The NBA's most improved record wasn't enough to get the Orlando Magic into the playoffs.
The fourth-year team finished the regular season with a 104-85 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, but missed out on the first postseason berth in franchise history when the Indiana Pacers defeated the Miami Heat 94-88.Shaquille O'Neal scored 31 points and Nick Anderson had 27 as the Magic won for the fourth time in five games to finish with 41 victories - 20 more than last season when Orlando had the second-worst record in the league.
The Magic began the night tied with Indiana for the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference, and needed to have Miami beat the Pacers in Indianapolis to get the spot.
Orlando and Indiana finished with identical 41-41 records, but Indiana had the tie-breaker edge because it outscored Orlando 444-439 in the teams' four games against each other. Point differential in head-to-head games is the NBA's fifth tiebreaker.
Pacers 94, Heat 88
At Indianapolis, the Indiana Pacers qualified for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a hard-fought victory over the Miami Heat.
Vern Fleming, making only his eighth start of the season, matched his career-high with 31 points as Indiana earned a spot against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
Hornets 108, Bucks 106
At Milwaukee, Kendall Gill drove through the middle and hit a layup with 2.9 seconds left as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Milwaukee Bucks to clinch the No. 5 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Suns 99, Spurs 97
At Phoenix, Danny Ainge preserved a two-point Phoenix lead with a basket and a free throw in the final 12.6 seconds, and the Suns beat San Antonio despite the absence of ejected superstar Charles Barkley.
The Spurs, who snapped Phoenix's 14-game winning streak last December, called timeout with 6.9 seconds left after Ainge missed the second foul shot. Willie Anderson got off a jumper, and David Robinson got the rebound, but his last-second shot bounced off the rim.
Mavericks 128, Rockets 123
At Houston, Jim Jackson scored 23 points to lead seven Dallas players in double figures in a victory over Houston that snapped the Rockets' 11-game winning streak.
The Mavericks (11-71) won their second game in a row for the second time this season, but still ended the year with the worst record in franchise history and two wins away from tying the worst record in NBA history.
Lakers 125, Kings 107
At Inglewood, Calif., the Los Angeles Lakers ended their worst regular season in 18 years on a positive note with a victory over the Sacramento Kings.
Despite making the playoffs for the 17th year in a row, the Lakers finished fifth in the Pacific Division and eighth in the Western Conference at 39-43 - four games worse than last year. They will meet the conference champion Phoenix Suns next Friday night in their playoff opener.