Stephen Curry scored 35 points to help the Golden State Warriors erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit and defeat the LA Clippers 126-121 in Wednesday’s NBA play-in tournament game in Inglewood.
The 38-year-old point guard scored 27 of his points in a dominant second-half performance to keep his team’s postseason hopes alive.
Al Horford also proved crucial during the closing stages, sinking four three-pointers as the visitors surged to a dramatic victory.
Curry completes dramatic turnaround
The hosts appeared to be cruising toward the next round when they established a 98-85 advantage with under 10 minutes remaining.
However, the 10th-place franchise produced a devastating 16-6 run to completely flip the momentum of the contest.
The veteran sharpshooter broke a late tie with his seventh triple of the evening, leaving just 50 seconds on the clock.
Kristaps Porzingis was heavily involved in the comeback effort, contributing 20 points to support the offensive barrage.
Overcoming regular season adversity
Defensively, the victors smothered Kawhi Leonard during the final quarter, holding the experienced forward scoreless until the closing 16 seconds.
This resilient performance continues a turbulent campaign for a squad that limped to a 37-45 regular season record.
Their challenging year was heavily impacted by the loss of Jimmy Butler III to a season-ending injury in January.
Their star guard had also only returned five games ago following a lengthy 27-game absence with a knee issue.
Clippers streak comes to an end
The franchise will now travel to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday, with the winner advancing to play the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Defeat means Los Angeles will miss the playoffs for only the third time during an impressive streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons.
Bennedict Mathurin led the scoring for the eliminated side with 23 points, while Darius Garland added 21 points and eight assists.
Despite recovering from a dismal 6-21 start to the year to finish 42-40, late-season defeats ultimately forced them into an unforgiving play-in position.
Four-time Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson has signed a historic three-year, $5m supermax contract to remain with the Las Vegas Aces.
The groundbreaking deal is the largest in WNBA history and fully guarantees her future with the reigning champions.
Negotiated by Klutch Sports Group, the agreement ensures the franchise cornerstone will earn $1.4m for the upcoming season under the league’s next collective bargaining agreement.
Her salary will steadily increase over the subsequent two years, anchored to a 20% share of the team’s salary cap.
Paving the way for a new financial era
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is currently the only other athlete on a supermax contract, although that arrangement is strictly for a single season.
These newly agreed terms solidify the financial future of a player who recently became the WNBA’s first-ever four-time MVP.
Aces president and general manager Nikki Fargas praised the American’s unmatched impact on the organisation.
“A’ja is truly one of one, who has led this franchise to where it is today,” Fargas stated.
“Not only has she catapulted into the history books and surpassed almost every record in existence, but she does so with the utmost confidence, authenticity and grace.”
An unprecedented run of dominance
The South Carolina graduate enjoyed a phenomenal 2025 campaign, becoming the first player in WNBA or NBA history to win the scoring title, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season.
During that historic run, the dominant centre averaged 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
Securing her signature means Las Vegas will officially return 90% of their scoring power as they prepare to defend their title.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist had previously dismissed any speculation about a potential departure during a recent USA Basketball training camp.
“I love Vegas. I’m not leaving Vegas,” she told reporters last Friday.
“I’m looking to win another one. I’m looking to defend a championship that we have in Las Vegas.”
Drafted first overall in 2018, the 29-year-old has comprehensively transformed the Nevada-based franchise into a modern basketball dynasty.
The NBA has revealed that 170 million people in the United States watched regular-season games this year, marking an 86% increase fuelled by the league’s new broadcast partnerships.
This monumental growth represents the best domestic audience figures recorded by the North American basketball organisation in 24 years.
The staggering surge coincides with the first year of a groundbreaking 11-year media rights deal worth more than $76bn (£59.8bn).
New network partners drive record engagement
Fans consumed content across four primary platforms this season, including traditional stalwarts ABC and ESPN.
Amazon Prime Video joined the rotation for the very first time, bringing an entirely new streaming audience to the sport.
Meanwhile, NBC and its Peacock streaming service returned to the hardwood for the first time in a generation.
Historic milestones across multiple metrics
The positive trend extended well beyond standard television ratings, with the league releasing a series of impressive statistical milestones.
- Average network viewership jumped by 35% to reach its highest level in 13 years.
- People tuned into live basketball action for more than 920 million hours, the highest cumulative total since the 2011-12 campaign.
- The midseason All-Star Game captured an average audience of 8.8 million to secure its largest turnout since 2011.
- Interest in the in-season NBA Cup group stage skyrocketed with a 90% viewing increase.
Social media and physical attendance boom
Digital engagement easily matched the traditional broadcast success.
The organisation’s official social media channels generated an unprecedented 228 billion views over the course of the campaign.
Physical attendance over the past three seasons in arenas across the continent is now higher than any other three-year span in history.
A total of 57 individual telecasts reached an average of at least two million viewers, further cementing the sport’s growing cultural footprint.
Reigning national champions Michigan and fellow Final Four side UConn have begun aggressively rebuilding their rosters through the transfer portal following the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.
Just eight days after the showpiece event in Indianapolis, the American collegiate basketball landscape has shifted dramatically.
More than 2,000 athletes have entered the transfer portal, sparking a frantic recruitment period for top programmes.
Michigan, UConn, Arizona and Illinois have all lost key personnel since the season concluded.
Three of those national semifinalists have already moved swiftly to secure high-profile replacements.
Wolverines reload after title win
The reigning champions began their recruitment drive even before securing the national title.
Five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr committed to Dusty May’s side during the half-time interval of their semifinal victory over Arizona.
The Ann Arbor programme quickly followed that coup by securing Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella.
However, the title-winners have lost several core components of their squad, with starters Yaxel Lendeborg and Nimari Burnett exhausting their collegiate eligibility.
Draft decisions loom for Michigan
The team’s frontcourt future now hinges on the impending NBA draft decisions of Morez Johnson Jr and Aday Mara.
The Spanish centre surged into lottery contention late in the campaign, while Johnson is viewed as a potential first-round selection.
May is also seeking additional scoring power as he plots a title defence.
The Wolverines recently hosted highly sought-after Wake Forest guard Juke Harris, who is also considering North Carolina and Tennessee.
Huskies seek continued dominance
Dan Hurley has established a formidable dynasty at UConn, reaching three Final Fours in four years and securing two national titles.
The Huskies face a significant rebuilding phase following the departure of programme legend Alex Karaban.
Tournament standout Tarris Reed has also departed, alongside former highly touted recruit Eric Reibe, who opted for the transfer portal.
Despite the exodus, the Connecticut-based outfit has retained crucial backcourt experience.
Silas Demary Jr has confirmed his return, and he is expected to be joined by returning guard Solo Ball.
Deni Avdija scored 41 points to inspire the Portland Trail Blazers to a 114-110 comeback victory over the Phoenix Suns in Tuesday’s NBA play-in tournament, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
The visitors trailed by 11 points in the fourth quarter before rallying dramatically in Arizona.
A go-ahead three-point play from Avdija with just 16.1 seconds remaining proved decisive in a thrilling conclusion.
Jordan Goodwin had briefly restored a 110-109 advantage for Phoenix with a driving layup moments earlier.
However, the Portland forward responded with a physical drive to the basket, drawing a crucial foul while finishing the play.
Late defensive stand seals Portland progression
The Suns were given one final opportunity to salvage their evening after falling 112-110 behind.
Jalen Green failed to connect on a desperate three-point attempt to reclaim the lead for the hosts.
Goodwin managed to secure the offensive rebound but was immediately stripped of possession by Matisse Thybulle.
That vital defensive intervention from the elite perimeter defender effectively ended the contest.
Spurs await as Suns face sudden death
Portland’s reward for navigating the opening stage of the play-in tournament is a first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Phoenix must now regroup quickly to save their season in a do-or-die elimination game on Friday.
They will host the winner of the upcoming clash between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors.
The victor of that final fixture will claim the eighth playoff seed and advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
LaMelo Ball scored a decisive late layup as the Charlotte Hornets eliminated the Miami Heat from the NBA play-in tournament with a dramatic 127-126 overtime victory.
Miles Bridges then blocked Davion Mitchell’s buzzer-beating attempt to secure Charlotte’s first postseason home win in a decade.
The hard-fought result keeps the North Carolina franchise’s hopes alive for an eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Ball makes NBA play-in history
The dynamic point guard finished the night with 30 points and 10 assists to lead his team’s scoring efforts.
He becomes only the fourth player in league history to register at least 30 points and 10 assists in a play-in fixture.
Bridges contributed 28 points and nine rebounds, while mid-season signing Coby White added a vital 19 points off the bench.
White forced the extra period by draining a crucial turnaround three-pointer with just 10.8 seconds remaining in regulation time.
Late drama seals Miami’s fate
The visitors suffered a significant setback in the second quarter when Bam Adebayo left the court with a lower back injury.
Despite losing their star center, the Florida outfit stayed in contention through 28 points from Mitchell and 27 from Andrew Wiggins.
A frantic conclusion to overtime saw Tyler Herro convert three crucial free throws to give Miami a one-point lead with 8.7 seconds left.
However, the explosive Hornets playmaker responded instantly by driving the lane for a leaning right-handed finish.
A desperate final push by the visitors ended when Bridges spectacularly chased down Mitchell to swat away the winning attempt.
Charlotte will now travel to face either the Philadelphia 76ers or Orlando Magic on Friday as they seek their first full playoff appearance in 10 years.
Meanwhile, the defeated Heat will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick has confirmed that star guard Luka Doncic remains sidelined indefinitely as the team begins preparations for their first-round play-off series against the Houston Rockets.
The Slovenian playmaker is currently rehabilitating a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Spain, where he has received multiple injections.
He is expected to return to California on Friday to rejoin his team-mates before Game 1 on Saturday.
Fellow backcourt starter Austin Reaves is also recovering from a Grade 2 left oblique strain suffered against the Oklahoma City Thunder on 2 April.
James to shoulder offensive burden
With their primary ball-handlers unavailable, the 17-time NBA champions will rely heavily on LeBron James against Houston.
The 23-year veteran recently earned Western Conference Player of the Week honours after guiding his side to three wins in their final four regular-season games.
“I do think we have other options [other than] just him having the ball and going against a set defense every single possession,” Redick stated.
The coaching staff plans to implement varied offensive schemes to counter the defensive coverages deployed by their Texan opponents.
Rebounding battle crucial for advancement
The upcoming series presents a significant stylistic clash, particularly on the glass.
Houston dominated the league in rebounding this season, leading the NBA with 48.1 total boards and 15.0 offensive rebounds per game.
Conversely, the Los Angeles franchise struggled significantly in that department, finishing 27th overall in the regular season standings.
To address this disparity, the coaching staff subjected the roster to intensive box-out drills during Tuesday’s focused practice session.
“Taking care of the basketball and boxing out, that’s the series,” the Lakers manager explained.
“Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not going to win the series.”
Scouting a formidable opponent
Preparations will intensify throughout the week as the squad studies a dangerous Houston roster.
The opposition features prolific scorer Kevin Durant, ascending Turkish centre Alperen Sengun and highly athletic wing Amen Thompson.
Despite the daunting task and injury setbacks, the technical staff remains confident that their meticulous scheduling will have the group primed for the weekend opener.
The Golden State Valkyries have traded eighth overall pick Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm just 45 minutes after drafting her in New York.
In a stunning move on WNBA draft night, the expansion franchise sent the dynamic guard to Seattle in exchange for Marta Suarez and a 2028 second-round selection.
The former LSU All-American had only just heard her name called at the podium before the unexpected transaction occurred.
Valkyries remain tight-lipped over trade
Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin declined to provide specific reasons for the rapid departure of the 2023 national champion.
I’m going to take a beat to be able to eloquently give a response. I don’t have a lot of detail to share.
Nyanin added that she wanted to be thoughtful when discussing players and their abilities, while refusing to comment on whether salary cap implications played a role.
The Valkyries will now welcome Suarez, a 6ft 3in post player who averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds for TCU this season.
Storm secure an unexpected star
Seattle will pair their new acquisition with third overall pick Awa Fam Thiam as they look to build a formidable young core.
Storm general manager Talisa Rhea expressed her delight at securing the high-profile talent, who is also a signed Roc Nation recording artist.
The opportunity to add Flau’jae was really exciting and incredible for us. We didn’t think that she would be available at that point.
Rhea confirmed the Pacific Northwest side had been exploring opportunities to move up in the draft for an impact player.
The guard leaves college basketball tied for the second-most wins in LSU history, having averaged 14.2 points and 2.5 assists during her senior campaign.