It was a light slate of games for what was the final Thursday of NBA regular season action, and The Morning Dunk has got you covered with everything you may have missed.
Knicks Still In Running For No. 2 Seed With Win Over Boston
The Boston Celtics were expected to rest most of their starters, at the very least, having already locked up the league's best overall record which guarantees home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs.
They surprisingly didn't, though, and suffered a rare loss at TD Garden in a 118-109 defeat to the visiting New York Knicks.
Jalen Brunson scored all 39 of his points in the first three quarters, sitting the fourth as New York held a 100-71 lead. It was just Boston's fourth loss at home all season.
JALEN BRUNSON HAS BEEN ON A HEATER 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2024
He dropped 39 PTS in Boston tonight which is his 5th-straight game with 35+ PTS.
39 PTS | 6 3PM | 15-23 FGM | W pic.twitter.com/2x0xue0LeL
New York now trails the Milwaukee Bucks by a full game for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but Milwaukee holds the tiebreaker as a result of taking the season series.
Boston initially entered as an underdog for just the fourth time all year, but the odds then shifted once it became clear that it was going to be playing a majority of its roster.
Warriors Move Past Lakers For 10th Seed
The road to getting out of the play-in tournament just got a lot harder if things stand pat for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Golden State Warriors defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 100-92 at the Moda Center, Golden State now takes control of the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with an identical 45-32 SU record to that of Los Angeles.
The Warriors won the season series with the Lakers 3-1, so they get the higher seed as a result.
Stephen Curry had 22 points and eight assists for Golden State, while Jonathan Kuminga added 19 of his own.
Curry draws the and-1 on the tough floater! 💪
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2024
Warriors-Blazers | Live on the NBA App
📲 https://t.co/Fi5Jz97snn pic.twitter.com/KADnm17To6
As things currently stand, the Warriors would be hosting the Lakers in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchup in the play-in tournament at the Chase Center as a result of being higher in the standings.
The 13-point spread against Portland was the highest of the 2023-24 season for Golden State, failing to cover for the fourth time in its last 10 games.
