MILWAUKEE — Chris Copeland’s driving layup with 1.2 seconds remaining gave the Indiana Pacers a 104-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night that moved them back into first place in the Eastern Conference.
MILWAUKEE — Chris Copeland’s driving layup with 1.2 seconds remaining gave the Indiana Pacers a 104-102 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night that moved them back into first place in the Eastern Conference.
Copeland finished with a season-high 18 points. Luis Scola also recorded a season high with 24 points and Evan Turner added 23 for Indiana, which benched all of its usual starters for the entire game.
Coach Frank Vogel made the move after saying his team appeared tired following a 107-88 home loss to Atlanta on Sunday, when the Pacers were held to a franchise-low 23 points in the first half.
GRIZZLIES 107, HEAT 102
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Zach Randolph had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Marc Gasol added 20 points and 14 rebounds and Memphis kept its playoff hopes alive with a victory over Miami.
LeBron James led the Heat with 37 points, connecting on 14 of 23 shots, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Rashard Lewis scored 17, and Chris Bosh finished with 13 points. Mario Chalmers scored 12 points for the Heat.
BOBCATS 94, WIZARDS 88, OT
WASHINGTON — Kemba Walker made the only field goal for either team in overtime, and Charlotte won its fifth straight and moved into position for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over Washington.
Walker made a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws in the extra session, and Al Jefferson added two free throws to account for all of the Bobcats’ post-regulation scoring. Charlotte went 1 for 7 from the field, while Washington was 0 for 8 and got its only point from a free throw by John Wall with 34 seconds remaining.
CAVALIERS 122, PISTONS 100
CLEVELAND — Dion Waiters scored 22 points and Cleveland played one of its best games this season, routing Detroit before being eliminated from the playoff chase.
Tyler Zeller scored 18 and rookie Matthew Dellavedova had 14 points and 12 assists for Cleveland, which had its playoff hopes ended when Atlanta defeated Boston 105-97.
HAWKS 105, CELTICS 97
ATLANTA — Jeff Teague scored 19 points, Kyle Korver added 17 and Atlanta helped its playoff chances with a victory over Boston.
With four games remaining in the regular season, Atlanta increased its lead to two games over the New York Knicks for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
THUNDER 107, CLIPPERS 101
LOS ANGELES — Russell Westbrook scored 30 points in his return to the lineup, Kevin Durant added 27, and Oklahoma City held off Los Angeles in a possible playoff preview.
Serge Ibaka added 15 points for the Thunder, who had their starting five together for just the second time since Christmas Day. Westbrook had sat out two of the previous three games and has missed 34 games this season with a variety of injuries.
TRAIL BLAZERS 100, KINGS 99
PORTLAND, Ore. — Dorell Wright hit a 3-pointer with 7.9 seconds left and Portland beat late-charging Sacramento.
Ray McCallum missed a 21-foot jumper as time ran out for the Kings and Portland’s Robin Lopez grabbed the rebound and held it tight for the victory. It was Wright’s only basket of the game.
BULLS 102, TIMBERWOLVES 87
MINNEAPOLIS — D.J. Augustin scored 21 points and Joakim Noah posted his league-leading fourth triple-double of the season, leading Chicago over Minnesota.
Noah had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to move into a tie with Indiana’s Lance Stephenson for the most triple-doubles in the NBA this season. Kirk Hinrich scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and the Bulls hit 11 of 21 3-pointers to stay right on Toronto’s heels for the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
SUNS 94, PELICANS 88
NEW ORLEANS — Gerald Green scored 21 points, and Phoenix won its third straight game.
Goran Dragic had 20 points and nine assists for the Suns, who are clinging to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Eric Bledsoe added 16 points and P.J. Tucker 15 for the Suns, who handed the Pelicans their sixth straight loss.
NUGGETS 123, ROCKETS 116
DENVER — Randy Foye scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half, and Denver hung on to beat Houston.
Kenneth Faried had 23 points and Timofey Mozgov added 22 for the Nuggets, who beat the Rockets for the first time in three tries this season.
Jeremy Lin led eight Houston players in double figures with 18 points.
RAPTORS 125, 76ERS 114
TORONTO — Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds to lift Toronto over Philadelphia on Wednesday, less than three days after he was charged with drunk driving.
Kyle Lowry led Toronto with 29 points in his first game back after missing three with a bruised kneecap. Patrick Patterson finished with 17 for the Raptors in their fourth straight victory and seventh in eight games.
MAGIC 115, NETS 111
ORLANDO, Fla. — Arron Afflalo scored 25 points, E’Twaun Moore added 17 and Orlando held off a late rally to beat Brooklyn.
Tobias Harris added 16 points and eight rebounds, and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and seven assists for Orlando, which won its second straight.