Milwaukee Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova, left, of Turkey, fights for control of the ball with Brooklyn Nets’ Brook Lopez during the second half of an NBA basketball game on March 20, 2015, in New York. The Bucks and the Nets tangled again on Sunday, April 13, 2015, when Milwaukee won, 96-73. AP
MILWAUKEE, United States — Ersan Ilyasova scored 21 points and the Milwaukee Bucks clinched a playoff spot with a 96-73 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Milwaukee also secured the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, a year after a franchise-worst 67-loss season. O.J. Mayo added 17 points for the Bucks.
Brook Lopez had his 17th double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets. They are eighth in the East, a game behind Boston.
CELTICS 117, CAVALIERS 78
BOSTON — Isaiah Thomas scored 17 points and Boston moved closer to a playoff berth with a victory over a Cleveland team without LeBron James and three other starters.
Coach David Blatt rested James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith because the Cavaliers already have clinched the No. 2 postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics magic number for reaching the postseason dropped to one. They would clinch a berth if Indiana loses to Oklahoma City on Sunday night. If the Celtics remain in seventh place in the East, they would face the Cavaliers in the first round.
NUGGETS 122, KINGS 111
DENVER — Kenneth Faried scored a season-high 30 points as Denver spoiled Sacramento coach George Karl’s return to Denver.
Wilson Chandler had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Nuggets in their home finale. At 19-22, Denver had a losing record at Pepsi Center for the first time since 2002-03.
That was two years before Karl arrived and turned around the struggling franchise. He won 423 games in nine seasons on the Denver bench, but was fired after losing in the first round of the 2013 playoffs.
Omri Casspi had 22 points for the Kings.
PISTONS 116, HORNETS 77
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Andre Drummond had 15 points and 19 rebounds and Detroit Pistons turned its home finale into a rout over Charlotte.
Greg Monroe scored 17 points in what might have been his final home game at the Palace. Monroe is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Noah Vonleh led Charlotte with 16 points.