EYEING THE BASKET: Los Angeles Lakers Dwight Howard (L) and Pau Gasol of Spain (C) fight for a rebound with Houston Rockets Greg Smith during their NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. (Reuters)
|
|
With a big assist from the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers are headed to the playoffs and the Utah Jazz are going on vacation.
Zach Randolph had 25 points and 19 rebounds, and the Grizzlies eliminated the visiting Jazz from post-season play, 86-70 on the final day of the regular-season. Utah needed a victory Wednesday and a home loss by the Lakers against already playoff-bound Houston to take the eighth and final playoff seed in the West. Instead, the Jazz were held to its lowest point total of the season.
“It’s disappointing anytime you don’t make the playoffs,” Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. “That was the goal we set at the beginning of the year. We had an opportunity, but didn’t get it done.”
Even though the Lakers heard the jubilant news, eight wasn’t enough for the purple and gold.
Steve Blake scored a season-high 24 points, including two game-sealing free throws with 10.5 seconds left in overtime, while Spaniard Pau Gasol had his seventh career triple-double, with 17 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Lakers nailed down the seventh playoff seed in the West, 99-95 over the Rockets.
“Everybody counted us out but we stayed strong, we stayed together and we played for each other tonight,” said Lakers centre Dwight Howard, who finished with 16 points and 18 boards. “And we’re not done yet.” The Lakers minus injured Kobe Bryant will open on the road Sunday against second-seeded San Antonio. The Spurs won two of the three regular-season meetings.
James Harden had 30 points for eighth-seeded Houston, which will face top-seeded Oklahoma City Sunday in their series opener.
Elsewhere: Minnesota Timberwolves 108, San Antonio Spurs 95:
Derrick Williams dropped in 21 points and the Timberwolves ended a 16-game drought at San Antonio after beating the Spurs for the first time since Jan. 14, 2004.
• LA Clippers 112, Sacramento Kings 108: Chris Paul had 25 points and 11 assists, Jamal Crawford scored 24, including back-to-back threes in the final two minutes, and the visiting Clippers wrapped up the fourth playoff seed in the West after escaping the Kings despite a season-high 36 points and 22 boards by DeMarcus Cousins. The Pacific Division Champs will have home-court advantage in their series against fifth-seeded Memphis.
New York Knicks 98, Atlanta Hawks 92: Chris Copeland poured in 33 points, and Carmelo Anthony won his first league scoring title (28.7) without playing, and the Knicks clipped the visiting Hawks.
The second-seeded Knicks in the East will take on seventh-seeded Boston in their first-round clash on Saturday.
• Philadelphia 76ers 105, Indiana Pacers 95: In what was likely
Doug Collins’ final game as Philadelphia head coach, Dorell Wright scored 23 points and visiting Sixers beat the Pacers despite a career-high 34 from Gerald Green.