NBA Scores & More: Knicks Triumph, Chris Paul Is The Unicorn And West Implodes On Itself

The Bucks would need 36 to get in (ignoring the Sixers, for a second). That would require Milwaukee to run the table. So at this point, the Bucks need the Knicks’ good opponents to play up to their talent and they need to beat every team in their path. A home-and-home with Indiana is the most daunting bit of that -- a loss in either game there would require an additional loss from New York to balance it. So long as the Knicks do their part against bad teams, a win against either Boston or New York next week could end this thing.

Philadelphia has an additional game of cushion on Milwaukee, but the Bucks can steal the tiebreaker in the final week of the season in the teams’ rubber match. But given the way the Sixers have bounced back in their last few games, making up the three games seems like a longshot.

New York’s win gives them a two-game edge over Milwaukee, who fell to 28-30 with the loss. The season series between the two teams is now complete and even at 2-2, meaning any potential ties will be broken with division and conference standings instead of the head-to-head record.

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More: NBA Scores for Thursday.

Bynum snatched exactly 30 boards (22 defensive, eight offensive) in 37 minutes and almost out-rebounded the entire Spurs roster (32 rebounds), but after the game the mercurial big man focused in on his 7-20 shooting for just 16 points (via NBA.com):

The Hawks led for most of the game, led by the excellent play of Josh Smith, who made nine of his first 15 shots and led Atlanta with 11 rebounds to go with his 20 points. Smith also had a variety of nice passes, garnering five assists and blocking two shots.

The Celtics, one of the weakest rebounding teams in the league in season, especially on the offensive glass, snagged a season high 56 rebounds, including the fifth time all season they grabbed 15 or more offensive rebounds (they had 15 against the Hawks).

The Clippers outscored Oklahoma City, 24-18, in the fourth quarter, taking their first lead since 6-5 with seven straight points and then building a five-point lead, their biggest of the game, with seven more in a row a few moments later. L.A. forced the Thunder to shoot 6-19 in the final period -- holding Durant and Westbrook to just seven points between them on 2-12 shooting.

If the conference standings remain as they are, the Clippers and Thunder could be headed for a meeting in the conference semifinals. The Clippers have now won two of three between the teams with a fourth and final meeting coming up Monday in L.A. Winning in Oklahoma City will no doubt give the Clippers confidence should they have to face the Thunder in the postseason.

Houston maintains a 1.5-game lead on Utah for the No. 8 seed, but that’s at least feasible (if not practical) for the Jazz to bridge. The playoff chase that wasn’t supposed to be rolls on.

In other action ...