BASKETTBALL

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James Harden scored 39 points as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 124-119 in overtime to clinch the final playoff spot in a thrilling last day of the NBA regular season on Sunday. Harden's superb display in San Francisco helped the Clippers bag the fifth seed in the Western Conference and sets up a first-round postseason series with the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-120 on Tuesday in a hard-fought battle that saw Luka Doncic controversially ejected in the fourth quarter. Two days after suffering a 27-point defeat to the Lakers, the No.1-ranked Thunder avenged that loss thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander's 13th 40-point game of the season, with Jalen Williams adding 26 and Lugentz Dort 17.

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Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has made "significant improvement" in his recovery from a blood clot as the team prepares for the opening rounds of the NBA playoffs, team officials said on Tuesday.

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The Florida Gators defeated the Houston Cougars 65-63 to take home the NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship! So, let's run it back from the very beginning that finished with Florida head coach Todd Golden making NCAA history. The game started out rough for both teams from behind the arc with Houston shooting 0-8 and Florida 0-4.

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The Denver Nuggets strengthened their playoff position with a triple-double from history-making Nikola Jokic helping them to a 117-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. The Serb put up 26 points, 13 assists and 16 rebounds, and his 34th triple-double performance ensured he will finish the regular season as just the third player averaging a triple-double across an entire season.

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The Denver Nuggets, mired in a four-game losing streak as the NBA playoffs approach, made the shock decision to fire head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday, just six days before the end of the regular season. Malone led the Nuggets to the NBA title in 2023, but despite the exploits of three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have struggled for consistency this season.

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Luka Doncic shrugged off the raw emotion of his return to Dallas with a dazzling 45-point display against his former club as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Mavericks 112-97 to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs on Wednesday.

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Zach LaVine scored 43 points as the Sacramento Kings inched closer to the NBA postseason on Monday with a 127-117 road win over the Detroit Pistons. The Kings, who are battling to force their way into the Western Conference's play-in tournament, recovered from an 18-point deficit to snatch victory at the Little Caesars Arena.