TAMPA, Fla. — Kevin Durant scored seven of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, Jeff Green had 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 116-103 Tuesday night and clinched a playoff spot.
Durant, who was playing his second game after returning from a thigh injury, added 10 rebounds in 33 minutes for his eighth double-double of the season. Durant hit a 3-pointer with 1:47 remaining and glared at the Toronto bench after putting his team up 111-101.
Kyrie Irving finished with nine points, six rebounds and four assists while making just 3 of 13 shots. But the other seven Nets who played all finished in double figures on the night Brooklyn became the first Eastern Conference team to lock up a postseason berth.
The Nets won for a third straight time and the fourth time in five games to prevent Toronto from pulling off the season sweep. The Raptors, who were led by Kyle Lowry’s 24 points and six 3-pointers, had their five-game home winning streak end. One of those victories was a 114-103 defeat of the Nets in Tampa last week.
BUCKS 114, HORNETS 104: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Brook Lopez added 22 points and visiting Milwaukee held off Charlotte to avoid a sweep of the teams’ regular-season series.
Kris Middleton scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday chipped in with 12 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, who bounced back from a 111-104 loss to the short-handed Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.
Devonte Graham scored 25 points and Miles Bridges added 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who had their two-game win streak snapped.
TRAIL BLAZERS 133, PACERS 112: Anfernee Simons scored 27 points on nine 3-pointers, two shy of Damian Lillard’s franchise record, and Portland routed host Indiana to end its five-game losing streak.
Lillard added 23 points and the Blazers shot a season-best 57.1% from beyond the arc to end their longest skid of the season. Simons was 9 for 10 on 3-pointers.
Malcolm Brogdon and Oshae Brissett each finished with 18 points for the Pacers, who had a three-game winning streak end.
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