NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Knicks romped to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994, getting 36 points from Carmelo Anthony and beating the Washington Wizards 120-99 on Tuesday night for their 13th straight victory.
Anthony put this one away with 21 points during the Knicks' 37-point third quarter that gave them a 95-71 lead. The NBA's scoring leader added eight rebounds and six assists while becoming the first Knick since newly elected Hall of Famer Bernard King with five straight 35-point games.
Iman Shumpert added 18 points for the Knicks, who negated a height disadvantage by tying a franchise record with 20 3-pointers. J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland each added 17 points.
On their longest winning streak since winning 15 in a row from March 1 to April 2, 1994, the Knicks can tie the franchise record of 18 in a row, set early in their first NBA championship season of 1969-70, by winning their final five games.
John Wall scored 33 points for the Wizards.
HEAT 94, BUCKS 83
MIAMI (AP) - LeBron James scored 28 points, Udonis Haslem had 10 points and 15 rebounds and Miami moved a step closer to wrapping up home-court advantage in the playoffs with a win over Milwaukee.
The Heat tied a franchise single-season record by winning for the 61st time, getting there with five games remaining. Miami needs only one more win or one San Antonio loss to clinch the top overall seed for the entirety of the playoffs.
Norris Cole and Ray Allen each scored 11 for the Heat, who played without an injured Dwyane Wade and an ill Chris Bosh.
Brandon Jennings scored 30 points for the Bucks, who will likely meet Miami in the first round.
THUNDER 90, JAZZ 80
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 25 points, Kevin Durant added 21 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 90-80 on Tuesday night.
The Thunder continued their push to claim the top overall seed in the West, while the Jazz fell a half-game behind the Lakers for the final playoff spot in the West. Utah owns the tiebreaker over the Lakers.
Paul Millsap's dunk pulled Utah within four, but Durant hit two free throws and Westbrook stole the inbound pass to seal it for the Thunder.
Mo Williams led the Jazz with 19 points.
PACERS 99, CAVALIERS 94
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - George Hill scored 27 points and David West added 15 to help Indiana rally from a 20-point deficit for a win over Cleveland.
Paul George chipped in with 14 points, Lance Stephenson had 13 and Tyler Hansbrough 12 for the Pacers, who can clinch the No. 3 seed in the East with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and Indiana native Tyler Zeller had 18 before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which allowed the Pacers to break off a 25-4 run in the fourth for a 93-92 lead.
George hit s 3 with 29.9 seconds left and Jeff Pendergraph drew a charge on Irving to seal it.
GRIZZLIES 94, BOBCATS 75
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Mike Conley scored 20 points, Zach Randolph had 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Memphis beat Charlotte.
Memphis won its 13th straight at home, tying a franchise record with its 31st home win.
Kemba Walker scored 19 points to lead the Bobcats, and Gerald Henderson had 13.
The Grizzlies led 63-60 early in the fourth quarter before pulling away behind a 15-0 run generated mostly by their reserves. Seldom-used Jon Leuer had seven points during the run and finished with 11. Memphis, which leads the NBA in scoring defense (89.7 points per game), held Charlotte to 37.7 percent shooting.
NETS 104, 76ERS 83
NEW YORK (AP) - Brook Lopez scored 29 points, and Reggie Evans added 17 points and 24 rebounds as Brooklyn firmly held its ground in the East with a victory over Philadelphia.
Deron Williams and Joe Johnson had 11 points apiece for the Nets, who began the day with a two-game lead over Chicago for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round.
Reserve guard MarShon Brooks had 11 points and seven assists for the Nets, winners of two straight overall and three of four in the season series against the 76ers. The Nets play at Boston on Wednesday night and have four games remaining.
Nick Young had 18 points and Jrue Holiday scored 15 for the Philadelphia.
WARRIORS 105, TIMBERWOLVES 89
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Klay Thompson scored 30 points, Stephen Curry added 24 points and 10 assists and Golden State clinched a playoff berth with a rout of Minnesota.
David Lee finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds to propel the Warriors to their first postseason appearance since 2007 and just their second in 19 years.
Andrei Kirilenko scored 15 points and reserve Chase Budinger had 17 points for the depleted Timberwolves, who were outshot 43 to 37 percent. Ricky Rubio missed all 10 shots from the floor to go with six assists and five rebounds as Minnesota watched the Warriors celebrate something it had hoped to accomplish this season.
RAPTORS 101, BULLS 98
CHICAGO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points and Rudy Gay added 19 as Toronto beat Chicago.
Toronto allowed a 15-point lead to dwindle to four at halftime but regrouped in the third quarter, getting it up to 16. The Raptors then hung on after the lead got down to two near the end.
Nate Robinson nailed a 3-pointer with just under a minute left and Carlos Boozer hit two foul shots with 16.8 seconds remaining to pull Chicago within 99-97.
For the fifth-place Bulls, the loss left them just a half-game ahead of Atlanta in the East with five to play. It also damaged their chances of catching Brooklyn for fourth place.
Jimmy Butler led Chicago with a career-high 28 points and Robinson scored 22.
ROCKETS 101, SUNS 98
HOUSTON (AP) - Jermaine O'Neal was called for goaltending on James Harden's last-second 3-point attempt and Houston beat Phoenix.
Harden scored 33 points and Omer Asik tied his career high with 22 rebounds for the Rockets, who clinched a playoff berth when Utah lost to Oklahoma City.
On the final play, Harden dribbled down the clock and shot his 3 from the wing. It bounced high off the rim and O'Neal tipped it as it came down, just after the buzzer sounded. Referees huddled on the court, then reviewed the play and ruled it the winning basket, setting off a wild celebration.
Luis Scola scored 28 points for the Suns, who have lost 10 in a row.
LAKERS 104, HORNETS 96
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant fueled a desperate rally with 23 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles beat New Orleans to move into eighth place in the West.
Pau Gasol had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Dwight Howard added 19 points to help the Lakers move a half-game ahead of Utah for the eighth and final playoff berth. The Jazz lost to Oklahoma City earlier in the evening, but they hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers, who have four regular-season games left.
Eric Gordon scored 22 points, making 10 of 11 free throws, before fouling out in the final seconds to lead five Hornets in double figures. Anthony Davis added 18 points and 14 rebounds, Ryan Anderson had 14 points, and Greivis Vasquez had 11 points and 11 assists.