AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Hassan Whiteside tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift the Miami Heat over the Detroit Pistons 97-96 on Tuesday night.
Miami is a game up on Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit.
Whiteside jumped over Andre Drummond to tip in Goran Dragic's missed jumper. The final play was reviewed and confirmed.
Dragic scored 28 points and Whiteside finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Heat (36-38).
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 25 points and Tobias Harris and Ish Smith each scored 19 for the Pistons (34-41). Detroit lost its fifth straight and eighth in nine games (see full recap).
Curry's 32 lead Warriors to win over Rockets
HOUSTON -- Stephen Curry scored 32 points, Klay Thompson had 25 and the Golden State Warriors built a big lead early and held on for a 113-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.
The Warriors scored 37 points in the first quarter and never trailed on the way to their eighth straight victory and 60th this season.
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Golden State led by eight after a pair of free throws by Curry with just over three minutes left. Patrick Beverley countered with a tip-in layup for Houston, then was fouled when he was knocked to the ground on a screen by Draymond Green seconds later.
James Harden missed a layup on the next possession before Green added a shot on the other end to put the Warriors up 107-99.
Another layup miss by Harden followed, and Curry made a 3-pointer with 1:46 left to send fans streaming to the exits (see full recap).
Rubio's late free throws help Minnesota end skid at Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS -- Ricky Rubio made three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 115-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.
Minnesota snapped a season-high six-game losing streak by taking its only lead of the quarter. Rubio had 21 points and 10 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 37 points and 12 rebounds.
Rubio was fouled by Jeff Teague, though it appeared Rubio ran into his own teammate on the play. Indiana fans booed the officials as they left the court.
Indiana's Monta Ellis got off a last-second 3-point shot, but he was off the mark.
Paul George scored 37 points to lead the Pacers, whose playoff chances took another hit. Teague had 20 points and 10 assists (see full recap).
Snell scores 26 points, Bucks beat Hornets
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Tony Snell scored a season-high 26 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points and eight rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks handed the Charlotte Hornets' playoff hopes a potentially devastating blow with a 118-108 victory on Tuesday night.
Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the season, and the Bucks won for the 12th time in 15 games.
Snell finished 10 of 14 from the field and had four 3-pointers.
Charlotte (33-41) entered in 11th place in the Eastern Conference but only two games behind the Miami Heat and in dire need of a win with only nine games remaining (see full recap).