The READ
NBA Recap | April 3, 2026
Nine games on the final Friday of the regular season, and the league delivered like it owed us rent. A rookie dropped 51 points in a losing effort. Boston opened with another 43-point quarter. The Knicks led by 37 at halftime. Atlanta went for 141. Houston is on a heater. Sacramento held off a late New Orleans push in the night's tightest finish. And Minnesota's star player shot 20 percent while his team's playoff positioning crumbled beneath him. None of it was ordinary. Let's run it.
FLAGG GOES FOR 51 BUT DALLAS LOSES
Orlando Magic 138, Dallas Mavericks 127
Cooper Flagg did everything short of willing the Mavericks to a win.
Fifty-one points. Nineteen-of-thirty from the field. Six-of-nine from three. A perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line. A 77.1% true shooting mark that belongs in a video game. Flagg was unstoppable in virtually every way a basketball player can be unstoppable — attacking the rim, stepping back off the dribble, finding pull-up threes, converting at the line with ice in his veins and will be a menace for many years to come.
At least for yesterday, none of it was enough. Dallas allowed Orlando 138 points, never led at any point, and had its coach ejected alongside two players — a chaotic backdrop for a historic individual performance. The Mavericks are 24-53 and will be a lottery team again with the hopes of finding a strong complementary piece to Cooper.
Orlando was excellent across the board. Desmond Bane had 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 79.6% true shooting, playing with the two-way poise that makes him one of the most underrated offseason acquisitions of the past two years. Wendell Carter Jr. added 28 points on 50.0% shooting — 10-of-10 from the free throw line — attacking the paint relentlessly. Jalen Suggs had 19 points and 9 assists. The Magic shot 56.0% from the field and 53.8% from three (14-of-26). Orlando improves to 41-37 and are 2.0 games back of Philly for the 6-seed.
ORL 138 · DAL 127
OG LIGHTS UP MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AS NEW YORK BURIES CHICAGO
New York Knicks 136, Chicago Bulls 96
The Knicks led 78-41 at halftime. That sentence contains everything you need to know.
OG Anunoby delivered one of the most efficient offensive performances of the season — 31 points on 9-of-15 shooting (7-of-10 from three), 100% from the free throw line, 8 rebounds, and 87.9% true shooting. He was a +32. He hit threes from corners, wings, and above the break, and Chicago had no answer for him at any point. Jalen Brunson contributed 17 points and 10 assists in a double-double that required almost no effort. Mitchell Robinson was a force inside: 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, 11 rebounds, 9 second-chance points, 5 offensive boards, 97.0% true shooting. He didn't miss a shot. Period.
New York's bench dropped 52 points. Josh Hart grabbed 11 rebounds and played his typical relentless connector role at a +30. The Knicks scored 28 points off 16 Chicago turnovers and posted a 47-point first half. New York improves to 50-28 and is entering the postseason with real momentum and hope to stay ahead of Cleveland.
Chicago shot 57.7% from the free throw line. Josh Giddey went 3-of-12 for 6 points and a -32. After two straight blowouts, their streak of mediocrity continues.
NYK 136 · CHI 96
TATUM NEARLY TRIPS OVER A TRIPLE-DOUBLE AS BOSTON DEMOLISHES MILWAUKEE
Boston Celtics 133, Milwaukee Bucks 101
Boston opened with 43 points in the first quarter. Second consecutive game they've done something like this and look to represent the East in the NBA Finals.
Jayson Tatum was a single assist away from a triple-double — 23 points on 50.0% shooting (4-of-8 from three), 11 rebounds, 9 assists. He moved the ball, controlled the pace, and anchored a team that looks like it's been saving something for when the lights get brighter. Jaylen Brown added 26 points on 10-of-11 from the free throw line with 2 steals. Neemias Queta had arguably the best game of his season — 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting (72.7%), 10 rebounds, 4 blocks — a double-double off the bench that gave Milwaukee's frontcourt trouble all night. Derrick White made 5-of-9 threes for 17 points. Sam Hauser shot 5-of-6 from the field for 13 points. This is a deep, balanced, dangerous team with the return of Tatum who looks amazing considering how recent he sustained his Achilles injury.
Milwaukee had no answer. The Bucks fell behind by 17 before halftime and never climbed back into single digits. Taurean Prince had 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting to keep the box score from being embarrassing, and Pete Nance had 14 points and 10 rebounds. But Ousmane Dieng shot 4-of-15 for 9 points and was a -32, and Milwaukee look toward an uncertain offseason as Giannis’s time with the team potentially waning.
Boston improves to 52-25 and is playing the best basketball in the Eastern Conference and will be the team to beat out of the East.
BOS 133 · MIL 101
HAWKS DROP 141 ON BROOKLYN AS CJ McCOLLUM TAKES OVER
Atlanta Hawks 141, Brooklyn Nets 107
The Brooklyn Nets had one ejection, three technical fouls between players, and the misfortune of sharing a floor with an Atlanta team that scored 43 points in the fourth quarter when the game was already decided.
CJ McCollum led Atlanta with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting (4-of-7 from three), 7 assists, and 85.4% true shooting — the craftsman's performance that goes overlooked because it didn't need a single highlight-reel moment. He was just relentlessly good. Jalen Johnson posted a double-double — 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists — and was a +28 in 34 minutes. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 21 points on 62.5% shooting and Onyeka Okongwu contributed 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks off the bench with a +37 — the best plus/minus of any player across all nine games on the night.
Brooklyn's Nic Claxton had 16 points on 70.0% shooting and was actually fine — just buried under the avalanche. The Nets had 20 turnovers and allowed Atlanta to convert 35 points off those alone. Noah Clowney was -17 with 4 turnovers and 2 technical fouls. Atlanta improves to 45-32 and looks to have the 5-seed locked up with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season.
ATL 141 · BKN 107
HOUSTON KEEPS ROLLING — DURANT AND AMEN SHARE THE STAGE IN A 34-POINT WIN
Houston Rockets 140, Utah Jazz 106
Houston is playing its best basketball of the second half, and Friday was another dominant statement.
Kevin Durant led with 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting (50.0% from three), 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 80.5% true shooting — making everything look like a formality. Amen Thompson was his typically explosive complement: 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 70.2% true shooting. He gets to the paint at will and makes it count at a rate that is going to give playoff defenses real headaches. Alperen Sengun had 19 points and 5 assists. Tari Eason came off the bench for 16 points and 7 rebounds at 80.0% true shooting. Reed Sheppard was 4-of-8 from three for 12 points and 7 assists — the quiet backbone of Houston's spacing.
Utah got a strong individual effort from Cody Williams — 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting with 11 rebounds for a double-double — and Ace Bailey added 22 points. But the Jazz shot 5-of-27 from three (18.5%) and got just 17 points from their bench. Houston led by as many as 37 and was never in any danger.
The Rockets improve to 48-29 and have won four of their last five. In the tightly contested West 3-through-5 race with Denver and Los Angeles, Houston is doing exactly what it needs to do and could realistically move up to as high as the 3-seed; especially with Luka’s hamstring injury.
HOU 140 · UTA 106
OUBRE ERUPTS AS PHILADELPHIA HANDS MINNESOTA ANOTHER LOSS
Philadelphia 76ers 115, Minnesota Timberwolves 103
Minnesota's Anthony Edwards shot 3-of-15 from the field for 8 points and 24.5% true shooting. The chance of moving out of the 6-seed is becoming more and more unlikely. Depending on how the seeding lands ahead of them, they will likely face either Denver or Houston in the first round.
Philadelphia capitalized exactly the way good teams should. Kelly Oubre Jr. was the best player on the floor — 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 from three), 84.4% true shooting, 5 rebounds, and the kind of off-ball activity that defines how the Sixers win when George does enough but not everything. Tyrese Maxey had 21 points (6-of-6 from the line), 8 assists, and 67.1% true shooting. Paul George contributed 23 points (8-of-10 from the free throw line), 6 assists, and 4 steals. Joel Embiid had a double-double — 19 points and 13 rebounds — a physical presence the Wolves had to account for in the paint all night. Philadelphia dominated the third quarter 42-24 and that was the ballgame.
For Minnesota, Julius Randle had 21 points on 60.0% shooting and continues to be the most consistent player of late. Rudy Gobert hauled in 16 rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu hit 4-of-6 from three for 19 off the bench. But this team is staggering at the worst possible time and risk losing quietly in the first round if they don’t turn around their season.
PHI 115 · MIN 103
RAYNAUD GOES OFF AS SACRAMENTO HOLDS OFF NEW ORLEANS IN THE NIGHT'S TIGHTEST GAME
Sacramento Kings 117, New Orleans Pelicans 113
The night's most competitive game quietly played out on the West Coast, and Maxime Raynaud made sure Sacramento came out on the right side of it.
Raynaud was the standout on a night full of big individual performances — 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting (78.6%), 82.0% true shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks. He controlled the paint at both ends and was the primary reason Sacramento was able to outscore New Orleans 32-21 in the fourth quarter to seal it after the Pelicans had led by as many as 17. The 42nd overall pick out of Stanford is proving to be the steal of last season’s draft and has a bright future ahead in Sacramento. Nique Clifford added 23 points on 56.3% shooting (4-of-6 from three), 68.1% true shooting, and 6 assists. DeMar DeRozan chipped in 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
New Orleans carried a 10-point lead into halftime and looked well on their way to a comfortable win before Sacramento flipped the script entirely in the second half. Jeremiah Fears was sensational — 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting (5-of-11 from three), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 turnover in 68.9% true shooting. He is one of the genuinely exciting young players in the league right now and is making a compelling case game by game. Micah Peavy added 8 points and a remarkable 4 steals. But the Pelicans were outscored 62-48 over the final two quarters and the collapse of their fourth-quarter offense — just 21 points — cost them a road win they had earned the right to take.
Sacramento improves to 21-57. New Orleans drops to 25-53. Neither team is going anywhere meaningful this spring, but this was a genuinely entertaining basketball game, and Raynaud deserves more attention than he'll receive playing in Sacramento's quiet corner of the standings.
SAC 117 · NOP 113
TORONTO RUNS PAST MEMPHIS BEHIND BARRETT AND A DEEP BENCH
Toronto Raptors 128, Memphis Grizzlies 96
An efficient, balanced Toronto performance that tells you something about where this team is heading.
RJ Barrett led with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting (4-of-6 from three), 4 assists, and 66.6% true shooting. Brandon Ingram added 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists — operating with the floor-reading vision that makes him genuinely hard to guard when healthy. Collin Murray-Boyles came off the bench for 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, attacking the rim efficiently. Toronto's bench dropped 61 points on the night. They shot 52.4% from the field and generated 28 points off 20 Memphis turnovers.
Memphis's GG Jackson delivered the game's best individual performance in a losing effort — 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting (62.5%), 75.2% true shooting. He is a legitimately exciting player on a team that has nothing to play for, and that's the most honest thing you can say about the Grizzlies right now.
Toronto improves to 43-34. Memphis drops to 25-52.
TOR 128 · MEM 96
CHARLOTTE STAYS SCORCHING — 24-OF-49 FROM THREE IN A BLOWOUT OF INDIANA
Charlotte Hornets 129, Indiana Pacers 108
The Charlotte Hornets made 24 threes on Friday night. Twenty-four. On 49 attempts. At 49.0%.
Kon Knueppel continued his record-breaking run with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting (3-of-7 from three), 75.1% true shooting, and 9 fast-break points — riding his franchise three-point record with the relaxed confidence of someone who already won the argument. Brandon Miller led the team with 22 points on 52.9% shooting. Sion James hit 4-of-8 from three for 13 points and was a +26. Miles Bridges added 19 points and 6 rebounds.
Charlotte built a 27-point lead and coasted. Indiana's Kam Jones had 7 points and 10 assists — a nice individual line from a young guard — and Quenton Jackson hit 6-of-8 for 16 points. But this game was over before the second quarter ended.
Charlotte improves to 42-36. The Hornets have been one of the hottest shooting teams as of late and their three point efficiency could carry them to upsets in the play-in tournament and potentially the playoffs.
CHA 129 · IND 108
⭐ STAR OF THE NIGHT
Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks
Fifty-one points at 77.1% true shooting on 19-of-30 shooting in a loss. Perfect from the free throw line. Six threes on nine attempts. Three steals. He is 20 years old and put up one of the great rookie performances in NBA history on a Friday in April. The Rookie of the Year race is down to Kon and Cooper.
💀 DUD OF THE NIGHT
Anthony Edwards | Minnesota Timberwolves
Eight points. Three-of-fifteen. 24.5% true shooting. Minnesota lost to Philadelphia, and their best player was the reason why. Back-to-back deflating losses. The Wolves are slipping at the worst possible time.
QUICK TAKES
Maxime Raynaud had 28 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks on 11-of-14 shooting (82.0% TS) for Sacramento. He outdueled Jeremiah Fears — who also had 28 points — in the night's tightest game and was the reason the Kings flipped a 10-point second-half deficit into a win. He deserves to be part of this conversation.
OG Anunoby shot 7-of-10 from three for 87.9% true shooting in a 40-point blowout at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are entering the playoffs with several players who can take over a game. That's frightening for anyone in the East.
Neemias Queta had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks off the bench for Boston. Quietly one of the best team-building moves of the season. He has been exactly the frontcourt solution the Celtics needed when they needed it most.
Onyeka Okongwu was a +37 in Atlanta — the best plus/minus of any player across all nine games on Friday. He is the anchor of a Hawks defense that has become one of the most suffocating in the East.
Charlotte made 24 threes on 49 attempts as a team. A collectively unconscious shooting night that would make an individual shooter blush. They are doing something special in that building heading into the postseason.
Jeremiah Fears had 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists on 68.9% true shooting for New Orleans in a four-point loss. One turnover. The Pelicans are a lottery team, but Fears is a real player.
GG Jackson had 30 points on 62.5% shooting for Memphis in a loss. He is the one player on that roster worth tuning in for, and he is getting better in real time.
The West's 3-through-5 seeding picture entering the final weekend: Los Angeles (50-27), Denver (49-28), Houston (48-29). Houston is surging. Lakers lost Luka. Denver has been steady. These three seeds will be determined in the next four days.
Dallas had two player ejections and a coach ejection in the same game. They also gave up 138. That is a very long plane ride home.
