The Chicago Bulls secured their playoff spot on Monday night as Nikola Mirotic starred and Jimmy Butler also handed them a boost with a return from injury.
Mirotic scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, while Pau Gasol added 27 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago moved tied with the Toronto Raptors for third spot in the Eastern Conference at 43-29.
Jimmy Butler scored 19 points on his return after missing 11 games with a sprained left elbow and coach Tom Thibodeau was delighted to have him back.
“It was great to have him back. Great,” Thibodeau said, according to ESPN.
“He had a bunch of bunnies that he always makes, so his timing was not quite there but I thought as the game went on, he started to get into a rhythm.”
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets also picked up a win with James Harden scoring 44 points in the victory over the Indiana Pacers.
It was a sixth straight loss for Indiana who have seen their playoff push stall, but with suggestions that Paul George is nearing a return, they will welcome the boost he will bring.
Harden scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter as he put on another show to boost his chances of winning the MVP award while moving the Rockets to 47-23.
It was also business as usual for the Golden State Warriors with Stephen Curry putting up 24 points, five rebounds and six assists in a win over the Washington Wizards.
Coach Steve Kerr was delighted with the professional approach his team has taken as they show no signs of slowing down as the regular season draws to a close, and their defensive work in particular was impressive.
Golden State improve to 57-13 for the season and close in on securing the best record in the league ahead of the playoffs.
NBA results
Houston Rockets 110-100 Indiana Pacers
Boston Celtics 110-91 Brooklyn Nets
Memphis Grizzlies 103-82 New York Knicks
Charlotte Hornets 86-98 Chicago Bulls
Minnesota Timberwolves 106-104 Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards 76-107 Golden State Warriors
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