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ustralian duo Joe Ingles and Dante Exum will have their first taste of the NBA Playoffs on the weekend when the Utah Jazz take on the Los Angeles Clippers in game one of their best-of-seven series.
The Jazz beat Patty Mills’ San Antonio Spurs 101-97 on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) but still fell short of stealing the Western Conference’s fourth seed away from the Clippers on the final day of the NBA regular season.
The Clippers defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-95 to seal the fourth seed and gain home court advantage in the series with the Jazz.
Game one is in Los Angeles on Saturday.
“The primary thing for us was to be healthy,” said Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who subbed out his starters, including Ingles, when the game against the Spurs was still on the line in the final quarter.
The Jazz missed the playoffs the previous four seasons.
Ingles, who had nine points against the Spurs, and Exum, two points and three assists, joined the Jazz in 2014 and have become important pieces in the team’s return to the playoffs.
Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich also pulled his starters in the final quarter with the team maintaining their second seed in the west win or lose.
Mills had eight points, hitting both three-point attempts, coming off the bench.
The Spurs play the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round while the NBA’s top seed, the Golden State Warriors, take on the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-94 to cement the top seed in the Eastern Conference over the spluttering second-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers, who lost 98-93 to the Toronto Raptors.
It was the Cavaliers’ fourth straight loss.
The Celtics play the Chicago Bulls in the first round while the Cavaliers face the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks rested point guard Matthew Dellavedova in the Celtics’ loss as the team had wrapped up the sixth seed in the east.
The Bucks’ Australian rookie Thon Maker played and pulled off spectacular plays in his nine points, six rebounds, three assists, three blocks effort.
The Bucks play the Raptors in the first round.
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