Coby White scored 24 points and the short-handed Chicago Bulls got past the depleted Mavericks 115-112 on Friday night, eliminating Dallas from play-in contention a year after the club reached the Western Conference Finals.
With this elimination, all three Texas-based NBA teams (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) will miss the playoffs for the first time in history.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the game an “organizational decision” was made to restrict Luka Doncic to the first quarter while sitting out fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving and four other regulars before the club’s elimination from the postseason ‘. Now Irving, who demanded a trade from Brooklyn to a playoff contender, will miss the playoffs completely.
Despite the move, the Mavericks led by double digits as Markieff Morris scored 13 points in the second quarter and rookie Jaden Hardy hit a half-court shot to beat the halftime buzzer for a 67–54 lead.
Neither Morris nor Hardy played in the second half, and a lineup filled mostly with players who spent the season on the Dallas end bench lost the lead but kept the game close.
McKinley Wright IV’s layup brought Dallas within one point with 39 seconds left before Dalen Terry scored on an alley-oop dunk by White with 23 left.
Theo Pinson missed a potential tying three-pointer for Dallas, which had three more attempts at an tying three in the final seconds.
Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, left, and Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic (9) talk on the field
The loss also clinched the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference for Oklahoma City.
Irving was out recovering from a right foot injury. The others sitting with him were Tim Hardaway Jr. with left ankle pain, Maxi Kleber for recovery from a right hamstring injury and Josh Green and Christian Wood for rest.
The Bulls sat their top two scorers in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but they are already locked in the 10th seed in the East. Patrick Williams scored 23 points and Nikola Vucevic had 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Doncic, who scored 13 points, played a few seconds into the second quarter on a night the Mavericks paid tribute to his home country of Slovenia.
Kyrie Irving, who joined the Mavs to make the playoffs, will not play in the postseason
Keeping Doncic inside was an apparent attempt to get him an ovation after Kidd suggested before the game that it would be the 24-year-old superstar’s last action of the season. The move did not work as fans seemed unaware and therefore did not cheer.
Kidd said the decision was made by owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison to give most of the regulars a rest. Dallas tied with Chicago in the game for the 10th worst record in the NBA.
If the Mavericks have a top-10 pick in the June draft, they get to keep it. If the pick is 11th or lower, it will go to the New York Knicks as final payment for Dallas’ transaction to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. Next month’s draft lottery will determine the final order.
Wright joined Doncic and Morris with 13 points to lead the Mavs.
The loss means the Oklahoma City Thunder has locked up the 10th seed in the West
GRIZZLIES 137, BUCKS 114
Jars Jackson had 36 points, Luke Kennard added 19, and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 137-114 on Friday night to finish No. 2 in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season.
Memphis entered the game with a two-game lead over Sacramento for second in the West, but the Kings held the tiebreaker. Denver took the No. 1 seed in the West on Wednesday night. The win now means the Kings are locked into the third seed in the West.
After trailing by one point at the half, Memphis took command with a 24–7 run to field the third. The Grizzlies led by 24 in the quarter and held the Bucks off for the rest of the game.
Lindell Wigginton had 25 points and Jae Crowder a season-high 24 to lead Milwaukee. Wigginton totaled eight points in limited action this season prior to Friday’s output. He also had 11 assists.
The Bucks, who clinched the NBA’s best record and No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday with a win over Chicago, sat with six players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
Antetokounmpo, who also retired on Wednesday, was listed on the injury report with a sore right knee. Holiday and Lopez rested, while Middleton was held down with a right knee problem.
Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane rides past Milwaukee Bucks’ MarJon Beauchamp
KELTICS 121, RAPTORS 102
Sam Hauser scored a career-high 26 points as the Boston Celtics passed the Toronto Raptors 121-102 on Friday night.
Jayson Tatum finished with 21 points and sat out the entire second half as the Celtics posted a 4–0 sweep in the season series. It’s Boston’s first sweep over Toronto since 2009-10.
The Celtics, who secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs in Wednesday’s victory over Toronto, played without All-Star Jaylen Brown after he accidentally cut a finger on his shooting hand Thursday. He will also miss the regular season finale against Atlanta on Sunday, but expects to be ready in time for the start of the postseason.
Boston will take on the winner of Miami and Atlanta in the first round.
Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics shoots against Jakob Poeltl (19) of the Toronto Raptors
76ers 136, HAWKS 131 (OT)
The Philadelphia 76ers managed to gain momentum for the playoffs even while resting all of their starters. It’s easy to see why Coach Doc Rivers was giddy afterwards.
Georges Niang scored 24 points, including a game-winning three-pointer with 12 seconds left in overtime, as the 76ers used a lineup of backups to beat the Atlanta Hawks 136-131 on Friday night.
Niang scored eight points in overtime. Jalen McDaniels scored 24 points with 11 rebounds for the 76ers, who were already tied for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Philadelphia will play Brooklyn in the first round.
Rivers put together a lineup of backups, including Jaden Springer, who had a career-high 19 points just hours after his arrival from the G League.
76ers center Montrezl Harrell, left, shoots Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu
PELICANS 113, KNICKS 103
Trey Murphy scored 31 points, CJ McCollum added 23, and the New Orleans Pelicans improved their chances of avoiding the play-in round with a 113-105 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.
The Pelicans (42-39) will need to beat Minnesota on the road in their regular season finale Sunday and get some help from a combination of Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Clippers to climb higher than the seventh seed.
The Knicks, locked in the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, were without leading scorer Julius Randle (ankle injury), second leading scorer Jalen Brunson (right hand), and center Mitchell Robinson (halftime).
Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (5) fights Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr.
WIZARDS 114, HEATING 108
Daniel Gafford had 22 points and eight rebounds, as the Washington Wizards defeated the Miami Heat 114-108 on Friday night in a meeting of teams with few hands.
Corey Kispert scored 19 points for Washington and Jordan Goodwin added 16 points. The Wizards have missed three-time All-Star Bradley Beal in the past nine games with a sore left knee.
Washington (35-46) ended a four-game losing streak.
Victor Oladipo scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, hitting seven 3-pointers for Miami, resting six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and two other starters from Thursday’s 129-101 victory in Philadelphia.
Heat guard Victor Oladipo (4) reaches for the ball against Wizards guard Kendrick Nunn (20)
PISTONS 122, PACERS 115
Jaden Ivey loved taking the stage Friday night in front of his family and friends. Then he stole the show.
The rookie finished with 29 points and nine assists, and Killian Hayes scored a career-high 28 points as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Indiana Pacers 122–115. It was only Detroit’s second win since the All-Star Break — both against the Pacers to break 11-game losing streaks.
“I felt all the nerves, the happiness, the energy,” Ivey said. ‘It’s always nice to come back to your home country. I have a lot of memories here so it’s great and I’m glad we won.’
Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, left, shoots to Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith
ROCKETS 112, HORNETS 109
Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green each had 26 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Charlotte Hornets 112-109 on Friday night.
Kenyon Martin Jr. added 14 points, Alperen Sengun had 14 points and 21 rebounds and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 13 points. The Rockets won straight games for the fifth time this season, improving to 21-50.
The Hornets (26-55) played their home finals without injured starters LaMelo Ball (right ankle surgery), Gordon Hayward (left thumb sprain), Terry Rozier (right foot injury), PJ Washington (right foot sprain) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (left shoulder sprain) and top reserve Dennis Smith (right toe sprain).
Svi Mykhailiuk led Charlotte with 25 points, Theo Maledon had 22 and Bryce McGowens 16.
Rockets center Boban Marjanovic, left, keeps the ball away from Hornets center Nick Richards