Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, while Donte DiVincenzo added 25, but the most impressive aspect of this triumph was the young Italian-American player who played a whopping 53 minutes. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, and Nikola Vucevic contributed 29. The New York Knicks secured the second spot in the standings and will await the winner of the Philadelphia 76ers-Miami Heat matchup in the playoffs. On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls will face the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in tournament.
The Milwaukee Bucks are entering the playoffs in poor form, to say the least, as they were heavily defeated by the young Orlando Magic team, losing 113-88. This marked their seventh loss in the last ten games under Doc Rivers’ coaching. Paolo Banchero scored 26 points, Franz Wagner added 25, Kris Middleton had 17 points, and Bobby Portis scored 17 as well. Bucks will meet the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, while the Magic will play against the Cavaliers.
In their last game, the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 107-86. Tyrese Maxey led with 26 points, while Tobias Harris contributed 21. However, they couldn’t avoid the play-in tournament, where they will face a well-prepared Miami Heat team that has mastered this part of the competition.