Friday 47 Sports Friday, April 13, 2018 Minnesota Timberwolves beat Denver Nuggets to claim last play-off spot Westbrook first player in NBA history to average triple-double LOS ANGELES: Jimmy Butler scored 31 points, added 19 points for the Trail Blazers. Jusuf Nur- and Andrew Wiggins added 18, including two kic chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds for huge free throws with 14.6 seconds to play in Portland, which snapped a four-game losing overtime, as the Timberwolves outlasted the vis- streak. Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio each iting Denver Nuggets 112-106 on Wednesday in scored 17 points for the Jazz. Rudy Gobert col- the teams’ finals regular-season game, giving lected 13 points and 13 rebounds for Utah, which Minnesota the last Western Conference playoff had won six games in a row. spot. Minnesota earned the eighth seed in the West and is in the postseason for the first time HEAT 116, RAPTORS 109 (OT) since 2004. The Wolves will play the top-seeded Wayne Ellington scored 32 points to lead in the first round of the play- Miami to an overtime victory over visiting offs. Denver, which had won six consecutive Toronto. Miami’s win, coupled with Milwaukee’s games to force this winner-take-all contest, was loss at Philadelphia, assured the Heat a sixth- eliminated from playoff contention. The Nuggets place finish in the Eastern Conference and a have not played in the postseason since the first-round series against the third-seeded 2012-13 season. Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto (59-23) had long Karl-Anthony Towns added 26 points and 14 since clinched the East’s No. 1 seed. The Raptors rebounds for the Timberwolves, while Wiggins will begin the playoffs against the eighth-seeded hit for 18 points and Jeff Teague scored 17. Den- Washington Wizards. led Toronto ver’s Nikola Jokic led all scorers with 35 points. with 28 points, and he added 10 rebounds and nine assists. THUNDER 137, GRIZZLIES 123 Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook be- KNICKS 110, CAVALIERS 98 came the first player in NBA history to average LeBron James scored 10 points in 11 minutes a triple-double in multiple seasons, and Paul to cap the first season of his career in which he George scored 40 points as the Thunder ripped played in all 82 games, but playoff-bound Cleve- visiting Memphis. Westbrook collected 20 re- land fell to visiting New York. James extended MINNEAPOLIS: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes to the basket against the bounds to raise his season average to 10.05 per his NBA record by scoring in double figures for Denver Nuggets on Wednesday at Target in Minneapolis, Minnesota. —AFP game. He also had six points and 19 assists the 873rd straight regular-season game, a streak against the Grizzlies to finish the season with av- that stretches back to Jan. 6, 2007. He intended erages of 25.4 and 10.3, respectively, in those on playing until he reached double figures, and four other players. Gerald Green led the depleted fourth season-series sweep over that six-year categories. The Thunder’s seeding placement for James reached 10 points with about two minutes Houston roster with a season-high 31 points. run. Lakers guard Gary Payton II, who had never the Western Conference playoffs will be offi- left in the first quarter before checking out for previously scored more than eight points, added cially known later Wednesday night, but the vic- the rest of the game with 87 seconds left in the CELTICS 110, NETS 97 25 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Tobias tory assures that the Thunder will at least be the Aron Baynes powered a short-handed Harris had a team-high 23 points for the Clip- No. 6 seed and will play Utah in the first round. period. The Cavaliers (50-32) will begin their at- Boston squad with a career-high 26 points and pers, who finished the season losing six of their If the Jazz lose to Portland, Oklahoma City would tempt at a fourth straight Eastern Conference 14 rebounds to help the Celtics beat visiting last seven. get home-court advantage. title as the fourth seed, facing the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers. Brooklyn. Jonathan Gibson added a career- high 18 points for the Celtics. Guerschon PISTONS 119, BULLS 87 PELICANS 122, SPURS 98 Rookie swingman Luke Kennard scored a ca- Jrue Holiday scored 23 points as New Or- 76ERS 130, BUCKS 95 Yabusele had a career-best 16 and Shane Dario Saric scored 24 points, Justin Anderson Larkin totaled 12 points, 10 rebounds and reer-high 23 points, and Detroit blew out leans finished the regular season with its fifth Chicago in a game featuring teams that missed consecutive victory, downing San Antonio in a added 25 points off the bench, and Philadelphia seven assists for the Celtics, who played only roared into the postseason with a rout of visiting nine players and rested regulars Al Horford, the playoffs. Eric Moreland also had a big night, battle of playoff-bound teams. posting career highs with 16 points and 17 re- had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Pelicans. Milwaukee to secure the third seed in the East- Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Terry Rozier and ern Conference. The Sixers closed the regular Marcus Morris. Boston finished second in the bounds along with four assists, four steals and The Pelicans (48-34) will play Portland in the four blocks. Anthony Tolliver had 18 points, and first round of the playoffs and the Trail Blazers season on a 16-game winning streak, the longest Eastern Conference. Nik Stauskus had 18 ever for a team entering the postseason, winning points and Allen Crabbe added 16 and seven Henry Ellenson contributed 14 points with 10 re- will have home-court advantage, though seed- bounds for Detroit. Lauri Markkanen had 20 ings weren’t finalized pending the outcome of half of those games with All-Star center Joel rebounds to lead Brooklyn. The Nets lost six Embiid sidelined by a facial fracture. As the No. of their last 11 and finished outside the playoffs points and eight rebounds and Sean Kilpatrick Portland’s home game against Utah late scored 14 points for Chicago. —Reuters Wednesday. The Blazers will be either the third 3 seed, Philadelphia will take on the sixth- for the third straight year. or fourth seed and New Orleans will be either seeded Heat. Meanwhile, the Bucks slipped into fifth or sixth. The Spurs (47-35) are the seventh the No. 7 seed and will face the second-seeded MAGIC 101, WIZARDS 92 seed, and they will play second-seeded Golden in the first round of the Eastern Rodney Purvis scored 16 points while Mario State in the first round. Nikola Mirotic had 21 Conference playoffs. Milwaukee got 25 points Hezonja scored 15 for Orlando in a win over vis- MATCHES ON TV points and 15 rebounds, Rajon Rondo had 19 from . iting Washington. The Wizards (43-39) came LOCAL TIMING points and 14 assists for the Pelicans. LaMarcus into the game as the final seed in the Eastern Aldridge, Tony Parker and Dejounte Murray KINGS 96, ROCKETS 83 Conference playoffs, and the loss prevented SPANISH LEAGUE scored 11 points each for the Spurs. Willie Cauley-Stein scored 22 points and col- Washington from moving up. and Otto Girona v Real Betis 22:00 lected 11 rebounds as host Sacramento recorded Porter Jr. sat out for the Wizards. beIN SPORTS HD 3 TRAIL BLAZERS 102, JAZZ 93 a victory over NBA-best Houston. Buddy Hield led Washington with 18 points. Damian Lillard scored 36 points and dished added 14 points and Bogdan Bogdanovic and GERMAN BUNDESLIGA out 10 assists as Portland tripped up visiting Vince Carter scored 12 apiece as Sacramento LAKERS 115, CLIPPERS 100 VfL Wolfsburg v FC Augsburg 21:30 Utah. The victory allowed Portland (49-33) to (27-55) completed its 12th consecutive losing The Los Angeles Lakers extracted a small beIN SPORTS HD 5 edge Utah (48-34) for the third seed in the season. Meanwhile, the setback was just the measure of revenge for six years of frustration Western Conference playoffs. The Blazers will fourth in the past 35 games for Houston (65-17). when rookie Josh Hart poured in a season-best FRENCH LEAGUE open the postseason against the sixth-seeded One night after the Rockets lost forward Luc 30 points in a thumping of the rival Los Angeles SCO Angers v OGC Nice 21:45 New Orleans Pelicans, while the Jazz fell to the Mbah a Moute to a dislocated shoulder, coach Clippers. The win was just the Lakers’ third in 24 beIN SPORTS HD 6 fifth seed, and they will oppose the fourth- Mike D’Antoni held out his star backcourt of meetings with the Clippers since 2012 and al- seeded . CJ McCollum James Harden (ankle) and Chris Paul (rest) plus lowed them to avoid what would have been a