Bulls ruin LeBron's return while Cavaliers clinch playoff spot without him first time in 23 Years

LeBron James scored 19 points off the bench in his return from a month-long injury absence, but Zach LaVine had 32 to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 118-108 victory

The NBA is heading into its final two weeks of the push to the post-season, with teams jostling for playoff berths and seeding. In one of the standout games of the week, the Chicago Bulls took on the Los Angeles Lakers in superstar LeBron James's return from a 13-game injury absence. Despite James scoring 19 points off the bench, the Bulls won 118-108 to tighten their grip on the final Eastern Conference play-in spot. Zach LaVine had 32 points for the Bulls, with DeMar DeRozan adding 17 points.

LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers is double teamed by Zach LaVine #8 and Patrick Beverley #21 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 26, 2023 in Los Angeles.(Getty Images via AFP)

The Lakers slipped from eighth to ninth in the Western Conference, half a game ahead of Oklahoma City and half a game behind New Orleans and Minnesota.

James missed four weeks during the Lakers' run at a playoff berth due to right foot soreness, and for only the second time in his 20-year, 1,958-game NBA career, James wasn't a starter, coming in midway through the first quarter. The Lakers are still without D’Angelo Russell, who missed his second straight game with a right hip injury. They went 8-5 in James' absence.

Andre Drummond #3 of the Chicago Bulls goes for a layup against LeBron James #6 and Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 26, 2023 in Los Angeles,(Getty Images via AFP)

In other news, the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched their first playoff berth since 2018 with a 108-91 victory over the Houston Rockets. It's the first time Cleveland has made the playoffs without James since 1998. Jarrett Allen had 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 for the Cavaliers, who are closing in on locking up the No. 4 spot in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage in the first round. They've won nine of 11 games.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) during the third quarter at the TD Garden.(USA TODAY Sports)

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics kept the pressure on Milwaukee in the race for the top seed in the East with a 137-93 home rout of the San Antonio Spurs, with Jaylen Brown scoring 41 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. In Atlanta, Ja Morant returned to the Memphis starting lineup after coming off the bench in his first two games since suspension and scored 27 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 123-119 victory over the Hawks, pushing Memphis' winning streak to six games.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) drives in past Charlotte Hornets guard Theo Maledon (9) for a reverse lay-up during the second half at the Spectrum Center.(USA TODAY Sports)

The Dallas Mavericks' downward spiral continued with a 110-104 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte, where Mavs star Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season, which will trigger an automatic one-game suspension. After failing to make a basket in the first quarter, Doncic finished with 40 points, but it wasn't enough to stave off a second loss in three days to the hapless Hornets, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.

Kyle Anderson #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after he made a long shot as the shot clock expired against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Chase Center on March 26, 2023 in San Francisco, California.(Getty Images via AFP)

In the final game of the day, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 99-96. The game was decided with 11 seconds left when Karl-Anthony Towns took advantage of Kyle Anderson's steal from Draymond Green to drain the winning three-pointer.