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| Trae Young led the Atlanta Hawks into the play-offs. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] The Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans clinched the final spots in the NBA play-offs with victories in their deciding play-in games on Friday. The Hawks' Trae Young scored 32 of his game-high 38 points in the second half to inspire his side to a 107-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, BBC Sports reported.
The Pelicans then beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-101 with Brandon Ingram top-scoring with 30 points. As eighth seeds, both teams will face the top-seeded side in their division. For the Hawks, that means an upcoming trip to Florida to face the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs, while in the Western Conference play-offs the Pelicans will take on the Phoenix Suns with game one of both best-of-seven series set for Sunday.
It marks the first time the Pelicans have reached the play-offs since the 2017-18 season, while the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference finals last season where they were beaten by eventual NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks.
