The NBA world got a statement performance on Friday night when Victor Wembanyama, playing in his 65th game of the season, delivered exactly what was needed in the San Antonio Spurs’ 139-120 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The 22-year-old big man scored 40 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and added 5 assists in just 26 minutes of action, officially crossing the NBA’s 65-game threshold required for postseason award eligibility.
Coming off a rib injury, Wembanyama who leads the league with 197 blocks is the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. His return was emphatic from the opening tip, as he attacked the basket immediately and never relented. The Spurs have now won 14 of their last 15 games and improved to 62-19, their most wins since the 2015-16 season. De’Aaron Fox contributed 18 points and 10 assists, while Keldon Johnson added 17 off the bench in a balanced team effort.
For Dallas, rookie Cooper Flagg put up a valiant 33-point showing, but the Mavericks were badly shorthanded, with eight players listed as out. The Spurs outrebounded Dallas 58-42 and dominated the paint 72-42 in the lopsided win. The result was named the night’s marquee performance, with the NBA recognizing Wembanyama as Player of the Night.
Celtics tie NBA record, secure No. 2 seed
In Boston, the Celtics put on an offensive display that will go down in the history books. Sam Hauser poured in 24 points on eight 3-pointers as Boston tied the franchise and NBA record with 29 made threes in a 144-118 blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans, clinching the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed. Jaylen Brown added 23 points as six Celtics finished in double figures. For New Orleans, Jeremiah Fears led all scorers with 36 points on 13-for-29 shooting, but it wasn’t nearly enough against a Boston team firing on all cylinders.
Seeds locked in across the East and West
Friday’s action also had significant playoff seeding implications across the board. In the East, the New York Knicks secured the No. 3 seed with a 112-95 win over the Toronto Raptors, while the Cleveland Cavaliers were locked into the No. 4 seed after falling to the Atlanta Hawks 124-102 a loss that also clinched a playoff berth for Atlanta.
Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have secured the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, with the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves continuing to jockey for position. The Thunder dropped a 127-107 decision to the Denver Nuggets, though their top seed was already safely secured heading into the final weekend.
Key results from the rest of the 15-game slate
The night’s other games produced a series of notable outcomes as teams jostled for final positioning.
1. The Miami Heat handled the Washington Wizards 140-117.
2. The Detroit Pistons beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-100, with Jalen Duren scoring 20 and Duncan Robinson adding 19, locking the Hornets into the play-in tournament.
3. The Orlando Magic topped the Chicago Bulls 127-103 behind Franz Wagner’s 25 points.
4. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 125-108.
5. The Utah Jazz routed the Memphis Grizzlies 147-101.
6. The Minnesota Timberwolves edged the Houston Rockets 136-132 in a tight Western Conference battle.
7. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 105-94.
8. The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors played deep into the night, with Devin Carter erupting for a career-high 29 points to help Sacramento hold serve.
Playoff picture crystallizes with one day to go
With just one game remaining in the regular season, the 2026 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament is set for April 14-17, and the first round of the NBA Playoffs tips off April 18. In the East, home-court advantage for the Charlotte-Miami play-in matchup is still to be determined on Sunday. Several teams on both sides of the bracket are still fighting for final seeding, making the last day of the regular season must-watch television.
After a breathless Friday that saw records broken, careers elevated and playoff fates decided, the NBA heads into its regular-season finale with plenty still on the line.
Source: NBA.com / ESPN
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