Whoever created the NBA schedule is a psychic. There's no other way to say it. Because on the last day of the regular season, the Grizzlies and Mavericks played in a game that would decided the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the Western Conference, or the difference between playing the Spurs or Thunder in the first round.
NBA scores 2014: Grizzlies clinch No. 7 seed in overtime, Kevin Durant finishes season with game-winning dunk
There was playoff positioning on the line and chaos ensued in the last day of the regular season.
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And boy was it a good game. The Grizzlies collected a rebound with under 30 seconds in regulation and Mike Conley raced up the floor, but was called for a charge in the backcourt. Monta Ellis hit a game-tying three on the ensuing possession, sending it to overtime.
In overtime, with less than seven seconds left, Conley bulleted down court and was fouled. He hit both free throws to give Memphis a one-point lead. Ellis got a clean look off an inbounds play but he shot the ball off the back rim. The Grizzlies won 106-105. They play the Thunder; Dallas plays the spurs. Thank you, Schedule Making Committee.
Oklahoma City Thunder 112, Detroit Pistons 111
If ever there were a fitting way for Kevin Durant to seal his MVP candidacy, it'd be on a game-winning dunk in the last game of the regular season. Oh wait, that happened?
Word.
Charlotte Bobcats 91, Chicago Bulls 86 -- OVERTIME
The Bobcats won their final game in overtime in front of a home crowd that treated it like a playoff game. If you predicted Charlotte in the playoffs before the season, you're a liar. For all the tanking and all of the big NBA draft dreams by all the terrible teams, the Bobcats stand alone. They won themselves out of the lottery and every Bobcats fan would rather have it that way. Just a fun story.
Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Brooklyn Nets 85
Okay, let's be honest with each other here. The Nets did not want any part of the Bulls. They started Jorge Gutierrez, Marquis Teague, Marcus Thornton, Andray Blatche and Jason Collins in a game that decided between the No. 5 and No. 6 seed. They lost on purpose to play the Raptors instead of the Bulls. Take it as a slight, Toronto!
Utah Jazz 136, Minnesota 130 -- Double Overtime!
Trey Burke had one of his best games as a pro in the last game of the regular season, finishing with 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He turned the ball over five times but he also played over 48 minutes, so there's not much complain there. Kevin Love was an assist away from a triple double; he finished with 19, 10 and nine.
New York Knicks 95, Toronto Raptors 92
The Knicks won! (It doesn’t matter)
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Miami Heat 87
The Sixers won! (It doesn’t matter)
Los Angeles Lakers 113, San Antonio Spurs 100
The Lakers won! (Yup, doesn’t matter)
Indiana Pacers 101, Orlando Magic 86
The Pacers started George Hill, Evan Turner, Rasual Butler, Luis Scola and Roy Hibbert and still drummed the Magic. That's how you improve your lottery odds, Orlando.
Atlanta Hawks 111, Milwaukee Bucks 103
See! Milwaukee gets it too! They are still four games worse than the team that lost 26 straight games. If you’re going to be terrible, don’t half ass it.
New Orleans Pelicans 105, Houston Rockets 100
Yes, the Pelicans, Jazz, Lakers, Sixers and Knicks all won basketball games in the same night. The NBA gets weird at the end of the season. Troy Daniels led the Rockets in scoring, though, so that tell you where their mind was. Hint: Not on the Pelicans. On the Blazers. They play the Blazers in the playoffs. You get it.
Washington Wizards 118, Boston Celtics 102
Bradley Beal led the way with 27 points and Trevor Booker added 20 and the Wizards skated past the Celtics. Kelly "Neon Jesus" Olynyk led Boston with 24 points. He's putting up efficient numbers lately and is proving to be a nifty offensive talent.
The Western Conference playoff slots were locked in midway through the first quarter of this game, dissolving all value in this game. Don't tell that to Jamal Crawford, though. He led all scorers with 34 points. Will Barton paced the Blazers with 23 points off the bench. Playoffs, now!
Phoenix Suns 104, Sacramento Kings 99
The saddest win of the night goes to the Suns, who finished the season with 48 wins and will still be selecting in the lottery this summer. It didn’t matter what Phoenix did against Sacramento, it wasn’t getting into the postseason. Still, it took care of business, thanks to 29 points off the bench from Archie Goodwin. Ride off into the sunset, Phoenix, this season was yours.
Golden State Warriors 116, Denver Nuggets 112
The Warriors picked up a fast paced win over the Nuggets before gearing up for the playoffs. Harrison Barnes has had a mostly disappointing season, but YOU CAN NEVER TAKE THIS DUNK AWAY FROM HIM:
RIP RIP RIP
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