INDEPENDENCE — Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been asked how James Harden has helped this team since his arrival in early February. He’s spoken at length about how good a passer he is and how skilled he is as a scorer. But there’s one thing that sticks out above all of that — his knowledge of the game and his willingness to pass that on to others on the team. Both are byproducts of his obsession with the game.

“There are certain players in this league that they love it more,” Atkinson said of Harden. “They’re obsessed. There’s love and obsession.”

Harden falls into that second category.

“There’s very few of them to that degree,” Atkinson said. “How obsessed they are with the game, the nuances of the game, it’s different.”

Those nuances show through most when Harden is running the pick-and-roll. He’s an expert at that action and has developed seemingly instant chemistry with nearly every big he’s come in contact with throughout his 17-year career with six different franchises. That one exception was Evan Mobley — at least in their first few weeks together.

Mobley’s game didn’t fit with Harden’s right off the bat. Mobley isn’t known for being a hard screen setter and roller. Instead, he’s typically done most of his damage attacking in space off the dribble, cutting, and attacking after slipping screens.

Earlier this season, Dallas Mavericks head coach and legendary point guard Jason Kidd said that it took him half a season before he felt comfortable with a new big. The Cavs didn’t have that much time to make things work with Harden since they traded for him four months into the season. They had to find a different way to develop their on-court chemistry without game reps. That meant they had to do most of their work in the film room.

“Us going through film, me learning him, him learning me, and where he likes to pass the ball. That was a big thing at the start,” Mobley said. “Once I kind of figured that out, and how he likes to come off [screens], and what his cues are. Sometimes you can’t really say anything. You just kind of have to look. Once I learned that, it got very easy.”

Mobley describes Harden as being “light-hearted” in these film sessions.“It’s just info. He just tells me what he sees. I tell him what I see, and the coaches chime in. It’s just a back-and-forth conversation.”

Harden’s impact breaking down film is one of the things that the Cavs pointed out immediately after the trade.

“James is a teacher,” Atkinson said. “He always has a slant and a new idea on how we can do things better. He’s not afraid. … He’s very bold — extroverted. Talking with guys, it’s a huge help.”

Harden and Mobley’s two-man game has continued to grow throughout the season. Harden has done a good job of delivering passes to Mobley above the waste where he can catch the ball in stride. In turn, Mobley has been more decisive in rolling to the basket and exploiting mismatches.

That development didn’t happen overnight. It was through trial and error and having an open line of communication, which Harden believes is the biggest reason why they were able to get onto the same page.

“Figure out what works, whether it’s the pick-and-roll, whether it’s just me throwing him the ball in the post,” Harden said. “Whether I have the mismatch or I feel like he has the mismatch. It’s a split-second decision. If it doesn’t go right, we talk about it and then move on.”

This has carried over to more than just the pick-and-roll. The Cavs as a team have thrived when both share the floor. Cleveland has outscored their opponent by 5.5 points per 100 possessions (77th percentile for net rating) with a 119.5 offensive rating (80th percentile) and a 114 defensive rating (68th percentile).

If the Cavs are going to go far in the playoffs, it will be because their best players are on the same page and the team is at its best when they share the floor. To do that, Mobley and Harden have to be in sync, and they’ve made an effort to do so through their communication.

“I’m just trying to learn from him,” Mobley said. “Learn the most I can and figure out how he’s become who he is. He does a great job of explaining and spreading his knowledge to us. I’m just soaking it all in.”

The difficulty of guarding an action involving Steph Curry and Draymond Green is the sheer unpredictability of how it will manifest. It’s difficult enough to solve the typical Curry-Green pick-and-roll — playing drop will end up in Curry pulling up around the screen for a rhythm three. Playing a more aggressive form of coverage such as a hedge or outright blitz unleashes Green in the short roll with a 4-on-3 numbers advantage, a realm that Green has historically dominated with near-equal efficiency as a Curry pull-up three.

Adding to that difficulty is when Green starts possessions out handling the ball with Curry parking himself in the middle of the paint. Whenever Steve Kerr calls for “Small,” it often entails an inverted pick-and-roll in which Curry steps up to set the screen for Green. The reticence of Curry’s defender to detach himself from the greatest shooter of all time often allows Green to dribble downhill through a wide-open lane.

Teams have come to expect “Small” action, owing to the fact that the Warriors are so fond of having Curry be the ball screener for Green and bigger ball-handling wings (previously, that role was played by the likes of Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Jonathan Kuminga). Naturally, a scouted action needs to evolve in order to maintain its effectiveness. As such, back on December 14 against the Portland Trail Blazers, Kerr called for “Small” action and the Blazers expected an inverted pick-and-roll possession.

However, the Warriors were expecting the Blazers to expect the ball-screen. In that regard, the Warriors threw a curve ball that caught the Blazers with their tail between their legs:

Warriors┃ "Small"

Kerr calls for "Small" for an inverted PnR between Draymond and Steph.

The inverted PnR is a fake, instead flowing into a handoff for Steph. pic.twitter.com/Hf7HFjf7ts

— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) December 15, 2025

The rationale behind this action is rather simple: with Green’s defenders often sagging way off of him (with the additional purpose of not letting themselves getting screened by Curry above the free-throw line, which would give Green a runway toward the rim), Green’s defenders will find themselves playing drop coverage unintentionally whenever Curry comes off of Green and pulls up from deep. The irony of the situation is then realized: teams are forced to play a pick-and-roll coverage that has been proven to be extremely ineffective against basketball history’s greatest shooter.

This callback all leads into a sequence against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Golden State Warriors’ momentous Play-In victory, one that prolonged their tumultuous season. With the seven-minute mark approaching in the third quarter and the Warriors aiming to keep things manageable in the midst of a precarious deficit, “Small” is called for what is apparently going to be a Curry screen for Green, who brings the ball up.

To Brook Lopez’s credit, he refuses to sag back and let Green and Curry dictate matters at the top of the arc. The risk behind this decision, however, is Curry catching Lopez with a screen and Green diving past for what could be an easy layup. But Curry elects to come off of Green instead of setting the screen. Perhaps in anticipation of a screen, Lopez drops back to avoid the pick — but falls victim to an unintentional bout of drop coverage.

To add insult to injury, Derrick Jones Jr. attempts to recover over the screen, and in the process fouls Curry on the four-point play:

The deceptive nature of the action underscores its overall inevitability, one that has had Curry and Green in the center of it all. The Clippers may have had the Warriors’ number over the past couple of years, but they fell victim once again to the one-two punch that has taken opposing fanbases’ hearts several times, over and over, enough to convince a die-hard fan to accept the fact that Curry and Green will forever haunt them in their dreams, even after their stories careers have seen their eventual end.

In an elimination game with everything on the line, Curry and Green were expected to handle things from their respective specialties: Curry as the Warriors’ offensive engine, Green as their defensive anchor. The former, with help from Green but whose machinery was driven by the all-time talents of Curry, furthered a legacy that already was and has been unimpeachable:

The latter saw Green get up for a vintage performance that belied his aging profile.

While Green’s defensive reputation was built mostly on a role that saw him as an off-ball roamer and mistake-eraser, Green was tasked to defend the Clippers’ resident terminator. Kawhi Leonard finished the game with 21 points on 17 shots — good for a true shooting percentage of 56 percent. In a do-or-die game, 17 shots clearly wasn’t good enough for a superstar the caliber of Leonard’s, whose resurgence this season will see him almost certainly be included in an All-NBA Team, let alone the first team.

But Leonard managing to put up only 17 shots had plenty to do with Green and his tenacity as Leonard’s tormentor. Of those 17 shots, six were taken in the second half; two of those six were taken in the crucial fourth quarter.

Make no mistake, Green had schematic help — i.e., Kerr and de facto defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse opting to surprise Leonard with doubles. The Warriors were clearly more concerned with Leonard the scorer as opposed to Leonard the passer; the latter was even more palatable if Leonard was forced to pass in the face of daunting pressure:

But on an individual basis, Green displayed his mettle and pedigree. He rose to the occasion on two separate occasions, both of them equally crucial behind the Warriors’ win.

Showing an incredible refusal to be dictated by the Clippers’ after-timeout (ATO) play (in the sense that the Clippers wanted to draw Green away from Leonard courtesy of a screen), Green tenaciously fights over the screen, pins Leonard against the sideline, and intercepts a pass that was meant for Leonard, leading to an and-1 layup by Brandin Podziemski:

A few possessions later, Green flashes an incredible knowledge of Leonard’s rhythm and handle by timing a swipe at the end of Leonard’s right-to-left crossover, forcing another turnover that all but seals the deal for the Warriors:

Despite the fleeting nature of this run, in the sense that one loss can send it all into the realm of futility, it was nevertheless a treat to see these two legends of the sport turn back the clock and produce another vintage performance. Let it be known, however, that they had the requisite help: Al Horford had four massive threes in the fourth quarter and finished with 14 points; Kristaps Porzingis chipped in with his 20 points; Podziemski himself had 17 points while hauling in seven rebounds as a 6’4” unathletic guard; and Gui Santos produced 20 crucial points, all while the Warriors outscored the Clippers by 16 points in his 32 minutes of floor time, a team high.

No matter what the outcome of the next tilt against the Phoenix Suns may be, the Warriors —powering through a season that saw season-ending injuries to Butler and Moses Moody, a 27-game absence from their franchise superstar, and a highly unnecessary saga involving Kuminga — have already overachieved. If their so-called “uncs” have more gas in their tanks, further overachieving would be the money that keeps on giving — until it chooses to stop giving.

Many of the top men's college basketball transfers are off the board as rosters are starting to shape up ahead of the 2026-27 season.

But transfer portal rankings are hardly an exact science, and best fit is usually a better indicator for future success than anything.

While Yaxel Lendeborg, a first-team All-American in 2025-26, was rated the No. 1 player in the portal and delivered Michigan a national championship, UConn center Tarris Reed Jr., one of the best players of the NCAA Tournament in 2026, was rated outside the top 75 as a portal prospect in 2024 by 247Sports' Composite.

Top 40 available players: College basketball transfer portal rankings

Pressure usually feels obvious this time of year. You know who it’s on, you know what’s at stake, and you know exactly who’s going to hear about it if things go sideways.

This Celtics team is a little different. The expectations are obviously real and earned, but they’re not overwhelming. The core has already proven it can win, the supporting cast has spent the year exceeding assumptions, and the entire season has carried a “found money” feel to it. Which makes the pressure question harder to pin down than usual.

We asked the CelticsBlog staff where it actually sits heading into the postseason, and whether it’s even there at all.

Which player is under the most pressure for the Celtics this postseason?

Jeff Clark: Frankly, I don’t see any Celtics players under pressure. Sure, there’s the pressure of the playoffs. There’s the pressure of not wanting to waste a year of Tatum and Brown’s primes. But this whole season has been found money. They have the veteran crew that’s been through the battles and won the whole thing. Then they have the young crew that is too young to know that they aren’t supposed to be this good. And they have a maniac coach that has them all locked in and on the same page. That’s a great combo.

Bill Sy: In a gap year that saw the front office get under the luxury tax, I don’t think there’s much pressure on anybody.  Joe Mazzulla is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year (despite renouncing the honor), Tatum is less than a year from his Achilles tear, Brown has proven himself as an MVP candidate, and every role player has played above expectations.  If there’s anybody that has anything to prove, it might be Nikola Vucevic.

You have to imagine that when Brad Stevens traded for him, the deal came with the prospect that he could re-sign with Boston in the summer.  He showed signs of fitting in before and after he fractured his finger, but a playoff run will ultimately be the proving ground.

Rich Jensen: I don’t think anyone’s under a great deal of pressure. The C’s have so far exceeded expectations that they’ve been playing with house money since December or so. I think Tatum might be putting himself under pressure to rise to the level of performance that he thinks the rest of the team deserves, but I certainly wouldn’t put any external pressure on him. Maybe the rest of the media landscape and segments of the fanbase have ratcheted their expectations of Tatum and the team to unrealistic levels, but I’m not going to be on that bandwagon. 

Look. Being a Celtics fan is like winning the lottery at this point. I’m not going to go around thinking that I’m entitled to more than what we ultimately get from the team.

Ian Inangelo: The person under the most pressure right now is probably Jaylen Brown. Just due to the fact he has been the lead option for most of the season and has put up MVP level performances so far. He is going to be seen as the guy who is going to lead the Celtics to another championship.

Mark Aboyoun: Nikola Vučević. Similar to why he may be a reason Boston won’t win the championship, since he’s returned from his thumb injury, he hasn’t looked great. When he was traded to Boston, he had to learn the team’s defensive scheme and, at times, struggled. Then he got injured early in his Celtics career, and with that, Garza was able to get back into the mix — and he’s done well, as he has all season. In the playoffs, the rotation gets shorter, and Mazzulla will have to figure out what’s best for the team.

Nirav Barman: JB and Derrick may be tied for being under the most pressure, but for different reasons. While the MVP is a regular season award, players are still judged on their ability to retain that value and production come playoff time. Jaylen has proved himself in the playoffs plenty of times before, but this year he will be under even more scrutiny. As for Derrick, he’s done just about everything this year, except for score the ball efficiently. If White’s shot isn’t falling, the Celtics will be in an incredibly tough spot, and a whole year of poor shooting will be a bad look for Derrick.

Mike Dynon: No one is truly under pressure because the Celtics were never expected to be where they are. Boston is playing this postseason with the proverbial house money. If forced to pick someone, let’s go with Sam Hauser. After alternating hot and cold all season, he finished with a sizzling April (52.6%) – yet he still ended the season at only 39.3%, the first time he’s been below 40%. Hauser also dropped in the league three-point percentage standings; he ranked 40th this season after placing 20th last year and 11th in 2024.

Hauser’s production is a key indicator for Boston. He appeared in 54 wins this season, making 42.4% of his shots from distance. Conversely, he converted only 30.9% in 24 appearances where the Celtics lost. Boston’s path will be much easier if Sam gets into Haus-Fire mode for the next two months.

Ryan Paice: Derrick White. Overall, I don’t think his position in Boston is under threat regardless of how he ultimately plays. But the spotlight is going to turn to him early and often. Playoff defenses tighten the screws and focus in on eliminating strengths, while taking chances on testing perceived weaknesses. 

One of those perceived weaknesses may be White’s shot, as he has struggled to hit at a solid clip all season, so I expect the defense may sell out on the Jays and let White take a few shots. If he can recover his shot from the past couple seasons, the Celtics should walk into the Finals. If he can’t, it could be tough to watch as opponents game plan against him. 

I, for one, can’t stand the thought of the inevitable calls for his head from some of the sillier talking heads in the media landscape if White can’t hit his shots on a consistent basis.

Gio Rivera: Collectively, the frontcourt is under the most pressure. Sure, there will be plenty of talk about Tatum’s return and Brown’s ability to carry his MVP-caliber play into the postseason, but that’s nothing new. They’ve dealt with those expectations for years, and as champions who led the 2024 title run, the only pressure that could reach them is the kind they place on themselves.

Neemias Queta and Nikola Vučević will need to hold the fort. Last postseason, Queta appeared in just four games, averaging 3.3 minutes. That’s no longer his reality. He’s no longer stuck in the shadows of Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. He’s now regarded as a legitimate starting center, and he earned that.

Even when veteran champion Chris Boucher was in the mix, Queta earned his role and did everything to keep it. When Vučević arrived, he still held firm, reinforcing that the job was rightfully his. His averaged career highs in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4), and blocks (1.3), along with the best field-goal percentage among Eastern Conference centers (65.3) and the third-best net rating (13.2) among centers, trailing only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. That doesn’t just earn him locker room endorsement for the Most Improved Player award — it raises the bar for what’s expected this postseason.

Vučević, too, is in a similar spot. After missing 14 games with a fractured right finger, he struggled to regain form, averaging 7.4 points and five rebounds while shooting 31 percent from three over the final four games of the regular season. As the trade deadline return for Simons — and a player the organization has eyed for years — Boston will need him to bounce back quickly, ideally as early as the first round.

Grant Burfeind: It has to be the best player on the team this season, Jaylen Brown. He’s done the incredibly hard job over the last few years, which is get better every single season, and at a certain point, that almost raises the stakes instead of lowering them. He’s proved he belongs, now it’s about proving that this version of you is the new baseline.

Despite this amazing season, it still feels like he’s one shaky playoff run away from all the old conversations creeping back in. The forced drives, the loose handle, the possessions that stall out into isolation — we’ve seen it before, even if it feels like he’s moved past it. If he plays at the level he’s reached this season, it raises the ceiling of the entire team and could be the difference in bringing home Banner 19. If he slips back into some of those habits, he’s going to wear a lot of that outcome. That’s pressure in its simplest form.

Well, they did it. The Golden State Warriors saved their best for last, ending a three-month run of uninteresting play, and emerging from their first play-in tournament game with one of their most entertaining games of the season.

More importantly, they emerged with a win. The Warriors ended the season leaking oil, and faced off in the first round of the play-in tournament against an LA Clippers team that had some tangible momentum. On top of that, the game was in Los Angeles.

No matter. The Warriors used multiple double-digit comebacks — including one in the fourth quarter — to beat the Clippers 126-121, and advance to the second round of the play-in tournament, where a spot in the NBA Playoffs will be on the line.

That’s a worry for another day, though. Friday, specifically. For today, we judge the players who took the court and pulled off the epic victory. And to do that, we assign grades. As always, grades are based on my expectations for each player, with a “B” grade representing the average performance for that player.

Note: True-shooting percentage (TS) is a scoring efficiency metric that accounts for threes and free throws. This year, league-average TS was 58.1%.

Gui Santos

32 minutes, 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 5 turnovers, 2 fouls, 9-for-13 shooting, 2-for-4 threes, 76.9% TS, +16

We saw a lot of the good and the bad with Santos in this game. There was a reason he got the start, and there was a reason he was the lone player to get subbed out of the game less than three minutes in, with the Warriors already down double digits. There was a reason he came back in not long after that. He had the most turnovers on the team, but also the best plus/minus. He had some of the biggest, most clutch shots, and some of the most back-breaking turnovers.

And yet, as is almost always the case with Santos, the good far outweighed the bad, and it’s hard — virtually impossible — to envision the Warriors winning the game without his contributions.

If you’re frustrated by the difficult moments, just remember that Santos is a 23-year old who entered this year having played in just 79 NBA games … and averaging just 12.1 minutes in those games. This is his first year with a significant role in the NBA. There will be bumps, and times where the game moves a little too fast for him.

But the good was mesmerizing. His footwork broke down Clippers defenders time and time again. His cuts were perfectly timed. And he created chaos with his defense and rebounding. It’s easy to see why Steve Kerr loves him.

He probably gets a B+ if this is a regular season game. But it wasn’t.

Grade: A-
Post-game bonus: Best plus/minus on the team.

Draymond Green

35 minutes, 7 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, 70.0% TS, 0 +/-

On Tuesday, I wrote an article listing a few ways that the Warriors could pull off the upset. Here’s a snippet from that article:

The Klaw has scored 40 or more points on five occasions this season, and the Clippers have amassed five blowout victories in those games. He’s been held to 20 points or fewer just seven times, and LA has gone a lowly 1-6 in those contests, including an October loss to the Warriors.

If there’s one thing the Warriors should be focused on, it’s limiting Leonard. And if there’s one person who is up for that job, it’s Draymond Green.

Kawhi Leonard entered the fourth quarter with 19 points. And he was stuck on that number until the final seconds, when he finally made a layup, but only because the Warriors were playing no-threes defense. Those were his only points of the quarter.

He was utterly and entirely shut down by Green in the quarter (and really all game … almost all of Leonard’s damage came against other defenders). It was, quite simply, one of the best individual defensive performances in the NBA this season. And as he so often does, Green turned it on when it mattered most. Not only was his fourth quarter truly special, but Dray forced not one, but two turnovers by Leonard in the final minute, when the game was still very much up for grabs. For as special as Steph Curry’s offense was, Green’s defense was equally memorable.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in assists.

Kristaps Porziņģis

28 minutes, 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 8-for-12 shooting, 3-for-6 threes, 1-for-3 free throws, 75.1% TS, -4

There are a lot of questions that the Warriors have to ask about Porziņģis when the offseason starts, which it notably did not due on Wednesday. The two biggest ones are: how healthy can he be going forward, and how much money will he command in free agency?

But, critically, there are also a few questions that the Warriors don’t have to ask about Porziņģis. Namely: how good is he, and how well does he fit on the team?

Porziņģis looked like his All-Star self in this game. He had numerous highlight defensive plays, single-handedly ending multiple Clippers possessions that looked like easy buckets. He was a walking bucket, scoring from all over the court, largely within the system but also taking matters into his own hands when it was needed. And he had some passes that made your eyes pop wide open.

It was a complete — and completely excellent — performance. And it left no doubt as to whether or not the Warriors will make re-signing Porziņģis a priority this coming offseason.

Grade: A+

Brandin Podziemski

41 minutes, 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-for-11 shooting, 2-for-7 threes, 5-for-8 free throws, 58.5% TS, +10

Don’t let the ridiculous narratives surrounding the Warriors and their (lack of) two timelines keep you from appreciating what’s in front of your face. Podziemski and Santos were a reminder that the Warriors young players can be the perfect complements to the Hall of Fame-bound core.

Podz did a little bit of everything in this game. His defense and the way he free safetied himself towards every loose ball were game changers. He drew multiple charges late (and took his fair share of damage in the process), and was tied with Leonard for the second-most rebounds of any player in the game.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Podziemski’s offense was also more efficient than it looks on paper, as a good chunk of his shots were late in the clock when he had to force something up.

But the biggest thing that Podz did was keep the energy level dialed up. He started the game with endless energy. When the Warriors fell behind by double digits in the first quarter, he maintained that endless energy. When they fell behind by double digits in the third quarter, he maintained that endless energy. When they fell behind by double digits in the fourth quarter, he maintained that endless energy.

And it all played out with one of the biggest shots of the night, when he took a Green steal inside the final minute, and turned it into a beat-everyone-down-the-court transition and-one layup.

Grade: A
Post-game bonus: Led the team in rebounds.

Steph Curry

36 minutes, 35 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 12-for-23 shooting, 7-for-12 threes, 4-for-5 free throws, 69.4% TS, +9

I have no words. I really just have no words. Curry was the best player on the court, and if you want to know why they won — and why they’ll have a good chance on Friday — look no further than that point right there.

Curry took his time to get going. He had just three points in the first quarter, and an inefficient eight points in the first half. But the world was his (and Draymond’s) in the second half, and we were all just living in it. The Clippers very much included.

Steph had 16 third-quarter points, and he was just getting started. It was big shot after big shot after big shot, each bucket seeming to give the Warriors a lifeline when they were on the verge of losing. His biggest shot? A 29-foot step-back three that broke a tie with just 50 seconds remaining. In total, the Warriors — who won by five points — outscored the Clippers by 15 in the fourth quarter minutes that Curry played.

Curry didn’t just lead the Warriors to victory on Wednesday. He reminded you that, even in what has been a miserable season, there are 30 reasons to be happy that the season lives to see another game.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Led the team in points.

Gary Payton II

24 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 fouls, 2-for-4 shooting, 2-for-3 free throws, 56.4% TS, +8

Payton was more impactful than his numbers would suggest. He helped Golden State’s defense swarm the perimeter, which forced LA into countless chaotic offensive possessions. And he sure made the most out the points that he did score.

GPII is another one of those players who feels more important the bigger the game is. He can change a game with his defense, and he’s never going to make the mistakes the give the game away.

Grade: A-

De’Anthony Melton

23 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-for-7 shooting, 0-for-2 threes, 1-for-2 free throws, 47.0% TS, -7

Not Melton’s best game, but with Curry playing as well as he did, the Warriors didn’t really need it to be Melton’s best game. The important thing is that he kept the team afloat, and kept the offense moving when Curry was on the bench. The Dubs don’t fall apart when Curry is resting, and Melton is the biggest reason why.

Grade: C+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Al Horford

22 minutes, 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-for-8 shooting, 4-for-7 threes, 87.5% TS, -7

I don’t know if Horford will be back next year or not. He has a player option for $6 million which the Warriors would likely be thrilled if he opted into, but perhaps retirement — or free agency — will come calling.

Either way, this is a game that will cement his legacy with the team, because it really was an unforgettable performance. Just past the midway point in the fourth quarter, with the Clippers slipping away, Horford made threes on three consecutive possessions to pull the Warriors back to within two points. He added another three a few possessions later, giving Golden State their first lead of the quarter with 2:12 remaining. And then he buckled in and played outstanding defense for the final minutes.

You can say this about a lot of players, but the Warriors don’t win on Wednesday if not for Horford. We won’t forget that performance anytime soon.

Grade: A+
Post-game bonus: Tied for the worst plus/minus on the team.

Wednesday’s DNP-CDs: Charles Bassey, Seth Curry, Will Richard, Pat Spencer

Wednesday’s inactives: Jimmy Butler III, Moses Moody, Quinten Post

The first round of the NBA Play-In Tournament is a wrap, which means the playoff field is nearly set.

We now know who the No. 7 seeds will be in both the Eastern and Western Conferences: the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers, respectively.

Now, the final two games of the Play-In, which will be Friday, April 17, will determine the No. 8 seeds. The Orlando Magic will host the Charlotte Hornets in the East, and the Phoenix Suns will host the Golden State Warriors out West.

But first, we have the chance to make sense of the first round.

Here are the winners and losers of the NBA Play-In Tournament, thus far: