The Indiana Pacers secured home-court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 114-112 win over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in Indianapolis.
With the New York Knicks’ loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, the Pacers could still earn the No. 3 seed in the East if they win their final two games while the Knicks lose out.
Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 23 points and dished out 10 assists. He buried 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put Indiana ahead 113-107 with 3:08 remaining. The Cavaliers fought back and earned a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession, but Jaylon Tyson’s turnaround attempt at the buzzer was no good.
Ty Jerome paced Cleveland with 24 points and De’Andre Hunter added 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Cavaliers, who have already clinched the No. 1 seed, played without Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Max Strus.
Hawks 133, Nets 109
Rookie Zaccharie Risacher scored 23 of his career-high 38 points in the first half as Atlanta cruised past Brooklyn in New York.
Two days after turning 20, Risacher made 15 of 20 shots and posted his fourth career 30-point game, the most among rookies. The top overall pick also made six 3-pointers. Trae Young added 24 points and 12 assists for his league-leading 50th points-assists double-double as the Hawks shot 57.1 percent.
Jalen Wilson tied his season high with 20 points as the Nets got 75 points from the bench. Rookie Tosan Evbuomwan contributed 18 and rookie Tyson Etienne finished with 16.
Pistons 115, Knicks 106
Cade Cunningham poured in 36 points and recorded eight assists as host Detroit pulled out a comeback victory over New York in a preview of a potential first-round playoff matchup.
Jalen Duren supplied 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons. Tobias Harris had 17 points and Ron Holland.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 25 points and 10 rebounds but also had seven turnovers. New York was missing OG Anunoby (thumb) and Josh Hart (knee).
Bucks 136, Pelicans 111
Giannis Antetokounmpo collected 28 points and 11 rebounds as host Milwaukee pulled away from New Orleans.
Antetokounmpo fell five assists short of what would have been his fourth straight triple-double, but the Bucks (46-34) still won their sixth consecutive game. Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter Jr. scored 20 points.
Lester Quinones scored a career-high 21 while Keion Brooks Jr. and Jamal Cain each set a career best with 20 as the Pelicans lost their fifth game in a row.
