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Steve Ballmer’s Intuit Dome Wall Hits Target With Free Throw Misses

They’re called free throws for a reason. Opponents aren’t supposed to be able to affect them. But Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer devised a plan to make his team’s fans an obstacle at the charity stripe.

In their first regular season playing in the brand new $2 billion Intuit Dome, Clippers’ home opponents shot 74.8% from the free throw line, the second-lowest rate in any NBA arena, ahead of only the Houston Rockets’ Toyota Center (74.0%).

One unique feature of the Clippers’ building is The Wall: an unusually steep section with 51 rows of seats behind the basket adjacent to the away team’s bench. Only certified Clipper fans are permitted to sit there, and cheering for another NBA team is forbidden. There are no suites, and there’s a Supporters Section reserved for diehards who are expected to stand throughout the game. Season passes are sold at an accessible price point.

Shooting against The Wall, specifically, visitors made just 73.4% of their foul shots, which would have ranked last in the NBA and is notably lower than the 76.1% they made on the other end of the floor.

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant said of The Wall in October after missing two fourth-quarter free throws facing in its direction. “I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.”

The 3.3% disparity between opponent foul shooting at the Intuit Dome and the average NBA arena isn’t abnormal. A comparable or greater decline has been seen in at least one arena during each season since 2011.

The 4.7% dip versus The Wall, however, is an eye-opener. Comparing percentages on one end of a court with overall percentage isn’t apples to apples, but a larger drop in accuracy has only happened once in any home arena since 2000: when opponents visiting the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014 made 69.8% of free throws from both ends combined, a wacky 5.8% below the league average.

The next season, though, in 2015, Oklahoma City’s foes completely reverted to the mean. In fact, over the past 20 years, there is nearly zero correlation between away teams’ free throw percentage in an arena and their percentage in that same arena the following season. This suggests that home teams don’t have control over how well visitors shoot from the stripe.

Being on the road at all has a minimal impact, at best. A study by Mike Beuoy showed that home teams shot just 0.2% better on free throws than away teams over the 20-year period between 1995 and 2015.

A deeper dive into the numbers does reveal some patterns. Since Ball Arena opened in 1999, the Denver Nuggets’ home opponents have shot 1.1% below league average from the line, the biggest disparity of any team, over a massive sample of more than 20,000 attempts. This data point tracks with Sportico’s previous analysis regarding Denver’s outsized home court advantage due to opponents’ difficulty acclimating to the mile-high altitude. Beuoy also found other results that “appear to be more than just statistical fluctuation” indicating that certain arenas, such as the Toyota Center, may have an anti-shooter bias.

So it is possible that Ballmer has defied the odds and actually created an arena with a legitimate, built-in competitive edge. Potential alternative explanations—that the Clippers happened to face worse shooting teams, or that they selectively avoided fouling elite shooters—fall short upon scrutiny.

Furthermore, the Clippers’ edge extends beyond free throws. Road teams shot 33.5% on 3-pointers in the Intuit Dome this year, which also ranked second-lowest among all arenas. Once again, opponents shot worse when facing The Wall—a meager 32.9% from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Clippers had just the 11th-best net rating (i.e. pace-adjusted point differential) on the road (+0.4), but the third best at home (+9.4). That 9.0 boost in net rating at home, although not an outlier by any means, was the largest in the NBA this season.

Head coach Tyronn Lue feels that the team’s home court advantage is greater than in past years. “We have our own building. We don’t have to worry about other banners hanging up. We don’t share an arena. This is home,” Lue told reporters last week. “The Wall has been great. Our fans have been great.”

The idea for The Wall was born many years ago when folks from the Bundesliga soccer team Dortmund asked to meet with Clippers president of business operations Gillian Zucker and other executives. The Clippers became interested in the Yellow Wall, Dortmund’s standing fan section with a capacity of nearly 25,000. “They were picking our brains, and then we decided to pick theirs a little bit,” Zucker said.

The organization devoted a team to research fan sections across college sports, European leagues and around the world, which eventually led to the concept for The Wall.

Helping the team win was a primary motivator for the new arena project. “[Ballmer] went from believing that being a tenant in a building was a great asset to believing that the only way truly to field the most competitive team possible is to have your own arena,” Zucker said.

The Clippers believe other features of their venue provide additional advantages. The 44,000 square foot LED “Halo” scoreboard gives the franchise a huge canvas with which to engage fans. The ability to show multiple replay angles concurrently can also help the coaching staff decide whether or not to challenge calls.

Decibel readers in the rafters of the arena can measure the loudest seats in the building, and the Clippers reward those fans with prizes to incentivize more fervent cheering.

The facility as a whole is designed to keep fans in their seats during the action, from frictionless commerce to an abundance of restrooms to countdown clocks that tell people how much time they have to get back to the game.

Interestingly, the Clippers’ opponent in the first round of the playoffs is the one team with a well-documented exceptional home court advantage over multiple decades: the Nuggets. Denver has the league’s second-best home winning percentage this century as well as the largest differential between home and road net rating. And it’s not a fluke—Denver’s abnormally strong performance in Colorado extends to MLB and the NFL and NHL.

Time will tell if the Clippers’ advantage is real. One season is still a miniscule sample size. If opponents had made just seven more free throws against The Wall this season, their percentage on that basket would have risen above 75% and this story would probably have been moot.

With a few more years of data, we’ll have a better idea of whether the Intuit Dome is a precedent-setter for professional sports venues or simply Ballmer’s folly.

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Mavericks CEO oddly likens Luka trade to Warriors' Ellis-for-Bogut move

Mavericks CEO oddly likens Luka trade to Warriors' Ellis-for-Bogut move originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s never wise to compare apples to oranges. Or trades involving five-time All-NBA, franchise-altering superstars to trades involving, well, players of a much lesser pedigree.

That’s what Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts did in his and general manager Nico Harrison’s private media “roundtable” on Tuesday.

Welts, who previously served as Warriors president from 2011-2021, discussed Dallas’ stunning trade involving guard Luka Dončić earlier this season and was asked how the organization plans to rebuild trust with its fans after the shocking move angered a large portion of them. To put it lightly.

In doing so, Welts compared Dallas’ move to Golden State shipping guard Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson midway through the 2011-12 NBA season.

“At Golden State. When I got there, we had one marketable player that our fans love. His name was Monta Ellis. We traded Monta Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks for an injured Andrew Bogut, who wasn’t going to play that season,” Welts told reporters. “Ten days later, our new owner, Joe Lacob, was booed off the court trying to retire Chris Mullin’s uniform to bring him back into the fold of the Warriors. Booed off the court. 

“The ball came out of Monta Ellis’s hands, was put in this young guard named Steph Curry. Four championships later, that worked out pretty well.  

“So, I would just say that this story is unfinished. We understand the pain, we’re listening. We hear every day the pain that people are feeling. But I think you have to judge us, from this day forward on, whether or not we’re going to conduct ourselves as an organization and as a basketball team in a way that that fans can embrace.”

Mavericks, Warriors and NBA fans alike, understandably, were bewildered by Welts’ comparison given Dončić widely has been regarded as one of the top-five players, at least, in the NBA since his debut in 2018 and was believed to be one of the very rare “untouchable” superstars before he stunningly was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2, while Ellis, albeit a star player for the Warriors from 2005-2012, simply does not compare to a player like Dončić.

The problem with Welts’ comparison, as one of the social media users above points out, is that Dončić is Curry in this scenario and Dallas does not have a potential superstar waiting in the wings like Curry was behind Ellis in 2009.

Fortunately for the Warriors, their trade was followed by four NBA championships. While it still is too soon to tell, for some, if the Mavericks’ trade will pan out as they hope it will, most seem to agree that it certainly will not.

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NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs?

NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.

Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.

This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.

Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:

Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?

No.

All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.

What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?

Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.

The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.

The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.

So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.

When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?

The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.

  • Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
  • Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

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NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs?

NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.

Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.

This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.

Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:

Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?

No.

All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.

What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?

Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.

The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.

The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.

So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.

When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?

The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.

  • Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
  • Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

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Warriors winning on margins essential to Rockets series, playoff run

Warriors winning on margins essential to Rockets series, playoff run originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Few sights in the NBA alarm a defender as much as Ja Morant with the ball and the shot-clock turned off. He’s a blow-by threat. He can dribble and feint you onto your rump. He can pull up and drop a soft midrange jumper.

Crouching between the league’s most electrifying player and the basket, Moses Moody cycled though those options and never flinched. Morant did, dribbling to nowhere and flinging a feeble shot that Moody easily swatted away at the halftime buzzer.

“He moves real slick and quick, and he’s also aggressive,” Moody told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He attacks with his feet, but you can pick up on tendencies. When he’s sizing you up like that, he’s not going to do just any move and just try to go around you. So, if he does a big fake to the right, I’m sure it’s coming back. So, I’ll just sit there and wait for it. And I got a hand on it.”

It was one play, but Moody’s squelching of Morant was among an assortment of quietly significant plays that helped the Warriors ground out a 121-116 play-in tournament victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night at Chase Center.

Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, who combined for 75 points against the Grizzlies, are prolific scorers built to generate offense in the playoffs. Check their resumés. Count on them to carry that load.

What lurks beneath Curry and Butler, though, will have no less of an impact on Golden State’s postseason aspirations. Their supporting cast will need to contribute on both ends not only by measurable statistics but, perhaps more importantly, also by the kind of not-on-the-stat-sheet moments that buttressed the winning effort Tuesday night.

Moody’s block allowed the Warriors to go into intermission with momentum and a 12-point lead – and it prevented the kind of late-quarter surge the Grizzlies mounted when closing the first quarter on a 7-0 run.

The play typified the work of the Warriors who don’t typically produce big numbers, whether it’s Draymond Green, Gary Payton II, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Moody, or anyone else not named Butler or Curry.

“Every player who’s in there, whether they’re in for one minute or 40, they can all contribute,” coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And that’s the beauty of this level basketball. That’s why I believe we can do something special.”

The stat sheet correctly lists Green with six rebounds, but there is no mention of Green, conceding his 10-inch height deficit, tapping at least five rebounds from the grasp of 7-foot-4 Memphis center Zach Edey and into the hands of teammates.

The stat sheet correctly lists Buddy Hield with two points on 1-of-4 shooting, including 0 of 3 from deep, and one assist – a low-impact night – but can’t capture the magnitude of the first-quarter assist. Scurrying toward the rim in transition, Hield bypassed a contested layup and zipped an impeccable 25-foot pass to Quentin Post, who from the top of the arc splashed a walk-in 3-pointer, the first of his three triples in a six-minute span.

Such creativity rarely is associated with Hield, whose signature is shooting. He’s such a streaky shooter that he will have to do more to stay on the floor.

“I thought at first that he’d probably want me to pass it back to him,” Post, laughing, told NBC Sports Bay Area.

“I do crazy s—t sometimes,” Hield told NBC Sports Bay Area, adding a wink. “I saw Edey running back and I knew QP would be trailing couldn’t catch up to where I was. So, I just sucked the defense in and threw it back to him. I made the right play.

“I move the ball. That’s one of the reasons I’m out there. The ball doesn’t stick in my hand. I’m a scorer, but it’s mostly catch-and-shoot. But if it’s not there, I go ‘one Mississippi, two Mississippi’ and move it to the playmakers.”

It’s a subtle thing, but it’s the kind of thinking that helped the Warriors win a game in which they were outshot (48.8 percent to 45.9 overall, 46.2-34.9 from beyond the arc) and outrebounded (50-39).

The Warriors won the hustle game on Tuesday and will have to do the same against Houston and, should they advance, any opponent that follows. They ranked in the top five in every significant “hustle” stat, from deflections to loose-ball recovery, contested shots and beyond. It’s essential for a relatively undersized roster to have any chance of success.

It’s Payton, at 6-foot-3, rising to block a shot by Edey at the end of the third quarter. It’s Brandin Podziemski timing a late chase-down block of Scotty Pippen Jr., incorrectly ruled a foul but judged Wednesday as “clean” in the Last Two Minutes report. It’s Moody making two more plays – a soaring put-back with 8:31 remaining and an offensive rebound 59 seconds later that led to a pair of free throws by Butler.

“If you end up getting six, seven extra possessions, whatever it is, that’s the difference in the game,” Kerr said. “That’s the way you have to beat a team like Houston.”

Excelling in the margins, as described by Kerr and his assistants, is the best way for the Warriors to accompany Curry and Butler. Sometimes is as dirty, a matter of will and pride, as was the feeling in Moody’s gut when staring down Morant.

“It’s me and him, like we’re on the playground,” Moody said. “Just that. No ball screen, no sets. You just got to guard. And that’s how I grew up playing. It’s fun.”

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Report: Kings to hire former Knicks exec Perry as new general manager

Report: Kings to hire former Knicks exec Perry as new general manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Well, that was quick.

Less than 24 hours after mutually agreeing to part ways with general manager Monte McNair, the Kings appear to have found his replacement.

Sacramento is finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive Scott Perry as the organization’s next general manager, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.

Perry previously was the Kings’ president of basketball operations for three months in 2017 before taking the Knicks GM job. Throughout his tenure with New York, the Knicks posted a 192-274 record across six seasons with two playoff appearances in 2021 and 2023 before the team parted ways with him after the 2022-23 NBA season.

Now he returns to Sacramento, where he inherits a team fresh off a disappointing 2024-25 season that ended in a 120-106 NBA play-in tournament loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.

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Report: Kings to hire Knicks' Perry as new general manager

Report: Kings to hire Knicks' Perry as new general manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Well, that was quick.

Less than 24 hours after mutually agreeing to part ways with general manager Monte McNair, the Kings appear to have found his replacement.

Sacramento is finalizing a deal to hire longtime NBA executive and current New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry as the organization’s next general manager, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources.

Perry previously was the Kings president of basketball operations for three months in 2017 before taking the Knicks GM job. Throughout his tenure with New York, the Knicks posted a 293-337 record across eight seasons with four playoff appearances in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Now he returns to Sacramento.

This story will be updated …

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NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs?

NBA play-in history: Has a No. 10 seed ever made it through to the playoffs? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA Play-In Tournament is relatively new, but there’s been an obvious trend since its inception in 2021.

Over the past four years, none of the teams that entered as the No. 10 seed have ever won both play-in games to make the postseason.

This year, in the fifth edition of the play-in, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks will both try to make history by advancing to the playoffs as the No. 10 seed.

Here’s a look back at the history of the lowest seeds in the play-in:

Has the No. 10 seed ever made it through the play-in?

No.

All eight No. 10 seeds (East and West) from 2021 to 2024 failed to make it to the playoffs.

What’s the best that a No. 10 seed has done in the play-in?

Of the previous eight No. 10 seeds, only two defeated the No. 9 seed to make it to the deciding game.

The Heat and Mavericks added two more wins to that total, so No. 10 seeds are now 4-6 in initial play-in games since 2021.

The first two No. 10 seeds to win the initial play-in game were both in 2023 with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams lost their next game (by double digits) to miss out on the playoffs.

So, history says the Heat and Mavericks shouldn’t even be competitive on Friday. Time will tell.

When is the NBA Play-In Tournament game?

The final two games of the 2025 Play-In Tournament will be held on Friday, April 18, to finalize the playoff field.

  • Miami Heat (10) at Atlanta Hawks (8), 7 p.m. ET, TNT
  • Dallas Mavericks (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (8), 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

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Report: Knicks' Perry frontrunner for Kings' open GM position

Report: Knicks' Perry frontrunner for Kings' open GM position originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings appear to be zeroing in on potential general manager targets less than 24 hours after mutually parting ways with Monte McNair.

Sacramento and McNair agreed to part ways immediately after the Kings’ 120-106 NBA play-in tournament loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday at Golden 1 Center.

And with the search for a new general manager underway, former Kings vice president of basketball operations and current New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry is expected to receive strong interest for the position in Sacramento and is considered a frontrunner, The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Anthony Slater reported late Wednesday night, citing league sources.

Amick and Slater also reported, citing league sources, that former Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth also is expected to be given consideration.

Perry previously served as Kings vice president of basketball operations for three months in 2017 before he was hired as New York’s general manager. Throughout his tenure with New York, the Knicks have posted a 293-337 record across eight seasons with four playoff appearances in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Booth, who was fired by Denver alongside championship-winning coach Mike Malone on April 8, previously interviewed with Sacramento for its general manager job in 2020 before the team hired McNair.

Whomever the Kings choose as their next general manager will have influence on the team’s search for its next coach, although current interim coach Doug Christie is well-positioned to keep the job, Amick and Slater reported, citing team sources.

Amick and Slater also reported, citing league sources, that McNair now could return to a front-office role with the Houston Rockets, where he spent 13 years before joining the Kings.

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Less than an hour after Kings are eliminated from postseason, they part ways with GM Monte McNair

It took less than an hour after the Kings were summarily dismissed from the postseason by the Mavericks — an ugly ending to the end of a messy season in Sacramento that saw the franchise take a step backwards.

The Kings and GM Monty McNair have agreed to part ways, a story broken by Sam Amick of The Athletic and confirmed by multiple reports. The Kings have yet to release an official statement on the move.

McNair had been voted NBA executive of the year by his peers in 2023, the year he helped build a team that won 48 games and snapped the franchise's NBA-record 16-year playoff drought. Under McNair, the Kings had a .488 winning percentage, which is not ideal but looks good compared to the .362 win percentage the 15 years prior.

McNair's exit is the latest example of how fast things have fallen off in Sacramento. In 2023, the Kings were one of the best stories in the NBA. However, while the Kings stood pat after that season (betting on internal growth that would never come as they hoped), the rest of the West made moves, got better, and passed the Kings. Sacramento fell to just 46 wins in 2024, but that only earned them the No. 9 seed, and they did not make it out of the play-in.

This season was a massive step back for the Kings. They had entered the season with internal expectations of making the playoffs, and last summer inked coach Mike Brown to an extension, with the support of All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox. However, Fox himself didn't sign an extension, keeping pressure on the organization to win and be consistent (the things that mattered to him). Those wins did not come, and after a 13-18 start to the season with a number of clutch losses — and Brown throwing his players under the bus in several press conferences — McNair decided he needed to do something. So he fired Brown.

Fox and Brown had a strong relationship, and the firing did not sit well with the star guard. Also, the Kings were not winning or showing consistency — the standards Fox had set — which led to him requesting a trade and ultimately being sent to San Antonio. Doug Christie took over the head coaching job, and while the team's luck changed in a few close games, the overall situation did not improve. Particularly the defense, which was exposed by Dallas when Sacramento was knocked out of the Play-In Tournament Wednesday night.

Now McNair is gone, too.

That leaves owner Vivek Ranadive facing some big questions this offseason: Who should be hired as the new head of basketball operations to replace McNair? Should Doug Christie have the interim tag removed and become the full-time head coach (he was 27-24 in the role), or is it time to bring in a new coach from the outside? Do they want to extend Zach LaVine's contract? On top of that, All-Star Domantas Sabonis wants to meet with management because he has questions about the franchise's direction and his future in it. If Sabonis asks for a trade, what does that leave players such as Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan?

All of it sucks for Kings fans, who thought they had seen their team come out of a long dark ages to light the beam and make the playoffs, only to have the whole thing fall apart within a couple of years. It will be a long summer for them in the California capital and maybe a rough one for Kings fans.

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Heat knock out Bulls as Mavs set up Grizzlies tie

Tyler Herro joined the Miami Heat in 2019
Tyler Herro joined the Miami Heat in 2019 [Getty Images]

The Miami Heat eliminated the Chicago Bulls to progress in the NBA play-in tournament - beating the six-time Championship winners 109-90.

Tyler Herro scored 38 points as the Heat set up a game against the Atlanta Hawks, with the winner earning the right to take on top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference play-offs.

The Heat's victory came after three regular season defeats by the Bulls.

"Chicago humbled us this year," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

"They have a unique style of play, the way they play with that pace, and they score.

"They had two games where we felt like we were in control of the game both times in the fourth quarter and they came storming back and had some impressive scoring quarters. Our guys really respected how much they could score."

Should Miami beat the Hawks, they would achieve a franchise record of reaching the play-offs for a sixth consecutive season.

Mavs to face Grizzlies

In the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 to set-up a play-in tie against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Klay Thompson scored 23 points - 16 of which came in the second quarter alone - to advance against the Grizzlies.

The winner of that tie will take on top-seeded Oklahoma City in the opening play-off game.

NBA acknowledge officiating errors

The play-in tournament features the teams who finished in seventh to 10th in both Conferences.

They face off to determine who fills the final two spots in their Conference play-offs.

Under the play-in format, seventh play eighth - with the winners going straight into the play-offs. The loser gets a second chance against the winners of an eliminator between ninth and 10th.

The Grizzlies, who finished eighth in the Western Conference, go into the 'second chance' game against the Mavericks having lost their first play-in tie, to the seventh-placed Golden State Warriors, in controversial circumstances.

The Warriors secured their play-off spot following a late flurry against the Grizzlies.

However, the NBA has since acknowledged officiating errors in the final moments of the match.

With the Warriors leading 117-116, the NBA's Last Two Minute Report said the Grizzlies should have been awarded the ball with 7.6 seconds left after Stephen Curry got the last contact on an out-of-bounds play.

It was Curry that then sank two free throws to give the Mavericks a 119-116 lead.

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Mavericks beat the Kings 120-106 to advance to face the Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 16 of his 23 points in Dallas’ dominant second quarter to get redemption for his dud in Sacramento a year ago, helping the Mavericks beat the Kings 120-106 on Wednesday night to advance in the Play-In Tournament.

One year to the day when Thompson missed all 10 shots in his final game for Golden State in a play-in loss in Sacramento, Thompson fueled the win with four 3-pointers in Dallas’ 44-point second quarter. That turned the game into a laugher and kept the Mavericks’ chaotic season alive for at least one more game.

“Human nature, when you end a season on a sour note like that you want to come out and prove people wrong,” Thompson said. "But I thought I did a good job to start the game of trying to dish, rebound, play defense. The shots came to me after that.”

Dallas advanced to play at Memphis on Friday night for the chance to get into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West. The winner of that game will open the playoffs on Sunday at top-seeded Oklahoma City.

The Mavs have undergone a rough season after trading young superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a seismic trade that brought Anthony Davis to Dallas and vitriol from the fan base to the organization.

Star point guard Kyrie Irving went down with a season-ending knee injury shortly after that trade, ending any realistic hopes of another deep playoff run after making it to the NBA Finals last season.

“We've had a tumultuous season to say the least,” Thompson said. “The injury bug has struck us like I’ve never seen before. But we’re still here playing postseason basketball. We can really give the city of Dallas some hope, especially if we go to Memphis and repeat this type of performance.”

Dallas opened the second quarter with a 20-6 run fueled by back-to-back 3s from Thompson. Thompson hit two more 3s later in the quarter as the Mavs built the lead to 23 points at the half, removing any drama.

“We shot it very well, get stops on defense and were able to run,” said Davis, who led Dallas with 27 points. “Offense was clicking. We had what, 44 in the quarter? We played with a lot of pace and opened up the game."

DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points for the Kings, and and Zach LaVine added 20.

It was a disappointing ending to an underwhelming season for the Kings, who fired coach Mike Brown in December and traded star point guard De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio in February. It all led to Sacramento missing the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 seasons, raising questions about the team’s future starting with the status of interim coach Doug Christie.

“This is where I want to be,” Christie said. "You guys know that. I need to finish what I started.”

---

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Miami blows out Chicago behind 38 from Tyler Herro, advances to face Atlanta

NBA: Play-In-Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls

Apr 16, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) defends Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

David Banks-Imagn Images

Post All-Star break, the Chicago Bulls had a top-10 defense in the NBA. You would never have known that Wednesday night.

From the opening tip, it felt like a parade to the rim for the Heat, and off that they were able to kick-out for open 3s, or draw defenders and hit other cutters.

The result was bucket after bucket, led by Tyler Herro, who finished the night with 38 points and shot 10-of-10 in the paint.

Miami ultimately walked away with the comfortable win on the road, 109-90, taking the East 9/10 play-in game, and with that, they will travel to Atlanta on Friday night to face Trae Young and the Hawks in one game to see who will be the No. 8 seed.

The Bulls' season is over — for the third year in a row Miami eliminated Chicago.

The result is not surprising for Chicago, this is a team that has pivoted towards a rebuild since last summer — trading away Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso — but kept winning enough behind Coby White and Josh Giddey to stay in the play-in. Chicago GM Arturas Karnisovas has said he wants to build a roster deep with two-way talent (more than to land one big star, think Houston’s roster, for example). This game was evidence of how far away the Bulls are from having nine or 10 players near that level.

Miami came out with playoff intensity, and Chicago came out with random Tuesday night game in February intensity. In addition, Miami walked on the court with a plan to shut off the Bulls in transition and not let Josh Giddey, Coby White and Chicago get out and run — when the Bulls don’t have that, their entire offense falls apart.

In the halfcourt, Chicago’s passing wasn’t sharp, it was just a little off, so the Bulls couldn’t create swing-swing opportunities moving the ball to the weak side before the Heat pressure rotated. If Chicago’s first action didn’t create a good look, the team struggled.

Miami had no such issues.

Herro was on fire from the opening tip, attacking Giddey specifically, but mostly getting downhill and attacking. Miami’s first six shots came in the paint and the Heat had 16 points in the paint in the first quarter, plus were 6-of-9 from 3 as a team, and put up 39 points in the first quarter to lead by 11 after one. Herro had 16 points in the first quarter.

Miami stuck with its game plan and kept stretching that lead out, getting it to 20 by the middle of the first quarter.

Herro had 23 points on 8-of-8 shooting in the first half, and Miami led 71-47 at the break. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and Adebayo had 15 points and 12 boards. For the game, Miami won the points in the paint battle by 16 (56-40).

Chicago made a little push in the second half — Talen Horton-Tucker came in and was a pure gunner, and with that hit a few shots — but the lead never fell into single digits. There was never a real threat. Giddey led the Bulls with 25 points but was 9-of-21 shooting.

And with all that, Miami is on a plane to Atlanta with a chance to make the playoffs.

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Fantasy Basketball: Extremely Early 2025-26 Mock Draft

While the 2025 NBA Playoffs will get underway this weekend, the 2024-25 season concluded on Sunday from a fantasy standpoint. For some, this is a time to celebrate their victories or lament what went wrong. For others, however, this is a great time to look ahead to next season and get some early mock drafting in. Count Rotoworld fantasy basketball analysts Raphielle Johnson and Noah Rubin among the latter group, participating in a 14-team, nine-cat mock draft with other fantasy analysts.

This exercise won't provide a complete picture of what's to come next season. The 2025 draft class is not available for selection, as those players do not yet have teams, and questions remain regarding the availability of established pros whose seasons were derailed by injury.

This article will be updated after every two rounds, with Johnson and Rubin providing their thoughts on how their teams are looking. Thank you to FBI Basketball's Adam King for organizing this mock draft.

Round 1 Results

1. Adam King: F/C Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
2. Alex Barutha: C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
3. Dan Palyo: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Robbin Marx: G James Harden, LA Clippers
5. Dan Titus: G Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
6. Scott Keller: G Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers
7. Dan Besbris: F/C Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
8. Kayla Fonte: F Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
9. Steve St-Pierre: F/C Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
10. Noah Rubin: F/C Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
11. Dan McKie: G Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
12. Matty G: G Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
13. Raphielle Johnson: G Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
14. Yuri Ono: F/C Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Round 2 Results

15. Ono: G/F Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
16. Johnson: G Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers
17. Matty G: G Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
18. McKie: G Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
19. Rubin: G/F Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
20. St-Pierre: F Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
21. Fonte: F LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
22. Besbris: G/F/C Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
23. Keller: G/F Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
24. Titus: G Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
25. Marx: G LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
26. Palyo: F/C Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
27. Barutha: G/F Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
28. King: G De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

Raphielle's thoughts: I try not to enter drafts, whether mock or real, with the intention of punting a particular category. I prefer to let things play out in the early rounds and then assess where my team's strengths and weaknesses lie halfway through the proceedings. I'm pleased with how the first two rounds went. In a nine-cat league, turnovers will likely be an issue for those who roster Young. That said, the "bet" is that his overall production will minimize the impact of that category.

I hoped to get Edwards with my second-round pick, but he was off the board, so Mitchell was the choice. While Mitchell was ranked 36th in Basketball Monster's nine-cat rankings to end the regular season, he's capable of making a run at first-round value, even as Evan Mobley's role continues to expand in Cleveland.

Noah's thoughts: I enjoy being bold in mock drafts, but when a player like Giannis is available with the 10th pick, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in fantasy basketball, but he comes with obvious limitations that you have to account for. You can either lean hard into his strengths and punt the other categories or try to make up for them in future rounds. Regardless of which path you opt for, Antetokounmpo is a player I will happily take with the No. 10 pick, and I'd certainly consider him even earlier.

I leaned into my bold side with my second pick. As of now, this probably feels like a reach, but Thompson had quite the breakout season in Houston, and I'm expecting that to continue in his first playoff appearance. The 22-year-old fits like a glove next to Giannis in a nine-cat build that leans into punting free throw percentage and three-pointers. Since it's a mock, I may not fully commit to that the entire draft, but if this were a real league, I'd be ecstatic about my start.

Round 3 Results

29. King: F Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
30. Barutha: F/C Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
31. Palyo: F/C Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
32. Marx: G/F Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
33. Titus: F/C Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics
34. Keller: G Derrick White, Boston Celtics
35. Besbris: G/F Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies
36. Fonte: G/F Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
37. St-Pierre: G Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
38. Rubin: F/C Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
39. McKie: G Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
40. Matty G: C Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers
41. Johnson: C Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
42. Ono: G Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

Round 4 Results

43. Ono: G/F Josh Hart, New York Knicks
44. Johnson: G/F OG Anunoby, New York Knicks
45. Matty G: G/F Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
46. McKie: G/F Josh Giddey, Chicago Bulls
47. Rubin: F Trey Murphy, New Orleans Pelicans
48. St-Pierre: G Dejounte Murray, New Orleans Pelicans
49. Fonte: C Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
50. Besbris: G Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
51. Keller: C Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers
52. Titus: G/F Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
53. Marx: C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
54. Palyo: C Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks
55. Barutha: F Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
56. King: G Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Raphielle's thoughts: After going with guards in the first two rounds, my focus was on adding a big. While Sengun's nine-cat value did not align with his Yahoo! ADP (27) this season, I don't believe grabbing him at 41st overall represents a significant gamble. He's nearly a 52 percent shooter from the field for his career, and getting back to that level should not require substantial improvement from Sengun next season, as he made 49.6 percent of his attempts in 2024-25.

The Anunoby pick was one where I had some regret after clicking the button. Not because of anything he has or has not done; OG provided top-20 value in nine-cat formats after the All-Star break. The issue: Kawhi Leonard, who has looked like himself over the last month, was still on the board. Comparing the two situations, Leonard may be better equipped to exceed his draft position by a few rounds, based on where the two players were selected in this mock draft.

Noah's thoughts: The value was simply too good here for me. Holmgren may not fit flawlessly with the rest of my team, but he has top-ten upside and is one of the best shot blockers in the league. He was limited by injuries this season, and his minutes were often limited when he suited up. Holmgren played 82 games during the 2023-24 season, and I'm expecting him to be closer to that mark next year.

I debated between Murphy and Dejounte for a while here, so it made me feel better that Murray went one pick later. However, I'm happy with Murphy, who was able to provide third-round value in nine-cat leagues this past season. He suffered a torn labrum that ended his season early, but we should have more clarity about his status ahead of the 2025-26 season. At this point, I'm operating as if he'll be ready for opening night. There are plenty of other questions surrounding what the Pelicans' roster will look like next year, and executive vice president Joe Dumars could certainly make moves that alter the rotation drastically. At this point, I'm willing to bet on Murphy over everyone else on the team.

Round 5 Results

57. King: F/C Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
58. Barutha: G Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
59. Palyo: G/F Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
60. Marx: G/F Brandon Ingram, Toronto Raptors
61. Titus: F/C Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
62. Keller: F Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
63. Besbris: C Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
64. Fonte: G Fred VanVleet, Houston Rockets
65. St-Pierre: C Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
66. Rubin: F Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
67. McKie: C Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
68. Matty G: C Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
69. Johnson: G/F Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers
70. Ono: C Jakob Poeltl, Toronto Raptors

Round 6 Results

71. Ono: F Cameron Johnson, Brooklyn Nets
72. Johnson: G Coby White, Chicago Bulls
73. Matty G: G/F Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
74. McKie: C Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
75. Rubin: F Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
76. St-Pierre: F Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
77. Fonte: C Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks
78. Besbris: F Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
79. Keller: F/C Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
80. Titus: G/F Norman Powell, LA Clippers
81. Marx: G Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
82. Palyo: C Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder
83. Barutha: F/C Naz Reid, Minnesota Timberwolves
84. King: F/C Julius Randle, Minnesota Timberwolves

Raphielle's thoughts: I hoped to add a second center to my roster with the fifth-round pick, but there was a run on players I believed to be suitable options before I was on the clock. So, I went with George. This season was brutal for him availability-wise, and the production wasn't the best when he was on the court, either. Getting him with the 69th overall pick isn't the worst deal, as PG is well-equipped to provide superior value as long as he stays healthy.

With my sixth-round pick, I decided to add another high-scoring guard in Coby White. He was a third-round player in nine-cat formats from the February trade deadline onward. While it remains to be seen what the Bulls' roster will look like next season, the decision to trade Zach LaVine raised White's fantasy ceiling. He won't provide much defensively, but the offensive value makes him a player worth selecting with a middle-round pick if he's on the board.

Noah's thoughts: There were a few players I was hoping to get here, but I'm happy to benefit from Miller's slide. Before suffering a season-ending wrist injury, Miller was having a fantastic sophomore season, aside from his field goal percentage. That dropped almost four percent from his rookie year, but he improved in every other category. Charlotte is an iffy situation, and Miller could be a shut-down candidate if they have another poor season next year. However, I think the third-year breakout potential makes him more than worth a fifth-round selection.

I was also happy to pair up the Thompson twins. Ausar hasn't gotten the recognition that his brother has this season, but that can mainly be attributed to opportunity; Amen played 32.3 minutes per game, while Ausar only played 22.5. Still, their per-possession stats were similar, and Ausar averaged more steals per game despite playing nearly 10 fewer minutes per game. Pencil me in as someone who is anticipating Ausar to break out next year like his brother did this season.

Round 7 Results

85. King: G/F Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks
86. Barutha: G Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
87. Palyo: F Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves
88. Marx: G/F Zach LaVine, Sacramento Kings
89. Titus: F Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons
90. Keller: G/F Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
91. Besbris: G/F DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings
92. Fonte: F Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
93. St-Pierre: G Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
94. Rubin: G/F Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs
95. McKie: G Immanuel Quickley, Toronto Raptors
96. Matty G: G/F Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
97. Johnson: G/F Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers
98. Ono: F Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat

Round 8 Results

99. Ono: F/C Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
100. Johnson: F/C Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards
101. Matty G: F Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
102. McKie: G/F Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
103. Rubin: G/F Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
104. St-Pierre: C Deandre Ayton, Portland Trail Blazers
105. Fonte: G Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs
106. Besbris: G/F Bradley Beal, Phoenix Suns
107. Keller: G Russell Westbrook, Denver Nuggets
108. Titus: C Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
109. Marx: F/C Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks
110. Palyo: F/C Santi Aldama, Memphis Grizzlies
111. Barutha: G Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
112. King: G Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers

Raphielle's thoughts: I've been on the Camara bandwagon for quite some time, so there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to draft the Trail Blazers wing. Even if the time may make him a "reach" in the eyes of some. As good as Camara has been defensively during his first two seasons, the progress made on the other end of the floor is what excites me. From the All-Star break onward, he was a top-50 player in nine-cat formats, averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 48.1 percent from the field. Regardless of what happens with Jerami Grant, Camara is well-positioned to have an excellent third season as he continues to establish himself as a key piece in Portland.

The Sarr pick may have been a bit of a reach on my part, especially considering the players who were selected after him (most notably Lauri Markkanen). Efficiency remains a concern, but the rookie forward/center did improve his offensive output after the All-Star break. Provided he stays healthy, Sarr will play plenty in Washington as a key figure in the team's rebuild. And, unlike Markkanen, he isn't a late-season shutdown risk. If you can stomach the low field-goal percentage, there's value to be had in drafting Sarr.

Noah's thoughts: Getting Vassell with the 94th pick wouldn't have been possible over the last few seasons, but his subpar year resulted in a slide. He missed the first couple weeks of the season last year, and when he did play, he came off the bench until mid-December. He was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues after he returned to the starting lineup and averaged 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.5 triples. It was definitely a down year, and I'll happily take him just inside the top 100 picks.

Yes, Podz started off the season slow after being one of my favorite late-round picks last season. However, he became a permanent starter just before the All-Star break and averaged 15.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.7 threes per game over the final two months of the regular season. Head coach Steve Kerr has never been shy about changing his rotations, but he has been more consistent over the last two months. I'm expecting Podz to start from day one next season.

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Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets? Both sides reportedly have 'level of mutual interest'

Houston general manager Rafael Stone has been clear: He wants to play this season out with the Rockets' young core and then assess whether any moves need to be made. "We like where we're at. We want to continue to develop our guys, full stop... We definitely want this group to be as good as it can be this year, and then we'll evaluate things at the end of the year."

The question most observers have with Houston is, who is its go-to scorer in the clutch? If the Rockets come out of their first-round series with the Warriors asking the same question, the answer might be Kevin Durant. There have been rumors of Houston's interest in the future Hall of Famer, and that interest is mutual, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

"If you lose early ... could [the Rockets] look at a guy like Kevin Durant? ... Monitor them."

If Durant is looking for a place where his presence lifts the team to contention, Houston may be the answer. From Phoenix's perspective, the Rockets have the combination of picks and young players to help the Suns restock their roster as they rebuild around Devin Booker.

Other teams will be interested. The Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs have been rumored. Yet, looking at that group, the Rockets make the most sense for the Suns because of the package they could return. Does it make the most sense for Houston?

Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks a night across 62 games this season — he remains one of the most efficient shooters in the league, a guy who can just go get a bucket. That comes at a price. Durant, who will turn 37 before next season, will make $54.7 million next season, and he is eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension.

It would be shocking if Durant is back with the Suns next season. Houston might be the destination that makes the most sense to Phoenix, but the Rockets are going to let the postseason play out, then make a call. If the Rockets beat the Warriors in the first round, do they feel the same way about adding Durant?

It's going to be an interesting summer in Phoenix.