Pacers beat Wizards in double-overtime to keep playoff hopes alive

INDIANAPOLIS, USA – The Indiana Pacers moved one game closer to an NBA playoff berth Tuesday with a dramatic double-overtime triumph over the Washington Wizards.

C.J. Miles scored 25 points and George Hill flirted with a triple-double, delivering 24 points 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Pacers.

Indiana moved a game in front of the Brooklyn Nets for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

The Pacers will reach the post-season with a win at Memphis, or if Brooklyn lose to Orlando on the final night of the regular season on Wednesday.

David West had 15 points and eight rebounds in the Pacers’ sixth straight win, which officially spelled the end of the Miami Heat’s slim playoff hopes.

The Heat, who made it to the NBA finals in each of the last four seasons and won it all in two of those years, will miss the post-season for the first time since 2008.

The Wizards, already assured of the fifth seed in the East, played their starters anyway.

Bradley Beal and Marcin Gortat scored 19 points apiece, Gortat adding 10 rebounds in the setback.

John Wall scored 16 points and handed out 11 assists.

Elsewhere in the East, the Boston Celtics locked up the seventh seed with a 95-93 win over the Toronto Raptors.

Jae Crowder’s go-ahead jump shot with 0.8 seconds remaining lifted the Celtics, after Kyle Lowry’s driving layup had pulled Toronto level at 93-93 with 10.2 seconds remaining.

Crowder was part of the trade that sent All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks in December.

The rebuilding Celtics were 14 games under .500 on February 2, but have since gone 23-12.

They were assured of a playoff berth on Monday when the Nets fell to the Bulls.

By securing the seventh seed, they booked a first-round playoff clash with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“To have a chance to compete against the very best in the league is a great opportunity,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. – Rappler.com