Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans Qualify for American Basketball League Playoffs

Miami (AFP)

The contract for the teams that qualify for the playoffs of the American Basketball League was completed, after receiving qualification from the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans.
Last season’s runner-up Miami Heat easily defeated the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference playoffs 112-91, setting up a matchup with the division leaders Boston Celtics this, in the fourth confrontation between the two teams in the last games. 5 seasons.
The absence of its star, Jimmy Butler, did not affect the Miami Heat, who suffered a sprained knee that he suffered in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and faced being absent from the field for several weeks.
Butler, 34, led Miami to the NBA Finals twice.
Three players contributed to Miami’s victory, with center Tyler Herro scoring 24 points, with 10 rebounds and 9 assists, and Jaime Jaquez and Kevin Love adding 21 and 16 points, respectively.
DeMar DeRozan was the best scorer for the Chicago Bulls with 22 points.
Miami hit hard in the first quarter, scoring 19 points in a row, and finished with a big lead (34-17). with a 47-37 lead.
In the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans won the last ticket, after defeating the Sacramento Kings 105-98. On the other hand, it was De’Aaron Fox as Sacramento’s leading scorer with 35 points.
The Pelicans led 54-45 at halftime, and at one point extended their lead to 20 points.
This is the second time the Pelicans have qualified for the playoffs in the last six years, noting that they were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns in the 2022 edition.
The Pelicans will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs, knowing that the latter missed the playoffs in the last three seasons.