NBA roundup: San Antonio Spurs qualify for playoffs as LA Lakers win eighth in a row

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a] scored 60 points and 41-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] hit another NBA milestone in style with a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a]' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/?mid=2R3SSYpg"]134-126 victory[/a] over the Heat in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/miami-heat/CQ7AXnT5/"]Miami[/a].[/p][p]The Lakers' surge has seen them climb from sixth to third in the Western Conference, where second-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-antonio-spurs/IwmkErSH/"]San Antonio[/a] have now joined reigning champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Oklahoma City[/a] with their first playoff berth since 2019.[/p][p]Knowing they could punch their playoff ticket [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/phoenix-suns-M1Gy2pra/san-antonio-spurs-IwmkErSH/?mid=vXbiNUEU"]with a win[/a], the Spurs trailed by 10 with 4:50 left to play.[/p][embed guid="dc31a97e-1293-463a-9efb-f51dcfb66b1d" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2034821435563159822?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]They were five back with 1:01 remaining when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wembanyama-victor/jFmM1MFl/"]Wembanyama[/a] drained a pair of free throws and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fox-de-aaron/Ysw8Hl5J/"]De'Aaron Fox[/a] drove for a layup to cut the deficit to one with 26.6 seconds left.[/p][p]The Spurs bottled up [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/booker-devin/4MFGDB1n/"]Devin Booker[/a] to force the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Suns[/a] to call a timeout and on the ensuing inbounds Wembanyama fouled rookie [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fleming-rasheer/4dJGQ6Y8/"]Rasheer Fleming[/a] - who missed both free throws.[/p][p]When Wembanyama's basket over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ighodaro-oso/2FJLylXg/"]Oso Ighodaro[/a] swished through the net the crowd at Frost Bank Center went wild.[/p][p]"[b]We haven't had a game like this in a while,[/b]" said Wembanyama, who led all scorers with 34 points and added 12 rebounds. "[b]Feels good to know we've still got it.[/b]"[/p][p]The 22-year-old French star was trying to take a measured approach now that his first trip to the playoffs is assured.[/p][p]"[b]Of course the first instinct is to be proud of it and to love it because we're part of it,[/b]" he said. "[b]But the key for me is to try to not care because we want to attack 82 games.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I'm scared to become complacent.[/b]"[/p][p]In Miami, James tied [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-robert-iii/GUSM9C6T/"]Robert Parish[/a]'s record for most NBA regular-season games played with his 1,611th - a mark he can surpass when the Lakers play in Orlando on Saturday.[/p][p]Both James and Doncic were listed as "questionable" on the Lakers' early injury report after the team arrived in Miami at 4:00 am in the wake of their win in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/houston-sharon/KpaZOW9A/"]Houston[/a] on Wednesday.[/p][p]"[b]I was tired,[/b]" said Doncic, who scored 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers cemented victory, having taken their first lead in the third quarter.[/p][h2]Beating Father Time[/h2][p]NBA scoring leader Doncic connected on 18 of 30 shots, including nine three-pointers, on the way to his second 50-plus point game of the season. He scored 51 in a win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-bulls/bPjc49q0/"]Chicago[/a] in March.[/p][p]James, coming off a stellar 13-of-14 shooting display in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston[/a], made his first seven shots from the field and didn't miss one until the final period.[/p][embed guid="cfd7862e-34a2-4f0b-9548-8c044cc396df" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2034840957187760286?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]His latest masterpiece came in the city where he won the first two of his four NBA titles, and Heat coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/erikstrup-dane/EJf01ZV0/"]Erik Spoelstra[/a] was full of admiration.[/p][p]"[b]He's not only competing against the entire league but also Father Time[/b]," Spoelstra said. "[b]And he's giving Father Time hell.[/b]"[/p][p]Added Doncic: "[b]The way he's playing it's incredible to watch[/b]."[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/duren-jalen/xva6ve5b/"]Jalen Duren[/a] scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to propel Eastern Conference leaders [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a] to a 117-95 victory over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/washington-wizards/W6vGWPsn/"]Wizards[/a] in Washington.[/p][p]The Pistons won their first game since learning star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cunningham-cade/0YleT8PG/"]Cade Cunningham[/a] would miss at least two weeks with a collapsed lung.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/miami-heat-CQ7AXnT5/?mid=2R3SSYpg"]Follow the NBA action on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]