Anthony Davis put on a dominant performance on Wednesday night and hit the go-ahead floater to ice it.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Lakers vs. Warriors: LeBron, Steph, Luka, Jimmy and West’s 3rd & 5th teams meet on TNT
Thunderstruck:Â SGA and OKC continue to make history, win 11th straight after beating Pistons
Heating Up:Â Heat snap Celtics’ win streak, Rockets clinch their first NBA Playoff spot since 2019-20
Roundup:Â AD nails floater to lift Mavs over Hawks, Cavs takedown Knicks
League Pass Spotlight:Â Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves look to gain ground in West
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Last night’s scores & what to watch today…
The Lakers and Warriors have been red-hot for two months.
Before LeBron James, Luka Doncic & the 3rd place Lakers meet Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the 5th place Warriors in a potential Playoff preview (10:00 ET, TNT) — following Heat-Grizzlies at 7:30 — tap for the latest Playoff Picture.
1. TONIGHT ON TNT: LAKERS AND WARRIORS CLASH IN POTENTIAL PLAYOFF PREVIEW
It’s the regular season finale between Stephen Curry, LeBron James and two of the league’s hottest teams since All-Star.
The storied rivalry between the two future Hall of Famers has provided us with countless memorable moments over the years, including their NBA Finals matchups where the Warriors and Cavaliers met four consecutive times between 2015-2018. There’s no telling how many more times we’ll get to witness this battle.
The career numbers between them are staggering.
Though their rivalry runs deep, LeBron and Steph have consistently shown mutual respect for each other.
- LeBron on Steph: “You don’t sleep well the night before you play greatness the next day,” James said during an interview on NBA OGs
- Steph on what skills he would take from LeBron: “I’d take LeBron’s basketball IQ. Being able to control the tempo and flow of the game single-handedly is incredible”
For the Lakers and Warriors, new faces have joined their rosters since their last meeting, with Thursday’s game marking the first head-to-head matchup between Curry and James since teaming up with their new co-stars, Jimmy Butler III and Luka DonÄŤić.
- The Dubs are 18-2 with Curry and Butler III in the lineup together, while Los Angeles is 11-6 with James and Dončić on the same floor
- In their last matchup: The Lakers won 120-112 to drop GSW to 25-26 and 10th in the West. Since then, the Dubs have gone 19-6 and jumped to 5th in the West
Curry recently put on a historic performance in a victory over the Grizzlies on Tuesday, making 12 three-pointers and scoring 52 points while passing NBA legend Jerry West for 25th place on the league’s all-time scoring list.
The NBA’s three-point king continues to stretch the game where no other player has stretched it before.
The Warriors climbed to fifth place with Tuesday’s win over the Grizzlies and enter Thursday’s game just two games behind the Lakers for third.
2. THUNDER SET RECORD VS. EAST, WIN 11TH STRAIGHT
It’s been a season to remember for Oklahoma City as the NBA-best Thunder improved their record to 64-12 on the campaign.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks) powered the Thunder to a 119-103 victory over the Pistons, securing their 11th straight win. | Recap
- Piston Push:Â Down 16 entering the 4th, Detroit came out to start the 4th on a 17-5 run, cutting its deficit to 4 with less than five minutes remaining
- Back and Forth: OKC’s Lu Dort nailed a triple, followed by a couple free throws from Chet Holmgren. Detroit responded with Malik Beasley’s 295th 3PM on the season and an Ausar Thompson putback slam to maintain the four-point difference at 107-103
- Thunderstruck: OKC’s No. 1 defense turned it up, holding the Pistons scoreless in the final 3:45 of the game, closing on a 12-0 run to seal the victory
Jalen Williams added 23 points, while Holmgren put up 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks as the Thunder improved to 34-5 at Paycom Center.
The Thunder have proven to be a tough matchup for any opponent, regardless of conference. However, what they’ve accomplished against the Eastern Conference this year is unprecedented.
- OKCÂ finishes the season 29-1 vs the East, setting a new record for most wins against the opposing conference since the NBA realigned to two conferences in 1970-71
- 50 of their 64 wins have come by double-digits, tying the 1971-72 Lakers for most in a single season
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
SGA has been an offensive force all season, effortlessly controlling the pace and scoring at will. His all-around brilliance continues to elevate the Thunder and solidify his place among the greats.
- With his 69th consecutive 20+ point game, SGA tied Michael Jordan for fourth most in a single-season in NBA History.
- With his 48th 30+ point game, SGA joins MJ and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with multiple 50 30+ pt games in a season
For the Pistons, Tim Hardaway Jr. led with 23 points and five three-pointers, while All-Star Cade Cunningham was sidelined due to a calf injury. Despite the loss, Detroit remains 5th in the East, half a game ahead of the No. 6 seeded Bucks and three games behind the No. 4 seeded Pacers.
The Thunder will head to Houston to face the No. 2 Rockets tomorrow and the No. 3 Lakers back-to-back at home on Sunday and Tuesday.
3. HEAT REMAIN HOT AND SNAP CELTICS’ STREAK, ROCKETS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics came into Wednesday looking to join Cleveland and OKC as the only teams with a 10-game winning streak this season.
Boston’s next test was a formidable foe they’re all too familiar with when the stakes are their highest, the Miami Heat — who came into the matchup on a five-game win streak, looking to stay hot in the season’s final days.
They did just that. Miami snapped the Celtics’ nine-game win streak with a 124-103 win, extending the Heat’s season-best win streak to six games. They also ended a six-game losing skid to Boston dating back to 2023. | Recap
Tyler Herro led Miami with 25 points and 9 assists, while Bam Adebayo added 21 points. The Heat had seven players finish in double figures as they completed a three-game road trip.
- Heating Up:Â Erik Spoelstra has passed Gene Shue (784) for 17th on the all-time coaching wins list
Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points, while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White both contributed with 16 points apiece in the loss.
Miami remains in 9th place, holding a one-game lead over the 10th-seeded Bulls and are closing in on the 8th-seeded Hawks and Magic, who are just 1.5 games ahead. Boston stays in second, five games behind the top-seeded Cavs.
Rockets 143, Jazz 105:Â Houston clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2019-20 and nabbed the Southwest Division title as it defeated Utah. |Â Recap
Jalen Green led the charge with 22 points and four threes in just three quarters, while four more Rockets added at least 15 points. Houston has now won 13 of its last 15 games.
Houston has relied on the strength of its defense, which ranks fourth in the league in defensive rating (109.6), but has turned it up a notch on the offensive side in the past month.
- Rocket Power: It’s the second time in three games and fourth time during this 15-game stretch where they’ve scored 140 points or more
The Rockets are now 50-27Â on the year and put a stamp on their resurgence. They remain in 2nd place in the Western Conference, three games ahead of the No. 3 seeded Lakers and No. 4 seeded Nuggets.
4. ROUNDUP: ANTHONY DAVIS LIFTS MAVS, CAVS ERUPT IN SECOND HALF TO BEAT KNICKS
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
The Mavericks, who have been hit with the injury bug throughout the season, received a much-needed boost from Anthony Davis, who delivered a commanding performance with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks, including the game-winning floater with just 3.4 seconds left to secure a 120-118 victory over the Hawks. | Recap
- Davis became the second Maverick to post at least 30 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks in a game, joining teammate Daniel Gafford
- Klay Thompson contributed with 17 points and five threes, including a game-tying triple with 41.3 seconds remaining, bringing the game to 118-118.
- Spencer Dinwiddie added 14 points and 10 assists, while sophomore Dereck Lively II made his long-awaited return, finishing with four points and five rebounds in 15 minutes of play in his first game back since Jan. 14.
- Trae Young posted 25 points and dished out 12 assists, reaching 823 assists on the season, tying Doc Rivers (1986-87) for the most assists in a single season in franchise history.
Atlanta remains in 8th place, just a game ahead of the 9th-seeded Heat and half a game behind the 7th-seeded Magic.
The win keeps the Mavs in 9th place, 1.5 games ahead of the 10th-seeded Kings and 2.5 games above the 11th-seeded Suns in the tight West Play-In race.
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Cavaliers 124, Knicks 105: Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points and dished out five assists, as Cleveland used a dominant second half to overcome a 15-point deficit to take down New York. The Cavs came out firing in the third quarter and outscored the Knicks 71-45 in the final two frames as they moved to 61-15. | Recap
- More history for the Cavs:Â 61 wins ties for the second most in franchise history, matching the 2009-10 season. The team record stands at 66 wins, set in 2008-09
- Jarrett Allen added 21 points on a 10-for-11 shooting performance. The win helped Cleveland maintain a 5-game lead for first place in the Eastern Conference.
- The Knicks were led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while OG Anunoby chipped in with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in the loss.
- New York (48-28)Â remains in third place by only three games over the No. 4 Pacers.
Pacers 119, Hornets 105: Tyrese Haliburton guided the Pacers to their 10th win in the last 12 games, posting an efficient 22 points and 10 assists in a victory over the Hornets. | Recap
- The performance marked Halliburton’s 14th career game with 20+ points, 10+ assists, and zero turnovers—the most since turnovers were first tracked since 1977-78, passing Chris Paul
In addition to Haliburton, six Pacers players reached double figures, with Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner both contributing 15 points each.
The Pacers continue their strong push in the East, holding onto 4th place and extending their lead to 2.5 games over the 5th-seeded Pistons. They’re now just 3 games behind the 3rd-seeded Knicks.
Wizards 116, Kings 111:Â Jordan Poole scored 23 points to help the Wizards secure a win over the Kings. The loss keeps Sacramento in 10th place, just 1.5 games behind the 9th-seeded Mavericks and a game ahead of the 11th-seeded Suns for the final play-in spot.
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Clippers 114, Pelicans 98:Â Kawhi Leonard (28) and James Harden (21/10a) led LA past New Orleans.
- Entering Wednesday, the 6-seed Grizzlies and 7-seed Wolves were tied a 44-32, with the 8-seed Clippers just half a game behind both
- Entering tonight, LA joined Memphis and Minnesota at 44-32, claiming the 7-seed over the 8-Grizzlies via head-to-head tiebreakers, while the Wolves own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Clippers
Spurs 113, Nuggets 106:Â Stephon Castle tallied 15 points, 15 rebounds and 9 assists while Harrison Barnes added 20 more as the Spurs held off the shorthanded Nuggets, 113-106.
- Russell Westbrook led Denver with 30 pts and 11 ast as Nikola Jokić and others from their regular rotation were out
- The Nuggets dropped to 4th place, now trailing the 3rd-seeded Lakers by .003 win percentage and three games behind the No. 2 seeded Rockets.
5. ON LEAGUE PASS: ANTHONY EDWARDS AND THE TIMBERWOLVES LOOK TO GAIN GROUND IN WEST
David Berding/Getty Image
The Timberwolves are coming off one of their best games of the season, having played an double-overtime instant classic on Tuesday against the Nuggets. Minnesota has now won three straight, seven of its last 10 and find themselves in a playoff spot.
The Wolves could claim sole possession for the 6th and final playoff spot in the West standings as they take on the Nets in Brooklyn (7:30 ET).
- Anthony Edwards has been having a career-year in scoring, averaging 27.3 PPG, 4th most this season and is riding a three-game 20+ point streak, including 34 in the double OT win Tuesday
- Range For Days:Â Ant-Man has been known for his 3-ball this season, second in 3PM this season with 292 and looks to become the fourth player in NBA History to reach 300 in a single season, joining Stephen Curry, James Harden and Klay Thompson
Beyond Edwards, Minnesota has been locked in on defense with the help of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaden McDaniels on their wings.
- Among two-man lineups, NAW and McDaniels have the best Def Rtg at 106.3 (min. 900 min and 70 GP this season)
Justin Ford/Getty Images
Grizzlies at Heat (7:30 ET, TNT): Right behind Minnesota are the Grizzlies, who face the hottest team in the East in Miami as they will look to stretch their win streak to seven games for the first time since 2023.
- Burning up: The Heat’s margin of victory has been +20.5, joining only OKC and CLE as the only teams to win at least six straight games with a +20 score difference this season
- The Heat rank second in offensive and defensive rating during the streak, third in FG% and second in 3P%
Memphis has lost their last four and will look at their franchise big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to keep pace with Miami’s versatile, defensive big man in Bam Adebayo.
- Jackson Jr. has defended guards 27% this season, Forwards 46.6% and Centers 26.4%
- Adebayo has defended guards at 20.1% this season, Forwards 39/7% and Centers 40.2%
- JJJ leads the league in DFG%Â at 41.6 among players with at least 850 DFGA this season
- Bam ranks 4th in DFG%Â at 47.4 among centers who’ve played at least 70 games and 900 DFGA this season
Three more games tip off tonight, with Orlando and Milwaukee looking to cement themselves in a playoff spot, while the Blazers continue their final push for a play-in bid.
Magic at Wizards (7:00 ET): Orlando is looking to maintain their home-court advantage in the play-in as they visit the Wizards
Bucks at 76ers (7:00 ET):Â Milwaukee is seeking to get back in a top 5 East spot visiting Philly
Blazers at Raptors (7:30 ET):Â the Blazers visiting the Raptors as they make stop two in a three-game East trip in Toronto.
