After playing in four straight NBA Finals series, Miami Heat's hopes of making the NBA playoffs are in tatters after falling to the Toronto Raptors in a 107-104 home loss.
Thirty points from star Dwyane Wade left them with only the faintest hope of a spot among the eight teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs in their first season since superstar LeBron James left for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Wade and fellow guard Goran Dragic (22 points) led the Heat, but they got little from their bench with Chris Andersen, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Tyler Johnson combining for 21 points, while Toronto's bench were dominant with 46 between them.
The loss drops Miami to a record of 35-45 and two-and-a-half games behind both Boston and Brooklyn and both of those teams would have to lose all three of their remaining games for Miami (who have just two games left) to have a chance of post-season action.
Wade seemed to think the playoff ship had sailed.
"We had opportunities, they made big shots, we played good enough to win, just didn't," Wade said.
"It feels like this season (is gone)... all I cared about is all that everybody that put on a Heat jersey this year, played for the team and played as hard as we could.
"I'm proud of these guys, obviously the season didn't go the way we wanted but that's just a part of life."
Miami host Orlando on Monday before heading to Philadelphia on the final day of the regular season.
Meanwhile the LA Clippers are making a play for home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs and did so by adding to the Memphis Grizzlies' late-season misery.
The Clippers' big three of Chris Paul (15 points, 14 assists), Blake Griffin (18 points, eight rebounds) and DeAndre Jordan (16 points, 16 rebounds) put on a show to thwart the Grizzlies in a 94-86 victory as the race for spots behind Andrew Bogut's Golden State Warriors hots up.
The Warriors recorded their 65th win of the season, easily dispatching league-bottom Minnesota 110-101 in a win which featured a rare, but thunderous Bogut dunk.
The Utah Jazz claimed a big scalp late in the season, beating Portland 111-105, Chicago beat Philadelphia 114-107 and the New York Knicks recorded just their sixteenth win of the season, defeating Orlando 8-0-79 at Madison Square Garden.
EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF PICTURE
7. Boston Celtics 37-42 (Cleveland H), (Toronto H), (Milwaukee A)
8. Brooklyn Nets 37-42 (Milwaukee A), (Chicago H), (Orlando H)
9. Indiana Pacers 36-43 (Oklahoma City H), (Washington H), (Memphis A)
10. Miami Heat 35-45 (Orlando H), (Philadelphia A)
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