Victor Wembanyama was a first-round draft pick for San Antonio in 2023 [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama scored a season-high 41 points as the San Antonio Spurs earned a 10th successive win by beating the Golden State Warriors 127-113.
The Spurs have emerged as NBA title contenders during the second half of the campaign, winning 26 of their past 28 games.
The 22-year-old achieved his haul in just 29 minutes at Chase Center in California and also finished with 18 rebounds.
Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie chipped in with 15 points each for San Antonio, who are second in the Western Conference - just two wins behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"We're still going to play 100% to try to win this championship," Wembanyama said.
The Golden State Warriors are 10th after losing two consecutive games.
In the Eastern Conference, Boston tightened their grip on second place as Jaylen Brown registered a game-high 43 points in the Celtics' 147-129 win in Miami.
Tatum's triple-double of 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists helped Boston bounce back from defeat against the Atlanta Hawks.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks halted a three-game losing run with a 130-119 win at the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Knicks are third in the Eastern standings while the Grizzlies are 12th in the Western Conference.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes up for a shot against the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off a season-high 41-point game, Wemby picked up right where he left off with an identical scoring line in a blowout victory over Golden State on Wednesday night.
The Alien scored two quick layups to start, and spooked the Warriors into shooting tough threes instead of driving into the paint. The home team didn’t make a basket until the 9:00 mark of the first, resulting in the good guys going on a 17-3 run. As soon as Wemby subbed out, though, the Warriors responded. Brandin Podziemski hit back-to-back threes and helped his team cut the deficit down to just 6. It didn’t help that the Spurs committed 5 turnovers in quick succession, forcing Mitch Johnson to call a timeout.
Thankfully, his message was heard loud and clear. San Antonio only had two more turnovers for the remainder of the half and reasserted their dominance in the game. With Kornet taking the night off, Mitch elected to play small ball in the non-Wemby minutes, putting Keldon at the 5. That lineup’s rim pressure and speed in transition gave the Warriors fits, helping the Spurs build a 20-point lead to go into halftime up 70-49.
San Antonio didn’t let up in the second half. Golden State continued to go on mini runs to keep the game within 20, but failed to ever cut the lead down to single digits. It did keep the Spurs honest and forced them to play the starters more than they liked, but the final result was never in question. Garbage time was officially underway halfway through the fourth when Wemby subbed out with the Spurs up 20, and the game ended in a 127-113 victory for San Antonio.
Game notes
Wemby finished with 17 and 9 in the first quarter and 27 and 13 in the first half. He racked up a double-double in just 11 minutes and seemed so bored that he took some ill-advised threes just to see if the shot was falling. Overall, he finished with 41, 18, and 3 on 16-22 shooting with 3 blocks. At this point, it genuinely feels like he deserves to play in a higher-level league made just for aliens.
The Warriors played a zone against Wemby at certain points. It didn’t work (see clip below), but I wouldn’t be surprised if other teams try that against him in the playoffs. They essentially let Draymond play him one-on-one while the other four players zoned up to prevent lobs and drives. The Warriors were too small to do any damage, but most other West teams will have enough size to potentially cause some issues.
Credit the Warriors for fighting and staying in the game. They fielded a lineup full of “who he play for?” guys but kept the game within striking distance.
Apr 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA;Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) looks on against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
MIAMI — With just a few seconds to spare in the second quarter of Wednesday’s Celtics-Heat game, Derrick White found Jaylen Brown for an alley-oop.
Brown finished the layup — marking his 10th basket of the first half — and the Celtics bench rejoiced.
But, there was one problem: 1.5 seconds remained on the clock after the ball sank through the net. Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. was well aware of the situation and immediately fired a perfect pass down the court to Pelle Larrson, who had already sprinted down the court, seemingly poised for a wide-open layup.
But White had another idea.
For 1.5 seconds, he looked the fastest man on the planet. White somehow caught up with Larrson, altered his shot, and ultimately forced a miss.
Sitting on press row, I gasped at the speed with which he got from one end of the court to the other.
On the court, White’s teammates expressed the same disbelief.
“That was impressive to make the play,” Brown said. ”I look up, and I’m thinking that Larson has a wide open layup, and then D-White comes flying out of nowhere. That’s impressive. That’s like First Team All-Defense type stuff. Those are Defensive Player of the Year-type plays.”
“It was a great play,” Joe Mazzulla echoed.
After the game, White sat at his locker room chatting with Baylor Scheierman. He wasn’t one of the four players selected to speak to the media after the win, and was surprised when I approached him.
“You’re the subject of my postgame story,” I announced.
He looked at me, a tad surprised
Jaylen Brown had just tallied one of his best offensive performances of the season, erupting for 43 points on 17-29 shooting, and marking his 7th game of 40+ points of the year.
Jayson Tatum posted a 25-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double, his first triple-double since returning from his Achilles injury.
Sam Hauser finished with 23 points on 9-11 shooting, his second-highest scoring game of the season.
And, Neemias Queta finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks.
White’s confused glance seemed to indicate: Why me?
I explained to him that from an onlooker’s perspective, his play to close out the first half didn’t make any sense. I simply needed to understand it.
“I don’t even know,” he said, laughing. “I looked up, and I saw Pelles was open, and I just ran back as fast as I possibly could.”
I asked Derrick if he thought it was the fastest he’d sprinted all season.
“It might be,” he said, after pondering the question for a few seconds. “It was definitely the longest I’ve sprinted for.”
Scheierman, sitting at the adjacent locker, chimed in.
“He’s a pro, man,” Scheierman told me. “We call that ethical hoops university.”
As the halftime buzzer sounded, White’s teammates met him at center court, congratulating him for his effort. Luka Garza fervently slapped him across the chest.
White admitted it felt good to create such an energizing moment, but, as per usual, didn’t give himself too much credit.
“Inspiring basketball — that’s what we call it when guys make plays like that with the extra effort over and over again,” Neemias Queta said, praising the Celtics guard for putting his body on the line for the play.
White only had 4 points at the half — and 6 in the entirety of the ball game — but it didn’t matter.
“That set the tone for the second half,” Queta said.
The play won’t show up on the stat sheet: though White significantly altered Larrson’s layup attempt, it didn’t count as a block or a steal.
The two points his hustle saved also ultimately didn’t come into play; the Celtics won the ball game by 18 points and led by as many as 27.
Still, the moment perfectly captured why White is one of the most impactful players in basketball, according to almost every advanced metric. (White has the 7th-highest LEBRON rating in the league, trailing only legitimate MVP candidates).
I asked Derrick if that’d be the play he thinks would best represent his career at a Hall of Fame nomination ceremony.
He chuckled.
“I told JT — that’ll go in my Hall of Very Good nomination.”
Why Derrick White’s play epitomized Celtics basketball
For Joe Mazzulla, the moment stuck out because it came in a game in which he only attempted 4 shots.
Regardless of offensive production or opportunity, White’s effort, intensity, and attention to detail never wavered.
That’s been the hallmark characteristic of his basketball career.
Mazzulla similarly praised the contributions of players like Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza, and Jordan Walsh — all guys who committed to doing the little things in the Celtics’ win, given that Tatum, Brown, and Hauser had the hot hand.
“When you have a team, you have to understand, there are nights where the other guys have it,” Mazzulla said, pointing to Brown and Tatum’s big-time offensive performances. “Tonight, those guys had it going. And you have a group of guys that commit to the other stuff; they commit to transition defense, they commit to rebounding, they commit to defense. And so those [other] guys did that tonight.”
Most nights, White will attempt far more than 4 shots — the Celtics guard averages 16.8 points per game, after all.
But on this particular Wednesday night, the game didn’t call for him to put the ball in the basket.
He just needed to sprint back as fast as he possibly could.
“Every game will have its own story,” Brown said. “This game, offensively, I got off to a great start, but every game has its own story. So, just got to be ready to play basketball and be versatile. Be ready for any scenario. Our team is built on that versatility.”
It’s human nature for players to lose focus, lose some momentum when they’re not as involved in the offense. But, for the Celtics to play their best basketball — and ultimately contend for a title — those kinds of lapses need to happen as little as possible.
“That’s just being a team,” Mazzulla said.
It’s those kinds of plays that have propelled the Celtics to the most improbable 51-win season — and counting.
Shamet dropped 13 points on 3-of-5 from beyond the arc while providing his usual pesky defense.
The Knicks outscored the Grizzlies by 13 points with Shamet on the court.
Coach Mike Brown was excited for the comeback of one of his favorite players.
“He’s arguably one of our, if not the best, on-ball defenders,” said Brown, whose team went 2-3 without Shamet. “Especially when it comes to ball screens and dribble handoffs. He’s really physical in that area. And you feel him. His pace offensively creates gravity for others. And then his ability to shoot. He can string together two or three 3s. And it can create separation for him and give our group confidence. We had to find other ways. But we missed that from him, especially from his size.”
Shamet, too, was satisfied. But he felt the fatigue that usually accompanies a return.
“I was definitely a little tired at the end of the game,” he said. “The legs — that’s obviously the biggest thing. You can do all you want to stay in shape but playing a real NBA basketball game, that’s like the next layer of your rehab or whatever. You just got to get reps and get your legs back under you. So I felt really good. Just naturally a little heavy at the end. But that’s alright.”
Landry Shamet, who scored 13 points, in the Knicks’ 130-119 win over the Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 in Memphis. NBAE via Getty Images
Mikal Bridges played in his 633rd consecutive game Wednesday, eclipsing Andre Miller for the eighth-longest streak in NBA history.
Everybody ahead of Bridges completed their streak in the 1980s or before.
Next up at No. 7 is Harry Gallatin at 682 straight games before he retired in 1958.
“Hopefully, I have kids one day and I’ll brag about it,” Bridges said.
Miles McBride took a night off for load management on a back-to-back, one day after he shot 1-for-9 in a loss to the Rockets.
McBride is easing back from sports hernia surgery, and he has struggled in his two comeback appearances while shooting 1 for 12 combined.
Brown said he’s good with the attempts
“If you’re open, let it fly,” Brown said. “I even told him this before, I don’t care if he’s 0-for-15. I just want him to feel the aggression, get to his spots.”
Brown noted that McBride had a 3-point attempt blocked in the Rockets game, an indication he didn’t have his legs under him yet.
“I don’t think I’ve seen anybody block Deuce’s shot — his 3-point shot. Because he gets so high, he gets lift,” Brown said. “That’s just him not playing. So I want guys like that, if you’re open, let it fly.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 9: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles while being guarded by Cason Wallace #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on February 9, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (50-26) head on the road to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-16) on Thursday.
This is a huge game for the purple and gold, who have yet to win against the reigning champs this regular season.
The Lakers have exactly six games remaining in the regular season, and two of those are against the Thunder.
These games can be viewed as the perfect measuring stick for the Lakers, who just had an incredible month of March, winning 15 of 17 games. Los Angeles has been playing its best basketball, led by its MVP candidate, Luka Dončić, and the only question left is: in the midst of all of this, how legit are the Lakers really?
Well, we’re about to find out if they can keep up with not only the defending champions but the best basketball team this regular season. Lakers head coach JJ Redick perfectly described what to expect from this Thunder team ahead of their matchups this week:
“I do know that they’re great on both sides of the ball,” Redick said postgame after LA’s win over Cleveland. “They’re going to make you work for things defensively because of how physical they are. They just do a great job of driving. You really have to do your best to keep them out of the paint.”
The Thunder are not only elite at scoring in the paint and defending the basketball, but they also have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is playing at an MVP level. SGA is currently averaging 31.6 points, 6.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Let’s see if Los Angeles can win this game and start April off by defeating the defending champs.
Notes and Updates
The Thunder are the only team this season to have reached 60 wins. To do that as the champs speaks volumes about how great they are. They’re currently on a three-game winning streak and, like the Lakers, have won nine out of their last 10 games.
For the Lakers’ injury report, Marcus Smart (right ankle contusion) remains out.
Adou Thiero (G-League), Dalton Knecht (G-League) and Kobe Bufkin (G-League) will be with the South Bay Lakers.
As for the Thunder, only PJ Hall (right ankle soreness) is out.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, April...
There was, technically and by legal definition, a regular-season game between two NBA teams inside Chase Center on Wednesday night.
But it wasn’t a fair fight. Not even close.
There are few foes on the same level as the Spurs and superhuman Victor Wembanyama these days, and the especially bruised and battered group of Warriors that took their home court were a far cry from counting themselves among them.
Victor Wembanyama throws down a dunk. AP
Wembanyama continued to make his MVP case with 41 points and 18 rebounds while the Warriors fell behind 10-0 and hardly sniffed single digits again in a 127-113 loss to the hottest team in the NBA.
Missing his 26th consecutive game, Steph Curry led a list of inactives that was as long as Steve Kerr’s rotation. Of the nine players in uniform, seven scored in double figures, led by Nate Williams with 18 in a remarkable 47-minute effort. But who didn’t play mattered just as much as anyone who did.
What it means
The loss was the Warriors’ second in a row after a brief three-game winning streak against lesser opponents, but the outcomes of each individual game holds little meaning for a team that is more or less locked into the No. 10 seed, or at least the bottom play-in matchup.
Even with a talented defender like Draymond Green on Victor Wembanyama, the Warriors could not stop him. AP
There was more consequence in the pregame warmups: Curry went through his normal routine, and is reportedly targeting Sunday for a return from a two-month absence.
Turning point
It’s possible that no version of these Warriors could contain Wembanyama and the Spurs — few have over their current 26-2 stretch — but the deck was stacked when the injury report dropped.
In addition to the seven rotation regulars already ruled out, Gui Santos (pelvis) and Gary Payton II (knee) were downgraded from questionable to out before tipoff.
Draymond Green drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs. NBAE via Getty Images
Without Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford or Quinten Post, the Warriors were left with Omer Yurtseven — playing on his second 10-day contract — and two-way forward Malevy Leons as their only resistance besides the 6-foot-5 Green against Wembanyama.
Wembanyama had six points before the Warriors had any and scored 14 while the Spurs raced out to a 25-9 advantage before barely six minutes had expired. It took him two minutes into the second quarter to secure a double-double. By halftime, he had 27 and 13, and San Antonio led 70-49.
Victor Wembanyama prepares to shoot a free throw against the Golden State Warriors. NBAE via Getty Images
MVP: Victor Wembanyama
There seemed to be nothing the (listed) 7-foot-4 phenom wasn’t capable of against the undermanned Warriors. He wasn’t just the most valuable player on the court; he looked like the MVP of the entire league.
Stat of the game: 2
Brandin Podziemski looked well on his way to a big night — maybe even his first 30-point effort — after the first quarter. He was 3-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 from 3 and 4-for-4 from the line with 12 of the Warriors’ 26 points in the opening period.
But Podziemski scored only two more points the rest of the night as Kerr limited him to 17 minutes. Williams picked up the slack with the most minutes by a Warrior in regulation since Harrison Barnes in 2014.
Up next
The Warriors should resemble something closer to full strength when they host the Cavaliers on Thursday in the second half of a back-to-back at Chase Center. Golden State opted for that matchup rather than Wembanyama for Porzingis, and there’s hope that De’Anthony Melton, Payton and Santos will be ready to play with an extra day.
If Curry continues to progress as hoped, it could also be the last of a 27-game absence.
Apr 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) holds onto a rebound against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The Warriors were missing nine players and had to play a patchwork lineup of mostly undrafted players. They played with a lot of effort in a rough and tumble game and the Spurs didn’t play their cleanest game, but the talent difference was too much for the undermanned Golden State squad. The Spurs never quite turned the game into a blowout, but Wembanyama was transcendent with 41 points and 18 rebounds, and they kept the Warriors at arm’s length for the entire second half. Golden State could never cut the lead to single digits as San Antonio won 127-113
Observations
The last game, I used the tired metaphor that the Spurs ran out of gas at the end of the game. Unfortunately, another writer used the same line a few hours later. My bad, I should have stayed on the crazy train with Ozzy. [UPDATE: I did not get aboard the CRAZY TRAIN]
Sean Elliott and Jacob Tobey had the night off as the game was nationally televised on ESPN, and I expect I’ll really miss half of the third quarter being occupied with food reviews and watching those guys eat. Mike Breen and Tim Legler did the broadcast, with Richard Jefferson, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them eat on camera.
Brandin Podziemski somehow found himself defending Wemby on the first play, and it didn’t end well for him, with a Wembanyama and-one, as the Spurs scored the first 10 points. The Spurs were quick out of the gate as they led 17-3 in the first four minutes, leading to a quick Kerr timeout.
Nate Williams is a nice talent for the Warriors, in the Jordan McLaughlin role. He got a quick layup over Victor early in the game, but the next time he tried it, Vic was ready and sent it back.
The Spurs led by as much as 17 in the first quarter, but Podziemski happened, and the Warriors went on a 13-2 run to cut the lead to just six. The Spur finished the quarter on a 5-2 run to lead 35-26 after one quarter.
Omer Yurtseven smacked Fox in the face with his elbow, and surprisingly, it was not called a foul. Fox just missed a few minutes, so luckily he wasn’t hurt too badly. He also smacked Vassell really hard on a drive to the basket, which was called a foul, but probably should have been a flagrant one.
The players left on the roster of the Warriors aren’t that talented, but they played a physical game, and it was tough to watch at times. They brought the deficit to five points early in the second quarter, but the Spurs shrugged it off and led 70-49 behind an insane 27 point 13 rebound performance from Victor Wembanyama.
There were two transition take fouls in the first half, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that. They topped it off with a clear path foul in the third quarter.
The Warriors got a good game from Curry. Not that one. Seth had a nice night shooting the ball for the Golden Gaters.
Draymond Green’s shot release is so slow that it’s reminiscent of a medieval trebuchet, but it was hitting its target tonight, like an ancient siege weapon lobbing boulders into the enemy’s keep.
Mason Plumlee looks useless. I sure hope he doesn’t have to play in the playoffs.
The Spurs effort was somewhat lacking in the third quarter, and the Warriors outscored the Silver and Black 34-26, to cut the San Antonio lead to 96-83 with one quarter to play.
The Spurs got down to business in the fourth quarter and led by as much as 26 with 6 minutes left. They went a little cold in the final minutes, and the Warriors improved the cosmetics of the score by hitting some shots late, but the outcome was never in doubt as the Spurs won 127-113
The Spurs are on their last back-to-back of the season, which continues tomorrow night in LA against the Clippers. The Clippers or Warriors could be a first round playoff matchup for the Spurs, depending on how well they do in the play-in tournament, so I’m sure the Silver and Black wants to figure ways to take advantages of their weaknesses. It’s going to be fun to watch.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Claire Dalton broke a tie 57 seconds into the third period with her first PWHL goal and the Toronto Sceptres beat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 on Wednesday night in a Takeover Tour game that drew 16,150 fans to the Saddledome.
Dalton also assisted on Maggie Connors’ first-period goal. Connors set up Dalton’s goal, and captain Blayre Turnbull assisted on both goals to help Toronto move past Ottawa into fourth place.
Raygan Kirk made 28 saves, allowing only Fanuza Kadirova's tying goal late in the first period. Gwyneth Philips stopped 22 shots for Ottawa.
On the surface, Wednesday night's game against the Grizzlies wasn't a must-win for the Knicks. However, after dropping their third straight and looking bad doing it on Tuesday, Josh Hart had some pointed comments about his team's direction.
He even called the game against Memphis "must-win."
A young, depleted Grizzlies team fought hard against the Knicks. They beat the Knicks in the second and third quarters, almost taking their first lead of the game in the third.
However, the combination of Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby didn't let that happen. Without Jalen Brunson (ankle soreness) in the lineup, the two forwards combined to score 45 points. Towns dished 11 assists and came down with 11 rebounds to pick up a triple-double, his second as a Knick. Anunoby added 13 rebounds to his scoring to finish with a double-double.
"A game like that, it's always tough if you play against a group that's free and can attack and has nothing to lose," head coach Mike Brown said after the win. "But our guys at the end of the day, we were good in a lot of areas."
Brown said that the team's turnovers, which they had 19, and fouling -- sending Memphis to the line 30 times -- made the game tougher than it needed to be, but applauded how his players responded, especially Anunoby and Towns down the stretch when the Grizzlies were hanging around.
"A lot of good performances from our guys, we were able to make it up in terms of the times that they went to the free throw line and our turnovers by offensive rebounding," Brown explained. "OG had three offensive rebounds, KAT had six offensive rebounds. KAT had a triple-double tonight, which was great. And especially in 30 minutes of action, and then OG, for him to get 13 rebounds. A big, big night to get a double-double. We needed every single one of those rebounds."
"I thought we did a good job moving the ball," Towns said of the win. "I thought we did a good job of playing with a point-five mentality and doing everything we needed to do to beat a good team, and a hungry team with a lot of guys trying to prove themselves in this league. I thought we did a good job of weathering the storm. We understood they’re going to play hard. They’re going to play well, and we found a way to win."
For Towns, the key to his performance on Wednesday was the faith he had in his teammates. Memphis constantly double and sometimes triple-teamed the big man, but he would find the open player. It was a trend for the entire Knicks team. New York had 36 assists on the 48 shots made.
"When they're double and triple teaming, I understand that one of my teammates is open," Towns said. "Just staying patient, staying relaxed and trying to make the right play. I was disappointed with the turnovers I had today, but I’m glad that I was able to find my teammates more than not and we were able to come out with a win."
The win allowed the Knicks to hold on to their spot as the three-seed in the Eastern Conference (1.5 games ahead of Cleveland). They'll look to keep that momentum and try to get closer to the Celtics and the two-seed when they host the Bulls on Friday.
Apr 1, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Brice Sensabaugh (28) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
The Jazz have been all business for Tanking and Co™ all of March. In fact, before tonight, they’d lost 10 of their last 11 games, which included a loss against Denver back in Colorado. The Nuggets, on the other hand, have subtly held an 8-2 record with the league’s second-longest winning streak.
Despite the annual tomfoolish custom of April 1st, there are n tricks tonight; Utah was flat-out defeated on their home floor with a good old-fashioned 130 -117 loss. There were highs. There were lows. There were Jokic no-look passes that dissociate with the external world. As Denver skipped across Salt Lake City before heading back next door, the Jazz decisively fell behind by falling out of a potentially gritty, high-intensity basketball game — they tend to love those.
Utah put the final nail in the coffin after taking out their sole Jokic-stopper, that would be Elijah Harkless — a scrappy 6’3” guard that puts out his best Scrappy-Doo impression each night. Other than that, fans saw all the usuals on the injury report.
OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring) OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring) OUT – Blake Hinson (2-way) OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder) OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip) OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)
The Nuggets were at near-full form, with the exception of Spencer Jones and Zeke Nnaji. This is probably going to be a regular occurrence the Jazz will have to deal with for any franchise that isn’t currently outside of the Playoff picture.
Injury Update ahead of tonight’s game against the Jazz:
It seems apparently that the entire Jazz defensive strategy revolved around one Elijah Harkless, as they looked completely helpless while digging themselves into an early 3-17 hole, with Denver, or just Jamal Murray, raining triple after triple. Murray hit 3-3 from beyond the arc just over 90 seconds into the first quarter. I can’t believe this is a real thing I have to type, but 8 of their first 9 field-goal makes had come from beyond the arc. Not only that, they hit them at a 61.5% rate. What the actual heck is going on in the mountains? Nuggets closed the quarter outscoring Utah 39-28, pushing their lead to 11. Jamal Murray sealed the first 12 minutes off with a half-court heave that could only happen in an area outside of time and space, otherwise known as wherever the Jazz are playing.
The Jazz supposedly held Jokic to 2 field-goals in the first half, but everyone else on the Nuggets did most of the damage. Flip (19 points, 7-11 field-goals) and Brice (18 points, 7-10 field-goals) accounted for 68% of the Jazz points in the first half. The next best scorer scored 7. Jamal Murray continued to beat a man already down, matching his career-best for three-pointers in a half with 5. Bruce Brown beat his personal best of 4 steals in a half. You get a career-high! You get a career-high! Everybody gets a career-high! Nuggets were high and mighty with their 68-54 lead on Utah’s home floor.
Nikola Jokic canned a triple-double with 14-17-10 before the final 12 minutes even rolled open. Nuggets had 49 rebounds, 35 of them being defensive, compared to Utah’s 36 total rebounds.
The Jazz had chipped away several times in this game, but none of them mattered in any significant way. They got as close as 4 points of the Nuggets’ lead with 9:41 in the fourth quarter, but Denver quickly put a stop to that and continued to steamroll as they had been doing. But I have to note, Denver really doesn’t do enough to prevent open shots on the defensive end; imagine if Lauri or Keyonte were hitting those shots.
Brice Sensabaugh led all scorers with 28 in this one, many of which came from a 10-point entourage in the first quarter. The former Buckeye has been an explosive 20-point-per-game scorer for the majority of March. Five Jazz players in total crossed over the 10+ point mark.An
Another Jazz draftee to enjoy was Kyle Filipowski, who netted 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists on 9-15 shooting in 31 minutes. Flip did his best and fiercely attacked premier rim-protector Nikola Jokic at the rim, which subsequently led to his benching when the Jazz got too close to the flame.
Jamal Murray enjoyed a strong night, as he usually does against Utah. He averaged 35 points per game, 7.8 assists per games and 4.8 rebounds in the Nuggets’ clean 4-0 sweep against the Jazz this season.
Up Next
Utah drops to 21-56 with this loss and lines up their next matchup in Houston on Friday night.
Stephen Curry continues to make progress toward a return for the Golden State Warriors.
The guard has missed the last 25 games due to a right knee injury, diagnosed as patella-femoral pain syndrome/bone bruising. He's averaged a team-leading 27.2 points per game but has not played since Jan. 30.
Curry was seen participating in pregame activities on the Chase Center court before the Warriors' home game against the San Antonio Spurs on April 1.
The two-time MVP participated in a live 5-on-5 scrimmage on March 31, according to the team.
“He looked good,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I was up here with you guys for most of it so I caught the tail end. But everybody said he looked good and felt good. He’ll have another scrimmage in the next couple of days. That’s the next step.”
The team expects Curry to be re-evaluated over the weekend.
The Warriors will play in the postseason after clinching a spot in the play-in tournament.
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 15: Darius Brown II #10 of the Cleveland Charge passes the ball during the game against the Wisconsin Herd on November 15, 2025 at Cleveland Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nate Manley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Charge’s magical season came to an end with a 126-123 loss to the Capital City Go-Go in the first round of the NBA G League playoffs. The Charge fought hard, but an inability to grab crucial rebounds late ultimately did them in.
Point guard Darius Brown II was the only constant in a Charge season that was characterized by six NBA call-ups. And in many ways, he’s symbolic of why this season has been so successful for the team. His steady hand at the point allowed various roster configurations to work. He was doing so again against the Go-Go until his body finally gave out.
In the first quarter, he bloodied his knee diving for a loose ball. In the third, he hurt his hamstring after being fouled. And midway through the fourth, he rolled his ankle while forcing an eight-second violation.
By the end of the game, Brown could hardly move, but that didn’t keep him from making a positive impact on the game. He hustled back to stop a fastbreak layup with a minute and a half left in a three-point game. Then, he converted a fastbreak layup of his own to make it a one-point game.
Brown wouldn’t use that as an excuse. “Everyone is playing through something,” he said. But most aren’t gutting it out like he was.
“It just says everything about who he is,” head coach Eli Kell-Abrams said. “He’s been in a walking boot for a month, and the way he’s been able to fight through pain, fight through adversity, fight through off-court stuff and still not make it about him, and be able to galvanize and lead the group is really impressive.”
The Charge had a chance to win what was a back-and-forth game late. In the last minute, they missed two crucial defensive rebounds and had two bad turnovers. The Go-Go took advantage of those miscues to put the game away.
“It’s one of the tough things about a single-elimination tournament,” Kell-Abrams said. “Sometimes, if you just don’t have it, you don’t have it. I think defensively we weren’t able to guard the ball and rebound, which we knew were going to be big keys to the game.”
Cleveland didn’t have an answer for Alondes Williams. He poured in 39 points and four assists while going 12-21 from the field. This included contributing 24 in the second half to help the Go-Go erase a seven-point deficit at the break. Former Cleveland Cavaliers two-way player Chris Livingston also supplied 27 points and nine rebounds in the victory.
The Charge were led by 25 points from Brown on 8-15 shooting to go along with 10 assists and seven boards. Cavs two-way player Olivier Sarr finished with 22 points on 8-10 shooting with four rebounds and a block.
Even though this wasn’t the way the Charge wanted the season to end, they aren’t going to remember this season for what happened on Tuesday.
“A couple missed helps, a couple tough switches, and a couple of offensive rebounds shouldn’t define what’s been one of the most successful years in Charge history,” Kell-Abrams said. “With the development we’ve had, headlined by Tristan Enaruna. … We knocked the development part out of the park.”
The Charge did knock that out of the park. They had six call-ups (seven if you want to count Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who didn’t play with the Charge, but started on a two-way deal). That includes losing Killian Hayes, who was having an MVP-caliber season, before he was signed by the Sacramento Kings.
Kell-Abrams attributes Brown for being a big reason why they were able to keep things on the rails and attract more talent — like Riley Minix, Malaki Branham, and Sarr — to replace the guys they lost to call-ups.
“[The G League] encourages you to be selfish,” Kell-Abrams said. “You think points will get you called up. You think, ‘How many shots am I getting?’ And D.B. says, ‘You know what, I’m going to pass the ball. I’m going to pass the ball in a league that doesn’t want to.’ And that’s why everybody wants to come play with him. That’s why we were able to get Riley Minix here to play with him. That’s what we were able to get Malaki Branham…Olivier Sarr. Like, these guys want to come be here.”
While many will remember this season for the on-court success that the Charge had, Brown will remember it for how special this group was.
“The stuff I remember most is always the stuff off the court,” Brown said. “I’ll just remember things from after team dinners, going out to Top Golf or doing stuff like that with the staff and everybody. That’s the stuff I’ll remember more than anything we did on the court, although that was very successful.”
Before the season, Kell-Abrams laid out two goals. He wanted to develop NBA talent and be successful on the court. He did both. The Charge finished with their second-best winning percentage for a regular season in their history and had numerous players called up. This was a successful season, even though it didn’t end how they wanted it to.
“Forty-eight minuts of not our best basketball doesn’t define us,” Kell-Abrams said.
But it wasn’t exactly the cakewalk it appeared after a historically dominant first quarter, as the Knicks needed to overcome slumping second-half stretches in Wednesday’s 130-119 victory over the tanktastic Grizzlies.
Without a resting Jalen Brunson, the Knicks tied a franchise record with 48 points in the opening quarter. It left the impression they were ready to breeze in Memphis, but the Knicks cooled off considerably in the second half — allowing the lead to dwindle to three in the third quarter — and coach Mike Brown was forced to run his starters until the final buzzer.
OG Anunoby drives on Walter Clayton Jr. in the second half of the Knicks’ 130-119 win over the Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 in Memphis. AP
“It was good. We were sharing the ball, all that stuff. I think defensively we could’ve been better, still gave up a lot of points,” Mikal Bridges said. “Offensively, we were sharing the ball, moving well. But defensively, we could’ve done better.”
Bridges was active with 24 points. OG Anunoby led the way with 25 points and 13 boards. Karl-Anthony Towns collected his fourth career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, benefiting from being the focal point of the offense in his 30 minutes.
The effort was far from perfect, but the baseline of a victory was achieved after a three-game losing streak and a humiliating defeat a day prior in Houston.
The vibes in the locker room postgame were positive, a contrast to the night prior when Towns, clearly frustrated, uncharacteristically left without talking to the media.
“It was a group effort to regroup,” Towns said Tuesday.
Immediately after that loss to the Rockets, Hart, the team’s leader and spokesman, declared the Memphis matchup a “must-win.”
Mikal Bridges, who scored 24 points, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ win over the Grizzlies. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
And the Knicks responded exquisitely from tipoff with that powerful first quarter.
Everybody ate. In the opening 12 minutes, the Knicks shot a ridiculous 81 percent — going 5-for-5 from deep — while collecting 14 assists. Nine Knicks scored in the first quarter.
Six of them had at least five points.
They led by 18 after that opening period, then by 17 at the break.
But the Grizzlies responded in the third quarter — attacking the Knicks and hitting their 3-pointers.
It meant Anunoby had to carry the Knicks to victory with 17 points in the fourth quarter.
“I was shooting the same shots [as the previous three quarters], but they were just going in,” Anunoby said.
It was an impressive offensive statistical performance across the board, which will inevitably lead to pundit chatter that the Knicks play faster and freer without Brunson.
Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 20 points to go along with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ win over the Grizzlies. NBAE via Getty Images
But context matters. The Knicks (49-28) were playing the miserable Grizzlies (25-51), who are among the NBA’s preeminent tankers and deployed a lineup of G-Leaguers.
Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama Ty Jerome, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jaylen Wells were all out with injuries.
Brandon Clarke, who was also an injury DNP, was reportedly arrested in Arkansas on Wednesday on charges of trafficking a controlled substance.
The Grizzlies starters included two rookies (Cedric Coward, Javon Small), two former second-round picks (GG Jackson and Cam Spencer) and a player who started on a two-way contract this season (Olivier-Maxence Prosper).
They also had three players in the rotation Wednesday on 10-day contracts.
It was their 15th loss in their last 17 games.
The Knicks?
They’re still third in the East — 2 ½ games behind the Celtics for No. 2, and 1 ½ games clear of the Cavaliers at No. 4.
They’ve also won 10 straight against teams with losing records. Conversely, they’ve dropped five straight to opponents with winning records, including that blowout Tuesday in Houston that had Hart sounding alarms in the postgame locker room.
“We’re not going in the right direction,” said Hart, who had just five points in Wednesday’s win in 25 minutes. “We’re not trending upwards. So we got to figure it out. … Got another one (on Wednesday in Memphis). That’s a must-win for us.”
Coach Mike Brown appreciated the sense of urgency. “It’s good to have that mindset,” he said. His team responded well in Memphis, but only in the bookends of a win.
“I’m still not happy about us in the second half not locked in and them making a run,” Bridges said. “They play hard. A good young team. But I think it’s unacceptable for us.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gavin Williams struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, outpitching World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and José Ramírez hit his first home run of the season to lead the Cleveland Guardians past the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday.
Gabriel Arias also went deep for the Guardians, who took two of three games in the series from the two-time defending champions.
Williams (1-1) walked three and allowed only two hits, both singles by Andy Pages. Freddie Freeman homered off Cade Smith with two outs in the ninth, spoiling Cleveland's shutout bid.
MEMPHIS, TN - APRIL 1: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on April 1, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last night in Houston, the Knicks (49*-28) lost their third straight game, all on the road. It was possibly the least entertaining game we’ve watched all season, and New York played out of sync all night. Tonight, in the second of a back-to-back, they had a prime opportunity to regain their confidence against a Grizzlies team (25-51) that has seven players out with season-ending injuries and no active center. Mostly, the game went as expected, with the Knicks taking a 22-point first-half lead. Memphis shot well (51% from the field, 44% from deep), but New York shot better (55% and 41%), owned the glass (49-20) and the paint (66-44). Despite a dip late in the third quarter, New York held on to win it, 130-119.
Quoth JustMissedOut2001, “Dang is that stat right? Only 20 rebounds for the grizz.” According to the talking heads after the game, 20 rebounds was the fewest ever for a Knicks opponent. It helps when the tallest guy on the other team is 6’9” in heels.
With Jalen Brunson resting a sore right ankle, Jose Alvarado (15 PTS, 4 AST, 4 TO, 2 STL) got his second start as a Knick. Memphis started rookie shooting guard Cedric Coward (15 PTS), the 11th pick in last summer’s draft, and four other dudes, at least one of whom is on a two-way contract.
Karl-Anthony Towns attacked the rim, wisely, as the undersized Grizzlies had no equal in their front court. He finished the night with a triple-double of 20 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-tying 11 assists—and he did it in 29 minutes. Bridges had a very efficient night, too, tallying 24 points on 9-of-15 from the field. And OG Anunoby delivered an excellent performance, with 25 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in his 40 minutes.
In fact, all our heroes were sizzling, missing just two of their first 15 shots while hitting a perfect five from downtown (Hart, Bridges, Alvarado, Kolek, and Shamet). They also had 11 assists on their first 13 makes, with Josh Hart (5 PTS, 6 RBS, 6 AST, 25 MIN) and Kat combining for seven dimes in the quarter.
Just gonna drop this here….
The KAT-Brunson 2-man lineup played 62 minutes together in the last three games. It had a -38.7 net rating. It was Brunson's worst rated pairing during the losing streak. KAT was only worse with Josh Hart. KAT-JB is supposed to be NYK's super weapon. They're still taking turns.
Midway through the period, coach Mike Brown subbed in Tyler Kolek (9 PTS, 7 AST, 0 TO, 19 min), Jordan Clarkson (8 PTS), and Landry Shamet (13 PTS, 2 STL), back after missing five games with a right knee bone bruise. Landry showed no signs of being hindered, knocking down three of five from deep tonight.
Late in the first quarter, Ariel Hukporti (7 PTS, 6 RBS, 12 MIN) replaced Towns. His rust showed, but Huk could teach Mitchell Robinson (out due to the back-to-back) something about shooting free throws. Coach Brown would name Hukporti the Defensive Player of the Game.
An 11-0 run in the fading minutes helped to pad their lead, and after a Cam Spencer (10 PTS) triple and Tyler Burton (10 PTS) adding two of his own, Shamet canned a corner three in the final seconds to give the visitors a 48-30 lead. That’s a season-high for any quarter of the season for the Knickerbockers.
To start the second quarter, Brown stayed with Kolek and inserted rookie Mohamed Diawara (4 pTS, 5 MIN) into the mix. The tall Frenchman made the most of his minutes, with two quick scores and a steal. Not to be overlooked, Towns continued to have the biggest impact with multiple dunks, putbacks, and strong rebounding, while Bridges added efficient scoring, including a step-back three and driving plays. Hart and Alvarado contributed key assists, steals, and timely buckets, and with the lead reaching 22, this game became a glorified scrimmage.
Memphis got sporadic production from G. G. Jackson (20 PTS, 8-of-12 FG) and Coward, but struggled with turnovers and chasing down loose balls. For the half, New York outrebounded them 21-6! The Grizzlies could never close the gap. Score at intermission: 79-62. That’s the first-half season-high for our heroes.
Through two quarters, the Knicks shot a ridiculous 71% from the field (29-for-41) and 70% from three (7-for-10) while the visitors scraped by at 56% and 45%. What’s easy to miss amid all the buckets is New York’s dominance of the paint (40-20) and the boards (8-2 offensive). The Grizzlies hadn’t led once. Bridges topped all first-half scorers with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. KAT was on his way to a triple-double. Three Bears had 10 points (Walter Clayton, Jr., Jackson, and Burton).
The Grizzlies opened the third frame on a 14-6 run, cutting the Knicks’ lead from 17 to nine. Jackson scored or assisted on nine of those points. With three minutes left, a Shamet turnover and an Adama Bal triple cut the differential to three. Too close for comfort, but it would get no smaller.
The Knicks went on a 14-3 run across the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter, turning a three-point game into a 14-point lead. The Grizzlies had three turnovers and made just one shot during this stretch. The key was execution and extra possessions: Anunoby crashing the glass and protecting the rim, Bridges knocking down a three, and Towns dishing a run of assists.
KAT DROPPED HIS FIRST TRIPLE-DOUBLE OF THE SEASON 👏
From there, OG put it away with a pair of late threes, while Towns cleaned the glass and kept piling up his assist total. Fairly easy win, as it should have been.
Up Next
New York heads home to face the Bulls on Friday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
