Heat Top Bulls – NBA Roundup For April 15th

UNDATED (AP) — The New York Knicks have secured the No. 2 seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs by knocking off No. 3 Indiana at Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony shot just 9-for-23 but finished with 25 points as the Knicks topped the Pacers 90-80. Chris Copeland added 20 points and J.R. Smith added 15 in the Knicks' 15th victory in 16 games.

The Knicks are guaranteed home-court advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs and will meet Boston in the conference quarterfinals.

The Pacers remain two games ahead of fourth-place Brooklyn after DeMar DeRozan scored 36 points to lift Toronto to a 93-87 win over the Nets. Rudy Gay chipped in 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors.

The Lakers won their first game since losing Kobe Bryant to a torn Achilles. Dwight Howard had 26 points and 17 rebounds as Los Angeles beat San Antonio 91-88, which gives West-leading Oklahoma a one-game lead over the Spurs with two games left. Steve Blake added 23 points for the Lakers, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of Utah in the scramble for the final West playoff berth.

Denver has set a club mark with its 55th win after Andre Iguodala (ihg-uh-DAH'-lah) scored 27 points to lead the Nuggets past Portland 118-109. Ty Lawson finished with 12 points and 10 assists in his return from a heel injury, but teammate Kennth Faried (FAHR'-eed) sprained his left ankle in the opening minutes. Faried is day to day.

Miami picked up its team-record 36th home win as LeBron James poured in 24 points and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade added 22 in a 105-93 decision over Chicago. The Heat held the Bulls without a 2-point basket for the first 16 minutes of the second half, with the Bulls relying almost exclusively on 3-pointers.

Houston is sixth in the West after Jame Harden's 29 points and nine assists led the Rockets' 121-100 rout of Sacramento. Harden delivered 23 points while the Rockets were building a 62-44 halftime lead.

Dallas was a 107-89 winner at New Orleans as Shawn Marion contributed 21 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 19.

And Dorell Wright scored 15 points in Philadelphia's 91-77 win over Cleveland. But the game became secondary when two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Doug Collins will not return as head coach of the 76ers next season. Collins told management he wanted to leave following a season that has the Sixers stuck in ninth place in the East.