A wild Malachi Flynn appears

PLUS: are the Magic going to be the No. 2 seed?

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

But first, Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 from James McNeill Whistler (1871).

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Scores

Lakers 125, Wizards 120 — L.A. keeps beating bad teams and is now two losses out of the 3-team race for the No. 6 seed. They need help to get there … but it’s on the table. Playoff Status has it at a 7% chance that the Lakers escape the play-in.

Blazers 89, Hornets 86 — Portland wins, snapping their 10-game losing streak! Deandre Ayton with a monster 24-16 game. Scoot Henderson snapped his streak of seven straight games with a negative plus-minus (he was +0 in 37 minutes).

Grant Williams with quite possibly the most confusing Grant Williams box score imaginable on a team absolutely starving for offense: 1/6 from the floor, 5 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds. This guy was a rotation player in the NBA Finals two years ago!

Pacers 111, Nets 115 — Big Brooklyn win for … the Sixers! That makes 34 losses for Indiana. Miami has 33, Philly has 35.

Thunder 100, Celtics 135 — The Thunder are not very good without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and are outright mediocre without SGA and Jalen Williams. Boston made good use of the court time to get Kristaps Porzingis cooking.

Pistons 113, Hawks 121 — Ladies and gentlemen, your newest 50-point scorer in the NBA, Malachi Flynn. Scoring is BACK.