Category: NBA

No Wemby, no problem. The Spurs won their third game in four nights and 11th straight Thursday night in an up and down game against the Clippers, keeping the #1 seed within reach while giving the Alien a night off.

It was a high-scoring game from the tip. Kawhi continued his magnificent season and scored a handful of baskets from all over the court. John Collins got in the action too, using his athleticism to drive and finish around the rim without having to worry about Wemby. Still, Luke Kornet was his usual reliable self, providing solid rim protection on the back line.

Offensively, the Spurs capitalized on lazy defensive efforts from the home team. San Antonio had two uncontested transition baskets early, swinging the momentum their way. They then caught fire from deep, making four in quick succession to build a double-digit lead. De’Aaron Fox, in particular, got on a heater, hitting a handful of mid-ranges and getting to the rim at will. That run coincided with the Clippers going ice cold, and it didn’t help that Darius Garland had to go to the locker room after taking a rough fall. Overall, the Spurs led 68-44 heading into halftime, showing no signs of fatigue or of Wemby’s absence.

LA showed signs of life early in the third. Kawhi regained his rhythm and made back-to-back buckets, forcing Mitch Johnson to call a timeout. The Spurs began trapping him soon after, but the Clippers started generating efficient offense even with the ball out of his hands. In a turn of events, LA capitalized on a number of sloppy Spurs possessions in a quick 3-minute stretch, going on a 14-5 run to cut the lead down to 12. Bennedict Mathurin led the charge, hitting a circus shot and helping force turnovers to bring his team back in the game. Following another sloppy Spurs possession, the Clippers made it just a 9-point game before both teams traded wild possessions that resulted in no basket scored for the remainder of the quarter.

LA’s momentum carried over to start the fourth. San Antonio continued to fumble the ball, resulting in the Clippers cutting the lead down to just seven. Fortunately, a technical call against LA helped the Spurs regain control, and a few key baskets from Stephon Castle put the good guys back up by double digits. The Clippers seemed to deflate afterwards, and a few more buckets from Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson sealed the game for the visiting side. With minutes left in the fourth, Ty Lue finally waved the white flag and brought in his reserves, prompting Mitch Johnson to do the same. The Spurs walked away with a 118-99 victory, but the scoreline doesn’t do justice to the crazy back-and-forth game.

Game notes

• Fox had a really unusual game. 18 of his 22 points came in the first half, and he only made one bucket in both the third and fourth quarters. This wasn’t due to his shot abandoning him, either: Fox only took 13 field goals and made 9, so both he and the Spurs chose to rely on other players who were more in rhythm.
• Harper ended his night with 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists on 8-12 shooting and 2-3 from deep. He did all that in 25 minutes, and I can not be any higher on the kid. I think he’s already a starting-calibre guard and could be the second-best player on the team as soon as next season, and I’ve never been more comfortable with the ball being in the hands of a rookie guard ever.
• The diciest part of the game was during a 3-minute stretch in the middle of the third quarter, when the Spurs kept on losing the ball. Even in the moment, I wondered why Mitch didn’t call a timeout to regroup the guys, and I’m still confused about it after. Maybe he had faith that they’d figure it out? He was finally forced to call one but it was almost too little too late, and the team was definitely tempting fate during that brief stretch.

Play of the game

Harper shot over 50% from three in March and is now hitting half-court heaves. Is he the next Steph Curry?

DYLAN BEATS THE BUZZER FROM HALF COURT 🚨🤯 pic.twitter.com/5T8ISsli6D

— San Antonio Spurs – x (@spurs) April 3, 2026

Next game: @ Nuggets on Saturday

The Spurs will look to make it a lucky dozen when they face a rising Nuggets team on Saturday.

The biggest gut punch from Thursday’s loss to the Thunder was Luka Dončić‘s hamstring strain, but he wasn’t the only star with a visible injury in the game.

Prior to Luka going down, Austin Reaves was the one who made a trip to the locker room. Reaves was holding his back for much of the first quarter before checking out and getting checked.

While he did return, he was still holding his back at times during the rest of the game, though it never seemed to slow him down. After the game, head coach JJ Redick provided an explanation of how the injury occurred.

“He was in a weird position stretching for a basketball, loose ball,” Redick said. “He just felt like like intercostal, somewhere in his back in between the ribs. He was able to play through it and battled back. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

Austin said he got treatment at halftime that allowed him to play in the second half. He also said that he felt better postgame, too.

“I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit and felt something,” Reaves said. “I feel decent now. We’ll see.”

The extra day off between games for the Lakers could be beneficial for Reaves. While it seems unlikely Luka’s injury will be measured in days, this one feels like that extra day could be beneficial.

The Lakers won’t play again until Sunday in Dallas. Having an extra day to rehab and get treatment could be the difference in him playing or not. The fact that he was able to play after the injury and play well, relatively speaking, is also encouraging for him being available against the Mavs.

It goes without saying that, with Luka sidelined, Austin’s availability will be even more crucial. He has flourished when Luka has been out this year, so there’s at least some room for optimism there. But only if he’s healthy.

In just about every way, Thursday’s loss was a gut punch. At least with Reaves’ injury, there’s a silver lining of hope that he won’t also be missing time.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The Oklahoma City Thunder condemned the Los Angeles Lakers to one of the heaviest defeats in their history - one made more painful by an injury to star Luka Doncic.

Reigning NBA champions Thunder claimed a commanding 139-96 victory, helped by 28 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as they improved their league-best record to 61-16.

The Lakers have only been beaten by a greater margin on six occasions, with this 43-point loss just six points short of their worst margin of defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.

It was a first defeat in five for the Lakers, who must now wait to learn the severity of Doncic's left hamstring injury after the Slovenian appeared emotional as he exited the court during the third quarter.

Doncic, who had scored 40 or more points in each of his previous three games and five of his past seven, will have an MRI scan on Friday, Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed.

The Lakers had won 13 of their previous 14 games as they seek to hold on to the third seeding in the Western Conference, behind Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, before the play-offs begin on 18 April.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning Most Valuable Player, finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Isaiah Joe added 20 points for the Thunder.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 15 points despite struggling with back pain, and LeBron James added 13 in 26 minutes.

Thunder's 139 points were the most conceded by the Lakers this season and the 43-point defeat was the team's heaviest since a 44-point loss to Philadelphia in November 2023.

Washington Wizards (17-59, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Miami Heat (40-37, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Miami; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington will try to stop its three-game road slide when the Wizards face Miami.

The Heat are 24-23 in Eastern Conference games. Miami is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Kel'el Ware averaging 2.9.

The Wizards are 11-35 in conference matchups. Washington is 2-2 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Heat score 120.4 points per game, 3.9 fewer points than the 124.3 the Wizards give up. The Heat average 112.7 points per game, 5.5 fewer points than the 118.2 the Heat allow to opponents.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Heat won the last matchup 150-129 on March 10, with Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Adebayo is scoring 20.3 points per game with 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Heat. Tyler Herro is averaging 20.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 44.4% over the past 10 games.

Bub Carrington is averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 17.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 2-8, averaging 119.6 points, 41.6 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 129.3 points per game.

Wizards: 1-9, averaging 113.2 points, 36.6 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.6 points.

INJURIES: Heat: Norman Powell: day to day (illness).

Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Kyshawn George: out for season (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

San Antonio Spurs (58-18, second in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (49-28, fourth in the Western Conference)

Denver; Saturday, 3 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio plays the Denver Nuggets after Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points in the Spurs' 127-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

The Nuggets are 31-16 in Western Conference games. Denver leads the Western Conference with 121.4 points and is shooting 49.5%.

The Spurs are 33-14 in conference matchups. San Antonio averages 119.6 points and has outscored opponents by 8.3 points per game.

The Nuggets average 14.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 13.1 per game the Spurs give up. The Spurs average 13.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.3 more makes per game than the Nuggets allow.

The teams square off for the third time this season. The Nuggets won 136-131 in the last meeting on March 13. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 39 points, and Stephon Castle led the Spurs with 30 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Jokic is averaging 27.7 points, 13 rebounds and 10.8 assists for the Nuggets. Murray is averaging 25.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists over the last 10 games.

De'Aaron Fox is averaging 18.5 points and 6.2 assists for the Spurs. Julian Champagnie is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 126.4 points, 45.8 rebounds, 33.1 assists, 6.3 steals and 3.2 blocks per game while shooting 50.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.2 points per game.

Spurs: 10-0, averaging 124.3 points, 51.2 rebounds, 32.0 assists, 7.1 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.1 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Zeke Nnaji: day to day (hip), Peyton Watson: day to day (hamstring), Tim Hardaway Jr.: day to day (knee), Spencer Jones: day to day (hamstring).

Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Victor Wembanyama: out (injury management).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Indiana Pacers (18-58, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (41-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Hornets -15.5; over/under is 235.5

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana faces Charlotte in Eastern Conference action Friday.

The Hornets are 24-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Charlotte is fourth in the Eastern Conference at limiting opponent scoring, giving up just 111.4 points while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Pacers are 14-33 against conference opponents. Indiana is 6-34 in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Hornets average 116.2 points per game, 4.5 fewer points than the 120.7 the Pacers allow. The Pacers average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.5 more makes per game than the Hornets allow.

The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Hornets won 133-109 in the last matchup on Feb. 27.

TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.6 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Coby White is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

Jay Huff is averaging 9.4 points and 1.8 blocks for the Pacers. Pascal Siakam is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 119.7 points, 46.1 rebounds, 25.5 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.

Pacers: 3-7, averaging 121.4 points, 38.4 rebounds, 34.2 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.3 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: PJ Hall: out (ankle).

Pacers: T.J. McConnell: out (hamstring), Obi Toppin: day to day (foot), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: out (back), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Jarace Walker: out (back), Pascal Siakam: day to day (knee), Aaron Nesmith: out (neck), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a heavy turnover game to win on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers

This was a weird game from Mitchell. He attempted some truly audacious shots in the first half, including the one below.

No bc how did that go in?@spidadmitchell | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/FaueaKQ4Sy

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 3, 2026

Yet, as much as I want to bemoan the quality of attempts like this, I can’t deny that Mitchell was scoring efficiently. I can’t say I love the process. But for tonight, I’ll live with the results.

Turnovers were an issue for Mitchell. Though each unforced error seemed to fuel his frustrations and make him more engaged defensively. As I said, this was a contradictory game.

Grade: B-

James Harden

19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Harden’s defense has been as bad as advertised. It’s not fun watching him get backdoor cuts for easy layups. It is, however, fun to watch him throw lobs. The duality of man.

The Cavs closed this game behind two plays from Harden. First, he drew a double team and dished to Max Strus for a huge three-pointer. Then, he danced one-on-one for a tough floater in the lane to extend the lead to six with 21 seconds remaining. That will help your grade.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Mobley has historically struggled against Kristaps Porzingis. With this in mind, he certainly handled that individual matchup better than in the past. Mobley didn’t appear as bothered by KP’s length and was able to help contain him on the other end.

Zooming out, Mobley lost this matchup in the non-Porzingis minutes. That was his opportunity to make his presence felt. Instead, Mobley lacked the aggression he had in March. Let’s hope he finds that again soon.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

16 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal

Allen is still clearly working through some pain in his knee. He hasn’t been as explosive with the ball. Though, he’s still converting most of his looks at the rim and playing a key role as Cleveland’s defensive anchor.

Gotta hit more than half of your free throws, Fro. He shot 6-12 from the line tonight.

Grade: B+

Sam Merrill

13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

We’ve seen a few games like this from Sam recently. He couldn’t find his rhythm from downtown, but he made up for it by getting downhill and creating plays off his gravity. Still, we’d like to see Sam get free for a big scoring night. He’s not out there to pass the ball.

Grade: C–

Max Strus

24 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds

The Cavs lose this game without Strus Point, blank, period.

It wasn’t just his pair of triples in the clutch, but also his activity away from the ball. Strus helped the Cavs secure numerous rebounds with timely box outs — and he even forced a tough turnover on the Warriors by pressuring the ball on a defensive board.

Grade: A+

Keon Ellis

4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

I’m sobering up to the Ellis experience on defense. He isn’t as sound a defender as the blocks and steals would make you think. His game has some rough edges in terms of suppressing shot attempts and making the correct rotations.

That said, he’s given me the exact opposite impression on offense. Ellis has broken out of a box and become more than a traditional catch-and-shoot player. I’ve enjoyed watching him cut to the basket and play from the middle of the floor. He had two nice dunks tonight off of cuts.

Grade: D

Dennis Schroder

12 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

Schroder nearly threw this game off the rails in the fourth quarter with a flagrant foul followed by a tech for complaining to the officials. Yes, he was being grabbed — but that was a bad time to get on the referee’s bad side.

He saves his grade by scoring efficiently tonight. Schroder shot 4-7 from the floor and 3-3 from the free throw line. That’s a big boost in a game where the Cavs struggled to score consistently.

Grade: B-

Thomas Bryant

3 points, 3 rebounds

The last few games haven’t been kind to Bryant. His impact is slipping as the season goes on. This wasn’t his best effort.

Grade: D

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — De'Aaron Fox scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-99 on Thursday night without Victor Wembanyama in the lineup to win their 11th in a row.

Wembanyama was rested on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 41 points and 18 rebounds in a 127-113 win at the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Spurs had six players in double figures, including Stephon Castle with 20 points and Dylan Harper with 19 off the bench.

San Antonio kept alive its hopes of catching Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West. The Spurs improved to 27-2 since Feb. 1 and 11-5 when Wembanyama doesn't play.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to lead the Clippers with his 53rd consecutive game of 20 or more points. Bennedict Mathurin added 18 points off the bench and John Collins had 15. The loss dropped them to the ninth spot for the play-in tournament with their second straight loss after winning five in a row. Portland moved into eighth after a 118-106 win.

The Spurs led by 26 points in the first half. They shot 72% from the floor early in the second quarter, opening with an 11-2 run and hitting 20 of their first 28 shots.

The Clippers rallied in the third when they outscored the Spurs 34-19. Mathurin had 10 points and Leonard eight as the Clippers closed with a 14-4 run to trail 87-78 going into the fourth.

But the Spurs quickly regained the momentum. Castle scored eight of their 10 points in extending the lead to 99-84.

Up next

Spurs: Visit Denver on Saturday in final road game of regular season.

Clippers: Visit Sacramento on Sunday.

___

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a win against the Golden State Warriors. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER AND LOSER – Defense

On one hand, the Cavs played to their strengths by packing the paint and daring Golden State to shoot from downtown. The math worked in Cleveland’s favor as the Warriors shot just 12-44 from downtown. That’s a win for the Cavs.

Nonetheless, am I greedy for thinking the Cavs’ defense could have been even better? They blew a handful of possessions by simply falling asleep at the wheel.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

This first clip is a prime example of ball watching. If any of Cleveland’s guards made an active effort to attack the glass, they might have secured this defensive stop.

What are the guards doing on the boards here? pic.twitter.com/bdKTMrsfqK

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) April 3, 2026

Next, we see the Cavs… just completely ignore Gary Payton II in the corner.

lol pic.twitter.com/TJ3Sg8IoBX

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) April 3, 2026

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you’d leave a non-shooting threat open. But, is it really smart to not even make the Dubs work for it? I’m not sure it’s wise to leave anyone this available on an inbounds play. Payton misses the shot, but my point remains.

Finally, here’s a clip of James Harden being backdoor cut for a layup. This happened a handful of times tonight.

Cavs timeout and an unhappy Kenny Atkinson. pic.twitter.com/74JkjSYUKR

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) April 3, 2026

The Cavs didn’t need to have razor-sharp focus to beat the Warriors in April. But they will need to be more dialed in later this month. This was another missed opportunity to build healthier habits defensively — even if the result was a win.

(Honorable WINNER mention for RealCavsFans. Thanks for the clips.)

LOSER – Turnovers

Unforced errors were the name of the game. The Cavs let a few mental lapses stop them from having a truly dominant night on defense. The same can be said for their sputtering offense.

Cleveland had double-digit turnovers going into halftime. But it wasn’t just the frequency at which they turned it over; it was how they threw the ball away.

There’s nothing more damaging than carelessly throwing the ball to your opponent. Granting the enemy a full head of steam going the other way with a numbers advantage is how you lose control of games. The Cavs flirted with this outcome throughout the first half, dangerously giving the Warriors plenty of opportunities to score in transition.

Golden State outscored the Cavs 23-8 in points off turnovers. A 15-point swing in one category is big in a game that came down to the wire.

The Dubs deserve some credit. Draymond Green, in particular, did a fantastic job guarding the pick-and-roll and was responsible for blowing up numerous actions. The Cavs’ ball-handlers had a difficult time getting comfortable against a pesky Warriors backcourt, too.

Things eventually normalized as Cleveland regained control in the second half. Still, it was a bit frustrating to see the Cavs spin their wheels for minutes at a time. This offense is too potent to get stuck in the mud. A single Cavalanche would have made this game feel much more digestible.

LOSER – That near collapse

The Cavs picked up a flagrant foul and two technicals in a span of 30 seconds. Toss in a few turnovers, and I can only describe this moment with one gif:

pic.twitter.com/XT82M9Jr8G

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) April 3, 2026

Thankfully, things didn’t go as badly as they could have. The Cavs pulled themselves back together just in time for a great finish.

WINNER – Max Strus

This was shaping up to be a bummer of a game. Turnovers and defensive errors were going to result in a frustrating loss.

Then Max Strus happened.

Strus poured on 24 points on 6-10 three-point shooting, multiple coming in the crunch time of the fourth quarter. His off-ball activity made it so the Cavs always had a release valve — and his pairing with James Harden is seamless. Any time the Warriors overloaded on Harden, Strus made them pay.

On defense, he ramped up the intensity by being aggressive on box-outs and getting into his opponent’s chest. All of the tone-setting things you’d expect from a winner like Max.

“Big Shot Max,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game. “It’s just certain guys whose DNA is made, make or miss, it’s either a big shot or a big offensive rebound. That’s why, now that I know him better, it’s like we need him at the end of the game.”

The Cavs know what they have in Strus. That’s why he’s already back in the starting lineup and playing 28 minutes just a few games after returning from injury. This is a guy who can help you win on the margins, as he did tonight.

Stephon Castle’s heady leadership and playmaking, interspersed with highlight plays from De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, and Dylan Harper, turbocharged a decisive 21-5 ambush in the fourth quarter to thwart a Clippers comeback. Without the services of MVP and DPOY candidate Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio (59-18) weathered a good first half by Kawhi Leonard to hold the rest of the Clippers to a total of 31 points, and clinched their fifth winningest regular season – tied with the 2004-2005 edition.

San Antonio’s Fox (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) saw to it that Wembanyama would not be missed tonight in the road win. Stephon Castle (20 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds), Devin Vassell (14 points and 10 rebounds[!]), and Julian Champagnie (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) ensured perimeter domination, while Harper (19 points and 5 assists) and Johnson (13 points and 6 rebounds) excelled yet again off the bench. The only pockmark on an otherwise excellent effort for the Spurs was giving up a handful of careless turnovers, by their standards, which resulted in over a dozen LA points at the other end.

Leonard (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), as he has since the James Harden trade, single-handedly kept the Clippers in the game for most of the first three quarters. John Collins (15 points and 6 rebounds) and Darius Garland (11 points) supplied secondary offense, while Benedict Mathurin (18 points and 6 rebounds) came on strong in the second half.

A brisk and evenly-played first quarter featured San Antonio’s Castle and Vassell scoring fluidly while the Clippers’ Leonard built quickly on his first make to amass 11 early points. The referees allowed a good amount of physical contact as a handful of no-calls occurred for both sides. Harper and Fox carried the production later in the period to help San Antonio catch and surpass LA, and Harrison Barnes 100% rewarded Fox’s kickout with a quarter-ending three to make it 33-25.

San Antonio continued its recent trend of building 20-point leads through Fox’s supreme quickness and their defense locking down any Clippers attempts around the paint. The Spurs assisted on most of their second period baskets, and after a soaring tip finish from Carter Bryant, led by 22. More importantly, San Antonio was able to keep Leonard from going further off. Harper’s desperation heave put the Spurs up 24.

San Antonio was stung by an older foe than the Clippers – the third quarter bug – as Leonard kickstarted an LA run to slice the large lead in half. LA put forth a far tougher defensive effort to halt the Spurs’ momentum. Coach Johnson ran out an undersized lineup late in the frame featuring Harrison Barnes at the 5, and a Leonard Miller lay-up brought the Clippers concerningly within 12. Mathurin’s and-1 shaved the deficit to single digits. Two pairs of Kornet free throws spanning the third and fourth periods – amidst a sea of Spurs’ missed outside shots – prevented further calamity from happening and they were fortunate to go to the fourth up nine.

Observations

• ‘Stop Hacking Me!’ Sequence of the Game: After drawing a foul on Kris Dunn late in the third period, Harper backed Dunn down deep into the paint and toss a feather over his head and earned an and-1 to make it 83-64.
• Unofficially, this might be the best all-time Spurs roster ever at shooting from all points straightaway from the basket… Castle, Fox, Harper, Wembanyama…
• In the event of a first-round match-up with the Clippers, the best on-ball defenders for Leonard: 1) Castle, 2) Champagnie, and 3) Bryant and Barnes (12 fouls baby!).
• Castle keeps on getting unfairly hacked in the act of shooting, but denied free throw attempts that would typically go to more seasoned wingmen like Kyrie Irving or Steph Curry.
• Fun with numbers: Halftime score last night against GSW 70-49 / Score with 10:00 left in the third against LAC 70-49.
• OKC 127 Lakers 82 *statementgame
• Sequence of the Game #1: Early in the second period, Fox lived up to his nickname and ‘swipa’-ed it from an unsuspecting Dunn to get himself a transition slam.
• Sequence of the Game #2: Partway through the second quarter, ‘Beautiful Ball’ ensued one possession after Vassesll swished a catch-and-shoot three. The ball ping-ponged in a triangle formation from Castle (left wing) to Kornet (center) to Vassell (straightaway) for a triple.
• Sequence of the Game #3: Take it away Jacob Tobey: “Dylan Harper puts it up… AND HE PUT IT DOWN AT THE HALFTIME BUZZER! THE YOUNG KID CAN DO ANYTHING!” Harper’s 41-foot buzzer beater caused Wembanyama to put his hands over his head incredulously.

Game Rundown

From the tip, Lopez swished a Pop-a-shot from 16 feet and followed it with another from the baseline. Castle patiently ran the Chris Paul high-pick-and-roll perfectly for a jumper, and fed Kornet for a Passenger 57 lob. Leonard’s first two midrange jumpers kept LA right at San Antonio’s heels; Castle went right back at him to do a Kawhi-like fadeaway. The Clippers followed Leonard’s lead to grab a 3-point advantage. Harper was at his slithery best as he willed his way to the rim and guided balls funkily into teammate’s hands. Fox’s kickout to Barnes for a wing triple helped the Spurs exit the quarter up eight.

Harper guided Lopez deep into the paint and hit a smooth stepback jumper, and Champagnie followed with a triple. Then Fox’s steal and score off Dunn and subsequent floater over the same guy ended a 9-0 run to start the second. Lopez’s awkward flailing tip started the scoring again for LA. Kornet stoutly defended the interior in those opening four minutes. San Antonio glided past the 50 point mark with over seven minutes left. The Spurs defended so well that Leonard tried to bait the officials into a call on Fox by throwing his arms out Harden-style (no call!). The Spurs soared into the half ahead 68-44.

Leonard continued his stellar shooting – outscoring the Spurs 8-5 to the start the third. Champagnie impressively muscled home a banker and followed it with a putback to keep the lead safely in double digits. San Antonio threw a few traps at Leonard to force it out of his hands. Johnson drew Lopez’s fourth foul halfway through the frame, and then bullied his way deep in the paint to score over both Lopez and Leonard. From there the well went completely dry for the Spurs, and the Clippers pieced together an impressive 34-19 third quarter.

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For the Clippers fan’s perspective, please visit Clips Nation.

San Antonio takes on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM CDT on Amazon Prime Video.

Instead of talking solely about tonight’s opponent the Utah Jazz, I’m going to use this opportunity to talk about the teams in the lottery and discuss which team would win if the NBA rigged it and had their way.

We’ll go in reverse order of standings from the day this is written (April 2).

13. Miami Heat: I think the NBA would love to give a top 4 pick to Heat. It’s a big market and they’re kind of stuck right now. They’ve got some good pieces and adding Cam Boozer or AJ Dybansta (Darryn Peterson is not a “Heat Culture” guy) would make them quite the marquee team going into next season in the East. Still, their odds are too low and it would be too obvious if Adam Silver gave Pat Riley a top pick. Could they jump into the top 4? Maybe.

12. Portland Trail Blazers: Look, this is a good team. However, they’re still missing a superstar (apologies to Deni Avdija). Damian Lillard is coming back next year and that’s the story. And they’ve already tried the “Give the Blazers a top point guard and let Dame mentor him” thing and it didn’t work. I will say that giving them the top pick could allow the franchise to move on from the Chauncey Billups saga and get that player on television often since the Blazers could be considered contenders to finish in the top 6 in the West next season with a big addition in the draft.

11. Golden State Warriors: I think the Warriors will make the playoffs so they won’t have a shot here, but if they did, this is a tasty one for the league. They gave them a shot at LaMelo Ball and they took James Wiseman isntead, so they’ve failed at this before like the Blazers. But Steph, Jimmy, Draymond, and Boozer? Scary.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: If the Bucks win, we’ll know that Giannis is getting traded soon. This could be the NBA’s “Please trade him to a contender and we’ll give you the lottery” move. Milwaukee doesn’t own it’s own picks until like 2040 so this is their best chance for a while.

9. Chicago Bulls: Remember when the Bulls were 6-0 and actually looked like a good team? Yeah. Putting another star in Chicago would have the league drooling, but the Bulls have proven their ineptitude over and over since the Derrick Rose days.

8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies also own Orlando’s pick at 14 if that turns into anything. The Grizzlies are clearly in rebuild mode after trading away Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Both netted great returns and the Grizz have a chance to really good in five years. The top pick could kickstart that window. Dybansta or Peterson here would be great, but would suck as a fun of a Southwest Division team. I think they move into the top 4. This team and fanbase need something because the relocation whispers are going to get louder if they don’t show glimpses quickly.

7. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans): The Hawks are good, and they have their franchise player in Jalen Johnson. They won the lottery recently and Risacher has been okay but averaged under 20 minutes a night in March. Does the league want to reward a team that just tried to pull of “Magic City Night?” I think not.

6. Dallas Mavericks: If the Mavs win the lottery again, we’ll know that Nico Harrison had assurances that they would when he traded Luka Doncic. Remember the “Now you see the vision” comments after they won the lottery last year? And suddenly, that trade would look slightly better (still awful, but less so). Pairing Duke boys Boozer and Cooper Flagg would be terrifying for a decade. Dybansta and Flagg would also be scary since it would give them two initiators and ball-handlers. It would also solve Dallas’s immediate need for a point guard, but so would Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., or Keaton Wagler.

5. Utah Jazz: The league does not want to see the Jazz get the top pick this year after their blatant tank job. This would be the NBA’s worst nightmare and next season we would see teams at the bottom go even harder than Utah did this year. It would set a terrible precedent. No chance.

4. Sacramento Kings: Speaking of fanbases that deserve some hope, the Kings had one magic season after two decades of futility just to lose to the Warriors. The “Light the Beam” stuff was fun, but the Kings have proven that they’ll probably just surround their top pick with current members of the Chicago Bulls. Cam Boozer and Josh Giddey, anyone?

3. Indiana Pacers: Now we’re getting somewhere. The Pacers are already ready to be contenders next season with Tyrese Haliburton’s return. Team him and Pascal Siakam with Boozer or Peterson? That’s a contender in the East. But the Pacers were also fined for unethical tanking like the Jazz, so I think the league wouldn’t mind them slotting somewhere in the 3-6 range (and getting a really good player in this loaded draft).

2. Brooklyn Nets: I was tempted to write the Nets off after they drafted five players in the first round last year and none have produced. Egor Demin has shown flashes, but their best rookie in terms of analytics has been Malachi Smith, who has played nine games and wasn’t drafted and is on his second 10-day contract. Still, it’s tantalizing to put the top pick in New York and get some buzz back in the Big Apple’s lesser team.

And finally, at 1. Washington Wizards. The Wiz are bad, BUT there are some fun ideas to go with giving them the top pick. Alex Sarr is a good NBA player, and Kyshawn George has shown signs of being good. Next year, they’ll add Anthony Davis and a full year of Trae Young. They could draft any of the potential top picks and have clear minutes for them on day 1. Dybansta is probably the flashiest addition, but Peterson works here too in certain situations.

This a draft unlike several others recently where there’s been one star at the top and then some question marks afterwards. In this draft, there’s a clear top 3, then there’s a solid 3 or 4 after that that could be really good. So half of these teams are going to get a player with a lot of upside to excite their fanbases, but I think if the league is rigging this, it goes like this:

1. Dallas (if it was already agreed upon)
2. Washington
3. Milwaukee
4. Golden State
5. Brooklyn

Obivously, that’s not a draft order but you get it.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jazz

Keyonte George: GTD

Lauri Markkanen: OUT

Jusuf Nurkic: OUT

Isaish Collier: GTD

Elijah Harkless: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Sunday night on the road against the Golden State Warriors

This game was over once the ball went up. The Thunder showed the Lakers why they are 10 games behind the defending champs.

They suffocated them defensively as the Lakers didn’t make a field goal until the 7:07 mark in the first quarter. OKC jumped in front by as many as 23 in the opening quarter and scored 82 in the first half, essentially ending the contest.

To make matters worse, the Lakers also didn’t come out of this game healthy. Luka Dončić injured his left hamstring and exited the game in the third quarter, and Austin Reaves also appeared to be banged up, holding his back throughout the night. He was luckily able to play the rest of the game.

The only good news, or maybe it’s bad news, is that they’ll play OKC again next Tuesday. They certainly have plenty of room for improvement.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Jake LaRavia

33 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, -15

LaRavia had a couple of nice defensive plays against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the first quarter. After that, his play matched the rest of the team, which was pretty rough.

Grade: F

LeBron James

26 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 3-7 FG, 1-4 3PT, 6-8 FT, -37

LeBron was a non-factor in this game. He didn’t have any burst and the scoring never really materialized.

Grade: F

Deandre Ayton

20 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 4-7 FG, -23

It’s hard to recall any positive plays from Ayton. He had a nice floater in the paint during the first half and that was about it.

Grade: F

Austin Reaves

27 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 5-9 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-3 FT, -23

These are the type of games where Reaves has to rise and perform. He did not. It’s the slimmest of silver linings, but at least he acknowledged it postgame.

Austin Reaves: “They beat the s— out of us. … We’ve got to be better”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2026

Grade: D+

Luka Dončić

26 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, 3-10 FG, 1-7 3PT, 5-6 FT, -25

What a bummer it is that Luka hurt his hamstring in this game. Even before the injury, he struggled. He shot 30% from the field and didn’t handle the size and physicality the Thunder brought. Right now, though, all that matters is that his MRI comes back clean so he can continue playing.

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

33 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, -28

Kennard played a ton, especially in the second half when the game was out of reach. He didn’t do much, converting only one 3-pointer.

Grade: C

Rui Hachimura

18 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 2-9 FG, 0-3 3PT, -39

Hachimura was bad defensively and even worse offensively. Another player who didn’t do enough against OKC.

Grade: F

Jaxson Hayes

21 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-3 FG, 6-8 FT, -17

Hayes did a good job in his role. He backed up Ayton, scored near the rim, and even shot well from the free throw line. It didn’t impact the game, but he played fine.

Grade: B

Bronny James

18 minutes, 10 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 4-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, -8

Bronny has been getting short rotational shifts recently and has played well in those spots. Against the Thunder, he did the same. He played hard, knocked down some shots, and defended okay.

There are many more important things happening, but it was great to see Bronny play well.

Grade: B+

Jarred Vanderbilt

12 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4-7 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +2

Vando is always ready to work. He played for just 12 minutes, but brought energy and even scored a few baskets. Vando was the only Laker to have a positive plus-minus on the night.

Grade: B+

Maxi Kleber

Kleber played for just eight minutes, so he will not receive a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick called a couple of timeouts to try to stop the bleeding in the first quarter, but it didn’t help. He did what he could to put LA in a position to win, but the Thunder were just so much better in this game.

Grade: C

Thursday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Nick Smith Jr., Chris Mañon, Kobe Bufkin, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Drew Timme

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

SAN FRANCISCO — “What if” has been the defining question of the Warriors’ season, and Golden State had to be left wondering the same after taking one of the NBA’s top teams to the wire but falling short once again with their superstar watching in street clothes.

The Warriors simply lacked the firepower to put away the Cavaliers, allowing a team playing its third game in four nights to score 18 of the final 26 points in a 118-111 loss.

The good news is the Warriors won’t be left wondering much longer, with Steph Curry reportedly set to make his long-awaited return on Sunday. In the meantime, an undermanned Warriors team put in a valiant effort but took its 18th loss in 27 games without Curry.

Gui Santos scored 25 and Brandin Podziemski sank a couple clutch 3s to finish with 23, but the Warriors had no answer for the closing power of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Max Strus sank six 3s, including two in the the final 2 minutes, to finish with 24 points as Cleveland shot 44.4% from deep (16-for-36) and 51.2% from the field (42-for-82) to offset the Warriors’ 23 points off their 15 turnovers and a dozen more shot attempts.

What it means

There’s little the Warriors can do at this point about their position in the Western Conference standings, so all that matters is how they’re able to integrate Curry over their final five games.

The loss dropped them to 36-41, guaranteeing only their second .500 or worse finish in Steve Kerr’s 12 seasons. 

Turning point

Everything changed after Dennis Schroder delivered a hard foul on LJ Cryer early in the fourth quarter. Schroder fouled Cryer from behind under the basket and pushed him to the ground, earning a flagrant, and was assessed a technical only seconds later.

The play ignited the crowd inside Chase Center and the Warriors alike.

The Cavs were leading 94-87 at the time, but the Warriors used three technical free throws from Cryer and a pair of 3-pointers from Brandin Podziemski to take their first lead since the early moments of the first quarter with a 9-0 run that put them ahead 98-94 with 7:57 remaining.

Including calls against Draymond Green and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, there were three technicals and one flagrant called within a span of less than 30 seconds.

Cleveland held multiple leads of double digits early, but it was a battle from then on.

MVP: Gui Santos

Santos sank a clutch corner 3 that put the Warriors up 103-100 with less than four minutes to play and generally looked unbothered by a pelvic contusion that kept him out Wednesday night.

That was the last time the Warriors led, as Mitchell provided an immediate answer on the other end with his own triple and the Cavs outscored Golden State 18-8 the rest of the way.

Stat of the game: 54

The Warriors rested Kristaps Porzingis, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos and Gary Payton II in Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs with the intent of having them available against the Cavs.

The four players combined for 54 of Golden State’s points.

Everybody made an impact except Melton, who finished 2-of-12 from the field for five points.

Up next

Curry could be back in uniform the next time the Warriors take the court. After missing his 27th consecutive game with runner’s knee, Curry is set to be re-evaluated before Golden State hosts the Rockets on Sunday. If all checks out, it could be Curry’s first game since Jan. 30.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to execute well enough late to defeat an undermanned Golden State Warriors team 118-111 to cap off their three-game road trip.

This was a messy game for both sides. The Warriors were playing without several star players, including Steph Curry, and were also on the second night of a back-to-back.

The Cavs have struggled with their lack of size this road trip, with the injuries to Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe). That, combined with an inability to take care of the ball — the Cavs turned it over 15 times, leading to 23 points off turnovers for Golden State — made for an uneven performance.

Cleveland controlled the game throughout most of the first three quarters. They pushed their lead to 13 late in the second quarter and had a 12-point advantage midway through the third.

Any momentum the Cavs had stalled out in the fourth quarter. The defense struggled to get stops in the final quarter and was also on the wrong end of a few calls. In one defensive possession, the Cavs were assessed a flagrant foul and two technicals. They were also on the wrong end of a made triple that same trip down the court.

The Warriors used that sequence to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter, but they weren’t able to create much separation. They could only push their advantage to four.

To the Cavs’ credit, they were able to fight through what was a frustrating game. Their late-game offensive execution was once again good, thanks in part to Max Strus. He knocked down two crucial threes late; his last made it a two-possession game with under a minute left in the fourth. Those triples, combined with some timely points from Jarrett Allen and James Harden, were enough to secure the victory.

As was mentioned earlier, turnovers were an issue. Harden and Donovan Mitchell combined to give it away nine times. Many of these were due to simply lacking focus.

Additionally, the defense struggled, even though the Warriors weren’t able to take advantage of it as they should’ve. The Cavs are missing size on the wing and have been forced into more four-guard lineups than head coach Kenny Atkinson would likely prefer to play. That, predictably, led to uneven results defensively.

Mitchell led the Cavs with 25 points on 7-14 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block.

Strus poured in 24 points on 6-10 shooting from deep. The Cavs played their best basketball with him on the court as he led the team in plus/minus by being a +17.

Harden had 19 points on 7-11 shooting with five assists in the victory.

The free-throw issues for the bigs continued. Evan Mobley and Allen accounted for all of Cleveland’s eight missed foul shots. Mobley missed both of his attempts at the charity stripe. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Allen went 6-12 from the line. He provided 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The Warriors were led by 25 points from both Gui Santos and Brandon Podziemski. Kristaps Porzingis added in 16 points and seven rebounds in the loss. Draymond Green had eight points on 3-11 shooting with nine rebounds and nine assists.

The win secured the Cavs a top-six spot in the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.

The Cavaliers will return home to take on the Indiana Pacers on Easter. Tip-off is at 6 PM.

On a night where everything that could go wrong did for the Lakers, the biggest blow did not come on the scoreboard.

In the third quarter of Thursday’s demoralizing loss to the Thunder, Luka Dončić came to a stop for a jumper and immediately grabbed the back of his left leg. He lost the ball and hobbled to the baseline before lying down on the ground.

Luka Doncic is limping and now he's on the floor below the basket. Not good for the Lakers.

This game has been anything but good in every way.

— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) April 3, 2026

Those injuries are the scariest.
Sending good thoughts Luka's way 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WeCLJ0YMCp

— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 3, 2026

According to multiple reports, Luka will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of his hamstring strain.

Luka Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of his left hamstring injury, a source familiar with Doncic's situation told ESPN

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 3, 2026

A league source confirms that Luka Dončić will undergo MRI testing on his left hamstring tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) April 3, 2026

The broadcast showed Luka walking off on his own power, but clearly upset. He went straight to the Lakers’ locker room.

Luka was ruled out for the rest of the game after the third quarter, which was not a shock given the score as the Thunder led by 45 going into the fourth. Not long after Luka suffered his injury, the rest of the Lakers’ starters were pulled from the game.

It was the capper on a brutal night for the Lakers, who were throttled by the Thunder from the opening tip. Luka grabbed at his left hamstring multiple times throughout the night, but did not seem hobbled by the injury until the moment in the second half.

You can see Luka Doncic grabbing at his left hamstring during this play near the end of the first half: https://t.co/0HV9awG3ONpic.twitter.com/QmtdiXyiUy

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) April 3, 2026

After the game, head coach JJ Redick said that Luka received treatment at halftime for a hamstring injury and was cleared to play by the training staff.

Lakers checked out Doncic’s hamstring at halftime, got work done on it, and cleared him to return.

Then in the 3rd Q, Luka Doncic departed the game and did not return with his left hamstring injury. https://t.co/Rjs6RZKV3r

— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) April 3, 2026

Of note, Thursday was Luka’s 64th game of the season, leaving him one game short of the 65-game minimum to be eligible for postseason awards. While he’s a long shot for MVP, he’s a shoo-in for First Team All-NBA if he can play one more game this season.

This live story will be updated as more information becomes available.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.