nba roundup | Sunday’s other games

Spurs 100, Lakers 81

LOS ANGELES

The San Antonio Spurs want to do everything they can to avoid facing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They took a step forward by beating the defending NBA champions on their home court. Manu Ginobili scored 32 points, Tim Duncan added 24 and the Spurs clinched their 13th consecutive playoff berth. They moved into the seventh spot in the West, a half-game ahead of idle Portland. “They’re playoff-tested, so we want to stay away from them as long as possible,” Tim Duncan said of the Lakers. The Lakers got a season-high 32 points from Pau Gasol and 22 from Kobe Bryant, but failed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West and heard boos from their fans. “They controlled the tempo,” Bryant said. “We didn’t make shots. There were stretches with opportunities to get back in the ballgame and we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole.” Richard Jefferson added 14 points and Duncan had 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who won their third straight and 15th of 20. They’ve notched recent wins over four of the NBA’s top teams: Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and now the Lakers. “It was an unbelievable victory,” Ginobili said. “Two months ago, it wasn’t even in our wildest dreams to come here and win a game by 18 against the Lakers. But we’re doing better now and we’re playing hard. Our defense has really stepped up, and the difference was that we made the shots we had to make.” Already without Tony Parker because of a broken ring finger, the Spurs lost starting guard George Hill to a sprained right ankle in the second quarter. He didn’t return after scoring six points. “I’m a little worried about everything that’s coming up now without George,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, referring to road games against Denver, Phoenix and Dallas.

Magic 107, Grizzlies 92

ORLANDO, Fla.

Vince Carter had 26 points and seven rebounds, and Orlando beat Memphis after an on-court scuffle. The scrum between Matt Barnes and Hasheem Thabeet escalated into a near 10-player shoving match. There were six technical fouls by game’s end, plenty of pop for an Easter matchup that had little meaning in the standings. Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson scored 18 points apiece for the Magic, who are all but sure to win their third straight Southeast Division title and the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. One Orlando win or Atlanta loss will seal the division. Zach Randolph had 24 points and 18 rebounds, and Rudy Gay added 18 points to help Memphis rally from a 14-point deficit. The Grizzlies have lost four of their last five and are already assured of missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

Pacers 133, Rockets 102

INDIANAPOLIS

Roy Hibbert had 20 points and 11 rebounds, leading Indiana to its ninth home win in 10 games. Josh McRoberts had a career-high 18 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds, and Danny Granger scored 18 for the Pacers, who have won seven of nine overall to improve to 29-48. They had their eight-game home winning streak snapped against Miami on Friday. Chase Budinger had 17 points and Kyle Lowry scored 16 for Houston (38-38), which has dropped four straight to Indiana.

Thunder 116, Timberwolves 108

OKLAHOMA CITY

Kevin Durant scored 40 points to break the franchise record for scoring in a season and the Oklahoma City Thunder fought off a spirited charge by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Less than 24 hours after clinching the franchise’s first playoff berth in five years, the Thunder built a 25-point lead in the first half, but then had to hang on as Minnesota moved back within six in the final 10 minutes. Durant hit a jumper and then threw down a two-handed alley-oop jam with 5 minutes left to restore Oklahoma City’s lead to double digits and break the franchise scoring record in the process. Ryan Gomes scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Minnesota’s comeback bid.

Wizards 109, Nets 99

WASHINGTON

Andray Blatche had 20 points, a career-high 13 assists and nine rebounds, and Washington beat New Jersey in a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams. Blatche’s performance overshadowed a game between two clubs with a combined record of 34-119. He missed 13-of-18 shots from the field, but hit all 10 of his free throw attempts. Washington had six players in double figures. Mike Miller had 17 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. Nick Young, Shaun Livingston and Cartier Martin had 16 points and JaVale McGee scored 14. Brook Lopez and Devin Harris led New Jersey with 22.

Warriors 113, Raptors 112

TORONTO

Don Nelson tied Lenny Wilkens for the most wins by an NBA coach when Golden State held off Toronto. The victory was the 1,332nd for Nelson, who can pass Wilkens when Golden State plays at Washington on Tuesday. Golden State’s players danced in a circle around Nelson after the wild finish, which saw Chris Bosh steal the inbounds pass only to have his game-winning layup attempt roll off the rim as time expired. Stephen Curry had 29 points and 12 assists, and Corey Maggette scored 31 points for the Warriors.

Associated Press