Top Stories

• Warriors beat Blazers to pass Lakers

• Pelicans keep out of Play-In

• All Playoff/Play-In teams locked in

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Games of the day

Last Night’s Top Games! (link to the box scores of every game from yesterday)

Stephen Curry had 22 points and the Golden State Warriors won their third straight and nine of their last 10. Golden State has already clinched a play-in spot but can potentially improve its playoff seeding in the final two games. They have the same record as the Kings and Lakers at 45-35, and although all 3 teams are locked into the Play-In, the host of the game can change. And the location can make all the difference in a single elimination game. As it stands now, Golden State would host LA in a game that would face them off with the loser of the Suns-Kings matchup.

CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson each scored 31 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat Sacramento 135-123 to complete a five-game season sweep of the Kings. McCollum tied a season high with nine 3-pointers in 12 attempts added seven assists to help the Pelicans improve their chances of avoiding the play-in tournament. They are sixth in the Western Conference, the final guaranteed playoff spot. New Orleans improved to 27-14 on the road, a franchise record for wins and tied with the Celtics for the best mark in the NBA. The Pelicans (48-32) lead the Phoenix Suns by one game for the sixth seed with two games remaining. Things would have to go catastrophic for New Orleans to fall into the Play In, as all they have to do is win at least 1 of their last 2 games to stay afloat.

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League News

Around the League

• Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis have been named Players of The Week for Week 24.

• The 20 teams split between both conferences that will be playing in the Playoffs and Play-In are all set. The Eastern Conference will have Boston secured as the #1 seed, with Milwaukee, New York, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana, and Philly as possible 2-6 seeds. Chicago will host Atlanta in the 9-10 Play-in game. Orlando and Indiana are the current 5 and 6 seeds, but they have a chance to fall into the Play-In to play Miami if either team loses all of their remaining games and Philly wins all of theirs. In the Western Conference, as of writing this, Denver is the #1 seed. Followed by Minnesota, OKC, LA (Clippers), Dallas, and New Orleans as 2-6. Phoenix is #7 and has a slim chance to get out the Play-in. Sacramento, Golden State, and LA (Lakers), are 8-10 but have identical records. All 3 of those teams will have to win at least 1 Play-In game to make the playoffs regardless of their record in these last few days.

• Injury Updates: Giannis Antetokounmpo (achilles) will miss the rest of the regular season. Julius Randle (shoulder) is out for the season. Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell will both miss the rest of the season. Malik Monk (knee) will miss 4-6 weeks. Kevin Huerter (shoulder) is out for the season. LaMelo Ball (ankle) is out for the season. Brandon Ingram (knee) will miss at least 1 week. Ausar Thompson (blood clot) is out for the season. Christian Wood (knee) underwent surgery and will be out multiple weeks. Bilal Coulibaly (wrist) sustained a fracture and will be out for the season. Alperen Sengun (ankle and knee) is out for the season. Saddiq Bey (knee) tore his ACL and is out for the season. Benedict Mathurin (shoulder) underwent surgery and is out for the season. Ben Simmons (back) is out for the season. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) underwent surgery and will be return this week. Josh Richardson (shoulder) had surgery and will be out for the season. Scottie Barnes (hand) underwent surgery and will be out at least 2 weeks. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) will miss at least 2 more weeks. Marcus Smart (finger) will be out 1 more week. Gabe Vincent (knee) will be out at least 1 more week. Tari Eason (leg) had surgery and will be out for the season. Patrick Williams (foot) had surgery and will be out for the season. Zach LaVine (foot) underwent surgery and will be out for the season. Robert Williams underwent knee surgery and will be out for the season. Ja Morant had surgery on a torn labrum and will miss the rest of the season. We wish all these guys speedy and successful recoveries.

Front Office News

• Jrue Holiday agreed on a 4 year, $135M contract with Boston. The Free Agent market is still deep with vets like Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Tyreke Evans, Austin Rivers, and John Wall ready to contribute to winning or to mentor young guys. Joe Harris, Victor Oladipo, and Killian Hayes were all cut or waived by their teams and are available to be signed.

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NBA MVP Race

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 26.5 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 9.0 apg

His case: Denver lost, but Jokic put on a triple-double show last Thursday against the Clippers with 36 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists as the Nuggets fell a half-game behind No. 1 Minnesota in the West. They now sit at #1 after beating Minnesota.

The two-time MVP also faced a potential future MVP last Tuesday in Victor Wembanyama, who flirted with a quadruple-double. Jokic tied his season-high with 42 points — despite the Spurs rookie blocking his shot four times — and finished with 16 boards and six dimes.

2. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 33.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 9.8 apg

His case: When he wasn’t throwing no-look crosscourt dimes last Tuesday in producing his 20th triple-double of the season, Doncic splashed 5-for-11 from deep to seize the Mavericks’ single-season record for made 3-pointers (258).

The Warriors snapped Dallas’ seven-game winning streak that night. But Doncic brought the Mavs back majorly, stepping through on the way to the bank to cash in a win Thursday against the Hawks. He scored 16 points in the second quarter.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last week’s ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 30.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 6.3 apg

His case: Gilgeous-Alexander missed the fourth of Oklahoma City’s last five games last Wednesday at Boston, effectively pumping the brakes for now on what’s been a strong MVP candidacy. Let’s not forget the 25-year-old has starred in 71 of the OKC’s 76 games up to this point.

Given the club’s lead over several teams in the West, Gilgeous-Alexander’s prospects remain alive if the Thunder can maintain and finish among the top three in the conference. OKC is now 1-4 without SGA.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 4

Season stats: 30.7 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 6.5 apg

His case: Dropped a triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists last Tuesday in a loss at Washington. He nailed 15-for-21 from the floor while the rest of the team shot 37% as Milwaukee fell to 5-5 this season when the two-time MVP posts a triple-double.

Despite Antetokounmpo scoring 35-plus points in three of his last five games, the Bucks have lost four of five. Milwaukee plays its next four at home.

5. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Last week’s ranking: No. 5

Season stats: 27.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.9 apg

His case: Tatum pushed Boston to its first 60-win season since the 2008-09 season with a 24-point night last Wednesday in a 135-100 trouncing of Oklahoma City. The victory marked the Celtics’ 11th in a row at TD Garden and ensures they’ll finish the regular season with the best record in the league.

Expect the Celtics to continue rolling, playing five of their last six at home.

The Next Five:

6. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings (Last week’s ranking: No. 6)
7. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (Last week’s ranking: No. 8)
8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers (Last week’s ranking: No. 9)
9. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (Last week’s ranking: unranked)
10. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers (Last week’s ranking: No. 10)

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Fantasy Leaders

CJ McCollum makes his Top 3 debut

Overtime Thoughts

Hoopgrids

Hoopgrids is a daily basketball trivia game. You cross match each category to find a player that fits both. The rarer the player, the lower the score. The goal is to get the lowest rarity score possible.