BASKETTBALL

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Nikola Jokic (30) scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon (29) added 25 as the Denver Nuggets edged the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in an overtime thriller to open their NBA playoff series on Saturday - but Russell Westbrook (36) 'stole' the show towards the end of the game.

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Tyler Herro scored 30 points as the Miami Heat reached the NBA playoffs with a thrilling 123-114 overtime win at the Atlanta Hawks in their Eastern Conference play-in clash on Friday. The Heat, who recovered from a ten-game losing streak in March to reach the play-in, will now face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round of the playoffs.

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The Indiana Pacers seized control early and powered to a convincing 117-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday as the NBA playoffs first round got underway. Pascal Siakam scored 25 points to lead six Pacers players to score in double figures as Indiana took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.

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Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson combined for 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks brought the Sacramento Kings' season to a juddering halt with a 120-106 blowout on the road in California.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves, fuelled by 25 points from Jaden McDaniels, cruised past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 on Saturday in game one of their NBA Western Conference playoff series.

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Tyler Herro scored 38 points as the Miami Heat cruised past the Chicago Bulls 109-90 to keep their NBA playoff hopes alive on Wednesday. Miami point guard Herro led from the front in a wire-to-wire victory that eliminated Chicago from postseason contention and sends the Heat into a winner-take-all clash against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

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Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (45) spoke to reporters on Thursday after the team's season in which he described as a 'failure.' The Suns failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-2020 season after going 36-46 this year.  "Embarrassing season, right?" said Ishbia. "Disappointing. Awful. I watch every game like all you guys do and no one's proud of it, no one's happy with it, from me, to the front office, to the coaches and players, to the marketing executives to the security guards. It was a failure."

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Cole Anthony (24) scored 26 points off the bench as the Orlando Magic booked their place in the first round of the NBA playoffs with a 120-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. In the opening game of the Eastern Conference's play-in tournament, Orlando's superior production from the bench proved decisive as the Magic clinched the seventh seed.