Atlanta Hawks clinch NBA play-off berth with win over Cleveland Cavaliers
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Atlanta Hawks guard Gabe Vincent attempting to drive between the Cleveland Cavaliers' Craig Porter Jr and Dennis Schroder during the Hawks' 124-102 NBA win on April 10.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – The Atlanta Hawks secured a National Basketball Association (NBA) play-off berth with a 124-102 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 10, as the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference second seed with a lopsided win of their own.
C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 29 points for the Hawks, who came into the contest at sixth in the East and still in danger of falling into the play-in tournament that will see teams from seventh to 10th battle for the last two play-off berths in each conference.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson scored 18 points apiece and Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for the Hawks, who led 61-48 at half-time and surged away with a 16-0 scoring run late in the third quarter.
“Those guys... what they sacrificed for one another, we believed that we could do this,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder, who also gave special praise to the 34-year-old McCollum.
“They gave what they needed to collectively (grab) this opportunity.
“This year for our team, it is about building an identity and building a foundation... and C.J. has not only been a big part of that, but he has (our) identity as a player.”
The Cavaliers, assured of the fourth seed in the East and home-court advantage in the first round, rested Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.
The Celtics, who had missed a chance to secure the second seed with a loss to the New York Knicks on April 9, got the job done with a record-equalling 29 three-pointers in a 144-118 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
It is the second time in two seasons the Celtics have matched the record of 29 treys, first set by the Milwaukee Bucks in December 2020 and also matched this season by the Memphis Grizzlies.
“We have 15, 16 guys who can impact winning and we just continue to develop our team,” said Boston coach Joe Mazzulla.
All 30 teams played on the penultimate day of regular-season action, with more than a dozen of those headed for the post-season still jostling to cement their play-off or play-in positions.
The Knicks secured the third seed in the East with a 112-95 home victory over the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto slipped from fifth to sixth in the East with one game remaining and the same 45-36 record as the seventh-placed Orlando Magic – who beat the Bulls 127-103 in Chicago.
The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers shook off the absence of star big man Joel Embiid, who is recovering from an appendectomy, to beat the Pacers 105-94 in Indiana.
Eighth in the East, the Sixers still have a mathematical chance of overtaking both the Raptors and Magic.
The play-offs-bound San Antonio Spurs, fuelled by 40 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots from superstar Victor Wembanyama, beat the visiting Dallas Mavericks 139-120.
Meanwhile, LeBron James scored 28 points and dished 12 assists to become the fourth player in NBA history to top 12,000 in a career, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a convincing 101-73 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns.
At the game’s end, James’ total assists sat at 12,010.
Former Utah Jazz star John Stockton is the all-time leader with 15,806 career assists. Recently retired Chris Paul (12,552) is second and Jason Kidd (12,091) stands third. AFP, REUTERS
