NBA roundup: Clippers take 5th in West, push Warriors to play-in
Sun Apr 13 11:55pm ET
Field Level Media
James Harden had 12 of his game-high 39 points in overtime Sunday afternoon, delivering the Los Angeles Clippers a 124-119 win over the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco that sends the Clippers into the playoffs while relegating the Warriors to the play-in bracket.
Kawhi Leonard contributed 33 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals, and Ivica Zubac logged 22 points and 17 rebounds, helping the Clippers secure the fifth seed in the West and an opening-round matchup with the No. 4 Denver Nuggets.
Stephen Curry bombed in 36 points, 21 coming on 3-pointers, for the Warriors, who dropped to seventh in the West and will face the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in game Tuesday night in San Francisco.
Harden gave the Clippers the lead for good in the five-minute overtime with a 3-pointer 69 seconds into the session. He later added another 3-pointer, two free throws, a floater in the lane and two more clinching foul shots with 3.0 seconds left to secure Los Angeles' eighth consecutive win.
Hawks 117, Magic 105
Keaton Wallace had a triple-double with 15 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds to lift host Atlanta over Orlando. The teams will meet again Tuesday in Orlando in the play-in tournament, with the winner claiming the seventh seed and a first-round match-up against Boston.
It was a day for the reserves to log plenty of minutes as both teams rested their primary players. Wallace is in his fourth year as a pro but spent most of that time in the G League before making his NBA debut in October 2024. Terance Mann led the Hawks with 19 points. Jacob Toppin had a career-high 17 points for Atlanta, including five 3-pointers.
Anthony Black led the Magic with 20 points and Jett Howard had 16 off the bench. Orlando finished the regular season 41-41, Atlanta 40-42. The teams split four regular-season meetings.
Celtics 93, Hornets 86
Payton Pritchard tossed in a game-high 34 points to help Boston defeat visiting Charlotte.
As expected, the playoff-bound Celtics rested most of their top players. Boston received 15 points from Sam Hauser and 11 points and eight rebounds from Luke Kornet.
Charlotte, which trailed by 21 early, tied the game 86-86 on a Moussa Diabate layup with 2:13 to play, but Boston regained control by scoring the game's final seven points. Josh Okogie and Jusuf Nurkic each scored a team-high 14 points for the Hornets.
Pacers 126, Cavaliers 118 (2OT)
Indiana rallied from 27 down -- the biggest comeback in team history -- to beat Cleveland in double overtime in a battle of Eastern Conference playoff teams.
Two-way player RayJ Dennis scored seven straight points in the second overtime, and rookie Johnny Furphy added six points in the second extra period for the Pacers, who reached 50 wins for the first time since 2013-14. Quenton Jackson led Indiana with 21 points, and Tony Bradley collected 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots. The No. 4 Pacers take on No. 5 seed Milwaukee in the opening round.
The Cavaliers rested nine of their top 10 scorers, including injured Donovan Mitchell (ankle) along with fellow All-Stars Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. No. 1 seed Cleveland will face the No. 8 seed in the East, which won't be determined until the conclusion of the play-in tournament.
Wizards 119, Heat 118
Bub Carrington made a heavily contested floater at the buzzer to lead visiting Washington over short-handed Miami.
Down seven with four minutes remaining, the Heat went on an 11-0 run. They took a 118-114 lead with 8.5 seconds left, but Justin Champagnie cut it to one with a quick 3-pointer. Miami's Josh Christopher then committed a costly turnover in the backcourt to give Washington the ball back with 4.4 seconds left, setting up Carrington's game-winner.
The Heat will visit the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday in the play-in tournament, and if they win, they advance to play on Friday against the loser of Tuesday's matchup between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic. If the Heat win both games, they will be the No. 8 seed and play a first-round series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bulls 122, 76ers 102
Kevin Huerter scored 18 points as visiting Chicago topped Philadelphia in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Talen Horton-Tucker chipped in 17 points and Jalen Smith had 12 points and 10 boards for Chicago. The Bulls came into the day already locked into the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and will host the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament on Wednesday. Chicago sat Josh Giddey (wrist) and limited the minutes of its other key players.
Lonnie Walker IV scored 31 points to pace Philadelphia, which missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. The Sixers were ravaged by injuries to key players and were forced to give significant playing time to players such as Jared Butler (19 points) and Adem Bona (16).
Knicks 113, Nets 105
Landry Shamet came off the bench to score 29 points, and short-handed New York rode a 17-0 third-quarter run to hold off host Brooklyn in the regular-season finale for both teams.
New York, already locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed for the playoffs, played without stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, the latter of whom recently returned from injury. Mikal Bridges extended his consecutive games streak to 556, but only after appearing for the first six seconds vs. the Nets.
Tyrese Martin and Trendon Watford each scored 20 points to lead the Nets, and both grabbed seven rebounds.
Nuggets 126, Rockets 111
Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 points, Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon finished with 18 apiece, and Denver clinched the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a win over host Houston.
The Nuggets, who won their final three games to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, will face the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers. Jokic, who had seven rebounds and seven assists, is the third player to average a triple-double for an entire season. His 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists ranked in the top three in the NBA in those categories.
The Rockets dropped their final three games after securing the No. 2 seed in the West. Houston will face the winner of the play-in game on Tuesday between the host Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies. Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson scored 15 points and Alperen Sengun had 14 for the Rockets.
Grizzlies 132, Mavericks 97
Lamar Stevens, Marvin Bagley III, Cam Spencer and Jay Huff combined for 101 points to lift host Memphis to a win over Dallas.
Stevens had 31 points and six rebounds, Bagley added 25 points and 12 boards, Spencer contributed 23 points and seven assists and Huff finished with 22 points, six rebounds and six blocks in the regular-season finale for both teams. Daniel Gafford paced the Mavericks with 20 points and seven rebounds. Jaden Hardy scored 17 and Max Christie had 14.
Both teams rested the majority of their starters and key reserves ahead of Tuesday's play-in tournament. Memphis will play as the West's No. 8 seed against No. 7 Golden State. Dallas, as the 10th seed, will face No. 9 Sacramento.
Bucks 140, Pistons 133 (OT)
Pat Connaughton saved 10 of his career-high 43 points for overtime, Kyle Kuzma chipped in with 22 in just 12 minutes and Milwaukee outlasted visiting Detroit in a meaningless regular-season finale that took a back seat to Malik Beasley's pursuit of the NBA's 3-point crown.
The Pistons' Beasley, who began the day with 312 3-pointers, one fewer than league leader Anthony Edwards, buried seven of 11 attempts from deep in just 19 minutes to move ahead by six. However, Edwards hit seven 3-pointers to take the title 320-319 in the Minnesota Timberwolves' win over the Utah Jazz.
The Pistons entered the game locked into sixth playoff position in the East, where they will take on the third-seeded New York Knicks. They rested regular starters Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson. Likewise, the Bucks knew beforehand that they'd finish fifth in the East and draw the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in the first round. They sat out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, as well as Damian Lillard, who hopes to return from a calf injury in time for the postseason.
Timberwolves 116, Jazz 105
Anthony Edwards made the most of a second chance, scoring 43 points to help Minnesota clinch a playoff spot by knocking off Utah in Minneapolis.
The Timberwolves earned the sixth seed in the West playoffs and will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Edwards was allowed to play in the regular-season finale after the NBA rescinded his 18th technical foul -- and the accompanying automatic one-game suspension -- that he'd been assessed Friday against Brooklyn.
Brice Sensabaugh scored 22 points as the Jazz finished the season with the NBA's worst record (17-65) after Washington's upset win at Miami earlier in the day.
Thunder 115, Pelicans 100
Aaron Wiggins scored 28 points, Branden Carlson had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and visiting Oklahoma City never trailed during a victory over New Orleans.
Kenrich Williams had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Isaiah Joe scored 17 and Dillon Jones had 13 points and 10 rebounds as the NBA-best Thunder finished the winningest regular season in franchise history on a four-game winning streak. Oklahoma City dressed just nine players and didn't play any of its starters.
Antonio Reeves scored 20 points, Jamal Cain had 18, Lester Quinones had 17, Keion Brooks Jr. had 15, Jose Alvarado scored 14 and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl added 10 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Pelicans, who finished their second-worst season in franchise history on a seven-game losing streak. New Orleans dressed just eight players for the third consecutive game.
Trail Blazers 109, Lakers 81
Dalano Banton matched a season high with 23 points to fuel host Portland to a convincing victory over Los Angeles in the teams' regular-season finale.
While the Trail Blazers have long since been removed from playoff contention, the third-seeded Lakers were able to rest stars Luka Doncic, LeBron James (left groin strain) and Austin Reaves, among others, ahead of their first-round playoff series against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Banton joined Toumani Camara by sinking four 3-pointers for Portland. Matisse Thybulle scored 15 points, Camara finished with 14, Rayan Rupert had 13 and Donovan Clingan collected 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Dalton Knecht recorded 27 points, Shake Milton had 16 and Jordan Goodwin added 12 off the bench to pace the Lakers.
Kings 109, Suns 98
Sacramento capitalized on visiting Phoenix having a depleted roster and secured home-court advantage for its upcoming Western Conference play-in matchup.
Sacramento was already locked into a No. 9 vs. No. 10 contest with Dallas in the play-in. But with the Kings pulling out of a two-game slump, and the Mavericks losing a blowout to Memphis, Sacramento draws hosting duties. The Kings host the Mavericks on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to play the loser of Tuesday's play-in game between the host Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Jonas Valanciunas came off the bench to lead the Kings with 22 points and 10 boards, while Domantas Sabonis posted his 62nd double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Zach LaVine's 16 points ended a five-game streak of 25-plus point performances. Playing without Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the Suns were led by Grayson Allen's 20 points and Tyus Jones' 17 points.
Spurs 125, Raptors 118
Keldon Johnson scored 23 points off the bench and Stephon Castle added 20, which included a late basket and free throw, as host San Antonio roared back in the second half to beat Toronto in the season finale for both teams.
Neither the Spurs nor the Raptors qualified for the postseason. San Antonio has not been in the playoffs since 2019, while the Raptors failed to reach the postseason for the third straight year.
Harrison Barnes added 18 points for San Antonio while Chris Paul hit for 15 and Julian Champagnie scored 14. Toronto's Scottie Barnes led all scorers with 35 points and added 11 rebounds and eight assists. Jamison Battle added 25 points and Jonathon Mogbo racked up 14 rebounds and 10 assists -- missing a triple-double by one point.
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According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, "some teams" around the NBA "expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations" ahead of the 2025 Draft. Philly owns the No. 3 overall selection. However, the front office is rumored to dangle that pick in potential deals involving Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant or Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. Interestingly enough, a name mentioned in possible swaps with the aforementioned teams is Paul George. The 35-year-old signed a four-year, $212 million contract last offseason. Unfortunately, George struggled to stay healthy, logging only 41 games due to various ailments. He also took a step backward in terms of production, averaging 16.2 points, one of the worst marks of his career. It appears George isn't a lock to remain on the roster. Regardless, his days of playing at an All-Star level may be over, and his inability to stay on the floor makes him an even bigger risk for fantasy managers, no matter what uniform he's wearing in October.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray finished with 13 points in Sunday's loss to the Thunder. He added three steals and two assists. This was arguably Murray's worst showing of the series with OKC, especially on the scoring end. He shot a rough 6-for-16 from the field and made only one of his eight attempts from downtown. The 28-year-old averaged 21.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.9 boards during the regular season. While his three-point percentage dropped, he at least appeared in 67 games, eight more than the 2023-24 campaign. With that said, Murray has All-Star potential. However, his health is always a concern for fantasy managers, and he's also been known to go cold at times throughout his career.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (hamstring) managed to suit up for Sunday's playoff loss to OKC. Unfortunately, he finished with only eight points, adding 11 rebounds while turning the ball over four times. Had the hamstring strain occurred during the regular season, Gordon likely wouldn't have been out there. However, he gave it his all, although it wasn't enough to stop the Thunder from earning a 32-point win. The 29-year-old finished the regular season by averaging 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He also shot a career-high 43.6% from deep and was also instrumental in the Nuggets' success throughout the postseason. Still, injuries were an issue for Gordon. But if he stays healthy during the 2025-26 campaign, he should stay relevant for fantasy managers.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in Sunday's postseason loss to OKC. The Thunder defense made defending Jokic a priority in Game 7. As a result, OKC managed to earn a decisive 32-point victory to earn a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Without question, it was a chaotic year in Denver, with the team firing head coach Michael Malone in April and replacing him with David Adelman. Still, Jokic had the best campaign of his career, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.7 assists in 70 appearances. The Nuggets have some work to do to bolster the roster. However, no matter how the depth chart looks, Jokic should remain the top fantasy option heading into the 2025-26 season.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams had 24 points in Sunday's win over the Nuggets. He added seven assists, five rebounds, and one steal. The 24-year-old struggled to find the bottom of the net throughout most of the series. Fortunately, he got his act together when it mattered the most, going 10-for-17 from the field and 2-for-5 from behind the arc. With OKC eliminating the Nuggets in seven games, the Thunder will next turn their attention to the Timberwolves for the Western Conference Finals. In four meetings with Minnesota during the regular season, Williams averaged 19.8 points, 6.8 assists, 4.8 boards, and 2.0 steals.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in Sunday's win over Denver. The 2022 No. 2 overall pick had trouble getting some of his shots to fall in Game 7, going 4-for-9 from the field and 0-for-3 from deep. Still, he did enough to help lead OKC to a 32-point win. The Thunder will next meet the Timberwolves on Tuesday to begin the Western Conference Finals. In two games against Minnesota during the regular season, Holmgren averaged 15.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks while shooting 61.1% from the field and 66.7% from behind the arc.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 35 points in Sunday's win over the Denver Nuggets. He added four assists, three rebounds, three steals, and one block. SGA had some rough shooting performances during the series against Denver. However, that wasn't the case in Game 7, with Gilgeous-Alexander going 12-for-19 from the field while missing only one of his four attempts from behind the three-point line. OKC needed seven games to eliminate the Nuggets from the postseason. Still, the club got the job done and will next meet the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander played extremely well versus Minnesota during the regular season (four games), averaging 35.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 55.6% shooting from deep.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (knee) finished the season with a partially torn meniscus. The 28-year-old was burdened by a right knee injury at the end of the regular season and during the playoffs. However, the exact details of the ailment were never revealed, with the team only reporting Brown had received injections for pain. It was a chaotic end of the 2024-25 campaign for the Celtics, which concluded with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) suffering a torn Achilles in the Eastern Conference semi-final loss to the New York Knicks. But the C's may now have another one of their top stars in need of surgery, although that will be determined in an upcoming evaluation. Brown averaged 22.2 points during the season. Unfortunately, he didn't look his best at times during the playoffs. Hopefully, Brown won't miss any time to begin the year, considering his services will be needed more than ever, especially with Tatum facing a lengthy recovery. With that in mind, Tatum's absence could open the door for Brown to have the best year of his career from a production standpoint, assuming he can stay healthy.
Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook (hand) carries a probable tag on the injury report for Sunday's Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former MVP is dealing with a right-hand sprain, but it looks like the injury will not keep him off the floor on Sunday. Westbrook has averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 23.0 minutes against the Thunder in the series. Denver may consider giving him a more important role on Sunday if Aaron Gordon (hamstring) has to drop out of the lineup.
Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. The 24-year-old continues to nurse an ankle injury, which has limited him to just one appearance in the series. Overall, he has participated in four games this postseason, averaging 5.3 minutes on the floor. Therefore, even if Tyson is cleared to play on Sunday, it is doubtful that he will have a significant role in the contest.
Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) has been officially listed as questionable for Sunday's Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman labeled Gordon a game-time decision for the matchup after he was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain ahead of Sunday's winner-takes-all game. If the Nuggets cannot count on him on Sunday, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther may have larger roles in the rotation. The two youngsters have made little impact in the postseason, but Strawther will carry some momentum into the game, having notched 15 points in 20 minutes during Thursday's Game 6 win.
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (illness) is considered probable for Sunday's intriguing Game 7 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Murray played through an illness on Thursday, helping the team extend the series with a 119-107 win, and it appears he won't have any issues suiting up for Sunday's contest. Despite his illness, Murray filled up the box score on Thursday night with 25 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and one block. Although his shooting has been inconsistent, Murray has recorded 25 or more points in three of six games in the series and is certainly poised to have a large role again on Sunday.
New York Knicks forward Josh Hart finished with 10 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in Friday's win over the Celtics. He wasn't as productive on the scoring end in this one. However, the 30-year-old still had a quality showing, picking up his first triple-double of the postseason. It took the Knicks six games to eliminate the Celtics from the playoffs. But New York will get some much-needed time off before beginning the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Pacers on Wednesday night. Hart played well against Indiana during the regular season, averaging 22.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns finished Friday's win over Boston with a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double. Some had a feeling the Knicks would turn things around after dropping Game 5 on Wednesday. Yet, not many could have anticipated New York defeating Boston by nearly 40 points. KAT can take some of the credit for his squad's success, and while he struggled shooting the ball, going 1-for-6 from downtown, he did enough to help the Knicks punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals versus Indiana. Towns thrived against the Pacers during the regular season, averaging 30.3 points, 12.0 boards, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 46.7% from behind the arc.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson scored 23 points in Friday's pivotal win over the Boston Celtics. He added six assists and six rebounds. The Knicks were blown out in Game 5. However, things were different this time around, with New York building a decisive lead early to put the contest well out of reach. Brunson wasn't as productive on the scoring end during this series compared to last. Still, he shot better and took better care of the ball. With the Celtics now in the rear-view mirror, the Knicks will turn their attention to the Pacers to begin the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday. Brunson played well enough against Indiana during the regular season, averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 50.0% shooting from behind the arc.
New York's F Josh Hart recorded a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 119-81 win over the Celtics on Friday, May. 16.
New York Knicks forward/center Precious Achiuwa (ankle) is questionable for Friday's pivotal meeting with Boston. The 25-year-old is dealing with a sprained right ankle. However, he's averaged only 3.8 minutes during the series against the C's. With Mitchell Robinson absorbing nearly all of the minutes from off the bench, Achiuwa likely won't see much action regardless of his availability, so his status isn't really worth monitoring for DFS purposes.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White scored a game-high 34 points on 9-for-16 shooting in Wednesday's must-win clash against the New York Knicks, playing a key role in a 127-102 win. White was hot offensively right from the start and dropped seven three-point bombs on the Knicks with 13 attempts. As usual, he was also highly impactful on the defensive end, racking up three blocks. Additionally, White's line included three rebounds and two assists for the night. White stepped up big time on Wednesday night, offering Celtics fans hope that everything is not lost with Jayson Tatum's (Achilles) injury. With Boston still in survival mode for Friday's Game 6, we can expect another busy night from White.
New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart was the team's top scorer with 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting in Wednesday's heavy 127-102 defeat to the Boston Celtics. Hart's night began painfully when he sustained a cut near his eye in a collision with Celtics center Luke Kornet, leaving his face and uniform covered in blood. Despite this, he ultimately had his best offensive outing of the postseason. The veteran finished 5-for-9 from downtown and bagged seven rebounds with two assists in 36 minutes. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns both battled foul trouble and combined for only 41 points. Hart's offensive outburst came at a good time for the Knicks, but his efforts weren't enough on Wednesday. Going into Game 6 on Friday, he holds averages of 15.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for the series.
Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet turned into an unexpected hero in Wednesday night's Game 5 against the New York Knicks, producing a hugely impressive two-way performance off the bench in a 127-102 victory. Kornet finished the contest with 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, and a career-high seven blocks. It's the third-highest number of blocks a player has achieved coming off the bench in NBA Playoffs history. The seven-footer from Vanderbilt shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and ended up logging 26 minutes on the floor, as Boston played the entire second half without Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis, who finished scoreless in 12 minutes of action on Wednesday, is clearly not himself this postseason, and the Celtics may need to rely even more on Kornet going forward.
