Starting 5: Hawks clinch, Ant locks down Rockets, Wemby’s 40, East top-4 set

A high-flying Friday decided four more postseason seeds.

Coming up Sunday?

A regular season finale stacked with suspense, with 15 games tipping off — 2 on ESPN — and 10 seeds still up for grabs.

---

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

April 11, 2026

Sunday’s Stakes: A breakdown of what Friday’s 15 games decided, and what’s still at stake for the finale

Stars Settle West: Wemby’s 40, Ant & KD’s duel locks 5th, LeBron keeps Lakers in hunt for 3rd

East Playoff: Hawks clinch top-6 seed, Celtics, Knicks & Cavs lock in seeds 2-4

East Play-In: Raptors’ loss sets up final day 3-team melee for 6-seed with Magic & Sixers

Friday Roundup: Blazers pass Clips in West Play-In seeding while Warriors tune up, history for Bucks & Jazz

---

1. PLAYOFF PICTURE: FRIDAY’S IMPACTS & WHAT’S STILL AT STAKE SUNDAY

What we learned from Friday’s 15-game slate:

• The 5th-place Hawks clinched a Playoff spot, with a 1 game lead over the 6th-place Raptors
• The Raptors dropped from 5th to 6th, holding the East’s final Playoff spot via tiebreaker over the 7th-place Magic, and stayed 1 game up on the 8th-place Sixers
• The Hornets remained in 9th and are locked into the SoFi NBA Play-in Tournament, a game up on the 10-seed Heat
• The East’s top-4 is now set, with the Celtics clinching the 2nd seed, and the Knicks and Cavaliers slotting behind
• The Nuggets earned their 11th straight win to remain in 3rd place, a game up on the victorious 4th-place Lakers
• The Rockets’ eight-game win streak ended, locking them into the West’s 5-seed
• The Blazers’ win moved them above the Clippers for 8th via a better conference record, as both teams are 41-40 and split their season series 2-2

Eastern Conference Snapshot:

• Playoff Seeds Set: (1) Pistons, (2) Celtics, (3) Knicks, (4) Cavaliers
• Playoff Teams: Hawks
• Play-In Teams: Hornets, Heat
• To Be Determined: Raptors, Magic, Sixers
• Postseason Seeds Open: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Western Conference Snapshot:

• Postseason Seeds Set: (1) Thunder, (2) Spurs, (5) Rockets, (6) Wolves, (7) Suns, (10) Warriors
• Playoff Teams: Nuggets, Lakers
• Play-In Teams: Blazers, Clippers
• Postseason Seeds Open: 3, 4, 8, 9

What’s at stake Sunday in the regular-season finale after today’s off-day:

• 3 Teams, 1 Spot: The Raptors, Magic and Sixers all have a shot at the East’s final Playoff spot:
  • Raptors: Win and in, it’s that simple. Toronto can also move up to 5th with help
  • Magic: Can clinch 6th with a win and a Raptors loss
  • Sixers: Can clinch 6th with a win and losses from the Raptors and Magic
• A Hornets win would secure home court vs. the Heat in the 9/10 Play-In game. A Heat win and a Hornets loss would give Miami the 9-seed and home court
• A Hawks win clinches the 5-seed and a date with the Cavs in the First Round. A Hawks loss and a Raptors win would move Atlanta to 6th, facing the Knicks
• If the Nuggets close the season on a 12-game winning streak, they’d secure 3rd
• If the Lakers win and the Nuggets lose, L.A. claims the 3-seed via tiebreaker, while Denver drops to 4th
• If the Blazers win, they’ll finish 8th and visit the Suns in the SoFi NBA Play-in Tournament
• The Clippers need a win and a Blazers loss to jump back into 8th. Otherwise, they’ll host the Warriors in the West’s 9/10 game

In tomorrow’s Starting 5, we’ll break down every potential scenario for Sunday’s 15-game slate to close out the regular season.

Up Next: The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament tips off on Tuesday.

• Tuesday: No. 7 vs. No. 8 in each conference with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the Playoffs and the loser living to play on Friday
• Wednesday: No. 9 vs. No. 10 in each conference with the winner still alive and loser eliminated
• Friday: 7/8 Loser vs. 9/10 Winner in each conference face off – the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the Playoffs
• One Week Away: The 2026 NBA Playoffs presented by Google tip off on Saturday, April 18

---

2. SUPERSTARS SHINE AS WEST PLAYOFF SEEDING TAKES SHAPE

As the last team to have beaten the Rockets, Minnesota bookended Houston’s eight-game win streak Friday with another clutch takedown.

Wolves 136, Rockets 132: Terrence Shannon Jr. (23 pts, 5 3s) led Minnesota scorers for a second straight game, this time pacing seven Wolves in double figures, overcoming a career-high 41 from Amen Thompson (9 reb, 7 ast) and 33 more from Kevin Durant. | Recap

• Anthony Edwards (22 pts) and KD dueled back-and-forth in the 3rd, each netting 12 points, with Houston building a 10-point lead and Minnesota erasing it in under 3 minutes with a 15-4 run
• The Wolves ran again in the 4th, taking their own 10-point lead with a 27-12 flurry. And with that edge cut to 4 with under a minute to play, Ant’s triple sealed the win

“I was kinda cold, but it felt good to hit that one at the end,” Ant said after pleading his case for a jersey swap with KD, who had another noteworthy outing.

• Durant surpassed 2,000 points in a season for the 8th time, tied for 5th-most 2K+ point seasons ever. This is the first in NBA history for a player age 37 or older
• More History In Houston: Thompson logged the Rockets’ first-ever 40+/5+/5+ game with 75+% shooting, going 17-for-22 (77.3 FG%) from the floor
• Amen & The Dream: He also joined Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in franchise history to score 40+ points on at least 75% shooting before age 24

The 6-seed Wolves’ win, paired with wins by Denver and L.A., locked the Rockets into the West’s 5th seed.

On the second night of a back-to-back, with seeding on the line, LeBron James set the tone early.

L.A. reaped the benefits, securing a top-4 seed for home court advantage in the Western Conference’s first round of the playoffs.

Lakers 101, Suns 73: LeBron (28 pts, 6 reb, 12 ast, 4 stl) scored or assisted on nine of the Lakers’ first 10 field goals on the way to a 14-point 1st quarter and 16-point lead, as L.A. held Phoenix to season-lows with a 25-point 2nd half and 73-point total. | Recap

• King’s Streak: James tallied 54 points on 63.6% shooting (21-33) in back-to-back wins, and is the first player age 40 or older to log three straight games with 25+ points and 10+ assists
• “I had to tap back into a role that I’ve been accustomed to in the past,” James said postgame. “I’m just trying to feed off my teammates.”
• Feeding History: Among the opening flurry was the 12,000th assist of LeBron’s career, becoming just the fourth player ever to reach that milestone

Denver showcased its depth to stay ahead a game up on the Lakers in 3rd.

Nuggets 127, Thunder 107: Jonas Valančiūnas (17 reb) and Branden Carlson (12 reb) each scored season-highs of 23 points to lead their squads, with Denver’s 21-5 start to a 37-22 4th quarter making the difference to clinch home court advantage in its 11th straight win. | Recap

• Driver’s Seat: A 12th straight win Sunday in San Antonio to finish the regular season would clinch the 3-seed for Denver and lock the Lakers into 4th

Victor Wembanyama (ribs) was strong in his return Friday, dropping 40 on fellow top-pick Cooper Flagg’s Mavs for the second time this season.

Spurs 139, Mavericks 120: Wemby (40 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast) and Flagg (33 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast) dueled early, with 16 points in the 1st quarter and 24 in the half for Wemby, and 16 in the 2nd and 25 before halftime for Coop.

De’Aaron Fox (18 pts, 10 ast) then took over with 14 points in a 40-point Spurs 3rd that decided the game. | Recap

• Alongside The Admiral: Wemby joined David Robinson as the only Spurs players with multiple 40+/10+/5+ games in franchise history
• Coop, Melo & LBJ: Flagg passed Carmelo Anthony with his 11th 30+ point game as a teenager, 2nd-most ever behind only LeBron (20)

---

3. EAST PLAYOFF TEAMS LOCK IN SPOTS AND SEEDS 

Following four straight seasons in the Play-In tournament, Atlanta has earned a top 6 Eastern Conference seed and a First Round series.

Hawks 124, Cavaliers 102: After CJ McCollum drained six 1st-half triples and piled up 25 of his 29 points by halftime, Atlanta took off with a 35-17 3rd quarter to avenge Wednesday’s loss in Cleveland. | Recap

• TD For DD: Dyson Daniels (13 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) collected his 2nd-career triple-double, both coming this season
• The Land Will Host: James Harden (20 pts, 5 ast) led the way for Cleveland without Donovan Mitchell (ankle), as the Cavs lock into the East’s 4th seed

With the league’s 3-point leaders needing a win to stay in the mix for a Playoff seed, the East’s top rated defense (108.9) flexed its top-seed strength.

Pistons 118, Hornets 100: Leading by 3 to start the 4th quarter, Detroit’s 18-2 run broke the game open, as the defense held Charlotte to its lowest-scoring quarter (10 pts) of the season. Jalen Duren (20 pts, 9 reb) and Duncan Robinson (19 pts) led the way. | Recap

• One Hot Hornet: LaMelo Ball scored 20 of his game-high 27 points in the 1st half, and sank six of Charlotte’s 13 triples (27.7 3P%)
• Historic Hive: Brandon Miller (22 pts) hit two triples to cross the 200 mark, making Charlotte the fourth team in NBA history to have three players make 200+ 3s each in a season (Kon Knueppel: 268, Ball: 261)
• Handling Business: Top-seed Detroit goes for a 60th win Sunday in Indy, and could see Charlotte again soon, as the loss locks the Hornets into the Play-In tournament

Rebounding from Thursday’s loss in New York that kept the door open for the Knicks, Boston put an end to its battle for the 2-seed Friday.

Celtics 144, Pelicans 118: Jaylen Brown (23 pts) returned with a 10-point 1st quarter, matching Payton Pritchard (21 pts, 10 ast, 5 3s) as Boston dropped 44 in the first frame and 100 the rest of the way, powered by an NBA record-tying 29 made 3s, to clinch the East 2-seed. | Recap

• Fears Joins Flagg: Jeremiah Fears followed up Tuesday’s franchise rookie record 40-point outing with 36 in Boston, joining Cooper Flagg as the only rookies since 2020 to total 76+ points over a two-game span

With Boston clinching 2nd, New York locked in the 3-seed by dealing out the only loss to a top-6 East team Friday.

Knicks 112, Raptors 95: New York started the 2nd quarter with a 10-0 run and won the period 29-15 to stay ahead for good for a 5th consecutive win and 13th straight over Toronto. Jalen Brunson (29 pts) and Karl-Anthony Towns (22 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast) fueled the W. | Recap

• Brandon Ingram was held to 16 points after his season-high 38 Thursday, as the Raptors’ loss sets up a three-team battle Sunday for the East’s final Playoff spot

---

4. THREE-FOR-ONE: EAST PLAY-IN COMES DOWN TO FINAL DAY

A fifth straight win kept Orlando’s Playoff series hopes alive.

Magic 127, Bulls 103: Franz Wagner (25 pts) led all scorers and Jalen Suggs hit four triples for all 12 of his points in a decisive 3rd quarter that boosted Orlando’s lead from 11 points to 20, as the 7th-place Magic pulled even (45-36) with the tiebreaker-owning Raptors in 6th. | Recap

Philly kept pace in the 3-team race with a win in Indy.

Sixers 105, Pacers 94: Not even the buzzer could stop Tyrese Maxey (8 reb, 5 ast), who led the way with 32 points, with Paul George adding 21 more to stay ahead of Jarace Walker (17 pts) and the Pacers, as 8th-place Philly stays within reach of the 6th seed. | Recap

10-seed Miami gained a game on 9th-place Charlotte and could still swap places with a win and some help Sunday.

Heat 140, Wizards 117: All eight Miami scorers logged double figures, with Simone Fontecchio (24) tying his career-high for 3s in a game (6), as the Heat never trailed by more than 2 points. | Recap

• 91 Combined: Fontecchio was one of four 20+ point scorers for the Heat, joining Bam Adebayo (20 pts, 11 reb, 8 ast) and reserves Jaime Jaquez Jr. (23 pts, 8 ast) and Pelle Larsson (24 pts)
• Record Heat: Miami surged to 140+ points for the 11th time this season, tying the 2023-24 Pacers for the most in a single season by any team in NBA history

---

5. WEST PLAY-IN TUNES UP, RECORDS FOR JAZZ & BUCKS

Portland earned an edge in the West’s other remaining seeding battle.

Blazers 116, Clippers 97: With an 86-84 lead entering the final quarter, Portland limited LA to its lowest-scoring 4th since 2021, taking the period 30-13. Deni Avdija scored 15 of his game-high 35 there, outdueling Kawhi Leonard (24 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast). | Recap

• “Sky’s the limit. I know we’ve had some downs, we’ve had some ups. We have the talent, we have the players,” Avdija said. “Hopefully we’ll do a lot of great things.”
• West Play-In Seeding: The win splits the season series between the Blazers and Clips 2-2. With identical 41-40 records, Portland moves up to 8th via conference record (28-23) with one deciding game left

Portland or LA will host a 10-seed Warriors team that’s getting healthy at the right time.

Kings 124, Warriors 118: Devin Carter (29 pts, 9 reb, 6 3s) led four 20+ point Kings scorers to spoil Brandin Podziemski’s career-high 30 points, as Steph Curry and Kristaps Porziņģis added 11 apiece in their second game together, tuning up for the Play-In tournament. | Recap

• Kings’ Core: Maxime Raynaud (23 pts, 9 reb), Nique Clifford (20 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) and Daeqwon Plowden (20 pts, 9 reb) combined with Carter for 92 points
• Curry’s Climb: Steph Curry (26,497 points) passed Tim Duncan to move into 19th place on the all-time scoring list

Jazz 148, Grizzlies 101: In a contest full of career-highs, Bez Mbeng (27 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast) and John Konchar (11 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) became the first Utah teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game, overpowering a third from Memphis’ Jahmai Mashack (13 pts, 15 reb, 14 ast). | Recap

Bucks 125, Nets 108: AJ Green hit a Bucks-record 11 3-pointers and notched a career-high 35 points, complimenting a career-high 28 from Cormac Ryan as Milwaukee took its home finale over Tyson Etienne (career-high 23 pts) and Brooklyn. | Recap