Category: NBA

Phew. Boston’s 147-129 thrashing of Miami was something else.

It’s always tough sledding against the Heat, but a 53-point first quarter (11-15 from 3) and 80 points in the first half are indicative of just how much these teams have changed. The Heat and Celtics are on both ends of the pace spectrum at 104.4 vs. 95.46 possessions per game respectively. However, Boston was happy to ramp up the speed. Even with more possessions to deal with, they finished with just seven turnovers and allowed only twelve offensive boards.

The Celtics are 2-1 on their road trip against potential first round opponents and continue to be a steady +600 to raise Banner 19 with our friends at FanDuel and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Jaylen Brown

37 minutes, 43 points (4-10 from 3, 5-7 from the free throw line, 17-29 from the field), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, one turnover, +9

Achilles tendinitis cost Brown two games last week and he looked a little unsettled by his own standards in his Atlanta homecoming on Monday.

Andrew Wiggins was a defensive menace against Brown and Tatum in the 2022 NBA Finals, but Brown enacted some revenge, scoring the first 11 points for Boston on 4-4 shooting. He was more relaxed and deliberate with his drives and post-ups and didn’t seem hellbent on just creating contact and trying to draw fouls.

7 for 7 💪 pic.twitter.com/vhcuScDgdX

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 1, 2026

By the end of the night, Brown tallied 43 points on South Beach after ESPN’s Doris Burke called him a dangerous scorer on all three levels. The seven assists with just one turnover was a nice bounce back after six TOs against the Hawks.

Grade: A+

Jayson Tatum

37 minutes, 25 points (4-13 from 3, 3-4 from the free throw line, 9-21 from the field), 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals, +7

A masterclass in Charlotte helped earn Tatum the Player of the Week honor and after two days off, he continued his recovery to that all-around game that made him an MVP-candidate over the last three seasons before his Achilles tear.

How about a triple-double against a heated rival?

25-18-11 plus some effective defense against Bam Adebayo is another notch on Tatum’s belt.

NBA Players of the Week for Week 23.

West: Nikola Jokić (@nuggets)
East: Jayson Tatum (@celtics) pic.twitter.com/eBzPvwQwYD

— NBA (@NBA) March 30, 2026

Grade: A+

Neemias Queta

33 minutes, 16 points (6-8 from the free throw line, 5-7 from the field), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 blocks, +28

Queta does so many unsung things on the court like setting wide screens on the perimeter and rebounding the ball, but sometimes, it’s just nice to see him make a couple of loud blocks on the defensive end.

Neemias Queta rejects the two-handed dunk attempt by Bam Adebayo, who scores the putback shortly after pic.twitter.com/D6mIgLQJz5

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 1, 2026

In the fourth quarter, with all eyes on the Jays, Queta was the beneficiary at the dunker spot and grabbing offensive rebounds on pursuit alone.

Grade: A-

Sam Hauser

29 minutes, 23 points (5-7 from 3, 0-1 from the free throw line, 9-11 from the field), 3 rebounds, one steal, one block, +23

After coming off the bench during days off for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Hauser was back in the starting lineup and started off hot, hitting his first six shots including five 3s in the first quarter.

After halftime, Hauser went to his mid-range game. After Miami cut it to ten heading into the fourth, Hauser attacked a pair of closeouts for a couple of 12-footers that kept the Heat at bay. It was a nice breakout for Hauser after scuffling through the road trip.

Grade: A

Derrick White

34 minutes, 6 points (0-1 from 3, 3-4 from the field), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, one block, +6

If you’ve read the last couple player grades, we’ve documented White’s shooting slump over the last several games. He only took four shots in the game, but his fingerprints are all over the win. This sequence is akin to that scene in Top Gun: Maverick when they’re playing dogfight football on the beach.

THIS DERRICK WHITE SEQUENCE 👏

Lob to JB.
Sprints back.
Elite defense to force a miss.

The Celtics hold a commanding lead at the break! pic.twitter.com/kAMY8Tel9G

— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2026

Grade: B-

Payton Pritchard

31 minutes, 14 points (4-7 from 3, 5-9 from the field), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, one block, +20

Pritchard was the fifth leading scorer in this offensive exhibition and acted as more of a play finisher rather than a playmaker last night. That will happen with Tatum and Brown going nuclear on the Heat.

Grade: B+

Baylor Scheierman

18 minutes, 8 points (2-2 from 3, 3-4 from the field), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, one turnover, one steal +14

Scheierman’s contributions can often go unseen. His blue collar work shouldn’t go underappreciated. When he shoulders a drive from the free throw line to the baseline and makes the right pass around the horn don’t seem like much, but it’s that consistency that has made him a mainstay in the rotation.

But every once in a while, Baylor Showmanship will pull out the bag of Pistol Pete passes and connect on a fancy behind-the-back:

THAT'S OUR JAM 💥 pic.twitter.com/5Vy9x5TkgL

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 2, 2026

Grade: B

Luka Garza

15 minutes, 12 points (2-4 from 3, 5-10 from the field), 2 rebounds, one block, -10

Former CelticsBlogger Sam LaFrance over at Hardwood Houdini documented Garza’s near-the-rim shot package and they were all on display in Miami: the decel step, the up-and-under, and his three-point shot. Twelve points in under fifteen minutes is making it easy to forget that Nikola Vucevic is still out with a fractured finger.

Grade: A

Jordan Walsh

5 minutes, 0 points (0-1 from the field), one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block, -7

The defensive demon notched two stocks (steals plus blocks) in a game where both teams combined for 276 points. Sometimes, you’re a square peg for a round hole.

Grade: B

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

Inactives: Nikola Vucevic

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.

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.

Play of the game

How many players does it take to stop Wemby?

NASTY 😱

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/Zj5Y4VdCRy

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) April 2, 2026

Next game: @ Clippers on Thursday

The Spurs will look to make it 11 in a row Thursday night when they take on Kawhi and the Clippers in LA.

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.

This is why Derrick White is one of the most impactful players in basketball pic.twitter.com/AqeeQK7Sjs

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 2, 2026

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.

Cleveland Cavaliers (47-29, fourth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (36-40, 10th in the Western Conference)

San Francisco; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cavaliers -10.5; over/under is 226.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Golden State Warriors in cross-conference play.

The Warriors have gone 21-16 at home. Golden State is second in the league averaging 15.9 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 35.7% from downtown. Moses Moody leads the team averaging 2.5 makes while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range.

The Cavaliers are 23-15 on the road. Cleveland ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference shooting 35.9% from 3-point range.

The Warriors average 114.9 points per game, 0.4 fewer points than the 115.3 the Cavaliers allow. The Cavaliers are shooting 48.0% from the field, 0.3% higher than the 47.7% the Warriors' opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Warriors won 99-94 in the last matchup on Dec. 7.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brandin Podziemski is scoring 13.3 points per game with 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Warriors. Pat Spencer is averaging 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 44.3% over the past 10 games.

James Harden is scoring 23.7 points per game and averaging 4.9 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Max Strus is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 4-6, averaging 112.5 points, 39.7 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 9.6 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.4 points per game.

Cavaliers: 7-3, averaging 123.0 points, 44.1 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 7.1 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.6 points.

INJURIES: Warriors: Quinten Post: out (foot), Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Al Horford: out (calf), Moses Moody: out for season (knee), Gui Santos: out (pelvis), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Gary Payton II: out (knee), De'Anthony Melton: out (thumb), Kristaps Porzingis: out (illness).

Cavaliers: Max Strus: day to day (foot), Jarrett Allen: day to day (knee), Sam Merrill: day to day (injury management), Dean Wade: out (ankle), Jaylon Tyson: out (toe).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Boston Celtics (51-25, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (30-46, 11th in the Eastern Conference)

Milwaukee; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Boston visits the Milwaukee Bucks after Jaylen Brown scored 43 points in the Celtics' 147-129 win over the Miami Heat.

The Bucks are 20-27 in Eastern Conference games. Milwaukee is fourth in the league averaging 14.9 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 38.6% from downtown. AJ Green leads the team averaging 2.8 makes while shooting 40.8% from 3-point range.

The Celtics have gone 32-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is fourth in the Eastern Conference with 12.6 offensive rebounds per game led by Neemias Queta averaging 2.9.

The Bucks' 14.9 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.8 more made shots on average than the 14.1 per game the Celtics allow. The Celtics average 15.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Bucks allow.

The two teams play for the fourth time this season. The Celtics defeated the Bucks 108-81 in their last matchup on March 3. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 25 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 19 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Rollins is averaging 17.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bucks. Ousmane Dieng is averaging 13.2 points and 3.9 assists over the past 10 games.

Brown is scoring 28.8 points per game and averaging 7.0 rebounds for the Celtics. Pritchard is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 3-7, averaging 109.3 points, 39.6 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.0 points per game.

Celtics: 8-2, averaging 115.1 points, 48.2 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 6.2 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.6 points.

INJURIES: Bucks: Gary Harris: day to day (personal), Kevin Porter Jr.: out for season (knee), Kyle Kuzma: day to day (achilles), Myles Turner: day to day (ankle), Thanasis Antetokounmpo: day to day (calf), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle), Ryan Rollins: day to day (hip), Bobby Portis: day to day (wrist), Taurean Prince: day to day (neck), Gary Trent Jr.: day to day (hip).

Celtics: Nikola Vucevic: out (finger).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Toronto Raptors (42-34, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (25-51, 12th in the Western Conference)

Memphis, Tennessee; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Cam Spencer and the Memphis Grizzlies host Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors in non-conference play.

The Grizzlies have gone 14-25 in home games. Memphis is 3-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Raptors are 21-17 in road games. Toronto is fifth in the Eastern Conference giving up only 112.3 points while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Grizzlies average 13.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 12.7 per game the Raptors give up. The Grizzlies average 114.4 points per game, 5.1 fewer points than the 119.5 the Grizzlies give up to opponents.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Raptors won 117-104 in the last matchup on Nov. 2. RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 27 points, and Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies with 15 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Spencer is averaging 11.1 points and 5.5 assists for the Grizzlies. Tyler Burton is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Brandon Ingram is scoring 21.4 points per game and averaging 5.5 rebounds for the Raptors. Ja'Kobe Walter is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 2-8, averaging 110.8 points, 35.0 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.4 points per game.

Raptors: 5-5, averaging 119.7 points, 39.9 rebounds, 33.8 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 52.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.7 points.

INJURIES: Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: out for season (knee), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Taylor Hendricks: day to day (finger), Ja Morant: out for season (elbow), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out for season (toe), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Ty Jerome: day to day (ankle), Jaylen Wells: out for season (toe), Taj Gibson: day to day (foot), Brandon Clarke: out for season (calf).

Raptors: Brandon Ingram: day to day (rest), Immanuel Quickley: day to day (foot), Jamison Battle: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Utah Jazz (21-56, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (47-29, fifth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Houston hosts Utah looking to extend its four-game home winning streak.

The Rockets are 25-22 against Western Conference opponents. Houston averages 14.5 turnovers per game and is 19-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents.

The Jazz are 11-36 against Western Conference opponents. Utah is sixth in the league scoring 17.1 fast break points per game. Lauri Markkanen leads the Jazz averaging 3.3.

The Rockets score 114.4 points per game, 11.0 fewer points than the 125.4 the Jazz give up. The Jazz score 7.4 more points per game (117.3) than the Rockets give up (109.9).

The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Rockets won the last matchup 125-105 on Feb. 24. Jabari Smith Jr. scored 31 points to help lead the Rockets to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kevin Durant is averaging 25.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is averaging 3.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Ace Bailey is averaging 13.5 points for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 17.2 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 46.8 rebounds, 29.4 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.

Jazz: 1-9, averaging 117.1 points, 42.0 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 9.4 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.2 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Elijah Harkless: day to day (hamstring), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Orlando Magic (40-36, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (24-52, 13th in the Western Conference)

Dallas; Friday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Dallas takes on Orlando looking to stop its 13-game home losing streak.

The Mavericks have gone 14-24 in home games. Dallas ranks second in the Western Conference with 53.2 points per game in the paint led by Cooper Flagg averaging 11.3.

The Magic are 16-20 on the road. Orlando ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference with 32.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Paolo Banchero averaging 7.2.

The Mavericks are shooting 46.7% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point lower than the 47.7% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic average 11.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 fewer made shots on average than the 12.9 per game the Mavericks give up.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Magic won the last matchup 115-114 on March 6, with Tristan da Silva scoring 19 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Naji Marshall is averaging 15.5 points and 3.3 assists for the Mavericks. Flagg is averaging 22.1 points over the last 10 games.

Desmond Bane is scoring 20.3 points per game and averaging 4.1 rebounds for the Magic. Jevon Carter is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 115.6 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.9 points per game.

Magic: 2-8, averaging 111.6 points, 38.4 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 7.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.3 points.

INJURIES: Mavericks: Naji Marshall: day to day (illness), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Caleb Martin: day to day (foot), P.J. Washington: day to day (illness), Daniel Gafford: day to day (shoulder), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Marvin Bagley III: day to day (shoulder), Klay Thompson: day to day (rest).

Magic: Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Landry Shamet reminded the Knicks what they were missing when he was out.

The reserve guard turned in 31 productive minutes in Wednesday’s 130-119 victory over the Grizzlies, which followed his five-game absence because of a knee bruise.

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.”

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

When: 6:30 p.m. PT, Apr 2

Where: Paycom Center

Watch: Prime Video, Spectrum Sportsnet

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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.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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

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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.

Up next

Sceptres: Host Ottawa on Saturday, April 11.

Charge: Host Montreal on Friday night.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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."

So it's a good thing the Knicks put together a wire-to-wire win against the Grizzlies. Although it wasn't necessarily easy.

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.