By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists, and the Nets took the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 on Tuesday night in the play-in opener.
The Nets raced to a 20-point lead after one quarter and Irving made his first 12 shots before a 3-pointer rimmed out in the fourth quarter. He finished 12 for 15. Slovenian Goran Dragic added three points, two rebounds, and one steal for the winning side.
Fin Lauri Markannen (13 p. 4 r. 3 st.) and Turk Cedi Osman (2 p. 4 r. 1 as.) couldn’t save the day for the losing side, which will get one more chance to get the eighth seed against the winner of the game between Atlanta and Charlotte.
Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves overcome a rough night for Karl-Anthony Towns and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-104.
In the second game of the night, Anthony Edwards scored 30 points with five 3-pointers and D’ Angelo Russell had 29 points and six assists to send the Wolves to the seventh seed in the Western Conference and a first-round matchup with Memphis.
Paul George finished with 34 points after shooting 2 for 10 in the first half for the Clippers, who have a second chance to make the playoffs with a home game on Friday for the eighth seed against either New Orleans or San Antonio.
Croatian big man Ivica Zubac (7 p. 9 r.) and Frenchman Nicolas Batum (7 p. 4 r. 2 as.) played excellent defense against Karl Anthony Towns who fouled out with just 11 points, but it was not enough.