Category: NBA

The first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament is a wrap, which means the playoff field is nearly set.

We now know who the No. 7 seeds will be in both the Eastern and Western Conferences: the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.

Now, the final two games of the Play-In, which will be Friday, April 17, will determine the No. 8 seeds. The Orlando Magic will host the Charlotte Hornets in the East, and the Phoenix Suns will host the Golden State Warriors out West.

But first, we have the chance to make sense of the first round.

Here are the winners and losers of the NBA Play-In Tournament, thus far:

WINNERS

Stephen Curry makes his case for the future

Even if the Warriors happen to upset the Suns Friday, they won’t go far in the playoffs. For one, their opponent would be the defending-champion Thunder. For another, this roster has too many injuries and too many holes.

But Curry’s heroics in Golden State’s thrilling victory over the Clippers, his 35 points and 7 made 3-pointers, sent a message to the team’s front office. More specifically, it sent a message to general manager Mike Dunleavy, that he needs to be aggressive and reshape this roster for one last run. Curry, though, will need some help. The team needs more shooting. It won’t happen this year, but Curry showed that he’s still capable of greatness.

The Oklahoma City Thunder

They did not play but ended up winning, anyway. The Thunder own the unprotected 2026 first-round pick that belonged to the Clippers, the last remaining piece of the trade that sent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Oklahoma City.

Anyway, with Golden State’s victory over the Clippers, that pick is now a lottery selection, one with a 7.1% chance of becoming a Top 4 pick. The rich get richer.

Draymond Green

His defense on Kawhi Leonard was a masterclass in persistence and tenacity. Add those two big steals late in the game to an already iconic highlight reel.

The upstart Charlotte Hornets

Since the All-Star break, only the Spurs have a better offensive rating (121.8) and net rating (11.1) than the Hornets. San Antonio is a legitimate contender for a title. The Hornets still have to beat the Magic Friday to become the No. 8 seed — and to have the privilege of facing the No. 1 Detroit Pistons in the first round.

Either way, this is a massive moment for Charlotte, which earned its first postseason victory in nearly 10 years. One of the opposing players in the last Hornets victory April 27, 2016 was Amar’e Stoudemire … who was with the Heat. The Hornets play fast and shoot the ball extremely well. They’ve proven resilient. They’re also young and a fun watch and may be maturing in real time.

More: NBA punishes LaMelo Ball for play that injured Bam Adebayo

Tiago Splitter

The morning after the Trail Blazers played their season-opening game, Tiago Splitter awoke to his phone buzzing with texts and calls that his boss, Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, had been arrested for his alleged role in an illegal gambling ring.

All Splitter has done as the interim is turn the Blazers into a balanced, fluid offense and a pesky team. Turnovers are still an issue, but the best sign that Portland could be on the come up is that the players — both young and veteran — have developed over the course of the season.

LOSERS

Jamahl Mosley and Paolo Banchero

The Magic feel like a team headed for a disruptive offseason. They’ve underwhelmed this season and Paolo Banchero has regressed somewhat; he often runs through his offensive actions as if overthinking or lacking confidence. His 7-of-22 night against the 76ers, including 0-of-5 from 3-point range, pointed to the inefficiency with which he has played this season.

Had the Magic won their season finale against the Celtics, who rested their top seven rotation players, they would’ve hosted the 76ers in the Play-In. Instead, Orlando lost and now faces a tough Hornets team. It all spells trouble for coach Jamahl Mosley, whose job may be tenuous, given the team’s lack of cohesion.

The Los Angeles Clippers

Now that their season is officially over, it stands reason to believe that the NBA-backed investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention during Kawhi Leonard’s acquisition will wrap up without hindrance. Los Angeles could find itself in a precarious situation, depending on the severity of any potential discipline, and it could get even worse.

The pick Indiana sent to Los Angeles as part of the Ivica Zubac-Bennedict Mathurin trade only conveys to the Clippers if it falls between Nos. 5-9; the Pacers have a 52.1% chance to get a Top 4 selection.

More: Chris Paul mocks Clippers with meme after their play-in loss to Warriors

Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat

This team prides itself on competing every season and believing they can make a run deep into the postseason. But after four consecutive Play-In appearances, and after getting bounced Tuesday by the Hornets, it’s time for some introspection in Miami.

This roster isn’t balanced enough to threaten in the East. Miami may have solid stretches, but it simply lacks consistency. What’s worse is that coach Erik Spoelstra lacked trust in his rotations, tweaking them until the very end. Granted, the Heat faced injuries, but Spoelstra struggled to find combinations that worked with both Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware on the floor, just like he miscalculated the defensive shortcomings of a Tyler Herro-Norman Powell backcourt. Miami is stuck in purgatory, and this stale roster needs an overhaul.

More: Bam Adebayo injury after LaMelo Ball tie-up has Erik Spoelstra fuming

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steph Curry highlights NBA Play-In Tournament winners and losers

Chris Paul’s return to the L.A. Clippers didn't go the way he expected. He shared his reaction after his former team's disappointing performance in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, April 15.

The Clippers parted ways with the 40-year-old guard in December 2025, but Paul clearly has kept his eyes on the team in the months that followed.

He shared a well-known meme of a man dressed for a funeral, in the moments following the Clippers' season-ending 126-121 loss to the Golden State Warriors on April 15.

Chris Paul reacts to the Clippers’ loss. pic.twitter.com/pwbeleSCC7

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWill) April 16, 2026

Paul was officially traded to the Toronto Raptors as part of a three-team trade on Feb. 5. He was waived by the Raptors and retired on Feb. 13. The 12-time All-Star spent 21 years in the NBA, including parts of seven seasons with the Clippers.

He averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game in 16 games played this season.

The Clippers finished third in the Pacific Division after closing out the regular season with a 42-40 record.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Paul reacts to Clippers' loss to Warriors in NBA Play-In game

INGLEWOOD — For one reason or another, neither team inside the Intuit Dome for the Western Conference’s bottom play-in game expected to be there.

In the end, a Warriors team decimated by injuries will get another chance at the unlikeliest of playoff berths. On the other side, a Clippers team that started the year 6-21 and surrounded by off-the-court controversy had its season come to an end Wednesday in a 126-121 loss to Golden State in a Western Conference play-in game.

Both teams understood they would have the longest of shots this postseason, but those slim odds — a chance to play meaningful basketball — are exactly what Steph Curry worked his way back from a persistent knee injury to experience again.

Curry made the most of it, with 35 points in 36 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos added 20 apiece, and Golden State limited Kawhi Leonard to 21 points in 40 minutes.

The Clippers’ backcourt of Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin torched the Warriors for a combined 44 points — a team-high 23 from Mathurin, 15 in the second half — but they allowed a double-digit fourth quarter lead to slip away into the grasp of the championship pedigree on the other side.

With four late 3s in quick succession from Al Horford, the Warriors were able to withstand 20 turnovers that turned into 35 Clippers points, seven more points left at the foul line and a series of illegal screens that wiped out more points, left coach Steve Kerr incensed and led to a technical foul on Draymond Green.

Green forced a pair of turnovers on Leonard to seal the game in the final minute. It took that long for the Warriors to grab their largest lead of the game after playing from behind for most of the game.

Los Angeles led by double digits with 9:35 to play and didn’t relinquish its lead until Horford connected on his fourth 3-pointer to put Golden State up 117-115 for its first lead since early in the second quarter.

What it means

The game came down to who had the better duo.

Curry and Porzingis proved to be more powerful than Leonard and Garland.

The win was the Warriors’ first against the Clippers in Los Angeles since Nov. 28, 2021, snapping a nine-game road losing streak that was Golden State’s longest against a single opponent in Kerr’s 12 seasons.

The Clippers can book their cabanas in Cabo. The Warriors are making travel plans for Phoenix, where they will face a second win-or-go-home play-in game against the No. 7 seed Suns.

Turning point

Garland helped the Clippers race out to an early 12-2 lead with eight of his 21 points coming in the first quarter. Los Angeles extended its lead as wide as 13, but the Warriors never went away. All the while, they were waiting for a patented Curry flurry.

It began midway through the third quarter.

Curry, held to eight points and 2-of-9 shooting in the first half, exploded for 16 in the third quarter. Curry turned a dribble handoff from Draymond Green into a four-point play, pulled up from 30 feet and sank another from distance after crossing over his defender.

Curry gave the Warriors hope.

Horford finished the job.

MVP: Steph Curry

Curry was unstoppable when it mattered most.

On top of his 16 in the third, he added another 12 in the fourth for 26 after halftime.

Stat of the game: 13-for-21

It was a tale of two halves for the Warriors beyond the 3-point line.

They were held to 30% — 6-for-20 — in the first half. As Curry, Horford and Porzingis took over in the second half, Golden State made 13 of 21 attempts from beyond the perimeter.

Up next

The Clippers’ season is over, putting an end to the most dramatic turnaround in NBA history. The Warriors, meanwhile, are on to Phoenix. They will play the Suns on Friday night for the chance to head to Oklahoma City as the No. 8 seed for a first-round matchup with the defending champion Thunder.

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The Golden State Warriors injury mired, frustrating season isn’t over yet. Despite a 13-point fourth quarter deficit, the Dubs defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 and will play the Phoenix Suns for the eighth-seed in the Western Conference. It would be easy to argue that the Clippers were the better team on Wednesday night, leading for most of the game. But they didn’t have Steph Curry.

It would also be easy to argue that Dub Nation would have felt relief for this season to finally be over. The Warriors were disappointing early and mired in drama. Then, they faced an avalanche of injuries just as they seemed to be hitting their stride. There are no logical championship hopes left. Why keep trudging through the muck?

Yet the end to a season, even a disappointing one, only brings Steph Curry’s career closer to an end. It’s why he worked so hard to return from his injury even as the Dubs fell in the standings. We all got to see his magic on display Wednesday because he refused to quit.

Curry had the basketball world transfixed once again. Steph has done it over and over since he first burst onto the scene at Davidson back in 2008. No matter how dark or distracted NBA fandom can be by discourse and debates, nothing has unified everyone for more than a decade than Steph Curry with a basketball in his hands dancing on defenses.

The Warriors victory gifts us all a chance to maybe see a couple more moments like that from Steph this season.

Curry finished with 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field (7-for-12 from three). He was 10-for-14 with 27 points in the second half alone. Despite some ugly moments, Gui Santos finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and a game-high +16 plus/minus. Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis were the most important offensive sidekicks for Steph, though. Porziņģis recorded 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. Horford had 14 critical points.

Benedict Mathurin led the Clippers with 23 points in 29 minutes, and was perhaps underutilized attacking weaker defenders. Kawhi Leonard finished with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, but committed 5 turnovers and made just one shot in the fourth quarter.

Golden State got off to a horrendous start, particularly offensively. The Clippers unsurprisingly did everything possible to force the ball out of Curry’s hands early and the strategy paid off. The Dubs fell behind 12-2 and would not lead in the quarter.

The Warriors were similarly quick to try and force the ball out of their opponent’s best offensive player’s hands. However, Leonard found his footing quicker and had a supporting cast seemingly more ready for the moment. At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led 31-22.

Porziņģis chose an opportune time to have his best performance since Steph’s return. The center led a 13-0 Warriors run with Curry on the bench to put Golden State ahead. The lead would not last for long, but it did help the Dubs continue to bide their time.

Steph finished the first half with just 8 points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field alongside 0 rebounds or assists. The fact that Golden State only trailed 61-53 was a sign that the Clippers were wasting opportunities.

The Warriors lack of athleticism and offensive creators was on full display against the Clippers length. At times, Santos looked overwhelmed in his first prolonged playoff-adjacent rotation minutes. Santos, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and Brandin Podziemski all had uncharacteristic drops and made poor passing decisions. As a team, the Dubs committed 20 turnovers.

Yet, Draymond Green’s defensive effort was the Warriors savior. Leonard capitalized whenever he could get off Green, but Draymond kept the Clippers from every building enough offensive momentum to pull away.

Golden State also targeted Darius Garland, the Clippers dynamic point guard, on defense. He picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter. While he did not foul out until the game was largely decided, his weak defense was made even worse as he tried to avoid fouling out.

It seemed like every time the Warriors pulled within five points, the Clippers answered.

Curry exploded for 16 points in the third quarter, but Los Angeles remained largely in control.

Porziņģis converted an and-one and a deep transition three on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to three, but Garland responded with an and-one and a step-back three to bring the lead back to 10.

The Clippers started the fourth quarter ahead by six and immediately went on a 5-0 run. A timely basket from Melton and a three from Santos successfully kept things from getting out of hand. A one-man press from Payton forced a Clippers turnover with 9:27 left in regulation, and Curry checked back in trialing 98-88. On his first possession, he knocked down an open three.

Then Horford emerged for his first signature moment in a Warriors uniform. The future Hall of Famer entered the game with 6:36 left in regulation. The Clippers led 108-99.

Horford made threes on three consecutive possessions. Two minutes later, Horford made his fourth triple of the quarter to give put Golden State ahead 117-115, giving the Warriors their first lead in the second half.

The good news came with some bad, however. Draymond seemed to hyperextend his knee on the next possession. As Brook Lopez went to the free-throw line (where he’d tie the game at 117), Green quickly hobbled to the bench, stretched, and insisted on playing through the pain.

Curry missed a three, but the Warriors forced a stop at the other end to give him another opportunity to break the tie. Leonard would not score in the fourth quarter, save for a mostly-meaningless bucket in the closing seconds, almost entirely thanks to Green.

Curry and Green ran a two-man game as the clock ticked under a minute remaining. Curry tossed the ball to Draymond before faking a cut and spinning around his longest-tenured teammate. Green knew what Steph wanted, left him the ball and Steph shot over two desperately chasing Clippers for a three.

The chemistry that Steph & Dray have, man… pic.twitter.com/pu2sBx0aaL

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 16, 2026

The Warriors led 120-117 with 50.7 seconds left in regulation.

The Clippers called timeout, but that let the Warriors setup defensively. Draymond denied an in-bound pass to Leonard and his steal setup Podziemski for an and-one layup on the other end.

This is INSANE screen navigation from Draymond Green.

Just refused to be screened in any capacity. pic.twitter.com/paW7f4bj7n

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 16, 2026

Golden State had it’s largest lead of the night (123-117) and Green stole the ball from Leonard again. Steph drew a foul and split the free throws to go ahead by 7. Green continued to lock down defensively and forced the Clippers to burn precious clock. They got a layup, but it was too much too late.

WE GOT VINTAGE DRAYMOND TO CLOSE THIS BAD BOY OUT pic.twitter.com/UT2WmmvmQH

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 16, 2026

Somehow.

Someway.

The Warriors had won.

But we know the how and the way.

It was Steph Curry with enough scoring punch from his teammates and Draymond Green’s legendary defense.

It may not lead to a title, but don’t let that spoil the fun.

It was do or die Wednesday night at Intuit Dome, and the Clippers did not do enough to keep their season alive, blowing a 13-point lead early in the fourth quarter and losing to the Golden State Warriors, 126-121.

Having rebounded from a franchise-worst 6-21 start to earn the next-to-last berth in the NBA play-in tournament, coach Tyronn Lue’s resilient bunch could not extend its historic comeback on its home floor.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 35 points, Kristaps Porzingis and and Gui Santos each had 20, and Brandin Podziemski added 17. The Warriors were 19 for 41 from three-point range, with Al Horford hitting four in the fourth quarter.

Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 points off the bench, while Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland each added 21 points for the Clippers, who won three of the teams’ four regular-season meetings, including a 115-110 victory in the same arena four days earlier. Wednesday night, however, Leonard was held scoreless in the fourth quarter until the final seconds as the Warriors rallied.

"It happens, we’ve won games like that before, we’ve lost games like that before,” Leonard said. "They played great defense, they won the game. They deserve it. They scored 43 points in the fourth quarter.” 

Garland, a point guard acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline in exchange for James Harden, contributed mightily to the team’s late-season surge but picked up his fifth foul with 2:51 left in the third quarter and fouled out with 50 seconds left in the fourth. 

“It came down to contested threes and not a lot of good possessions for us... in the end No.30 did what 30 does,” he said, referring to Curry. “It was fun for the time I’ve been here. To be in the play-in game is a credit to this group and the coaching staff. This isn’t the way we wanted to end the season, but this group is amazing and everybody wants to win. The championship pedigree they have over there shined through.” 

The Clippers got off to a hot start, scoring 12 straight points to take a 10-point lead 3:19 into the game, but Golden State used a 12-2 run of its own to tie it and took a 17-16 lead on Curry’s first three-pointer with 5:07 left in the first. A 15-5 run put the Clippers back up 31-22 at the end of the quarter.

Porzingis’ three-pointer from the top of the key put the Warriors in front early in the second quarter, but the Clippers closed the first half with a flourish. The Warriors' Draymond Green got assessed a technical foul, and Leonard made the ensuing free throw to give his team a 10-point lead with 3:24 left; the Clippers headed to the locker room ahead 61-53.

Back-to-back buckets by Derrick Jones Jr. pushed the Clippers’ lead back to 10 points with 7:48 left in the third quarter, but again the proud Warriors responded with eight straight points by Curry, including a rare four-point play, to pull within four. The Clippers pushed the lead back to 11 before Golden State used a 5-0 run to creep within 89-83 heading to the fourth quarter.

Porzingis’ three-pointer whittled the Warriors' deficit down to three with 8:16 left, but Garland’s three-pointer pushed the margin back to nine with 6:36 left. Horford’s final three gave the Warriors a 117-115 lead with 2:12 left. Brook Lopez hit a pair of free throws to tie it with 1:51 left, but Curry, as he has done so many times in his career, sank a three-pointer to put his team up 120-117 with 50 seconds remaining. Green, guarding Leonard, then tipped away the Clippers' inbounds pass out of a timeout, and Podziemski drove for a three-point play as the visitors hung on.

"We turned the ball over 18 times for 23 points and we can’t do that,” Lue said. “Horford made some big shots to get them back in the game. We had the game in our hands and made silly plays. To be up 13 with 10 minutes left… we have to finish that game.”

The Clippers had won nine consecutive home games against Golden State, their longest active home winning streak against a conference opponent. The Warriors had last beat the Clippers in Los Angeles on Nov. 28, 2021 at Staples Center, then their home arena. 

The Warriors’ reward is a flight to Phoenix where they will take on the Suns in a Friday night matchup to decide the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference. The Suns had a chance to clinch the No. 7 seed Monday but lost at home to Portland, 114-110. Should the Warriors prevail they will meet No. 1-seeded and defending champion Oklahoma City in a best-of-seven series opening Sunday on the road.

Steve Kerr, who has coached Golden State to four NBA championships in 12 seasons, stated before the game that his team was ready for the challenge — and it was. 

“We have a lot of veteran guys who have been through big moments,” Kerr said. "It’s the exact same vibe as any other elimination game — you have to be locked in. We’re aware that this is an opportunity we may not get again, we don’t know. The first year [of the play-in] we were the eighth seed and I hated it. This year we’re 10th and I love it. I think it’s good for the league.”  

After their disastrous start the Clippers went 36-19 the rest of the way and became the first team in NBA history to dip 15 games below .500 and finish with a winning record. Leonard played 65 games and averaged a career-best 27.9 points, however Wednesday’s loss was a bitter pill to swallow. 

"They had a great game plan, being physical all game and making sure I don’t get my catch-and-shoot shots,” Leonard said. "Draymond Green is a Hall of Fame defender — it was hard to get shots. I’m not used to losing a lot of games early in the season. We could’ve easily let go of the rope but we made strides and the eight seed was right there, but in the end it wasn’t good enough."

Entering the last year of a three-year contract, Leonard was asked if he wanted to remain with the Clippers.

"I’m going to cry about this loss a little more and we’ll have our discussions when the time comes.” he said.

The Clippers dropped to 6-8 all-time in the postseason against the Warriors. Lopez had 17 points, Derrick Jones Jr. had 13, John Collins had 11 and Kris Dunn had seven points and 10 assists.  

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Stephen Curry hit seven 3-pointers while scoring 35 points, holding every fan at Intuit Dome in his thrall with another dazzling display of his unmatched shooting skill.

In the fourth quarter of an elimination game, Draymond Green bodied up to Kawhi Leonard and utterly shut down one of the greatest scorers of their generation.

Curry and Green have already done it all and won it all during their 14 years and four championships together.

The Golden State Warriors ‘ visit to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night was merely a play-in game for the right to travel to Phoenix after a trying regular season that ended with Golden State sitting eight games below .500 and in 10th place in the Western Conference.

And yet both the style and substance of this 126-121 comeback victory indelibly evoked the brilliance of the Warriors’ golden era.

The few remaining men who have been around for the whole ride were thrilled to travel back in time.

“For one night, we’re us. We’re champions again,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And I know that may sound crazy to everybody out there. It’s a play-in game. I don’t care. Just absolutely beautiful to watch.”

Curry put it even more simply: “That’s what you live for right there.”

Golden State overcame a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter behind Curry, who scored 27 points in a dominant second half. While he took care of the offense, Green took the defensive lead with a smothering effort against Leonard, who couldn’t score in the fourth quarter until the Clippers were cooked.

The Warriors also got stellar contributions from two newcomers. Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists with an exciting series of big plays — and 39-year-old Al Horford shocked the entire arena when he hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of just his third game since missing a month with a strained right calf.

Curry broke a tie with his final 3-pointer, falling into the front row of Clippers fans while the ball pierced the net with 50 seconds left. The superstar was playing just his fifth game since returning from a 27-game absence with a knee injury, and he demonstrated exactly why he rejected any notion that he should shut himself down for the summer.

“This is what you work all year for, all summer, offseason,” Curry said. “We’re not guaranteed a (playoff) series yet, but these nights make everything worth it, because you feel the anxiety of having to perform when the lights are bright, do-or-die game. … Considering how our season has gone, all the injuries and all that, for us to play the way we did tonight was special.”

Green didn’t score in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors credited their defensive stopper for stifling Leonard, whose play for Toronto in the 2019 NBA Finals is still painful in the minds of Golden State fans.

With Green hounding his every move, Leonard got only two shots in the fourth quarter. Leonard finished with 21 points while having a fraction of his usual impact on Clippers games.

Leonard called Green a “Hall of Fame defender. It was hard to even get shots up.”

Green thought the Warriors could be a title contender going into this season, but it didn’t happen. Jimmy Butler went down for the season in January, Moses Moody was sidelined in March, and Golden State finished the regular season on a 5-15 skid to its worst record in a full regular season since 2012.

But after knocking off Los Angeles, Golden State is one win away from making the playoffs anyway. Even for the Warriors who have already won everything, the chance to do the improbable is irresistible.

“I know we’re not satisfied,” Curry said. “We want to go to Phoenix and guarantee a playoff series against OKC. That’s the next goal, but for us to lock in on just 48 minutes, figure out how to get a win, knowing that the game was not going to be perfect, we were all pretty committed to that. The eight guys that got on the floor all had a part in making it happen.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers weathered the absence of Joel Embiid to beat the Orlando Magic 109-97 on Wednesday night and secure the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Sixers moved on to a first-round series that begins Sunday at Boston.

Desmond Bane and the Magic aren’t done yet. They will host Charlotte on Friday night, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Detroit.

Embiid had an emergency appendectomy last week in Houston. While the 76ers haven’t given a timetable for his return, the two-time scoring champion returned to the team on Wednesday, surprising teammates in the locker room and watching the game from the bench.

CLIPPERS 121, WARRIORS 126

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half, Al Horford hit four 3-pointers during Golden State’s electrifying fourth-quarter comeback, and the Warriors advanced in the NBA’s play-in tournament with a victory over Los Angeles.

Curry’s seventh 3-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds to play for the 10th-seeded Warriors, who erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Golden State finished on a 16-6 run and held Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth until the final 16 seconds.

After this time-defying rally, Curry, Draymond Green and the postseason-tested Warriors are one game from another playoff berth despite going 37-45 in the regular season and losing Jimmy Butler for the season in January.

The Warriors will travel to face Phoenix on Friday, with the winner moving on to face defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round.

It all comes down to one game on Friday, one opportunity to keep the season alive. After falling to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, the Phoenix Suns are now fighting for their postseason lives. They’re also staring at history. Only two teams in the first five years of the Play-In have lost the 7–8 matchup, but both still advanced as the eighth seed. Phoenix is trying to make it three. We now know who they will have to defeat in order to do so.

Their opponent? The Golden State Warriors.

Golden State is coming off an impressive win in the 9-10 game, upsetting the Clippers 126-121 at the Intuit Dome after outscoring Los Angeles 43-32 in the fourth quarter. A team that entered 8–33 when trailing after three quarters found a way, powered by Stephen Curry early and Draymond Green late, to take down the 9th-seeded Clippers. Now they come to Phoenix for a winner-takes-the-eighth-seed, loser-goes-home matchup.

These Pacific Division teams know each other. They met four times this season, with Golden State taking three. Phoenix’s lone win came on December 18, a 99–98 victory for the Suns. The last meeting was on February 5 — trade deadline day — and it was a late collapse for Phoenix in a 101–97 loss. Hmm. Late collapses. It’s been a Suns thing for a while now, hasn’t it?

It sets up an intriguing clash. Both teams have struggled since the All-Star break. Golden State is 8–19 in that stretch, averaging 112.7 points per game. That’s good for 27th in the NBA. But the Suns haven’t been much better, as they’ve gone 13-14 and are sitting near the lower tier offensively as well. Their 110.5 points are 28th in the NBA. This becomes a matchup of two teams searching for rhythm at the worst possible time.

And one team has the best player on the floor.

Curry showed it against the Clippers, dropping 35 points, 16 in the third, 11 in the fourth. He went 4-of-6 in the final frame, including 2-of-3 from deep. When it mattered, he controlled the game. So while the Suns face a Warriors team that finished 37–45 and limped through the end of the season, this is still a group that has had their number and has the player who can take over when everything tightens.

Friday night at the Mortgage Matchup Center. One game. Season on the line. We’ll see which version of this team shows up.

Hornets star LaMelo Ball was fined $35K for his Flagrant 2 foul on Bam Adebayo during Tuesday night’s win over the Heat in the NBA play-in tournament.

The incident happened in the second quarter when Ball fell to the floor after taking a shot and swiped at the leg of Adebayo, causing the Heat big man to fall hard to the court and leave the game with a lower back issue. 

In the moment, the play was not called a foul, but the league reviewed the play and assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for “making unnecessary and reckless contact” with Adebayo that “created significant injury risk.” 

Adebayo did not return to the game after the incident and the Heat lost the game in overtime 127-126.

Ball was also hit with a $25,000 fine by the NBA for the use of profane language during a live interview on TV after the game.  

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was irate after the game over the situation with his star. 

“I didn’t see it, but I don’t think it’s cute,” Spoelstra told reporters. “I don’t think it’s funny. I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play. Obviously, our best player was out.

“I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and they made those plays down the stretch. We had our opportunities to win. That’s a shame.”

Ball also addressed the incident after the game, apologizing for the play. 

“I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was, but I’m going to check on [Adebayo] and see if he’s OK,” he said. 

Ball finished the game with 30 points and hit the game-winning layup for the Hornets in overtime with just seconds left on the clock. 

He was also involved in a comical interaction after the game with the Hornets mascot Hugo, who he playfully punched in the head because of the excitement of the victory and caught the character off guard.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Referee Ben Taylor left the play-in tournament game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers with an injury on Wednesday night.

Taylor walked stiffly off the court and went up the tunnel behind one basket at Intuit Dome with 8:51 left in the third quarter. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin after a brief delay.

The NBA sends a fourth alternate referee to every postseason game for exactly such a situation.

Taylor is an 11-year NBA veteran referee, while Corbin is in his 31st season on the job.

The ninth-seeded Clippers led the 10th-seeded Warriors 61-53 at halftime of the elimination game.

___

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

The full series schedule for Sixers vs. Celtics in Round 1 of playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Playoff basketball is back on the Sixers’ calendar.

Following a 24-win nightmare of a 2024-25 season, the Sixers clinched a playoff spot Wednesday night by beating the Magic in the play-in tournament.

They’re the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed and will play the No. 2 Celtics in the first round.

“They’re playing great,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of Boston. “They’ve played really great all season. They’ve got a core group of guys that have been together for a long time through a lot of winning and a lot of deep runs. Tremendous, tremendous challenge for us, but we’ll see if we can go figure something out between now and Sunday.”

As Nurse noted, Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at TD Garden. Below is the full schedule for the best-of-seven series. Start times for Games 5 through 7 will be released later if they’re necessary:

• Game 1:  Sunday, April 19 at Boston at 1 p.m. ET on ABC 
• Game 2: Tuesday, April 21 at Boston at 7 p.m. ET on Peacock/NBCSN 
• Game 3: Friday, April 24 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime 
• Game 4: Sunday, April 26 at Philadelphia at 7 p.m. ET on NBC 
• Game 5: Tuesday, April 28 at Boston 
• Game 6: Thursday, April 30 at Philadelphia 
• Game 7: Saturday, May 2 at Boston 

The two teams split their four-game regular-season series, which began with a brilliant comeback win by the Sixers on opening night.

Even with six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum out until March as he recovered from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics went 56-26 this season and finished 11 games above the Sixers in the standings. 

“They’re a battle-tested team,” Kellly Oubre Jr. said. “They’re at full strength now, so this is a matchup we obviously don’t take lightly. We’ve got to go in there and just play all-out for 48 minutes each and every game. … Just got to take this momentum and carry it forward.”

The Sixers will aim for their first playoff series win against the Celtics since 1982. They lost series in 1985, 2002, 2012, 2018, 2020 and 2023. 

Let’s rewind the clock back to last summer.

Deandre Ayton showed up to his Lakers introductory press conference, ecstatic to join the franchise. He spoke about how excited he was to play with Luka Dončić and how he wanted to prove his critics wrong with a bounce-back year in Los Angeles.

Well, the revenge tour was a mixed bag. There were moments of brilliance when Ayton proved to be a productive starting center for the Lakers, but he also struggled and appeared unsatisfied with his role.

But now, the high-stakes games are here, and after missing the postseason the last few years, Ayton can’t wait for his first playoff run with the Lakers.

“You’re thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs, Ayton said after Wednesday’s practice. So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just relax. I’ve been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I’m in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

What’s become blatantly obvious is that Ayton works best when he is ramped up and inspired. The Lakers have done things to help create this environment for their big, like labeling his water “crunk juice” and wearing t-shirts featuring Ayton as a lion.

It seems he is ready to roar for the Lakers in the postseason and they need him to be the best version of himself now more than ever. LA is shorthanded with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves out, and Ayton is exactly the kind of player that can elevate his game to a higher tier than most.

In the 13 games where Ayton scored at least 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, the Lakers went an impressive 12-1. With Lakers head coach JJ Redick stressing the team has to rebound well and limit turnovers, Ayton will be a big reason why they do or do not accomplish that goal.

Ayton was brought here for games like these. If he plays at a high level in the playoffs, all the downs during the regular season will be forgotten and forgiven. This is his chance to make his mark and demonstrate that he can still play at an elite level on basketball’s biggest stage.

Let’s see if he delivers.

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

Ladies and gentlemen, postseason basketball has arrived!

The seventh-seed Sixers welcomed the eighth-seed Orlando Magic to Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philly on Wednesday night for an Eastern Conference battle in the Play-In Tournament. The reward for the winner? A date with the Boston Celtics in the first round of the actual NBA Playoffs, starting on Sunday in Boston.

The Sixers, as we all knew, were without the services of their superstar center Joel Embiid, who is less than a week removed from an emergency appendectomy performed last week. There is currently no timeline for a potential return from Embiid, but he was on the sideline Wednesday night to cheer on his teammates.

The Sixers got out to an early lead in this one behind nine points apiece in the first frame from Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tyrese Maxey. Oubre paced the Sixers early, burying three triples including one right before the first quarter buzzer, giving the Sixers a 28-24 lead after one.

After zero buckets from him in the first quarter, Paul George was the one to get things going to start the second. George knocked down four shots in the period including one from beyond the arc and went into halftime with 11 points. Maxey continued his stellar play led the Sixers at the break with 16 points of his own. The Sixers finished the half on a 9-0 run to go to the intermission with a 59-55 lead. At that point, the Magic were being carried by Desmond Bane, who led all scorers with 19 first-half points. Paolo Banchero wasn’t too far behind him, pouring in 13 in the first two quarters.

A chippy contest throughout, tempers flared in the third quarter as the refs had to separate the two teams on multiple occasions. The play on the court matched the level of the extracurricular activities with both teams trading tough buckets. Bane continued to cook for the Magic, leading the floor yet again after three frames with 28 points.

The Sixers held a 79-74 advantage headed to the final period. Twelve minutes away from the playoffs. What could go wrong?

(Fortunately, for once in Sixers’ history, things actually just went relatively well.)

A huge fourth quarter by numerous Sixers finally sealed this one in favor of Philadelphia. Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Andre Drummond, and Oubre all hit timely buckets and made key stops to propel the Sixers to victory — and to the NBA playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.

pic.twitter.com/kN6RoI1F5p

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 16, 2026

Next up is a best-of-seven First Round series against the Boston Celtics. The Sixers will be… very large underdogs. But enough about that for now!

Time for the Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 31 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Tyrese Maxey was a constant contributor throughout this one for Philadelphia, but his biggest burst came in the fourth quarter, including a personal 7-0 run against the Magic towards the beginning of the frame.

Maxey constant pace and rim pressure were too much for Orlando to handle all night, and Maxey took full advantage. He got downhill with momentum on his side as often as he could, dancing through the Magic defense and often finishing in that acrobatic way we all know he can, even through a lot of contact on more than a few occasions. Whether it was that or creating just a modicum of sink to take a jumper, Maxey was in his bag tonight and it was fantastic to see, especially after seeing how he had struggled to get into a groove in some games to close the regular season.

The Sixers’ All-Star guard rose the occasion as a leader once again. With Embiid sidelined, Maxey’s leadership statistically and simply in commanding his team was more crucial than ever, and he certainly delivered on Wednesday.

Maxey finished the night with 31 points on 11-for-25 field goal shooting (3-for-9 from long range) with six assists, one steal and one block.

Next up is Tyrese Maxey, who led the Sixers with 31 points… with a LOT of them coming off impressive shot creation and some difficult finishes through contact.

31 PTS (11-25 FG, 3-9 3PT), 2 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

Here are all of Maxey's FG from the win! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/wMLWBQUjCI

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 16, 2026

VJ Edgecombe: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

The Sixers rookie sensation just etched another chapter into his incredible freshman season in the NBA.

As he has all year, Edgecombe put in multiple acrobatic, crowd-pleasing finishes and sank some sincerely tough jumpers that most first-year players are simply not going to hit. Even putting aside the buckets, though, the rookie put up solid defense and team-leading rebounding in this one. Edgecombe pulled down 11 rebounds (beating Andre Drummond by just one to lead the squad) and had a bevy of deflections as well.

Edgecombe put up exactly the type of performance the Sixers needed from their rookie — and that’s a lot to ask of a 20-year-old! But, again, he rose to meet the large expectations.

Edgecombe finished Wednesday with a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double with an assist and a steal.

Excellent double-double night from the rookie VJ Edgecombe, who certainly didn't look new to the NBA postseason. A monster rebounder tonight and more than a few really impressive buckets.

19 PTS (7-16 FG), 11 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL

Here are Edgecombe's FGs from Sixers-Magic ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Myqyh5ohzD

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 16, 2026

Andre Drummond: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2-for-3 from three

What a night from the NBA vet in Andre Drummond.

It has been an up and down season for Drummond with the Sixers. At times, he was an absolute unexpected hero, especially with a big role to fill at the times Embiid has been unavailable. Other times, though, a different Drummond seemed to be on the floor, one that was seemingly stuck in place at times and less agile — one that looked 32.

Tonight, Drummond looked as good, if not better, than the young guns in their early 20s. His stats speak for themselves in this one, which will get to in a second, but I’d argue he did even better than the numbers would have one believe. Even coming in off the bench after Adem Bona was started in the five spot, Drummond went right to work as a massive impact on both ends of the floor for Philadelphia.

It honestly might have been the veteran’s best defensive night of the entire season so far, getting up in the air and altering shots at the rim, collecting three blocks for his efforts. He was also an aggressive and efficient rebounder for the Sixers and even had a few really solid passes — again, a few that might have been the best we’ve seen all season from him.

Drummond came up with that third and final block on one of the Magic’s final possessions as they tried to claw back into the game. Then, in very appropriate fashion, Drum hit the dagger with his second corner three of the contest, putting things out of reach of Orlando and squashing their last speck of hope to make some sort of last-second comeback.

Drummond finished the game with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also had two assists, three steals and those three blocks we mentioned.

My first Sixers shoutout for tonight has to go to Andre Drummond. What an impactful performance off the bench, all over the floor… all culminating in the dagger corner 3PT.

14 PTS (5-8 FG, 2-3 3PT), 10 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 3 BLK

Here's some of his highlights from tonight! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/1oUBOxedEL

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 16, 2026

Kelly Oubre: 19 points (5-for-10 3PT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s performance might be a bit overshadowed by some flashier teammates’ tonight, but no one should discount the impact he had on the Sixers pulling out the win in this one.

He was the first one for Philadelphia to really get going on the offensive end, hitting three triples in the first frame for a team-high nine points. As his teammates began to produce more offensively, Oubre’s night scoring slowed but certainly didn’t stop. Orlando seemed to not learn from their mistake of leaving Oubre with space on the arc, so he kept firing away. He finished the game with a floor-leading five triples made.

In addition to just the sheer energy boost he undoubtedly brings to this Sixers lineup, Oubre has the ability to impact games like Wednesday by simply sticking to what’s working. It hasn’t been a problem as much this season as in the past, but Oubre can still have moments of trying to do a bit too much, often leading to a lot of sloppy mistakes and inefficient shooting. Not tonight. He was exactly who the Sixers needed him to be, not a player trying to perform beyond his abilities, but one sticking to his strengths and ready whenever his number was called.

Oubre finished Wednesday with 19 points (6-for-12 field goal shooting, 5-for-10 three-point shooting) with three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Alright, round four. The first three have just gone so well.

With their win over the Orlando Magic in the Play-In tournament, the Sixers’ 2026 playoff position is finally set in stone. They will be the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the second-seeded Boston Celtics.

Now that they officially have a set opponent and seed, the league has also announced dates, times and TV networks for the first round of the playoffs. The first two games of the series will of course be in Boston, with Game 1 kicking off the series on Sunday, April 19. This rivalry will be kicking off a Sunday slate full of basketball as that one will tip off at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. This is also a helpful reminder that for the first time in years, local broadcast channels will not carry round one.

Game 2 will be Tuesday the 21st at 7 p.m. on Peacock and NBC Sports Network. When the series swings back to Philly for Game 3, the series will be shown on a third different platform. That’ll be the 24th at 7 p.m. and that one will be on Amazon Prime. Game 4 will be on the 26th, again at 7 p.m., and this one will just be on regular NBC.

If the series goes any further, and that is a big if, Game 5 would be on the 26th in Boston. Game 6, if necessary, would be on the 28th in Philly. If things get really crazy, Game 7 would take place on May 2. Times and TV networks haven’t been announced for those last three — the league has to wait and see how many series progress that far first.

With the No. 7 seed, the Philadelphia 76ers will take on the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA Playoffs presented by @Google.

This marks the 23rd playoff series between the @celtics and @sixers — the most frequent matchup in NBA history.

Schedule ⬇️ https://t.co/FMtiEgMCRNpic.twitter.com/l7THnPrt8V

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 16, 2026