NBA News
Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
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Time: 8:30pm CST
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo, Kyle Anderson, Naz Reid
The New York Knicks (52*-28) host the Toronto Raptors (45-35) tonight at Madison Square Garden in their penultimate game of the regular season. The Knicks have a chance to firm up their grip on the East’s No. 3 seed while the Canadian Club is wrestling with the Hawks and the Magic for the middle seeds.
Tip off is 7:30 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is RaptorsHQ. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Extend kindness to your fellow humans. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are cyborgs sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor.
Are we looking at a first-round playoff preview? Tonight, we could be looking at a matchup between the one seed — the Detroit Pistons — and the eighth seed — the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, however, are not your typical eighth seed. They are one of the hottest teams in the East, and they have been since late January. They have shooting all over the floor, plenty of ball handlers, and play a quality team defense. The Detroit Pistons are healthy, so they could treat this game as a serious statement of intention against a potential opponent. Or they could treat it as a bit of a laboratory. Coach JB Bickerstaff has talked about using the season’s final two games to get certain lineup combinations experience on the floor. Chief among them is Kevin Huerter and some of the starters, and Daniss Jenkins playing alongside Cade Cunningham with the other three-person units. They will play to win, but they might also forgo the best potential situational lineup to ensure he can test these lineup combos.
When: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Watch: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
Odds: Pistons +5
Detroit Pistons (58-22)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Haris, Jalen Duren
Charlotte Hornets (43-37)
LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Moussa Diabaté
Dick Vitale is asking for continuous prayers.
The legendary broadcaster shared on Friday, April 10 on his social media page that he went in for a biopsy on Friday to look into some of the "abnormalities" that were found on a series of routine tests that he had done last week. It's the second update in as many days from Vitale.
"Just leaving hospital after biopsy/now anesthesia has worn off," Vitale wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) to go along with a photo of him sitting in a wheelchair outside of a hospital. "Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI's!"
Just leaving hospital after Biopsy / now anesthesia has worn off. Hope & pray for good results as they did study of my lungs where spots showed in Pet Scan & MRI’s ! pic.twitter.com/CwllVW1cZ1
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) April 10, 2026
In his latest update before Friday, Vitale mentioned that he feels "great physically" and "sharp mentally" and that his doctors recommended some additional testing to determine the next steps of his latest battle. He underwent a PET scan, a CAT scan and two MRIs in his last round of tests, which showed those "abnormalities."
He also mentioned that "the roadmap" for his recovery would be determined after the biopsy, which he underwent on Friday.
Vitale has had multiple health battles, including with several types of cancer, over the last few years. He was declared cancer-free last year and made his return to broadcasting, which included a pair of broadcasts alongside Charles Barkley this season, one coming in the First Four of March Madness in Dayton, Ohio.
"I'm still doing games," Vitale told USA TODAY Sports back in March ahead of the First Four. "It's a miracle. It's absolutely a miracle. I get emotional about it sometimes."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dick Vitale shares heath update after biopsy: 'Pray for good results'
The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Atlanta Hawks again. This time, the Cavs will be down a few rotation players. We’ll see if they still have enough to get a second-straight win.
Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!
Go Cavs!
Lakers coach JJ Redick understands the stigma that surrounds Luke Kennard.
Not just now. And not just during Kennard’s nine years as an NBA player. But likely his entire basketball career going back to when he was a kid.
“It’s easy because he’s a white guy that shoots well, to just think he’s just a shooter,” Redick said after the Lakers’ win over the Warriors on Thursday. “That’s just the reality of the situation. I’m sure every time he checked into an AAU tournament in eighth grade, everybody’s screaming ‘shooter, shooter. shooter.’ That’s the life we have.”
But when the Lakers have needed it most, Kennard has shown he can bring a lot more to the floor than 3-point shooting.
With the regular-season-ending injuries to Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain), the Lakers needed others to step up as ball handlers.
Which led to a conversation between Redick and Kennard in Dallas between the April 2 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City in which Doncic and Reaves suffered their injuries and the April 5 loss to the Mavericks, with the focus being on the Lakers needing Kennard to step into a different role.
“He came right to me and was like, ‘Hey, you’re going to have the ball in your hands a lot, and we need you to do that,’” Kennard recalled. “He kind of came right to me to have that responsibility and take pride in it, and gives me a little bit of confidence knowing that he’s confident in me to put me in that position.”
The mutual confidence has paid off.
Kennard averaged 9.3 assists over the previous three games entering Friday, including a career-high-tying 11 in the loss to the Mavericks, showcasing a level of playmaking and passing that he simply didn’t get an opportunity to do when the Lakers were healthier.
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In his first 27 games with the Lakers after being traded, Kennard averaged 29.3 touches per game (16.9 in the frontcourt), had the ball for about 1.2 minutes per game and averaged 2.44 seconds per touch.
His usage has increased multiple levels over the last week.
Kennard averaged 71 touches (36 in the frontcourt), had the ball for 4.2 minutes per game and averaged 3.52 seconds per touch in the last three games as the team’s fill-in point guard.
After being the main Laker bringing the ball up the court against the Mavericks, the Lakers have mixed in more actions for Kennard that get him from off the ball to on-ball, making the transition a little smoother.
“I’ve known for a long time that there’s a lot to his game, a lot he can do as a basketball player, primarily as a playmaker,” Redick said. “He really does such a good job of using his shooting as a threat, using his change of speed and pace as a threat. And then just consistently make the right play.”
Redick sees a steadiness in Kennard — as a player and a person.
Which has helped Kennard take on a significant role.
“When I was in high school, I played point guard a lot,” Kennard said. “So maybe from there a little bit. I’ve been in different situations throughout my career in the NBA. So I’ve seen it all, experienced a lot.”
“I’ve had a lot of responsibility and less responsibility, and I just kind of find my way and find my role whenever that opportunity comes. So it’s something I’m comfortable with, I’m confident in and just trying to find a rhythm with it right now.”
Observations after Sixers beat Pacers, keep hopes of avoiding play-in alive originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers have a single game left in their regular season and still might avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Significant help is needed, but the Sixers kept that possibility alive Friday night by earning a 105-94 win over the Pacers. They also got the necessary result of a Raptors loss to the Knicks.
Below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th. The No. 7 through No. 10 teams will comprise the play-in.
The Sixers’ regular-season finale is Sunday night vs. the Bucks. To end up in the top six, they’d need to both win that game and get assistance elsewhere. Toronto would have to lose to the lowly Nets and Orlando would need to fall to the Celtics. The Sixers now cannot finish below the eighth seed.
A day after Joel Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery, the Sixers released the following update on their star center:
“Joel Embiid was discharged from the hospital today following a successful appendectomy and is returning to Philadelphia. Embiid’s surgical recovery will be managed by team physicians in consultation with his surgeon. A timeline for return to basketball activities has not yet been determined.”
Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points led the Sixers in Indiana.
Paul George added 21. VJ Edgecombe posted 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Pacers:
It took Maxey almost no time to record his first points in the first quarter of the last three games. He blew by Jarace Walker and made an and-one scoop shot to open the scoring.
The young, future-focused Pacers fired away from three-point range and had early success. With a Walker triple and Kobe Brown layup, Indiana took an 11-3 lead.
George continued to play in both legs of back-to-backs since returning from his suspension. He only logged 24 minutes Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Rockets and had a rough night, posting just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and four rebounds.
Though he was whistled for his second foul at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, George didn’t sub out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was immediately rewarded for keeping George in. He swished a three on the next possession to give him eight points and cut the Sixers’ deficit to 18-17.
The Sixers went on a run late in the first quarter with their second unit on the court. A Quentin Grimes lay-in put them up eight points.
Andre Drummond had a very productive first half, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. The Sixers outscored Indiana by 24 points in the game during Drummond’s 29 minutes on the floor.
The Sixers cleaned up their turnover issues from the night prior and also forced plenty of Indiana giveaways. Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped four steals and totaled seven thefts over the back-to-back. Edgecombe picked up three steals and had a highlight block, too.
As he piles up reps and learns more nuances of NBA defense, it’s not difficult to imagine Edgecombe reaching an elite level in terms of defensive disruptiveness.
Maxey finished 1 for 10 from three-point territory on the night.
He appeared to be bothered throughout the game by his taped-up right pinky finger. Of course, Maxey missed much of March after hurting that finger. Late in the third quarter, he absorbed a hit to his right pinky as he and Pacers center Jay Huff both pursued a loose ball. Maxey went back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson. He subbed back in with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Maxey takes a ton of pride in suiting up whenever he can and logging enormous minutes as the Sixers’ lead guard. He’s clearly below 100 percent with the postseason nearing.
As a team, the Sixers went 5 for 29 beyond the arc (17.2 percent). Their shooting troubles helped the Pacers erase a seven-point halftime deficit. Micah Potter’s put-back slam knotted the game at 62-all.
The Sixers eventually restored a decent lead. An Edgecombe mid-range bucket on the Sixers’ final possession of the third quarter lifted the team to an 89-77 advantage.
The Sixers handled business in the fourth and wrapped up their road campaign with a 22-19 record.
Observations after Sixers beat Pacers, keep hopes of avoiding play-in alive originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Sixers have a single game left in their regular season and still might avoid the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Help is needed, but the Sixers kept that possibility alive Friday night by earning a 105-94 win over the Pacers. They also got the necessary result of a Raptors loss to the Knicks.
Below are the Eastern Conference standings from fifth through 10th (presuming the Magic hold on to a large fourth-quarter lead against the Bulls). The No. 7 through No. 10 teams will comprise the play-in.
The Sixers’ regular-season finale is Sunday night vs. the Bucks. To end up in the top six, they’d need to both win that game and get assistance elsewhere. Toronto would have to lose to the lowly Nets and Orlando would need to fall to the Celtics. The Sixers now cannot finish below the eighth seed.
A day after Joel Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery, the Sixers released the following update on their star center:
“Joel Embiid was discharged from the hospital today following a successful appendectomy and is returning to Philadelphia. Embiid’s surgical recovery will be managed by team physicians in consultation with his surgeon. A timeline for return to basketball activities has not yet been determined.”
Tyrese Maxey’s 32 points led the Sixers in Indiana.
Paul George added 21. VJ Edgecombe posted 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Here are observations on the Sixers’ win over the Pacers:
It took Maxey almost no time to record his first points in the first quarter of the last three games. He blew by Jarace Walker and made an and-one scoop shot to open the scoring.
The young, future-focused Pacers fired away from three-point range and had early success. With a Walker triple and Kobe Brown layup, Indiana took an 11-3 lead.
George continued to play in both legs of back-to-backs since returning from his suspension. He only logged 24 minutes Thursday in the Sixers’ loss to the Rockets and had a rough night, posting just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting and four rebounds.
Though he was whistled for his second foul at the 5:38 mark of the first quarter, George didn’t sub out. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was immediately rewarded for keeping George in. He swished a three on the next possession to give him eight points and cut the Sixers’ deficit to 18-17.
The Sixers went on a run late in the first quarter with their second unit on the court. A Quentin Grimes lay-in put them up eight points.
Andre Drummond had a very productive first half, tallying eight points and nine rebounds. The Sixers outscored Indiana by 24 points in the game during Drummond’s 29 minutes on the floor.
The Sixers cleaned up their turnover issues from the night prior and also forced plenty of Indiana giveaways. Kelly Oubre Jr. swiped four steals and totaled seven thefts over the back-to-back. Edgecombe picked up three steals and had a highlight block, too.
As he piles up reps and learns more nuances of NBA defense, it’s not difficult to imagine Edgecombe reaching an elite level in terms of defensive disruptiveness.
Maxey finished 1 for 10 from three-point territory on the night.
He appeared to be bothered throughout the game by his taped-up right pinky finger. Of course, Maxey missed much of March after hurting that finger. Late in the third quarter, he absorbed a hit to his right pinky as he and Pacers center Jay Huff both pursued a loose ball. Maxey went back to the locker room with Sixers head athletic trainer Kevin Johnson. He subbed back in with 10:05 left in the fourth quarter.
Maxey takes a ton of pride in suiting up whenever he can and logging enormous minutes as the Sixers’ lead guard. He’s clearly below 100 percent with the postseason nearing.
As a team, the Sixers went 5 for 29 beyond the arc (17.2 percent). Their shooting troubles helped the Pacers erase a seven-point halftime deficit. Micah Potter’s put-back slam knotted the game at 62-all.
The Sixers eventually restored a decent lead. An Edgecombe mid-range bucket on the Sixers’ final possession of the third quarter lifted the team to an 89-77 advantage.
The Sixers handled business in the fourth and wrapped up their road campaign with a 22-19 record.
Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.
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After a five-game homestand, the Golden State Warriors will close out the regular season with a two-game California road trip, beginning Friday night against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in Sacramento and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors dropped what could potentially be their final home game of the season Thursday night, losing 119–103 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Playing without Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, Gui Santos, and several others, the undermanned Warriors kept the game competitive for much of the night. However, the Lakers seized control in the fourth quarter, opening with a 13–2 run in which LeBron James scored or assisted on all 13 of the team’s points. It ended up being a vintage performance for James, who finished with a near triple-double of 26 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Golden State will play Sacramento for the second time this week after beating them on Tuesday, 110-105. While the Kings haven’t played since that day, the Warriors will be on their second night of a back-to-back. They did choose to rest most of their players on the front end of the back-to-back, meaning they are expected to be closer to full strength for this one with Curry and others set to return.
Having said that, these remaining two games hold little significance with the Warriors already locked into the 10th seed. Still, as head coach Steve Kerr noted after Thursday’s loss, the focus remains on building rhythm. And with much of their expected rotation back in the lineup, Friday’s matchup could serve as a final dress rehearsal before the Warriors potentially rest their stars ahead of Wednesday’s Play-In game.
Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!
Warriors: Steph Curry, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos, Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis
Kings: Devin Carter, Nique Clifford, Daeqwon Plowden, Precious Achiuwa, Maxime Raynaud
Who: Golden State Warriors (37 – 43) vs. Sacramento Kings (21 – 59)
When: Friday, April 10th, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Chase Center — San Francisco, California
TV and Streaming: NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)
Tthe Atlanta Hawks (45-35) try once against to clinch the Southeast Division title and a playoff appearance against the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-29) tonight in the home finale.
Jock Landale (ankle sprain) has been ruled out.
Starting lineup:
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Start Time: 7:00 PM EDT
TV: Atlanta News First (WANF), Peachtree Sports Network (PSN)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: Amazon Prime, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
Marcus Smart was available for the Lakers’ home game against the Suns on Friday after being sidelined for the previous three weeks due to an ankle injury.
Smart was upgraded to available and taken off the team’s injury report Friday afternoon after being sidelined with a right ankle contusion he sustained during the March 21 road win over the Magic.
The 32-year-old veteran guard has started in 53 of 60 games he played entering Friday, including playing in 46 of 48 games before his absence due to his ankle.
The Lakers had missed Smart’s defense and ball-handling leadership while he was out, though Smart was often seen talking to players on the sideline or on the bench.
“He just naturally wants to help people,” coach JJ Redick said of Smart. “[Assistant coach Scott Brooks] and I talked a couple months ago, we were like, ‘He may end up being a coach.’”
“He likes speaking in front of the group. He likes teaching. It’s a really good quality. He’s been great for a number of our players and been great for a number of our young guys. It’s just his natural instinct.”
LeBron James was also available to play against the Suns, which was the second night of a back-to-back after Thursday’s road win over the Warriors.
Jaxson Hayes missed his third straight game, with his injury designation changing from left foot soreness to left foot injury management.
The Washington Wizards play the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. tonight. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
This is the final week of Dallas Mavericks basketball, thank goodness. We had a poll that went up earlier in the week asking fans just one question and there was the link to join the national survey, which you should do so we can get more Dallas representation. The one and only question asked where fans thought Dallas would finish.
The 6th worst record is what we tanking aficionados want and it’s still up in the air. If they lose tonight against the Spurs and the Grizzlies win in the Utah-Memphis supertank, then Dallas has the inside track to the 6th spot. But then they also have to lose to the Bulls Sunday. Seems hard to do for the Mavs, given how they play.
Now we get to the national poll. Remember, if you’re still tracking the league and want to make some bets, Fan Dual is the best place to do that. Question one asked which top 4 seed could get upset.
The Knicks and Cavs nearly split it and given how weird both teams play at times, that’s a good bet.
Next we have the same question but for the Western Conference.
This one’s a given. Too many injuries, with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves likely missing the entire first round. It’s sad too, the Lakers were looking fantastic until that game against the Thunder.
This next question asks which lower round team could make the conference finals in the East.
Results here were clearly compiled before Joel Embiid was ruled out with appendicitis, another brutally timed injury for the Sixer Big man. I think the other three teams all suck, so perhaps the answer is still the Sixers!
Last question is the same for the Western conference lower seeding.
This tracks with what I think too. The Rockets are messy but have talent. Nothing they do would surprise me.
We don’t know who the Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But there’s a good chance that it will be the Atlanta Hawks — a team that they defeated on Wednesday and will be taking on again on Friday evening.
Earlier this week, we asked fans who would win a possible first-round series between the Cavs and Hawks and in how many games it would be. An overwhelming majority believe that the Cavs will win the series (74%), but they’re split on the length of the series. Fifty percent of fans believe the Cavs will win in six or seven games, while just 24% believe they will do so in five or fewer.
It’s also worth noting that the community believes it could be a longer series. A total of 71% of those surveyed think that this will go six or seven games.
There’s some things to be sorted out in the Eastern Conference standings between spots five through 10 before we know exactly who the Cavs will face in the first round. As of now, it’s possible the Cavs could match up with the Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, or the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
FanDuel believes in the Cavs’ chances in the playoffs. They give the Cavs the second-best chance to win the Eastern Conference at +310 behind only the Boston Celtics (+160). The Detroit Pistons (+480) and New York Knicks (+490) trail both. FanDuel lists the Cavs as having the fifth-best chance at winning the NBA Finals at +1200.