Category: Basketball

The long-awaited NBA postseason is here, beginning with the win-or-go home NBA Play-In Tournament. The Golden State Warriors go on the road, just under 400 miles down Intestate 5, to face the Los Angeles Clippers in an elimination game at Intuit Dome on April 15.

Both teams enter this do-or-die game battered and bruised after a long, 82-game season. The Warriors lost key players, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, both out for the season. Stephen Curry missed 27 consecutive games for Golden State with a nagging runner's knee injury, but he came back with a handful of games remaining in the regular season to help boost the Warriors' chances of advancing in the playoffs.

The Clippers started their season 6-21 and were written off by many, except themselves. They rallied to finish the season 42-40. Along the way, the Clippers were led by their All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who played 65 games and averaged 27.9 points on 50.5% from the field, 38% from 3 and 89% on free throws. The Clippers made a trade deadline acquisition, sending James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland, a dynamic point guard who fits their future timeline.

It's a do-or-die situation in the NBA Play-in Tournament. Will it be the Clippers, a team that has rallied in the second part of the season to give their fans newfound hope and realistic shot at the postseason? Or will it be the Warriors, who have trended downward in the latter part of the regular season but have rested to get guys as healthy as possible for the postseason?

Here are storylines to follow during the game, and what each team needs to do to have a chance to secure a victory and advance to Friday's No. 8-seed play-in game:

Warriors-Clippers storylines

The Warriors and Clippers faced each other four times during the 2025-26 regular season. The Clippers got the best of the regular-season series having won three of the four meetings.

In their head-to-head matchups, the Clippers have averaged 102.75 points per game, while the Warriors averaged 98 points.

The Warriors have barely edged the Clippers in their all-time postseason meetings, Golden State has the slight advantage with a 7-6 all-time record.

Both teams could look drastically different at the end of the season. Kawhi Leonard has a contract that expires in 2027, but following an NBA investigation into an endorsement deal in which Leonard denied any wrongdoing, that situation will be something to monitor into the summer.

The Warriors are preparing for a huge offseason that includes a decision to make with Draymond Green and his expiring contract. But before they can focus on the summer transactions, there is meaningful basketball to be played. Here are some in-game storylines to consider.

Superstar matchup: Steph Curry vs Kawhi Leonard

There's something special about the postseason when superstar talent goes toe-to-toe with each other. When it's a pair of stars who dominated the previous decade and much of this one, and you're not sure when you'll see greatness go head-to-head again, it's a spectacle to view.

The Warriors and Clippers matchup is a highly anticipated one because it's a chance to see Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard face each other in the postseason for perhaps the final time. Leonard has the slightly better playoff win percentage against Curry, going 8-5 in their 13 matchups.

The last time these two saw each other in the postseason was the 2019 NBA Finals, when Leonard played for the Toronto Raptors. Leonard went to lead the Raptors to the championship in six games and was named Finals MVP after Warriors suffered key injuries to Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.

Curry got the best of Leonard during the 2017 Western Conference Finals, however. Leonard was injured in Game 1 and missed the remainder of the series. The Warriors won the series and went on to win the NBA championship.

During the 2025-26 season, Curry averaged 23.3 points, 5.7 assists and four rebounds on 44%/31%/87% shooting splits in three games against the Clippers. Leonard averaged 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in three games against the Warriors.

Only one will get the last laugh during the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament game.

Which second unit will show up for stars?

As much of the attention will be focused on the marquee players, the second unit and bench production will be a key component to this game. Los Angeles has the better secondary unit, at least on paper. Its team consists of a number of dependable scoring options and shot makers such as Bennedict Mathurin, Kobe Sanders, John Collins and Jordan Miller. The Clippers have guys who aren't afraid to get scrappy, such as Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Collins and Mathurin. The Clippers benched averaged 30 points per game.

But the Warriors have guys who aren't big names, but have stepped up when their numbers have been called. The Warriors' secondary unit has averaged 45 points per game. Key bench players for Golden State have been Pat Spencer, Gary Payton II, Gui Santos and Al Horford. When the Warriors' second unit is defensive minded, and play a balanced game of attacking and knocking down 3s, they are hard to beat.

Production from secondary scorers, options

The Warriors made a midseason trade for Kristaps Porzingis, who has averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 23.7 minutes in 15 games with Golden State.

Porzingis filled a much-needed void at the center position, adding size and shooting capability as one of his strong suits. The Warriors will need his offensive and defensive presence to give them a chance to win. He was brought to the team to add some championship experience. He was a part of the team that helped the 2024 Boston Celtics win the trophy, along with Horford. Golden State looks for Porzingis and Horford to channel that with the experience of Green, Curry and Kerr.

For the Clippers, they made a trade deadline move to bring in Garland. The Clippers were rolling after the 6-21 start and continued to trend in that direction after the trade that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers. Garland has been a bright spot for the Clippers and seems to be a piece for their future. He can showcase that he belongs in Los Angeles' future plans with a monster performance during the NBA Play-In Tournament and possibly playoffs.

Garland has averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 19 games with the Clippers. He's shooting splits are 46%/39%/86%.

Warriors vs. Clippers projected lineup

Here are the projected lineups for the No. 9/10 seed game between the Warriors and Clippers.

Golden State Warriors projected lineup:

• Guard: Stephen Curry
• Guard: Brandin Podziemski
• Forward: De'Anthony Melton
• Forward: Draymond Green
• Center: Kristaps Porzingis
• Head coach: Steve Kerr

Los Angeles Clippers projected lineup:

• Guard: Darius Garland
• Guard: Kris Dunn
• Forward: Kawhi Leonard
• Forward: Derrick Jones Jr.
• Center: Brook Lopez
• Head coach: Tyronn Lue

Watch NBA play-in games on Prime Video

How to watch Warriors vs Clippers: TV, live streaming for NBA play-in game

• Date: Wednesday, April 15
• Time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local)
• Location: Intuit Dome (Inglewood, California)
• TV: None
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Warriors vs Clippers prediction: NBA play-in game picks

USA TODAY Sports: Slim majority pick Clippers

• Lorenzo Reyes: Clippers
• Scooby Axson: Clippers
• Mark Giannotto: Warriors
• Jon Hoefling: Clippers
• James H. Williams: Clippers
• Andres Soto: Warriors
• Marcus D. Smith: Warriors

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warriors vs. Clippers lineups, storylines for Play-In Tournament game

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season 52-30 and have a first-round date with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Before we look ahead, let’s reflect on the regular season and hand out some report cards.

All grades are based on our expectations for each player before the season began.

Donovan Mitchell

27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals

It’s not a stretch to say this was maybe the best individual season of Mitchell’s career. He scored more points than ever (1,952 total) and the 10th most in a single season by a Cavalier ever. All on an efficient 56.3% effective field goal percentage (82nd percentile).

Mitchell carried the Cavs throughout the season. He had 15 games of 35+ points, in which the Cavaliers went 14-1. Just two of those performances came after the All-Star break, a testament to how vital Mitchell was to Cleveland staying afloat during their slow start to the season.

Some factors hold him back from the A+. This was the highest usage that Mitchell’s recorded since being in Cleveland. That’s because the Cavs needed him to carry a heavier load. Still, it’s not the idealized version of Mitchell. Things have always looked smoother when he’s paired with another lead ball-handler. We didn’t see that for most of the season — not that Mitchell had any control over that.

Partnered with his higher usage, I’d argue this was the worst defensive season Mitchell has had in Cleveland. The Cavs fell out of the top-10 defensively for the first time since 2021. Mitchell’s inconsistent effort on that end of the floor played a role.

Nevertheless, this was a special offensive season from Mitchell and one of the best in franchise history. I shudder to think of where this team would have finished without him.

Grade: A

James Harden

20.5 points, 7.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds

Trading for Harden was the shock of the season. We won’t re-litigate the trade today, as only the playoffs can tell us whether or not it was worth it. But as of typing — I find it hard to believe there’s anyone in Cleveland who isn’t bought in right now.

Harden won us over almost immediately. Clutch shot making and some of the best pick-and-rolls the league has ever seen will do that. It became obvious how Harden can help raise this team’s ceiling. His instant chemistry with the bigs, along with not taking anything away from Mitchell’s scoring, is about as exciting as it gets.

Concerns remain. Can Harden play defense at a championship level? Will his turnovers be backbreakers in the playoffs? Or, can Harden step-back his way into leading a deep playoff run? That remains to be seen. Either way, I think he’s earned a little bit of faith. I’m willing to go down swinging with Harden at the helm.

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists

For years, Allen has been considered an unsung hero. I’m not sure that’s the case anymore. His heroic efforts in the back half of the season were as important as any other member of the team.

Allen averaged 22.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in February as the Cavs relied entirely on him to steady the ship. After multiple injuries and seismic changes at the deadline, it was Allen who kept everything running smoothly. His consistency made him an anchor on both ends of the floor, and it led to the best stretch of Allen’s career.

The only thing holding him back from an A+ or even an A+++ is the first month of the season. He suffered injuries to both hands and as a result, struggled to catch the ball or finish with his usual efficiency.

Grade: A–

Darius Garland

18 points, 6.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds

I think I speak for every Cavs fan when I say my heart sank during Garland’s first game back from the toe injury. The realization that a full summer of recovery wasn’t enough to overcome this setback was worrying.

Garland delivered a number of great games before being traded this year. The issue, of course, is each step forward came with an aggravation that felt like three steps backwards. The Cavs were left with no choice but to cut their losses and pivot to Harden in an attempt to save their season.

Grade: D+

Evan Mobley

18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.7 blocks

Yeah… this is a tough one to type.

Mobley entered the season with dark-horse MVP written all over him. Fans expected another leap. Instead, they got more of the same — with some minor improvements on the margins.

It’s natural to feel disappointed by that outcome. Though, I do believe this was a strong season for Mobley if you can remove those preseason expectations and instead view this year for what it was.

An efficient 18 points per game as the third option on a 52-win team is pretty sweet. Especially considering he stayed at an All-Defensive level throughout the season. His finishing around the rim, as always, was a highlight. And Mobley ended the regular season with an elite stretch, averaging 20.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in his final 20 games.

Still, I have to significantly ding his grade for not living up to expectations. Never fret, there’s more than enough time for him to make up for this in the playoffs.

Grade: C+

De’Andre Hunter

14 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists

I still don’t know what happened to Hunter. He checks all of the hypothetical boxes. Great size, good shooter, strong athlete. But none of that translates to the court. He struggled to shoot this season, played some of the worst defense I’ve seen, and overall felt as out of place as you can possibly get.

Grade: F

Jaylon Tyson

13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Tyson might be the Valedictorian this year. Seriously, I can’t think of a Cavalier that has exceeded expectations more than Tyson.

I entered this season unconvinced that Tyson would be in the rotation, let alone a core piece of the team. I just didn’t think he’d be able to put so many things together in such quick fashion. But Tyson’s sophomore season felt like a launching point for an elite career.

The most impressive part of Tyson’s game is how effortlessly he adapted to whatever the Cavs asked of him. He played without the ball, shooting 44.6% from downtown and finishing as one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA. That’s a role he wasn’t super comfortable playing before this season.

That expands to other aspects of the game. Tyson admitted he never played as the roller in pick-and-rolls before this season. Yet, he was a seamless fit as a screening partner with Mitchell and Harden. His below-the-rim finishing and processing speed as a playmaker allowed him to dominate in those actions.

The same goes for his defensive effort. Tyson wasn’t known as a defensive engine in college. But in the NBA? Being a scrappy, hustle player is what he needed to do to earn minutes. That was the initial bar he had to clear before breaking into Cleveland’s rotation and showing the rest of his skills. Check and check.

Most of all, Tyson proved one thing: he’s a winner. This is a dude who wants nothing more than to help his team get to the finish line. That’s going to keep him in the NBA for a long, long time.

Grade: A+++

Sam Merrill

12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists

We all knew that Merrill could bury triples. Still, I wouldn’t take a career-high 158 three-pointers in just 52 games for granted. If he had been more available, Merrill would have easily become just the fourth Cavalier to hit 200+ three-pointers in a season. JR Smith, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are the others.

More impressively, Merrill proved that he isn’t just a three-point shooter this season. He began attacking the basket at a career-high rate, nearly doubling his previous high for two-pointers in roughly 20 fewer games. He also threw in a personal-best 125 assists, using his gravity to backdoor cut opponents and then kick the ball out to his teammates.

All the while, Merrill fought like hell defensively to hold his own more often than not. Effort goes a long way towards juicing your grade.

Grade: A-

Lonzo Ball

4.6 points, 4 rebounds, 3.9 assists

I’m not going to pile on Ball, whose career was totally derailed by injuries. We all saw how much he struggled to be imapctful this season. Whether it be clanking open jumpers or missing transition layups — let’s just acknowledge that this went sideways and move on.

Grade: F

Dean Wade

5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists

This was the most Dean Wade season I’ve seen from Dean Wade. That’s to say, I don’t think we learned anything new from Wade this year.

The Cavs need Wade. They play well when he’s healthy and shooting three-pointers with confidence. Neither of those things happens as often as you’d like, but they’re just common enough to hold onto the dream.

Grade: C

Thomas Bryant

6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds

Bryant was the best addition of the offseason. It turns out the bar wasn’t very high, after Lonzo Ball played his way to a podcasting career and Larry Nance Jr. became an end-of-bench veteran. But hey, Bryant earned this one.

Seriously, though. Bryant was super helpful off the bench as a backup big. The Cavs relied on him to bring energy, toughness and even some three-point shooting throughout the year. He isn’t mobile enough to hang in certain matchups — and he gave diminishing returns as his minutes grew higher. But for a last-second addition, this is as good as it gets.

Grade: A-

Larry Nance Jr.

3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1 assist

I’ll admit, I was bummed that Nance wound up being out of the rotation entirely this season. I fully expected him to be an X-Factor for this team. He had all of the tools to be a glue guy. Instead, it’s clear that Nance isn’t the same player he used to be. His mobility has declined significantly and he doesn’t have the size or fine-skills to make up for it.

It’s still fun to have Nance on the roster. He’s a great locker room guy and fully accepted his role on the bench. Maybe he’ll surprise us in the postseason, should the Cavs elect to break glass and put him on the floor.

Grade: D+

Keon Ellis

8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals

Ellis was a sweet pickup at the trade deadline. A springy, 6’5” guard who can generate turnovers and play without the ball offensively. He’s an efficient catch-and-shoot player who has shown he can do more than stand in the corner. Ellis took strides as a pick-and-roller this season while also finding success as a cutter.

His defensive impact is shakier than we thought it would be. He isn’t an elite one-on-one defender or the type of guy who is going to suppress shot attempts. Ellis is, however, capable of making some incredible defensive plays by recovering and blocking shots, or using his active hands to pick up steals.

Grade: B

Craig Porter Jr.

4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists

Porter showed that he has more defensive tenacity than previously known. He turned himself into an energizer, darting into passing lanes and embracing the challenge of ruffling his opponent’s feathers. I’m still not sure he has the foot speed to be an elite defender, but this was a strong step in the right direction.

His lack of a jumper holds him back. Porter doesn’t even attempt enough three-pointers to keep a defense honest. That will have to change if his blocks, steals, rebounds and assists are ever going to be properly utilized.

Grade: B-

Dennis Schroder

8.2 points, 4.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds

Schroder was an add-on to the Hunter trade. He doesn’t fit particularly well next to either Mitchell or Harden. That’s because he’s not adept at playing without the ball, and some of his defensive impact has faded as he gets older.

To his credit, Schroder can still muck up a game and make things interesting. He also has a knack for getting to the rim and creating in the pick-and-roll that makes him worth a spot in the playoff rotation. At least he’ll get a chance to play serious minutes depending on the matchup.

Overall, some of the poor shooting and defense hold him back from a strong grade in the regular season.

Grade: C-

Tyrese Proctor

5.4 points, 1.5 assists, 1.3 rebounds

There’s not much to take from Proctor’s rookie season. His minutes were limited and mostly restricted to garbage time.

I’d happily take any stock moving forward. He’s a guard with good size and defensive instincts. Package that with his natural gift for shooting and I can’t see how this doesn’t pan out for him at some point in the future.

Grade: B

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds

Tomlin went from a two-way to a standard contract this season. That’s enough for an A on its own.

Sure, his impact fell off a cliff in the second half of the year. We saw some warts emerge, such as his poor defensive awareness or his total lack of a three-point shot. But he eventually got the wheels back on track to end the season, again using his athleticism to impact games.

Tomlin, at his best, is a frenetic player who crashes the glass and runs forcefully in transition. That’s a lot of fun to watch, even if we understand that can only take a player so far.

Grade: A-

Max Strus

11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Listen, no one wanted to wait until March to finally see Max Strus play basketball again. Even Strus himself was frustrated with the process. But once he returned, it was obvious that Strus still had the juice.

Strus played just 12 games in the regular season. In those games, he hit 6+ three-pointers three separate times. He shot above 40% from downtown and nailed some clutch shots along the way. It was all the evidence you needed to know that Strus can still swing games with his prolific shooting.

It wasn’t all pretty, of course. Coming back from a months long injury takes time. Strus’ foot-speed looks slower than before and his defense is a slight concern. He also reminded us of how streaky he can be, shooting 1-9 and 1-10 in two games before the season ended.

Grade: B

The NBA Playoffs are coming up quickly now that the regular season is over. The Rockets came in fifth, therefore they will play the Los Angeles Lakers, who came in fourth, in a best-of-seven series. The higher-seeded team (Los Angeles) will host the first two games, as usual. After that, the series will go to Houston for games three and four, then back to LA for game five, back to Houston for game six, and finally back to LA for game seven.

The Lakers won three games in a row to finish the season. The Timberwolves ended Houston’s eight-game winning streak, but the Rockets beat the Grizzlies on Sunday.

One main plot point of the series is the continuing battle between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Even though their most famous battles happened years ago in the NBA Finals, there is a sense of nostalgia and excitement as they meet again, this time in the first round. At this point in their careers, both players may still dominate games, but they are under quite different kinds of strain. Durant plays for a Houston team that is deeper and more balanced. LeBron is now in his 40s and is supposed to be the Lakers’ main offensive player, especially with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves hurting.

If the Lakers don’t let their ailments get in the way too much before the series, they might have a better chance of making it further in the playoffs. Reaves, an important guard, and Luka Doncic, who was brought in to be LeBron’s co-superstar, are both up in the air for this series. When the game is mostly one-on-one, LeBron has to score a lot because the rest of Los Angeles can’t make baskets or set up plays for other players when they aren’t there. Without those parts, the Lakers can’t afford to make as many mistakes.

The Rockets, on the other hand, are in good shape and ready for the playoffs. Houston has quietly become one of the best teams in the conference because they emphasis on being tough and disciplined on defense. Alperen Şengün’s frontcourt gives them a reliable inside scoring threat, and their perimeter defenders enable them to alter up their defenses and mess with their opponents’ offenses. Durant can score in a variety of different ways, and Houston has numerous other players that can also score (Sengun, Thompson, Sheppard etc), so it will depend on how well Houston’s supporting cast does.

The Rockets play a slower, more organized game, employing their size and skill to rebound to keep the ball. The Lakers, on the other hand, perform best when they get ahead early and make the game go faster. It’s harder to do this when Doncic isn’t in charge of the half-court. If Houston can keep the game moving at their tempo, they can keep the Lakers from getting easy points and put them in tough situations at the end of the game.

One of the most important things in the series is whether or not Doncic will feel better and how much. The Lakers wouldn’t simply be a top-heavy team; with him on the roster, they would be a big offensive danger straight away. Los Angeles would have to rely on role players to step up, which would be risky against the Rockets’ at times well-organized defense. It will be a tough and close series, but Houston has the upper hand with the L.A. injuries unless the Lakers get well soon.

The Charlotte Hornets are in the NBA Play-In Tournament and still alive, having beaten Miami in a thriller Tuesday night.

Kon Knueppel didn’t play especially well, shooting just 2-12 and 0-6 on his three-point attempts, and finishing with just 6. Sion James didn’t have a big game offensively either, scoring just 2 points.

It’s been a while since a former Tar Heel had a major impact on the post-season. Can you remember the last one? It’s tough, isn’t it?

To put it in a different perspective, the last player out of UNC to be an All-Star was Vince Carter.

Well, that changed Tuesday night as former Tar Heel Coby White hit an improbable jumper to tie the game at 114-114 and ultimately put it into overtime.

LaMelo Ball hit the game-winner in overtime, but this play against Bam Adebayo may see him suspended for Charlotte’s final play-in game against the Phoenix Suns.

With Mark Williams, Grayson Allen, and Khaman Maluach, that will be a bit of a Brotherhood reunion.

• Duke men’s basketball 2025-26 player review: Cayden Boozer
• Duke men’s basketball 2025-26 player review: Patrick Ngongba II
• Duke men’s basketball 2025-26 player review: Isaiah Evans
• Duke men’s basketball 2025-26 player review: Dame Sarr
• Duke men’s basketball 2025-26 player review: Darren Harris

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Okay, the most important game of the season is here folks. No more dress rehearsals, no more what ifs. It’s time to lock in for some Play-In tournament basketball! After a 37-win season, somehow someway the Golden State Warriors still have a chance to fight for an NBA title. Let the games begin (again)!

Golden State Warriors (37-45) at Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)

When: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 | 7:00 PM PT

Where: Intuit Dome

TV: Amazon Prime Video

Radio: 95.7 The Game

Let’s talk about what it means to carry something, Dub Nation.

Not the fun kind of carrying where you have the Steph-in-his-prime effortless kind where he’s pulling up from the logo and the crowd is already celebrating before it leaves his hand. I’m talking about the the other kind where you look left and right and realize the army you were promised is gone, and it’s just you and a bunch of soldiers who are going to have to figure it out on the fly.

That’s the assignment Wednesday night at Intuit Dome.

Jimmy Butler III — done for the season. Moses Moody — gone. Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford have barely shared the floor with Steph. The Warriors went 1-3 against the Clippers this regular season, and dropped the most recent meeting 115-110 on Sunday. That was a game where Curry logged 29 minutes, his most since returning, and dropped 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting.

This is the context. Eyes open…and yet.

The single most dangerous offensive player on a basketball court Wednesday night is Stephen Curry. Not Kawhi Leonard, who’s been remarkable (career-high 27.9 points per game on a career-best 62.9 true shooting percentage). Not Darius Garland, who has quietly become a legitimate secondary weapon patterned, by his own admission, after studying Curry’s game.

Ty Lue knows it too. The man who won a championship coaching against Curry said this week he’s “sick” of seeing him in the postseason. That’s not bulletin board material folks, that’s a confession. Lue is already thinking about what happens if Curry gets going, already scheming to limit his three-point attempts, already knowing that 24 points in the regular season finale means nothing about what’s possible when the calendar flips to April postseason basketball.

Dub Nation, this is it. Banged up hitting the road, running on fumes and faith. But they’ve got the best player on the floor, a franchise legend playing for everything, and absolutely nothing to lose. Win, and they fight again. Lose, and this season ends at Intuit Dome, the same building where Sunday’s loss briefly made it feel like it was already over.

It’s not over. Not yet.

We don’t know if the Golden State Warriors season will extend beyond Wednesday. The Dubs face an uphill battle in the first round of the play-in tournament, as they have to go on the road to beat an LA Clippers team that has been finding a groove late in the season.

But if the Warriors do win that game, which is at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, then we now know who they’ll face next: the Phoenix Suns.

The first play-in tournament games took place on Tuesday, and in the Western Conference the No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers beat the No. 7 Phoenix Suns 114-110. With that, the Blazers advance to the playoffs as the West’s seventh seed, and will have a first-round showdown with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

As for the Suns, they’ll now enter a win-or-go-home situation. On Friday night, at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video, Phoenix will host the winner of the Warriors vs. Clippers game.

That’s the more favorable matchup for the Warriors, who went 1-3 against the Blazers in the regular season, and have struggled with Portland’s athleticism over the last few years. The Dubs did much better against the Suns, winning three of four regular season games. Phoenix has also been struggling down the stretch, so it’s a matchup Golden State would likely feel pretty good about should they advance.

But first, the Warriors have to beat the Clippers. Only after doing that can they focus on beating the Suns … which would earn them the eighth seed in the West, and a date with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

PHOENIX — Deni Avdija showed he’s got a little bit of the clutch gene in his initial foray into postseason basketball.

The first-time All-Star followed a breakout regular season with a fantastic all-around performance in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, scoring 41 points to lead the Portland TrailBlazers over the Phoenix Suns for a 114-110 win to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 after clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. They’ll face the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said.

The 25-year-old Avdija had never played in the NBA’s postseason until Tuesday — toiling for more than five years on mediocre teams in Washington and Portland — but looked comfortable on the bigger stage. He had the winning three-point play with 16.1 seconds left, scoring on a physical take to the rim while being fouled and then converting the free throw.

Blazers guard Jrue Holiday — a two-time NBA champion with Milwaukee and Boston — was impressed with Avdija’s composure. He shot 15 of 22 from the field while adding 12 assists and seven rebounds.

Holiday said the best part of Avdija’s performance was it was “kind of an off night.”

“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”

Avdija and the rest of the young Blazers kept their cool during a physical game that featured plenty of hard fouls. Holiday finished with 21 points and Jerami Grant returned from a calf injury to score 16.

“I think back to the beginning of the season, we weren’t very disciplined at staying together and finishing games,” Avdija said. “I feel like we showed character today. We showed growth, we showed character, we showed we were capable of keeping our composure and making winning plays.”

Blazers coach Tiago Splitter agreed that Avdija didn’t have his best night despite the big numbers. He said the 6-foot-8 forward’s next test will be facing a Spurs team that will throw different looks at him on defense in a playoff series.

If Tuesday night was any indication, he’ll be just fine.

“He just kept going, kept believing in himself,” Splitter said. “Scored a couple buckets at the end there. A little bit of what he did the whole season, played 38 minutes, had the ball a lot and decided the game.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball made a layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s attempt at a winning layup at the buzzer, and the Charlotte Hornets beat Miami 127-126 in a wild start to the NBA’s play-in games, eliminating the Heat from the playoffs on Tuesday night.

Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.

Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.

The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.

TRAIL BLAZERS 114, SUNS 110

PHOENIX (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and Portland clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Phoenix in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.

The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green’s 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.

Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.

The Phoenix Suns lost to the Portland Trailblazers 114-110 Tuesday night in the 7/8 play-in game. The Suns were down as much as 14, but stormed back to take an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, but allowed Deni Avdija and company to close it late. Avdija led all scorers with 41. Jalen Green led the Suns with 35.

After spending nearly the entirety of the season in the seventh seed, the Suns will not be ending it there. A disappointing outcome considering how consistently they held the position and the gap that they held in the standings from the eighth seed. Portland will now face the two-seeded San Antonio Spurs

Awaiting the results of the Clippers/Warriors game tomorrow night, the Suns’ season comes down to Friday night, where with a win they’ll play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round as the eighth seed, and with a loss, their surprising season comes to an end.

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Game Flow

First Half

Phoenix struck first, getting Scoot Henderson into early foul trouble and taking an 8-2 lead. The two teams traded baskets early on, as both teams played at a fast pace with the Mortgage Matchup Center roaring. Phoenix started the game 9/11 from the field with Jalen Green leading the attack with 10 points on 4/4 shooting. Considering his experience in big playoff and Olympic games, it was no surprise to see Jrue Holiday get off to a strong start for Portland, he had 11 points in the first eight minutes.

After one, the Suns led 33-31. Devin Booker and Green had 2/3rds of the team’s points.

Deni Avdija started to get it going and spearheaded the Blazer’s 12-2 run to start the second, giving them their first lead of the game and forcing Phoenix into a timeout. After the timeout, Devin Booker re-entered the game and his hot start continued, scoring a quick two baskets, but the Blazers matched his scoring and extended their lead to double digits. What wasn’t helping the Suns was their inability to hit threes; the team went nearly 21 minutes to make their first triple, while Portland already had 10 by the 5:22 mark.

Being down as much as 14, Phoenix stormed back by the end of half and trailed 65-62 thanks mainly to Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Jordan Goodwin. Jalen Green completed a huge four-point play with a second left in the half to give Phoenix the momentum heading into the break. Phoenix hit four triples in the final 3:11 of the first half after hitting none in the first 20:49.

Jalen Green 4-point play 👏

He's got a game-high 22 PTS in the @SoFi Play-In! pic.twitter.com/Ficbr3aEBg

— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2026

Second Half

The Blazers started the third on a 10-2 run, and Phoenix went cold as Portland built a lead. With Booker on the bench with four fouls, others needed to step up for the Suns if they wanted to get back in the game, and a few triples got the Suns within seven.

As the game went on, both teams played with more physicality. Bodies were flying all over the court, fouls got harder, and the game slowed down. Booker returning to the game helped increase that flow as the Suns cut into the lead, and for the first time since early in the quarter, Phoenix cut the lead to three with 38 seconds left. A 13-4 run had the team down 83-82 heading into the fourth.

DILLON BROOKS STEAL ➡️ DILLON BROOKS BUCKET pic.twitter.com/xlDCyOi4wE

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 15, 2026

Phoenix started the fourth flying, Green hit two quick baskets, and Brooks had a steal and score that forced a Portland timeout. The Suns stayed hot after the break, taking their first double-digit lead of the game and starting the final quarter on an 11-0 run. The only thing the Suns did wrong to start the fourth was that the Blazers got into the bonus less than four minutes into the frame.

Up as much as 11, Portland went on an 8-0 run and cut the game to a single-possession contest with 4:14 left. Thanks to a flagrant foul by Donovan Clingan and a Jalen Green three, the Suns added some cushion to their lead, just for Portland to crawl right back with Devin Booker picking up his fifth foul in the process.

The final minutes of the game were intense, to say the least. Both teams went back and forth with the lead, but the Blazers got the last word. Deni Avdija’s and-one gave Portland the lead in the final seconds and they didn’t relinquish it.

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Up Next

The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers/Warriors game on Friday night. In a win-or-go-home game, Phoenix’s playoff lives will be on the line.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Amazon Prime Video's stream of the Miami-Charlotte play-in game went offline for nearly two minutes during the overtime period, causing fans to miss a Hornets possession.

Stan Van Gundy, working the game as an analyst for Prime Video, was midsentence when the audio feed was lost coming out of a timeout with 48.1 seconds remaining. A message about “technical difficulties” began displaying on screens a few seconds later.

When the video and audio feeds resumed, Charlotte's LaMelo Ball had scored for a 125-120 lead. Fans missed 22.1 seconds of playing time.

“Tell me the game didn’t just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH,” Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James posted on X, as the words “technical difficulties” began trending nationally across social media.

Charlotte went on to win 127-126.

A spokesperson for Prime said the issue was caused by “a hardware failure in our production truck.”

“Our teams restored the feed as quickly as possible to ensure fans could watch the conclusion of the game. We are conducting a thorough internal review to determine the cause of the outage,” the spokesperson said.

Prime Video has exclusive rights to all six games in this year's play-in tournament. The streaming service began showing NBA games this season as part of the league's new 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

As the Play-In tournament is upon us, I’m thinking of humility. The kind you don’t choose. The kind the game chooses for you.

Back in April 2021, Draymond Green sat in front of a microphone and delivered one of the more honest things a superstar has ever said in the middle of a desperate stretch run. “Fighting for a play-in spot does not motivate me,” he told reporters flatly. “We’re in what, ninth? Fighting for a play-in spot doesn’t motivate me at all.” He wasn’t being arrogant exactly. He was being Draymond. A then three-time champion who had eaten the Golden State dynasty’s enemies for sport hinting that this particular tournament format registered somewhere between a halftime magic show and a preseason game on his internal threat assessment.

Three years later, as a four-time champion in 2024, he softened exactly enough to call the play-in “the best thing ever created” while in the same breath insisting he absolutely hated it. Classic Draymond: intellectually honest enough to acknowledge the contradiction without fully surrendering to it.

And now here we are again, April 2026, and the play-in is not beneath Draymond Green. It is, once again, the entire ballgame.

“It’s not exciting. I’m a competitor, so I’m gonna do all I can to win, but it’s not that exciting.”

Draymond gave an honest response when asked about being in the play-in pic.twitter.com/amlqfIsiWz

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) April 8, 2026

The Warriors need it bad, real bad. And they’ve needed it for two straight years now. The dynasty that used to skip past these conversations about desperation and survival now is now hitchhiking their way through Play-In Mountain. The Dubs finished 37-45, landing flat on their faces at the 10th seed. You know how many old Warriors teams would have had the potential to make noise after trudging to a sub-40 win season??? Those old wack GSW teams walked so these struggling Warriors could make a run.

Draymond has been around long enough to understand that the play-in stopped being beneath him the moment the dynasty started receding. What he said in 2021 was true for the man he was then. What’s true now is that the Warriors would give anything just to extend this season one more game. The receipts of everything Draymond said about the play-in are there if you want them. But the biggest receipt from Draymond is that he hates losing. Wednesday night he’ll get a chance to show it one more time under the bright lights of the Play-In Tournament.

Basketball fans were forced to scramble on Tuesday night after the Prime Video broadcast of the Hornets-Heat Play-In Tournament overtime thriller cut out for nearly two minutes with less than a minute left in OT.

The “technical difficulties” occurred with the Hornets holding a three-point lead with 48.1 seconds left on the clock. 

Prime Video's broadcast cut out during OT of the Heat-Hornets play-in game pic.twitter.com/wbw5OpqLpj

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2026

Analyst Stan Van Gundy was speaking when the audio cut out and then the screen went black. 

For several seconds, nothing appeared before the truck was able to slate a “TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES” banner on the screen. 

The feed was down for roughly one minute and 47 seconds before it came back with the game clock down to 26 seconds and the Hornets now leading 125-120. 

Charlotte held on for a 127-126 win.

It’s unclear if the broadcast team of Ian Eagle and Van Gundy was aware that the stream experienced any issues. 

The issue angered just about everyone watching, which included NBA superstar LeBron James, who took to social media to voice his displeasure. 

“Tell me the game didn’t just cut off?!!? Am I trippin?? WTH,” he posted on X. 

That wasn’t the only reported problem for the Prime broadcast on Tuesday night.

The Sports TV News & Updates account on X posted that “The audio on Prime has been slightly ahead of the video feed for the whole game tonight.”

The account later added that it was the commentator’s audio that was ahead.

There were no further issues in the waning moments of the game as basketball fans were treated to a wild finish that included Tyler Herro hitting a 3-pointer to bring the Heat within two and then getting fouled after Miami stole the ball, and hit the three foul shots to put Miami up by one. 

Lamelo Ball topped it, though, by making a layup with seconds left and then the Hornets blocked the ball on the other end to secure the win and advance in the Play-In Tournament.

After committing a blunder on the previous possession, LaMelo Ball more than made up for it by converting a leaning lay-in with seconds to go, and Miles Bridges swatted away Davion Mitchell’s floater at the other end. The unbelievable game-winning sequence came after Tyler Herro executed a personal 6-0 run in the waning seconds to secure what Miami must have imagined were the winning points. In an enthralling 9/10 play-in game that resembled an Elite Eight matchup (think 1992 Duke / Kentucky), Charlotte solved the Heat’s defensize zone late in the fourth quarter and Coby White sent the game to overtime with a catch-and-shoot three straddling the sideline – his fifth one in the second half. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges then carried the Hornets to play-in glory with Ball’s points finishing Miami off.

Charlotte’s shooting touch betrayed them for wide swaths of the fourth quarter while Miami took advantage of the frequent misses to jump ahead for good. After rolling out a zone defense to start the fourth quarter, the Heat pieced together a 11-2 run to pull themselves ahead of Charlotte. For the Hornets, it was the B’s – LaMelo Ball (15) and Miles Bridges (17) that put up 32 points together to pace Charlotte in the first half and trade deadline acquisition White who detonated a barrage of threes on the Heat in a third quarter comeback.

Ball (26 points and 6 assists) and Bridges (28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks – including the game preserving one) excelled in the Hornets’ first home playoff game in 10 seasons. The win was aided by White’s (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) third quarter superboost. Brandon Miller (23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists) caught fire in the second half, and Charlotte managed to recover 17 of their own misses to help their victorious cause. Rookie of the Year candidate Kon Kneuppel (6 points, 2-for-12 FG) was unable to overcome his recent shooting slump.

Miami’s Andrew Wiggins (27 points and 7 rebounds) and Mitchell (28 points and 6 assists) salvaged a disastrous first half injury to Bam Adebayo. Herro (23 points and 6 assists) was thisclose to being a hero tonight. Kelel Ware (12 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 blocks) bolstered the Heat backline over the last 2+ quarters. The Heat managed to stay in the game early on with 22 of their first 30 points coming in the painted area.

The teams remained within one possession of each other over many of the first period minutes. Ball and Bridges stood out after some time with their respective abilities to attack the rim and hit difficult shots. Aside from a Ware three, Miami found most of their early success in the lane but found the going tough later on. Kneuppel missed on his handful of relatively open looks. Miami closed the quarter on a 6-0 run and it was 24-26 after one.

With Adebayo exiting with a lower back injury (after awkward contact with Ball), Ware and Mitchell took over the scoring duties and Pelle Larsson annoyed the Hornets’ perimeter players to draw the Heat closer. Bridges did his best Keldon Johnson impression by bulling over Heat defenders to get to a dozen points. Charlotte – behind Bridges and Ball – looked like they might surge ahead, but Miami’s 5-0 burst at the end put them up two at the half.

After what seemed like a litany of minutes where the teams traded baskets, Wiggins turned into the 2022 Finals version of himself to put up eight quick points, and Ware more than made up for Adebayo in the paint by getting to his fourth block. A Ware catch-and-dunk gave Miami its biggest lead of five. Charlotte scuffled to find any offensive bearing outside of Ball’s randomness, and then White put his stamp on this play-in game by connecting on three triples to wrest the lead away from Miami for good.

Observations

• My relative sent this to me at tipoff: “A Spurs fan, an OKC fan, and a Nuggets fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves his team more. The OKC fan insists he is the most loyal. ”This is for the THUNDER!” he yells and jumps off the mountain. Not to be outdone, the Spurs fan is next to profess his love for his team. He yells “This is for the SPURS!” and pushes the Nuggets fan off the mountain.”
• Amazon Prime seems to treat the occasion of the games with the requisite respect and tone. I don’t know that ESPN can say the same.
• The Hornets’ Sion James (Duke alum) seems like what Justice Winslow (Duke alum) should have been – physical two-way talent.
• I walked by Ryan Kalkbrenner at a Vegas casino during summer league. He’s a legitimate 7-footer.
• “That Looked Like Wemby” Sequence of the Game: Ware, halfway through the third, swatted away two attempts in successive possessions which led to fast break dunks for Wiggins.
• Coby White ‘Kaboom’ sequence: Late in the third period, it wasn’t just the first three that banked in from 25+ feet, White topped it with a transition three to finish off turning a 5-point deficit into a 5-point advantage.
• Sequence of the Game #3: After a riveting third quarter finish, the Charlotte’s Diabate tipped home a White miss and threw up a hook that touched all parts of the rim before gently dropping in.

Game Rundown

Ball turned down a 30+ footer on the first possession and instead scored on a floater and a driving lay-up for Charlotte. Bridges swatted away a Herro attempt at the rim and swished a wing three seconds later. Ball did connect on a straightaway triple and the teams combined for 21 points in three fast-paced minutes. However his assignment – Davion Mitchell – obeyed the game plan and raced past him for a lay-up at the other end. A pull-up three from Miller briefly put Charlotte up, but was answered by a Wiggins three. Miami did the bulk of its damage in the paint, but conceded a flurry of points to Bridges, including a shotclock beating turnaround, and he helped put the Hornets up six. Diabate did yeoman’s work on the boards, while fending off the Heat’s bigger players. After Miami was down as much as eight, Adebayo connected on several attempts to bring his team to 24-26.

Adebayo crumped to the floor when Ball fell on his leg and remained down for some time before hobbling off the court. Kneuppel missed his sixth shot in seven attempts, and Norman Powell threw up a prayer to help Miami get within two. Ware’s second three was followed by Miller picking up his third foul at the offensive end. Bridges continued to score over anyone in front of him and defended doggedly – blocking a Wiggins three. A pair of Mitchell threes put the Heat back up. The teams traded the lead numerous times over many minutes until audacious threes from Bridges and Ball put Charlotte back up. The Heat still went to the half up two.

The teams traded baskets over the first three minutes of the third until Jacquez’s three put a halt to the margin between the Heat and Hornets yoyo-ing between 0 and 2. Ball’s off-balance and-1 tied things at 63. After some spectacular paint protection from Ware, his teammate Wiggins was the recipient of outlet passes for a trio of transition finishes. Mitchell answered White’s three with one of his own. White’s second three moments later ended a 10-0 Charlotte run. White ended the third with a stunning buzzer-beating three to get the Hornets to the fourth up 89-83.

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The winning Hornets weirdly play the 7/8 loser on Friday to determine the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed.