MILWAUKEE (AP) — AJ Green made 11 3-pointers to set the Milwaukee Bucks’ single-game record and scored a career-high 35 points in a 125-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night.
Green shot 11 of 16 from 3-point range to break the record of 10 3-pointers that Ray Allen and Damian Lillard had shared. Green’s now has 227 3-pointers as he chases the franchise single-season record of 229, set by Allen in 2001-02.
Milwaukee’s Cormac Ryan added a career-high 28 points in his first start. Taurean Prince had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Prince was 6 of 11 and Ryan 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
As a team, Milwaukee shot 24 of 48 from beyond the arc.
This game marked the Bucks’ home finale as they wrap up their first losing season in a decade, snapping a string of nine straight playoff appearances. It comes amid speculation regarding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo was unavailable for a 14th straight game due to what the Bucks labeled as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has said he’s healthy and that he wants to play. The NBA is investigating the matter.
The nine-time all-NBA forward will become eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension in October. If he doesn’t agree to that extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after next season, or the Bucks could attempt to trade him beforehand.
Antetokounmpo wasn’t alone in being unavailable for this game, as both of these lottery-bound teams rested numerous usual starters.
Tyson Etienne scored a career-high 23 for the Nets.
Brooklyn’s E.J. Liddell was ejected early in the fourth quarter for delivering a forearm to the face of Milwaukee’s Jericho Sims after getting fouled by the Bucks center.
Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum.
Brooklyn (20-61) are third in the race to the bottom with just one game left, their regular season finale Sunday in Toronto.
They’re a game behind second-place Indiana, but moved 1 ½ games clear of both Utah and Sacramento, pending the former’s tilt against Memphis and the latter’s matchup against visiting Golden State.
Now, after losing without 10 players on Friday and getting wins from Utah and Sacramento, the Nets clinched a top 3 spot in the lottery standings. The Top 3 lottery seeds all have identical 14 percent odds of winning, and a 40.1 percent shot at one of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cam Boozer.
They now have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and 40.1% odds of a Top 3 pick, drafting no worse than seventh.
As for Friday night’s ugly loss, the Nets allowed 55.6 percent shooting, with AJ Green pouring in a game-high 35 points on 11-of-16 from deep and Cormac Ryan adding 28.
Nets guard Tyson Etienne had 15 of his career-high 23 points in the first quarter.
Malachi Smith added career-highs of 19 points and 10 assists, along with a career-high tying eight rebounds for the Nets, who played without Michael Porter Jr., Egor Demin, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, Drake Powell, Josh Minott, Terance Mann, Day’Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Danny Wolf.
Brooklyn Nets guard Malachi Smith (18) drives towards the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Smith is the first rookie in team history with at least 15 points, 10 assists and no turnovers in a game.
Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo missed a 13th straight game, theoretically with a hyperextended left knee and bruised bone, but really because of a busted relationship with the Bucks and Milwaukee’s tanking.
For a change, though, the Nets would not be out-tanked.
As the matchup between the Knicks and Raptors returned from halftime, OG Anunoby was not on the court or the bench.
The team announced that Anunoby would not return to the game after suffering a left ankle injury.
It's unclear how or when it happened, but the forward did take a tumble in the waning minutes of the second quarter. Anunoby did play through it and finished with two points on 1 of 4 shooting (0-for-3 from three), five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes on the court.
With the Knicks having a sizeable lead against the Raptors at halftime, and the Celtics with a sizeable lead over the Pelicans, guaranteeing Boston the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, New York could be sitting Anunoby as a precaution.
Coach Mike Brown didn't have an update on Anunoby after Friday's win. He confirmed that Anunoby tweaked his ankle but hasn't talked to him or trainers just yet.
The Knicks finish the regular season at home against the Hornets on Sunday night, and Brown was asked about resting his starters since they locked into the No. 3 seed.
"We'll talk about it probably. You want to go into the playoffs as healthy as possible," Brown said. "We'll discuss it as a staff in the next day or so and then we'll see what happens."
With Anunoby's tweaked ankle and Sunday's game not meaning anything for the Knicks, it's likely the forward will not play in the season finale.
Mike Brown says that OG Anunoby tweaked his ankle tonight
Brown says he does not have information on where Anunoby stands with the injury pic.twitter.com/lsn8F55RLS
Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cormac Ryan (30) drives for the basket in front of Brooklyn Nets forward E.J. Liddell (9) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets to give fans a cathartic finale in what has been a forgettable season. In the final home game at Fiserv Forum, the Bucks played with purpose and poise, displaying admirable ball movement on offense and great discipline on D. AJ Green paced the Bucks with 35 points, with Cormac Ryan close behind with a career-high 28. Green’s 11 made triples set a new single-game franchise record, and chants of “Dai-ry-Bird” and “A-J-Green” thundered in the late stages, an appreciative crowd serenading the Iowa sniper on his historic night.
Fresh off a lunch meeting with Zeus, Cormac Ryan started dropping lightning and thunder on the hapless Nets from early on. First, a layup off a pick-six. Next possession, a corner three. Then, a drive right that led to a fadeaway, Karl Malone style. Swish. The two-way phenom stayed on fire throughout the frame, finishing with 18 points on nearly perfect shooting. Ryan’s supporting cast matched the shock and awe of their superstar. They started with seven assists on eight buckets, a team zipping the ball around and not settling until the best shot presented itself. All five starters scored when Taurean Prince hit a corner three, not even halfway into the quarter. They were stingy and connected on D, stifling the visitors with a zone that led to contested, missed triples or altered—or rejected—shots down low. After one, it was Bucks 38, Nets 24.
Bafflingly, quarter two started without Ryan on the floor. Yes, he played almost the entire first quarter. Also yes, he was on a historic (for him) tear. His teammates largely picked up for him. AJ Green hit a couple triples and had a near-miss putback dunk, not a regular feature of his game. Jericho Sims made some nice plays, including a driving layup on a nice dish from Dieng. Ousmane did it himself the next possession, skying in for an emphatic dunk through traffic. When Taurean Prince drained a corner triple the next time down, it was 57-39 Bucks. The Nets then went on a 13-3 run to drop the lead to single digits, prompting a Doc Rivers timeout. Kuzma drained a rhythm triple from the logo to close the half and send the hometowners into the half up double digits. The Bucks had 19 assists on 26 made buckets, shooting 60% on field goals and 52% from deep. Halftime: Bucks 66, Nets 54.
The Bucks had no interest in the bad old days of surrendering leads and removing foot from gas pedal in the third quarter. They rode a balanced attack, highlight plays, and continued solid D to steamroll the visitors early before letting up just enough to make the final quarter somewhat interesting. Myles Turner and Ousmane Dieng had monster dunks early, followed by banger triples by AJ Green, including a corner hit that tied him with Damian Lillard for made three-pointers in a season at 220 (he later added to his total and put himself in range to match or exceed 224 and 229, currently nos. 2 and 1 behind Malik Beasley and Ray Allen). Then it was Prince’s turn. An impossible-looking fadeaway corner triple, with hand in his face, saw bottom. Then he picked a pass on the next possession and hit from long range to send Fiserv into a frenzy. Milwaukee was ahead 99-84 entering the final period.
Things got feisty to start the fourth, with E.J. Liddell and Jericho Sims getting tied up, drawing an immediate crowd of teammates. The review clearly showed Liddell throwing a forearm shiv at Sims’ head, earning a flagrant-2 and ejection for Liddell. Sims shot two free throws. The next possession, Dieng hit Sims for a transition alley-oop slam. Even more catharsis came when AJ Green hit yet another long-range bomb the next time down. Green stayed unconscious, connecting on late-game bombs that gave him 11 triples—an all-time Bucks single game record.
Stat That Stood Out
50%. That’s the Bucks’ three-point percentage tonight, in large part due to Green’s 11-16 from long range.
Apr 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after being fouled by Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
80 games in, the 2026 Knicks were still destination unknown. After thrashing Toronto 112-95 in game 81, the picture is clearer.
The Celtics hammered the Pelicans 144-118, locking up the 2-seed, while the Cavaliers showed they’re already in playoff form, falling badly to the Hawks. The East top-four are set: Detroit, Boston, New York and Cleveland. While that’s been in place most of the past few months, there’s still no way of knowing who any of them will face in the first round. Apparently a third of the league not even trying has a kind of muddying effect on the whole.
The Raptors may be the team most Knick fans hope the ’bockers battle in round one, and this was a good reminder why. The Knicks led for the final 36 minutes. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to go 20-of-30 from the field. Despite a lousy teamwide effort shooting 3s, the visiting Raptors weren’t much better from deep, attempted fewer free throws than the Knicks made, were a -7 in the turnover battle, had 36 points at halftime and RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley didn’t even play. Next time just forfeit, dudes.
The biggest concern from this game is OG Anunoby’s health. Ogugua tripped on Scottie Barnes’ foot midway through the second quarter. He did not return, hopefully because the 3-seed was pretty much a lock, because with the Knicks’ real season still over a week away better safe than sorry, and because despite all y’all ready to hand Mike Brown a pink slip I’ll remind you the last Knick coach would’ve had OG back on the floor before halftime.
So yay! The Knicks have won their most games since 2013, their second-most since 1996. They’re off tomorrow, have nothing to play for Sunday and then have another week off. They’ve won 12 of 15. Dunno how much to make out of beating the mad mid dinosaurs, but champions tend to stack Ws. This game kinda crystallized the season so far: the games that matter aren’t here yet, but the Knicks look better than they did 12 months ago and better than they did when this season kicked off. That’s all you can ask for, isn’t it?
Apr 10, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
San Antonio managed to give its superstar center the requisite playing time and keep all of its rotation players under 30 minutes in a 139-120 beating of Dallas tonight. The two superstars – Victor Wembanyama (24 points) for San Antonio (62-19) and Cooper Flagg (25 points) for Dallas (25-56) – went supernova in a high-scoring first half. Despite the Spurs shooting well from the field and perfectly from the line (12-12), Flagg and the Mavericks capitalized on several lulls late in the first half to pull even with the Spurs briefly and stay at their heels throughout much of the third period before fading away. With Stephon Castle nursing a sore foot, All-Rookie Team candidate Dylan Harper (13 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds) capably started in his place.
San Antonio’s Wembanyama (40 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks) and an always ready De’Aaron Fox (18 points and 10 assists) helped the hosts pull away from Dallas in the second half. San Antonio also got balanced scoring throughout the line-up – with noteworthy performances from Julian Champagnie (14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) from deep and Carter Bryant (12 points and 5 rebounds) as a playoff-ready contributor off the bench. Keldon Johnson (17 points and 5 rebounds) provided his usual brutish consistency. San Antonio also managed to hit the mythical 50 (FG)-40 (3PT)-90 (FT) mark with 54% from the field, 41% behind the line, and 96% from the stripe.
While Flagg (33 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists) did his stellar all-around thing in defeat, Max Christie (16 points and 2 rebounds) and unheralded AJ Johnson (13 points) supplied the secondary scoring through the first several periods to keep Dallas reasonably competitive. Khris Middleton (14 points and 3 rebounds) had a solid performance, as well.
The teams came out firing away, with San Antonio finding its shooting touch more often from the tip. Flagg connected on his first two attempts, while Wembanyama – showing residual damage from his recent wear – put up a flashy 11 points – including a whirling dervish of a floater over Marvin Bagley that required lots of core strength to pull off. Bryant shined in transition, bullying his way through two Mavericks and getting himself an and-1. Wembanyama figured prominently in a closing 14-2 run and San Antonio left the first up 37-26.
Flagg continued to accumulate offensive steam to start the second period. The Spurs still remained comfortably ahead with Wembanyama matching the Maverick’s production. Flagg was the recipient of an and-1 and a Flagrant 1 added on a Luke Kornet closeout. A late Dallas run put them in the lead momentarily, but Wembanyama’s closing half-dozen put San Antonio back up 68-65 going to the half.
Dallas matched the Spurs over a number of possessions to start the third period. San Antonio’s Harper and Johnson carried the offense over the middle minutes of the frame, while Flagg gave way to all of the non-injured Mavericks. A personal 7-point spurt by De’Aaron Fox pushed the Spurs’ lead back up to 14. After a spinning lay-up by Wembanyama made it 101-87, Jacob Tobey exclaimed, “Victor makes no sense!” Fox’s individual awesomeness provided San Antonio the necessary cushion heading into the fourth.
Observations
This is the first Spurs game (since the ABA days) where my dad has not been watching his beloved team – in some form alongside family or a text or phone call away from a family member – as he lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on Monday. His primary motivation in the last months through rounds of chemo and recovery was to see his first Wembanyama era playoffs.
For those of us that watched the opening night 125-92 win against Dallas, this is as good a capstone as any for Wembanyama’s campaign of destruction on the league.
It’s really fun to see the younger players ricochet off of Bismack Biyombo after the introductions.
Marvin BADley (shooting), amirite?
Jordan McLaughlin celebrated his 30th birthday with a late three that – due to the timing of the attempt – caused Coach Mitch Johnson to apologize to the Dallas coaching staff.
Sequence of the Game #1: San Antonio had a great after time-out moment early in the second quarter, where Fox floated a pass to Devin Vassell in the right corner, and the guarded lobbed a feather to a diving Kornet for a dunk.
Sequence of the Game #2: After the Spurs forced multiple misses on one possession, Harper backed in John Poulakidas deep in the paint and notched an and-1 halfway through the third quarter.
Sequence of the Game #3: The Bryant threes that all swished like a former Spur used to do (Danny Green).
Wembanyama ‘Thanos’ Sequence of the Game: Figuring he would do it himself late in the opening stanza, he took a rebound all the way downcourt for a soaring eagle slam from 10+ feet out, and then followed it with a three from the pink part of the Fiesta logo.
Fox needs to get 2 or 3 lay-ups deep in the paint during the playoffs to keep the defenses honest and sufficiently off of San Antonio’s perimeter shooters.
One of the early season criticisms of Harper was his outside shooting, so it must have been a very pleasant surprise for so many of us to see this:
Here are the NBA highest 3PT% leaders since March 1st, 2026 with a minimum of 50 3PA: 1. Dylan Harper 2. Kobe Sanders 3. Cam Spencer pic.twitter.com/iRJGVO3NnF
Wembanyama ’excused me’ his way through two defenders for an opening slam, and Champagnie took Wembanyama’s ensuing miss and threw down a Sean Elliott-like baseline dunk. Wembanyama’s stepback three – after some jarringly bad Bagley misses – made it 11-2. Flagg put up five points, and Middleton’s stepback brought the Mavericks within four. Despite drawing his second foul, Harper stayed in the game without picking up a third one. Bryant was brought in to quell Flagg’s production, but the Rookie of the Year candidate hit a jumper over the rookie’s hands seconds later. Johnson put up a quick handful of points to keep San Antonio ahead. Bryant’s catch-and-shoot three made it 32-23, and Wembanyama scored the last five of the quarter to put the Spurs up 11.
Flagg started the second with another five quick points. Wembanyama had the first ‘almost-falling-whoopsie-then-stretching-into-a-dunk ‘move I’ve ever seen. Flagg lofted a floater over Wembanyama to shave Dallas’ deficit to six. Despite San Antonio continuing to put up points at a brisk pace, Flagg’s and-1 kept it a 3-possession game. Harper had a coast-to-coast lay-up that seemed never in doubt despite Ryan Nembhard staying right in front of him. Champagnie swished a wing three and then punched Dwight Powell’s shot attempt high into the sky. Champagnie blocked Moussa Cisse’s dunk attempt on the next possession. Bryant’s second triple from the exact same spot as the first put San Antonio up nine. Threes in succession from Flagg, Max Christie, and Middleton gifted the Mavericks their first lead. Wembanyama scored the last six of the half for the Spurs and they went to the break with a slim three point advantage.
Nembhard tied things immediately out of the break with a corner three. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes with a handful of ties that occurred on jumpers from Christie and Middleton. Flagg’s bruising lay-up put the Mavericks back up. Harper’s traditional and-1 and Johnson’s three nudged San Antonio back ahead. Fox seemed to have gotten the message that it was time to put his stamp on tonight’s game and hit a couple of jumpers in the lane and followed it with a shotclock beating three. Bryant exacted a bit of revenge on Flagg by blocking his fadeaway attempt in the final minute of the quarter. Fox’s final attempt fell just errant, but his 14 points in the stanza helped make it 108-93 San Antonio going to the fourth.
For the Mavericks fan’s perspective, please visit Mavs Moneyball.
San Antonio finishes its best regular season in a decade with one more battle with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Sunday night at 7:30 PM CDT on ESPN.
If this is the Knicks’ opponent in the first round of the playoffs, they have to like their chances for an easy series against their personal punching bag.
And they played like a team that wanted to ensure they get this matchup.
They breezed past the Raptors 112-95 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden, marking another season sweep and their 13th straight win over Toronto — a streak that started in 2023.
Along with the Celtics’ rout of the Pelicans and Cavaliers’ loss to the Hawks, it locks the Knicks into the No. 3 seed in the East.
And the Raptors’ loss, coupled with the Hawks’ win over the Cavaliers, means the Raptors fall to the No. 6 seed — the seed that the Knicks will face in the first round — and the Hawks ascend to the No. 5 seed.
Jalen Brunson reacts after hitting a 3-point shot during the second quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on April 10, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The Knicks had a chance to have a big say in their first-round opponent. And their commanding win — with a little help — means it is most likely they’ll get the most favorable matchup — on paper, at least.
“I don’t know who we’ll play in the playoffs, but we’ve played a lot of these teams four or five times, whatever it is,” coach Mike Brown said. “We feel like we have a pretty good feel on what most teams want to do. And it’s no different for teams looking at us.”
There can still be another twist Sunday, though. The Raptors own the tiebreaker on the Hawks, so if the Raptors beat the Nets and the Hawks lose to the Heat, the two teams would flip-flop again and the Knicks would face the Hawks.
The Magic, after beating the Bulls, also still have a long-shot chance to claim the No. 6 seed, though that would require the Raptors to inexplicably lose to the tanking Nets.
Karl-Anthony Towns loses the ball during the first quarter. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
It means the Knicks’ regular-season finale against the Hornets is meaningless — they can sit their main players and get some extra rest ahead of the postseason.
“It’s great when you can be anywhere near the top [of the conference],” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We had the chance to dictate our destiny and we did that by winning these games. It’s great to be in this position.”
So much of the discourse in recent days has surrounded Jalen Brunson and Towns finally finding a rhythm together as the regular season winds down. And both were excellent Friday.
Brunson finished with a game-high 29 points. Towns was particularly impactful early — he scored or assisted the Knicks’ first seven points — and finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. They carried the scoring load with OG Anunoby missing the entire second half due to a left ankle injury and Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart both quiet.
Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet added 10 and eight points, respectively.
The Raptors were shorthanded, playing without ex-Knicks RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram puts up a shot as New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges defends during the third quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
The Knicks own a five-game winning streak, including three in a row over playoff teams after they went a month without beating a team above .500. They have also won 12 of their past 15 games.
“Tonight was a good night to show our improvement as a team,” Towns said. “Things we can be better at, but I think that right now confidence is high, morale is great in the locker room. It feels good to step into Sunday with that kind of momentum.”
After jumping out to an early 14-3 lead, the Knicks allowed the Raptors to close the first quarter on an 18-8 run and entered the second quarter with just a one-point lead. But the Knicks opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run. Jose Alvarado, after two straight DNPs, got some rare playing time with Miles McBride out (injury management) and helped spark the run. Alvarado finished with 12 points.
They took a 15-point lead into halftime and led by double digits nearly the entire second half.
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts in the fourth quarter. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
Mitchell Robinson’s absence (load management) meant Ariel Hukporti got some rare playing time as well when Towns was on the bench. He recorded eight points.
This Knicks-Raptors matchup hasn’t been competitive in years. And now there’s a strong chance we’ll see an entire series of it.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 10: Bub Carrington #7 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on April 10, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards were blown out by the Miami Heat in a 140-117 loss on Friday night at Capital One Arena. This was Washington’s last home game for the 2025-26 NBA season.
While the Wizards shot 50 percent from the field, the Heat shot 59.8 percent and Washington hardly led at all during the game which was essentially, all Miami all the time. Simone Fontecchio and Pelle Larson scored 24 points each to lead the Heat.
For the Wizards, Bub Carrington led with 30 points.
The Wizards’ next and last game of the 2025-26 season is on Sunday when they go on the road to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip off is at 6 p.m. ET. See you then.
The Knicks continued their season-long dominance of the Raptors, defeating Toronto 112-95 on Friday night at MSG.
New York's victory extends its winning streak to five games and has swept the Raptors this season. Their win, combined with the Celtics' win over the Pelicans, has locked the Knicks into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Here are the takeaways...
-Karl-Anthony Towns was very involved in the offense early. He either scored or assisted in the team's first seven points and the offense in general was buzzing, getting out to an early 14-3 start. However, the shots stopped dropping and the offense became stagnant as the Raptors chipped away at the Knicks lead, tying the game at 20-20 with 1:30 to go in the first. The Raptors actually took a one-point lead but a layup by Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet taking a charge allowed New York to go into the second quarter with a 22-21 lead.
Towns had a team-high seven points after one, while Mikal Bridges (5) and Jalen Brunson (6) were the high scorers for the Knicks. But the team was just 9 of 21 from the field, including 1 of 8 from three in the first quarter.
-The Knicks got out to a 10-0 run to start the second with the group of OG Anunoby, Jose Alvarado, Ariel Hukporti, Shamet, and Clarkson on the floor. But the story of the quarter was the defense on both sides, but the Knicks, in particular, held Toronto to just 15 points in the second frame and went into the half up 51-36.
Towns led all scorers with 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting, eight rebounds and four assists, while Brunson was not far behind with 13 points.
-The Knicks had a 17-point lead at one point in the third, but the Raptors clawed their way back to cut their deficit to nine points. Poor shot-making and poor transition defense allowed Toronto to get easy buckets. A Brunson fadeaway jumper from the baseline and a Josh Hart steal that led to an easy Bridges layup settled things down and the Knicks eventually built their lead to a game-high 19 points. The Knicks ended the third with a 79-64 lead.
-The reserves started the fourth and were in cruise control, but the Raptors -- who are playing to stay out of the play-in tournament -- kept the score close enough for the starters to come back in the game. Some big buckets from Bridges and the Knicks held off the Raptors long enough for the starters to be subbed out. The reserves held on for the win.
-With Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride not playing on the second of a back-to-back, coach Mike Brown went deep into his bench and many gave good minutes on Friday night.
Hukporti scored eight points and came down with four rebounds -- and was a plus-8 -- in his eight minutes. Alvarado scored 12 points in his 18 minutes.
Jeremy Sochan and Mohamed Diawara also saw some minutes in this one.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 20 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 and the Detroit Pistons beat Charlotte 118-100 on Friday night, locking the Hornets into the play-in tournament.
Already assured of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons played their regular starters against the Hornets.
Cade Cunningham scored 14 points, Ronald Holland II had 13 and Ausar Thompson added 12 for Detroit, which is one win shy of its first 60-win season in 20 years with one regular-season game remaining. Duren also had a game-high nine rebounds.
LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists and Brandon Miller had 22 points to lead the Hornets.
Through late in the third quarter, the lead had changed hands 11 times with 13 ties and neither team led by more than eight.
But Charlotte held its last lead at 83-82 with 5:52 left in the third quarter and after the teams were last tied at 87 with 2:46 left in that period, Detroit went on a 24-8 burst for a 111-92 lead with 6:23 to play.
A sellout crowd of 19,623 for the Hornets’ home finale saw the teams go at it from the outset.
That included double technicals assessed to Charlotte’s Miller and Detroit’s Robinson after Miller landed on Robinson and Robinson shoved him away after Miller’s dunk less than two minutes into the game.
Up next
Pistons: Visit Indiana on Sunday.
Hornets: Visit New York on Sunday for their regular-season finale.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 10: Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers… didn’t show us much in their final game against the Atlanta Hawks. There isn’t a whole lot to take from this one. So don’t give any of these grades too much merit.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
James Harden
20 points, 5 assists, 5 turnovers
Harden looks ready for anything other than regular-season basketball. I doubt he plays on Sunday — and if he does, the effort probably won’t be much better than this.
He was a minus-34 and had one more field goal than turnovers.
Tyson is the lone bright spot. He returned from a toe injury tonight and didn’t appear to miss a step. He wasn’t able to make a three-pointer, but he shot 7-10 from inside two-point range. Welcome back, JT.
Mobley crushed the Hawks in their last game. Tonight? Not so much.
I still think Mobley showed he has a size advantage in this matchup. But with little to play for, the Cavs didn’t make as concerted an effort to get him going.
Grade: F
Keon Ellis
2 points, 3 rebounds
Recently, I’ve talked a lot about Ellis making poor defensive decisions. So I leave you with this clip as an example.
This one is entirely on Ellis, too
He knows Mobley will be in a heavy drip since Dyson is setting the screen. Absolutely zero reason to go under in this scenario https://t.co/iZDPKlcK2W
I missed when Strus made every shot. His 1-9 effort tonight was painful. I’d prefer he gets this out of his system before the playoffs begin, though.
Grade: F
Craig Porter
6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks
Porter still has the same offensive limitations as always. It’s hard to play an undersized guard who can’t space the floor. His ceiling will be drastically lower than it could be until he figures this out.
Grade: C
Dean Wade
3 points, 3 rebounds
I’m genuinely not sure if Dean Wade actually played in this game or if the box score is lying to me. I vaguely remember his three-pointer in the first half. But that could have been a fever dream.
Grade: F
Dennis Schroder
7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
This is the type of game you need Schroder to step up. His 2-8 shooting didn’t cut it.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on against the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter at State Farm Arena on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers had their butts handed to them 124-102 by the Atlanta Hawks in what was likely the last night resembling anything of a normal game for the Cavs. After this, there is only one game against the Washington Wizards left on the schedule. I… wouldn’t expect any major players to suit up for that one.
I wouldn’t say the Cavs threw this game. They started two of their core players in Evan Mobley and James Harden, while offering Jaylon Tyson a chance to hit the hardwood for the first time since suffering a toe injury in mid-March. Considering the Cavs history with toe injuries, I don’t think they’d rush Tyson back in a game they didn’t care about winning.
That said, it became clear that Cleveland didn’t care much about the outcome of this game. Especially, given that a loss would guarantee they stay in fourth place of the Eastern Conference — securing them a playoff path that doesn’t feature the Boston Celtics until potentially the Conference Finals.
The Cavs put up a decent fight through two quarters. But there was a tangible difference in how badly each team wanted this one. The Hawks were desperate to lock themselves into a playoff spot. A dance in the Play-In could have awaited them if they failed to win tonight. That’s worth getting up for.
The difference in effort became impossible to ignore by the third quarter. Cleveland, at one point, went five straight possessions without even attempting a shot. Atlanta’s defense generated countless steals as the lead ballooned to 30 points.
Predictably, the Cavs emptied their reserves to open the fourth quarter. Game over.
James Harden led the way with 20 points. He was, however, a staggering minus-34 in 25 minutes.
We’ll see you on Sunday for the regular season finale.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (25-55) play their last road game of the 2025-206 regular season, facing off against the San Antonio Spurs (61-19). Dallas last played the Phoenix Suns and could not notch a win despite a valiant effort down many rotation guys. The Spurs are coming off wins over the Philadelphia Sixers and Portland Trailblazers, where they really put the defensive clamps on both teams.
Here are the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs
WHAT: Last road game of the year
WHERE: Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, Texas
WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The injury report is long. Dallas is no longer playing around with this tanking stuff. Here is who is not going to play: Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Brandon Williams. These guys are questionable as of this writing: Marvin Bagleyand Dwight Powell. All three two way guys are playing as is Cooper Flagg.
Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama are each questionable but it’s important to note that the Spurs are going to need Wembanyama to play either tonight or Sunday to qualify for awards and year end teams. I expect him to play tonight so he continue to heal from his rib contusion.
We’ll see Dallas play hard, but the Spurs have beaten Dallas by double digits every time they’ve played this season. The Cooper Flagg vs Carter Bryant match up is where I’ll have my eye, the latter is just an awesome basketball player.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs plays defense during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on February 7, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
Let’s be honest. The Mavericks aren’t looking to win any more games this season. With the sixth-worst record in the league, they don’t want to pass up the Grizzlies and reduce their lottery odds any more—although they did pretty well in last year’s lottery with some long odds, landing them Cooper Flagg. Speaking of the young stud, their strategy is likely to consist of feeding the ball to Cooper and try to get him to score a lot of points, like resulting in efforts like his 51 point outburst on April 3 against the Magic in a game that the Mavs lost 127-138. The injury report for the Mavs has 13 players on it, but most of the players listed are expected to play with some bumps and bruises, including Flagg, who is probable with a sprained wrist.
The Spurs list both Castle and Wembanyama as questionable, but Wemby is expected to play at least 20 minutes in order to cement his eligibility for NBA awards. Since the Mavericks aren’t playing any defense at this point in the season, he could end up playing with minimal contact, which would make Spurs fans happy. I think the plan tonight is to give the starters enough time to work on some sets, and hopefully turn the ball over to Jordan McLaughlin to drive the team home in the fourth quarter.
The is the penultimate game of the season for the Silver and Black, which is a fancy to say that it’s the next to last game. They play again on Sunday, with a matchup against the Nuggets. Depending on the outcome of other games, that game could decide whether the Nuggets are in third place in the west, and in that case, the Spurs might be motivated to play their starters to try and put the Nuggets in the opposite side of the playoff bracket from San Antonio, because a second round matchup with Los Angeles or Houston would be a lot more favorable than facing a team with a proven championship pedigree like Denver.
Just as an aside, did you think we’d be talking about second round playoff matchups when the season started? The Spurs started the season against the Mavericks, winning 125-92, and it was at that point that I started to realize that the team might be good this year, but they’ve really improved by leaps and bounds since then. That’s wild. GO SPURS GO!
Game Prediction:
Carter Bryant scores 30 with 5 blocks, 3 of them on Flagg.
San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks April 8, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: KENS Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
Mar 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) works around Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets vs Minnesota Timberwolves
April 10, 2026
Location: Toyota Center – Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Online: Rockets App , SCHN+, Amazon
Time: 8:30pm CST
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
