The Chicago Bulls clinched the NBA's last remaining playoff spot, as Derrick Rose scored 27 points and Joakim Noah added 21 with 13 rebounds in a 98-89 victory over Charlotte.
The Bulls closed the season on Wednesday with a three-game winning streak to beat out Toronto for a first-round shot at Eastern Conference top seeds Cleveland.
They did it despite numerous injuries, a woeful early-season stretch and internal bickering as the regular-season wound down.
Knowing they needed to win, or rely on a Raptors defeat to New York, the Bulls burst out of the gate. They never trailed and led the Bobcats by as many as 18 points.
Tyrus Thomas had 16 points and nine rebounds against his former team, while Gerald Wallace scored 15 points and Stephen Jackson 14 for the Bobcats, who had already locked up the seventh seed in the East and a first-round clash with Orlando.
With former Bulls star and current Bobcats owner Michael Jordan watching from the end of the Bobcats' bench, Chicago players traded joyous high-fives at the buzzer.
The Bulls will play a Cleveland team that finished off the season on half-power, resting star LeBron James for the last four games after securing the league's best record and home court advantage through the NBA finals.
The Bobcats will face an Orlando team that finished the season with a flourish on Wednesday, breaking the NBA record for three-pointers in a season as they closed the regular season with a 125-111 victory over Philadelphia.
The Magic finished the season with 841 three-pointers, passing the 2005-06 Phoenix Suns' record of 837 three-pointers in a season.
Orlando also clinched the second-best record (59-23) behind Cleveland to give them home-court advantage if they reach the NBA finals.
And they played the last regular-season game in the only arena they've known for 21 years. The Magic move into the new Amway Center next season.
Jameer Nelson had 21 points and Vince Carter scored 17, while Dwight Howard added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Howard became the only player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice - doing it for the second straight year.
The feat makes him the favorite for a second straight Defensive Player of the Year award.
In Boston, the Celtics rested their big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allan, and dropped a 106-95 decision to Milwaukee.
The game began as a possible first-round preview if Milwaukee won and Miami lost to New Jersey.
The Heat, however, beat the Nets 94-86 in double-overtime to set up Miami v Boston and Milwaukee v Atlanta first-round series.
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
