NBA Playoff Race
Nine Games, No Change — Teams Playing Spoiler Fall Short
Cooper Flagg Had 51 Points. Dallas Still Lost. Orlando beat Dallas 138–127 Friday night, and the Magic improved to 41-36. But the story was the guy on the other team. Cooper Flagg went for 51 points on 19-of-30 shooting — 6-of-9 from three, 7-of-7 from the line to push for Rookie of the Year considerations. He had 3 steals, 6 rebounds, and looked like the best player on the floor in a game his team still managed to lose because Orlando came with 28 from Wendell Carter Jr., 27 from Desmond Bane, and enough collective firepower to hold the lead.
Atlanta Keeps Rolling — Locked Into the Top 6. The Hawks demolished Brooklyn 141–107 for their third straight win and are now 45-33, comfortably seated at the East's No. 5 seed. At this point CJ McCollum scored 25 points and 7 assists whereas Jalen Johnson posted 18 and 11 rebounds. Onyeka Okongwu also added 15 and 4 blocks. The Hawks are shooting, defending, and sharing the ball at a level that makes them genuinely dangerous in the first round. Their first round matchup would be Cleveland if the season ended today, but it could easily shift to New York if there is movement ahead of them.
Philadelphia Takes Sole Possession of the No. 5-6 Battle. The 76ers beat Minnesota 115–103 behind a 42-point third quarter that erased a halftime deficit and put the game away early in the fourth. Kelly Oubre Jr. went 8-of-12 for 21. Tyrese Maxey ran the show with 21 and 8 assists. Joel Embiid posted 19 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Philly improves to 42-34, tied with Toronto (who beat Memphis) in record, but the Sixers now hold the edge in the seeding battle. Meanwhile, Minnesota dropped to 46-30 with Anthony Edwards going 3-of-15. The Wolves retain the 6th seed and could see Denver or Houston in the first round as the Lakers are poised to lose ground with Luka out for the regular season and possibly some playoff games.
Charlotte Is 1.5 Games Behind the 6-Seed, Orlando Is Right Behind Them. The Hornets beat Indiana 129–108 to improve to 42-36 and hold the East's No. 7 seed, but are only 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for the 6-seed with four games to go. But Orlando (41-36) won in Dallas the same night and is just two games behind Philly. Charlotte has four playoff teams on their remaining schedule whereas Orlando has three postseason teams and Philly has two. The 76ers are well positioned to hold off the other teams for the final guaranteed playoff spot.
Boston and New York Are Clicking. The Celtics routed Milwaukee 133–101 — Tatum went for 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists, Neemias Queta posted 19 and 10, Jaylen Brown added 26 — and improved to 52-25. The Knicks blew out Chicago 136–96 with OG Anunoby dropping 31 on 7-of-10 from three. New York is 50-28. With their positions all but locked, they may decide to rest some players ahead of the first round.
🏀 NBA Playoff Picture
| Team | W–L | GB | L10 | Strk | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit |
56–21 | — | 8-2 | W2 | Direct |
| 2 | BostonW |
52–25 | 4.0 | 8-2 | W2 | Direct |
| 3 | New YorkW |
50–28 | 6.5 | 7-3 | W2 | Direct |
| 4 | Cleveland |
48–29 | 8.0 | 7-3 | W1 | Direct |
| 5 | AtlantaW |
45–33 | 11.5 | 8-2 | W4 | Direct |
| 6 | PhiladelphiaW |
43–34 | 13.0 | 7-3 | W2 | Direct |
| 7 | TorontoW |
43–34 | 13.0 | 5-5 | W1 | |
| 8 | CharlotteW |
42–36 | 14.5 | 8-2 | W3 | |
| 9 | OrlandoW |
41–36 | 15.0 | 3-7 | W1 | |
| 10 | Miami |
40–37 | 16.0 | 2-8 | L1 | |
| Team | W–L | GB | L10 | Strk | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OKC |
61–16 | — | 9-1 | W4 | Direct |
| 2 | San Antonio |
59–18 | 2.0 | 10-0 | W11 | Chasing |
| 3 | LA Lakers |
50–27 | 11.0 | 8-2 | L1 | Direct |
| 4 | Denver |
49–28 | 12.0 | 8-2 | W7 | Direct |
| 5 | HoustonW |
48–29 | 13.0 | 7-3 | W5 | Direct |
| 6 | MinnesotaL |
46–31 | 15.0 | 5-5 | L2 | Direct |
| 7 | Phoenix |
42–35 | 19.0 | 3-7 | L2 | |
| 8 | Portland |
40–38 | 21.5 | 8-2 | W3 | |
| 9 | LA Clippers |
39–38 | 22.0 | 5-5 | L2 | |
| 10 | Golden State |
36–41 | 25.0 | 4-6 | L3 | |
