The New Orleans Pelicans secured the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with their win over the San Antonio Spurs on the last night of the regular season.
Anthony Davis put up 31 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks including one at the death on Boris Diaw to help the Pelicans over the line and seal a memorable win over the defending champions.
The Spurs didn’t go away quietly as they still had seeding to play for, but the Pelicans started strong and made their intentions clear from the off to pick up the win and end the regular season with a 45-37 record.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder did their part with a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves as Russell Westbrook posted 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the 138-113 win over their rivals.
However, as with many games this season, the point guard’s impressive work wasn’t enough to get the all-important job done as they miss out on the post-season despite having an identical record as the Pelicans with the head-to-head tie breaker going in favour of New Orleans.
Davis and Co. will now face the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs this weekend, while it is the end of a disappointing campaign for OKC as they now look to get Kevin Durant healthy again next year for a championship push.
NBA Results:
Oklahoma City Thunder 138-113 Minnesota Timberwolves
San Antonio Spurs 103-108 New Orleans Pelicans
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