Spurs take NBA Southwest crown and No. 3 seed

SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs are the NBA's Southwest Division champions and the No. 3 seed for the Western Conference playoffs. They have Michael Finley, Tim Duncan and the Dallas Mavericks to thank for that.

Finley and Duncan led the Spurs to a 105-98 overtime win against New Orleans, leaving the Hornets with the seventh seed in the West. Finley scored 17 points, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer that forced overtime after the Hornets held a five-point lead with 48 seconds left. Duncan registered six of his 20 points in the extra session to secure the victory.

The outcome dropped the Hornets into the seventh spot in the West and a first-round matchup with Denver. San Antonio will face Dallas.

Houston could have captured the division with a victory. Instead, the Rockets blew a 14-point lead in a 95-84 loss at Dallas. Jason Kidd had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and Jason Terry scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland failed to tie the NBA record for the best home record, finishing 39-and-2 at Quicken Loans Arena with a 111-110 overtime loss to Philadelphia. The top-seeded Cavaliers played without LeBron James and Mo Williams, giving them more time to rest for the playoffs and the Detroit Pistons.

Andre Miller finished with 30 points and eight rebounds for the 76ers, who locked up the sixth seed in the East and a meeting with Orlando.

Also last night:

_ Portland warmed up for its first-round meeting with the Rockets by crushing Denver 104-76. Travis Outlaw scored 21 points in the Trail Blazers' sixth consecutive win.

_ Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were held out of Boston's 115-107 triumph over Washington. Eddie House drained five three-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 20 points to lead the win.

_ Orlando's Tony Battie scored 21 points and Mickael Pietrus added 19 to lead a 98-73 rout of Charlotte. Dwight Howard provided 10 points and 12 rebounds in limited action.

_ O.J. Mayo dropped in 26 points and Rudy Gay contributed 20 as Memphis downed Atlanta 98-90. Flip Murray paced the Hawks with 20 points while starters Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Al Horford and Marvin Williams rested for the team's first-round series with Miami.

_ Chris Quinn hit a go-ahead three-pointer in overtime and finished with 26 points to lead the Heat's 102-96 win over Detroit. Quinn started for the second straight game in place of Dwyane Wade, who locked up the scoring title while resting up for the Heat's first-round series with Atlanta.

_ Chris Bosh finished with 21 points and 19 rebounds as Toronto topped Chicago 109-98, forcing the Bulls to face the second-seeded Celtics in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

_ David Lee finishes the season with a league-best 65 double-doubles after contributing 12 points and 12 rebounds to New York's 102-73 pounding of New Jersey.

_ Danny Granger poured in 35 points and Indiana stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Milwaukee 115-108.

_ Sacramento was a 97-90 winner at Minnesota behind Ike Diogu's 28 points and 13 boards.

_ Kevin Durant's 26 points led Oklahoma City in a 126-85 thumping of the Los Angeles Clippers.

_ Phoenix used Grant Hill's 27 points and 10 rebounds to beat Golden State 117-113.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)