LOS ANGELES, April 11 (V7N) – The Atlanta Hawks booked their place in the NBA playoffs Friday with a 124-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Boston Celtics locked up the Eastern Conference’s second seed with a record-equaling shooting display.  

CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 29 points, supported by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson with 18 apiece. Dyson Daniels added a triple-double of 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists as Atlanta pulled away with a decisive 16-0 run in the third quarter. The Cavaliers, already assured of the fourth seed, rested stars Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.  

Boston bounced back from Thursday’s loss to the Knicks by draining 29 three-pointers in a 144-118 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans, matching the NBA record set by Milwaukee in 2020 and equaled twice since. The Knicks themselves secured the third seed with a 112-95 win over Toronto, while the Raptors slipped to sixth, tied with Orlando at 45-36.  

Philadelphia, missing Joel Embiid after surgery, beat Indiana 105-94 to keep alive hopes of climbing out of the play-in zone. Charlotte, however, was locked into the play-in after falling 118-100 to top-seeded Detroit.  

In the West, Victor Wembanyama returned from bruised ribs to power San Antonio past Dallas 139-120 with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Having met the 65-game minimum, the French rookie remains a strong contender for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors.  

With all 30 teams in action on the penultimate day of the regular season, the playoff picture is nearly complete, though final seeding battles will be decided Sunday. 

END/WD/RH