Magic, Suns Advance; NBA’s Playoff Field Set
After losing their first play-in games earlier in the week, the Magic and Suns bounced back in impressive fashion on Friday, winning home games against the Hornets and Warriors, respectively, to clinch their spots in the playoffs. Orlando and Phoenix will enter the first round as No. 8 seeds, with the Magic taking on Detroit in round one and the Suns facing Oklahoma City.
The Magic ran out to a 22-point lead by the end of the first quarter in Friday’s early game and expanded that cushion to 31 points by the end of the second quarter. Their defense set the tone early by allowing the Hornets to make just 5-of-20 (25.0%) shots from the floor in the first period and 13-of-41 (31.7%) in the first half. Orlando maintained that significant lead in the second half, winning by a score of 121-90.
“When you play with a sense of desperation and urgency, when you know you’re either going home or extending your season, that’s what it looks like,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “There (are) no second chances.”
Paolo Banchero contributed 25 points and a team-high six assists to lead a balanced offensive attack that saw all five of the Magic’s starters score in double-digits. Franz Wagner added 18 points and matched Banchero’s six assists, while Desmond Bane was a team-best plus-30 in his 35 minutes of action despite scoring just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
In the late game, the Suns emulated the Magic by building a big lead in the first quarter, though Phoenix gave most of that 18-point edge in the second quarter before putting the win away in the second half by a score of 111-96.
Suns guard Jalen Green, who struggled in his first taste of playoff action with Houston a year ago, was excellent in this week’s play-in games, scoring 35 points in Tuesday’s loss and then pouring in 36 more in Friday’s win over Golden State. Green made 14-of-20 shots, including 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, and also contributed six rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals. His eight three-pointers matched a career high.
The Suns also did an admirable job holding Warriors star Stephen Curry in check after he went off for 35 points in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers. Curry made just 4-of-16 shots from the field in Phoenix and had as many turnovers as assists (four apiece).
The Suns and Thunder will tip off their series in Oklahoma City at 3:30 pm Eastern time on Sunday, with Game 1 of the Magic/Pistons matchup to follow in Detroit at 6:30 pm.
While Phoenix and Orlando will enter the series as massive underdogs, their regular season results against their first-round opponents offer a sliver of hope — the Suns went 2-3 against the Thunder, while the Magic went 2-2 vs. the Pistons.
Suns’ Williams Out Friday; Porzingis Active For Warriors
The Suns received good and bad news on Friday, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Veteran guard Grayson Allen (left hamstring) was upgraded from questionable to available, but starting center Mark Williams (left foot soreness) was downgraded from questionable to out for Friday’s elimination game vs. Golden State.
As Rankin observes, Williams missed 15 consecutive games late in the regular season after sustaining a stress reaction in his left foot. Head coach Jordan Ott said the foot was bothering the fourth-year big man in the third quarter of Tuesday’s play-in loss to Portland.
“Just flared up,” Ott said. “Now we’re just waiting for the inflammation to calm down.”
Second-year center Oso Ighodaro will start in place of Williams (Twitter link via the team).
Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis also entered Friday’s game with a questionable tag. While his right ankle was “clearly bothering him” during warmups, the Latvian big man will suit up tonight, as Anthony Slater of ESPN reports (via Twitter).
Allen is under contract for two more years, while Williams (restricted) and Porzingis (unrestricted) are both heading for free agency this summer. Porzingis is also extension-eligible through June 30.
Poll: Who Will Win Friday’s Play-In Games?
The final two spots in the 2026 NBA playoff field are up for grabs on Friday night, with two teams in the East and two teams in the West vying for the No. 8 seed in their respective conferences.
In Friday’s early game, it’ll be the Hornets, coming off a thrilling overtime victory over Miami, visiting the Magic, who lost on Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Although Orlando has home court advantage, Charlotte has looked like the better team for months. From January 3 through the end of the regular season, the Hornets posted a 33-15 record with a +10.7 net rating, while Orlando went 26-21 with a +0.2 mark. The Magic have struggled to consistently play the kind of basketball they believe they’re capable of, with their once-vaunted defense not doing enough to make up for a mediocre offense.
Given that context, it’s perhaps no surprise that the Hornets are viewed as the safer bet to win on Friday — most sportsbooks are listing them as 3.5-point favorites.
Still, Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Miami, which Charlotte barely eked out despite the Heat missing Bam Adebayo for most of the night, provided a reminder of the team’s Achilles heels.
The Hornets led the NBA in three-pointers made (16.4 per game) during the regular season, but they’re prone to streakiness. After finishing first and second in threes by a comfortable margin during the regular season, Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball made just 2-of-22 shots from beyond the arc on Tuesday, which allowed Miami to stick around without Adebayo. This also isn’t a roster heavy on postseason experience — a late-game turnover from Ball in overtime against the Heat nearly cost the Hornets that game, and it’ll be interesting to see how poised the young Hornets are on the road on Friday.
Friday’s late game with be another showdown between a pair of division rivals, as the Suns host the Warriors in Phoenix.
Unlike Orlando, the Suns overachieved this season relative to outside expectations, but like the Magic, their inconsistent play during the second half of the season has jeopardized their chances of securing a playoff spot. Phoenix’s offense relies heavily on star guard Devin Booker, but he has struggled mightily in fourth quarters since the All-Star break, as John Voita III of Bright Side of The Sun details (via Twitter).
It feels like Golden State has more momentum entering Friday’s game. The Warriors have been revitalized by Stephen Curry‘s return from a knee injury, and he and forward Draymond Green turned in vintage performances in Wednesday’s road win over the Clippers, with Curry providing the offensive heroics (35 points, seven three-pointers), while Green’s smothering defense on Kawhi Leonard helped secure the victory for the Dubs. Golden State also won its season series with the Suns, taking three of four games.
Still, the Warriors will enter Friday night as the underdogs. The Suns are widely listed as three-point favorites, with home court advantage presumably viewed as a potential difference-maker — Phoenix was 25-16 at Mortgage Matchup Center during the regular season, while Golden State’s regular season mark away from home was 15-26.
It’s worth noting that injuries could also be a factor in Friday’s late game. Besides missing two players (Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody) due to longer-term injuries, the Warriors will also be without Quinten Post (right foot injury management) and have listed Kristaps Porzingis as questionable due to right ankle soreness. Grayson Allen (left hamstring strain) and Mark Williams (left foot soreness) are considered questionable to play for the Suns. Even if Porzingis, Allen, and Williams all suit up, they likely won’t be at 100%.
We want to know what you think. Will the Magic and Suns bounce back from losses earlier this week and take care of business at home to advance to the playoffs? Or will the Hornets and Warriors ride their momentum – from a strong second half and Curry’s return, respectively – right into the first round?
Vote in our poll below, then head to the comment section to share your predictions!
Who will win Friday's play-in games?
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Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors 47% (326)
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Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns 24% (164)
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Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors 18% (126)
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Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns 11% (78)
Total votes: 694
Blazers Clinch Playoff Spot; NBA Announces Full First-Round Schedule
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija scored 41 points on Tuesday as Portland held on to win a back-and-forth contest over the Suns by a score of 114-110. The victory clinched the Blazers’ first playoff berth since 2021, locking them into the No. 7 seed and lining up a first-round matchup against the No. 2 Spurs.
“It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my career so far,” Avdija said after the game, per David Brandt of The Associated Press.
Veteran point guard Jrue Holiday contributed 21 points for the Blazers, while forward Jerami Grant scored 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench in his first game back from a calf strain that sidelined him for the last seven games of the season. But it was Avdija who stole the show in Phoenix, shooting 15-of-22 from the field and handing out 12 assists to go along with his 41 points.
“I feel like he’s unique. Nobody does what he does,” Holiday said. “Deni coming out here, carrying us, especially down the stretch, getting that winning bucket and being able to go home knowing we’re playing San Antonio is something you love to see in Deni because this is what we expect from him now.”
The Suns will get a second chance on Friday to secure a playoff spot of their own by winning a play-in game in their home arena. They’ll host either the Clippers or Warriors, depending on the results of Wednesday’s contest, with Friday’s winner claiming the No. 8 seed and a first-round date with the defending champion Thunder.
The Bulls were the other big winner on Tuesday. As a result of Portland making the playoffs, the Trail Blazers’ top-14 protected first-round pick will now be sent to Chicago. That pick originally changed hands during the 2021 offseason and was supposed to be a 2022 selection, but had landed in its protected range for four straight years until now.
If the Suns win on Friday, that first-rounder will be 15th overall; if the Clippers or Warriors make it through to the No. 8 seed, it’ll drop to 16th. Either way, it’ll be a valuable asset for the rebuilding Bulls, whose own first-round pick will be ninth in the lottery standings.
Following the conclusion of the Blazers/Suns game, the NBA revealed the full schedule for all eight first-round series. Those schedules can be found right here. As usual, the first round is relatively drawn out — if any Game Sevens are necessary, they’ll take place on either May 2 or 3.
The conference semifinals are tentatively scheduled to begin on May 4, but could move up a day or two if certain series wrap up quickly.
Pacific Notes: Lue, Curry, Jackson, Westbrook, Allen
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue was the head coach of the Cavaliers in three of Cleveland’s matchups with the Warriors in the Finals. He now must face Golden State and Stephen Curry again in the play-in tournament on Wednesday. The losing team in the No. 9 vs. 10 matchup will see its season end.
“I’m sick of it,” Lue said playfully when asked about facing Curry again in the postseason. “He’s just a guy that can explode. He can score 50 if you’re not careful. He only had 24 last game, but he had nine three-point attempts. We can’t let him get that many attempts up from the three-point line. We gotta try to keep him down as much as possible… We gotta be locked in to what we’re trying to do defensively.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers could have big man Isaiah Jackson — out since March 27 due to an ankle injury — available for the play-in game against the Warriors. He played 5-on-5 on Monday and practiced on Tuesday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports, and is listed as questionable (Twitter links). Jackson averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game in 15 appearances off the bench last month.
- Russell Westbrook wouldn’t mind staying put with the Kings, Sean Cunningham of KCRA News tweets. “If I’m welcomed back, then I’ll be back,” Westbrook said. The veteran guard was on a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract this season. Playing for his seventh team, Westbrook, 37, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 64 games.
- Suns wing Grayson Allen isn’t active for Tuesday’s play-in tournament game against Portland due to left hamstring soreness, the team tweets. Allen, who suffered the injury last Friday against the Lakers, averaged 16.5 points per game this season, the fourth-best mark on the team. It’s unclear if he’d be available for a second play-in game this Friday or Game 1 of a playoff series on Sunday.
Poll: Who Will Win Tuesday’s Play-In Games?
The Hornets got off to an 11-23 start in 2025/26, looking awfully similar to the team that lost 55, 61, and 63 games in the three seasons prior to this one. But losing their 23rd game on January 2, Charlotte has been a revelation, posting the NBA’s best net rating (+10.7) and sixth-best record (33-15) during that stretch as youngsters like Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel enjoyed breakout years.
Having been bogged down by their slow start, the Hornets’ red-hot play over the course of three-plus months to close out the season only got them so far. They finished the season ranked ninth in the East, so despite being the conference’s fourth-best team since the new year (behind only Detroit, Boston, and Cleveland), Charlotte will have to win a pair of play-in games to make the playoffs.
The first of those play-in matchups will occur on Tuesday, when the Hornets host the Heat in Charlotte. Although the Hornets are comfortably favored to win that game – most sportsbooks are listing Miami as about a six-point underdog – a victory is hardly guaranteed against a Heat team that finished the year just a single game back of Charlotte and won the regular season series 3-1.
The Heat have had a more up-and-down season than the Hornets. After compiling winning streaks of six and seven games earlier in the year, they lost five in a row in March, which decimated their chances of securing a top-six spot in the East. But they’ve had to deal with a series of injuries affecting top players, including Tyler Herro, who was limited to 33 outings after making the All-Star team last season, and have managed to hold their own anyway, finishing in the top 14 in the NBA in both offensive and defensive rating.
Miami also holds the edge in postseason experience over Charlotte. The Heat are old hands in the play-in tournament, having earned playoff spots via the play-in in each of the past three seasons, including as the No. 10 seed a year ago. Conversely, Charlotte hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2016, and the last time they were in the play-in (2022), LaMelo Ball and the Hornets were blown out by 29 points.
Over in the West, the 45-37 Suns will host the 42-40 Trail Blazers in Tuesday’s late game. While the No. 9 Hornets and No. 10 Heat are simply trying to keep their respective seasons alive, Phoenix and Portland are playing in the West’s No. 7 vs. 8 game, meaning one of them will be able to clinch a playoff spot with a victory tonight.
The Suns will host the contest and are viewed as roughly four-point favorites. But the upstart squad, which has enjoyed an encouraging bounce-back season after parting ways with Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant last summer, hasn’t been playing its best basketball in recent weeks. Following a 39-27 start, Phoenix won just six of 16 games to close out the season. The Blazers, on the other hand, wrapped up the regular season on a 10-4 run, picking up a crucial victory over the Clippers on Friday to take control of the No. 8 seed in the West.
Still, like the Heat in the early game, the Suns’ top players have been here before. Top scorers Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks have 76 total playoff appearances between them, while regulars like Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Jalen Green have competed in postseason series too. The Blazers have some veterans in their rotation, including former NBA champion Jrue Holiday, but key contributors Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson have yet to appear in a playoff game.
Will the home court and playoff experience advantages be enough to earn the Suns a win, or will the Blazers’ late-season momentum carry over to the play-in? Can the Heat recreate last season’s success as a No. 10 seed in the play-in, or will the Hornets show on Tuesday that their second-half run was no fluke?
Vote in our poll below on tonight’s matchups, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your predictions!
Who will win Tuesday's play-in games?
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Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns 39% (287)
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Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers 35% (253)
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Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns 17% (125)
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Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers 9% (67)
Total votes: 732
Injury Notes: Doncic, Heat, Allen, Hunter, Butler
Lakers star Luka Doncic is scheduled to return to the United States and rejoin his team on Friday, reports Melissa Rohlin of the California Post.
Doncic, who suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2, had been in Spain receiving treatment on the injury in the hopes of accelerating his recovery timeline. According to Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania of ESPN, the All-Star guard has received multiple injections during his time overseas.
Although Doncic will be reporting back to the Lakers, his status going forward remains up in the air. Typically, a Grade 2 hamstring strain requires a recovery period of approximately a month, and Los Angeles won’t want to be cavalier about its franchise player’s health. Still, Doncic is pushing to return as quickly as he can and the team hasn’t offered any updates on his status since ruling him out for the regular season earlier this month.
We have more health updates from around the NBA:
- Heat guard Dru Smith (right big toe sprain / right foot soreness) and Nikola Jovic (left ankle sprain) have been ruled out for Tuesday’s play-in game in Charlotte, but forward Pelle Larsson expects to be available despite being listed as questionable due to a right lower leg contusion, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
- Suns wing Grayson Allen has been listed as questionable for Tuesday’s play-in game vs. Portland, with head coach Jordan Ott referring to him as “day-to-day,” according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Allen, who is dealing with left hamstring soreness, missed Sunday’s regular season finale. It sounds like his availability will be determined closer to tip-off.
- Kings forward De’Andre Hunter said he has made a “complete and successful recovery” from the eye injury that ended his season, tweets James Ham of The Kings Beat. Hunter underwent surgery on his left eye just after the All-Star break due to a detached retina. Although Sacramento’s season is over, the the 28-year-old has been cleared for basketball activities and should be able to go through his usual offseason routine.
- While Jimmy Butler‘s recovery from ACL surgery figures to extend well into the 2026/27 season, he’s making progress, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link), who notes that the Warriors swingman is no longer using crutches.
Injury Notes: Wembanyama, Leonard, Curry, James, Highsmith
Two days after meeting the 65-game criteria, Victor Wembanyama is out for the Spurs‘ season finale against the Nuggets on Sunday.
“He’s doing well but just a little sore and felt it was the appropriate decision,” said head coach Mitch Johnson, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
Wembanyama is dealing with a sore rib cage following a collision with the Sixers’ Paul George on Wednesday.
“I think he’s the strongest, the best in shape he’s been since I’ve been around,” Johnson said. “But, yeah, I think he’s fought through some games just in terms of, not injury, I’m talking about just physicality, the toll of a really competitive high-level game.”
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic will suit up tonight, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss (via Twitter), as he needs to play at least in 15 minutes in order to reach the 65-game threshold and become award-eligible.
We have more injury news from around the NBA:
- Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for the Clippers as they face off against the Warriors in their season finale. Head coach Ty Lue said of his star forward that he “has been dealing with some things with his wrist and ankle the last couple weeks,” per Mark Medina of Essentially Sports (via Twitter). Leonard recently hit the 65-game mark, making him eligible for end-of-season awards.
- Stephen Curry will start for the Warriors against the Clippers on Sunday, and head coach Steve Kerr hopes to get him up to around 30 minutes played, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reports (Twitter link). Curry has played between 25 and 27 minutes in each of his three games since returning from his extended absence due to a knee injury.
- LeBron James will play for the Lakers on Sunday against the Jazz, Dave McMenamin of ESPN notes (via Twitter), adding that, according to coach JJ Redick, no Laker is expected to play more than low-30s in terms of minutes, including Marcus Smart, who will be on a minutes restriction. Redick wants to try to “control what they can control” by going for the win against Utah, McMenamin writes (Twitter link).
- Haywood Highsmith will play for the Suns tonight after being out since March 17 with right knee injury management, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic notes (Twitter link). “I think that’s what he was shooting for this whole time, just to get back and be available, credit to him,” said head coach Jordan Ott. “He’s had a season where he’s been off the court a ton, and when he’s been on the court for us he’s been super helpful. So excited to see him go back out there and be available.“
Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2025/26
As we outlined in February, a total of 14 teams projected to be taxpayers prior to an eventful trade deadline week, with the 16 non-taxpayers on track to receive about $13.8MM apiece in tax distribution money at that point.
However, the Celtics, Nuggets, Suns, Mavericks, Sixers, Magic, and Raptors all ducked below the luxury tax line with their pre-deadline transactions, while a few other teams remained in the tax but took steps to significantly reduce their end-of-season bills.
As a result, seven NBA teams project to finish over the luxury tax line in 2025/26, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Here are those seven clubs, along with their projected tax penalties:
- Cleveland Cavaliers ($68.7MM)
- Golden State Warriors ($67.9MM) *
- New York Knicks ($44.4MM)
- Los Angeles Lakers ($22.2MM) *
- Houston Rockets ($7.2MM)
- Los Angeles Clippers ($6.7MM) *
- Minnesota Timberwolves ($6MM)
Total: $223.1MM
Note: Teams marked with an asterisk are paying repeater tax rates.
While the projected tax payments are quite similar to the ones from a couple months ago, the total is up slightly overall. That’s because the Warriors, Rockets and Timberwolves signed players to fill out the back ends of their rosters. The Lakers will undoubtedly finalize their roster today — they have one standard opening ahead of Sunday’s deadline.
Based on the current figures from Marks, each non-taxpayer is projected to receive a payout of about $4.9MM. That figure is determined by cutting the total league-wide tax penalties in half, then dividing them evenly among the non-taxpaying teams (in this case, 23 clubs). The projected payout was at $4.8MM in February.
In 2024/25, 10 taxpayers paid a total of $461.2MM in penalties and the 20 non-taxpayers reportedly received $11.5MM apiece. This season’s projected distribution payment of $4.9MM is the lowest figure since 2020/21, according to Marks.
It’s worth noting that the tax penalties could still change again before the 2025/26 league year ends. According to Marks (Twitter links), 36 players had a total of 133 different incentives in their contracts entering the fall, and 15 of those bonuses are still up in the air entering the final day of the regular season. Some of those bonus situations may not be resolved until the playoffs end.
The Warriors, Lakers, and Clippers would all be subject to repeater penalties in 2026/27 if they’re taxpayers again next season. Additionally, the Bucks, Celtics, Suns, and Nuggets would pay repeater rates if they’re in the tax in ’26/27, since all four clubs were in the tax for three straight years from 2023-25. They’ll each need to spend one more season as a non-taxpayer in order to reset the repeater clock.
Grayson Allen Hurts Hamstring; Mark Williams Discusses Healthiest Season
- Suns guard Grayson Allen was forced out of Friday’s game against the Lakers after hurting his hamstring in the second quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The injury occurred when he landed after making a difficult shot over L.A. center Deandre Ayton. Allen has been ruled out of Sunday’s game, Rankin adds in a separate story, along with Devin Booker (right ankle injury management), Dillon Brooks (left second metacarpal injury management) and Royce O’Neale (left knee injury management).
- In an interview posted on the Arizona Republic website, Suns center Mark Williams talks about enjoying the healthiest season of his career. He was available for 60 games, topping his previous high of 44.