The Play-In’s vibes remain unmatched.

Make sure to catch our guy Kenny Beecham on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, talking his come-up, the Enjoy brand, and the craziness of a life in sports media.

🎉 Happy birthday to C.J. Watson, Nic Claxton, and Christian Braun! 🎉

The Warriors are alive!

Taking down the Clippers on Wednesday behind Steph Curry (35 PTS) and Kristaps Porzingis (20 PTS, 5 AST, 5 REB), Golden State cut Los Angeles’ end-of-the-season momentum short and put themselves one game away from playoff basketball this season.

The Clippers had controlled the lead for pretty much the entire game before a Curry three in the final minutes gave the Warriors their first lead since the second quarter. Al Horford (14 PTS) and Porzingis hit clutch three after clutch three to help the Dubs steal and maintain the lead late in the fourth—it was a great effort for Bennedict Mathurin (23 PTS) off the bench, but Kawhi Leonard (21 PTS, 7 REB) going almost completely dark in the second half leaves a little to be desired for the Clippers.

Both of these teams’ futures are a bit murky, but for now, the Warriors are Golden.

Tyrese Maxey (31 PTS, 6 AST) and the Sixers didn’t want to take any chances.

Maxey and VJ Edgecombe (19 PTS, 11 REB) led Philly to a crucial win over Orlando in the Play-In on Wednesday, capturing the East’s 7-seed and sending the Magic to an elimination game against Charlotte.

Philly and Orlando traded blows all throughout the first half, with the Sixers going into the break with a slim lead despite a game-high 19 first-half points from Orlando’s Desmond Bane (34 PTS).

The second half was a different story—the 76ers’ defense held Orlando to just 19 points in the third quarter as Maxey and Edgecombe continued pouring it on, helping Philly put the game away with ease (even Andre Drummond got in on the three-point shooting action).

With neither of Franz Wagner (12 PTS) nor Paolo Banchero (18 PTS, 5 in second half) able to get anything going on, the Magic will have to regroup in a big way before going up against the surging Hornets tonight for the final spot on the East side of the bracket.

It all comes down to tonight. By “it”, we of course mean the Play-In.

Four teams are still in contention for the final two spots in the 2026 NBA playoff field, and both will be decided tonight during an electric back-to-back slate of games.

When your top two players combine to go 0-for-7 from three and score just 30 points together, it’s gonna be hard to win high-stakes basketball games. Desmond Bane showed up in Orlando’s first Play-In game, but with the way these matches have gone so far, especially with what the Hornets are showing, one of Franz Wagner or Paolo Banchero is going to need to step up.

Speaking of the Hornets, their electric end to the regular season has smoothly transitioned into a fiery Play-In. With LaMelo Ball’s tough game-winning layup to take down the Heat, Charlotte has a real chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, when Kemba Walker was on the squad. This time, it’s Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel leading the charge—with guys like Coby White and Miles Bridges also available to break out on any given night, this could be a dangerous team if they get past the Magic in Orlando.

The Suns fell to Portland in their first-ever Play-In game (behind 41 PTS from Deni Avdija) in a game where Jalen Green had 35 PTS during a high-usage night. Whether it’s Green, Devin Booker, or Dillon Brooks, Phoenix will be better off adapting in real time and playing off their strengths in the moment to let one of their top guys take control, especially in a matchup that could be dictated by another star player on the other end.

That other end is Golden State, and that star is Steph Curry. What looked like a legitimate championship contender in December, with Jimmy Butler in his first full year and the Warriors rolling, fell apart when Butler tore his ACL in January and never came back. Curry missed most of the second half with a knee injury of his own before returning just in time for this and showing the world that he can still take over postseason games. Phoenix will have its hands full tonight, but one more win doesn't change the reality that Golden State is a franchise with serious questions about what comes next.

Happy trails, Enjoyers. Catch you on Monday!

Austin Zeglis