Pistons surge past Hornets 118-100, locking Charlotte into the play-in

The Sat, April 11, 2026 at 5:06 AM UTC

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Cade Cunningham, base de los Pistons de Detroit, logra una volcada frente a LaMelo Ball, de los Hornets de Charlotte, el viernes 10 de abril de 2026 (AP Foto/Nell Redmond) ()

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jalen Duren had 20 points, Duncan Robinson scored 19 and the Detroit Pistons beat Charlotte 118-100 on Friday night, locking the Hornets into the play-in tournament.

Already assured of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons played their regular starters against the Hornets.

Cade Cunningham scored 14 points, Ronald Holland II had 13 and Ausar Thompson added 12 for Detroit, which is one win shy of its first 60-win season in 20 years with one regular-season game remaining. Duren also had a game-high nine rebounds.

LaMelo Ball had 27 points and eight assists and Brandon Miller had 22 points to lead the Hornets.

Through late in the third quarter, the lead had changed hands 11 times with 13 ties and neither team led by more than eight.

But Charlotte held its last lead at 83-82 with 5:52 left in the third quarter and after the teams were last tied at 87 with 2:46 left in that period, Detroit went on a 24-8 burst for a 111-92 lead with 6:23 to play.

HEAT 140, WIZARDS 117

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington clinched the worst record in the NBA with a loss to the Miami.

Washington (17-64) has lost nine in a row and 25 of its last 26 to tumble to the bottom of the standings.

The Wizards became the first NBA team to lose 64 games in three consecutive seasons. The Vancouver Grizzlies lost at least 63 games in each of their first three seasons from 1995-96 to 1997-98, while the Process-era Philadelphia 76ers matched that futility from 2013-14 to 2015-16.

Simone Fontecchio and Pelle Larsson both scored 24 points for the Heat (42-39), who had lost 10 of 13. Miami scored an average of 143.5 points while going 4-0 against Washington this season.

The Heat are already assured a fourth consecutive trip to the play-in tournament.

Miami’s Bam Adebayo had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He scored 83 points, the second-most in NBA history, against Washington on March 10 and averaged 34.8 points against the Wizards this season.

Miami used a 10-0 run late in the first quarter to take the lead for good. The Heat was up 34-23 after a quarter and 72-52 at halftime. Miami shot 63.2% (24 of 38) in the first half.

KNICKS 112, RAPTORS 95

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 29 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and New York clinched the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with its 13th consecutive victory over Toronto.

The Knicks improved to 53-28 with the victory in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff series. New York lost its chance to climb to No. 2 when Boston beat the lottery-bound New Orleans Pelicans, while Toronto (45-36) is currently sixth in the East after having its two-game winning streak snapped.

Brunson shot 12 for 18 from the field while Towns was just as effective, shooting 8 for 12 for the Knicks, who extended their winning streak to five games.

New York forward OG Anunoby injured his left ankle midway through the second quarter and did not return to the game.

Brandon Ingram scored 16 points and Ja’Kobe Walter and Scottie Barnes each had 15 for the Raptors, who have not beaten New York since Jan. 22, 2023. The Knicks won all five meetings this season, once in the NBA Cup tournament.

CELTICS 144, PELICANS 118

BOSTON (AP) — Sam Hauser had 24 points on eight 3-pointers, and Boston tied the franchise and NBA record with 29 3s on its way to clinching the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed with a win over New Orleans.

Jaylen Brown added 23 points in 29 minutes, sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Payton Pritchard finished with 21 points and 10 assists for Boston, which clinched the Atlantic Division.

The Celtics’ 29 3s equal their total from Oct. 22, 2024 against the Knicks. The Memphis Grizzlies (April 6 vs. Cleveland) and Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 29, 2020 at Miami) also share the record.

Big man Neemias Queta even got in on the action for Boston, knocking down his first career 3 to go along with 10 rebounds. Seven different Celtics players had at least two.

Boston led by as many as 41 points against a Pelicans team missing several starters.

76ERS 105, PACERS 118

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points, Paul George had 21 and Philadelphia beat Indiana to snap a three-game skid.

VJ Edgecombe scored 16 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. had 15 and Andre Drummond had 16 rebounds and 10 points for the Sixers (44-37), who maintained their eighth-place position in the Eastern Conference with one game remaining.

A year after they made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Pacers (19-62) ensured they will finish with the second-worst record in the league.

Jarace Walker led Indiana with 17 points, followed by Quenton Jackson with 16 and Ethan Thompson with 15. Micah Potter had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers went 14 of 50 from 3-point range, while the Sixers were 5 of 29. Indiana had 21 turnovers while the Sixers had just eight.

Philadelphia finished with a 64-28 advantage in points in the paint.

HAWKS 124, CAVALIERS 102

ATLANTA (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 29 points and Atlanta used a big third quarter to blow out Cleveland, clinching a playoff spot and the Southeast Division title.

The Hawks had not won the Southeast Division since 2021, when they ultimately advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. They have been in the play-in tournament the last four seasons.

James Harden scored 20 points for the Cavs, who are locked into the No. 4 seed in the East. Jaylon Tyson returned from a 10-game absence to start and had 15 points.

Dyson Daniels had 13 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, his second triple-double of his career. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 18 points and Jalen Johnson added 18 points and nine rebounds before sitting out the final 10 minutes of the game. The Cavs shot 26% from 3-point range.

The Hawks have won 14 of their final 15 home games ahead of the playoffs.

Atlanta led 66-55 in the third quarter, then put together a 16-0 run to push the lead to 27. It was never threatened thereafter.

BUCKS 125, NETS 108

MILWAUKEE (AP) — AJ Green made 11 3-pointers to set Milwaukee's single-game record and scored a career-high 35 points in a victory over Brooklyn.

Green shot 11 of 16 from 3-point range to break the record of 10 3-pointers that Ray Allen and Damian Lillard had shared. Green’s now has 227 3-pointers as he chases the franchise single-season record of 229, set by Allen in 2001-02.

Milwaukee’s Cormac Ryan added a career-high 28 points in his first start. Taurean Prince had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Prince was 6 of 11 and Ryan 5 of 9 on 3-point attempts.

As a team, Milwaukee shot 24 of 48 from beyond the arc.

This game marked the Bucks’ home finale as they wrap up their first losing season in a decade, snapping a string of nine straight playoff appearances. It comes amid speculation regarding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.

MAGIC 127, BULLS 103

CHICAGO (AP) — Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Jamal Cain added 20 and Orlando remained in the running to avoid the play-in tournament by beating Chicago.

Orlando’s fifth straight win, combined with Toronto’s loss to New York, moved the Magic (45-36) into a tie with the Raptors for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with one game remaining.

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Paolo Banchero chipped in with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Jalen Suggs scored all 12 of his points and hit four 3-pointers in the third quarter, helping the Magic break open the game.

Tre Jones scored 23 points for Chicago (31-50), which hit the 50-loss mark for the first time since the 2018-19 team finished 22-60 under Fred Hoiberg and Jim Boylen. The Bulls are looking for new leadership after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley on Monday. They could also be in the market for a new coach if Billy Donovan opts to step down after six seasons.

Leonard Miller had 15 points and seven rebounds. Matas Buzelis scored 14 after missing three games because of an illness. He exited with a sprained right ankle in the fourth quarter and wasn’t sure if he’ll travel to Dallas for the season finale on Sunday. Josh Giddey missed his fourth straight game because of a strained left hamstring, and Donovan said he will not play against the Mavericks.

SPURS 139, MAVERICKS 120

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 40 points and 13 rebounds in his 65th game to become eligible for NBA awards, and San Antonio beat Dallas.

De’Aaron Fox had 18 points and 10 assists and Keldon Johnson had 17 points for San Antonio.

Rookie Cooper Flagg had 33 points, six rebounds and five assists for Dallas, which has lost 11 of 13.

After opening the season with a 40-point game against Dallas, Wembanyama reached 40 for the fifth time in what could be his regular-season finale.

The NBA requires a minimum of 65 games played to be eligible for season-long awards and Wembanyama got there in San Antonio’s penultimate game.

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, who leads the league with 197 blocks, is favored to win Defensive Player of the Year, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

NUGGETS 127, THUNDER 107

DENVER (AP) — Jonas Valanciunas had season highs of 23 points and 17 rebounds, and Denver beat Oklahoma City in a battle of reserves.

Denver (53-28) won its 11th straight game to secure at least the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Julian Strawther finished with 22 points and David Roddy had a season-high 21 points.

The Nuggets sat their entire starting lineup despite battling for home-court advantage in the first round. A 21-5 run to open the fourth quarter gave them the win they needed and kept them in position for the No. 3 seed. Denver entered with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were hosting Phoenix.

The Nuggets, who finish the season at San Antonio on Sunday night, prioritized rest over seeding.

JAZZ 147, GRIZZLIES 101

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Blake Hinson scored a career-high 30 points, John Konchar and Bez Mbeng had triple-doubles, and Utah beat short-handed Memphis.

Bez Mbeng had a career-high 27 points, Kennedy Chandler scored 26 and Ace Bailey 23 for the Jazz, who snapped a 10-game skid.

Mbeng added 11 rebounds and 11 assists and Konchar finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the first game in which the Jazz had two players record a triple-double in the same game.

When Konchar scored his 11th point, his former Memphis and current Utah teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. got so excited he ran onto the court and drew a technical foul.

Memphis’ Dariq Whitehead (21 points) and Tony Okani (20 points) also posted career-highs, and Adama Bal added 18 points.

TIMBERWOLVES 136, ROCKET 132

HOUSTON (AP) — Anthony Edwards had 22 points, with a key 3-pointer late, Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 23 points off the bench and Minnesota snapped Houston's eight-game winning streak.

Amen Thompson had a career-high 41 points and Kevin Durant added 33 for the Rockets, who have clinched a playoff berth but are still playing for postseason seeding. The Timberwolves are also heading for the playoffs with the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

Minnesota led by 10 with about four minutes left before Houston used an 8-2 run, with four points from Alperen Sengun, to cut the lead to 132-128 with about a minute to go.

But Edwards hit a 3-pointer a few seconds later to push the lead to 135-128 and send the home fans streaming toward the exits.

The Rockets led by five before Minnesota used a 13-4 run, with the first eight points from Donte DiVincenzo, to take a 116-112 lead with about eight minutes to go.

Reed Sheppard made a basket for Houston, but Minnesota scored the next seven points, capped by a 3 from DiVincenzo, to push the lead to 123-114 midway through the quarter.

The 37-year-old Durant has scored 2,026 points this season, making him the oldest player to reach 2,000 in a season. He passed Karl Malone, who did it in the 1999-00 season when he was 36. It’s Durant’s eighth season with at least 2,000 points and the first since 2023-24.

KINGS 124, WARRIORS 118

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Carter scored a career-high 29 points and Sacramento missed an opportunity to improve its draft position by beating Golden State.

The Kings remained tied with Utah for the fourth-worst record in the NBA this season, matching a win by the Jazz earlier in the night.

Maxime Raynaud added 23 points for Sacramento in the final home game of the season.

Brandon Podziemski scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Warriors, who used the game as a tuneup for next week’s play-in tournament.

This was just the second game that Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis played together for Golden State after the two had about eight minutes on the court at the same time on Sunday against Houston in Curry’s first game after missing 27 games with a knee injury.

Coach Steve Kerr said before the game he wanted the two to get as much time as possible in the final two games of the regular season. Golden State is assured the 10th seed in the Western Conference and will need to win two play-in games to make the playoffs.

Curry and Porzingis each scored 11.

TRAIL BLAZERS 116, CLIPPERS 97

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Deni Avdija scored 35 points, Donovan Clingan had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Portland beat the Los Angeles Clippers to take the inside track for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

If Portland beats the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the Blazers will secure their spot in the 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday in Phoenix against the Suns.

Robert Williams III had 13 points and 10 rebounds as Portland outrebounded the Clippers 46-35 and won the turnover battle despite leading the league in turnovers.

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 24 points and eight rebounds.

After Portland took a 55-35 first-half lead, the Clippers stormed back. Jordan Miller’s 3-pointer gave the Clippers their first lead since the first quarter at 82-79 with 2:05 left in the third. But the lead was short-lived as Matisse Thybulle tied it at 82 on Portland’s next possession.

LAKERS 101, SUNS 73

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 28 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with their victory over Phoenix.

Luke Kennard scored 19 points and Rui Hachimura added 13 for the Lakers, who will be either the third or fourth seed in the Western Conference despite finishing the regular season without injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Los Angeles (52-29) is one game behind third-place Denver (53-28) with one game left, but LA holds the tiebreaker over the Nuggets.

The Lakers won their second straight and their 15th in 19 games with a vintage performance from the 41-year-old James, who showed no weariness on the second night of a back-to-back set in which he scored 54 points on 63.6% shooting (21 for 33).

James also recorded the 12,000th assist of his career in the first half, becoming only the fourth NBA player to reach the milestone.

The NBA scoring king racked up 14 points in the first quarter, and he added six points and seven assists in the second half while making sure the Lakers’ lead stayed firm.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”