Category: Basketball

Even though the Spurs’ spot as the 2nd seed in the West was set in stone coming into the regular season finale, they still could have had a say in their second round match-up if they could have beaten the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, without their two centers, the Spurs were too small to deal with the Nuggets’ back court, and one big Nuggets run in the second quarter ended up putting them in too big of a hole to climb back out of on the way to a 118-128 loss. Still, they finish the season 62-20 for an impressive 36-game turnaround and are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

De’Aaron Fox led six Spurs in double figures with 24 points, while Julian Strawther led the Nuggets with 25 points, and Nikola Jokic had 23 points and 8 rebounds in one half of play.

Observations

• Both teams entered this game in control of something. The Nuggets needed a win or Lakers loss to remain in the third seed, and the Spurs controlled their second round destiny since beating the Nuggets and a Lakers win would push them down to the fourth seed and into the Thunder’s side of the bracket. That being said, neither team seemed to be too concerned about that, as the Spurs sat Victor Wembanyama (who admitted he would not have played in the Portland game had he not needed a 65th game) and Luke Kornet, while the Nuggets sat almost everyone of note except Jokic, who needed 15 more minutes to also be award eligible.
• No Wemby or Kornet meant Mason Plumlee got the start and Bismack Biyombo was his initial backup, but once again, Carter Bryant ended up being the answer at backup center. He had a great first quarter with 5 points and 3 blocks but, after hitting 8-9 threes over the last few games, hit just 1-7 in this game.
• That being said, the Spurs predictably struggled playing small ball against the likes of Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas, getting out-rebounded 33-18 in the first half. They also had a massive scoring drought for most of the second quarter, not scoring between a De’Aaron Fox three with 10:43 to go and a Vassell three with 2:44 left, during which time they were outscored 22-0 to get down by 23. Fortunately, that three sparked the Spurs to close the half on a 16-7 run, including a near half-court three from Fox at the buzzer to get back within 14, 56-70.
• Jokic got his 18 minutes in the first half and did not play in the second, and while the Spurs offense was better in the third quarter, they still couldn’t get enough stops against a team of “who he play for” Nuggets, nor could they keep them off the line. Four threes in the final two minutes (two from Castle, one from Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes) got them within 10 to start the fourth, but they could have been closer without some careless fouls.
• The fourth quarter was pretty much the same story: the center-less Spurs would have a few big plays to get within single digits but just didn’t have enough size to deal with Valanciunus, and they couldn’t get enough stops or hit enough consecutive shots to make an extended run. The result is Denver will be the third seed and potential second round match-up if they get by the Timberwolves in the first round. As for the Spurs, they will face the winner of the 7 vs. 8 play-in game between the Phoenix Sun and Portland Trail Blazers, who finished the season tied with the Clippers but own the tie-breaker.
• Barnes needed 17 points in this game to reach 10 ppg for the season and give the Spurs eight players averaging double figures (hat tip to Jacob Douglas). He came up short with 12 points on 5-11 shooting, 2-5 from three.

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Well, that wasn’t a fun regular season finale, but the Spurs are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and they should be perfectly healthy and ready to go by then. Get excited, Spurs fans!

BOSTON (AP) — Baylor Scheierman scored a career-high 30 points, Luka Garza added 27, including a key 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds left, and the Boston Celtics’ reserves defeated Orlando 113-108 on Sunday night, sending the Magic into a road play-in tournament game.

Ron Harper Jr. had a career-best 27 points for Boston, and Garza grabbed 12 rebounds.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 23 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and Jalen Suggs scored 23 points.

The Magic (45-37) had won five straight and seemed ready to lock up a home game as the Eastern Conference’s No. 7 seed before the loss. They entered tied with Toronto for sixth, but fell to eighth and will face Philadelphia.

Boston sat eight of its regular rotation players, including stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

CAVALIERS 130, WIZARDS 117

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and Cleveland led wire-to-wire, defeating Washington in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Rookie Jaylon Tyson was two assists shy of a triple double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Cavaliers rested most of their key players because they were locked into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Max Strus — who missed the first 67 games due to a broken left foot — played 18 minutes in the first half and had 10 points and five rebounds.

The Cavaliers (52-30)— who will face Toronto in the first round — have won 11 of their last 14 games and are 35-14 since Dec. 29. They have 15 straight wins over Washington, the second-longest winning streak against any team in franchise history.

Washington’s Jamir Watkins had a career-high 24 points, while Sharife Cooper and Bub Carrington scored 20 apiece. Carrington is the first NBA player since Karl Anthony Towns in 2016-17 to appear in all 82 games in each of his first two seasons.

PISTONS 133, PACERS 121

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Paul Reed finished with 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks and Tobias Harris scored 24 points in limited minutes Sunday, propelling Eastern Conference’s top seeded Detroit past Indiana.

Reed was 11 of 11 from the field and made all four of his free-throw attempts on a night the Pistons shot nearly 70% from the field and from 3-point range in the first half. Harris was 9 of 12 from the field and 4 of 4 on 3s. Cade Cunningham flirted with a triple-double in the first half before finishing with seven points, eight rebounds and 14 assists.

The Pistons have won three straight and six of seven and posted their highest first-half scoring total of the season with 81 points. Detroit earned its 60th victory for the third time in franchise history and the first time since 2005-06.

Obi Toppin and Quenton Jackson each scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, who closed the season with 19 wins — the lowest total in the franchise’s NBA history.

HEAT 143, HAWKS 117

MIAMI (AP) — Jaime Jaquez Jr. capped his sixth-man award candidacy by scoring 26 points off the bench, Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each scored 25 and Miami tuned up for the play-in tournament by beating Atlanta.

Kel’el Ware scored 16 points for Miami, which will need to win two road play-in games to make the playoffs. The Heat pulled off that feat as the No. 10 seed entering the play-in last season.

Buddy Hield scored a game-high 31 points in just 21 minutes off the bench for Atlanta, which had a playoff spot locked up going into the game. Corey Kispert scored 21 and Asa Newell finished with 17 for the Hawks.

Miami ended the season with a team-record 9,911 points.

HORNETS 110, KNICKS 96

NEW YORK (AP) — LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller each scored 19 points, Kon Knueppel made three 3-pointers in his record-setting rookie season and Charlotte Hornets beat New York to clinch the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Coby White also had 19 points for the Hornets, who will host No. 10 Miami on Tuesday in the play-in tournament. Charlotte will have to win that game and then go on the road Friday and beat the loser of the game between No. 7 Philadelphia and No. 8 Orlando to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

With the Knicks locked into the No. 3 seed in the East, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby all sat. Mikal Bridges was the only starter to play for the Knicks, going the opening 23 seconds to extend his consecutive games played streak to 638, eighth-longest in NBA history. He then committed a foul to check out of the game.

The Knicks will face No. 6 seed Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs. Deuce McBride scored 21 points and Jose Alvarado had 16 as New York finished 53-29.

76ERS 126, BUCKS 106

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 21 points and Philadelphia tuned up for the play-in tournament with a win over Milwaukee in what could be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ final game.

The seventh-seeded 76ers host No. 8 seed Orlando in a play-in game Wednesday.

The Bucks played without All-Star and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, while the 76ers were without Joel Embiid after he was stricken last week with appendicitis.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks could be headed toward a separation in the offseason after a tumultuous season limited him to 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in 36 games this season, by far the fewest games of his 13-year career.

RAPTORS 136, NETS 101

TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 26 points, Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his ninth career triple-double, and Toronto clinched their first playoff berth in four seasons by beating Brooklyn in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Atlanta’s loss to Miami and Orlando’s loss at Boston gave Toronto the fifth seed in the East and a first-round matchup with fourth-seeded Cleveland.

The Raptors and Hawks both finished 46-36 but Toronto swept the season series 4-0.

Toronto went 3-0 against the Cavaliers this season but the teams haven’t played since Nov. 24.

Barnes shot 8 for 11 in his third triple-double of the season. He’s the first player in Raptors history to have three triple-doubles in multiple seasons.

MAVERICKS 149, BULLS 128

DALLAS (AP) — Ryan Nembhard broke Dallas coach Jason Kidd’s club rookie record with 23 assists after No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s debut season ended with an ankle injury, and the Mavericks beat Chicago in a season finale.

John Poulakidas scored 28 points to lead the Mavericks in a meeting of also-rans that more closely resembled a summer league game. Moussa Cisse had 17 points and 20 rebounds, which tied Roy Tarpley’s rookie club record from 1986-87.

Flagg scored 10 points in 10 minutes before exiting with a sprained left ankle in the second quarter. The 19-year-old Rookie of the Year contender finished the season averaging 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games.

Rob Dillingham scored 25 points for the Bulls, who head into an uncertain offseason looking for a new head of basketball operations and a decision on the future of coach Billy Donovan. CEO Michael Reinsdorf has said he wants Donovan to return.

ROCKETS 132, GRIZZLIES 101

HOUSTON (AP) — Clint Capela had a season-high 23 points with 13 rebounds on Sunday night as Houston’s stars sat out in a rout of injury-plagued Memphis to end the regular season.

The Rockets went 4-0 against the Grizzlies this season for their first season sweep against them since 2009-10.

The Rockets played without starters Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. with the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs secured. Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard and Josh Okogie, who have all started at times this season, were in the starting lineup Sunday and played through the third quarter.

Sheppard had 19 points Sunday and is the only Rocket to play all 82 games this season. Eason added 20 points with eight assists and Jae’Sean Tate had 13 points.

Dariq Whitehead led Memphis with a career-high 26 points and Rayan Rupert added 21 as the Grizzlies capped a disappointing 25-57 season. The Grizzlies dressed just eight players and started Toby Okani and Whitehead, who both signed 10-day contracts on April 3.

TIMBERWOLVES 132, PELICANS 126

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves rested almost all their regulars for the playoffs during a victory over New Orleans, as franchise icon Kevin Garnett made a special appearance for fan appreciation night in the regular-season finale.

With the Timberwolves locked into the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and the Pelicans long ago eliminated, the main attraction was Garnett’s first visit to Target Center in eight years.

The Hall of Fame forward and all-time franchise leader in nearly every major statistical category walked into the arena with Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez after player introductions, receiving a roar from the crowd and patting his heart with his hand. After giving current star Anthony Edwards a bear hug, Garnett took his courtside seat.

Garnett, who had a falling out with previous owner Glen Taylor after his career was over, reached an agreement last year with the team to serve as an ambassador. His No. 21 jersey will be retired at a later date.

SUNS 135, THUNDER 103

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Jamaree Bouyea had career highs of 27 points and nine assists, Ryan Dunn added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Phoenix routed Oklahoma City in a meaningless regular-season finale for both teams.

Koby Brea added 20 points for Phoenix (45-37), which was locked into seventh place in the Western Conference and did not play any starters. The Suns will face either Portland or the Los Angeles Clippers in a play-in game Tuesday night.

Brandon Carlson scored a career-high 26 points and Payton Sandfort added 23 for NBA-best Oklahoma City (64-18), which lost two straight games for the first time since late January.

The Thunder, who secured the top overall seed Wednesday night, sat every starter except Lu Dort for the second straight game. Dort, who finished with six points, played 20 minutes in each of the final two games to qualify for season awards.

NUGGETS 128, SPURS 118

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in the first half of his 65th game to become NBA award eligible and Denver beat San Antonio to secure the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.

Denver had seven players score in double figures, including Julian Strawther with 25 points and Jonas Valanciunas, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

De’Aaron Fox scored 24 points to lead San Antonio, which had a three-game winning streak snapped. Stephon Castle added 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in his return from a two-game absence due to left foot soreness.

Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama, who reached award eligibility in his previous game, sat out as he recovers from a left rib contusion.

LAKERS 131, JAZZ 107

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 18 points, six assists and four rebounds in the first half, and Los Angeles tuned up for the postseason with a win over Utah.

Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each had 22 points and 10 assists. James and Luke Kennard were held out of the second half as a precautionary measure, and the Lakers closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak. They finished fourth in the Western Conference and will face Houston in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite knowing they needed both a win and Denver loss to San Antonio to secure the third seed, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said his group could not worry about factors outside their control. Instead, Redick stressed continuing to build chemistry and continuity with Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) having sustained injuries that will almost certainly keep Los Angeles’ top two scorers out for the start of the postseason.

CLIPPERS 115, WARRIORS 110

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Bennedict Mathurin had 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists off the bench, and Los Angeles defeated Golden State to set up a rematch in the play-in tournament.

The Clippers settled for the No. 9 seed and will host the 10th-seeded Warriors on Wednesday after Portland beat Sacramento 122-110 to claim the eighth seed. The Clippers and Trail Blazers finished with identical 42-40 records, but Portland won the tiebreaker based on its better Western Conference record.

The Clippers began the season 6-21 and rallied to extend their franchise-record streak of 15 seasons with a record above .500, the longest active run in the NBA and fourth-longest in league history.

Stephen Curry scored 24 points, going 4 of 9 from 3-point range, to lead the Warriors, who finished at 37-45. Curry was limited to 29 minutes after playing in four of the last five games, having missed the previous 27 with a right knee injury.

TRAIL BLAZERS 122, KINGS 110

PORTLAND. Ore. (AP) — Deni Avdija had 25 points and 10 assists, Jrue Holiday scored 23 points, and Portland beat Sacramento to clinch the No. 8 seed and a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Portland will head to Phoenix to play the seventh-seeded Suns on Tuesday night, with the winner advancing to a first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs.

Donovan Clingan had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Scoot Henderson had 15 points for Portland.

Precious Achiuwa had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Nique Clifford had 24 points and Maxime Raynaud had 21 points as the Kings tied the Utah Jazz for last place in the West at 22-60.

Neither team occupying space inside American Airlines Center wanted to win the game being played on Sunday night, so of course the Dallas Mavericks (26-56) did.

The Mavericks mopped the hardwood with the Chicago Bulls (31-51), 149-128, and Cooper Flagg left the game early in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury, so all in all, the season finale was an unmitigated catastrophe. It was the final insult after yet another injury-plagued 2025-26 season.

The Mavericks embarked on an early 16-0 run in the first quarter behind two 3-pointers apiece from Khris Middleton and Max Christie. Later in the quarter, Klay Thompson moved into 100th on the all-time scorers’ list with his first 3-ball from the right corner, then canned another to hit 200 made 3-pointers for the 11th time in his career.

After it was all said and done, the Mavs led 45-34 going into the second. Dallas shot 15-of-23 (65.2%) from the field in the first and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from beyond the arc in the first.

Cooper Flagg appeared to roll his left ankle while fighting for a rebound early in the second quarter. He immediately walked back to the locker room with a team trainer with just over 10 minutes remaining before halftime. Flagg scored 10 points and pulled down four rebounds in the game’s first 14 minutes. Leslie McCaslin announced on the broadcast that Flagg would not return to the game with seven minutes left in the first half.

No matter — the anonymous Mavericks reserves remained scorching hot from 3-point land in Flagg’s absence. Tyler Smith made three of his first four from beyond the arc as the Mavericks’ lead ballooned to 21 points, 65-44, on Smith’s running dunk in transition with 6:47 left in the second. The Bulls remained absent for the remainder of the quarter, and Dallas took an 80-56 lead into the second half.

Things turned downright silly in the third, as undrafted rookie point guard Ryan Nembhard broke a 32-year-old Mavs’ team record, and John Poulakidas refused to miss from long range. Dallas took a gaudy 119-88 advantage into the final quarter of a long, long season.

The fourth quarter was simply not worth commentary.

Tank reverses course

Fans will point to the final game of the season against the Bulls as a costly one in terms of the Mavericks’ lottery odds. Dallas will likely end up with the eighth-best odds to get the first pick in June’s NBA Draft after beating the Bulls.

But a win on the final night of the season was always a possibility. It was conceivable as an outcome. Where the Mavs’ tank really stalled was in late-season wins at the New York Knicks, at the Cleveland Cavaliers and at the Portland Trail Blazers.

A month ago, fans were fantasizing about a top-five pick with an absolutely stacked draft class at the top awaiting. And make no mistake, the differences between the fifth pick and the eighth pick in this draft could be massive for a team that needs to get a hell of a lot better as soon as possible.

Two-way guys have some fun

Sunday’s game was incredibly forgettable for just about everyone involved. But one Maverick who will never forget this lopsided, unnecessary win is Tyler Smith. In his 12th game with the big club on a two-way deal, Smith exploded for 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first half and grabbed six boards.

Smith made just one of his four second-half shot attempts, though, as another two-way player moved into Silly Season center stage.

Not to be outdone, John Poulakidas followed Smith’s hot first half with 22 points in the third quarter on 6-of-9 shooting from deep. He added a three-point play the hard way midway through the quarter, through the defense of Rob Dillingham.

Poulakidas led the Mavs with 28 points in the season-ending win. Moussa Cisse, the Mavs’ third two-way guy, broke out with 17 points and 19 rebounds in the win as well.

Nembhard’s finishing flurry at point

Ryan Nembhard, another of the Mavericks’ lesser-heralded youngsters, also wrapped up the season on a high note. In his last three games entering Sunday’s game, he racked up 21 combined assists, compared to just one turnover in 86 minutes on the floor.

He dished 12 assists in the first half on Sunday and turned the ball over just once in a starting role. His 13th dime came on the Mavs’ second possession of the second half, as he found John Poulakidas for his second 3-pointer of the game near the left wing. Nembhard found Poulakidas open again along the right wing two possessions later for assist number 14.

Nembhard broke head coach Jason Kidd’s single-game assist record by a Mavericks rookie with 4:35 still remaining in the third quarter, finding Moussa Cisse for a cutting dunk through a toothless Chicago defense. He finished with 15 points, 23 assists and nine rebounds.

It’s over, Mavs fans. It’s finally over. Lay your weary heads to rest. Don’t you cry no more.

Even with this game being meaningless standings-wise, it was nice to see the Suns come out hungry and take this one away with their depth. They ended up beating the Thunder for the second time this season, winning 135-103. This game was one that many will forget, but it showed a glimpse into the future of this team.

The Suns had some big performances with Ryan Dunn and Jamaree Bouyea leading the way. They both bounced back after a rough outing on Friday against the Lakers, which was a nice sight to see. Dunn had 20 points, while Boiuye had a career-high 27, leading the way. The best part of the night, though, was how everyone was contributing. Seven players had double-digit points, allowing the team to never let the Thunder get back into this one. Even Khaman Maluach got a double-double in his first career game.

With OKC locked into the one seed, it made sense they rested their starters, but some of their depth pieces also shone. Branden Carlson was huge for the team alongside Payton Sandfort. Carlson had 26 points while Sandfort contributed 23 with 5 threes.

Game Flow

First Half

The Suns came out hot to start the game, and their depth shone through. With both teams resting their starters and even key bench players, this one was left for the third stringers to fight for. Well, Jamaree Bouyea realized that and answered the call early, scoring the first five points for Phoenix.

This continued for Bouyea throughout the quarter, where Ryan Dunn also stepped up. After having a team low of -39 in his last game, he wanted revenge and showed it early on. Dunn ripped off two early threes and had a nice block to keep the energy up. This snowballed for the Suns, allowing them to get a 21-0 run this quarter. Something the Suns similarly had against Houston earlier this week when they went on a 24-0 run.

Ryan Dunn with the finish to make it a 21-0 Suns run ☄️ pic.twitter.com/EvvUwPP0nV

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 13, 2026

The Thunder, being depleted and locked into the first seed, took this game with no heart from the jump. Defensively, allowing the Suns to find their rhythm and get to the cup with ease. They did bounce back ot make a few threes to make them look alive, but find themselves down 37-19 at the end of one.

To start the second, the Thunder made their first three triples and were quietly crawling back. Then the Suns said, “Hold my beer” and decided to make some of their own, matching the Thunder. Rasheer Fleming was big in this quarter, making a pair of threes for Phoenix.

Dunn was also continuing to show that his aggressiveness was a key to his success. With everyone out, he can play as a creator and ball handler for the offense, and he was doing so during his hot streak. He had a ferocious slam that had the whole bench excited in this one. Then the Thunder found some life halfway through the quarter.

RYAN DUNN WITH AUTHORITY 😤

Season-high 18 PTS for him tonight pic.twitter.com/6F4gzup9ub

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 13, 2026

They forced some turnovers and pressured the Suns to cut the lead. Branden Carlson was huge for the Thunder, forcing attempts at the rim and from beyond the arc. That being said, Bouyea had a different finale for the quarter, hitting a nice step back three-point buzzer beater, to put the Suns up 70-52 at half.

Bouyea at the buzzer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/A9Vyw5oLAd

— Cage (@ridiculouscage) April 13, 2026

Second Half

To start the second half, the Suns kept bringing it down on the Thunder, with the whole team getting involved. Even with Bouyea and Dunn bringing it offensively, guys like Khaman Maluach and Amir Coffey were getting involved too. Even Maluach got an insane block on Carlson that was very motivating for all the fans to see.

The Thunder tried to continue finding shots from Branden Carlson and Payton Sandfort, but the Suns were fighting back. Every time the lead shrank from under 15 points, it seemed to level back out with a nice Phoenix run.

The Suns then went on to dominate the rest of the third with some big performances from the whole team. Koby Brea now had a career-high with 11 points, and the Suns found another buzzer-beater this time from Amir Coffey. Heading to the fourth, the Suns were now up 104-77 and looking to close the season out in good fashion.

COFFEY AT THE Q3 BUZZER🚨 pic.twitter.com/eWEygpLR98

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 13, 2026

With the last quarter of the regular season upon them, the Suns came out ready to take this one under their belt. Maluach fell right into stride, tipping in misses for baskets, while Fleming was lethal from three-point land. Halfway through the quarter, they were up 31, and it was clear this one was done. Regardless of whether OKC tried shrinking the lead, it was not enough. The Suns win their final game of the season 135-103.

SUNS WIN! pic.twitter.com/V16zzHA5Xt

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 13, 2026

Up Next

The Suns gear up for the play-in on Tuesday, taking on the Portland Trail Blazers in the Valley.

The East is set:

The @NBA Eastern Conference postseason seeds ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/9jBjSr8i0K

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 13, 2026

After an unexpected win over the Magic in their Sunday regular season finale at TD Garden, the Celtics start the 2026 NBA Playoffs as the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference and are +550 at FanDuel to raise Banner 19.

The Magic will now travel to Philadelphia to play in the 7/8 Play-In game on Wednesday. Orlando opens up as 1-point favorites against the 76ers. The winner will then head to Boston for Game 1 at TD Garden at 1 pm EST on Sunday, April 19th. That gives the 56-26 Celtics nearly a week of rest, but because of the Play-In Tournament, less time to prepare than the Knicks, Cavaliers, Raptors, and Hawks.

As soon as our first round opponent is determined, we’ll have you covered here at CelticsBlog, but if you’re looking ahead to the NBA Draft on June 22nd, the Celtics sit at #27 in the first round and have Milwaukee’s #40 pick in Round 2. In his post-March Madness mock, SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell has Boston selecting Tounde Yessoufou out of Baylor, but if you’re interested in trying your hand in predicting the draft, our friends at FanDuel have you also covered for all your draft-related wagers.

The night that LeBron James walked into TD Garden for Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals between the Heat and Celtics has always been the talk of myth and legends. 

Some, including his own teammates, have called it the greatest individual performance in a playoff game in NBA history. 

But now, more than a decade later, his former Heat teammates are pulling back the curtain on the real inspiration that lit a fuse under James that night and motivated him to make history. 

Speaking on the “OGs” podcast, hosted by James’ former teammates Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, they recalled the story of that infamous Game 6 performance with another teammate who was there that day, forward Shane Battier. 

“It was the bus,” Haslem said. “That’s when they pissed him off.”

As the story goes, the Heat were waiting at their team hotel for the bus to pick them up and drive them around the corner to the arena. The Heat trailed the Celtics in the series 3-2 and were facing elimination inside hostile territory. Everything was on the line. 

However, the team bus ran late, and then it intentionally crawled through what should have been a quick trip to the arena. Nearly an hour later, they finally arrived. Less than 40 minutes before tipoff. 

Inside the locker room, tension clung to the walls. Dwyane Wade glanced at the clock. “We’ve only got 40 minutes.”

Haslem remembers the look on James’ face at that moment. He was calm but volcanic beneath the surface. He simply replied, “Don’t worry about it.” 

Miller remembered how he was lacking confidence ahead of the big game, but as soon as James said that, his confidence grew. 

“I’ve never been more confident going into a game that I should not have been confident about in my life,” Miller said on the podcast. 

He also recalled James telling him before tipoff that he was not only going to fire every bullet he had at the Celtics that night, but he was going to take out the clip, throw that at them and then throw the gun itself. 

And that’s exactly what he did. James scored 45 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had five assists, dismantling Boston with ruthless precision. The Heat would go on to win the series in seven games and then rolled through the Thunder to win their first title together in Miami.

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks do not expect Doc Rivers back as their coach next season, AP source says.

TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 26 points, Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his ninth career triple-double, and the Toronto Raptors clinched their first playoff berth in four seasons by beating the Brooklyn Nets 136-101 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Atlanta’s loss to Miami and Orlando’s loss at Boston gave Toronto the fifth seed in the East and a first-round matchup with fourth-seeded Cleveland.

The Raptors and Hawks both finished 46-36 but Toronto swept the season series 4-0.

Toronto went 3-0 against the Cavaliers this season but the teams haven’t played since Nov. 24.

Barnes shot 8 for 11 in his third triple-double of the season. He’s the first player in Raptors history to have three triple-doubles in multiple seasons.

Brandon Ingram scored 25 points, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each had 11 and AJ Lawson had 10 points as the Raptors posted their best record since going 48-34 and placing fifth in the East in 2021-22. That season also saw Toronto’s most recent playoff appearance, a six-game defeat to Philadelphia in the first round.

Tyson Etienne led the Nets with 20 points, E.J. Liddell scored 17 points, Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Ben Saraf scored 15 points.

Brooklyn (20-62) lost three straight to finish their worst season since posting the same record in 2016-17.

The Nets, who went 26-56 last season, have lost four consecutive season finales.

The Nets were without 10 players due to injury, a group that included Nic Claxton (sprained finger), Noah Clowney (left ankle), Egor Demin (left foot), Josh Minot (left ankle), Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring) and Ziaire Williams (left foot).

Up next

Toronto will be on the road at Cleveland next weekend to begin the playoffs.

Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored 26 points, Tyrese Proctor added 22 off the bench, and the Cleveland Cavaliers wrapped up the regular season with a 130-117 victory over the visiting Washington Wizards. With nearly every starter sitting out the finale to prepare for the postseason, Cleveland’s bench and G League players paced the team to its 52nd win.

Jamir Watkins, Bub Carrington, and former Cleveland Charge guard Sharife Cooper all scored over 20 points for the Wizards, who end another pitiful season on a 10-game losing streak. They have the worst record in the NBA, securing yet another high lottery pick in the upcoming draft.

For the Cavs, who had already secured home court for at least the first round of the playoffs, the stakes were relatively low — but not completely zero. Jaylon Tyson, who figures to have a prominent role in the playoff rotation, had 18 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 6-16 shooting. The stat line wasn’t as important as what was seen on court, which was a confident player. Tyson had missed time with an injury, so to hit some threes and see the ball go through the net is important for a young player’s mentality.

MIP HIM!

JT is 4th in the NBA with a 44.7 3PT% this season. #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/MF2nK5GOKK

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 12, 2026

Max Strus had 10 points in his final tune-up before the playoffs, where he too will be relied upon for wing minutes in the postseason. Strus has had big games and several clunkers since his return from a broken foot, and tonight’s effort would fall squarely in the middle tier. In 17 minutes, he had 10 points and five rebounds on 4-9 shooting (1-6 from deep).

The rest of this game can be chalked up to evaluating how the young talent looked in regular minutes. Tyrese Proctor did not disappoint with a near triple-double, pouring in 22 points, 11 rebounds (which led the team), and eight assists in 34 minutes of court time. He also drilled half of his three-point attempts, which is good to see, but he had seven turnovers, which is expected and part of being a young point guard. Overall, it was a good game for the former Duke Blue Devil, who has had flashes all season. Just not consistent minutes.

Riley Minix, Olivier Sarr (whose brother Alex plays for Washington), and Tristan Enaruna represent the G League guys, and they played with the typical intensity and effort that is expected of players trying to make it in the NBA. They all scored in double figures, combined for six steals, and were positives when on the court. The Cavs pride themselves on being a good pipeline of talent from the G League to The Association, and there was plenty of that on display tonight.

The Cavs would never say they have nothing to play for, but this game was as close to that label as possible. They have the four-seed locked up and will officially be playing the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is they do maintain home court advantage. The bad news is they have not beaten the Raptors this season, but the postseason is a different ballgame. Oh, and the Cavs did not have James Harden in any of those games.

The Knicks’ playoff opponent is officially set.

With Boston beating Orlando, Miami beating Atlanta, and Toronto beating Brooklyn on Sunday, New York is officially set to meet the Hawks in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Atlanta played the Knicks tough during their regular season matchups. 

While New York took the series 2-1, the two victories were three point games and the loss was by 12. 

The latest meeting was earlier this week, when New York hung on to end the Hawks’ 13-game home winning streak. 

This will be the fourth time that they face-off in the playoffs. 

The most recent one was when Trae Young and the Hawks eliminated New York in five games in 2021. 

Now with Young out of town and a much different roster, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks will look to flip the script.  

The Knicks closed the regular season with a 110-96 loss to the Charolette Hornets on Sunday night. 

Here are the takeaways...

- The Knicks opted to sit out their key contributors with their spot/seed in the playoffs already locked up. Mikal Bridges still received the start to keep the NBA's longest active consecutive games streak alive (now at 638), but he committed an intentional foul to be subbed out after just 23 seconds. 

Bridges, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mohamed Diawara, and Ariel Hukporti was the starting five. 

- McBride dressed as he works to find his footing heading into the playoffs, and he finally showed flashes of his old form in the early going. The backup guard was New York's most effective scorer all night, leading the team with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and four threes. 

- New York saw plenty of other positives from their depth filling out the starting lineup throughout the night. Alvarado was everywhere with a final line of 13-5-6, Hukporti dominated the boards with a season-high eight, and Diawara tied his career-high with five assists.

- Jeremy Sochan and Kevin McCullar Jr. also put together strong showings off the bench. Sochan provided a spark in the third quarter and finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and four assists. McCullar knocked down 6-of-11 attempts from the field to set a new career-high, 14 points. 

- LaMelo Ball led the way for Charolette with five threes, seven rebounds, and six assists. Coby White had himself a night off the bench, chipping in 19 points off the bench, and Kon Knueppel finished his stellar rookie campaign with three threes and 19 points of his own. 

- Despite being a bit overmatched, the Knicks' backups continued to show fight throughout the night. They were able to cut the deficit back down to eight points at one point early in the third quarter, but ultimately saw that stretched back out in the closing minutes of the final frame.

- New York finishes the regular season 53-29, good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference. 

What's next

The Knicks kick off the postseason and the quest for their third NBA title. 

That’s a wrap. The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the 2025-26 regular season with a win over the Washington Wizards. Let’s get to the grades.

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

Jaylon Tyson

18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

Tyson looked like the kid who decided to show up on Senior Skip Day. He overachieved all season, ending the year both as the biggest surprise and the most entertaining part of the year, in my opinion.

Grade: A+

Olivier Sarr

10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

Sarr has a solid game. He showcased great agility and touch for his height, but at 27 years old, I’m not sure how much more development we should expect from him. His thinner frame makes him vulnerable against NBA-sized frontcourts. Still, he’s a fun player to watch and easy to root for.

Grade: B-

Craig Porter Jr.

7 points, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 block

Porter capped off his season with another all-around performance. His weak-side block in the first half was a highlight.

Grade: B–

Tyrese Proctor

22 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers

I’m optimistic about Proctor’s future. He’s got all of the skills you want in a modern guard. A smooth jumper and good defensive instincts.

Six turnovers are the only thing stopping me from giving him the A+ for this near-triple-double performance.

Grade: A

Nae’Qwan Tomlin

26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Tomlin, as we’ve come to expect, was shot out of a cannon tonight. He rebounded his own miss three times in one possession and took a borderline heat-check three-pointer after hitting back-to-back jumpers in the first half. For the record, Tomlin is shooting 20% from downtown this season. His unbridled enthusiasm is something I have no choice but to respect.

Grade: A+

Max Strus

10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

We don’t get many opportunities to watch Strus handle the ball with volume. Tonight, he had the ball in his hands a ton — and it was a nice reminder of how skilled NBA players are. Strus unleashed a few shifty moves, bringing the ball up the floor, and it’s always fun to see someone take on a slightly different role for a night.

Grade: C+

Tristan Enaruna

15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

Enaruna can impact games with his size and physcality. He was a positive presence on both sides of the ball as a result. However, his lack of an outside shot will put a ceiling on him for the foreseeable future.

Grade: B+

Larry Nance Jr.

10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block

Nance got one final run this season with the youngings. He’s been playing more recently, and could be someone to watch as a ‘break glass’ option in the playoffs — even if it’s clear that he’s lost a step or two over the years.

Grade: B–

Rylie Minix

12 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block

Minix nailed a one-legged jumper early in this game. He then proceeded to make hustle play after hustle play on defense. That’s enough for me, take your degree and have a great summer.

Grade: A+

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic will start for the Denver Nuggets in their regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday night for his 65th game played to qualify for NBA awards.

Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama is sitting out the game after reaching eligibility in his previous game.

Jokic has played in 64 games and was listed as questionable with an injured right wrist.

Denver needs a victory over the Spurs on Sunday to secure the third seed in the Western Conference. A Nuggets loss, coupled with a win by the Los Angeles Lakers, would drop the Nuggets to fourth and move the Lakers to third.

The NBA requires players to participate in 65 games to be eligible for MVP, All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Jokic must play at least 15 minutes against San Antonio to be eligible.

The NBA allows two exemptions of 15 to 19:59 minutes played to count as an official game. Jokic has one exemption remaining.

“Yeah, he’ll play the first half,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “Then we’ll reconvene at halftime and see where he’s at, where the game’s at. It’s what the rules provide. So we’ll follow the rules.”

Jokic, who won MVP in 2021, 2022 and 2024, has been named to the All-NBA Team in seven of his 11 seasons.

Wembanyama qualified for award eligibility by playing in his 65th game Friday, in San Antonio's 139-120 victory over Dallas.

Wembanyama competed in 64 regular-season games in addition to the NBA Cup Final, which does not count toward regular-season record or statistics, but does qualify as a game played.

Wembanyama suffered a left rib contusion and missed the second half of Monday's 115-102 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. He returned Friday to post 40 points and 13 rebounds in 26:13 minutes against Dallas.

He was listed as questionable due to injury management and was ruled out after the Spurs' afternoon walkthrough.

“Yeah, he’s doing well, but just a little sore and felt it was the appropriate decision,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said. “He was probably, to be honest, the closest call of the group, but just right in that kind of in between.”

Spurs guard Stephon Castle was upgraded to available after missing the past two games with a left foot soreness.

___

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

The Dallas Mavericks (25-56) play their final game of the 2025-26 season at home on Sunday, facing off against the Chicago Bulls (31-50). Dallas got thumped by the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, but at least we were treated to a Wemby-Flagg dual. The Bulls are locked into their lottery odds and are sort of meandering to the end of the season, most recently losing to the Orlando Magic

• WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Chicago Bulls
• WHAT: Game 82. We made it.
• WHERE: American Airlines Cnter
• WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
• HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass

The injury report is long and for Fan Appreciation Night, there’s some irony there, but there’s more than just this season to think about. Let’s start with who isn’t going to play: Marvin Bagley, Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, PJ Washington, Brandon Williams, and of course, Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively. That means Cooper Flagg is suiting up as is Klay Thompson and everyone’s favorite group of two way players.

The Bulls are also sitting everyone it seems. Matas Buzelis, Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, Josh Giddey, Isaac Okoro, Nick Richards, Anfernee Simons, Jalen Smith, and Guerschon Yabusele are all not playing. So that makes it’s going to be the Collin Sexton and Patrick Williams show.

Fantastic product the NBA has us watching yes? If Cooper Flagg scores 28 or more he’ll pass Luka Doncic for rookie year points per game, pretty wild right? I sort of expect Dallas to win. I wish they wouldn’t, we’ve dealt with too much losing for them to win now and worsen their lottery odds. But hey, not much we can do about it so might as well enjoy the game.

Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!

Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!