Nets secure 7th seeding to meet Cavaliers

NEW YORK • The Brooklyn Nets won their regular-season finale on Sunday and secured the best seed in the National Basketball Association Eastern Conference play-in tournament this week.

The Nets finished the regular season 44-38 after fending off the Indiana Pacers, 134-126.

As the No. 7 seed in the East, they will host the eighth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers today to kick-start the play-in tournament.

The Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets both won their regular-season finales to cement themselves as the ninth and 10th seeds respectively in the East. The Hawks (43-39) will host the Hornets (43-39) tomorrow.

The winner of the Brooklyn-Cleveland tie will face the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round of the play-offs, which will begin this weekend.

The loser will host the winner of Atlanta-Charlotte on Friday to determine who draws the top-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round.

The Western Conference play-in tournament schedule was finalised before Sunday's action.

The No. 7 seeds, Minnesota Timberwolves, will host the eighth-ranked Los Angeles Clippers today. The winner will take on the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.

The No. 9 seeds, New Orleans Pelicans, will host the 10th-ranked San Antonio Spurs tomorrow. The winner will face either the Timberwolves or Clippers in the final play-in game for a chance to face the Phoenix Suns, who finished the season with the league's best record (64-18).

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers, who last week were eliminated from the play-off contention, are set to fire coach Frank Vogel.

ESPN yesterday reported the Lakers will call an end to his three-year tenure this week and begin an extensive search for their sixth coach since 2011.

REUTERS