Nuggets seal playoff spot

Clarkson contributes 14 pts in Cavs win

BOSTON – Nikola Jokic had 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Boston Celtics 114-105 on Monday night to clinch a playoff berth.

Will Barton had 20 points, Gary Harris added 16 and Paul Millsap had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Denver, which is back in the postseason for the first time since 2013.

The Nuggets (47-22) swept the season series from Boston and surpassed their win total from last season with 13 games to go. Denver needs just 10 wins to match the franchise record for a season set in 2012-13.

Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with a game-high 30 points, and Al Horford scored 20. Boston played without Gordon Hayward, who left the Saturday game against the Atlanta Hawks with a neck strain.

In Cleveland, Rookie Collin Sexton poured in 27 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with less than two minutes left, and Cleveland beat visiting Detroit 126-119. Cedi Osman supplied 21 points and six assists for the Cavaliers, who had seven players, including Fil-Am Jordan Clarkson (14)  score in double figures.

Brandon Knight contributed 16 points, four rebounds and five assists, while Nik Stauskas led the Cleveland bench with 17 points. Marquese Chriss added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

In San antonio, DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and 13 rebounds as San Antonio beat visiting Golden State 111-105 for its ninth win in a row.

The victory was the Spurs’ 11th straight at home and guaranteed San Antonio (42-29) its NBA-record 22nd consecutive winning season.

Rudy Gay added 17 points for the Spurs. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 25 points, and Kevin Durant tallied 24 in his return to the lineup after missing the past two games with a sprained ankle.

In other games, it was Pelicans 129, Mavericks 124 (OT); Trail Blazers 106, Pacers 98;Heat 116, Thunder 107; Jazz 116, Wizards 95;Raptors 128, Knicks 92;Bulls 116, Suns 10.