Category: NBA

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

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

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

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

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

Game Vitals

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

Projected Lineups

Detroit Pistons (59-22)

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

Indiana Pacers (19-62)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

George keeps starting hot 

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

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

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

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

Sixers’ six-man bench 

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

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

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

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

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

Third-quarter high note

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 8, 2026

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

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

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

Sacramento ultimately fell 110-105 in that contest.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nuggets vs. Spurs start time:

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

How to watch Nuggets vs. Spurs:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Previously with the Warriors:

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

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

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

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

What to watch for tonight:

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

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

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

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

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!! 

Projected Starters

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

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

How to watch Regular Season Game 82

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

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

Where: Intuit Dome — Los Angeles, California

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

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

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

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

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

Nuggets vs Spurs prediction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nuggets vs Spurs same-game parlay

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

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

Nuggets vs Spurs SGP

• Spurs -11.5
• Under 233.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Straw man argument

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

Nuggets vs Spurs SGP

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

Nuggets vs Spurs odds

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

Nuggets vs Spurs betting trend to know

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

How to watch Nuggets vs Spurs

Nuggets vs Spurs latest injuries

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

Here are the playoff scenarios, and what might happen.

First:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But then the Jazz likely want to lose as well.

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

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

Orlando Magic (45-36) at Boston Celtics (55-26)
Sunday, April 12, 2026
6:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #82 Home Game #41
TV: ESPN, NBCSB, FDSNFL
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub , WYGM 96.9, Sirius XM
TD Garden

The Celtics host the Orlando Magic for the 4th, and final, meeting between these teams this season. They played twice in a row in Orlando with the Magic winning the first game 123-110 and the Celtics winning the second game 111-107. The Celtics won the 3rd game 138-129 in Boston. The Celtics won the series 2-1 last season. The Celtics are 78-58 overall all time against the Magic. They are 51-18 all time in games played in Boston.

This could be a preview of the Celtics most likely first round matchup. Orlando can move up to 6th if they beat the Celtics and Toronto loses to the Nets. If Toronto beats the Nets, Orlando will have to play Philadelphia in the play in to decide the 7th seed. The Celtics are 12-10 against the Magic in the playoffs, including a 4-1 win in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2 games ahead of 3rd place New York, 4 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 9 games ahead of 5th place Atlanta and 10 games ahead of 6th place Toronto and 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 35-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 29-11 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.

The Magic are 7th in the East, 6 games behind 4th place Cleveland, 2 game behind 5th place Atlanta and tied with 6th place Toronto. They are 1 game ahead of 8th place Philadelphia, 2 games ahead of 9th place Charlotte and 3 games ahead of 10th place Miami. They are 26-25 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 19-19 on the road and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 5 games.

The Celtics have an extensive injury report for this game. Jaylen Brown (Achilles), Neemias Queta (toe), Jayson Tatum (injury management), and Derrick White (knee) are all listed as out. Sam Hauser (back), Payton Pritchard (plantar fasciitis), and Nikola Vucevic (finger) are all doubtful. Hugo Gonzalez was a late addition to the injury list as questionable with foot pain. I have just made a wild guess as to the Celtics starters for this game. For the Magic, Jett Howard (ankle) and Jonathan Isaac (knee) are both listed as questionable.

Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Max Shulga vs Jalen Suggs

SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Desmond Bane

SF: Hugo Gonzalez vs Franz Wagner

PF: Jordan Walsh vs Paolo Banchero

C: Luka Garza vs Wendell Carter, Jr

Celtics Reserves
Amare Williams
Ron Harper, Jr
Delano Banton
John Tonje

2-Way Players
None

Injuries/Out
Derrick White (knee) out
Neemias Queta (toe) out
Sam Hauser (back) doubtful
Jaylen Brown (Achilles) out
Jayson Tatum (injury management) out
Payton Pritchard (plantar fasciitis) doubtful
Nikola Vucevic (finger) doubtful
Hugo Gonzalez (foot) questionable

Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla

Magic Reserves
Goga Bitadze
Anthony Black
Jamal Cain
Jevon Carter
Tristan daSilva
Noah Penda 
Jase Richardon
Moritz Wagner

2-Way Players
Colin Castleton
Alex Morales

Injuries/Out
Jett Howard  (ankle) questionable
Jonathan Isaac (knee) questionable

Head Coach
Jamahl Mosley

Key Matchups
Jordan Walsh vs Paolo Banchero
Banchero is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He is shooting 46.2% from the field and 31.1% from beyond the arc. In 2 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field and 12.5% from beyond the arc.

Hugo Gonzalez vs Franz Wagner
Wagner is averaging 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.  He is shooting 48.5% from the field and 34.8% from beyond the arc.  In 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 20.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 42.2% from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc.  Since Hugo is now questionable, if he can’t play I would guess that Ron Harper, Jr starts here.

Honorable Mention
Baylor Scheierman vs Desmond Bane
Bane is averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  He is shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc.  In 3 games against the Celtics this season he averaged 16.3 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists while shooting 48.6% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc. 

Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the key to winning games.  The Celtics are now 4th in the league with a defensive rating of 111.8.  The Magic are 14th with a defensive rating of 113.7   In their last loss, the Celtics allowed the Knicks to shoot 53.8% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. They were lax on defense and that cost them the game.  The Celtics are going to have to work harder on defense than the Magic and lock down the Magic’s shooters. 

Rebound –  Rebounding is also a big key to winning  The Magic are 19th with 43.3 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 3rd with 46.4 rebounds per game.   They simply have to fight harder to grab rebounds than the Magic.  Every Celtic has got to crash the boards and fight for every rebound.   The Celtics can’t score without the ball and a good way to get the ball is to crash the boards. 

Effort and Energy for 48 Minutesc- The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. The Celtics are missing a lot of firepower on the injury list and so the best way to make up for that is to play harder than the Magic.  The Celtics need to make playing with more effort and energy their identity for the upcoming playoffs and it needs to start with this game. 

Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics play best when they share the ball and keep it moving.  They can’t try to do too much individually or the offense gets bogged down.  They need to move the ball to find the best shots instead of taking quick shots or over dribbling. They have to move the ball carefully, however,  and not turn the ball over.   The Magic score  18.6 points off turnovers per game. If the Celtics get sloppy again, the Magic will make them pay. 

X-Factors
Celtics Pride at Home – The Celtics will have the home crowd behind them and that should give them a boost.  The Magic will have all the distractions of playing on the road such as travel, hotel stay, and playing on an unfamiliar court in front of a hostile crowd.   The Celtics need to be ready for a team that plays very hard for 48 minutes.  The Celtics need to match the Magic’s effort especially on the defensive end.   The Celtics have to show pride and play harder than the Magic to protect their home court and get a win against this motivated Magic team. 

Next Man Up – The Celtics will be missing at least 4 and possibly as many as 7 players for this game.  The stay ready group will get a chance to show that they are ready for playoff minutes and need to take advantage of that opportunity.  They need to hit their shots and defend at a high level in order to beat the motivated and healthy Magic. 

Officiating – The officiating is always an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Some refs just seem to have an agenda that doesn’t fit the events on the court. At times they miss important calls that change the momentum of the game.  The Celtics need to play well enough not to leave the game in the hands of the officials at the end and they can’t let bad calls take away from their focus.

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The NBA regular season concludes on Sunday night with a Nuggets vs. Spurs matchup that offers more betting value in the player prop market than the spread or total.

Our NBA player prop projections break down the expected production on both sides, highlighting where the numbers create betting value. 

Alongside our Nuggets vs. Spurs predictions and top NBA picks, here are the best player props to target for April 12.

Nuggets vs Spurs computer picks for April 12

Nuggets	Spurs
Jokic o0.5 threes  -150	Fox u6.5 assists  -105
Jones u5.5 assists  -112	Champagnie u12.5 points  -110
Strawther u2.5 threes  -135	Fox o1.5 threes  -110

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Nuggets computer picks

Nikola Jokic Over 0.5 threes (-150)

Projection: 1.5 threes

Nikola Jokic clearing one three is about as low a bar as it gets, especially in a game Denver actually cares about. With the Nuggets still pushing for seeding, expect full minutes and a normal offensive role.

San Antonio’s defense gives up clean looks to bigs on the perimeter, and Jokic has been more willing to fire. 

He's hit at least one 3-pointer in two of his last three games.

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Tyus Jones Under 5.5 assists (-112)

Projection: 4.1 assists

Tyus Jones’ role is the issue here, not his talent. With Denver playing for seeding, the ball is going to live in Nikola Jokic’s hands, not Jones’.

He’s more of a secondary initiator in this offense, and his assist upside is capped unless minutes spike. In a tighter rotation game, that’s unlikely.

Jones has gone Under this total in 14 straight games. 

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Julian Strawther Under 2.5 threes (-135)

Projection: 2.0 threes

Julian Strawther’s role is always fragile, and that’s amplified in a high-leverage game for Denver. The Nuggets will tighten the rotation, leaning more on trusted options, which limits Strawther’s volume and minutes.

Even if he gets on the floor, he’s a streaky shooter who needs attempts to get there. 

He's gone Under this number in 16 of his last 17 games. 

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Spurs computer picks

De'Aaron Fox Under 6.5 assists (-120)

Projection: 5.6 assists

De'Aaron Fox’s role is score-first, and that becomes even more pronounced in a meaningless end-of-season spot.

With the Spurs not playing for anything, offensive structure tends to break down, leading to fewer clean assist opportunities. He’s more likely to hunt his own shot than facilitate, and the projection reflects that.

At 5.6 assists, this line is simply a bit too aggressive for his expected usage and game environment.

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Julian Champagnie Under 12.5 points (-110)

Projection: 10.9 points

Julian Champagnie is a decent role player, but 12.5 is a touch too high for someone whose production can disappear fast if the shot volume is not there.

With a projection of 10.9, there is enough cushion to back the Under, especially if his minutes or usage dip even slightly.

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De'Aaron Fox Over 1.5 threes (-110)

Projection: 1.7 threes

De’Aaron Fox isn’t known as a high-volume 3-point shooter, but he’s quietly cleared this number with more consistency when his usage spikes.

With a 1.7 projection, you’re not getting a massive edge, but you don’t need one at this line.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Fox Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Nuggets vs Spurs tonight

Location	Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date	Sunday, April 12, 2026
Tip-off	8:30 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN

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The Lakers are converting Nick Smith Jr. from a two-way contract to a standard NBA contract before the regular season ends. 

The signing, which was first reported on Sunday by ESPN, will make Smith eligible for the Lakers’ playoff roster. 

Smith, who signed a two-way contract, will have a team option for 2026-27, and his salary for next season is non-guaranteed, a source told The California Post.

With star guards Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) sidelined, the Lakers opted for more shooting and backcourt depth going into the postseason.

The Lakers created the roster spot to sign Smith when they waived Kobe Bufkin on Friday. 

Smith signed a two-way contract with the Lakers on Sept. 29 after being waived by the Hornets earlier in September after two seasons in Charlotte. 

He averaged six points and shot 40% on 3-pointers in 29 games with the Lakers before Sunday’s signing. 

Smith was the No. 27 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. 

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The Charlotte Hornets will look to clinch a home Play-In game as they visit the New York Knicks tonight.

New York is resting virtually everyone you’ve heard of on its roster, which has me backing Charlotte to cover in my Hornets vs. Knicks predictions below. 

Let’s take a closer look at this matchup as I reveal my free NBA picks for Sunday, April 12.

Hornets vs Knicks prediction

Hornets vs Knicks best bet: Hornets -14 (-110)

The New York Knicks are locked into the No. 3 seed heading into Sunday’s game, which means a significantly diminished lineup for this contest.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson have all been ruled out for the regular-season finale, part of seven players listed on the injury report.

The Charlotte Hornets don’t have that luxury. Charlotte’s second half has put it in a playoff position, and it now has the chance to host its first-round Play-In matchup. Given how the Hornets have played down the stretch, that would make them formidable against anyone, let alone a team that isn’t really trying to win.

Charlotte has gone 10-5 over its last 15 games. That includes beating a Knicks team that was actually trying back in March, when Kon Knueppel went for 26 points in a 114-103 victory. 

I don’t think anyone expects the Hornets to blow this opportunity, so the only question becomes whether they can cover a large spread on the road.

Charlotte’s last eight wins have all come by double digits, with seven of those being 14+ point victories. This isn’t a team that takes its foot off the gas when it has the chance to put opponents away.

If the Knicks were playing literally anyone relevant, I might question the size of this spread, but this is a game Charlotte can run away with. I’m taking the Hornets to cover.

Hornets vs Knicks same-game parlay

With the Hornets playing for home-court advantage and the Knicks resting so much of their talent, LaMelo Ball can put up big numbers in a game where Charlotte will be playing its starters until it's sure the game is well in hand. Ball has scored Over 21.5 points in each of his last three games and dished out at least eight assists in five of six, and I’m happy to back him to hit both of those totals tonight.

Hornets vs Knicks SGP

• Hornets -14
• LaMelo Ball Over 21.5 points
• LaMelo Ball Over 7.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: The Big Three

There’s a bit of added drama with my lottery SGP, as Knueppel and Ball are locked in a tight race to see who will lead the league – and set the Hornets record – for most 3-pointers this season. 

I like both players to do their best to pad their totals against a weakened Knicks lineup. While we’re at it, let’s also throw in a 3-pointers prop on Grant Williams, who has hit at least two shots from beyond the arc in five of his last six games.

Hornets vs Knicks SGP

• Hornets -14
• LaMelo Ball Over 5.5 made threes
• Kon Knueppel Over 3.5 made threes
• Grant Williams Over 1.5 made threes

Hornets vs Knicks odds

• Spread: Hornets -14 (-110) | Knicks +14 (-110)
• Moneyline: Hornets -850 | Knicks +575
• Over/Under: Over 217.5 (-110) | Under 217.5 (-110)

Hornets vs Knicks betting trend to know

The Hornets were outstanding against the spread this season, posting a 50-31 ATS record. Find more NBA betting trends for Hornets vs. Knicks.

How to watch Hornets vs Knicks

Hornets vs Knicks latest injuries

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