Associated Press
The NBA roundup …
CLEVELAND ó LeBron James scored 23 points, Delonte West had 13 and a career-high eight steals and the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to clinch a spot in the NBA playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 91-73 on Wednesday night in a potential first-round series preview.
At 48-12, the Cavaliers wrapped up their fourth straight postseason berth with more than one month left in the regular season. The Cavs moved 36 games over. 500 for the first time and improved their league-best record at home to 27-1.
Richard Jefferson scored 29 for the Bucks.
Knicks 109, Hawks 105
NEW YORK ó Larry Hughes scored 23 points to continue his turnaround from a rocky start with his new team, and New York snapped a three-game losing streak.
Al Harrington had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 17 points for the Knicks, who got March off to a good start after a 3-10 February that damaged their hopes of making the playoffs in Mike D’Antoni’s first season.
The Knicks entered the night three games behind eighth-place Milwaukee in the race for the final Eastern Conference spot.
Heat 135, Suns 129
MIAMI ó Dwyane Wade scored 35 points and tied his career high with 16 assists, reserves Michael Beasley and Daequan Cook combined to score 55 points, and the Heat spoiled Shaquille O’Neal’s return to Miami.
O’Neal finished with 22 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 1:08 left for the Suns.
Celtics 115, Nets 111
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ó Paul Pierce scored 31 points and hit a game-winning 17-footer with 20.9 seconds to play to lead Boston.
Ray Allen, who tied the game at 111 with a clutch 3-pointer with 1:05 to play, iced the contest with two free throws with 7.5 seconds to play.
Seconds earlier, Vince Carter had a potential game-tying drive bounce off the rim.
Rajon Rondo added 20 points as the Celtics shot 61.2 percent from the field in beating the Nets for the third time this season. Carter had 34 points for New Jersey and Devin Harris added 25 points and 11 assists.
Thunder 88, Wizards 83
OKLAHOMA CITY ó Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha made big baskets in the final 2 minutes, helping Oklahoma City to its first three-game winning streak of the season.
onds remaining stretched the lead to five and Nenad Krstic added two free throws with 9.5 seconds left.
Antawn Jamison had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Washington.
Bulls 110, Warriors 88
CHICAGO ó John Salmons had 23 points and seven rebounds, Joakim Noah added 14 points and 17 rebounds and Chicago beat Golden State.
Brad Miller finished with 19 points and six rebounds for Chicago, and Derrick Rose finished with 14 points and six assists. The Bulls pulled into a tie with Milwaukee for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Jazz 101, Rockets 94
SALT LAKE CITY ó Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 17 rebounds in his best game since his return from a three-month absence and the Utah Jazz won their ninth straight, beating the Houston Rockets 101-94.