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Offseason | 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
Al Horford Thu May 2 11:00am

Boston Celtics power forward/center Al Horford replaced Kristaps Porzingis (calf) in the starting lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 win over the Miami Heat. The dominant team performance putting the game out of hand early limited Horford's time on the court to 22 minutes. Boston's 37-year-old veteran still delivered eight points, six rebounds, and three assists to help build the lead. Horford will continue to start in the next round with Porzingis missing several more games. The Celtics must rely on Horford and reserve Luke Kornet as their centers against a tougher Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic opponent.

Jrue Holiday Thu May 2 11:00am

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday contributed 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the team's Game 5 win versus the Miami Heat. The five-time All-Defensive Team guard closed a quiet offensive series by shooting 3-for-5 from the field on Wednesday. Holiday helped keep the opposing guards in check with his stellar defense, but he only averaged 7.8 points on eight shot attempts per game in the series. Derrick White becoming a bigger offensive force in the backcourt limits Holiday's fantasy ceiling. However, Kristaps Porzingis (calf) missing several more games in the next round could be a fantasy boost to improve Holiday's points and rebounds in a more challenging series.

Derrick White Thu May 2 11:00am

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White had a great game with 25 points, five rebounds, and two assists in Game 5's win over the Miami Heat. The 29-year-old tied Jaylen Brown for the most points scored as Boston dominated the game from start to finish. White has stepped up the whole series by averaging 22.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in the five games. The Celtics treat White as their third offensive option behind Jayson Tatum and Brown in most games without Kristaps Porzingis. White's stock continuing to rise, and he'll be a strong fantasy option in the next round due to Porzingis (calf) missing more games.

Ivica Zubac Thu May 2 10:20am

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac missed only one of his eight shots to produce a 15-point outing in Wednesday's Game 5 loss to Dallas. Across 26 minutes of action, he also recorded six rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Zubac's performance was the lone bright spot for the Clippers in a 30-point loss, particularly his start. The Croatian big man scored eight points in the first six minutes. Zubac has been strong throughout the series and is probably the only player on the team who's not disappointed with his postseason production. He's netted 16.0 points per game with 61 percent shooting and is averaging 9.0 rebounds with 1.0 steals.

Russell Westbrook Thu May 2 10:10am

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook had another miserable outing against the Mavericks in Game 5 on Wednesday, posting six points on 2-for-11 shooting in a 123-93 loss. He missed all three shots from deep and didn't register any assists in 16 minutes of action while grabbing five rebounds. Westbrook performed well in the series opener, but he's had a horrible four-game spell since. The former MVP has been limited to 6-for-35 shooting, notching just 19 total points. His performances have been a major letdown for the Clippers, who face elimination in Game 6 on Friday.

James Harden Thu May 2 10:00am

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden finished with only seven points in Wednesday's beatdown by the Mavericks, shooting 2-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-7 from deep. The veteran star also had four rebounds and seven assists with four turnovers. Overall, Harden has played well in the series, and Game 4 was probably one of the best postseason performances of his career, but the Clippers came completely unstuck in front of their fans Wednesday night. Tyronn Lue's team now faces elimination in Game 6 on Friday. With Kawhi Leonard (knee) on the shelf, Harden and Paul George need to come up with something special for the Clippers to extend the series.

Paul George Thu May 2 9:50am

Los Angeles Clippers guard/forward Paul George shot only 4-for-13 from the field to finish with 15 points in Wednesday's 123-93 loss to Dallas. After going off for 33 points in Game 4, George struggled to get going offensively, although he managed to save his fantasy line a bit by getting a game-high 11 rebounds and handing out four assists. The Clippers star is shooting 41 percent from downtown in the series but has been wildly inconsistent with his performances. Sitting on a scoring average of 19.8 points per game, George is on track to have his least productive playoff campaign since 2013.

Maxi Kleber Thu May 2 9:40am

Dallas Mavericks forward/center Maxi Kleber brought a flamethrower to Wednesday's Game 5 against the Clippers, finishing 5-for-7 from downtown during a 15-point effort. He had as many triples as the Clippers' starting five combined as Dallas dominated in Los Angeles and took a 3-2 series lead. Kleber bagged three rebounds and an assist as well in 19 minutes off the bench. This was by far his best performance of the 2024 playoffs, and it's unlikely Kleber will repeat it soon. However, his three-point shooting has been top-notch throughout the series. After going 0-for-3 in Game 1, Kleber has missed only three of his 12 attempts from deep.

Kyrie Irving Thu May 2 9:40am

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving had a tough time from behind the arc on Wednesday against the Clippers but played an effective game to help the team grab a 3-2 series lead with a blowout win. He finished 1-for-7 with his three-pointers. However, Irving registered a game-high plus-35 rating as he notched 14 points with 6-for-14 shooting, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals. The one-two punch of Irving and Luka Doncic has been deadly in the series, and Dallas finds itself in a great position to grab a second-round ticket on Friday in Game 6.

Luka Doncic Thu May 2 9:30am

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic eased his way to 35 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists in Wednesday's dominant 123-93 win over the Clippers. The Mavericks star might be battling a knee issue and an illness, but he pulled out some of his best moves in the game to push his scoring average in the series to 30.2 points. Doncic has also tallied 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the first-round matchup, with the Clippers incapable of doing anything to slow him down.

Jayson Tatum Wed May 1 11:20pm

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum delivered 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists in the team's Game 5 series-clinching win over the Miami Heat. Tatum did not have to showcase his usual scoring excellence with the game out of hand early, but he still produced a double-double in just 32 minutes. The 26-year-old averaged 39.5 minutes per game in the series before tonight's game to show that the blowout impacted his fantasy output and time on the court. Kristaps Porzingis (calf) missing more games could mean more fantasy production from Tatum in the next round.

Jaylen Brown Wed May 1 11:20pm

Boston Celtics forward/guard Jaylen Brown scored 25 points in the team's Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat. Brown had his third game of the series with at least 20 points to help the Celtics advance to the next round. Boston had a relatively easy night on the job by taking control early and never letting up. The 27-year-old contributed to this dominant outing by shooting 11-for-19 from the field to lead the way. He also added five rebounds and two assists. Boston will see Brown having a higher ceiling in the second round, with starter Kristaps Porzingis (calf) expected to miss several more games.

Nikola Jovic Wed May 1 11:10pm

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic had eight points, seven boards, and four assists in Wednesday's meeting with the Celtics. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough, as Boston closed out the series in five games. At any rate, the 2022 No. 27 overall pick picked things up toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign. He ended the year by averaging 12.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in eight games in April. It appears Erik Spoelstra could give Jovic regular playing time next season, assuming he remains in Miami. However, the 20-year-old has a way to go before earning the trust of fantasy managers.

Duncan Robinson Wed May 1 11:00pm

Miami Heat guard/forward Duncan Robinson (back) finished with just two points in Wednesday's loss to Boston. Robinson admittedly wasn't healthy for this series. On a positive note, he finished the regular season by averaging 12.9 points, a significant upgrade from the 2022-23 campaign. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old has had issues staying healthy over the last few seasons, which is something for fantasy managers to consider moving ahead. There's also a chance Robinson won't be in Miami next season, considering the Heat have been trying to move him for years. Yet, a change of scenery could do him good, especially if he gets more minutes elsewhere.

Caleb Martin Wed May 1 10:50pm

Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin finished with 10 points in Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. He added four boards and one assist. The 28-year-old was one of Miami's top rotational pieces during the regular season. He averaged a career-high 10 points. Unfortunately, he was limited to 64 games due to injury. That's been the theme for Martin throughout his career. He also isn't a consistent fantasy producer. Assuming he remains in Miami, he may battle for minutes with Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic throughout the 2024-25 campaign. Martin's injury woes over the years are another reason fantasy managers may look the other way.

Tyler Herro Wed May 1 10:50pm

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro struggled in Wednesday's loss to the Boston Celtics. While he had 15 points, he shot a rough 6-for-19 from the field and 1-for-8 from downtown. With Miami's year finished, Herro will get some much-needed rest. He ended the regular season by averaging a career-high 20.8 points with 5.3 boards and 4.5 assists. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 42 games because of various ailments. Without question, the 24-year-old can be a potent fantasy performer. However, his inability to remain on the court will significantly lower his fantasy value heading into the 2024-25 campaign. The Heat might also make some roster moves during the offseason, so Herro's name will likely be mentioned in several trade scenarios.

Bam Adebayo Wed May 1 10:40pm

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo had a team-high 23 points in Wednesday's loss to Boston. He added six assists, five rebounds, and two blocks. Although Miami's year is finished, Adebayo can hold his head high. While he regressed slightly in some statistical categories during the regular season, he improved in others, especially with his career-high 35.7% shooting from behind the arc. The Heat will need to make adjustments to the roster this offseason if the club hopes to make another deep postseason run. Yet, Adebayo will remain one of the team's top producers on both ends of the floor regardless of any potential changes, so he'll likely be a top-30 fantasy option heading into the 2024-25 campaign.

Luka Doncic Wed May 1 9:30pm

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic (knee) has been officially upgraded from probable to available for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Clippers. The Slovenian superstar said Wednesday morning that his right knee is "not good," and he has also been dealing with an illness lately, but Doncic is ready to play through pain. Despite battling health issues, Doncic has averaged a massive 43.3 minutes in the 2024 playoffs and should be heavily involved again as Dallas attempts to grab a 3-2 series lead in Los Angeles.

Tyrese Haliburton Wed May 1 9:20pm

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) remains on the injury report ahead of Game 6 against Milwaukee on Thursday. He's been battling back spasms lately, but the Pacers have kept him in the lineup. It's been an up-and-down series for Haliburton, who is averaging 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. After posting a double-double and a triple-double in back-to-back games, the Pacers point guard has been limited to only 10 assists across the last two contests.

Patrick Beverley Wed May 1 9:20pm

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) will likely continue to play through injury on Thursday against Indiana. He's listed as probable with an oblique strain for Game 6 of the first-round series. Beverley has just had his strongest outing of the matchup, leading by example at both ends of the floor in Tuesday's 115-92 win. He recorded 13 points with 12 assists, four rebounds, one block, and two steals.