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Deadspin | NBA roundup: Raptors top Nets to earn first postseason spot since 2022  Apr 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Garrett Temple (17) dribbles against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images   Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.  In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) secure the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They face the fourth-seeded Cavaliers in the first round, beginning on Saturday in Cleveland.  RJ Barrett scored 26 points, and Brandon Ingram added 25 points for Toronto. Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each scored 11 points, while A.J. Lawson chipped in with 10 points. Immanuel Quickley had four points and five assists for Toronto and did not return for the second half because of a tight hamstring.  Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets (20-62), who are in a lottery spot. Tyson Etienne scored 20 points, and E.J. Liddell had 17 points. Ben Saraf scored 15 points and also picked up six fouls.  76ers 126, Bucks 106  Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from Milwaukee in the second half to win what could be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ last game at the helm of the Bucks.  The club and Rivers are discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, according to sources, after he has coached for parts of three seasons with the team. Rivers, 64, will be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August. Quentin Grimes had four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Philadelphia, which won its second straight and is locked into the play-in tournament. The seventh-seeded 76ers will host the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Center Joel Embiid was out again while recovering from an appendectomy.  AJ Green made five 3-pointers for Milwaukee (32-50) to finish the season with 232 treys, breaking Ray Allen’s single-season franchise record of 229 in 2001-02. Green was 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3 in the first half for 19 points; he failed to score after halftime.  Celtics 113, Magic 108  Baylor Scheierman tossed in a career-high 30 points to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Orlando in the final regular-season game for each team.  The Celtics, who had already secured the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested eight players, including their top seven scorers. Boston’s first playoff opponent will be the team that earns the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament, either the Magic or the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston’s starting lineup was Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, Jordan Wash, Luka Garza and Scheierman.  The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak. The Magic had won three in a row on the road. They will be the eighth seed in the play-in tournament and visit the seventh-seeded 76ers on Wednesday. The winner faces the Celtics, and the loser will host the winner of the 9/10 matchup on Friday.  Heat 143, Hawks 117  Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Miami to a win over Atlanta in the regular-season finale for both teams.  Miami also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from a groin injury. The Heat next will play at the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the play-in round. The Heat, 5-10 over their past 15 games, are in the play-in round for the fourth straight year.  Atlanta, which had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2023, sat its entire starting lineup plus three reserves. Veteran Buddy Hield led the Hawks with a game-high 31 points, and Corey Kispert added 21 points.  Rockets 132, Grizzlies 101  Clint Capela produced a double-double in his third start of the season while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 39 points as host Houston closed the regular season with a victory over short-handed Memphis.  The Rockets concluded the schedule with nine victories in their last 10 games. With the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs already secured, Houston rested four starters in its finale: Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Capela paired a season-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting with 13 rebounds and three blocks. Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds while Sheppard posted 19 points.  Memphis had only seven players available. Dariq Whitehead scored a career-high 26 points; Rayan Rupert (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Jahmai Mashack (11 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles for the Grizzlies, who closed the season with 21 losses in 23 games.  Nuggets 128, Spurs 118  Denver’s Nikola Jokic scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18-plus minutes of court time — all in the first half — as the visiting Nuggets rolled to a win over San Antonio in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.  The Nuggets clinched the third seed in the Western Conference and will host sixth-seeded Minnesota for the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Denver ended the regular season with 12 straight wins and took three of the four games against the Spurs this year. Jokic played the necessary minutes to reach the league’s 65-game threshold for postseason award consideration.  Victor Wembanyama sat out the game for San Antonio, which already clinched the No. 2 spot in the West and had little to gain from Sunday’s game. The Spurs will host the winner of Tuesday’s 7/8 play-in tournament game between Phoenix and Portland in the opening two contests of a best-of-seven first-round playoffs series. The Spurs had a three-game winning streak snapped but finished the campaign with a 62-20 mark, their best since the 2015-16 season in which they won 67 games.  Cavaliers 130, Wizards 117  Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as playoff-bound Cleveland beat visiting Washington.  Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-best 15 points for Cleveland, which is the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will have home-court advantage over the fifth-place Toronto Raptors in their first-round series.  Rookie guard Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 24 points for the Wizards, who finished with the worst record in the league. Bub Carrington scored 20 points and dished out nine assists, and Sharife Cooper had 20 points and six assists off the bench. Cleveland had eight players reach double digits in points.  Pistons 133, Pacers 121  Eastern Conference leader Detroit closed out just the third 60-win regular season in franchise history, leading wire to wire in a defeat of Indiana in Indianapolis.  With the East’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs also secured, Detroit limited its entire starting five to fewer than 26 minutes in the regular-season finale. That was plenty of time for Paul Reed to make some Pistons history, as he became the organization’s first player ever to score 25-plus points on a perfect field-goal shooting performance. Reed scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-11 from the floor.   The Pacers finished the worst season by won-loss record in franchise history. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin led the Pacers with 21 points each, Kobe Brown added 20 and Ethan Thompson 18. Micah Potter finished with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.  Hornets 110, Knicks 96  Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Coby White each scored 19 points as visiting Charlotte earned the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a win over New York.  The Hornets will host the Miami Heat in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game on Tuesday. Kon Knueppel finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.  New York had nothing to play for after already clinching the East’s No. 3 seed. With most of their regulars sitting out, the Knicks started Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mikal Bridges, Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti. Bridges’ consecutive games played streak reached 638 — the eighth longest in NBA history — with his 23-second appearance. New York will face the Atlanta Hawks, the East’s No. 6 seed, in a first-round series beginning Saturday.  Mavericks 149, Bulls 128  Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in franchise history as Dallas beat visiting Chicago.  Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists. Only current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, with 25 assists in a two-overtime game in February 1996, has registered more for the Mavericks. Cooper Flagg scored 10 points, his stellar rookie campaign ending with 10:11 left in the second quarter after spraining his left ankle on a bad landing while leaping for an offensive rebound.  Rob Dillingham scored 25 for the Bulls. Collin Sexton contributed 19, Leonard Miller had 17 and Lachlan Olbrich added a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.  Timberwolves 132, Pelicans 126  Rookie big man Joan Beringer recorded career highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota held on for a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.  Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 26 points for the Timberwolves, who relied on young players and reserves in their final game of the regular season. Zyon Pullin scored 19 points off the bench, and Joe Ingles capitalized on a rare start to notch a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. The Timberwolves already were locked into the No. 6 playoff seed in the Western Conference and will face the third-seeded Nuggets, beginning Saturday in Denver.  Rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 36 points on 12-for-29 shooting to lead the Pelicans. Fellow rookie Derik Queen finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, and Micah Peavy scored 21 points.  Suns 135, Thunder 103  Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help Phoenix close the regular season with a road win over Oklahoma City as both teams, with their playoff positions secure going into the game, sat the majority of their starters and major rotational players.  The Suns’ Ryan Dunn scored a season-high 20 points, shooting 8 for 11 from the field with a career-high tying 11 rebounds and a career-high five assists. Koby Brea added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix. Brea had scored just 25 points total in his first 11 NBA games. Rookie center Khaman Maluach had a career-high 18 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds off the bench as well.  Branden Carlson tied his career high with 26 points to lead the Thunder. He also had 10 rebounds. Payton Sandfort added 23 points off the bench. Oklahoma City is the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs. Phoenix is the No. 7 seed and will open the play-in tournament at home Tuesday against eighth-seeded Portland.  Lakers 131, Jazz 107  Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each posted 22-point, 10-rebound double-doubles to help Los Angeles down visiting Utah in their regular-season finale.  LeBron James completed his 23rd regular season, finishing with 18 points in 17 minutes for the Lakers, who will be the No. 4 seed in next week’s Western Conference playoffs and face the Houston Rockets in the first round. Dalton Knecht scored 17 points, Nick Smith Jr. added 12 and Bronny James chipped in 11 for Los Angeles, which finished with its most victories in a season since the 2010-11 campaign (57).  Oscar Tshiebwe led the Jazz with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh added 15 points apiece. Cody Williams and Bez Mbeng both scored 14 points and Blake Hinson had 10 for Utah, which recorded its second 60-loss season in franchise history and second in as many years.  Clippers 115, Warriors 110  Los Angeles sent a message to it play-in opponent, riding Bennedict Mathurin’s 20 points and a stingy defense to a home win over Golden State in what turned out to be an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale.  The Clippers lost a tiebreaker with eighth-place Portland and were relegated to ninth for play-in purposes, where they’ll get a home game Wednesday against the 10th-place Warriors. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.  John Collins backed Mathurin with 18 points, and Mathurin and Collins each collected a game-high nine rebounds, while Mathurin also found time for a game-high eight assists. In just his third game after missing 27 straight with a sore right knee, Stephen Curry paced Golden State with a game-high 24 points.   Trail Blazers 122, Kings 110  Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Portland secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a win over visiting Sacramento in the regular-season finale for both teams.  Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. The Trail Blazers will visit the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the play-in round. The winner goes directly to the Western Conference playoffs against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs while the loser will have a second opportunity on Friday.  Precious Achiuwa registered 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nique Clifford added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento (22-60), which finished with the second-most losses in franchise history. The Kings went 17-65 in 2008-09.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Raptors #top #Nets #earn #postseason #spot

Deadspin | NBA roundup: Raptors top Nets to earn first postseason spot since 2022
Deadspin | NBA roundup: Raptors top Nets to earn first postseason spot since 2022  Apr 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Garrett Temple (17) dribbles against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images   Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.  In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) secure the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They face the fourth-seeded Cavaliers in the first round, beginning on Saturday in Cleveland.  RJ Barrett scored 26 points, and Brandon Ingram added 25 points for Toronto. Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each scored 11 points, while A.J. Lawson chipped in with 10 points. Immanuel Quickley had four points and five assists for Toronto and did not return for the second half because of a tight hamstring.  Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets (20-62), who are in a lottery spot. Tyson Etienne scored 20 points, and E.J. Liddell had 17 points. Ben Saraf scored 15 points and also picked up six fouls.  76ers 126, Bucks 106  Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from Milwaukee in the second half to win what could be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ last game at the helm of the Bucks.  The club and Rivers are discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, according to sources, after he has coached for parts of three seasons with the team. Rivers, 64, will be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August. Quentin Grimes had four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Philadelphia, which won its second straight and is locked into the play-in tournament. The seventh-seeded 76ers will host the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Center Joel Embiid was out again while recovering from an appendectomy.  AJ Green made five 3-pointers for Milwaukee (32-50) to finish the season with 232 treys, breaking Ray Allen’s single-season franchise record of 229 in 2001-02. Green was 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3 in the first half for 19 points; he failed to score after halftime.  Celtics 113, Magic 108  Baylor Scheierman tossed in a career-high 30 points to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Orlando in the final regular-season game for each team.  The Celtics, who had already secured the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested eight players, including their top seven scorers. Boston’s first playoff opponent will be the team that earns the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament, either the Magic or the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston’s starting lineup was Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, Jordan Wash, Luka Garza and Scheierman.  The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak. The Magic had won three in a row on the road. They will be the eighth seed in the play-in tournament and visit the seventh-seeded 76ers on Wednesday. The winner faces the Celtics, and the loser will host the winner of the 9/10 matchup on Friday.  Heat 143, Hawks 117  Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Miami to a win over Atlanta in the regular-season finale for both teams.  Miami also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from a groin injury. The Heat next will play at the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the play-in round. The Heat, 5-10 over their past 15 games, are in the play-in round for the fourth straight year.  Atlanta, which had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2023, sat its entire starting lineup plus three reserves. Veteran Buddy Hield led the Hawks with a game-high 31 points, and Corey Kispert added 21 points.  Rockets 132, Grizzlies 101  Clint Capela produced a double-double in his third start of the season while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 39 points as host Houston closed the regular season with a victory over short-handed Memphis.  The Rockets concluded the schedule with nine victories in their last 10 games. With the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs already secured, Houston rested four starters in its finale: Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Capela paired a season-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting with 13 rebounds and three blocks. Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds while Sheppard posted 19 points.  Memphis had only seven players available. Dariq Whitehead scored a career-high 26 points; Rayan Rupert (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Jahmai Mashack (11 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles for the Grizzlies, who closed the season with 21 losses in 23 games.  Nuggets 128, Spurs 118  Denver’s Nikola Jokic scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18-plus minutes of court time — all in the first half — as the visiting Nuggets rolled to a win over San Antonio in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.  The Nuggets clinched the third seed in the Western Conference and will host sixth-seeded Minnesota for the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Denver ended the regular season with 12 straight wins and took three of the four games against the Spurs this year. Jokic played the necessary minutes to reach the league’s 65-game threshold for postseason award consideration.  Victor Wembanyama sat out the game for San Antonio, which already clinched the No. 2 spot in the West and had little to gain from Sunday’s game. The Spurs will host the winner of Tuesday’s 7/8 play-in tournament game between Phoenix and Portland in the opening two contests of a best-of-seven first-round playoffs series. The Spurs had a three-game winning streak snapped but finished the campaign with a 62-20 mark, their best since the 2015-16 season in which they won 67 games.  Cavaliers 130, Wizards 117  Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as playoff-bound Cleveland beat visiting Washington.  Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-best 15 points for Cleveland, which is the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will have home-court advantage over the fifth-place Toronto Raptors in their first-round series.  Rookie guard Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 24 points for the Wizards, who finished with the worst record in the league. Bub Carrington scored 20 points and dished out nine assists, and Sharife Cooper had 20 points and six assists off the bench. Cleveland had eight players reach double digits in points.  Pistons 133, Pacers 121  Eastern Conference leader Detroit closed out just the third 60-win regular season in franchise history, leading wire to wire in a defeat of Indiana in Indianapolis.  With the East’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs also secured, Detroit limited its entire starting five to fewer than 26 minutes in the regular-season finale. That was plenty of time for Paul Reed to make some Pistons history, as he became the organization’s first player ever to score 25-plus points on a perfect field-goal shooting performance. Reed scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-11 from the floor.   The Pacers finished the worst season by won-loss record in franchise history. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin led the Pacers with 21 points each, Kobe Brown added 20 and Ethan Thompson 18. Micah Potter finished with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.  Hornets 110, Knicks 96  Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Coby White each scored 19 points as visiting Charlotte earned the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a win over New York.  The Hornets will host the Miami Heat in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game on Tuesday. Kon Knueppel finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.  New York had nothing to play for after already clinching the East’s No. 3 seed. With most of their regulars sitting out, the Knicks started Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mikal Bridges, Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti. Bridges’ consecutive games played streak reached 638 — the eighth longest in NBA history — with his 23-second appearance. New York will face the Atlanta Hawks, the East’s No. 6 seed, in a first-round series beginning Saturday.  Mavericks 149, Bulls 128  Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in franchise history as Dallas beat visiting Chicago.  Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists. Only current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, with 25 assists in a two-overtime game in February 1996, has registered more for the Mavericks. Cooper Flagg scored 10 points, his stellar rookie campaign ending with 10:11 left in the second quarter after spraining his left ankle on a bad landing while leaping for an offensive rebound.  Rob Dillingham scored 25 for the Bulls. Collin Sexton contributed 19, Leonard Miller had 17 and Lachlan Olbrich added a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.  Timberwolves 132, Pelicans 126  Rookie big man Joan Beringer recorded career highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota held on for a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.  Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 26 points for the Timberwolves, who relied on young players and reserves in their final game of the regular season. Zyon Pullin scored 19 points off the bench, and Joe Ingles capitalized on a rare start to notch a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. The Timberwolves already were locked into the No. 6 playoff seed in the Western Conference and will face the third-seeded Nuggets, beginning Saturday in Denver.  Rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 36 points on 12-for-29 shooting to lead the Pelicans. Fellow rookie Derik Queen finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, and Micah Peavy scored 21 points.  Suns 135, Thunder 103  Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help Phoenix close the regular season with a road win over Oklahoma City as both teams, with their playoff positions secure going into the game, sat the majority of their starters and major rotational players.  The Suns’ Ryan Dunn scored a season-high 20 points, shooting 8 for 11 from the field with a career-high tying 11 rebounds and a career-high five assists. Koby Brea added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix. Brea had scored just 25 points total in his first 11 NBA games. Rookie center Khaman Maluach had a career-high 18 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds off the bench as well.  Branden Carlson tied his career high with 26 points to lead the Thunder. He also had 10 rebounds. Payton Sandfort added 23 points off the bench. Oklahoma City is the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs. Phoenix is the No. 7 seed and will open the play-in tournament at home Tuesday against eighth-seeded Portland.  Lakers 131, Jazz 107  Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each posted 22-point, 10-rebound double-doubles to help Los Angeles down visiting Utah in their regular-season finale.  LeBron James completed his 23rd regular season, finishing with 18 points in 17 minutes for the Lakers, who will be the No. 4 seed in next week’s Western Conference playoffs and face the Houston Rockets in the first round. Dalton Knecht scored 17 points, Nick Smith Jr. added 12 and Bronny James chipped in 11 for Los Angeles, which finished with its most victories in a season since the 2010-11 campaign (57).  Oscar Tshiebwe led the Jazz with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh added 15 points apiece. Cody Williams and Bez Mbeng both scored 14 points and Blake Hinson had 10 for Utah, which recorded its second 60-loss season in franchise history and second in as many years.  Clippers 115, Warriors 110  Los Angeles sent a message to it play-in opponent, riding Bennedict Mathurin’s 20 points and a stingy defense to a home win over Golden State in what turned out to be an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale.  The Clippers lost a tiebreaker with eighth-place Portland and were relegated to ninth for play-in purposes, where they’ll get a home game Wednesday against the 10th-place Warriors. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.  John Collins backed Mathurin with 18 points, and Mathurin and Collins each collected a game-high nine rebounds, while Mathurin also found time for a game-high eight assists. In just his third game after missing 27 straight with a sore right knee, Stephen Curry paced Golden State with a game-high 24 points.   Trail Blazers 122, Kings 110  Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Portland secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a win over visiting Sacramento in the regular-season finale for both teams.  Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. The Trail Blazers will visit the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the play-in round. The winner goes directly to the Western Conference playoffs against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs while the loser will have a second opportunity on Friday.  Precious Achiuwa registered 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nique Clifford added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento (22-60), which finished with the second-most losses in franchise history. The Kings went 17-65 in 2008-09.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Raptors #top #Nets #earn #postseason #spotApr 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Garrett Temple (17) dribbles against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.

In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) secure the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They face the fourth-seeded Cavaliers in the first round, beginning on Saturday in Cleveland.

RJ Barrett scored 26 points, and Brandon Ingram added 25 points for Toronto. Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each scored 11 points, while A.J. Lawson chipped in with 10 points. Immanuel Quickley had four points and five assists for Toronto and did not return for the second half because of a tight hamstring.

Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets (20-62), who are in a lottery spot. Tyson Etienne scored 20 points, and E.J. Liddell had 17 points. Ben Saraf scored 15 points and also picked up six fouls.

76ers 126, Bucks 106

Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from Milwaukee in the second half to win what could be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ last game at the helm of the Bucks.

The club and Rivers are discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, according to sources, after he has coached for parts of three seasons with the team. Rivers, 64, will be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August. Quentin Grimes had four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Philadelphia, which won its second straight and is locked into the play-in tournament. The seventh-seeded 76ers will host the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Center Joel Embiid was out again while recovering from an appendectomy.

AJ Green made five 3-pointers for Milwaukee (32-50) to finish the season with 232 treys, breaking Ray Allen’s single-season franchise record of 229 in 2001-02. Green was 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3 in the first half for 19 points; he failed to score after halftime.

Celtics 113, Magic 108

Baylor Scheierman tossed in a career-high 30 points to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Orlando in the final regular-season game for each team.

The Celtics, who had already secured the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested eight players, including their top seven scorers. Boston’s first playoff opponent will be the team that earns the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament, either the Magic or the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston’s starting lineup was Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, Jordan Wash, Luka Garza and Scheierman.

The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak. The Magic had won three in a row on the road. They will be the eighth seed in the play-in tournament and visit the seventh-seeded 76ers on Wednesday. The winner faces the Celtics, and the loser will host the winner of the 9/10 matchup on Friday.

Heat 143, Hawks 117

Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Miami to a win over Atlanta in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Miami also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from a groin injury. The Heat next will play at the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the play-in round. The Heat, 5-10 over their past 15 games, are in the play-in round for the fourth straight year.

Atlanta, which had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2023, sat its entire starting lineup plus three reserves. Veteran Buddy Hield led the Hawks with a game-high 31 points, and Corey Kispert added 21 points.

Rockets 132, Grizzlies 101

Clint Capela produced a double-double in his third start of the season while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 39 points as host Houston closed the regular season with a victory over short-handed Memphis.

The Rockets concluded the schedule with nine victories in their last 10 games. With the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs already secured, Houston rested four starters in its finale: Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Capela paired a season-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting with 13 rebounds and three blocks. Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds while Sheppard posted 19 points.

Memphis had only seven players available. Dariq Whitehead scored a career-high 26 points; Rayan Rupert (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Jahmai Mashack (11 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles for the Grizzlies, who closed the season with 21 losses in 23 games.

Nuggets 128, Spurs 118

Denver’s Nikola Jokic scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18-plus minutes of court time — all in the first half — as the visiting Nuggets rolled to a win over San Antonio in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.

The Nuggets clinched the third seed in the Western Conference and will host sixth-seeded Minnesota for the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Denver ended the regular season with 12 straight wins and took three of the four games against the Spurs this year. Jokic played the necessary minutes to reach the league’s 65-game threshold for postseason award consideration.

Victor Wembanyama sat out the game for San Antonio, which already clinched the No. 2 spot in the West and had little to gain from Sunday’s game. The Spurs will host the winner of Tuesday’s 7/8 play-in tournament game between Phoenix and Portland in the opening two contests of a best-of-seven first-round playoffs series. The Spurs had a three-game winning streak snapped but finished the campaign with a 62-20 mark, their best since the 2015-16 season in which they won 67 games.

Cavaliers 130, Wizards 117

Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as playoff-bound Cleveland beat visiting Washington.

Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-best 15 points for Cleveland, which is the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will have home-court advantage over the fifth-place Toronto Raptors in their first-round series.

Rookie guard Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 24 points for the Wizards, who finished with the worst record in the league. Bub Carrington scored 20 points and dished out nine assists, and Sharife Cooper had 20 points and six assists off the bench. Cleveland had eight players reach double digits in points.

Pistons 133, Pacers 121

Eastern Conference leader Detroit closed out just the third 60-win regular season in franchise history, leading wire to wire in a defeat of Indiana in Indianapolis.


With the East’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs also secured, Detroit limited its entire starting five to fewer than 26 minutes in the regular-season finale. That was plenty of time for Paul Reed to make some Pistons history, as he became the organization’s first player ever to score 25-plus points on a perfect field-goal shooting performance. Reed scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-11 from the floor.

The Pacers finished the worst season by won-loss record in franchise history. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin led the Pacers with 21 points each, Kobe Brown added 20 and Ethan Thompson 18. Micah Potter finished with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Hornets 110, Knicks 96

Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Coby White each scored 19 points as visiting Charlotte earned the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a win over New York.

The Hornets will host the Miami Heat in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game on Tuesday. Kon Knueppel finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.

New York had nothing to play for after already clinching the East’s No. 3 seed. With most of their regulars sitting out, the Knicks started Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mikal Bridges, Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti. Bridges’ consecutive games played streak reached 638 — the eighth longest in NBA history — with his 23-second appearance. New York will face the Atlanta Hawks, the East’s No. 6 seed, in a first-round series beginning Saturday.

Mavericks 149, Bulls 128

Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in franchise history as Dallas beat visiting Chicago.

Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists. Only current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, with 25 assists in a two-overtime game in February 1996, has registered more for the Mavericks. Cooper Flagg scored 10 points, his stellar rookie campaign ending with 10:11 left in the second quarter after spraining his left ankle on a bad landing while leaping for an offensive rebound.

Rob Dillingham scored 25 for the Bulls. Collin Sexton contributed 19, Leonard Miller had 17 and Lachlan Olbrich added a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

Timberwolves 132, Pelicans 126

Rookie big man Joan Beringer recorded career highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota held on for a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 26 points for the Timberwolves, who relied on young players and reserves in their final game of the regular season. Zyon Pullin scored 19 points off the bench, and Joe Ingles capitalized on a rare start to notch a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. The Timberwolves already were locked into the No. 6 playoff seed in the Western Conference and will face the third-seeded Nuggets, beginning Saturday in Denver.

Rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 36 points on 12-for-29 shooting to lead the Pelicans. Fellow rookie Derik Queen finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, and Micah Peavy scored 21 points.

Suns 135, Thunder 103

Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help Phoenix close the regular season with a road win over Oklahoma City as both teams, with their playoff positions secure going into the game, sat the majority of their starters and major rotational players.

The Suns’ Ryan Dunn scored a season-high 20 points, shooting 8 for 11 from the field with a career-high tying 11 rebounds and a career-high five assists. Koby Brea added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix. Brea had scored just 25 points total in his first 11 NBA games. Rookie center Khaman Maluach had a career-high 18 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds off the bench as well.

Branden Carlson tied his career high with 26 points to lead the Thunder. He also had 10 rebounds. Payton Sandfort added 23 points off the bench. Oklahoma City is the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs. Phoenix is the No. 7 seed and will open the play-in tournament at home Tuesday against eighth-seeded Portland.

Lakers 131, Jazz 107

Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each posted 22-point, 10-rebound double-doubles to help Los Angeles down visiting Utah in their regular-season finale.

LeBron James completed his 23rd regular season, finishing with 18 points in 17 minutes for the Lakers, who will be the No. 4 seed in next week’s Western Conference playoffs and face the Houston Rockets in the first round. Dalton Knecht scored 17 points, Nick Smith Jr. added 12 and Bronny James chipped in 11 for Los Angeles, which finished with its most victories in a season since the 2010-11 campaign (57).

Oscar Tshiebwe led the Jazz with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh added 15 points apiece. Cody Williams and Bez Mbeng both scored 14 points and Blake Hinson had 10 for Utah, which recorded its second 60-loss season in franchise history and second in as many years.

Clippers 115, Warriors 110

Los Angeles sent a message to it play-in opponent, riding Bennedict Mathurin’s 20 points and a stingy defense to a home win over Golden State in what turned out to be an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale.

The Clippers lost a tiebreaker with eighth-place Portland and were relegated to ninth for play-in purposes, where they’ll get a home game Wednesday against the 10th-place Warriors. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.

John Collins backed Mathurin with 18 points, and Mathurin and Collins each collected a game-high nine rebounds, while Mathurin also found time for a game-high eight assists. In just his third game after missing 27 straight with a sore right knee, Stephen Curry paced Golden State with a game-high 24 points.

Trail Blazers 122, Kings 110

Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Portland secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a win over visiting Sacramento in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. The Trail Blazers will visit the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the play-in round. The winner goes directly to the Western Conference playoffs against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs while the loser will have a second opportunity on Friday.

Precious Achiuwa registered 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nique Clifford added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento (22-60), which finished with the second-most losses in franchise history. The Kings went 17-65 in 2008-09.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #NBA #roundup #Raptors #top #Nets #earn #postseason #spot

Apr 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Garrett Temple (17) dribbles against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

Scottie Barnes had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists Sunday, and the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 136-101 to clinch their first playoff spot since 2022.

In recording his third triple-double of the season and the ninth of his career, Barnes helped the Raptors (46-36) secure the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They face the fourth-seeded Cavaliers in the first round, beginning on Saturday in Cleveland.

RJ Barrett scored 26 points, and Brandon Ingram added 25 points for Toronto. Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl each scored 11 points, while A.J. Lawson chipped in with 10 points. Immanuel Quickley had four points and five assists for Toronto and did not return for the second half because of a tight hamstring.

Chaney Johnson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets (20-62), who are in a lottery spot. Tyson Etienne scored 20 points, and E.J. Liddell had 17 points. Ben Saraf scored 15 points and also picked up six fouls.

76ers 126, Bucks 106

Tyrese Maxey scored 16 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as the host Philadelphia 76ers pulled away from Milwaukee in the second half to win what could be Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers’ last game at the helm of the Bucks.

The club and Rivers are discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, according to sources, after he has coached for parts of three seasons with the team. Rivers, 64, will be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August. Quentin Grimes had four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for Philadelphia, which won its second straight and is locked into the play-in tournament. The seventh-seeded 76ers will host the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Center Joel Embiid was out again while recovering from an appendectomy.

AJ Green made five 3-pointers for Milwaukee (32-50) to finish the season with 232 treys, breaking Ray Allen’s single-season franchise record of 229 in 2001-02. Green was 7 of 10 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3 in the first half for 19 points; he failed to score after halftime.

Celtics 113, Magic 108

Baylor Scheierman tossed in a career-high 30 points to lead Boston to a victory over visiting Orlando in the final regular-season game for each team.

The Celtics, who had already secured the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs, rested eight players, including their top seven scorers. Boston’s first playoff opponent will be the team that earns the No. 7 seed in the play-in tournament, either the Magic or the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston’s starting lineup was Ron Harper Jr., Max Shulga, Jordan Wash, Luka Garza and Scheierman.

The loss ended Orlando’s five-game winning streak. The Magic had won three in a row on the road. They will be the eighth seed in the play-in tournament and visit the seventh-seeded 76ers on Wednesday. The winner faces the Celtics, and the loser will host the winner of the 9/10 matchup on Friday.

Heat 143, Hawks 117

Bam Adebayo produced 25 points and 10 rebounds, leading host Miami to a win over Atlanta in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Miami also got 26 points and five assists from Jaime Jaquez Jr. and 25 points from Norman Powell, who returned from a groin injury. The Heat next will play at the Charlotte Hornets in the first game of the play-in round. The Heat, 5-10 over their past 15 games, are in the play-in round for the fourth straight year.

Atlanta, which had already clinched its first playoff berth since 2023, sat its entire starting lineup plus three reserves. Veteran Buddy Hield led the Hawks with a game-high 31 points, and Corey Kispert added 21 points.

Rockets 132, Grizzlies 101

Clint Capela produced a double-double in his third start of the season while Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard combined for 39 points as host Houston closed the regular season with a victory over short-handed Memphis.

The Rockets concluded the schedule with nine victories in their last 10 games. With the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs already secured, Houston rested four starters in its finale: Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. Capela paired a season-high 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting with 13 rebounds and three blocks. Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds while Sheppard posted 19 points.

Memphis had only seven players available. Dariq Whitehead scored a career-high 26 points; Rayan Rupert (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Jahmai Mashack (11 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles for the Grizzlies, who closed the season with 21 losses in 23 games.

Nuggets 128, Spurs 118

Denver’s Nikola Jokic scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18-plus minutes of court time — all in the first half — as the visiting Nuggets rolled to a win over San Antonio in the regular-season finale for both playoff-bound teams.

The Nuggets clinched the third seed in the Western Conference and will host sixth-seeded Minnesota for the first two games of their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Denver ended the regular season with 12 straight wins and took three of the four games against the Spurs this year. Jokic played the necessary minutes to reach the league’s 65-game threshold for postseason award consideration.

Victor Wembanyama sat out the game for San Antonio, which already clinched the No. 2 spot in the West and had little to gain from Sunday’s game. The Spurs will host the winner of Tuesday’s 7/8 play-in tournament game between Phoenix and Portland in the opening two contests of a best-of-seven first-round playoffs series. The Spurs had a three-game winning streak snapped but finished the campaign with a 62-20 mark, their best since the 2015-16 season in which they won 67 games.

Cavaliers 130, Wizards 117

Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as playoff-bound Cleveland beat visiting Washington.

Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-best 15 points for Cleveland, which is the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland will have home-court advantage over the fifth-place Toronto Raptors in their first-round series.

Rookie guard Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 24 points for the Wizards, who finished with the worst record in the league. Bub Carrington scored 20 points and dished out nine assists, and Sharife Cooper had 20 points and six assists off the bench. Cleveland had eight players reach double digits in points.

Pistons 133, Pacers 121

Eastern Conference leader Detroit closed out just the third 60-win regular season in franchise history, leading wire to wire in a defeat of Indiana in Indianapolis.

With the East’s No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs also secured, Detroit limited its entire starting five to fewer than 26 minutes in the regular-season finale. That was plenty of time for Paul Reed to make some Pistons history, as he became the organization’s first player ever to score 25-plus points on a perfect field-goal shooting performance. Reed scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-11 from the floor.

The Pacers finished the worst season by won-loss record in franchise history. Quenton Jackson and Obi Toppin led the Pacers with 21 points each, Kobe Brown added 20 and Ethan Thompson 18. Micah Potter finished with a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Hornets 110, Knicks 96

Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball and Coby White each scored 19 points as visiting Charlotte earned the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with a win over New York.

The Hornets will host the Miami Heat in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game on Tuesday. Kon Knueppel finished with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.

New York had nothing to play for after already clinching the East’s No. 3 seed. With most of their regulars sitting out, the Knicks started Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, Mikal Bridges, Mohamed Diawara and Ariel Hukporti. Bridges’ consecutive games played streak reached 638 — the eighth longest in NBA history — with his 23-second appearance. New York will face the Atlanta Hawks, the East’s No. 6 seed, in a first-round series beginning Saturday.

Mavericks 149, Bulls 128

Ryan Nembhard notched the second-most assists in a game in franchise history as Dallas beat visiting Chicago.

Nembhard fell narrowly short of a triple-double in the season-ending clash, chalking up 15 points, nine rebounds and 23 assists. Only current Dallas coach Jason Kidd, with 25 assists in a two-overtime game in February 1996, has registered more for the Mavericks. Cooper Flagg scored 10 points, his stellar rookie campaign ending with 10:11 left in the second quarter after spraining his left ankle on a bad landing while leaping for an offensive rebound.

Rob Dillingham scored 25 for the Bulls. Collin Sexton contributed 19, Leonard Miller had 17 and Lachlan Olbrich added a triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.

Timberwolves 132, Pelicans 126

Rookie big man Joan Beringer recorded career highs with 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Minnesota held on for a victory over New Orleans in Minneapolis.

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 26 points for the Timberwolves, who relied on young players and reserves in their final game of the regular season. Zyon Pullin scored 19 points off the bench, and Joe Ingles capitalized on a rare start to notch a double-double with 15 points and 10 assists. The Timberwolves already were locked into the No. 6 playoff seed in the Western Conference and will face the third-seeded Nuggets, beginning Saturday in Denver.

Rookie Jeremiah Fears scored 36 points on 12-for-29 shooting to lead the Pelicans. Fellow rookie Derik Queen finished with 30 points and 22 rebounds, and Micah Peavy scored 21 points.

Suns 135, Thunder 103

Jamaree Bouyea scored a career-high 27 points to help Phoenix close the regular season with a road win over Oklahoma City as both teams, with their playoff positions secure going into the game, sat the majority of their starters and major rotational players.

The Suns’ Ryan Dunn scored a season-high 20 points, shooting 8 for 11 from the field with a career-high tying 11 rebounds and a career-high five assists. Koby Brea added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix. Brea had scored just 25 points total in his first 11 NBA games. Rookie center Khaman Maluach had a career-high 18 points and tied his career high with 14 rebounds off the bench as well.

Branden Carlson tied his career high with 26 points to lead the Thunder. He also had 10 rebounds. Payton Sandfort added 23 points off the bench. Oklahoma City is the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs. Phoenix is the No. 7 seed and will open the play-in tournament at home Tuesday against eighth-seeded Portland.

Lakers 131, Jazz 107

Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton each posted 22-point, 10-rebound double-doubles to help Los Angeles down visiting Utah in their regular-season finale.

LeBron James completed his 23rd regular season, finishing with 18 points in 17 minutes for the Lakers, who will be the No. 4 seed in next week’s Western Conference playoffs and face the Houston Rockets in the first round. Dalton Knecht scored 17 points, Nick Smith Jr. added 12 and Bronny James chipped in 11 for Los Angeles, which finished with its most victories in a season since the 2010-11 campaign (57).

Oscar Tshiebwe led the Jazz with 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Ace Bailey and Brice Sensabaugh added 15 points apiece. Cody Williams and Bez Mbeng both scored 14 points and Blake Hinson had 10 for Utah, which recorded its second 60-loss season in franchise history and second in as many years.

Clippers 115, Warriors 110

Los Angeles sent a message to it play-in opponent, riding Bennedict Mathurin’s 20 points and a stingy defense to a home win over Golden State in what turned out to be an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale.

The Clippers lost a tiebreaker with eighth-place Portland and were relegated to ninth for play-in purposes, where they’ll get a home game Wednesday against the 10th-place Warriors. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.

John Collins backed Mathurin with 18 points, and Mathurin and Collins each collected a game-high nine rebounds, while Mathurin also found time for a game-high eight assists. In just his third game after missing 27 straight with a sore right knee, Stephen Curry paced Golden State with a game-high 24 points.

Trail Blazers 122, Kings 110

Deni Avdija recorded 25 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Portland secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a win over visiting Sacramento in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Jrue Holiday added 23 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which will play beyond the regular season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. The Trail Blazers will visit the No. 7 Phoenix Suns on Tuesday in the play-in round. The winner goes directly to the Western Conference playoffs against the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs while the loser will have a second opportunity on Friday.

Precious Achiuwa registered 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nique Clifford added 24 points and seven rebounds for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud had 21 points and nine rebounds for Sacramento (22-60), which finished with the second-most losses in franchise history. The Kings went 17-65 in 2008-09.

–Field Level Media

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Sports Minister pushing for F1 return to India in 2027 <div id="content-body-70856802" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday said he is pushing for a Formula 1 race in India in 2027. In an informal interaction with the media in New Delhi, Mandaviya said at least three companies have shown interest in running the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.</p><p>“There will be an F1 race in India in 2027. First race will be at Buddh International Circuit,” Mandaviya said.</p><p>The Indian Grand Prix was dropped after its third edition in 2013 due to tax and bureaucratic hurdles.</p><p>Formula 1, owned by Liberty Media, has not yet commented on its return to India.</p><p>Adani, which is set to acquire debt-ridden Jaypee Group’s assets, including the Formula 1 track in Greater Noida, has expressed its desire to revive the high-profile race in India.</p><p>The sport has gained popularity since Liberty Media took over in 2017. It already has a record 24-race calendar, though two of the rounds, scheduled in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain this month, were cancelled due to the West Asia conflict.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 13, 2026</p></div> #Sports #Minister #pushing #return #India

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The Surprisingly Controversial Origins of the Easter Bunny

Bihar pacer Sakib Hussain is set to make his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.

Sakib was bought by SRH for Rs. 30 lakh at the IPL auction. He was first signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction ahead of the IPL 2024 season, but did not get the opportunity to play that season.

The 21-year-old right arm pacer made his T20 debut for Bihar in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. At the age of just 17, Sakib registered figures of four for 20 runs in just his second game.

FOLLOW THE IPL 2026 LIVE: SRH vs RR IPL 2026, Live Score: Jaiswal-Suryavanshi and Head-Abhishek in focus as Rajasthan Royals visits Sunrisers Hyderabad; team news, toss at 7:00PM IST

Sakib picked his maiden five-for in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy- 6/41 against Arunachal Pradesh.

After spending a year on the sidelines with KKR in the 2024 season, Sakib gets his chance tonight for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#Sakib #Hussain #Bihar #pacer #set #debut #Rajasthan #Royals">Who is Sakib Hussain, Bihar pacer who is set to make his debut against Rajasthan Royals?  Bihar pacer Sakib Hussain is set to make his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.Sakib was bought by SRH for Rs. 30 lakh at the IPL auction. He was first signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction ahead of the IPL 2024 season, but did not get the opportunity to play that season.The 21-year-old right arm pacer made his T20 debut for Bihar in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. At the age of just 17, Sakib registered figures of four for 20 runs in just his second game.FOLLOW THE IPL 2026 LIVE: SRH vs RR IPL 2026, Live Score: Jaiswal-Suryavanshi and Head-Abhishek in focus as Rajasthan Royals visits Sunrisers Hyderabad; team news, toss at 7:00PM ISTSakib picked his maiden five-for in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy- 6/41 against Arunachal Pradesh.After spending a year on the sidelines with KKR in the 2024 season, Sakib gets his chance tonight for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals.Published on Apr 13, 2026  #Sakib #Hussain #Bihar #pacer #set #debut #Rajasthan #Royals

SRH vs RR IPL 2026, Live Score: Jaiswal-Suryavanshi and Head-Abhishek in focus as Rajasthan Royals visits Sunrisers Hyderabad; team news, toss at 7:00PM IST

Sakib picked his maiden five-for in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy- 6/41 against Arunachal Pradesh.

After spending a year on the sidelines with KKR in the 2024 season, Sakib gets his chance tonight for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#Sakib #Hussain #Bihar #pacer #set #debut #Rajasthan #Royals">Who is Sakib Hussain, Bihar pacer who is set to make his debut against Rajasthan Royals?

Bihar pacer Sakib Hussain is set to make his debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.

Sakib was bought by SRH for Rs. 30 lakh at the IPL auction. He was first signed by Kolkata Knight Riders in the auction ahead of the IPL 2024 season, but did not get the opportunity to play that season.

The 21-year-old right arm pacer made his T20 debut for Bihar in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. At the age of just 17, Sakib registered figures of four for 20 runs in just his second game.

FOLLOW THE IPL 2026 LIVE: SRH vs RR IPL 2026, Live Score: Jaiswal-Suryavanshi and Head-Abhishek in focus as Rajasthan Royals visits Sunrisers Hyderabad; team news, toss at 7:00PM IST

Sakib picked his maiden five-for in the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy- 6/41 against Arunachal Pradesh.

After spending a year on the sidelines with KKR in the 2024 season, Sakib gets his chance tonight for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals.

Published on Apr 13, 2026

#Sakib #Hussain #Bihar #pacer #set #debut #Rajasthan #Royals
Deadspin | Sabres seeking two more wins, starting with Blackhawks Monday  Apr 9, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA;  Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his second goal of the game with teammates during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images   With two games remaining in the regular season, the playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres can finish anywhere from first to third in a stacked Atlantic Division.  Fortunately for the Sabres, they control the equation entering Monday’s visit to the slumping Chicago Blackhawks.  With three points this week, Buffalo (49-23-8, 106 points) wins the division. With two, it’s home-ice advantage in the first round.  “We’ve talked about where we wanted to be, and this is where we wanna be,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know how hard it’s been, and we know how hard it’s gonna continue to be. So, it’s not taking anything for granted. We’d love to win these last two games. We focus in on Chicago and go from there.”  Buffalo will be well-rested when it meets a Blackhawks team that has lost three straight and eight of nine.  The Sabres have been idle since Thursday’s 5-0 home rout of Columbus. Josh Doan scored twice in the third period, giving him a team-leading five multi-goal games this season.  Channeling a resilience that has helped the franchise stop an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, the Sabres also relied on a 37-save shutout from rookie goaltender Colten Ellis.  Ellis was back with Buffalo after netminder Alex Lyon sustained a lower-body injury. Lyon has shared starting duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who earned the victory when Buffalo blitzed visiting Chicago 9-3 on Nov. 21.  Luukkonen is 7-2-1 in his past 10 appearances.   “He’s still in a situation, you know, where his game is growing,” Ruff said. “And I think since he’s been healthy, he’s put together a really good run, and he’s what we expected he could be, and he’s having fun playing the game.”  Chicago (28-38-14, 70 points) is seeking a spark of its own. While the Blackhawks were eliminated from postseason contention for the sixth straight season weeks ago, the stretch run has proven especially difficult.  The Blackhawks have lost the first two games of a four-game homestand to close the regular season, the latest coming Saturday in a 5-3 setback to St. Louis. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice for the Blackhawks.  “I would say there’s probably a fragility to our team right now, more than even fatigue,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think some guys are starting to really probably struggle a little bit. The issue with where we’re at is we don’t have guys to lean on to pick you up a little bit when you’re struggling. We’re kind of all struggling together. So, we’re grinding through it. These are hard, hard, hard lessons, man, but it’s also life isn’t easy. You never have the opportunity to learn from it if you don’t go through it.”  Forwards Frank Nazar and Andrew Mangiapane left Saturday’s game with injuries. With blueliner Ethan Del Mastro a late scratch due to injury, Chicago shifted forward Sam Lafferty to defense.  Blashill said Del Mastro and Mangiapane are day-to-day. He added that Nazar, who took a deflected puck to the face, “will be all right.”  Mikheyev notched his 200th career point with his second goal.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Sabres #seeking #wins #starting #Blackhawks #MondayApr 9, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his second goal of the game with teammates during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

With two games remaining in the regular season, the playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres can finish anywhere from first to third in a stacked Atlantic Division.

Fortunately for the Sabres, they control the equation entering Monday’s visit to the slumping Chicago Blackhawks.

With three points this week, Buffalo (49-23-8, 106 points) wins the division. With two, it’s home-ice advantage in the first round.

“We’ve talked about where we wanted to be, and this is where we wanna be,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know how hard it’s been, and we know how hard it’s gonna continue to be. So, it’s not taking anything for granted. We’d love to win these last two games. We focus in on Chicago and go from there.”

Buffalo will be well-rested when it meets a Blackhawks team that has lost three straight and eight of nine.

The Sabres have been idle since Thursday’s 5-0 home rout of Columbus. Josh Doan scored twice in the third period, giving him a team-leading five multi-goal games this season.

Channeling a resilience that has helped the franchise stop an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, the Sabres also relied on a 37-save shutout from rookie goaltender Colten Ellis.

Ellis was back with Buffalo after netminder Alex Lyon sustained a lower-body injury. Lyon has shared starting duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who earned the victory when Buffalo blitzed visiting Chicago 9-3 on Nov. 21.


Luukkonen is 7-2-1 in his past 10 appearances.

“He’s still in a situation, you know, where his game is growing,” Ruff said. “And I think since he’s been healthy, he’s put together a really good run, and he’s what we expected he could be, and he’s having fun playing the game.”

Chicago (28-38-14, 70 points) is seeking a spark of its own. While the Blackhawks were eliminated from postseason contention for the sixth straight season weeks ago, the stretch run has proven especially difficult.

The Blackhawks have lost the first two games of a four-game homestand to close the regular season, the latest coming Saturday in a 5-3 setback to St. Louis. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice for the Blackhawks.

“I would say there’s probably a fragility to our team right now, more than even fatigue,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think some guys are starting to really probably struggle a little bit. The issue with where we’re at is we don’t have guys to lean on to pick you up a little bit when you’re struggling. We’re kind of all struggling together. So, we’re grinding through it. These are hard, hard, hard lessons, man, but it’s also life isn’t easy. You never have the opportunity to learn from it if you don’t go through it.”

Forwards Frank Nazar and Andrew Mangiapane left Saturday’s game with injuries. With blueliner Ethan Del Mastro a late scratch due to injury, Chicago shifted forward Sam Lafferty to defense.

Blashill said Del Mastro and Mangiapane are day-to-day. He added that Nazar, who took a deflected puck to the face, “will be all right.”

Mikheyev notched his 200th career point with his second goal.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Sabres #seeking #wins #starting #Blackhawks #Monday">Deadspin | Sabres seeking two more wins, starting with Blackhawks Monday  Apr 9, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA;  Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) celebrates his second goal of the game with teammates during the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images   With two games remaining in the regular season, the playoff-bound Buffalo Sabres can finish anywhere from first to third in a stacked Atlantic Division.  Fortunately for the Sabres, they control the equation entering Monday’s visit to the slumping Chicago Blackhawks.  With three points this week, Buffalo (49-23-8, 106 points) wins the division. With two, it’s home-ice advantage in the first round.  “We’ve talked about where we wanted to be, and this is where we wanna be,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “We know how hard it’s been, and we know how hard it’s gonna continue to be. So, it’s not taking anything for granted. We’d love to win these last two games. We focus in on Chicago and go from there.”  Buffalo will be well-rested when it meets a Blackhawks team that has lost three straight and eight of nine.  The Sabres have been idle since Thursday’s 5-0 home rout of Columbus. Josh Doan scored twice in the third period, giving him a team-leading five multi-goal games this season.  Channeling a resilience that has helped the franchise stop an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought, the Sabres also relied on a 37-save shutout from rookie goaltender Colten Ellis.  Ellis was back with Buffalo after netminder Alex Lyon sustained a lower-body injury. Lyon has shared starting duties with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who earned the victory when Buffalo blitzed visiting Chicago 9-3 on Nov. 21.  Luukkonen is 7-2-1 in his past 10 appearances.   “He’s still in a situation, you know, where his game is growing,” Ruff said. “And I think since he’s been healthy, he’s put together a really good run, and he’s what we expected he could be, and he’s having fun playing the game.”  Chicago (28-38-14, 70 points) is seeking a spark of its own. While the Blackhawks were eliminated from postseason contention for the sixth straight season weeks ago, the stretch run has proven especially difficult.  The Blackhawks have lost the first two games of a four-game homestand to close the regular season, the latest coming Saturday in a 5-3 setback to St. Louis. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice for the Blackhawks.  “I would say there’s probably a fragility to our team right now, more than even fatigue,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said. “I think some guys are starting to really probably struggle a little bit. The issue with where we’re at is we don’t have guys to lean on to pick you up a little bit when you’re struggling. We’re kind of all struggling together. So, we’re grinding through it. These are hard, hard, hard lessons, man, but it’s also life isn’t easy. You never have the opportunity to learn from it if you don’t go through it.”  Forwards Frank Nazar and Andrew Mangiapane left Saturday’s game with injuries. With blueliner Ethan Del Mastro a late scratch due to injury, Chicago shifted forward Sam Lafferty to defense.  Blashill said Del Mastro and Mangiapane are day-to-day. He added that Nazar, who took a deflected puck to the face, “will be all right.”  Mikheyev notched his 200th career point with his second goal.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Sabres #seeking #wins #starting #Blackhawks #Monday

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