All-Star guard mentioned. “We need to be absolutely ready going into the playoffs. We would like that entire week.”
So did the Warriors, who’ve by no means gained a sport within the play-in event. They might have completed sixth to arrange one other marquee matchup between Stephen Curry and LeBron James within the postseason. They now have simply two days to shake off the frustration.
“We’re proper the place we need to be,” ahead Jimmy Butler mentioned. “We’ve nonetheless acquired a possibility and we management our personal destiny. We’re going to be simply nice.”
Sacramento are No 9 and Dallas No 10 within the West. They may play on Wednesday in Sacramento, with the winner having to beat the loser of the Golden State-Memphis sport to face the top-seeded Thunder within the first spherical.
There was no final-day drama within the East, the place every part had already been determined.
Cleveland are No. 1 and Boston No.2, and they’re going to await the 2 groups to advance from the play-in. The No 3 New York Knicks will face the No 6 Detroit Pistons, and No 4 Indiana will meet No 5 Milwaukee.
Orlando are No 7 and can host eighth-seeded Atlanta on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the Celtics. The loser will get one other shot towards the winner of the sport between No 9 Chicago and No 10 Miami.
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