Category: NBA

From AAU games in Ohio to college gyms up and down the Atlantic Coast Conference to the NBA, Luke Kennard has always been met with the same warning.

“Shooter!"

LeBron James, however, knows better than to put Kennard in a box.

The Lakers superstar watched Kennard’s career grow since he was playing on James’ AAU team in Ohio, where, yes, Kennard shot the lights out, but he also displayed the same versatility that made him a fitting emergency point guard during the Lakers’ shorthanded late-season push.

Read more:LeBron James and resilient Lakers defeat Suns, stay in hunt for No. 3 playoff seed

“He's just a ball player,” James said. “... People just kind of gave him the narrative of just being a shooter. But he does so many more things. He can handle the ball, he can rebound the ball, he can make plays. ... And what we're missing right now, we need it [from him]. We need it more and more than ever.”

Beyond being the league's leading three-point shooter, Kennard has 31 assists in the last four games, stepping up his ball-handling responsibilities for the Lakers, who must finish the regular season Sunday against the Utah Jazz without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Kennard had three assists with 19 points in the Lakers’ 101-73 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday that clinched home-court advantage in the first round.

The 29-year-old has averaged 2.3 assists per game in his NBA career and only 1.7 per game for the Lakers (52-29) since he joined in a midseason trade. But without Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers have relied on offense by committee. During the last four games, 77.3% of the Lakers’ made field goals have been assisted.

“Just being organized, controlling pace,” Kennard said of the team’s ability to share the ball in recent games. “Guys not overthinking too much, just playing within the flow of the game.”

Kennard’s poise was been paramount for the team during an emotional week. The eight-year veteran who has cycled through five teams and been traded midseason twice provides steadiness, Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

“He’s a professional,” Redick said. “He comes to work, he's a great teammate. He does what the team asks him to do. … No matter what you sort of give him, he'll embrace it.”

Kennard was, in fact, a point guard in high school, he said proudly. While at Franklin High, he passed James on Ohio’s all-time scoring list. He solidified his status as a prolific shooter at Duke. Redick is familiar with that particular fate, he said with a wry smile.

Redick approached Kennard after Doncic and Reaves were injured against Oklahoma City last Thursday to discuss the contingency plan of him taking on more ball-handling responsibilities. The Lakers had one day of practice in Dallas, and the team walked through several plays with Kennard at different positions. It was the only practice day the Lakers have had since the season-altering injuries. The rest of Kennard’s learning has been through conversations with coaches, film study and instinctual play on the court.

He responded with his first career triple-double in the first game in his new role: 15 points, 11 assists and 16 rebounds in the Lakers’ loss to the Mavericks.

Read more:LeBron James powers shorthanded Lakers to important win over Warriors

But Kennard is notoriously hard on himself. He lamented Tuesday — after he scored 10 points with nine assists but missed both of his three-point attempts in a loss to Oklahoma City — that he wishes he was shooting better recently. During the first four games in April, he was just three-for-13 (23.1%) from three. He is still leading the league in three-point shooting at 47.8% this season.

Despite playing with a splint on his left index finger after suffering an injury in the Lakers’ win over Golden State on Thursday, the left-handed Kennard made his first three-pointer Friday, getting fouled on the play to earn a four-point opportunity. He finished two for four from three against the Suns and six for 12 from the floor. It was the first time he’d made multiple threes in a game since March 30 against Washington.

“We all feel like every time he shoots the ball, it's gonna go in,” Redick said. “Whether that's a floater, a midi, or a three I think he's got a great deal of confidence and a lot of that comes from his preparation and his work. I think the biggest thing for us is, with our current group, having those other ball handlers so we can give him breaks from being on ball all the time.”

Getting Marcus Smart back from injury Friday helped ease the ball-handling burden on Kennard. Smart had missed nine games because of a lingering right ankle injury. Smart had six points and seven assists in his first game since March 21.

The Lakers waived guard Kobe Bufkin on Friday to open a roster spot for the postseason, possibly to add a veteran guard to bolster backcourt while Doncic and Reaves are out. The Lakers have until Sunday’s regular-season finale to sign any player waived by his former team before March 1 to standard contract.

Read more:Plaschke: Broken Lakers need to shut down the season

James, playing for the second consecutive night Tuesday, had 12 assists with 28 points and six rebounds. In three appearances since the injuries to Doncic and Reaves, James has averaged 28 points, 12 assists and 5.8 rebounds on 60% shooting from the field.

Fitting James, Doncic and Reaves together came with growing pains, but pairing James and Kennard has felt simple. These two of the most prolific scorers in high school basketball history in Ohio are cut from the same cloth.

“It’s just because it's two cerebral basketball players,” James said. “That's why it's seamless. He's smart as hell. I'm smart as hell at this game.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

There’s a silver lining to the Lakers’ hellish turn of events. 

LeBron James has been unleashed. 

The King has been let out of his so-called cage. He has gone from being the team’s third option to the head of the snake. We’re getting to see what the 41-year-old is actually capable of doing at this stage in his career. 

And it’s stunning to witness. 

Things around the Lakers’ locker room are depressing. They have an emotional hangover from losing Luka Doncic (strained hamstring) and Austin Reaves (strained oblique) last week to injuries. Some of the guys on the court need name tags to be recognized. The team’s hopes of a deep playoff run are dead in the water. 

But the Lakers are still a must-watch show.

And it’s because of James. What he’s doing is unprecedented. He’s redefining what’s possible. 

On Friday, he helped the Lakers clinch homecourt advantage as either the third or fourth seed in the first round of the playoffs with a 101-73 win over the Suns.

James, who played on the second night of a back-to-back, finished with 28 points (10-for-16 shooting from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc), 12 assists and six rebounds. 

The night before?

He had 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting, 11 assists and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 119-103 win over the Warriors.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the absurdity of that.

James is the only player in NBA history to play in his 23rd season. Last month, pundits were proclaiming the Lakers were better without him. Byron Scott said in February on a local radio show that James should leave the team after this season.

The James slander was at an all-time high — and that’s really saying something.  

James responded by becoming the team’s third option after he returned from a three-game absence at the top of March. He decided to plug in the holes behind Doncic and Reaves, who were shining together. Arguably the greatest player of all time embraced being a role player. 

His sacrifice is even more impressive now after seeing what he’s capable of doing. 

Over the last three games without Doncic and Reaves, James has averaged 28 points (60% shooting from the field and 46% shooting from beyond the arc), 12.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds. Before that stretch, he had averaged 17.5 points since becoming LA’s third option. 

It’s a mind-blowing transformation. He can turn on the faucet with such ease. He still has it.

On any given night, he’s capable of being the best player on the court.

“I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past, but obviously it wasn’t what it was this year,” James said. “But circumstances have put me back in there, and I’m just trying to feed off my teammates, teammates are feeding off of me, and just trying to make things happen for us to continue to stay afloat.”

James has given the Lakers a reason to still play. He has given them motivation. Inspiration.

Just a few days ago, Lakers coach JJ Redick bemoaned that he needed to find nine players who were still willing to fight after the team’s 36-point loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, in which James was sidelined because of left foot injury management. 

After that rout, the team held a meeting.

James made an impression.  

“In the meeting, in the walkthrough [Thursday] morning just the way he carried himself, just he really set the tone for the team,” Redick said. “Guys followed that.”

If arguably the greatest player of all time is still pouring himself into the game, how can his teammates not follow suit?

James isn’t giving up. He’s doubling down. He’s roaring. 

It has led to some changes.

Deandre Ayton has started playing harder. Luke Kennard has shined, transforming from being a 3-point specialist into a point guard. Marcus Smart returned Friday from a nine-game absence because of a right ankle contusion, infusing the team with some life on the defensive end.

The Lakers are lost in the wilderness. But they’re willing to follow James.

It’s no secret that the Lakers are being looked at as easy prey heading into the postseason. “I’m sure everybody wants to play us,” Redick said.

But Kennard cautioned that because of James, things aren’t quite so clear-cut.

“I guess you understand why people are saying that,” said Kennard, who had 19 points, three assists and three steals Friday. “You’re missing 60 points a game. … But we also have [LeBron James], and the way he has been playing and leading us has been incredible.”

James carried the Lakers past the Warriors without Steph Curry and the Suns without Devin Booker. Regardless of how magnificent he’s playing, it’s hard to imagine he can get LA past the first round of the playoffs against a team that isn’t resting its stars, biding enough time for Doncic or Reaves to return.

But he’s still giving this his all.

No one would blame the Lakers if they rolled over after last week’s gutting turnaround. And no one would blame James if he threw his hands in the air now that he’s alongside a bunch of role players and G Leaguers.

But instead, he’s showing heart, and everyone else is following.

He’s reminding us all that his greatness hasn’t waned. 

If anything, it may be more notable now than ever. 

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SACRAMENTO — Steph Curry plans to rev up further in the Warriors’ regular-season finale.

After coming off the bench twice, Curry returned to the starting lineup Friday in Golden State’s 124-118 loss to the Kings. The next step as he makes his way back from more than two months away will come Sunday against the Clippers as he resumes his normal 32- to 34-minute workload.

When the teams most likely meet again Wednesday in the play-in tournament, Curry said he hopes to be able to push beyond that if the situation calls for it.

“I’ll be comfortable with it,” Curry said, insinuating that the medical staff may have a different opinion. “I find it hard to believe if the game calls for a couple extra minutes — we’re gonna make the right decision.”

Curry expressed optimism, despite sitting in front of his locker with his right ankle in an ice bath after being held in check for 11 points in 27 minutes in the loss to one of the league’s bottom dwellers.

Curry’s ankles, for all their trouble early in his career, are not the body part of immediate concern, so Steve Kerr was relieved to learn a rolled ankle was the worst of it when Curry had the ball stolen from him at half court and collided with Kings guard Devin Carter.

“I was worried it was his knee,” the Warriors coach said. “I just saw him limping. He came over and he said, ‘No, I’m fine. It’s just the ankle.’ I don’t know if he just tweaked it or something, but he’s fine.”

Curry only returned this past Sunday from a 27-game absence with runner’s knee in his right leg. He confirmed afterward that it was his right ankle that caused him to fall into a heap after having his pocket picked early in the first quarter.

“I’ll be all right,” Curry said. “As long as it’s not my knee. I can deal with ankles. I’ve been dealing with that forever. That was the interesting part: My knee felt pretty good, even better than last game.” 

Friday’s game was the first test run for the lineup the Warriors hope to use to escape the play-in from the No. 10 seed, featuring Curry with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis for the first time.

Curry exploded for 29 points in his first game back but was limited to 17 on Tuesday in an effort Kerr described as “a little rusty.” The same could be said of any of the three players returning from time off. It doesn’t help that Kerr started his 42nd different combination in 81 games.

“We’ve just got to get a little more organized,” said Brandin Podziemski, who started alongside Curry, Porzingis, Draymond Green and Gus Santos and scored a career-best 30 points. “There’s a lot of chaos out there with Steph, and I don’t think KP’s quite used to that.”

Porzingis, who missed the past two games with an illness, was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Horford wasn’t able to grab one rebound while scoring 10 points in 17 minutes; he had missed the previous 14 games after straining his calf.

“It’s weird because you have a lineup where you expect nine or 10 guys are going to play, but you haven’t really had reps,” Curry said. “I don’t know how else to quantify it other than we have one game to find some good patterns, some good chemistry.”

With the play-in picture gaining some clarity, the Warriors’ final tuneup comes with an added wrinkle. Kerr must balance seeing what he needs without giving away too much to the team they will likely face again three days later in a do-or-die postseason game.

After the Clippers’ loss to the Blazers on Friday, they will host Golden State in Wednesday’s No. 9-10 play-in game if Portland beats the Kings in its season finale Sunday.

Kerr said he planned to watch a replay of the Clippers-Blazers game on the Warriors’ flight to Los Angeles. Ahead of their final regular-season game, Kerr reiterated that he still has “lots of hope” about his team’s chances in the playoffs, “but I also know we’re not where we need to be.”

Leave it to Curry to sum up what the Warriors need between now and Wednesday.

“Forty-eight great minutes,” he said. “That’s all we have in front of us.”

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SACRAMENTO — With one free throw, Brandin Podziemski quieted teammates, unmuzzled at least one fan online and robbed thousands more inside the Kings’ arena of free pizza.

Podziemski had 29 points when he stepped to the foul line with five seconds left in the Warriors’ 124-118 loss to the Kings on Friday night. He knew the significance of his number in the box score.

“Everyone did,” the third-year guard said. “As soon as I missed the first one, everyone on the bench looked at me, and that’s why I smiled a little bit. They’ve been giving me a hard time about it the whole year.”

Fortunately for Podziemski, the second free throw fell and gave him 30 points for the first time in his young career. It took him 219 games, which may not seem like a lot unless you made a public commitment to not posting from a certain social media account until he did.

That is just what one user on X did all the way back on Nov. 25, 2024, when @currysafraud wrote, “Not tweeting until Podz scores 30.” The post was routinely resurfaced and racked up more than 30 million views before Podziemski finally made good a year and a half later.

Not tweeting until Podz scores 30 pic.twitter.com/PrO1tJ5VBQ

— Podziemski’s Gravity (@currysnotafraud) November 25, 2024

The Kings give away free pizza any time an opponent misses two free throws, and Podziemski used a question about snuffing out the promotion to let it be known he’s in on the joke, too.

“It would’ve been bad on both ends,” he said. “Pizza — and the account can be activated now.”

Podziemski had scored 25 or more nine times entering Friday, including four in the two months Steph Curry missed earlier this year, but the 30-point threshold eluded him.

His quest for 30 took on a life of its own to the point that another account on X made a post highlighting the players to have reached the scoring figure since Podziemski’s debut.

The list included teammates Gui Santos and Will Richard, who each set career highs with 30-point performances earlier this season. Richard, a rookie, also accomplished his against the Kings in Sacramento on the Warriors’ first visit in November.

Players to score 30+ in a game since Brandin Podziemski entered the league:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Luka Dončić
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jalen Brunson
Jaylen Brown
Donovan Mitchell
Anthony Edwards
Joel Embiid
Nikola Jokić
Stephen Curry
Jayson Tatum
Kevin Durant
Tyrese Maxey… pic.twitter.com/FW6v3e6O1A

— Underdog (@Underdog) April 6, 2026

Podziemski was so determined once the number was within reach that he drove the length of the court and drew contact despite Sacramento having already sealed the win.

“I told him we were going to treat him like Devin Booker when he scored 70 in Boston and they lost,” Curry joked. “I know he’s been searching for it. Everybody knew it, too. It was fun to see him get it — and the way he got it done.”

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As Marcus Smart walked to the Lakers’ podium for his first postgame media availability following the Lakers’ 101-73 win over the Suns on Friday, he made a statement that carried more weight than just the four words that came out of his mouth.

“Feels like so long,” he said as he sat down before taking questions from reporters.

And it had been.

Not just because Smart had been sidelined for nine games due to a right ankle contusion before making his return to the court Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

But because how much had changed for him and the Lakers over the previous three weeks. 

When Smart suffered the injury during the March 21 win over the Magic, the Lakers were putting the finishing touches on a season-best nine-game winning streak, their most consecutive wins in a season since 2019-20. 

Luka Doncic was in the midst of a stellar stretch that earned him Western Conference Player of the Month for March as part of a push for league MVP. The Lakers had won 12 of 13 games. They were coalescing in the ways they hoped they would throughout the season.

That wasn’t the team Smart returned to.

Not only did the Lakers lose their winning streak with a loss in Detroit on March 23 in Smart’s first missed game because of the ankle injury, but they lost their star guards in Doncic and Austin Reaves to regular- season-ending injuries. 

“It hurt us,” Smart said. “It hurt our morale. It took us a little time to get ourselves back together, but we trust in one another. We talked through it, this is new to us as well, and we’re trying to figure it out together. But we constantly are seeing that and doing what we’re supposed to do. 

“That means everybody has to step up their roles. Everybody has to step up their play. Myself included. I might be playing more on both ends of the floor, just being that initiator, getting us in offense, finding guys, and then [finding] the right spots for myself as well.”

It didn’t take Smart long to be in those right spots, reminding the Lakers of what they missed while he was sidelined.

And what they’ll need from him now that he’s back with the playoffs on the horizon.

After Smart missed a floater over 6-foot-11 Suns big man Oso Ighodaro late in the third quarter, Ryan Dunn grabbed the defensive rebound, but Smart and Maxi Kleber didn’t give up on the play.

Kleber dove on the floor with Dunn for the ball, which popped out of Dunn’s hands. 

Smart retrieved the ball midair and quickly passed it to Jarred Vanderbilt underneath the basket before falling over Dunn, assisting Vanderbilt on a dunk that put the Lakers up 75-58.

“He was awesome,” coach JJ Redick said of Smart. “And that play was just emblematic of our effort all game long.”

LeBron James said: “Just a winning player. He just makes winning plays. It’s just solidified with the play that he had out there with Maxi. That’s just what he does — just makes winning plays.”

Smart said it had been “stressful” trying to get his ankle to a place where he could return to the court. 

Especially when the Lakers dropped three consecutive games after the injuries to Doncic and Reaves, as part of a 5-4 stretch they had without Smart. 

“Seeing my guys out there and not being able out there to help, especially with things the way they are now, we’re down bodies, it’s been tough,” Smart added. “But everybody in the organization, players, coaches, just [gave] me full-time support. The training staff, we’ve been doing everything possible, day in and day out to try to expedite this [while] making sure we’re [not] sacrificing other things that can cause the ankle to flare up and we would be back at square one.”

Smart is expected to get more playing time in the regular-season finale against the Jazz on Sunday.

His impact will go beyond the stats in the box score.

It’ll be reflected in plays like he and Kleber made Friday.

And the leadership the Lakers need from him to navigate through the next week before the playoffs start without two of their best players.  

“We all know it’s gonna be a challenge for us,” Smart said. “But this is part of the game, right? We see this every year. The playoffs start, and it’s whoever can stay healthy. A little bit of luck comes into play, but it’s definitely gonna be a challenge. I’m excited about the challenge. I know it doesn’t seem like we are as a team, but we are. We’re gonna have our ups, we’re going to have our downs, but we’re in it together.”

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BOSTON — The Celtics have signed Dalano Banton to a standard contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype first reported.

Banton becomes the team’s 15th and final rostered player; since the trade deadline, the Celtics have signed former two-way players Amari Williams, Max Shulga, and Ron Harper Jr. to standard deals. Banton, who was on a Ten-Day contract earlier in the season, becomes the fourth post-deadline signing, allowing the Celtics to remain below the luxury tax but still fill out their roster.

Banton, a 26-year-old, 6’8 guard, was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2021 and has since played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Celtics, and, very briefly, for the Los Angeles Clippers. Across 221 career games, Banton has averaged 6.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. He’s a 6’8 guard who can score in a variety of ways, but has never been particularly efficient (for his career, Banton has shot 40.3% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range).

Banton joined the Celtics for a West Coast road trip on a Ten-Day contract in late February, but did not sign a second Ten-Day contract with the team. Before that brief stint, he was on the Celtics for the first half of the 2023-2024 campaign, where he played alongside current Celtics Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Jordan Walsh.

Dalano Banton rejoins the Celtics after two years

In February, Banton said he was excited to rejoin Joe Mazzulla and his former teammates.

“It definitely feels good,” he told CelticsBlog. “I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity. Spending from the start of the season to right about a couple weeks ago in the G, just knowing that the uphill battle, and just sticking to the grind every day — being here is great. A lot of familiar faces, and everyone’s welcoming me back with open arms.”

Banton has had some very successful stretches since he was traded from the Celtics in February of 2024, just months before their title run. He averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in Portland for the remainder of that 2023-2024, and subsequently averaged 8.3 points and 2.4 assists in a more limited role with the Blazers last year.

“I’m glad to have him back,” Mazzulla said. “He’s worked hard when he was with us before, but just his ability to — extra ball handling — but really his ability defensively to impact the game. Whether it’s on the ball, whether it’s with his ball pressure, whether it’s his defensive activity. I’m excited to have him back and working with him.”

Banton said he kept in touch with the Celtics in the year and a half since he was traded, in particular with his player development coach, Tyler Lashbrook.

“I’ve definitely had a great relationship with a lot of people here,” he said. “Brad’s been good to me ever since they signed me here a couple years ago. He always kept that relationship with them, always talking to my agent and stuff like that about me, keeping tabs on me.”

Payton Pritchard said it was great to have Banton back around.

“It’s been a journey for him,” Pritchard said. “For him to work his way back into the league and get an opportunity again, it’s a testament to his work ethic.”

The Lakers have already secured homecourt advantage for their first-round playoff series that’ll start next weekend. 

The biggest question that’ll be answered Sunday evening: What seed will the Lakers enter the postseason as?

With Friday’s 101-73 win over the Suns, in addition to the results involving the teams around them in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers are guaranteed to be a top-four seed in the conference for the playoffs.

The Timberwolves (48-33) are locked in as the sixth seed.

The Rockets (51-30) became the fifth seed after falling to the Timberwolves on Friday, in addition to the Lakers’ win and the Nuggets’ victory over the top-seeded Thunder locking Houston in at its spot. 

Now, it’s just a matter of where the Lakers and Nuggets will finish in the standings so the 3-6 and 4-5 West playoff matchups can be set. 

The Nuggets (53-28) are in control of third seed, but the Lakers (52-29) still have a shot at finishing at No. 3 for the second consecutive season entering the final day of the regular season.

Lakers finish as the third seed if …

The Lakers need the Nuggets to drop their regular-season finale to the Spurs on Sunday to have a shot at taking a jump in the standings.

If the Nuggets lose to the Spurs, the Lakers would need to beat the Jazz on Sunday to claim the third seed. 

If the Lakers finish the season as the third seed, they would match up against the Timberwolves in the 3-6 series for the second consecutive season, while the Nuggets would play the Rockets in the 4-5 series. 

The Timberwolves knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs in the first round in five games last spring. 

The Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Nuggets for playoffs seeding purposes after winning the regular-season series, 2-1. 

Also, in this scenario, the Lakers would also finish with their best record in an 82-game regular season since they won 57 games in 2010-11.

Lakers finish as the fourth seed if …

The Nuggets beat the Spurs on Sunday.

Or, if the Lakers lose to the Jazz.

If either (or both) scenario happens, the Lakers would play the Rockets in the 4-5 series, while the Nuggets would play the Timberwolves in the 3-6 series. 

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If there were any doubts that Victor Wembanyama would be hampered in the playoffs due to his rib injury, they were quickly silenced on Friday night. Wembanyama secured a First-team All-NBA spot and the Defensive Player of the Year award in his 65th game, putting up an eye-popping 40 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in a 139-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

It was exactly the type of game the Spurs needed from their superstar big man. Wembanyama has been on a scoring tear since March. For all the external doubt about his ability to take over the game offensively… Wembanyama has been taking over the game offensively. His two-way impact has never been better than it has in the last two months. The only thing that could have held him back in the playoffs was that rib contusion.

Beyond the stats, it was the way he played on Friday that should reassure Spurs fans. He moved fluidly on the perimeter, handled the ball with ease, got up for blocks, and most importantly, didn’t look held back by his body. With Wembanyama close to 100%, San Antonio looks ready for a deep playoff run.

Takeaways:

• I would like to share this clip of Wembanyama doing head calcs (short for calculations) on how many minutes players should have to play to qualify for awards. He can do it all.
• The Mavericks hung around in the game despite being down several key contributors. When the Spurs finally pulled away in the third quarter, it was driven by an offensive outburst from De’Aaron Fox. San Antonio’s point guard scored 14 of his 18 points in the third. Fox has put together a nice stretch of games recently. His ability to take over games offensively will be valuable come playoff time. Fox also led the team with his passing, dropping 10 dimes for a double-double.
• Carter Bryant is hooping right now. He had 12 points against the Mavericks, including three triples. He was one of the few players who could contest Cooper Flagg, blocking his jumper at one point. Overall, Bryant just looks more confident. He’s been slowly ascending all season. Now he’s a legitimate rotation player. Is he a playoff rotation player? That’s something we will find out in the next few weeks. At the very least, he looks like a player the Spurs can count on to play a more significant role next season.
• Speaking of Flagg… that kid is a beast. He should be the rookie of the year, no offense to Kon Knueppel, but Flagg is on another level. He was unstoppable on Friday night with 33 points on 13-25 shooting. It felt like no matter who the Spurs put on him, he was able to get to his spots and score. It’s funny to think about what San Antonio would look like had they gotten him with the first overall pick.
• After dropping 15 points on Friday, Harrison Barnes is sitting at 9.9 points per game with one contest left. He’ll have to score 17 points in San Antonio’s last game for the team to have 8 players average double-digit points.
• Game 82, against the Denver Nuggets, could matter a lot. With a Los Angeles Lakers win on Friday, they now hold the tiebreaker for the three-seed. If the Spurs beat the Nuggets on Sunday, they’ll drop Denver down to the four seed, which means the Spurs would face either the Lakers or Minnesota Timberwolves in a potential second-round matchup. It’ll be up to Mitch Johnson if he wants to play the starters and try to avoid the Nuggets in the playoffs.

It’s that time of the year.

That time of the year when we come up with a thousand possibilities, anxiously think about this and that and the other thing… only for everything to unfold and be resolved by itself in 24 hours.

We just can’t help ourselves, can we? That’s why, with just one game left to play and the Knicks locked into the No. 3 seed out East, we’re presenting you with all possible four first-round opponents and all scenarios that would lead to each of those matchups, depending on Sunday’s results.

Rest assured, New York will be hosting whoever happens to cross their path for the first two games of the series.

NY Knicks vs. TOR Raptors 

• Hawks win AND Raptors win 
• Hawks lose AND Raptors win AND Magic win

NY Knicks vs. ATL Hawks 

• Hawks lose AND Raptors win AND Magic lose

NY Knicks vs. ORL Magic 

• Hawks lose AND Raptors lose AND Magic win
• Hawks win AND Raptors lose AND Magic win

NY Knicks vs. PHI Sixers 

• Raptors lose AND Magic lose AND Sixers win

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All games with Eastern Conference-seeding implications are scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, so you can start making room for the 6-9 timespan.

#1 – Magnet ball

Shooting in basketball carries a big share of variance and luck. Even the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, is below 50% from beyond the arc on wide-open attempts. This means you’d still have a better chance to win a coin-flip game than to see Curry knock down a three when he is open. Not that shooting threes is like tossing a coin, but I think there are some similarities.

And yesterday, the Celtics kept benefiting from that coin flip.

It started with Derrick White, launching a 34-footer after receiving the ball with less than a second on the clock.

Seeing how responsive the ball was to their shooting attempts, the Celtics kept firing. They ended up taking 59 threes, the highest total of the season — and they made 29 of them, tying the record from last season against the Knicks in the home opener.

What’s even crazier is that every Celtic who played more than 10 minutes attempted at least one triple. Yes, even Neemias Queta. And yes, he made it!

Out of a Spain pick-and-roll action, Jordan Walsh swings it back to Nemi, and that’s a beauty.

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#2 – Taking away the rim

While the offense was impressive, the defense also showed great discipline after a complicated night in NY. The threat that the New Orleans offense presented was heavy rim pressure, with 42% of their shots attempted within 4 feet (1st in the league).

Yet, the Celtics were able to bring that number down to 22%, taking away the rim from the Pelicans, who were forced to rely much more on floaters and mid-range shots than layups.

The play above is a great example of how well the Celtics protected the paint, with Queta anchoring the rim, Sam Hauser staying connected to the ball, Walsh helping at the top of the key, and White ready to help or close out on Derik Queen.

The Celtics were helped by the lack of talent and spacing, but they remained disciplined all game long to make up for their previous defensive collapse. Looking forward to seeing that discipline when the playoffs start.

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#3 – Jaylen rim pressure

On the other end, while the Pelicans couldn’t find a way to the rim, Jaylen Brown showed how relentless of a driver he has become. The 2024 Finals MVP forced seven free throws and scored on five drives throughout the game.

He did a great job identifying and attacking mismatches early in the possession so he could get downhill without being slowed by a second defender.

His handle and ability to turn the corner were on display last night, and once he gets up to speed, it becomes really hard to stop him. Very nice footwork at the end of the drive to jump off two feet for better control and go around the block attempt from Kevon Looney.

While his ability to get to the rim was elite last night, he had some trouble with the Pelicans’ aggressive coverages.

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#4 – Dealing with gravity

The night before, it was Jayson Tatum who had six turnovers against the Knicks. This time, it was Brown who lost the ball seven times against the Pelicans. The young team’s game plan was to force the ball out of Brown’s hands and apply pressure whenever he had it.

In pick-and-roll situations, their big men were aggressive at the level of the screen to slow down the All-Star and force occasional turnovers.

As Brown was killing them inside, they kept bringing more bodies into the paint to force kick-outs, ready to close out wherever JB would pass the ball. Here, Poole sees Brown is stuck and forced to pass, and is able to steal the ball intended for Walsh on the wing.

These two games where JB and JT struggled to take care of the ball against aggressive defenses showed why they need each other to stretch the floor and avoid being the sole focus of the opponent’s game plan.

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#5 – PP & Vooch off the bench

Speaking of duos, that new two-man scoring punch off the bench with Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic could be really dangerous offensively. With PP’s scoring ability and growing gravity, combined with Vucevic’s screening and floor-spacing, this bench unit could become elite on offense.

Last night, they played a lot together, like in this action. PP throws the ball to Vooch and runs toward him to initiate a handoff at full speed. Because PP is quick and Vucevic is a threat from outside, the defense doesn’t know what to prioritize, creating hesitation and leading to open layups.

On top of that, this lineup offers great spacing and can really stretch defenses that try to take away the drive.

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#6 – White sneaky extra-possession

Games are won in the details, and Joe Mazzulla knows that. Safe to say he must have loved these sneaky plays from Derrick White to generate extra possessions.

It started on the very first action of the game with that sneaky offensive rebound from behind, leading to an open three.

Then, he helped Luka Garza secure an offensive rebound by crashing the glass while the Celtics center battled Jordan Hawkins.

And to cap off these three extra possessions generated in the first half, a classic steal from behind on a rookie.

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#7 – 100% win rate with +30 assists

For the 13th time this season, the Celtics recorded more than 30 assists — a rare sight for a team with the lowest assist rate in the NBA. Yet, they are undefeated when reaching that mark.

Looking at the opponents, it also feels like the ball moves more against lower-tier teams, as most of these games came against the Nets, Wizards, or Bucks.

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#8 – Red Auerbach award

Payton Pritchard won’t be eligible for Sixth Man of the Year, but he most certainly deserves the Red Auerbach Award. The guard has delivered game after game, despite losing his spot in the starting lineup.

Payton Pritchard receives a huge ovation as he wins this year’s Red Auerbach Award – given for embodying the spirit of being a Boston Celtic ☘️
–@CLNSMediapic.twitter.com/OW2jmDkHb9

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) April 10, 2026

Whether as a starter or off the bench, Payton has consistently brought the spark that allowed the Celtics to be the best version of themselves and outperform expectations in what some saw as a gap year.

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#9 – From a gap year to second seed

The last time the Celtics weren’t a top-two seed, Brad Stevens was still coaching. Even more impressive, over the last seven seasons, the Celtics have ranked top four in Net Rating in six of them.

This season might be the craziest yet in terms of performance, as the Celtics finished with the second-best offense in the NBA (third last year) and the fifth-best defense (same as last year).

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#10 – Ready for a revenge playoffs run?

The upcoming playoff run could look a lot like last year’s. Orlando is very likely to be Boston’s first-round matchup, and the Knicks could be waiting in the semifinals.

Will they be ready this time? Exciting times ahead as the Celtics close out an extraordinary regular season.

These are the results to the Hawks Reacts survey posted earlier this week.

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Just yesterday, the Hawks clinched their 50th playoffs appearance in franchise history after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team will have one final regular season game Sunday against the Heat, but then they will turn their focus to either a series against the New York Knicks or the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Both teams pose their problems for opposing frontcourt between Mitchell Robinson’s bulk, elite rebounding and rim protection, Jarrett Allen’s rim running and touch around the rim, and Evan Mobley’s all-around defensive game.

Incumbent backup center Jock Landale may or may not be ready from an ankle injury by the time the playoffs roll around this upcoming weekend, so I posed the question to the readers of this blog: who should the Hawks go with behind Onyeka Okongwu?

Well, the masses have chosen the wiry defender from Senegal as their choice:

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This post is sponsored by Fanduel.

The Houston Rockets defeated the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers 114-104 on Thursday night at Toyota Center in Houston. However, after a near collapse in the fourth quarter, Houston needed offensive production, and they found it from none other than guard Aaron Holiday. In his 14 minutes of action, Aaron Holiday was 3-of-5 and scored seven vital points, but what’s most important is his role during the fourth quarter.

Houston was leading 96-73 going into the fourth. Other Rockets fans and I were feeling alright, but just like during the Sun’s game Tuesday, the tables quickly turned. It looked like the game was going to get out of control as the momentum was shifting fast, and Houston was unable to rely on its young players during this stretch, so they turned to the veterans. In the last quarter of the game, the Sixers scored 29 points while the Rockets made only 5 of 20 shots. However, the shots that were made were timely. The Rockets’ ability to make timely shots was crucial. Ime Udoka called a timeout right away after Philly trimmed the margin to 101-94 with almost four minutes remaining in the game. The Rockets would score two consecutive corner threes: one from Kevin Durant after Aaron Holiday drove to the basket, and another from Aaron Holiday after Kevin Durant assisted. This means that during both key possessions, Aaron Holiday found a way to get involved.

Holiday’s production wasn’t only against Philadelphia as he saw an increased run in games versus Utah, Golden State, and Phoenix, scoring six points versus both Utah and Golden State, and 12 points versus Phoenix. Aaron Holiday is the quintessential backup guard who perfectly embodies the next man up mentality. The Rockets are going to need some production from him heading ito this year’s NBA Playoffs.

The Rockets will end their season Sunday night at home versus the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:00. As always, be sure to check back here at The DreamShake for pre- and postgame content.

The Dallas Mavericks (25-56) took on the San Antonio Spurs (62-19) Friday night in their penultimate game of the 2025-2026 season, which ended in a 139-120 loss. Dallas rolled in with a lengthy injury list that included the usual suspects this year, along with P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Klay Thompson.

The game started off closer than expected under the circumstances, but the Spurs pulled ahead by 11 points by the end of the first frame. Victor Wembanyama was expected to play around 20 minutes in order to meet qualifications for league honors, and clearly wanted to make the most of his time. He was red hot throughout the night (which ended with him playing 26 minutes) and was a big reason the Spurs jumped out to an early lead.

In the second quarter, the Mavs flipped the script and dropped in 39 points to cut the deficit to three points at the half. Cooper Flagg had a massive game of his own, nearly matching Wembanyama. The Mavs carried their momentum into the third quarter, taking the lead on multiple occasions before the wheels came off. The Spurs scored on nine-straight possessions and almost instantly put the Mavs in a hole they were unable to climb out of.

The fourth quarter basically amount to garbage time, but it was nice to see the Mavs come close to holding steady (getting outscored in the quarter 31-27) despite AJ Johnson, Tyler Smitth and John Poulakidas leading the charge in the late going. When all was said and done, the Mavs had a solid offensive performance but had no answer for Wembanyama and ultimately got blasted heading into their final game of the season.

The Mavs won the turnover battle

The Mavs won the turnover battle

Dallas has had some awful game in terms of turnovers, occasionally with one or more players tallying five or more each. Tonight was an entirely different story. Both teams took care of the ball, but the Mavs had only seven turnovers against a very good team. Oddly, Dwight Powell accounted for three of them, which itself is an anomaly. In the end, it wasn’t enough to save the Mavs from a lopsided loss, but seeing them take care of the ball against a team that could have made them look silly was a decent consolation prize.

Cooper Flagg’s Rookie of the Year push

Over the past few games, Flagg is clearly being featured even moreso than usual in a final effort to win Rookie of the Year honors. After an 11-point outing last game against the Phoenix Suns, Flagg was back to his old self, pouring in 33 points on 52% shooting on 25 shots; nearly double the next closest Mav (Ryan Nembhard with 13 attempts). Throughout it all, Flagg continues to play within himself and the team’s gameplan. Nothing he did on Friday night felt forced and he even dished out five assists. It’s insane to me to think Flagg has a chance at missing out on ROY, and if nothing else, this burst over the past week will at least make for an eternal argument in the annals of NBA history if he doesn’t win the award.

Max Christie finding his shot

Mette Robertson recently covered a podcast that Cooper Flagg partook in. With him was Max Christie, who spoke about what he is learning from Klay Thompson. Particularly, Christie commented on getting his shot off quicker, a sentiment he reiterated in his postgame interview. Christie was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-12 overall in Friday’s game. His shot looked good and was noticeably quicker. He even got one off from the corner with Wembanyama closing out on it, hitting nothing but net. That Christie is willing to learn and has one of the greatest shooters to learn from, is a positive sign going forward. The Mavs are at the bottom of the league in everything three-point related, and will need Christie to help reverse that trend next year and beyond.

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

Yesterday, the Washington Wizards lost to the Miami Heat, giving them a nine game losing streak. They are 17-64 with one more game left to go. The Indiana Pacers have 19 wins, so that makes them officially … the worst team in the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Wizards will officially finish the 2025-26 season with the NBA’s worst record. pic.twitter.com/nqJi1XPsKX

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 11, 2026

That also means that the Wizards are winners with NBA Draft lottery chances. Our own Greg Finberg as the odds below.

The Wizards’ lottery odds are set:

No. 1 pick: 14.0%
No. 2 pick: 13.4%
No. 3 pick: 12.7%
No. 4 pick: 12.0%
No. 5 pick: 47.9%

Washington is locked into a top-5 pick. pic.twitter.com/4N1NJFmiag

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) April 11, 2026

With the acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, it appears that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and General Manager Will Dawkins are ready to turn the page on another sub-20 win season. Hopefully this past season is the last time when we are quietly wondering whether losing is actually winning, if you know what I mean.

It became obvious early on that this Dallas Mavericks season wouldn’t be about wins and losses. There would be no playoff push, no late game heroics in the postseason. Not even a solid 41-41 season that might give you some hope for the next year.

So you start thinking about reasons to watch this team. You could settle on a lot of things, but one you could land on is the vibes. You want to have a good time, and maybe the Mavericks can help you with that.

For the most part, they have. Despite having an atrocious record, they’ve been competitive all season. Cooper Flagg has flashed promise of superstardom, having more than a few huge scoring nights, including a 50-point game recently. The two-way guys brought up from the G League have been fun. Inconsistent, but fun.

But mostly when you have a season like this, you just want to have a good hang with the team. You want an interesting and lively group that can find some joy in the long grind that is the NBA regular season.

That’s where Dwight Powell comes in.

A few weeks back, the Mavericks Instagram account posted a video where the players were asked about their favorite restaurants. They mostly name steakhouses near the American Airlines Center, which fine, whatever. I’m not a food critic, and they probably just want a nice meal where they won’t be bothered. NBA players are mostly very tall, and therefore can’t exactly blend in when out in public.

I’m not going to get upset that not one barbecue place was mentioned. And I understand it’s a drive to Arlington, but Smoke’N Ash is there. I’m not going to say they should try Jose on Lovers, a place featured in Netflix’s Taco Chronicles. I don’t know all the good restaurants.

But this isn’t about Dallas restaurants.

This is about Dwight Powell. His aura. The vibe glowing off this man. Look at him.

And of course he chose Uchi as his favorite restaurant. The man knows good food. He knows Dallas. He knows where the good vibes are.

Don’t talk to me about Powell’s plus/minus, or his points per game. I’m not interested in his shooting percentages. Don’t even think about bringing up his DARKO or RAPTOR rating, I don’t even know what that is. All I care about his is POWELL rating, and it’s off the charts.

Powell is here, creating and maintaining vibes you can’t even begin to consider. Whatever he contributes on the court is just extra for the Mavericks.

Toward the end of the video, Klay Thompson calls Powell the mayor of Dallas. It’s just a joke, of course, but Powell has been here in the Metroplex since 2015. He’s the longest tenured player on the Mavericks by far. He’s seen almost everything here in Dallas, except a championship. He got close in 2024.

The mayor in most cities does a lot of ceremonial duties. They cut ribbons, pose for pictures, shake hands. They set the tone, create the culture. That’s what Powell does for the Mavericks. Sure, he’s willing to step in and play some basketball when needed, but mostly, he is focused on his more important job—keeping the good vibes flowing.