NBA Round up – (*17*) clinch first winning season in 17 years, Pacers beat Bucks

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The Sacramento (*17*) ensured their first winning season in 17 years with a 101-96 win on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

The (*17*) now have a 42-27 file, are second in the Western Convention and are on track for his or her first publish-season look since 2006.

Domantas Sabonis had 24 factors and 21 rebounds on an evening when Sacramento’s protection delivered.

The (*17*) allowed the Nets zero quick break factors and no second-likelihood factors as they annoyed a Nets workforce that are actually only a recreation and a half forward of the seventh place Miami Warmth in the East.

Nets coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned his counterpart Mike Brown had performed a exceptional job to show across the franchise.

“I advised him that he had my vote for coach of the 12 months, he has performed a heck of a job getting these dudes to the playoffs, 40 wins,” Vaughn mentioned.

“To have that franchise the place it’s, he deserves a number of credit score,” he added.

The Indiana Pacers boosted their probabilities of making the play-in for the publish-season with a 139-123 upset win at Jap Convention leaders Milwaukee.

Andrew Nembard scored 24 factors whereas Aaron Nesmith had 22, and Indiana had eight gamers make double figures.

The harm-depleted Pacers needed to recuperate from a gradual begin once they trailed 16-5 however they tied the sport up in the second quarter earlier than going in 64-55 down on the break.

The Pacers outscored the Bucks 49-37 in the third and 35-22 in the fourth, and though Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 25 factors, the All Star captain was left annoyed.

“It was a particular second half, our ranges of aggression and angle had been a lot, significantly better,” mentioned Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle.

“It is an incredible win.”

The Western Convention leaders, the Denver Nuggets, snapped a 4-recreation dropping streak in emphatic trend, beating the Detroit Pistons 119-100.

The win ensured that Denver clinched the Northwest Division and their playoff spot.

Nikolas Jokic prime-scored with 30 factors and grabbed 10 rebounds for Denver.

The Nuggets ran away with the sport in the fourth quarter, outscoring Detroit 33-14.

Pistons guard Jaden Ivey mentioned that was nowhere close to ok in opposition to such an opponent.

“We had 14 factors in the fourth quarter and taking part in in opposition to a championship caliber workforce that’s not going to do it,” he mentioned.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was delighted his workforce had lastly returned to winning methods.

“It was nice. We talked about getting again to our model of basketball and that’s at all times going to start out and finish with protection,” he mentioned, including that his workforce had performed with “urgency and desperation in the second half to get a a lot-wanted win.”

Josh Okogie blocked the sport tying three-level try from Paolo Banchero because the Phoenix Suns held on for a 116-113 win over the Orlando Magic.

The win ended a 3-recreation dropping run for the Suns, who suffered a late rally from Orlando, who tied the sport up with six minutes left because of a 3 pointer from Franz Wagner.

The Toronto Raptors gained their sixth straight dwelling recreation with a 128-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder with Cameroonian Pascal Siakam placing up 25 factors and 14 rebounds.

“I simply needed to be aggressive, be decisive, play with a little bit extra vitality, that was my mindset,” mentioned Siakam.

All 5 starters reached double figures for Toronto which delighted the highest-scorer.

“Now we have to have video games the place all of us play effectively, we will do it, simply have to play collectively, talk,” he mentioned.

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