Playoff clinchers & a scare
Three teams — the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons — have clinched playoff berths as the regular season tips toward crunch time, while the Atlanta Hawks have ripped off an 11-game win streak and the Pistons are navigating a serious health blow with Cade Cunningham sidelined by a collapsed lung. (youtube.com) (youtube.com) (youtube.com)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 40 points and Chet Holmgren added 20 as Oklahoma City beat Orlando 113-108 on March 17, a win that moved the Thunder to 54-15. (usatoday.com) Victor Wembanyama hit a fadeaway with 1.1 seconds left against Phoenix on March 19, finishing with 34 points and 12 rebounds to seal San Antonio’s postseason return and lift the Spurs to 52-18. (hoopsrumors.com) Detroit’s clincher came in a 115-101 win over Golden State on March 20, a game in which Jalen Duren scored 23 and backup Daniss Jenkins added 22 while the Pistons became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch this season and sit 51-19 and four games ahead of Boston for the top seed. (nbcsports.com) The Pistons announced on March 19 that Cade Cunningham has a collapsed left lung (spontaneous pneumothorax), will be re-evaluated in two weeks, and is expected to miss at least that long and possibly longer. (nba.com) Detroit has gone 7-2 in games Cunningham has missed this season; Jalen Duren’s 23 points in the clincher and Daniss Jenkins’ 22/7/8 in Cunningham’s place underscore how the rotation will be tested while Isaiah Stewart also deals with a calf issue. (nbcsports.com (freep.com)) Atlanta’s 11-game winning streak — the NBA’s longest active run — was snapped 117-95 by the Houston Rockets on Friday, with Kevin Durant scoring 25 and Jabari Smith Jr. adding 23. (msn.com)
