SACRAMENTO — There’s a reason why the Warriors dubbed this a dress rehearsal.

Rolling out the lineup they hope to use to escape from the play-in, nothing came easy for a group about as close to full strength as the Warriors hope to get heading into the postseason.

Steph Curry survived an early injury scare but was largely kept quiet for his second consecutive game, Kristaps Porzingis turned in one of his poorest shooting efforts of the season and Al Horford made little impact in limited minutes.

In theory, the debut of the three together should have guided Golden State to an easy win over one of the NBA’s worst teams, but it proved to be a struggle to put away the Kings in a 124-118 loss.

It was Kings guard Devin Carter who played a starring role with six 3-pointers for a game-high 29 points. The Warriors were led by two guards not named Curry: Brandin Podziemski with a career-best 30 points and De’Anthony Melton with 17 off the bench.

Curry was held to 11 points in 27 minutes and didn’t re-emerge after going into the tunnel with about five minutes left. Porzingis connected on only four of 12 attempts from the field for 11 points and Horford failed to grab one rebound while scoring 10 points in 17 minutes.

What it means

The game provided coach Steve Kerr his first look at the team with Curry, Porzingis and Horford all healthy. Without the latter two on Tuesday, the Warriors struggled to put the Kings away at home, and despite possessing most of their missing puzzle pieces ran into trouble again.

Turning point

Whatever hopes the Warriors have for this postseason flashed before their eyes only minutes into the game when Carter blitzed Curry at halfcourt. He swiped the ball clean and sent Curry spinning to the ground, visibly shaken up.

All it amounted to, however, was a scare. 

Curry appeared to tweak the same right knee that has kept him out of all but three games since Jan. 30. But after a timeout and some attention from Rick Celebrini, the head of their medical staff, Curry remained in the game. 

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Carter converted a reverse layup on the opening possession of the second half to extend the Kings’ lead to 65-51, their second-largest of the game, but the Warriors went on to score the following 12 points and took an 89-82 advantage into the final period.

Sacramento mounted a 14-2 run to flip a 98-92 Golden State lead into a 106-100 advantage with 5:16 to play, and the Warriors played from behind the rest of the way.

MVP: Brandin Podziemski

For the anticipation behind the debut of Curry, Horford and Porzingis together, the Warriors’ best player was the only one to play all of their 81 games so far.

Podziemski sank a free throw in the final seconds to reach 30 points for the first time in his career.

Stat of the game: 42

In their 81st game of the season, the Warriors used their 42nd different starting lineup.

With Curry, Porzingis and Horford all healthy at the same time for the first time all year, Kerr said before tipoff, “We’ve been looking forward to this.” He brought Horford off the bench and started Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos and Draymond Green alongside Curry and Porzingis.

They will only have one more dress rehearsal before the play-in, and the first didn’t go so well.

Still, there’s a reason why Kerr said the grouping is so “enticing” to Golden State.

“Lot of versatility, ball handling, shooting,” Kerr said. “Obviously Steph negates a lot of spacing issues, but with the spacing that we will have with Kristaps, there’s the potential that it could open things up for Steph, for BP, for Gui and his driving.”

Up next

Golden State gets one more tuneup Sunday against the Clippers, with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m. PT inside the Intuit Dome. After Los Angeles fell to the Blazers in Portland on Friday, the Clippers would be in line to host Golden State in the 9/10 play-in game if the Blazers beat the Kings on Sunday.

As far as Darko Rajakovic is concerned, the tension of not knowing if his Toronto Raptors will reach the NBA playoffs or stumble into the play-in tournament this weekend is “the beauty of the job.”

The Raptors visited the New York Knicks on Friday and will host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in the final two games of the regular season, with a win in either game clinching Toronto’s first playoff berth in four years. If the Raptors lose both games, they’ll have a longer route to the playoffs, having to advance through the four-team play-in tournament.

“This is what we signed up for, and this is very, very exciting for our coaching staff, our team, for the city of Toronto, for our fans,” said Rajakovic at practice on Wednesday. “Just the path that we had in the last two years, in my three years coaching here, just being in a position to plan, to fight for something, to fight for a playoff, to fight for seeding, and all of that is very, very meaningful.

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“I think it’s helping with the development of our players, of our roster.”

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The Raptors were without two key pieces in New York as starting point guard Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis, right foot) and rookie centre Collin Murray-Boyles (neck strain) were ruled out hours before tip-off.

Both played hurt in back-to-back wins over the Miami Heat in Toronto on Tuesday and Thursday. Rajakovic appreciated them playing through the pain, especially Quickley, who he said had a positive impact on the entire roster.

“He allows everybody to go to their roles that they were developing during the whole season. Guys like to play with him. He provides a lot of spacing, opens up the floor.

Toronto also waived guard Tyreke Key on Friday, although he never actually played any minutes with the NBA club. The transaction will allow the Raptors to convert either Alijah Martin or AJ Lawson of Brampton, Ont., from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract by Sunday, making that player playoff eligible.

The Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers have all locked up playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, with Detroit clinching the top seed. The Raptors (45-35) were fifth entering play Friday, tied with Atlanta but ahead of the Hawks on tiebreakers.

After the two losses in Toronto, Miami is locked into the play-in for a fourth consecutive year. Entering Friday, the other three teams in the field were the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets.

The Raptors haven’t been in the playoffs since the 2021-22 season, when they lost to the Sixers in the first round.

Backup centre Sandro Mamukelashvili said earlier this week that the entire season has been leading up to this weekend.

“We’ve been keeping each other accountable and playing hard. Even though sometimes we have ups and downs, we stay together. We try to figure it out together,” he said. “Coach (Rajakovic) is doing a great job coaching us and helping us get over the humps that we have. It’s amazing to be where we’re at because I don’t think anybody saw us being here.

“Now we’ve just got to lock in and finish strong. It’s not done until it’s done.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

The NBA penalized the Orlando Magic for what the league says was a violation of its injury reporting policies.

The team was fined $25,000 Thursday over Magic guard Anthony Black’s availability ahead of Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

Black missed 15 games leading up to Monday’s matchup as he recovered from an abdominal strain. He was initially designated as out for the game, but the 22-year-old entered and finished with 14 points and a pair of steals.

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Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., April 6, 2026. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Orlando beat Detroit 123-107 for its third straight win. The Magic kept rolling, outlasting the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday for a fourth win in a row.

WARRIORS’ DRAYMOND GREEN FLOATS NBA TANKING FIX, SAYS PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT ‘AIN’T WORKING’

In announcing the fine, the NBA said the Magic failed to accurately disclose Black’s game availability status.

Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., April 8, 2026. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Black, a third-year player from Arkansas, is averaging 15.1 points and 3.8 assists in 62 games, including 40 starts.

Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against Julian Phillips of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Kia Center in Orlando, Fla., April 8, 2026. (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

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The Magic enter Friday’s game in Chicago against the Bulls in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pistons have clinched the East’s best overall record and play the Charlotte Hornets Friday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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A couple of Indiana Pacers fans went viral on Thursday night after what appeared to be a rather animated conversation in the stands.

The Pacers were in Brooklyn to take on the Nets in a battle of NBA basement dwellers, but props to the fans for showing out.

However, during the game, there appeared to be an animated chat between a male and female fan, with the male launching into a monologue.

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Indiana Pacers guard Ethan Thompson drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward E.J. Liddell during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 9, 2026. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

The woman was intently listening and then gave her own thoughts.

“That’s you. What the f— are you talking about?” she appeared to respond, based on lip-reading speculation.

The man almost immediately responded with a face of slight recognition and appreciation at the very least.

Indiana Pacers guard Quenton Jackson leaps to dunk the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 9, 2026. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

MEGAN RAPINOE SAYS GENO AURIEMMA HAS ‘ADDED RESPONSIBILITY’ OF POSITIVE REPRESENTATION BECAUSE HE IS WHITE

An X user claiming to be the woman in the video got a kick out of the viral moment.

“IM CRYINGGGGGGGG I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND THIS IS JUST HOW WE TALK!!!!!!!!!!!!!,” she wrote in a post

At the very least, the latest internet meme was born.

The fans also got a chance to see the Pacers win just their second game in their last 25 contests, which isn’t exactly ideal for tanking.

Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Trevon Scott during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 9, 2026. (Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images)

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It’s a far cry from last year’s Pacers season, when they made the NBA Finals, but Tyrese Haliburton ruptured his Achilles during that series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he’s missed this entire 2025-26 season.

The nightmare for the Pacers and Nets is almost over. The NBA season ends Wednesday.

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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was arrested in October as part of an FBI investigation into illegal sports betting, was reportedly released by the team on Friday.

Rozier, 32, had been away from the team since his arrest and was placed on leave by the NBA for his alleged involvement in illegal sports betting during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. ESPN first reported his release.

Rozier pleaded not guilty to counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in December.

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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

During a game in 2023, Rozier played fewer than 10 minutes, citing a foot injury. Multiple people placed high-stakes wagers on Rozier to play poorly before the game, and all of those individuals won their bets.

Rozier, who signed a four-year, $96.3 million contract extension in 2023, will have his contract come off the books after the season. The $26.6 million he was supposed to earn this season was placed in escrow as his case plays out.

WARRIORS’ DRAYMOND GREEN FLOATS NBA TANKING FIX, SAYS PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT ‘AIN’T WORKING’

Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) looks to pass against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Spectrum Center. (Nell Redmond/USA Today Sports)

The Hornets traded Rozier to the Heat in January 2024, a trade that has come under scrutiny in light of the allegations. The Heat were not aware of the federal and NBA investigations into Rozier at the time of the trade.

After the allegations came forth, the Hornets agreed to give the Heat a second-round pick in the upcoming draft.

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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) handles the ball during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)

For the Heat, the reported release of Rozier allows them to free up a roster spot heading into the playoffs.

The Heat, at 41-39, are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference and are set to make the Play-In Tournament, as the 11th place Milwaukee Bucks are 31-49 and nowhere close to competing for the final spot.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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TORONTO – All season the Toronto Raptors have insisted that they don’t check the standings, the schedule, or the out-of-town scoreboard.

As the regular season started to wind down, however, a handful of Raptors admitted to peeking at the Eastern Conference standings to see how close they are to clinching a playoff spot.

Except Brandon Ingram, who claims he’s shutting out the world now more than ever.

“We’re getting closer and closer to what we want at the end of the season. We just take it game by game,” he said after Toronto beat the Miami Heat 128-114 on Thursday night. “I stopped looking at the standings and I just focus on how I can be my best self on any given night and just continue to be aggressive, find my teammates when they’re open and get some defensive stops.”

Ingram had a season-high 38 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists as the Raptors won both games of the back-to-back against the Heat. Toronto (45-35) moved into fifth in the standings ahead of the idle Atlanta Hawks.

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Although the two teams have identical records, the Raptors are ahead of Atlanta based off of tiebreakers.

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Toronto visits the New York Knicks on Friday and will host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in both teams’ regular-season finale. Winning either game will clinch the Raptors’ first playoff berth in four years.

“It’s a good time to be in a rhythm going into these playoffs,” said Ingram of his standout performance. “We take it game by game, try to get better, try to figure out what schemes we want to do for the playoffs, and how do we attack each and every game and have a sense of urgency on both sides of the basketball.

“I think these last two games, it’s a chance for us to have a focus and take things serious, leading them up to and into the playoffs.”

All-star Scottie Barnes got into early foul trouble against the Heat but Ingram stepped up.

He played aggressively in the first half, forcing the Heat to double- or triple-team him on defence, opening up scoring opportunities for his Toronto teammates. Ingram had 10 points in the first quarter and 13 in the second.

Ingram said he knew he had to play with force.

“We’ve beat them three times this year, so coming out early in that game, we knew they were going to give us their best hit, and we had to respond defensively and offensively,” said Ingram. “Tyler Herro came out gunning and made a few shots, and everybody was in attack mode so we had to be able to withstand the first run and just fight back.”

Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Ingram might actually regret such a strong showing.

“Now he’s in trouble,” said Rajakovic with a smile. “Now we know what he can do, so we’re going to expect it.”

Ignoring the standings and focusing on playing one game at a time was Rajakovic’s edict, one that he’s still sticking with. Asked what his expectations were heading into the decisive weekend, he wouldn’t even look beyond the next 24 hours.

“We’re going to try to beat Miami to the airport because our flights are at the same time,” said Rajakovic to laughter. “Then we go to New York and compete the best we can against New York.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

So much for finally breaking through last year. So much for basically putting the Celtics on the brink even before Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in Game 4 of the second round, for beating Boston in their first playoff matchup since 2013, for — despite their inability to beat the Celtics consistently during the regular season — signaling the potential for a changing of the guard atop the Eastern Conference. Maybe Boston was still Boston, but the Knicks could do more than just hang.

But so much can change in a year. Tatum is already back from an injury that typically sidelines athletes for a year. He returned in just 298 days. The Celtics have leapfrogged the Knicks in the conference standings and will likely end up as the No. 2 seed, too. And the Knicks have been plagued by rocky stretches and an inability to defeat teams above .500. The decision to fire Tom Thibodeau and hire Mike Brown has paid off at times, but key pieces such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges have still been inconsistent — and sometimes invisible.

The Knicks convincingly winning their Eastern Conference semifinals series last year was supposed to vault them to a new tier. But instead, they almost need to beat the Celtics again to establish themselves as a true contender and silence any critics suggesting otherwise. Because until then, the optics suggest that the Knicks are still chasing the Celtics.

Entering the season, this had been pegged as a rebuilding year for Boston. Sure, they still had Jaylen Brown. Sure, they still had Derrick White. But, with an increasingly onerous payroll, they sent Kristaps Porziņģis to the Hawks and shipped Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers. The Celtics, like the Pacers without Tyrese Haliburton, were supposed to be outside the tier of contenders. That was supposed to open the door for the Knicks. If there was any year where they’d have a clear path to at least reach the NBA Finals, this was going to be that year.

TORONTO – Everyone on the Toronto Raptors is hurting but, with three regular-season games left on the schedule and the final playoff spot theirs for the taking, they’re playing through it.

Scottie Barnes had 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists as Toronto earned a critical 121-95 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday. According to head coach Darko Rajakovic, Barnes took a stiff shot to his ribs in the Raptors’ 115-101 loss to the Boston Celtics two days earlier.

“I’ve been banged up, but, you know, you’ve just got to play through it,” said Barnes after the victory over Miami. “Can’t really focus on that, just try to play with your brain and try to make sure that you feel as good as possible. Trick yourself in that way.

“But just go out there and play with a lot of effort, play with a lot of energy, get better, and just try to win.”

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Toronto (44-35) tightened its grip on the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with the win.

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Miami (41-38) was 10th in the East, holding the fourth seed in the conference’s play-in tournament, three games back of the Raptors.

The two teams meet again Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.

Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis, right foot), Sandro Mamukelashvili (left knee soreness) and rookie centre Collin Murray-Boyles (right quad contusion) were all game-time decisions, but were made available to play for Toronto less than an hour before the opening tipoff.

“Long season, man. It’s hard. It’s tough,” said Murray-Boyles, who had six points and eight rebounds but was plus-17 against Miami. “Obviously, this is like three (collegiate) seasons, all balled into one.

“Definitely tough, but I think it helps me for the future, knowing how to really prepare myself for these type of moments, especially at the end of this season.”

Murray-Boyles had two blocks and a steal as the Raptors turned in an impressive defensive showing.

The Heat have been held to fewer than 100 points just six times this season, but three of those times were against Toronto.

On top of dealing with his right-quad contusion, Murray-Boyles has been managing a sprained left thumb throughout the season. Although it takes a beating in every rebound, block, steal and deflection, the 20-year-old said he has no intention of slowing down.

“I wouldn’t be playing if I did that. That’s my identity, being aggressive,” said Murray-Boyles. “You know, being a defensive pest out there, being active and stuff like that, that’s what I made a name off of.

“I have to do it.”

Quickley started against Miami, scoring three points and adding four assists and four rebounds in 18 minutes of play.

Rajakovic said that, despite the dominant win over the Heat, Toronto still isn’t playing to the best of its abilities.

“Because we’re really banged up still,” he said. “Several guys played banged up, played through a lot of pain.

“That’s the NBA. That’s the part of the season we’re in.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

Considering who wasn’t available for the Lakers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, it wasn’t a surprise that they were blown out by the league-best Thunder for the second time in five days.

But their spirited start despite Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes being available offered a glimmer of hope. 

Two-way center Drew Timme couldn’t miss early. 

Luke Kennard was once again leading the Lakers’ offense has a playmaker. 

Rookie forward Adou Thiero’s athleticism was popping.

And somehow, the Lakers found themselves tied with the defending champions at 42 apiece midway through the second quarter.

But that hope quickly evaporated, with the Thunder taking full control of the game.

The Lakers scored just 22 points over the next 24 minutes of playing time en route to a 123-87 blowout loss. 

Their scoring total was their lowest in a game this season. 

Rui Hachimura, one of four Lakers who were getting rotation minutes a week ago who was available on Tuesday, led the short-handed Lakers with 15 points. 

Timme had 11 points. Kennard finished with 10 points and 9 assists, while Thiero had a career-high 10 points in the most playing time he’s had in an NBA game (21 minutes).

What it means

The Lakers are in the midst of their first three-game losing streak since Feb. 22-26.

They stayed at No. 4 in the Western Conference standings with a 50-29 record, now a game behind the Nuggets (51-28) with three games left in the regular season.

Turning point

It should’ve been much earlier in the game considering who wasn’t available for the Lakers.

But when Jake LaRavia missed a pair of free throws late in the second quarter, with the Lakers already trailing, 60-46, and Isaiah Joe made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put the Thunder up by 17, it was clear if it wasn’t already that Tuesday wasn’t going to be the Lakers’ night. 

MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The reigning league MVP didn’t have any troubles against the depleted Lakers.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to go with 8 assists in 28 minutes, sitting out of the fourth with the Thunder leading 93-62 going into the final quarter.

Stat of the game: 17

That’s how many free throws the Lakers missed, making an already difficult game even more challenging than it needed to be.

The Lakers’ 45.2% free-throw percentage on Tuesday was by far their worst mark for a game this season.

Their previous worst free-throw percentage accuracy was the 57.1% they shot from the charity stripe in the Jan. 9 home loss to the Bucks.

Up next

The Lakers will travel to San Francisco to play the Warriors on Thursday at Chase Center.

The matchup against the Warriors will be the first night of a back-to-back, with the Lakers hosting the Suns on Friday.