Thunder, Celtics and Heat remain unstoppable in the final stages of the regular season

The reigning champion Boston Celtics and the best team during the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder, proved again that they are at full strength at the end of the regular season. The Thunder won their 10th consecutive game, while the Celtics reached nine and are inching closer to the first place spot occupied by the Cavaliers in the East. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat managed to extend their winning streak to five in a row after a 120-84 win over the Washington Wizards, the second-worst team of the season so far, at Capital One Arena.

Isaiah Joe matched his season-high with 31 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 145-117 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Joe, 25, had an inspired night from the 3-point line, scoring 8 of his 13 attempts.

The Thunder extended their winning streak to 10, while the Bulls suffered a stinging defeat in the fight to qualify for a Playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Reigning champions flex on Playoff eve

Meanwhile, Al Horford scored 26 points in the Celtics' 117-103 victory, a new season-high for the Dominican. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 2 assists. The star of the franchise, Jayson Tatum, had a double double (25 points and 14 rebounds).

For the Grizzlies, who saw the Lakers widen the gap between them in the fight for fourth place in the West, Ja Morant was again the best player on the court, with 26 points.

Heat dominate sluggish Wizards

Bam Adebayo, with 28 points, was the top scorer for the Heat, who led by as many as 29 points against the Wizards. They won the rebounding battle 67-43 and dominated the paint 68-36. For Washington, Jordan Poole was their main figure and the game's top scorer with 35 points.

The victory allows Miami to climb one spot, to ninth place in the East, and brings them closer to their goal of finishing in play-in positions (7-10 in each conference) with a 34-41 record. The Wizards are struggling to avoid being the worst team of the regular season, a dubious honor that, for the moment, belongs to the Utah Jazz, with one more loss (16-60) than the Wizards (16-59).

The Jazz, the worst team in the regular season so far

The Jazz suffered another loss (110-106) that allowed the Charlotte Hornets to break their streak of five consecutive games dropped. With a 19-56 record, the Hornets are the second-worst team in the East.

The Hornets shot 54% (43/80) from the field, including 15 3-pointers. Miles Bridges recorded a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Pacers and Clippers win

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Sacramento Kings, 111-109. Aaron Nesmith was Indiana's top scorer with 24 points, while Tyrese Haliburton had a double-double of 18 points and 11 assists. For Sacramento, Domantas Sabonis scored 25 points and 16 rebounds.

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Orlando Magic, 96-87, in a game in which the Los Angeles Clippers' defense was key in limiting their opponent to less than 20 points in the second and third quarters. Croatian center Ivica Zubac reached the 20-rebound mark for the fourth time in the 2024-2025 season. Zubac, 28, contributed 18 points by connecting on 7 of his 10 shots from the field.

The Clippers sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with 43 wins and 32 losses and are fighting to qualify directly for the Playoffs.

LeBron leads the Lakers to victory down the stretch

In the day's closer, the Lakers pulled out a tight 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets, thanks to two free throws scored by star LeBron James with 11.1 seconds to play. LeBron, 40, finished the game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.