Vince Carter had 43 points, Jason Kidd registered his 67th career triple-double and the New Jersey Nets took control of their playoff destiny with a 104-83 win over Philadelphia on Sunday that prevented the 76ers' from clinching a berth in the National Basketball Association post-season.
Kidd finished with 11 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds as the Nets won for the 13th time in 17 games to move into a tie with eighth-place Cleveland (40-40), a game behind Philadelphia (41-39) in the race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. Each team has two games remaining.
The 76ers, who missed the playoffs last season, can clinch one of the berths with either a win or a Nets' or Cleveland loss. Philadelphia has home games with Milwaukee and Atlanta on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.
PHOTO: AFP
Pistons 90, Cavaliers 87
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Detroit overcame LeBron James' 37 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to win their 10th straight game.
Cleveland has lost three straight and six of eight, and is in danger of finishing ninth in the Eastern Conference, behind New Jersey and Philadelphia, and out of the playoffs.
The Cavaliers needed a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, but James shot an airball over Tayshaun Prince just before the buzzer from above the key.
Celtics 103, Raptors 98
In Toronto, Boston celebrated its first Atlantic Division title in 13 years after Paul Pierce scored 25 points to lead the Celtics past Toronto.
The Celtics won their first division title since Larry Bird's final season in 1991-92 when Philadelphia lost to New Jersey just minutes before Boston finished off the Raptors.
It's the 25th division crown for the Celtics, and it gives them the No. 3 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Mavericks 114, Lakers 112
In Los Angeles, Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and eight rebounds, Michael Finley added 20 points, and Dallas held off Los Angeles for its seventh straight victory and 14th in 16 games since Avery Johnson took over as head coach.
Jason Terry added 17 points and 10 assists for the Mavericks (56-24), who have two games remaining before entering the playoffs with the third-best record in the Western Conference.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was