Category: Basketball

LeBron James moved gingerly to the bench, grabbing at the inside of his left leg midway through the third quarter.

This, for the Lakers, was a possible worst-case scenario on a night when they could lock up their best-case scenario for the playoffs.

A win against the Rockets with Houston sitting 80% of its starting lineup would lock the Lakers into the No. 3 seed, giving them and their starters an extended rest heading into the first round of the playoffs that would begin in more than a week inside their building.

Read more:'Everybody had my back.' Lakers forge tighter bond supporting Luka Doncic in Dallas

But losing James to a groin injury? That could puncture their championship dreams.

Without him, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves took turns barbecuing the reserve Rockets’ perimeter defense, but the Lakers needed their 40-year-old star to be OK.

Turns out, he was just fine.

In the fourth quarter after Reaves made rookie Jack McVeigh stumble, James celebrated the step-back by walking off the bench all the way to the basket, only to moonwalk his way back — one of a handful of times he celebrated in the Lakers’ 140-109 win — an outcome that ensures their season finale in Portland won’t have any impact on their postseason.

It’s the first time the Lakers have avoided the play-in tournament since 2020, when they last won a championship.

“It just gives us a couple more days to be very prepared for whatever matchup we have,” Reaves said.

That means Sunday can be a day of rest for the Lakers’ stars while they wait to see who they’ll face in the playoffs, hosting a Game 1 in Los Angeles for the first time since the first round of the 2012 playoffs.

It’s expected the Lakers will rest as many of their key players as possible against the Trail Blazers.

Friday, in what likely was his regular-season finale, Doncic was sublime, scoring 39 points on only 19 shots in 31 minutes. Reaves had 23 points, Dorian Finney-Smith had 18 and Rui Hachimura had 16. James left the game after 22 minutes with 14 points and eight assists.

The Lakers shot 61% from the field during their 50th win. It was their best-shooting game of the season.

After the game the locker room erupted in celebration, the party so loud it could be heard through the walls. As JJ Redick met his players, they met him with ice buckets, dousing the rookie coach.

“The whole locker room is literally the water,” Hachimura said. “Straight water.”

They had reason to celebrate before refocusing on the next chapter of their season.

“It's an accomplishment to win 50 games in the regular season in any year,” Redick said. “I think particularly in this year, in this Western Conference, it is. And it's a credit to our players. Each one at different points in time has contributed to winning. They've all participated in a winning culture.”

And the Lakers hope it’s a championship culture too.

“That's gotta be [the] only goal, and that's our only goal,” Doncic said. “ I think we have the team to do it. When everybody's locked in, you know, we're a hard team to beat.

“That's our goal."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

They've played 81 games and won 49 and yet the Clippers' postseason place won't be decided until their regular-season finale Sunday at Golden State. The Clippers have the eighth-best record in the NBA and are fifth in the uber-tough Western Conference.

So what comes next for the Clippers is quite straightforward.

Beat the Warriors and the Clippers are in the playoffs. Lose and they could be in danger of falling into the play-in.

“High stakes, huh?” Clippers center Ivica Zubac said Friday night while soaking his swollen right ankle in a bucket of ice after a 101-100 win over the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

Read more:Ivica Zubac delivers first triple-double as playoff-focused Clippers beat Rockets

The Clippers nearly gave up all of their 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. Holding a one-point lead, James Harden turned over the ball trying to inbound it, with Keegan Murray getting the steal.

The Kings called a timeout with 2.2 seconds left. But DeMar DeRozan missed a runner while being defended by Derrick Jones Jr. and Zubac, allowing the Clippers to win their seventh consecutive game.

But because so many tiebreakers are not in the Clippers’ favor, they'll have to win an eighth straight game to secure a playoff spot.

The Clippers and the Denver Nuggets have identical 49-32 records and split the season-series 2-2. Denver is the fourth seed because it has the tiebreaker of a better conference record at 31-20 compared to L.A.'s 28-23.

If the Clippers lose to the Warriors and the Nuggets beat Houston and the Timberwolves beat the Jazz, L.A. would fall to seventh in the West and meet Memphis in a play-in game Tuesday night at the Intuit Dome.

“Imagine if we didn’t win all these games,” said Zubac, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Kings. “We got a lot of wins but other teams did too. So, one game, playoffs or play-in. So, it’s going to be fun.”

Basically, a Clippers loss and wins by the Warriors and Timberwolves would leave all three teams with the same records.

The Timberwolves would become the fifth seed and the Warriors would be the sixth seed and the Clippers seventh.

The main tiebreaker that put the Clippers in this position was going 0-3 against the Timberwolves.

“Win 49 games and if you don’t win Sunday, you got a chance to be seventh,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “So, we just got to keep scrapping, keep competing. One game at a time. It is what it is. But you didn’t ever think you’d win 49 games and still could be in the play-in. So, it is what it is.”

The Clippers stayed in contention behind 28 points from Kawhi Leonard and Harden's triple-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Norman Powell had 16 points as the Clippers benefited from a stellar defense to narrowly hold off the Kings.

They just have to do it again against the Warriors at Chase Center in San Francisco.

“The outcome is going to tell what happens,” Leonard said. “So, just go out and play. That’s all you can do — play and have fun.”

The Clippers have beaten the Warriors three times this season. But Golden State is a different team from the one they last faced Dec. 27.

Golden State is 23-7 since adding Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline.

“That’s a good team over there,” Zubac said. “They’ve been playing well. ... They got a lot of experience, a lot of playoff games together. So, got to be locked in, got to be the team we’ve been all year on the defensive end. It’s going to be tough. But I think we’re in a good spot. So it’s going to be fun.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Knicks were on track to end their winless streak against the NBA’s top teams on Friday. 

New York was dominating the shorthanded Cavaliers, who were resting a good number of their starters with their playoff seeding locked up, and leading by as many as 23 points in the first half, but suddenly things changed.

Cleveland came storming back, taking their first lead of the game at the five-minute mark of the fourth quarter, and then securing the come-from-behind win thanks to some timely buckets from Darius Garland and Max Strus.  

New York was ultimately handed their third consecutive loss, which helped them finish an ugly 0-8 against the two teams above them in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs and Boston Celtics.

“You have to play for 48 minutes in this league, no lead is safe,” Tom Thibodeau said. 

What exactly went wrong down the stretch? The head coach felt just about everything. 

“We gotta look at ourselves and see what we did and get it fixed fast,” he said. “That’s the challenge that we have -- we’re heading down the stretch. We knew the challenge with Jalen [Brunson] being out and then coming back and losing other guys.

"But you have to have rhythm going into the playoffs, this has to be changed quickly."

And it certainly does -- the Knicks have just one more regular season game on Sunday afternoon against the rival Nets before they kick off the postseason with their first-round matchup against the Pistons, who beat them earlier this week. 

Detroit’s squad presents no easy task, as they went 3-1 against New York this year.

“That’s a good young team,” Josh Hart said. “We know the brand of basketball that they play. We have to go out there, match their physicality and exceed it. We have one more game on Sunday so we have to focus on that and we have one week to prepare.”

While Hart this team isn’t playing anywhere close to their best brand of basketball at the moment, he remains confident that they’ll be able to turn things around when it matters the most. 

“At the end of the day playoff basketball is totally different,” he said. “Everyone starts 0-0, everything else is just outside noise. We just have to focus on the guys in this locker room and doing what it takes to have success as a team, and go out there and execute.”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Rudy Gobert matched his career high with 35 points and had 11 rebounds for Minnesota in a 117-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night that put the Timberwolves on the brink of a top-six finish that would avoid the play-in games.

Julius Randle added 21 points for the Timberwolves (48-33), who would win the majority of multi-team tiebreakers within the cluster of clubs that have pinballed back and forth for weeks in the Western Conference from third through eighth place.

One problem: Anthony Edwards picked up his 18th technical foul of the season. That prompted an automatic suspension for the next game on Sunday that the Timberwolves will need to win to improve their seed.

Edwards had just nine points while shooting 1 for 7 from 3-point range. He scored 44 points and went 7 for 11 from deep to lead Minnesota’s 141-125 win at Memphis the night before.

Keon Johnson scored 20 points for the Nets (26-55), who will finish with their worst record in eight years.

Takeaways

Nets: The scratch list included the entire starting frontcourt of Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson and Ziaire Williams. Claxton (rest) and Williams (knee) both played on Thursday. The starting lineup included rookies Reece Beekman and Drew Timme with Trendon Watford the oldest at 24.

Timberwolves: The absence of the 6-foot-10 Claxton and the lack of incentive for the Nets gave Gobert plenty of space to operate in the paint. He went 13 for 17 from the floor.

Key moment

Edwards was whistled for a foul while closely guarding Johnson on the wing midway through the second quarter. After a complaint to official Ray Acosta, he quickly got the technical, too.

Key stat

The Timberwolves are 26-10 this season when Randle has scored 20-plus points.

Up next

The Nets finish at home against New York on Sunday, when the Timberwolves host Utah.

The Knicks fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-102 on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

Here are some takeaways...

- The Cavs (63-17) have already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference so, as they did on Thursday night in Indiana, they rested a number of their key pieces including leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, and De'Andre Hunter.

- The Knicks also came into the night with four of their starting five questionable, but the only one who ended up sitting was Karl-Anthony Towns, which forced Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup and he provided an immediate spark -- putting up five points and three boards as he played all 12 minutes in the first.

- New York started out very smooth offensively, with all five starters recording a bucket in the opening quarter. As a team, they knocked down 7-of-10 threes while shooting a whopping 63 percent from the field to quickly open a double-digit advantage.

- Miles McBride and Landry Shamet provided a nice spark off the bench, knocking down three threes each and combining for 20 first-half points to help extend the lead to as much as 23 -- but Cleveland came surging back in the closing minutes of the second to cut into the deficit.

Jalen Brunson had an efficient half on his bobblehead night, finishing 6-of-9 with a game-high 15 points.

- The Knicks came out of the locker room strong led by OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, who scored 13 of the team's first 15 points in the half. The season-long third-quarter struggles quickly resurfaced, though, and Cleveland was able to get it all the way back down to a one-possession game.

Timely buckets down the stretch helped the Knicks carry an eight-point advantage into the final frame.

- The shorthanded Cavaliers refused to go away again, and a Darius Garland three at the five-minute mark in the fourth gave them their first lead of the game. Brunson helped keep the Knicks in it down the stretch, but they were unable to get key stops because of the hot shooting of Garland and Max Strus -- who drilled two big threes.

- Brunson finished with a game-high 27 points while Bridges contributed 17 and Anunoby pitched in 15. All three were outdone by Garland, who led the way for the Cavs with a 26-point and 13-assist double-double.

- New York finished the regular season winless (0-8) against the Cavs and Celtics.

- Despite the loss, the Knicks still locked up the No. 3 seed and a first-round meeting with the Pistons thanks to Indiana losing to the Magic and the Bucks beating Detroit.

Game MVP: Darius Garland

Garland was terrific, leading the way for Cleveland with 26 points and 13 assists.

Highlights

OG stepback for three 💪

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/TfADHw5nWD

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 11, 2025

BEAUTIFUL pass from OG to Mitch 🔥

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/LaHXjwv2Hr

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 11, 2025

Jalen Brunson with the reverse!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/MW6EGZUkGi

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 11, 2025

Back-to-back Jalen Brunson threes 🎯

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/BH08Wymhwt

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 12, 2025

Whats next

The Knicks close out the regular season with a meeting with the crosstown rival Nets on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

The Knicks’ first-round matchup is officially set. 

With the Pacers’ loss to the Magic and the Bucks beating the Pistons, New York has locked up the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and they’ll take on Detroit in the opening round. 

The Knicks struggled against the young and hungry Pistons this year, going 3-1 in the season series.

The latest matchup was on Thursday night when New York blew a double-digit third advantage, as poor second-half shooting and sloppy turnovers led to a 115-106 loss.

New York won their first matchup back on Nov. 1 of last year, 128-98, in Detroit. However, the Pistons won back-to-back games at MSG following that loss. They won 120-111 on Dec. 7, 2024, and 124-119 on Jan. 13.

The two have met three other times in the playoffs.

Steph expects ‘Game 7' vibe in crucial Warriors-Clippers season finale originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

There’s a lot on the line for the Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday to end the 2024-25 NBA regular season. 

Essentially, on Golden State’s side, a win earns it the No. 6 seed, while a loss likely drops the Warriors into the NBA play-in tournament. Meanwhile, Los Angeles could fall to the No. 7 seed with a loss.

So, the stakes clearly are high for both sides, which is why Steph Curry and Draymond Green anticipate a postseason-esque environment at Chase Center on Sunday afternoon.

“I don’t want to be too dramatic — it should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe,” Curry told reporters after the Warriors’ 103-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night. “If you win, you control your destiny on a guaranteed playoff series. If you lose, you roll the dice.

“… Good teams find a way to win big games like that, and that’s what we’re aiming to be.”

“I don’t want to be too dramatic — it should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe.”

Steph believes the environment for Warriors-Clippers on Sunday should be tense 👀 pic.twitter.com/8O4TjdJMyz

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

Green shared a similar sentiment, saying the season finale will be “like a playoff game.”

“Super intense,” Green affirmed in his postgame presser. “Two teams fighting for their playoff lives. I expect it to be a very physical, high-intelligence, high-level basketball game.”

Though the Warriors lost all three previous matchups against the Clippers early this season, Green believes Golden State is “a new team” due to the trade-deadline addition of star forward Jimmy Butler.

But even though these teams haven’t faced off in their current states, Sunday’s showdown has all the makings of a memorable, dramatic battle.

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Draymond states Warriors are ‘new team' ahead of Clippers showdown originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green is certain the Warriors’ vital regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center will be a tough challenge. 

After all, Golden State, depending on the result, will either remain in the final NBA playoff spot or fall to No. 7 and host a play-in game.

In the Warriors’ defense, however, coach Steve Kerr and Co. recently have found new life. 

“It’s a tough game for us,” Green told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike on “Warriors Postgame Live” after Golden State’s 103-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday at Moda Center.

“They beat us three times this year, but we’re a new team.” 

"We're a new team."

Draymond previews the Warriors' pivotal matchup with the Clippers on Sunday 👀 pic.twitter.com/6Eh8DyKVGP

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

Green isn’t wrong. Golden State has performed a 180-degree turn since trading for six-time NBA All-Star wing Jimmy Butler at the Feb. 6 trade deadline. 

Before Butler’s arrival, the Warriors were ailing for additional two-way versatility, with a 25-26 record to show for it. Since the 35-year-old’s arrival in the Bay Area, Golden State has propelled to a 23-7 record with him on the team. 

The Warriors’ recent success doesn’t revoke the Clippers’ notorious pedigree, though.

“It’s always fun going up against a Ty Lue-coached team,” Green added. “Kawhi Leonard is a great player. We’ve had our battles with James Harden. 

“That team is playing really good basketball, so we have to make sure we bring our A game.” 

As Green mentioned, the Clippers’ high-powered offense edged the Warriors on three occasions this season – and it wasn’t a coincidence. 

Outside of its talent, Lue and Co. are geared with the X’s and O’s capable of curbing Golden State’s strengths – both offensively and defensively. 

On Sunday, however, Los Angeles will come face-to-face with an unfamiliar Golden State.

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Steph brushes off injury concern after Playoff Jimmy takes over originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The absolute last thing the Warriors can afford with the NBA playoffs right around the corner is any kind of Steph Curry injury concern.

Every Warriors player, coach and fan found themselves full of fear Friday night as Curry shook his right hand in pain during the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers. 

Steph Curry went to the Warriors' locker room after appearing to injure his hand on this play pic.twitter.com/W2c3TCrllU

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

Curry hit his right thumb against Justin Minaya’s left knee as the Blazers forward guarded him. He then went back to the Warriors’ locker room when coach Steve Kerr took a timeout with two minutes left in the first quarter. Curry initially was considered questionable to return, but then was back with his right thumb wrapped and eight minutes remaining in the first half. 

As the Warriors blew out the Blazers at Moda Center, 103-86, Curry played 27 minutes and scored 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting while going 2 of 8 on threes. 

X-rays on Curry’s right thumb came back negative, the Warriors told media members in Portland after the game. 

“I’m feeling great, ready to play Game 82 on Sunday,” Curry told reporters. 

Friday night wasn’t the first time Curry has dealt with an issue to his right hand and thumb this season. He first hurt it in December and has played through the injury since. Curry says he was told the injury was aggravated Friday night, and “hopefully it wasn’t anything serious.”

Whatever level of pain Curry felt when his right thumb jammed into Minaya was obvious. It also didn’t immediately get him out of the game. Curry actually continued on and assisted a Gary Payton II layup on the same play. On the Warriors’ next offensive possession, Curry made an acrobatic floater while crashing to the ground. 

But he also was jumping up and down, grabbing his right hand, shaking it and wincing while doing so. Jonathan Kuminga was called for a take foul and Kerr called timeout, essentially to get Curry out of the game and looked at. 

Before going back to the locker room, Curry had four points on 2-of-5 shooting, missed his lone 3-point attempt and also had one rebound, one assist and one blocked shot. Though the Warriors were facing an extremely short-handed Blazers team with little to play for, it’s always a positive when the Warriors can stay afloat or outscore their opponent without Curry on the court. The Warriors outscored the Blazers 14-3 while Curry was getting X-rays, giving them a nine-point lead once the star point guard returned. 

When Curry came back with a taped right wrist and thumb, he didn’t seem to miss a beat. Curry scored six points – both off 3-pointers – and added three rebounds and three assists in the second quarter. But he clearly was using his left hand, especially dribbling, and on the bench left his right hand on his lap, only using his left to slap hands and celebrate. 

Curry admitted the pain affected his shot “a little bit.” He finished with 10 points after getting taped on 4-of-9 shooting and made two of his seven 3-point attempts.

“It was freshly ringing new pain, but I don’t think it will last too long,” Curry said. “I’m not really good with the anatomy. I just know it hurts right now, but I’ll be all right.”

If Curry is to have any ailments, no one player can fill his shoes. However, there is one player teammates, coaches and fans alike will turn to. The player that changed the Warriors’ season. The 35-year-old who the Warriors will be paying over $54 million next season, and more than $56 million the season after that.

Jimmy Butler. 

It was the Blazers. It was against some players even most die-hard NBA fans couldn’t name. Still, it was takeover time for Butler. Shades of Playoff Jimmy sprouted in the City of Roses. 

Butler scored nine points in the third quarter. He replaced Curry for the final two minutes and 43 seconds of the third and rattled off five points, including a three-point play that brought back memories of his dominant playoff performances with the Miami Heat. 

Jimmy goes up-and-under plus the foul 😳 pic.twitter.com/ok54SbRtf2

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

The main goal of the fourth quarter as the Warriors entered leading by 20 points was ensuring Curry could watch the rest of the game from the bench. Butler made sure that was the case. He again scored another nine points in just six-and-a-half minutes. The second half was the secondary star the Warriors acquired two months ago being showcased in front of us days from the postseason. 

In 14-and-a-half minutes played over the final two quarters, Butler scored 18 of the Warriors’ 53 points. No other Warrior scored more than six. He was a perfect 7 of 7 on free throws in that span, plus had three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Butler’s 24 total points gave him his 11th 20-point game in his 29th contest since joining Golden State. 

He also went 11 of 11 on free throws, and now has 10 games with the Warriors of attempting 10 or more free throws. Prior to his arrival, the Warriors had a total of 10 games this season where a single player shot at least 10 free throws. One man changed everything. 

And one man holds the keys to a game where Curry doesn’t live up to his lofty standards, or even worse, injury concerns come back at the most inopportune time.

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Kornet takes aim at White in hilarious Tommy Award ad, White responds originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With only two games remaining in the 2024-25 campaign, Boston Celtics big man Luke Kornet made a last-ditch effort to win the coveted season-long Tommy Award.

NBC Sports Boston has handed out the Tommy Award since 2003. The honor began with legendary Celtics broadcaster Tommy Heinsohn awarding “Tommy Points” for players who went above and beyond on the court.

Since replacing the late Heinsohn on the Celtics’ broadcast, Brian Scalabrine has been in charge of handing out Tommy Awards. Derrick White (14) and Luke Kornet (12) entered Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets ranked first and second on the team in total Tommy Awards for the season.

Kornet attempted to win over Scalabrine and the Celtics fanbase with a hilarious “attack ad” against White. Words don’t do the video justice, so you can watch it in the video player above.

White went on to record 19 points with seven assists and four blocks in Friday’s 130-94 win over Charlotte. After the game, he addressed Kornet’s ad.

“My lawyers and attorneys say not to comment on it at the moment,” he told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “It’s all lies, but I can’t comment any further right now.”

Unfortunately for Kornet, White’s effort against the Hornets earned him his 15th Tommy Award of the season. With only one game remaining, he is officially the season-long Tommy Award winner.

Kornet made a strong push for the award over the last month. The 7-foot-1 center has provided a significant boost off the bench with several noteworthy performances as of late, including a 13-point, 14-rebound performance against the Washington Wizards and a 15-point, 16-rebound game against the San Antonio Spurs.

He’ll look to continue his hot streak when the C’s begin the first round of the NBA playoffs next week. First, Boston will wrap up its regular season Sunday at TD Garden with a rematch against Charlotte.

Warriors' NBA playoff scenarios entering chaotic final day of regular season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors’ NBA playoff fate remains undecided entering the final day of the 2024-25 regular season.

But the options for Golden State are slightly clearer after Friday’s 103-86 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center.

Additionally, on Friday, the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves won their respective games, while the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Denver Nuggets, setting up a chaotic Sunday slate.

The Warriors (48-33) held onto the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed, and depending on Sunday’s results, they will remain in the final playoff spot or fall to No. 7 and host a play-in game.

With the Clippers’ win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, the Warriors no longer can reach the No. 5 seed, and with the Grizzlies’ loss, Golden State can’t be the No. 8 seed.

So, the Warriors’ playoff scenarios appear simple: Beat the Clippers on Sunday at Chase Center and secure the No. 6 seed. Golden State can’t overtake Los Angeles because they don’t hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Per PlayoffPredictors.com, if the Warriors, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Thunder, Lakers and Kings win on Sunday, here’s what the Western Conference standings would look like:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Houston Rockets
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Golden State Warriors
   **
7. Los Angeles Clippers
8. Memphis Grizzlies
9. Sacramento Kings
10. Dallas Mavericks

If the Warriors lose to the Clippers, coupled with the Timberwolves beating the Utah Jazz and the Memphis Grizzlies beating the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State would fall to the No. 7 seed.

For the Warriors to secure the No. 6 seed while losing to the Clippers on Sunday, they would need the Timberwolves to lose to the Jazz.

If the Warriors and Timberwolves lose, while the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Thunder, Lakers and Kings win on Sunday, here’s what the Western Conference standings would look like:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Houston Rockets
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Golden State Warriors
   **
7. Memphis Grizzlies
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Sacramento Kings
10. Dallas Mavericks

If the Warriors lose, while the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Thunder, Lakers and Kings win on Sunday, here’s what the Western Conference standings would look like:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Houston Rockets
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Denver Nuggets
5. Los Angeles Clippers
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
   **
7. Golden State Warriors
8. Memphis Grizzlies
9. Sacramento Kings
10. Dallas Mavericks

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What we learned as Warriors boost playoff hopes with win vs. Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

It was not a pretty performance in Portland, but it didn’t have to be for the Warriors to post a 103-86 victory over the Trail Blazers and maintain their status in the Western Conference standings.

The Warriors (48-33) took charge in the second quarter and never were threatened by the Trail Blazers (35-46), who were without six of their top nine players Friday at Moda Center.

The win allowed the Warriors to maintain their grip on sixth place in the West. They will finish at least that high with a win over the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers in the regular-season finale Sunday at Chase Center.

But a loss to the Clippers – who clinched a top-five finish Friday with a win over the Kings in Sacramento – and a Minnesota Timberwolves win over the lowly Utah Jazz on Sunday would drop the Warriors into the dreaded NBA play-in tournament.

No matter what happens Sunday, the Warriors can drop no lower than seventh in the West. In that instance, they could enter the NBA playoffs by winning a home game over the No. 8 seed in the play-in tournament.

Six Warriors scored in double figures, led by 24 points from forward Jimmy Butler III. They held the Blazers to 37.6-percent shooting from the field, including 20 percent from deep.

He's Jimmy Butler III for a reason 3️⃣pic.twitter.com/cxVpOhJkB0

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

Here are three observations from an evening when Golden State handled its business in its regular-season road finale:

Scary Moment For Steph

Curry’s right thumb, tender since sustaining a sprain in December, was aggravated by a blow late in the first quarter that sent him into the locker room for further examination.

Steph Curry went to the Warriors' locker room after appearing to injure his hand on this play pic.twitter.com/W2c3TCrllU

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

Curry returned with 8:02 remaining in the second quarter and 79 seconds later drained his first 3-pointer of the night.

Steph's hand doesn't appear to be bothering him too much 😅pic.twitter.com/IWtu0ht8VB

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

But Curry, wearing a wrap that went from his wrist to the base of his thumb, was not his usual self afterward. The bandage was big enough to inhibit his typical ballhandling and shooting, and it also forced him to play with a measure of caution.

Curry played 27 minutes, none in the fourth quarter, and finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, including 2 of 8 from beyond the arc. He added five rebounds and five assists and finished plus-8 for the game.

The mere sight of Curry leaving a game, going into the locker room and coming out wearing a heavy wrap, is a sobering thought for the Warriors as they move toward the postseason.

Butler Did It

Knowing Curry’s tenuous condition seemed to push Butler into a higher gear, and the Warriors welcomed the sight of it.

Butler essentially took control in the second half, ensuring there would be no Portland comeback that might even cause coach Steve Kerr to consider reinserting Curry.

Butler’s game-high 24 points came on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 1 of 2 from distance and 11 of 11 shooting from the line. He recorded seven assists – five in the fourth quarter to preserve the margin – and grabbed five rebounds before exiting with 5:25 remaining.

Butler played 28 minutes and was plus-22, behind only Brandin Podziemski’s plus-31 among the Warriors.

Jimmy goes up-and-under plus the foul 😳 pic.twitter.com/ok54SbRtf2

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

This is the Butler the Warriors are going to need in the games ahead, especially if Curry is even slightly hampered.

Buckets For Buddy And The Bench

On a night when the starters were scrambling to find offense, Golden State’s bench, the league’s second-most productive group, made significant contributions in building a 13-point (50-37) lead at the half.

Hield led the way, draining four triples in the first half to go into the locker room with a team-high 12 points. His third 3-pointer was his 200th of the 2024-25 NBA season, allowing him to reach that total for the seventh time in his career. He joins five others, including Klay Thompson and Curry, have at least seven such seasons.

Buddy knocks down his 200th 3-pointer of the season 👌 pic.twitter.com/1lY4n6QYaD

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 12, 2025

The eight first-half field goals made the by bench equaled the total of the starters – and came with a higher percentage. The starters shot 8 of 26 (30.8 percent) for the half, while the subs were 8 of 18 (44.4 percent).

The starters found some rhythm immediately after halftime, but Golden State benefited from the early tone set by the bench.

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3 observations after 8-man Sixers lose to Hawks in penultimate game  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

To no one’s surprise, the Sixers will not conclude the season on a winning streak.

They fell to a 124-110 loss to the Hawks on Friday night at Wells Fargo Center in their penultimate game, dropping to 24-57 overall. The Hawks moved to 39-42. 

The Sixers are now locked into the fifth-best odds in the NBA draft lottery. They’ll keep their first-round pick if it falls within the top six.

Jared Butler led the Sixers with 25 points and seven assists. Marcus Bagley had 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks.

Atlanta’s Trae Young tallied 36 points and 11 assists. Caris LeVert scored 31 points.

As usual this season, the Sixers’ injury report was lengthy; they only had eight available players. The team announced pregame that Joel Embiid underwent successful arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his left knee.

The Sixers’ season finale is set for Sunday afternoon vs. the Bulls. Here are observations on their defeat to Atlanta:

Bagley breaks his ice 

The 2024-25 Sixers used their 54th starting lineup Friday in Butler, Lonnie Walker, IV, Ricky Council IV, Bagley and Adem Bona. 

Every starter besides Council reached double-figure points by halftime. Butler was aggressive early as both a driver and outside shooter. Walker dealt with foul trouble but found a groove in the second quarter. 

Bagley’s shotmaking was unexpected. He’d been chipping in for the Sixers with offensive rebounding and smart cutting, but his jumpers had been wayward. Ahead of Friday’s game, the 23-year-old forward was 1 for 21 from three-point range in the NBA over his two 10-day contracts with the Sixers.

He was apparently due for a hot night. Bagley swished one jumper from the right corner and then nailed one from the left about a minute later. He shot 4 for 5 beyond the arc in the first half.

Bona growing offensively

Bona’s offensive progress was certainly evident in his eighth consecutive start. 

His work around the basket was powerful and crafty, including some subtle pump fakes. Bona also made a textbook post-up jump hook as the shot clock was winding down and an elegant lefty layup after deking a handoff.

The rookie big man needed just seven field goal attempts to record 14 first-half points. He’s rightfully known most for his defensive abilities, but Bona’s offense is absolutely trending up.

In his past three games, Bona’s totaled 51 points on 21-for-28 shooting. He scored 28 points last week vs. the Bucks, too.

Hawks’ bench wins the night  

The Sixers held a six-point halftime lead, but Atlanta started the third quarter well and went up 74-70 on a long-range Young jumper.

Along with Young’s stardom, LeVert’s big night off the bench helped the Hawks overcome their subpar first half. LeVert made his first eight field goals and drained a rainbow three with 1.7 seconds left in the third quarter. Georges Niang also added 16 points off of Atlanta’s bench.

Colin Castleton had the best outing of the Sixers’ three-man second unit, playing a productive, efficient game behind Bona with 16 points on 6for-7 shooting and eight rebounds. Jeff Dowtin Jr. (1 for 11 from the floor) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (3 for 11) each had rough shooting nights.

Another LeVert triple extended the Hawks’ lead to 111-98 with a little under seven minutes remaining and the Sixers couldn’t make any sort of last-ditch comeback.

One more to go until their nightmare of a season is history.