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April 5, 2011

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Knicks in playoffs with win over Cavs

THE New York Knicks clinched their first post-season berth in seven years after a 123-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Amar'e Stoudemire scored 28 points, Carmelo Anthony added 25 and the Knicks treated their fans to a return trip to the playoffs, their first since the 2003/04 season.

The team's third win in a row, coupled with Charlotte's loss to the Washington Wizards, secured the post-season berth.

New York, seventh in the Eastern Conference, could be a dark horse in the playoffs after landing Stoudemire as a free agent during the summer then trading for Anthony and Chauncey Billups in a blockbuster February deal.

"I was strong enough to come here when the situation wasn't looking so great," Stoudemire told reporters. "I took it as a challenge upon myself and as a team to speak so boldly at the start of the year (that) the Knicks are back.

"We are now in a position to be in the playoffs, which was the goal."

Snapped

New York (38-38) stormed to an 11-point lead after the first quarter, behind 17 points from Billups, and never again trailed as they defeated Cleveland for the first time this season and snapped a string of 11 consecutive losses to the Cavaliers.

Billups finished with 23 points.

Cleveland pulled to 93-90 early in the fourth but the Knicks scored 12 points without reply to put the game away.

In San Antonio, George Hill scored 29 points as the NBA-leading Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns 114-97 to stop a six-game losing streak, the longest of Tim Duncan's 14-year career with the team.

San Antonio went winless for two weeks and squandered a once-comfortable lead for the top seed in the Western Conference.

In Los Angeles, Italy's Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points and Kenyon Martin added 18 as Denver hung on to defeat the Lakers 95-90 for their sixth straight win.

In other NBA matches on Sunday, it was: Celtics 101, Pistons 90; Heat 108, Nets 94; Raptors 102, Magic 98; Wizards 97, Bobcats 91; Kings 106, Jazz 97; Rockets 114, Hawks 109; Hornets 108, Pacers 96; and Trail Blazers 104, Mavericks 96.



 

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