NBA

Miami and New Orleans clinch final play-off spots

Cheers for the New Orleans Pelicans(Bild: 2024 Getty Images)

The Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelicans have secured the last two play-off places in the North American professional basketball league NBA. Even without their star Jimmy Butler, Miami won the deciding game in the play-in tournament against the Chicago Bulls 112:91 on Friday (local time), meaning the Heat will face the top seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. The Pelicans beat the Sacramento Kings 105-98 without top performer Zion Williamson.

This earned New Orleans a duel against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the West. In the absence of Williamson (hamstring injury), Brandon Ingram with 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas with 19 points and twelve rebounds were the outstanding players for the Pelicans. For the Kings, who also lost their sixth game of the season against the Pelicans, 35 points from De'Aron Fox were not enough.

Tough break for Miami
Last year's finalists Miami face a tough challenge in the play-off opener with the Celtics, the best team in the basic round. In the past two seasons, the two teams only met in the Eastern Conference final, with Miami triumphing last season and Boston the year before. Tyler Herro was the man of the match against the Bulls with 24 points, ten rebounds and nine assists. Even without Butler (knee injury), who will be out for several weeks, Miami had no problems thanks to a 26:2 run in the first quarter.