Turner, Sixers top Bucks
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Evan Turner scored 29 points and Jodie Meeks added 27, as the Philadelphia 76ers held on for a 90-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in a matchup void of postseason implications.
It was the penultimate regular season game for both squads, but one that did not factor in the playoff picture, as the Sixers wrapped up the Eastern Conference's final postseason berth with Monday's win in New Jersey and eliminated the Bucks in the process.
Turner played 40-plus minutes and shot 13-of-29 from the floor while finishing with 13 rebounds and six assists as Philadelphia sat most of its regulars.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sixers are currently the No. 8 seed in the East and must defeat the Pistons in Thursday's finale and have the Knicks lose to the Bobcats to jump New York for the seventh position.
Brandon Jennings paced the Bucks with 19 points, as Milwaukee finished its home slate with a 17-16 record.
"Guys played hard. We competed and hung in there," said Bucks forward Mike Dunleavy, who along with teammate Larry Sanders scored 12 points.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sixers did not make a field goal in the final there minutes, and the drought allowed the Bucks to pull within 88-85 on a Beno Udrih jumper with 38.1 seconds remaining.
Turner missed at the other end with under 20 seconds to play, and Milwaukee went for a quick two coming out of a timeout.
Shaun Livingston, though, was short on his attempt in the lane, and the Sixers sealed the win at the free throw line.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Bucks raced out to a 29-24 lead after the first quarter and led by as many as 13 in the second. The Sixers scored 10 of the half's final 14 points to cut their deficit to 50-45.
Meeks hit a three-pointer, made two free throws and put in a layup in a 38- second span early in the third, and consecutive dunks by Turner and Jrue Holiday gave Philadelphia a 58-54 lead less than four minutes in.
The Sixers owned a 71-63 cushion heading to the fourth and never trailed the rest of the way.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
The Sixers have won the first four games of their season-ending five-game road trip...Milwaukee will visit Boston on Thursday to close out its season...The Sixers rested starters Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand as well as key reserves Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young...Monta Ellis, Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute all sat out for the Bucks.