Basketball News · LatestFriday, Apr 17, 2026

Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) New York; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5 EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks host first series matchup BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks to open the Eastern Conference first round. New York went 2-1 against Atlanta during the regular season. The Knicks won the last regular season meeting 108-105 on Monday, April 6 led by 30 p...

Fans of the Miami Heat were almost inconsolable after the team lost to the Charlotte Hornets by a solitary point in overtime, 127-126, in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday. The painful defeat ended the Heat’s season. They failed to qualify for the playoffs, snapping their six-year streak, as they bowed out in the Play-In Tournament […] The post Heat’s Erik Spoelstra fires back at narrative after painful play-in exit appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s days with the Milwaukee Bucks are clearly numbered. Antetokounmpo has been expressing his discontent with how the Bucks handled his injury status in a multitude of ways before the 2025-26 season ended, and with the Greek Freak being featured prominently in trade talks prior to the deadline, it makes sense for the Bucks […] The post 3 players Bucks must trade as Giannis Antetokounmpo situation comes to a head appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Satou Sabally’s move to the New York Liberty is already creating a stir in the hoops community, and to be exact, it’s far from the hardwood. Sabally’s move to the Liberty is as high-profile as you would see, given the franchise looks to add to its Big Three prowess with Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones.

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury and center Kalani Brown are parting ways, agreeing to a contract buyout ahead of the 2026 season. According to ICYMIwithKW on X, the former first-round pick will become an unrestricted free agent as she ends her one-year tenure in the Valley.

Stephen A. Smith tears into Kawhi Leonard; says he is no longer capable of being a franchise player for the Clippers and maybe never was.

Despite being linked to trade rumors for the majority of the season, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. kept his chin up, tuned out the noise, and did his job. The result? A bounce-back year for the third-year player. Although the Heat failed to advance to the playoffs after suffering a painful loss to the […] The post This unique Jaime Jaquez Jr. ability led to instrumental ‘bounce-back year’ with Heat appeared first on ClutchPoints.

No matter the metric, Kawhi Leonard in a Clippers jersey has been a failed experiment. The gleaming glass of the Intuit Dome reflected the somber faces of a fanbase wondering “what if” for yet another year. When Leonard arrived in 2019, it felt like a shift in the tectonic plates of the NBA. The “Little […] The post 3 best Kawhi Leonard trade destinations if Clippers decide to finally end underwhelming era appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Why Dallas chose Fudd! The post Why Azzi Fudd Was Always the No. 1 Pick for the Dallas Wings appeared first on Ballislife.com.

This is a golden opportunity for Bronny James. He can prove himself. He can silence his detractors. He can show the world he belongs.

Scottie Barnes had an excellent all-around season in 2025/26 and should be a lock for a spot on an All-Defensive team, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the two-time All-Star will have to take his game to another level in the playoffs for the Raptors to have “a real shot” in their first-round […]

NBA analyst and former All-Star Wally Szczerbiak takes a shot at some playoff Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

More than a few Indiana Fever supporters were not pleased with the team’s decision to use its 10th overall pick in the WNBA Draft on Raven Johnson. In their minds, there were more viable options available than the former South Carolina Gamecocks star. Both general manager Amber Cox and head coach Stephanie White expressed their delight after securing the services of the two-time NCAA champion guard.

Before Anthony Edwards became the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was a 19-year-old prospect facing a barrage of questions. During the 2020 NBA Draft cycle, the biggest knock on the Georgia product wasn’t his shooting or his defense, it was his heart. Pundits openly wondered if the guard even loved the game of basketball. […] The post Timberwolves Coach recalls Anthony Edwards’ NSFW to harsh draft critque appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The future of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro’s time with the Miami Heat might be in question. It is one that Kendrick Perkins wants Pat Riley to answer as soon as this summer in the offseason. The Heat’s 2025-26 campaign came to end after losing to the Charlotte Hornets in the play-in tournament. As the […] The post Growing doubts around Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro as Heat’s future duo appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The WNBA players spent over a year fighting for a future they believed they deserved. And in return, they got bigger salaries, better benefits, and long-overdue recognition of what they bring to the table.

NBA analyst Skip Bayless says Bronny James is only in the league because of his father's connections.

Metta World Peace provided some intriguing insight about his pick on the NBA playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. World Peace represented the Lakers (2009-13, 2015-17) and the Rockets (2008-09) throughout a chunk of his playing career from 1999 to 2017. He won a championship with the former in 2010, […] The post Metta World Peace spices up Lakers-Rockets series with honest opinion appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The first year of the Joe Dumars era for the New Orleans Pelicans could not have gone any worse. The new front office regime believed that the team would be a contender for the 2025-26 season, which explains why they would trade an unprotected pick of theirs in the draft-night deal that brought Derik Queen […] The post 4 players Pelicans must trade after train-wreck season appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Orlando Magic are on the brink of elimination as they host the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament at Kia Center on Friday for the last ticket to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The winner will face the Detroit Pistons in the first round. The Magic had the chance to enter the playoffs […] The post Kendrick Perkins ‘sick and tired’ of Magic’s Paolo Banchero as coaching rumors swirl appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Golden State Warriors completed the tall task with their victory over Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers. It went down to the final minutes, Leonard is not an unfamiliar foe to a Warriors team that has had multiple battles against, from the Western Conference Finals with the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals […] The post Warriors news: What Draymond Green said about Kawhi Leonard just before play-in showdown appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White will play a pivotal role in Caitlin Clark’s third season in the WNBA. There is a lot of excitement surrounding Clark’s upcoming campaign, especially after she was limited to just 13 games last season due to injury. White was one of the assistant coaches for Team USA, allowing her to reunite with Clark during the offseason.

“I think it’s very important to hit them in the mouth first,” Hawks big man Tony Bradley told reporters in Atlanta before their series vs. Knicks.

The Hornets could be missing their starting center when they play at Orlando on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Moussa Diabate is questionable to suit up for the elimination game due to left hip soreness, Charlotte announced (via Twitter). A French big man, Diabate recorded eight points, 14 […]

Tyronn Lue and Darius Garland are the only two confirmed pieces of the Los Angeles Clippers' future following their play-in elimination loss to the Golden State Warriors, as the franchise heads into an offseason clouded by roster uncertainty and an ongoing NBA investigation. Lue is under contract as head coach through 2029. Garland, acquired at the February trade deadline from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the James Harden deal, is signed through 2028. A league source told The Athletic that both...

The Knicks’ regular season was good, but irrelevant. Their own team owner set the bar as championship or bust, so the measuring starts now.

LOS ANGELES – Coming into Game 1 of their opening round series of the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers know they need to rebound well in order to have a chance at winning. Lakers head coach JJ Redick stressed boxing out as one of two key areas the team needs to focus on to […] The post LeBron James drops NSFW message ahead of Game 1 vs. Rockets appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Fourth quarters, and specifically clutch situations down the stretch, have become an undeniable strength for the Knicks.

Napheesa Collier is signing a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract to return to the Minnesota Lynx, sources told ESPN.

New York's Mayor Zohran Mamdani pokes fun at Trae Young ahead of the Knicks' playoff series against the Hawks.