By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Darius Garland had 10 assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers survived some sloppiness in the final two minutes to win their 12th straight game, 112-107, over the banged-up Miami Heat on Wednesday night, March 5.
With the win, the Cavs became the first team to clinch a playoff berth.
It wasn’t easy as the Heat, who were missing several rotational players, led 107-106 with 2:55 left. But Miami didn’t score again and Duncan Robinson’s apparent tying 3-pointer with 17.4 seconds left was waved off because he stepped out of bounds.
Bam Adebayo scored a season-high 34 points for Miami, which was without leading scorer Tyler Herro.
The Heat were already missing Jaime Jaquez Jr. (ankle sprain), Nikola Jovic (broken hand), Kel’el Ware (knee sprain) and Andrew Wiggins (ankle sprain) before Herro came down with a head cold in the past 24 hours.
Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter added 16 points apiece for Cleveland.
Miami’s Kevin Love played his first game in Cleveland since signing with the Heat two years ago. The 36-year-old Love received a rousing ovation from Cavs fans, who’ll never forget his major role in helping the team win the 2016 NBA title. Love was saluted with a video tribute during a timeout in the first quarter.
Meanwhile in Boston, Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 43 points and knocked down a career-best 10 3-pointers to lead the short-handed Boston Celtics past the Portland Trail Blazers, 128-118.
Derrick White added career highs with 41 points and nine 3s to lead Boston to its eighth victory in 10 games, making Pritchard and White the first Celtic duo to score 40 or more points in the same game and the first duo in NBA history with nine or more 3-pointers each in a game.
With starters Jayson Tatum (shoulder), Jrue Holiday (finger) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) all sitting out, Pritchard picked up the scoring load for a Celtics team that made 23 3-pointers.
The game remained tight throughout the first half, featuring five ties and 15 lead changes. But Boston outscored the Blazers 36-27 in the third quarter.
Anfernee Simons led Portland with 30 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 25.
It was the sixth game of a seven-game road trip for the Blazers, who had won four of their previous five.
In Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points to bring his career total over 20,000, Damian Lillard added 34 points and Kevin Porter Jr. had a triple-double as the surging Bucks trounced the short-handed Dallas Mavericks, 137-107.
The 30-year-old Antetokounmpo has scored 20,010 career points, becoming the 52nd player to reach 20,000. The only players to get to the 20,000-point mark at a younger age were LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.
Antetokounmpo, who played less than 25 minutes, also had 15 rebounds as the Bucks won for the eighth time in their last nine games.
In Washington, Kyshawn George scored 23 points, Alex Sarr added 21 and the Wizards edged the Utah Jazz, 125-122.
Seven of the nine players used by Washington were in double figures, with Justin Champagnie coming off the bench for 17 points.
Johnny Juzang scored 27 points and Kyle Filipowski had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost 10 straight road games.
