Dwyane Wade, playing the final home game of his NBA career, has scored 30 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 122-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
With wife Gabrielle Union courtside, Wade made 10 of 23 shots, including four three-pointers in what was his second-highest scoring game of the season.
But it was a bittersweet night for the Heat (39-42), who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the evening when the Detroit Pistons rallied from a 22-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 100-93.
This is the third time in the past five years Miami has failed to make the playoffs. Prior to that, they won four straight Eastern Conference titles and two NBA championships with Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh starring.
Wade, 37, will end his career on Thursday (NZ time) at the Brooklyn Nets.
Philadelphia (50-31), which has already clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested two of its stars in Joel Embiid and JJ Redick.
Ben Simmons earned 16 points and four rebounds in reduced minutes, while Jonah Bolden failed to score in his 13 minutes.
Elsewhere, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry left Tuesday's 112-103 win over the New Orleans Pelicans with a sprained right foot.
Curry sustained the non-contact injury when he rolled his foot and ankle while dribbling near the three-point line and immediately fell.
The Warriors nevertheless won the game, despite the absence of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Aussie Andrew Bogut.
They had already secured top seed in the Western Conference.
Charlotte Hornets kept their play-off hopes alive with a 124-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb scoring 23 apiece.
The Hornets led by 12 in the first half and then pushed the lead all the way to 27 in the fourth quarter, winning their fourth straight and eighth in their last 11 games.
They must now beat Orlando on Thursday and hope the Pistons lose at New York to leapfrog Detroit for the final play-off spot.
An undermanned Boston Celtics, missing Australian Aron Baynes, also beat Washington Wizards 116-110, while the Knicks beat Chicago Bulls 96-86.
In Minnesota, meanwhile, Australian Mitch Creek made his Timberwolves debut, recording six points, two rebounds and one steal in 12 minutes of action as his side were outclassed 120-100 by the Toronto Raptors.
Creek previously played for the Brooklyn Nets this season, averaging 3.8 points in nine minutes of action across four games.
Reuters
