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NBA play-in games: Bulls beat Raptors, Thunder top Pelicans

Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine during the second half.
Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine scored 39 points in the team’s 109-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday in the NBA play-in game.
(Morry Gash / Associated Press)
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Zach LaVine scored 39 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 against his former team and the Chicago Bulls overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 109-105 in a play-in tournament game Wednesday night.

The Bulls will visit the Miami Heat on Friday night for the chance to earn the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, and a first-round playoff matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed 66-47 in the third quarter but took the lead by making four of seven attempts from 3-point range in the fourth. Chicago shot 3 for 19 from distance through the first three quarters.

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Fred VanVleet had 26 points and 12 rebounds and Pascal Siakam scored 32 points, but Toronto’s season ended in disappointment as the Raptors — with DeRozan’s daughter, Diar, screaming when they shot — went a dismal 18 for 36 at the free throw line. Toronto missed six attempts from the line in the fourth quarter.

Thunder 123, Pelicans 118

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoots against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the second half of an NBA play-in game in New Orleans on Wednesday.
(Matthew Hinton / Associated Press)
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander highlighted his 32-point night with a go-ahead baseline jumper and four clutch free throws in the final 29 seconds, and Oklahoma City beat New Orleans to remain alive in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Josh Giddey had 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, the only Western Conference team still playing with a losing record.

The loss eliminated the ninth-seeded Pelicans while 10th seed Oklahoma City advanced to play at Minnesota on Friday night for the right to enter the NBA playoffs as an eighth seed.

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Brandon Ingram scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to give the Pelicans a slim chance to come back.

But after Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws, Herbert Jones threw away an inbound pass, virtually sealing New Orleans’ fate.

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