SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 30, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama has been listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Trail Blazers, but “there’s confidence” he will suit up for one of the Spurs’ last three games, achieving award eligibility, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Wembanyama suffered the injury when he collided with Paul George in the second quarter of the Spurs’ Monday night win over the 76ers. Initially, he went to the locker room only to return to the game before asking to be subbed out before the break. He was ruled out for the second half due to what was described by the team as a rib contusion.
The big man underwent X-rays, which came back negative, but he was expected to have additional tests, according to what Charania said in an earlier appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today. It seems the results were encouraging, since he hasn’t been listed as out for the next game. Still, being listed as doubtful means he’s very unlikely to play.
Rib contusions don’t tend to cause many missed games, with the average time sitting out being 4.4 days and 1.1 games, according to Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes, an athletic trainer who has been documenting NBA injuries for years.
Victor Wembanyama Injury News: Spurs may have dodged a bullet here as rib contusions don't often result in significant missed time (Average ~1.1 games or 4 days). However, ribs can be tricky to x-ray & I'm betting Wemby undergoes a more detailed exam soon.
The Spurs have three games left and have claimed the second seed in the West. Normally, they would err on the side of caution even if everything looks good and shut down Wembanyama for the rest of the regular season. The problem is, not suiting up against the Trail Blazers, Mavericks, and Nuggets could cost Wembanyama some very important individual accolades.
Wembanyama needs to play 20 minutes or more for one more game to get to the misguided 65-game threshold the NBA imposes to be eligible for end-of-season awards. If he does, he’s the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, an MVP candidate, and a likely first-team All-NBA selection. Playoff success is the ultimate goal, but Wemby deserves recognition for a fantastic year, which could be denied if he can’t play at least once more in the regular season.
Stephon Castle has also been listed as doubtful for the matchup against the Trail Blazers due to right knee soreness, per the Spurs’ injury report.
Wembanyama is averaging 24.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, a steal, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks in just 29.2 minutes per game this season.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss the rest of the season.
The Bucks announced that Porter had undergone the procedure Tuesday in Vail, Colorado. Dr. Tom Hackett at The Steadman Clinic performed the surgery.
“It started eight minutes into the first game (of the season),” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said before the Bucks’ game in Brooklyn against the Nets. “When you look at how he played overall, he had a hell of a year and was going to have even a better year but the injury thing caught him eight minutes into our first game and he never really recovered from that.”
The 25-year-old Porter last played on March 17. He has averaged 17.4 points, 7.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 38 games this season.
Rivers said Porter told him Sunday that “man, I didn’t come through for you.”
"And I said, ‘No, you’re fine. You just got injured. It’s part of the game and it happens,’” Rivers replied.
___
AP freelance writer Denis Gorman in New York contributed to this report.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 9: Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball as Maxime Raynaud #42 of the Sacramento Kings plays defense during the game on January 9, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors look to snap their four-game losing streak as they host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on NBC Sports Bay Area.
The Warriors lost another close one on Sunday night, falling 117–116 to the Houston Rockets. Despite the loss, the night was highlighted by the return of Steph Curry, who had missed the team’s previous 27 games. Curry logged 26 minutes in his return, finishing with a team-high 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field.
Despite the loss, Steph was electric in his return!
On the other side, Golden State battled former Warrior Kevin Durant who led both teams in scoring with 31 points. He, along with Alperen Şengün (24 points), who knocked down the go-ahead basket late in regulation, powered Houston to their sixth win in a row. Meanwhile, the loss dropped the Warriors to 36–42, officially securing their first below-.500 finish since 2021.
With the emotions of Curry’s return now behind them, the Warriors look to build some rhythm heading into the postseason, beginning with Tuesday’s matchup against Sacramento. Curry is expected to suit up again, though he will likely remain on a minutes restriction, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. Golden State’s frontcourt depth, however, remains a concern as Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable, while Al Horford, Quinten Post, and Gui Santos have already been ruled out.
Steph Curry is listed as probable for tonight's Warriors game against the Kings @NBCSWarriors
Kristaps Porzingis (right knee soreness) is questionable, and Gui Santos (right pelvic contusion) is OUT
There were encouraging signs from Curry, who said after Sunday’s game that he “felt good” both physically and mentally. The next step will be reacclimating him within this current iteration of the Warriors—particularly alongside Porzingis—if the Warriors hope to generate any real momentum in their last four games before the play-in tournament.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dunks against Dyson Daniels #5 and Gabe Vincent #4 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on April 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a whirlwind of a season for Karl-Anthony Towns.
In training camp, he turned heads by stating that he was trying to figure out his role in Mike Brown’s offense. Then, after an uneven start, he played genuinely bad basketball for several weeks. His touches decreased, he got frustrated with his offensive whistle, and just seemed to be pressing. There were games where his body language would’ve made any kinesiologist faint. I try not to write articles that just attack how a player is performing, but I got as close to being the irrational fan I hate after that loss to the Kings in January.
Towns was a relatively surprising all-star selection in early February, given how rough his play has been, but that seemed to wake him up. He’s played great basketball since, even if he isn’t the consistent 25-and-12 guy he was last season.
Mike Brown has never really had the services of a big man like KAT. He’s coached some great bigs: Shaq and Big Z when coaching the Cavs, Dwight Howard (very briefly) in LA, Domantas Sabonis with the Kings, etc. But overall, the center position has usually been reserved for non-all-stars who play a role. The closest thing he’s ever had to KAT is Tim Duncan when he was an assistant under Gregg Popovich, but Duncan played power forward and had a completely different playstyle.
Trying to turn Towns into Sabonis, the most skilled *center* that Brown had ever coached, has been a roller coaster. There are fewer plays run for him, less emphasis on his skills, and his coaching style is much more predicated on spraying to open shooters, rather than leaning on your two all-stars to create offense as Tom Thibodeau did. With Jalen Brunson being the team’s initiator and Towns as the center, you do the math.
And while he reiterated very recently that he’s still very unsure in his role, his play as of late seems to suggest he’s found a groove at the best possible time. Since February 3, he’s averaging a modest 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds, which don’t seem like improvements, but his shooting splits are up to 56.6/39.6/85.6. His true shooting percentage was 59.2% through the beginning of February; it’s 66.3% since.
He’s embraced being a playmaking hub of his own when he has the ball at the top of the key. Of his seven games this season with at least six assists, five of them have come since March 1. He’s been playing clean, efficient, team basketball, even if he’s still committing some baffling offensive fouls.
There are several encouraging signs with Towns’ game as the playoffs approach, but the one that’s stood out the most to me is how he’s responded to mismatches. As we know, teams are electing to put their bigs on Josh Hart to frustrate Towns with lanky, defensively disciplined wings. Most games, KAT has mismatches that sometimes get exploited, but others lead to offensive stagnation.
A few times recently, though, Towns is attacking the mismatch. He’s especially aggressive when the team is in an offensive funk. Against the Thunder in OKC, the Knicks were fading fast against the defending champs when Towns began to bully Alex Caruso in the post to re-invigorate the offense. A few fouls later, OKC had to change strategies. The Knicks came up short, but the aggressiveness was notable.
Last night against Atlanta, Towns was being guarded by Onyeka Okongwu, who serves as Atlanta’s undersized center. When the Hawks went up 10 in the third quarter and threatened to break the game open, Towns went to work in the post and dragged the Knicks back into a game they eventually won. By the end of the game, the Hawks were having to account for the mismatch and elected to let Brunson go up against Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum one-on-one, which ended poorly for them.
Knicks continue to lean on Karl-Anthony Towns, getting the payoff of the Hawks keeping a 5 on him. Went with double P&R (almost stepups_, Hart and KAT as screeners
-Hawks go late switch vs. KAT's pop, drive + finish -Next time Okongwu at the level and recovers, drive + finish pic.twitter.com/OxIkZPRzAs
We saw it with the Rockets, which was one of Towns’ less efficient games of late. If nobody can step up and be enough of a threat outside of Brunson, teams will blitz him to get the ball out of his hands. If KAT is cooking, teams will have to adjust. If OG Anunoby looks as aggressive as he was last night as well, it changes the dynamic.
There are multiple potential playoff matchups where teams will rely on smaller players to guard Towns. The Raptors have Jakob Poeltl, but could elect to throw Scottie Barnes on him. It seems doubtful the Sixers will over-extend Embiid to KAT’s range, so the pesky Dominick Barlow could. Moussa Diabate is a very good defensive big man, but he’s two inches shorter and 35 pounds lighter. Wendell Carter Jr. is also a smaller big man. Even potential later-round matchups like Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland can. We’ve seen guys like Tobias Harris and Derrick White defend him in the past.
The Knicks need an efficient and confident Karl-Anthony Towns if they want to make the run that the city has been dreaming about. Anything less might not give the team enough to get over the hump.
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 22: Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on November 22, 2025 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m. today. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Charlotte Hornets (43-36) at Boston Celtics (53-25) Tuesday, April 7, 2026 8:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #79 Home Game #39 TV: NBC/Peacock, NBCSB, FDSN Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 92.7 WFNZ-FM, Sirius XM TD Garden
In another game that could be a first round preview, the Celtics host the Charlotte Hornets. The teams in the 6th through 10th spots are all separated by just 2 games. With each of these teams having 3 or 4 games left to play, every game is important for the final seeding. The Hornets are going to want to win so as not to drop into the 9th or 10th spot, which will require 2 wins rather than 1 in order to make the playoffs.
This is the 3rd, and final, game between these 2 teams. The Hornets won the first game between these two teams 118-89 in Boston on March 4. The Celtics evened the series with a 114-99 win in Charlotte on March 29. The Celtics are 82-47 overall all time against Charlotte and they are 43-21 in games played in Boston. The Celtics won the series last season, winning all 4 games.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 3.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York, 3.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 8.5 games ahead of 5th place Atlanta, and 10 games ahead of 6th place Toronto and 10.5 games ahead of 7th place Philadelphia. The Celtics are 34-15 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 27-11 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Hornets are 8th in the East, 7 games behind 4th place Cleveland, 2 games behind 5th place Atlanta, and half a game behind 6th place Toronto. They are tied with 7th place Philadelphia, and 9th place Orlando and 1.5 games ahead of 10th place Miami. They are 25-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 22-17 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 4 games.
After this game at home against Charlotte, the Celtics will play one game on the road at New York and then host New Orleans in back to back games. They will finish the season by hosting Orlando. After this game at Boston, Charlotte has just 2 more games to play. They will then host Detroit before taking on the Knicks at New York.
The Celtics have a clear injury list for the first time in a long time. Nikola Vucevic returned on Sunday after missing 4 weeks due to finger surgery. The Hornets are close to full strength as well. Two-way player, PJ Hall is out due to an ankle injury. Coby White is listed as probable due to left groin soreness.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs LaMelo Ball
Derrick White | Getty ImagesLaMelo Ball | Getty Images
SG: Jaylen Brown vs Brandon Miller
Jaylen Brown | Getty ImagesBrandon Miller | Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
SF: Sam Hauser vs Kon Knueppel
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesKon Knueppel | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Jordan Walsh Baylor Scheierman Max Shulga Nikola Vucevic Ron Harper, Jr
2-Way Players None
Injuries/Out None
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Hornets Reserves Grant Williams Sion James Josh Green Ryan Kalkbrenner Pat Connaughton Tre Mann Liam McNeeley Coby White Tidjane Salaun
2-Way Players Tosan Evbuomwan Antonio Reeves PJ Hall Injuries/Out PJ Hall (ankle) out Coby White (groin) probable
Head Coach Charles Lee
Key Matchups Jaylen Brown vs Brandon Miller Miller is averaging 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He’s shooting 48.1% from the field and 43.0% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 50% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc. He is a good 3 point shooter and so the Celtics have to stay with him on the perimeter.
Derrick White vs LaMelo Ball Ball is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 40.6% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 38.9% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. He is 2nd in the league with 255 total 3 pointers this season and is always a threat from the perimeter. He is quick and always a threat to steal the ball.
Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Kon Knueppel Knueppel is averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He is shooting 48.9% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 16.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist while shooting 44.4% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc. He leads the league in 3 pointers made with 265. The Celtics have to stay with him on the perimeter.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense is always the key to winning. The Celtics are 4th the league with a defensive rating of 111.7. The Hornets are 12th in the league with a defensive rating of 113.4. The Hornets are 4th with an offensive rating of 118.7 while the Celtics are 2nd with an offensive rating of 119.9. The Celtics are capable of playing lock down defense but there are times when they lose focus and allow their opponents to score way too easily. They need to continue to make defense a priority and play tough defense in this game against a very good offensive team.
Rebound – Rebounding is important to give the Celtics extra possessions and to limit possessions for their opponents. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics need to give extra effort to beat the Hornets to rebounds. The Celtics are 4th with 46.5 rebounds per game and the Hornets are 5th with 46.2 rebounds per game. The Hornets are 2nd with 17.8 second chance points per game and the Celtics need to limit those for the Hornets by putting more effort into grabbing rebounds.
3 Point Shooting – The Celtics are 4th in the league, averaging 41.8 three pointers per game. The Hornets are 2nd, shooting 43.1 threes per game. The Celtics are shooting 36.4% as a team from beyond the arc (9th) while the Hornets are shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc (3rd). The Celtics make 15.2 threes a game (3rd) while the Hornets make 16.4 thees a game (1st). The Celtics need to work to get open and move the ball to find the best shots. If the 3’s aren’t falling, they need to take the ball inside. And they need to defend the perimeter or the Hornets will bury them in threes. In the Celtics March 4 loss to the Hornets, the Celtics shot just 27.8% on 3’s while allowing the Hornets to shoot 38.8% from beyond the arc. In their March 29 win, the Celtics shot 41.2% from beyond the arc while holding the Hornets to just 27.9%. The Celtics need to stay focused on offense and play tough defense in order to win this game.
Move the Ball Carefully– The Celtics are tough to beat when they keep the ball moving and find the open man but when one player over dribbles and lapses into hero ball, they falter. The Celtics are 33-0 when they have more assists than their opponent but just 18-23 when they have fewer assists than their opponent. Keep the ball moving and don’t lapse into hero ball, whether in the first quarter or the 4th quarter. They have to make careful passes and not turn the ball over because in their loss to the Hornets, the Celtics turned the ball over 15 times but in their win, they turned it over just 5 times.
X-Factors Home Game and Motivation – The Celtics need to feed off the energy of the crowd and hopefully, the Hornets will be distracted by travel and the hostile crowd. The Celtics should protect their home court and play harder because of it. Both teams are playing for their seeding in the playoffs. The Celtics need to win to guarantee the 2nd seed. The Hornets are playing to stay in the 7th or 8th spot and avoid having to win 2 games to make the 8th seed. They are going to be very motivated to win and the Celtics have to be focused and play with extra effort to get the win.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and call every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call both sides evenly. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game and not allow no calls and bad calls to affect their focus on playing the game.
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Guard's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Labaron Philon Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 11 overall, Golden State Warriors
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
The Warriors could still use more reliable players in the backcourt and could find a fairly compelling player in Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon. Even though the All-SEC guard was not playing at 100 percent during March Madness due to injury issues, he played well in the tournament, recording 35 points during a loss against Michigan. He also notched 29 points in his first game and 12 assists in his second. The guard averaged 22.0 points per game and he improved his 3-point shooting from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 39.9 percent as a sophomore, also managing 5.0 assists per game in the process.
Here's a running list of player movement in the Big Ten this offseason (players USA TODAY Sports has confirmed are in the portal, have either announced intention to transfer or it's been reported they are in portal).
Here's a running list of player movement in the SEC this offseason (players USA TODAY Sports has confirmed are in the portal, have either announced intention to transfer or it's been reported they are in portal).
Here's a running list of player movement in the ACC this offseason (players USA TODAY Sports has confirmed are in the portal, have either announced intention to transfer or it's been reported they are in portal).
Here's a running list of player movement in the Big 12 this offseason (players USA TODAY Sports has confirmed are in the portal, have either announced intention to transfer or it's been reported they are in portal).
Here's a running list of player movement in the Big East this offseason (players USA TODAY Sports has confirmed are in the portal, have either announced intention to transfer or it's been reported they are in portal).
Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
In the wake of a sensational season on the Forty Acres that concluded with a trip to the Elite Eight, Texas Longhorns junior forward Dailyn Swain is declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, according to his agents.
NEWS: Texas's Dailyn Swain will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft, agents Richie Beda and Bill Duffy of WME Basketball told DraftExpress.
Swain, a projected 1st-round pick, helped the Longhorns reach the Sweet 16 and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and 2nd-Team All-Conference. pic.twitter.com/kkchZ8hcwn
Because Swain’s agents are NCAA certified, the 6’8, 220-pounder could still opt to withdraw from the draft after participating in the NBA Draft combine next month, an invitation he’s certain to receive.
The Xavier transfer was the breakout star for Texas, averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, three of the five major statistical categories in which Swain led the Longhorns. Excellent off the bounce, Swain showed the ability to get into the paint and finish around the rim, make plays for his teammates, and improved his three-point shooting from 25 percent to 34.4 percent while shooting over 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Swain’s improved shooting stroke from distance is a major catalyst in his rise up NBA Draft boards, although he’s still considered a polarizing prospect — some mock drafts have him as a lottery pick, but others don’t believe that he’s a first-round selection.
NIL and revenue sharing have changed the calculus for productive college players with questionable NBA Draft upside, but there remains plenty of upside for Swain if he chooses to enter the NBA Draft with the No. 14 pick, the last in the lottery, guaranteed $10 million over two years in the 2025 NBA Draft.
However, it’s still early in the pre-draft process, which will be influenced by how many players declare and how well players in the same range as Swain test and perform at the NBA Combine.
Swain signed with Texas head coach Sean Miller at Xavier as an under-recruited member of the 2023 recruiting class over offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Ohio, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech because of an undeveloped frame and undeveloped shooting ability.
A Big East All-Freshman team selection in 2023-24, Swain played in 29 games (three starts) and averaged 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest before showing improvement as a sophomore by leading the team in steals (53, 1.56 spg) and ranking second in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and assists (89, 2.6 apg), third in scoring (11.0 ppg), and fourth in minutes (28.5 mpg).
One of the most coveted players in the NCAA transfer portal, Swain followed Miller to the Forty Acres and continued a positive trajectory that could help him become a first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Two of the worst teams in the NBA clash on Tuesday night as the New Orleans Pelicans host the Utah Jazz.
My Jazz vs. Pelicans predictions are backing Utah forward Kyle Filipowski to put up big numbers in a game that should have little defense.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this showdown on April 7.
Jazz vs Pelicans prediction
Jazz vs Pelicans best bet: Kyle Filipowksi Over 19.5 points (+100)
It's that time of the year when teams eliminated from the playoffs shut down starters and put embarrassingly little effort into defense.
That puts the betting value on props for marginal players getting increased opportunities. That includes Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski, who has scored at least 20 points in five of his last six games.
Filipowski is coming off a 20-point performance against OKC's elite defense, where he took a season-high 25 field goal attempts in 38 minutes. He'll have another productive night against the New Orleans Pelicans, who rank 23rd in the league in ppg allowed (119.4).
Jazz vs Pelicans same-game parlay
Cody Williams is another Jazz player who has seen his playing time and usage rate surge down the stretch. Williams is logging 35.0 minutes and 4.6 assists per game over the last month. He should drop 5+ dimes in what's expected to be a shootout tonight.
Pelicans wing Saddiq Bey is averaging 20.5 ppg over the last 34 games. He's been taking even more shots than usual with Trey Murphy III and Dejounte Murray sidelined.
Jazz vs Pelicans SGP
Kyle Filipowski Over 19.5 points
Cody Williams Over 4.5 assists
Saddiq Bet Over 19.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Youth movement
With the total sitting at a whopping 242.5 between two teams that don't care about playing defense, let's back another hungry young player in Pels point guard Jeremiah Fears. The seventh pick in the 2025 draft has racked up 13 assists over the last two games.
Jazz vs Pelicans SGP
Kyle Filipowski Over 19.5 points
Cody Williams Over 4.5 assists
Saddiq Bet Over 19.5 points
Jeremiah Fears Over 6.5 assists
Jazz vs Pelicans odds
Spread: Jazz +10.5 | Pelicans -10.5
Moneyline: Jazz +400 | Pelicans -550
Over/Under: Over 242.5 | Under 242.5
Jazz vs Pelicans betting trend to know
The Jazz have gone Over their Team Total in 12 of their last 15 games (+8.60 Units / 50% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Jazz vs. Pelicans.
How to watch Jazz vs Pelicans
Location
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Date
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
KJZZ, GCSEN
Jazz vs Pelicans latest injuries
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NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Texas's Dailyn Swain is expected to go in the first round. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects his draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
After transferring from Xavier to Texas during the offseason and then leading his team to the Sweet 16, Dailyn Swain became one of the more intriguing breakout players in college basketball. The All-SEC forward is versatile and contributed a little bit of everything for the Longhorns on both sides of the ball, scoring well both in the paint and on fastbreaks. Another element that is notably compelling is that Swain is efficient one-on-one in isolation against his defenders.
