{"id":576673,"date":"2026-04-02T04:42:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/576673\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T04:42:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:42:13","slug":"nba-news-live-updates-magics-franz-wagner-returns-wednesday-joel-embiid-ruled-out-after-april-fools-confusion-lakers-and-nuggets-clinch-playoff-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/576673\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA news, live updates: Magic’s Franz Wagner returns Wednesday; Joel Embiid ruled out after April Fool’s confusion; Lakers and Nuggets clinch playoff spots"},"content":{"rendered":"

With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, the NBA playoff picture<\/a> is beginning to take shape.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, several of the league\u2019s biggest stars continue building their cases for postseason awards<\/a>. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the heavy favorite to repeat, with Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Victor Wembanyama also in the conversation.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Gilgeous-Alexander has strengthened his case with another dominant season, joining Don\u010di\u0107 as the only players averaging more than 30 points per game while leading the league with 14.2 win shares and a +10.7 plus-minus.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, injuries and the 65-game rule have reshaped the awards race. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and 41-year-old LeBron James are both ineligible for postseason awards<\/a> under the NBA\u2019s 65-game requirement, while three-time MVP Nikola Joki\u0107 can miss just one more game before falling below the threshold.<\/p>\n

Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest news, scores and key storylines shaping the NBA playoff picture<\/a>. We\u2019re also tracking who\u2019s headed for the draft lottery.<\/a><\/p>\n

Live30 updates\"KateWed, April 1, 2026 at 2:41 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kate Magdziuk<\/p>\n

The Orlando Magic have cleared forward Franz Wagner to return to action on Wednesday night, having missed 22 games with an ankle injury, the team announced.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s expected to play on a minutes restriction per Magic beat reporter Jason Beede.<\/p>\n

Wagner has been out since before the All-Star break. After having originally suffered the injury back in December<\/a>, he played four games dealing with the injury, but was sat indefinitely in February<\/a> to continue rehabbing.<\/p>\n

Wagner is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game this season.<\/p>\n

Wed, April 1, 2026 at 2:25 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

\"TarohnWed, April 1, 2026 at 1:09 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Tarohn Finley<\/p>\n

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is close to making his return. Curry’s goal is to reportedly play against the Houston Rockets<\/a> on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old point guard last played on Jan. 30 against the Detroit Pistons after suffering a knee injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ChrisWed, April 1, 2026 at 1:07 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Chris Cwik<\/p>\n

With a few hours to go before his team is set to take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Joel Embiid\u2019s playing status is unclear<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia 76ers originally announced Embiid would miss the contest due to an illness, but the center posted on social media that his injury designation must have been an \u201cApril Fools joke.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his tweet, Embiid mentioned he played against the Miami Heat on Monday despite the same symptoms.<\/p>\n

As of the 4 p.m. injury report<\/a>, Embiid is still listed as \u201cout.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AndyTue, March 31, 2026 at 6:57 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Andy Backstrom<\/p>\n

The Phoenix Suns fell to the Orlando Magic 115-111 on Tuesday night. As soon as that game went final, a pair of Western Conference squads punched their tickets to the postseason.<\/p>\n

With the Suns\u2019 loss, the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets both clinched playoff spots. The Lakers also claimed the Pacific Division crown.<\/p>\n

\"JackTue, March 31, 2026 at 3:23 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

Anthony Davis is progressing as expected from a hand injury and has been cleared for light contact, the Wizards announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

However, with only seven games remaining on the Wizards\u2019 schedule and the team one of many tanking at this point of the season, you have to wonder how much they try actually getting him on the court.<\/p>\n

\"JasonMon, March 30, 2026 at 6:53 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jason Owens<\/p>\n

The New York Knicks didn\u2019t play Monday night. But they clinched their spot in the postseason.<\/p>\n

With the 76ers\u2019 119-109 loss to the Heat<\/a> Monday night, the Knicks are guaranteed to finish in no worse than sixth place in the Eastern Conference and have earned a guaranteed playoff spot.<\/p>\n

But the Knicks are setting their sights higher than sixth place. At 48-27 as of Monday night, the Knicks stood firmly in third place in the East, two games ahead of the fourth-place Cavaliers and four games ahead of the fifth-place Raptors.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re in strong position to lock up home-court advantage in the first round. But a potential second-round matchup against a Celtics team with home-court advantage awaits. The 50-24 Celtics leave a 112-102 loss to the Hawks Monday with a 2.5 game edge over the Knicks for second place with eight games remaining on their schedule.<\/p>\n

\"IanMon, March 30, 2026 at 12:09 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Ian Casselberry<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Timberwolves could be without one of their key players for the rest of the regular season as they battle for playoff positioning<\/a> in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n

Jaden McDaniels is listed as week-to-week with patellar tendinitis and a bone bruise in his left knee, the team announced<\/a> on Monday.<\/p>\n

However, Minnesota could get Anthony Edwards back for Monday\u2019s matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. He was upgraded to questionable on the injury report after missing the past six games with a right knee injury.<\/p>\n

Read more from Yahoo Sports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sun, March 29, 2026 at 9:36 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

The Boston Celtics officially secured their spot in the playoffs with Sunday\u2019s 114-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.<\/p>\n

Jayson Tatum had his best game since returning from his Achilles tear with 32 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Jaylen Brown missed the game with left Achilles tendinitis.<\/p>\n

Boston is now guaranteed to have no worse than the Eastern Conference\u2019s No. 4 seed when the playoffs begin.<\/p>\n

For more about the NBA\u2019s postseason picture, read here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"KariSat, March 28, 2026 at 6:50 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Philadelphia picked up a much-needed win over Charlotte on Saturday, with the two trading three-pointers in an exciting finish.<\/p>\n

Joel Embiid ended up playing hero for the Sixers, hitting what would prove to be the game-winning three pointer with a minute left in the game.<\/p>\n

He then hit a game-saving block to hold the Sixers\u2019 lead for the final minute of the game.<\/p>\n

With the win, Philadelphia, who has already clinched a play-in berth, is clutching to the final playoff spot in the East, while the Hornets are currently on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n

\"AndySat, March 28, 2026 at 3:10 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Andy Backstrom<\/p>\n

Both Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. are back.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve returned to the lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers\u2019 game versus the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Maxey missed the past 10 games with a sprained right pinkie<\/a>. Oubre hadn\u2019t played since he went off for a season-high 30 points versus the Memphis Grizzlies on March 10. He had been dealing with a left elbow sprain.<\/p>\n

\"IanSat, March 28, 2026 at 2:39 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Ian Casselberry<\/p>\n

The Milwaukee Bucks are officially eliminated from the 2025-26 NBA playoffs after their 127-98 loss<\/a> to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.<\/p>\n

At 29-44, the Bucks join the Chicago Bulls in being eliminated from postseason consideration. And now another offseason with trade rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo can begin.<\/p>\n

Milwaukee\u2019s loss also clinches a play-in spot for the Miami Heat (39-35). With eight games remaining, the Heat still have an opportunity to challenge for the No. 6 seed and guarantee a playoff berth. The Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic are ahead of Miami in the standings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fri, March 27, 2026 at 8:38 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Fri, March 27, 2026 at 8:01 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bulls are headed for the NBA Draft lottery after their 131-113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The loss guaranteed the Bulls will finish no better than 11th in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n

The 10 teams for the East postseason field are nearly set. The Milwaukee Bucks will be officially eliminated with one more loss or if the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat win at least one more game.<\/p>\n

Fri, March 27, 2026 at 7:20 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n

The Golden State Warriors announced on Friday that star guard Stephen Curry will be re-evaluated next week, ruling him out for at least the next two games because of his injured right knee.<\/p>\n

Curry had been expected to scrimmage this week, but was unable. If Curry returns immediately after Sunday\u2019s game in Denver, the Warriors will have only seven games remaining ahead of the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not bringing him back [only] for the play-in game,\u201d Kerr said, according to ESPN\u2019s Anthony Slater<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019d need to play some games. We need to give him a runway if this is going to work. And we are running out of games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"AndyFri, March 27, 2026 at 2:33 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Andy Backstrom<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia 76ers are getting some late-season reinforcements. Joel Embiid and Paul George returned on Wednesday to the tune of a combined 63 points in the team\u2019s 157-point outburst against the Chicago Bulls<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And now it looks like both Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. are nearing their first games back.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re each listed as \u201cquestionable\u201d on the Sixers\u2019 injury report for Saturday\u2019s game versus the Charlotte Hornets. Maxey has missed the past 10 games with a sprained right pinkie<\/a>. Oubre hasn\u2019t played since he went off for a season-high 30 points versus the Memphis Grizzlies on March 10. He\u2019s been dealing with a left elbow sprain.<\/p>\n

\"AndyFri, March 27, 2026 at 2:25 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Andy Backstrom<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Timberwolves announced Friday that Anthony Edwards will be out Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, however, the team also noted<\/a> that the four-time All-Star guard has been cleared for on-court basketball practice activities.<\/p>\n

That means a return could be on the horizon for Edwards, who has missed the past five games with right\u00a0knee\u00a0patellofemoral\u00a0pain\u00a0syndrome.<\/p>\n

The Wolves play the Dallas Mavericks on the road Monday night.<\/p>\n

Fri, March 27, 2026 at 8:47 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the postseason scenarios for Friday\u2019s game slate<\/a>, per NBA Communications<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Boston (7:30 p.m. ET vs. ATL) clinches a playoff spot with a win AND Toronto loss (8:30 p.m. ET vs. NO)<\/p>\n

Golden State (10 p.m. ET vs. WAS) is locked into the play-in with a loss AND Houston win (8 p.m. ET at MEM)<\/p>\n

Chicago is eliminated with a loss (8 p.m. ET at OKC)<\/p>\n

\"ChrisFri, March 27, 2026 at 7:13 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Chris Cwik<\/p>\n

NBA commissioner Adam Silver vowed to put an end to tanking when he spoke to the media Wednesday. When asked about the issue, Silver said the league was \u201cgoing to fix it<\/a>. Full stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NBA attempted to do exactly that at its Board of Governors meeting this week. Three new anti-tanking ideas<\/a> were reportedly introduced at the meeting, according to ESPN\u2019s Shams Charania.<\/p>\n

The three proposals vary in both size and structure. Here\u2019s how each one would work<\/a>, per Charania.<\/p>\n

The first proposal involves an 18-team lottery. That lottery would include the bottom 10 teams that miss out on the play-in tournament and the eight teams that qualify for it. The bottom 10 teams would have equal odds in the lottery. The other eight teams will have their odds split in descending order.<\/p>\n

The second proposal involves a 22-team lottery. It includes the same teams involved in the first proposal, but adds the four teams that get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Teams would then be ranked in the lottery based on their record over the past two seasons. Charania said the top-4 teams would be drawn as part of the lottery in this scenario.<\/p>\n

The third proposal also includes 18 teams \u2014 the same outlined in the first proposal. The teams with the five worst records would have the same odds. A lottery for the top-5 picks would be drawn and the remaining 13 teams would then get their own lottery. Any of the five teams with the worst records that don\u2019t wind up with a top-5 pick would be guaranteed to pick in the top-10 in this system. So a truly awful team wouldn\u2019t slip too far down the draft board.<\/p>\n

None of those proposals are finalized, and they will likely be refined ahead of being put to a vote in May.<\/p>\n

Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thu, March 26, 2026 at 7:51 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Yahoo Sports Staff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, the NBA playoff picture is beginning to take…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":576674,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[434],"tags":[49,48,220544,8228,32411,2327,12887,459,5725,218488,6691,82,21217],"class_list":{"0":"post-576673","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-dominant-season","11":"tag-giannis-antetokounmpo","12":"tag-gilgeous-alexander","13":"tag-lebron-james","14":"tag-luka-doncic","15":"tag-nba","16":"tag-nikola-jokic","17":"tag-postseason-awards","18":"tag-shai-gilgeous-alexander","19":"tag-sports","20":"tag-victor-wembanyama"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}