Lakers clinch playoff berth
LOS ANGELES (AP) – No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant – under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
The Lakers are back in the postseason for the first time since losing the 2004 NBA Finals to Detroit.
The Suns rested Nash and Raja Bell because of thigh-related injuries, leaving Shawn Marion to carry the load in Phoenix’s first loss to the Lakers this season. He had 29 points and Leandro Barbosa added 16 before fouling out early in the fourth. Boris Diaw had 11 points and 12 assists.
The game was over shortly after it started because the Suns shot a woeful 37 percent from the floor and couldn’t stop Bryant, who notched at least 40 points for the 27th time this season. He sat down for good with nearly six minutes left.
He scored the game’s first three baskets – on a driving layup, a steal and fast-break dunk and a 3-pointer. He also had a block of Marion and scored 25 points by halftime.
The Lakers led by 13 after one quarter and by 21 at the break after scoring the first nine points of the second period.
Bryant finished 11-of-28 from the floor and made 20 of 23 free throws as fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” during the nationally televised game.
Nash could only watch in street clothes from the bench, getting booed when his face appeared on the overhead scoreboard.
The Suns’ roster is crowded with injuries days before the playoffs begin. Nash, who missed his second straight game, has a right thigh contusion; Bell has a left thigh strain; Amare Stoudemire underwent season-ending knee surgery 11/2 weeks ago; Kurt Thomas is out for the rest of the regular season because of a stress fracture in his right foot; and Dijon Thompson had right knee surgery last month.
Bulls 117, Heat 93
MIAMI – Luol Deng got a nice present for his 21st birthday. He’s headed to the playoffs.
Deng scored 17 of his 26 points to spearhead Chicago’s first-half rally from an early 15-point deficit, and the Bulls also got 18 points apiece from Andres Nocioni and Ben Gordon to beat the Miami Heat and clinch an Eastern Conference postseason berth.
Spurs 103, T’wolves 90
MINNEAPOLIS – San Antonio moved closer to clinching first place in the Western Conference behind 57 points from its bench.
Tim Duncan had 10 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes for the Spurs (61-19), who left the arena needing one more win or one more Dallas loss to seal the Southwest Division title and secure home-court advantage until the NBA Finals with the West’s top seed.
Tony Parker had 11 points in 17 minutes for San Antonio, which met little resistance from the depleted Timberwolves. Minnesota’s two best players, Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis, have been shut down for the season.
Marcus Banks had 25 points on 10-for-11 shooting from the foul line. Rashad McCants scored 20 points, and rookie Bracey Wright added 13 points.
Wizards 104, Cavs 92
WASHINGTON – Gilbert Arenas scored 35 points, leading Washington past LeBron James and Cleveland to end a five-game losing streak and clinch consecutive postseason berths for the first time since 1988.
Antawn Jamison added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Washington, and Caron Butler added 21 points after being out for five games with a right thumb injury. Butler sparked Washington with constant energy at both ends, and his 3-pointer at the buzzer ending the third quarter put the hosts ahead 88-62.
Pistons 103, Knicks 97
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Richard Hamilton scored 28 points and Tayshaun Prince added 20 as Detroit set a franchise record for wins.
The Pistons (64-16) broke the mark of 63 wins set by the 1988-89 Bad Boys NBA champs, a team led by current Knicks president Isiah Thomas. The Knicks (22-58) need to win their final two games to avoid matching a franchise record for losses.
The Knicks were without coach Larry Brown because of a stomach ailment and dressed only 10 players, with Steve Francis (back), Stephon Marbury (knee), Quentin Richardson (thumb) and Channing Frye (knee) among the missing.