Neither team has been officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Portland (34-44) still has the best chance of the two of working its way into the postseason. The Trail Blazers are three spots and three and a half games behind 10th-place Sacramento with just four games to play after a 118-113 loss in Chicago on Friday.

Deni Avdija led the short-handed Trail Blazers with 37 points and 11 rebounds in the loss while Dalano Banton contributed 21 points, Shaedon Sharpe hit for 17 points and Donovan Clingan pulled in 18 rebounds for Portland.

The Trail Blazers hung tough despite having six key players (including leading scorer Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson) on the sidelines with injuries. Portland committed a season-low five turnovers in the setback and had 20 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds, seven of those from Clingan.

"Our offensive rebounds really hurt Chicago throughout the night," Portland coach Chauncey Billups said. "We didn't shoot it well anywhere, to be honest with you. But offensive rebounds kept us in it."

Portland has dropped five of its past seven games. To surpass the Kings, the Trail Blazers must win their final four games and have Sacramento lose its final five because the Kings also hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Spurs (32-45) head to the Pacific Northwest for the first of a four-game road trip and after a 114-113 loss to East-leading Cleveland on Friday.

San Antonio roared from behind in the final three minutes against the Cavaliers, forging a 14-2 run to pull within a point with 4.6 seconds to play. But Harrison Barnes missed a contested layup at the buzzer, dropping the Spurs to the sixth loss in their past seven games.

"These guys have found a way to not go away numerous times and that just speaks to them individually and collectively as a group," San Antonio acting coach Mitch Johnson said about his team. "You wish that ball would've bounced in for their sake because they put so much into this deal. It's very rewarding as a coach at times to have that type of fight in your team."

Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 24 points in the loss, while Barnes added 23. Stephon Castle racked up 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Julian Champagnie scored 15 points. San Antonio trailed by 23 in the second quarter and by 16 in the fourth before fighting back.

"In the second half, we did a better job of fighting, getting back into it," Barnes said afterward. "But the deficit that we created in the first half, I think that's where the growth opportunity is for us -- avoiding those situations."

San Antonio sits five games in back of Sacramento with five games remaining in the regular season.

The Spurs have captured the first three games against Portland in the season series, winning twice at home on Nov. 7 and Dec. 21, respectively, and in Rip City on Dec. 13.

The Cavaliers (62-15) will have to beat a Kings team that is in a three-way dogfight for the last two spots in the play-in tournament in the West, and a team that handed them a 123-119 loss on March 19.

Cleveland struggled to close out San Antonio on Friday, surviving 114-113 on a miss by Harrison Barnes at the buzzer. The Cavs led by 23 in the first half but struggled with turnovers and poor shooting down the stretch.

"That's the proverbial bullet right there," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said afterwards. "They took it to us in the second half. We didn't come out with the requisite focus we needed in the second half. They dominated us and we hung on. Now we got to get back home. We've got one more game to clinch the first seed and take care of business."

Sacramento (37-40) enters the game holding on to the last play-in spot by two full games over the Phoenix Suns. It has been a topsy-turvy season for the Kings, with Doug Christie taking over as head coach right after Christmas and a trade of De'Aaron Fox for a package headlined by former Bulls star Zach LaVine.

This is the fifth game of a six-game road trip for the Kings, who also play Monday night against the Pistons.

"We've got two tough games back-to-back," said Kings forward Domantas Sabonis. "Two teams that will be waiting for us. It's win or go home, so I hope everyone is locked in."

"We've got some tough teams coming up, one that we beat, one that beat us on a last-second shot, so they'll be ready for us," said Christie, who is 24-22 since taking over. "You just have to bring it. These are the types of games where you find yourself."

LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have begun to show signs of meshing on the floor together for the Kings, and Sabonis can be the third option. He missed multiple games with a sprained ankle but has averaged 18.1 points since returning March 24. He had 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the Kings' win over the Hornets on Friday.

"If Domas had played more, he ends up with a triple-double," said Christie. "He never ceases to amaze me. He's always sacrificing with his body, always sacrificing with his approach. As a team, as an organization and our fan base, we need to love him up for that."

The Cavs lead the NBA in points per game (122.2) and are second in field goal percentage (49.2). Donovan Mitchell has averaged 24 points, while Darius Garland has chipped in with 20.6. De'Andre Hunter, who the Cavs traded for before the deadline, has become the first player off the bench.

Cleveland center Jarrett Allen played only 16 minutes against the Spurs, sitting out the entire second half to rest him for the final stretch.

The last time Cleveland was the No. 1 seed in the East, they were led by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and won the NBA title in seven games over Golden State.

"I wouldn't change anything," Atkinson said. "It's been a great regular season. We have great chemistry. We have a good group that's trying to take it to the next level."

The Celtics (57-20) rebounded from having their nine-game winning streak ended in a loss to Miami on Wednesday, blowing out the Phoenix Suns on Friday, 123-103.

With its 14 3-pointers made on 39 attempts vs. Phoenix, Boston passed the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors for the most triples made in a regular season. The 2024-25 Celtics are 1,370-for-3,718 (36.8 percent), which accounts for a significant portion of their 116.8 points per game.

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said on Friday the 3-point record comes from "the versatility of our guys."

"The ability to manipulate matchups and the ability to take advantage of different coverages, everything is designed to the strengths and the versatility of our guys," he said of the Celtics offensive approach. "They're able to create those 2-on-1, they're able to create shots for themselves. But they're also able to create easy shots for each other."

Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard all average more than three made 3-pointers per game; Pritchard at 3.2 on 7.8 attempts (41.2 percent).

White is shooting 3.5-of-9.1 per game (38.2 percent), while Tatum connects at a rate of 3.5-of-10.1 (34.4 percent) a contest. For Tatum, the volume of 3-pointers he makes an outing contributes to his 26.9-point per game output, the fifth-highest in the league.

Tatum scored 23 points on Friday despite going 1-of-8 from deep, while Jaylen Brown went for 31 points. Boston's recent run guarantees it no worse than the second-best record in the East.

The Celtics are eight games ahead of third-place New York and five games behind conference-leading Cleveland with five remaining dates for each.

Washington (17-60) begins its final week of the season at risk of a second consecutive season without reaching 20 wins. The Wizards surpassed last year's franchise-worst 15-67 mark, but they limp into Boston having lost 9 of the last 11.

Washington fell to Orlando on Thursday, 109-97, despite a spectacular performance from Bub Carrington. He amassed a career-high 32 points with nine rebounds and seven assists.

"His energy is genuine," Marcus Smart said to the Washington Post of Carrington. "It's definitely a gravitational pull that he has, and we're proud of him, man. He's been through a lot, and yet he comes in, day in and day out, smile on his face and he competes."

A guard, the rookie Carrington has dished at least seven assists in each of the last three games and scored in double figures in 4-of-5.

Fellow rookie Alex Sarr heads into Sunday's contest having scored in double-figures in six of Washington's last seven, despite shooting 0-for-5 from beyond the arc in his 10-point performance on Thursday.

The young Wizards try to avert a season sweep against the Celtics. Boston won each of the previous three meetings by double-digit points.

Josh Hart finished a rebound shy of a triple-double for the Knicks with 16 points and 11 assists. OG Anunoby scored 24 points and Mikal Bridges added 20.

Trae Young had 16 points and nine assists for the Hawks, who had six players in double figures. Terance Mann and Caris LeVert each scored 14 off the bench.

The win keeps the Knicks (49-28), who have won four of their last five, locked as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, three games ahead of the Indiana Pacers. The Hawks (36-41), who have lost five of their last six, fell 1 1/2 games behind the idle Orlando Magic for the seventh spot.

The Knicks set a season high with 78 first-half points, shooting 68.8 percent (11 of 16) from 3-point range and 67.4 percent (29 of 43) from the floor in the half.

For the game, New York shot 53.6 percent (45 of 84) from the floor and 51.7 percent (15 of 29) from beyond the arc, while the Hawks finished at 46.6 percent (41 of 88) from the floor and 31.1 percent (14 of 45) from 3-point range.

Towns got the Knicks' offense rolling with a straight-on three, then Hart completed classic three-point play in the first quarter as New York took a 19-14 lead. New York went up 12 on a pair of free throws by Anunoby, but Atlanta closed the first half with a 7-2 run and trailed 38-31 after one.

In the second quarter, Towns appeared to jam a finger on his left hand and missed two minutes while getting it taped. Other than that, it was a nearly flawless 12 minutes for the Knicks as every shot they tried seemed to swish.

The Knicks went on a game-changing 15-0 run, with Cameron Payne starting things off with a three and Bridges and Anunoby knocking down threes to push the lead to 66-41 with 3:44 left in the half. The lead ballooned to 31 in the first half and was as much as 34 in the second. New York led 78-53 at the break.

New York is still not at full strength, but before the game coach Tom Thibodeau said that star guard Jalen Brunson was "very close" to returning and there were multiple media reports that he would play in Sunday's home game against the Phoenix Suns. He's 14 games due to a sprained right ankle.

Hawks star defender Dyson Daniels had two more steals, giving him a league-leading 219 for the season, the most for any NBA player since Allen Iverson had 225 in 2002-03.

Redick and the Lakers will get another chance to work on the process when Los Angeles visits the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday for the first of consecutive games between the teams.

"I don't think the expectation, at least internally for us, was we're going to be the 2016-17 Warriors or this year's Oklahoma City Thunder. We didn't expect that," Redick said of the fact his team is being outscored when Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves are on the court at the same time. "So the disjointedness of an in-season trade is there."

The Lakers seem to be heading in the right direction, though, winning three of their last four. Sunday's game is the start of a challenging test to close the regular season with Los Angeles playing four of the final five games on the road.

The Lakers (47-30) are coming off a 124-108 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans, where the Doncic-James-Reaves trio combined for 92 points. Doncic led the way with 35 points and Reaves had 30 with six 3-pointers.

"Those guys, I think, are committed to making it work with each other when they're on the court," Redick said. "... They're committed to making it work when there are two of them on the court or one of them is on the court. It's a work in progress. We all knew that was gonna be the case."

That cohesion figures to be tested by the Thunder.

While the Pelicans are next-to-last in the NBA in defensive rating at 118.8, Oklahoma City (64-13) leads the league at 106.2.

"We're gonna have three massive tests, come home and have another massive test, and then play a really tough Portland team," said Redick, whose team also has visits to Dallas and Portland ahead. "So if our spirit is right, I can live with the result. And I'm pretty confident that the results will be more good than bad."

While the Thunder's status as the top seed in the Western Conference is secure with five games left in the regular season, the Lakers are still battling for position.

Los Angeles entered Saturday's play a half game ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the third spot in the West and 3 1/2 games behind the Houston Rockets for the No. 2 seed.

The Thunder are coming off Friday's 125-111 loss at Houston, which snapped their 11-game winning streak and ended their chance at becoming the third team in NBA history to win 70 or more games in one season.

"I think you can learn a lot more from a loss," Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams said. "I think (with) winning, the sensation gets a little numb to the point where you take a lot of things for granted. When you lose, you start to think about all the stuff that actually go into winning a game."

Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't been as efficient the last two games, shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 23.1 percent from 3-point range in Wednesday's win over the Detroit Pistons and Friday's loss to the Rockets.

Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 51.9 percent overall and 37.1 percent on 3-pointers this season. He also leads the NBA with 32.6 points per game.

In the only other meeting with the Lakers this season, a 101-93 Thunder win on Nov. 29 in Los Angeles, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36.

The Nets (25-52) enter the final week of the regular season with a nine-percent chance of winning the NBA draft lottery. Brooklyn also has three other first-round picks outside of the lottery from previous trades with the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks.

Brooklyn is finishing its fifth 50-loss season since moving from New Jersey following the 2011-12 season.

The Nets are 16-42 after getting off to a 9-10 start with a roster that featured veterans Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder. They were eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, respectively.

The Nets acquired D'Angelo Russell in the deal for Finney-Smith but on Thursday, they played the guard for 12 minutes in a 105-90 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Russell did not score as he played on a sore right ankle and his availability for Sunday remains undecided.

"No. 1 is to get a look at these younger guys during an important part of the game, where you can see how they handle it, but yeah he's been dealing with the ankle and just trying to be smart with that," Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernandez said.

On Thursday, the Nets used their 39th different starting lineup when Maxwell Lewis made his first NBA start. Lewis was also acquired with Russell from the Lakers and was the starting lineup with Nic Claxton, whose 18 points equaled the center's fourth-highest total this season.

Claxton's output came on a night when younger players such as Dariq Whitehead (17 points) and Tosan Evbuomwan (13 points) contributed.

Cameron Johnson (back) also did not play Thursday and has missed four of the past eight games. Without Johnson, Trendon Watford made his first start this season and combined with Lewis to score 21 points, as the Nets shot 42.7 percent from the floor and were held under 100 points for the 24th time.

Toronto (28-50) enters with a 7.5 percent chance of winning the lottery and returns to Brooklyn after rolling to a wire-to-wire 116-86 rout against the Nets on March 26.

The Raptors, who hold their own first-round pick, are hoping for a massive turnaround next season, especially after acquiring Brandon Ingram and signing the veteran to a three-year, $120 million contract following his arrival from the New Orleans Pelicans.

"There are a lot of reasons that go into that (but) we're hoping that we can continue developing our players, that they're going to make a jump next season and they're going to really use this summer the right way," Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters. "With the addition of Brandon Ingram on our team, we're really hopeful the next year is going to be the start of something really special for us."

Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett were in the starting lineup for their last encounter with the Nets but neither played in Friday's 117-105 home loss to the Detroit Pistons. Barnes sat out with a hand injury after he shot 27 of 81 (33.3 percent) over his previous six games, while Barrett rested for the fourth time in eight games.

Toronto's Orlando Robinson dominated the previous meeting at Brooklyn by totaling 23 and 12 rebounds when he started in place of Jakob Poeltl

The Raptors' Ja'Kobe Walter, who began a run of six consecutive starts the last meeting, scored 22 points Friday, marking the eighth time in his past nine games the rookie reached double figures.

Women's stars Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, head coach Billy Donovan, Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, referee Danny Crawford and the 2008 U.S. Olympic men's team also were inducted.

Anthony and Howard were members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

The class was announced Saturday at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.

Enshrinement weekend will begin at Uncasville, Conn., on Sept. 5, while the enshrinement ceremony will be in Springfield, Mass., the following day.

"The Hall of Fame is thrilled to celebrate the Class of 2025, a group that has left a profound mark on the sport at every level," said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. "This year's class embodies excellence, innovation, and an enduring passion for basketball -- whether through game-changing performances, leadership on the sidelines, or shaping the sport's global reach. We look forward to honoring this Class and their lasting contributions to the game."

Anthony ranks 10th in NBA history with 28,289 career points and was a 10-time All-Star. He won three Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012, 2016), led Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA title and was named to the NBA's 75th anniversary team in 2021.

"When the call comes and in my case, I saw Springfield on the phone," Anthony said on ESPN. "You know what time it is when Springfield is on the phone. You know who it is. You get the phone call and you hear, 'You're in.' And I think for me, it was a burden off of my shoulders."

Howard, who was elected as a first-ballot member, was a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2009-11) and eight-time All-Star. He ranks 10th in NBA history with 14,627 career rebounds and 13th with 2,228 blocked shots.

Bird won five Olympic gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020), four WNBA titles and two college crowns at UConn. She was a 13-time WNBA All-Star and holds the league's career assists record of 3,234.

Donovan coaches the Chicago Bulls after previously leading the Oklahoma City Thunder and has 434 regular-season victories following a victory Friday. He also led Florida to back-to-back NCAA titles (2006, 2007) while accumulating 502 college wins.

The 2008 U.S. Olympic team went 8-0 while winning the gold medal and prevailed by an average of 27.9 points. The co-captains were Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade, while other members included LeBron James, Chris Paul as well as Anthony and Howard.

"USA Basketball is thrilled to see the 2008 U.S. Men's Olympic Team elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame," USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said. "The Redeem Team's celebrated run in Beijing marks a pivotal moment in U.S. men's Olympic basketball history and has propelled us to five straight gold medals."

Moore led the Minnesota Lynx to four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and won two NCAA titles at UConn and picked up two Olympic gold medals.

Fowles won four Olympic gold medals, retired as the WNBA's leading rebounder (4,006) before being passed and was an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion.

Arison has owned the Miami Heat since 1995 and presided over three titles (2006, 2012, 2013).

"For some, this is an individual honor. But for me, this speaks to what our entire Heat family -- players, coaches, staff and fans -- have built together," Arison said.

Crawford was an NBA referee from 1985-2017 and officiated in over 2,000 regular-season games and 300 playoff games, including the NBA Finals in 23 consecutive seasons.

They starts Sunday afternoon when they visit the struggling Charlotte Hornets.

The Bulls (35-42) have clinched a spot in the play-in round for the postseason, but they'd like to improve their stock. They have won two straight following a 118-113 home victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

Bulls guard Coby White is coming off a 31-point outing. He has been the Bulls' leading scorer in 10 of the past 12 games, sharing the scoring honors with Nikola Vucevic on Friday.

White will be back playing in his home state Sunday. He led the team in scoring with 23 points in a 115-108 overtime win in Charlotte on Dec. 30, then scored 18 in a two-point home loss on Jan. 17. He also scored 18 in a home win on Dec. 13.

The Bulls have found an ideal complement to White in guard Josh Giddey, who averaged 20.3 points per game in March. Giddey is coming off his sixth triple-double of the season, achieved Friday night when he recorded 15 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists.

"He has figured it out for us, with the way we're playing, where are good shots for him in-and-around the paint area," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. "I think his shooting percentage has gone up because he's taking shots that he's going to shoot a high percentage on. He's a guy who really is just a phenomenal passer. He really has figured out how to play with Coby and play with some of these guys."

White has made a single-season franchise-record 209 baskets from 3-point range both last season and this season.

The Hornets (19-58) have lost seven of their past eight games.

About the only thing the Hornets are playing for in terms of the standings is avoiding the worst record in the NBA. They have two more victories than the Washington Wizards and three more than the Utah Jazz.

Yet the players are being evaluated and coach Charles Lee said it's an important time to make sure there are steps taken in the right direction before the end of the season.

"We're focused on what is the competitiveness like? That's not a statistical measure," Lee said.

Miles Bridges has been Charlotte's leading scorer for four consecutive games. He is shooting a career-low 31.6 percent from 3-point range this season, however.

The Hornets could take an extended look at guard Jaylen Sims, who made his NBA debut with seven points in 21 minutes off the bench Friday night in a 125-102 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

He was signed to a 10-day contract after a strong season with the organization's G League team in Greensboro, N.C.

"Very impressed with what Jaylen gave us," Lee said. "Not really surprised, because it's how he played in the G League. ... Just an all-around great player, great teammate and person to add to our group as we head into the tail-end of our season -- somebody to come in, compete and bring the right amount of juice."

Charlotte doesn't have the firepower or experience to stick with most teams, particularly with top players LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller sidelined for the rest of the season with injuries. Center Mark Williams has been in and out of the lineup, missing the game Friday night with muscle spasms.

Chicago owns a 19-19 road record, while the Hornets are 12-27 at home.

The Clippers (45-32) earned an impressive 114-91 victory over the Mavericks on Friday to win for the 13th time in their past 16 games. A second victory in two nights over Dallas (38-40) could come with an additional challenge if Los Angeles elects to sit Kawhi Leonard.

Since making his season debut Jan. 4 after recovering from knee discomfort, Leonard has yet to play on consecutive nights. The Clippers will decide on Leonard's availability early Saturday.

Leonard scored 20 points in 24 minutes for the Clippers on Friday, while Ivica Zubac had 14 points with 13 rebounds for his 20th double-double in his past 21 games. Leonard delivered his 11th consecutive game with at least 20 points.

Six Clippers players scored at least 12 points, but as welcome as it was to have offensive balance, it is the defense that has Los Angeles looking like a formidable playoff team. The Clippers entered Friday's game fourth in the NBA with an average of 108 points allowed per contest.

"We have talked to them all year about holding each other accountable, talking, communicating," Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said of the defense. "They've been doing a good job with that of late, just talking through (broken) coverages."

Home victories have started to mount with frequency. Los Angeles opened its new arena in October and lost the first four games there. They have gone 27-7 there since and have won 10 of the last 11 on their own floor.

"Once we got used to the new arena, the surroundings, the building and everything, I thought we've been playing pretty good at home," Lue said Friday. "Our fans have been incredible. ... We just have to keep it going."

The Mavericks' loss on Friday came with Anthony Davis out for injury management on his adductor strain, while Dereck Lively II (ankle) also sat out as a precaution. In addition, Klay Thompson departed midway through the game with an illness.

Naji Marshall scored 22 points for the Mavericks, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 18. Jaden Hardy scored 16 points, while P.J. Washington had 10 rebounds. Hardy's availability for Saturday is in doubt after he injured his right ankle.

Kai Jones, who was waived by the Clippers on March 1 and signed with the Mavericks two days later, scored nine points against his former team in 22 minutes.

Dallas has four games remaining in its effort to wrap up a spot in the play-in tournament with games against Western Conference postseason qualifiers in the Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.

Ninth-place Dallas lost ground to the 10th-place Sacramento Kings, who won Friday. The Mavericks are just a half-game up on the Kings, with the Phoenix Suns just below the play-in line, two games behind Sacramento.

"Right now, we're not worried about the play-in (tournament)," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "We're worried about the Clippers."

Davis is considered a "possibility" to play Saturday, Kidd said.

Brooks, now with the Houston Rockets, earned the nickname "Dillon the Villain" for his physical play, mean mugging and accumulation of technical fouls. While Morant, the Grizzlies star guard, hasn't reached that level, he is earning a reputation for his behavior.

Morant and the Grizzlies (45-32) visit the Detroit Pistons (43-34) on Saturday night, trying to stage a strong late-season run to remain out of the play-in tournament.

The Pistons secured an Eastern Conference playoff spot Friday with a 117-105 win at Toronto.

Morant was fined $75,000 on Friday by the NBA for his on-court gun gesture during Thursday's road win at Miami. The NBA warned him following a similar incident during a home loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

His "finger gun" caused the Heat fans to loudly boo him. Morant didn't seem to mind.

"I'm kind of used to it," Morant said. "I was pretty much a villain for two years now. Every little thing, If somebody can say something negative about me, it's going to be out there. Yeah, I don't care anymore."

Teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. said Morant feeds off such crowd reactions on the road.

"I wouldn't boo him," Jackson added.

Morant's gun gesture and game-winning shot at the buzzer aside, Friday also served as interim coach Tuomas Iisalo's first win. Iisalo moved into the role after the Grizzlies dismissed Taylor Jenkins on March 28. Iisalo's first three games as coach were against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics and the Warriors.

"(The win over Miami) was extremely important for our team," Iisalo said. "Guys have been working really hard. Everybody that has been around has done everything in order to get this first win. Hopefully it's one of many this season. It feels great.

"To do it in that type of style -- a defensive battle where both teams are throwing punches throughout the second half -- and come out victorious on that amazing shot by Ja -- it was a really special way to do it."

Detroit clinched its first playoff spot in six years on Friday night with the victory against the Raptors. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Pistons with 23 points and Jalen Duren added another impressive double-double with 21 points and 18 boards. He has 39 double-doubles in 74 games.

The Pistons have been the NBA's comeback franchise, more than tripling their win total from a year ago when they won a franchise-low 14 games.

"What they've done has been special," said Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff after the playoff-clinching win. "No team has done what they have done. In the NBA, to be able to say that, you don't get an opportunity to say that often."

Since Jan. 1, the Pistons have posted a 29-16 record and become a top-three defense.

The Pistons secured their playoff spot Friday without star Cade Cunningham, who missed his sixth straight game Friday with a left calf contusion. Cunningham was listed as questionable before the Toronto game.

Green scored 34 points, Sengun added 31 and the Rockets (51-27) won for the 14th time in 16 games. Houston posted a 48-33 rebounding margin to maintain control after building a 23-point lead late in the second quarter.

Houston's Amen Thompson posted 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Jalen Williams paced the Thunder with 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched 22 points and eight assists.

Celtics 123, Suns 103

Jaylen Brown tossed in 31 points and Boston broke the NBA record for made 3-pointers in a season during a victory over visiting Phoenix.

The Celtics set the record on their eighth trey of the game, a 26-footer by Payton Pritchard with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. It gave Boston a 44-26 lead. The 2022-23 Golden State Warriors set the previous record (1,363).

The Celtics made 14 of 39 shots from behind the 3-point arc, and they ended the night with 1,370 treys on the campaign. Boston's Jayson Tatum added 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Devin Booker scored a game-high 37 points for the Suns, who have lost five in a row.

Lakers 124, Pelicans 108

Luka Doncic scored 35 points and Austin Reaves added 30 as Los Angeles helped its prospects for a top-four finish in the Western Conference with a victory over New Orleans.

LeBron James produced 27 points and eight assists and Jaxson Hayes had 12 rebounds with six points as the Lakers won in advance of a back-to-back road set against the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and Tuesday. The Lakers pulled a half-game ahead of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets.

Jose Alvarado scored 27 points and Karlo Matkovic added 15 for the Pelicans, who have just three wins in the past 11 games. Yves Missi contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Pistons 117, Raptors 105

Jalen Duren had 21 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks and visiting Detroit clinched a playoff berth by completing a four-game season sweep over Toronto.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points and Malik Beasley scored 21 for the Pistons. Detroit's Cade Cunningham (calf), Tobias Harris (heel) and Isaiah Stewart (suspension) did not play.

Ja'Kobe Walter scored 22 points for the Raptors. Jakob Poeltl had 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Kings 125, Hornets 102

Zach LaVine poured in 25 points to go with 10 rebounds and Domantas Sabonis racked up 24 points and 11 rebounds to help Sacramento snap a three-game losing streak with a win at Charlotte.

DeMar DeRozan put up 22 points for the Kings. Ex-Hornets guard Malik Monk had 17 points off the bench as Sacramento won for the second time in nine games.

The Hornets lost for the seventh time in their last eight games despite 22 points from Miles Bridges. Moussa Diabate finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Pacers 140, Jazz 112

Myles Turner scored 26 points and Pascal Siakam added 22 to lead Indiana past Utah in Indianapolis for its third straight win.

The Pacers have won nine of 11 while keeping a solid hold on the No. 4 spot of the Eastern Conference standings. Turner also grabbed seven rebounds and swatted six shots, while Siakam contributed five boards, five assists, four blocks and three steals.

Utah dropped an eighth consecutive game for the third time this season. The Jazz, who have the worst record in the NBA, have lost 18 of their past 19 contests. Collin Sexton led all scorers with 27 points.

Bulls 118, Trail Blazers 113

Coby White and Nikola Vucevic each scored 31 points and Josh Giddey notched his sixth triple-double of the season as Chicago beat visiting Portland.

Giddey racked up 15 points, a career-best 19 rebounds and 12 assists as the Bulls pulled level with the Miami Heat for ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Deni Avdija posted 37 points and 11 rebounds and Dalano Banton contributed 21 points for the Blazers, who finished a 2-3 road trip.

Warriors 118, Nuggets 104

Stephen Curry bombed in a game-high 36 points, Brandin Podziemski and Jimmy Butler III combined for 45 more and Golden State dumped Denver in San Francisco.

The Warriors earned their fifth straight win to climb within a half-game of the fourth-place Nuggets in the Western Conference playoff chase. Podziemski had 26 points to complement Curry's third straight game with 36 or more.

A third straight loss dropped Denver four games behind the second-place Houston Rockets with just four games remaining. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 33 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Cavaliers 114, Spurs 113

Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Evan Mobley added 25 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland did just enough to beat host San Antonio.

The Cavaliers won their third straight contest and reduced their magic number to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference to one. Devin Vassell led the Spurs with 24 points. Harrison Barnes added 23.

Cleveland was up by 23 points late in the second quarter and by 17 at halftime before the Spurs cut it to 88-82 in the third. In the fourth, Barnes poured in back-to-back 3-pointers to bring San Antonio within a point with 28.6 seconds to play, but Barnes missed a contested, driving layup at the buzzer.

Clippers 114, Mavericks 91

Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and sparked a key early run as Los Angeles sailed past Dallas in Inglewood, Calif.

The Clippers have won 10 of their past 12 games. Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell each had 14 points for Los Angeles, and Zubac grabbed 13 rebounds. The Mavericks produced their lowest point total of the season.

Dallas played without Anthony Davis, who was a late scratch due to an adductor strain, and Klay Thompson and Jaden Hardy exited because of injuries. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 22 points.

The Clippers have won 10 of their last 12 games. Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell each had 14 points for Los Angeles. The Mavericks scored their fewest points of the season.

Dallas played without Anthony Davis, who was a late scratch with an adductor strain. Dereck Lively II (injury management) also did not dress for the Mavericks, who also lost Klay Thompson to an injury in the first half after playing 12 1/2 minutes. Guard Jaden Hardy also was helped off the court with 2:13 left after rolling his ankle.

The two teams meet again Saturday night, also in Inglewood.

The Clippers (45-32) pulled into a three-way tie for sixth place in the Western Conference with Memphis and Minnesota. Dallas (38-40) remained in ninth place in the West.

The score was tied at 8-8 midway through the first quarter when Leonard took over. He scored on a jumper from the elbow, a spin in the lane, two free throws and then made a 3-pointer for a personal 9-4 run that gave the Clippers a lead they did not relinquish.

Los Angeles closed the first quarter on a 19-6 run and led 29-16 at the buzzer.

The lead grew in the second quarter as the Mavericks sorely missed Davis' presence inside and outside. The Clippers went on a 10-0 run as Leonard drilled a 3-pointer, Powell made a long trey from the wing, Drew Eubanks scored inside and Leonard converted from the baseline. The lead grew to as high as 25, and Los Angeles led 58-35 at the break.

Dallas kept things around 20 points in the third quarter, but Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter on a 19-5 run, highlighted by three 3-pointers by Bogdan Bogdanovic.

In the fourth quarter, brothers Max Christie (Mavericks) and Cam Christie (Clippers) played against one another for the final six minutes.

Zubac had his 21st double-double since the All-Star break.

LeBron James produced 27 points and eight assists and Jaxson Hayes had 12 rebounds with six points as the Lakers won in advance of a back-to-back road set against the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday and Tuesday.

The Lakers (47-30) pulled a half-game ahead of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets as Reaves went 6 of 9 from 3-point range and set a franchise record with 15 made 3-pointers in consecutive games.

Jose Alvarado scored 27 points and Karlo Matkovic added 15 for the Pelicans (21-56), who are finishing off the season without Zion Wiliamson (back) and CJ McCollum (foot). Yves Missi had 13 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which has just three wins in the past 11 games and has not won consecutive contests since late February.

Los Angeles took a 93-84 lead into the fourth quarter and was up 104-95 before going on a 6-2 run to take a 13-point lead with 5:55 left on a layup from James.

The Lakers essentially sealed the victory when Reaves threw a long-range pass to James for an alley-oop dunk with 4:09 remaining for a 114-99 lead. James, who sustained a right thumb injury in the first half, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter after going scoreless in the third.

The Pelicans got off to a fast start, leading 30-25 after one quarter. New Orleans held a seven-point advantage early in the second before the Lakers grabbed the lead for good at 45-44 with 6:43 remaining in the half on a Jordan Goodwin layup.

Los Angeles led 62-53 at halftime, with James and Doncic each scoring 13 points before the break. Alvarado had 18 for the Pelicans.

The Lakers finished with a 3-0 record against the Pelicans this season.

The Warriors (46-31) earned their fifth straight win to climb within a half-game of the fourth-place Nuggets (47-31) in the Western Conference playoff chase.

Golden State is one game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves in its effort to avoid the Western play-in tournament.

Curry shot 7-for-15 from 3-point range and Podziemski 4-for-8 as the Warriors outscored the Nuggets 48-36 from long range. Golden State recorded its first victory over Denver in three tries this season.

A third straight loss dropped Denver four games behind the second-place Houston Rockets with just four games remaining.

Trying to run the Warriors into exhaustion after Golden State endured a six-game trip that ended in a tough win over the Los Angeles Lakers the night before, the Nuggets used a 44-point first quarter to go up by 10.

However, Golden State had its way the rest of the night, with Podziemski chipping in with 26 points to complement Curry's third straight game with 36 or more.

Podziemski also found time for team highs in rebounds with eight and assists with six for the Warriors, who improved to 21-5 since the acquisition of Butler in February.

Butler had five assists and five steals to go with his 19 points.

Needing depth help on the second night of a back-to-back, Kevon Looney was the Warriors' top performer off the bench with seven points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes.

Going once again without sidekick Jamal Murray, sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 33 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and a game-high nine assists. He hit 13 of his 17 shots and accounted for four of Denver's 12 successful 3-point attempts.

Michael Porter Jr. backed Jokic with 23 points and nine rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 15 points and eight assists, and Christian Braun amassed 16 points and seven rebounds.

Green scored 34 points, Sengun added 31, and the Rockets (51-27) won for the 14th time in 16 games. Houston posted a 48-33 rebounding margin to maintain control after building a 23-point lead late in the second quarter.

Amen Thompson posted 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Steven Adams paired eight points with 12 rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. totaled nine points and 17 boards off the bench for Houston.

Jalen Williams paced the Thunder with 33 points on 13-for-21 shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notched 22 points and eight assists, and Chet Holmgren hit 6 of 8 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Thunder (64-13), who had their 11-game winning streak snapped.

The Thunder closed the third quarter on a 12-3 run -- Gilgeous-Alexander scored eight during that rally -- and shaved the margin to single digits multiple times in the fourth before Green scored on a finger roll layup to push the lead to 11 with 7:09 to play.

The Rockets capped the win with a pair of emphatic plays. Thompson blocked a jumper by Gilgeous-Alexander with 3:27 left, and Sengun's spin and dunk a minute later pushed the lead to 122-108.

Ball security plagued the Thunder early, with five turnovers in the first quarter yielding 12 points for the Rockets. Gilgeous-Alexander led a rally that pulled the Thunder to within 25-22, but with Green and Sengun combining for 25 points in the frame, Houston carried a 35-28 lead into the second.

Houston seized control early in the second behind when Adams made a block on Isaiah Hartenstein and scored two second-chance baskets, to extend to a 52-37 lead. The margin reached 69-46 on Smith's 3-pointer, before the Thunder scored the final seven points of the half.

The Rockets hit 6 of 11 shots from long range in the second quarter plus 19 fast-break points in the half. Sengun and Thompson scored eight each in the second.

The Cavaliers (62-15) won their third straight contest and reduced their magic number to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference to one. Cleveland leads defending league champion Boston by five game with five regular season games left.

Cleveland was up by 23 points late in the second quarter and by 17 at halftime before the Spurs rallied to make it 88-82 late in the third. The Cavaliers rebuilt their advantage to 16 points on Mobley's dunk with 8:33 to play, but San Antonio refused to relent, drawing within 112-107 on a layup and a 3-pointer from Chris Paul, the latter with 2:16 remaining.

After the Cavaliers' Darius Garland sank a jumper, Harrison Barnes poured in back-to-back 3-pointers to bring San Antonio within a point with 28.6 seconds to play. Garland then missed a desperation shot from beyond the arc with 4.6 seconds left, giving the Spurs a chance at a final shot to win.

Barnes missed a contested, driving layup at the buzzer, allowing Cleveland to escape with the victory.

Garland finished with 19 points while De'Andre Hunter had 18 for the Cavaliers.

Devin Vassell led the Spurs (32-45) with 24 points. Barnes added 23, Stephon Castle racked up 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Julian Champagnie scored 15 points for San Antonio, which has dropped six of its past seven games.

The Cavaliers never trailed, going up by a dozen points after Mitchell's 3-pointer with 1:52 to go in the opening quarter before settling for a 38-28 lead after 12 minutes of play behind Mobley's 18 points in the period.

Cleveland built on the margin throughout the second period. Mitchell's trey with 2:39 left in the quarter stoked the lead to 23 points. San Antonio finished with a 11-5 run to end the half within 67-50.

Mobley's 19 points led all scorers before halftime, with Hunter adding 13 and Mitchell hitting for 10 for Cleveland. Castle paced the Spurs with 15 points and Vassell had 14 before the break.

San Antonio charged back to within six points when Champagnie canned a 3-pointer with 1:40 to play in the third quarter.

Giddey racked up 15 points, a career-best 19 rebounds and 12 assists as Chicago (35-42) moved up to ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Deni Avdija posted 37 points and 11 rebounds, Dalano Banton contributed 21 points, Shaedon Sharpe added 17 points, and Donovan Clingan pulled down 18 boards for the Blazers (34-44).

They entered the game severely underhanded, with Toumani Camara (left ankle) and Duop Reath (right knee soreness) joining Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Scoot Henderson in a lengthy casualty ward.

Portland managed to slice a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to two points in the fourth quarter, before the Bulls recovered as White iced the victory from the free-throw line.

The Bulls fed Vucevic in the paint to open a 26-20 lead, before Portland fought back to hold sway 33-30 at the end of the first break.

Portland manufactured several second looks throughout the first two quarters as Chicago coughed up 10 first-half turnovers and allowed the Trail Blazers to reel in 10 offensive boards.

Portland had 19 more field-goal attempts for the half than the Bulls, but the Blazers' wayward shooting -- 24 of 61 from the floor, 6 of 24 3-pointers -- meant their cushion was only 54-52 at intermission.

The lead changed hands 11 times in the third frame -- and 18 for the game -- before the Bulls pulled away for the first time as Portland continued to misfire offensively, shooting 9 of 27 for the quarter.

Giddey had 10 points, eight boards and four assists for the period, which Chicago dominated 40-29 to lead 92-83 entering the fourth.

White hit his third trey to increase the Bulls' buffer to 109-93 with 7:03 remaining in the fourth, but the score was cancelled when replays confirmed his foot was out-of-bounds.

Portland pounced on that stroke of fortune and, with a 15-2 burst capped by a Banton 3-pointer, slashed Chicago's advantage to 108-106.

Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 points for the Pistons (43-34), who swept the four-game season series with Toronto (28-50). Malik Beasley scored 21, Ausar Thompson chipped in with 15 points, Marcus Sasser added 10 and Dennis Schroder had 16.

Ja'Kobe Walter scored 22 points for the Raptors. Jakob Poeltl had 10 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead each scored 14 and Cole Swider scored 10.

The Pistons turned up the defensive intensity midway through a fast-paced first quarter and used a 12-0 run to take a nine-point lead. Detroit led 29-28 after one quarter.

Detroit bumped the lead to 11 on Hardaway's corner 3-pointer with 8:31 left in the second quarter when Detroit kept possession after Toronto's A.J. Lawson had blocked a shot. Lawson's second block resulted in a sequence that finished when he hit a 3-pointer with 5:45 left in the half to trim the margin to four. Toronto pulled to within two before Detroit finished the first half with a 9-2 surge to lead 65-55.

Detroit used disruptive defense to score the first 11 points of the third quarter, helped by a Toronto turnover and a series of missed shots. Schroder's 3-pointer with 8:32 remaining increased the margin to 22. Toronto struck back with three consecutive 3-pointers, two by Walter and one by Quickley to cut the lead to 12 with 5:18 to go. Schroder's two turnovers contributed to the Toronto surge. Another Schroder turnover led to Walter's steal and layup to reduce the lead to 10. Detroit pulled away to a 93-77 third-quarter lead after Hardaway hit a 29-foot 3-pointer to beat the buzzer.

Jared Rhoden's running layup brought Toronto to within four points with 8:13 left in the fourth quarter. Detroit worked the lead to 10 with 5:32 left on Thompson's dunk after Duren's block helped subdue a scrappy Toronto effort.

Detroit's Cade Cunningham (calf), Tobias Harris (heel) and Isaiah Stewart (suspension) did not play.

Toronto's Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett (rest) were out.

The Celtics (57-20) set the record on their eighth trey of the game, a bomb by Payton Pritchard with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. It gave Boston a 44-26 lead. The 2022-23 Golden State Warriors set the previous record (1,363) two seasons ago.

The Celtics made 14-of-39 shots from behind the 3-point line.

Jayson Tatum added 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Boston, which led 31-22 after 12 minutes, 60-47 at halftime and 90-75 entering the fourth. The Suns failed to get closer than 13 points in the final quarter.

The Celtics also received 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists from Derrick White.

Boston averted losing back-to-back home games for the first time this season. The Celtics were coming off Wednesday's 124-103 home loss to Miami. Boston has an 18-2 record in games that follow a loss this season.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 37 points for Phoenix (35-42), which has lost five in a row. Royce O'Neale, Oso Ighodaro and Tyus Jones each finished with 12 points for the Suns, who never led by more than two points.

Bradley Beal returned to the Phoenix lineup after missing eight games with a left hamstring strain, but he was limited to one point in 30 minutes. Beal was 0-for-7 from the field.

Phoenix is in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, two game behind Sacramento, but has to finish no lower than 10th to qualify for the play-in tournament.

Boston beat Phoenix 132-102 in the only other meeting between the teams this season.

The Celtics improved their home record to 25-13.

It was the third straight win for the Pacers (46-31), who've won nine of 11 while keeping a solid hold on the No. 4 spot of the Eastern Conference standings.

Turner also grabbed seven rebounds and swatted six shots, while Siakam contributed five boards, five assists, four blocks and three steals.

The Pacers shot a sizzling 57.3 percent, outscored Utah 42-18 in the fourth quarter, had a 29-8 edge in fastbreak points and blocked 17 shots, tied for third-most in a game in franchise history.

Utah dropped its eighth consecutive game for the third time this season. The Jazz (16-62), owners of the worst record in the NBA, have now lost 18 of 19.

Collin Sexton led all scorers with 27 points. Johnny Juzang netted 17, and Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George each had 15.

Indiana took control of the game midway through the second half, outscoring Utah by eight in the final 3:01 of the third to erase a four-point lead before opening the fourth on fire.

Siakam helped keep the momentum from the end of the third quarter with a dunk and a 3-pointer in a 7-0 run to open the fourth for a 105-94 lead, and the rout was on.

Bennedict Mathurin had 20 points, hitting 12 of 16 free throws, while Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 17 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three blocks as seven Pacers reached double figures in scoring.

Juzang hit three 3s in a row as Utah went up by seven early and settled for a 34-28 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Jazz surged to a 12-point lead, 45-33, in the second quarter thanks to an 8-0 run that included back-to-back treys from Svi Mykhailiuk and Micah Potter.

Indiana finished the first half strong with a 10-0 run in the final three minutes to trim Utah's halftime lead to 59-57.