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It came easy to the Hawks for 24 minutes.

Then, the Knicks turned their water off.

It was the key to this 113-102 victory, the Knicks ramping up their defensive intensity and shutting down Atlanta after halftime.

“We just didn’t stop on plays,” Miles McBride said. “I feel like they were getting out and they were winning the space battle, getting open and getting to their spots. I feel like in the second half we really cut that off. We made catches difficult, and we got to loose balls.”

The Hawks managed just 47 points over the final 24 minutes, and a good chunk of that came after the game had been well decided in the final minutes of the final stanza.

The Hawks were held to 19 points in the third quarter as the Knicks took command.

They were forced into difficult shots late in the shot clock, and Atlanta went cold from 3. After shooting 8-for-16 from distance in the first half, they went 6-for-21 the rest of the way.

“Their small-small pick-and-roll is a problem. And our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half,” coach Mike Brown said. “It kinda got away from us early in the game, and they got some open looks from it, but our level of physicality without fouling was really good in the second half, as well as our communication with their small-small pick-and-roll.”

The Knicks talked a lot after the win about needing to be the more physical team for the entirety of this series, and having to be better on the glass.

They outrebounded the Hawks by five but were only plus-two in the paint (44-42).

Nickeil Alexander-Walker was held to 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting. Jalen Johnson scored 23 points but shot 8-for-19. The Knicks turned them into inefficient scorers.

The key is to consistently defend like they did in the second half and turn it into a habit.

“Every single night,” McBride, a team-best plus-12, said. “It’s nonnegotiable; we have to bring it every single night and be locked in.”

This performance was at least a good start.

The deck was stacked against the Lakers heading into the playoffs, but what awaited them was a tower of cards ready to topple over in the Rockets.

Kevin Durant being a surprise scratch pregame tilted the tower to the brink of falling and the purple and gold made it a mission to finish the job throughout Game 1. It wasn’t a perfect game and there’s room for improvement on both ends, but LA ultimately came out with a win that ended up being fairly comfortable in the second half.

It’s a great start to the series with tons of encouraging signs for the Lakers. Let’s dive into some of the biggest takeaways from the victory.

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A team effort

Coming into the series, the expectation was that LeBron James would need to have a big scoring night for the Lakers to have a real chance. While Durant’s absence alleviated some of that scoring burden, LeBron was certainly not the biggest scoring threat for the Lakers.

That’s not to say he wasn’t fantastic on the night. He had eight assists in the first quarter to set the tone from the jump and still finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. However, all five starters had at least 14 points and each had moments.

No one was bigger offensively than Luke Kennard, who was perfect from three and scored a playoff career-high 27 points. Back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter from Kennard put the Lakers up 16 and allowed them a cushion as they closed out the game.

Luke Kennard.

COOKING.

He's got 24 points on 8-11 shooting… a new playoff career high! pic.twitter.com/wcDgRlzS6O

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2026

Deandre Ayton looked like his early-season self and poured in 19 points, including icing the game with an and-one in the final minutes. Rui Hachimura was an efficient 6-10 from the field and hit numerous timely shots. And Marcus Smart mixed in some good in his chaotic night, scoring 15 points with eight assists.

The Lakers shot an astounding 60.6% from the field and 52.6% from three. They nearly shot better from the field than from the free throw line, but that’s a topic for another time.

They jumped ahead early with a fast start in the first quarter. After turning the ball over on the first possession, they had 13 assists before they committed another turnover. While they came in bunches later, LA set the tone from the start as a team, getting sustainable, high quality shots.

Stingy defense

Offense is always going to get the headlines, but the Lakers’ defense was fantastic in this one. Similar to the offense, it was also a team effort.

The Lakers held Houston to 37.6% shooting overall. They hit just 11 of their 33 attempts from range. They committed 13 turnovers and never found any rhythm offensively. The Lakers did a great job clogging the paint and forcing Houston to hit shots from outside.

The Rockets shot 22-53 in the paint, a conversion rate LA will absolutely live with. After some threes early in the game, they locked down Reed Sheppard, who went 6-20 from the field and 5-14 from the three. Amen Thompson (7-18), Alperen Şengün (6-19) and Jabari Smith Jr. (5-14) all had poor nights from the field.

The Lakers have been good defensively for some time now, but they showed it on the biggest stage yet. It wasn’t perfect, but playoff games rarely are. But, importantly, it was more than enough to give them a chance to win.

And on that point about not being perfect…

Turnovers and rebounding

This win was not a case of the Lakers playing a perfect game, either. In fact, the Lakers struggled in the two biggest areas head coach JJ Redick emphasized throughout the week in turnovers and rebounding.

After keeping things under control for much of the first half, offensive rebounding became an issue for LA in the second half. Houston finished with 21 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points. The Rockets stayed in the game in the second half because of their ability to create second and even third chances.

Similarly, turnovers were a problem for the Lakers. They finished with 18 giveaways that Houston turned into 24 points. While admittedly some crude math, nearly half of Houston’s scoring came from those two areas.

It was the nature of the turnovers that were confounding, too. On multiple occasions, the Lakers pushed in transition when they didn’t have numbers and turned the ball over. A number of turnovers were unforced, whether errant passes or passes to teammates who weren’t ready or looking.

The only time LA trailed after the opening minutes came after a disastrous close to the second quarter that included some very untimely turnovers. That the Lakers were able to overcome not just that stretch but generally not taking care of the two biggest areas of emphasis and still win handily should be encouraging about how this team has room to improve even after a win.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

So much of the dialogue leading into Saturday was about how the Lakers would withstand being without Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain) during their playoff series against the Rockets. 

But within 24 hours, the dynamic shifted, with Rockets star Kevin Durant popping up on the injury report because of a right knee contusion he suffered during practice earlier in the week. 

And the Lakers were the ones who took advantage of their opponent missing their leading scorer, beating the Rockets 107-98 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. 

“We were really poised as a team,” coach JJ Redick said. “We had a great next-play mentality. Wasn’t a perfect game. None of these games are gonna be perfect. Got contributions from a lot of people in a lot of different ways, and made enough winning plays, despite the turnovers and the offensive rebounds.”

Offense didn’t come easily for the Lakers, either.

They turned the ball over 20 times, helping the Rockets stay in the game with 24 points off those giveaways. 

But the Lakers’ intentionality with their offense led to 60.6% shooting from the field (40 of 66) and 52.6% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc (10 of 19). 

“We did a good job,” Redick said. “The guys that were handling versus pressure, overall, did a nice job of getting us organized, and we ran a lot of the stuff we wanted to run, and we got a lot of good stuff. When we did shoot the ball, we were efficient. We missed some free throws. But again, it’s just this is going to be, can we take care of the ball. Over the course of seven games, can we take care of the ball and can we limit their offensive rebounds?”

Luke Kennard led the way with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, making all five of his 3s. LeBron James finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.

All five Lakers starters scored at least 10 points. 

“It has to be that way,” James said. “It has to be a collective group. When you’re missing so much firepower, like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to pitch in. We all have to do our job. And even do a little bit more. Protect one another offensively and defensively and I think we did that.”

Deandre Ayton had a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Marcus Smart had 15 points and eight assists and Rui Hahcimura scored 14 points

The Lakers won despite the Rockets grabbing 21 offensive rebounds for 23 second-chance points, outscoring them in the paint (44-40) and scoring 17 more points off turnovers.

Alperen Sengun had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Amen Thompson finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 

What it means 

The Lakers are up 1-0 in a playoff series for the first time since playing the Warriors in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals (second round). 

They haven’t been up 2-0 in a series since winning the 2020 NBA Finals against the Heat.  

Turning point

When Jake LaRavia drew an off-ball foul on Tari Eason at the five-minute mark of the third quarter. 

The foul was the Rockets’ fifth for the quarter, putting the Lakers in the bonus for the remainder of the third. 

The Lakers shot 10 of 12 from the line from that point.

This included Kennard splitting a pair of free throws after technical fouls on Rockets wing Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. 

The Lakers shot 11 of 15 on free throws in the third, helping them win the quarter 25-18. 

MVP: Luke Kennard

James set the tone early with his playmaking, dishing out eight first-quarter assists and 10 assists in the first half, which tied a playoff career high for his most assists in a half.

But it was Kennard who provided the steady dose of scoring in a game that didn’t feature a lot of it for either team.

Kennard’s scoring total set a playoff career high, surpassing the previous career high of 21 points he scored on April 14, 2019, while with the Pistons. 

“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting 3s,” Redick said. “He played a fantastic basketball gam. He just played really aggressive and did a nice job. I don’t know what our overall numbers were, but we came in at halftime and we had one of our highest paint touch rates in the entire season. And his ability to just kind of get to the next thing and turn the corner on off ball stuff and touch the paint for us, and it just, there’s a snowball effect to that. He played a really good game.” 

Stat of the game: 37.6%

That was the Rockets’ shooting percentage, highlighting how stifling the Lakers’ defense was.

It was the lowest shooting percentage the Lakers allowed in a playoff game since April 28, 2023, against the Grizzlies, according to Stathead.

“I know they took free throws, but we did a good job of contesting those six- to eight- foot shots without fouling, using our length,” Redick said. “Getting a contest is super important.” 

Up next

Game 2 of the Lakers-Rockets playoff series will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Durant’s status for Game 2 wasn’t known as of Saturday evening.

NEW YORK — In the first quarter, Jalen Brunson dropped 19 points on 8 field goal conversions. The rest of the game, he would make one more shot.

The bench contributed just 20 points the entire contest, well below their regular season average of 31.6 per game.

Yet, despite the imperfect offense, the New York Knicks toppled the Atlanta Hawks Saturday, April 18 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, 113-102, in a sign that this team is built to win in different ways; it can explode on offense, or it can grind teams down.

With OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, New York always had arguably the top duo of wing perimeter defenders in the NBA, but Saturday night showed the Knicks may have unlocked another element that can elevate this defense into a championship-caliber outfit. Forward Josh Hart, a high-energy utility player who can slide into numerous roles asked of him, has blossomed into an irritating defender who is now often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player. In Game 1, that made him the primary defender on the Hawks' Jalen Johnson.

This started the last few weeks of the regular season, and it has freed Anunoby and Bridges to hound other players. It has also elevated the entire defense.

“Josh is very good at getting to the ball and trying to make the ball-handler uncomfortable,” coach Mike Brown said. “Having Josh, having Mikal, having OG, they allow us to be versatile defensively.”

That versatility gives New York something it can use in this series and beyond, particularly against teams whose players share ball-handling duties: it allows the Knicks to switch pick-and-rolls.

And since the primary function of a pick-and-roll is to create offensive mismatches, the ability to switch players — especially when they’re exceptional defenders — negates that.

This is a problem for Atlanta.

The Hawks, the hottest team in the Eastern Conference after the All-Star break, rely on a fluid, offensive system in which four players split ball-handling duties. Atlanta doesn’t rely on play calls as much as it does on general concepts and actions and asks its players to read the defense. The Hawks want their players to attack into open space.

Against the Knicks Saturday night, those four players — Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Dyson Daniels — were pestered and harassed.

The Hawks shot a respectable 43.7% from the floor, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

To that point, nine of the 12 Hawks turnovers were committed by the four ball-handlers.

The other thing this swarming, versatile defense offers the Knicks is instant offense; New York emphasized throwing the ball ahead, pushing it into the open floor and getting high-percentage points in transition.

New York generated a +9 advantage in fastbreak points Saturday night.

“I think we just have a great group of guys that are locked in,” Knicks guard Miles McBride told reporters after the game. “I don’t think it’s anybody individually, it’s just our whole team being locked in on trying to make everything tough on them.

“Every single night. It’s non-negotiable. We have to bring it every single night.”

So, how exactly do the Hawks combat this? Game 2 will tip Monday, April 20 here in Madison Square Garden, and the primary objective will be to source easier offense.

For one, they’ll need to find a way to break through that defensive pressure, perhaps abandoning pick-and-rolls in favor of an offense that’s more fluid. Because when the Knicks went on runs in the second half, it was when the ball stagnated for Atlanta.

“Walking away from the game, turnovers, I had 5 turnovers, there’s things that we can do better from a spacing standpoint,” McCollum said. “Moving the ball a little more, being intentional with ball and player movement — I think all those things can factor in to more success for us. …

“I think it’s all about responding. And I look forward to responding on Monday.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks are real NBA championship contenders. Here's why.

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes. There were 42 fouls called, along with an unsportsmanlike technical on Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic in the back and a technical on Nuggets coach David Adelman.

Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18.

Murray and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Timberwolves, who were held scoreless for more than four minutes at one point in the third, trimmed the deficit to 97-95 with 6:23 left.

Jokic had a five-point stretch to hold off Minnesota. Murray had one of the biggest shots of the game from halfcourt. With the shot clocking winding down, he heaved it at the hoop and it grazed the rim to reset the clock. It eventually led to a dunk from Aaron Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.

Game 2 is Monday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.

CAVALIERS 126, RAPTORS 113

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Max Strus had 24 off the bench and Cleveland defeated Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists while Evan Mobley had 17 and seven rebounds for fourth-seeded Cleveland, which hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers.

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes had 21 for the Raptors, who were playing in their first playoff game since 2022. Toronto was missing point guard Immanuel Quickley because of a mild right hamstring strain.

Jamal Shead started in place of Quickley and had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

Barrett’s 3-pointer pulled the Raptors to within 45-41 before Cleveland broke it open with a 27-9 run over the last 1:11 of the second quarter and first seven minutes of the third.

Strus scored 11 points during the spurt and made all three of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers went 10 of 16 from the floor, including 5 of 8 beyond the arc.

KNICKS 113, HAWKS 102

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 of his 25 in the second half and New York beat Atlanta in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

OG Anunoby added 18 points and Josh Hart had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks in their first postseason game under Mike Brown after making four trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, capped by their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last year.

The No. 3 seed in the East again this season hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

CJ McCollum had 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23 for the Hawks, who went 20-6 after the All-Star break to earn the No. 6 seed.

Brunson, who already owns the Knicks’ record with eight 40-point games in the postseason, was almost halfway to another in the first quarter. He made his first six shots and had 19 points as the Knicks led 30-24. McCollum had 12 points in the second as Atlanta cut it to 57-55.

Brunson didn’t do as much in the second half, but Towns took over after he was just 1 for 6 for six points at the break.

The teams got off to sizzling starts, with the Knicks opening 8 for 9 and Atlanta starting 6 for 7, before play eventually slowed to a crawl in the third quarter. McCollum was reviewed for a hostile act and called for a technical foul after kicking his leg up on a jumper into Brunson’s groin area, and the Hawks twice intentionally fouled backup center Mitchell Robinson, and the poor foul shooter went 1 for 4.

By the time the Hawks got going again, it was too late.

LAKERS 107, ROCKETS 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and short-handed Los Angeles capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a victory over Houston in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who finished one game behind Los Angeles in the regular season. Amen Thompson added 17 points, but Houston’s young core got off to an inconsistent start after becoming the firm favorite in this series due to the Lakers’ injury woes.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

A career night from Luke Kennard and a double-double from LeBron James powered the Lakers to a Game 1 win over the Rockets, 107-98.

After finding out pregame that Kevin Durant would be out due to a right knee contusion, the Lakers took full advantage of the opportunity. LA grabbed a lead in the first quarter and maintained control throughout.

While Houston outscored LA 23-6 in second-chance points, they shot just 37.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the 3-point line. LA, meanwhile, shot 60.6% from the field.

The Lakers started Game 1 off with a turnover that led to Josh Okogie getting fouled on the other end. He converted on both free throws, putting the Rockets in the lead early. That turnover would be the exception in the first quarter, though. 

Deandre Ayton opened the scoring for LA with a midrange jumper. Los Angeles had as great a start as they’d hope, making eight out of its first 10 shot attempts. 

Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with five points, Ayton and LeBron James were close behind with four points each. Okogie led Houston with five points. At the 6:11 mark, LA was up by three after the Rockets made a surge. 

Reed Sheppard added a quick five points for Houston. Luke Kennard suddenly ignited for five points, pushing his point total to nine and making him the leading scorer on the team. 

LeBron James, who has long held many NBA playoff records like games (292) and points (8,289, with Michael Jordan second at 5,987) opens his Year 23 playoffs with 8 assists in 9 minutes.

LA lead 28-24 with 2:52 left in the 1st.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

Kennard ended the quarter in double figures with 11 points. LeBron ended the quarter with eight assists, which was a new playoff-career high for him. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by four. 

LeBron and Jarred Vanderbilt opened the second period with five points for LA. The Rockets turned the ball over twice. Amen Thompson scored the first field goal for Houston in the paint. 

At the 6:22 mark, Los Angeles was up by eight. 

Hachimura and Ayton were both shooting 100% from the field, combining for 19 points. The Rockets did pick up their defensive effort, forcing a few missed shots from the Lakers. After having one turnover in the first, Los Angeles now had eight turnovers. 

LA turned the ball over and played frantic basketball down the stretch of the half. Houston started getting foul calls in their favor. Los Angeles shot 46% from the field in that quarter.

At halftime, Los Angeles was up by two. 

Two unforced Lakers turnovers, and two reach in fouls with Houston in the bonus helped the Rockets close the 2nd Q on a 6-0 run to cut LA's halftime lead to 2.

LeBron has 6 points and 10 assists, Ayton 12 points and 4 boards and Smart 7 points with 6 assists.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

Sheppard knocked down a triple to put the Rockets up by one to start the second half. Ayton scored on a tip-in of his own shot attempt to give the Lakers the lead again. Jabari Smith Jr. drained his third 3-pointer of the game. He was leading the Rockets with 13 points.

Hachimura knocked down a 3-pointer for LA, his second of the night. 

The defensive intensity was high for both teams as they blocked shots and fought for rebounds. Kennard drained his second triple of the game. Both he and Ayton had 14 points. 

An 8-0 scoring run gave Los Angeles a decent cushion. Much of the rest of the quarter saw a barrage of free throws being shot. The Lakers were shooting just 63% from the charity stripe, with Marcus Smart being a brutal 2-6 from the line. 

LA managed to close the third well, going up by nine. 

The Lakers held Houston to 18 points in the 3rd Q, scoring 25 to take a 75-66 lead into the 4th.

LeBron has 10 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds, Ayton 14 and 10 boards, Smart 10 and 7 assists, and Kennard 18 with 4 boards.

LA are holding HOU to 33.3% FG's.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

A 3-pointer from Sheppard opened the final frame. Hachimura responded with four points for Los Angeles. Kennard added two triples, and LeBron added one of his own as well, pushing the lead to 16 for the Lakers, forcing the Rockets to call a timeout. 

Out of the break, Alperen Şengün scored five straight. Kennard then drained another 3-pointer. Tari Eason responded with one on the other end for Houston, leading to a timeout from head coach JJ Redick.

Smart knocked down a 3-pointer out of the break. 

Eason was putting in good minutes for the Rockets, scoring another four points to try to keep Houston in it. With two minutes left, the Rockets kept inching closer, making it a nine-point game. 

At the 1:40 mark, it was an 11-point lead for LA. 

It was back to nine after Smith dunked the ball. Ayton was then fouled and converted on the three-point play, sealing the win.

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Kennard’s huge night saw him finish with 27 points, a playoff career high, on 9-13 shooting. Ayton ended with 19 points and 11 rebounds. 

Hachimura notched 14 points. Smart logged 15 points, eight assists and two blocks. Jake LaRavia scored six points off the bench. 

Game 2 will be on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The stars once again came out to watch playoff basketball on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, and we’re not just talking about on the court. 

The courtside seating, expanded for the postseason, was once again a who’s who of musicians, actors, and athletes for Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. 

Travis Scott was locked into the rhythm of the game like it was one of his own beats.

Singer Rotimi was there as well to soak in the action. On the other side of the court from Scott, sat the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds. 

Timothy Olypant sat at halfcourt alongside his wife Alexis Knief. Ray Nicholson, the son of Jack Nicholson, sat in his famous father’s seats that have stayed in the family for decades. 

The athletes were well represented as well. L.A. Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack watched the action from the baseline.

Lamar Odom in the house! pic.twitter.com/UgoxVB5rJV

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 19, 2026

Former NBA player Richard Jefferson was there. Two former Lakers champions also mingled with the players and celebrities as Robert Horry and Lamar Odom took in the playoff action. 

And finally, the passing of the proverbial torch was there too. Current Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr., expected to be a top-5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft also watched the action courtside as if he was picturing himself playing against the game’s greats on that very court. 

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Music. Film. Sports. Fame. Legacy.

It all came together for playoff basketball in Los Angeles.

After nearly a decade of disappointing their fans in the spring time, the Sixers are in a no-lose situation as they open the NBA’s second season on Sunday afternoon in Boston.

Expectations couldn’t be lower for the Sixers as the Celtics are the consensus pick to win the East. It’s probably fair to say that most Sixers fans are just hoping that Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe can perform well enough to give the franchise optimism that building around the two guards comes with a championship ceiling in the future. However, in what everyone knows is a “house money” series for Philadelphia, who might be able to benefit the most from decreased expectations?

The obvious answer are Philly’s two centers who will get the minutes inside while we continue to wait and see if Joel Embiid can go. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona are at completely different phases of their careers. At 32, Drummond is now out to prove each season that he can still play in the NBA as a bench big. Once an All-Star in 2018, Drummond has been living the life of a nomadic veteran that has repeatedly played on short-term contracts and been shopped at deadlines.

But somewhat quietly, Drummond has strung together three straight double-doubles for the Sixers and even looks like a competent three-point shooter. At this stage in his career, it’s likely that even Drummond can be honest with himself when he looks in the mirror and comes to terms with the fact that he’s probably a backup somewhere in the NBA for as long as he wants to keep playing. But perhaps it’s exactly that peace of mind that allows Drummond to continue to punch above his weight with no real pressure on him regarding his NBA future. Although we should note that Neemias Queta dominated Drummond the last time the Sixers and Celtics squared off in the regular season.

It’s certainly not a “no pressure” kind of situation for Adem Bona, who is constantly in a mode of earning more minutes as is usually the case with second-round picks. In two seasons in the NBA, Bona has looked like an NBA rotation player thanks in large part to his defense, but he’s still a ways away from being a polished offensive player and probably will never get there. But it’s the glimpses with Bona that make you say “OK! There’s something there.”

We got a few of those glimpses on Wednesday in the play-in game when Bona had three blocks against Orlando. Most of Philly’s veteran role players are set to become free agents this summer, but Bona still has one more season plus a team option for 2027-28 remaining on his rookie contract. While fans are likely hoping Maxey and Edgecombe can be the leaders of the Sixers’ next true title contending roster, Bona is certainly trying to prove he can have a spot on that roster one day in the future as well. A good series against the Celtics for the young center out of UCLA would certainly go a long way for his future with the organization. Bona, unlike Drummond, truly doesn’t know any better about the stage he’s playing on as these will be his first playoff minutes in his young career. Maybe that makes it easier for him to just go out and play in a series no one is giving the Sixers a chance in.

The backup center minutes behind Embiid have always been an issue in postseason series for Philadelphia in the last decade. Who knows if the low-pressure postseason environments for the Sixers actually allow players like Drummond and Bona to thrive? But let’s just say no one is holding their breath this time around when Embiid isn’t on the court.