Category: NBA

Jalen Brunson is, for the most part, a known quantity.

A good way to view the Knicks offense is that Brunson is the floor, and his supporting cast is the ceiling. A big part of that is OG Anunoby. When he is aggressive and involved offensively, it is usually a good sign for overall success.

When Anunoby scores 20 or more points this year, the Knicks are 22-4. In their past two wins, over the Grizzlies and Bulls, he scored 25 and then 31 points.

That’s the version of Anunoby the Knicks will need in the playoffs.

“I think he’s starting to fully understand his areas where he can be aggressive within the offense, within the flow of the game,” Josh Hart said after practice Sunday. “That’s one thing about Mike [Brown], Mike never tells us not to do something. He always wants us to be aggressive, he wants us to shoot shots. … He doesn’t really put limits on us, and I think OG is really starting to really understand ‘where can I be aggressive? Where can I find my spots to go score?’ He’s an efficient scorer, physical, athletic, so he’s starting to understand that.”

Anunoby’s primary role in Brown’s offense is to stay in the corners and wait for drive-and-kick 3-pointers. At times, it can limit his contributions. And Brown has vocally set the hierarchy as Brunson first, Karl-Anthony Towns second, and everyone else after that.

But having four strong scoring threats in Brunson, Towns, Anunoby and Mikal Bridges is what is supposed to make the Knicks offense dynamic. Finding a balance between accepting his role as a catch-and-shooter and actively looking to drive and get to the rim is something Anunoby and the Knicks are still, this late into the year, working on.

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“When OG is aggressive, he’s hard to deal with,” Landry Shamet said Sunday. “The beauty of our team is that we have so many different options. Sometimes the ball’s just finding you. There’s a certain rhythm about things. Right now, OG is the recipient of a lot of that. When he’s in that situation and when it’s finding him, he’s being really aggressive, really decisive. He’s hard to contain when he puts his head down and drives.”

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Giannis Antetokounmpo confirmed, as part of his larger comments going at Bucks management, to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Milwaukee and the Knicks engaged in talks before the season.

The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported before the season that the two teams talked about an Antetokounmpo trade, but that discussions did not go far because the Knicks believed the Bucks lacked motivation to make a deal.

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The Knicks have a clean injury report for Monday’s game against the Hawks in Atlanta. Towns, after missing Friday’s game due to a right elbow impingement, is not listed.

So unless something changes, he should be good to go. 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic was ruled out for the final five games of the NBA regular season on April 3.

Despite the news, Doncic and the Lakers are hopeful that he can be ready in time for a postseason run.

Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in the Lakers' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2.

The point guard has since consulted with Lakers doctors and his own medical team about seeking specialized treatment in Europe for his hamstring, Doncic's agent Bill Duffy told ESPN.

MORE: Luka Doncic injury could cost him MVP shot. His agent plans to fight.

What is a Grade 2 hamstring strain?

A Grade 2 hamstring strain is a “moderate injury that is typically a partial tear in the muscle; patients are likely to limp when walking and will have occasional twinges of pain during activity,” according to Mercy Health.

The injury could take close to a month to heal, but “returning to sports before the injury is fully healed can cause more severe injuries.”

Injury-riddled Lakers lose to Mavericks

Playing without Doncic and Austin Reaves — who has an oblique injury — the Lakers were defeated by the Dallas Mavericks, 134-128, on April 5.

LeBron James finished with a team-high 30 points as the Lakers continue to march toward the postseason without the services of two of their key contributors.

The Mavericks were led by rookie Cooper Flagg, who scored 45 points in Dallas' victory.

Reaves' injury is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers' Luka Doncic going to Europe for specialized medical treatment

Landry Shamet finds himself in a place that most wouldn’t have expected to start the season.

Healthy again after missing a few games with a knee issue, he is pretty much a lock to be in the Knicks playoff rotation.

“I don’t take these moments for granted, man,” Shamet said after practice Sunday. “This thing’s delicate, I know that. It’s a special team, special market, special opportunity and just to wear the jersey even. I’m grateful and happy to be a part of this group and have Mike’s [Brown] trust and my teammates’ trust. I trust in them as well. Super grateful for it.”

He hardly had a role under Tom Thibodeau last year.

And before the year, having signed just a nonguaranteed, veteran minimum contract, he was one of the last players to make Brown’s roster — and likely only did so due to Malcolm Brogdon’s sudden retirement.

Then after 15 promising games to start the year, he dislocated his shoulder — the same one he dislocated last year. The Knicks, given Shamet’s deal wasn’t guaranteed, could have cut him and looked to get help elsewhere.

But they afforded Shamet time to rehab. And it’s paid tremendous dividends. He has emerged as a key shooter off the bench, averaging 9.6 points per game — which would be a career high for a full season — and shooting 39.4 percent from 3-point range. He has also been one of the team’s best point-of-attack defenders.

There is certainly a case to be made that the Knicks have gotten more out of Shamet than any player on a minimum deal in the league.

One area in which he’s contributed, though, has gone under the radar — his ability to be a backup point guard. Brown has praised Shamet’s ability to handle that role, despite him being much more of a shooting guard most of his NBA career. Though neither are naturals at the position, Brown feels comfortable with both Shamet and Miles McBride there.

And now with both healthy, that doesn’t leave much room for Jose Alvarado in the rotation.

“He’s a good enough ball handler, he has a good enough feel/IQ to initiate the offense,” Brown said of Shamet on Sunday. “And then conceptually, because of his feel and the other guys’ feel, we’re able to generate some things offensively. We’re not relying on him to be a traditional point guard. He and Deuce [McBride] are more than capable of doing the things that we’re asking in terms of initiating the offense. And then at the end of the day, can they play pick-and-roll, can they play the [dribble handoff] game, get downhill and spray the ball or throw the lob to a guy like Mitch [Robinson]? I think he can.”

Shamet fills multiple vital roles for the Knicks. There was a time it didn’t seem like he’d even have any.

SAN FRANCISCO — Steph Curry was triumphant in his long-awaited return to the court and, against all odds, nearly were the Warriors.

There was a renewed energy inside Chase Center on Sunday night, a buzz that had mostly been absent since Curry went out more than two months ago, that reached an apex in the final minute of 117-116 loss to Kevin Durant and the Rockets.

The defeat could have dealt a cold dose of reality on Curry’s big day, but instead it only emphasized what hadn’t been possible in the Warriors’ 27 games without him since Jan. 30.

Golden State trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half and was still behind by double digits with as little as 4:51 remaining. Curry scored eight of his team-best 29 points from then on.

Curry converted a driving layup to cut the Rockets’ lead to a 112-111 with 87 seconds to play, then one-upped himself by pulling up from 32 feet and draining an answer to Houston’s 3-point play on the other end. With 11 seconds left, Curry had the ball in his hands, down one.

He crossed over and pulled up from the top of the key. It wasn’t to be.

But the performance was an encouraging sign for the Warriors’ prospects, given that Curry’s scoring total in 26 minutes off the bench trailed only Durant’s 31 that required 37 minutes.

The supporting cast that had gone 9-18 without Curry over the past two months didn’t do enough to pull out their first game with their north star back on the floor.

Kristaps Porzingis fouled out with more than 10 minutes left in the game, Brandin Podziemski scored only three of his 18 points in the second half, and the Warriors’ next-leading scorer, Gui Santos, was completely shut out after putting up 15 in the first half.

What it means

Curry looked like himself and finished the game in good health. For a Warriors team locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, that’s all that really mattered.

Turning point

It was a two-point game at halftime, but Durant completed a four-point play on the Rockets’ first possession of the third quarter, and the Warriors spent the rest of the second half trying to get it back to that margin.

The foul on Durant came courtesy of Kristaps Porzingis, who went on to pick up three more within the first four minutes of the second half and fouled out for good with 10:13 to play.

Not only did Porzingis’ foul trouble keep the Warriors’ second-best player off the floor for most of the second half, it robbed coach Steve Kerr of valuable time to assess his pairing with Curry.

The duo’s limited action Sunday was their first time ever sharing the court, including in practice.

MVP: Kevin Durant

Durant finished with eight rebounds and eight assists to go with a game-high 31 points. He drained his third 3-pointer of the night immediately after De’Anthony Melton sank a 3 that cut the Rockets’ lead to 109-107.

Stat of the game: 55/44.8/84.2

The return of Curry wasn’t enough to overcome the Warriors’ defensive deficiencies.

Golden State provided little resistance to the Rockets, who were only prevented from a vaunted 50/40/90 shooting split by missing one too many of their 19 free-throw attempts.

Up next

With four games left on the Warriors’ schedule, all that’s left to be determined is how much Curry will play leading into their No. 9/10 play-in matchup. Golden State hosts the Kings on Tuesday before LeBron James and the Lakers pay a visit Thursday for its final home contest of the regular season.

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The Nets have a staggering seven rookies — a record five of them first-round picks — and must develop every one they can to spur their rebuild.

For injured Danny Wolf, the work doesn’t end just because he’s been shut down for the season. If anything it gets more intense.

“Obviously losing sucks, and every time you ask anyone, they’re going to give you the same answer that losing is no fun.” Wolf said. “Everyone in the locker room from top to bottom thinks we could’ve had a much better season. But within that, you have to find things you can learn from, that you can gain from.”

After suffering a season-ending left ankle sprain March 22, Wolf will end his debut campaign averaging 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.

And from the moment the tanking Nets started leaning into their rookies on Feb. 5, the big man bumped those figures up to 10.8 points, 5.6 boards and 2.7 assists.

Wolf fell to 27th in the draft due to questions about his defense and shooting. He played defense at an NBA level, but his shooting is still very much in question, at a streaky 32.2 percent from deep.

What’s beyond question is that Wolf must learn to finish better at the rim.

“Defensively, there were definitely a lot of people questioning who I’d be able to guard. I took that as a chip on my shoulder to more than prove, but be a good defender,” said Wolf.

“The shooting and the offense, it was nowhere near what I know I’m capable of doing and that upsets me. I was able to shoot well at times, and there’d be times where I felt I couldn’t make a shot. That’s a rookie season; there’s going to be ups and downs.”

Nowhere near enough ups at the rim, figuratively and literally.

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While Wolf is sizable at 6-foot-11, 255 pounds, his lack of vertical explosion has limited him. His 24-inch standing vertical was tied for third worst at the NBA Draft Combine, and has led to poor finishing against more athletic foes.

“Everyone’s bigger, faster, stronger, more athletic [at this level],” said Wolf. “What is it that you need to do to be able to match that, but also be better than that?”

Where Wolf has to be better is at the rim, where he shot just 54 percent. That’s just 12th percentile among forwards, per Cleaning The Glass. It’s an Achilles’ heel he needs to fix, offseason work that’s already begun.

“Obviously the numbers speak for themselves; I was nowhere near where I wanted to be or could have been. And finishing, I did an OK job at times getting in my spots,” Wolf said. “A lot of it is getting stronger. And the positive outlook of an injury [is] I’ve been able to really hone in on the weight room more than I would’ve been able to if I was playing.

“I have a good four or five months of weight room ahead of me and just being able to fill out my frame better. That’ll really help me, just getting stronger; and with that, more explosive. And I know my rim finishing next year, I’ll be able to look back on this year and see that it was something that really, really helped me.”

While Wolf is focused on his body, coach Jordi Fernández is counting on growth through reps and technique.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” said Fernández. “One is experience, right? The reps, the game slowing down. A lot of times you just rush. We tell guys, ‘Hey, just play off two feet and don’t leave your feet.’

“But he’s done a great job and he’s been able to implement a lot of stuff, power through, because you have better balance, finding a body first. This all comes with a lot of work, watching film and through the summer and then the real reps. So the process [has] already started. He’s already gotten better. We’re not concerned about his finishing. We know it has to get better, but we also know it will get better.”

DALLAS — Lakers star Luka Doncic will seek special medical treatment in Europe for his left hamstring strain with the hopes he’ll be able to return to the court quicker, his agency shared on Sunday night.

Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, who’s Doncic’s agent, first told ESPN the news after the Lakers’ 134-128 loss to the Mavericks, which was the Lakers’ first game since Doncic and fellow star guard Austin Reaves suffered their regular season-ending injuries during the team’s blowout loss to the Thunder on Thursday. 

Doncic suffered the hamstring injury during the third quarter of the loss, with an MRI on Friday revealing a Grade 2 strain,  which typically comes with a recovery timeline of 3-6 weeks. 

InStreetClothes, which is an NBA injury database run by certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, stated that the average time lost for the type of injury Doncic suffered is about 35 days. 

The Lakers didn’t provide a timeline for Doncic’s expected return to the court. 

Three weeks from when Doncic suffered the hamstring injury was April 23, which would be around Games 3 or 4 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff matchup.

A timeline closer to 35 days, let alone six weeks, would likely take Doncic out of the Lakers’ entire first-round playoff series, even if it lasted seven games.

“I just know that he’s gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” coach JJ Redick said. “I talked to him Friday, I talked to him again [on Saturday], I talked to him again [Sunday] morning. He’s going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point, and it’s our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

Redick said internal medical data didn’t show any signs of overuse for Doncic or Reaves, who’s sidelined with a Grade 2 left oblique strain, before their injuries. 

Both grabbed at their respective injured areas during the first quarter of Thursday’s game but played through the third quarter before Doncic left the matchup with his hamstring injury and Reaves was subbed out. 

“As a coach, you go on the information you have,” Redick said.

“[Reaves] was medically cleared. When Austin came back, I asked directly, I thought he was hurt. [I was told], ‘No, he’s medically cleared.’ The group wanted to go for it in the second half. Talked about it at halftime. And I think for both those guys, the nature of playing heavy minutes, that’s certainly a part of any equation when you’re trying to manage workloads.

“We also rely on the tracking data, and we’re looking at that after every game. And there have been a few times this year where it’s gone away from the standard deviation of whatever their baseline is, and we make the proper adjustments. There was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either those guys were ‘running hot’ as we call it.”

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There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as getting yelled at by your parents in public. 

Try being Bronny James on Sunday night in Dallas. 

Late in the third quarter of the Lakers’ loss to the Mavericks, Bronny went to send a high chest pass to his teammate, and dad, LeBron James but had the attempt knocked out of bounds by a Dallas defender.

LeBron immediately signaled to his son that he should have given him a bounce pass, and then gave him a stern look that only a dad would give to his kid. 

“Kind of looks at his son and says, ‘give me a bounce pass,’ Mike Tirico said on the NBC broadcast. “I love that look because that look was not just LeBron the veteran. That was also LeBron the dad.” 

LeBron was mad at Bronny for not throwing a bounce pass pic.twitter.com/94SbCs1yFe

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 6, 2026

Bronny is in his second season and played nine minutes off the bench for the Lakers in the 134-128 loss to the Mavericks in the Lone Star State. 

Bronny finished the game with five points on 2-of-3 shooting and was 1-for-2 from 3-point range, and also registered an assist. 

LeBron ended the night with a team-high 30 points on 12-for-22 shooting. 

The Lakers have been reeling from injuries lately with the loss of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart. 

Dončić will be out indefinitely with a left hamstring strain and then on Saturday, the Lakers announced that Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and would be out the rest of the season. 

“It was a shot to the heart and the chest and the mainframe with Luka,” LeBron told reporters after the game regarding the injury news about Dončić and Reaves. “I woke up from my nap and saw that [Reaves] news and was like, ‘s–t’”

The injuries will allow Bronny to get some extended playing time and make a case for a bigger role on the Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks (25-53) beat the Los Angeles Lakers 134-128 on Sunday in a nationally televised game that saw Cooper Flagg continue his scorched earth campaign on the NBA to close out the 2025-26 season.

The Mavericks came out with real pace in the first quarter, but more than anything, it was Cooper Flagg that set the tone early on. He was everywhere, knocking down a pull-up 3-pointer, pushing in transition and creating easy looks for others, including kickouts to shooters. Flagg dictated possessions, made the right reads and impacted the game defensively. By the end of the quarter, the Mavericks had pushed it to a 41-30 lead, and it felt like a direct result of Flagg setting the tone as the best player on the floor.

The second quarter was when the game started to shift, even though Dallas held on to a 67-61 halftime lead. The Mavericks opened the period with great flow. Cooper Flagg knocked down another pull-up 3-ball and created for teammates to push the lead as high as 58-36. But from there, the Lakers chipped away, as LeBron James got downhill and to the free throw line, while Dallas started missing shots and turning it over. A quick stretch of scoring from James cut deep into the lead, and even when Dallas had small responses, they couldn’t fully stabilize.

The second half turned into the Cooper Flagg show, as he completely took control of the game across the third and fourth quarters and led Dallas to the finish. In the third, Flagg dictated everything offensively, creating for teammates like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley while also scoring with floaters, pull-ups, and cuts to the rim. Every time Los Angeles made a push through LeBron James or DeAndre Ayton, Dallas had an answer, and more often than not, it came from Flagg either as a scorer or playmaker.

In the fourth, he elevated even further, opening the quarter with a three-point play and controlling possessions with patience, getting to his spots and consistently drawing fouls. The Lakers never fully went away, but Flagg kept them at arm’s length with a mix of midrange scoring and steady trips to the line, preventing any real comeback run. Down the stretch, it became about execution, and Flagg delivered, closing the game at the free-throw line and pushing his total to 45 points. Dallas never lost control in the final minutes, and what started as a competitive game ended with a composed finish and a 134-128 win.

75: Combined scoring from Flagg and James

This game gave us one of those stats that doesn’t even feel real at first. A teenager and a 40-year-old were both on pace to score 20+ points in the same game, something that has never happened in NBA history, and it was already developing in the first half. Flagg scored a game-high 45 points for the Mavs in the win, and James answered with 30 of his own for the Lakers in the loss.

That alone tells you how strange and fascinating this game was. On one side, James is still able to control stretches of the game at 41 years old, bully his way to the rim, orchestrate offense and put up numbers like it’s routine. On the other side, you have Flagg, a teenager, matching that production possession for possession, scoring in multiple ways, and dictating the flow of the game.

What makes it even more impressive is how natural it looked. This wasn’t a “young player having a hot quarter” moment. Flagg was operating like a primary option, making reads, creating shots and carrying real offensive responsibility. To see that level of control from someone that young, in the same game where LeBron is doing LeBron things, is just wild. It’s the kind of moment that sticks with you, because you just don’t see two completely different eras collide like that very often.

1: Home win since January 22nd

Lost in everything else is just how telling this win actually is about where the Mavericks are as a team right now. This was their first home win since January 22nd, which is honestly staggering when you think about it. This isn’t a team that has been fully bottoming out with a stripped roster or sitting every capable player every night. They’ve still had real rotation guys available and enough talent to compete, yet the results have been consistently this bad. That says more about the overall level of play than anything else.

A win like this feels good in the moment, especially with how it happened, but it also comes with real implications. The Mavericks are clearly in the mix for top lottery positioning, and games like this can directly impact those odds. When you’re in that tier, every win matters in the wrong way. Sliding even a few spots in the lottery standings can significantly hurt your chances at landing the number one pick, especially in a class where that top selection carries serious value.

So while this was one of the more enjoyable nights of the season, it also highlights the balancing act Dallas is dealing with. They’ve been bad enough for long enough to be in the lottery conversation without fully committing to a complete shutdown, and that leaves them in this middle ground. Wins like this are great for development and confidence, but they also introduce risk. And as the season winds down, that tension between short-term success and long-term positioning is only going to get tighter.

2: Consecutive 45-point games for Flagg

At this point, the Rookie of the Year conversation should absolutely be a debate, but Cooper Flagg still feels like the clear choice. What he’s doing right now is on another level, especially when you factor in the responsibility he’s carrying. Back-to-back 45-plus point games and 96 points across two games aren’t just impressive for a rookie; they’re rare for anyone in the league. And it’s not coming out of nowhere — it’s the continuation of a season where he’s consistently been asked to be the engine of the offense.

Kon Knueppel has been great and deserves real consideration. He’s been efficient, steady, and impactful in his role, and there’s a strong case to be made for what he’s done over the course of the season. This shouldn’t be a one-name conversation, and his production absolutely warrants being in the discussion.

But when you zoom out, Flagg’s overall impact separates him. He’s putting up around 21 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while taking on primary creator duties, defending multiple positions, and consistently facing top defensive attention. That level of usage combined with that level of production is hard to ignore. He’s not just contributing, he’s driving everything Dallas does.

That’s what ultimately gives him the edge. Knueppel has been excellent, but Flagg has been asked to do more, and he’s delivered at a higher ceiling. When you combine the volume, the role, and now stretches like this, it’s hard to argue against him. The debate is real, but the answer still points to Cooper Flagg.

It was a good job and good effort from the Lakers, but they came up short in their first game since learning that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves would be out for the rest of the regular season.

With three starters unavailable against Dallas, LA struggled early on defensively. Cooper Flagg made another strong case to be the Rookie of the Year by scoring with ease. He had the Mavs in front by as many as 22 in this game. Dallas had control from the beginning and never let it go.

Still, LeBron James gave a valiant effort and kept LA in this one. He attacked aggressively and delivered a complete performance, finishing the night with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists.

Thanks to his drive, this game remained competitive throughout.

However, it wasn’t enough to win, and considering that the Mavs are one of the weaker teams in the league, it appears that winning any games for the Lakers the rest of the way will be a tough task.

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.

LeBron James

39 minutes, 30 points, 9 rebounds, 15 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-22 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-9 FT, +1

LeBron was not just the No. 1 option for the Lakers, but he pushed the pace and was the clear leader of this team. It’s a shame the Lakers couldn’t win because this was one of his best performances of the season.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

39 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 foul, 9-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, +5

Hachimura is now back in the starting lineup, and he made the most of his increased minutes. He shot well from the field and was a solid rebounder.

Unfortunately, the Lakers needed even more than what Hachiura provided to win. Still, if he can produce like this, it should position the Lakers to at least remain competitive with what’s left of the season.

Grade: B+

Jake LaRavia

36 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 6 fouls, 3-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, 7-8 FT, -3

The microphones near the rims at the American Airlines Center must be amplified because LaRavia’s bricks were very loud on the broadcast. The Lakers can’t afford for him to play this poorly.

Grade: D

Deandre Ayton

19 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-9 FG, 3-4 FT, 0

With Luka and Reaves out, this is an opportunity for Ayton to prove to everyone he deserves a bigger role. He responded by having a lackadaisical game and ended up playing less than his backup, Jaxson Hayes

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

41 minutes, 15 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, +8

Luke struggled at first, going 3-10 from the field in the opening half. He bounced back as the game progressed and ended the night with his first-ever triple-double.

Luke Kennard's first career triple-double comes midway through the 3rd Q: 10 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 6, 2026

Credit to Luke for going above and beyond and stepping up for this shorthanded team. His 16 rebounds as a guard were utterly impressive.

Grade: A+

Maxi Kleber

13 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, +4

Kleber was on the floor for just a handful of minutes and gave the Lakers some two big looks with Hayes also in the game. It was okay, I guess.

Grade: C-

Jarred Vanderbilt

12 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, -19

Vando’s 3-pointer was nice, but his play overall was pretty forgettable in this game.

Grade: C-

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 8-10 FG, 7-8 FT, -5

Hayes was easily the best Lakers big against the Mavs. He scored with authority and converted at a very high rate, despite taking more shots. This has been a good year for Hayes, and if he keeps this up, he might get some starts coming up.

Grade: A+

Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.

This trio all played under 10 minutes, so they will not be given a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick is shorthanded and trying to figure out new lineups that can work. He put Bufkin and Smith Jr. out there in the first half to try and get something going. It didn’t do much, and the Lakers are now tied with the Nuggets for the third seed. It’s hard to blame Redick for this loss. The team is just in a very tough spot right now.

Grade: C+

Sunday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero

Sunday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Drew Timme, Chris Mañon

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

You can’t fault Luka Dončić for not doing all he can to get back on the court.

It appears that Luka is heading to Europe in an attempt to get specialized treatment to return from his hamstring strain earlier than expected. His agent Bill Duffy relayed the message to Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin of ESPN on Sunday evening after the Lakers’ loss to the Mavs.

After consultation with Lakers doctors and his own medical team, Luka Doncic will seek specialized medical treatment in Europe on his Grade 2 left hamstring in an attempt to expedite his return to play, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball tells me and @mcten. pic.twitter.com/qutILIxzMK

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 6, 2026

Dan Woike of The Athleticadded that Luka was already heading to Europe for “aggressive” treatment.

Luka Dončić traveled to Europe on Sunday to receive aggressive treatment on his injured hamstring in an effort to speed up his recovery, league sources told The Athletic.

That’s certainly a lot to unpack.

Right now, Luka’s timeline is just kind of rough estimates based on previous Grade 2 strains. However, the general recovery time is around 4-5 weeks, which would rule him out for the first round of the playoffs and part of the second round, and the Lakers are not making it there without him.

But also, the playoffs are going to start two weeks from Sunday, which means he’d need to cut that recovery time in half to get back on the floor for the first round.

On the one hand, as noted above, Luka is clearly exhausting every possible option to heal this as quickly as he can. If that includes heading to Europe for treatment, then that’s a sacrifice he’s willing to make.

However, on the other hand, there’s also a tinge of uncertainty that exists. Hamstring strains are tricky injuries and rushing a return from them can have long-term ramifications. Obviously, he’s consulting with people he trusts within the Lakers and his own team, but there’s always going to be some doubt over whether this is the right decision.

It’s a tough spot Luka is in because he obviously wants to get back and help his team in the playoffs, especially with Austin Reaves out, too. But, again, hamstring injuries are not the type of injury you can rush a return.

There is a history of success stories with Lakers getting leg treatments in Europe. Famously, Kobe Bryant went to Germany to have his knee worked on and came back looking as good as ever. But that happened during the offseason, was a different body part and came under totally different circumstances.

Perhaps this is a situation of Luka doing the equivalent of LeBron James going to the LeBron James of feet to get back on the floor for the playoffs in 2023.

You can’t fault Luka’s heart. But you can wonder if this is the best decision given how quick the turnaround time to get back on the court will be.

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

Yikes.

On Sunday night in downtown Minneapolis, the Minnesota Timberwolves got boat-raced yet again, this time against the Charlotte Hornets 122-108. It is the Wolves’ third straight loss, bringing their season record to 46-32.

The Wolves were again without Anthony Edwards, who scored just eight points on 3-15 shooting on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Edwards has now missed eight of the past ten Timberwolves outings as he deals with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome in his right knee.

Minnesota played well for large portions of the game. The Wolves were on fire from beyond the arc in the first half, as they shot 10-21 from deep, including four from Bones Hyland, who put one in at the halftime buzzer to give his team a five-point lead.

🚨 BIZZY BEATS HE BUZZER 🚨 pic.twitter.com/TiCMQJpN62

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 6, 2026

The game remained close until late in the third quarter when the wheels completely fell off the wagon for the Timberwolves. Down by one, Ayo Dosunmu fouled Coby White on a 3-pointer. White knocked down the first two free throws, but missed the third. The Wolves were unable to secure the rebound as the Hornets found White for another 3-pointer, which he knocked down for a five-point possession.

That five-point possession ended up being a microcosm of the entire night. The Wolves gave up a total of 16 offensive rebounds in the game and got double-upped 24-12 by the Hornets in second-chance points. The rebounding problem has been a trend of late for Minnesota, as they now rank 22nd in defensive rebound percentage since the All-Star Break.

That five-point possession ended up being the turning point in the game as Charlotte used it to propel them to a 15-0 run that put the game out of reach. The second half as a whole was a disaster for Minnesota, as after scoring the first two points with two Dosunmu free throws, they got outscored 47-21 to turn a modest seven-point lead into a 19-point deficit.

Each loss during this three-game losing streak for the Wolves has come, in part, because of a giant second-half run by their opponent. On Thursday, the Detroit Pistons outscored the Wolves 18-3 during the fourth quarter, on Friday, the 76ers had a 40-18 run in the third quarter, and now tonight the Hornets blitzed the Wolves down the stretch of the third quarter and into the fourth.

The Wolves are now 6-9 in their last 15 games, sporting the third-worst offense in the NBA during that stretch. While the Wolves have certainly dealt with injuries during that stretch, including Edwards, Dosunmu, and Jaden McDaniels missing multiple games, it is not a good sign that Minnesota has been so deficient on offense when a starter or two has been out of the lineup.

One major reason for the Wolves’ offensive struggles has been the play of Naz Reid. Tonight’s game was possibly Reid’s worst of the season as he scored just six points while missing 11 of his 14 shots. At the start of February, Reid was averaging 17.7 points per game, but has only scored 11.5 a game since. During that time, he is shooting a paltry 27.2 percent on 3-pointers.

“I’m not 100% sure about the shoulder, I think that’s a question you’re going to have to ask him.” Chris Finch said about Reid’s nagging shoulder injury that he’s dealt with most of the season. “Tonight, it was finishing at the rim to start. His first six shots were in and around the paint, tough shots he usually makes. He finally saw one go in and then the 3-point shot, I think he’s just rushing it a little bit, just trying to steer it in.”

Finch elaborated on the team’s struggles overall, saying, “It feels like we’re a million miles away from the team that we can be and that we are. We gotta get that back with our connectiveness and our spirit, and we gotta have some guys just play better.”

This weekend’s game has also brought a lot of clarity about what the Wolves’ seed and playoff opponent will be. The Timberwolves are now overwhelmingly likely to be the sixth seed for the second straight season, as three games separate them in the loss column from both the teams above and below them in the standings.

The Denver Nuggets have also caught up to tie the Los Angeles Lakers for the third seed. While the Lakers do have the tiebreaker, it seems unlikely they can keep pace with the Nuggets as both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves will miss the rest of the regular season, and possibly longer.

It appears it may be time to start mentally preparing for another playoff series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves.

---

Up Next

The Timberwolves head back out on the road for another three-game road trip. It starts with a matchup against the Indiana Pacers, who have had an injury-riddled season with a record of 18-60 since losing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals a year ago. The game begins at 6:00 PM CT and airs on FanDuel Sports Network.

Highlights

CLEVELAND — It wasn’t pretty, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to escape with a 117-108 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Thomas Bryant said something in the locker room before Sunday’s game that presumably got the team fired up. Although neither he, James Harden, nor Donovan Mitchell would reveal what that was.

“I’m not saying that.”

Whatever it was, it worked, at least for Bryant.

Bryant didn’t disappoint in his first start with the Cavs. He provided infectious energy on a night the team desperately needed it.

“That’s just how he plays,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “If we’re playing a pickup game tomorrow at our practice facility, he’s going to play the same. He’s going to talk, he’s going to yell and scream. … But it’s good to have a good game against your former team.”

Bryant agreed. He said it “felt good” to get the start and pour in 14 points on 6-9 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and two assists, with both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen missing the front end of a back-to-back due to rest.

“He gets us going every night,” Mitchell said. “There’s a level of consistency with him.”

The Cavs desperately needed that level of consistency, considering all the players they were missing. They rested Mobley (calf), Allen (knee), and Sam Merrill (hamstring) in addition to being without Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe). That’s five guys right there that are a part of your playoff rotations, which includes your starting front court and their depth.

It’s irresponsible to draw declarative conclusions from how this team looks when none of the five-man lineups — even this starting lineup — should be sharing the court in the postseason. And if the Cavs are forced to run out groups featuring Larry Nance Jr. and Nae’Qwan Tomlin because of injuries, they likely aren’t going to be reaching their postseason goals.

That said, it’s concerning that the Cavs are running into the same issues no matter who is on the court.

Indiana has one of the worst records in the league and has an incentive to make that record even worse, considering the convoluted protections on their first-round pick. That’s why they only dressed nine players for this game, and started two guys on two-way contracts.

Still, Indiana’s hustle and commitment to trying to play the right way defensively stood out. The Cavs were once again a step slow on that end, and the communication wasn’t crisp. This led to easy shots and defenders with their palms up in frustration after the ball went through the net.

It’d be easy to explain this away as the Cavs being down so many key players. However, this is something we’ve seen with this group for the last several weeks, no matter who’s in the lineup.

Cleveland locked in late defensively. They surrendered just 17 points in the fourth quarter, paving the way for what ended up being a mostly stress-free victory.

Atkinson attributed the turnaround to getting energy from a group captained by Nance, Tomlin, and Craig Porter Jr. “That was the group that shifted the momentum,” Atkinson said. “Larry and those young guys changed the complexion of the game.”

It also helped to get superstar performances from both Mitchell and Harden.

Mitchell was able to get into the lane at will in his 38-point outing. He went 14-18 (77.7%) on shots in the paint, which included going 10-12 (83.3%) at the rim.

The only thing that could stop him was turning his ankle late. Afterward, he insisted that he was fine. Hopefully for the Cavs sake, he is. They need him at this level if they want to meet their postseason goals.

Harden, conversely, made sure to keep the offense on track. This included quarterbacking the offense late to ensure it ran smoothly.

“He’ll take what [the defense] gives him,” Atkinson said about how Harden runs the offense in the clutch. “He’ll make the right play. That’s why our clutch rating is so good.”

This was only a clutch game briefly (games within five points in the final five minutes), but the Cavs’ offense was superb down the stretch. They scored 11 points in three minutes late that took things from a four-point game to a 1-point advantage, effectively ending the game.

This has been nothing new; the Cavs have the third-best offensive rating in the clutch (131.9) since Harden’s debut. That bodes well for a team that has previously struggled to close playoff games offensively.

Despite scoring 28 points and having seven assists, Atkinson was most impressed with Harden’s defense to the point that he remarked to his staff during the game that “he’s our best defender” this evening.

“I was thrilled with his defense tonight,” Atkinson said of Harden. “He’s sitting down, he’s guarding. … He’s so solid. He’s always in the right place. Got great hands, smart as heck. I’ll take that any day of the week. … He really knows his personnel, right? He knows who he’s got to close out too hard. He knows who he can back off of. He just manages the game defensively.”

As mentioned at the top, it’s difficult to take too much from this game. Despite injury scares to Mitchell (ankle) and Max Strus (wrist), the Cavs seemed to have escaped this game mostly unscathed. That’s what matters on a night like this when one more win ensures them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, and there’s little to play for.

“The most important thing for us is getting healthy,” Harden said. “When we do that, we can figure everything else out.”

Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg recorded his second consecutive impressive game and made history in the process.

Flagg scored 45 points in a 134-128 win over the Los Angeles Lakers at American Airlines Center on Sunday, April 5, becoming the first rookie to score 40 points in a game against LeBron James.

Flagg got off to a fast start, going 7-of-10 from the field for 19 points in the first quarter. He then finished the first half with 26 points.

James finished with a team-high 30 points as the Lakers continue to march toward the postseason without the services of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. While Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that will sideline him for the rest of the regular season, Reaves suffered an oblique injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks. Doncic's status for the postseason is not yet known.

In Sunday's game, Flagg and James made some history together. They are the first players in NBA history to score 20 or more points in the same game, with one player aged 40-plus and another a teenager, according to the NBA.

Coming off a career-high 51 points on April 3, Flagg is also the first rookie since Allen Iverson during the 1996-97 season to score 40 or more points in back-to-back games, according to the NBA. Flagg has four 40-plus point games this season and is averaging 20.8 points per game.

Here’s a breakdown of Flagg's performance against the Lakers on Sunday:

Cooper Flagg stats vs. Lakers

• Minutes played: 39
• Points: 45
• FG: 14-for-27
• 3PT: 2-for-4
• FT: 15-for-17
• Rebounds: 8
• Assists: 9
• Steals: 2
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 2

Mavericks vs. Lakers highlights

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cooper Flagg points: How did Dallas Mavericks rookie do vs. Lakers

The Lakers are as shorthanded as they can be, their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries at a pivotal time of the season.

They're the offensive engines for a Lakers team battling for the No. 3 playoff seeding in a competitive Western Conference.

The 41-year-old LeBron James is now driving the Lakers, and despite falling just a rebound shy of a triple-double, he couldn't save the Lakers from a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at American Airlines Center.

Read more:Lakers' Austin Reaves out for rest of regular season with oblique strain

James had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds. Luke Kennard delivered his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, coming off a 51-point performance against Orlando on Friday, finished with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He scored 19 points in the first quarter.

“Obviously, Cooper is in a zone over the last couple of games,” James said. “But [he] also has been playing consistent basketball all year so it’s great to see him from early in the season to where he is today.”

For the Lakers, finding ways to win without two of their best players will be their challenge over the final week of the season.

“We've got to have the commitment to do it on both ends and that's the reason that we've put ourselves in the position to be in the playoffs," Redick said, "because we became a really good offensive team and a really good defensive team."

Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out the remainder of the regular season — maybe even longer.

Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, confirmed to The Times that his client will seek specialized treatment for his injury in Europe with the hopes of speeding up his recovery.

Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the rest of the regular season, and likely into the playoffs. The time frame for Reaves' return is more like four-to-six weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on the matter.

“I took my nap after practice and I woke up with that news and it was like another shot to the [head],” James said about Reaves' diagnosis. “It was a shot to the heart, obviously, and to the chest and to the mainframe with Luka, understanding that."

Even Marcus Smart, known for his competitiveness and defensive tenacity, missed his seventh straight game with right ankle soreness.

With Doncic and Reaves out, the Lakers lose a combined 56.8 points per game and 13.8 assists per game. Doncic is fourth in the NBA in assists, with 8.3 per game, and he’s second on the Lakers in rebounding, at 7.7 per game.

“We knew that Austin was likely going to be out for a little bit of time," Redick said. “Obviously, disappointed and devastated for him to have his regular season finish this way. ... Both those guys are going to try to come back and it's our job to extend the season so that they can come back.”

The Lakers have four regular-season games left, starting with Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. They play at Golden State on Thursday before facing the Phoenix Suns in L.A. on Friday.

The Lakers are tied with the Denver Nuggets for third in the West at 50-28, although the Lakers own the tiebreaker. The NBA playoffs starts the weekend of April 18.

With that in mind, Redick was asked if he had an optimistic view of Doncic being back for the playoffs.

“I just know that he's gonna do everything he can to try to be back,” Redick said. “I talked to him Friday. I talked to him again yesterday. I talked to him again this morning. He's going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point, and it's our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.