OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 7: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Paycom Center on March 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
To wrap up their 2025-26 home schedule, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday evening at Honda Center. This home closer had more weight behind it than any in the last eight years, as a win would clinch the Ducks a playoff spot for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
The Ducks were coming off a get-right win on Thursday, as they defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-1 and snapped a six-game winless streak.
For Vancouver, this was their second game of a back-to-back, as they snapped their own four-game losing streak with a 4-3 shootout win against the Sharks on Saturday.
The Ducks saw the return of two prominent pieces in their lineup, as Cutter Gauthier returned after missing the Ducks’ previous five games with an upper-body injury. Captain Radko Gudas also returned to the blueline after missing six of their last seven games. Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger, and Drew Helleson served as healthy scratches in this one.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-McTavish-Gauthier
Washe-Poehling-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Hinds-Gudas
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in this game, setting a career high for games in a season with 55. He stopped 22 of 26 shots in this one. In the Vancouver crease stood Nikita Tolopilo, who saved 24 of 27.
Games Notes
The Ducks got off to one of their better starts, dominating the shot count, manufacturing quality chances early, and getting out to a lead just three minutes in. Vancouver pushed back and got a goal off a net front battle and a power play goal to close out the first.
After a cycle-heavy second period didn’t amount to anything on the scoreboard, the Ducks allowed a shorthanded goal early in the third. In typical 2025-26 Anaheim Ducks fashion, led by their youngest and most talented players, they refused to let this game slip away, and notched two tallies in short succession, following Vancouver’s shorthanded goal.
In overtime, Beckett Sennecke tried to force a play, turned it over at his blueline, Chris Kreider took a penalty, and the Canucks won it on the ensuing power play in overtime. Special teams proved an issue again in this game, but at 5v5, they won every category decisively. They accounted for 58.67% of the shot attempts, 60.53% of the shots on goal, and 66.92% of the expected goals.
“Well, we fell short. I didn’t like the call at the end of the game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “That didn’t help, certainly. We battled back there in that third period. I thought we played fine all game. We had good pace, good energy, and worked hard.”
Cutter Gauthier: Teams don’t want to be over-reliant on one player to contribute a sizable percentage of their offense. However, the Ducks were clearly missing Gauthier over the last five games. His finishing ability and knack for instant offense is something the Ducks always have in their back pocket whenever they need a go-ahead goal early or a goal to get them back into a game.
In this one, he did his damage on the power play (or when a power play had just expired) from his home on the right flank. Few players can beat NHL goaltenders from distance regularly, even with puck movement, but Gauthier is one of the few. His line with Viel and McTavish didn’t have their best defensive performance, but did well to pressure Vancouver’s defensemen and disrupt on the forecheck.
Cycle: The Ducks seemed keen to feed pucks to their defensemen at the points, perhaps to a fault. Point men weren’t forcing shots or funneling pucks to the net; instead, they prioritized keeping pucks moving down the wall, extending cycle sequences, and racking up offensive zone possession time.
However, at times when forwards were in trouble on the wall, they would try to feed covered point men, which led to several turnovers high in the offensive zone, one of the more dangerous areas on the ice to cough up pucks.
The cycle was at its best, especially with McTavish’s line, when the Ducks’ F3 would pop high between the defensemen along the blueline to draw the opposing center away from the low slot so they could get shots through easier or more easily win pucks back down low, as they had the numbers and positioning advantage.
Rush Defense: As has been the case for the entirety of this season, the Ducks played a high-risk, pressure game. Defensemen and F3s made some questionable pinches and pressures low in the offensive zone with the aim to maintain possession.
The difference in this game and why those sequences didn’t cost them can be attributed to two factors: 1. Quality of opponent. Vancouver is at the bottom of the NHL standings for several reasons, and one of them is their lack of team speed and firepower. 2. When Ducks players would pinch or pressure, as a team, they were able to recover well for their pressuring teammate or recover themselves after a failed pinch.
If that aspect of their pressure game can be relied on and fleshed out, it can become a more dangerous weapon while also limiting much of the risk involved.
The Ducks will look to finally, mercifully, clinch a playoff spot for the first time in eight seasons on Tuesday, when they’ll head to St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Utah Jazz on April 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
