Atlanta Hawks clinch play-off spot with narrow win over Washington Wizards

The Atlanta Hawks clinched their first play-off berth since 2017 with a thrilling 120-116 home win over the Washington Wizards.

Trae Young scored 33 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic had 20, and John Collins finished with 18, including the three-pointer that gave Atlanta the lead with 24 seconds left.

The Hawks post-season berth comes after a 25-11 win-loss ratio under interim coach Nate McMillan.

Russell Westbrook had 34 points, 15 assists but only five rebounds for Washington, two nights after breaking Oscar Roberson’s record with his 182nd career triple-double.

James Harden had 18 points and 11 assists in his comeback after an 18-game absence to help the Brooklyn Nets defeat the San Antonio Spurs 128-116.

Harden also had seven rebounds after missing more than a month with a strained hamstring, while Landry Shamet had 21 points and Nicolas Claxton 18 for the home side.

DeMar DeRozan had 21 points for the Spurs, who missed a chance to secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

Luka Doncic scored 33 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 125-107 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 19 on his return from injury in a win which means Dallas can clinch at least the sixth seed in the Western Conference play-offs by winning one of their two remaining fixtures.

The undermanned Pelicans, restricted by injuries to only four regular starters, were led by Eric Bledsoe and Jaxson Hayes with 15 points each as they were eliminated from post-season contention.

Elsewhere, the Portland Trail Blazers upset the Utah Jazz 105-98 in Salt Lake City, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Boston Celtics 102-94 and the Los Angeles Lakers edged past the visiting Houston Rockets 124-122.