Category: NBA

NBA news.

The latest on Kawhi Leonard, Steve Ballmer and the NBA’s investigation into the LA Clippers

The latest on Kawhi Leonard, Steve Ballmer and the NBA’s investigation into the LA Clippers

What was actually in Leonard’s contract? What do league insiders think of it? Here’s what we know about the allegations — and where the investigation stands.

by Editor

Just foolin’: Wizards sorry about $10K shot ‘skit’

Just foolin’: Wizards sorry about $10K shot ‘skit’

The Wizards have apologized for an April Fools’ “skit” in which a planted fan was seemingly tricked into believing he made a half-court shot for $10,000, saying the entire bit was scripted but that they “missed the mark.”

by Editor

NBA playoff bracket, schedule: Where teams stand, who can clinch berths today

NBA playoff bracket, schedule: Where teams stand, who can clinch berths today

The NBA postseason is rapidly approaching, with less than two weeks remaining in the 2025-26 regular season.

While all postseason berths have been clinched, teams are furiously jockeying for playoff positioning, especially those seeking to remain above the fray of the Play-In Tournament. That’s especially true in the Eastern Conference, where only four games separate the current No. 5 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat, currently No. 10.

In the Western Conference, all three divisions have been clinched, with the Oklahoma City Thunder claiming the Northwest, the San Antonio Spurs the Southwest and the Los Angeles Lakers the Pacific. But perhaps the most intriguing story as the regular season winds down is whether the Spurs can catch the Thunder for the top seed in the West.

Heading into the slate of April 2 games, the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently the No. 4 team in the East, can clinch a playoff spot with a win, while the Houston Rockets, currently the No. 5 team in the West, can clinch a playoff berth if the Phoenix Suns lose.

Here are the current brackets for the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament, the NBA standings and the schedule for Thursday, April 2:

NBA schedule for Thursday, April 2

(All times Eastern)

  • Phoenix Suns at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.
  • Minnesota Timberwolves at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m.
  • Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
  • Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
  • New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
  • San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NBA standings

All 20 teams – 10 in each conference – that will participate in the postseason have been determined. Here are their records through April 1, and what each of those teams have clinched so far (x-clinched playoff berth; d-clinched division):

Eastern Conference

  • (1) d-Detroit Pistons: 55-21
  • (2) x-Boston Celtics: 51-25 (4 GB)
  • (3) x-New York Knicks: 49-28 (6.5 GB)
  • (4) Cleveland Cavaliers: 47-29 (8 GB)
  • (5) Atlanta Hawks: 44-33 (11.5 GB)
  • (6) Philadelphia 76ers: 42-34 (13 GB)
  • (7) Toronto Raptors: 42-34 (13 GB)
  • (8) Charlotte Hornets: 40-36 (15 GB)
  • (9) Orlando Magic: 40-36 (15 GB)
  • (10) Miami Heat: 40-37(15.5 GB)

Western Conference

  • (1) d-Oklahoma City Thunder: 60-16
  • (2) d-San Antonio Spurs: 58-18 (2 GB)
  • (3) d-Los Angeles Lakers: 50-26 (10 GB)
  • (4) x-Denver Nuggets: 49-28 (11.5 GB)
  • (5) Houston Rockets: 47-29 (13 GB)
  • (6) Minnesota Timberwolves: 46-29 (13.5 GB)
  • (7) Phoenix Suns: 42-34 (18 GB)
  • (8) Los Angeles Clippers: 39-37 (21 GB)
  • (9) Portland Trail Blazers: 39-38 (21.5 GB)
  • (10) Golden State Warriors: 36-40 (24 GB)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) as he drives to the basket during their game on March 31, 2026.

NBA playoffs bracket

(After games played on April 1)

Eastern Conference

  • (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
  • (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
  • (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
  • (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner

Western Conference

  • (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
  • (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Houston Rockets
  • (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
  • (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner

NBA Play-In Tournament

(After games played on April 1)

Western Conference

  • (7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) LA Clippers
  • (9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors

Eastern Conference

  • (7) Toronto Raptors vs. (8) Charlotte Hornets
  • (9) Orlando Magic vs. (10) Miami Heat

When do the NBA playoffs begin?

  • The NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 17.
  • The NBA playoffs start Saturday, April 18 and feature eight teams in each conference after teams are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.
  • Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.

Which NBA teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?

Eastern Conference

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Washington Wizards

Western Conference

  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Utah Jazz

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoff bracket, standings, schedule, current postseason matchups

by Editor

Michigan starter Elliot Cadeau joins teammates at Final Four after accidental exposure to nuts

Michigan starter Elliot Cadeau joins teammates at Final Four after accidental exposure to nuts

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan starting point guard Elliot Cadeau rejoined his teammates for the Final Four and said Thursday his allergic reaction that required hospitalization a day earlier was due to an accidental exposure to nuts.

“I just ate something I was allergic to,” the junior said as he sat at his locker at Lucas Oil Stadium, two days before the Wolverines meet fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in the national semifinals.

Coach Dusty May said Cadeau, who averages 10.2 points and 5.8 assists, is “fine.”

Cadeau’s treatment came as his teammates were flying to the Final Four, though Cadeau said a Michigan staffer had driven him to Indianapolis to rejoin teammates ahead of Thursday’s locker-room interviews and other pregame promotional activities.

Cadeau described it as “just a minor inconvenience for me.”

“I just had a little bit of hives so that’s why I went to the hospital, just to prevent anything further from happening,” he said.

Detroit radio station WWJ 950 posted a video on X on Wednesday showing a covered individual sitting upright while being wheeled out of Michigan’s player development center on a gurney and loaded into an ambulance. Michigan later confirmed it was Cadeau, who had complained of a possible allergic reaction and received medical supervision “out of an abundance of caution.”

“If it’s the worst thing that happens to us, then we’re very blessed,” May said Thursday. “It also just shows him how much he means to his teammates. They were very concerned, obviously, like we all would be for a reaction like that.

“But just grateful that he’s fine. We have great medical care, and he’s back with us. Dude is a warrior. He’ll be fine.”

___

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

by Editor

NBA’s Gap Between Playoff, Lottery Teams Reaches Historic Levels Exposing Two-League Problems

NBA’s Gap Between Playoff, Lottery Teams Reaches Historic Levels Exposing Two-League Problems

The divide between playoff contenders and lottery-bound teams has reached unprecedented levels this season, exposing a structural problem that is fundamentally altering the competitive landscape of the NBA, according to a report by Yahoo’s Tom Haberstroh. The combined gap between the No. 10 and No. 11 seeds in each conference has ballooned to 20.5 games, nearly double the previous record this century.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 10-seeded Charlotte Hornets hold a 9.5-game cushion over the No. 11 Milwaukee Bucks. Out West, the Golden State Warriors lead the Memphis Grizzlies by 11 games for the final play-in spot.

The numbers are historical as the previous largest combined gap this century stood at 11 games in 2018-19. This season’s 20.5-game chasm represents by far the widest separation since the NBA adopted its 16-team playoff format in 1984.

The play-in tournament, introduced as an anti-tanking measure, appears to have accelerated the problem rather than solved it. In the first full 82-game season following its introduction, the combined gap between No. 10 and No. 11 seeds was seven games. It has climbed steadily since, reaching nine games in 2022-23, nine again in 2023-24 and ten in 2024-25, before this season’s dramatic surge. The average gap in the play-in era is 11 games, compared to just 4.8 games across the previous ten seasons.

Nine teams currently operate as de facto non-competitors, posting a combined 12-167 record against playoff-caliber opponents across recent stretches of play. In March alone, those nine teams have gone 12-98, a .109 winning percentage, against postseason contenders.

The Washington Wizards have lost 20 consecutive games against winning teams. The Brooklyn Nets are 1-29 in its last 30 such contests. Dallas stands at 2-23 in its last 25.

Two factors are widely cited as accelerants. The leaps by the Dallas Mavericks from the No. 11 lottery position to the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and the Atlanta Hawks from 10th in consecutive recent drafts demonstrated that long-shot lottery odds can pay off spectacularly. Combined with a strong 2026 draft class, the cost-benefit calculation for struggling franchises increasingly favors chasing lottery balls over competing for a play-in berth. Only one of ten No. 10 seeds in the play-in era has successfully advanced to the full playoffs.

The NBA is proposing three potential lottery reforms in an attempt to disincentivize tanking.

by Editor