Houston aims for a fifth straight victory when they host Utah tonight on League Pass. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images)
Check out the best of Friday’s nine-game slate with the NBA.com live blog, featuring all of the meaningful moments, performances, observations, news, notes and highlights.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:32 ET
Friday’s finals:
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:51 ET
Celtics in full control
Boston has made it look effortless against the Bucks tonight, just as Jaylen Brown (26 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) does on this spinning fadeaway. The Celtics take a 105-76 advantage into the fourth quarter.
What in the world!? 🫣 pic.twitter.com/E1qUwkRGhk
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2026
Jayson Tatum adds 23 points and 4 made 3s with 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals in 30 minutes.
4 POINT PLAY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4h0CQtcRB3
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2026
Kyle Kuzma (14 pts, 7 reb), Pete Nance (11 pts, 7 reb) and Taurean Prince (13 pts, 3 3PM) are your leading scorers for Milwaukee.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:40 ET
Sixers handle Wolves, win 115-103
Philly’s Big 3 dominates at home, as Paul George (23 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl), Joel Embiid (19 pts, 13 reb, 7 ast, 3 blk) and Tyrese Maxey (21 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast, 2 blk) do it all in their 115-103 win over Minnesota.
https://t.co/XtNh38rQMG pic.twitter.com/DhsYW8r9FF
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 4, 2026
Kelly Oubre, Jr. matches Maxey with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting (4-6 3PM) off the bench, including a couple dagger 3s in the closing minutes to seal the dub.
Julius Randle (21 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl) and Bones Hyland (21 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl) pace the Wolves in scoring, followed by Ayo Dosunmu (19 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) and Anthony Edwards (8 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk). It’s the second consecutive loss and third out of their last four for Minnesota.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:29 ET
Close game in Dallas
Cooper Flagg (13 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl) and Klay Thompson (14 pts, 4 3PM) guide the Mavericks, but they trail Orlando 60-53 with 3:18 remaining in the first half.
Coop to the HOOP 😤
📺: WFAA // #MFFLAGG pic.twitter.com/gQUW8CVbyz
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 4, 2026
Wendell Carter, Jr. (13 pts, 3 reb), Desmond Bane (11 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl) and Tristan da Silva (12 pts, 3 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk) power the Magic as they fight for playoff positioning in a crowded East field.
P5 with the AND-1 moves pic.twitter.com/FUVNd26QsN
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:16 ET
Hornets earn third straight W
Charlotte’s core four of Brandon Miller (22 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk), Kon Knueppel (20 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl), Miles Bridges (19 pts, 6 reb, 1 blk) and LaMelo Ball (18 pts, 5 3PM, 6 reb, 9 ast, 2 stl) fuel their 129-108 victory against Indiana. It’s the Hornets third straight win as they improve to 10-3 in their last 13 games.
knueppel triple 👌@Kon2Knueppel | @Lowes | 🎥 @FDSN_Hornets pic.twitter.com/LLm3Ph0AMP
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 4, 2026
Pascal Siakam left the game early, but he still manages to post a game-high 30 points on 13-for-24 shooting with 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals in 34 minutes.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 4, 2026
Injury Update: Pascal Siakam (bruised lower back) will not return to tonight’s game in Charlotte.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:09 ET
Sixers erupt in 3Q
Philadelphia cooks for a 42-24 scoring edge against the Timberwolves in the third quarter, and they’ve got a 91-79 advantage with 8:18 left in the contest.
rese for 2⃣
Q for 2⃣ pic.twitter.com/mWWYBPXR7n
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 4, 2026
Tyrese Maxey (21 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast), Paul George (17 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl) and Joel Embiid (17 pts, 13 reb, 7 ast, 3 blk) continue to pace the Sixers.
all the way to the rim.
COUNT IT FOR BIG JELLY. 🍇 pic.twitter.com/7vnGHUrjp5
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 4, 2026
Julius Randle (17 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast) and Bones Hyland (17 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) are trying to keep Minnesota within striking distance as Anthony Edwards (8 pts, 3-14 FG) searches for a rhythm.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 9:03 ET
Celtics drop 43 in 1Q
Boston outscores Milwaukee 43-26 in the first frame, and they hold a 68-49 lead with 2:36 remaining in the first half.
‘scuse me 🤌 pic.twitter.com/LIcHFKe9aG
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 4, 2026
Jayson Tatum (11 pts, 7 ast), Neemias Queta (13 pts, 6 reb, 3 blk), Jaylen Brown (13 pts, 2 stl) and Payton Pritchard (12 pts, 2 3PM) have been unstoppable.
Smooth move from Ous. pic.twitter.com/czmyxwFoaP
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 4, 2026
Kyle Kuzma (11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast) and Pete Nance (8 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast) lead the way for the Bucks.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:58 ET
Great Barrier Thief on patrol
Dyson Daniels can’t stop picking pockets, and the Hawks have a 71-59 lead over the Nets with the third quarter just getting started. Jalen Johnson (13 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast), CJ McCollum (16 pts, 5 ast) and Nickeil-Alexander Walker (10 pts) are driving Atlanta’s offense.
Dyson’s 4th steal of the half 🚫🚫🚫🚫 pic.twitter.com/uicJzQSHeb
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 4, 2026
Noah Clowney, Nic Claxton and Malachi Smith all have 12 points apiece to lead Brooklyn in scoring.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:51 ET
Raptors, Grizzlies going at it
GG Jackson is up to a game-high 10 points (3-4 FG, 2-2 3PM) in 8 minutes to give Memphis a 29-28 edge versus Toronto with 10:06 left before halftime.
✌️steps @_ggjackson pic.twitter.com/ddjC9jB9xf
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 4, 2026
RJ Barrett (9 pts) and Scottie Barnes (8 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl) are powering Toronto early.
SCOTTIE SLAM TO GET US STARTED 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vQ9RgtaRPX
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:45 ET
Wolves-Sixers is GOOD
We’ve seen 7 ties and 4 lead changes to this point, and the Sixers hold a 60-59 advantage with 5:38 to go in the third.
Philly’s Big 3 of Paul George (17 pts, 6 reb), Joel Embiid (11 pts, 11 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk) and Tyrese Maxey (11 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast) are doing a bit of everything.
George steal.
Maxey dime.
Edgecombe slam.
Beautiful @sixers sequence! pic.twitter.com/LLszMW9tmn
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026
Julius Randle (12 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast), Anthony Edwards (8 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk) and Bones Hyland (14 pts, 3 ast) are the leading Wolves.
COUNT THE BUCKET. pic.twitter.com/zqDiNM0gC0
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:39 ET
Too strong from Alpi
Alperen Sengun (2 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast) won’t be denied on this dunk attempt, helping Houston take a 34-22 edge over Utah after one quarter. Kevin Durant has a game-high 9 points on 4-for-4 shooting to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 dimes in 12 minutes.
lil rim rocker for Alpi 🤌 pic.twitter.com/cXbhMkl99O
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 4, 2026
Cody Williams (6 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast) and Ace Bailey (4 pts, 1 ast) are the leaders for the Jazz.
the rook’s moving like a vet 🤩 pic.twitter.com/3OkGNtxm8A
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:29 ET
Knicks cruising at home
New York holds a 69-28 advantage over Chicago with 3:21 remaining before halftime. OG Anunoby has a game-high 17 points and 5 made 3s, while Mitchell Robinson (10 pts, 8 reb, 2 stl) and Jalen Brunson (9 pts, 7 ast) keep the Knicks in attack mode.
mikal on the MOVE 😤 pic.twitter.com/xq42tVx6Zg
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 4, 2026
Collin Sexton has 12 points and 4 made 3s to lead the Bulls.
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:20 ET
Hawks, Nets battling
An 18-point Atlanta lead in the first quarter is down to 10 with 8:23 left before halftime, as the Hawks are up 45-35 on the hosting Nets. CJ McCollum (9 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7 pts) and Dyson Daniels (7 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl) pace the visitors.
Mo Mossed him for the and-1 😳 pic.twitter.com/xuw0O22IRT
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 4, 2026
Malachi Smith leads all scorers with 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown, even though this heave was just a split-second too late.
alright, this didn’t count but this shot was CRAZYYY! @maliworld11 pic.twitter.com/Ruq823Ma2J
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 4, 2026
Malachi Smith (@maliworld11) in the first half
12 PTS
4-5 FG
3-3 3FG pic.twitter.com/3geKqxasjw
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:13 ET
Bones takes over in 1H
Bones Hyland drops all 14 of his points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3PM) in the second quarter, adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists in 16 minutes off the bench to help Minnesota grab a 47-41 lead over Philadelphia at the break. Anthony Edwards has 8 points on 3-for-9 shooting in his return from a one-game absence with an illness.
poetry in motion. https://t.co/voaEiIBPeH pic.twitter.com/nNkelfq4Ug
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 4, 2026
Paul George has a game-high 15 points (4-7 FG) with 7 rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes, while Joel Embiid tallies 4 points (1-10 FG), 7 boards, 3 dimes and 3 blocks across 17 minutes.
PG-13 but the moves are rated G.
Everyone can learn from this dribbling clinic 📝 pic.twitter.com/lEjGXXdqCn
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 8:08 ET
Hornets up 19 at halftime
Charlotte dominates Indiana in the first two quarters to take a 69-50 advantage into halftime. Sion James (13 pts, 4 3PM), Brandon Miller (12 pts, 5 reb), LaMelo Ball (12 pts, 4 3PM, 5 ast) and Kon Knueppel (10 pts, 2 ast, 2 stl) have the offense clicking.
brandon lobs it from the backcourt to bridges 🤯@MilesBridges x @brandmillerr | 🎥 @FDSN_Hornets pic.twitter.com/da9ySpiPHO
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) April 3, 2026
LaMelo had Siakam dancing 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/7h5UJibYgi
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 4, 2026
Pascal Siakam has a team-high 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting, adding 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in 18 minutes of action.
Jay Huff down the lane 🔨 pic.twitter.com/Gi8TQqDAdg
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 7:54 ET
All Knicks in 1Q
Jalen Brunson (5 pts, 1 ast) and Mitchell Robinson (5 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk) have the Knicks in front of the Bulls 18-1 midway through the first quarter on NBA TV.
mitch putback gets us started pic.twitter.com/gDSKMqFSmr
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 7:48 ET
Bench fueling Wolves in 2Q
Naz Reid (4 pts, 4 reb, 2 blk) and Bones Hyland (8 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast) power an 8-0 run for Minnesota, as they lead the Sixers 31-30 with 7:12 left before halftime.
GOT EEEEMMM’ 🍇 pic.twitter.com/vOKWFGWHU6
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026
WHAT A FINISH BY BONES. 😤 pic.twitter.com/aLh5ER7P0T
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026
Paul George is the high man for Philly with 10 points (3-5 FG), 3 boards and one assist in 14 minutes.
BONA! pic.twitter.com/975ROoAyE5
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 7:34 ET
Wolves-Sixers live on League Pass
Dominick Barlow (5 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk) is doing work for Philadelphia, as the Sixers hold a 16-12 edge over the Timberwolves with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
DB throwing it down. 🔨 pic.twitter.com/rdkHeDhnzc
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 3, 2026
Anthony Edwards is back for Minnesota!
legacy keeps growing. 📈 pic.twitter.com/7dNuHUkKqr
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026
in elite company. pic.twitter.com/plvcNiCbcO
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 7:26 ET
Hornets rolling early
Charlotte jumps out to a 31-11 lead over the visiting Pacers with 4:54 remaining in the opening quarter. All five Hornets starters have scored, with LaMelo Ball (6 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) and Kon Knueppel (7 pts, 2 reb, 1 stl) leading the way.
Oh my, this LaMelo lefty dime to Kon 😬 pic.twitter.com/jX1Ke4A8iS
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2026
The Hornets have rattled off a 24-2 run in the first quarter to set the tone.
6 minutes into the game…
🐝 3 dimes for LaMelo
🐝 7 points for Kon https://t.co/DCZxqD6w3O pic.twitter.com/5xssUgvKSy
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 6:30 ET
Dončić to miss time
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Luka Dončić will miss the Lakers’ five remaining games in the regular season, and his status is “uncertain beyond that”. An incredibly tough blow for Los Angeles after the team has been playing their best basketball of the year.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is out indefinitely due to a left hamstring injury, sources tell me and @mcten. He will miss the remainder of the regular season and his status is uncertain beyond that. pic.twitter.com/qQTVAfPpWB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 3, 2026
APRIL 3, 2026 / 6:15 ET
Welcome to a nine-game Friday in the NBA!
The Knicks look to fortify their third-place position in the Eastern Conference standings when they host the Bulls on NBA TV.
Tonight’s action-packed slate begins with an interconference tilt between Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers and Julius Randle and the Minnesota Timberwolves (7 ET, League Pass). Anthony Edwards (right knee/illness) is active for this matchup between two squads currently in sixth place in their respective conferences, while Joel Embiid (illness) could remain on the sidelines.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks host Josh Giddey and the Bulls for their fourth and final meeting of the 2025-26 campaign (7:30 ET, NBA TV). New York got back in the win column on Wednesday after dropping three consecutive outings, but Chicago is in the midst of a five-game losing streak.
Here’s the complete schedule for tonight:
