Karl-Anthony Towns led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a convincing 120-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the play-in game on Friday, securing the final Western Conference playoff spot. The Timberwolves will face the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday in Denver.

Minnesota will be hoping to pull off an upset against the Nuggets, who finished the regular season with a 52-30 record and are looking to make a deep playoff run. The Timberwolves will be relying on the trio of Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards to continue their impressive performances and lead the team to a series victory.

Both Gobert and Towns had been dealing with injuries before Friday's game, but were upgraded to available and started for the Timberwolves. Minnesota will also be inserting Nickeil Alexander-Walker into the starting lineup to defend his cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder.

Meanwhile, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray continues to be hampered by a nagging right thumb sprain, but is otherwise healthy and ready for the playoffs. The Bucks will also have Khris Middleton available for their first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat after he participated in a full practice on Thursday.

As the NBA regular season comes to a close, the Toronto Raptors are gearing up for the play-in tournament. They secured the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, which means they need to win two games to make it to the official playoff bracket. The play-in tournament includes the teams that finished between the seventh and tenth positions in each conference. In the first game of the tournament, the seventh-seeded team hosts the eighth-seeded team, and the winner advances to the playoffs as the seventh seed. The loser hosts the winner of the ninth and tenth seed matchup. The winner of this game advances to the playoffs as the eighth seed, facing the top-ranked team in the conference. The Raptors are set to play against the Chicago Bulls in their first game, which will take place in Toronto and broadcasted on ESPN at 6:00/6:30 p.m. CT on April 12. The winner will advance to play either the Hawks or Heat to decide who gets the eighth seed on April 14. If they can make it into the playoffs, the Raptors will likely face the Milwaukee Bucks.

Despite the Miami Heat's recent struggles, forward Jimmy Butler has made his first appearance in the NBA.com MVP Ladder, coming in at No. 10. Butler was previously seen as a darkhorse candidate, but the team's drop in form has hindered his chances. This year has been inconsistent for Butler, but it’s worth noting he’s in good company in the MVP race, alongside the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Domantas Sabonis. Butler has publicly prioritized winning games over individual accolades. He finished with 35 points and 12 assists in Miami's win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, adding some impressive moves to his arsenal. Butler attempted a no-look jump shot in the midrange, following in the footsteps of Steph Curry’s signature move. Despite the successful shot, Butler insists that it is still Curry's move, and he won't try it from three-point range.

After a win against the Sacramento Kings and an Oklahoma City Thunder loss against the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks are tied with the Thunder for the 10th best record in the Western Conference. With two games left in the regular season, the Mavericks need one of two scenarios to happen: win both games and hope for the Thunder to lose one of their last two games, or win one of their last two games and see the Thunder lose their last two games.

If the Mavericks make the play-in as a 10th place finisher in the West, they will face the Minnesota Timberwolves. If they win, they will play the loser of the 7-seed vs. 8-seed game. If they win that game, they will advance to the playoffs as an 8-seed and play a seven-game series against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets. The NBA started using the current form of the play-in tournament in 2021, and 10th place teams are 0-4 in those games.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have defied expectations this season, making the NBA playoffs for the first time in two years. The team was projected to be the worst in the Western Conference, with some experts calling them a 20-win team. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had other plans. The All-Star has been sensational, averaging 31 points, four rebounds, and five assists per game, while also delivering an excellent defense. The 24-year-old has silenced critics who questioned his ability to lead the franchise to glory. His leadership played a crucial role in securing the team's spot in the play-in tournament, where they will face the Minnesota Timberwolves for a place in the NBA playoffs. If Gilgeous-Alexander can continue his impressive play, he could help the Thunder go further than any other team projected to be at the bottom of their conference. It remains to be seen whether the Thunder can make a deep playoff run, but one thing is for sure: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the potential to be one of the league's best players, and he is making a name for himself as one of the most exciting prospects in the NBA.

Following a remarkable performance against the Raptors on Wednesday, where he scored 39 points and led the Bulls to victory, Zach LaVine now faces a new challenge against former Bull Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. LaVine's explosive second half helped the Bulls overcome a 19-point deficit and clinch a spot in the play-in game against the Heat on Friday. However, beating Butler and the Heat in a win-or-go-home situation will require LaVine to step up once again. Although he had his first real signature moment in a Bulls uniform, LaVine needs to build consistency in his performances to establish himself as an elite player in the Eastern Conference. Butler, on the other hand, has a bevy of legacy moments and accolades, including six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA third-team honors, and five All-Defensive second-team honors, and is looking to add a championship ring to his resume. LaVine and the Bulls have a 3-0 record against the Heat in the regular season, but Friday's showdown will be a new test for the young guard. Can LaVine's heroics continue against Butler and the Heat to secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and earn a first-round matchup with the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks? The stakes are high, and the NBA world will be watching.

Coinbase has completed the distribution of Flare (FLR) token airdrop to eligible XRP users. Over 601 million FLR tokens have been distributed to Coinbase users based on their XRP balance, which includes Coinbase Exchange and Coinbase Pro accounts, on December 12, 2020. A simple calculation made by Neil Hartner, a senior staff software engineer at Ripple, reveals that over 4 billion XRP were held on Coinbase platforms at the time of the snapshot. At the time, it amounted to 8.8% of total circulating XRP, indicating that the impact of Coinbase delisting XRP in January 2021 was significant. Currently, XRP trading remains suspended on Coinbase until the SEC lawsuit against Ripple gains further regulatory clarity. Flare Network, which has a close relationship with XRP, has been demanding XRP’s relisting on Coinbase, as it listed the FLR token. Coinbase will support FLR on the Flare Network, and users will make deposits to their wallets via the network. Trading for FLR will begin once the exchange confirms viable liquidity.

Basketball lovers are gearing up for the NBA playoffs as the regular season comes to a close. The play-in tournament, introduced in 2021, has become a part of the build-up to the playoffs. While it might be a tad confusing, we have the details about how to watch the NBA play-in tournament. The tournament runs from April 12 to April 15, and games will be shown on TNT and ESPN.

On Tuesday, April 12, the Miami Heat will play the Atlanta Hawks to determine the Eastern Conference's seventh seed at 7:30 PM ET on TNT. At 10 PM ET on TNT, the Los Angeles Lakers will play the Minnesota Timberwolves. The winner of this game will become the Western Conference's seventh seed. The games on April 14 will see the Boston Celtics play the lower-seeded winner of the Eastern Conference at 9 PM ET on TNT, and the Memphis Grizzlies take on the lower-seeded winner of the Western Conference at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN. On April 15, a must-win game will take place between the lower-seeded loser of the Eastern Conference and the lower-seeded loser of the Western Conference at a time yet to be confirmed. All major cable and satellite providers have both TNT and ESPN in their lineups, and Fubo has ESPN but no TNT. DIRECTV, Hulu Live, Sling TV, and YouTube TV carry both TNT and ESPN.

During the game on Wednesday between the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, a nine-year-old girl, Diar DeRozan, could be heard screaming at the top of her lungs every time the Raptors tried to score a free throw. Seated near the court next to one of the baskets, Diar's continuous screams managed to throw off the Raptors, resulting in them missing 18 of the 36 free throws attempted, and ultimately costing them the win.

DeMar DeRozan, who played his first nine seasons with the Raptors and now stars for the Bulls, was very pleased to see his daughter in the audience and won't be chastising her for her distracting cheers. After their win, DeRozan stated that he owes her some money for her contribution to the Chicago Bulls' win.

While the Raptors have struggled recently, the missed free throws could have secured them a playoff slot in spite of their increasingly difficult season.

As the Chicago Bulls prepare for their upcoming play-in game, veteran forward DeMar DeRozan has offered some packing tips to his teammates. DeRozan’s advice is to pack with the understanding that they might have to play another game or two just in case. In the play-in tournament, the winner proceeds to another destination while the loser is done. DeRozan, who has experience in play-in games, stressed the need to take the games seriously and put all their chips on the table. He also urged his teammates to go into the games with the approach that they used to beat the big teams during the season. The Bulls are currently the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference and have a 38-42 record. They will face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, but DeRozan, who is one of their key players, is listed as questionable for the game due to fatigue. The Bulls are hoping to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament, and their core three players, including DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, are expected to start against the Detroit Pistons in their last regular-season game on Sunday.

Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe claims that Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is the greatest tight end of all time. Sharpe believes that Kelce elevates his game to a higher level and is more productive and performs better in the playoffs than any other tight end, giving him the edge in the debate. Contrary to other potential candidates such as Tony Gonzalez, a former Chief, or four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, Sharpe says, "The bigger the moment, the bigger he plays." Notably, in the playoffs, Kelce has averaged 7.4 receptions and 86 receiving yards per game. 

Sharpe's argument favors Kelce's ability to perform well in high-pressure situations. Furthermore, during the Super Bowl LVII game, Sharpe told Sports Illustrated that if the Chiefs beat the Eagles, he'd crown Kelce as the greatest tight end of all time. For his regular season career, Kelce has averaged 5.7 receptions and 71.8 receiving yards per game. In playoff history, he is second to Hall of Famer wide receiver Jerry Rice in catches, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions.

Adrian Kempe scored three goals and an assist to help the Los Angeles Kings secure a 5-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. This victory took the Kings to third place in the Pacific Division, where they will face the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Anze Kopitar and Viktor Arvidsson contributed to the win with a goal and an impressive three assists respectively, while Joonas Korpisalo protected the net with 21 saves. Troy Terry, Max Jones, and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, but their efforts were not enough to end a franchise-record, 13-game losing streak. The Kings' quality generated a 10-0 advantage in shots goals in the first seven minutes of the game, which gave them control of the matchup. Kempe was a standout player, particularly in the second period, scoring a one-timer for a PPG and another goal to grant him his fourth career hat trick. The Kings will now aim to continue their success in the playoffs and see if Kempe can replicate his impressive performance on the big stage.

On Tuesday night, the Vancouver Canucks will face off against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The Canucks are coming off of a tie against the Flames, while the Ducks lost in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks have a record of 36-36-7 on the season, with a 15-9-1 record in Pacific Division play. The Ducks have a record of 23-45-12 overall and a 7-15-2 record in Pacific Division play. Vancouver will look to capitalize on their strong power play, which currently sits at 22.6 percent, while Anaheim will try to improve their 15.9 percent conversion rate. Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks in scoring with 38 goals, while Trevor Zegras leads the Ducks with 22 goals. The Canucks have won four of their last five road games, but have struggled in back-to-back games. The Ducks have won six of their last eight meetings against the Canucks in Anaheim, making the home team a tempting bet in this matchup.

The Anaheim Ducks are on a 10-game losing streak and will take on the Colorado Avalanche tonight in hopes of breaking their losing streak. The Ducks, sitting at 23-45-11, have struggled all season and have only managed to secure 57 points so far. The Avalanche, on the other hand, have already clinched a playoff berth and have tied for the top spot in the Central division with 102 points. Colorado is hoping to defend their title as the Stanley Cup champions following their impressive win last season. The two teams have split their two games this season with a score of 5-5 for each game. While the Avalanche have been hot recently, winning eight out of their last ten games, the Ducks are in need of a win, sitting third from the bottom in the NHL standings. The game tonight will kick off at 8:30 pm EDT in Anaheim, California.