Category: NBA

The Knicks closed the regular season with a 110-96 loss to the Charolette Hornets on Sunday night. 

Here are the takeaways...

- The Knicks opted to sit out their key contributors with their spot/seed in the playoffs already locked up. Mikal Bridges still received the start to keep the NBA's longest active consecutive games streak alive (now at 638), but he committed an intentional foul to be subbed out after just 23 seconds. 

Bridges, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, and Ariel Hukporti was the starting five. 

- McBride dressed as he works to find his footing heading into the playoffs, and he finally showed flashes of his old form in the early going. The backup guard was New York's most effective scorer all night, leading the team with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and four threes. 

- New York saw plenty of other positives from their depth filling out the starting lineup throughout the night. Alvarado was everywhere with a final line of 13-5-6, Hukporti dominated the boards with a season-high eight, and Diawara tied his career-high with five assists.

- Jeremy Sochan and Kevin McCullar Jr. also put together strong showings off the bench. Sochan provided a spark in the third quarter and finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. McCullar knocked down 6-of-11 attempts from the field to set a new career-high, 14 points. 

- LaMelo Ball led the way for Charolette with five threes, seven rebounds, and six assists. Coby White had himself a night off the bench, chipping in 19 points off the bench, and Kon Knueppel finished his stellar rookie campaign with three threes and 19 points of his own. 

- Despite being a bit overmatched, the Knicks' backups continued to show fight throughout the night. They were able to cut the deficit back down to eight points at one point early in the third quarter, but ultimately saw that stretched back out in the closing minutes of the final frame.

- New York finishes the regular season 53-29, good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference. 

What's next

The Knicks kick off the postseason and the quest for their third NBA title. 

That’s a wrap. The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the 2025-26 regular season with a win over the Washington Wizards. Let’s get to the grades.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Jaylon Tyson

18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Tyson looked like the kid who decided to show up on Senior Skip Day. He overachieved all season, ending the year both as the biggest surprise and the most entertaining part of the year, in my opinion.

Grade: A+

Olivier Sarr

10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

Sarr has a solid game. He showcased great agility and touch for his height, but at 27 years old, I’m not sure how much more development we should expect from him. His thinner frame makes him vulnerable against NBA-sized frontcourts. Still, he’s a fun player to watch and easy to root for.

Grade: B-

Craig Porter Jr.

7 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 block

Porter capped off his season with another all-around performance. His weak-side block in the first half was a highlight.

Grade: B–

Tyrese Proctor

22 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers

I’m optimistic about Proctor’s future. He’s got all of the skills you want in a modern guard. A smooth jumper and good defensive instincts.

Six turnovers are the only thing stopping me from giving him the A+ for this near-triple-double performance.

Grade: A

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Tomlin, as we’ve come to expect, was shot out of a cannon tonight. He rebounded his own miss three times in one possession and took a borderline heat-check three-pointer after hitting back-to-back jumpers in the first half. For the record, Tomlin is shooting 20% from downtown this season. His unbridled enthusiasm is something I have no choice but to respect.

Grade: A+

Max Strus

10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

We don’t get many opportunities to watch Strus handle the ball with volume. Tonight, he had the ball in his hands a ton — and it was a nice reminder of how skilled NBA players are. Strus unleashed a few shifty moves, bringing the ball up the floor, and it’s always fun to see someone take on a slightly different role for a night.

Grade: C+

Tristan Enaruna

15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Enaruna can impact games with his size and physcality. He was a positive presence on both sides of the ball as a result. However, his lack of an outside shot will put a ceiling on him for the foreseeable future.

Grade: B+

Larry Nance Jr.

10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

Nance got one final run this season with the youngings. He’s been playing more recently, and could be someone to watch as a ‘break glass’ option in the playoffs — even if it’s clear that he’s lost a step or two over the years.

Grade: B–

Rylie Minix

12 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

Minix nailed a one-legged jumper early in this game. He then proceeded to make hustle play after hustle play on defense. That’s enough for me, take your degree and have a great summer.

Grade: A+

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will start for the Denver Nuggets in their regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday night for his 65th game played to qualify for NBA awards.

Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama is sitting out the game after reaching eligibility in his previous game.

Jokic has played in 64 games and was listed as questionable with an injured right wrist.

Denver needs a victory over the Spurs on Sunday to secure the third seed in the Western Conference. A Nuggets loss, coupled with a win by the Los Angeles Lakers, would drop the Nuggets to fourth and move the Lakers to third.

The NBA requires players to participate in 65 games to be eligible for MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Jokic must play at least 15 minutes against San Antonio to be eligible.

The NBA allows two exemptions of 15 to 19:59 minutes played to count as an official game. Jokic has one exemption remaining.

“Yeah, he’ll play the first half,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “Then we’ll reconvene at halftime and see where he’s at, where the game’s at. It’s what the rules provide. So we’ll follow the rules.”

Jokic, who won MVP in 2021, 2022 and 2024, has been named to the All-NBA Team in seven of his 11 seasons.

Wembanyama qualified for award eligibility by playing in his 65th game Friday, in San Antonio's 139-120 victory over Dallas.

Wembanyama competed in 64 regular-season games in addition to the NBA Cup Final, which does not count toward regular-season record or statistics, but does qualify as a game played.

Wembanyama suffered a left rib contusion and missed the second half of Monday's 115-102 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. He returned Friday to post 40 points and 13 rebounds in 26:13 minutes against Dallas.

He was listed as questionable due to injury management and was ruled out after the Spurs' afternoon walkthrough.

“Yeah, he’s doing well, but just a little sore and felt it was the appropriate decision,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “He was probably, to be honest, the closest call of the group, but just right in that kind of in between.”

Spurs guard Stephon Castle was upgraded to available after missing the past two games with a left foot soreness.

___

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

The Dallas Mavericks (25-56) play their final game of the 2025-26 season at home on Sunday, facing off against the Chicago Bulls (31-50). Dallas got thumped by the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, but at least we were treated to a Wemby-Flagg dual. The Bulls are locked into their lottery odds and are sort of meandering to the end of the season, most recently losing to the Orlando Magic

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Chicago Bulls
• WHAT: Game 82. We made it.
• WHERE: American Airlines Cnter
• WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass

The injury report is long and for Fan Appreciation Night, there’s some irony there, but there’s more than just this season to think about. Let’s start with who isn’t going to play: Marvin Bagley, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, PJ Washington, Brandon Williams, and of course, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively. That means Cooper Flagg is suiting up as is Klay Thompson and everyone’s favorite group of two way players.

The Bulls are also sitting everyone it seems. Matas Buzelis, Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, Josh Giddey, Isaac Okoro, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simons, Jalen Smith, and Guerschon Yabusele are all not playing. So that makes it’s going to be the Collin Sexton and Patrick Williams show.

Fantastic product the NBA has us watching yes? If Cooper Flagg scores 28 or more he’ll pass Luka Doncic for rookie year points per game, pretty wild right? I sort of expect Dallas to win. I wish they wouldn’t, we’ve dealt with too much losing for them to win now and worsen their lottery odds. But hey, not much we can do about it so might as well enjoy the game.

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!

The Utah Jazz will take on the Los Angeles Lakers in what is more than just the season finale. It feels more like the finale to four years of rebuild. Tonight will be the last time the Utah Jazz will go into a game for the foreseeable future with hopes of losing.

This offseason will be an offseason designed to make the team better for wins next year.

Wins, real wins!

Can you feel that? That’s the sound of change not only coming to the Jazz but to the coverage as well. With a winning team, we’ll get back to criticizing the team in meaningful ways. When trade rumors abound, Jazz fans will be able to discuss if it’s a player worth going after. Gone will be the days of hoping for big-time hauls of picks for our best player, as we hope to hit the reset button and get lucky come lottery night.

That is, if catastrophe doesn’t strike next season.

Let’s not think about anything bad, though. We’ve dealt with enough losing seasons these last four seasons. Now, we can root for wins, and it’s the right thing to do. It’s not premature, it’s not shortsighted, it’s the right, logical move. Utah has gone through enough draft picks, trades, and development that they are set to start going hard to win as much as they can. Personally, I’m excited.

That said, tonight is the last time. One last tank for all the tanks. After four years, one more tank is all they have to do. The Kings will be playing and Utah will certainly have their eyes on that game. But regardless of whether the Kings win or lose, Utah has to lose this game. They have to, at minimum, tie with the Kings to end the season so they can at least have the hopes of winning a coin toss. If the Kings somehow win, that gives Utah the chance to gain the #4 spot in the lottery outright, which would be incredible considering the season they have had with the scrutinty they’ve been under. This would be an incredible end to what has been a crazy four years.

So, Jazz, it’s time to lose. It’s time to lose like you’ve never lost before.

How to watch Utah Jazz vs Los Angeles Lakers

Who: Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers

When: 6:30 MT – April 12, 2026

Channel: KJZZ, Jazz+

Injury Report

The Utah Jazz are not messing around in this one and will be with a lineup that should lose pretty easily. If the Lakers can’t beat this lineup, there’s an issue in LakerLand.

The Knicks (53*-28) close their regular season Sunday night at Madison Square Garden against the Hornets (43-38), with New York locked into the East’s No. 3 seed and Charlotte still battling for home-court advantage in the Play-In. The Knicks enter on a five-game winning streak, but have little to gain by exerting too much effort today. Charlotte has been hot for a while, behind the breakout of rookie Kon Knueppel and improved play from Brandon Miller.

Tip-off is 6 pm EST on MSG Network. This is your game thread. This is At the Hive. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Be cool, but not cold; chill, but not chilly. And go Knicks!

* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are Adam Silver’s paper mache projects.

From 68 losses to 60 wins in two years. That is what is on the line tonight for the Detroit Pistons in their regular-season finale against the Indiana Pacers. Detroit could become just the third team in franchise history to reach 60 wins, and one of just three this season, joining the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

Standing in their way, hypothetically, will be the Indiana Pacers. But not the actual Indiana Pacers. The JV Indiana Pacers. You see, the Pacers have zero interest in winning this meaningless game that will formally conclude their gap year without injured star Tyrese Haliburton. A win puts them in a tie with the Brooklyn Nets, with a coin flip deciding both teams’ fates in the all-important NBA Draft Lottery. The Pacers are going to be sure it doesn’t come to that.

The following players will not be suiting up for the Pacers tonight:

• Johnny Furphy
• Tyrese Haliburton
• TJ McConnell
• Andrew Nembhard
• Aaron Nesmith
• Ben Sheppard
• Pascal Siakam
• Jarace Walker
• Ivica Zubac

The projected opening lineup for the Pacers has started 67 total games. In their careers. That is fewer games than Duncan Robinson and Ausar Thompson have started this season. It’s also fewer than Jalen Duren has started this season, but Detroit’s big man is taking this game off to rest.

Game Vitals

When: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit (RIP)
Odds: Pistons -14

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (59-22)

Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Paul Reed

Indiana Pacers (19-62)

Quentin Jackson, Ethan Thompson, Jalen Slawson, Kobe Brown, Micah Potter

Observations after Sixers beat Bucks on final day but still finish in play-in tourney  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Sixers handled their side of the equation Sunday but didn’t receive the needed (and improbable) help required to steer clear of the NBA’s play-in tournament.

They notched a 126-106 win over the Bucks at Xfinity Mobile Arena to end the season at 45-37. The heavily shortanded Bucks finished their season at 32-50.

To avoid the play-in, the Sixers had to get both a Magic loss to the Celtics and a Raptors defeat to the Nets. Boston earned a surprising win over Orlando, but Toronto beat Brooklyn.

Those results mean the Sixers will host the Magic the No. 7 vs. No. 8 playoff matchup.

Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points in the finale. Quentin Grimes posted 20 and Justin Edwards added 17.

Here are observations on the Sixers’ victory in game No. 82:

George keeps starting hot 

The Sixers’ offense had a cold start, opening 1 for 6 from the floor. A sweet Paul George fadeaway jumper was their only bucket in the first three minutes.

Milwaukee also didn’t have much early success offensively. After a George driving layup, Kelly Oubre Jr. nabbed a backcourt steal and threw down a dunk to put the Sixers up 11-7.

In the majority of the games since his suspension, George has been aggressive and productive in the first quarter. Following an eight-point first period Friday in the Sixers’ win over the Pacers, George scored 11 on 4-for-5 shooting vs. the Bucks. 

Milwaukee sharpshooter AJ Green set a new franchise record with his third three-ball of the first quarter. Green’s three was his 230th of the season, the most in Bucks history. He ended the year at 232. 

Sixers’ six-man bench 

The Sixers used six players off the bench before garbage time Sunday, adding Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford back into their rotation.

Andre Drummond faced a small-ball center in 6-foot-7 Thanasis Antetokounmpo for a good chunk of the first quarter. Drummond knocked down a three with 5.2 seconds left in the first to give the Sixers a 29-26 edge. 

For the third straight game since Joel Embiid underwent an appendectomy, Drummond played more center minutes than Adem Bona. Drummond started the third quarter instead of Bona, logged 22 minutes, and posted 12 points and 13 rebounds. Bona had four points and two boards in his 17 minutes. Walker got a stint at center against Antetokounmpo late in the second quarter, too. 

The Sixers’ bench was a bright spot in the first half, racking up 32 points. Grimes posted nine points, three assists and three steals in the first half. Edwards drilled a pair of three-pointers against the Bucks’ zone defense in the second quarter and sunk three more triples in the third. 

As for Embiid, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said pregame that he had no significant updates on the star big man’s status. Nurse said his understanding is that Embiid has been recovering well in Philadelphia following surgery. 

Third-quarter high note

Despite being sorely shorthanded and having nothing to play for, Milwaukee stayed close and then some in the first half. Cormac Ryan’s three in the final minute of the second quarter gave the Bucks a 62-58 lead.

The Sixers made a decisive run early in the third quarter. Oubre turned a steal into a fast-break slam that pulled the Sixers in front. 

Maxey had an excellent third quarter of zooming into the paint and converting tricky shots inside. He also nailed two threes in the third and the Sixers’ advantage swelled as high as 20 points.

The Sixers were the NBA’s worst third-quarter team this season — they entered Sunday with a minus-11.8 net rating in the third — but they at least concluded the season on a very positive note. 

The Sacramento Kings are retaining head coach Doug Christie after a brutal first full season in charge, according to reports.

Christie took over for the Kings on an interim basis in December 2024 following the firing of Mike Brown – putting together a respectable 27-24 finish – but fared far worse this year with Sacramento set to finish the season in the cellar of the Western Conference.

Entering Sunday’s season finale against the Blazers, the Kings are 22-59, which is tied with the similarly tanking Utah Jazz for the fourth-worst mark in the league and the worst mark in the West.

However, The Athletic was first to report the news that the Kings would be keeping Christie, who got just 19 games from Domantas Sabonis and 39 from Zach LaVine this season.

Christie, who was given the job on a full-time basis last offseason, did lead Sacramento to a more competitive finish down the stretch as the Kings have gone 8-12 over their last 20 games.

However, he and the franchise were still investigated by the league following a curious late-game decision this past week.

The Kings were INTENTIONALLY fouling Seth Curry in crunch time to lose the game…

We've NEVER seen this level of tanking pic.twitter.com/fU9q7d4JEV

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 8, 2026

With the Kings leading the Warriors by one point with 3:15 left on Tuesday, Doug McDermott intentionally fouled Golden State’s Seth Curry – a career 86.4 free throw shooter – putting the guard at the line for two shots.

Many saw the play as an egregious tanking offense, as the Kings have been jostling with the likes of the Jazz, Pacers, Nets and Wizards for draft lottery odds,

However, an NBA investigation later cleared Christie and the Kings, explaining that the coach instructed his team to foul because he mistakenly thought his team had a foul to give, and wanted to get in one of his ‘use it or lose it’ timeouts.

Sacramento ultimately fell 110-105 in that contest.

Christie said after a win over the Jazz last month that “tanking is the last thing” he’d do, and he has played veteran scorer DeMar DeRozan heavy minutes for much of the season.

Regardless, the Kings will learn their NBA draft fate when the lottery is held on May 10.

The Washington Wizards play the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6 p.m. tonight in the final game of the regular season. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.

New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

The last game of the 2025-26 NBA season is finally upon us.

After a whirlwind year, Nikola Jokić’s Denver Nuggets will take on Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center tonight for one more contest between the Western Conference rivals.

In their last meeting, the streaking Nuggets won a 136-134 overtime thriller in Denver on April 4. The Joker led the way with a 40-point, 13 assist and eight rebound effort.

That heroic nail biter victory was David Adelman’s squad’s eighth consecutive dub. By coming out on top, they also snapped San Antonio’s 11-game win streak.

“I would pay to watch these two teams play,” Adelman said in a press conference after the high-altitude, high-octane showdown.

Don’t miss this one- Wemby and Joker just might have one more trick up their sleeves.

Nuggets vs. Spurs start time:

The Nuggets vs. Spurs game tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET today (April 12).

How to watch Nuggets vs. Spurs:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game.

If you just want to tune into today’s game without a full subscription, you can try a Sling TV Orange Day Pass. For just $4.99, you’ll get 24 hours of access to all Sling TV Orange has to offer, including ESPN.

DIRECTV is another great service to try — its five-day free trial includes ESPN (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA season).

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

The Golden State Warriors close out the regular season with Sunday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. The game is set for 5:30 PM PT in Los Angeles and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Previously with the Warriors:

Despite getting Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford back in the lineup, Golden State lost Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, 124–118. 

The team’s lack of cohesion together showed as the Warriors struggled to find rhythm early on. Sacramento built a 63–51 halftime lead, but Golden State responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Kings by 19 to climb back into the game. 

However, it wasn’t enough. Curry was pulled midway through the fourth quarter with the game tied 98-98 after tweaking his ankle in the first half. Sacramento took control from there, pulling away behind Devin Carter’s team-high 29-point performance.

Curry and Porzingis each finished with 11 points in roughly 26 minutes of action. Brandin Podziemski was the Warriors’ leading scorer, recording a career-high with 30 points.

What to watch for tonight:

The Warriors enter the regular season finale locked into the 10th seed in the Western Conference standings, meaning any chance for the postseason will have to go through the Play-In Tournament.

As it stands, the Clippers are the Warriors’ most likely opponent in the first play-in game. The only scenario that changes that outcome would involve a Clippers win paired with a Portland Trail Blazers loss, which would send Golden State to Portland instead.

Because of that, Sunday’s game carries a bit of a balancing act. The Warriors won’t want to reveal too much strategically against a potential play-in opponent, but they also need to continue ramping up players returning from injury.

That includes Curry, who is expected to handle a normal workload as Golden State looks to build some rhythm heading into next week.

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!! 

Projected Starters

Warriors: Steph Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis

Clippers: Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., John Collins, Brook Lopez

How to watch Regular Season Game 82

Who: Golden State Warriors (37 – 44) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (41 – 40)

When: Sunday, April 12th, at 5:30 p.m. PT

Where: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles, California

TV and Streaming: NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)

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The San Antonio Spurs are locked into the No. 2 seed, but a win today over the Denver Nuggets could mean avoiding Nikola Jokic & Co. in the second round of the playoffs.

While Denver enters the final day of the regular season as the third seed, there’s still potential to slide back, and my Nuggets vs. Spurs predictions favor a San Antonio squad sitting fewer players.

Take a closer look at this clash on Sunday, April 12, with my NBA picks and betting angles.

Nuggets vs Spurs prediction

Nuggets vs Spurs best bet: Spurs -11.5 (-110)

These teams have served up three thrillers already this season, including an overtime classic earlier this month, but the lengthy injury reports suggest today’s matchup will have less star power.

In that scenario, I have more faith in the San Antonio Spurs’ depth, with Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant among those poised for bigger roles if neither Victor Wembanyama nor Stephon Castle, both questionable, play. The Spurs are 22-16-1 ATS at home this year, and they’ve lost just once at Frost Bank Center since January 25.

Meanwhile, it’s going to be a real mash unit for the Denver Nuggets, with Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, and Cam Johnson all ruled out.

Nikola Jokic (questionable) could log some minutes to hit the 65-game mark, but the visitors will otherwise turn to a collection of fringe rotation guys while shifting their attention toward the playoffs.

That’s enough for me to lay the large spread with the relentless Spurs, who are 9-1 straight up in their last 10, and 32-7 SU at home this year.

Mitch Johnson can still call on a talented rotation, which may even include De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes, and that’s a formula for a comfortable home victory here, ending Denver’s 11-game win streak.

Nuggets vs Spurs same-game parlay

Plenty of San Antonio wins have been sparked by defensive tenacity, and the Under is 47-35 for the hosts this season.

It’s also 6-3 in the Spurs’ last nine outings, and I’m counting on that grit to keep the total below an O/U number that feels high, especially with so many regulars missing for the Nuggets.

Nuggets vs Spurs SGP

• Spurs -11.5
• Under 233.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Straw man argument

There have likely been times this season when Julian Strawther wished he were a bigger part of the Denver offense. Well, tonight is the night for Strawther, who’s walking into all the minutes he can handle, and he poured in 22 points last time out while dishing three assists. Tyus Jones will be another beneficiary of the Nuggets’ decision to rest key players for the playoffs, upping his role as a facilitator.

Nuggets vs Spurs SGP

• Julian Strawther Over 15.5 points
• Julian Strawther Over 1.5 assists
• Julian Strawther Over 3.5 rebounds
• Tyus Jones Over 5.5 assists

Nuggets vs Spurs odds

• Spread: Nuggets +11.5 (-110) | Spurs -11.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Nuggets +400 | Spurs -550
• Over/Under: Over 233 (-110) | Under 233 (-110)

Nuggets vs Spurs betting trend to know

The Spurs are 30-3 SU in their last 33 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Nuggets vs. Spurs.

How to watch Nuggets vs Spurs

Nuggets vs Spurs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

What do the Lakers want? That’s not a question I like asking, but as the final day of the NBA 2025-26 regular season gets underway, it’s a question we must ask.

Here are the playoff scenarios, and what might happen.

First:

1. The Rockets have two possible opponents: Lakers, Nuggets
2. The Rockets can’t change anything about their seeding. They’re 5th. The loss to Minnesota’s B Team guaranteed it.

The Nuggets have a record of 53-28. The Lakers have a record of 52-29. Today the Nuggets play the Spurs, who will apparently rest everyone of note. The Lakers will play the Jazz, who are 22-59. I’m not sure if a loss changes much about their draft odds, as they can’t “catch” Washington, Indiana, or Brooklyn in the loss column. They’re going to finish with the 4th or 5th worst record in the NBA no matter what happens today. The Kings can “pass” the Jazz in the loss column if they win and the Jazz lose. The two teams both have 22 wins. Being 5th greatly increases the odds of getting a pick that falls down as far as seventh in the draft. You have to expect both teams want to lose.

The Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, meaning if their records end up identical, that is, Laker win, Denver loss, the Lakers will move up to 3rd in the Western Conference and play the Timberwolves.

If Denver wins, everything stays the same, Rockets play Lakers. Denver holds on to 3rd place in the West due to a superior record. It won’t matter whether LA wins or loses, as the Lakers can’t catch Denver in the wins column if the Nuggets get a win over the Spurs.

Denver can’t really control anything, though, if the Lakers lose. They’ll still be ahead of LA in the win column, win or lose.

Then there’s the Spurs. Do the Spurs want to keep Denver where they are, on OKC’s side of the playoff bracket in future rounds? If San Antonio thinks Denver is a tougher opponent for OKC than a Laker team missing its two best players, then they definitely want to keep the Nuggets at 3rd. They can do that by losing to Denver.

So this is simply a brilliant situation in which every team playing with seeding at stake in the West has a good reason to lose.

Denver can’t get out of their 3rd seed, if they’d rather play the Rockets, unless LA wins and they lose. But the Spurs may well want to lose, too.

Do the Lakers want to play the Rockets or the Nuggets? Give that the Lakers beat down the Rockets twice in a row, albeit with their roster largely intact, they very well might. They might have reason to believe that if they can steal a win or two early in the series, on some sort of 41 year old Lebron James magic, then Luka and Reaves might be able to return to finish the series against the Rockets. Sure, that leaves them facing OKC, almost certainly, but it also means they advanced a round.

Going to 3rd place gets LA the Timberwolves, but they might think the same thing, steal a game early, hope for medical miracles, and avoid OKC in the second round.

But then the Jazz likely want to lose as well.

Who wants it less? This should be a night of puzzling player choices, baffling substitutions, dubious coaching decisions. So, just another Rockets game for the Rockets. But for the Lakers, Timberwolves, Spurs and Jazz, a night of something else. We’ll see what Denver and LA want, and who they play. Denver played no one in their previous game, and won anyway.

We’ll know by the end of the day. In any case it’s out of the Rockets hands. After losing last night, and LA winning, it doesn’t matter, in playoff terms, what they do. They’ll be in 5th, even if they tie the Lakers, due to those two losses to LA in the baseball series.