Mar 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) is fouled by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during overtime at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Of course Stephen Curry is coming back for this game.
Not that it matters, of course. The Houston Rockets have lost multiple games against the Golden State Warriors over the past couple of seasons in which Curry didn’t play. Houston lost earlier this year at Toyota Center. In the one game Curry did play, Reed Sheppard had his coming out party and Houston came back and won without Kevin Durant. Maybe that’s the key? Whichever team is missing its best player wins?
Tonight starts Houston’s final road trip of the season. They will head to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Tuesday. Earlier this season when Houston went on the road to play the Warriors and Suns, Durant missed both games due to personal reasons. So it’s only fitting that Houston is playing both teams again on the same trip. The Phoenix game will be more emotional since KD’s time with the Suns ended poorly compared to his time in the Bay Area.
The Warriors are all but guaranteed to be the 10 seed in the West. Mathematically they still have a shot at 9 or even 8, but that would require something pretty extreme. In reality, they are going to need to win two road games in the play-in to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. As I mentioned in the Jazz preview, this isn’t the worst year to end up in the lottery, and if they do you know the league will make sure they’re rewarded (if the lottery is rigged).
This is going to be a tough game. That building is going to be loud.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is generally recognized as the second-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft, behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who's set to go to the Raiders first overall. So where will Simpson go?
If the betting odds are to be believed, the Cardinals or Jets will trade into the late first round to take Simpson.
The Cardinals are +125 favorites to land Simpson, with the Jets just behind them at +145.
But no one expects the Jets or Cardinals, who have the second and third overall picks, to take Simpson with their own first-round picks. Instead, Simpson's odds project him to go somewhere in the last eight picks of the draft: His over/under and first-round odds suggest he'll be between the 25th and 32nd picks.
That would mean the Cardinals or Jets trading up from their own first-round picks, No. 33 and No. 34 overall, to move into the late first round and take Simpson. That's what the Giants did last year when they traded up from the 34th overall pick to the 25th overall pick to draft quarterback Jaxson Dart. That required the Giants to give up third-round picks both last year and this year in the deal, and that's probably the kind of trade the Cardinals or Jets would be looking to make.
If the Cardinals or Jets don't draft Simpson, the team with the next-best odds to take him is the Rams at +425, followed by the Browns at +650 and Steelers at +800.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 03: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball past Ousmane Dieng #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on April 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Miami or Milwaukee, South Beach or north at the border, Boston’s blueprint might have been drafted on this 3-1 road trip. After splitting days off in a back-to-back in Charlotte and Atlanta, we’ve seen an impressive two games from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With Brown leading the scoring charge, Tatum has flexed his all-around game with nearly two triple-doubles against the Heat and Bucks.
A 133-101 throttling started with the Celtics hitting 8-for-12 from behind the arc to take a 43-26 lead in the first and they never looked back. All five starters and sixth man Payton Pritchard scored in double figures with the team committing just eight turnovers in a fairly lackadaisical game.
The Celtics now have four of their final five games at TD Garden and a magic number of three to finish #2 in the East. Their only road game is of course Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Their odds have improved all week with our friends at FanDuel and now are +550 to raise Banner 19 and the favorite to rep the Eastern Conference in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown
30 minutes, 26 points (2-4 from 3, 10-11 from the free throw line, 7-17 from the field), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals, +27
After a bout with Achilles tendonitis, Brown seems rejuvenated. After scoring 43 against the Heat, he dropped 26 points in 30 minutes in Milwaukee that included 11 trips to the free throw line. He had the full repertoire on display: the pitter patter drives, the strong finishes at the rim, and his fall away in the mid-range.
Grade: A
JB showed why it’s dangerous to be on his island 1v1 with this fancy move making it tonight's @JetBlue Play of the Game 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/0DqopFtvfS
31 minutes, 23 points (4-8 from 3, 3-4 from the free throw line, 8-16 from the field), 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 steals, +30
Early in his comeback, Tatum was a little prone to holding the ball a little too long and going in to his isolation game like it was 2024 all over again.
Now, he’s making decisions so much quicker. That’s really opened up Queta’s game whenever he slips out of picks or short rolls to the free throw line.
Grade: A+
Neemias Queta
37 minutes, 43 points (4-10 from 3, 5-7 from the free throw line, 17-29 from the field), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, one turnover, +9
Queta has quickly become the closest approximation of Robert Williams III the Celtics have seen since Timelord was traded three years ago. As soon as he catches the ball, he’s so quick off the bounce and has developed an array of Olajuwon-esque moves in the paint. Add four blocks and four offensive rebounds and it was a near perfect game for the Most Improved Player candidate.
Grade: A
Sam Hauser
27 minutes, 13 points (3-4 from 3, 5-6 from the field), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, +25
Attention all playoff opponents, Sam Hauser is getting hot. Maybe it was Tatum’s return. Maybe it was just water finding its level. Maybe it’s just destiny.
After spending scuffling under 40% from 3, Hauser sits at 39% with five games to go. He’s hit eight of his last eleven triples and become an important cog in the starting lineup.
Grade: A
Derrick White
31 minutes, 17 points (5-9 from 3, 6-11 from the field), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, one turnover, +34
I don’t want to jinx it, but DWhite looked great last night and had the highest +/- on the evening. I’ll stop there and hope that the juju has permanently changed.
Grade: A-
Payton Pritchard
26 minutes, 16 points (2-6 from 3, 7-12 from the field), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, one turnover, +2
Pritchard own the second quarter with the second unit. He led the team with twelve points and scored at all three levels.
12 minutes, 2 points (1-2 from the field), 4 rebounds, one assist, +0
The starters plus Pritchard were absolutely unconscious that players #8-#10 in the rotation didn’t have to do too much.
Grade: B
Baylor Scheierman
23 minutes, 2 points (0-2 from 3, 1-3 from the field), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, one turnover, one steal, +4
Like Garza, Scheierman didn’t light up the box score, but filled in with quality minutes off the bench. Two of his dimes came in the alley-oop variety.
Grade: B
Jordan Walsh
12 minutes, 7 points (1-3 from 3, 3-5 from the field), 2 rebounds, +1
Walsh has seemingly leapfrogged Gonzalez on the wing rotation. His defense remains his calling card, but if he can hit more than 35% from 3 and generate stocks (steals and blocks), those 20+ possessions per game he’s on the floor for should have a positive impact.
Grade: B
Charles Bassey / Hugo Gonzalez / Ron Harper Jr.
5-6 minutes, 8 points (0-1 from 3, 4-6 from the field), 4 rebounds, one assist, one turnover, one steal +4
With how well Gonzalez and Harper Jr. have looked in spurts this season, it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to see them play here at the end of the season. Mazzulla seems to be trimming the rotation down to nine players and they’re just simply the odd man out…until Mazzulla throws another curve ball and one of those guys are starting a game in April.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Not much going on out there with the Denver Broncos, but one story caught my eye on Friday from Bucky Brooks over at NFL.com. He compared Sean Payton’s offseason plan for his team to that of the New York Jets. The difference was stark calling Denver’s plan ‘quality over quantity’ and the Jets as a ‘total makeover’.
Last season, the Broncos reached the AFC Championship Game behind a stifling defense and an offense that, while opportunistic behind QB Bo Nix, lacked big-play potential.
So far this offseason, the Broncos have made just a few moves, registering one main acquisition (a trade for WR Jaylen Waddle) and re-signing several players. Head coach Sean Payton is aware this seemingly quiet approach might rankle fans, but he also believes it’s what is best for his team right now.
He went on to note that the Broncos look like a team to contend with next season.
With offensive and defensive holdovers sticking around to ensure the Broncos pick up where they left off in 2025, they could make a run at repeating as the AFC’s No. 1 seed this season.
While I was one who was confused at the start of free agency, because what Payton did was a bit unorthodox for a contending team. However, the further away I got from the craziness of legal tampering the more I realized this free agent class wasn’t all that good. The caveat being that the running back class was pretty decent and that was where all my attention was, but everywhere else? Not so much.
When Denver didn’t get their running back, they moved forward with a pretty good alternate plan in J.K. Dobbins. They should pair him with a mid-round rookie just in case, but I think Denver wins the Super Bowl last year if both he and Bo Nix were healthy heading into the AFC Championship game.
Sometimes the chips don’t fall your way and that’s how it went for the 2025 Broncos.
New Giants head coach John Harbaugh was eager to sign tight end Isaiah Likely after coaching him the last four years on the Ravens. Not so much because of what Likely has done, but because of what Harbaugh believes Likely will do.
Harbaugh acknowledged that Likely's stats in Baltimore — he never had 500 receiving yards in a season — weren't overwhelming. But he said on the Giants, Likely will have a bigger role and better production.
"I'm certain he's going to be able to put up the numbers, the stats," Harbaugh said. "That wasn't the thing in Baltimore because of the supporting cast."
Harbaugh said he's very aware of everything Likely is capable of.
"I've seen him every day in practice," Harbaugh said. "I've seen him make plays. I know how he plays the game. So, you try to kind of create a vision for a player. What do you think they're capable of doing? And one thing that we always have tried to do is see what players can do. Not so much concerned about what they don't do, what they haven't done, what they can't do. What can they do? And when you see a player do it every day, you got a pretty good idea what he's capable of."
Harbaugh said Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will benefit from Likely making plays in the offense.
"He's a playmaking football player," Harbaugh said of Likely. "He's going to make plays for us. I think Jaxson's going to really like him running the routes and being in his line of vision. He's got a big catch radius. He can he can make plays, after he makes the catch he can get up field. He can make people miss. He can run people over. He's a very good perimeter blocker. You'll see that. That'll be good for our run game. So, all those things he brings to the table."
Harbaugh thinks Likely will bring even more to the table in New York than he did in Baltimore.
Fernando Mendoza #15 of the Indiana Hoosiers throws a pass during the 2026 IU Pro Day at John Mellencamp Pavilion on April 01, 2026 in Bloomington, Indiana.
Fernando Mendoza showed why he is the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this month’s NFL draft during his pro day on Wednesday, which drew representatives from all 32 NFL teams to Bloomington, Indiana.
The former Hoosiers quarterback completed 53 of his 56 throws on Wednesday, which included completing his first 23 passes, according to NFL Network.
The outlet reported that his only true off-target pass of the day came when he slightly overthrew on a “go” route.
Fernando Mendoza scrambles during the 2026 IU Pro Day at John Mellencamp Pavilion on April 1, 2026 in Bloomington, Indiana. Getty Images
It would seem that Mendoza made a good impression on the Raiders brass that was in attendance on Wednesday, with the organization that holds the first overall pick sending 10 representatives — including general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak.
“I feel like it went great,” Mendoza told reporters. “You know quarterbacks have passed, have done shorter pro days than that. However, I just wanted to make sure everybody could showcase their abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams and really run routes that are applicable to the timing we’re going to be running in the NFL.”
NEW: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza with the throw of the DAY…
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) April 1, 2026
Mendoza is coming off a stellar season, one in which he took the country by storm through his humble and wholesome personality off the field and his fierce ability to step up in big moments on it.
He became the first Indiana player to ever win a Heisman Trophy and helped lead the program to its first-ever national championship in football.
Mendoza had completed 72 percent of his passes in his final collegiate season and threw for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza throws a pass during the 2026 IU Pro Day at John Mellencamp Pavilion on April 1, 2026 in Bloomington, Indiana. Getty Images
All of which has put him in position to be the top pick in this year’s draft, though he knows he’s still got plenty to learn once he reaches the NFL.
“I’m putting all of my efforts toward just trying to be the best quarterback possible for the season,” Mendoza said. “But I know at the next level, there’s going to be a lot more snaps under center and that’s a big adjustment. I need to get used to that and just the nature of the game. Not only that, the hash [marks] are more condensed and the speed of the game is faster. So all those things, I look forward to learning.”
Mendoza has met with the Raiders twice already.
Las Vegas has the No. 1 pick after going 3-14 during an abysmal season in 2025.
The NFL draft is slated to take place in Pittsburgh beginning on Thursday, April 23, at Acrisure Stadium.
Harbaugh, who coached Beckham in 2023 on the Ravens, said at the league meeting that he and Beckham have remained in touch, and that he considers Beckham one of his favorite people in the world.
Beckham didn't play at all last season, and Giants General Manager Joe Schoen said the Giants would need to work him out before they'd sign him.
"Somebody that hasn't played, in this instance you're talking about Odell hasn't played in a year, you'd certainly want to see him work out," Schoen said.
Beckham hasn't gained even 600 receiving yards in a season since 2019, so he's long past the days when he was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. But that's what he was on the Giants, and the Giants sound open to at least giving him a chance to come in for a workout and show he can still play.
