The READ
NBA Recap | April 9, 2026
Six games. Brandon Ingram dropped 38 in Toronto's sweep of Miami. The Knicks took down the Celtics in a fourth quarter statement. Indiana put up 43 assists in a Brooklyn blowout. KD kept Houston rolling. And the Lakers went 61 percent from the floor to end Golden State's season on a sour note. Let's run it.
Ingram Goes for 38, Raptors Sweep the Heat | Toronto Raptors 128, Miami Heat 114
Brandon Ingram's bag is fully unpacked in Toronto. He finished with 38 points on 13-of-23 shooting — including 2-of-3 from three and 10-of-11 from the line — with 7 assists, 7 rebounds, and only 1 turnover. His 68.2 true shooting percentage was the best of any primary scorer on the floor, and he was the most complete offensive player in the building for the second time in three days. Toronto swept the season series against Miami in the process, making it two consecutive double-digit wins over the Heat in a span of 48 hours.
RJ Barrett added 22 points and drew 6 fouls, working off-ball while Ingram commanded the defense. Collin Murray-Boyles was spectacular off the bench — a perfect 7-of-7 from the field for 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a 102.2 true shooting percentage that speaks for itself. Scottie Barnes chipped in 13 efficient points on 4-of-6 shooting.
Miami's Bam Adebayo bounced back from Tuesday's 2-of-13 catastrophe in a big way: 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting with 11 rebounds and 8 assists — the best individual performance of the game statistically and a reminder of what Bam looks like when he's right. Davion Mitchell added 15 points and 11 assists, posting his own double-double. But Toronto won the turnover battle decisively — only 4 player turnovers against Miami's 13 — and the Raptors' 24 assists-to-4 turnover ratio reflected a team that executed nearly perfectly.
Toronto improves to 45-35. Miami falls to 41-39 and is now on the outside of the play-in looking in.
TOR 128 · MIA 114
Tre Jones Drops 31, Bulls Win Third Straight in Washington | Chicago Bulls 119, Washington Wizards 108
This one was settled by halftime. Chicago's third quarter was the dagger — a 35-23 frame that turned a 52-51 lead into a 19-point game — and the Bulls did it with a balanced attack led by Tre Jones and Leonard Miller.
Jones had the best game of his season: 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting with a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line and 9 assists. He attacked the paint relentlessly — 16 points in the paint, 8 points on fast breaks — and was the engine of Chicago's 26 fast break points on the night. Miller was equally dominant, finishing with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting (78.6 percent), going a perfect 2-of-2 from three, and adding 11 rebounds and 4 offensive boards. The two combined for 57 points and 20 rebounds in a performance that powered Chicago's third consecutive win.
Collin Sexton added 27 points off the bench on 12-of-21 shooting, his most productive outing in weeks. Chicago's defense generated 12 steals and forced 19 Washington turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
For Washington, Julian Reese logged a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double and Will Riley led the Wizards with 23 points. But the Wizards shot 26.3 percent from three and couldn't generate any consistent offense outside of those two.
Chicago improves to 31-49. Washington falls to 17-63.
CHI 119 · WAS 108
Brunson Runs the Room, Knicks Top Celtics in a Fourth Quarter Statement | New York Knicks 112, Boston Celtics 106
This mattered. With playoff seeding on the line in the East, the Knicks made a genuine statement on their home floor — outscoring Boston 31-23 in the fourth quarter to take a 6-point win over the East's 2-seed.
Jalen Brunson ran the offense with purpose: 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 10 assists against just 1 turnover, and a plus-8 that reflected how much cleaner New York was in the fourth quarter than Boston. Josh Hart was sensational — 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting including 5-of-7 from three, making a career's worth of difficult pull-up attempts look routine. Karl-Anthony Towns posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds while generating 5 assists against only 1 turnover in a controlled two-way performance.
Boston got 24 points from Jayson Tatum — a double-double on paper with 13 rebounds — but Tatum shot 7-of-22 from the floor and turned it over 6 times, a performance that looked more like Tatum fighting through the game than guiding it. Payton Pritchard went for 23 off the bench on 10-of-20 shooting. Baylor Scheierman had a dazzling 20-point effort on 7-of-8 shooting including 6-of-7 from three — an efficiency highlight in a losing cause.
New York improves to 52-28 and firmly secures the East 2-seed. Boston falls to 54-26.
NYK 112 · BOS 106
Obi Toppin Returns, Indiana Runs Brooklyn Off the Floor | Indiana Pacers 123, Brooklyn Nets 94
Indiana opened with a 31-14 first quarter and never looked back, pouring in a stunning 43 assists on 51 made baskets and posting 36 fast break points in one of the most dominant offensive performances of the final week of the regular season.
Obi Toppin was the story — returning to meaningful minutes and delivering 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting (78.6 percent) with 8 fast-break points in a performance that was impossible to contain. Jay Huff came off the bench and went a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor for 14 points with 3 blocks — every shot counted. Ethan Thompson had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jarace Walker contributed a workmanlike 14 points and 9 rebounds, and Jalen Slawson added 12 points with 5 assists.
Brooklyn's E.J. Liddell had a standout showing in a losing effort — 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting including 3-of-6 from three, a 73.2 true shooting percentage — as the lone Net who consistently competed. But Brooklyn shot 21.1 percent from three as a team and had no realistic path back once their deficit ballooned to 32 at its peak.
Indiana improves to 19-61 in what was a statement win for a team looking to play spoiler in the final days. Brooklyn falls to 20-60.
IND 123 · BKN 94
Durant Goes for 29 as Houston Handles Philadelphia | Houston Rockets 113, Philadelphia 76ers 102
Kevin Durant was the story on the night Houston needed him most. He finished with 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting — including 3-of-6 from three — with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and a 67.4 true shooting percentage that was the best of any starter on the floor. Houston led by as many as 28 in the first half, and while Philadelphia made the final score look respectable with a 29-17 fourth quarter, the Rockets were never in genuine danger.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 19 points. Amen Thompson was Houston's most versatile piece — 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists while getting to the line 8 times, generating second-chance opportunities, and defending at a high level. Josh Okogie put together a quiet 9-point, 11-rebound, 6 offensive rebound line off the bench that Houston needed on the glass.
Philadelphia got 24 points from Tyrese Maxey on 9-of-20 shooting and 20 from Quentin Grimes. VJ Edgecombe posted 20 points and 8 assists in a showcase performance — and went a perfect 3-of-3 on second-chance attempts. Andre Drummond grabbed 15 rebounds but couldn't generate much on offense. Kelly Oubre Jr. went 7-of-10 for 16 points off the bench but the Sixers' second-half run came far too late.
Houston improves to 51-29. Philadelphia falls to 43-37.
HOU 113 · PHI 102
Lakers Shoot the Lights Out to End Warriors' Season | Los Angeles Lakers 119, Golden State Warriors 103
It was a regular season finale at Chase Center, and the Lakers made it look easy. Los Angeles shot 61.3 percent from the floor — 55.2 percent from three on 16-of-29 attempts — and generated 37 assists on 49 made baskets in a performance that was breathtaking in its efficiency.
Jake LaRavia led the Lakers with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting including 4-of-5 from three, adding 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in the most complete game of his season. Luke Kennard orchestrated with 14 points and 8 assists against only 1 turnover. Rui Hachimura added 12 points and 3 steals. Nick Smith Jr. came off the bench and went 4-of-5 with 4 threes for 12 spotless points.
Golden State got 17 points each from Nate Williams and Brandin Podziemski and 12 points and 13 rebounds from Charles Bassey, but the Warriors shot 30 percent from three and turned the ball over 19 times — errors that LA converted into 28 points. Golden State also collected two team technical fouls, which spoke to the frustration of a closing-night performance that wasn't nearly good enough.
The Lakers improve to 51-29. Golden State finishes at 37-44, closing out a difficult season on a losing note.
LAL 119 · GSW 103
⭐ STAR OF THE NIGHT
Brandon Ingram | Toronto Raptors
38 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, and only 1 turnover on 68.2 true shooting percentage in a 14-point win. Ingram's arrival in Toronto has completely changed the ceiling of this team, and back-to-back dominant performances against a playoff-bubble Miami team prove he's peak right now. The Raptors are a legitimately dangerous play-in team because of him.
💀 DUD OF THE NIGHT
Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics
7-of-22 from the floor, 6 turnovers, and a minus-16 in a 6-point loss to the Knicks with playoff seeding implications. The 13 rebounds and 8 assists kept the box score presentable, but the efficiency — 45.5 true shooting — and the turnover problem defined Boston's fourth quarter collapse. Not the closing-week performance you want heading into the playoffs.
QUICK TAKES
Brandon Ingram 7-of-7 from two, 2-of-3 from three, 10-of-11 from the line, 7 assists, 1 turnover. That's not a hot shooting night — that's an elite player locked in.
Collin Murray-Boyles going 7-of-7 from the floor off the bench for Toronto. The second-unit depth on this team is quietly dangerous.
Tre Jones with 31 points, 9 assists, and a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line. That's the best individual game of his season at the best possible time.
Jalen Brunson's 10-assist, 1-turnover game against Boston's best defense. That's playoff Brunson.
Josh Hart going 5-of-7 from three at MSG against the East's 2-seed. That man was made for big moments.
Obi Toppin's 26-point return on 78 percent shooting is the most encouraging development Indiana has seen in weeks. They needed this heading into the postseason.
Indiana's 43 assists on 51 made baskets. That assist rate is staggering.
The Lakers shooting 61 percent from the floor against Golden State on the Warriors' home court, in a game that meant nothing for LA's seeding. That's either a terrifying preview or a cruel joke depending on your perspective.
