Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This week’s question asked about the teams in Houston’s playoff tier — the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers — and which one Rockets fans would least like to play. Here are your results:

As you can see, two-thirds of Rockets fans picked the Denver Nuggets, and I agree that they are the worst first-round matchup for Houston. The Rockets instead drew the Los Angeles Lakers in round one, but they could still meet one of the other teams in later rounds.

According to our friends at FanDuel, the Rockets are the favorites versus L.A., opening up at a -220 in odds against the Lakers in Game 1, meaning you have to wager $220 to win 100. The Rockets are -900 to advance to the Western Conference Semis and a +6000 to make the NBA Finals.

Thanks for voting, we’ll be back soon with more Reacts!

BOSTON — Baylor Scheierman didn’t know what to expect entering Sunday night’s regular-season finale. The Boston Celtics, down eight players, rolled out a shorthanded rotation made up entirely of reserves against a fully healthy Orlando Magic team.

“We were even joking in the locker room coming out for layup lines, looking at each other like, ‘What do we got — six, seven people out here?’” Scheierman said after Boston’s 113-108 win.

When the starting lineups were introduced, Scheierman’s name was called last — a spot usually reserved for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. When it came time to fight back from an 11-point deficit, Scheierman drained the equalizing 3-pointer in the third quarter to spark Boston’s turnaround rally.

The final week of the regular season was rewarding enough, as the Celtics clinched their playoff berth on Tuesday and then locked the No. 2 seed on Friday. But for Scheierman, who’s spent the entire season dealing with the uncertainty of rummaging for minutes off the bench, Sunday’s victory was especially gratifying.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Scheierman said. “Obviously, like I’ve talked about, I’ve got a lot of internal confidence in myself. And like I said in New York, I flipped the page to New Orleans. Then we played New Orleans on Friday, and when that game was done, I flipped the page to tonight, and that’s no different. You don’t really weigh too much on a single game, regardless of whether it goes good or bad.”

Scheierman tied his career high with 20 points at Madison Square Garden in Thursday night’s loss. Against the Magic, he took the driver’s seat, leading Boston’s reserve-heavy group. Scheierman set a new career high with 30 points, outplaying Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and helped turn the tide at TD Garden. Fans went from heading for the exits early to rallying around the shorthanded eight-man crew as it fought back and delivered one of the most inspiring performances of the season.

“I’m super proud of myself,” Scheierman added.

Instead of sitting in the corner waiting for catch-and-shoot feeds, Scheierman created his own scoring opportunities at will.

During his 14-point run in the third quarter, Scheierman pulled up seven times off the dribble. He capped off his red-hot bout with a 30-foot 3-pointer over 6-foot-11 Goga Bitadze, giving the Celtics an 86-77 lead. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, too, noticed Scheierman’s confidence coming to life and taking over.

“I think in the middle of the third quarter, we went on a little bit of a run, he took a tough shot a couple of steps over half court,” Mazzulla said. “And you want him to have that confidence, but he knew right away, like, ‘OK, I’ve got to read the game now. We’re in a different position.’ Then he just learns defense, situational basketball, but at the end of the day, he’s a huge competitor. And you kind of saw that tonight.”

Before the game, Mazzulla discussed how the entire locker room — starters, bench players, returning players, and newcomers — has impacted winning. Without Tatum, the Celtics won 41 of their first 62 games. Without Brown, they went 9-2. The secret behind their success boils down to their identity and core principles, both of which are instilled in everyone from the top down. The bar doesn’t change because the team is shorthanded, even when the roster is down to its last eight going up against Orlando’s best 10.

Boston has equipped everyone to succeed, including Scheierman. Scoring aside, his energy was infectious. It was felt by his teammates, the starters watching from the bench in street clothes, and those in attendance. That’s a byproduct of the culture the Celtics have built.

“I think today is the perfect example of the locker room,” Mazzulla explained, “and the group of guys that we have, and how important it is that everybody knows that if you’re on the floor, you’re expected to play a certain way to put us in position to win.”

No matter how difficult Orlando made it for Boston’s reserves, they never gave in. In the first quarter, Mazzulla played everyone available. The Celtics shot 26.1 percent from the field (6/23) and 25 percent from three (4/16). Many of their attempts appeared rushed and forced by the pressure of Orlando’s defense. Boston struggled to attack the basket, and Mazzulla didn’t wait around to shake up the rotation.

But as the game wore on, the team’s comfort grew. Scheierman recorded five second-half assists, finding teammates cutting to the basket like his old high school quarterback self, and attacking Orlando off the dribble to create kick-out looks from three.

Joining Scheierman, Luka Garza (27), Ron Harper Jr. (27), and John Tonje (13) also set new career highs in points.

“We’re proud of the effort we put out there,” he said. “I think going into the game, we’re expected to go out there and compete and win the game. I know going into the game that was our expectation, and we’re excited that we won, and honestly, just getting ready for the playoffs now.”

It hasn’t been easy for Scheierman this season. Without a clear role, players in his position often struggle with the inconsistency of not playing each night. But the system this season’s Celtics have built makes it so everyone can contribute. Sometimes it’s Scheierman, other times it’s not. What remains constant is the team’s commitment to winning, regardless of who’s on the floor and who isn’t.

That won’t change.

“There’s no separation in the locker room, regardless of what went on in the preseason and even the rough start we got off to, the 0-3 start,” Scheierman said. “There was no separation. We stayed together, and that’s kind of how it was through the ups and downs of the whole year, and I think that’s the biggest takeaway that I have.”

Why Draymond Green could be facing his last grand opportunity vs. Kawhi Leonard originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Stephen Curry playing a team-high 29 minutes in the regular-season finale was an encouraging sign for one of the two pivotal factors the Warriors will take into the postseason.

The Warriors hope Curry’s efficient 24-point effort in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday was a preview of what’s to come, as his presence and performance will be critical when the teams meet Wednesday for an NBA play-in tournament game in Los Angeles.

The second factor that figures to be at least as impactful was invisible on Sunday. The matchup of Golden State’s defensive savant Draymond Green vs. LA’s offensive ace Kawhi Leonard did not materialize.

Green and Leonard were listed as questionable early Sunday afternoon, Green with a lingering lower-back issue and Leonard with a left ankle sprain. When the Clippers downgraded Leonard to out four hours before tipoff, the Warriors downgraded Green a couple hours later.

Maybe each team had a valid reason. Or, more likely, both coaches took a tactical approach to a low-consequence game three days before a high-consequence rematch.

Draymond wants this. Wants to prove that even now, at age 36, he remains among the league’s premier defenders. Moreover, he needs it for his psyche.

Green has admitted to being less than enthusiastic about the Warriors finishing as the 10th seed in the Western Conference and therefore having to survive two detours to get to the real playoffs. This game within the game, however, surely is a source of motivation.

Green’s desire to make the All-Defensive team won’t be affected, as ballots for NBA postseason awards will have been submitted long before Wednesday. But a strong defensive performance against an opponent bound for the Hall of Fame is an opportunity to make a statement to his teammates and any observers who doubt his defense still can shine on a big stage.

History suggests that’s enough for Green to summon his best. Is his best still good enough?

“With a guy like Kawhi you can play the best defense that you want, and he still can get his numbers,” Curry told reporters Sunday night at Intuit Dome. “It’s about how he gets them and making him work. I feel it all the time. We’ve got to be able to impose our will, even if he still gets his because that’s the challenge to try to beat those guys.”

Years of evidence indicate Green’s defense, individually and within the team framework, is every bit as important to Golden State’s postseason fortunes as Curry’s offense. Kerr understands that as much as anyone.

“Defensively, he’s obviously our guy,” Kerr told at Intuit Dome. “We’re able to do more things with him out there. He’s a playoff player. He’s a guy who loves the challenge. He loves the situation when you’re in a must-win (game), so I know he’ll play well.”

The last time Green faced Leonard, March 2 at Chase Center, he requested the assignment. Kerr agreed. Draymond won his battle, but the Clippers won the game. They prevailed by rallying behind Leonard while Green was on the bench for a breather.

The Warriors had a 71-61 lead when Green was subbed out with 4:37 left in the third quarter. Leonard at that point had 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Leonard scored four points over the next 53 seconds, igniting LA’s 16-8 run to close the quarter and pull within two. The momentum swung during the non-Draymond minutes.

“Kawhi went on a great run and that kind of put it away,” Golden State center Al Horford said after that game.

For the better part of three quarters, Green had minimized Leonard mostly by with spirited ball-denial defense and the occasional trap. Kerr after that game said he had to give Draymond a break, that he “can’t play the whole game.”

The coach will be a lot more flexible Wednesday.

“Draymond will be well rested,” Kerr said in LA. “He’s been playing a lot of minutes and a lot of games, so it was good for him to get a night off tonight. He’ll be ready to go. He’ll help set a tone for us defensively.

“We know it’s going to be tough. These guys are really good and, obviously, Kawhi will be back. And we’re excited about them challenge.”

If Leonard scores 40 points but needs 30 shots, that bodes nearly as well for Golden State as 22 points on 20 shots. The overarching goal for Green and his teammates is to keep Kawhi from taking over the game.

The Warriors will be clear underdogs, and they’ve earned that status. They’ve been slipping backward on ice for almost three months. Their 37-45 regular-season record is the worst of the 12 teams assured of making the playoffs or the other seven teams still trying to win their way there.

Whether the Warriors can beat the odds and beat the Clippers on the road, something they have not done since Nov. 28, 2021, almost certainly will be determined by the winner of the game within the game.

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Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in a first-half appearance as the Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs 128-118 to claim third seed in the Western Conference on the final day of the regular NBA season.

Denver's victory meant the Los Angeles Lakers finished as fourth seed in the Western Conference for the NBA play-offs, which begin this weekend.

The Lakers, who were missing their top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves through injury, defeated Utah Jazz 131-107.

Veteran Lakers star LeBron James, 41, impressed with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds in the first half.

Denver will host sixth seed the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the play-offs, while the Lakers welcome the Houston Rockets, who are seeded fifth.

Three-time Most Valuable Player Jokic, 31, who also registered eight rebounds, played just over 18 minutes in Texas to reach 65 games and become eligible for the league's season-ending awards.

Denver's Julian Strawther scored 25 points and Jonas Valanciunas finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.

De'Aaron Fox led the Spurs with 24 points while MVP contender Victor Wembanyama was rested following his 40-point performance in the 139-120 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.

Second seed San Antonio, who secured their play-off spot against the Mavericks, will host the winner of the in-play tournament game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

The in-play tournament is a round-robin competition which follows the regular season, where eight teams compete to establish the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference.

Oklahoma City Thunder, who are defending NBA champions and top seed in the West, plus Eastern Conference first and second seeds the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, will find out their first-round opponents once the in-play tournament finishes on Friday.

Is it possible that the most fun game of the regular season is the finale when seven — SEVEN — rotation players are unavailable and there’s nothing to play for?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Baylor Scheierman led all scorers with 30 points with Ron Harper Jr. and Luka Garza having career games with 27 to beat the Orlando Magic 113-108. The stakes of this game could not have been more different. For Orlando, a win could have made them the #6 seed and playing at Madison Square Garden next weekend. For Boston, it was a matter of expressing how fundamentally sound the entire franchise is from the Jays to the young players trying to grind it out in Maine.

In the end, Celtics Pride prevailed.

Boston will enter the postseason as the #2 seed, but they’ll have to wait to see how the Play-In Tournament plays out next week; the 76ers will now host these Magic in the 7/8 game on Wednesday April 15th. The Celtics will host the winner on Sunday, April 19th at 1 pm EST.

Boston’s championship odds have remained steady all month with our friends at FanDuel and are +550 to raise Banner 19 and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.

Baylor Scheierman

39 minutes, 30 points (6-14 from 3, 8-8 from the free throw line, 8-20 from the field), 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, one block, +15

Mazzulla handed the keys to Scheierman and Scheierman went full Ferris Bueller in the regular season finale.

Our player grades are normally objective and based on a fuzzy formula of what’s expected of a player versus how they perform in the game. Yes, Baylor filled the box score with a near triple-double, but just on vibes alone, his impact on the game was off the charts. The kid has a flare for the dramatic and backs it up with business up front but certainly party in the back.

Grade: A+

Jordan Walsh

33 minutes, 9 points (1-6 from 3, 4-4 from the free throw line, 2-9 from the field), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, one steal, one block, -14

There’s still a chance that the Celtics are going to face the Magic in Round 1 and Game #82 gave Jordan Walsh some up close intel about what it’s going to take to defend Paolo Banchero. Brown and Tatum would most likely get the bulk of minutes defending Orlando’s offensive engine, Walsh will get his reps, too.

Walsh had trouble with Banchero’s size — everybody does — and his best bet might to lean into a more irritant strategy rather than bodying him up.

Grade: B-

Luka Garza

38 minutes, 27 points (3-6 from 3, 4-4 from the free throw line, 10-18 from the field), 12 rebounds, one assist, 2 turnovers, +13

Mazzulla used the end of the regular season to knock the rust off of Nikola Vucevic in favor of using Luka as the first big off the bench. That wasn’t a knock on Garza’s game. In fact, it could be considered a vote of confidence.

Luka’s box score numbers may fluctuate, but his effort and hustle don’t. It’s not just his stick-to-itiveness. He’s a savvy screener with his quick hip flips who can read on-ball and off-ball situations on the fly.

We just didn’t know he had fadeaway three-pointers in his repertoire:

Grade: A+

Ron Harper Jr.

37 minutes, 27 points (5-12 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line, 10-20 from the field), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers +7

So yeah, RHJ is going to be on the big club next season. The birthday boy doesn’t have the size and strength to be a playmaker, but he’s a natural scorer that can play next to Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White.

Grade: A+

Max Shulga

18 minutes, 3 points (1-3 from 3, 1-4 from the field), 3 rebounds, one steal, one turnover, +8

The point guard was a steady quarterback for Maine’s offense. He averaged 15.7 points while shooting 40% from 3 with nearly seven assists a night. That didn’t exactly translate in this one-game audition.

Grade: B-

Dalano Banton

36 minutes, 2 points (0-1 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line, 0-3 from the field) 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 turnovers, one steal, 4 blocks, +3

Per Spotrac, Banton’s one-day regular season contract is worth around $28K, a nice paycheck for a single game’s work. He’ll now be with the Celtics throughout the postseason as their 15th man. Despite being traded in 2024 to Portland, he did earn a ring from the team and is now in-line for another.

Grade: B-

Amari Williams

10 minutes, 2 points (1-1 from the field), one rebound, one assist, one turnover, -8

There’s a world where Williams enters next season as a project big as the third option or the Celtics bring back Garza, Queta, and Vucevic for another run. We’ve seen enough flashes from him to know that he could be a serviceable front court player in the future.

Grade: C

John Tonje

30 minutes, 13 points (3-8 from 3, 2-2 from the free throw line, 4-12 from the field), 4 rebounds, one assist, one steal, +1

Tonje was kind of a throw-in when Stevens salary-dumped Chris Boucher to the Jazz, but you can see what Danny Ainge saw in him and signed him to a two-way contract.

Grade: B+

Inactives: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta, Sam Hauser, Hugo Gonzalez, Nikola Vucevic

Let me preface this by saying it’s unlikely that the Golden State Warriors win both of their potential play-in games this upcoming week. They’ll be underdogs for Wednesday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, unless the NBA finishes their investigation and orders Kawhi Leonard to plant trees during the 9-10 game.

Should they get past Team Aspiration, they’ll be underdogs against the loser of the Phoenix Suns-Portland Trail Blazers 7-8 game Friday, AKA the “Cliff Robinson Bowl.” Would it be satisfying to beat Dillon Brooks in a postseason game again or make Damian Lillard watch the Warriors celebrate again? Obviously, but a Warriors team that’s gone 5-15 after Cinco De Mayo isn’t scaring anyone. Both those games (if necessary) will be broadcast on Prime Video, which we all know as the home of “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”

But if the Warriors pull off two road wins against their healthier, taller, younger, cooler, more talented opponents Wednesday and Friday, then their reward will be a matchup with the defending champions at 12:30 on Sunday, April 19. The tired Warriors will face 18,203 screaming fans still furious about Kevin Durant’s free agency a decade ago and that Chick-fil-A is closed.

The prime-time matchups are about the NBA’s past, and its future. Saturday’s 5:30 game on ABC features 41-year-old LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers facing 37-year-old Durant and the Houston Rockets. Sunday’s prime-time game at 6:00 on NBC will have 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs facing the Suns-Blazers winner.

So mark your calendars for Sunday, but maybe write it in pencil. And if you have to go a T-ball game, church service, champagne brunch, craft fair, or 4/20 pre-party, the Warriors will understand. After all, they might already be in Cancun.

After an exhausting, long NBA season, it was nice to go about Sunday’s game stress-free. There were some stakes involved as the Lakers could still finish either the third or fourth seed.

However, LA pretty quickly took control of the game and moved into cruise control as early as the start of the second half. From there, it was a fun half of the younger guys getting some run and shining with an eye kept on the Nuggets and Spurs.

At the end of the day, the Lakers won going away while the Nuggets took care of the Spurs, sealing LA into a match-up with the Rockets in the first round.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

17 minutes, 18 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, 6-15 FG, 0-3 3PT, 6-7 FT, +14

It was a nice first half for LeBron, who got to the line repeatedly to help get the Lakers ahead so that he could sit out the second half.

Grade: B+

Rui Hachimura

29 minutes, 22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 8-12 FG, 3-5 3PT, 3-4 FT, +19

Rui has been in quite the groove heading into the playoffs, highlighted by finishing the regular season strong. Also, TEN rebounds?!?

Grade: A

Deandre Ayton

26 minutes, 22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, 1 foul, 10-14 FG, 2-2 FT, +13

Another player heading into the postseason with momentum is Ayton, who also recorded a double-double on Sunday.

Grade: A

Marcus Smart

26 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-7 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, +13

The Lakers are going to need Smart in the playoffs, so it was nice to see him get some minutes again after his lengthy injury break. And he was being quite the facilitator as well.

Grade: B+

Luke Kennard

11 minutes, 3 points, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 1-1 FG, 1-2 FT, +8

This was a much-needed easy night for Kennard, who has suddenly become a very important player for the Lakers.

Grade: B-

Bronny James

19 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 4-7 FG, 3-4 3PT, +13

How much fun has it been to watch Bronny develop and flourish to close this season? While it comes with the obvious caveat, he’s likely going ot be a rotation player in a playoff series and it’s a deserved role.

Grade: A-

Jake LaRavia

25 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, +11

Congrats to Jake for playing all 82 games, the first Laker to do so since Austin Reaves in 2023-24 and the 45th player to do so in Lakers history.

Grade: C+

Maxi Kleber

15 minutes, 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 1-2 FG, +10

By signing Nick Smith Jr. instead of Drew Timme, the Lakers gave an indirect vote of confidence in Kleber for the playoffs.

Grade: B-

Jarred Vanderbilt

16 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-5 FG, 0-2 3PT, +5

It hasn’t been a great final week for Vando, but this was a nice, relatively brief, cameo to end the regular season.

Grade: B

Nick Smith Jr.

18 minutes, 12 points, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 5-11 FG, 2-6 3PT, +6

With a freshly-inked contract, Smith Jr. showed why the Lakers signed him with a couple of threes in the first half. He likely won’t be in the rotation to start the playoffs, but he can provide a scoring injection if needed.

Grade: B+

Adou Thiero

12 minutes, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-4 FG, +3

His minutes came in full-blown garbage time, but it’s still so much fun to see him flying around the court.

Grade: B+

Dalton Knecht

12 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 fouls, 6-9 FG, 5-6 3PT, +3

He lives! On the topic of fun, seeing Knecht look like the player fans fell in love with a long time ago was a joy. However, there’s a good chance this was perhaps his last appearance in a Lakers jersey.

Grade: A

Drew Timme, Chris Mañon

The two-way guys wrapped up their season with some garbage time minutes. Neither played 10 minutes and neither will be eligible for the playoffs.

JJ Redick

Hats off to Redick, who coached the Lakers to 53 wins this season despite an incredible amount of injuries to the stars. It’s been a pair of tumultuous seasons and Redick still has over 100 wins.

It was a pretty simple task on Sunday against a team actively looking to lose the game.

Grade: B+

Sunday’s inactives: Luka Doncic, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Reaves

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Kawhi Leonard and the L.A. Clippers managed to reach the postseason despite a slow start to the season.

The Clippers finished out the regular season with a 42-40 record after a 6-21 start to the season.

L.A. managed to weather the storm before even trading key starters such as James Harden and Ivica Zubac.

The Clippers added Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Isaiah Jackson from the Indiana Pacers.

Leonard also raised his level of play during the season and began to gather MVP award consideration. Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 65 games played.

Leonard's health might be in question for the play-in game, however, after being unavailable for the Clippers' regular-season finale due to an ankle injury on April 12.

Even without Leonard, the Clippers closed out the regular season with a 115-110 win over the Golden State Warriors.

The Nets went into this season with two jobs: 

Give their rookies plenty of playing time to develop. And tank for lottery odds to draft another impact rookie in June.

They’ve done both. They had the youngest team in the NBA this season, and led the league in minutes logged by rookies. And at 20-62, they’ve clinched third in the lottery standings, with the top three all having equal odds.

“Yeah, the minutes they’ve played are super valuable,” said coach Jordi Fernández. “And all of them, the two-ways, the 10-days, young guys, everybody who has played here, all those minutes matter.

“There’s no one game that it’s not valuable. And NBA minutes are so hard; there’s only 30 teams, it’s the best league in the world. And for these guys to showcase what they can do, everybody has done positive things. So I’m happy that they’ve taken advantage of these minutes.”

The Nets ended the season with a 136-101 loss in Toronto.

Two-way Tyson Etienne led them with 20 points, four assists and two steals, while undrafted rookie Chaney Johnson added 16 points and 13 rebounds. First-round pick Ben Saraf fouled out with 15 points, four assists and two steals.

“I’m obviously happy with the development of our young guys,” GM Sean Marks told YES Network. 

“Knowing that our objective this year was to have the young guys play and play real NBA minutes. That was the No. 1 priority in between the G-League and the development there and also here. We now lead the league in rookie minutes the whole year, so that’s exactly what we wanted to do.”

The Nets are one of three teams with the maximum 14 percent odds at winning the lottery, and a 40.1 percent chance at a top three draft pick.

Their most likely draft slots are sixth (26.0) or fifth (14.8). They can’t fall below seventh, and the draft is regarded as falling off after the top seven prospects.

The Nets have won the lottery in 1990 (Derrick Coleman), 2000 (Kenyon Martin) and 2017, but they had traded the latter pick away to Boston (who used it to trade down for Jayson Tatum).

Meanwhile, the No. 3 lottery spot has been lucky of late. Minnesota won the lottery in 2020 (Anthony Edwards) and San Antonio three years later (Victor Wembanyama). Last year, Charlotte actually fell to draft fourth, but Kon Knueppel had a historic season and is the Rookie of the Year front-runner.

The Nets should be so lucky. 

Trevon Scott started after being signed Sunday morning.

His 10-day contract expired, but the Nets inked him on what a source told The Post was a hardship deal that only covered Sunday’s game against Toronto.

The final buzzer at the Frost Bank Center carried little urgency for the San Antonio Spurs—but it still told a story. San Antonio came into the regular season finale on Sunday already locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, so missing key pieces for rest and injury management, the Spurs fell 128-118 to the Denver Nuggets in a game exposed both vulnerability and perspective heading into the postseason.

Even with a limited run from Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets controlled stretches of the game and never fully let the Spurs recover. Jokić made his presence felt early, tallying 23 points and eight rebounds, all in the first half, before sitting in the second half after securing eligibility for postseason awards.

Despite missing all their starters, apart from Jokic, it was Denver’s supporting cast that delivered the knockout blows. Julian Strawther erupted for 25 points, while the Nuggets’ bench fueled a decisive second-quarter surge. A massive 20-0 run in a period of six minutes turned a competitive game into an uphill battle San Antonio couldn’t climb out of.

“I thought the effort was consistent,” Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. “It’s time to regroup and we’ve got five or six days to prepare. We need to be prepared and as sharp as we can.”

The Spurs, meanwhile, looked like a team managing the bigger picture. Without Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, San Antonio struggled defensively and on the glass. Still, they found offense in spurts. De’Aaron Fox led the way with 24 points, while multiple players reached double figures in a balanced but inconsistent attack . Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson added key contributions, helping the Spurs trim the deficit late, but never enough to truly threaten.

Every time San Antonio pushed, Denver answered.

The Nuggets stretched their lead to double digits multiple times in the second half, leaning on timely shooting and second-chance opportunities. Even as the Spurs made a late push to cut the margin to single digits, Denver’s composure sealed the outcome.

The loss snapped the regular season to a close at 62-20 for San Antonio, a remarkable turnaround and a 34-win improvement from the previous year. More importantly, it marked the end of a drought, sending the Spurs back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

“We’ve flipped our minds towards the playoffs,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “We’re excited and we’re expecting to make a long run in it.”

“Regardless, it is playoff basketball,” he added. “Seeding to us really doesn’t matter. Like Mitch said, just win the game in front of you, so we’re focused on that.”

And while this finale won’t linger as a defining moment, it did offer a preview. If these two teams meet again in the postseason, the margin for error will be razor thin.

“It’s been a hell of a year,” Spurs forward Carter Bryant. “I’m ready. I’m excited for the postseason.”

Sunday night showed that even a shorthanded Denver squad has the firepower—and depth—to challenge San Antonio. But for the Spurs, the real season is just beginning.

Game Notes

• Carter Bryant is playing with supreme confidence and that’s going to make him a dangerous player come playoff time and for years to come. He finished with 13 points and three blocks. If he puts those kind of numbers up in the postseason, he will be a secret weapon for San Antonio.
• Stephon Castle made his return to the lineup, scoring 10 points on 30 percent shooting.
• For Spurs fans worried about Denver in round 2, let’s focus on round 1 first. Also, the bright side is that this is the worst the Spurs will be for the foreseeable future. The fact they finished 62-20 after winning just 34 games a year ago is insane. Breathe. It’s going to be fun .
• The Spurs had three chances from the three-point line late to cut into Denver’s lead and couldn’t convert. The basketball Gods might have wanted them to take the hard road for their first playoff run in 6 years.