In Indianapolis, Mike Dunleavy scored 28 points, and Indiana beat Atlanta 112-98 to avoid elimination from the Eastern Conference playoff race.
A win by the Hawks would have knocked the Pacers from playoff contention, and Atlanta would have needed just one win or a New Jersey loss the rest of the way to clinch a berth. Instead, the Pacers are just two games behind the Hawks for the eighth spot with four games left. The Pacers also claimed the tiebreaker against the Hawks by winning two of the three matchups this season.
Flip Murray had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Danny Granger scored 16 points and Marquis Daniels added 15 for Indiana. The Pacers, one of the hottest teams in the East, have won three straight and nine of 12.
In Milwaukee, the Big Three were back to build a big lead, but the reserves coughed it up and forced Boston to use overtime to beat Milwaukee 107-104 for its seventh straight victory.
After sitting out the Celtics' victory at Charlotte on Saturday, stars Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce lobbied coach Doc Rivers to play Tuesday night. Rivers originally wanted to get them another night of rest but relented.
Garnett scored 21 points, Allen had 11 and Pierce, who returned to the team after the birth of his daughter, had 14.
In Portland, Oregon, Brandon Roy scored 23 points and matched his career high with 12 assists, and Portland held off the Los Angeles Lakers 112-103.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and 16 rebounds for Portland, which snapped a five-game losing streak. Channing Frye had a season-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant finished with 34 points, while Pau Gasol had 21 points and 13 rebounds. It was the Lakers' sixth straight loss at the Rose Garden.
In Dallas, Jason Terry scored 22 points, Josh Howard added 17, and Dallas crept closer to a playoff berth while sending Seattle to its club-record 60th loss, winning 99-83.
Brandon Bass scored 13 off the bench for the Mavericks, and Dirk Nowitzki chipped in with 11 points and 12 rebounds in his fourth game since returning from knee and ankle injuries.
Earl Watson had 22 points and eight assists for Seattle. Kevin Durant added 16 points, and Jeff Green and Nick Collison each had 11.
(Agencies via China Daily April 10, 2008)