Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham is set to join the growing list of NBA players who are ineligible for postseason awards.
A player becomes ineligible if they miss 18 or more games. Cunningham, who has played 61 games this season, suffered a collapsed lung that has kept him out since March 17. He will be re-evaluated in one week, the Pistons said Thursday.
Cunningham suffered the injury after a collision with Tre Johnson while diving for a loose ball in the first quarter of a game against the Washington Wizards on March 17.
Cunningham was once considered an MVP contender this season. Entering Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pistons had a 55-21 overall record and sat in first in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons will play three more games before Cunningham's latest evaluation.
He has averaged 24.5 points, 9.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game in 61 games played this season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City catcher Carter Jensen was removed from the Royals’ starting lineup for Thursday game with the Minnesota Twins after he overslept.
“I didn’t wake up to my alarm. Slept through it," Jensen told The Kansas City Star and other outlets. "Don’t really have an excuse — nor should I. It sucks. It happens. I feel like I let teammates down, coaches down. Just learn from it and just know it won’t happen again.”
Jensen eventually arrived, but not early enough to prepare adequately to start the game. He did end up coming in as Kansas City’s catcher in the ninth inning of the Royals' 5-1 loss.
Salvador Perez, who was expecting to be Kansas City’s designated hitter Thursday, ended up catching the first eight innings.
“First and foremost, I’m glad Carter’s OK,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino told reporters. “I mean, that was kind of the initial thought when you’re trying to get a hold of his parents and everything like that — just make sure he’s OK.”
Pasquantino said Jensen, a 22-year-old rookie, needs to learn from this experience.
“There are some things that cannot happen, and that’s one of them,” Pasquantino said. “So he’s going to have to wear it on the chin — same way anybody would have to. It can’t happen, and hopefully it doesn’t happen again. But it’s one of those things that you just can’t afford mistakes like that in this game. Just got to move forward the best that he can. I know he feels really bad.
“I know it was not his favorite drive to the field this morning, but it wasn’t our favorite morning either, trying to figure out what was going on. He’ll learn from it, grow a little bit. We’re here for him, though. It’s not like anybody’s mad at him. Things happen. But you’ve got to learn from mistakes like that — and maybe get another alarm clock or something.”
LA's path is relatively simple: four wins, or four Denver Nuggets losses, or a combination of two Lakers wins and two Nuggets losses would keep them in the third seed at the end of the season. With two tanking teams in the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, that should be more than feasible -- but getting at least a split in an upcoming two-game series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder would be crucial for the Lakers, and for Luka Doncic's MVP campaign.
The top six in the Western Conference are pretty close to set, with the current sixth seed, the Minnesota Timberwolves, holding a 4.5-game lead over the Phoenix Suns entering Thursday. The Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Nuggets are all locked in, along with the Lakers. The Houston Rockets can clinch on Thursday night with a Suns loss.
Here's a quick rundown of possible first-round playoff matchups the Lakers may face, ranked from most to least desirable.
Phoenix Suns
This is an unlikely matchup as the Suns trail the current sixth-seed Timberwolves by 4.5 games and are almost certainly bound for the play-in.
Phoenix has had LA's number this season, winning three of their four matchups, but the Lakers have been a different team over the last month, while the Suns have scuffled down the stretch, losing seven of their last 10 games, including a six-game skid from March 13-21. Ranked 13th in USA TODAY Sports' latest NBA power rankings, the Suns have been stuck in the middle of the pack in the West for months now. Part of it is due to injury -- longtime LeBron James pest Dillon Brooks was having a breakout year individually, putting up a career-high 20.6 points on 43.8% in 30.4 minutes per game.
That, along with his usual physical style of play on defense helped him emerge as a key contributor in Phoenix until he fractured his left hand on Feb. 21 and missed 18 consecutive games before returning last Tuesday in a 115-111 loss to the Orlando Magic that handed the division to the Lakers. The Suns (42-33) went 9-9 in Brooks' absence.
Houston Rockets
When the Rockets traded for Kevin Durant last summer, it was supposed to take them from a fun team of young up-and-comers to the upper echelons of the Western Conference. That looked to be the case early in the season, but they eventually middled out as they dealt with growing pains and another KD burner account scandal.
Houston (47-29) currently has a half-game advantage over the Timberwolves in a heated battle for the fifth seed. The Rockets have size and athleticism, two things that have proven to be matchup nightmares for the Lakers in the playoffs the last few years, but this Lakers squad got two big wins over them on March 16 and 18, so they've shown that this is a team they can handle.
This is who the Lakers would face if the season ended today, and it's also the one with the most question marks.
The Wolves swept the Lakers in the first round a year ago (see: size and athleticism), but the Lakers swept the season series this year. Last year, the Lakers were horribly outmatched with no bona fide center to stop Rudy Gobert as Jaxson Hayes was basically unplayable. Hayes has improved by leaps and bounds this season with a full year of playing next to Doncic, not to mention this is why Rob Pelinka signed Deandre Ayton, who seems to have finally bought in and has been key in the Lakers' late-season surge.
One more thing to keep an eye on: Minnesota ruled Anthony Edwards out of Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons with an illness and right knee injury management, putting him below the 65-game threshold and making him ineligible for end-of-season awards. There could now possibly be a scenario in which the Timberwolves shut down Edwards for the remainder of the season, giving him a chance to enter the playoffs rested and as close to 100% as possible.
Denver Nuggets
For the last few years, Lakers-Nuggets games have felt like the myth of Sisyphus. The Lakers would get out to a quick start, build a big lead and look to be well on their way to victory until Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray make some insane shots that defy logic and all of a sudden, Denver wins and the rock rolls all the way back to the bottom of the hill.
But two weeks ago, fate seemed to finally go the other way when the Lakers rallied against Denver for what felt like their biggest win of the season when Austin Reaves got his own putback from a missed free throw with 1.9 seconds left to tie the game at 118 and force overtime, where Luka Doncic eventually hit an 18-foot stepback fadeaway over Spencer Jones to take a two point lead with 0.5 seconds left to seal the game.
The Lakers are 2-1 against Denver this season (2-0 when Doncic plays), so they're not nearly as outmatched as their recent playoff history might suggest. The Nuggets are also currently the fourth seed in the West, so a first-round meeting probably won't happen unless they crash and burn over their remaining five games. Either way, this still would be the worst of their hypothetical first-round matchups.
"I'm still digesting (it). I'm still feeling it. I haven't gone there yet," Scheyer said during an interview with Westwood One's Josh Graham in Indianapolis on Thursday, April 2.
In a follow-up question on whether he had watched the film, the Blue Devils coach gave a blunt "No" response.
“I haven’t gone there yet.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer says he hasn’t rewatched the final sequence of the UConn loss yet.
The Blue Devils' loss to the Huskies marked the second straight year that Scheyer's program collapsed at the end after holding a lead of at least 14 points at one point of the game. Last year in the Final Four vs. Houston, Duke held a seven-point lead with 1:26 to play and then six-point lead at the 42-second mark, but saw those leads melt away with the Cougars outscoring the Blue Devils 15-3 in the final two-plus minutes to win 70-67.
This year, it was a 19-point lead that the Blue Devils lost against the Huskies. Duke has not won a national championship in four seasons under Scheyer, and not since 2015 under Mike Krzyzewski.
"I could not be more disappointed and feeling for our guys, at the same time of just trying to process what happened. I don't have the words. I don't have the words," Scheyer said after Sunday's loss. "I don't have words other than just how proud I am of these guys and how disappointed we are."
While Scheyer didn't shy away from the heartbreak of the loss, he did highlight the positive aspects of the Blue Devils' season, which included a second consecutive season with 35 wins.
"We've lost in two unimaginable ways the last two seasons. At the same time, we've been in back-to-back-to-back Elite Eight's for the first time in 30-something years. We've had really good success in the tournament, but it just hasn't ended with a win the way we want," Scheyer told Graham on April 2.
"The scarier thing would be if we're not close. The thing is, we're knocking on the door. We're right there. And we just got to continue to find ways to win in the margin, regroup with a different team for next year and not quit. ... We're going to stay at it until we are there."
Anthony Edwards was ruled out for the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of their April 2 game against the Detroit Pistons, listed as having an illness and dealing with right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
As a result, he will be ineligible for NBA postseason awards as he's passed the threshold for possible games missed.
A player becomes ineligible if they miss 18 or more games. Edwards has missed 17 games, but one of the 59 games he did play does not count. That's because the four-time All-Star left a game in October after three minutes due to a hamstring strain; that's viewed as an additional game missed, according to reporter Chris Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Edwards had just returned from a six-game absence, playing in the Timberwolves' 124-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
He has averaged 29.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 59 games played this season. His scoring output is third-best in the league, and would have likely landed him on one of the All-NBA teams.
DETROIT (AP) — Anthony Edwards is ineligible for NBA postseason awards because he can't reach the 65-game minimum after the Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out him out against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, listing his right knee injury and an illness.
He has played in 59 games, but just 58 count toward the league's record of games and Minnesota has six games left in the regular season.
Edwards did not play in Detroit, one game after he scored 17 points in 23 minutes in a win over Dallas in his first game in two weeks. He returned against the Mavericks after missing six games due to his right knee ailment.
The four-time All-Star, and two-time all-league guard finished seventh in NBA MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.
Edwards is averaging a career high with 29.3 points per game, but won't play 70-plus games as he did in each of his first five seasons in the league.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MARCH 28: Tobias Harris #12 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against Julius Randle #30 and Donte DiVincenzo #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on March 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Pistons defeated the Timberwolves 109-87. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons will get to face an Anthony Edwards-less version of the Minnesota Timberwolves team tonight at Little Caesars Arena. Edwards was listed as questionable before ultimately being ruled out. The star guard can only miss one additional game before he hits the limit of games missed and ineligibility for postseason honors. Cade Cunningham will also miss tonight, and he needs to play in four of Detroit’s final six games to be eligible for awards. The Detroit Pistons announced earlier Thursday that Cunningham would be re-evaluated in a week as he looks to ramp back into playing shape as he recovers from a collapsed lung. Jaden McDaniels is also out for the Wolves, and Isaiah Stewart remains out for the Pistons, so both lineups will be missing their primary sources of offense and among the best defenders in the game.
The Pistons will, of course, still have Ausar Thompson, who was recently named Defensive Player of the Month in the Eastern Conference again. The Pistons have already won one Cunningham-less game against the Wolves, so why not make it two? In the previous game, Detroit used a balanced scoring attack, led by Tobias Harris, with six players scoring from 10 to 13 points. They also used an elite defense, with everyone on the Minnesota side struggle save for a couple deep threes from Donte DiVincenzo. While they don’t get Edwards back in the lineups, the Wolves will have Ayo Dosunmu, and that could go a long way toward unlocking more of their offense.
Game Vitals
When: 7:00 PM Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: Prime Video Odds: Pistons -5.5
Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Pete Nance (35) in the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Celtics will once again be without Nikola Vucevic when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Vucevic is continuing to recover from a fractured right ring finger suffered almost four weeks ago (on March 6th), but seems to be progressing in the right direction.
“He’s getting better, as you saw in the workout today,” Joe Mazzulla said on Wednesday night before Celtics-Heat. “The most important thing is that he feels 100%. When he’s ready, he’ll come back, and we just want him back when he’s ready to go. He’s going to help us — we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player.”
The Celtics have an otherwise clear injury report; Jaylen Brown, who missed two games due to left Achilles tendinopathy, is fresh off a 43-point, 7-assist game vs the Heat and dismissed long-term concerns regarding the injury.
And Jayson Tatum, who made his return to the lineup on March 6th, continues to be available for the Celtics without significant restriction. Tatum has only missed two games since making his return, and is averaging 21.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
The Bucks, meanwhile, will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension), Kevin Porter Jr (right knee synovitis), and Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain). Thanasis Antetokounmpo is questionable with a left calf strain.
Good sign: Nikola Vucevic is doing some on-court work here at shootaround in Miami
The Celtics are 51-25 and have the East’s second-best record, holding a 2.5 game lead over the New York Knicks. They’ve won 8 of their last 10 games, most recently an 18-point thrashing over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
The Bucks, meanwhile, have had an undeniably disappointing campaign. They’re 30-46 and officially out of play-in contention. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the season. And, they’ve dropped 7 of their last 10 games.
The Celtics are 2-1 against the Bucks this season; they dropped a December 11th game in Milwaukee when Kyle Kuzma exploded for 31 points. They went on to win their next two games against Milwaukee, both by almost 30 points.
Celtics-Bucks tips off at 8pm on Friday night in Milwaukee.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 1: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs blocks the shot of Nate Williams #19 of the Golden State Warriors during the game on April 1, 2026 at Chase Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has been named Western Conference Defensive Player of the month for the third straight time, the league announced.
Wembanyama averaged 9.7 defensive rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game during March in just 29.9 minutes a night. The Spurs held opponents to an outrageous low 102.9 points per 100 possessions with the big man on the floor, with his defense playing a huge part in San Antonio’s 13-2 record for the month.
At this point, Wembanyama has established himself as the league’s premier defender and seems like a lock for Defensive Player of the Year if he remains eligible. He’s won Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month three times, the only player to get to that amount this season in either conference, and has anchored the third-best defense in the league. Wembanyama leads the league in blocks by a wide margin and ranks second in defensive rebounds per game, but his individual impact goes beyond the numbers.
The Pistons’ Ausar Thompson was named Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month, his second consecutive distinction.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, three assists, 3.1 blocks, and one steal in 29.2 minutes a game this season.
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 6: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Golden State Warriors on December 6, 2025 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors look to shake off Wednesday’s loss as they prepare to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and will be broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors suffered their 40th loss of the season Wednesday night, losing to the San Antonio Spurs, 127–113. The double-digit defeat came as little surprise given how undermanned Golden State was as they fell into an early 17–3 hole and trailed 70–49 by halftime.
Golden State had no answer for Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, who dominated with 41 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks — his second consecutive 40-point double-double. After the game, head coach Steve Kerr spoke about Wembanyama’s rise into superstardom in just his third season.
WEMBY WENT OFF IN THE BAY!
👽 41 PTS (16-22 FGM) 👽 18 REB 👽 3 AST 👽 3 BLK
The Spurs win their 10th straight game and improve to 26-2 in their last 28 🔥 pic.twitter.com/CGapUqWjBf
The Warriors were extremely shorthanded against San Antonio, with nine players ruled out for the game. That lack of depth was evident, as two-way guard Nate Williams logged 47 of a possible 48 minutes in regulation. Meanwhile, fellow two-way forward Malevy Leons battled through a right wrist injury, even shooting free throws left-handed to remain on the floor.
“I can do things that other guys are not willing to do nowadays. You know, I feel like me, personally, I'm a dying breed in the NBA. You know, guys are not tough no more. It's a lot of soft guys around around the league.”
The Warriors are so thin and injury depleted that Malevy Leons took a free throw left-handed tonight
He hurt his wrist two weeks ago and the Warriors badly need any bodies they can get. Impressive toughness by Leons to even be out there pic.twitter.com/pwEayxCmWF
The good news is that, despite it being the second night of a back-to-back, Golden State is expected to have more players available. Kristaps Porzingis and Gary Payton II are not listed on the injury report and should return. Porzingis, in particular, should provide a much-needed boost in the frontcourt while helping ease the team’s scoring burden on offense.
Whether that will be enough against a Cavaliers team that enters tonight’s matchup with a 47–29 record and sits fourth in the Eastern Conference remains to be seen. At the very least, though, the Warriors should be in a better position than they were a night ago — with added optimism that this could be their final game before a potential Stephen Curry return on Sunday.
“If you did great in that tournament, you deserve all the credit. If it went bad for you — and I'm not just saying that because it went bad for us — but you should get a pass. That was a mess,” Hurley said.
“I'm, like, jarred mentally up here,” Hurley said, looking pained. “That was horrible.”
There are many reasons UConn and Illinois are thrilled to be in Indianapolis for the Final Four this week, even if their national semifinal is the undercard to the showdown between the remaining No. 1 seeds, Arizona and Michigan.
For Brad Underwood, this has been the goal since he was hired at Illinois nine years ago. For Hurley and UConn, it’s a chance to stake a claim as college basketball’s latest dynasty without all the spotlight and pressure of last year’s pursuit of a three-peat.
And for both coaches, there’s also the benefit of cleansing their memories of the last time they were here for the NCAA Tournament.
“Most of my memories on the basketball side are pretty positive,” Underwood said. “The other stuff wasn't.”
Though it’s only been five years, the “COVID tournament” seems like something out of a fever dream now. The country was still in the grips of the pandemic, with vaccines just starting to become available and restrictions still in place throughout much of the country.
After managing to get through the regular season, the NCAA decided to go ahead with the basketball tournaments — albeit in very different form. Rather than sites across the country, every game from the First Four to the Final Four was played in central Indiana.
Teams were sequestered at hotels in downtown Indianapolis, able to leave only for practices, games and assigned outdoor time. Restaurants were off-limits. Players were tested regularly and the threat of being unable to play was ever present. Only a few fans were allowed, and crowd noise was piped in.
The women’s tournament was held under similar conditions in San Antonio.
“That whole season was a tough season,” Hurley said. “We were lucky just to be able to get a tournament in and do those things.”
Indianapolis was one of the few cities that could pull off a tournament in a bubble. The city has both an NBA arena and a domed stadium, and Butler, Indiana and Purdue are all within driving distance.
There’s a sizeable convention center that housed practice courts and about a dozen hotels surrounding it. There also are elevated walkways linking almost everything, so teams had almost no contact with anyone not playing in or associated with the tournament.
“They were literally knocking on your door and dropping the food at your door,” Hurley said. “It wasn't slop, but it was — maybe it was.”
It’s an experience no one wants to repeat. Which makes it even more meaningful the Final Four has returned to a city that, until 2021, had produced so many great memories in the tournament.
Hurley’s brother Bobby and Duke ending UNLV’s 45-game win streak in 1991. Princeton stunning defending champion UCLA in 1996. Michigan State’s Flintstones winning the Big Ten’s last NCAA title in 2000. Little Butler coming oh, so close in 2010.
“It doesn't feel like there's many better places to play a Final Four,” Hurley said. “It's cool to be back here for a non-COVID Final Four.”
Even if most of the attention is on the No. 1s.
Illinois, a No. 3 seed, wasn’t considered Final Four material until its Big Ten brethren Iowa put the South Region up for grabs by taking out Florida. And UConn definitely wasn’t expected to make it this far, pitted against overall No. 1 Duke in the East Region final.
But here they are.
“I'm just focused on our game,” said Solo Ball, who is playing in his second Final Four in his three years at UConn. “It's all that we've been looking forward to, too, just being back here in the Final Four.”
It's already better than the last time the tournament was in Indianapolis. And that's a win for everyone.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 28, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. 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 Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Say this about Joel Embiid — there’s never a dull moment.
After all the drama before Wednesday’s win in D.C. over the Wizards, the team officially listed Embiid as doubtful for Friday night’s contest against the Timberwolves.
Surprise, surprise.
The team has now upgraded their star center to probable on the official injury report. Embiid was able to participate in shootaround, according to Gina Mizell of The Inquirer.
It’s Jo’s world. We’re all just living in it.
“Doubtful” leaves so much room for vague tweets.
The Sixers have released their injury report for when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday, and doubtful is Joel Embiid’s listing with an illness.
After all that bizarreness, the doubtful listing signals this being a multi-game absence for Embiid. This is the front end of a back-to-back for the Sixers, so if Embiid isn’t able to go the following night against the Detroit Pistons, then it will be time to raise some alarm bells. Regardless, the situation feels stranger than some light-hearted April Fool’s day trolling.
The only other Sixer listed on the injury report is Johni Broome who is still rehabbing his torn meniscus.
This will be a back-to-back for the Timberwolves as well, but for them it will be the second leg for them. The availability of Anthony Edwards, who’s working his way back from a knee injury, will be the biggest thing worth monitoring on game day. Edwards was ruled out for the Wolves’ front end, also coincidentally against the Pistons.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 24: Josh Hart #3 talks with Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on February 24, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 109-94. 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
The Knicks are in a bit of a rough patch as time winds down on the regular season. They just lost a handful of extremely unsettling games against playoff teams that have many questioning their effort and desire, have fans up in arms about the coach and believing he’s on the hot seat, and there’s been a whole lot of criticism surrounding the starting lineup, Josh Hart’s place in the rotation, and Mikal Bridges’ maddening inconsistency. They’re also struggling to get the big, season-defining win against the elite teams.
The vibes are very bad, and there are several potential first-round opponents that the media and fans alike think will end the season early and cause a massive change in the organization.
Wait, did you think I was talking about this season?
No, no. I’m talking about the early April vibes from last season. What, is something similar happening this year?
Time does happen to heal all wounds, but so do playoff runs. For some reason, the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final last year blinded some people to the very real narratives that existed leading into the first-round series against the Pistons.
Last year, Tom Thibodeau was very unpopular, the starting lineup was very hated, they were losing late-season games to East contenders, fans were souring on Hart and Bridges, there were nostalgia acts of the “grittier” teams of the last few years, and there was the 0-10 stat. On and on and on.
So when you go into this year, and you see the same things happening this time of year, does it not tell you that you should let things play out before making grand assumptions? Sure, there are very real problems, but there are also things where you should just calm down, relax, and grab a drink (alcoholic or not, your choice).
The playoffs tend to be a lot more unpredictable than they seem. We saw that firsthand when Thibodeau suddenly made drastic changes to the defensive scheme to throw off a Celtics team that had absolutely annihilated the Knicks in the regular season. A defense that looked utterly lost all season suddenly gained fortitude playing a straight-up, switch-everything style. We’ve already seen that style of disciplined defense with the Knicks this season. Why do you think they had the best defense in basketball for eight weeks?
Bad matchups don’t necessarily translate, so why be worried about Detroit or Charlotte or Philly? You could even go in the opposite direction and say you shouldn’t assume the Raptors would be the easiest matchup!
The playoffs are a totally different beast, in which we’ve seen guys on this roster transform into something totally different. Bridges redeemed a very rough regular season with a tremendous playoff run last year, namely. Hart always seems to play his best. Mitchell Robinson’s impact is unmatched in a playoff setting and has swung the matchup in multiple seasons. Jalen Brunson, whose play since his ankle injury in early January has been below his standard, is the biggest playoff riser in the sport right now.
We have a nearly 180-game sample with this group over the last two years with two different coaches. You could say a lot about the team’s ideal lineup, but I’m not sure if a lineup change does much in terms of starting the game off faster, considering we’ve seen the same things when Hart is out. The lineups with Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride don’t perform very well either, and we know they won’t stretch Robinson out. I think this group just naturally comes out of the gates slow and hits their stride as the game goes on and they adjust:
Knicks starters in 399 1Q poss: 109.8 OffRtg, -13.0 NetRtg since 12/5
NYK starters in 88 4Q poss: 137.5 OffRtg, +11.1 NetRtg since 12/5
Dating back to start of ‘24-‘25:
Starters in 1252 1Q poss: 110.8 OffRtg, -4.5 NetRtg
Starters in 523 4Q/OT poss: 127.5 OffRtg, +4.3 NetRtg
It’s hard to explain why the offense goes from looking fluid and beautiful one night and stagnant and ugly the next, but that might have more to do with certain matchups than anything. Houston’s sheer volume of lanky wings is an extremely tough matchup when they’re all healthy and locked in.
On that point of being locked in, we’ve seen a few times this season where the focus level just drops. This week has been one of the low points, but could that just be the drag of an 82-game season? We see good teams go in ruts during baseball’s 162-game slog.
This team will make its bed and sleep in it come playoff time. None of us know which team will show up when the playoffs begin in just over two weeks, but we do know that they have a switch that can be flipped.
The question is, how long can they keep the switch on?
MIAMI, FL - APRIL 1: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Miami Heat on April 1, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77 smiles as he dunks the ball on a fast break against the Cavaliers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Things couldn’t have gone better for the Lakers this week.
Not only did they win, but they did so with pizzazz. LeBron James had multiple jaw-dropping dunks, Luka Dončić scored more baskets in the month than any Laker ever, and the Lakers find themselves already at the 50-win mark with six games left to play.
Even the South Bay Lakers are playing well, having just beaten the San Diego Clippers in the first roundof the G-League playoffs.
The good times are here, and if they can keep it up and have a good 10 days, they can lock up the third seed in the Western Conference.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. Luka Dončić is MVP
The list of players performing better than Luka right now is zero. He scored 600 points in March, the second most ever by any NBA player. LA went 15-2 in the month and he punctuated it by dropping 42 points on the Cavaliers, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Dončić is an offensive savant with the ability to do anything he wants, regardless of the opponent. He is competing with himself, and his only problem is figuring out which spots on the floor he wants to get his buckets.
.@JLin7 joins NBA Today, and walks us through why Luka Doncic continues to be unstoppable in isolation 🤝 pic.twitter.com/veJm6GJx7i
Not only is Luka the NBA’s leading scorer, but he is also averaging 8.3 assists per game, fourth-most in the league. Defensively, Luka is one of the best at stealing the ball, averaging 1.7 per game, which is 13th in the NBA.
Elevating his game has the Lakers cemented as the No. 3 seed, and he should be in the MVP conversation if not the frontrunner. His coach JJ Redick knows it, Rui Hachimura knows it and soon we’ll see if the NBA voters do as well.
2. Lakers part of the Big 3 in the West
While the Western Conference race remains tight, a hierarchy has been established. The Thunder are No. 1, the Spurs are No.2 and the Lakers are No. 3.
LA is no longer bunched up with the fourth, fifth and sixth seeds. They’ve established they are the best of the bunch.
They have the better record than the Nuggets, Rockets and Wolves, and went 4-0 against them in the month of March. The Lakers continue to outperform these teams, having won nine of their last 10 games to start separating themselves from that pack.
By every metric, the Lakers have the edge over every team in the West except the Thunder and Spurs. And with two games set this week against OKC, LA can potentially make the claim that they are a problem for the best team in the NBA.
For now, though, it’s clear they are the third best. Anyone saying otherwise has an agenda.
3. Beating who is in front of you
This week, the Lakers played the Nets and the Wizards, two unserious teams. It wasn’t pretty basketball from the Lakers, but they got the wins they needed. Throughout this year, the Lakers made sure to beat the league’s bad teams.
They are 27-3 against teams below .500. The only team that has a better record against losing teams is the Thunder. Thanks to the Lakers winning the games they were supposed to, they were able to rack up victories while they got healthy and figured out the best lineups and who their rotation players were.
4. Rob Pelinka was right
All season long, Lakers haters and fans alike have complained about how poorly constructed the team was.
According to them,they didn’t have enough to be elite in the NBA. People used their 4-11 record against teams with a .600 or better winning record as evidence. They also pointed to LA’s poor net rating numbers and the struggles of the big three.
Now, all of that has flipped.
The Lakers have recently beaten the Knicks, Cavs, Rockets, Wolves and Nuggets, all teams above .600. This week, they had a net rating of +8.2 and the Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves trio had a plus-minus of +28, making them the second-best three-man lineup for LA.
So, at what point does Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka get credit?
In the summer, he got Luka to sign an extension and acquired the Lakers’ starting center via the buyout market. At the trade deadline, he got the Lakers some shooting by turning Gabe Vincent into Luke Kennard, and now they are about to enter the offseason with a ton of cap space, draft picks they can trade for a blockbuster deal and they are still competing for a title this season.
He never gets credit for anything he does. When things go well, there is always an excuse for why it was inevitable. And when transactions don’t work, or deals never happen, it’s an example of his glaring flaws as the head of the front office.
Pelinka has done a great job. The praise needs to be as loud as the disrespect, and right now I’m not hearing a peep.
5. Statement wins
LA has had a handful of statement wins in March, but their most recent one was very impressive. On the second night of a back-to-back, they took on the Cavs and beat them handily 127-113. They took over during the second quarter and never looked back.
It was a complete performance with Luka dominating offensively, and the defense holding Donovan Mitchell to just 10 points.It was encouraging to see the Lakers pass every test they faced in March. And if they do the same in April, they’ll be playing games in May.
Stat of the Week
The Lakers got to the 50-win mark this season, making Redick the fourth Lakers head coach to accomplish this feat. The last one to do so? Phil Jackson in 2011.
JJ Redick is now the 16th head coach in NBA history to win at least 50 games in each of his first two seasons, and the fourth for the Lakers (Pat Riley, Paul Westhead and Butch van Breda Kolff). He’s also the first with B2B 50-win seasons for LA since Phil Jackson.
The fact that Redick has accomplished this in his first two seasons in charge is impressive. He has silenced his critics and his coaching has elevated the team.
Play of the Week
LeBron remains one of the most electrifying players in basketball. His dunk against the Cavs was one of the highlights of the season. It started with Deandre Ayton deflecting a pass from James Harden. LeBron recovered the ball and tried to pass to Reaves, but Harden deflected it.
Thankfully, Jake LaRavia regained possession and since Reaves never changed directions, he remained in front of the play. Reaves received the ball and had a two-on-one advantage over the trailing Mitchell, who made a business decision and decided not to get put on a poster.
He is just performing at a ridiculous level. He averaged a gaudy 41.5 points per game along with 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds over the last week. Hehad a plus-minus of +40 for the week. It’s hard to make a case that anyone is playing better than him in the NBA, much less on this Lakers roster.
With tanking becoming a topic of conversation, Tom Haberstroh wrote for Yahoo! Sports about how it’s splitting the NBA in half, with one side incentivized to win and the other incentivized to lose.
The B-League vs. The A-League
The chasm between leagues is obvious once you track the results. The only teams the Wizards have beaten since the All-Star break are the Indiana Pacers (twice) and the Utah Jazz — two members of the B-League, which means that for almost two months straight Washington has yet to beat a team that is not actively trying to lose.
For the Wizards, Friday’s loss to the Warriors, Sunday’s defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers and Monday’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers extended their A-League losing streak to TWENTY straight games. That’s right: The Wizards have gone 0-20 against teams trying to win, having dropped every game against an A-League opponent since Detroit lost to the ‘Zards in early February.
Alex Regla is here to remind us that, regardless of whether Luak wins the MVP, what he is doing is something no Lakers fan should take for granted.
What these numbers and the season Dončić is having ultimately prove is that the Lakers have one of the best players on the planet on their team. They have the cornerstone. The vision of their future now has a face and a name.
And while a physical reward at the end of it would be nice, the assurance Dončić provides is so much more valuable than any number on a spreadsheet or MVP trophy.
