Cavaliers move closer to playoff spot beating Grizzlies 110-98

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 110-98 on Wednesday night to move within a victory of wrapping up a playoff spot.

All-Star shooting guard Mitchell, who has been bothered by left knee soreness for two months, also had eight assists in just his 10th game since Feb. 15. The Cavaliers have lost 11 of their last 17, but sit fourth in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland would lock up a top-six finish and its second straight playoff appearance with a victory Friday night over Indiana or a win Sunday over Charlotte. Both games are at home.

Jake LaRavia scored a career-high 32 and made eight 3-pointers, and GG Jackson II had 22 points for injury-plagued Memphis, which has used an NBA-record 33 players this season. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 18 points and six assists.

HORNETS 115, HAWKS 114

ATLANTA (AP) — Miles Bridges made a layup with 3.8 seconds left and Charlotte beat Atlanta to spoil Hawks star Trae Young’s return from a finger injury.

After missing 23 games because of a torn ligament in his left pinkie, Young had 14 points and 11 assists in 21 minutes while making each of his five shots from the field. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 27 points. Bridges had 18.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Vit Krejci each had 19 points for Atlanta, which suffered its fourth straight loss. Trent Forrest missed a last-second jumper as the Hawks, 10th in the Eastern Conference, missed an opportunity to move within a half-game of No. 9 Chicago in the race for a home game to open the play-in tournament.

MAVERICKS 111, HEAT 92

MIAMI (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 29 points, Kyrie Irving added 25 and Dallas wrapped up the Southwest Division title by beating Miami.

Doncic also had nine rebounds and nine assists for Dallas, which will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs — that series starting either April 20 or 21. It’ll be the third opening-round matchup between those teams in the last four seasons; the Clippers won each of the first two.

Derrick Jones Jr., P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford all finished with 12 points for Dallas.

Tyler Herro led the Heat with 21 points. Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Caleb Martin scored 14 and Jimmy Butler had 12 for the Heat.

The Associated Press