Bobcats clinch NBA playoff berth Updated Apr 5, 2014 11:47 PM CLEVELAND
Al Jefferson scored 24 points, including seven in overtime, and the Charlotte Bobcats clinched a playoff spot with a 96-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Charlotte is in the postseason for the second time in its 10-year history and the first time since 2010. The Bobcats (39-38) are over .500 for the second time this season and hold seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Kyrie Irving scored a career-high 44 points for Cleveland. The Cavaliers (31-47) trail eighth-place Atlanta by 3½ games for the final playoff spot in the East. Irving was 16 of 31 from the field, including five 3-pointers. He added eight assists and seven rebounds. Gerald Henderson's basket gave Charlotte a 90-89 lead with 1:08 remaining and the Bobcats made four free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
