BROOKLYN, N.Y. — (AP) Kevin Durant had 23 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds and the Brooklyn Nets took the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 123-109.
Kyrie Irving added 17 points and joined an elite list of shooters for the Nets, who will open the playoffs next weekend against either Boston or Washington. They meet Tuesday in the play-in tournament to determine the No. 7 seed.
The Nets rested James Harden after he played the last two games following an 18-game absence with a right hamstring strain, but still finished 48-24, holding off Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed. By winning percentage, it's the team's best record since 1975, when they still played in the old ABA.
The Cavs finish the 2020-21 campaign with a 22-50 mark. While it's their best in three years, it's still the fifth-worst in the NBA and leaves them out of the playoffs yet again. Cleveland has not made the postseason without the services of LeBron James since 1998.
Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade each led the Cavs with 18. Kevin Love sat out with a strained right calf, and it's possible the 32-year-old may have played his final game in a Cleveland uniform if the club chooses to either trade him or buy him out this offseason. In seven years with the Wine and Gold, Love has averaged 16.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while making two All-Star appearances and helping the team win four Eastern Conference championships, including its first-ever NBA title in 2016.