MIAMI: John Salmons scored 17 points, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 14 points and 12 rebounds as the already-eliminated Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat 90-85 Wednesday. The loss knocked Miami (54-24) a half-game back of Boston in the race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Carlos Delfino's 3-pointer with 24 seconds left helped seal it for the Bucks, who got 14 points from Corey Maggette. Milwaukee was eliminated from playoff contention during the game, thanks to Indiana's win over Washington. LeBron James scored 29 points for Miami, which played without injured guard Dwyane Wade, the NBA's No. 3 scorer. Thunder 112, Clippers 108: At Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Russell Westbrook added 26 as Oklahoma City clinched the Northwest Division title. The Thunder won the first division crown for the franchise since 2005, when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics, but only after fending off a late charge from the Clippers. Blake Griffin had 35 points and 11 rebounds in the second visit to his hometown in his NBA career, but he missed a key foul shot that helped put the game away for Oklahoma City. Hornets 101, Rockets 93: At New Orleans, Chris Paul had 28 points and 10 assists as New Orleans clinched a playoff spot. Trevor Ariza, acquired by the Hornets from Houston in an offseason trade, scored 19 for a second straight game and equaled a season high with six steals. Jarrett Jack added 19 points, while seventh-year pro Emeka Okafor, who's never been to the playoffs, added 11 points to help rookie coach Monty Williams get there with a far shorter wait. Kevin Martin scored 21 for Houston, which is now on the brink of elimination. Pacers 136, Wizards 112: At Indianapolis, Danny Granger scored 25 points as Indiana clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2006. The Pacers needed a win and a Charlotte loss to Orlando to clinch a spot in the postseason. As the Pacers' game ended, the Orlando-Charlotte game was in overtime, and the Conseco Fieldhouse staff put the game on the Jumbotron. Many fans stayed to cheer to the Magic on to a 111-102 win. Paul George scored a career-high 23 points and Darren Collison added 15 points and 11 assists for the Pacers. Jordan Crawford scored 29 points and John Wall had 19 points and nine rebounds for Washington. Warriors 95, Lakers 87: At Oakland, California, Monta Ellis scored 26 points, and David Lee had 22 points and 17 rebounds as Golden State held on to beat Los Angeles. Nuggets 104, Mavericks 96: At Dallas, J.R. Smith broke a tie in the final minutes with a layup and immediately followed with a jump shot, lifting Denver past Dallas. Magic 111, Bobcats 102: At Charlotte, North Carolina, Gilbert Arenas scored 25 points as Orlando overcame Quentin Richardson's ejection and Dwight Howard's 18th technical foul to eliminate Charlotte from playoff contention. Knicks 97, 76ers 92: At Philadelphia, Carmelo Anthony had 31 points and 11 rebounds and Amare Stoudemire scored 18 points as New York moved into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Spurs 124, Kings 92: At San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 25 points as San Antonio moved to the brink of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Cavaliers 104, Raptors 96: At Toronto, J.J. Hickson scored 28 points to lead Cleveland past Toronto. Pistons 116, Nets 109: At Auburn Hills, Michigan, Richard Hamilton scored 25 points and Rodney Stuckey added 22 to lead Detroit. Suns 108, Timberwolves 98: At Minneapolis, Marcin Gortat scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Phoenix dropped Minnesota into last place in the NBA.
