National Basketball Association Game Capsules

Toronto, ON (My Sportsbook) - Jason Richardson scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and tallied six assists, and the Charlotte Bobcats momentarily prevented the Raptors from clinching a playoff spot with a 105-100 win over Toronto. The Raptors, who entered play on Friday tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia and Washington, could have locked up a playoff berth with a win. Though they didn't come through against Charlotte, the Raptors only needed a Nets loss or a Wizards win on Friday to secure a playoff spot. Both happened, and the Raptors will again take part in the postseason. Wins by the Sixers and Wizards put Toronto in seventh place in the East, though, and dropping 16 of 20 like the Raptors is not exactly taking momentum into the playoffs. Raymond Felton had 21 points, seven assists, and six boards for the Bobcats, who stemmed a two-game slide and won a franchise-record fourth straight on the road. Emeka Okafor had 15 points and 13 boards for Charlotte, which has won its last three on the road after trailing entering the fourth quarter. Radoslav Nesterovic scored a season-high 23 points and raked in 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who have dropped three of four. Chris Bosh had 23 points and eight boards, and Anthony Parker added 14 points and seven boards. T.J. Ford doled out a season- high 14 assists, but committed a crucial turnover late in regulation.

Final Score: Philadelphia 109, Atlanta 104

Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Andre Iguodala scored 30 points, including his team's final 10 of the game, and doled out 10 assists to help the Philadelphia 76ers secure a playoff berth with a 109-104 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. This is the first time the Sixers are in the playoffs since the 2004-05 season. Andre Miller poured in 23 points for the Sixers, who have won two in a row and sit in a tie with Washington for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, three games behind Cleveland. Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green each gave 15 points, Dalembert also hauled in 10 boards. Thaddeus Young tallied 12 points in the opener of the home-and-home series. Joe Johnson totaled 32 points and eight assists for the Hawks, who had a five-game win streak broken. Atlanta still holds the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Josh Childress chipped in 20 points, while Marvin Williams had 19. Josh Smith dropped 12 points and Al Horford 10.

Final Score: Detroit 106, New Jersey 87

Detroit, MI (My Sportsbook) - Antonio McDyess scored 19 points and Rasheed Wallace tallied 17 points and eight rebounds in Detroit's 106-87 pounding of the New Jersey Nets. Rodney Stuckey added 14 points and nine assists for Detroit, which won its fourth straight despite playing without Richard Hamilton (sore hip). Tayshaun Prince and Juan Dixon each scored 11, and Chauncey Billups totaled 10 points for Detroit, which is on the verge of securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Richard Jefferson scored 15 for the Nets, who dropped their fourth in a row and are teetering on being eliminated from playoff contention. New Jersey, which played without Vince Carter (right ankle), went 1-of-12 from three- point range. The Nets trail Atlanta by four games for the final postseason slot in the East.

Final Score: Golden State 117, Memphis 86

Memphis, TN (My Sportsbook) - Andris Biedrins scored 21 points and ripped down 17 rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors routed the Memphis Grizzlies, 117-86, to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. The Warriors, who were passed by the Nuggets for eighth place in the West earlier this week, pulled within a half-game of idle Denver with the win. Monta Ellis scored 19 points for Golden State, which had dropped three of four, and was coming off blowout losses in San Antonio and Dallas. Kelenna Azubuike contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors. Rudy Gay scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have dropped three of four. Hakim Warrick scored 13 points and had five boards, and Kyle Lowry added 12 points off the bench for Memphis.

Final Score: New Orleans 118, New York 110

New Orleans, LA (My Sportsbook) - Chris Paul finished with 33 points and 15 assists, as the New Orleans Hornets clinched a playoff spot with a 118-110 win over the New York Knicks, and picked up ground at the top of the Western Conference. Peja Stojakovic had 22 points for the Hornets, who have won four in a row and moved 1 1/2 games in front of San Antonio for the top spot in both the conference and Southwest Division. The Spurs lost at Utah on Friday. West scored 17 and grabbed seven rebounds for New Orleans, which hasn't lost a home game since dropping a 95-92 decision to Washington on February 25. Jamal Crawford ended with 29 points and nine assists, while Nate Robinson added 23 points off the bench for the Knicks, who have lost five in a row and 10 of 11. Zach Randolph had 22 points and 12 boards, while David Lee finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Final Score: Utah 90, San Antonio 64

Salt Lake City, UT (My Sportsbook) - Mehmet Okur dropped 17 points and 16 rebounds as the Utah Jazz once again proved their home court prowess by holding the San Antonio Spurs to a franchise-low point total during their 90-64 drubbing of the defending NBA Champions. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams each tallied 16 points for Utah, who now own a four-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for the top spot in the Northwest Division. Williams also dished out a game-high 11 assists, helping the Jazz stay within 1 1/2 games of the Los Angeles Lakers for the third-seed in the Western Conference playoff standings. San Antonio matched its lowest point total ever, as the Spurs scored 64 points against Cleveland on March 25, 1997. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 17 points, as San Antonio saw its eight-game win streak snapped in impressive fashion. Tim Duncan added 15 points and 10 boards, while Manu Ginobili was held to eight points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. The Spurs are now 1 1/2 games behind New Orleans for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Final Score: Washington 109, Miami 95

Washington, DC (My Sportsbook) - Caron Butler scored 29 points, as the Washington Wizards clinched a playoff spot for a fourth consecutive season with a 109-95 win over the lowly Miami Heat at the Verizon Center. Andray Blatche had 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Brendan Haywood finished with 14 and eight boards for the Wizards, who snapped a three- game losing streak. Gilbert Arenas scored 13 points and dished out eight assists in his second game back after missing the past 66 games following knee surgery. Washington was without the services of forward Antawn Jamison, who suffered a sprained right shoulder late in Wednesday's 110-109 loss to Milwaukee. The Wizards are tied with Philadelphia for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of Toronto. Ricky Davis tallied a game-high 33 points for the Heat, who made a franchise record 19 three- pointers. Davis shot 9-for-12 from beyond the arc. Chris Quinn had 24 points and eight assists for Miami, which is an NBA-worst 13-63 and has lost six in a row. Quinn made five of his eight attempts from three-point range.

Final Score: Indiana 105, Milwaukee 101

Milwaukee, WI (My Sportsbook) - Mike Dunleavy scored 27 points and hauled in 11 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers in a 105-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Troy Murphy totaled 17 points for the Pacers, who have won three of four and sit three games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Danny Granger tallied 13 points, while Travis Diener, Marquis Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal each gave 11 for Indiana. Michael Redd chipped in 28 points for the Bucks, who have dropped five of seven. Andrew Bogut registered his third straight double-double with 21 points and 15 boards. Ramon Sessions notched a career-high with 11 points, and added seven helpers. Charlie Villanueva and Bobby Simmons also ended with 11 points.

Final Score: Phoenix 117, Minnesota 88

Phoenix, AZ (My Sportsbook) - Amare Stoudemire scored 24 points and hauled in nine rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns in a rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves, 117-88, at US Airways Center. Grant Hill contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who have won four of five and sit a game behind the Lakers for the top spot in the Pacific Division and are tied with the Rockets for the fifth spot in the West at 2 1/2 games behind the Hornets for the top spot in the conference. Raja Bell gave 15 points and Steve Nash 14 and 11 assists. All 12 Suns who played scored. Al Jefferson netted 24 points and grabbed 12 boards for the Timberwolves, who have dropped three in a row. Marko Jaric gave 12 points, while Rashad McCants and Ryan Gomes ended with 10 each.

Final Score: LA Lakers 112, Dallas 108

Los Angeles, CA (My Sportsbook) - Lamar Odom poured in a season-high 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 12-point second-half deficit to edge the Dallas Mavericks, 112-108, and clinch yet another playoff berth. Kobe Bryant had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who made the playoffs for the third straight season, and for the 55th time in the 60 seasons of the franchise. The Lakers have missed the playoffs only twice (1994, 2005) since 1976. Pau Gasol, in his second game back after missing nine straight with a sprained left ankle, contributed 25 points and seven assists for LA, which won its third in a row. The Lakers are tied for second place in the Western Conference, 1 1/2 games back of New Orleans. Dirk Nowitzki, in just his second game back after missing four games with left ankle and knee sprains, scored 27 points on 13- of-19 shooting for the Mavericks, who had won two straight. Jason Terry scored 25 points, and Josh Howard scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Dallas, which maintained its slim lead on a playoff spot. The Mavs are in seventh place in the West, a half-game ahead of Denver, and a game ahead of ninth-place Golden State.

Final Score: Houston 79, Seattle 66

Seattle, WA (My Sportsbook) - Tracy McGrady popped in a game-high 25 points, and the Houston Rockets held the hapless Seattle SuperSonics to 25 second half points in a 79-66 victory at KeyArena . Houston, still in a tie with Phoenix for the fifth-seed in the Western Conference playoff standings, received 13 points out of Bobby Jackson. Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks netted 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the victors. Seattle dropped its fifth straight game, as rookie stud Kevin Durant was held to a career-low four points and 2-of-17 shooting from the field. Nick Collison and Johan Petro each recorded double-doubles. Collison had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Petro added 11 points and a career-high 15 boards.

Continued at My Sportsbook...