NBA – Blazers edge Spurs; Mavs beat Jazz to clinch play-off spot
SAN ANTONIO (NBA) - The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 95-83 in San Antonio on Wednesday night to create a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference. The Blazers, San Antonio and Houston are all 50-28 with four games remaining. Brandon Roy poured in 26 points as the Blazers won for the first time in San Antonio ...
SAN ANTONIO (NBA) - The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs 95-83 in San Antonio on Wednesday night to create a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference.
The Blazers, San Antonio and Houston are all 50-28 with four games remaining.
Brandon Roy poured in 26 points as the Blazers won for the first time in San Antonio in seven years.
The Dallas Mavericks got 31 points from Germany international Dirk Nowitzki and a career-high seven steals from Josh Howard as they thrashed the visiting Utah Jazz 130-101 to leave both sides with 47-31 records and tied for seventh in the Western Conference.
The Mavs clinched a post-season place with the triumph and now they will attempt to move up in the standings to improve their play-off seeding and avoid a first-round clash with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas and Utah are only a game behind New Orleans, who lost 105-100 at home to Phoenix. The Suns were eliminated from play-off contention when the Mavs won their game.
Denver (53-26) tightened their grip on second spot in the Western Conference with a 122-112 home triumph over Oklahoma City.
The Nuggets, who got 31 points from their USA international Carmelo Anthony, have won seven in a row.
Other results: Washington 86 Cleveland 98, Toronto 101 Indiana 130, Memphis 78 Orlando 81, New Jersey 104 Boston 106, Detroit 113 New York 86, Atlanta 113 Milwaukee 105, Minnesota 105 Golden State 97.
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