Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

By Adam King, RotoWire.com

With only two days of action remaining, and with all 30 teams playing twice, streaming, while plentiful, could be hard to project. Both good and bad teams are shutting guys down for various reasons. While there are a handful of teams with something to play for, the majority of streaming candidates are likely taken. So, we shift our attention to the remaining teams trying to nail down who could play in both games.

As we move through what is commonly viewed as silly season, the waiver wire is the place to be, providing managers with bargain players who could be about to ascend in the NBA fantasy rankings. And remember, never assume a player is rostered. It always pays to double-check, just in case they have been overlooked.

Identifying players who are benefiting from expanded roles — whether it's an offensive threat delivering points and threes or a defensive-minded player boosting your blocks and steals — is vital as you navigate the season.

Let's dive into nine key NBA sleepers whose current stats suggest they are poised for significant value and are currently rostered in fewer than 40% of Yahoo leagues.

Yahoo High Score Leagues

Jeremiah Fears, New Orleans Pelicans (24% rostered)

Although the Pelicans have no chance of making the playoffs, the fact is that the team is at least still trying to win basketball games. While that hasn't been the case recently, having lost eight of its past nine games, Fears has seen an uptick in his playing time and associated production. Over his past three games, Fears has averaged 53 fantasy points per game, logging at least 37 minutes in all three appearances. All signs point to him closing the season, and apparently, he has a green light on offense. Managers should feel relatively comfortable adding him, despite two high-volume nights to end the campaign.

Julian Reese, Washington Wizards (9% rostered)

It appears as though Reese will close the season as the starting center for Washington, a role that has yielded some encouraging performances. In his past three games, Reese has averaged a double-double, putting up 44.7 fantasy points per game. Perhaps more important is the fact that in each of the three games, he has seen at least 36 minutes. Every season, there are a couple of silly-season centers who rack up big numbers down the stretch. It seems as though Reese is one of those names.

Luke Kennard, Los Angeles Lakers (6% rostered)

With the Lakers very short on troops right now, Kennard has stepped into a sizeable role, flashing his upside on both ends of the floor. In his past three appearances, Kennard has averaged 44.3 fantasy points per game, including what was his first triple-double of the season. Despite the injuries, Los Angeles is still in the hunt for a top-four seed in the Western Conference, which would ensure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Look for Kennard to continue playing a key role as the team enters two must-win games against the Suns and Jazz.

Standard 9-Category Leagues

Jalen Slawson, Indiana Pacers (1% rostered)

Slawson is another player who has quietly put himself in the frame as a must-roster player. Despite his strong defensive production over the past month, contract limitations meant that he was no certainty to suit up on any given night. However, he is now free to play in both remaining games, continuing a strong three-game run over the past week. During that time, he has flirted with top-75 value, averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.3 3-pointers. With scope for him to increase his production on the defensive end, Slawson should be picked up in most leagues, given his ability to impact low-volume categories such as steals and blocks.

Leonard Miller, Chicago Bulls (6% rostered)

Miller continues to be one of the few shining lights in Chicago, having finally carved out a meaningful role, albeit for a team with low expectations. While he has been firmly on the radar for quite some time, Thursday delivered arguably the best performance of his career, recording 26 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers. Chicago has seemingly shut down a number of key players, meaning Miller should see out the season as a key piece. At this point, he really is a no-brainer across all formats.

Dylan Harper, San Antonio Spurs (23% rostered)

Harper has quietly put himself on the radar, having seen a slight uptick in his playing time, with San Antonio starting to ease off on some of its bigger names. Harper has now scored double digits in 10 straight games, playing at least 25 minutes in three of the past four games. He has been a top-85 player in 14 appearances over the past month, averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 3-pointers, numbers that are likely sustainable given the fact his role should hold steady moving forward. 

Standard Points Leagues

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers (18% rostered)

Although he has yet to realize any sort of potential, Henderson has found some rhythm in recent times, amassing at least 33 fantasy points in three of his past five games. He has scored double digits in nine of the past 10 games, while also logging at least 24 minutes on a regular basis. Given he missed so much of the early part of the season, it makes sense for the Trail Blazers to get him out on the floor as much as possible, especially if the team can squeeze into the playoffs. As another player likely to close the season with two games played, Henderson makes for a viable starting option in both points and category formats.

Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards (17% rostered)

Carrington has yet to miss a game this season, meaning there is definite incentive to get him out there for the remaining two games. Although his production hasn't been anything spectacular, Carrington is a good example of quantity over quality, which at this time of the year, can be key to success. If you are looking for a low-upside, but safe play, look no further than Carrington.

Ousmane Dieng, Milwaukee Bucks (21% rostered)

Despite all the disruption in Milwaukee, Dieng has managed to make the most of a bad situation. While his percentages have been a major issue, that matters not when it comes to his value in points formats. He continues to play a sizeable role for a team that has basically hit rock bottom, recording at least 29 fantasy points in five of the past six games, including a 66-point explosion during a loss to Houston. In terms of being available for both remaining games, Dieng is as close to a lock as you will find, making him a relatively risk-free addition, should he be available in your league.

A lot has to happen to get a bucket in the NBA. The right screen creates just enough space to free up the ball. A pass has to be on the money for a player to get a shot off. And even if everything goes right, it’s still a make-or-miss league where a 50% success rate would be great.

So many things hurt the Celtics on Thursday night. Jayson Tatum would surely love to get those six turnovers back. Allowing the Knicks to hit 15-of-35 from behind the arc is tough to swallow. But in the end, it was two triples from Josh Hart on broken plays that did the Celtics in in the final two minutes.

The Celtics’ magic number to clinch the #2 seed remains at one with two games at TD Garden against the visiting Pelicans tomorrow and the Magic on Sunday. The Knicks host playoff hungry Toronto and Charlotte.

Boston’s championship odds have remained steady all month with our friends at FanDuel and are +550 to raise Banner 19 and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Jayson Tatum

40 minutes, 24 points (2-10 from 3, 8-10 from the free throw line, 7-22 from the field), 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 turnovers, one steal, one block -16

Against the Hornets on March 29th, Tatum put up arguably the highest scoring game of his comeback with 32 points, five rebounds, and eight assists with Brown sidelined. It was an often visceral reminder of his scoring prowess and just home much his size and speed is difficult to defend.

Even alongside Jaylen, Jayson has become more of an all-around contributor, nearly averaging a triple-double at 24-12-8 over the last four games. He was close again with 24-13-8, but six turnovers and an inefficient 2-or-10 from 3 contributed to his -16 plus/minus on the night.

Grade: B

Jordan Walsh

17 minutes, 5 points (1-2 from 3, 2-4 from the field), 2 rebounds, one assist, 5 turnovers, -9

After re-entering the rotation two weeks ago — including starting for the Jays like he did last night for Brown — Walsh has shown a knack for generating momentum-shifting plays with his rangy defense and ability to find offense in the nooks and crannies of opposing teams’ defenses.

Hang time 🤙 pic.twitter.com/yE3zjPbc61

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 10, 2026

Instead of Tommy Points and stocks, we need a new metric/nickname for plays that shouldn’t happen, but Walsh finds a way. Jordan Jolts? Celtics Sparks?

Grade: A-

Neemias Queta

24 minutes, 10 points (2-2 from the free throw line, 4-6 from the field), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, -7

Queta is the living embodiment of “let the star player get his and shut down everybody else.” Over his last five games, he’s averaged 16.4 points on 75% shooting from the field.

Special delivery 📦💪 pic.twitter.com/PW1NONXN4o

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 9, 2026

With Tatum struggling a bit, Neemy didn’t get a lot of those easy buckets. Instead, he hit the offensive glass for two of his putback buckets and pulled down six total for the game.

Grade: B+

Sam Hauser

31 minutes, 6 points (2-6 from 3, 2-7 from the field), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, +1

With Scheierman dominating in the 4th quarter, Hauser didn’t get his usual run to close the game. When he was in the game, he used his shooting gravity to find teammates for three assists.

Grade: B

Have to applaud the extra pass 👏 pic.twitter.com/DwkcYuvm9E

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 10, 2026

Derrick White

38 minutes, 8 points (0-6 from 3, 4-4 from the free throw line, 2-10 from the field), 3 rebounds, one assist, one steal, -3

So many unofficial end-of-season ballots have Derrick White as an All-Defense First Teamer — I’ve seen him on a few All-NBA lists, too.

Unfortunately, he’s having a Celtics career-worst shooting season and that’s really hurt his box scores. He’s still doing everything else on the floor, but the efficiency is way down in 2025-2026.

Grade: B-

Payton Pritchard

36 minutes, 23 points (3-8 from 3, 10-20 from the field), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, +4

We joked in our CelticsBlog Slack that if Pritchard incorporated Jalen Brunson’s grift game, he’d probably get 4-8 points more from the free throw line. No matter, he carried Boston in the first half with fifteen points with many of his buckets coming at the rim and played more the playmaker after halftime with five assists.

P coming in with the instant offense 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fKBz2fp9tk

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 10, 2026

Grade: B+

Nikola Vucevic

24 minutes, 10 points (2-4 from 3, 4-7 from the field) 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnover, +1

Talk about a crash course. After missing fourteen games and virtually all of Tatum’s return, the prize of Boston’s trade deadline has had three games to generate chemistry and get his sea legs back before the playoffs start next week. His first two were duds relative to what we know Vooch can provide on a night-to-night basis. Against the Knicks, the learning curve is still on the upswing.

He hit some big threes in the third quarter and seemed to get into the flow of the read-and-react offense in the fourth. It’s starting to click for the big man.

Grade: B+

Baylor Scheierman

30 minutes, 20 points (6-7 from 3, 7-8 from the field), 4 rebounds, -1

The 38% three-point shooter caught fire at MSG, hitting 6-of-7 from 3. Along with some solid defense on Brunson, it was a clutch 20-point performance for the Celtics highest riser on the bench.

YEAHHH B 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/E9xi5Vxp5m

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 10, 2026

Grade: A+

DNP-CDs: Luka Garza, Hugo Gonzalez, Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, John Tonje, Amari Williams

Inactives: Jaylen Brown

After a season of such misery for the Warriors, any postseason exit is merciful originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – At the risk of being accused of suggesting public euthanasia, here goes.

As it trends, the Warriors and their skeletal roster will plunge into the offseason in a few days, perhaps as soon as Wednesday. Barring the miraculous, surely sometime in April.

Would a brief postseason be such a horrible conclusion?

Would that not be a merciful way to close a profoundly unsatisfying season punctuated by a merciless second half?

Yes, I know athletes train to do their best, give their all, and never abandon the goal. Winning is good for any soul, and for some, nothing matters more.

This is not about surrender. This is about an aggressive futility that sank its teeth into the Warriors and shows no sign of letting go.

With Jimmy Butler III sidelined for the season and Stephen Curry out for nine weeks, the Warriors steadily spoke of building good habits and playing as a team, being “on a string” defensively on one end while making defenses work on the other. They knew they were hampered, yet they had difficulty giving themselves a chance.

The most recent example came Thursday night at Chase Center, where Golden State ended its home schedule with a 119-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Such a score was rationally predictable with Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Curry in street clothes.

The Warriors’ principles were a mess. They bobbled and flung their way to 19 turnovers, gifting the Lakers 28 points. Through three quarters, Golden State had more turnovers (16) than assists (15), literally helping LA more than each other. The Warriors are 80 games into the season, without Curry for 28 of the last 30, and still have too many possessions dying on the dribble, sprinkled with maybe one late-clock pass. Zero-pass possessions are a sin in coach Steve Kerr’s system, yet there are times when the ball never leaves the original dribbler.

The Warriors have endured such unrelenting misery over the last 37 games that they surely are bracing for what lies ahead Friday night when they face the Kings in Sacramento, or Sunday when they close the regular season against the Clippers in Los Angeles or next Wednesday when they land in the NBA play-in tournament.

“We’ve been through the wringer here over the last six, eight weeks,” Kerr said Thursday night. “But we’re in a position where we have a chance to get into the playoffs. Got some guys who are getting healthy. Have a chance to hopefully put together a game tomorrow where we have what our roster would look like for the play-in games. 

“So tomorrow and Sunday to develop a little rhythm and get a swing at it. We got some hope.”

That hope must be tempered by uncertainty. That’s the way of the Warriors for the last 80 days. The Warriors do not know who will be available for any of those games because each day begins with multiple availability mysteries. Golden State’s injury reports since Jan. 19 have been depressing on sight and epic in length.

Yet Kerr continues to insist there can be internal growth.

“For the next two games, just intensity and connection defensively,” Kerr said of his desires for the team. “Talking, communicating and really being loud and being aggressive. Draymond (Green) will take care of that. And then, on offense, we’ve got to be a little cleaner; we had 19 turnovers tonight. We put a lot of guys in some tough spots.

“But getting some guys back, we should be able to do a better job of taking care of the ball and executing.”

Getting some guys back has been the rallying hope of Kerr and the healthy guys on the roster for two months. Losing Butler for the season punched a gaping hole through the Warriors’ lofty ambitions. When Curry went down 11 days later and during the nine weeks he missed, that hole expanded and hope began fading. The entire operation went from sagging slowly to sinking like a stone.

Moses Moody, a key reserve and occasional starter, sustained a season-ending injury last month. Though Kerr hopes Horford can return Friday night or Sunday, his season will end with him missing more games than he plays.

The paper-logical trade on Feb. 5, an attempt to rescue this season and perhaps bolster those to come, brought them the zigs and zags that innately come with teams buying a ticket to The Porzingis Experience.

The Warriors spent weeks yearning for Curry’s return, largely to witness his court collaboration with Porzingis. As they waited, they dropped from eighth place in the Western Conference to ninth and, finally, to 10th, which reserves the last seat on the last bus to playoff possibilities.

“We’re back in the fight with Steph,” Kerr said after Curry’s encouraging return last Sunday.

“We got Steph,” Brandin Podziemski said Thursday night, citing the source of his optimism. “That solves a lot of it. But we got a lot of winners. KP’s won a championship. Al’s won a championship. Steph and Dray. We got vets that have won championships, Gary (Payton II).

“So, I like our chances when it comes to a one-game situation.”

Despite a season during which so many elements the Warriors could least afford to go wrong went catastrophically wrong, there remain at least three games. Coaches and players already are prepping to face either the Clippers or the Trail Blazers next Wednesday.

Golden State would like a fourth game, in which a victory would mean a trip to Oklahoma City to open a first-round series against the defending champion Thunder. The Warriors would like to go out, if they must, on their feet. It’s the noblest kind of exit.

Deep down, however, they could not be blamed, after all they’ve been through, for feeling that if ever a season deserved to be put out of its misery, it is this one.

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Aside from Victor Wembanyama’s NBA Awards eligibility and Cooper Flagg’s ROY case, the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks both come into their 4th and final match-up this season with little to play for. The Spurs, locked into the #2 seed, are just waiting for the playoffs to get here, while Dallas has both eyes set on the NBA Draft Lottery after struggling mightily in the franchise’s first full season without Luka Doncic. Regardless of the reason, these two Texas franchises are both looking forward to the end of the 2025-2026 NBA regular season, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be some fun left to be had.

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San Antonio Spurs (61-19) vs Dallas Mavericks (25-55)
April 10 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Watch: KENS | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Victor Wembanyama, ribs (questionable), Stephon Castle, foot (questionable)

Mavericks Injuries: Caleb Martin, heel (OUT), Daniel Gafford, shoulder (OUT), Kyrie Irving, knee (OUT), Dereck Lively II, foot (OUT, Naji Marshall, hip (day to day), Klay Thompson (day to day), PJ Washington, elbow (day to day), Brandon Williams (day to day)

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What to watch for

• Coming into the season, the consensus was that Cooper Flagg would be the 2026 Rookie of the Year. The 6’9 forward has flashed real two-way dominance in his first season in the league, setting a few NBA records along the way, but there’s been plenty of chatter recently about Flagg’s former Duke teammate guard Kon Knueppel, who’s made a huge difference his first season with the Charlotte Hornets. Flagg became the first teenager in the history of the NBA to score at least 50 points when he dropped 51 points on 19/30 from the field one week ago today in a loss to the Orlando Magic. Flagg won’t be 20 years old until December 21, 2027.

• Head coach Mitch Johnson’s key focus these last couple games is almost certainly on being completely healthy heading into Game 1 of San Antonio’s first round match-up, whoever they may be. It’s a pretty safe bet then that Johnson is going to play Victor Wembanyama no more than the 20 minutes that Wembanyama needs to meet the hotly debated 65-game award minimum in either game Wemby makes his return. Don’t be surprised if the rest of the starters as well as Keldon Johnson are kept on a short leash minutes-wise as well with the Spurs locked into the 2-seed.
• Dylan Haprper could be the exception to that rule. Harper, who has had a great rookie season in his own right, has been shooting the ball incredibly well since the beginning of March. He’s proven himself all year long and will be a big part of any postseason success San Antonio has, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t still soak up valuable minutes in the final couple of games of his rookie season.

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If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!

Bronny James passed to parent LeBron for the first son-to-father assist in NBA history as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 119-103.

Bronny, 19, stole possession and passed to LeBron, who ran the length of the court for an uncontested dunk that was part of a 26-point contribution from the 41-year-old.

The pair recorded the first father-to-son assist in a match against the Brooklyn Nets last month.

LeBron also added 11 assists while Bronny scored 10 points with three assists as the Lakers saw off their state rivals.

The Lakers sit fourth in the Western Conference while the Warriors are in 10th, with both having already qualified for the post-season play-offs that begin on 18 April.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks won 112-106 against the Boston Celtics, with Josh Hart scoring 26 points, to put pressure on their opponents in the Eastern Conference.

The sides are third and second respectively in the standings, with two matches left to play in the regular season.

The Toronto Raptors triumphed 128-114 against the Miami Heat while the Houston Rockets won 113-102 against Philadelphia 76ers to solidify their chances of a play-off place.

In matches between sides already out of post-season contention, the Chicago Bulls won 119-108 against the Washington Wizards while the Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-94.

WNBA approves three-team expansion

The WNBA has approved expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia and will become an 18-team league by 2030.

The Cleveland franchise will be the first to make their debut in the competition - they will appear in 2028 - while Detroit and Philadelphia will follow in 2029 and 2030 respectively.

The WNBA has gone through a period of expansion in recent years with the Golden State Valkyries joining in 2025 while the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire are set to follow this year.

The new season starts on 8 May and its regular season will run to 24 September.

NEW YORK — As a rash of shameless tanking is rotting within the NBA, the New York Knicks could’ve done the same.

They could’ve rolled over Thursday, April 9 to let the Boston Celtics clinch the No. 2 seed. They could’ve rested their stars compromised their competitive spirit to gear up instead for the playoffs, which begin April 18.

Let me explain.

In the days leading up to this game, a faction of social media basketball strategists pondered whether New York, the current three-seed in the East, would be better served to target the No. 4 slot. The thinking was that it would avoid an eventual matchup against the surging Celtics, who have won 25 of their last 33 games, in the conference semifinals.

Instead, Knicks forward Josh Hart drained all five of his 3s in the second half — including a pair inside the final 43 seconds that put the game away — to help New York narrowly outlast Boston, 112-106, in a game that had 13 ties and 16 lead changes.

Despite the victory, the Knicks, however, could still feasibly throw their final two games to tank into the four-seed to avoid Boston.

Should they?

I’ll concede that it does make some practical sense for teams at the bottom of the standings to tank. Those attempts to manipulate draft positioning, particularly in a draft class as loaded as this one, can theoretically be the difference between an elite, franchise-altering player and a good-to-very-good one.

Taking this approach, however, as you’re trying to win it all, would be a tell for loser behavior. Indirectly, the message would be that a team is scared of another, or at least giving it far too much respect.

“We’re heading in the direction of where we need to be at,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after the game. “I like the climb that we’ve made the last week or so, the last three or four games. We’ve got a couple more games to get there.

“For us, we’ll take it one game at a time, but we’ve got these two left, and we’d like to win both of them. What does that mean? I don’t know; we’ll see. But when we lace them up, we’re playing to win.”

Let’s very quickly run through the scenarios.

The Celtics (54-26) will almost certainly clinch the No. 2 seed. All they need to do is win one of their two remaining games, both of which are at home: against the Pelicans (Friday, April 10) and Magic (Sunday, April 12).

Because the Knicks (52-28) hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (51-29), New York would clinch the three-seed with a victory in either of its remaining games, which are also both at home: against the Raptors (Friday) and Hornets (Sunday).

And, assuming both Boston and New York handle their first-round playoff series, that would set up, once again, a rematch in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

If the Knicks fell to the fourth-seed, their semifinal opponent would likely be the No. 1 Pistons, who only just got All-Star Cade Cunningham back Wednesday, April 8 from a collapsed lung.

Making the prospect of a Knicks-Celtics rematch more enticing is that Boston’s players seemingly want it.

“It felt like death,” Jaylen Brown said of last year’s playoff loss during a recent Twitch stream. “The Knicks — good team — but to blow two 20-point leads, like, how does that happen? Just, the energy was off, and we lost, but shout out to the Knicks. They won. They moved on. We lost. We did it to ourselves. Can’t be mad at it.

“But this (year is a different story). We might match up with the Knicks again, and we’ve got to be ready to slide. … Sometimes, you’ve got to spin the block. You’ve got to run it back.”

By beating the Celtics Thursday night, New York can now say that it went 3-1 against Boston in the regular season. The Knicks sharpened their late-game actions in the clutch. They blitzed Celtics star Jayson Tatum — who was playing his first game here in Madison Square Garden since he tore his Achilles in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals — showing they have a recipe to defend him in the postseason.

Most of all, New York can use this momentum to galvanize its group into a rallying point as it tries to win its first NBA Finals since 1973.

Granted, none of New York’s victories over Boston this season were with both Tatum and Brown, who missed Thursday’s game with left Achilles tendinitis, on the floor.

Either way, all of this is setting up for what should be a fascinating rematch.

“That’s fool’s gold, trying to pick and choose your spots in the standings and who you play,” Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters after the game. “That’s fool’s gold (thinking) you have to lose to win.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Should New York Knicks tank way out of No. 3 seed in NBA playoffs?

For at least one game, there is a glimmer of hope in Los Angeles.

The Lakers actually beat the Warriors. Now, Steph Curry was out for the contest, so it was the corpse of Golden State against the ghost of LA, but in the win-loss column, the victory counts the same.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

32 minutes, 26 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 11-17 FG, 3-5 3PT, 1-2 FT, +19

LeBron was superb in this contest. He was aggressively attacking the basket, racking up points. James was a positive defender and led the team in assists. He also had another incredible dunk to add to his infinite highlight reel of jams.

LEBRON TAKES FLIGHT FOR THE SLAM 👑 pic.twitter.com/xRPU5FO3Zk

— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026

There was a scary moment where he blocked a shot and appeared to hurt his hand, but he remained in the game. That’s great news because the last thing this team needs is another injury.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

30 minutes, 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 fouls, 5-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-1 FT, +20

Hachimura had a relatively positive performance. He shot well and was a good floor spacer during the competitive parts of this contest.

Grade: B

Jake LaRavia

31 minutes, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls, 6-7 FG, 4-5 3PT, +29

This was one of the best LaRavia games in weeks. He finally had a good shooting night and was a threat from deep. Hopefully, this is the start of a good stretch of shooting for LaRavia as we enter the postseason.

Grade: B+

Deandre Ayton

31 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 9-11 FG, 3-4 FT, +19

Ayton brought the appropriate energy and efficiency to this game. He dominated inside and scored some of his patented high-post buckets. If Ayton can play like this the rest of the way, LA will have a shot at winning

Grade: A

Luke Kennard

32 minutes, 14 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 6-11 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-1 FT, +20

Kennard had some really rough possessions with the ball. In the third quarter, he had one play where he rushed to the rim and looked like he had no idea how to attempt a layup.

Kennard is being asked to do more than he normally is, and this game is a reminder of why he is best just shooting from deep and setting screens.

Grade: C

Jarred Vanderbilt

26 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, +15

Vando’s offensive possessions were an adventure in this game. He’s clearly only playing because the team is shorthanded, but his time on the floor was tough to watch in this one.

Grade: D

Bronny James

21 minutes, 10 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 4-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, -5

Bronny becoming a legit rotation player has been a joy to watch. He is progressing so much during his sophomore season. He still struggles with ball pressure, but he’s improved a lot. Now, when he comes in, it’s not just during wins in garage time. Bronny can help the Lakers win.

Grade: B

Nick Smith Jr.

11 minutes, 12 points, 4-5 FG, 4-5 3PT, +9

Smith Jr. just broke the 10 minutes required for a grade. He is a player unafraid to shoot the ball, and in this game he was hot from deep, going 4-5. If Redick needs some offense during one of these games, Smith Jr. isn’t a bad option to go to.

Grade: B

Maxi Kleber, Drew Timme, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht

These four players didn’t play 10 or more minutes, so they will not be receiving a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick pushed the right buttons in this game. He ran a tight rotation, and it resulted in the Lakers playing a better game overall. Redick called timeouts when the Warriors went on a run, and the Lakers responded each time.

Grade: B

Thursday’s DNPs: Chris Mañon

Thursday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Better late than never?

In the last few days of the regular season, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have played with the kind of rhythm/connection that’s been missing for most of the year. 

You saw it in New York’s win in Atlanta on Monday. And it was present again on Thursday night against the Celtics. 

With five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Brunson found Towns for a dunk and a three-pointer on consecutive possessions.

It was the kind of sequence the Knicks probably envisioned when they traded for Towns in the 2024 offseason. They didn’t see much of it in the first 78 games of this season. The narrative around the Knicks was that Towns and Brunson didn’t fit well together. 

But if the last two games are any indication, that narrative may be changing. 

“They’re getting a rhythm at the right time,” Mike Brown said after New York’s win on Thursday. “Jalen was great without the basketball. He used his ability to get open because he understands angles. He’s second to none with his ability to change directions without the basketball. 

“When we have a passer like KAT who can hand it off or pass it late to you, it makes that duo really effective because of those two guys and the characteristics they have as players. What also makes it good is KAT can shoot the three and Jalen can shoot the three and put the ball on the floor. So (Towns’) man has to be up into him. He’s big enough, long enough to protect the basketball and still making the pass,” Brown added. “Now you’re talking about there’s a lot of room that Jalen’s guy has to cover or try to cover with Jalen moving. The rhythm that those two guys have established these last few games is something they’re gonna have to take into the playoffs because it’s a really good combination, obviously.”

What’s changed between Towns and Brunson? Towns cited conversations he’s had with Brunson ahead of games. 

“Those convos are showing up in the game, especially in the last two fourth quarters,” Towns said. “In high-pressure situations, we’ve leaned on each other and trusted each other in those situations and it’s been very good for our team.”

If the Towns-Brunson pairing works as well in the postseason as it has over the past two games, the Knicks will be a different – and dangerous – team in the playoffs.

The Lakers (51-29) will complete their final back-to-back of the season on Friday against the Phoenix Suns (44-36).

A win would greatly help them secure the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. With just a couple of games left, this playoff race will come down to the wire.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Apr 10

Where: Crypto.com Arena

Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet

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LA hasn’t had much luck against Phoenix this season. They have lost three of their four matchups against them, with Devin Booker and longtime Lakers foe Dillon Brooks doing most of the damage in those contests.

At this point in the season, the Suns are cemented as the No. 7 seed, so they don’t have the same urgency to win as the Lakers do. That could work in the Lakers’ favor.

For LA to win, it’s going to take a coalition of the willing. That means LeBron James, if he’s active, has to carry a large load once again. As the team’s best available ball handler, he has to score and set up the players on the court for good looks at the basket.

For those looks to be converted, his teammates have to knock down shots. Rui Hachimura is one of LA’s best shooters, converting on 43.6% of his 3-point attempts. Luke Kennard is another laser who can get hot from deep. Kennard’s also shown the ability to handle the ball now that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are out.

Also, can LA get a big performance from Deandre Ayton? He’s coming off a good performance in LA’s win over Golden State, and that level of play is something he can regularly do.

If he replicates that on Friday night, the Lakers can end the game with possession of the fourth seed with just one contest remaining.

The Lakers need this game and the Suns don’t. That, along with the playoffs approaching, should be motivation enough to push through the exhaustion of the back-to-back and secure the result.

Notes and Updates

• There is no injury report available for the Laker at this time, as they are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) will remain out. Hopefully, Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness) and Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) can return.
• As for the Suns, Devin Booker (right ankle injury management), Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury management) and Jordan Goodwin (left ankle sprain) are out. Jalen Green (right knee soreness) is questionable.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

SAN FRANCISCO — Thursday night at Chase Center was what it looked like when a more-talented team that’s still playing for something meaningful but is trying to figure itself out plays a less-talented team that doesn’t have a lot at stake but has gone through its growing pains.

The Lakers, who beat the Warriors 119-103 in the first night of a back-to-back for both teams, had the talent advantage on Thursday even with regular season-ending injuries to Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique), in addition to absences from Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) and Jaxson Hayes (left foot soreness). 

And the lack of continuity as the Lakers navigate this relatively new reality was apparent.

In the lineups they played, some of which hadn’t been on the court together before Thursday. In their 19 turnovers, which helped a Warriors team in need of offense score 22 points. 

Meanwhile, the Warriors, who were without several players, including Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford, lived life without their top star in Curry for nearly two months. And there was initially a greater comfort playing the way they needed to, helping them keep the game close. 

But in the end, talent won out, with the Lakers outscoring the Warriors 66-54 in the second half to end their losing streak. 

LeBron James, who was back in the Lakers’ lineup after sitting out of Tuesday’s home loss to the Thunder, led the way with 26 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds in 32 minutes. 

Deandre Ayton added 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 5 rebounds in 31 minutes in a game all five Lakers starters scored in double digits.

Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 17 points.

What it means

The Lakers picked up their first win since the injuries to Doncic and Reaves, ending their three-game losing streak and improving to 51-29 on the season. 

They stayed at fourth place in the Western Conference standings with Thursday’s victory. 

The Warriors (37-43), who were already locked into 10th place in the West, hope to have a dress rehearsal before opening the play-in tournament on the road. 

Turning point

When Curry was ruled out Thursday afternoon. 

It took away the best chances of Lakers-Warriors being competitive.

But bigger picture, it also took away what could’ve been one of the final opportunities to witness Curry and James play each other in an NBA game after that didn’t happen at all this year.

MVP: LeBron James

James shot 11-of-17 from the field, and racked up five of his assists early in the fourth, a stretch that gave the Lakers full control of the game. 

It was James’ second straight points-assists double-double.

Stat of the game: 37 

That’s how many assists the Lakers finished with, just one short of tying their season-best mark of 38. 

The Lakers have recorded at least 36 assists in both games James has played since the injuries to Doncic and Reaves. 

Luke Kennard had 8 assists in addition to his 14 points. 

Up next

Both teams will close out their back-to-back sets on Friday night.

The Lakers will go back to Southern California to host the Suns, while the Warriors will travel to Sacramento to play against the Kings.

Fans from New Zealand and Australia held signs toward the camera proclaiming they had traveled thousands of miles to watch Warriors star Stephen Curry play.

On one sign, “play” was crossed out and replaced with a frowning face.

LeBron James instead gave fans a glimpse at a generational star, leading the Lakers to a 119-103 win over the Warriors on Thursday with 26 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

After missing the Lakers’ last game, the 21-time All-NBA player returned as the guiding force amid a season threatening to fall off the rails. The Lakers (51-29) ended a three-game losing streak and kept pace with the Houston Rockets in a tight race for home-court advantage in the Western Conference.

Read more:Plaschke: Broken Lakers need to shut down the season

“We just had a sour taste in our mouths, obviously, for last week,” James said, referencing injuries to stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and the recent skid. “... And just none of us wants to continue to lose, and then we hurt for our two main guns. So, just a mindset of just trying to figure out how we can be great as a team, how we can figure out how to play well on the road and try to get a win.”

Trying to avoid their longest losing streak of the season, the Lakers relied on James to steady the ship. After the Lakers gave up a 9-0 run to start the second quarter, he hit a contested three out of a timeout to get them back on track. He fed the ball to Deandre Ayton, keeping the big man engaged for 21 points on nine-of-11 shooting with five rebounds.

Luke Kennard had 14 points and eight assists. The sharp-shooting guard has 28 assists in the last three games, adapting into the team’s emergency point guard to compensate for the loss of Doncic and Reaves.

“Talking as a group this morning like this is what we have right now, and we gotta figure it out,” Kennard said. “We're trying to win games. Worked this hard to get where we are, to be in the position that we're in right now, and we don't want to just throw it away.”

Losing James to a lingering left foot injury before Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder added to an emotional week for the Lakers. They lost Doncic and Reaves in a blowout loss in Oklahoma City on April 2 and had to face the NBA's best team without their Big 3. Jaxson Hayes also didn't play Tuesday and remains day-to-day after missing Thursday’s game as well.

Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted the Lakers were not prepared to compete Tuesday. He later recognized that an effort to inject some energy into his players by calling early timeouts and subbing out veterans such as Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t help, especially after a heated exchange with Vanderbilt was caught on camera.

“What I told the team today — I think this is important — is we have had a very disjointed season because of all the injuries and throughout the year, we — collectively, staff, players — we've had to figure out the best path forward with whatever group is available,” Redick said. “And that's no different right now. We have to figure out over these next three games and over next week, the best path for this team to play winning basketball.”

Read more:Inside Luka Doncic's high-stakes medical treatment and recovery plan

Through the emotional ups-and-downs, Redick checks in with Reaves and Doncic daily. Doncic, receiving treatment on his injured left hamstring in Spain, is in “relatively — relatively good spirits,” Redick said. Doncic is “attacking” his rehab, Redick said, but being away from the team has taken a toll on his psyche. Reaves, who is out with a Grade 2 left oblique strain that is expected to take four to six weeks to heal, has benefited from staying with the team.

“I think for both of those guys, there is, like, a carrot,” Redick said. “If we can get this season extended, they can come back and they can play. Those guys love playing basketball.”

Houston won its eighth straight game Thursday to stay tied with the Lakers for the No. 4 seed. Both teams have two games remaining, and the Lakers have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The difference between finishing fourth and fifth is home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, but James wouldn’t entertain any talk about planning for the playoffs.

“What the future holds, we have no idea,” James said, “and obviously the past is the past. So what we can focus on is how we continue to get better and better each and every day.”

James gave his teammates a scare in the third quarter when he hurt his right hand on a chase-down block. It appeared swollen as he went to the bench. Kennard also walked away from the play holding his left hand after attempting to slap the ball away from the Warriors’ Pat Spencer. Redick joked that the scene made him turn off his Amazon Prime broadcast microphone for several seconds.

But James returned with three minutes left in the third quarter. He wouldn’t give his team yet another reason to worry.

“His leadership all day long, in the meeting, in the walkthrough this morning, just the way he carried himself,” Redick said, “just he really set the tone for the team.”

Battling a chronic knee injury in the latter stages of the season, Curry watched from the bench. His absence in the Warriors’ last home game of the season also put a damper on what could have been another enthralling matchup of two of the NBA's biggest stars.

Between the artistry of Curry and the physicality of James, they’ve been faces of the league, Redick said. But with the 41-year-old James not under contract after this season, the generational stars may never compete against each other on an NBA court again.

Redick called the idea “dark.”

“It's been fun to watch as a fan,” Redick said of the rivalry between Curry and James, “and it's been fun to be a part of it the last couple years.”

Curry greeted James before the game. Now a sneaker free agent after his high-profile departure from longtime sponsor Under Armour, Curry honored his contemporary with a blue and yellow version of the LeBron X iD sneakers.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mike Brown identified his probable rotation for the playoffs.

The coach said the nine players used in the past two games — including Thursday’s 112-106 win over the Celtics — have the edge. The four reserves are Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson.

“Those guys are probably our top nine when you’re talking about the playoffs,” Brown said, “and it’s hard to play more than nine guys [in the playoffs].”

That alignment leaves out Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek — all players who have been part of the rotation at times during the regular season.

And all of them picked up DNPs in the past two games against Boston and at Atlanta on Monday.

Alvarado is probably the biggest surprise after being acquired at the trade deadline for two second-round picks, but he was supplanted by McBride — who recently returned from sports hernia surgery — and Clarkson, who has impressed with his defense.

With a clean injury report for Monday’s 108-105 win over Atlanta, the Knicks gave heavier minutes to Jalen Brunson (39 minutes) and OG Anunoby (37). Off the bench, Robinson, Shamet and McBride all recorded at least 20 minutes apiece. Clarkson was sparsely used with nine minutes.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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On Thursday against Boston, the four reserves each played at least 14 minutes.

“Trying to find a way to get those guys on the floor with the right combinations at the right times is something I’m messing around with,” Brown said. “But it’s close [to our playoff rotation]. There might be a few things I might change.”

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Brown collected his 52nd victory of the season Thursday, eclipsing the highest total by Tom Thibodeau with the Knicks.

“It didn’t register that they had 51 wins [last season], or whatever, and I wasn’t trying to pass what they had last year. I was trying to get the best possible seed we could get going into the playoffs. I was trying to hopefully help the team improve going into the playoffs and then hopefully make a run at this thing,” the coach said. “I’ve said this before: Thibs is a great coach. I’m not trying to be him or replace him. I’m just trying to do the best that I can do with this team. So I don’t really think of that.

“It’d be great to get 60 [wins] and not because we had 60 last year but 60 sounds better than 52 or 54, but that’s kind of how I look at it.”

After a slow start, the Lakers finally snapped their losing streak on Thursday with a blowout win in San Francisco over the Warriors, 119-103.

LA led throughout the first quarter, but only by single digits. Golden State, who were without Steph Curry, pulled ahead early in the second before the visitors took the lead and didn’t look back.

The Lakers turned 19 Warriors turnovers into 28 points, the main catalyst behind them blowing the game open in the second half. All five starters scored in double figures for LA.

It was a solid offensive start for LA with an early seven-point lead. Deandre Ayton had five points and LeBron James was close behind him with four points. Pat Spencer was the leading scorer for the Warriors with four points. 

Hoooooop & the harm 👑 pic.twitter.com/TADPozd4xb

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 10, 2026

Golden State missed all four of its attempts from behind the arc.

Meanwhile, LeBron knocked down the first triple for the Lakers. LJ Cryer drained two 3-pointers in a row that helped give the Warriors a burst of life. At the 2:11 mark, Los Angeles was only up by three. 

A quick five-point surge from LeBron, including a dunk on the assist by Bronny James, gave the purple and gold a five-point lead at the end of the first. 

BRONNY TO LEBRON 👏 pic.twitter.com/InQLZbP37c

— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026

Seth Curry and Gary Payton II started the second period and helped give Golden State the lead with a 9-0 scoring run. Los Angeles suddenly played sloppily, turning the ball over three times, which helped fuel the Warriors’ surge. 

LeBron drained a triple to stop the bleeding for the Lakers.

A 7-0 scoring run put LA back in the lead. Rui Hachimura knocked down his first 3-pointer of the half. He had eight points in this quarter, a major reason why Los Angeles had regained the momentum. 

The Lakers were up by five at the 4:16 mark. 

Bronny had a productive showing, scoring four points. LA had built a big lead of nine, but the Warriors chipped away at the deficit to make it a four-point lead for Los Angeles at halftime. 

A series of runs in the 2nd Q saw LA initially relinquish its lead, but grab it back behind Rui Hachimura, enough for a 53-49 edge at the half.

LeBron has 18 points to lead all scorers.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 10, 2026

LeBron and Jake LaRavia combined for a quick five points to open the second half. Golden State turned the ball over twice, which helped the Lakers mount that sudden early surge. The Warriors were forced to call a timeout as they were now down by nine. 

Out of the break, Brandin Podziemski scored on a layup.

Ayton was now at 15 points for the night with 10 points in the quarter. Four of LA’s five starters were in double figures; Kennard had seven points. At the three-minute mark, Los Angeles was up by 14. Bronny had a productive seven points off the bench. 

LEBRON TO BRONNY FOR 3 🎯 pic.twitter.com/pHBGfFn9mh

— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026

A 6-0 Malevy Leons scoring run to end the third made it a nine-point game. 

The Lakers opened the final frame with their own 6-0 run of their own, led by LeBron with four points and LaRavia with a dunk. LeBron then threw down a thunderous dunk, piling on the onslaught of offense. 

Nick Smith Jr. drained a triple, his first shot attempt. 

Kennard then scored five in a row, which put him at 14 points. That officially marked all five starters for LA scoring in double figures. At the 6:05 mark, LeBron checked out with 26 points. 

The lead continued to balloon for Los Angeles, leading to the rest of the game being cardio. 

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and two steals. Ayton ended with 21 points and five rebounds. Hachimura pitched in with 15 points , two rebounds, two assists and three steals. 

Kennard had 14 points, two rebounds, eight assists and four steals. LaRavia notched 16 points with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Bronny logged 10 points in 21 minutes. Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed six rebounds and dished five dimes. 

Smith Jr. scored nine points in garbage time. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Phoenix Suns on Friday at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

LeBron James and Bronny James continue to share more time on the court together as the Los Angeles Lakers’ regular season comes to a close.

The James family set another unique milestone for the league as Bronny was credited with an assist to LeBron on Thursday, April 9, during the Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors.

Bronny stole the ball with 51 seconds left in the first quarter and bounced the ball toward LeBron, who then crossed halfcourt and finished the play in transition with an uncontested dunk. It's the first son-to-father assist in NBA history.

The Lakers led the Warriors 53-49 at halftime in San Francisco.

BRONNY TO LEBRON 👏 pic.twitter.com/InQLZbP37c

— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026

The father-and-son duo completed a similar milestone on March 27, recording the first father-to-son assist the league has seen.

Bronny passed the ball to LeBron with 7:54 left in the second quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Nets before the veteran drew a double team and immediately passed the ball back to his son, who made a wide-open 3-pointer.

In the third quarter of Thursday night's game, LeBron got an assist on a Bronny 3-pointer.

LEBRON WITH THE ASSIST TO BRONNY pic.twitter.com/ZXHRMoGm8f

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 10, 2026

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron, Bronny James record first son-to-father assist in NBA history

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 22.5
VJ Edgecombe – 13
Joel Embiid – 11.5
Paul George – 8
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5
Justin Edwards – 4
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

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The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the Houston Rockets 113-102 on Thursday night to conclude a nightmare day for the Sixers.

Joel Embiid was a surprise scratch on Wednesday afternoon, being ruled out for illness before it was announced that Embiid was suffering from appendicitis and would undergo surgery today in Houston. During the game, the team released a statement that the center had undergone a successful appendectomy.

A night that was supposed to feature a major, pivotal contest for the Sixers quickly devolved into kind of a sad mess. This one felt like it was already over when the afternoon news dropped, and the Sixers’ performance out of the gate didn’t exactly inspire any optimism to the contrary. Philadelphia went down by more than 20 points before halftime, with the absence of Embiid palpable throughout.

For awhile, it looked like the game was just about over. In the fourth period, though, the Sixers put up a solid fight, clawing back to within five points in the final few minutes. It was the first real signs of life from the squad we saw all night. They outscored the Rockets 29-17 in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback. The Sixers fall 113-102 on Thursday.

Two games still remain in the regular season for Philadelphia, but this loss (combined with the Toronto Raptors’ win) just severely reduced the odds of the Sixers clawing back into a guaranteed playoff spot. It is all but guaranteed now that the Sixers are headed for the Play-In Tournament.

First, though, they still have two regular season games to go. They’ll play the first of the final pair on Friday night, closing their 16th and final back-to-back with a visit to the Indiana Pacers.

Let’s get to the Bell Ringer. And yes, we know this is kind of pointing out the tiniest silver lining surrounding a gigantic storm cloud.

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block

Kelly Oubre Jr. hasn’t been exactly tearing it up the last few games, but he looked hot to start this one. Oubre was the first on the floor to 10 points in the first period, beginning the game 4-for-4 from the floor and 2-for-2 from long range. It’s a good thing, too, because he was just about the only person for the Sixers that could produce offensively early on Thursday night.

Oubre cooled off from there, but continued to chip in on both ends of the floor when the opportunities presented themselves. It was a pretty efficient outing from him as well, with him shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-4 from long range.

A perfect night overall? No, but we just need to shout him out because he was the only one keeping this from getting completely out of hand before we even made it out of the first frame.

Oubre finished Thursday with 16 points, four rebounds, one assist, three steals and one block.

Kelly Oubre Jr. is the first on the floor to double digits here with 10 points in Q1 so far, shooting 4-4 FG, 2-2 3PT pic.twitter.com/5jk8Zl0I3E

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 10, 2026

VJ Edgecombe: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals

VJ Edgecombe chipped in points throughout this one but, as he has so many times this season, the rookie really showed off his abilities down the stretch as the Sixers put up their late fight in the fourth quarter. Even faced with what feels like insurmountable deficits or just truly tough nights on this team, Edgecombe never seems to give up or phone it in when he’s on the floor. He continues to impress with play making for his teammates while also creating opportunities for himself beyond what you can expect from your typical rookie, like the late bucket below where he dances right around guys like Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun for a tough finish through contact at the rim. He was a crucial part of the Sixers’ late comeback push on both ends of the floor, coming up with a few clutch points and making some defensive plays.

Edgecombe finished Thursday with 20 points, six rebounds (three offensive), eight assists and two steals.

The rookie VJ Edgecombe dancing his way around Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun for the tough finish pic.twitter.com/VzrDQ6kGqM

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 10, 2026

Tyrese Maxey: 24 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

Tyrese Maxey, coming off one of his worst games in his NBA career in his 40-minute, 15-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, looked like he might be continuing that pattern on Thursday night. He still just looked off, with sloppy turnovers and a poor touch on the ball apparently early in this one. Fortunately, things turned around for him in the second quarter. After a scoreless first, Maxey got into a groove for 15 points on 6-for-9 field goal and 3-for-4 long range shooting in the second.

The Sixers were already down about 20 points by then, but it’s still never a bad thing to see one of your players work through a slump and figure it out a bit. It wasn’t as if every single shot was falling, with Maxey finishing the night 9-for-20 from the floor, but seeing a few go in and especially hitting five triples on 10 attempts hopefully helped the guard a bit mentally going as we go into the close of the regular season.

Maxey finished Thursday with 24 points, three rebounds and five assists in just over 33 minutes. It’s still a very far cry from the level of play we all know Maxey is capable of at his best, but it’s a step in the right direction compared to where we started the week, for sure.

Sixers continuing to turn defense into offense here in Q4, with Tyrese Maxey turning the VJ Edgecombe steal into a three-point play pic.twitter.com/Mot8XKY0ut

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) April 10, 2026

Quentin Grimes: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Quentin Grimes provided a decent offensive punch off the bench for the Sixers tonight, especially as they strung together that late-game run that saw Philly cut their deficit down to just five points (after being down over 20 at some points). After putting up just a handful of points in the entire first half, Q hit a few buckets to close the third quarter before bursting for 11 points in the final frame, mostly early in the period when the Sixers took advantage of Durant being on the bench to put a dent in their deficit.

The Quentin Grimes experience has been up and down this season to say the least, with the guard having moments of performing well separated by plays and games that have you confused what he’s trying to accomplish. Tonight wasn’t a perfect night by any means, but it was truly one of the better performances from Grimes as of late, especially down the stretch.

Grimes finished with 20 points, two rebounds and one steal in 26:29 off the bench.

NOT the Miami Heat

Couldn’t help the Sixers at all, huh? The Toronto Raptors are the wall between the Sixers making the playoffs or the Play-In. They faced the Miami Heat twice this week, on Tuesday and tonight. A win (or two) would have gone a long way to helping the Sixers have a shot at climbing back over them for that No. 6 seed.

Instead, the Heat lost both games by double digits. Thanks for nothing, Miami!

Don’t get me the wrong, the Sixers’ finish will be completely of their own making… but still, we wouldn’t have argued with a little outside help.