The New Orleans Pelicans moved closer to clinching a spot in the NBA playoffs with a 135-123 victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Currently sixth in the Western Conference, the Pelicans have two games left in the regular season. CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson both contributed 31 points, with McCollum also making nine three-pointers and dishing out seven assists.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference suffered their second consecutive loss, falling to the New York Knicks 118-109. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 39 points, extending his streak of high-scoring performances. Josh Hart impressed with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 11 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists.
In other games, the Chicago Bulls secured ninth place in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage for the play-in game by defeating the Detroit Pistons 127-105. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 39 points and seven assists. The Golden State Warriors, led by Steph Curry’s 22 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds, secured a crucial 100-92 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, marking their third consecutive win.
The Utah Jazz snapped their 13-game losing streak with a narrow 124-121 win over the Houston Rockets. Keyonte George scored 20 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 17 to help the Jazz secure the victory. The Rockets, currently 11th in the table, suffered their sixth defeat in seven games, just missing out on a play-in spot.
In the NBA, the top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while teams ranked seventh to tenth must compete in play-in games for the final two spots.
