Victor Wembanyama’s game-winner lifted the San Antonio Spurs to a 101-100 overcome Phoenix and into the NBA playoffs Thursday because the Los Angeles Lakers saved up their postseason push with an eighth straight victory.
Luka Doncic scored 60 factors and 41-year-old LeBron James hit one other NBA milestone in model with a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double within the Lakers’ 134-126 victory over the Heat in Miami.
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The Lakers’ surge has seen them climb from sixth to 3rd within the Western Conference, the place second-placed San Antonio have now joined reigning champions Oklahoma City with their first playoff berth since 2019.
Knowing they may punch their playoff ticket with a win, the Spurs trailed by 10 with 4:50 left to play.
They had been 5 again with 1:01 remaining when Wembanyama drained a pair of free throws and De’Aaron Fox drove for a layup to chop the deficit to at least one with 26.6 seconds left.
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The Spurs bottled up Devin Booker to power the Suns to name a timeout and on the following inbounds Wembanyama fouled rookie Rasheer Fleming — who missed each free throws.
When Wembanyama’s basket over Oso Ighodaro swished via the web the group at Frost Bank Center went wild.
“We haven’t had a game like this in a while,” stated Wembanyama, who led all scorers with 34 factors and added 12 rebounds. “Feels good to know we’ve still got it.”
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The 22-year-old French star was attempting to take a measured method now that his first journey to the playoffs is assured.
“Of course the first instinct is to be proud of it and to love it because we’re part of it,” he stated. “But the key for me is to try to not care because we want to attack 82 games.
“I’m scared to turn out to be complacent.”
In Miami, James tied Robert Parish’s record for most NBA regular-season games played with his 1,611th — a mark he can surpass when the Lakers play in Orlando on Saturday.
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Both James and Doncic were listed as “questionable” on the Lakers’ early injury report after the team arrived in Miami at 4:00 am in the wake of their win in Houston on Wednesday.
“I used to be drained,” said Doncic, who scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers cemented victory, having taken their first lead in the third quarter.
– Beating Father Time –
NBA scoring leader Doncic connected on 18 of 30 shots, including nine three-pointers, on the way to his second 50-plus point game of the season. He scored 51 in a win over Chicago in March.
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James, coming off a stellar 13-of-14 shooting display in Houston, made his first seven shots from the field and didn’t miss one until the final period.
His latest masterpiece came in the city where he won the first two of his four NBA titles, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was full of admiration.
“He’s not solely competing towards your entire league but additionally Father Time,” Spoelstra said. “And he is giving Father Time hell.”
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Added Doncic: “The method he is enjoying it is unimaginable to observe.”
Jalen Duren scored 24 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds to propel Eastern Conference leaders Detroit to a 117-95 victory over the Wizards in Washington.
The Pistons gained their first recreation since studying star Cade Cunningham would miss at the least two weeks with a collapsed lung.
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