Keldon Johnson had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the San Antonio Spurs kept alive their chance of becoming the first team in NBA history to make 23 consecutive playoff appearances with a 123-105 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points for San Antonio, which has won five of seven since arriving in the Florida bubble.
The Western Conference is guaranteed to have a play-in for its final playoff spot. The Spurs will need help to be one of the teams playing this weekend for that spot the final spot, but made sure they couldn’t be eliminated Tuesday with their win.
Russell Westbrook had 20 points and seven turnovers in his first game back in the lineup for Houston after missing two games with a bruised right quadriceps.
The Rockets played without guards James Harden (rest) and Eric Gordon (ankle).
NETS 108, MAGIC 96
Jeremiah Martin and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot each scored 24 points, leading Brooklyn to the victory.
Dzanan Musa added 17 points and Tyler Johnson had 14 for the Nets, who improved to 5-2 in the restart with their third straight victory.
With the Nets locked into the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and the Magic eighth, the teams went with limited rosters while getting players extra rest. Brooklyn suited up nine players and Orlando used 10.
Markelle Fultz and Wes Iwundu each scored 18 points for the Magic, who have dropped five in a row after a 2-0 start at Walt Disney World.
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DALLAS (AP) — Martin Necas broke a scoreless tie midway through the third period, Nathan MacKinnon added an empty-netter and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche took a big step toward home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs with a 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves against his former team for his third shutout of the season in the first meeting of these Central Division rivals not to go to a shootout. Dallas won two of those three.
The regulation win gave the Avalanche an eight-point edge over the Stars, who have five games remaining. Colorado has seven games to go.
The Stars won each of the postseason meetings with the Avs the past two seasons, and a second-round showdown could be looming this spring.
Dallas is headed toward an opening-round match with third-place Minnesota, which pulled within four points of the Stars with a 4-1 victory over Ottawa and has an extra game remaining.
While Wedgewood has a good chance to start in net for the Avalanche, the Stars went with Casey DeSmith, the backup to Jake Oettinger, in the final regular-season meeting. DeSmith made 20 stops.
Colorado was without star defenseman Cale Makar for a second straight game due to an upper-body injury, while fellow blueliner Brent Burns became the second player in NHL history to play in 1,000 consecutive games.
Necas found a seam behind the Dallas defense and tipped in a perfect pass from Artturi Lehkonen for his 36th goal 10:39 into the third. MacKinnon's NHL-leading 51st came in the final minute after Wedgewood withstood a frantic rush moments earlier.
Stars forward Arttu Hyry had what appeared to be a wide-open look at a tying goal in the slot, but misfired as the puck fluttered over the net.
Avalanche: St. Louis visits Sunday in the first of consecutive meetings. The rematch is Tuesday at the Blues.
Stars: Face Calgary at home Tuesday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Fans and the Colorado Avalanche cheer after an in-house announcement celebrating Brent Burns', left sitting on bench, 1000th career game achievement in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Dallas Stars, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars center Mavrik Bourque (22) takes control of the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Colorado Avalanche's Nathan MacKinnon (29) and Dallas Stars' Jamie Benn (14) exchange words as Joel Kiviranta (94) looks on in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Stars center Oskar Bäck (10) is slammed against the boards by Colorado Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog (92) as Sam Malinski (70) takes control of the puck in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
