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.
Who will Clippers face in play-in game?
The Clippers will serve as the ninth seed in the Western Conference and take on the Warriors in a play-in game.
Stephen Curry has led the way for the Warriors this season, averaging 26.6 points a game. Curry recently returned from knee injury on April 5. He had missed 27 games. The Warriors went 9-18 during that time without him.
The Warriors finished the regular season with a 37-45 record.
The Clippers have won the last three games in the four-game regular-season series with the Warriors. Golden State's last win over L.A. came on Oct. 28.
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.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez greets Brooklyn Nets guard Ochai Agbaji (30) during the second half at Barclays Center, Sunday, April 5, 2026, in Brooklyn, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
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.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 12: Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on April 12, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 30: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Delta Center on March 30, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz season is officially over, and they were able to end the season tied for 4th with the Sacramento Kings in the lottery standings. It’s a successful season for the Utah Jazz, whose biggest goal was to keep their lottery pick while also developing their young talent … and also not playing Lauri Markkanen.
Official 2026 NBA Lottery Odds
And with the 2025-26 NBA season behind us, here is the final lottery order (with their odds to get the No. 1 pick) for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery on May 10.
Washington Wizards — top-8 protected (14%)
Indiana Pacers — pick goes to Clippers if it falls 5-9 (14%)
Brooklyn Nets (14%)
Utah Jazz — top-8 protected (11.5%)
Sacramento Kings (11.5%)
Memphis Grizzlies (9%)
Atlanta Hawks — via New Orleans Pelicans (6.8%)
Dallas Mavericks (6.8%)
Chicago Bulls(4.5%)
Milwaukee Bucks (3%)
Golden State Warriors (2%)
Oklahoma City Thunder — via Los Angeles Clippers (1.5%)
Miami Heat (1%)
Charlotte Hornets (0.5%)
The Jazz and Kings, as well as the Pelicans and Mavericks, will have a coin flip after the play-in tournament around April 20. At that point, we’ll find out which of Utah and Sacramento gets the 4th spot and the 5th spot. The 4-spot will be a 12.5% odds to get the #1 pick, and the 5-spot will be 10.5%. The Mavericks and Pelicans will find out who gets the 7th spot and who gets the 8th spot. The 7-spot has a 7.5% shot at the #1 pick, and the 8-spot has a 6% chance.
Final 2025-2026 NBA Standings
Here are the final standings for each conference, with the play-in ultimately set to decide who will face the top two seeds in each. The No. 2 seed in each conference will play the winner of the 7-8 game, while the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the next game, between the loser of the 7-8 game and the winner of the 9-10 game.
*Eliminated teams in italics.
You can look at the FanDuel odds here to see the odds for the upcoming NBA Finals.You can see the odds for the NBA Draft here.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Brayden Pachal scored his first NHL goal of the season and added two assists on Sunday night as the Calgary Flames’ hot streak at home continued with a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth.
Matt Coronato, Connor Zary and Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary, which is 7-0-1 in its last eight games at home. Dustin Wolf made 28 saves.
Lawson Crouse scored for Utah, which holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a three-point lead on the Los Angeles Kings, who have a game in hand.
Vitek Vanecek had 19 stops for Utah.
With both teams playing the second game of back-to-backs, it was Calgary that came out flying with Coronato giving the Flames a 1-0 lead at 7:06 of the first period. When Vanecek misplayed the puck behind his net after colliding with defenseman Ian Cole, Coronato grabbed the loose puck and tucked it into the vacated net.
After a dominant first period in which Calgary took a 2-0 lead and outshot the visitors 14-4, Utah played a better second period, but was unable to solve Wolf.
Among his stops was a key glove save on MacKenzie Weegar when the former Flames defenseman broke in from the blue line all alone.
While Clayton Keller had an assist to extend his point streak to eight games (four goals, 13 assists), Dylan Guenther (six goals, seven assists) and Mikhail Sergachev (zero goals, 12 assists) had their seven-game point streaks come to an end.
Coronato’s goal, which extended his point streak to five games (one goal, four assists), was his 100th NHL point. Rookie left-winger Aydar Suniev had an assist for his first NHL point.
Up next
Mammoth: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
Flames: The Colorado Avalanche are the visitors on Tuesday night.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 12: Kevin Garnett and Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves high five before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 12, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kevin Garnett is back!
On Sunday night in downtown Minneapolis, the Big Ticket made his long-awaited return to Minneapolis. He was led in through the player tunnel by the Minnesota Timberwolves owners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, following an introductory hype video.
It was a moment Timberwolves fans had waited a long time to see, and it did not disappoint as the Target Center crowd rained down love from all corners of the building.
“It was great energy in the building,” Chris Finch said about Garnett’s presence at the game. “It was a special night. He came in pregame, talked to the guys, went around the locker room individually, and talked to the coaching staff a bit, and was fun. He was excited to be back, no doubt about it, and it was a pretty neat moment when he walked out. It was good for our guys because they got a sense of just how important somebody with a legacy is, and what that really means.”
The impact of Garnett’s legacy collided with another growing Minnesota legend when KG and Anthony Edwards embraced before the game.
With KG sitting courtside, the Timberwolves closed out the regular season with a 132-126 win over the New Orleans Pelicans Sunday night at Target Center.
With the Wolves locked into the sixth seed, they decided to sit almost their entire starting rotation, with Donte DiVicenzo, who did not miss a game all season, as the lone exception. DiVinenzo played the first 7:32 of the game, putting up three points and three assists.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led the Wolves in scoring with 26 points and five assists as he continued his stellar stretch of play to close out the season.
Joan Beringer dominated on both ends of the floor as he put up 24 points on 9-12 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and seven blocks. Beringer became the youngest player in NBA history to have 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ rebounds in a single game.
Joe Ingles, Zyon Pullin, Julian Phillips, and Enrique Freeman all scored in double figures, as the Wolves got the victory and finished the season with 49 wins for the second straight year.
Wolves-Nuggets Round 3
With the Denver Nuggets beating the San Antonio Spurs tonight, the Wolves’ playoff matchup was set. For the third time in four seasons, the Timberwolves and the Nuggets will battle in the playoffs. While the Wolves likely would have preferred the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, Minnesota seems confident they can beat any team put in front of them.
While the Wolves and Nuggets do have playoff history, those matchups from the 2023 and 2024 playoffs may not carry over to 2026.
“I don’t think it’s overly relevant,” Finch said about the Denver matchup. “The heart of their team is Jokic, Murray, Gordon, Braun, those guys have been together for a long, long time. The rest of the guys have kind of settled into their roles, and they’ve gotten healthy, so they’ve gotten a little bit deeper. I think that’s the depth that they didn’t have a few years ago, which makes them a lot more dangerous.”
Multiple Timberwolves players pointed to the need to come together as one group as a necessity in the playoffs.
“Just being together,” Donte DiVincezo said about what the team’s mindset needs to be. “All accolades and individual things are out the window. Now it’s all about just trying to get four wins, and we have a great opportunity. It’s a great team that we’re going to be playing, but this is what we thrive on: going on the road. Those first two games, I think we’ll be really connected and try to get in there and sneak one game home.”
Rudy Gobert also pointed to playing connected together as a key for the Wolves heading into the postseason.
Rudy Gobert pregame on the playoffs:
“It’s about being close together and being brothers. We’re gonna have great games and people are going to praise us. And we are gonna have bad moments and people are going to shit on us and in both cases we have to stick to who we are.” pic.twitter.com/t3SBNafJws
To beat the Nuggets in this upcoming series, the Wolves are going to need to play with a level of connectivity that frankly they haven’t shown all season. While the 49 wins signal that Minnesota is a solid enough team, Denver’s 54 wins in an injury-rittled season signal that they have been at another level this regular season
The Wolves have shown they can win a playoff series as an underdog before. Of their four playoff series victory over the past two seasons, three have come as an underdog.
Only time will tell if they can do it again.
Up Next
Game 1 between the Timberwolves and Nuggets will take place on Saturday, beginning at 2:30 PM CT. Fans can watch the game on Amazon Prime Video. The schedule for the rest of the series will be released sometime this week at the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament.
Mike Brown wanted to finish the regular season with the best record in the NBA. He wanted to have the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Brown said falling short of those goals was “disappointing.”
But Brown and the Knicks put up some other impressive numbers this season.
They had the franchise’s third-highest SRS, which is a measurement that accounts for point differential and strength of schedule.
The 2025-26 Knicks finished the season with an SRS of 6.23. They trail only the 1969-70 and 1993-94 teams and are right ahead of the 1972-73 team. Two of those teams won the NBA Finals and the third reached the NBA Finals -- not bad company to be in.
Brown’s Knicks finished the season with the fourth-best offensive rating in the league. They ranked 7th overall in defense and had the fifth-best net rating.
“I wish I could have figured some things out a little sooner than what I did, but we’ve had more ups than downs,” Brown said Sunday.
“....Going into the playoffs, we feel pretty good where we are offensively and defensively as a group,” he added. “We feel connected. I feel like everybody on the team has sacrificed in one way, shape or form. You need that from your group in order to have some success. Our guys compete, and at this point in the season, I feel like the guys really believe, not just in what we’re trying to do but in each other.”
That belief is the result of a strong finish to the regular season. The Knicks snapped an 0-5 stretch against teams above .500 with wins over Atlanta and Boston last week.
The pairing of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns on offense looked as good as it has all season in those two games.
Of course, Brown and the rest of the organization will ultimately be judged on what happens in the playoffs.
But Brown’s Knicks seem to be in a good place entering their first-round matchup against the Hawks. They’ve shown over the course of 82 games that they’re one of the top teams in the league. They’ve battled through rough stretches of the season, questions about the fit of Towns, the play of Bridges and a myriad of other issues.
“Like most teams, you go through a lot of ups and you go through and it can get tough. And there can be plenty of opportunities for individuals which can turn into a collective group of guys to quit, throw in the towel any time,” Brown said.
“Anytime we face a little bit of adversity our guys try to handle it the right way. I really like their resiliency and I like their openness to trying different things or new things. Because we’ve done some things differently here than what they’re probably used to when they had a successful run doing the things that they were doing in the past.”
The past success ended with a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Getting back there this season is considered the baseline for Brown & Co. We’ll find out in a few weeks if they can get back to that place and beyond.
But right now, at the end of a trying regular season, Brown and the Knicks seem to be in a good spot.
DUECE GETS LOOSE
Miles McBride and Jordan Clarkson were the only rotation players on the floor for the Knicks on Sunday.
For McBride, the game was an opportunity to get some shots up and gain more rhythm ahead of the playoffs.
McBride took advantage, finishing with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
“He looked good. It was good to see him just go play free, take any shot he wanted and be aggressive,” Brown said. “Because he can score the basketball at a high level, he can shoot at a high level so it’s good to see the ball go in a few times.”
McBride played in six games following a multi-week absence for sports hernia surgery and an ankle ailment. He will obviously play a significant role in how things unfold for the Knicks in the postseason.
In a good sign for New York, McBride said that he feels like his rhythm is in a good place entering the playoffs.
He does feel pain as a result of his surgery while playing, which is something to keep an eye on in the Hawks series, but McBride has managed the pain and played through it since returning from surgery.
Looking back, it seems wild to think how hard a sell the Play-In Tournament was just six years ago. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spent a lot of political capital to make it happen, and there were plenty of skeptics.
It's hard to imagine the NBA without it now — the win-or-go-home drama is built into the postseason. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament.
What is the Play-In?
This was one of the NBA's first attempts to stop (or reduce) tanking, and it has been one of the more effective. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver pushed for it and it has been one of his bigger successes as commissioner — it gave more teams something to play, more fan bases something to root for, and along the way created some drama.
The No. 7 and 8 seeds no longer automatically make the playoffs, and seeds No. 9 and 10 can earn their way in. In addition, one of the benefits of the play-in is it created an incentive to win enough games to be a top-six seed and avoid the play-in. There is a genuine push by teams to avoid the potential pitfalls of the play-in.
There are some big names in the play-in this year, including former MVPs Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid.
How does the play-in work?
It's become familiar and is pretty simple to follow, with four teams in each conference competing for two playoff spots.
• Regular season seeds No. 7 and 8 play a single game, with the winner going straight to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed (to face the No. 2 seed).
• Regular season seeds Nos. 9 and 10 play a single-elimination game, from which the loser is out and goes home.
• The winner of the 9/10 game and the loser of the 7/8 game play a single elimination game to advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed (to face the No. 1 seed). The loser of this final play-in game is done for the season.
Eastern Conference play-in schedule, where to watch
Tuesday, April 14
• 9/10 game: Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Wednesday, April 15
• 7/8 Game: Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Friday, April 17
• 9/10 winner at 7/8 loser (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Western Conference play-in schedule, where to watch
Tuesday, April 14
• 7/8 Game: Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Wednesday, April 15
• 9/10 game: Golden State Warriors at LA Clippers (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Friday, April 17
• 9/10 winner at 7/8 loser (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
Has any team reached the NBA Finals out of the play-in?
Yes, but just once. In 2023, the Miami Heat were the No. 7 seed, lost the first play-in game to Atlanta, and then had to come from behind in the final play-in game to beat Chicago and advance as the No. 8 seed. Once in the playoffs, Miami beat Milwaukee, New York, and Boston to advance to the NBA Finals.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Head coach Will Hardy of the Utah Jazz reacts during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on April 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Utah Jazz had their final game of the season, but also the rebuild. It will not be remembered long as the outcome was expected, an easy win for the Lakers 131-107.
There were some things to take away for the Jazz. They played hard in this one, much like they’ve done all season, regardless of who was on the floor. That’s a great sign for the culture, the players, and the coach. Utah has successfully gotten through a season where they weren’t trying to win and has come out intact with a really bright future. And that’s before Utah enters lottery night.
That hustle is shown by multiple players on the team night after night. Tonight, that player was Oscar Tshiebwe, who had his way with DeAndre Ayton all game. Tshiebwe was 12/17 from the floor in this one and scored 29 points along with 17 rebounds. There are multiple players, like Tshiebwe, who may or may not be on the roster next season but have proven they have to be considered. Bez Mbeng is one of those players as well. Tonight, Mbeng was 5/10 from the field for 14 points with 9 assists and 5 rebounds. Not bad, the game after a triple-double. We’ll see if Mbeng and Tshiebwe will be on the roster next season as the Jazz move forward, looking to win as many games as possible. If they don’t make it, they’ve been nice additions that have filled roles well alongside the Jazz’s young, developing talent.
Speaking of the developing talent, Ace Bailey and Cody Williams struggled to shoot in this one. They both showed flashes, but the shooting hasn’t been there as consistently as you’d like. That said, they show the makings of really nice players, and this tanking season has given them the opportunity to grow that they wouldn’t have had were they on teams playing to win every game. Bailey was 7/21 in this one, mostly because the three wasn’t falling, but he’s shown enough this season that he has a bright future with his offensive game alongside the potential to be a high-level defender. Cody Williams has also looked night and day better than last season. Williams was only 5/15 from the field in this one, but he had 6 assists and 2 steals. Considering Williams struggled to put up any stats at all last season and early in the year, that’s a massive improvement. He’s also showing he has some go-to moves to score and help the offense with his pullup mid range game and his straight line drives to the basket. For both Ace Bailey and Cody Williams, we’ll see how they acclimate to having to share possessions with a winning roster next year, but the signs are looking good for them to, at worst, be great rotation pieces. Ace Bailey is showing signs of being an elite two-way player if everything comes together for him.
And with that, it appears the 4-year rebuild is now over. There’s still a lottery on May 10th that could make this rebuild even more epic. But even if the Jazz lose that lottery, they’ll be set up to win in a big way next season. It’ll be fun to see the fruits of four years of tanking labor. All the losing, the development of youth, the trade for Jaren Jackson Jr, the endless Lauri Markkanen trade rumors, only to keep him. It all leads to an upcoming season that will have the Jazz doing something they haven’t done for four years, go to the playoffs.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 12: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks looks to pass the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on April 12, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game 82 is in the books for the Dallas Mavericks, as they took on the Chicago Bulls Sunday night in what resulted in a 149-128 win. The Mavericks finish the season with a 26-56 record, good for either the seventh or eighth worst record in the league, as the Mavs and Pelicans end the season with identical records and will need to go to a coin flip.
That concludes the 2025-2026 season for the Mavs and with it our game-specific Grades coverage. Thank you to all our readers who joined the conversation as we doled out grades game after game!
Let’s get to the grades!
Ryan Nembhard: A+
15 PTS / 9 REB / 23 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 38 MIN
Nembhard broke Jason Kidd’s long-standing record for assists in a single game by a Mavs’ rookie. Kidd had 17 to take the top spot, and Nembhard overtook him midway through the third quarter. The fact he was within shouting distance of Scott Skiles’ NBA record 30 assists is nothing short of astonishing. The fact he did it with only four turnovers is almost mind-boggling. He now holds the second highest assist total in a game in Mavs’ history (Kidd; 25).
Max Christie: A-
12 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 13 MIN
Fan Appreciation night had the Mavs rolling almost across the board. Christie was red-hot, scoring nearly a point-per-minute on 5-for-7 shooting including 2-for-4 from deep. The quick release he learned from Klay Thompson appears to be paying dividends. He showed some solid defense with an unlikely two blocks as well.
Cooper Flagg: N/A
10 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 10 MIN
As much as I would love to give Flagg a grade, his rolled ankle after only 10 minutes of play lands him with the “N/A.” It’s a shame in the last game of his rookie campaign, but especially so since he was on his way to a great night. He shot 4-for-8 from the floor and knocked down both of his free throw attempts in a point-per-minute effort. He will end the season as the first rookie to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals since Michael Jordan in 1984-1985.
Khris Middleton: N/A
8 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 6 MIN
Another weird one, as the veteran Middleton was looking good before checking out after six minutes of play. While there isn’t nearly enough to grade on, Middleton did go 2-for-3 from the floor (all beyond the arc) for a highly affective half-quarter of play.
Dwight Powell: B+
7 PTS / 12 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Powell had a heck of a night on the boards to really drive his grade up. He went 3-for-4 from the floor and fell down at least once (though I don’t believe he got hit in the face, which is an oddity for him). Four fouls were the only real knock on his game.
Klay Thompson: N/A
12 PTS / 0 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 10 MIN
Thompson falls into the “N/A” category along with a few others, due to the very limited minutes, but this was a nice end to the season for him. He needed two three-pointers to make 200 on the season, and he knocked in four of them to leave no doubt. He also made his way into the top 100 scorers in NBA history Sunday night.
John Poulakidas: A+
28 PTS / 2 REB / 4 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 36 MIN
Poulakidas went nuts from beyond the arc, shooting a blistering 8-for-16 (9-for-18 overall). Despite all of that shooting, he also managed to dish a few assists. It was a lot of fun to see him shooting with confidence and knocking down shot after shot, often with a hand in his face. He’s certainly a shooter, so it will be interesting to see what he can do for the Mavs in the future, especially as they are in such need of deep threats.
AJ Johnson: A-
20 PTS / 1 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 25 MIN
Johnson tied for the second most points on the team on a solidly efficient 6-for-12 from the floor. He couldn’t connect from deep (0-for-3) but got himself to the free throw line with frequency, hitting 8-for-9. His team-high five turnovers dinged his grade a bit, but this was basically the best we’ve seen him play since coming to Dallas.
Tyler Smith: A+
20 PTS / 7 REB / 0 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 37 MIN
Smith was basically an A+ in his first 12 minutes of play, much less the game overall. Part of that was due to the lack of precedence and playing time heretofore, but he had himself a very nice well-rounded game.
Moussa Cisse: A+
17 PTS / 20 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 2 BLK – 41 MIN
Cisse was an absolute beast with a 20-rebound double-double. He played solid defense in a game that was never really in question, getting two steals and two blocks. He did foul a bit too much (four) and turned it over three times, but going 5-for-6 from the free throw line and splitting his total boards evenly between the offensive and defensive glass (that’s right – 10 offensive rebounds) catapulted him to the top marks.
Final thoughts
Make no mistake, this game was hot garbage in terms of the Bulls putting up absolutely zero resistance. While that may make one think the grades should be scaled accordingly, I couldn’t help but give out high marks purely on the basis so many Mavs not only did well as would be expected, but vastly outplayed even the most ambitious expectations. These guys wanted to show out, and just about every single player did just that, all while playing within the game and helping each other to be their best for 48-minutes.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The Los Angeles Lakers managed to secure a spot in the NBA Playoffs after producing a hot streak later in the season as the team gathered momentum, winning 13 of 15 games.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all appeared settled into their roles and the team was moving in the right direction, but that momentum has since been lost. The Lakers will have to move forward with James as the focal point after Doncic and Reaves each suffered injuries in the closing stretch of the regular season.
The duo is also expected to miss part of the postseason. That leaves players like Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart to help navigate the Lakers’ potential postseason run long enough to try and get Reaves and Doncic healthy.
Who will the Lakers play in first round of NBA Playoffs?
The Lakers will serve as the Western Conference's fourth seed in the playoff and take on the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 26 points per game in his first year with the franchise. Alperen Sengun leads Houston with 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this season.
The Rockets finished out the regular season with a 52-30 record during the regular season.
When do Lakers and Rockets start first round?
The Lakers will host the Houston Rockets on Saturday, April 18. The game will air on ABC and start at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)
When: Saturday, April 18
Where: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
Time: 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)
TV: ABC
Who won Lakers-Rockets regular-season series
The Lakers got the best of the Rockets during the regular season, winning the last two games of the three-game regular-season series.
TORONTO, CANADA - NOVEMBER 24: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on November 24, 2025 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be taking on the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 between the Cavs and Raptors will be on Saturday, April 18. The game will be broadcast exclusively on Prime.
The schedule for the rest of the games can be seen below.
Game 1 in Cleveland: Sat., April 18 at 1 PM on Prime
Game 2 in Cleveland: Mon., April 20 at 7 PM on Peacock
Game 3 in Toronto: Thur. April 23 at 8 PM on Prime
Game 4 in Toronto: Sun. April 26 at 1 PM on ESPN
Game 5 in Cleveland: Wed. April 29, time and TV TBD
Game 6 in Toronto: Fri. May 1, time and TV TBD
Game 7 in Cleveland: Sun. May 3, time and TV TBD
Games five through seven will only be played if necessary.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Spida shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
The Cavs haven’t fared well against the Raptors this season. They’ve dropped all three of their meetings, and none of them were particularly close. Every loss was by at least double digits.
How much you want to read into those games is up to you. Each game took place before December. The Cavs were without starting point guard — at the time — Darius Garland for each of those games, didn’t have Jarrett Allen for two of them, and were without Donovan Mitchell for one of them. Those absences had a tremendous impact on the game.
In addition to that, the Cavs struggled to keep up with the Raptors’ pace. Toronto was able to beat them in transition with their wings. We’ll see if the Cavs are able to adjust to that pace in the series.
This will be the fourth time the Cavaliers and Raptors have met in the playoffs. The Cavs have won all three previous meetings, which took place in three-consecutive seasons from 2016-18.
Carson Benge’s MLB career hasn’t quite started as planned.
The rookie took the league by storm to earn his spot with the Mets out of big-league camp, but hasn’t quite been able to carry that success over to the regular season thus far.
Benge has just six hits and he’s struck out 14 times over his first 46 at-bats.
He has been showing more positives at the plate of late, though, picking up hits in three straight before putting together another 0-for on Sunday.
The youngster is still just 3-for-29 so far in April, but he thinks this strong homestand is a sign of good things to come.
“I feel like, particularly over the homestand, I had really good at-bats,” he told Dan Martin of the New York Post. “I feel it’s just a matter of time for everything to click, and I’m gonna be -- and we’re all gonna be -- rolling.”
Even with these struggles, Carlos Mendoza praised the fact that Benge keeps finding ways to contribute each game.
Sunday, it was with his glove out in center.
With two in scoring position and two outs in the fourth, the 23-year-old came flying in to rob Denzel Clarke of a two RBI knock with a spectacular diving play in shallow center.
The Mets, of course, were still swept as they suffered their fifth straight loss but Benge’s heroics helped Freddy Peralta off the hook and keep things close.
“It felt great to have my pitcher’s back,” he said.
“The ball is hit, it’s soft contact, it was like that’s probably going to fall in,” Mendoza added. “But the jump that he got, the way he went after the ball and the dive, it was pretty incredible.”
INGLEWOOD, CA - APRIL 12: Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense during the game against the LA Clippers on April 12, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA’s regular season came to a close on Sunday, with all 30 teams in the league playing. While most of the standings jockeying had concluded before the final day of the season, there was still a lot to work out. And that included the play-in tournament, and the future for the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State entered Sunday’s game knowing that they would be the 10th seed in the West, giving them an uphill battle to make the playoffs: they’ll need to win consecutive road games in order to clinch the final spot in the playoffs. And they tipped off against the LA Clippers — a game they lost 115-110 — knowing it was likely that they would face LA in a rematch in the play-in tournament.
Now they know that for certain, and we have the schedule as well.
The Portland Trail Blazers beat the Sacramento Kings 122-110, which finalized the West’s play-in seeding. The win gave the Blazers the eighth spot, and put the Clippers at No. 9. As a result, the Clippers will host the Warriors in the 9-10 matchup, which takes place on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on Prime Video.
The Blazers, meanwhile, visit the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, also at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The winner of that game will be the seventh seed in the West, and will book a first-round series against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The loser will host the winner of the game between the Warriors and the Clippers, and the winner of that game will be the eighth seed, and earn the daunting task of taking on the defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
So the Warriors play Wednesday night, with their season on the line. If they lose to the Clippers, the season is over. If they beat LA, then they’ll get a day off on Thursday to travel, and will visit either Portland or Phoenix on Friday night. Like the other Western Conference play-in games, that game will be at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
Trading Noah Dobson Montreal last summer may have been the only choice Mathieu Darche had, and it may turn into a long-term win-win for both teams. One year in, with Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson yet to make their NHL debuts — though hopefully the Islanders call up Eklund Tuesday to make Game 82 interesting — it’s too early to judge.
What was strange though, and what remains strange, was seeing much of the reaction toward Dobson from Islanders fans, which so often boiled down to “Good riddance.” Had Dobson — who suffered an upper-body injury on Saturday and will be reevaluated in two weeks, taking him out of at least some of the Habs’ first-round series — made his return to Long Island on Sunday as scheduled for the Islanders’ 4-11 playoff-eliminating loss, it seemed a distinct possibility that he would face boos.
Maybe, and hopefully, that is a misread based on the more online parts of the fan base. When Dobson makes his return to UBS with the Canadiens next season, he ought to be cheered. The 26-year-old was an excellent Islander, always represented the franchise well and has predictably proven hard to replace. One of Lou Lamoriello’s bigger missteps was failing to extend Dobson and treat him like a franchise cornerstone two summers ago. That much is obvious.
It’s hard to say the Islanders would be in playoff position with Dobson now, mainly because you can’t predict the cascading effects of adding his $9.5 million to the cap on the Islanders’ summer. But what you can say with certainty is that the Islanders very badly missed him this season.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (53) skates during the Columbus Blue Jackets versus the Montreal Canadiens game on April 11, 2026, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
That’s nothing against the trade, which was made with the long-term in mind, or Emil Heineman, who played well above expectation in scoring 22 goals and looks like a long-term piece of the puzzle for the Isles. It’s an acknowledgement of something obvious: that a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman who plays over 20 minutes a night is a rare commodity in the NHL, and the Islanders’ blue line lacked depth all season.
There is an idea out there that having Matthew Schaefer allowed the Islanders to trade Dobson without losing anything. Schaefer, though, is left-handed, and no one expected — let alone knew — that he would be so impactful when the deal was made on draft night.
The Islanders managed to patch the hole on their right side with Tony DeAngelo this season, and would be well-served bringing back No. 77 this summer. It’s no coincidence that much of their collapse happened when DeAngelo was out of the lineup injured; being without a puck-moving righty at a crucial point of the season proved near-impossible to overcome.
Short term, that was about as good a solution as you could expect. Combined with Heineman’s season, and the encouraging developments of Eklund and Aitcheson, and the long term outlook of the deal seems, tentatively, solid.
Still, it is a complicated deal to judge, and a lot needs to go right for the Islanders to feel good about it in five years.
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (53) skates during the warmup before the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Bell Centre. Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Dobson picked up in Montreal where he left off on Long Island, lugging 22:29 per night with 47 points. He is a frustrating player in that his mistakes seem to always be highlight-worthy in the wrong way. He’s also more than good enough to make that tradeoff worth it.
His injury, and the prospect of being without him in the playoffs, amounts to a major problem for the Canadiens, who usually deploy Dobson and Mike Matheson against the opposition’s top line.
If Eklund becomes a piece of the Islanders’ top-six and Aitcheson a piece of the top-four, on top of Heineman being an annual 20-goal scorer, then of course the Islanders would feel great about it. That is also something like a best-case scenario.
Prospects, even good ones, are unknown commodities. The Islanders have made strides in how they’ve invested in Bridgeport and in player development this season. Still, they are not going to have a 100 percent hit rate. They also could use more consistency from Heineman, which they will hope comes in time for a player still early in his career.
You can safely say now that Darche turned a hard situation into something promising. That was about as much as he could have done upon realizing that Dobson would not be an Islander this season. It was a smart piece of work by a rookie general manager in a situation that could have ended much worse.
Whether the Islanders won the deal, though, is a different question altogether. One season isn’t enough time to answer it.
