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Contest Completed | NBA Week 26

NBA roundup: Thunder rout Mavs, claim No. 1 seed in West

Mon Apr 15 12:07am ET
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in just 16 minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder left no doubt, blowing out the visiting Dallas Mavericks 135-86 on Sunday.

The Thunder finished the regular season with a five-game winning streak to claim the top seed in the Western Conference for the first time since the 2012-13 season. They held both the tiebreaker with the Nuggets and the three-way tiebreaker; Denver winning sealed the Thunder's playoff position.

Oklahoma City had seven players finish in double figures, with Aaron Wiggins scoring 14 off the bench and Ousmane Dieng contributing 13. Rookie Chet Holmgren scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting with nine rebounds in just 11:32.

With the Mavericks' playoff position set, they sat all of their starters other than Tim Hardaway Jr. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 22 points and Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 15 as Dallas finished a season-low 33 percent from the field.


Suns 125, Timberwolves 106

Bradley Beal scored 36 points on 14-for-21 shooting, including 6-for-6 from beyond the arc, and Phoenix cruised past Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Devin Booker added 23 points and seven assists for the Suns, who moved past New Orleans for the sixth seed in the Western Conference, escaping the play-in tournament.

Rudy Gobert scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Minnesota. The Timberwolves entered the game in a three-way tie for the best record in the Western Conference, but they dropped to the No. 3 seed after losing on Sunday while the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets both won to secure the top two spots.

Knicks 120, Bulls 119 (OT)

Jalen Brunson recorded 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and New York landed the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference by holding off visiting Chicago in overtime.

A loss to the Orlando Magic by the Milwaukee Bucks aided the Knicks, who registered their second 50-win season in 24 seasons. Donte DiVincenzo added 25 points for the Knicks, who took the lead for good after DiVincenzo's 3-pointer gave them a 114-112 lead with 3:13 remaining in overtime.

DeMar DeRozan paced the Bulls with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. Nikola Vucevic finished with a 29-point, 11-rebound double-double and Coby White had 26 points.

Celtics 132, Wizards 122

Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 38 points and added 12 assists and nine rebounds as Boston beat visiting Washington.

Pritchard made 15 of 21 field-goal attempts. Svi Mykhailiuk had 26 points for the Celtics, who received 19 points and nine rebounds from Neemias Queta.

Eugene Omoruyi led Washington with 26 points, and Jared Butler added 22. The Wizards ended their season on a six-game losing streak.

Pacers 157, Hawks 115

Myles Turner racked up 31 points and 12 rebounds as Indiana clinched an Eastern Conference playoff spot with a lopsided victory over Atlanta in Indianapolis.

By matching their highest-scoring performance in franchise history, the Pacers earned the No. 6 seed in the East and will play the third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs. Pascal Siakam added 28 points as seven Pacers scored in double figures. Indiana shot a stunning 65 percent overall (65 of 100) and went 19-for-36 from beyond the arc (52.8 percent).

Dejounte Murray scored 32 points to pace the Hawks, who are set to face the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the play-in tournament.

Warriors 123, Jazz 116

Klay Thompson scored 25 points, but Golden State couldn't improve from 10th place in the Western Conference despite a victory over visiting Utah in the regular-season finale.

The Warriors will face the Sacramento Kings in an elimination game on Tuesday to tip off the Western play-in event. Golden State elected to rest Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the eve of the playoffs, and limited Thompson to 20 minutes, during which he had enough time to shoot 6-for-12 on 3-pointers en route to his game-high point total. Gui Santos finished with 13 points and Lester Quinones 12 among Golden State's game-ending group. Andrew Wiggins had 19 in a starting role, while Dario Saric chipped in with 12.

Keyonte George paced Utah with 21 points, while Omer Yurtseven put up a double-double with 11 points to complement a game-high 18 rebounds.

Nuggets 126, Grizzlies 111

Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 15 rebounds and visiting Denver beat Memphis to secure the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Denver moved past Minnesota, which lost at home to Phoenix on Sunday, and will begin the first round of the playoffs against the winner of Tuesday night's play-in game between the No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans and No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers. The Nuggets bounced back from a disappointing loss at San Antonio on Friday night to tie the franchise record for wins set in the 2012-13 season and give head coach Michael Malone his 424th career win. Christian Braun had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Aaron Gordon had 15 points, Michael Porter Jr. added 12 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Reggie Jackson and Peyton Watson scored 11 each.

GG Jackson scored a career-high 44 points, Jake LaRavia had 29 and Scotty Pippen Jr. finished with 15 for the Grizzlies.

Magic 113, Bucks 88

Paolo Banchero had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists and Orlando clinched a playoff spot with a rout of visiting Milwaukee.

Franz Wagner added 25 points and three steals as the Magic earned their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season. Orlando is the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

The Bucks lost for the eighth time in the past 11 games. Milwaukee will be the 3 seed in the East and will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Heat 118, Raptors 103

Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro scored 17 points each as host Miami routed out-of-contention Toronto.

With the game virtually decided after three quarters, the Heat went to their bench, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. finished with 18 points. Reserve Thomas Bryant also had 18 points and added 10 rebounds. Despite the win, the Heat will have to settle for the play-in round as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. They will face the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in round on Wednesday.

Toronto was led by Gary Trent Jr., who had 18 points. Toronto was missing several injured standouts, including starters Scottie Barnes (hand), RJ Barrett (knee) and Immanuel Quickley (adductor).

Hornets 120, Cavaliers 110

Nick Smith Jr. pumped in 24 points to lead a bunch of backups as Charlotte ended the season by beating playoff-bound host Cleveland.

The Hornets were sparked on a late 15-2 burst by Smith, Amari Bailey and JT Thor (20 points), surging to a 117-110 lead with less than two minutes to play. It was the final game for Charlotte coach Steve Clifford, who will move into a front-office role with the organization.

Max Strus recorded his first career triple-double with 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who finished fourth in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs beginning Saturday against the Orlando Magic. Cleveland also used a largely makeshift lineup and had reduced minutes for several who did play.

76ers 107, Nets 86

Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points as Philadelphia led virtually the entire way to beat visiting Brooklyn.

The Sixers ended the regular season with eight straight wins and survived another absence by Joel Embiid, who sat out after tweaking his surgically repaired left knee in the first half against the Orlando Magic on Friday. Embiid appeared in 39 games and the Sixers went 31-8 when he played.

Cam Thomas led the Nets with 18 points and rookie Noah Clowney added 16. Trendon Watford contributed 14 and Lonnie Walker IV finished with 12 as Brooklyn shot 38.6 percent and misfired on 25 of 34 3-point tries.

Spurs 123, Pistons 95

Sandro Mamukelashvili poured in 18 points to lead eight players in double figures as host San Antonio rolled over Detroit, both long since eliminated from the postseason.

The Spurs, despite being without six injured players who started games this season, finished strong, winning four of their final six games to end up in 14th place in the West, one spot out of the cellar.

James Wiseman racked up game highs of 21 points and 17 rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons dropped 15 of its last 17 games and finished as the worst team in the NBA after setting a team-low mark for wins in a season, supplanting the 16 wins produced by the 1979-80 squad.

Lakers 124, Pelicans 108

LeBron James had a triple-double, Anthony Davis had a double-double and visiting Los Angeles dominated New Orleans.

James finished with 28 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds and Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers clinched the No. 8 seed and set up a rematch with the seventh-seeded Pelicans in a play-in game Tuesday night in New Orleans.

CJ McCollum scored 25 points to lead New Orleans. Herbert Jones added 18, while Larry Nance Jr. and Brandon Ingram, returning from a 12-game absence due to a hyper-extended knee, scored 13 each.

Kings 121, Blazers 82

De'Aaron Fox scored 24 points in three quarters as host Sacramento cruised past Portland.

After finishing with the third seed in the Western Conference last season -- when they made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 -- the Kings will be the No. 9 seed this time. Sacramento will host the Warriors in a play-in game on Tuesday.

Dalano Banton led the Trail Blazers with 17 points before being ejected for a flagrant 2 foul late in the fourth quarter. He went 6-for-26 from the field and missed all 15 of his 3-point tries, becoming the first player in NBA history to go 0-for-15 from behind the arc. Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez and Justin Anderson shared the previous mark of futility by going 0-for-12 from 3-point range.

Rockets 116, Clippers 105

Cam Whitmore scored 21 points and Amen Thompson recorded his first career triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists as Houston defeated host Los Angeles.

Jabari Smith Jr. had 15 points for Houston, which won for the third time in its last four games and avoided a fourth straight losing season.

Terance Mann led the Clippers with a season-high 24 points. Both teams relied on reserve players in a game that did not have postseason implications. The Clippers trailed 105-102 with 3:09 remaining before Houston went on a 14-0 run to put the game away.

Player Notes
Jamal Murray Tue Apr 30 9:30am

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray shook off a calf injury to produce a game-winning performance in Monday's Game 5 against the Lakers. He led all scorers with 32 points, wrapping things up with a jumper four seconds from the end to make it 108-106 and win Denver the game and series. Murray shot 13-for-28 from the field and 5-for-10 from downtown en route to his highest-scoring performance of the series. He also contributed on the offensive end with seven assists and recorded three rebounds and one steal. Despite dealing with a calf strain, Murray logged 41 minutes of action. He will now get some much-needed rest, with the Nuggets' second-round series against Minnesota not starting until Saturday. Denver's star guard is averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in the postseason.

Jamal Murray Mon Apr 29 9:20pm

According to TNT's Allie LaForce, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (calf) will play on Monday night versus the Lakers. The 27-year-old was on the injury report because of a left calf strain. While the team is certainly glad to have him out there, he may not be fully healthy. However, Murray has an excellent chance to turn things around after his rough showing in Game 4, making him a viable DFS option for Game 5.

Kristaps Porzingis Mon Apr 29 9:20pm

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. The veteran suffered what the team called right calf tightness before the end of the first half, so he'd finish the night with seven points in 14 minutes. Fortunately, medical personnel don't suspect an Achilles injury. However, the ailment could be enough to keep Porzingis off the floor for Game 5, although it's still too early to speculate. But if he can't go, Al Horford should slide into the starting lineup, with Luke Kornet getting minutes behind him from off the bench.

Kristaps Porzingis Mon Apr 29 9:10pm

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) is doubtful to return to Monday's playoff matchup with the Heat. Porzingis was having another rough shooting performance, going 1-for-5 from the field. But even worse, he injured his right calf before the end of the first half. The C's have Game 4 under control, so there's no urgency to bring Porzingis back to the floor. However, the real question now is if he'll be healthy enough to suit up for Game 5. If he can't, Al Horford will likely take over at the five, with Luke Kornet coming in for relief.

Patrick Beverley Mon Apr 29 7:50pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) is considered probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. He's expected to play through a right oblique muscle strain. The veteran entered the starting unit late in the regular season and has played well in the playoffs. Beverley averages 7.5 points in the series with 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals on 50 percent shooting from deep. However, the team needs even more from him offensively, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) likely to remain unavailable on Tuesday.

Khris Middleton Mon Apr 29 7:40pm

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) is listed as probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. He injured his right ankle early in the series but has remained in the lineup and is expected to lead the charge again on Tuesday. Middleton is Milwaukee's top scoring option, with Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) sidelined, and he's had 51 efforts from the field across the last two games. Antetokounmpo and Lillard aren't expected to return on Tuesday, so another big effort is expected from Middleton, who's averaged 26.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the series.

Damian Lillard Mon Apr 29 7:40pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard (Achilles) is considered doubtful for Tuesday's elimination game against the Pacers. He's set to miss a second consecutive contest after aggravating an Achilles injury in Game 3 of the first-round series. Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is also doubtful, meaning the Bucks are in huge trouble. Malik Beasley came into the starting unit for Lillard in Game 4 and produced a good 20-point performance with 4-for-7 shooting from deep, but the team was clearly beaten 126-113. Khris Middleton (ankle) and Brook Lopez also went for 20-plus points with Milwaukee's top guns sidelined.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Mon Apr 29 7:30pm

Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is doubtful for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. The Greek superstar has yet to feature this postseason due to a calf injury, and the doubtful tag makes it unlikely that he will be able to play on Tuesday, even with the team desperately needing him. Sitting in a 3-1 deficit in the series, the Bucks face elimination on Tuesday, but head coach Doc Rivers has indicated that Antetokounmpo won't play until he's 100 percent. Having also lost Damian Lillard (Achilles) to injury, the Bucks received a big 27-point effort from Brook Lopez in Game 4. Khris Middleton (ankle) also carries a heavy burden offensively.

Tyrese Haliburton Mon Apr 29 7:20pm

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) is on the injury report as questionable ahead of Game 5 against Milwaukee on Tuesday. Indiana's breakout star is dealing with lower back spasms and also picked up a late questionable tag ahead of Game 4. Haliburton ended up having his highest-scoring game of the series with 24 points on Sunday, so it appears as though the issue isn't very serious. T.J. McConnell would receive a larger workload if Haliburton needs to come out of the lineup. He's a nifty playmaker who averaged 10.8 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in a starting role during the regular season.

Bojan Bogdanovic Mon Apr 29 6:40pm

New York Knicks guard/forward Bojan Bogdanovic (ankle) won't be available for Tuesday's Game 5 against the 76ers. The veteran sniper was hurt in Sunday's Game 4 and has been ruled out with a left foot contusion. Bogdanovic averaged 16.7 minutes in the first three games of the series before lasting only 1:11 on Sunday. The second unit was led by Precious Achiuwa and Miles McBride in the contest, and the two should have a big part to play again on Tuesday after helping the Knicks grab a 3-1 series lead with effective performances.

Mitchell Robinson Mon Apr 29 6:40pm

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) is questionable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He could be out for a second consecutive contest after skipping Sunday's Game 4 due to an ankle sprain. Robinson warmed up for the game with the intention of playing, but he was ruled out ahead of tip-off after being initially being questionable. Precious Achiuwa saw extra action without Robinson and had a big role defensively in the game with four blocks. After playing him the entire fourth quarter in Game 4, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau could have an important role penciled in for Achiuwa again on Tuesday, even if Robinson is available.

Jalen Brunson Mon Apr 29 6:30pm

New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (knee) is probable for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's on the injury report with a right knee contusion. Brunson battled through knee pain in Game 4, but it didn't appear to affect his performance, as the Knicks star posted a new franchise record for most points in a playoff game with 47. After initially struggling in the series, Brunson has recorded two big double-doubles, and we should see another spectacle from him as the series returns to Madison Square Garden.

Joel Embiid Mon Apr 29 6:20pm

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) has once again been listed as questionable on the injury report, with the team set to continue its first-round battle against the Knicks on Tuesday. Embiid, who continues to recover from a left knee injury, has so far played in all four games in the matchup, surpassing the 40-minute mark in back-to-back contests. He's posted 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals in the playoffs. The 2022-23 regular season MVP has previously struggled in elimination games in his career, notching only 22.0 points per game with 38.8 percent shooting.

Delon Wright Mon Apr 29 6:10pm

Miami Heat point guard Delon Wright (personal) will be available on Monday against Boston. He's returning after missing Game 3 due to the birth of his daughter. Wright has logged 20-plus minutes in both of his two playoff appearances so far and should receive the same kind of workload in Game 4. The 32-year-old is more known for his defensive ability, but Wright also stood out offensively in the series opener with 17 points. He's averaged 11.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals this postseason.

Kevin Durant Mon Apr 29 10:20am

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant scored a very efficient 33 points in Sunday's 122-116 loss to the Timberwolves, finishing with 12-for-17 shooting from the field. Durant averages the third-most points among active players in elimination games, and he produced another high-level performance, but Phoenix needed even more from him as Minnesota completed the first-round sweep on Sunday. Across 46 minutes of action, Durant also came up big defensively by swatting away four shots, and his tally included nine rebounds and five assists. This is the second sweep in four years Durant has suffered since leaving Golden State, and he can't be happy about how things have worked out in Phoenix with the team's Big Three.

Devin Booker Mon Apr 29 10:10am

Phoenix Suns guard/forward Devin Booker set a new playoff career high with 49 points in Sunday's Game 4 loss to Minnesota. The four-time All-Star shot 13-for-21 from the field with a 3-for-5 record from deep and hit 20 of his 21 free throws, but the Suns couldn't stay alive in the series despite Booker's monster effort. Booker, who also posted five rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block on Sunday, is now 0-4 for his career in elimination games. He had previously averaged only 14.0 points in elimination games, so Booker took a major step forward from a personal perspective, but the Suns as a team seem stuck in the same place. Since reaching the Finals in 2021, Phoenix has won only two playoff series, going 10-13 in the postseason.

Karl-Anthony Towns Mon Apr 29 10:00am

Minnesota Timberwolves forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns played a big part in Sunday's Game 4 victory over Phoenix with 28 points and 10 rebounds. He was a major threat all over the place, nailing four of his six attempts from deep and shooting 11-for-17 overall. He also handed out three assists. Towns finished the series with back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 19.3 points and 9.5 rebounds overall. He hit a very impressive 9-for-17 from outside in four games and will be a massive headache for the next opponent if he keeps this up. The Timberwolves are the first team to qualify for the second round and will meet either Denver or the Lakers next.

Anthony Edwards Mon Apr 29 9:50am

Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Anthony Edwards went for a team-high 40 points as his squad completed a first-round sweep against Phoenix on Sunday with a 122-116 win. Edwards exploded after being limited to nine points in the first half, shooting 13-for-23 from the field and hitting 7-for-13 from downtown. Minnesota's young superstar also collected nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks, breaking a tie with Kevin Garnett for most 30-point playoff games in franchise history. In fact, Edwards has now scored 30-plus points in over half of his 15 postseason appearances. He finished the series against the Suns with a 31-point scoring average.

Jarred Vanderbilt Mon Apr 29 9:40am

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) has been upgraded to questionable ahead of Monday's Game 5 against Denver. He's been out since Feb. 1 with a mid-foot sprain. After missing the start of the season, Vanderbilt featured in only 29 regular-season contests, averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds across 20.0 minutes. He'll be a good addition to the rotation if he plays on Monday, although it's unlikely Vanderbilt will be ready to carry a full workload. The Lakers didn't use Christian Wood at all in Game 4 after he was cleared to return to the lineup after a lengthy absence.

Delon Wright Mon Apr 29 9:40am

Miami Heat point guard Delon Wright (personal) appears ready to return to the lineup on Monday versus Boston, as the team has listed him as probable for the contest. Wright missed Game 3 of the series for personal reasons. He started the playoffs with a big 17-point performance but settled for only five points in Game 2. Terry Rozier's (neck) absence has given Wright an opportunity to average 23.0 minutes per game in the postseason, and he should play a significant part in the rotation again on Monday. However, his inconsistency makes Wright a risky option for DFS managers.