Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a play during the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 38 points and James Harden poured in 28 as the Cleveland Cavaliers let their star-studded backcourt carry the team past the Indiana Pacers 117-108. Obi Toppin and Micah Potter led the way for Indiana with 21 points each.
In what has become a tradition for the Cavs this season, they lallygagged their way through the first three quarters against an inferior opponent and relied on a huge fourth to win the game. The Cavs trailed by three points at the half, allowed the Pacers to put up 33 in the third, and then slammed the brakes in the fourth by allowing just 17 points en route to a nine-point victory.
The Cavs were without Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, instead relying on a front court of Max Strus and Thomas Bryant, who combined for 18 points, 17 rebounds, and seven assists. Despite having a sizable portion of their rotation out due to injury, the Cavs were still double-digit favorites heading into the game, in large part because the Pacers are angling for a lottery pick and have no incentive to put their best lineups out there. And yet, despite this, the Cavs still had trouble putting them away.
Mitchell’s 38 points, six rebounds, and six assists qualify as another superstar effort. He played brilliantly, shot very efficiently (16-27 from the floor), and displayed what makes him one of the best overall players in the league.
The issue though is that the Cavs once again should not need Mitchell to drop a near 40-piece to come back against a Pacers lineup that features all bench players. To make matters even scarier, Mitchell landed awkwardly after a three-point attempt in the fourth quarter and was walking a little gingerly after it, although he said he was fine afterward. Given that the Cavs are now just one game away from clinching home court in the first round of the playoffs, it would not be surprising to see Mitchell’s minutes (and the rest of the core four, for that matter) decrease to near zero.
Prior to tonight’s game, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the team is not set on having Max Strus as the team’s starting small forward going forward. And, after the performance he put up, that was probably the right decision. Strus was just 1-10 from the field and a team-low -8 in the +/- department. Atkinson said the team expects Jaylon Tyson back for the playoffs, which begin in 13 days, but it is concerning that he was also described as being “behind” Dean Wade in terms of recovery timeline. Both Tyson and Wade would be candidates to start at small forward.
The bench had an interesting game, with Craig Porter, Larry Nance Jr., and Dennis Schroder getting at least 20 minutes each. They combined to have a +/- of 27, but the counting stats are nothing flashy. Nance’s 22 minutes were the most for him in a single game since November 2nd, when he had 24 against the Atlanta Hawks.
With the Cavs all but locked into the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference, setting up for a date with the Atlanta Hawks, the final few games may look different. To make things even more interesting, the Cavs will play those same Hawks twice in the final four games. However, the Cavs lead them by 3.5 games, and the odds favor Cleveland maintaining their positioning.
It is a quick turnaround for Cleveland, who head to Memphis for a game on Monday night against the Grizzlies. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m EST.
The Utah Jazz lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, with a final score of 111-146 in a game that was never particularly close.
In a matchup of the Williams brothers, the older, more All-Star of the two, won handily. Jalen Williams finished with 15 points and 7 assists in only 26 minutes, whereas the younger Cody Williams finished with 8 points on 3-11 shooting.
The Thunder’s offensive onslaught featured a balanced attack from its scorers. Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma with 21 and 20 points, respectively. Cason Wallace led the bench with 16 points. And the thunder received double-digit scoring from four others, including 11 from former Utah Ute Brandon Carlson.
Utah, down 43 at one point, was led by Brice Sensabaugh’s 34 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Interestingly, Svi Mykhailiuk, who was unshackled from the bench for the second time in nearly 20 games, took the opportunity to put up 16 shots, 14 of which were threes. Unfortunately for Mykhailiuk, only six of those attempts went in. Kyle Filipowski pitched in 20 points and 14 rebounds, albeit on 10-15 shooting from the field.
With this loss, the Jazz remain tied for fourth in the draft rankings. Utah continues their road-trip in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans on Tuesday.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 4: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets shoots against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at Ball Arena on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs were handed their first loss in ten games by the Denver Nuggets. San Antonio looked stout against the former champions for most of the game, until costly mistakes down the stretch led to a 136-134 loss.
The clash between two of the league’s best players, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic, made this a must-watch game. On a day with two Final Four games, it was the Spurs and Nuggets who put on the best basketball display. Both Wembanyama and Jokic put up monster stat lines, going at each other all game long. Jokic got tough shots to go over Wembanyama on his way to 40 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists. Wembanyama fought through double-teams and physicality to give the Spurs an edge, despite ultimately failing to leave Denver with the win.
It was a preview of what could be ahead for both teams. Denver will either need to secure the third seed or defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder to face San Antonio in the playoffs. The Nuggets are +210 to make the Western Conference Finals, and the Spurs are -170 on FanDuel.
As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.
Wembanyama put up big stats and was a few inches away from hitting a game-winner at the end of regulation. If it weren’t for Wemby, the Spurs would not have been in the game. However, he made some mistakes late in the game that held the team back. He miscommunicated a switch with Julian Champagnie at the end of regulation, leading to a wide-open Aaron Gordon dunk. He made a similar error on the dagger floater from Jokic in overtime.
Offensively, it’s hard to blame much of the loss on Wembanyama. San Antonio’s late-game offense would likely be better if he got better looks than fadeaways off elbow isolation plays. He’s facing two to three defenders every time he touches the ball in the clutch. But critical defensive errors late in the game cost the team the victory. It’s a good lesson for him to learn in the long run, and he had a really good game overall. He’s deserving of an A grade.
Castle thrived offensively for most of the game. If one of his spot-up three-pointers falls, as they have been since the All-Star break, the result may have been different. He was incredibly active defensively, chasing Jamaal Murray around on the perimeter. He’s still struggling with turnovers, and when the jumper isn’t falling, teams don’t respect him from deep. The Nuggets actively played off him in clutch time on Saturday.
It would be nice to see Castle more involved in the offense late in the game. Can you trust him in the pick-and-roll late, given his turnover issues? Will teams just sag off him in actions, daring him to shoot? Maybe. But he’s been one of the team’s best offensive players all season. He should have some sets run for him late in games.
Oof. Okay, here we go. Fox was not very good on Saturday, particularly at the end of the game. The two moments everyone will point to are the airball against Gordon late in the game and the botched lob into the missed five-footer. Gordon is a stout defender, and it’s tough to get a good look against him. I’m willing to give him a pass there. The lob looked to be a bit late, but Vassell deserves some blame there (more on that later). Missing the bunny immediately after is a tough break.
Fox’s role on the team is to be a secondary scorer and a steadying hand in the clutch. He has done that for most of the season. He did not do that against Denver. He didn’t hit shots, wasn’t effective defensively, and was even off handling the ball. They need Fox to be better in the playoffs if they want to make a deep run.
Harper was solid off the bench. He gave the Spurs a bit of a scoring punch off the bench, but not as much as he typically does. His heave three at the end of the game pumps his stats a bit. He made rookie mistakes, too, like shooting a three over Jokic rather than driving on him later in the game. He continues to struggle with guarding physically on the perimeter without fouling. There are some things to clean up here, but this was a pretty standard game for a rookie in a high-leverage situation.
The Spurs hit shots against Denver. Champagnie was a major part of that. He hit big-time threes when left open, including one to take the lead in overtime. He, of course, was a part of the defensive mistake alongside Wembanyama that led to the game-tying dunk. Ultimately, Champagnie’s job is to hit open shots, and he did that on Saturday. San Antonio will need more of that come playoff time.
It was a fairly quiet game for Kornet. The Spurs needed Wembanyama in the game for long stretches to match up with Jokic. That meant a lot of Kornet on the bench. When he was in the game, he struggled. He got scored on inside and wasn’t an offensive difference maker. With Jokic playing so well, maybe a French Vanilla lineup would have given the Spurs two big bodies to throw at him. Perhaps Mitch Johnson is saving that look for the playoffs.
Vassell hit shots against Denver, but was also involved in one of the toughest plays of the game. If he catches and finishes the lob from Fox, even if it wasn’t a perfect pass, the Spurs probably win the game. All things considered, he did about all you can ask from a role player in a high-stakes game, but that one mistake stands out.
Barnes also hit shots when the Spurs needed him to. He was frustrating to watch defensively. The Nuggets spammed corner threes when Barnes was in the game. It felt like he was slow to close out to the corner all game long.
Johnson was given a tough task on Saturday. He was the primary Jokic defender when Wembanyama was used as a defensive roamer. Jokic abused that matchup, as he should. Offensively, the Spurs really could have used a three or two from KJ. He missed some wide-open looks against Denver. Overall, it was an off game for Johnson.
Bryant played fairly well in his limited minutes. He played sound defense and didn’t make any major errors offensively. It’s hard to make much of an impact in five minutes, though.
Grade: B
Monday’s Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 01: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles as he warms up before their game against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center on April 01, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Golden State Warriors all but locked into a play-in spot as the 10th seed, the likelihood that they will enter the playoffs outright is looking dimmer and dimmer, even with the return of Steph Curry to the lineup tonight against the Houston Rockets. Even if the Warriors survive the play-in gauntlet, they will find themselves facing the defending champions in a seven-game series that will more than likely knock them out and into an early vacation.
With that in mind, some have begun to look toward the offseason, with one question prevailing: Will the Warriors acquire a star to bolster their roster? SB Nation asked Warriors fans that very question; here’s how they responded:
Warriors fans are generally pessimistic that the Dubs will acquire a star this offseason. With Curry’s career winding down, the organization has hard decisions left to make: Will they go all in on with Curry while he still can provide high-level play as a main option? Or will they shift toward a rebuilding phase?
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 5: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on April 5, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
38 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
This was the Donovan Mitchell show. He set the tone immediately by attacking the paint on every other possession. Mitchell ended the game with a career-high 28 points in the paint, 38 points total before rolling his ankle in the closing minutes.
Harden stepped back and buried countless jumpers over the Pacers today. There aren’t many moves in the league that are more unguardable than that. Indiana looked hopeless trying to contain him — especially when Harden was using his gravity to create openings for his teammates.
He finished the game hitting 5-11 three-pointers, giving the Cavs enough offensive juice to get over the hump.
Grade: A
Keon Ellis
13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
The Cavs needed Ellis to hit a few three-pointers today. He was the only Cavalier other than Harden to connect on 3+ three-pointers. That extra boost was needed, not only because the rest of the team struggled, but because Ellis himself hadn’t hit that many outside shots in a game since March 13.
Ellis had been shooting 8-32 from deep in his 10 games before this.
Grade: B+
Max Strus
4 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Strus had a rough night. He was tangled up more than a few times and suffered an injury to his left wrist as a result. He shot 1-710 from the floor and bricked a dunk.
He avoids flunking this one because of his contributions elsewhere.
Grade: D+
Thomas Bryant
14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
This is why the Cavs signed Bryant in the summer. Gone are the days of having no viable option in the case of losing both Mobley and Allen to injury. Bryant stepped up and hung a double-double on his former team to help the Cavs win this game.
Can you rely on Bryant as the starting center in a playoff series? No. But eating innings in the regular season is nothing to scoff at. The Cavs have been needing this.
Grade: A+
Craig Porter
5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks
Porter’s been phased out of the rotation lately. This was his first time playing 20+ minutes in more than a month. I’d say he handled it well, attacking the glass and throwing a bullet pass to the corner for a Nae’Qwan Tomlin three-pointer. More on that later.
Grade: B+
Dennis Schroder
6 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Schroder can be erratic at times, but this was one of his more neutral games. He was a steady presence, shooting 2-6 from the floor but not sticking out at any point.
He matched Harden as a team-high plus-12, for whatever that’s worth.
Grade: C+
Larry Nance Jr
6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block
Nance hasn’t played nearly as big a role as I thought he would when the season began. That said, this was a solid showing from the veteran forward. He had some rough moments, but he also nailed a three-pointer and dunked all over the Pacers at one point.
His three steals, one of which came at a key point in the fourth quarter, helped the Cavs win this game on the margins.
Grade: B
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
Tomlin hasn’t been able to stay on the court recently, as his lack of a three-point shot has buried him in the rotation. Well, he converted on a big one tonight in the fourth quarter. It was only his 22nd make on more than 100 attempts this season. But I’d argue it was his most impactful one.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 05: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on April 05, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers beat an even more depleted Indiana Pacers team. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
WINNER – Next Man Up
This was one of the larger injury reports you’ll see for an NBA game. That’s saying something in today’s age.
Cleveland wasn’t as banged up as the Pacers, who were missing more than half of their roster due to injury. But the Cavs were still knackered enough to be without five rotational players. That puts a strain on any team.
Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill were all out today. That meant the Cavs would need a ‘next man up’ mentality to pull out this win, regardless of the opponent.
I can’t say it was perfect. Both the offense and defense struggled at various points. A few role players missed the mark and weren’t able to be super productive in their opportunities. But helpful contributions from Dennis Schroder, Craig Porter Jr., and Keon Ellis made up the difference. Even Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who is shooting 20.4% from deep this season, nailed a huge shot in the fourth quarter.
Thomas Bryant, who started as the lone big man in place of Allen and Mobley, put up 14 points and 10 rebounds on 6-9 shooting against his former team. His dunk at the end was a cherry on top.
Beggars can’t be choosers in these situations. Would you have liked to see the Cavs run up the score and obliterate an inferior opponent? Sure. Yet given the circumstances, this was a hard-fought win that was made possible by support from Cleveland’s deep reserves.
LOSER – Three-Point Defense
I don’t want to beat a dead horse. We’ll make this quick.
The Pacers opened this game by shooting 6-8 from downtown in the first five minutes. That’s… never going to be acceptable. The Cavs failed to set the tone in this game, and once a team gets rolling, it’s much harder to slow them down.
Per usual, it was a mixture of good shooting from the Pacers and poor defensive communication that led to Indiana’s hot start. But in this league, giving an inch often comes with your opponent taking a mile. Cleveland must do a better job of stopping this trend before it starts.
The Cavs eventually tightened up defensively and did enough to get this job done. It’s just worth mentioning that this has been a consistent issue for the team.
WINNER – Bagcourt
As mentioned, the Cavs were down key players for this game. That puts some onus on James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to carry even more weight than usual.
They handled that with ease.
Mitchell quickly made his presence felt by relentlessly attacking the paint. He finished with 38 points, 28 of which were in the paint, setting a new career-high for a single game.
The Cavs felt like they had an advantage inside, even without Mobley and Allen. That allowed Mitchell to knife into the lane and finish below the rim throughout the game. This is a skill that can be overlooked by Mitchell’s electric three-point shooting. He’s still one of the best below-the-rim finishers in basketball, and it’s always a treat when he makes an extra effort to attack the basket.
Harden took a different approach. He launched an aerial assault, bombarding the Pacers with step-back three-pointers and earning multiple trips to the line on jump-shot attempts. At one point, Harden had 21 points on just 9 field goal attempts. That’s pretty efficient.
In total, the two guards combined for 66 points and 13 assists on 24-44 shooting. With other stars across the league at risk of being ineligible for end-of-season awards, it’s possible the Cavs backcourt could both land All-NBA nods this year.
"We had a great conversation about his future at Michigan and my commitment to him, his staff and his team," Manuel told the Detroit Free Press on Sunday evening. "Thrilled to have him continuing to lead our men's basketball team and to have Anna [his wife] and his family remain in Ann Arbor.
"His focus and mine is on the game Monday night versus UConn."
May fielded multiple questions about his name being tossed into the North Carolina job search at the Final Four in Indianapolis, but never named the Tar Heels directly in his responses.
"After last year, I decided I'll never respond to any job speculation. I had already agreed to terms with Michigan, was 100% done, and I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background, and that was misconstrued, so I just decided I'm never going to comment on any job that I don't have," May said on Friday, April 3 in a media availability.
"I think it's well documented how happy I am at Michigan. Obviously, my private life, my personal life, my family, their happiness is very important. I love it at Michigan, but you'll never hear me comment on any other job unless Michigan lets me go, and then I'll comment on every job."
In two seasons under May, the Wolverines have quickly jumped back up to the top of the Big Ten standings. Last season, Michigan improved its win total by 19 games under May from a year prior and made it to the Sweet 16, where it lost to Auburn.
This year, the Wolverines have been one of the top programs in the country for much of the season. He led the program to the Big Ten outright regular season title and a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance for the fourth time in program history.
As noted by USA TODAY, May signed a new contract with Michigan in February 2025, just under a year after he became the Wolverines' next coach. His current deal is through the 2030 season, according to his contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
His base salary for the 2025-26 season was $4.6 million and will see an increase to $4.85 million next season if his current deal doesn't change, which seems likely to happen after the type of season the Wolverines have had.
Monday night's national championship game at 8:50 p.m. ET inside Lucas Oil Stadium against No. 2 UConn will be the first May has coached in, and the program's first since they lost to Villanova in 2018. The Wolverines cruised through their Final Four semifinal over No. 1 Arizona, even with Yaxel Lendeborg sustaining multiple injuries and playing through them.
Should the Wolverines win April 6, it will be the first men's basketball title for the Big Ten in over two decades, with the last one coming from their in-state rival, Michigan State, in 2000.
Monday represents an unwanted milestone for the Knicks.
It marks one month since they beat a team above .500. Their last such win came against the Nuggets in Denver on March 6. Since then? They’ve gone 0-5 against teams with winning records. All of those games were on the road against the Lakers, Clippers, Hornets, Thunder and Rockets.
Monday starts a final four-game stretch against teams above .500 to close the regular season, beginning in Atlanta against the Hawks, followed by home games against the Celtics, Raptors and Hornets.
Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks and guard Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks speak on the court during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Friday April 3rd, 2026, in New York, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“For us, I think it’s just making sure we’re locked in and focused,” Josh Hart said after practice Sunday. “Obviously this is a good little stretch to end the season to make sure we’re as sharp as we can be going into the playoffs. The past is the past, nothing you can do about it now. Our focus is on tomorrow being 1-0 against playoff teams, and then we move on to the next one, and then we want to be 1-0, and then we want to move onto the next one and be 1-0. Nothing in the past really matters. It’s about what we do moving forward that we’ll be judged on and what we judge ourselves on.”
Those five losses are sandwiched between seven- and two-game winning streaks against teams well below .500 and, for the most part, tanking. And they are part of a growing concern that the Knicks have struggled against higher quality opposition for a while now.
The NBA, this year more than ever, has clear haves and have-nots in team quality. A few wins or blowouts over bottom-feeders composed of youngsters or G-Leaguers don’t quell the alarm bells regarding how the Knicks fare in real tests.
And it’s not just the results that are troubling, it’s how the Knicks lose. Their offense becomes more stagnant and Jalen Brunson-heavy. There are particularly bad starts to games, which they might be able to overcome against lowly teams but find much harder to overcome against quality teams. Their transition defense is shoddy, betraying so much of their improvement on that side of the ball in the second half of the year.
“You gotta give Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Houston credit, they played well,” coach Mike Brown said. “I said it postgame, we did not play well in some areas. … We didn’t play well in those three games and we deserved to lose, as much as you hate to say it. And hopefully we’ll play better going forward because we’ve got a couple of teams above .500, so we’ll see.”
Beyond simply being above .500, all four of the Knicks’ remaining opponents will be Eastern Conference playoff or play-in teams. One thing Brown acknowledged is that they don’t want to show these potential playoff opponents everything and that they want to keep a few looks in their back pocket to unleash during the postseason.
It creates a weird dynamic this final week.
Knicks guard Landry Shamet puts up a shot as guard Josh Giddey #3 of the Chicago Bulls defends during the first half at Madison Square Garden, Friday April 3rd, 2026, in New York, NY. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
“It’s a challenging stretch that not a lot of people talk about,” Landry Shamet said Sunday. “This last stretch of the season, these last few games, you’re kind of gearing up for the playoffs, you know what you’re building for, but you gotta be here and locked in each night, each team, each challenge in front of you. I think it’s more about approaching each game with the right mentality. Make it more about us than who we’re playing. We’re working on something bigger and building for something bigger, keeping that top of mind while still taking each game seriously and approaching them as you should.”
Last year, the Knicks’ struggles against top opposition in the regular season — particularly with the Celtics — didn’t really translate to the postseason. But they should not just be ignored or considered meaningless.
Just relying on everything changing once the playoffs start is a risky mindset.
“It’s not something you can just flip a switch in the playoffs and say, ‘OK the playoffs are here, let’s go out there and do our thing,’ ” Hart said. “We gotta make sure that we take these next four games as serious as we can, make sure we lock in mentally and physically to what the game plan is and to what this team wants to do moving forward and execute.”
Four more games means four final chances for the Knicks to quiet a worrying narrative that has recently begun hovering over them.
HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 3: Alperen Sengun #28, Amen Thompson #1, Reed Sheppard #15, and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz on April 3, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
April 5, 2026
Location: Chaste Center, San Francisco, CA
TV: NBC/Peacock,
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
With a chance to pull even with the Wizards atop the lottery standings, the Nets instead pulled out a come-from-behind 121-115 win that saw them consigned to third place.
The Nets are two full games behind Washington and a game behind the Pacers, pending their tilt vs. Cleveland. They’ll host Milwaukee on Tuesday and the Pacers two nights later, with huge tanking ramifications in each.
The Nets (19-59) are 2 ¹/₂ games ahead of the Jazz and two ahead of the Kings, who played the Clippers at home on Sunday.
Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) shoots past Washington Wizards Leaky Black during the first half at Barclays Center, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Nets (19-59) were two games ahead of the Jazz and Kings, pending Utah’s game against OKC and Sacramento’s tilt vs. the Clippers.
They trailed a skeleton Wizards crew 105-101 after Jamir Watkins’ 3-pointer with 3:50 left. But the Nets reeled off eight unanswered points to seize the lead for good, part of a game-breaking 14-3 run.
Nolan Traore — who’d been fighting through the rookie wall — had 10 of his team-high 23 points in that Nets blitz to lead the comeback.
His 3-pointer made it 105-105 with 2:56 left, and his layup capped the 8-0 spurt. Traore’s final 3 off a Jalen Wilson feed made it 115-108 with 1:15 left.
Drake Powell (4) shoots one Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) during the first half at Barclays Center, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“He did a great job,” said Jordi Fernández. “He’s a big reason why we won this game, especially towards the end.”
It remains to be seen how much the win costs them in the lottery. But for the struggling Nets, it felt sweet on Easter Sunday.
Josh Minott (15 points, three blocks, two steals) gave the Nets a 17-point lead in the first quarter, before they gave it up with a shaky second and third.
But they settled in for a clean fourth, their 13-0 edge in points off turnovers the difference.
“We just had a collective mindset to be better than what we did in the third quarter,” said Wilson. “I feel like we got away (from our plan), let them get comfortable. Give any team confidence in the NBA, it can be a tough game.”
But we were able to get them to turn the ball over a lot and capitalize on that.”
Wilson finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Will Riley scored 30 for the Wizards, who suited up just eight players and dropped their sixth straight to fall to 17-61.
But Washington moved 1½ games clear of the Pacers and two ahead of Brooklyn.
Ben Saraf, Terance Mann (right patella tendon soreness/left Achilles) and Noah Clowney (left ankle) were ruled out, with Michael Porter Jr., Egor Dëmin, Nic Claxton, Danny Wolf, Ziaire Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe already sidelined.
But not to be out-tanked, the Wizards played without Anthony Davis (finger), Trae Young (back/right quad), Justin Champagnie, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr, Cam Whitmore and D’Angelo Russell.
“An important figure in the evolution of modern basketball who elevated the game through his uptempo, space and pace philosophy that helped redefine offensive strategy… emphasizing ball movement, shooting, and efficiency and shaping the analytics-driven era of the sport — known as Seven Seconds or Less,” Hall of Fame officials wrote in the announcement.
In the previous 2016-17 season, D’Antoni won NBA Coach of the Year honors after leading the Rockets to a 55-27 record — a 14-win improvement relative to the previous season under a different coaching staff. D’Antoni finished his Houston tenure (2016-17 through 2019-20) in the No. 2 spot in both categories, trailing only Hall of Fame coach and two-time NBA champion Rudy Tomjanovich. He’s easily the top coach in Rockets history by winning percentage (217-101, .682). D’Antoni holds the best winning percentage in Houston Rockets history at .682 (217–101).Dantoni led the Rockets to a franchise-best 65-17 record in the 2017-18 season, where he was named NBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, and during his four seasons with Houston, the Rockets reached the playoffs each year, often battling as a top contender in the Western Conference.
Those Houston years included a memorable 2017-18 campaign in which the Rockets (65-17) finished with the most wins of any NBA team, and it remains a franchise record to this day. As the star player and centerpiece of D’Antoni’s high-powered offense, James Harden easily won league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors.
Although none of D’Antoni’s teams won an NBA championship, they were close on several occasions. The 2017–18 Rockets, who were possibly just one Chris Paul hamstring injury away from overthrowing the Golden State Warriors, were on that list.
As it stands, they did enough to ensure that D’Antoni’s legacy would be honored and acknowledged in Springfield, Massachusetts, as a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The dates of the enshrinement weekend are August 14–15, 2026.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 5: Anthony Gill #16 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 5, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Gotta admit: when I saw the lineups for this Wizards at Nets game, I set aside the notepad. There were two key numbers that jumped out at me before the game began. They were:
Washington: 2
Brooklyn: 1
Those numbers represent how many players each had available who’d be expected to be part of the team’s full-health rotation next season. For the Wizards, it was Bub Carrington and Will Riley. For the Nets, Nolan Traore. If you want to stretch to include either Drake Powell or Jalen Wilson, I wouldn’t squawk much, but the core point remains.
Will Riley attacks the paint during the Washington Wizards loss to the Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both teams are committed to losing as much as possible to finish the season.
Despite that commitment, the Wizards blew a 17-point first quarter deficit to actually take the lead a few times in the fourth quarter. Then the Nets got a case of “competence” and closed the game on a 20-10 run to give Washington the loss.
This was an odd game in a few ways. The Wizards had just eight players available, yet head coach Brian Keefe barely played Sharife Cooper and Jaden Hardy.
No one from the Wizards was particularly impressive, though there were some positives. Riley led the offense throughout the afternoon, and closed with a flurry of pointless buckets to juice his final tally to 30 points. He got the experience of trying to attack a defense loading up to stop him, and acquitted himself decently, despite four turnovers.
JuJu Reese once again mashed a center-free opponent, this time with 16 rebounds in 44 minutes.
I’d caution against reading much into anything that happened in this game because of the dearth of genuine NBA talent on the floor for either team.
None of this should undermine enjoyment of the game itself. I had fun watching — Traore is super-fast and seems to be developing as a shooter. Chaney Johnson had some oomph to his game. Watching Reese battle on the boards is entertaining. And Riley hit some crazy fluky shots, including that one off the top of the backboard while getting fouled and falling out of bounds, and a banked in three. They count though!
Just four left in the 2025-26 season.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
NETS
LGAVG
eFG%
61.4%
57.4%
54.5%
OREB%
30.6%
25.0%
26.0%
TOV%
20.4%
11.2%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.228
0.227
0.207
PACE
98
99.3
ORTG
117
123
115.7
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
Donovan is the big fish still swimming in the pond. Can UNC hook him? Donovan has been linked since the Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis on March 24. The Bulls' season ends April 12, and they won't be in the playoffs. Is UNC willing to wait and miss out on the first week of the transfer portal? For the right fit, why not? Plus, the Bulls are reportedly set for a front office shakeup, so it may be time to jump ship.
After 11 years away from college basketball, is Donovan ready for a return to campus? College ball is basically pro ball, anyway now. He'd be the candidate most UNC fans are pinning their hopes on after other high-profile rejections.
Mark Byington, Vanderbilt
Byington, 49, played at UNC Wilmington and was an assistant at Virginia and Virginia Tech, so he's got some familiarity with the state and ACC. He may not have the name recognition as some of the other coaches linked to the job, but he's averaged 25 wins across his past four seasons as a head coach, including 27 victories this season in his second year at Vanderbilt
He’s never made a Sweet 16, but he’s never been at a program like North Carolina, either.
Todd Golden and Nate Oats had never been to a Sweet 16 before coaching at Florida and Alabama, respectively. Now, they’re two of the best coaches in the sport.
Sean Miller, Texas
Miller is a winner. He's coached in 14 NCAA tournaments, reached the Sweet 16 nine times and the Elite Eight four times.
Miller spent five seasons on Herb Sendek's NC State staff, so knows the state. His firing at Arizona will raise some red flags with his involvement in 2017 Adidas FBI probe, but if Rick Pitino, Will Wade and Bill Self (among others involved) can still coach at the top level, why shouldn't Miller?
He just finished his first season at Texas, going 21-15, taking the Longhorns from the First Four to the Sweet 16, and a last-second tip-in away from the Elite Eight.
Ben McCollum, Iowa
McCollum is a proven winner at multiple levels and a program builder. The 44-year-old coach won four Division II national championships before jumping to the Division I level. He's won more than 80% of his games, leading Drake to 31 wins before making the move to Iowa and taking the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament this season. Imagine what he could do with a blue-blood program?
Scott Drew, Baylor
Two years ago, Drew claimed a spot near the top of Kentucky’s wish list. He turned down the Wildcats, a humbling blow to UK. Two years later, you must wonder whether Drew would benefit from a restart. His Baylor team went 16-16 and got trampled within the Big 12. Drew last reached a Sweet 16 in 2021, when he produced a national title.
Take the macro view, and Drew’s Baylor accomplishments are phenomenal. He rescued from the trash bin a program that had been rocked by a deadly scandal. He took the Bears up, up, up, until they reached the top of the sport.
Zoom in, and you realize Drew’s best days at Baylor are behind him. He’s still widely respected, and if Drew, 55, is ever going to leave Baylor, right now is likely his last best chance.
Like McCollum, Schertz cut his teeth coaching in Division II, reaching four Final Fours at Lincoln Memorial. His 2024 Indiana State team was electric — and an NCAA Tournament snub before reaching the NIT final. He's rebuilt Saint Louis in just two seasons and plays a brand of basketball that's easy on the eye.
Grant McCasland, Texas Tech
All but one of his 12 seasons as a head coach have been in Texas. It'll likely be hard to pry him East, especially with the deep pockets in Lubbock.
But he'd be an interesting option. Another former Division II and JUCO head coach, McCasland's teams win. He won the NIT at North Texas in 2023 and led Texas Tech to the Elite Eight in 2025. Had JT Toppin not gotten hurt this year, who knows how far the Red Raiders could have advanced.
Jerry Stackhouse, Golden State assistant
Stackhouse is a candidate if the Tar Heels stay in the family, His Vanderbilt tenure was up and down, and before the Commodores really dipped into the NIL space. He had two winning seasons in his five years in Nashville, but that 28-60 SEC record will be hard for UNC fans to swallow.
Mike Malone, former NBA coach
An underrated possibility, the 54-year-old Malone is a championship-caliber coach and has a daughter who plays volleyball at UNC. He’s been around the Tar Heels’ basketball program at times and has history as a college and NBA coach. Malone led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA title in 2023.
T.J. Otzelberger, Iowa State
If UNC wants to build its identity around defense, Otzelberger is the guy to do it. The 48-year-old coach has produced top-10 defensive units in four of his five seasons at Iowa State. The Cyclones are elite at creating turnovers. The Heels would have a clear identity and structured program under Otzelberger. Considering what he's built in Ames, this could be UNC's safest, most reliable option.
USA TODAY Sports reporters Blake Toppmeyer and John Brice contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) — Nolan Traore hit five three-pointers and finished with 23 points and seven assists, Jalen Wilson added 19 points and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Washington Wizards 121-115 on Sunday.
The Wizards (17-61) have a two-game lead on the Nets (19-59) for the best lottery odds. Indiana is 18-58 entering Sunday’s game at Cleveland.
Washington has lost six in a row and 22 of its past 23. The Wizards had given up 305 combined points in back-to-back losses to Philadelphia (153-131) and Miami (152-136).
Brooklyn won for just the second time in its past 14 games.
Will Riley, who had a career-high 31 points Saturday against the Heat, scored 30, Jamir Watkins added 20 points, and Julian Reese had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Wizards. Anthony Gill also scored 17 points and Bub Carrington had 13 points.
E.J. Liddell and Josh Minott each scored 15 for Brooklyn. Drake Powell added 13 points and Ochai Agbaji scored 12.
Watkins hit a three-pointer that gave the Wizards a four-point lead with 3:50 left in the game. The Nets answered with an 8-0 run that culminated when Traore made a layup that made it 109-105 with two minutes remaining and Brooklyn led the rest of the way.
Leaky Black responded with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to a point, but Wilson and Traore hit back-to-back threes before Trevon Scott’s layup made it 117-108 with 42 seconds to go.
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 5: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on April 5, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Brooklyn Nets, 121-115 on Easter Sunday. This game was important for the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery! The Brooklyn Nets coming in a full game behind the Wizards in the standings, and if the Wizards managed not to lose, they would enlarge that gap to 2 full games!
Yes, the Wizards were standing at 17-60, and the Nets at 18-59.
Things started well for the Nets (and the Wizards’ Draft Lottery hopes) as the Nets stormed to a 35-24 lead at the end of the first quarter. Traore and Agbaji were hitting their threes, and on the other side the Wizards were kept in the game by their 6th man of the month, Will Riley, who would go on to score 15 points in 20 minutes of action in the first half alone.
Indeed, the second quarter shifted towards the Wizards, much thanks to Riley, and at halftime the scoreboard showed a close contest 59-54 in favor of the hosts in Brooklyn.
The Nets came strong out of the gates in the locker-room, pushing the lead quickly (within less than a minute) to double digits after two quick turnovers by the Wizards. Four quick buckets by the Wizards showed they are in this game, and the remainder of the third quarter remained close with several lead changes. Ultimately, the Nets took a one-point lead 85-84 heading into the final stanza.
The final quarter started with a couple quick buckets by Gil and Watkins, with Washington taking a small but quick lead 89-85. And, the contest remained close! The scoreboard showed 105-105, knotted up, with less than three minutes to go.
At that point the Nets made two quick buckets, by Powell and Traore (who is shaping up to be quite a player), but Leaky Black answered with a clutch three, 109-108 with 100 seconds to go. Traore then drew a couple defenders and sprayed out to Jalen Wilson who nailed a clutch three of his own from straight ahead, 112-108 in favor of the nets, with 92 seconds on the clock.
Timeout for the Wizards.
Whatever the ATO was, Will Riley turned the ball over in-bounding…. Jalen Wilson heat-check for a dagger three, missed, but after a rebound, Traore (who else) came up big with a three, 115-108 for the Nets, and the game was pretty much sealed.
Some stats to close: Anthony Gil played 40+ minutes. Black, Reese, and Watkins topped 42 minutes. Overall the Wizards were decent with 55 percent from the field and 36 from deep. But they missed a ton from the charity stripe (18-for-28). Will Riley led the Wizards in scoring with 28 in 35 minutes off the bench.
Traore led the Nets with 23 points including 5-for-11 from deep in 28 minutes. Nobody on the Nets actually played more than 29 minutes. Which makes sense.
The Wizards now return home where they will face the Chicago Bulls twice in the last stretch of the regular season.
