TORONTO (AP) — Jonathan Mogbo had 17 points, a career-high 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the first triple-double by a rookie in the NBA this season, helping the Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Charlotte Hornets 126-96 on Wednesday night.
Jared Rhoden scored 23 points in the Raptors' ninth straight home victory over the Hornets. Scottie Barnes added 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Raptors finished 18-23 at home.
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Charlotte Hornets' Nick Smith Jr., right, falls as Toronto Raptors' Cole Swider (12) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Tidjane Salaun (31) makes a pass as Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Nick Smith Jr. (8) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors' Jamison Battle (77) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Jusuf Nurkic (11) protects the ball as Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' KJ Simpson (25) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (/Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Jusuf Nurkic (11) drives as Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors' A.J. Lawson (0) shoots over Charlotte Hornets' Wendell Moore Jr. (9) during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
AJ Lawson scored 14 points and the Raptors matched their biggest margin of victory this season. Toronto also had a 30-point win at Brooklyn on March 26.
Nick Smith Jr. had 28 points and 10 rebounds and Jusuf Nurkic added 26 points for Charlotte. The Hornets have lost five straight and seven in a row in the road.
Charlotte’s Taj Gibson had two points and five rebounds in the 1,00th game of his NBA career. Gibson started with Chicago in the 2009-10 season.
Toronto’s RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley both played 14 minutes in the first half before sitting out the second half. Barrett scored 11 points, and Quickley added eight.
Hornets: Miles Bridges (left hip) was one of nine Charlotte absentees, a list that also included Josh Okogie (left hamstring) and Mark Williams (left foot).
Raptors: Forward Brandon Ingram has been shut down for the season after receiving an injection in his injured left ankle, head coach Darko Rajakovic said. Ingram visited a specialist in New York City last week and received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Tuesday.
Barnes and Rhoden combined for 18 points in the third quarter as Toronto outscored Charlotte 35-23 to take a 20-point lead.
The Raptors scored 64 bench points — 44 more than the Hornets.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Charlotte Hornets' Nick Smith Jr., right, falls as Toronto Raptors' Cole Swider (12) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Tidjane Salaun (31) makes a pass as Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Nick Smith Jr. (8) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors' Jamison Battle (77) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Jusuf Nurkic (11) protects the ball as Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' KJ Simpson (25) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors' Orlando Robinson (21) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (/Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Charlotte Hornets' Jusuf Nurkic (11) drives as Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) defends during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Raptors' A.J. Lawson (0) shoots over Charlotte Hornets' Wendell Moore Jr. (9) during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Eastern Conference semifinals are set: We already knew it was Cleveland vs. Indiana, and now we've got Boston vs. New York in the other bracket.
As for the Western Conference, the wait continues.
Jalen Brunson scored 40 points and the Knicks are into Round 2 of the NBA playoffs after beating Detroit in Game 6 on Thursday night, ending a series where the road team won each of the final five games.
And the Los Angeles Clippers forced a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets, winning in LA on Thursday night to extend that series to the ultimate.
There's one game on Friday — Game 6 between Golden State and Houston, with the Warriors looking to finish off that series.
All times Eastern
9 p.m. — Houston at Golden State (ESPN)
All times Eastern
7:30 p.m. — LA Clippers at Denver (TNT)
All times Eastern
6 or 8 p.m. — Indiana at Cleveland (TNT)
8:30 p.m. — Golden State at Houston (TNT, if necessary)
(If there is no Golden State-Houston game, the Indiana-Cleveland game will start at 8 p.m.)
Oklahoma City (+150) is favored to win the NBA title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Boston (+200). After that, it's Cleveland (+500), Golden State (+1800), Minnesota (+1800), the Los Angeles Clippers (+3000), New York (+4000), Denver (+4000), Indiana (+6600) and Houston (+12500).
On Thursday, Boston’s Jrue Holiday was named the league’s sportsmanship award winner for the second time.
Other awards so far:
— Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels won most improved player.
— San Antonio's Stephon Castle won rookie of the year.
— Golden State's Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award.
— Golden State's Draymond Green won the hustle award.
— Cleveland’s Evan Mobley won defensive player of the year.
— New York's Jalen Brunson won clutch player of the year.
— Boston's Payton Pritchard won sixth man of the year.
— Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson wins NBCA coach of the year award.
The league has not announced a schedule for other awards — including MVP and coach of the year — along with All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.
The highest-scoring games by players so far in this year's playoffs:
43 — Jamal Murray, Denver vs. LA Clippers, April 29
43 — Anthony Edwards, Minnesota vs. LA Lakers, April 27
40 — Jalen Brunson, New York at Detroit, May 1
39 — Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers at Denver, April 21
38 — Luka Doncic, LA Lakers at Minnesota, April 27
38 — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City at Memphis, April 26
38 — LeBron James, LA Lakers at Minnesota, April 25
38 — Jalen Green, Houston vs. Golden State, April 23
Sunday — Round 2 of the playoffs starts.
May 12 — Draft lottery, Chicago.
May 18 or 20 — Game 1, Western Conference finals.
May 19 or 21 — Game 1, Eastern Conference finals.
June 5 — Game 1, NBA Finals. (Other games: June 8, June 11, June 13, June 16, June 19 and Game 7, if necessary, will be June 22.)
June 25 — NBA draft, first round.
June 26 — NBA draft, second round.
— Preview of Friday's game: Rockets-Warriors.
— Giannis Antetokounmpo has a decision to make. Stay or go?
— Tyrese Haliburton wasn't happy with his dad's postgame celebration.
— A look inside the numbers of this season, headed into the playoffs
— Detroit now has sole possession of the longest home losing streak in NBA playoff history, after extending that drought to 10 games — since 2008 — with Thursday's loss to New York. Philadelphia dropped nine straight from 1968 through 1971. Miami has lost eight straight at home in playoff games; play-in games don't count in that figure.
— The Knicks had the 20th instance in NBA history of a team going 3-0 or better in road games in a single playoff series. This doesn't include three teams — Boston, Toronto and Miami — who went 3-0 (or in the Celtics' case, 4-0) in “road” games during a series in the bubble at Walt Disney World in 2020.
— Detroit's Malik Beasley finished the season with 339 made 3-pointers, 12th-most in NBA history (including playoffs) and the most of anyone not named Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden or Luka Doncic.
— James Harden played 46 minutes, 35 seconds in the Clippers' win over Denver. That's the most he's ever logged in a non-overtime game and pushed him over the 3,000-minute mark for the season for the eighth time in his career. Among active players, only LeBron James has more 3,000-minute seasons. Thursday was only the second time he played the second, third and fourth quarters in full without a rest; the other was a Christmas Day game for Philadelphia in 2022.
— Denver's David Adelman will become the 110th Game 7 coach in NBA history (and got there in just his 10th career game). Clippers coach Tyronn Lue will look to join Red Auerbach as the only coaches to win their first five Game 7s; Lue is 4-0, Auerbach was 8-0 in his career. Lue will try to be the first coach to win three Game 7s on the road.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez, left, questions a non call as Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves looks on during the second half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry watches from the bench during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla encourages his players during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Orlando Magic, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, center, tries to argue a non-call after the New York Knicks won Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series in Detroit, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (David Guralnick/Detroit News via AP)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) celebrates after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner (33) reacts after dunking over Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the second half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) scores against the Miami Heat during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) shoots the ball past Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (22) during the first half in Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, bottom, and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) reach for a rebound during the first half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in San Francisco, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis reacts after scoring a basket during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) gestures after making a 3-point shot during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero celebrates a 3-point shot against the Boston Celtics during the first half in game 3 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series,, Friday, April 25, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Chris Paul, right, gestures as Bob Iger looks on during the first half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, center, shoots as Los Angeles Clippers guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, left, and center Ivica Zubac defend during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates with teammates during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant looks on from the bench in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren dunks during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates after a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) goes to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second half of Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff in Los Angeles, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Memphis Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo looks up during the first half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown leaves the court after defeating the Orlando Magic in game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates in front of teammate Sam Merrill in the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) dunks during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns hugs his dad, Karl Towns, Sr., following Game 1 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Indiana Pacers' Andrew Nembhard (2) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the first half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray gestures to the crowd after hitting a 3-point basket against the Los Angeles Clippers in the second half of Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Alex Rodriguez, co-owner, of the Minnesota Timberwolves, claps during the second half in Game 1 of an NBA first-round playoff series Los Angeles Lakers, Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, and forward LeBron James celebrate at the bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets Friday, April 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Fans react as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies in San Francisco, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) fights for the ball in overtime of an NBA play-in tournament basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Friday, April 18, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic sits on the bench looking up at a video that was played in the arena as a tribute to the former Mavericks player before an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
