Bobcats clinch playoffs with OT win over Cavs

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 in Cleveland. 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, but the loss further damaged Cleveland’s slim playoff hopes. The Cavaliers (31-47) trail eighth-place Atlanta by 31/2 games for the final playoff spot in the East. Irving, who defended himself before the game over reports he’s unhappy in Cleveland, was 16 of 31 from the field, including five 3-pointers. – Associated Press