NBA highlights on Apr. 7: Nets, Magic book spots in playoffs

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The 14 games of the 2018-19 NBA regular season played on Sunday determined the fate of several teams.

The Brooklyn Nets booked their seat in the playoffs after they defeated the Indiana Pacers 108-96 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse. So did the Orlando Magic who took down the Boston Celtics 116-108 at the TD Garden. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors won their regular season farewell game at the Oracle Arena against the Los Angeles Clippers 131-104.

First step of rebirth for both Russell and Nets

D'Angelo Russell #1 and Caris LeVert #22 of the Brooklyn Nets in the game they won against the Indiana Pacers 108-96 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

Brooklyn had five players score double-digit points. D'Angelo Russell had the highest 20 while Joe Harris and Jarrett Allen got respectively 19 and 12 points. Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 18 and 12 points from the bench.

Indiana struggled again with their offense as Domantas Sabonis dropped the team's most 17 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic and Cory Joseph scored individually 16, 12 and 12 points.

Jarrett Allen #31 of the Nets shoots in the game against the pacers, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

As neither side played comfortable in offense, the Nets claimed victory thanks to their better athleticism. The visiting team led in rebounds (52-33), free throws (17-4) and second-chance points (16-6), all thanks to their more aggressive assault in the paint.

Brooklyn have waited four years before they made the playoffs again. The last time they did it was in 2015. "I've never won an NBA championship, but next to that, we've kind of proven everybody wrong, the predictions, even their head coach. They proved me wrong," said the team's head coach Kenny Atkinson after the game.

"It's a lot of our first times doing it. It's going to be a blast, I'm excited. We knew what it was going to take. Honestly we knew what we had to do. We knew how we were going to come together collectively and do it as a group. And that's the outcome for us. The result was what we deserve," said D'Angelo Russell, the Nets' 23-year-old starting point guard who played his first NBA All-Star Game this season.

Seven-year magic wait

Players of the Orlando Magic celebrate in the game they won against the Boston Celtics 116-108 at the TD Garden, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

Terrence Ross put down Orlando's highest 26 points from the bench by making five three-pointers. Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds while Evan Fournier got 14 points. D.J. Augustin scored 11 points and 13 assists and Aaron Gordon had 14 points.

Kyrie Irving dropped Boston's highest 23 points while Al Horford had 18. Three from the bench, namely Gordon Hayward, Marcus Morris and Jaylen Brown contributed 16, 13 and 13 points respectively.

Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Magic shoots in the game against the Celtics, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

The Magic deserved a spot in the playoffs this season as they have won 21 of their 30 games after the All-Star Weekend. Vucevic proved that he's one of the league's best centers in offense with his 20.6 points and 12 rebounds on average per game. Ross buried 211 shots from the 3-pt line at the rate of 37 percent.

In his post-game locker room interview with Tencent Sports, Ross gave more than five minutes to the reporter. He said that everyone treated Orlando as the underdog which was unfair. When asked about if he could win the Most Improved Player Award (MIP), Ross replied that the decision is that of those who could vote.

Though the Celtics lost this home game (and were swept by the Magic), they clinched the No.4 ranking in the Eastern Conference because the No.5 Pacers lost, too, losing all hope of moving up the ladder.

After 47 years, GSW to say good bye to Oracle Arena

Stephen Curry #30 and Draymond Green #23 give each other a high five in the game they won against the Los Angeles Clippers 131-104 at the Oracle Arena, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

Golden State's 21-point win over the Clippers on Sunday not only helped them grasp the No.1 ranking in the Western Conference in their hands, but also put a happy end to the team's regular season story in this arena after they won 1,166 games in 47 years here.

"Let me just say that for 47 years, Warriors fans have stuck with us through thick and thin. Let's be honest, most of those years have been a little thin," said GSW's head coach Steve Kerr after the game.

Stephen Curry of the Warriors in the game against the Clippers, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

"We Believe", that's the jersey the Warriors chose for Sunday's game, after 12 years. The last time they wore this jersey was in 2007. Led by Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson, Matt Barnes and other players known for their toughness, Golden State, as West's No.8, knocked out Dirk Nowitzki, MVP of that season and the league's No.1, 67-win Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

Other games on Sunday included: (away teams come first)

Miami Heat 109-117 Toronto Raptors

San Antonio Spurs 112-90 Cleveland Cavaliers

Oklahoma City Thunder 132-126 Minnesota Timberwolves

Charlotte Hornets 104-91 Detroit Pistons

Dallas Mavericks 129-127 Memphis Grizzlies

Phoenix Suns 113-149 Houston Rockets

Atlanta Hawks 107-115 Milwaukee Bucks

Washington Wizards 110-113 New York Knicks

Denver nuggets 108-115 Portland Trail blazers

New Orleans Pelicans 133-129 Sacramento Kings

Utah Jazz 109-113 Los Angeles Lakers