OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) β The Golden State Warriors have clinched an NBA playoff berth for the third straight year, their longest streak since the 1970s. Klay Thompson’s 26 points led Golden State scorers in a 108-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Stephen (STEH’-fehn) Curry contributed 19 points and nine assists in the Warriors’ seventh victory in eight games.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) β Jeff Teague (teeg) scored 23 points and Atlanta won for the 10th time in 12 games by topping the Kings 110-103 in Sacramento. Paul Millsap added 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the NBA’s Eastern Conference-leading Hawks set a franchise record with their 23rd road win of the season. Sacramento fell to 4-10 under new coach George Karl.
MIAMI (AP) β Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 21 of his 32 points in the first half of Miami’s 106-92 win over Cleveland. Goran Dragic added 20 points for the Heat, who led by as many as 25 in the third quarter and ended Cleveland’s four-game winning streak. LeBron James had 26 points for the Cavs, who saw their lead in the NBA’s Central Division cut to 2 1/2 games over Chicago.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) β The Tampa Bay Lightning have moved back into a first-place tie with Montreal in the NHL’s Atlantic Division by improving to 4-0 against the Canadiens this season. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each had a goal and an assist while the Lightning built a 3-0 lead in a 4-2 triumph over the Habs. The Canadiens closed within 3-2 on goals by Tomas Plekanec (pleh-KAH’-nehts) and P.A. Parenteau (PAR’-ehn-toh) before Stamkos capped his three-point night with an empty-netter.
LOS ANGELES (AP) β Andy Andreoff’s first NHL goal accounted for the only scoring as the Los Angeles Kings blanked Arizona 1-0 to move one point ahead of Winnipeg for the NHL’s final Western Conference playoff berth. Jonathan Quick handled 25 shots in his sixth shutout of the season. The Kings have moved up the standings by going 5-1-1 in their last seven games.
