Suche - Der Micky Maus Club

The Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets meet Sunday in game seven of the second round of the NBA playoffs(nba championship rings for sale) at the Pepsi Center.

The Portland Trail Blazers(cheap Portland Trail Blazers championship rings) look for their first conference final appearance since the 1999-00 season. The Portland Trail Blazers are averaging 112.2 points on 44.3 percent shooting and allowing 111.1 points on 43.7 percent shooting. Damian Lillard is averaging 29.8 points and 5.8 assists while CJ McCollum is averaging 24.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Enes Kanter is the third double-digit scorer and Al-Farouq Aminu is grabbing 7.1 rebounds. The Portland Trail Blazers are shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc and 75.8 percent from the free throw line. The Portland Trail Blazers are allowing 34.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.9 rebounds per game. The Portland Trail Blazers have lost three of their last five road games.



The Denver Nuggets look for their first conference final appearance since the 2008-09 season. The Denver Nuggets are averaging 110.2 points on 44.8 percent shooting and allowing 107.8 points on 45.2 percent shooting. Nikola Jokic is averaging 24.8 points and 13 rebounds while Jamal Murray is averaging 21.6 points and 4.7 assists. Paul Millsap is the third double-digit scorer and Gary Harris is grabbing four rebounds. The Denver Nuggets are shooting 35.7 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent from the free throw line. The Denver Nuggets are allowing 34.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 47.5 rebounds per game. The Denver Nuggets have won five of their last six home games.

The Trail Blazers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games, 5-11 ATS in their last 16 Conference Semifinals games and 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The Nuggets are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 Conference Semifinals games, 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games playing on 2 days rest and 22-9-1 ATS in their last 32 vs. NBA Northwest(custom championship rings). The Trail Blazers are 2-5-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Denver and 3-9-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings. The under is 14-5 in Nuggets last 19 home games. The over is 4-0 in Trail Blazers last 4 overall.

The Portland Trail Blazers have failed to cover 17 of their last 26 games as a road underdog. The Denver Nuggets have split their last 12 games ATS as a home favorite.

The Denver Nuggets have been the better team in this series, as they've pretty much been in complete control of their victories and had several chances to win multiple of those four overtimes. And while the Nuggets are still babies in terms of playoff experience, just winning a game seven against the San Antonio Spurs will help calm the nerves a bit. With that said, game sevens are often decided by stars who refuse to allow their team to go home, and there's not many backcourts in the league I trust more than Lillard and McCollum. Just two dogs who have proven they can put the squad on their back and will a victory. If those two are clicking the way I think they will in a game this big, I'm not sure the Nuggets will be able to counter. Give me the points for insurance, but I like Portland to advance.

Hungry Hornets face critical game against Cavs

The Charlotte Hornets are still alive for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte (38-42) moved into a tie for ninth place in the East by holding off Detroit 104-91 on Sunday night for its third consecutive victory amid a playoff-like atmosphere. It's pretty much another must-win game when Charlotte plays at the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-62)(Cleveland Cavaliers championship rings for sale) on Tuesday night. The Hornets let Detroit trim a 23-point first-half lead to one with 8:01 left in the game but pulled away for the win and climbed within one game of the eighth-place Pistons (39-41).



"We just stuck with it," head coach James Borrego said on Fox Sports Southeast(cheap nba championship rings). "The resiliency was there. We just keep pounding. We're not dying. We just keep pounding away. Really proud of (our) effort, our intensity, our focus tonight. That's a big-time win." Here is what needs to happen for Charlotte to be the eighth seed in the East and meet top-seeded Milwaukee in the first round:

--Wins over Cleveland and against visiting Orlando on Wednesday night, combined with at least one Pistons loss. Charlotte swept the four-game series against Detroit and thereby owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

--Split against the Cavs and Magic while the Pistons lose twice and the Miami Heat (38-42) lose one more game. Although the Hornets and Heat have the same record and the teams split four games, Charlotte's superior division record gives it the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Charlotte's last playoff appearance was in 2016, and the Hornets haven't advanced past the first round since 2002. "We've played well recently and it's another big step in the right direction, not only for our group this year but just as an organization," Borrego said. "Just making strides every single day, every single game." Charlotte All-Star guard Kemba Walker continues to lead the way, with 31 points, seven assists and eight rebounds on Sunday. He also became the ninth different player in NBA history to make 250 3-pointers in a season. Cleveland is on a nine-game losing streak heading into its season finale. Not unexpectedly, it has been a difficult season with LeBron James leaving for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and center Kevin Love being healthy enough to appear in only 22 games.

He played 12 minutes in Sunday's home loss to the San Antonio Spurs, but Cavaliers coach Larry Drew said afterward it was unknown if Love would play in the finale. That could also be Drew's final game with the club; he said before Sunday's game there had yet to be any discussion about his future with the team. One positive for the Cavs has been the play of 20-year-old rookie point guard Collin Sexton, who is averaging 16.7 points per game(custom championship rings) and shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range.

"A decision was made early that we really wanted our young guys to grow and mature by being out on the floor," Drew said. "Collin, you see the growth." Other young players Cavs who developed this season were Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic. "Now you're got some guys that will come back next year that have a year of playing consistent minutes," Drew said. "And you have guys who now understand or know what it feels like to play."

Pacers handle Griffin-less Pistons 108-89

DETROIT (AP) Blake Griffin made it through almost the whole season without a significant injury. Now, as the Detroit Pistons try to hold on to a playoff spot, their star's health is a concern again. Griffin missed a third straight game Wednesday, and the Pistons were routed 108-89 by the Indiana Pacers. Detroit(cheap nba championship rings) says Griffin has been dealing with a sore left knee. He's missed just six games this season, but it's not clear when he'll be available again. Coach Dwane Casey hopes to have him back for the team's next game Friday.

''He's worked the past couple days,'' Casey said. ''Just not quite right.'' The out-of-town scoreboard had mostly good news for the Pistons(custom Detroit Pistons championship rings). Brooklyn and Miami both lost, so Detroit remained alone in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. But the Nets and the Orlando Magic are just a half-game behind, and the Heat - who dropped to ninth - are only a game back of the Pistons. Thaddeus Young scored 21 points for the Pacers, who snapped a 10-game losing streak on the road and won for just the third time in their last 10 games overall. Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner scored 17 points apiece, and Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Indiana closed the third quarter with nine straight points, and Doug McDermott's 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 78-62 lead. ''We talked about trying to be road tough tonight,'' Indiana coach Nate McMillan said. ''We wanted to come out and play well, and I thought the guys did from start to finish. Offensively, we didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but (our) defense was able to help hold the lead.'' Andre Drummond had 28 points and 19 rebounds for the Pistons, and Wayne Ellington scored 24 points. The Pistons turned the ball over seven times in the first quarter and trailed 18-15 after one. Indiana was up 44-36 at halftime. There was a highlight for Detroit in the third, when Turner fell to the ground trying to stay with Reggie Jackson on the perimeter, and Jackson made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to six. But it was a tough evening for the Pistons overall.

Griffin has averaged 24.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 72 games(championship rings for sale) - the most he's played since he appeared in 80 in 2013-14 with the Los Angeles Clippers. ''Whenever you're missing your main guy, it's kind of hard playing on the fly and figuring it out, but we have to adjust and we have to do it quickly,'' Jackson said.



HOME COURT?

The Pacers are safely in the playoffs, but they're still tied after Wednesday with Boston for fourth place in the East. So home court in the first round is at stake for both those teams down the stretch. ''Every win counts. Every game, we have to play like it's our last possession or our last game,'' Young said. ''We have to get as many wins as possible to keep up with that four spot. We just need to continue the course and continue to play and just take it from there.''

RECORD

Drummond tied his own team record with his 66th double-double of the season. He also had that many in 2015-16. Isiah Thomas had 65 in 1984-85.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Indiana is 22-21 in Victor Oladipo's absence. He is out for the season after a January knee injury. ... Darren Collison (groin) and Wesley Matthews (hamstring) also missed the game. ... Cory Joseph had six points and 12 assists.

Pistons: Detroit has lost five of seven. ... The Pistons went 11 of 41 from 3-point range. ... Detroit finished with 20 turnovers.

UP NEXT

Pacers: Host Boston on Friday night.

Pistons: At Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Westbrook records triple-double, leads Thunder past Lakers(LA Lakers championship rings)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) With the outcome all but decided and just over a minute remaining, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan wanted to get Russell Westbrook out of Tuesday's game. Westbrook wasn't having it, waving off Hamidou Diallo. Moments later, Westbrook grabbed a rebound and nearly snagged another as the ball glanced off his fingertips after a miss. On the next possession, Westbrook snagged a final rebound and joined some elite company in NBA(custom nba championship rings) history in the Thunder's 119-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Westbrook became the second player in league history to have 20 or more points, rebounds and assists in a game, finishing with 20 points, 20 rebounds and 21 assists. Wilt Chamberlain was the only other player to accomplish the feat. After the game, Westbrook dedicated the win to rapper Nipsey Hussle. The musician, like Westbrook a Los Angeles product, was shot and killed on Sunday in Los Angeles. ''I'm not going to try to put it into words but like I said on the floor, that's who it's for,'' Westbrook said. ''I'm going to leave it at that.''



Chamberlain set the lofty mark with 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists in a 1968 game. Westbrook also tied Chamberlain for second all-time in 15-point, 15-rebound, 15-assists games with eight. Oscar Robertson had 14 such games in his career. Lakers coach Luke Walton said his team narrowed in on three keys to beat the Thunder, even with his own depleted lineup - transition defense, taking care of the ball and boxing out. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles on the fast break 34-8, the Lakers turned the ball over 21 times and Oklahoma City won the rebounding battle 50-39.

''When they get what they got off of those three things, it's going to be really hard to win the game(championship sports rings), even if you shoot the ball well like our guys shot tonight,'' Walton said. The Lakers shot 47.6% from the field. Thunder coach Billy Donovan said Westbrook explained the wave-off after the game. ''I knew that he had a close friend pass away,'' Donovan said. ''For a few guys on our team relationship-wise, it's kind of hit them pretty hard just in the last couple days. ''For Russell, that was something that really, really meant a lot to him.''

After Westbrook clinched the mark, grabbing the rebound on Lance Stephenson's miss in the final minute, he drew a large ovation from the crowd before leaving the game for Diallo. Oklahoma City had struggled in the first half recently, trailing in eight consecutive games entering Tuesday. The Thunder, despite leading by as many as 11 points early, looked to be heading toward another halftime deficit when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope put the Lakers ahead with a 3-pointer late in the second quarter. But Oklahoma City closed the half with an 11-6 run and took a 59-55 lead into halftime.

Though Westbrook struggled from the field early - missing 12 of his first 14 shots - he was effective on the offensive end from the start, with 10 first-quarter assists. ''I tried to attack the paint,'' Westbrook said. ''A lot of teams for me load the paint and stop me from getting to the paint, so I tried to use that to my advantage, drawing three or four people and finding open guys. ''I tried to set the tone early.'' Westbrook finished 8 of 23 from the field as Oklahoma City won for the third time in its last 10 games. Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers with 23 points.

The loss was Los Angeles' second in the last six games despite playing with a roster missing its stars. ''I thought we brought the energy level that it takes to win,'' Walton said.

BOSTON (AP) The Boston Celtics(cheap Boston Celtics championship rings) are approaching the final two weeks of the regular season as if the playoffs have already begun. They started by beating a team they could see again when the postseason officially tips off. Kyrie Irving hit a driving layup with 0.5 seconds left and the Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 114-112 on Friday night. Boston moved into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Both teams have identical 45-31 records, but the Celtics lead the regular-season series 2-1, giving them the current inside track on home-court advantage in a first-round series. Irving finished with 30 points and five assists. He has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven games. Al Horford added 19 points and seven rebounds. Aron Baynes had 13 points and 13 rebounds. If the current standings hold, the teams would meet in the first round. Their final regular-season meeting is Friday in Indiana.

''It was definitely a great feel-out game, if you want to call it that, for the playoffs,'' Irving said. ''Home-court advantage was at stake and I know we see them again one more time. We'll see how that goes and just keep on getting better for the rest of the regular season.'' After struggling in recent weeks, Celtics(nba championship rings for sale) coach Brad Stevens said it's to be determined how much of it carries over. ''I don't know,'' he said. ''We'll find out.'' Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 27 points. Thaddeus Young added 18 points and nine rebounds. Myles Turner finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The game featured 10 ties and six lead changes.

''This is expected,'' Pacers guard Darren Collison said of the tightly contested game. ''Both teams are trying to play for something, so it was expected that the atmosphere was like this. Nothing less.'' Neither team will be able to relax as the regular season winds down. Both Indiana and Boston play five of the final six games against teams currently in playoff position. The Celtics slipped out to 105-99 lead early in the fourth quarter, after Indiana went 2:42 without a basket. But the Pacers recovered with a 6-0 run to tie the game a 105 with 4 minutes to play. It was tied again at 107 when Marcus Smart drained a 3-pointer late in the shot clock. But Collison answered with his own 3 on the other end.

The Pacers(championship sports rings) had a chance to break another tie at 112 with less than minute to play, but Young came up short on a driving layup. The Celtics turned it over on Smart's errant pass coming out of a timeout, giving Indiana the ball back. The Pacers ran the clock down and it wound in the hands of Collison, who misfired on a jumper with 10.2 seconds remaining to set up Irving's final shot.

TIP-INS

Pacers: Finished 12 of 27 from the 3-point line.

Celtics: Baynes posted his first double-double of the season.

RESTED AND RUNNING

The Celtics entered Friday's matchup on two days' rest and played with energy at the outset, taking a 20-9 lead. Unlike in some of its previous losses in which its lack of fast-break points was glaring, Boston made it a point to push the ball. Five of its first nine points came in transition and included a nice behind-the-back pass by Smart to Horford for a dunk that prompted Indiana to call the game's first timeout. Irving was even fresher after sitting out Tuesday's win over Cleveland specifically to rest. He hit his first three shots.

The Pacers didn't have a single transition basket in the first quarter, were outscored 18-6 in the paint and trailed by as many as 13. But Indiana got 18 first-half points from Bogdanovic and trimmed the Celtics' lead to 63-60 at the half. The Pacers kept attacking after halftime, outscoring Boston 31-26 in the third quarter to take a 91-89 lead into the final period.

Curry, Durant each score 28 points, Warriors beat Grizzlies

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Kevin Durant had the best shooting night of his career to help the Golden State Warriors(custom Golden State Warriors championship rings) take the outright Western Conference lead. Durant and Stephen Curry each scored 28 points, with Durant going 12 of 13 from the field, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 118-103 on Wednesday night. Curry also had 10 rebounds, and DeMarcus Cousins added 16 points and nine rebounds. The Warriors broke a tie with idle Denver for the top spot in the West.

''We're not looking at it. Obviously, it's something, coming down the stretch of the season, you want to know what the matchups are looking like,'' said Durant, who was unaware they regained first place. ''Each game is important from top to bottom. From the eighth seed to the top, so you are going to take a peek at it, but you are not really writing it on a white board or looking at it.'' Jonas Valanciunas led Memphis with 27 points and 13 rebounds, and Mike Conley added 22 points to take the franchise's career scoring lead and added eight assists. Bruno Caboclo had 17 points and 13 rebounds. Injuries to key Memphis(nba championship rings) players have shortened the rotation. Conley said the pace of the game finally caught up with the Grizzlies, contributing to fatigue in the fourth.

''They're a team that moves so well without the ball,'' Conley said about Golden State. ''They've got so many weapons and just push the tempo. Eventually, it gets into your legs a little bit.'' Memphis had recently made life tough on visiting playoff teams fighting for seeding in the West. This month, the Grizzlies recorded home wins over Portland, Utah Houston and Oklahoma City. At times, they were close to adding Golden State to the list until a bad fourth quarter. Memphis shot 24 percent in the final frame, making only two of 12 shots from 3-point range. Durant scored seven straight points in a 9-0 run that made it 100-92 midway through the fourth quarter, part of Golden State pulling away at the end, outscoring Memphis 29-19 in the fourth. ''He was picking and choosing his spots early on, facilitating,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said about Durant. ''And then, when we needed him the most, he just took the game over offensively and got buckets for us. So, it was a great night for him, and we needed it. That was a tough game.''

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State suspended center Jordan Bell for the game for conduct detrimental to the team. ... The Warriors have won five straight against the Grizzlies. ... Seven of their last nine games, including Wednesday, are against teams with sub-.500, including the Grizzlies a second time on April 10 - the last day of the regular season. .. Andrew Bogut entered late in the first half, playing in his 700th career game. ... Durant's previous best shooting night was converting 8 of 9 against Phoenix on Feb. 12, 2018.

Grizzlies: Conley's 3-pointer with 2:50 left in the second quarter moved him to first place on the franchise scoring list, passing former teammate Marc Gasol. Conley returned to the lineup after missing two of the previous three games, including Monday's win over Oklahoma City with left thigh soreness. ... Reserve C Joakim Noah missed his second straight game and third in the last four with right knee pain. ... Justin Holiday converted a last-second shot from 35 feet to close the first quarter. He also tied a franchise record for steals in a quarter with four in the first.

TESTY FIRST HALF

Golden State(championship rings for sale) led 66-60 after a spirited first half of good shooting, bickering between players and coaches, players and refs and players and a fan or two. Durant and Valanciunas had technicals in the half.

GREEN AT THE EDGE

Draymond Green got a technical in the second half. When asked if that changed his approach at all, he replied that he hasn't check how many techs he has drawn all season. Told it was 14, two short of a one-game suspension, he said: ''How many games we got left? Eight? We've got eight games left? I got one to play with.''

Magic shut down 76ers(cheap Philadelphia 76ers championship rings) in 2nd half, win 119-98, close on 8th

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) A little desperation went a long way for the Orlando Magic. The Magic shut down the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half of a 119-98 victory on Monday night that moved them within a half-game of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. ''They were desperate. They played like it and we did not,'' said 76ers coach Brett Brown, whose team was held without a field goal for a second-half stretch of nearly 12 minutes. ''Nik Vucevic is a really difficult matchup and (Evan) Fournier really had a fantastic night. Their desperation was evident.'' Vucevic had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Fournier scored 24 points for the Magic, who outscored the 76ers 30-5 while Philadelphia missed 15 straight shots.



''It's impressive, especially when you look at all the firepower they have, even without Ben Simmons,'' Vucevic said. ''We needed this win with a tough road trip coming up, starting tomorrow night in Miami.'' The Magic completed their first 5-0 homestand in franchise history and moved a half-game behind Miami(custom nba championship rings) in chasing the final playoff spot in the East. They visit the Heat on Tuesday. Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Playing without point guard Simmons, the 76ers led 60-57 after shooting 61.5 percent in the first half. The second half was a different story.

''I thought we went away from what was working to get those field goals (in the first half),'' said Tobias Harris, who had 12 of his 15 points in the first half. ''But that game wasn't won or lost on the offensive end for us. That game would have been won on the defensive end. We didn't do a great job against them.'' Shake Milton's jump shot cut the Magic's lead to 78-77 with 4:32 left in the third quarter, but Philadelphia did not score in the remainder of the period, falling behind by 14 points. When Zhaire Smith hit a 3-pointer with 4:50 remaining in the game, it ended a stretch of 11 minutes, 42 seconds without a field goal for the 76ers, who then trailed 108-85.

''I think the urgency has not been with us,'' Brown said. ''It happens. As I candidly said, we're trying to hold on to our third-place position, and land the plane and keep people healthy.'' J.J. Redick, who scored 79 points and made 18 of 29 3-pointers in the 76ers'(championship sports rings) first three games against Orlando this season, made only 1 of 7 Monday night and finished with eight points. ''He's not going to miss those very often, but we'll take it,'' said Magic coach Steve Clifford.

WASHINGTON (AP) Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone didn't know how his team would respond to clinching its first playoff berth in six years. So far, so good. Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 11 assists, and the Nuggets(nba championship rings) used a balanced offense to edge the fading Washington Wizards 113-108 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Torrey Craig also added 15 points for the Nuggets, who were playing for the first time since ensuring their postseason spot Monday in their win over the Celtics.

''I was really worried about this game just because of the hangover effect of clinching in Boston,'' Malone said. ''To pull this out, even though it wasn't pretty, speaks to our team and not being satisfied.'' Eight players reached double figures for Denver, which began its second of four on the road a half-game behind Western Conference leader Golden State. The Warriors played later Thursday. Bradley Beal scored 25 points and Tomas Satoransky had 16 points and 10 assists for Washington, which lost its third straight.

Thomas Bryant added 22 points in his first start in a month, but the 11th-place Wizards' playoff hopes continued to dwindle. They're now six games back of eighth-place Miami with nine remaining. ''You try to be optimistic about it, but realistic at the same time, too,'' Beal said. ''It's tough when you're in the position where you need help from other teams. They're trying to make it just like we are.'' After both teams gave back double-digit leads in the third quarter, the Nuggets again went up by 10 early in the fourth. The Wizards tried to answer with a 10-4 run, capped by Beal's strip of Jokic and dunk to cut it to 106-104 with 1:53 left.

Murray(cheap championship rings) responded with a baseline layup and then Will Barton's 3-pointer from the right wing stretched Denver's lead back to seven. It was still a three-point game when Harris missed a pair of free throws with under 10 seconds remaining, only to snatch his own rebound, absorb Beal's foul, and this time hit two from the line with just over 7 seconds left. ''I just saw an opportunity,'' Harris said of the rebound. ''I wasn't going to miss those (second) two. I wasn't worried about it.''

TIP-INS

Nuggets: Won their 18th on the road, moving within four of a team record with seven left to play away from home. ... Mason Plumlee grabbed 11 rebounds, but was the only Nuggets player to see time who didn't reach double-figure scoring. He finished with four points. ... Jokic had six rebounds. Wizards: Fell to 9-5 in the second game of back-to-back sets, after sliding to 2-12 in the first game in Wednesday's loss at Chicago. They have one more such set remaining. ... Rookie Troy Brown Jr. made his first NBA start in place of Trevor Ariza, who sat after straining his groin Wednesday. Brown finished with 13 points. ... Bryant made his first start since Feb. 22.

KEEP PUSHING

Malone's relief after the game followed his insistence before tip-off that there was still plenty of reason to focus. ''I think it's so important to make sure you're playing at the highest level you possibly can going into the postseason,'' Malone said. ''And we've still got some things to play for. Being a division champion is something that we talk about. Trying to get that one seed, why not us? With 13 games to go, way too early to talk about preservation mode.''

POINTS IN RESERVE

With Craig scoring 15 points, Monte Morris contributing 11 and Malik Beasley adding 10, Denver's second unit outscored Washington's 40-14. ''Tonight was their night,'' Murray said. ''The bench came in and handled business.''

76ers making move while Hornets hope to make theirs

The Philadelphia 76ers(Philadelphia 76ers championship rings) could hardly be coming off a better win. The Charlotte Hornets might be coming off their worst loss. They meet Tuesday night in Charlotte. The Sixers have won four consecutive games, including Sunday's 130-125 victory at Milwaukee in which big man Joel Embiid scored 40 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished six assists as Philadelphia officially clinched a playoff berth. The 76ers (45-25) will spend their final dozen games trying to fend off Indiana and Boston to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

"I felt like we had to make a statement," Embiid told reporters after beating the NBA-best(cheap nba championship rings) Bucks. "It was also a moment for us to see where we are at the moment. And I felt like everybody stepped up." Charlotte is less secure about where it is, but at least it won't have to face Embiid, who will take Tuesday off because of load management while filling his tank to play Wednesday at home against the Boston Celtics. The Hornets (31-38) are losing ground in their dog-paddle to the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, having lost three of their past four games and eight of 11. A 93-75 loss at Miami on Sunday marked a season-low in points. Instead of tying Miami for the No. 8 spot in the East, Charlotte fell two games back.



Hornets All-Star guard Kemba Walker succinctly summed up his feelings after the game. "It hurts," he said in the Charlotte Observer. The missed opportunity is exacerbated when looking at the high hurdles in front of the Hornets. After playing Philadelphia, Charlotte's three-game homestand finishes against Minnesota and Boston before the Hornets head on the road to play Toronto before hosting San Antonio. Minnesota has a losing record, but those other four opponents were a combined 76 games over .500 after Sunday. And the Hornets also have to play at Golden State to end the month.

"We're still in it, you know?" Hornets coach James Borrego said Sunday night. "We're still in it. Most important game is on Tuesday. That's all we can control. We had our star opportunity today to make up ground, and we didn't do that. It's disappointing." Charlotte collapsed in the fourth quarter against Miami, going 3-for-16 from the field -- missing all eight 3-point attempts -- and finishing with a season-low 31.3 percent shooting overall (26 of 83). Walker cobbled together just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting, as the Heat forced the ball out of his hands late in the game.

He'll need more help Tuesday night, while the Sixers will have to compensate for the absence of Embiid. Philadelphia(custom championship rings) will be looking to complete a four-game season sweep of Charlotte, having won three close games -- two in overtime -- early in the season. The most recent matchup was Nov. 17. Philadelphia, after trading for Tobias Harris last month and waiting for Embiid to return from injury, have used their "playoff lineup" of Harris, Embiid, Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick and Ben Simmons -- just seven times. They are 6-1 in those games."We are ready and we got so much more to do," Embiid said. "Still learning to play with each other. So we've got a long way to go."

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche(custom Colorado Avalanche championship rings) needed somebody to step up to help their postseason hopes. They got two big performances before a crucial road trip.



Philipp Grubauer made 22 saves for his third shutout in his last five starts, and the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils(New Jersey Devils championship rings) 3-0 on Sunday to end a two-game skid. "We need wins and that was a good step in the right direction," Grubauer said. "We can't hope for another team to lose for us to get in. We have to keep playing the right way. Every shift for every guy matters." Tyson Barrie scored twice as Colorado (31-29-12) stayed in the mix for a second straight playoff appearance. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 37th goal and also had an assist to reach the 90-point mark for the second straight season. The Avalanche trail Arizona by four points for the second wild card in the Western Conference with 10 games to go. Colorado plays Minnesota and Dallas on the road in the next three days, and then hosts the Coyotes on March 29.

There are five teams(nhl championship rings) within six points of the two wild-card slots out West.

"Those games become must-win games," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "It's not win 10 in a row. Win the game against Arizona and you're right behind them, then you can make up the ground. Those games become huge and we're going to have to play our best hockey. "I have faith that we can pull this off, that we can do it. We're going to fight to the bitter end to try and get it done." Cory Schneider stopped 31 shots for New Jersey. The Devils, who were eliminated from playoff contention Friday night despite winning at Vancouver, had just five shots in the first period. Barrie gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot at 2:22 of the second period. He got another goal at 11:05 when he sent the puck to the front of the net and it bounced off two New Jersey players and by Schneider. "You see our guy there and maybe don't react as quickly or don't expect what will happen," Schneider said. "You have to be ready for anything. This one came off a little hotter than I thought it might. Just a tough bounce."

Barrie now has 70 career goals, second all-time among defensemen in Colorado history. Schneider came off for an extra skater with a little more than two minutes left. MacKinnon sealed it with an empty-net goal at 18:26. Grubauer has recorded each of his three shutouts this season since Feb. 23. He has nine in his career. He faced just five shots in the third period when New Jersey was trying to rally.

"He has certainly stepped up. You see how athletic he can be and how athletic he is," Colorado defenseman Ian Cole said. "It was good to be able to help out and make sure some of his saves were easier as the game went on." New Jersey started its four-game trip with a 9-4 loss at Calgary but bounced back to win two of the last three. "It shows you there's a group in there that cares and works," coach John Hynes said. "After that Calgary game, to come back and win those next two games(championship rings for sale) speaks to where we're at culturally and where the guys are bought-in wise."