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Bulls End Season With Win; Historic Night in NBA

>>Bulls Come Back To Beat 76ers, End Season 42-40

 

Nikola Mirotic scored 32 points, Justin Holliday added a career-high 29, and the Chicago Bulls closed a disappointing season with a 115-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.

Mirotic hit seven 3-pointers. Holiday made five from long range, matching a personal best. Jimmy Butler added 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

 

The Bulls wiped out an early 24-point deficit and led by as much as 19 to close out a less-than-golden 50th season on a winning note.

 

That's little consolation for a team that expected to challenge LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008 at 42-40.

 

Robert Covington led Philadelphia with 27 points, hitting six 3s. The 76ers finished an NBA-worst 10-72.

 

>>Warriors Make History with  73rd Win

 

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors took their last shot at Michael Jordan and history and they swished it - for 73.

 

Down to their final chance at the record, the Warriors became the first 73-win team Wednesday night by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104, breaking what many considered an unmatchable mark set 20 years ago by Jordan's Chicago Bulls - oh, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr, too.

 

Curry achieved yet one more shooting milestone, becoming the first player to make 400 3-pointers in a season by knocking down 10 from long range on the way to 46 points and 402 total 3s.

 

Draymond Green had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as defending champion Golden State (73-9) topped the Jordan-led 1995-96 Bulls who went 72-10.

 

Klay Thompson added 16 points with four 3s of his own before Curry rested the fourth quarter and Thompson most of it.

 

Zach Randolph scored 24 points to lead Memphis, which lost its fourth in a row to end the season.

 

>>Kobe Scores 60 In Final Game

 

Kobe Bryant scored 60 incredible points. He carried a miserable Los Angeles Lakers team to an improbable comeback victory.

 

And with sweat and confetti all over his gold uniform for the final time, he expressed humble thanks to his fans and family for their loving support over two decades.

 

''What else can I say?'' Bryant asked. ''Mamba out.''

 

Bryant utterly dominated his final game Wednesday night, wrapping up 20 NBA seasons with one last offensive showcase in the Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Utah Jazz.

 

He scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, posting his first 50-point game since February 2009 and rallying the Lakers from a 15-point deficit to win the final game of the worst season in franchise history.

 

Kobe became the oldest player to score 50 points in an NBA game with his highest-scoring performance since getting 61 against New York in 2009.

 

Bryant surpassed his previous career high of 47 shots, taken in a loss to Boston on Nov. 7, 2002.

 

Trey Lyles scored 18 points and Gordon Hayward had 17 for the Jazz, who were eliminated from playoff contention shortly before tipoff by Houston's win over the Sacramento Kings.

 

Los Angeles has missed the playoffs in three straight seasons, the longest drought in franchise history.

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