Category: NBA

Phoenix Suns (42-35, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (29-48, 12th in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Chicago heads into the matchup against Phoenix as losers of six games in a row.

The Bulls are 18-21 on their home court. Chicago ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with 17.0 fast break points per game led by Matas Buzelis averaging 2.7.

The Suns are 18-20 on the road. Phoenix ranks seventh in the NBA allowing only 111.3 points while holding opponents to 47.2% shooting.

The Bulls score 116.2 points per game, 4.9 more points than the 111.3 the Suns give up. The Bulls average 112.8 points per game, 8.8 fewer points than the 121.6 the Bulls allow to opponents.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Bulls won 105-103 in the last matchup on March 6.

TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Giddey is shooting 44.8% and averaging 17.0 points for the Bulls. Buzelis is averaging 18.6 points over the last 10 games.

Devin Booker is averaging 25.7 points and six assists for the Suns. Collin Gillespie is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 2-8, averaging 119.3 points, 44.0 rebounds, 26.4 assists, 7.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.8 points per game.

Suns: 3-7, averaging 114.7 points, 42.3 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.4 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Jalen Smith: out for season (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Nick Richards: day to day (elbow), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).

Suns: Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).

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

Indiana Pacers (18-59, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Conference foes Cleveland and Indiana meet on Sunday.

The Cavaliers have gone 30-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 28.3 assists per game led by James Harden averaging 8.1.

The Pacers are 14-34 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana averages 13.7 turnovers per game and is 13-25 when turning the ball over less than opponents.

The Cavaliers are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points lower than the 49.1% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers are shooting 45.9% from the field, 0.5% lower than the 46.4% the Cavaliers' opponents have shot this season.

The two teams match up for the fourth time this season. The Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 120-116 in their last meeting on Jan. 7. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 20 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.7 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. Harden is averaging 20.6 points over the last 10 games.

Siakam is averaging 24 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 7-3, averaging 121.0 points, 44.2 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points per game.

Pacers: 3-7, averaging 123.0 points, 38.3 rebounds, 35.0 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.1 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Dean Wade: day to day (ankle), Jaylon Tyson: out (toe).

Pacers: T.J. McConnell: day to day (hamstring), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (back), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Pascal Siakam: day to day (back), Jarace Walker: day to day (back), Aaron Nesmith: day to day (neck), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

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

The Dallas Mavericks kicked off the weekend with a Friday night matchup against the Orlando Magic. Both teams came in ice cold, each 2-8 in their past 10 games. But Orlando had too much firepower against a shorthanded Dallas, as the Mavericks home losing streak extended to 14. But it didn’t matter because there was a bigger storyline for Dallas tonight: Cooper Flagg is special. Here are the grades, as the Mavs shift focus to the Lakers on Sunday.

Cooper Flagg: A+

51 PTS / 6 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 34 MIN

Holy cow. No teenager had ever scored 50 points in an NBA game – until tonight. At 19 years and 103 days old, Cooper Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to hit the 50-point mark (51 actually). He was special tonight. Flagg was 19/30 from the floor, 6/9 from three, and 7/7 from the free throw line. An aggressive Cooper Flagg is a Cooper Flagg that we like to see. From the jump, Flagg was searching for his shot and getting to the rim with relative ease. Even with a physical Magic team hounding him all night, Flagg found a way to get to his spots, and his jumper was hotter than fish grease. When he starts taking pullup jumpers from the perimeter, you know he’s in rhythm.

Naji Marshall: C-

9 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL – 24 MIN

This was an uncharacteristic Naji Marshall game. Marshall was just 3/12 from the floor, missing several of his patented paint floaters. He just didn’t have the touch tonight and was a team worst -16. As icing on the cake, he was ejected with 10:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, after receiving his second technical foul.

Klay Thompson: A

18 PTS / 2 AST / 1 REB – 22 MIN

Klay Thompson is a lot more like us regular folk than one might think. This man just shows up for work, does what he was hired to do, and goes home. He was the hot hand from beyond the arc tonight for Dallas, going 4/10. If you needed a reminder, Klay is closing in on 3,000 three pointers made in his career and if he stays a Maverick this offseason, he’ll do it sometime in 2026. He currently sits at 2,891. And once he eclipses that mark, he’ll be one of only three players to hit 3,000 career threes, joining Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Max Christie: B+

14 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST – 29 MIN

Max Christie, after losing his touch for a few games this season, has been better as of late. He hit a couple threes to give the Mavericks offense life early but was largely silent for the rest of the game. But he impacts the game defensively. Christie was a team high +7 on a night the Mavs lost by 11.

Brandon Williams: B-

23 PTS / 5 AST / 2 REB / 2 STL / 3 TO – 26 MIN

Williams’ ability to attack and finish is never an issue. He has one of the quickest first steps of any guard in the NBA and he’s past you before you can blink. But he had loose hands tonight, adding three turnovers to his five assists. The scoring is there, but Williams is limited in creating offense for others.

Ryan Nembhard: C+

2 PTS / 6 REB / 5 AST / 3 TO – 21 MIN

Nembhard is a good facilitator. He can run and offense and help get guys into their spots. But his lack of size is too often exploited on both ends of the floor. Sometimes his offense can make up for his defense, but it didn’t tonight. Scoring two points with five assists and three turnovers just isn’t good enough.

Daniel Gafford: B

7 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 2 BLK – 20 MIN

Gafford has been through a lot this season. He has no real point guard to play off of and his injuries have kept him from maintaining any consistency in his play. While the stat sheet doesn’t jump off the page tonight, his energy and effort were much needed as the Mavs are desperately searching for something to inject them with some life on a nightly basis.

Dwight Powell: B

0 PTS / 5 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 25 MIN

This is the most Dwight Powell game of Dwight Powell games. He didn’t score but did grab a few rebounds and still moved like he’s 22. Powell was at a severe disadvantage tonight with Orlando’s athletic big men, but as he always does, he tried. And solely for his effort, he would get an A.

Final Thoughts

Orlando, despite its recent struggles, is just the clear better team. They shot well from three, beat the Mavs up in the paint, and just found ways to expose the Mavericks on defense. But the real story was Cooper Flagg. There’s nothing else to be said that hasn’t been already. He’s special and one-of-a-kind. Even if he doesn’t win Rookie of the Year, he’ll be amongst the league’s elite…very soon.

A few notes from the Knicks' win over Chicago on Friday...

ROTATION CHANGE?

Mike Brown went with Jeremy Sochan as his backup center against the Bulls. He was pleased with Sochan's effort.

"It allowed us to do a lot of things like switch pick and rolls," Brown said while giving Sochan the Defensive Player of the Game nod. "It brought a different element to our game. Not just offensively with the speed, but defensively with switching a lot of things and just keeping the ball in front of us."

An interesting wrinkle to Sochan's rotation minutes? Neither Jose Alvarado nor Mohamed Diawara played in the first three quarters of Friday's game.

Afterward, Brown was asked about Alvarado's role with the team. It's a "priority" to play Miles McBride and Landry Shamet at the guard spots off the bench right now, Brown said.

"We think Jose has done a fantastic job for us," Brown said. "… Deuce is getting healthier and Landry's getting healthy and trying to find minutes for those guys -- both of those guys are capable of playing that (backup guard) spot -- is going to be a priority because they've proven themselves this year for us."

Speaking of McBride's health, he was asked about tweaking his groin/ab muscle last Sunday against Oklahoma City. McBride reiterated that the tweak against OKC is part of the process as he returns from sports hernia surgery.

"It's just kind of like a tweak; it's a painful tweak," McBride said. "(It's) like someone stabbing your groin, hip and ab at the same time. It's not fun. I'll get back right. All glory to God."

ANUNOBY'S ALL-DEFENSIVE CASE

Brown was surprised to hear that OG Anunoby has only made one All-Defensive team in his career (second team in 2022-23).

"It's bulls--t, and I can say that with a straight face 'cause he's a great defender and he does a lot of different things that people don't see on that end of the floor for us and for other teams he played for," Brown said. "But more importantly, his versatility is just off the charts and you can do a lot of things with your defense because of him. In my opinion, he deserves First Team All-Defense this year -- and hopefully the powers that be will see it that way, too."

Anunoby agreed with the idea that he should have been named to more than just one All-Defensive team at this point in his career.

"I think I should've gotten it more, for sure," Anunoby said. "I think I should've gotten it last year. I think I should get it this year. That's definitely a goal of mine, coming into the season, especially defensively, being on the first team or second team -- hopefully first."

McBride was also surprised to hear that Anunoby has only made one All-Defensive team in his career. McBride calls Anunoby the "nickel" corner of the Knicks' defense, pointing out that he guards players both bigger and smaller than him.

"I think that speaks to his motor, his work ethic," McBride said. "He super important for us."

BROWN REMAINS CONFIDENT IN GROUP

The Knicks reached 50 wins on Friday night. They've won 50 or more games for three consecutive years. It's the first time a Knicks team has done that since the club had four straight 50-plus-win seasons from 1991-92 to 1994-95.

In a big-picture sense, this season is another in a great run for New York. But this year's team has been inconsistent on both ends of the floor. It has lost three straight to teams above .500.

It's hard to know what to make of the team with four games left before the postseason. What does Brown think about where his team is at the moment?

"You always want your team to be playing at the highest of high cylinders," Brown said before Friday's game. "Do I think we're there right now? No. Do I have belief in this team? Yes, I do. I've seen us play really good basketball throughout the course of the year. Even in games where there's quote-unquote manufactured pressure (such as the NBA Cup). We've played really good basketball.

"I like what we have in that locker room and I like the things that we've done this year, but I expect more from myself first and everybody else second."

Brown noted that his team has performed mostly well in games against Boston, the Thunder and in the NBA Cup. That means something to the head coach.

"All games you want to win, but when you go into Boston, it's different than maybe going into another arena," he said. "Or if you go into OKC, it's different than going into another arena. Those types of games, there's a lot of manufactured pressure just because they're good teams and it’s on national TV and all that good stuff. So to get that (environment) and to be able to perform at a pretty good level -- you embrace that opportunity. You want to win all games, but to win those games -- our guys have done (well) in those situations over the course of the year.

"So my belief is, (with) this group going into the playoffs when it's real, that our guys will rise to the occasion."

The Utah Jazz’s eight-man skeleton crew space walked to another important loss, falling to Houston 106-140 on Friday night. It’s the latest stage in the team’s moon shoot to mediocrity, losing 12 out of the last 13 games, as it navigates a tricky trajectory between competing and not winning. With a Kings loss tonight, the Jazz and Sacramento will have identical records (21-57) as each team races to plant its flag on the fourth worst record in the league. For the Jazz it’s a vital effort as they try to secure the best odds possible in the upcoming lottery, hopefully landing a star who will help them re-enter the atmosphere next season as a playoff contender. As a fan, there are times when you can’t help but cheer on the grit and fight of the group of largely second- and third-unit players who are steering the team through the last games of the season. But there are other times (tonight is one example) when you have to remind yourself that in space no one can hear you scream.

Kyle Filipowski – B+

Kyle’s decisiveness in driving to the basket was on display tonight, including a couple of spin moves in the paint which left the defender in a whirl. He had the highlight of the night, defying gravity to pass the ball off the glass to himself in midair for a dunk. His three-point shot was off tonight, going 0-4, but he was active on the boards, grabbing 7 rebounds to go along with his 17 points. Like most of the team, he struggled to contain Durant and Sengun without fouling and ended up fouling out in the 4th Quarter.

Ace Bailey – B

Ace had a hard time getting into a rhythm in the first half, starting the game with a travel, a missed jumper and a turnover and picking up two early fouls. He made some adjustments at half-time and ended the game with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and a block. It wasn’t his best shooting night from three, going 2-8, but his mid-range game continues to impress as he skillfully finds his spot within the arc.

Brice Sensabaugh – B+

Brice continues to play with an edge, using his 235 lb frame to battle in the paint and scrap for loose balls. He also showed his playmaking ability, doling out a team high 5 assists, including a 2nd Quarter steal and pass to Ace for three. The development of his mid-range game and drives to the basket show the work he’s put in to expand his offensive skills. He finished the game with 20 points, 3 rebounds and a block, but also had a team high 6 turnovers.

Cody Williams – A

Cody’s impact on the game is light years from where it was at the beginning of this season. He recorded a double double tonight, leading the team with 27 points and 11 rebounds. He was particularly active on the offensive glass, snagging 5 offensive rebounds. His confidence in his mid-range game and in driving to the basket is at an all-time high. In the 1st quarter he even pulled off a Kareem-like hook shot. Once he adds a consistent three- pointer, he will be a tough player to defend.

John Konchar – C+

A rough shooting night for John, going 1-7 from the field and 1-4 from three-point territory. He was his usual scrappy self on defense, grabbing 2 offensive rebounds, creating 2 steals and blocking a shot. He also showed off his playmaking skills, dishing out 3 assists, including a no look pass to Cody for a basket in the third quarter. But his struggles in scoring hurt the Jazz in trying to compete with a red-hot Rockets squad.

Kennedy Chandler – C-

As the only true point guard in the rotation, Kennedy had an opportunity to display the ball-handling and scoring skills that have earned him a second 10 day contract. Unfortunately, it was not his night as he struggled mightily from the field, going 1-9 for 2 points and sitting on the bench the entire 3rd Quarter.

Oscar Tshiebwe – A-

Short of growing a few inches, it’s hard to see what else Oscar can do to avoid being sucked into the gravitational pull of another long stint in the G League. His scoring is much improved (15 points tonight to go along with 10 rebounds) and he vacuums up offensive rebounds like an overcharged Roomba. His effort is never in question, running the length of the floor to put home a lob from Kennedy in the 4th Quarter. His one weakness is being overpowered and outmaneuvered by bigger, stronger players and he faced one of the best tonight in Sengun.

Bez Mbeng – C-

Bez must feel like he’s still floating in zero gravity after being signed to a 2 year contract by the Jazz earlier this week. Unfortunately, the offensive onslaught from the Rockets quickly brought him back to earth. The defensive effort was certainly there—he recorded 2 steals and a block—but like the rest of his teammates, he had no answers for Sengun, Durant and company, who swarmed the court like a Klingon war party. To make matters worse, Bez was 0-4 from the field, on a night when the Jazz needed all the scoring they could get.

Despite a season-ending surgery, Day’Ron Sharpe had a career year. 

But he’s intent on honing his body to be even better in 2026-27. 

“Everything’s been going pretty good post-surgery, just rehabbing now, trying to stay in shape and stuff like that so I have a good summer,” Sharpe said. “I’d say I feel like I could do better, but I’ve shown growth this season. So it’s just all about showing growth and getting better overall. 

“From Year 1 to now, I feel like this season was another year of growth, so I’m just trying to build off that and continue to show growth in my career.” 

Speaking to the local media for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament tear in his left thumb, Sharpe was coming off his best season. 

Sharpe averaged career highs of 8.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and shot a team-best 60.1 percent overall. He’d always struggled finishing around the rim amid taller centers, but he took a quantum leap in that category as well. 

He’s worked to reshape his body over the years, dropping baby fat and leaning out. But Sharpe will look to take another step toward that end. 

“My body still has been one of my biggest things,” said Sharpe, 24. “So just my body in general because I want to be more explosive next season. I’m trying to dunk on guys more next season. 

“My 3-pointer — I believe I can shoot the ball great — so just keep building my confidence in that area and just being more comfortable with the ball in my hands. The style of basketball we play, we run a lot of split game, so just being more comfortable with the basketball in my hand so I can make better decisions when I have the basketball in my hand.” 

Part of that focus on reshaping his body was to make himself more explosive vertically, to dunk on one end and to protect the rim on the other. 

But it’s also to enable him to play more extended minutes, and possibly vie with Nic Claxton for a starting role. 

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“I’d say both,” Sharpe said. “Me working on my body helps me be more vertical overall, just losing some weight, also. And then the style of basketball I play, for me to be able to play that style of basketball for longer periods of time. So I’d just say both.” 

Since joining the Nets, Sharpe has been a backup, but as he has consistently improved, he’s become more and more of a viable contender for the starting job. 

After inking Sharpe to a team-friendly two-year, $12.5 million contract last summer, the Nets hold a $6.25 million team option for next season. But he’s outperformed his contract, despite the abbreviated campaign. 

Would he negotiate a long-term extension this summer? 

“I don’t know,” Sharpe said. “Whatever the team has in plan for me, that’s what they got.” 

Sharpe’s offensive rebound percentage (18.5) is the best in league history for players who’ve logged 200 games. But he’s rebounding out other parts of his game. 

“It’s been his work ethic and how much he’s matured, and credit to him to put the work in and being consistent, how he’s changed his body,” coach Jordi Fernández said. “Very happy. Not just the work ethic and the production, but also the type of person that we have in the locker room. Day’Ron has got a big personality, fills the room, everybody loves him and that’s important for a group. And he cares and he wants to compete and he wants to get better. The sky’s the limit for him. 

“We’ve been working with him playing longer stretches, and when Nic’s been out, he’s been able to do it. 

“Those experiences are important. And it’s not just me saying it, it is within those two that are our centers and the anchor of defense. When they’ve played very well, our defense has been very good. There’s areas of improvement from efficiency to percentages and shots, but I’m not really worried because if he continues with this trend, everything is going to work out very well.”

There’s always a little drama in Philadelphia.

The Sixers on Friday overcame a slow start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-103 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The win, their eighth victory in their last 11 games, improved their record to 43-34. They sit in the sixth seed and final guaranteed playoff spot with five games remaining.

But Joel Embiid, who shook off early struggles to have a solid overall game, was still unhappy with the team’s decision to not allow him to play in Wednesday’s win over the Wizards in D.C. The star center was dealing with an illness in the Sixers’ loss to the Heat in Miami on Monday. The team then listed him as out Wednesday after he didn’t participate in shootaround that morning.

That led Embiid to confuse everyone on April Fools, a day where his Tr-oel persona usually shines. He made multiple posts signifying his desire to play that night in the nation’s capital.

Must be APRIL FOOLS joke???? Played against Miami in the same conditions and I’m planning to play tonight!!! #SweatItOuthttps://t.co/EAMq2679u2

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) April 1, 2026

I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) April 1, 2026

It was president of basketball operations Daryl Morey who seemingly made the call. Gina Mizell of The Inquirer cited a phone call with Morey to get Embiid’s definitive status.

And it was Morey who Embiid deferred to during his postgame availability Friday:

“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions. Going into Miami, I was pretty sick, but I understood how important the game was and I still want to go out there and give us a chance to try to do something. … Felt a little better going into Washington. Definitely much better than I felt against Miami. Woke up [Wednesday], didn’t sleep until like 5 or 6 in the morning, with that, I couldn’t make it to shootaround. And then after that I found out online that I wasn’t playing that night. So, that kind of caught me off guard and that pissed me off. But then again, I guess they make the decisions, so it doesn’t matter what I think or not. I just got to follow. So, to answer your question, it’s more of a question for Daryl and them. I don’t know what’s going on. I just want to play basketball.”

It sounds like Embiid’s frustration comes in part because he found out about his playing status on social media. At the same time, this is his version of events and surely the team tried to get a hold of him before officially declaring him out.

Ultimately, this could be nothing. Embiid wanted to play. He missed shootaround (and they were playing an aggressively tanking team), so he was ruled out. Could there be a disconnect there between Embiid and the front office? Maybe, but this is also the kind of thing that could just as easily blow over.

While it seems highly unlikely Embiid would be available for both legs of a back-to-back, the former MVP didn’t rule out playing Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons.

“There’s a chance,” Embiid said. “I don’t know. I guess these guys decide to let me play or not. So, whatever they tell me, I guess I got to follow.”

The Dallas Mavericks played the Orlando Magic on Friday night, losing 138-127. Dallas kept things close for most of the first half, but fell behind big in the third quarter and couldn’t recover from there despite a big game from Cooper Flagg.

51: Cooper Flagg’s point total

Flagg was in peak form Friday night, making a push for Rookie of the Year while still playing within both himself and the team’s flow. Flagg is aware there is precious little time left to make his case for ROY, and may have caught wind of ESPN’s straw poll that currently has him as runner up. He put on a highly efficient show against Orlando, going 19-for-30 from the floor including 6-for-9 from deep. He scored from everywhere – dunks that ended with him hanging from the rim like Spider-Man, a variety of midrange jumpers, and a few from beyond the arc including a nice step-back. According to Statsmuse, Flagg joins Michael Jordan as the only rookies with multiple 45-point games since the NBA-ABA merger. He is also the youngest player (and first teenager) to ever have a 50-point game!

71: First half points given up by the Mavs

Offense was not lacking for either team, but if you believed Dallas took a lead into halftime with their 58 points, no one would blame you. Instead, they trailed by 13 points. They allowed Orlando to shoot just north of 57% from both beyond the arc and overall in the first half. Things didn’t improve much from there, as the Magic carried nearly those same absurdly inflated percentages throughout the rest of the game as well.

14:The number of three-pointers made by each team

The Mavericks are not the most prolific or effective three-point shooting team, so it was nice to see Klay Thompson and Max Christie get hot in the early going. Cooper Flagg joined them and the trio combined to make 13 from beyond the arc (Naji Marshall made one as well). Matching the other teams’ makes from deep is an accomplishment for the Mavs, however it took Dallas 16 more attempts than Orlando to make those 14 treys.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

When asked about the Knicks’ recent slow starts before Friday’s matchup with the Bulls, Josh Hart was candid.

It’s something the team’s dealt with for multiple years, and he couldn’t pinpoint why.

“We’ve been getting off to slow starts for two years now,” Hart said. “If I had the answers, we would be better.”

In their past four games before Friday, the Knicks had varying first-quarter results, trailing early in losses to Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Houston before a 48-point frame kick-started a win over Memphis.

But on Friday against the Bulls, the Knicks looked like a completely different animal. They jumped up 20-1 and held Chicago without a basket until seven minutes in. That led to a 78-41 halftime advantage, putting the game away early.

The Knicks eventually prevailed 136-96, maintaining their position as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with four regular-season games remaining.

“Tonight we started the right way, and when we do, we might jump on somebody,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said postgame. “It’s about making our opponents feel us executing our defense the right way every possession, not giving up any easy baskets in transition and finishing it with the defense rebound.”

Before the game, Brown credited the Knicks’ recent sluggish starts to poor defense. With the playoffs on the horizon, his team had to start on the right foot.

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“A lot of it has been our defense,” Brown said. “In the first quarter, we’re 19th [in the league] right now, and fourth quarter, we’re first by a mile. So for us to bring that same sense of urgency to start the games defensively, it’s going to be big for us.”

Against Charlotte, the Knicks were down 24-14 early and eventually trailed by 21. Versus the Thunder, they started down seven. In Houston, those struggles were glaring when they faced an early 22-5 deficit.

But across their past two games — albeit against subpar opponents — the Knicks have improved.

The Knicks led the Grizzlies by 17 after one half. Hart credited the offensive success to aggressive ball movement. Friday, that stretched to a whopping 37-point halftime lead.

“Tonight, we just came out with a different energy,” Miles McBride said. “The first five really set a tone, and the bench follows.”

Early on, the Knicks had success wanted inside, accruing 40 first-half points in the paint. Usually known for his rebounding, Mitchell Robinson dropped 15 of his 17 points in the opening half — his most in a game since mid-December.

Defensively, they lived up to Brown’s wishes, too. Chicago had one point and zero made buckets until about five minutes left in the first quarter and shot 35 percent at halftime.

The blistering start helped New York easily close out the win. For a team looking like it was headed south, it was a welcome sign as the postseason looms.

Entering the final stretch of the 2025-2026 season, there was never a question whether the Rockets should win against a young, inexperienced, and oft injured Utah Jazz. The question was, can the Rockets get up big and be able to rest their key players in the 4th quarter, rather than let yet another inferior team hang around and threaten to steal a game the Rockets should win? Thankfully for the hometown faithful, the answer to that question is yes.

After knotting the game up at 11 in the first quarter, the Rockets would go on a 23-11 run and never look back. The Rockets flexed their muscle over the Jazz shooting 55.4 percent for the game, including 46.9 percent from the three-point line. With 30 assists and just 10 turnovers the Rockets were able to avoid a let down late in the game.

Six players scored in double-figures with Kevin Durant leading the way with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Alperen Sengun scored 19 points, also shooting 8-of-12 from the field. Amen Thompson chipped in with 21 points, 8 rebounds and Reed Sheppard had another quality game at starting point guard with 12 points, 7 assists and shooting 4-of-8 from the arc. Jabari Smith and Tari Eason scored 18 points and 16 points respectively.

Now that the Rockets have clinched a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the bar is obviously set higher than winning what was really a meaningless game to the Jazz, who organizationally had more incentive to lose than win. However a five-game win streak with just five games left on the schedule is nothing to shake a stick at. The Rockets can’t really afford to try and play the matchup game headed into the postseason. They need to win as many games as possible and be playing their best brand of basketball of the season if they hope to make any type of deep run. Other than perhaps health, that will be the most important thing moving forward.

The Rockets get to experience a playoff atmosphere in San Francisco as their next game will be against the Warriors with Stephen Curry returning to the lineup hoping to help his team clinch a play-in spot. The game starts at 9:00 PM CST and as always we will have all the coverage yo need right here on TDS.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg isn't ready to be ruled out of the Rookie of the Year race just yet.

The race between Flagg and his former Duke teammate, Kon Knueppel of the Charlotte Hornets, has been close.

But Flagg sent a message Friday night, becoming the first teenager to score at least 50 points in an NBA regular-season game.

Despite the strong individual performance, the Mavericks suffered a 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic.

51 POINTS FOR COOPER FLAGG.

FIRST TEENAGER TO SCORE 50 IN AN NBA GAME 🚨 pic.twitter.com/kaZiyOTczI

— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026

Flagg surpassed his career high of 49 points, which he set against the Hornets on Jan. 29.

He becomes just the 10th rookie in NBA history to score 50-plus points, and the third since the NBA/ABA merger (1976-77), according to the Mavericks.

Flagg's performance followed up on what was a memorable night for Knueppel on Thursday.

Here’s how Flagg’s performance went on Friday night:

Cooper Flagg stats vs. Magic

• Points: 51
• FG: 19-for-30
• 3PT: 6-for-9
• FT: 7-for-7
• Rebounds: 6
• Assists: 3
• Steals: 3
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 1
• Fouls: 3
• Minutes played: 34

Cooper Flagg highlights vs. Magic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg points tonight, Magic vs Mavericks stats

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George scored 23 points, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. each had 21 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 115-103 on Friday night.

Joel Embiid had 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in his return to the lineup to help the 76ers remain sixth in the Eastern Conference with five games to play.

Julius Randle and Bones Hyland each had 21 points for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards struggled to eight points. Edwards was back in action after sitting out Thursday night in a 113-108 loss at Detroit due to illness. He missed 12 of 15 shots overall, including all seven 3-point tries.

Embiid, who didn’t play Wednesday night in a 153-131 victory at Washington due to illness, scored 13 points in the third period when the 76ers outscored Minnesota 42-24. The 76ers trailed 70-68 with 2:50 remaining in the period before scoring 15 of the final 16 points of the quarter to enter the fourth ahead 83-71. Maxey had six points during the stretch, and Quentin Grimes finished the spurt with back-to-back fast-break layups.

George’s 3-pointer with 6 1/2 minutes to play put Philadelphia ahead by a game-high 17 points. But Minnesota got as close as within six points in the final 1 1/2 minutes before Oubre put it away with consecutive 3-pointers.

HORNETS 129, PACERS 108

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 22 points, Kon Knueppel added 20 and Charlotte beat Indiana for its eighth victory in 10 games.

Miles Bridges scored 19 points and LaMelo Ball had 18 points and nine assists to help the Hornets improve to 42-26. Charlotte was 24 of 49 from 3-point range.

Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 30 points. The Pacers (18-59) had won two in a row.

The Hornets entered the night in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings — 1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia and Toronto.

They left no doubt about this one.

Behind a flurry of early 3-pointers — including three in the first quarter from reserve Sion James — the Hornets raced to a 31-11 lead. Charlotte shot 14 of 27 from 3-point range in the first half to take a 69-50 lead.

Knueppel, who set the franchise record for 3s in a season Thursday night against Phoenix, finished 3 of 7 from beyond the arc and also showed versatility in his game with a coast-to-coast layup.

HAWKS 141, NETS 107

NEW YORK (AP) — CJ McCollum had 25 points and seven assists and surging Atlanta routed Brooklyn for its fourth straight victory and 18th in 20 games.

Fifth in the Eastern Conference at 45-33, the Hawks remained 1 1/2 games ahead of sixth-place Philadelphia and moved within 3 1/2 games of fourth-place Cleveland. Atlanta and Cleveland will play a home-and-set next week.

McCollum was 8 of 12 from the field, hitting 4 of 7 3-pointers.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points, and Jalen Johnson had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu scored 15 points.

Nic Claxton led Brooklyn with 16 points, and Malachi Smith had 15. The Nets lost their second straight to fall to 18-59.

Atlanta scored the first 10 points and led 35-17 with 1:28 left in the first quarter. It was 71-55 at the half, with McCollum scoring 16 points and Johnson 13. McCollum was 4 of 5 from the field in the half, hitting three 3-pointers without a miss.

KNICKS 136, BULLS 96

NEW YORK (AP) — OG Anunoby scored 31 points, Mitchell Robinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and New York routed Chicago in a game they led by 47 points.

Anunoby was 9 for 15 from the field, including 7 for 10 from 3-point range, and Robinson made each of his seven shots starting in place of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who did not play because of a right elbow impingement.

All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson had 17 points and 10 assists to help the Knicks win their second consecutive game after dropping three in a row.

For New York (50-28), the blowout victory cemented its third consecutive season with at least 50 wins — a feat the club had not accomplished since the 1991-92 to 1993-94 campaigns. The Knicks lost the 1994 NBA Finals to Houston and were able to surpass the 50-win plateau the following season.

Collin Sexton had 19 points for the Bulls. They have lost their last six games and 10 of 12.

CELTICS 133, BUCKS 101

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 26 points, Jayson Tatum added 23, and hot-shooting Boston capitalized on another fast start in a victory over short-handed Milwaukee.

Tatum was an assist shy of his second straight triple-double despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter of a game the Celtics never trailed. He had 11 rebounds and nine assists Friday after collecting 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists Wednesday in a 147-129 triumph over the Miami Heat.

In the Miami game, Boston scored 53 points in the opening period — its highest first-quarter point total in franchise history. The Celtics didn’t quite match that Friday, but they made eight of their first nine 3-point attempts and led 43-26 after the opening period.

That represented the most first-quarter points Milwaukee had allowed all season.

Boston remained 2 1/2 games ahead of the New York Knicks in the competition for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics are four games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.

Neemias Queta had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 56.2% overall and 17 of 37 from 3-point range. Derrick White scored 17, Payton Pritchard 16 and Sam Hauser 13.

Taurean Prince scored 18 points to lead Milwaukee. Pete Nance had 14 points and a career-high 10 rebounds.

ROCKETS 140, JAZZ 106

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Houston won its fifth straight game, beating Utah.

Durant shot 8 of 12 from the field and added five assists. It was the 45th time this season he’s scored 20 or more points while shooting 50% or better. That’s second among NBA players behind Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has done it 47 times.

Amen Thompson had 21 points and Alperen Sengun scored 19 for the Rockets (48-29), who clinched a playoff spot Thursday. They are a game behind Denver for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Cody Williams led the Jazz with 27 points and 11 rebounds, but they shot just 5 of 27 from behind the 3-point line.

Utah (21-57) has lost eight consecutive games and 12 of 13.

RAPTORS 128, GRIZZLIES 96

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 25 points, Brandon Ingram had 17 points and seven rebounds and Toronto built a first-half lead, extended it in the third and coasted to a victory over Memphis.

Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, the ninth overall pick last summer, added 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting to help Toronto snap a two-game skid. Murray-Boyles had a career-high 20 points against Sacramento on Wednesday night.

Trying to avoid the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, Toronto remained seventh in the standings, through it has the same record as sixth-place Philadelphia.

GG Jackson led Memphis with 30 points, and Cedric Coward had 15. The Grizzlies lost for the eighth time in nine games. Jackson was 10 of 16 from the field.

A 13-4 run by Toronto to end the first half gave the Raptors a 59-41 lead at the break. The advantage would stretch to 31 near the five-minute mark of the third, and reach 33 in the fourth quarter.

MAGIC 138, MAVERICKS 127

DALLAS (AP) — Wendell Carter Jr. scored 28 points and Orlando beat Dallas, overcoming a 51-point showing from rookie No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and handing the Mavericks their 14th consecutive loss at home.

Desmond Bane had 27 points as the Magic remained a half-game behind eighth-place Charlotte in the Eastern Conference. Orlando is safely in the play-in tournament with an outside shot at the top six and automatic entry into the East playoffs.

Coach Jason Kidd and Maji Marshall were ejected seconds apart early in the fourth quarter for the lottery-bound Mavericks, who are on their longest home losing streak at 25-year-old American Airlines Center. Dallas lost the first 19 games of the 1993-94 season at since-demolished Reunion Arena.

Flagg was caught up in the disagreement that led to Kidd’s ejection, drawing his own technical foul before Kidd went onto the court apparently to protest the same non-call that drew Flagg’s ire.

The 19-year-old responded with 24 points in the fourth quarter to become the youngest in NBA history with a 50-point game.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 22.5
VJ Edgecombe – 12
Joel Embiid – 10.5
Paul George – 8
Justin Edwards – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

On a night those near them in the Eastern Conference standings drew easier assignments, the Sixers overcame a low-scoring first half to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-103. For a change, it was Philadelphia laying the smackdown in the third quarter, outscoring the Wolves in the period, 42-24. That effort flipped a six-point halftime deficit and proved just enough to hold on for the victory. As a result, the Sixers maintained their spot in sixth place in the East, with Toronto and Charlotte both winning behind them. Things could change when Philadelphia is right back at it on Saturday night against Detroit, but let’s focus for now on Friday night’s Bell Ringer nominees.

Paul George: 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 6 turnovers

For those arguing that the league should shorten the number of games in the regular season, they could point to how much better Paul George looks with 25 fewer contests on the schedule. Coming off his suspension, PG has been a new man, wreaking havoc on both ends of the court with a spring in his step. George almost singlehandedly kept the Sixers hanging around in the first half, scoring 15 points when no teammate had more than five. His stepback jumper off the dribble against Donte DiVincenzo was some vintage And 1 mixtape stuff. Highlighting his great defensive work, George picked Ayo Dosunmu’s pocket with around one minute left in the game to help seal the victory.

Paul George just straight up cooked Donte DiVincenzo: pic.twitter.com/CZzTOVuln9

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) April 3, 2026

Kelly Oubre Jr.: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 turnovers

For one night, Jhoan Duran was not the best closer in Philadelphia. With the Wolves threatening to make a game of it with two minutes remaining, Oubre took Julius Randle off the dribble from the top of the key and converted an and-one play. Less than a minute later, he sank a huge catch-and-shoot three from the corner to make it a three-possession game again. On the following possession, he sank the nail in the coffin three from the top of the arc. Overall, Oubre was 4-of-6 from behind the arc. It’s such a huge boost on nights when he’s hitting his outside shots given what he brings to the table in all the other aspects of the game.

https://t.co/XtNh38rQMGpic.twitter.com/DhsYW8r9FF

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 4, 2026

Tyrese Maxey: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers

It was a quieter night than most for Tyrese, but he still found a lot of ways to contribute to the victory. Maxey was the catalyst in the third-quarter turnaround, scoring 17 points and five assists in the period. Tyrese attacked from all levels, nailing a three from a couple feet behind the arc, knocking down a mid-range jumper, and getting into the paint for a few buckets. On one, he converted a lefty floater off the dribble that felt like a new tool on his belt. Maxey also made two great blocks to recover from behind on drives from Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu in what was an efficient, two-way performance from the star guard.

getting fancy with it pic.twitter.com/5Nfe85WUos

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 3, 2026

The NBA is investigating the Milwaukee Bucks and their handling of its player participation policy as it relates to their best player.

The league is not only looking into possible policy violations, but also the inconsistent statements regarding the health of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The league has already interviewed Antetokounmpo, members of the Bucks and the team’s doctors, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

Antetokounmpo has not played since March 15, and the team has struggled during the absence of its star player.

The Bucks ruled Antetokounmpo out for the game against the Houston Rockets on April 2 with left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. They were eliminated from playoff contention in late March, missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

The lack of success this season only fueled more speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future with the team. Especially as he insists he wants to play.

Bucks co-owner and governor Wes Edens told ESPN that the team will likely pursue one of two outcomes regarding Antetokounmpo this offseason: either the team will sign the star to another extension, or he will be traded.

Antetokounmpo is eligible for a contract extension on Oct. 1.

Lorenzo Reyes contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA investigating Bucks over Giannis Antetokounmpo health

The Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets played in what was clearly an end-of-season game for two teams going in different directions this offseason. Houston won easily, 140-106. Houston is a talented but imperfect team that was able to out-talent the Jazz, who are playing a rotation of developmental players, rookies, and 10-day contract players. Utah is currently in the 5th spot of the lottery, hoping to potentially catch the Sacramento Kings and move into 4th. The Rockets are in the 5th spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, hoping to jump to 4th.

With both teams at almost exact opposites of the standings spectrum, it’s hard not to feel better about the future of the Jazz compared to the Rockets. Houston cashed their chips to bring on Kevin Durant and started the season hot, but have slowly been on a downward trajectory. Losing Steven Adams was a big loss, and they haven’t been right since a recent group chat story involving Kevin Durant during the All-Star break. The Jazz are having to rest every player and sign a group of 10-day contract players to make sure they keep their pick this season. With Jaren Jackson Jr. waiting to join an already interesting core of Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey, and Walker Kessler, it’s hard not to think the Jazz could pass up the Rockets as soon as next season. And what if the Jazz win the lottery?

That said, this is a recap of what happened tonight. Utah lost by a lot, but were able to show some real improvement from some of their young core. Cody Williams scored 27 points on 10/16 shooting from the field, he was 7/10 from the free throw line with 11 rebounds. Oh, and he also dished out 4 assists. Quite the line from a player who was getting called a bust after an up-and-down rookie season. Now, it’s clear that Williams is a player who will be a part of the rotation in future seasons. How much is the question?

Ace Bailey continues to show the flashes of a bright future with his combination of shooting and now impressive drives to the rim. Bailey has been the opposite of his scouting report, where he was called a selfish chucker. Instead, he’s a player who looks for the pass, rebounds, and defends hard while also shooting the ball at a higher level than expected. Tonight, Bailey had 22 points with 6 rebounds, and it didn’t look particularly hard for him to get there.

Brice Sensabaugh was solid again tonight with his 20 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. It’s the 5 assists that are really encouraging. To start the season, Sensabaugh had a style of play that stopped the ball and hurt the flow of the offense. Now, Sensabaugh is looking more and more comfortable playing within the offense and not looking to shoot every time he has the ball. His shooting has also improved, and he’s scoring an impressive amount regardless of the opponent. That scoring is going to make him a valuable player the Jazz can call on in the future when they need scoring off the bench.

Finally, Kyle Filipowski is proving he’s an effective NBA rotation player. His scoring is legit against a wide variety of opponents. Tonight he was solid with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He’s proving that he can be an effective weapon off the bench as a power forward. Utah will need him next season for depth, even though it may be difficult to find minutes for him. At times, they may use him as a “break-glass-in-case-of-emergency” center if they need a stretch five that can score, but that comes with real problems on defense. That said, Utah has a known commodity in Filipowski, who can score on good efficiency, and his contract makes that really valuable.

Utah now has just four games left and will be watching the standings really closely. There’s a reasonable chance they pass the Kings, but that will take the Kings making silly mistakes. On second thought, maybe that’s a real possibility.