Cavaliers vs Raptors – Game 7 NBA Playoffs – predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends, best bets for May 3

RJ Barrett received one of the friendlier bounces you'll see from a rim and nailed the game-winner versus the Cavaliers in Game 6. The win for Toronto tied up the series 3-3 with a Game 7 in Cleveland. The home team is 6-0 in this series entering the final battle. The winner of this series will face the winner of Orlando or Detroit.

Cleveland continued its struggles on the road with a 27% three-point outing in Toronto and 70% from the free-throw line. At home, Cleveland has averaged 43.5% mark from three, which leads the playoff field. Five different Cavaliers scored 10 or more points with Evan Mobley leading the way at 26 points.

Toronto had a chance to win at the buzzer in regulation, but couldn't deliver until OT. Barrett's three-pointer will be an iconic shot in Toronto, especially if they win this series. The Raptors had four different players score at least 17 points and three at 24 or more (Barrett, Barnes, Walter). They will need that balanced scoring in Cleveland if they want to win the series Sunday night.

Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. 

Game Details and How to Watch Live: Raptors vs. Cavaliers

  • Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
  • Time: 7:40 PM EST
  • Site: Rocket Arena
  • City: Cleveland, OH
  • Network/Streaming: NBC / Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game Odds: Cavaliers vs. Raptors

The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers (-298), Toronto Raptors (+240)
  • Spread: Cavaliers -7.5
  • Total: 211.5 points

This game spread opened with Cleveland favored by 8.5 points and the Game Total set at 212.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups: Cavaliers vs. Raptors

Toronto Raptors

  • PG Ja’Kobe Walter
  • SG Brandon Ingram
  • SF RJ Barrett
  • PF Scottie Barnes
  • Jakob Poeltl

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • PG James Harden
  • SG Donovan Mitchell
  • SF Dean Wade
  • PF Evan Mobley
  • Jarrett Allen

Injury Report: Raptors vs. Cavaliers

Toronto Raptors

  • Immanuel Quickley (hamstring) has been declared OUT of for the remainder of the first round series
  • Brandon Ingram (heel) is listed as QUESTIONABLE

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

Important stats, trends and insights: Raptors vs. Cavaliers

  • Cleveland is the worst in the NBA ATS at 35-53
  • Cleveland is 18-26 ATS as the home team, ranking second-worst
  • Cleveland is 44-44 to the Under
  • Cleveland is 25-19 to the Under as the home team
  • Toronto is 52-36 to the Under, ranking third-best
  • Toronto is 28-16 to the Under as the road team, ranking second-best
  • Toronto is 46-42 ATS and 22-22 ATS on the road
  • Toronto is 12-13 ATS as a road underdog and 9-16 on the ML

Rotoworld Best Bet

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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s Raptors and Cavaliers’ game:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning toward a play on the Cavaliers Moneyline
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Rapttors +8.5 ATS
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 211.5

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Mets news: Ronny Mauricio has a left thumb fracture, will go on Injured List

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: Ronny Mauricio #0 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 01, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mets lost another player to injury in last night’s extra-innings loss to the Angels. While sliding into first base in the sixth inning, Ronny Mauricio appeared to jam his left thumb on the base, fracturing it and being placed on the Injured List. He ran the bases for the rest of the inning but then left the game in the bottom of the inning.

Mauricio has been playing shortstop in Francisco Lindor’s stead, as Lindor hit the Injured List on April 23rd with a left calf strain. The Mets also have Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr, Kodai Senga, and Jared Young currently on the IL.

The Mets are in a bind as for what to do about shortstop until Lindor or Mauricio returns. While Bo Bichette, currently their third baseman, played shortstop for most of his career, his defensive abilities there were never elite, and over time they have eroded further. However, with a lineup that is already struggling to hit, calling up one of the players currently manning shortstop for Triple-A Syracuse for regular playing time—Vidal Bruján or Jackson Cluff—doesn’t inspire much offensive confidence. One of them will most likely join the team as a bench/backup option.

If Bichette is playing short, Brett Baty will likely get most of the third base reps. The Mets’ infield would likely be comprised of Baty at third, Bichette at short, Marcus Semien at second, and Mark Vientos at first. Insert your ‘run prevention’ joke here.

Padres announce agreement to sell team to investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano

The San Diego Padres have reached an agreement to sell control of the team to an investor group led by Kwanza Jones and José E. Feliciano.

The family of late owner Peter Seidler formally announced the deal Saturday. The sale must still be approved by Major League Baseball.

The deal with private equity billionaire Feliciano and his wife took shape last month at an MLB-record valuation of $3.9 billion. The Padres’ announcement of the deal didn’t give specifics on the members of the investor group or the purchase price.

“The Padres are more than a baseball team; they are a unifying force in San Diego, rooted in community, connection and belonging,” Jones and Feliciano said in a joint statement. “As life and business partners, and as a family, we are honored to lead this next chapter together. We have worked hard for everything we have achieved, and we have built it together. We see that same spirit in this team and its fans, and we know what it takes to win. We are committed to showing up, listening and earning the trust of this community while building on the strong foundation established by the Seidler family.

“This is about more than baseball — it’s about boosting the pride, energy, and connection that define the Padres, investing in community, deepening belonging and ensuring this team remains accessible and endures for generations. We are all in — with the goal of bringing a World Series championship to San Diego.”

Seidler’s family began to explore a sale of the Padres last November, two years after the death of the popular Peter Seidler, who became the Padres’ primary owner in 2020. His brother, John Seidler, has served as the Padres’ chairman since his death.

“When I became control person, my goal was to continue building on our recent success in pursuit of a World Series championship for the city of San Diego and our faithful fans,” John Seidler said in a statement. “As I pass the baton to Kwanza and José, I do so with full confidence that they share that vision as well as the Padres’ deep commitment to San Diego. It’s what the team, our fans and the community deserve. Our family loves this team.”

Peter Seidler joined the Padres’ ownership group in 2012 when John Moores sold the team for $800 million to a group headed by Ron Fowler. Seidler took over and immediately endeared himself to San Diego’s fans with his aggressive financial backing of general manager A.J. Preller, who built a team that has reached the playoffs in four of the past six years.

The Padres have been a hot ticket for several years as San Diego’s only team in the four biggest North American sports leagues, ranking second in the majors in attendance last season. Preller’s roster is off to another strong start this season, sitting second in the NL West at 19-12 heading into a home game against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Jones and Feliciano already got a start on their new endeavor last month when they traveled to Mexico City to watch the Padres’ international series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The couple was spotted sitting with Padres CEO Erik Greupner.

Feliciano will become the second Latino owner in baseball, joining Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno. Latino and Hispanic players comprise roughly 30% of major league rosters.

Pistons vs Magic Game 7 NBA Playoffs – predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets for May 3

The Detroit Pistons rallied from down 24 points in Game 6 at Orlando to win, 93-79. Detroit outscored Orlando, 31-8, in the fourth quarter after trailing by 22 at halftime. The series is tied up 3-3 and Game 7 is at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots from the field in the loss and completely fumbled down the stretch. The Magic became the first team since 1996-97 to blow a 24-plus point lead in a closeout game at home. Detroit went on a 35-5 run in the second half and simply couldn't be stopped.

Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and Tobias Harris added 22 points. The rest of the Pistons combined for 39 points (bench scored 13) on 15-of-35 from the field (42.8%) and 5-of-15 from three (33.3%). Detroit shot 40% from the field as a team and 33% from three compared to Orlando who went 35% from the field and 25% from deep in Game 6.

Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. 

Game Details and How to Watch Live: Magic vs. Pistons

  • Date: Sunday, May 3, 2026
  • Time: 3:40 PM EST
  • Site: Little Caesars Arena
  • City: Detroit, MI
  • Network/Streaming: ABC

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game Odds: Magic vs. Pistons

The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Detroit Pistons (-325), Orlando Magic (+260)
  • Spread: Pistons -8.5
  • Total: 202.5 points

This game opened Pistons -9.5 with the Total set at 205.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!

Expected Starting Lineups: Magic vs. Pistons

Orlando Magic

  • PG Jalen Suggs
  • SG Desmond Bane
  • SF Franz Wagner
  • PF Paolo Banchero
  • Wendell Carter Jr.

Detroit Pistons

  • PG Cade Cunningham
  • SG Duncan Robinson
  • SF Ausar Thompson
  • PF Tobias Harris
  • Jalen Duren

Injury Report: Pistons vs. Magic

Orlando Magic

  • Jonathan Issac (knee) is listed as DOUBTFUL for Game 7

Detroit Pistons

  • Kevin Huerter (hip) is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Game 7

Important stats, trends and insights: Pistons vs. Magic

  • Detroit is 46-42 ATS
  • Detroit is 47-40-1 to the Under
  • Detroit is 23-20 to the Under at home
  • Detroit is 20-18 to the Under as a home favorite
  • Detroit is 22-21 ATS as the home team
  • Orlando is 43-46 ATS and 46-44 to the Over this season
  • Orlando is 20-23 ATS as the road team and 12-12 ATS as the road underdog
  • Orlando is 23-20 to the Under as the road team
  • Orlando is 12-12 on the total as a road underdog

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Sunday’s Magic and Pistons’ game:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Pistons’ Moneyline
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Magic +8.5 ATS
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 202.5

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!

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How the 76ers' figured it out on defense at the last possible moment

How the 76ers' figured it out on defense at the last possible moment originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

We waited all year for this 76ers team to show up. We knew it was possible, we just kept wondering if it would really happen.

It took the 76ers 86 games to figure it out – 82 regular-season games and the first four games of the Celtics series – but they figured it out at the last possible moment.

How to defend at a consistently high level against an explosive offense for 48 minutes. And how to do it three games in a row, two of them on the road, when a loss ends your season.

This was one of the most remarkable, improbable, incredible three-game stretches in 76ers history. And it happened because they stifled the Celtics’ offense like very few teams ever have.

The first 86 games of the season, the 76ers allowed 116 points per game and they allowed opposing teams to shoot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. Middle of the pack across the board.

Those are not championship numbers. Those are not numbers that scare a team like the Celtics, who averaged 115 points per game during the regular season and made 37 percent of their 3’s.

But once Joel Embiid returned, an amazing thing happened.

The 76ers turned into a defensive force, and there was nothing the Celtics – with all their offensive weapons – could do about it.

Embiid’s first game back was Game 4 and that was another Celtics blowout, the one that put the 76ers in a 3 games to 1 hole.

But these last three games were a model in how defending at a high level can propel an underdog No. 7 seed that hadn’t won three straight road games against playoff-bound teams since 2023 past a No. 2 seed that never loses at home.

This is a Celtics team that averaged 115 points per game, shot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3, and the last games they averaged 97 points, shot 41 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3.

Ballgame.

The 76ers really wore the Celtics down these last three games, and by the fourth quarter the Celtics couldn’t get good shots, forced 3 after 3 and just got run off the court in the final minutes.

In these last three fourth quarters, the Celtics shot 33 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3. The Celtics are built on burying 3’s. They made 1,268 during the regular season, 9th-most in NBA history, and they shot 37 percent, tied for 5th-highest in the league this year.

But when they needed them the most, the 76ers kept denying them. They kept bombing away and missing and it turned out when the 3’s weren’t falling they didn’t have an answer. 

The Celtics attempted 323 3’s in this series, 2nd-most ever in any postseason series, behind the Rockets’ 357 in their 2020 Western Conference First-Round series win over Oklahoma City.

You only take that many 3’s when you can’t do anything else.

Most of those 3’s were contested but they also missed a lot of open looks (I’m looking at you Derrick White) just because the 76ers had them so beat up by the end of the game thanks to a physicality and intensity we rarely saw in the regular season.

And you know what happens when one team keeps missing 3’s. Long rebounds and fast breaks, and that’s how the 76ers outscored Boston by an average of 55-41 in the fourth quarter of these last three wins.

The Celtics never went three games in a row scoring 100 or fewer points during the regular season and they actually haven’t done that in the regular season since 2021. Then the 76ers held them to 93, 90 and 100 in three straight elimination playoff games.

The 76ers’ neutralized the Celtics’ two studs, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, late in the series. Tatum missed Game 7 but shot 43.8 percent and 33 percent from 3 from the field in Games 5 and 6 and was minus-20, and Brown shot 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 the last three games with a minus-57, the worst plus-minus of his 10-year career over any three-game span.

Last time the Celtics had a three-game stretch in the regular season scoring fewer than 300 points and shooting below 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3 was 2021.

So this was the Celtics’ worst three-game offensive stretch in five years, and it came at the hands of a 76ers team that was mediocre defensively during the regular season and needed to win a play-in game just to reach the postseason.

Nick Nurse preached defense all year, but with injuries and the Paul George suspension, he just never had the people to play the brand of defense he wanted. It took 86 games and Embiid returning to action 2 ½ weeks after an appendetomy for it all to come together.

But when it did, it was beautiful.

The 76ers won this series by denying the Celtics what they do best when they needed it the most.

Report: Rockets have “no plans” to move on from Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone

HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Head coach Ime Udoka and General Manager Rafael Stone of the Houston Rockets speaks with the media during the NBA Media Day at Toyota Center on September 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If reports are to be believed, the Houston Rockets have already made a decision on one of the biggest questions of the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Rockets have “no plans” to move on from either Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone.

The report says:

“At this juncture, there are no plans to move on from either Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone. Ownership has remained steadfast in its belief in a three-pronged leadership sector because of a combination of the turnaround in recent years and consecutive 50-win seasons, the latter of which was marked by major injuries, resulting in confidence from the top down.

“One of the prevailing internal beliefs concerning this roster is assuming that Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are healthy, along with Durant, the Rockets aren’t too far removed from Western Conference powers Oklahoma City and San Antonio.”

So there you have it, folks. It’s sounding like the coach and GM are staying. I’m not ready to give up on Rafael Stone just yet, but Udoka is trying my patience — like he is for many Rockets fans. It would be nice to see Udoka welcome an offensive coordinator, but I wonder if he’s too much of a control freak for that to be sucessful.

That leaves any potential Rockets changes to come via the lineup, and my biggest fear is sounding like it might also be close to coming true — that the Rockets make no roster changes and simply run it back with Adams and FVV and keep their fingers crossed.

The team needs more ball handling and shooting and less forwards, and I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone. They also need another big, since Clint Capela isn’t used much by Udoka. I’d personally love to see the Rockets trade Durant. With KD not getting any younger, how many years does he have left at this level? One? Two? I think the one thing we learned this year is that the Rockets are more than one or two years away. For this reason alone, I’d like to see the Rockets move KD for assets that allow the Rockets to retool in a sort of soft rebuild. That’s to say nothing of the KD burner incident that compromised another locker room, especially since it’s essentially been released that it was all true.

While we wait on roster changes, however, get ready for more Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka. It appears that they’re not going anywhere.

Spurs vs. Timberwolves: Styles, matchups, and X-factors

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 11: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter at Target Center on January 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Ah, yes, it’s the Spurs-Wolves second-round clash that everyone anticipated! No one around here penciled in a Spurs-Nuggets tilt, and there’s also no evidence of yours truly crashing out following San Antonio’s final regular-season loss to Denver.

Now that we have our matchup set, it’s time to dive into some stylistic battles that could take place. Given the small sample size of the first round, the stats used will come from the regular season, and Minnesota’s numbers will reflect data from lineups without Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards — although the latter could come back later in the series.

Let’s start with the Wolves’ shot diet.

Minnesota’s shot chart

The Wolves take 36.3% of their shots at the rim (top 5 league-wide) while converting on just 64.5% of those attempts (bottom5). It goes without saying that Wemby will make their lives much tougher, as opponents are shooting just 60.8% in that area with him playing. More importantly, only 26.2% of attempts are at the rim when Wemby’s on, and the Alien’s presence will force Minnesota to shoot from farther out.

Assuming Wemby camps in the paint due to Gobert’s lacklustre offensive game, the Wolves will focus on pull-up 3s and long 2s. Some of their guards caught fire in round 1, but the full-season stats indicate that Minnesota is a below-average shooting team from every area of the floor except above-the-break 3s, and even that came on extremely low volume. The Wolves will need to find other sources of offense if their shooting reverts to the norm, and one potential solution is to crash the boards.

Offensive rebounding

The biggest matchup advantage Minnesota has over San Antonio is their size at the forward positions. None of the Spurs’ forwards can match up physically against Julius Randle and Naz Reid, which could allow the Wolves to fatten up on the offensive glass. Still, that is easier said than done, as the Wolves’ 28.6% OREB is decidedly average, while the Spurs’ 74.1% DREB ranked first league-wide.

If they decide to go down this route, Minnesota will need to be comfortable taking shots deeper in the paint to force Wemby to commit, leaving the backline more exposed. Even so, there’s a good chance that the Alien will either block the shot or recover fast enough to grab the rebound. The Wolves might be forced to play lineups featuring all of McDaniels, Reid, Randle, and Gobert — a quartet that saw minutes in the Denver series but only logged 71 possessions together in the regular season.

Transition opportunities

If the Wolves prioritize the offensive glass, then they’ll be giving the Spurs easier opportunities to run. Minnesota would be playing into a strength of San Antonio’s, as they rank 6th and 8th, respectively, in transition frequency and points per play. On the other hand, the Wolves could decide that the defensive tradeoff is not worth the potential offensive gain, and they could go big to prioritize defensive boards instead. Minnesota increased their DREB from 66.7% in the regular season (9th percentile) to 79.2% in round 1 against Denver (95th), and they’ll prevent the Spurs from getting easy second-chance points if this continues.

The Wolves could push the pace themselves if defensive rebounding remains a priority. They ranked 6th in transition points per play in the regular season, and both teams were top 10 in preventing opposing transition opportunities too. Fast break points are clearly an emphasis for both teams, and the winner in that category could be determined by the size of Minnesota’s lineups and which side of the rebounding battle they prioritize.

Pace

This one is very simple: both teams are better when they play fast. Minnesota and San Antonio ranked 10th and 12th, respectively, in pace in the regular season, and are now tied for 1st and 3rd in the playoffs. The Wolves were able to take Denver out of rhythm by speeding them up, but doing so against the Spurs would only benefit the black and silver.

For San Antonio, Stephon Castle specifically needs to play with speed and purpose. Portland cut the Spurs’ large lead down to single digits in game five of round 1 because Castle started walking the ball up without getting into any action until the shot clock almost expired. However, San Antonio’s offense is almost impossible to stop when he’s running handoffs and attacking closeouts, which is how the Spurs built their lead.

X-Factor: Rudy Gobert

When Gobert’s been played off the floor in the past, it was always due to issues with his offense, not defense. That problem could rear its ugly head again in this series if his lack of a post game and shooting allows Wemby to camp in the paint, allowing the latter to shut off Minnesota’s drives and rim attempts. Given the ability of the Spurs’ guards to fight through screens and defend, Gobert won’t be able to make as big an impact as a screener either, which could render him close to a zero on offense.

Defensively, Gobert’s matchup with Wemby will be the polar opposite of the one he had against Jokic. Wemby’s lob threat as a roll man and his ability to come off screens will force Gobert to guard in space, which is why I expect him to be assigned to Castle instead. Similar to what Portland did, Gobert can sag off the second-year guard (who quietly hit over 40% from three on five attempts a game against the Blazers) and stay in the paint, while physical forwards like Randle and Reid match up with Wemby instead. The Spurs found counters to this strategy by running hand-offs with Castle (as was shown above), but that might be the lesser of all evils given the offensive versatility that San Antonio has.

Another wrinkle in the Gobert-Wemby matchup is the number of corner threes the Spurs generate. In the regular season, Wemby’s roll gravity helped San Antonio take 13.8% of their shots from the corners when he played, which was one of the highest recorded numbers ever. However, the Wolves are elite at preventing shots from the corners, conceding just 8.6% of such attempts to their opponents, which was one of the five lowest marks league-wide. If Gobert can guard the paint alone, the other Wolves players can focus on playing man defense and prevent open looks instead of worrying about packing the paint to stop lobs to Wemby.

Dodgers notes: Roki Sasaki’s improvements, slumping offense

May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Dodgers fans have received more of the same experience they had last year with Roki Sasaki to begin this season, but there are some signs of growth that are starting to appear.

Sasaki has shown flashes of dominance early in games, as characterized by his 0.75 ERA over the first two innings of his six starts, but the wheels fall completely off once the third inning begins, illustrated by an ugly 9.72 ERA over innings 3 and beyond. It hasn’t helped that he is currently tied for the fifth most home runs allowed by qualified pitchers this year.

Over the last three starts, Sasaki has quietly been more effective on the mound. After walking 10 batters over his first 13 innings on the year, he has walked only five through his last 15 2/3 innings. On Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sasaki showed that he could bounce back after a rough inning by setting down his final 10 hitters in a row, managing six full innings for the first time while tossing a career-high 104 pitches.

Sasaki spoke about his ability to overcome the three-run third and deliver positive results through the middle innings on Saturday, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“After giving up three runs in the third inning, I was able to just stay focused and attack the zone, especially (the fifth and sixth) innings. So that’s good,” Sasaki said through his interpreter.

“The third and fourth innings, I was kind of struggling. I was trying to find my mechanics. But after that … I was able to make an adjustment. I got better mechanics.”

Dave Roberts spoke about Sasaki’s growth as a major league starter following Saturday’s loss to St. Louis, noting that there are hurdles that have yet to be overcome, per Plunkett.

“Each of his last handful of starts, he’s gotten better,” Roberts said. “But there’s some finishing school that needs to happen, where you’ve got to get the guys out that you need to get out and try to face less hitters.”

Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times notes that Mark Prior has worked with Sasaki on developing a new splitter that’s around six miles per hour faster than his ordinary splitter, and that has been a key reason for his recent effectiveness.

“We’re always supportive of crisper, harder, however you want to define it, assuming that it maintained his throw and maintained everything else,” Prior said of the new splitter… “Lo and behold, the first one was really good,” Prior said. “The second one was really nasty.”


The Dodgers offensively are in the midst of a dormant five-game stretch where they have totaled just 12 runs as a team, and they were nearly shut out on Saturday had it not been for a two-run, two-out rally in the top of the ninth where they had the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base.

Andy Pages— who added to the rally with an RBI single to make it a one-run Dodgers deficit— noted that the rally might have lit a spark within this struggling offense, but the importance is maintaining good at-bats top through bottom, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“It was a good offensive sign in the ninth inning,” Andy Pages said through interpreter Juan Dorado. “But I think as a whole, we know we’re going through a bad stretch, and we’re just trying to focus on having really good at-bats, one at a time.”

Facing against an old friend on Sunday in Dustin May, who carries a 5.28 over his first six starts as a Cardinal, Dave Roberts hopes that the Dodgers bats can wake up and salvage the series against a pitcher they’re quite familiar with, per Chen.

“Hopefully,” Roberts said, “we can take that sense of urgency tomorrow against a guy that we’re very familiar with.”

Magic vs Pistons Same-Game Parlay for Today's NBA Playoffs Game 7

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Fans of "old-school basketball" must be loving this series, with both the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons leaving it all on the floor.

Our SGP for Game 7 expects more defense, with Cade Cunningham doing all he can to complete the 3-1 comeback.

We've also got you covered with more NBA picks and analysis in our Magic vs. Pistons predictions for May 3.

Our best Magic vs Pistons SGP for Game 7

SGP leg #1: Cade Cunningham Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists

In the playoffs, Cade Cunningham ranks second in points per game, first in field goal attempts, third in free throw attempts, and fourth in minutes.

His 23 field goal attempts are up from 18.6 in the regular season. His free throws have increased from six per game to 10.7, and his minutes have shot up from 33.9 to 40.5.

Cunningham leads all players in postseason usage at 35.3%. The Detroit Pistons go as far as Cade takes them, and the team will need him to stuff the stat sheet in order to complete the series comeback and avoid an upset by the No. 8 seed.

SGP leg #2: Pistons -9

The Orlando Magic have outplayed the Pistons for most of the series, but the psychological aspect of competition comes into play here.

The Magic were up 22 points at halftime in front of the home crowd before suffering a historic meltdown, blowing their chances to complete the upset and advance to the second round.

The Pistons were clearly feeling themselves at the end of Game 6, and they’ve got swagger and momentum to go with home-court advantage. Orlando has got to be reeling, and I’ll bet on Detroit to win this one by double digits.

SGP leg #3: Under 203

Scoring has come at a major premium in this series, and the game total Under has hit in four of six matchups. The game total has gone Under 203.5 in three of six, including two of the last three.

Both teams failed to record 100 points three times in the series, and I’ll take the Under in what should be a gritty, physical dogfight, 2004-style.


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Lakers’ defensive buy-in propelled them to second round of NBA playoffs

HOUSTON, TX – MAY 1: Tari Eason #17 of the Houston Rockets dribbles the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during Round One Game Six of the...

HOUSTON — Austin Reaves couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened. 

But he remembered what sparked the Lakers’ defensive turnaround, which has carried over for 3 ½ months, through their first-round playoff series victory over the Rockets, which ended with Friday’s 98-78 Game 6 victory at Toyota Center.

The Lakers’ Deandre Ayton (5) and his teammates stymied the Rockets with their defensive intensity. NBAE via Getty Images

Nearly midway through the regular season, the Lakers ranked 26th in defensive rating, performing even worse on the less glamorous end of the floor than even their biggest detractors expected entering the season.

Only a few of the worst teams in the NBA (Kings, Pelicans, Wizards and Jazz) ranked worse than them defensively at the time. 

The Lakers knew a change was needed, and it came during their 110-93 win over the Raptors on Jan. 18, when they started playing more zone defense than they had up to that point in the season.

Positive results immediately followed, with the Lakers ranking as an above-average defensive team (13th) in their 14 games leading into the All-Star break en route to ranking 12th in defensive rating over their final 42 games.

“Our voices, we were talking more, we were rotating more — that was like a starter for us to kind of get the feel of what that communication looks like,” Reaves said. “And then we could change defenses, we could throw different schemes.”

Even though the Lakers barely played zone defense against the Rockets, the carryover from what coach JJ Redick and his staff were looking to emphasize was evident.

“When we started first playing zone, it did force everybody to communicate with one another and force guys that other teams probably wouldn’t see as communicators to be able to communicate, which ultimately put them in the right position because now they’re talking,” Marcus Smart said. “Now, they’re keeping their head on a swivel, they’re seeing things. So, I definitely have to agree with [Reaves] on that when we started to play that zone. And obviously we didn’t play that much zone in this series, but it helped us when we did play our man, to understand that everybody out there has to talk, and you don’t want to be the weak link.”

It was a collective defensive effort that got the Lakers their first playoff series victory since 2023, starting with Smart and LeBron James (in Year 23) setting the tone.

“In the NBA, you need to have an openness,” Redick said. “And whether that’s LeBron who’s been an All-Defensive player, arguably should have been Defensive Player of the Year multiple times, Smart’s been Defensive Player of the Year; they just buy into whatever schemes that we come up with. When you get buy-in from those guys, it’s easy to sort of execute because then the accountability piece is there.”

The Rockets’ Tari Eason and his teammates struggled against the Lakers’ defense during the first-round series. NBAE via Getty Images

Deandre Ayton controlled the interior, whether it was strong 1-on-1 defense as the primary matchup against Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun or closing out possessions with defensive rebounds. 

Sengun scored 32 points on 15-of-37 shooting (40.5%) when Ayton was the closest defender to him and only drew one shooting foul, according to the league’s matchup data.

The Lakers were a significantly better defensive rebounding team when Ayton was on the floor, even if he wasn’t the one grabbing the board.

He led the Lakers with 7.3 defensive rebounds per game, including 9.3 in the final three games of the series against the Rockets, who were the best offensive rebounding team in the league.


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“You have to have some type of stop sign where enough is enough,” Ayton said. “You have to match their physicality in a way where it’s contagious to your teammates as well. So I just tried to play as I am, the biggest dude on the court, and just go out and get every damn rebound. It got to a point where I didn’t even know I was hitting guys and giving certain blows, just off boxing out and to where you keep hitting them, hitting them, they eventually break.”

The Lakers flipped the script on expectations.

Not just entering the playoffs with Luka Doncic and Reaves sidelined before Reaves played in the last two games of the series.

But even going all the way back to last offseason when the roster was put together.

The Lakers weren’t expected to be the kind of team that could ride their defense to postseason success.

The series against the Rockets showed the progress they made. 

“It means everything,” Smart said. “It shows our resilience, and it shows the belief that we have in the next man up. It shows the belief that the coaching staff has in us to be able to, you know, put us in the right position. It just shows that no matter how depleted we are, we’re always going to go out there and compete and give everything we got and our trust in each other.”

Season in Review: CJ Huntley stayed in the fight when the roster spots ran out

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 22: CJ Huntley #22 of the Phoenix Suns in action during his NBA debut in the game against the Toronto Raptors at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.


Player Snapshot

  • Position: SF/PF
  • Age: 24
  • Contract Status: Two-Way, RFA in 2027-28
  • SunsRank (Preseason): 18
  • SunsRank (Postseason): 18

*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.

Season in One Sentence

From undrafted to two-way to waived to two-way, the rookie year for CJ Huntley was full of earning opportunities and the establishment of his personal foundation.

By the Numbers

GPMINPPGRPGAPGBLKFG%3PT%FT%OFFRTGDEFRTG+/- (TOTAL)
410.03.01.30.50.054.5%0.0%0.0%122.4104.7+15

Let’s take a look at his stats with the Valley Suns.

GPMINPPGRPGAPGBLKFG%3PT%FT%OFFRTGDEFRTG+/- (TOTAL)
2927.416.08.51.11.262.3%33.8%69.0%111.6118.0-162

The Expectation

There were not many expectations for CJ Huntley entering the season. When you are the last man on the roster, that is the reality. He signed a two-way contract with the Suns after he went undrafted. Not long into the season, Phoenix waived him to create space for Jamaree Bouyea. Huntley cleared waivers and stayed in the mix. Later in the year, after a few subsequent moves, the Suns brought him back on a two-way deal.

From an expectations standpoint, the goal was simple. Get reps. Learn in the G.

The Reality

The reality with Huntley is that he is a solid foundational piece to have at the back end of a roster. There is room to grow, but the tools are there. He has size, he plays with a motor, and over five years at Appalachian State, he showed steady improvement from three. Around the rim, he has a natural feel for finishing.

The challenge shows up on the defensive end. In his Valley Suns run, there were flashes offensively that stood out. Defensively, there were lapses in positioning, slower reactions, and moments where the read was a beat late. Those are areas that can develop, but at 24, you are also weighing how much growth is still coming.

Could he become a rotation piece? It feels unlikely. As a deep bench option, someone you keep in your system and turn to when needed, he makes sense.

What It Means

Having him under contract on a two-way through next season is a smart move for Phoenix. Is he turning into the next great power forward? Probably not. But what he can provide — size, effort, and the potential to space the floor as a 3-and-D wing — has value. You want those kinds of guys in your organization. Because they may hit, and if they don’t, they are ideal players to sharpen the iron of those around them.

Defining Moment

The best moment of the season for Huntley came with the Valley Suns on the day he signed his two-way contract. He went off that night and gave you a glimpse of what he can be offensively.

Grade: B-

Huntley is the kind of player you like having in your system, and based on expectations coming into the season, I land on a B-.

That is what makes these grades interesting. It depends on what you are measuring. If this were based strictly on his impact with the Phoenix Suns, it would be an F. He did not factor in at that level. The B- reflects what he showed in the G League and how that aligned with what I expected. You could even argue for an A. There were no real expectations attached to him. He met the moment that was there.

What we saw in Summer League carried over. He popped. The question was always sustainability, and the G League gave a clearer answer. There is something there. There is also a ceiling. And it feels finite.


Reactions to the Yankees’ AL East foes’ first month of play

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 01: Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles prepares to bat in the first inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 1, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Pinstripe Alley readers are well accustomed to our traditional end-of-month check-ins around the other five divisions. With that in mind, we’ve decided to take this opportunity in early May to cover one specific aspect that stands out about the journeys of the Yankees’ adversaries in the AL East. It’s been a weird start to the season, with the Rays currently standing out as the second force in this division and a couple other storylines that few people saw coming: manager Alex Cora getting the axe in Boston, and the Blue Jays failing to capitalize on last postseason’s momentum.

Tampa Bay Rays: A different kind of rotation—one that still figures out a way to succeed

The Rays couldn’t make Shane Baz and Taj Bradley work last year, and to be frank, they couldn’t make those two work throughout their whole tenure with the club. Shane McClanahan is back, but he doesn’t have the same zip on the fastball as he once did, although it is still effective. In the end, almost independently of who they throw out there, the Rays seem capable of securing good numbers as a staff, which is the primary reason for this 20-12 record to open the year.

Drew Rasmussen has proven himself a terrific, All-Star-caliber starter when healthy, and he headlines this rotation, but seeing two veteran innings eaters in Nick Martínez and Steven Matz feels almost too traditional for Tampa. The skepticism about just how much we can expect from these pitchers is part of why there isn’t a large concern about the Rays’ record, particularly with the news that Ryan Pepiot is out for the year. Still, they’re probably going to be a feisty bunch, as the Yankees saw themselves in the first series between these two in 2026.

Toronto Blue Jays: Missing Bo Bichette and likewise on the other side

The Blue Jays got about as close as a team could get to winning the whole thing without actually doing it, and right in the middle of it all was free agent-to-be Bo Bichette. It’s difficult to blame the Jays for not matching the Mets’ offer for Bo Bichette, but it’s also undeniable that both parties are missing each other early on in 2026. Bo is off to a lousy start, having moved to third base for a New York Mets team with a shuffled infield and a last-place record. The Jays haven’t had a single impact bat outside of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Sure, newcomer Kazuma Okamoto has flashed here and there, but this is an offense that clearly lacks depth. With Dylan Cease in tow, the rotation seemed at least somewhat better equipped to withstand the early absence of Trey Yesavage, who has now returned.

Ernie Clement is doing his best to provide some stable production out of the second base spot as Andrés Giménez takes his defensive prowess to short, but particularly with George Springer yet to get going in 2026, Vladdy is close to a one-man show—not the ideal scenario for a team with such lofty expectations.

Baltimore Orioles: “Thank goodness we traded for Taylor Ward.”

Once upon a time, not very long ago, Grayson Rodriguez was touted as one of the next big things in the American League, the ace who was supposed to lead this young Orioles team. Well, a plethora of injuries and inconsistencies along the way prevented Rodriguez from fulfilling the promise, and already with his value severely diminished this offseason, the O’s opted to move him to the Angels for Taylor Ward—it was a rare one-for-one trade of established big leaguers.

As things currently stand, the Orioles are a team with league-average production offensively and on the mound. A primary reason the former is true rather than something far worse is Ward’s value, who’s been far and away the best Orioles hitter in 2026, particularly with Gunnar Henderson off to a meandering start.

The Orioles, more than most teams, have suffered in recent years with underwhelming production from potentially valuable players. Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, and Dylan Beavers come to mind as hitters who could become terrific big leaguers but have yet to truly cement their place as reliable contributors—whether due to injury issues, inconsistencies, or even lack of opportunities. With Ward, the Orioles knew what they were getting, and considering Rodriguez has yet to throw a pitch in 2026, one could say Baltimore made out well—even if Ward naturally takes a step back from the AL-leading 13 doubles he’s provided so far in what could be the pending free agent’s only season in the Charm City.

Boston Red Sox: Reevaluating front office decisions

Things are not always in your control. Something may happen to a team, and they’re just not in a position to do anything about it … but it’s possible to respond to setbacks in a positive way. Working under the assumption that the Red Sox simply had to move Devers—and that’s very much up to what you think about owner John Henry—they managed to do it in a way that netted them nothing other than the financial room to reinvest* the money he was making.

*It certainly wasn’t reinvested in his replacement Alex Bregman, who opted out after 2025 and walked in free agency.

The issue right now isn’t so much the absence of Devers, who has scuffled to a 55 OPS+ start in San Francisco this year. James Tibbs III and Kyle Harrison are the two players involved in the Devers deal whose value has skyrocketed since then. It’s just unfortunate for Boston that this happened after the Red Sox flipped both them to the Brewers and Dodgers in deals that haven’t panned out.

Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers for Harrison alongside other players, and he’s been the main third baseman for Boston in 2026 with terrible results. At his best, Durbin can deliver the league-average line he did for Milwaukee in 2025, but even those numbers might not be worth the Harrison loss if the southpaw can capitalize on the early-season form he has shown since moving to Milwaukee. Tibbs III is raking in the Dodgers Triple-A team after Boston flipped him for Dustin May in last year’s deadline, a free-agent-to-be who was terrible for them.

Chicago Cubs news and notes, — Palencia, Counsell, Hoerner

Today’s Reflection

The fact that the Chicago Cubs have kept a run a going with all the obstacles in their way (like the Dodgers) is quite the blessing!

What the heck is going on? The Cubs won 10 in a row, then they showed that they were human in Los Angeles. Then they pull off four more wins in a row against the Padres and Diamondbacks — by big scores, or with stellar pitching.

What the heck is going on? NICO HOERNER is hurt! Hopefully just for one game. But that is an example of the productive offense without the usual big bats or without major injuries (Pounds fist on wood!). The Cubs are led in home runs by ….. Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson? They are led in RBI by …… Hoerner? It doesn’t matter — production is production, right? Right? And just depend on the pitching staff——

What the heck is going on? The starting pitching is led by ….. the guy that nearly everyone regretted took the qualifying offer, Shōta? He’s improved across the board, but how many of his pitches are really consistently effective? And what the he — no, the wreck of the bullpen was expected, just a shuffling of the deckchairs on a group of boats in a number of harbors.

And all that, plus a pair of Reds losses by the combined score of 26-8, put the Cubs in first place of the N.L. Central by the end of the day on Saturday? Keep up the great work, the Chicago Cubs hitting/Iowa Cubs pitching!


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Food For Thought:

John Lee Hooker was born August 17, 1917, in Coahoma County near Clarksdale, Mississippi. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he developed in Detroit. Hooker often incorporated other elements, including talking blues and early North Mississippi hill country blues. He developed his own driving-rhythm boogie style, distinct from the 1930s–1940s piano-derived boogie-woogie.

Beginning in 1962, Hooker gained greater exposure when he toured Europe in the annual American Folk Blues Festival. Hooker began to perform and record with rock musicians. In 1970, he recorded the joint album Hooker ‘n Heat, with the American blues and boogie rock group Canned Heat, whose repertoire included adaptations of Hooker songs. It became the first of Hooker’s albums to reach the Billboard charts, peaking at number 78 on the Billboard 200. Other collaboration albums soon followed, including Endless Boogie (1971) and Never Get Out of These Blues Alive (1972), which included Steve Miller, Elvin Bishop, Van Morrison, and others. Hooker owned five houses in his later life, including ones in the California cities of Los Altos, Redwood City, and Long Beach. On June 21, 2001, Hooker died in his sleep at home in Los Altos.

San Diego Zoo launches Elephant Valley live camera

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is giving the entire Internet the chance to visit its new elephant habitat with a live camera on its website. The zoo announced pachyderm patrons around the world can now meet the eight elephants in its herd thanks to a live camera feed from the newly-opened Denny Sanford Elephant Valley.

“Elephant Valley serves as a bridge between the vital science happening in San Diego and the collaborative elephant conservation initiatives supported by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance across the African savanna.” (Video)

Top 10 Places To Visit in 2026 (Year of Travel) (Video)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

This Week in Purple: May-be you’re gonna be the one that saves me

May 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies infielder Edouard Julien (6) loses his helmet as he strikes out during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies started the week by sweeping a double-header against the New York Mets, but sadly managed just one more win through the rest of it.

During the week, the month of April drew to a close. Their 13-14 record for the month was the best April the Rockies have managed since 2022—where they went 12-9—which was the last time they managed double-digit wins. In 2025, the Rockies were just 4-26 in April.

Unfortunately, the Rockies hit the month of May like a brick wall when the red-hot Atlanta Braves came to town. A bullpen meltdown on Friday saw the Rockies blow what was at one point a 6-0 lead while a rare dud from Chase Dollander and a failure to launch on offense saw the Rockies get blown out on Saturday.

But hey, after this, things can only get better.

Right?

With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:

To Read: Rockpiles

To Read: News

Weekend Discussion Topics

Saturday’s ballgame saw the opener gambit for Chase Dollander backfire. Brennan Bernardino recorded just two outs and allowed two runs to score before Dollander got the call to come in. However, Dollander also struggled and gave up six more runs against a potent Braves offense. Would you continue to use an opener with Dollander operating largely in a bulk role—which has been fairly successful so far—or would you officially move Dollander back to the rotation?


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