MILWAUKEE (AP) — AJ Green made 11 3-pointers to set the Milwaukee Bucks’ single-game record and scored a career-high 35 points in a 125-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Green shot 11 of 16 from 3-point range to break the record of 10 3-pointers that Ray Allen and Damian Lillard had shared. Green’s now has 227 3-pointers as he chases the franchise single-season record of 229, set by Allen in 2001-02.
Milwaukee’s Cormac Ryan added a career-high 28 points in his first start. Taurean Prince had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Prince was 6 of 11 and Ryan 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
As a team, Milwaukee shot 24 of 48 from beyond the arc.
This game marked the Bucks’ home finale as they wrap up their first losing season in a decade, snapping a string of nine straight playoff appearances. It comes amid speculation regarding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo was unavailable for a 14th straight game due to what the Bucks labeled as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has said he’s healthy and that he wants to play. The NBA is investigating the matter.
The nine-time all-NBA forward will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October. If he doesn’t agree to that extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after next season, or the Bucks could attempt to trade him beforehand.
Antetokounmpo wasn’t alone in being unavailable for this game, as both of these lottery-bound teams rested numerous usual starters.
Tyson Etienne scored a career-high 23 for the Nets.
Brooklyn’s E.J. Liddell was ejected early in the fourth quarter for delivering a forearm to the face of Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims after getting fouled by the Bucks center.
As the matchup between the Knicks and Raptors returned from halftime, OG Anunoby was not on the court or the bench.
The team announced that Anunoby would not return to the game after suffering a left ankle injury.
It's unclear how or when it happened, but the forward did take a tumble in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Anunoby did play through it and finished with two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-3 from three), five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes on the court.
With the Knicks having a sizeable lead against the Raptors at halftime, and the Celtics with a sizeable lead over the Pelicans, guaranteeing Boston the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, New York could be sitting Anunoby as a precaution.
Coach Mike Brown didn't have an update on Anunoby after Friday's win. He confirmed that Anunoby tweaked his ankle but hasn't talked to him or trainers just yet.
The Knicks finish the regular season at home against the Hornets on Sunday night, and Brown was asked about resting his starters since they locked into the No. 3 seed.
"We'll talk about it probably. You want to go into the playoffs as healthy as possible," Brown said. "We'll discuss it as a staff in the next day or so and then we'll see what happens."
With Anunoby's tweaked ankle and Sunday's game not meaning anything for the Knicks, it's likely the forward will not play in the season finale.
Mike Brown says that OG Anunoby tweaked his ankle tonight
Brown says he does not have information on where Anunoby stands with the injury pic.twitter.com/lsn8F55RLS
The Knicks continued their season-long dominance of the Raptors, defeating Toronto 112-95 on Friday night at MSG.
New York's victory extends its winning streak to five games and has swept the Raptors this season. Their win, combined with the Celtics' win over the Pelicans, has locked the Knicks into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Here are the takeaways...
-Karl-Anthony Towns was very involved in the offense early. He either scored or assisted in the team's first seven points and the offense in general was buzzing, getting out to an early 14-3 start. However, the shots stopped dropping and the offense became stagnant as the Raptors chipped away at the Knicks lead, tying the game at 20-20 with 1:30 to go in the first. The Raptors actually took a one-point lead but a layup by Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet taking a charge allowed New York to go into the second quarter with a 22-21 lead.
Towns had a team-high seven points after one, while Mikal Bridges (5) and Jalen Brunson (6) were the high scorers for the Knicks. But the team was just 9 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 8 from three in the first quarter.
-The Knicks got out to a 10-0 run to start the second with the group of OG Anunoby, Jose Alvarado, Ariel Hukporti, Shamet, and Clarkson on the floor. But the story of the quarter was the defense on both sides, but the Knicks, in particular, held Toronto to just 15 points in the second frame and went into the half up 51-36.
Towns led all scorers with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists, while Brunson was not far behind with 13 points.
-The Knicks had a 17-point lead at one point in the third, but the Raptors clawed their way back to cut their deficit to nine points. Poor shot-making and poor transition defense allowed Toronto to get easy buckets. A Brunson fadeaway jumper from the baseline and a Josh Hart steal that led to an easy Bridges layup settled things down and the Knicks eventually built their lead to a game-high 19 points. The Knicks ended the third with a 79-64 lead.
-The reserves started the fourth and were in cruise control, but the Raptors -- who are playing to stay out of the play-in tournament -- kept the score close enough for the starters to come back in the game. Some big buckets from Bridges and the Knicks held off the Raptors long enough for the starters to be subbed out. The reserves held on for the win.
-With Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride not playing on the second of a back-to-back, coach Mike Brown went deep into his bench and many gave good minutes on Friday night.
Hukporti scored eight points and came down with four rebounds -- and was a plus-8 -- in his eight minutes. Alvarado scored 12 points in his 18 minutes.
Jeremy Sochan and Mohamed Diawara also saw some minutes in this one.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 20 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 and the Detroit Pistons beat Charlotte 118-100 on Friday night, locking the Hornets into the play-in tournament.
Already assured of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons played their regular starters against the Hornets.
Cade Cunningham scored 14 points, Ronald Holland II had 13 and Ausar Thompson added 12 for Detroit, which is one win shy of its first 60-win season in 20 years with one regular-season game remaining. Duren also had a game-high nine rebounds.
LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists and Brandon Miller had 22 points to lead the Hornets.
Through late in the third quarter, the lead had changed hands 11 times with 13 ties and neither team led by more than eight.
But Charlotte held its last lead at 83-82 with 5:52 left in the third quarter and after the teams were last tied at 87 with 2:46 left in that period, Detroit went on a 24-8 burst for a 111-92 lead with 6:23 to play.
A sellout crowd of 19,623 for the Hornets’ home finale saw the teams go at it from the outset.
That included double technicals assessed to Charlotte’s Miller and Detroit’s Robinson after Miller landed on Robinson and Robinson shoved him away after Miller’s dunk less than two minutes into the game.
Up next
Pistons: Visit Indiana on Sunday.
Hornets: Visit New York on Sunday for their regular-season finale.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers… didn’t show us much in their final game against the Atlanta Hawks. There isn’t a whole lot to take from this one. So don’t give any of these grades too much merit.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
James Harden
20 points, 5 assists, 5 turnovers
Harden looks ready for anything other than regular-season basketball. I doubt he plays on Sunday — and if he does, the effort probably won’t be much better than this.
He was a minus-34 and had one more field goal than turnovers.
Tyson is the lone bright spot. He returned from a toe injury tonight and didn’t appear to miss a step. He wasn’t able to make a three-pointer, but he shot 7-10 from inside two-point range. Welcome back, JT.
Mobley crushed the Hawks in their last game. Tonight? Not so much.
I still think Mobley showed he has a size advantage in this matchup. But with little to play for, the Cavs didn’t make as concerted an effort to get him going.
Grade: F
Keon Ellis
2 points, 3 rebounds
Recently, I’ve talked a lot about Ellis making poor defensive decisions. So I leave you with this clip as an example.
This one is entirely on Ellis, too
He knows Mobley will be in a heavy drip since Dyson is setting the screen. Absolutely zero reason to go under in this scenario https://t.co/iZDPKlcK2W
I missed when Strus made every shot. His 1-9 effort tonight was painful. I’d prefer he gets this out of his system before the playoffs begin, though.
Grade: F
Craig Porter
6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Porter still has the same offensive limitations as always. It’s hard to play an undersized guard who can’t space the floor. His ceiling will be drastically lower than it could be until he figures this out.
Grade: C
Dean Wade
3 points, 3 rebounds
I’m genuinely not sure if Dean Wade actually played in this game or if the box score is lying to me. I vaguely remember his three-pointer in the first half. But that could have been a fever dream.
Grade: F
Dennis Schroder
7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
This is the type of game you need Schroder to step up. His 2-8 shooting didn’t cut it.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers had their butts handed to them 124-102 by the Atlanta Hawks in what was likely the last night resembling anything of a normal game for the Cavs. After this, there is only one game against the Washington Wizards left on the schedule. I… wouldn’t expect any major players to suit up for that one.
I wouldn’t say the Cavs threw this game. They started two of their core players in Evan Mobley and James Harden, while offering Jaylon Tyson a chance to hit the hardwood for the first time since suffering a toe injury in mid-March. Considering the Cavs history with toe injuries, I don’t think they’d rush Tyson back in a game they didn’t care about winning.
That said, it became clear that Cleveland didn’t care much about the outcome of this game. Especially, given that a loss would guarantee they stay in fourth place of the Eastern Conference — securing them a playoff path that doesn’t feature the Boston Celtics until potentially the Conference Finals.
The Cavs put up a decent fight through two quarters. But there was a tangible difference in how badly each team wanted this one. The Hawks were desperate to lock themselves into a playoff spot. A dance in the Play-In could have awaited them if they failed to win tonight. That’s worth getting up for.
The difference in effort became impossible to ignore by the third quarter. Cleveland, at one point, went five straight possessions without even attempting a shot. Atlanta’s defense generated countless steals as the lead ballooned to 30 points.
Predictably, the Cavs emptied their reserves to open the fourth quarter. Game over.
James Harden led the way with 20 points. He was, however, a staggering minus-34 in 25 minutes.
We’ll see you on Sunday for the regular season finale.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (25-55) play their last road game of the 2025-206 regular season, facing off against the San Antonio Spurs (61-19). Dallas last played the Phoenix Suns and could not notch a win despite a valiant effort down many rotation guys. The Spurs are coming off wins over the Philadelphia Sixers and Portland Trailblazers, where they really put the defensive clamps on both teams.
Here are the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs
WHAT: Last road game of the year
WHERE: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas
WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The injury report is long. Dallas is no longer playing around with this tanking stuff. Here is who is not going to play: Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Brandon Williams. These guys are questionable as of this writing: Marvin Bagleyand Dwight Powell. All three two way guys are playing as is Cooper Flagg.
Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama are each questionable but it’s important to note that the Spurs are going to need Wembanyama to play either tonight or Sunday to qualify for awards and year end teams. I expect him to play tonight so he continue to heal from his rib contusion.
We’ll see Dallas play hard, but the Spurs have beaten Dallas by double digits every time they’ve played this season. The Cooper Flagg vs Carter Bryant match up is where I’ll have my eye, the latter is just an awesome basketball player.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
Let’s be honest. The Mavericks aren’t looking to win any more games this season. With the sixth-worst record in the league, they don’t want to pass up the Grizzlies and reduce their lottery odds any more—although they did pretty well in last year’s lottery with some long odds, landing them Cooper Flagg. Speaking of the young stud, their strategy is likely to consist of feeding the ball to Cooper and try to get him to score a lot of points, like resulting in efforts like his 51 point outburst on April 3 against the Magic in a game that the Mavs lost 127-138. The injury report for the Mavs has 13 players on it, but most of the players listed are expected to play with some bumps and bruises, including Flagg, who is probable with a sprained wrist.
The Spurs list both Castle and Wembanyama as questionable, but Wemby is expected to play at least 20 minutes in order to cement his eligibility for NBA awards. Since the Mavericks aren’t playing any defense at this point in the season, he could end up playing with minimal contact, which would make Spurs fans happy. I think the plan tonight is to give the starters enough time to work on some sets, and hopefully turn the ball over to Jordan McLaughlin to drive the team home in the fourth quarter.
The is the penultimate game of the season for the Silver and Black, which is a fancy to say that it’s the next to last game. They play again on Sunday, with a matchup against the Nuggets. Depending on the outcome of other games, that game could decide whether the Nuggets are in third place in the west, and in that case, the Spurs might be motivated to play their starters to try and put the Nuggets in the opposite side of the playoff bracket from San Antonio, because a second round matchup with Los Angeles or Houston would be a lot more favorable than facing a team with a proven championship pedigree like Denver.
Just as an aside, did you think we’d be talking about second round playoff matchups when the season started? The Spurs started the season against the Mavericks, winning 125-92, and it was at that point that I started to realize that the team might be good this year, but they’ve really improved by leaps and bounds since then. That’s wild. GO SPURS GO!
Game Prediction:
Carter Bryant scores 30 with 5 blocks, 3 of them on Flagg.
San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks April 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: KENS Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
Mar 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) works around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
April 10, 2026
Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Online: Rockets App , SCHN+, Amazon
Time: 8:30pm CST
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 3: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 3, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks (52*-28) host the Toronto Raptors (45-35) tonight at Madison Square Garden in their penultimate game of the regular season. The Knicks have a chance to firm up their grip on the East’s No. 3 seed while the Canadian Club is wrestling with the Hawks and the Magic for the middle seeds.
Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is RaptorsHQ. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Extend kindness to your fellow humans. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are cyborgs sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor.
CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 9: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 9, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Are we looking at a first-round playoff preview? Tonight, we could be looking at a matchup between the one seed — the Detroit Pistons — and the eighth seed — the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, however, are not your typical eighth seed. They are one of the hottest teams in the East, and they have been since late January. They have shooting all over the floor, plenty of ball handlers, and play a quality team defense. The Detroit Pistons are healthy, so they could treat this game as a serious statement of intention against a potential opponent. Or they could treat it as a bit of a laboratory. Coach JB Bickerstaff has talked about using the season’s final two games to get certain lineup combinations experience on the floor. Chief among them is Kevin Huerter and some of the starters, and Daniss Jenkins playing alongside Cade Cunningham with the other three-person units. They will play to win, but they might also forgo the best potential situational lineup to ensure he can test these lineup combos.
Game Vitals
When: 7 p.m. ET Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons +5
The legendary broadcaster shared on Friday, April 10 on his social media page that he went in for a biopsy on Friday to look into some of the "abnormalities" that were found on a series of routine tests that he had done last week. It's the second update in as many days from Vitale.
"Just leaving hospital after biopsy/now anesthesia has worn off," Vitale wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) to go along with a photo of him sitting in a wheelchair outside of a hospital. "Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI's!"
Just leaving hospital after Biopsy / now anesthesia has worn off. Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI’s ! pic.twitter.com/CwllVW1cZ1
In his latest update before Friday, Vitale mentioned that he feels "great physically" and "sharp mentally" and that his doctors recommended some additional testing to determine the next steps of his latest battle. He underwent a PET scan, a CAT scan and two MRIs in his last round of tests, which showed those "abnormalities."
He also mentioned that "the roadmap" for his recovery would be determined after the biopsy, which he underwent on Friday.
Vitale has had multiple health battles, including with several types of cancer, over the last few years. He was declared cancer-free last year and made his return to broadcasting, which included a pair of broadcasts alongside Charles Barkley this season, one coming in the First Four of March Madness in Dayton, Ohio.
"I'm still doing games," Vitale told USA TODAY Sports back in March ahead of the First Four. "It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes."
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dunks during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Rocket Arena on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 122-116. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Atlanta Hawks again. This time, the Cavs will be down a few rotation players. We’ll see if they still have enough to get a second-straight win.
Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!
Not just now. And not just during Kennard’s nine years as an NBA player. But likely his entire basketball career going back to when he was a kid.
“It’s easy because he’s a white guy that shoots well, to just think he’s just a shooter,” Redick said after the Lakers’ win over the Warriors on Thursday. “That’s just the reality of the situation. I’m sure every time he checked into an AAU tournament in eighth grade, everybody’s screaming ‘shooter, shooter. shooter.’ That’s the life we have.”
The Lakers’ Luke Kennard has shown he is much more than a 3-point shooter. AP
But when the Lakers have needed it most, Kennard has shown he can bring a lot more to the floor than 3-point shooting.
With the regular-season-ending injuries to Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain), the Lakers needed others to step up as ball handlers.
Which led to a conversation between Redick and Kennard in Dallas between the April 2 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City in which Doncic and Reaves suffered their injuries and the April 5 loss to the Mavericks, with the focus being on the Lakers needing Kennard to step into a different role.
“He came right to me and was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to have the ball in your hands a lot, and we need you to do that,’” Kennard recalled. “He kind of came right to me to have that responsibility and take pride in it, and gives me a little bit of confidence knowing that he’s confident in me to put me in that position.”
Lakers guard Luke Kennard averaged 9.3 assists over his previous three games entering Friday. NBAE via Getty Images
The mutual confidence has paid off.
Kennard averaged 9.3 assists over the previous three games entering Friday, including a career-high-tying 11 in the loss to the Mavericks, showcasing a level of playmaking and passing that he simply didn’t get an opportunity to do when the Lakers were healthier.
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In his first 27 games with the Lakers after being traded, Kennard averaged 29.3 touches per game (16.9 in the frontcourt), had the ball for about 1.2 minutes per game and averaged 2.44 seconds per touch.
His usage has increased multiple levels over the last week.
Kennard averaged 9.3 assists over the previous three games entering Friday. NBAE via Getty Images
Kennard averaged 71 touches (36 in the frontcourt), had the ball for 4.2 minutes per game and averaged 3.52 seconds per touch in the last three games as the team’s fill-in point guard.
After being the main Laker bringing the ball up the court against the Mavericks, the Lakers have mixed in more actions for Kennard that get him from off the ball to on-ball, making the transition a little smoother.
After being the main Laker bringing the ball up the court against the Mavericks, the Lakers have mixed in more actions for Kennard that get him from off the ball to on-ball, making the transition a little smoother. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve known for a long time that there’s a lot to his game, a lot he can do as a basketball player, primarily as a playmaker,” Redick said. “He really does such a good job of using his shooting as a threat, using his change of speed and pace as a threat. And then just consistently make the right play.”
Redick sees a steadiness in Kennard — as a player and a person.
Which has helped Kennard take on a significant role.
“When I was in high school, I played point guard a lot,” Kennard said. “So maybe from there a little bit. I’ve been in different situations throughout my career in the NBA. So I’ve seen it all, experienced a lot.”
“I’ve had a lot of responsibility and less responsibility, and I just kind of find my way and find my role whenever that opportunity comes. So it’s something I’m comfortable with, I’m confident in and just trying to find a rhythm with it right now.”
The Sixers have a single game left in their regular season and still might avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Significant help is needed, but the Sixers kept that possibility alive Friday night by earning a 105-94 win over the Pacers. They also got the necessary result of a Raptors loss to the Knicks.
Below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th. The No. 7 through No. 10 teams will comprise the play-in.
5. Hawks 46-35
6. Raptors 45-36
7. Magic 45-36
8. Sixers 44-37
9. Hornets 43-38
10. Heat 42-39
The Sixers’ regular-season finale is Sunday night vs. the Bucks. To end up in the top six, they’d need to both win that game and get assistance elsewhere. Toronto would have to lose to the lowly Nets and Orlando would need to fall to the Celtics. The Sixers now cannot finish below the eighth seed.
“Joel Embiid was discharged from the hospital today following a successful appendectomy and is returning to Philadelphia. Embiid’s surgical recovery will be managed by team physicians in consultation with his surgeon. A timeline for return to basketball activities has not yet been determined.”
Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points led the Sixers in Indiana.
Paul George added 21. VJ Edgecombe posted 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Pacers:
George gets back on track
It took Maxey almost no time to record his first points in the first quarter of the last three games. He blew by Jarace Walker and made an and-one scoop shot to open the scoring.
The young, future-focused Pacers fired away from three-point range and had early success. With a Walker triple and Kobe Brown layup, Indiana took an 11-3 lead.
George continued to play in both legs of back-to-backs since returning from his suspension. He only logged 24 minutes Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Rockets and had a rough night, posting just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and four rebounds.
Though he was whistled for his second foul at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, George didn’t sub out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was immediately rewarded for keeping George in. He swished a three on the next possession to give him eight points and cut the Sixers’ deficit to 18-17.
Edgecombe shows off defensive tools
The Sixers went on a run late in the first quarter with their second unit on the court. A Quentin Grimes lay-in put them up eight points.
Andre Drummond had a very productive first half, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. The Sixers outscored Indiana by 24 points in the game during Drummond’s 29 minutes on the floor.
The Sixers cleaned up their turnover issues from the night prior and also forced plenty of Indiana giveaways. Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped four steals and totaled seven thefts over the back-to-back. Edgecombe picked up three steals and had a highlight block, too.
As he piles up reps and learns more nuances of NBA defense, it’s not difficult to imagine Edgecombe reaching an elite level in terms of defensive disruptiveness.
Maxey grinds through pinky issues
Maxey finished 1 for 10 from three-point territory on the night.
He appeared to be bothered throughout the game by his taped-up right pinky finger. Of course, Maxey missed much of March after hurting that finger. Late in the third quarter, he absorbed a hit to his right pinky as he and Pacers center Jay Huff both pursued a loose ball. Maxey went back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson. He subbed back in with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Maxey takes a ton of pride in suiting up whenever he can and logging enormous minutes as the Sixers’ lead guard. He’s clearly below 100 percent with the postseason nearing.
As a team, the Sixers went 5 for 29 beyond the arc (17.2 percent). Their shooting troubles helped the Pacers erase a seven-point halftime deficit. Micah Potter’s put-back slam knotted the game at 62-all.
The Sixers eventually restored a decent lead. An Edgecombe mid-range bucket on the Sixers’ final possession of the third quarter lifted the team to an 89-77 advantage.
The Sixers handled business in the fourth and wrapped up their road campaign with a 22-19 record.
