NBA ROUNDUP \ Wednesday's other games

Wizards 96, Pistons 80
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Caron Butler had 33 points and 12 rebounds as Washington earned a first-round playoff date with LeBron James by beating apathetic Detroit. The Wizards needed a win to protect the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, while the top-seeded Pistons (64-18) just wanted to avoid injuries, and it showed. Chauncey Billups watched the game in a suit and his fellow starters were on the bench in the fourth quarter. The Wizards (42-40) will play fourth-seeded Cleveland in the first round. Washington went 3-0 against Detroit this season, joining Utah (2-0) as the only teams to sweep the Pistons. Antawn Jamison added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Wizards, who beat Chicago in last year's first round before falling to Miami.
Pacers 89, Magic 83
INDIANAPOLIS -- Jermaine O'Neal had 24 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, and Indiana claimed the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Indiana (41-41) barely avoided its first losing season since 1997. The Pacers won five of their final six games after being in danger of missing the playoffs, and will open the postseason on Sunday afternoon at Atlantic Division champion New Jersey. Carlos Arroyo scored 17 points, Keyon Dooling added 15 and Trevor Ariza had season highs of 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Magic (36-46), who finished the season with two straight losses after an eight-game winning streak.
Bobcats 96, 76ers 86
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Matt Carroll scored 24 points and the Bobcats set a franchise record with their fourth straight win. Melvin Ely added 18 points for the second-year Bobcats, who closed the season at 26-56, eight more wins than last season. John Salmons scored 19 for the 76ers, who committed 24 turnovers and played without their top two scorers, Allen Iverson and Chris Webber.
Knicks 90, Nets 83
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Larry Brown returned to coaching in the final game of a dismal first season in New York, and the Knicks responded by avoiding their first 60-loss season. Brown, who missed the previous three games with a stomach ailment, let Herb Williams do much of the work in the season finale. Williams gave the team almost all of its instructions during timeouts and other breaks, while Brown stood behind his assistant. The Atlantic Division champion Nets (49-33) were an accommodating host for Brown, giving starters Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Nenad Krstic the night off, while playing Richard Jefferson only 18 minutes.
Clippers 87, Mavericks 71
DALLAS -- Corey Maggette returned to action and tuned up for the playoffs with 18 points and 11 rebounds, helping Los Angeles beat Dallas in a meaningless finish to terrific regular seasons for both clubs. Los Angeles, locked into the sixth seed in the Western Conference, picked up its 47th victory, marking the second-best in franchise history and extending the most wins since the former Buffalo Braves moved to California in 1978. The Clippers set another franchise mark by winning their 20th road game. The Mavericks, guaranteed the West's No. 4 seed, failed to set their franchise victory record; at 60-22, they remained tied with the 2002-03 club that reached the conference finals. But Dallas did set another club mark that defensive-minded coach Avery Johnson will appreciate: fewest points allowed per game, 93.1.
Bulls 127, Raptors 106
CHICAGO -- Ben Gordon scored 24 points and Chicago closed the regular season by beating Toronto to grab the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The Bulls will face Miami in a first-round series that opens Saturday after winning 12 of their final 14 games to finish 41-41. Morris Peterson and Charlie Villanueva each scored 29 for the Raptors (27-55), who ended the season on a 1-12 skid with All-Star forward Chris Bosh nursing a thumb injury. Villanueva had 10 rebounds.
Celtics 85, Heat 78
BOSTON -- Ryan Gomes had 19 points and Tony Allen added 17 to help Boston snap a five-game losing streak. Miami (52-30) begins its playoff run on Saturday against Chicago. The Celtics (33-49) also snapped a five-game slide at home and finished with a 21-20 record in Boston.
Spurs 89, Rockets 87
HOUSTON -- Brent Barry scored 19 points and Michael Finley added 17 to help San Antonio break the franchise record for victories. Manu Ginobili had 11 points and six assists for the Spurs, who finished the regular season 63-19, topping the 1994-95 team, which finished 62-20. While the Spurs cruised into the playoffs, the Rockets wrapped up their third losing season since 1984. They won only 15 games at the Toyota Center, matching the league's worst home-court record and are headed to the draft lottery for the fifth time in seven seasons.
Grizzlies 102, Timberwolves 92, 2OT
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Cardinal scored nine of his 18 points in the second overtime and Lawrence Roberts added 10 points and 12 boards to lead Memphis. The Grizzlies played without leading scorer and rebounder Pau Gasol (sore foot) and Eddie Jones, while Minnesota sat Kevin Garnett and Ricky Davis. The Grizzlies wrapped up the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face fourth-seeded Dallas in the first round. Eddie Griffin had 17 points and 15 rebounds and rookie Bracey Wright scored a career-high 19 for the Timberwolves.
Jazz 105, Warriors 102
SALT LAKE CITY -- Rookie C.J. Miles scored a career-high 23 points and Utah avoided consecutive losing seasons. Carlos Boozer had 26 points and 11 rebounds and Mehmet Okur scored 23 points, including a 3-pointer that put Utah ahead to stay with 38 seconds left. The Jazz finished the season 41-41, winning six of their final eight. Monta Ellis scored 27 for Golden State and had a chance to put the game into overtime, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim. Derek Fisher scored 20, making a 3 with about 12 seconds remaining to pull Golden State back within 103-102.
Associated Press
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.