Ja Morant and Buddy Hield, as well as the Grizzlies and Warriors organizations, are getting warnings for using a finger gun celebration but will face no other penalties or punishments, something confirmed by NBC Sports (Shams Charania was first).
However, don't be surprised if the NBA takes up the issue and implements some kind of rule banning the gesture in the offseason.
Morant made multiple finger gun celebrations during his team's loss to Golden State. The Warriors' Hield mocked Morant, doing it back to him when Golden State was in control of the game.
Ja Morant appeared to make a gun gesture at the Warriors' bench late in the game pic.twitter.com/fTvFA0wpit
The league determined that, while the gestures were inappropriate, there was no intention for them to be violent in nature, so the league settled on just a warning for everyone involved.
The challenge for the NBA, as Morant's teammate Desmond Bane pointed out, is that a number of players from around the league have been doing variations of finger gun celebrations for years. When and where do they want to draw the line? The NBA has no rule explicitly banning this gesture, but it has fined players for things such as a throat-slashing gesture or the big balls celebration in the past (players know if they do those things they get a fine). Expect the topic to come up again this offseason.
This gun gesture took on a larger-than-it-deserved part of the NBA discussion because of Morant's history. He was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Morant served a 25-game suspension at the start of last season after Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car.
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski had the half of his life against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The second-year guard dropped in 22 points — the most he has scored in a half in his brief NBA career — and capped it in epic fashion, with a running half-court buzzer-beater.
Freshman Avery Howell is leaving Southern California and entering the transfer portal, along with two other Trojans guards. Howell announced her decision on her Instagram account. Howell averaged nearly 21 minutes off the bench.
Moody threw down a dunk of the year candidate in the first quarter of the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Upon replay review, the officials determined that the fourth-year guard committed an offensive foul.
Reaves had his feet set outside the restricted area, leading to the overturned call.
Moody, starting his 28th game of the season, has played an instrumental part in the Warriors’ midseason turnaround and he almost had his moment of the season.
Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers on Thursday and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers' Final Four matchup with Florida. Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers' leading scorer and emotional leader. Auburn got a major scare when he injured his elbow in the Tigers' win over Michigan State to get to the Final Four.
Jamion Christian will move to the Rhode Island school after spending the last two seasons as coach of Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian Professional Basketball League.
"I want my career to end on my terms, that's the only thing."
That's how 37-year-old Kevin Durant described his future recently on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. That future likely will be with another team as Durant and the Suns are expected to part ways this summer, something league sources have confirmed to NBC Sports and has been widely reported. With one year left on his contract and seeking an extension, Durant has some control over where he might get traded.
"Back at the NBA trade deadline in February, Minnesota, Miami, New York, San Antonio and Houston were among the team, I'm told, there was mutual interest between Durant and those teams. I expect those teams and potentially other to be back in the fray this summer."
You can be sure plenty more teams will at least kick the tires on a Durant trade.
Among those the teams ESPN mentioned, it would be a real challenge for Miami and New York to match salaries and provide the three first-round picks and a young player that the Suns are hoping to get back in a trade (whatever team makes this trade, it likely ends up involving three or more teams). The Suns also want to dump salary in this and get below the second apron. Houston and San Antonio are better positioned to make that work if those up-and-coming squads decide that chasing Durant is the path they want to choose. Rockets GM Rafael Stone has said he wants to see what his team looks like in the playoffs this year before making any moves.
Golden State was also in the mix back in February, and talks got pretty far down the road between the teams before someone bothered to ask Durant, who said he didn't want to return to the Bay Area. With the Warriors pivoting to trade for Jimmy Butler, they are out of the running this time. It should be noted that Durant is "open" to signing a $122 million extension and staying in Phoenix, reports Logan Murdock at The Ringer. The odds on that outcome are long, but it's on the table.
Phoenix owner Mat Ishbia has been clear that he doesn't want a total teardown and rebuild after a wildly disappointing season, but instead seeks quick retooling around Devin Booker (he has shot down the idea that the Suns might trade Booker). Trading Durant can bring back the kinds of players to help with that, plus some picks to replenish the Suns' depleted stock (they don't control their own pick until 2032). A Durant trade is expected to happen, but the "where" is still very much in the air.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, left, passed Lakers legend Jerry West for 25th on the NBA all-time scoring list. (Associated Press; Getty Images)
The focus rightly was on the immediate.
Stephen Curry scored 52 points Tuesday in a 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies that vaulted the surging Golden State Warriors into fifth place in the Western Conference standings. He made 12 three-point shots, two shy of former teammate Klay Thompson’s single-game NBA record.
Curry's performance was so otherworldly that Gilbert Arenas stopped watching his son, USC commit Alijah, play in the McDonald's All-American Game to follow the scoring barrage from the 37-year-old 10-time All-Star guard.
“That’s special, obviously in our memory and what he meant to the league, to the world of basketball, to our organization when he worked here,” Curry said of West, who died in June. “And my relationship with Jonnie. I got to talk to him after the game, just to share a moment of what it meant for me, my family, the entire West family.
"So that is special. Just understanding what his career was, that’s The Logo, so very special. I’ll keep that ball and put it in a good place.”
Cracking the top 25 in career scoring — Curry has 25,205 points — is a feat Curry cherished because he eclipsed West. Otherwise, it's just another rung in a ladder he'll continue climbing at warp speed.
In his 16th season, Curry's play has diminished only a tick. After the 52-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist and six-steal performance, he's averaging 24.4 points, 6.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds a game this season.
The Clippers' James Harden, currently 11th with 27,527 points, likely will beat Curry to 30,000, and DeMar DeRozan is on Curry's heels at 25,159.
Curry, though, was reminded in the fourth quarter Tuesday not to chase records when he missed consecutive three-point attempts with Thompson's mark on his mind. He tapped his chest and apologized to teammates after the second errant shot.
"The first two shots I took in the fourth quarter were a reflection of that,” Curry said. “First touch, shot it in transition. Then went iso left wing. Missed both of those and then I kinda came to reality. Those were the ultimate heat checks even though I just got back in the game.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr excused his star guard for the momentary lapse.
“The guy is 37 years old,” he said. “Incredible. Fifty-two points with people draped all over him all game long. The conditioning. The skill. The audacity. The belief. It’s just incredible to watch Steph at work.”
This seems a fitting final note on the 76ers' massively disappointing season.
Philadelphia will formally shut down Tyrese Maxey for the season due to a finger tendon injury, which has been expected but is a story formally broken by Shams Charania of ESPN. While the team has yet to make that official, Charania said Maxey's agent, Rich Paul, confirmed the news. That injury has sidelined Maxey since March 3, and while he has worked toward a return, Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of a recent workout, "It went just 'medium.' It didn't like 'Oh, that was great,' you know? So it's just medium, but he's still working."
With the 76ers sitting 13th in the East, 11 games back of even the last play-in spot and more focused on keeping their top-six protected pick, what was the point of bringing back Maxey?
Forced to take on more of a scoring load this season with Joel Embiid and Paul George missing time due to injuries, Maxey broke out and averaged a career-high 26.3 points a game, but injuries limited him to 52 games this season.
Embiid, George and Maxey played just 15 games together this season, with the Sixers going 7-8 in those contests, and the team had a -0.9 net rating when all three were on the court together. While that is underwhelming (to say the least), expect the 76ers to run it back because the contracts of Embiid and George are virtually untradable (especially with Embiid having his knee scoped, again), and the 76ers would not consider trading Maxey. Philly is going to give this another run.
It’s Thursday, April 3, and the Orlando Magic (37-40) and Washington Wizards (17-59) are all set to square off from Capital One Arena in Washington.
The Magic are currently 17-21 on the road with a point differential of -1, while the Wizards have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. Orlando has won all three meetings by at least 15 points versus Washington this season.
Washington is coming off a win against Sacramento last night to snap a three-game losing streak. Orlando is 5-2 over the last seven games and 2-2 in the previous four.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Magic vs. Wizards live today
Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Capital One Arena
City: Washington, DC
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Magic vs. Wizards
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Odds: Magic (-971), Wizards (+633)
Spread: Magic -13.5
Over/Under: 217 points
That gives the Magic an implied team point total of 114.62, and the Wizards 107.58.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s Magic vs. Wizards game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Magic to cover:
"Since Washington is coming off an upset win over the Kings last night, this is a fade spot to me. It's Orlando or pass, as the Magic needed a comeback versus the Spurs in their last game, but should not need that here."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Magic & Wizards game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Orlando Magic on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at +13.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 217.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Magic vs. Wizards on Thursday
The Wizards are 1-4 in their last 5 home games
16 of the Magic's last 19 road trips to the Wizards have gone over the Total
The Wizards have failed to cover the Spread in 4 of their last 5 matchups against divisional opponents
The Magic have won 7 of their last 9 on the road, while the Wizards have lost 5 straight home games
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It was a multi-year process that the current controlling Timberwolves owner, Glen Taylor, tried to stop — and could have dragged out with an appeal of an arbitrator's ruling — but Taylor has decided against the appeal, and the sale of the Minnesota franchise is finally going through.
Taylor has agreed to sell 100% of the Minnesota Timberwolves to Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez for the $1.5 billion franchise valuation agreed to in 2021, a story broken by Shams Charania and Brian Windhorst of ESPN and confirmed by multiple other reporters since. The NBA has formally started transferring ownership, including a vote from the Board of Governors (the other owners).
The dragged-out, convoluted process of Lore and Rodriguez buying the team started four years ago. This unique sale process involved Lore/Rodriguez essentially buying the team in installments at a $1.5 billion price tag, with all sides agreeing to this process in 2021.
The dispute arose around the final payment of that sale, which Taylor voided, saying it came after the prescribed deadline. However, Lore and Rodriguez argued that they did turn in the paperwork on time, and the sale agreement allowed for an extension of 90 days to finalize the deal if their financing was in place before the deadline — and it was despite changing financing partners. Rodriguez and Lore argued that Taylor simply had seller's remorse (maybe in part because the value of the franchise skyrocketed in the years after the sale).
The disagreement went to arbitration, and the panel agreed with Lore and Rodriguez. Taylor could have appealed but chose not to. The sides have now agreed to finalize the deal.
Taylor, 83, still turns a healthy profit: He bought the Timberwolves in 1994 for $88 million (keeping the team from a potential relocation to New Orleans).
Among the things the Lore/Rodriguez ownership is expected to do is extend team head of basketball operations Tim Connelly, as well as try to repair the franchise's relationship with its best player ever, Kevin Garnett (who had a feud with Taylor).
It’s Thursday, April 3, and the Minnesota Timberwolves (44-32) and Brooklyn Nets (25-51) are all set to square off from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Timberwolves are currently 21-16 on the road with a point differential of 5, while the Nets have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. This is the first of two remaining matchups between the Nets and Timberwolves.
Minnesota has won three straight games and four of the past five contests, while Brooklyn has won the past two games by seven combined points versus Washington and Dallas.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Timberwolves vs. Nets live today
Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: Barclays Center
City: Brooklyn, NY
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Timberwolves vs. Nets
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Odds: Timberwolves (-935), Nets (+618)
Spread: Timberwolves -13
Over/Under: 216 points
That gives the Timberwolves an implied team point total of 113.87, and the Nets 107.09.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Thursday’s Timberwolves vs. Nets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Nets to cover:
"Minnesota is coming off that emotional and wild win in 2OT versus the Nuggets, but they travel across the country from Denver to Brooklyn for this contest. This is a large double-digit spread to cover if you are Minnesota as they just want the win and to continue the road trip. I lean the points with the Nets as a backdoor cover is very likely."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Timberwolves & Nets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brooklyn Nets at +13.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 216.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Timberwolves vs. Nets on Thursday
The Timberwolves have won 4 of their last 5 away games against teams with losing records
7 of the Timberwolves' last 9 games (78%) have gone over the Total
This season the Nets have covered the spread in 28 games against teams with better records
The Timberwolves have won 6 of their last 7 away games against teams with losing records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Bet the Edge is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
