LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a gruelling 108-102 victory over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Dennis Schroder scored 21 points and iced the win with two free throws with 8.4 seconds left for the Lakers, who will face second-seeded Memphis in the first round.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and Mike Conley hit three free throws with 0.1 seconds left in regulation to tie it for the Wolves, who will host New Orleans or Oklahoma City on Friday for the eighth spot and a first-round date with top-seeded Denver.

Anthony Davis had 24 points, 15 rebounds and one tremendously ill-advised foul on Conley, who scored 23 points.

Los Angeles survived a back-and-forth meeting with Minnesota, who gave an inspired effort while playing without starters Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels.

Gobert is suspended for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during Minnesota’s regular-season finale against New Orleans, while McDaniels is out indefinitely with a broken hand after punching a wall in frustration last Sunday.

In the earlier game, Trae Young has scored 25 points, Clint Capela grabbed 21 rebounds and Atlanta earned the No.7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by beating the Miami Heat 116-105.

Dejounte Murray added 18 points for the Hawks, who avenged a five-game round-one loss to Miami last season and earned a first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics that will start on Saturday (Sunday AEST).

Kyle Lowry registered 33 points – his highest-scoring game in his two Miami seasons -for the Heat, who will host either Toronto or Chicago to decide the No.8 seed and a spot against top overall seed Milwaukee.

The Raptors and Bulls play on Wednesday; the winners of Friday’s game open the series against the Bucks on Sunday.