The Boston Celtics played without their "Big Three" on Saturday but still clinched the NBA's best regular-season record with an easy 101-78 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were rested, while Paul Pierce was at home after the birth of his daughter on Friday, but that did not keep Boston from securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
"If you could write a script on a way to clinch home court, this would probably be it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after Leon Powe scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Boston's sixth straight win.
Emeka Okafor had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
The Celtics, spurred by the offseason acquisitions of Garnett and Allen, have already added 37 victories to last year's total of 24. They have six games remaining in the regular season.
The turnaround breaks the record of the 1997-98 San Antonio Spurs, who went from a 20-62 record the previous year to 56-26 in Tim Duncan's first year in the NBA.
The Celtics, who are 33-6 so far this season at home, now have home court advantage throughout the playoffs, including for a deciding Game 7 in the NBA Finals if they make it that far.
"At least we know that if we get to the last game of the year, it will be in Boston," said Rivers. "That is a good thing."
In Cleveland, Hedo Turkoglu scored 23 points, Rashard Lewis added 21 and Orlando locked up the Eastern Conference's No 3 playoff seed with a 101-86 victory over the Cavaliers.
In Denver, Kevin Martin scored 36 points and the Kings dealt a blow to Denver's playoff plans with a surprising 118-115 win at the Pepsi Center.
(Agencies via China Daily April 7, 2008)