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

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lakers coach JJ Redick said his team knew what time it was ahead of Thursday’s marquee matchup against the Thunder.

But they didn’t play like it.

Not even close.

The Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Thunder was troubling in a variety of ways.

They struggled with the signature defensive pressure and tenacity of the defending champions, leading to a turnover-filled first quarter.

Their energy and urgency dipped once it was clear their shotmaking wasn’t going to be there for them – the first time in a while that’s been the case.

They were defeated well before the final buzzer sounded.

“They beat the s— out of us,” Austin Reaves said. “They’re the defending champs. We’ve got to be better. Losing always sucks. It don’t matter if you lose by 1 or 50. A loss is a loss. That’s kind of how I look at it.”

But before the night ended, the final result didn’t feel relevant, with star guard Luka Doncic leaving the game during the third quarter because of a left hamstring injury.

Doncic will get imaging down on Friday to determine the severity of his injury. He, along with all of the Lakers, were having a rough night before he left the game.

Doncic had 12 points (3-of-10 shooting, 1 of 7 on 3s), 7 assists and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes before his exit. 

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 15 points and 4 assists, but was grabbing at his left side throughout the night. 

LeBron James finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. 

What it means

The Lakers fell to 50-27 for just their third loss in their last 19 games, dropping the regular-season series to the Thunder.

But most importantly, they left Paycom Center without knowing the status of their best player moving forward. 

Turning point 

When Reaves turned the ball over on the Lakers’ third possession. 

It was the first of back-to-back possessions that ended with a turnover for the Lakers, with the Thunder taking advantage and scoring off both giveaways, leading to Redick calling an early timeout.

“I did a poor job starting the game,” Reaves said. “A couple turnovers back-to-back. I had four in that first quarter. I just gotta do better. Give ourselves a better opportunity to get to a better start.”

The Thunder had full control of the game from there.

MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The league’s reigning MVP didn’t have the most efficient scoring night by his standards, shooting 12 of 25 from the field (1 of 4 on 3-pointers), finishing with 28 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes.  

But he controlled the game early with his passing when his shots weren’t falling.

And when Gilgeous-Alexander did get it going, the Lakers didn’t have an answer.

Gilgeous-Alexander likely cemented himself with another league MVP honors with Thursday’s performance.

Stat of the game: 8

That’s how many turnovers the Lakers had in the first 7 ½ minutes of the game, directly leading to 14 points for the Thunder, who had a 25-9 lead midway through the first.

The Lakers finished with 18 giveaways against the Thunder’s stingy defense. 

But the lack of ball security early took them out of the game before they were even able to get in it. 

“We frankly had unforced turnovers,” Redick said. “They had a lot more shots on goal to start the game. The eight turnovers in the first quarter really hurt us.” 

Up next

The Lakers will play the Mavericks in Dallas on Sunday to end the two-game trip.

While much focus has been on NBA expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas, several players have expressed a desire to have another team relocated.

The latest is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who voiced his opinion that the NBA should move out of Memphis.

While golfing in a Bob Does Sports video, host Robby Berger asked the 41-year-old James whether travel for NBA games wears on him more as he ages.

"Yeah, a random (expletive) Tuesday in Milwaukee staying at the (expletive) Hyatt at 41 years old, you think I want to do that (expletive)," James responded. "Being in Memphis on a (expletive) random (expletive) Thursday."

He then went on a tirade about the Grizzlies needing to pack their bags and relocate.

"I'm not like the first guy to even talk about it in the NBA," James said. "Like, we're all like 'you guys have to move.' Just go over to Nashville. You got Vanderbilt over there. You got the (expletive) NASCAR. You got a stadium. Don't they have a hockey team, too? Like they got everything."

Nashville has a population of more than 700,000 and its a thriving sports town that houses NASCAR races, the NHL's Nashville Predators, NFL's Tennessee Titans, the University of Vanderbilt and Tennessee State University, a historically Black College and University.

Nashville is a nice city. Downtown Nashville is lively. As for Memphis, James maybe just has a vendetta against it.

James and the No. 7-seed Lakers bounced a No. 2-seeded Grizzlies team in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, 4-2. The series was talked up because a young Grizzlies team led by Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks trash talked the Lakers, with their fans quoting "Whoop That Trick" from the Memphis-based movie "Hustle & Flow."

So, maybe James really doesn't like Memphis. He even joked that he'd never play for Memphis.

"Yeah, they know," James said. "Their only chance would have been 2003 if they would have won the lottery and I might have pulled an Eli Manning and not showed up."

NBA community chimes in on Memphis

Memphis hasn't been on the best end of things of late. In a episode of "Sundae Conversation with Caleb Pressley" uploaded Feb. 22, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was asked how often he thought about the hotel being used when he traveled to different cities.

Edwards said he always thinks about that, especially in Memphis.

"I be like, damn, my hotels ain't nothing in Memphis," Edwards said. "My (expletive) be dirty. I walked in a Memphis hotel one time, it had stains and (expletive) on the bed."

Warriors forward Draymond Green recalled his experiences in Memphis, as well, on an episode of his podcast, "The Draymond Green Show." Spoiler alert, they weren't good memories.

"I've spent a lot of time in Memphis. And the hotels aren't the best. They aren't quite the hotels when you're in LA or Houston or Miami or Atlanta or Detroit or Portland or (Oklahoma City) or Indianapolis or Toronto or New York or Philly or Boston or DC or Charlotte or Orlando or San Antonio or Dallas or Phoenix," Green said. "You get the gist. Memphis definitely has the worst hotels in the league, no question."

He claimed Memphis does not have some of the bigger hotel companies, like other NBA cities. He also said Memphis hotels didn't have room service or spas. He recalled a situation where the Warriors had to switch hotels.

"We had an issue there, where we used to stay at one hotel in Memphis, and this (was) days back, we stopped staying there because their sprinklers just went off for no reason in the room and drenched all of Andrew Bogut's stuff," Green said. "The sprinkler system, like it was a fire, just went off, drenched all Bogut's stuff. And they didn't want to do anything about it, so we switched hotels. So it's been an issue. It's gotten a little better, I must say, but it's not ... it's still not the other cities."

Green, like James, believes the solution would be to move the team to Nashville. On a March 18 episode of his podcast, Green commented on NBA expansion, repositioning conferences and the teams that make them up.

He offered his two cents to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

"Just do everybody a favor and move that team to Nashville. There's no great hotels in Memphis. I love the people of Memphis. They are incredible. Shout out to the people of Memphis. I love them. But just from an NBA standpoint," Green said. "Get Memphis the hell out of Memphis and send them to Nashville. Do the right thing, people. It's a reason the Tennessee Titans are in Nashville, do the right thing. Just go on to Nashville. Don't charge them a relocation fee. They just going up the street and doing all us a favor."

He added: "Let's not charge them a relocation fee. Please. Let them just do us all a favor and take the team to Nashville. No problem, no harm, no foul. It's a swap. You ain't got to pay the relocation fee. Go to Nashville. Do us all a favor, Adam, nobody will be upset. Not one person will be upset."

Former NBA players give takes on Memphis

Retired NBA player and "All The Smoke" podcast host Matt Barnes said he had a similar perception until he played for Memphis. Barnes played 17 NBA seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Grizzlies.

"When I went out there, I actually enjoyed it. It was everything I needed in my life at the time, coming fresh off a divorce and coming off a dysfunctional Lob City (Clippers) team, I was kind of able to reset and center," Barnes said. "They had great food. The women were very nice to me out there. It was a really hospitable city. Everyone was super cool. But it is one of those cities, outside looking in, if you don't spend a ton of time there."

Barnes and frequent "All The Smoke" podcast co-host, former NBA player Vernon Maxwell, rattled off some of their least favorite cities to be in. They included Milwaukee, Utah, Cleveland and Sacramento, although Barnes went on to say that Sacramento was a hidden gem.

Former players Channing Frye, Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins all expressed their opinions of Memphis during a February episode of their 'Road Trippin' podcast. Frye vehemently agreed that Memphis wasn't a favorable stay.

"Memphis is easily the worst," Frye said.

When Jefferson was asked, he screamed, "Memphis" as his answer.

Perkins agreed that Memphis was the worst city when it came to hotels.

Jefferson went on to explain that NBA players stay at five-star hotels, or the best the city has to offer. When players go to Memphis, it is seen as a downgrade.

"You stay in the nicest hotels and then you go to Memphis and you stay in a Westin," Jefferson said. "Now, imagine if you got traded to Memphis. There's a probability that you might have to stay in that hotel for two weeks, the level of depression you would go to just from staying in that hotel when you literally are staying in Ritz-Carltons, Four Seasons, like the nicest five-star hotels all around the country, and then you go to Memphis and you're staying in this Westin, and every team stays in The Westin or the Peabody. It's not great, bro."

He added: "This is a beautiful city. I've got no issues with Memphis, but let's have a business conversation. Memphis is the only NBA franchise that, once they (built) the arena, they didn't build up the infrastructure around it. It is the only one. Every other one has built up restaurants, a nicer hotel. They've built up something around the arena. Memphis has not in their entire time there."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James unloads on Memphis, Grizzlies to Bob Does Sports crew

The Lakers were bludgeoned from the opening tip of Thursday’s showdown with the Thunder, falling behind by double digits minutes into the game and trailing by as many as 45 en route to a 139-96 loss.

Turnovers plagued the Lakers from the jump, allowing OKC to jump ahead early. The Thunder shooting an incredible 53.9% from the field and 45.2% from three with 17 makes certainly only made matters worse.

An injury to Luka Dončić in the third quarter only made matters worse as he left the game with a left hamstring injury and did not return.

Luka got his shot attempt blocked to start the game and on the other end,  Isaiah Hartenstein converted on an alley-oop. The Thunder went up by seven early, led by their defense. They had back-to-back steals that led to four quick points for Lu Dort. 

Luka knocked down a pair of free throws, which were the only points LA had scored so far. Dort was cooking for Oklahoma with 14 points.

Offense continued to be a massive struggle for Los Angeles as they shot an abysmal 14% from the field, while OKC shot 61%. 

Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander ended the quarter with eight points. Luka ended with five points. At the end of the first, LA was down by 23. 

The Thunder obliterated the Lakers in the first quarter. They lead 44-21. Austin Reaves leads the Lakers with 8 points but has gone to the locker room with what appears to be some kind of lower back injury.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) April 3, 2026

The Thunder turned the ball over to start the second period, but Los Angeles missed its shot attempt. On the other end, Jared McCain converted on a layup. Things kept getting worse and worse for the Lakers, who just couldn’t find any offense or put together any kind of decent defense. 

At the 8:14 mark, LA was down by 32.

Reaves and Luka were the only two players on the Lakers in double figures with 12 and 10, respectively. LeBron James was 0-2 from the field, but did have six points from free throws. Despite the teeniest of tiny signs of life with eight points scored as the quarter wound down, Los Angeles was down by 31 at halftime. 

Sim to end

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) April 3, 2026

Oklahoma City continued its thrashing of the Lakers well into the third period. Luka still hadn’t reached 20 points, while SGA had 26 points. 

At the 7:39 mark, Luka went to the locker room with his injury, taking things from bad to worse. 

The Lakers did look livelier in this quarter, but Isaiah Joe came in and launched two straight triples that basically put the absolute finishing touches on a disastrous game for the purple and gold as OKC went into the final frame up 45 points.

The fourth quarter happened.

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 12 points, four rebounds and seven assists before exiting the game. LeBron ended with 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. Reaves had 15 points with four rebounds. Deandre Ayton logged eight points.

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Mavericks on Sunday at 4:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The score wasn't the only thing that made this the Lakers’ worst loss of the season.

Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was watching superstar guard Luka Doncic hobble off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.

The 27-year-old guard was held to just 12 points and seven assists, and he committed six turnovers before he pulled up on a drive with 7:39 left in the third quarter. He grabbed at the back of his left leg and limped to the baseline, where he lowered himself to the court, rolled onto his back and covered his face. Concerned teammates surrounded him. Coach JJ Redick offered one hand to pull him to his feet.

Read more:Luka Doncic matches Michael Jordan for the most magical March in NBA history

Doncic will undergo an MRI scan Friday, Redick said, before the Lakers (50-27) play Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Sunday. In a subdued locker room, the Lakers were left to wrestle with their largest margin of defeat since Nov. 27, 2023 amid the possibility of having to finish the regular season without the NBA’s leading scorer.

“At this juncture of the season, it's the last thing you want to see,” said LeBron James, who had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. “Especially — anybody on our team — but when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury. ... I don't know obviously what the case may be, so pray for the best for sure and a speedy recovery.”

Guard Austin Reaves shook off his own injury scare to finish with 15 points, one assist and four turnovers after grabbing at his left lower back for most of the first quarter. He said he overextended himself chasing a loose ball. He turned the ball over trying to connect with Deandre Ayton on the next possession, reaching immediately for his lower back after the pass went awry.

The Lakers had averaged just 12.6 turnovers per game since the All-Star break — the third-fewest in the NBA during that span — but committed 18 against the aggressive Thunder (61-16), who had 12 steals. The Lakers had eight turnovers in the first quarter, gifting the defending NBA champions 14 easy points and a 23-point first-quarter lead.

“That’s the game right there,” James said.

Doncic had just five points in the first quarter. He was one for six from the field. With 1:06 remaining in the second quarter, Doncic drove into the paint to fire a two-handed overhead pass to Luke Kennard for a corner three. As Kennard’s shot circled the rim and bounced out, Doncic grabbed at his left hamstring.

Doncic and Reaves were examined and treated at halftime and cleared to play, Redick said. Reaves returned with 9:40 remaining in the third quarter and grabbed his back after his first touch, but said after the game he felt “decent.”

With the Lakers (50-27) down 31 points at halftime, Redick said the plan was to give the banged-up stars about six minutes to see if they could cut into the lead.

Doncic was injured 4:21 into the third quarter. The Lakers were down 32.

“We're not going to put a player at risk,” Redick said. “Those things happen.”

Doncic missed four games because of a left hamstring injury in February and played through hamstring soreness against the Brooklyn Nets on March 27 as the Lakers put together a 15-2 record in March.

One of the only teams hotter than the Lakers entering Thursday was the Thunder, who had won 15 of their last 16 games. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated in the much-anticipated matchup of most valuable player contenders with 28 points on efficient 12-for-25 shooting in less than 30 minutes, with seven assists and seven rebounds.

Doncic recently surged into the MVP conversation after scoring 600 points last month, joining Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to achieve the feat in March. He was named Western Conference player of the month Thursday, adding another line to his MVP application.

But after limping off the court, Doncic is at risk of not being eligible for the coveted award. He played in his 64th game Thursday, needing one more appearance in the Lakers’ final five games, to reach the 65-game eligibility threshold.

Read more:Lamar Odom's past is a 'cesspool of trauma,' he says: 'I don't know what made me relevant now'

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Thursday night at Paycom Center went from bad to worse for the Lakers.

Star guard Luka Doncic left during the third quarter of the blowout road loss to the Thunder because of a left hamstring injury.

https://t.co/oE9BHPPVDHpic.twitter.com/pQDFAuCdkR

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 3, 2026

Doncic was hobbling after a drive attempt against Thunder wing Jalen Williams midway through the third, limping to stay off his left leg before laying down underneath the basket by the Thunders’ bench, with coach JJ Redick calling timeout to sub Doncic out of the game.

Redick said Doncic will get an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury.

“At this point, at this juncture of the season, it’s the last thing you want to see,” LeBron James said. “Especially, anybody on our team, but when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury. I don’t know how severe it is. I don’t know obviously what the case may be, so pray for the best for sure and a speedy recovery.” 

Doncic was on the injury report because of left hamstring soreness before the March 27 home win over the Nets, but played after being listed as questionable, scoring 41 points in 39 minutes to lead the Lakers to a victory.

He sat out of Monday’s win over the Wizards, serving his one-game suspension because of an accumulation of technical fouls after picking up his 16th of the season against the Nets, before having 42 points in Tuesday’s home win over the Cavaliers.

Doncic sat out of the Lakers’ last four games leading into the All-Star break because of a left hamstring strain.

He appeared to injure the left hamstring ailment that he was dealing with in the first half but tried to play through.

“We checked him out,” Redick said. “He got work done. He was cleared. I mean, again, we’re not going to put a player at risk. Those things happen.”

You can see Luka Doncic grabbing at his left hamstring during this play near the end of the first half: https://t.co/0HV9awG3ONpic.twitter.com/QmtdiXyiUy

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 3, 2026

Doncic walked off the court under his own power before going back to the locker room.

“You wish for the best,” Austin Reaves said. “Obviously, you don’t want to see anybody get hurt. But you hold on to some faith for the best news possible. I’ve gotten to know him the last year and a half. He’s a competitor, so he’ll do all he can do to put himself in a position to come back when he can.”

Reaves also was dealing with a lower back/side ailment that he played through after overextending for a rebound earlier in the game.

“I felt something,” he said postgame. “But I feel decent right now, so we’ll see.”

On the heels of his historic month, Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Dončić suffered a hamstring injury that could derail the rest of his regular season.

Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, an eventual 139-96 Lakers loss, that Dončić would undergo an MRI Friday, April 3, so that the team could diagnose the severity of the injury.

With 7:39 to play in Los Angeles’ April 2 game, Dončić was driving down the left lane when he met an OKC double-team of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Dončić stopped abruptly and immediately clutched at his left hamstring, tossing the ball aside. He started to limp before officials blew the play dead.

Dončić then hobbled over to the baseline, where he went down to the court and lay on his back while trainers rushed over to tend to him.

Those injuries are the scariest.
Sending good thoughts Luka's way 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WeCLJ0YMCp

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 3, 2026

Dončić appeared to be instantly frustrated and spent some time on the floor before he stood up and was able to walk off on his own power. He buried his face in his jersey and went straight to the locker room.

The injury came during the height of a blowout, with the Lakers down by 32. The team officially ruled Dončić out with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.

“It was discussed at halftime,” a visibly frustrated Redick said of potentially benching Dončić because of the blowout. “Thought we would give (the starters) about 6 minutes (to start the third quarter) and then — if we didn’t cut into the lead — we were going to pull them. Obviously, it was around that time that that happened.”

Luka is absolutely devastated pic.twitter.com/NHIAL4mE0Y

— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) April 3, 2026

Dončić finished the game with 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting, including a sluggish 1-of-7 from 3-point range. He added 7 assists and 4 rebounds.

The left hamstring had apparently been bothering Dončić throughout the game. From the first quarter, Dončić had grabbed at it following plays when he used bursts of acceleration. That continued in the second quarter.

Dončić has been dealing with various lower body injuries throughout this season. Just last week, prior to Friday, March 27’s game against the Nets, the Lakers had listed Dončić as questionable with a hamstring issue.

The timing of the injury comes at a precarious time for Dončić and the Lakers; Los Angeles has played well recently but its grip on the No. 3 seed over the Nuggets in the Western Conference will shrink to just 1 game. And for Dončić, his eligibility for individual awards is suddenly in jeopardy. Thursday night was his 64th game, which leaves him one shy of the 65-game minimum and which means he needs to play in at least one of Los Angeles’ last five games to reach that threshold.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update, status for Lakers vs Thunder

Collin Gilllespie spent years knocking down three’s within Villanova’s offense and that has translated into the NBA.

On Thursday night, Gillespie knocked down two three-pointers to get to 227 on the year for the Phoenix Suns. This set a new franchise record for three’s made in a single-season, passing the previous mark of 226 set by Quentin Richardson in 2004-25.

Your new franchise leader in single-season three-pointers made: Collin Gillespie 👏 pic.twitter.com/Gf9bxaC7uX

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 2, 2026

Gillespie is shooting 40.7% from three-point range this season. He is now 227-for-557 on the year. Gillespie has played in 75 games, making 56 starts, for the Suns this year. He is having the best year of his young career by far, averaging 13.1 points and 4.8 assists. He is shooting 42.3% from the field and 87.1% from the free throw line.

Gillespie went undrafted in 2022 before signing a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets. He spent time in the Summer League before another two-way deal in 2023. In 2024, Gillespie signed his third deal of the sort with the Phoenix Suns. Last year, Gillespie signed a one-year deal worth $2.3 million and has shown that he belongs.

At Villanova, Gillespie was part of two Final Four teams and a National Championship in 2018. He was the Big East Player of the Year twice and Third Team All-American as a senior.

Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets continues to make his case to be the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Knueppel, who has played a key role in helping the Hornets secure a postseason spot, scored 20 points and went 4-of-9 from the 3-point line in 33 minutes as the Hornets beat the Phoenix Suns 127-107 on April 2.

The rookie also added his name to the Hornets’ history books, setting a new franchise record for the most 3-pointers made in a single season with 261.

Kemba Walker had set the record with 260 during the 2018-19 season. Knueppel’s teammate LaMelo Ball also reached the top five for the franchise, with 243 3-pointers made this season, tying Jason Richardson (2007-08).

KON BROKE KEMBA'S HORNET FRANCHISE 3PT RECORD IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pUA6qGRgFB

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 3, 2026

Hornets coach Charles Lee was among those who celebrated Knueppel's latest accomplishment. Lee was seen pouring water over the rookie's head before his postgame press conference.

#Hornets coach Charles Lee waits out Kon Knueppel to enter his postgame session and douses him with water to celebrate him setting the team’s single-season 3PT record pic.twitter.com/ZTOBPS5E8K

— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) April 3, 2026

Knueppel has been in the conversation for the Rookie of the Year award throughout the season, alongside former Duke teammate Cooper Flagg, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks. Knueppel has averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in 75 games played for the Hornets this season.

He has taken over as the Rookie of the Year favorite at -275 on BetMGM. Flagg is listed at +200, with Philadelphia 76ers rookie V.J. Edgecombe at +25000.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rookie Kon Knueppel breaks Hornets 3-point record

One of the few things that hasn’t gone right for the Lakers during their recent winning run has been Marcus Smart’s injury.

After establishing himself as a valuable role player and starter this season, Smart has missed six straight games due to injury. In the team’s stop in Orlando, Smart injured his ankle after Goga Bitadze fell on him.

After initially being diagnosed as a day-to-day injury, Smart hasn’t played in nearly two weeks, a Lakers special this season. However, prior to Thursday’s game against the Thunder, head coach JJ Redick provided an encouraging update on Smart and a potential return date.

Lakers coach JJ Redick says Marcus Smart, who will miss his sixth straight game tonight, participated in an on-court workout today and could play as soon as Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2026

It’s certainly easier to take a more cautious approach to bringing a player back from injury when you are winning, which could be what the Lakers have done. At the very least, they haven’t been in a rush to bring Smart back with wins racking up.

After missing nine of the first 23 games, Smart played in all but two games from Dec. 10 through that Orlando game on March 21. Considering he came into his Lakers tenure with plenty of injury concerns from recent seasons, it was a stretch of games that was reassuring.

With the playoffs approaching, though, getting Smart back on the court to ensure the rust is knocked off will be paramount. If he does return on Sunday, that will give him a week’s worth of games, including a contest against the Thunder, before the postseason.

And with how bad things went for the Lakers against the Thunder on Thursday, any bit of good news will be helpful.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Anthony Edwards is out of the running for any NBA postseason awards. 

The Timberwolves star was ruled out of Thursday’s 113-108 loss to the Pistons, making it impossible for him to reach the 65-game minimum needed to be eligible for awards. 

Edwards missed the game on Thursday due to a right knee injury and an illness. 

The Timberwolves have six games left in the regular season after Thursday, and Edwards, 24, has played in 59 games However, he played just three minutes in one game, a contest for which he was not given credit. 

Edwards would have needed to play in every game the rest of the season after he returned on Monday from a knee issue that kept him out of Minnesota’s six games before that. 

He was certainly headed for a spot on one of the three All-NBA teams this season before he became ineligible. 

He has been averaging 29.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and nearly 50 percent from the field. 

Edwards had 17 points in the T-Wolves’ 124-94 win over the Mavericks on Monday night. 

Aside from the impact it has on the chance for an individual award, the loss of Edwards comes at a crucial time for Minnesota as it battles for positioning in the standings.

The Timberwolves entered Thursday’s game in sixth in the Western Conference and were a half-game back of the fifth-seeded Rockets. 

The T-Wolves have a game on Friday against the 76ers, and it’s unclear if Edwards will be available for that one. 

Edwards is now one of several well-known NBA stars who will not be eligible for awards due to the number of games they’ve played in. 

That list includes big names like LeBron James and Steph Curry.

You wouldn’t have thought this was the third game in four nights for Detroit given the energy they played with. Minnesota didn’t have Anthony Edwards for this one, but it was still a back-and-forth game until the Pistons were able to pull away late for the 113-108 victory.

The Timberwolves had the unique start of attempting seven straight three-pointers while Detroit focused on getting the ball down low. Jalen Duren had plenty of action early and was unbothered by Rudy Gobert for a quick eight points in the first five minutes. After Detroit took an 18-12 lead halfway through the first, Minnesota settled in and ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 31-30 lead.

They say basketball is a game of runs, and this game was full of them. Pistons kicked off the quarter with one of their own, but a Tobias Harris drive ended up knocking knees with Gobert early in the second. Harris would be ruled out shortly after due to a left knee contusion. Daniss Jenkins stepped up to carry the offensive load and ended up leading the team in shot attempts and points. He and Duncan Robinson both had 10 points at the half of a 54-54 tie game.

Mike Conley led the way for Minnesota in place of Edwards and a had a game-high 14 points. Duren continued his All-NBA play with 13 points and six rebounds, including another midrange jumper that was nothing but net. The announcers of the Amazon Prime broadcast mentioned that he was 8-for-9 on shots outside of the paint this year. As exciting as it may be to imagine him with a jump shot one day, no team has found an answer for him at the rim yet.

Jenkins was the spark to the Pistons offense early in the third quarter as they got off on another 7-0 run. Detroit looked like they were going to push their lead after back-to-back threes from Kevin Huerter and Javonte Green, but Minnesota always had an answer. Marcus Sasser and Bones Hyland got into some extracurricular activities and received double technical fouls – it would be Detroit’s 54th of the year, most in the NBA.

The Timberwolves held a 80-79 lead heading into the final quarter, but it wasn’t long until Little Caesars Arena would have the loudest moment of the night. Detroit reclaimed the lead with eight minutes left after a Jenkins and-one and a lefty spinning layup by Ausar Thompson.

Thompson got his career-high ninth assist by finding Ron Holland for an impressive drive and slam in the middle of the Minnesota defense. Duncan Robinson followed that up with a transition lob to Ausar who threw down a two-handed flush right on top of Donte DiVincenzo that almost blew the roof off of LCA. You could see Jarrett Jack and Cade Cunningham celebrating together on the bench with a chest bump, just for Jack to quickly apologize to Cunningham due to his injury.

That alley-oop gave Detroit a seven-point lead, but Duncan Robinson put the dagger in the Wolves’ back with a movement three to put Detroit up 103-92. The Pistons would knock down their free throws late and go on to win 113-108.

This was a complete game by Daniss Jenkins to finish with 26 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. He has been fantastic sliding into the starting lineup during Cade’s injury and has been a huge part of Detroit’s success this season. He was a great find by Trajan Langdon and it’ll be interesting to see if he doesn’t make in JB Bickerstaff’s playoff rotation.

Jalen Duren had 22 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three stocks in 36 minutes. It is all but a forgone conclusion that Duren is going to get paid this summer, and it’s rightfully so. He has most likely earned himself an All-NBA nomination with his play after the All-Star Break. He has taken over as the #1 option during Cade’s injury and has helped keep Detroit as the top team in the East.

Ausar Thompson has the most Ausar Thompson-like stat line ever with seven points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and three blocks in 31 minutes. His athletic gravity is felt no matter where he is on the court and I’m not convinced he isn’t able to fly. Duncan Robinson did Duncan Robinson things and Kevin Huerter does a great job of doing Duncan Robinson things off of the bench.

I’d like to officially enter Naz Reid into the bucket of potential offseason acquisitions for Trajan Langdon. Caris LeVert’s expiring contract is enough to get a deal done this summer and Reid has 3+ years left on his deal at roughly $25 million per year. You could slot him in as the starting PF and ask Tobias Harris to take the sixth-man role off the bench. But, that’s an article for another time.

The Pistons will travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers Saturday night.

Go Stones.

The Minnesota Timberwolves crushed the Dallas Mavericks in Anthony Edwards’ return and behind Ayo Dosunmu’s impressive triple-double. The welcome-back party for Edwards has been short-lived, as he was ruled out for knee injury management and an illness for this Thursday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons. With this missed game, Ant will not be eligible for postseason awards as he will not meet the 65-game requirement. Opposing stars both being dinged by a questionable rule is a bummer for the NBA as a whole.

The Pistons started off the game playing smash-mouth basketball and using their strength and size to dominate the paint. Jalen Duren was flexing his muscles early on and taking it right at Rudy Gobert for 10 points on 5-6 shooting.

The Timberwolves responded with some hot 3-point shooting and forced some Pistons turnovers to get back into the game. A Kyle Anderson circus tip-in ended the response to an early Detroit lead to take a 31-30 lead at the end of the first. Julius Randle’s three was dropping, and he played well in the first with 10 points and two threes.

THIS JU SEQUENCE. 😤 pic.twitter.com/cX3yvK8rUB

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 2, 2026

The second quarter was all over the place in a back-and-forth affair. Detroit started on a 7-0 run that was immediately answered by a Timberwolves 9-2 run. Terrence Shannon Jr. had a great stretch in the second quarter, getting out in transition and finishing at the rim.

The game remained close until Mike Conley caught fire for a few threes to open up a seven-point advantage. The Pistons closed the gap and were able to tie the game 54-54 at halftime. Mike Conley led the team in scoring with 14, while Jalen Duren was right behind him for the Pistons with 13 of his own.

Mike Conley pull-up 3 pic.twitter.com/u6tUTL5KLA

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 3, 2026

The Timberwolves came out a bit looser with the basketball in the third after a very clean first half in that area. Early in the quarter, Julius Randle used bully ball And-1s to keep the Wolves offense afloat. The Pistons responded with a few threes to take a slight lead halfway through the quarter. While Detroit’s defensive intensity kicked up, which got the crowd into it, the Timberwolves kept after it.

Bones Hyland showed a little fight (that was slightly less dramatic than the last altercation between these two teams) while Naz Reid took the offensive baton from Julius down the stretch. Minnesota closed the quarter with a one-point advantage in a back-and-forth affair heading into the fourth.

The game stayed close for the first part of the fourth quarter before the Detroit Pistons imposed their physicality on the game. They forced tough half-court possession after tough half-court possession for the Timberwolves offense. Detroit hit some key shots and took control of the game late, going on an 18-3 run and taking a double-digit lead.

Julius Randle cutting dunk, assisted by Kyle Anderson pic.twitter.com/nWZNpjTSml

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 3, 2026

Detroit Imposing Physicality

The Pistons’ calling card all season has been their physical play style. They grind you down into dust over the course of a 48-minute game. While the Timberwolves did put up a good fight for much of the game, Detroit squeezed just hard enough to get Minnesota to break.

They tightened things up defensively and worked hard to get good shots on the offensive end against a team lacking scoring firepower. The Timberwolves fought in what was. a very good and close game, but could not come out on top.

Half Court Offense Dries Up

With Anthony Edwards (and Jaden McDaniels, for that matter) out, the half-court offense will always be a question mark. The way that Minnesota has juiced its offense in these situations is with fast-break points and points off turnovers.

They were able to muster a good amount of offense using that method, but when the Pistons tightened up defensively, so did the transition offense for the Wolves. Julius Randle played very well in this one, but they struggled to find consistent half-court offense, which spelled their demise in the fourth quarter.

Mike and TJ Out of the Woodwork

Despite the loss, two unlikely players stepped up and played well to keep this game close. Mike Conley scored 14 points and hit four threes in this one and looked closer to the vintage Mike we all know and love. Even with L, it was nice to see a few drop for him from downtown. Terrence Shannon Jr., who has also been having a difficult season, stepped up as well.

Every time he got the ball, he was launched like a rocket the other direction. He had some nice finishes, including a right-handed lay-in, and I loved his attention to pushing the ball up the court.

TJ Shannon transition driving dunk pic.twitter.com/m09L0MTLLt

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 3, 2026

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Up Next

The Timberwolves are back in action tomorrow night for a road back-to-back. It’s another 6 PM CT start against the Philadelphia 76ers. The game will be on their standard FanDuel Sports North.

Highlights

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

The Spurs will play their last back-to-back of the season in the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The eighth place Clippers are really interested in a win tonight, as the Trail Blazers are only half a game behind them, and they could be in danger of falling to ninth, which would require two wins in the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs, instead of one win and you’re in for the seventh and eighth place teams.

The Clippers are healthy and have a rest advantage over the Spurs having had a night off last night after losing to the Blazers by 10 on Tuesday night. The Spurs cruised to a 127-113 win over the Warriors last night over a Golden State team missing nine players and most of their stars. Tonight will be a tougher test, especially since Victor Wembanyama will sit out the game for injury management for a sore ankle. After tonight’s game, the Spurs will have five more games to play in the regular season, and Victor will have to play in at least three of them to be eligible for player awards, which he has said that he really wants.

The good news is that Luke Kornet is back in the lineup after sitting out last night, and he should be fresh tonight after taking a rest in the last game. The Spurs need to keep piling up wins to have a shot at catching the Thunder for the first overall seed, even though that seems to be a bit of a long shot. The Thunder face the Lakers tonight, who have won 13 of their last 14 games, and have a shot at making the Thunder sweat a bit tonight in their home arena, and again on the 7th when they play again in LA. Go Lakers g__ … OW, that hurts.

OK, GO SPURS GO!!! Beat the Clippers!

Game Prediction:

Kawhi Leonard will tell a joke in the pregame interview. No one will get it.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers
April 2, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT
Streaming: NBA League Pass
TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest
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