Category: Basketball

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The Sacramento Kings have sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference, leaving little to play for.

However, my Kings vs. Raptors predictions forecast a motivated showing from veteran forward DeMar DeRozan when Sacramento wraps up its five-game road trip in Toronto.

Find out more about why our NBA picks like the setup for DeRozan on Wednesday, April 1.

Kings vs Raptors prediction

Kings vs Raptors best bet: DeMar DeRozan Over 17.5 points (-120)

DeMar DeRozan is one of the few Sacramento Kings stars still standing at this point in the season. With a laundry list of injuries around him, DeRozan’s usage has shot up this month, jumping to a team high 25.8% from 21.43% on the season. 

He’s averaging 19 points over that stretch and posted 22 and 33 points in his last two games before sitting out Sunday’s trip to Brooklyn with a sore hamstring. That’s given DeRozan three full days off, bringing fresh legs and plenty of motivation to Toronto.

DeRozan started his career with the Toronto Raptors, and while he has a soft spot for the city, he’s gone after his former club.
 
For his career, DeRozan’s 22.5-point average against Toronto ranks fourth among all 30 NBA teams. In his last appearance at Scotiabank Arena, he dropped 33 points, and who knows how many more times the 17-year pro will return to Toronto. 

If sticking it to the Raptors again wasn’t enough motivation to feed him the ball, DeRozan is just nine points away from 17th on the NBA’s All-Time scoring list and 51 points out of 16th. 

Given his rest, usage, and motivations, I like the Kings vet to top 17.5 points tonight.

Kings vs Raptors same-game parlay

Toronto is playing the second night of a back-to-back after a tough matchup in Detroit. The Raptors rarely cover spreads this big, going 6-0 SU but just 2-4 ATS as double-digit favorites this season.

Brandon Ingram was back in action last night after sitting out due to injury. He finished with 22 points but looked a little rusty from outside, shooting 1-for -6 from beyond the arc. He’ll get cleaner looks against a poor Sacramento perimeter defense.

Kings vs Raptors SGP

• Kings +13.5
• DeMar DeRozan Over 17.5 points
• Brandon Ingram Over 1.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Canadian Beef

DeRozan will get a warm welcome from the Toronto crowd, but they could be cursing him by the time the final whistle blows.

With the Kings' rotation running paper-thin, he’ll get all the touches and minutes he wants tonight.

Kings vs Raptors SGP

• Kings +13.5
• DeMar DeRozan Over 17.5 points
• DeMar DeRozan Over 4.5 assists
• DeMar DeRozan Over 2.5 rebounds

Kings vs Raptors odds

• Spread: Kings +13.5 (-110) | Raptors -13.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Kings +600 | Raptors -900
• Over/Under: Over 226 (-110) | Under 226 (-110)

Kings vs Raptors betting trend to know

Toronto has gone Under the total in 31 of its last 50 games (+10.10 Units / 18% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Raptors.

How to watch Kings vs Raptors

Kings vs Raptors latest injuries

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The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 113-127 in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score would indicate.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

10 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds

Mitchell felt more like a passive participant. He was mostly just moving the ball around, even in the second quarter, when the Cavaliers were looking like they were stalling on the offensive end. Games like this are fine when everyone has it going. The Cavaliers, after the first quarter, appeared to be heading this way, then they only scored 19 in the second. This is where Mitchell should’ve covered the cracks.

Grade: D

James Harden

17 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds

Harden appeared to have it going early, however when the wheels fell off in the second quarter, he just faded into the background. I don’t think it is a coincidence as well that the two biggest net negatives in terms of plus minus were Mitchell and Harden. When the offense is dialed up to an 11, it only makes their lack of defensive effort that much more noticeable.

Grade: C-

Evan Mobley

6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

This might have been Mobley’s worst game of the year. I don’t necessarily even think it can be put on him. The offense never seemed to look to get him in actions or set him up for success. Mobley only shot the ball four times, and when he had the ball, he was looking to create a look for someone else rather than himself. Kind of makes you think the past month for Mobley was not a sign of what’s to come.

Grade: F

Jarrett Allen

18 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds

If the grades were based on the first half, Jarrett Allen might have gotten an A. I don’t think, considering the limited minutes that Allen played in the second half due to coaching decisions, I can give him that. Allen was leaps and bounds the best Cavalier in this game. Allen was running all around the court, driving in the lanes, hunting mismatches. Everything that reminds you of how critical he is to the Cavaliers’ success this season.

Grade: A–

Max Strus

11 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds

Strus got the start tonight at the three and I think everyone was excited to see what that would look like. Strus played the part well when the five were out to start the game. Unfortunately, we really did not get to see them in closing action. Strus had a fine night all things considered. Hard to determine this unit and his impact when the game went off the rails in the second and then the plug was pulled in the third.

Grade: B–

Keon Ellis

7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal,

Ellis was the first player off the bench for the Cavaliers in this game.

Ellis’s offensive impact is so game-to-game, as well as his defensive sequences. It is so hard to envision what he could look over a potential seven-game series. It is certain for the Cavaliers that he cannot be the first reserve tapped in those situations.

Grade: C-

Craig Porter Jr.

0 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound

Let’s just stop and give these minutes to…

Grade: F

Tyrese Proctor

10 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists

Proctor has shown juice over the last few games. In no way does this mean he needs to be in the playoff rotation. However, it can be said that any minutes that are going to CPJ at this point in the season should be given to Proctor.

Grade: B

Dennis Schroder

9 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers

Schroder is the Caris LeVert experience, except we are seeing way more lows than highs thus far. While this was one of the better games as of late. It was buried in a poor team outing. Shroder cannot help a sinking ship that much is clear.

Grade: C

Thomas Bryant

14 points, 6 rebounds,

Bryant’s stat line benefits from the way the game went in the third quarter. Bryant’s minutes are still trending as a positive for the Cavaliers this season. It will be interested how the Cavaliers choose to deploy him in the postseason.

Grade: B-

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Tomlin is really a tough watch at his point in the season. It feels like he eats the minutes of the injured players unavailable but does not really fill a certain archetype. Hard to see where his career trajectory is, however, it is very clear he is a coaching staff’s favorite.

Grade: C

Boston College formally kicked off the Luke Murray era on Tuesday with his introductory news conference as the 14th coach of the Eagles' men's basketball program.

But before the 41-year-old Murray, one of the top assistant coaches in the country, can really get started building his own roster in Chestnut Hill, Murray has a few last things to finish up at his old job at Connecticut before he can turn in his key card.

The most notable thing, of course, is helping the Huskies win their third national championship title in four years this weekend at the Final Four of the Men's NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis.

REQUIRED READING: Men's March Madness bracket: Which teams are headed to Final Four?

"BC is Back! This guy is the best. Will miss him greatly but so proud and happy for him. Long overdue opportunity. Good Bye Champ!," Murray's boss, Dan Hurley, tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after Murray was announced as Boston College's next head coach on March 26.

With Murray, the son of legendary comedian Billy Murray, on the bench sitting next to Hurley, No. 2 UConn takes on No. 3 Illinois at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 4 inside Lucas Oil Stadium

Here's what to know on Murray's status for the Huskies' Final Four and more:

SEGABABA! If that acronym doesn’t get you fired up, then you don’t love Bucks basketball—or you’re just too jaded after the grind of this season. Either way, the Bucks are back in action tonight against the Houston Rockets. On the road after a three-game home stand, the Bucks take on a Rockets team that has proven it’s good—you don’t win 60% of your games through luck—but not great, going 5-11 against Western Conference teams above them in the standings. Tonight’s game is the second and final one in the season series between Milwaukee and Houston, with the Rockets taking the first matchup 122-115 behind 31 points and seven assists from Kevin Durant and 23 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists from Alperen Sengun.

Where We’re At

We’ve reached the point of the season where weird is in full effect. Gary Trent Jr. approaching career-highs. Thanasis Antetokounmpo first-quarter minutes. Jericho Sims crossing up dudes on his way to posters. Alex Antetokounmpo minutes. We’ve even seen Andre Jackson Jr. enter the starting lineup—at point guard! While this mightn’t make the Bucks “must-see” in the sense that we’d hope at this time of year, it does make the season’s final games at least somewhat more interesting. Plus, the Bucks are actually coming off a win—just their sixth in their past 20 games!

Unlike the Bucks, the Houston Rockets will feature heavily in the NBA’s postseason. Currently sitting sixth in the Western Conference, the Rockets have survived starting point guard Fred VanVleet’s preseason ACL tear and Steven Adams’ season-ending ankle injury thanks to the consistent play of Durant and Sengun, and the growth of Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. Yet, much of their attention—at least recently—lies closer to home, with reports that the Rockets are expected to make a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason—even if the decision to do so isn’t an easy one. Yesterday, the Rockets made light work of the New York Knicks, jumping out to a 37-21 quarter-time lead and winning 111-94 in a well-balanced effort where no starter scored fewer than 13 points—or stood shorter than 6’7”!

Injury Report

With the Bucks and Rockets both on SEGABABAs, their official injury reports have not yet been submitted. However, it’s likely that Giannis (neck), Thanasis (calf), Kevin Porter Jr. (knee), and Bobby Portis (wrist) will remain out for Milwaukee, and Fred VanVleet (ACL) and Steven Adams (ankle) will remain out for Houston.

Player to Watch

Let’s go with Andre Jackson Jr., the man with nine lives. After largely non-eventful rookie and sophomore campaigns, A-Jax agreed to push back his contract guarantee date for this season, then came plummeted to 15th in our pre-season player rankings. Following this, he survived the roster logjam, first when Chris Livingston was waived, and then again when Tyler Smith was waived. But wait, there’s more! Despite playing in only 24 games and averaging 1.5 PPG, 0.8 RPG, and 1.0 APG in just 6.5 MPG—shooting an abysmal 25% from the field and 19% from three—Jackson stuck with the team through the trade deadline, and then, in perhaps his most surprising survival story yet, hung around when newly-signed Cam Thomas was waived so that Pete Nance could be converted to a standard roster spot. So, here we are, with Jackson in a stretch of meaningful minutes—prior to last night’s 4:43 minute total, he’d played at least 14 minutes in four straight games—looking to give Jon Horst a reason to pick up his team option for next season. Can he go Andre 3000, reinventing himself for the future in the city he once found himself a champion? Or is he who he is, a cat with nine lives who’s just about through the last one?

How To Watch

Tune in at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.

As the NBA regular season continues to wind to a close, every day and game is becoming more and more important in a tight Eastern Conference — and Wednesday is set to be a massive day with some massive games.

As the Philadelphia 76ers sit smack in the middle of a cluster of about six teams within reach of each other for seeds No. 5 through 10, it’s important to be aware of everything going on around them right now. Winning is obviously paramount for the Sixers, but it doesn’t control their destiny.

So let’s take a look at what happened last night while the 76ers were off, how things shifted in the East, and the major day ahead.

Last night (Tuesday, March 31)

Here was the Eastern Conference before any games were played on Tuesday:

Three of the six relevant teams played yesterday: the Toronto Raptors, who started the day No. 5 in the East, the Orlando Magic (No. 8) and the Charlotte Hornets (No. 10).

The Raptors fell 127-116 to the East-leading Detroit Pistons, shifting them back from the No. 5 seed to the No. 6 seed and now half a game behind the Atlanta Hawks, who take over that fifth spot.

The Magic and Hornets, however, both won their contests. They remain in their same positions after the victories, but gain half a game of ground on the teams ahead of them, including the Sixers.

Today (Wednesday, April 1)

Now, let’s see how things look today.

Comparing from yesterday and as mentioned above, Tuesday saw the Hawks overtake the Raptors by half a game for No. 5 while the Magic and Hornets each add a game in the win column.

What these results mean for the Sixers is that they now are just a game back from the No. 6 seed (Raptors), while holding just a single game lead over the Magic (No. 8) and a game and half over the Hornets (No. 10), losing a half a game of ground to each via their victories.

Looking at the photo above, all five teams highlighted play tonight, including Philadelphia. The No. 7 Sixers have a favorable matchup against a tanking Washington Wizards squad that have won just one of their last 20 contests.

The No. 6 Raptors, however, also face a tanking team in the Sacramento Kings. The Kings are slightly more threatening than the Wizards, having won seven of their last 20 games by comparison, but Toronto are still set to be heavy favorites even on the second leg of a back-to-back.

A huge matchup amongst the five teams features two playing one another — the No. 5 Hawks against the No. 8 Magic. A reminder that the Sixers have the tiebreaker over the Magic, but the Hawks have the tiebreaker over the Sixers.

Last but certainly not least we have the No. 9 Heat, currently a game and a half behind the Sixers, facing off with the tough Boston Celtics. This is good news for Philadelphia, who do not have the tiebreaker over Miami.

So, in summary, here are the games to pay attention to tonight:

No. 7 Sixers at Wizards, 7 p.m. ET

No. 5 Hawks at No. 8 Magic, 7 p.m. ET

Celtics at No. 9 Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET

Kings at No. 6 Raptors, 8 p.m. ET

Just over 10 days left in the regular season. Here we go!

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The Capital City Go-Go have regularly been a playoff team in the NBA G League. Currently they have a 19-17 record and will begin their playoff journey by facing off against the Cleveland Charge later today.

However, some of the coaches on Go-Go head coach Cody Toppert’s staff will not return. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, assistant coach TC Swirsky willl leave the team to join the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury as an assistant coach on Nate Tibbetts’ staff.

Before coming to the Go-Go and the Wizards’ organization, Swirsky was with the Memphis Grizzlies organization primarily with their G-League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. He was also the Hustle’s head coach.

The Milwaukee Bucks got back in the win column, 123-99, against the Dallas Mavericks last night as several familiar faces (including Khris Middleton), were back in town. The Bucks were piping hot, and the Mavs were ice cold—that’s really the main story of the contest. Sometimes, the game really is just about a bucket. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.

Player Grades

Ryan Rollins

35 minutes, 24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 8/14 FG, 4/9 3P, 4/4 FT, +33

Far from the first time this season, but Ryan Rollins looked like a poised veteran star in this one. He directed the offense very well and was part of every big Bucks run. The kid’s a stud. Not much else needs to be said.

Grade: A

Kyle Kuzma

23 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 9/17 FG, 0/6 3P, +17

Kuzma delivered a classic Kuzma performance while still impacting the game as much as anyone. He was inefficient, missed some threes badly, and turned it over a couple times—all hallmark Kuzisms—but don’t get it twisted, he was awesome. His aggression and interior scoring were crucial in the win.

Grade: A-

Myles Turner

27 minutes, 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks, 3/8 FG, 3/6 3P, +13

Anyone who still thinks Myles Turner should be more involved in the offense just needs to accept learned helplessness at this point. He’s not much more than a catch-and-shoot big in this Bucks system. But he played that role effectively, draining three high-arching triples. His four blocks stand out too, of course.

Grade: B

Jericho Sims

29 minutes, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 3/6 FG, +28

Alongside Kuz, Sims was the spark that got the ball rolling for the Bucks in the first quarter. He faded somewhat into the background offensively after that (which is weirdly exactly how things played out on Sunday), but he continued to crash the glass and compete on D.

Grade: B

AJ Green

27 minutes, 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4/8 FG, 4/6 3P, 5/5 FT

He’s had an up-and-down season, but lately, Green is starting to look like a matured, more well-rounded version of himself while still bombing threes. He’s getting to the free throw line with more regularity and guarding his yard defensively. How ‘bout six boards for him as well?

Grade: B+

Gary Trent Jr.

22 minutes, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4/10 FG, 4/9 3P, +14

Trent didn’t have another 36-point explosion, but that’s not what Milwaukee needed him to do. He was a three-point specialist last night—the good kind, not the bad kind.

Grade: B-

Taurean Prince

21 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2/10 FG, 2/9 3P, -2

Rough shooting night for Prince, but he didn’t hurt the team in any capacity. His shots came in the flow of the O.

Grade: C-

Ousmane Dieng

28 minutes, 11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/10 FG, 1/3 3P, +6

Ous’ statline overstates how well he played. His decision-making, shot selection, and shot-making have all been rocky lately. He needs to be more assertive in getting all the way to the rim versus settling for floaters. The youngster can also be too jumpy on fakes defensively.

Grade: C+

Pete Nance

15 minutes, 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 4/7 FG, 2/5 3P, +4

Pete, man. What a gem this guy is. What a find. This wasn’t a spectacular game in any regard, just a pretty good one, but what did shine through is how unselfish he is. Nance always plays within himself and the team’s structure. He makes the extra pass, sets screens, rolls, works hard on defense… he does it all.

Grade: B

Doc Rivers

This was a replay of the Clippers game in the sense that the Bucks really did “play the right way,” as Doc loves to say. The ball was hopping. The chemistry was tangible. Milwaukee had the fortune of facing another tanking team in the Mavericks, so the win is only worth so much credit, but a win is a win! 

Grade: B

Limited Minutes: Andre Jackson Jr., Alex Antetokounmpo

Inactive: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis, Gary Harris, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Cormac Ryan

Bonus Bucks Bits

• Doc Rivers on what it would mean to him to make the Hall of Fame:
  • “It would mean the world to me. I’ve done a lot. The numbers are the numbers. But it’s not, I swear, you know this, it’s not why I got into this, honestly, man. It’s the relationships, it’s the people. Even from the day I’ve been nominated, the calls… it’s in the hundreds of player calls. And some of the calls have been amazing cause I thought they didn’t like me anymore. Seriously, just because you get respect, sometimes, you have falling outs with players, and you don’t even worry about it, it’s just part of it, as a coach. It’s been amazing how many people that have reached out, and it’s made me, again, feel really good about just doing what I do.”
• Doc on if a player or their former team has an advantage in a revenge game:
  • “It’s always the player. First of all, coach can’t do anything. I can’t go out and guard Khris, nor probably I could have as a player, so it wouldn’t matter. All I know is, when I was traded the first time, I was trying to give the Hawks 50 if I could, with the ability that I could probably only score 12. I don’t care how much you love the place, when you come back to a place, you wanna go at them.”
• Jason Kidd on what it’s like being reunited with the new, older, NBA champion version of Khris Middleton:
  • “A lot easier. Nah, it’s great. We talked about this version of Khris, we joked about the shoe’s on the other foot. I talked to him about ZaZa (Pachulia) OJ (Mayo), that group that were the vets who were trying to help the younger players, and he had a great response. He goes, ‘you know, younger players don’t want to listen to the coaches or the vets, they know it all.’ I think Khris, again, being part of his journey early, incredible talent, and at this point in his career, still has a lot to give, not just physically, but mentally, being able to share his wisdom of his journey.”

• Myles Turner moved up to 40th all-time in total blocks when he rejected Moussa Cisse in the third quarter.
• Alex Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut and scored his first career points! Doc said Giannis was very nervous for his brother on the bench.

Up Next

The Bucks have a quick turnaround with a matchup in Houston against the Rockets tonight. Catch that one at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, but expect a blowout loss.

There go the Houston Rockets, doing that thing where they make us hope once again that they’ve figured things out.

If you think the Rockets have had a nightmare season, look at the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks dealt with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors in the offseason, then again during the season, then again again during the season. It’s become a further nightmare because Giannis clearly does not want to “demand” a trade and ruin his reputation in Milwaukee. However, he’s basically done just that and holding the franchise hostage hasn’t benefitted anyone. Meanwhile, Bucks fans (understandably) love him to pieces and don’t want him traded even if the return was outstanding (it will not be). Because they expected Giannis back from injury, the Bucks went full-go while he was out, but they just weren’t good enough. That means that they’re probably not drafting in the top 6 this year even though that’s where the talent seems to be.

Giannis hasn’t played since March 15 despite his best efforts. The Bucks would love nothing more than to lose every game and move into ninth in the lottery odds. Unfortunately for them, they just played fellow tankers the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs didn’t have a starter shoot better than 33%. Yes, for real. Rockets murderer Max Christie shot 1-12. I really hate when guys always go off against the Rockets but turn into pumpkins for the other 78-80 games of the year.

Speaking of tanking and the lottery, I will be doing my annual “If the lottery is rigged, who wins” post for Friday’s preview. It should be a good time.

For tonight, suffice to say that both teams are on a back-to-back, and Milwaukee had to fly in after their game. Houston needs to get out to a good start because the Bucks want to lose this one. It could be a sloppy game overall, especially since Ime Udoka left his starters (and Reed Sheppard) at or past their normal minutes level against New York to prevent another collapse against the Knickerbockers. And it worked. So it’s clear that the Rockets viewed last night’s game as worth going all-in for and tonight’s game would be more up for grabs.

Also, Dorian Finney-Smith didn’t play last night. He’s missed the last two games as DNP-CD, and the previous two games he played a combined 13 minutes and 56 seconds. Methinks if this isn’t the game for DFS, then he might get DFA’d.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo: GTD

Bobby Portis: OUT

Kevin Porter Jr.: OUT

Gary Harris: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -16.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Friday night at home against the Utah Jazz

Well, Monday didn’t go as hoped for the Sixers. With cool shooting nights from their stars, while Tyler Herro led the way with 30 points for Miami who went on a 14-0 run in the last few minutes to take control, the Sixers lost to the Heat, 119-109.

It was an underwhelming performance and frustrating result. It cost the Sixers their tie breaker with the Heat, losing the season series 2-1, and helps keep the Sixers in seventh place in a tightly packed Eastern Conference.

Now, though, going on the road to face the Wizards on Wednedsay should give the Sixers an easy chance to pick up a key win as the East standings rapidly fall into place over the final games of the season.

The recovering Johni Broome remains the only player on the injury report for Philly. Meanwhile, as the Wizards deal with some injuries and do all they can to keep tanking, all the notable players who could have been worth keeping an eye on in this matchup are sidelined.

Along with Anthony Davis who’s been out for months, Washington’s key creators are absent. Trae Young remains out with low back pain and a right quad contusion, and rising talent Kyshawn George is out with a left elbow sprain. D’Angelo Russell (not with team), rookie backup center who started on Sunday Julian Reese (G League assignment) and Cam Whitmore (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis) are also out. On top of that, Tre Johnson (right foot sprain), Bilal Coulibaly (right retrocalcaneal bursitis) and Alex Sarr (left big toe capsulitis) are questionable.

Washington have been tanking hard for a while now, down at 14th in the East with their 17-58 record. They’ve kept it going since their big trade deadline deal too, swapping CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for Trae Young. Their new star point guard has only appeared in five games due to injury, and they have a mere one win in their last 20 games.

In this stretch since Feb. 22., they’ve been in truly sensational tanking form with a net rating of -14.1 and rankings of 28th in both offensive and defensive rating.

As a depleted, bottom-three team at both ends of the floor, they really have no business competing with a Sixers team that finally has its Big 3 back in action and a healthy rotation.

If Joel Embiid can dominate against a smaller, weak frontcourt to improve on the 10-of-25 shooting night he had against Bam Adebayo and the Heat, and Paul George and Tyrese Maxey both warm up after going a combined 14-of-38 from the floor on Monday, that alone should make Wednesday’s game fairly light work.

Even when talented center Sarr has been active this season and showing his improving rim protection, the Wizards’ defense has still been poor. Opportunities for Maxey and VJ Edgecombe to fly downhill to the rim against a weak crop of perimeter defenders, and for Embiid to bully his way inside against backup bigs, should be plentiful.

More plays like Edgecombe’s awesome high-rise alley-oop against a scrambling Washington defense sure would be welcome to make things entertaining.

There’s clearly little left for these Wizards, but if he’s available, Sarr is at least one player to pay more attention to. He’s had a solid sophomore season, improving his efficiency and paint scoring while becoming a sharper defender and rim protector. Sarr’s numbers have climbed across the board to 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. However, he should remain no match for Embiid defensively and can’t do enough by himself as more of a play finisher to cover for all the lacking offensive creation.

There’s only seven games left for the Sixers and the packed Eastern Conference seems to be shifting daily. Let’s see if they can take care of business in one of their easiest games left (they also finish the season against the tanking Pacers then Bucks) against a Wizards squad that’s eager to lose.

And in the meantime, you can check out our Harrison Grimm’s look at the East playoff picture and who else you should be rooting for down the stretch to help secure the best possible seed for the Sixers. Right now, there’s just three wins between the fifth-seed Hawks (43-33) and 10-seed Hornets (40-36).

In the little of the regular season we have left, there’s a lot for most teams to play for.

Game Details

When: Wednesday, April 1, 7:00 PM ET
Where: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Embiid ruled out for Sixers' matchup with Wizards  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — While the Sixers’ health picture has improved considerably over the last week, it’s not quite spotless.

The Sixers ruled Joel Embiid out with an illness late Wednesday morning ahead of their matchup with the Wizards. Rookie Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) also remains sidelined.

Embiid had played in three straight games since returning from a 13-game absence with a right oblique strain. After posting 26 points on 10-for-25 shooting and seven rebounds Monday in the Sixers’ loss to the Heat, he told reporters in Miami he was sick, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

Embiid’s averaged 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks over the last three games. He’s been aggressive offensively and shot especially well from three-point range, hitting 8 of 15 long-distance attempts. 

Backup big man Adem Bona had one of his best games this season when the Sixers visited the Wizards on Oct. 28, blocking five shots late in a comeback overtime win.

The Sixers entered Wednesday seventh in the Eastern Conference at 41-34, one game behind the sixth-seeded Raptors and one ahead of the eighth-seeded Magic. The Wizards are 17-58 and have lost 19 of their last 20 games. 

Embiid ruled out for Sixers' matchup with Wizards  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — While the Sixers’ health picture has improved considerably over the last week, it’s not quite spotless.

The Sixers ruled Joel Embiid out with an illness late Wednesday morning ahead of their matchup with the Wizards. Rookie Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery) also remains sidelined.

Embiid had played in three straight games since returning from a 13-game absence with a right oblique strain. After posting 26 points on 10-for-25 shooting and seven rebounds Monday in the Sixers’ loss to the Heat, he told reporters in Miami he was sick, per Sixers Wire’s Ky Carlin.

Embiid’s averaged 30.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 blocks over the last three games. He’s been aggressive offensively and shot especially well from three-point range, hitting 8 of 15 long-distance attempts. 

Backup big man Adem Bona had one of his best games this season when the Sixers visited the Wizards on Oct. 28, blocking five shots late in a comeback overtime win.

The Sixers entered Wednesday seventh in the Eastern Conference at 41-34, one game behind the sixth-seeded Raptors and one ahead of the eighth-seeded Magic. The Wizards are 17-58 and have lost 19 of their last 20 games. 

The 2026 NBA Playoffs are less than two weeks away, with the SoFi Play-In Tournament tipping off on April 14 and the first round officially underway on April 18. The playoff picture is rapidly taking shape, with 20 teams already locked in and the remaining seeds still up for grabs as the regular season winds down.

With just nine games remaining, every contest carries playoff implications as teams battle for position in the standings. The Atlanta Hawks face a pivotal matchup Wednesday, April 1, against the Orlando Magic, a must-win if they want to hold onto a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether.

The San Antonio Spurs travel to Golden State for their fourth meeting of the season, riding the momentum of Victor Wembanyama’s historic performance, a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds in a win against the Chicago Bulls that marked the third-fastest double-double recorded since 1997-98. San Antonio is firmly in the hunt for the top seed in the Western Conference, and with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder sitting atop the standings, every win from here on out could prove decisive heading into the postseason.

Here is the current brackets for the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament, and the NBA standings as of April 1:

NBA power rankings: Thunder, Spurs stay hot, but who took the No. 1 spot?

Tuesday night didn’t just belong to the Los Angeles Lakers. It belonged to the star-studded celebrities sitting underneath the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena, where basketball and Hollywood collided like two speeding convertibles driving down Mulholland Drive.

When you attend a Lakers game, you don’t just scan the floor, you scan the crowd for a who’s who of A-list athletes, actors and musicians. It’s a cornucopia of trend-setters and influencers.

Let’s start with the quarterbacks because a lot of them showed up to watch the Lake Show host the Cleveland Cavaliers. LA Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert sat alongside his girlfriend Madison Beer. 

Nearby sat Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, and next to him was former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson who’s expected to be taken in the first round of the NFL Draft this month. 

Also expected to go in the first round of the draft is former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, he soaked in all the action as well. 

And when you’re playing the Cavaliers, the city of Cleveland has to be represented as well. Thankfully, former Guardians baseball player Kenny Lofton was also sitting courtside. 

Pro athletes from other spots sitting courtside at the Cavs vs. Lakers game tonight:

Kenny Lofton, WR Makai Lemon, and QB's Ty Simpson, Bryce Young, and Justin Herbert.

(Photos by Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/sLzqhljWmf

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 1, 2026

The world of music was well represented as well. In addition to Beer, the soundtrack of the game could have been performed by Halsey who stunned in a black top.

Donovan Mitchell’s fiancee Coco Jones was there too. 

Rock bands also wanted to bask in the energy of the game. Red Hot Chili Peppers trio—Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Chad Smith—buzzed like a live amp. Weezer’s Scott Shriner and Brian Bell added their own alt-rock vibes. 

And right across the court was record executive Jimmy Iovine. 

Hollywood, naturally, didn’t miss curtain call. Vivica A. Fox and Ciarra Carter sat together. 

Nicholas Hoult and Damson Idris added the modern star power. Noah Centineo showed off his t-shirt, and Emmy-award winning director Ben Winston might have been looking at all of them thinking which actor he wanted to cast in his next show. 

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They all watched the Lakers finish off the month of March with a 127-113 win over the Cavaliers. They finished the month 15-2 and Luka Doncic scored a franchise-record 600 points over that span. 

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