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Anthony Edwards returned from a minutes restriction to power the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 136-132 win over the Houston Rockets in a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair. Terrence Shannon Jr. kept Minnesota hot early, Durant burned for Houston, and Edwards delivered a late burst to seal the victory. The win comes with Minnesota resting several key players and has no impact on the playoff seeding.
The Washington Wizards finished the 2025-26 season with the league’s worst record (17-64) after a 140-117 loss to the Miami Heat, guaranteeing them no worse than the fifth pick in May’s draft lottery. With three teams at the bottom, the odds are 14.0% for the top pick, 13.4% for second, 12.7% for third, and 12.0% for fourth, while Washington has a 47.9% shot at the fifth pick. The season has seen a 25-of-26 slide, underscoring ongoing tanking concerns as reforms are discussed.
Two Western Conference rivals meet in Portland with Play-In seeding on the line: the Trail Blazers (40-40) host the Clippers (41-39) on Friday; with a win, L.A. would lock up the eighth seed via the season-series tiebreaker, sending Portland to ninth, while a Blazers win would grant Portland the tiebreaker and likely move them to eighth to face the Suns in the Play-In bracket.
The Lakers face a high-stakes choice: push Luka Doncic back from a left-hamstring injury and decide how long to rely on Austin Reaves’ oblique strain, weighing a potential playoff run against the danger of re-injury or longer-term damage and the implications for Reaves’ upcoming contract.
All 30 NBA teams play Friday, setting a busy stage for final seed shuffles. In the East, Boston can clinch No. 2, the Knicks can secure at least No. 3 with a win, and Toronto eyes a top-six finish, while Atlanta, Charlotte, and Orlando face play‑in implications. In the West, Denver can lock No. 3 with a win (dependent on Lakers results), the Lakers can’t drop below No. 4 with a win, and the Clippers can clinch No. 8 with a victory over Portland. Oklahoma City has already secured No. 1 but will rest key players, and marquee games include Cavaliers–Hawks, Knicks–Raptors, Thunder–Nuggets, and Clippers–Trail Blazers.
Dallas visits San Antonio in a game with limited motivation and multiple injuries, as the Spurs are locked into the No. 2 seed and likely to rest starters while the Mavericks are thin in the frontcourt and short-handed. Expect a grind-it-out, low-scoring affair with the consensus best bet on the Under (237). A Mavericks +18.5 line and Cooper Flagg over 24.5 points are popular SGP considerations given Flagg’s recent production and the depleted rosters.
OKC Thunder clinched the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and will rest virtually their entire roster in a late-season game, starting a G‑League–flavored lineup while managing injuries. The move is aimed at maximizing postseason readiness for a first‑round matchup that could feature the Suns, Clippers, Trail Blazers, or Warriors; Oklahoma City has dominated those teams this season (13–2) and hopes the rest pays off in the playoffs.
The Miami Heat waived guard Terry Rozier to open a roster spot for signing another player, signaling ongoing roster shuffling ahead of expected free-agent activity.
The Knicks survive a late Celtics rally and beat Boston 112-106 at Madison Square Garden, as Jayson Tatum returns but struggles (24 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists on 7-for-22 with 6 turnovers) without Jaylen Brown. New York’s Jalen Brunson (25 points, 10 assists) and Josh Hart (26) spearhead a balanced effort with all five Knicks starters in double figures and 22 points from the bench. Boston, missing Brown, got 23 from Payton Pritchard off the bench and briefly grabbed a lead late in the fourth after a 19-4 run, but the Knicks closed it out and pushed their win total to 52 this season, signaling playoff-like tension if the teams meet again.
Veteran ESPN play-by-play announcer Mark Jones is leaving the network after 36 years, a move reported by The Athletic; ESPN issued thanks but did not publicly confirm the departure, and Jones’s final ESPN game is Sunday’s Celtics vs. Magic, with his next steps unclear.
During a 123-94 Pacers win over the Nets in Brooklyn, a couple shown on the broadcast argued in the stands; the woman, Grace, later claimed on X that their interaction is how they talk, while fans debated what happened as the clip went viral with millions of views.
As the 2025-26 NBA season wraps, this Awards Watch pins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the MVP front-runner with Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama in the mix, the latter challenging if he remains eligible. Other candidates mentioned include Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell. For Rookie of the Year, Kon Knueppel leads the field with Cooper Flagg a close challenger. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the pick for Most Improved, while Joe Mazzulla is highlighted as a top Coach of the Year contender amid debates and ongoing injury effects that could sway final ballots. The piece emphasizes consistency and availability over raw numbers in deciding the awards.
With three days left in the regular season, the West is largely settled with OKC at No. 1 and San Antonio in strong playoff position behind Victor Wembanyama, while the Lakers’ playoff chances depend on the return of injured stars. In the East, Detroit has clinched the No. 1 seed and Boston, New York, and Cleveland have clinched playoff berths, with several teams still jockeying for the final play-in spots and shaping the remaining playoff picture.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid underwent an appendectomy, leaving his postseason availability in doubt as the team heads toward the playoffs.
Joel Embiid’s illness and emergency appendectomy left the Sixers shorthanded in a 113-102 loss to Houston, likely sealing their fate in the NBA Play-In; without their star, Philadelphia’s offense stalled and Houston iced it late with a Durant trey. Toronto’s win over Miami earlier Thursday all but eliminated the chance of avoiding the Play-In, making a No. 8 seed and a first-round Play-In path through Orlando likely, with Philadelphia shuffling rotations in Embiid’s absence.