UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee 112-94 while the Cleveland Cavaliers were losing 98-83 to Toronto, giving the Celts the No. 1 seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs. The Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls earned easy wins to take the last two seeds in the East. The Clippers’ 115-95 rout of Sacramento means Los Angeles will have homecourt advantage in its first-round series with Utah.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon forward Dillon Brooks says he is entering the NBA draft and has hired an agent. The Pac-12 Player of the Year averaged 16.1 points per game this season to help the Ducks advance to the Final Four for the first time since 1939. Brooks is the second Oregon player to say he will leave school for the NBA this week after sophomore Tyler Dorsey declared on Monday.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina junior point guard P.J. Dozier is testing out the NBA draft after averaging 13.9 points a game for the national semifinalists last season. Dozier plans to participate in the NBA Draft Combine and will have 10 days after it ends to either remain in the draft or return to the Gamecocks.
UNDATED (AP) — Canadian teams went 0-3 during the first day of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal was a 2-0 loser to Henrik Lundqvist and the visiting New York Rangers; Boston scored twice in the third period to beat the Senators, 2-1 in Ottawa; and San Jose was a 3-2 winner at Edmonton behind Melker Karlsson’s overtime goal. Also last night, Pittsburgh was a 3-2 winner against Columbus and St. Louis eked out a 2-1 overtime win at Minnesota.
DALLAS (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the situation says Ken Hitchcock is returning as head coach of the Dallas Stars, 18 years after leading the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup. The 65-year-old Hitchcock was there for parts of seven seasons from 1995-96 through 2001-02. He was fired as head coach of the Blues in February and has also coached the Flyers and Blue Jackets.
