NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-98 but they did not avoid the play-in tournament.
LeBron James – who appeared to tweak his ankle – posted 25 points for the streaking Lakers, who claimed their fifth consecutive victory, however they did not end the regular season high enough in the Western Conference to bypass the NBA's new play-in format involving the seventh through 10th seeds in pursuit of the playoffs.
The Lakers needed help from the Denver Nuggets but the latter lost 132-116 to the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving the Los Angeles franchise seventh in the west and set to face Stephen Curry's eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors for a playoff berth.
Andre Drummond had a double-double for the Lakers, while Anthony Davis finished with 14 points for the Lakers, who will have to win one of up to two play-in games to clinch a regular playoff position.
Portland locked up the sixth seed and their eighth straight playoff berth, meaning they will go head-to-head with the third-seeded Nuggets in the opening round.
The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, clinched the NBA's best record (50-20) for the first time in their history.
Jordan Clarkson finished with 33 points and All-Star Rudy Gobert contributed 13 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who eased past the Sacramento Kings 121-99.
The Jazz edged the Phoenix Suns (51-21), who pipped the San Antonio Spurs 123-121, for top spot in the NBA – the first time they have finished with sole possession of the league's best record.
Curry crowned scoring champ
Curry earned his second scoring title after posting 46 points in the Warriors' 113-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Curry pipped Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal to the award, having finished the regular season with a 32.0 points per game average. Two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion Curry became the first player 33 years or older to lead the league in scoring since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (35 years at end of season and averaged 28.7ppg). The 33-year-old also joined Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with multiple scoring titles, MVPs and championships.
James Harden was absent due to injury management, but the Brooklyn Nets still secured the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 123-109 win at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kevin Durant put up 23 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Irving added 17 points as he joined an elite list of shooters. Irving finished the regular season with a 50.6 field-goal percentage, 40.2 three-point percentage and 92.2 free-throw percentage – becoming the ninth member of the 50/40/90 club. He also joined Larry Bird, Curry and Durant as the only players to average at least 25 points per game during a 50/40/90 season.
The New York Knicks secured fourth position in the east via a 96-92 win over the Boston Celtics. The Knicks – back in the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13 – will have home-court advantage for their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, who routed the Houston Rockets 124-95.
The Wizards' season appeared dead and buried following an horrendous start, having acquired Russell Westbrook to team up with Beal. But the Wizards will face the Celtics as the eighth seed in the play-in tournament thanks to their 115-110 victory against the Charlotte Hornets. Westbrook recorded 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, while Beal had 20 of his 25 points after half-time.
Tyrese Maxey flexed his muscles as Eastern Conference top seed the Philadelphia 76ers rested their stars in a 128-117 victory over the Orlando Magic. In the absence of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Danny Green, rookie Maxey had 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He became the only rookie this season with multiple 30/5/5 games – LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edward only had one such game.
Precious Achiuwa's career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds helped the shorthanded Miami Heat rout the Detroit Pistons 120-107. Tyler Herro (16 points and 11 assists) and Gabe Vincent also had double-doubles as the sixth-seeded Heat prepare to face third seed the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in the east.
Houston's woeful season comes to an end
After a blockbuster trade sent wantaway superstar Harden to the Nets in January, the rebuilding Rockets crumbled. A crushing loss to the Hawks left the Rockets with a 17-55 win-loss record – their worst campaign since going 14-68 in 1982-83.
Sit back and enjoy!
The Nets produced a stunning piece of offense against the Cavaliers in the second quarter. After dispossessing Cleveland, Blake Griffin played a behind-the-back pass to Irving, who passed the ball ahead to Mike James. James tossed the ball off the backboard for Durant to slam down.
Sunday's results
New York Knicks 96-92 Boston Celtics
Indiana Pacers 125-113 Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards 115-110 Charlotte Hornets
Phoenix Suns 123-121 San Antonio Spurs
Golden State Warriors 113-101 Memphis Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks 124-95 Houston Rockets
Brooklyn Nets 123-109 Cleveland Cavaliers
Philadelphia 76ers 128-117 Orlando Magic
Miami Heat 120-107 Detroit Pistons
Chicago Bulls 118-112 Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves 136-121 Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Lakers 110-98 New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder 117-112 Los Angeles Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers 132-116 Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz 121-99 Sacramento Kings
Play-in tournament
After a day off, the Eastern Conference play-in tournament gets underway on Tuesday. The Wizards will meet the Celtics in a seventh vs eighth battle, while the ninth-seeded Hornets face the 10th-seeded Pacers for a spot in the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Stephen Curry has "never been better" after he capped a stellar regular-season NBA campaign with the scoring title.
Warriors superstar Curry added a second scoring crown to his collection thanks to his 46-point outburst in Sunday's 113-101 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Curry pipped Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, who scored 25 points in the team's 115-110 win over the Charlotte Hornets, to the award.
Entering the regular-season finale, two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion Curry was 0.4 points per game ahead of Beal.
Curry finished the regular season with a scoring average of 32.0 points as he added to his 2016 crown, while Beal ended the campaign with 31.3 points per game.
"He's never been better, I can say that," Kerr said when asked if this was the best season of Curry's career as the Warriors secured eighth position in the Western Conference and a play-in tournament berth.
"He's been great for a long time, though, so it's hard to say he's at his best now because he's been like this for years. I think what's different this year is just the supporting cast is different.
"We've got a much younger team; he's been asked to do a lot more with this group and he's gone above and beyond what we've asked of him.
"Just an incredible season and I'll just leave it at that: He's never been better than he is right now."
Curry became the first player 33 years or older to lead the league in scoring since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (35 years at end of season and averaged 28.7ppg).
Curry also joined Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with multiple scoring titles, MVPs and championships.
Earlier this season, Curry claimed top spots on the Warriors' all-time scoring and assists lists, while surpassing Reggie Miller for second position on the NBA's three-pointers made standings.
Curry, who had his 11th 40-point game of the season, added: "I've been blessed to be back healthy and be able to just play night in, night out at a high level. And the work that goes into it, it pays off, and it's something that I really, really rely on, especially at this point in my career.
"As the years go on, that is the difference-maker for me. Nobody really sees it on a day-to-day [basis], but I'm really proud of what I put into it, and the team -- they know who they are -- that help me and push me and motivate me. I'm going to keep doing that until I can't anymore."
Stephen Curry added a second NBA scoring title to his growing list of achievements after the Golden State Warriors superstar edged out Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
Curry used a 46-point outburst in the Warriors' 113-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday to pip Beal, who had 25 points as the Wizards beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-110.
Entering the regular-season finale, two-time MVP and three-time NBA champion Curry was 0.4 points per game ahead of Beal.
Curry finished the regular season with a scoring average of 32.0 points as he added to his 2016 crown, while Beal ended the campaign with 31.3 points per game.
In the process, Curry became the first player 33 years or older to lead the league in scoring since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in 1997-98 (35 years at end of season and averaged 28.7 PPG).
Curry also joins Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with multiple scoring titles, MVPs and championships.
Earlier this season, Curry claimed top spots on the Warriors' all-time scoring and assists lists, while surpassing Reggie Miller for second position on the NBA's three-pointers made standings.
Curry has helped the Warriors clinch eighth position in the Western Conference this season and a play-in tournament berth.
Jude Bellingham said it was "fantastic" for Borussia Dortmund to seal their place in next season's Champions League as team-mate Jadon Sancho achieved a feat last accomplished by David Beckham.
At the age of 17, Bellingham has found himself thrust into Bundesliga action at the heart of Dortmund's midfield, and the former Birmingham City youngster could be heading for Euro 2020 duty with England at season's end.
A challenging campaign for a talented Dortmund squad is ending on a high, with their 4-1 DFB-Pokal final win over RB Leipzig on Thursday followed by Sunday's 3-1 Bundesliga victory at Mainz.
That result means Dortmund, who sit third with one round of games remaining, are certain to finish in the top four. Bellingham piled praise on interim head coach Edin Terzic, who replaced the sacked Lucien Favre in December, for getting the team to tick over the closing weeks of the campaign, having looked doubtful at one stage to earn a Champions League spot.
"I'm very happy," said Bellingham. "I knew what the club's expectations were. We fell a bit short throughout the season, especially in the league.
"We were in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and won the cup. Today we've qualified for the Champions League again after being in a difficult position. That's fantastic, I'm very happy."
Bellingham added, quoted on Dortmund's official website: "Edin has a brilliant personality. He got the best out of us players, wanted to make everyone better. He's done a great job with his team. We are very happy to have him."
Goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Marco Reus in the first half at Mainz were both teed up by Sancho, helping Dortmund on their way to a seventh successive win.
In the process, winger Sancho became the first Englishman from any of Europe's top five championships to reach 10 assists in three consecutive league campaigns since Beckham, who strung together four such seasons from 1997-98 to 2000-01 with Manchester United.
Sancho missed a chunk of this season due to a muscle injury and has made just 25 Bundesliga appearances in 2020-21, but the 21-year-old has still managed 11 assists and eight goals.
Last season he managed 16 assists and 17 goals, while in 2018-19 the teenage Sancho totted up 14 assists and 12 goals.
Sancho – a rumoured Manchester United and Liverpool target – has enjoyed a remarkable week, becoming the first Englishman to score in the DFB-Pokal final as he netted twice in the thumping win over Leipzig.
He tweeted on Sunday that it was "objective complete" for Dortmund as they followed up the silverware with a place at Europe's top table next term, a result that may make it easier for the club to keep the likes of Sancho and Erling Haaland, two of Europe's most coveted young players.
Brooklyn Nets superstar James Harden will miss Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to injury management.
Harden has played twice since returning from an 18-game injury lay-off caused by a hamstring strain – the star-studded Nets winning both games against the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.
But the Nets, who are looking to lock up the second seed in the Eastern Conference in pursuit of a maiden NBA championship, are taking no risks ahead of the playoffs.
Harden – returning from the longest injury absence of his stellar career – posted 18 points, 11 assists, two steals and two blocks in his comeback game against the Spurs on Wednesday.
The former MVP had five points, seven assists and five rebounds in Saturday's 105-91 victory over the Bulls.
Harden is averaging 24.6 points, 10.8 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game this season, having joined the Nets in a blockbuster trade from the Houston Rockets in January.
Steve Nash's Nets (47-24) are second in the east, behind the Philadelphia 76ers (48-23) – who also secured the number one seed.
Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh are among the notable names to be included on the 2021 list of inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Pierce sits 16th on the all-time list for points in the NBA, finishing with 26,397 at the end of a career that included winning a title with the Boston Celtics.
Selected 10th overall in the 1998 draft by Boston, the former Kansas Jayhawk was a 10-time All-Star who also played for the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers.
Bosh was a two-time champion during his time as part of a Miami Heat roster that also included fellow 'big three' members LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
An 11-time All-Star, Bosh – who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors – helped the United States win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. His career was cut short due to a blood-clotting condition in 2017.
Former players Chris Webber and Ben Wallace are also to be honoured, along with Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson from the WNBA.
The international committee selection goes to Toni Kukoc, a three-time NBA champion with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls as they dominated between 1996 and 1998.
Bill Russell, meanwhile, is one of the coaches chosen having already been selected as a player. He is joined by Rick Adelman and Jay Wright.
The delayed ceremony for a 2020 class including Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and the late Kobe Bryant was held on Saturday in Connecticut.
Giannis Antetokounmpo insists the Milwaukee Bucks are "in a good place" ahead of the NBA playoffs despite being likely to miss out on the second seed.
The Bucks won 122-108 over the Miami Heat on Saturday to stay in contention for the second seeding in the Eastern Conference.
However, the scenario is tough for Milwaukee, who need to beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday and hope the Brooklyn Nets lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers to move into second.
"We've got to keep getting better," Antetokounmpo said post-game.
"We've got to keep learning from each game. We're in a good place. The guys are having fun, guys are playing great. We're playing with an edge."
Forward Khris Middleton and reserve Bryn Forbes led the scoring for the Bucks against the Heat with 21 points each, while Jrue Holiday had 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.
Antetokounmpo scored 15 points and had nine rebounds and he felt another good offensive and defensive display held them in good stead for the playoffs irrespective of seeding.
"It's all about effort and defending," the Greek forward said.
"When the game started we were focused. We know it's going to be a physical game.
"We've been scoring a lot lately. We moved the ball, we found the open man and took the open shot.
"As long as we guard defensively and are able to rebound, we're in a good place."
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