Author: NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

ATLANTA — Mike Brown began the game the same way, keeping his starting unit intact.

But notably, he also ended the game the same way to continue the growing concern around Mikal Bridges.

After acknowledging ahead of Game 4 that the Knicks were considering shaking up the starting unit, Brown stuck with his guns and kept Bridges in the starting lineup.

Bridges recorded eight points in 19 minutes in the Knicks’ 114-98 win over the Hawks on Saturday night at State Farm Arena to even the series at 2-2.

“We’ve won a lot of games with the starting group,” Brown said. “I didn’t want to panic and just change anything. Obviously, we changed some stuff strategy-wise, but I didn’t want to change anything with the starting group because I didn’t feel a need to.”

If those 19 minutes seem odd for a starter, there is a reason for that. After Bridges checked out with 7:34 left in the third quarter, he was benched the rest of the way. Miles McBride was on the floor in his place.

It mirrored the end of the Knicks’ Game 3 loss, when Bridges was benched — similarly for McBride — for the vast majority of the second half.

“At the end of the day, I just felt that [McBride] had it rolling,” Brown said. “They were gonna double Jalen [Brunson]. When they did, [McBride] hit some big 3s. So if a guy has it rolling, he may have a chance to stay out on the floor, that’s all it was.”

---

To begin the playoffs, it seemed like Jose Alvarado was out of the playoff rotation. But he’s crept back in — and is making an impact.

He recorded six points in 14 minutes Saturday.

He also brought a bit of his trademark snarl — soon after checking in for the first time at the end of the first quarter, he got into a bit of a dustup with Mouhamed Gueye and forced Gueye into a technical foul.

His rise has come at the expense of Landry Shamet, whose struggles at the end of the regular season bled into the beginning of the playoffs.

Shamet, who only played in garbage time Saturday, seems to now be out of the rotation.

“He was huge,” Brown said of Alvarado. “He hit two big 3s. He was a guy that they were gonna leave open. He works very hard on his 3-point shooting. He took the right shots tonight. And then defensively, he tried to be a pest. What he did out on the floor for us gave us a huge lift, especially when Jalen was out.”

---

Brunson surpassed John Starks for the fourth-most total points in the playoffs in franchise history.

Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 114-98 Game 4 win over the Hawks on Saturday night in Atlanta:  

Hero

Karl-Anthony Towns recorded the first playoff triple-double of his career with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

He took over in the third quarter, when Jalen Brunson was in the locker room and the Knicks began to pull away.

Zero

Jalen Johnson, primarily guarded by OG Anunoby, finished with 14 points on rough 4-for-12 shooting from

the field. He was a game-worst minus-19.

Unsung hero

Josh Hart set the tone early, and his teammates fed off his energy as they so often do.

He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Key stat

24.4 — The Hawks’ shooting percentage from 3-point range. They jacked up 41 of them, a plethora of low-quality looks.

Quote

“I thought we did a great job coming out with more tenacity. More desperation I think is the proper word.”

— Karl-Anthony Towns

ATLANTA — Karl-Anthony Towns received more plaudits than OG Anunoby.

That’s to be expected given Anunoby’s quiet personality.

But his impact has been loud.

He had a terrific all-around showing in the Knicks’ 114-98 Game 4 win over the Hawks on Saturday night at State Farm Arena.

He recorded a game-high 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the field — and 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range — along with 10 rebounds. He was a game-best plus-19.

Anunoby’s strong effort in Game 3 went a bit under the radar given the Knicks lost. But across these past two games, Anunoby shot a combined 7-for-14 from 3-point range.

“Just shooting no matter if I’m contested or not contested,” Anunoby said. “I work very hard on my game, so I always think it’s going in.”

Anunoby drilled back-to-back 3s in the second quarter Saturday as the Knicks extended their lead to double digits. His scoring was a steady presence the whole game — he scored six points in each of the first three quarters before finishing with four in the fourth quarter.

It’s been much more than just his shooting, though.

He spent the majority of Saturday matched up with Jalen Johnson and completely neutralized him. Johnson shot just 1-for-5 when Anunoby was guarding him, per the league’s official tracking stats.

In total, the Hawks on offense shot a combined 5-for-15 with Anunoby as the primary defender.

And he was key to the Knicks owning the glass. His rebounding numbers have been up the past two games — he had nine in Game 3.

Has that been a concerted effort?

“It’s a team effort, for sure,” Anunoby said. “We want to control the boards. And then just depending on who I’m guarding. When I’m on the perimeter, sometimes it’s harder to get rebounds. But making an emphasis on coming in, crashing the boards, helping the team finish possessions.”

With Jalen Brunson again not at his best, the Knicks needed others to step up and help carry the scoring load.

Anunoby answered the call.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding Victor Wembanyama’s return date, the Spurs headed to Portland for a crucial Game 3. A loss would have upped the pressure considerably on a young San Antonio team that still doesn’t know when it will get its superstar back. Fortunately, the Silver and Black prevailed thanks to fantastic performances from their young guards and a gutsy, physical team effort on both ends.

The urgency to get a win is now squarely on the Trail Blazers’ shoulders. Whether Wembanyama, listed as questionable, plays or not, they need to come out on top on Sunday or face elimination in San Antonio in Game 5. Desperation can be good, as the Spurs showed on Friday with a strong second half, but it can also lead to disarray. It will be on San Antonio to continue to play hard and try to get their opponent to make mistakes and exploit them.

A potential Wembanyama return could completely change the dynamic of the game, making the Spurs clear favorites. Even without him, the Silver and Black have proved they can get tough wins, so it should be a good matchup either way. Heading to San Antonio with a tied series wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, considering the circumstances, but this team clearly wants to continue exceeding expectations, even in the playoffs.

San Antonio Spurs (2-1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1-2)

April 26th, 2026 | 2:30 PM CT

Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Victor Wembanyama — Questionable (Concussion), Jordan McLaughlin – Questionable (Ankle)

Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard – Out (Achilles)

What to watch for:

Can Carter Bryant bring the energy again?

While Stephon Castle’s and Dylan Harper’s production understandably got the most attention for the win, there were plenty of others who were essential in Game 3. One of them was Carter Bryant, the rookie who was tasked with playing center in small-ball lineups. Bryant had his moments in the first half but really made his mark in the second, flying around the court on defense but also walking the ball up on offense to help avoid the full-court press the Blazers were using on the guards and keeping the offense moving when he got the ball in the half-court.

The challenge, if Wembanyama misses the game, will be to do it all again. The Blazers were leaving Bryant open, and at times, he was not even looking at the rim. In part, he was just trying to get others involved with handoffs and change the angle of attack, but if they continue to dare him, he’ll have to fire away. Bryant also defended Deni Avdija well when he got the chance, showing discipline against a tough opponent to guard. In general, his length and athleticism make him a good fit for this matchup against a Blazers team that has those traits in spades, so with or more likely without Wemby available, the Spurs could use another good Bryant game.

Gang rebounding will be key

One of the biggest concerns heading into the series was rebounding. The Trail Blazers have great offensive rebounding big men and like to attack the paint, drawing help defense. The Spurs were the best defensive rebounding team in the league, but it was still something they’d have to focus on to limit their opponent’s second-chance opportunities. They did a good job in the first two games, but going into Game 3 without Wemby, it seemed like it was going to be a problem.

Fortunately, the team found another level of energy and physicality on the boards, with the perimeter players, especially the young guys, helping out Luke Kornet, who dutifully boxed out when he was out there. In the end, offensive rebounding became a strength for the Spurs instead of the Blazers, as the visitors finished with 22 second-chance points to 12 for the home team. The Silver and Black will need that level of commitment to both clean the defensive glass and attack offensive boards in Game 4, especially if Wembanyama is out.

Can Keldon Johnson have a big game?

Keldon Johnson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is averaging five points on 28 percent shooting so far this series. He’s been a big help on the boards, averaging five a game, and has guarded centers at times, but he has massively struggled to provide any kind of offensive punch for the Spurs, especially inside. In Game 3, he went 1-for-7 from the floor, and his only make was a three-pointer. He’s not scored in double digits yet. The Blazers’ length at the forward spots and their interior defense have been giving Keldon fits so far.

Some of his misses, however, have been uncharacteristic, as he normally successfully uses his hook to get his shot past rim protectors, and he has good body control on drives. Johnson will need to continue being aggressive, especially when he’s guarded by Deni Avdija, to make the Blazers’ star spend energy on the defensive end. If Johnson can also do a better job when he has to guard a perimeter scorer, which he has struggled to do, it would help the Spurs massively. Portland is not a great matchup for Keldon, but he needs to find ways to contribute, and if the past is any indication, he will.

---

For the opponent’s perspective, visit the always wonderful Blazer’s Edge.

If you’d like to, you may follow along with the game on our Twitter profile (@poundingtherock) or visit our Game Thread!

ATLANTA -- A few notes on the Knicks’ performance in a do-or-die Game 4 win.

HART OF THE MATTER

The Knicks put Josh Hart on CJ McCollum to start the most important game of their season and Hart delivered. With Hart as the lead defender on McCollum, the Knicks limited him to eight points and three turnovers in the first 20-plus minutes of the game. That allowed New York to build an early 15-point lead.

“Yeah Josh was really good on the ball," head coach Mike Brown said. "Josh is a guy with quick feet, he’s strong and when he gets locked in he’s locked in."

The Knicks also used Hart on Jalen Johnson in Game 4. Johnson had been Hart’s primary assignment earlier in the season.

It will be interesting to see how the Knicks handle MJ – I mean CJ McCollum early in Game 5.

TOO MUCH TOWNS

With Jalen Brunson playing below his standard, the Knicks needed to get production from other sources. Brown said New York changed its early offense during Game 4 and that resulted in the ball landing in Karl-Anthony Towns’ hands.

Towns did the rest. He had 10 points and four assists in the Knicks’ tone-setting first quarter. He continued to make plays throughout the game – whether it was at the elbow or in the post.

“He really put us in a position to win,” Brunson said of Towns, who had his first career playoff triple-double.  

The number of touches/shots for Towns has been a hot button around the Knicks all year. On Saturday, they got him the ball and he certainly delivered.

After the game, Hart reiterated that the Knicks need to be deliberate in finding Towns on offense.

“He’s a hub," Hart said. "He’s a guy that can score the ball, but also pass the ball and find guys when they’re open. We have to continue to do that."

OH MY OG

Towns wasn’t the only Knick to pick up the scoring for Brunson. OG Anunoby was again strong on both ends for New York. He led the team with 12 first-half points and made life difficult on the other end for Atlanta. He also rebounded the ball well, helping the Knicks take a 14-point lead into halftime.

Anunoby has arguably been the best Knick through four postseason games. In the first three games, he averaged 20 points on 56 percent shooting (8-for-15 from beyond the arc). On Saturday, he finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He’s averaging nearly nine rebounds per game, which is roughly four more than his per-game average in the regular season.

Whether it was Anunoby, Towns, Hart or strong bench play from Jose Alvarado, the Knicks found a way to dominate without relying on Brunson.

“No matter who it is – if KAT is struggling, he’s gotta find other ways to help us win. If Jalen’s struggling to shoot it, he’s gotta find other ways to help us win. If OG is struggling to shoot it or not getting enough touches, or Mikal [Bridges], whoever it is, they just gotta keep trying to find different ways to help us win,” Brown said. “[Jalen] created double-teams, [Miles McBride] got some some wide open looks. If they’re gonna keep doubling him, we gotta make sure we knock the shot down. He’s setting great screens. We gotta keep doing those little things when we’re not shooting the ball at the highest level. Jalen did that [in Game 4].”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Denver-Minnesota rivalry took another dramatic turn in the closing seconds of Game 4 on Saturday, when Nuggets star Nikola Jokic confronted Jaden McDaniels after he took an uncontested layup with the Timberwolves on the way to victory and a 3-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series.

After McDaniels made the unsportsmanlike basket with 2.1 seconds left with the Nuggets having conceded the 112-96 decision, Jokic ran from one end of the court to the other to shove him. Players from both teams converged around them to broaden the scuffle before order was restored. Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, who was livid with Jokic, was ejected along with Denver's center.

“He scored when we'd stopped playing,” Jokic said. “You guys saw what happened.”

McDaniels, who spiced up the series after Game 2 by declaring Denver's team was full of “ bad defenders,” said afterward he didn't know what Jokic said to him during the confrontation.

“I just seen someone who was big as hell,” McDaniels said.

So why did he take the meaningless two points?

“The clock still be running, so I might as well go score,” McDaniels said.

As teams in the same division playing four times each regular season, and facing each other in the playoffs for the third time in four years, the Nuggets and Timberwolves have become quite the archrivals.

“Obviously I didn't like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The game was over. The game was conceded both ways. In 2026, that stuff just doesn't happen anymore. That's something that happened in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is, you know? And so if that's what they want to do, that's what they want to do.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

MINNEAPOLIS — When the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago in February, they expected to get a strong defender and savvy offensive player. If he wants to be an elite scorer, they’ll take that, too.

Dosunmu scored a career-high 43 points, stepping up after leg injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with the highest-scoring playoff performance by a reserve in 50 years, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 112-96 on Saturday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

“Ayo was just out of this world, man,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Just play after play after play.”

The game ended with the ejections of Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Minnesota’s Julius Randle after Jokic became angry when Jaden McDaniels made a meaningless layup with 2.1 seconds remaining and confronted the Wolves’ swingman near his bench.

Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points. Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets were just 6 for 27 from 3-point range.

The Wolves have won the last three games and can end the series in Game 5 on Monday night in Denver.

“I expect us to have a great effort in Game 5,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I really trust our two best players will find a rhythm, and they have to find that at home.”

Jokic and Murray were 6 of 24 from the field in the second half.

“We had the opportunity to score easier, get open looks, and we didn’t,” Jokic said. “And in the fourth quarter the momentum is on their side. They were making shots, they were playing with some energy and we didn’t have that.”

Dosunmu made 13 of 17 shots, going 5 of 5 from 3-point range, and all 12 of his free throws in a season-high 42 minutes.

“He goes places quick. He’s an unbelievable finisher. He makes big shots,” Finch said. “He’s not afraid. Just was going to ride him until he collapsed, really.”

It was the best performance by a sub since Fred Brown scored 45 off the bench for Seattle in a 116-111 loss to Phoenix on April 15, 1976.

“I know it sounds cliche, but I can’t and won’t take this moment for granted,” Dosunmu said, “because I understand how long and how hard it is to get here.”

The Nuggets led by seven in the third quarter before the Timberwolves used a disruptive defense to get back into the game. Bones Hyland and Dosunmu scored breakaway layups on consecutive possessions after Minnesota forced the Nuggets to turn it over near halfcourt — two of nine second-half turnovers for the Nuggets.

Randle added a steal and fast-break dunk to put the Wolves up by four after three quarters.

Dosunmu had another steal and layup as part of a 9-0 run early in the fourth quarter that gave Minnesota a 95-82 lead. The basket that pushed the lead into double digits was a 3-pointer by 38-year-old Mike Conley, who played 20 minutes while filling in for DiVincenzo and Edwards.

The Lakers aim to close out their first round series against the Houston Rockets on Sunday

The purple and gold are looking to sweep an opponent in the playoffs for the first time since May 2010.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

When: 6:30 p.m. PT, Apr. 26

Where: Toyota Center

Watch: NBC, Peacock

---

Just like that, the Lakers are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. They’ve shocked the world with their performance over the last three games, but their rising to the occasion is nothing new.

The Lakers’ challenge in Game 3 was to counter the Rockets’ strongest response yet and they successfully did so. In Game 4, it’s going to be about closing the series and putting this young Rockets team to bed. That itself is going to be a different challenge, but perhaps the biggest advantage that Los Angeles now has is that they’ve snatched away Houston’s fighting spirit — at least that’s what it seems.

Over the last three games, the Lakers have continuously proven that they’re just the better team, even without two of their best players. It’s still extremely weird typing that but that’s what happens when the team has LeBron James, Marcus Smart and experienced role players. The chemistry — especially during clutch time — that the team worked so hard to build during the regular season is one of the reasons why they’re on top right now.

On Sunday, the Lakers are going to need their chemistry and composure to be in full effect more than ever. It’s uncertain how these Rockets will approach this one given that they don’t seem confident that they can get back in the series. But what’s certain is that no team wants to be swept, so there’s a good chance that Houston will go all out in this one, especially since they’re composed of young players all around.

With Kevin Durant’s status up in the air again, expect Alperen Şengün to lead the Rockets’ offense. He did a good job doing so in Game 3, but it obviously wasn’t enough. What’s going unnoticed in this series is how the Lakers have kept up with the Rockets in what the latter does best, which is controlling the paint and outexecuting them on defense. Los Angeles will have to double down on this to close out the series.

Maybe the Rockets play like a team that knows they’re down 0-3 and doesn’t want to travel to Los Angeles anymore. What we do know is that this Lakers team will be determined to sweep this series. Let’s see if the purple and gold book their ticket to the semifinals on Sunday.

Notes and Updates

• The Lakers’ injury report remains identical as Game 3 with Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) listed as questionable. Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) noted as out.
• The same goes for the Rockets, as Fred VanVleet (ACL surgery) and Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) are indicated as out while Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is questionable.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

In one of the most insane games in the history of Target Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves took down the Denver Nuggets 112-96 in Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead.

Unfortunately, the outcome of the game felt like a side story most of the night. A little more than a minute into the game, Donte DiVincenzo took a false step back and appeared to suffer a catastrophic lower-leg injury. Shams Charania of ESPN later confirmed the worst, a torn Achilles for DiVincenzo.

DiVincenzo was taken out of Target Center in a wheelchair with a boot on his right leg and a hoodie draped over his head.

Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch was choked up discussing DiVincenzo’s injury: “He’s the heart and soul of everything we do. We love him and will be there for him.”

The devastating blows didn’t stop there. Just before the end of the first half, Anthony Edwards came down awkwardly on his left leg and appeared to hyperextend it. Charania reported that Edwards will undergo tests on his left knee, the opposite side from the runner’s knee Edwards has been dealing with in this series and down the stretch of the regular season.

And Anthony Edwards is set to undergo tests on his injured left knee. He had been playing through runner's knee in his other knee. The Timberwolves starting guards sustain injuries in the first half tonight in Game 4 against Denver. https://t.co/ipDf2LPRLS

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026

With the potential for the game to spiral, the Wolves didn’t allow the game to get out of hand and only trailed by four points at halftime.

With the halftime break to reset their rotations and emotions, the Timberwolves began to fight back. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels locked back down on Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray while Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Terrence Shannon Jr. joined the rotation.

Late in the third quarter and into the fourth, the Wolves went on a 21-6 run, turning a two-point deficit into a 13-point lead as they appeared to break the Nuggets’ and Jokić’s will, who struggled yet again with an 8-22 shooting night.

The Timberwolves’ best player on the night was far and away Ayo Dosunmu, who played the best game of his young career. Dosunmu finished with a career-high 43 points on 13-17 shooting, the third most efficient 40-point playoff game in the history of the NBA.

The dagger came from Dosunmu with a minute and a half left in the game when he pulled up for a 3-pointer above Tim Hardaway Jr. and screamed, “I’m Him!” to the Timberwolves faithful.

Ayo Dosunmu deep pull-up 3 BANG pic.twitter.com/uOXipRjhST

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 26, 2026

“I didn’t know he was that damn good,” Randle said of Dosunmu. “I ain’t gonna lie to you. I was in the East, but I don’t remember playing against him. That was DeMar/LaVine teams. I don’t know if the opportunity was there. But, damn, I’m glad we got him.”

The two teams would play out the string from there, but not before a little bit more drama, par for the course in this rivalry. With three seconds remaining in the game, instead of dribbling, McDaniels, in classic Jaden McDaniels fashion, laid the ball in the hoop instead of dribbling the clock out.

That decision, foreshadowed by a McDaniels dunk as the end of Game 7 two years ago between these two teams, caused Jokić to come running down the court for a fight that led to the ejection of both Jokić and Julius Randle.

NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHT

OH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026

McDaniels, of course, broke an unwritten rule of basketball by not dribbling the game out, but for Jokić to take such exception to the play is a rough look, given the scoreboard, who was out for the Wolves, and his play in this series, especially on the defensive end.

Where this series and the rest of these playoffs go from here for the Timberwolves is still up in the air. What is certain is that tonight’s game was one of the most memorable nights in the history of Timberwolves basketball.

Finch summed up the season to this point following the game. “[The players] kept telling me it would be different when we get [to the playoffs]. Game 1 wasn’t any different, so we jumped their ass. They lied to us. And they responded.”

This whole season, there have been valid criticisms of the Timberwolves from the players on the roster, their fit together, and the coaching staff’s ability to find the best out of the team. What can no longer be questioned about this team is their heart.

---

Up Next

The Timberwolves will take on the Nuggets for Game 5 in Denver on Monday at 9:30 PM CT with a chance to close out the series. Fans can watch the game on NBC and Peacock. The status for both Edwards and Aaron Gordon, who also left this game early, is up in the air.

Highlights

Originally, I figured that the most 2026 Houston Rockets thing that could happen is what happened in Game 3: take a sizable lead into the final moments and blow the game, culminating in an overtime loss. The poor play in clutch situations has defined this team, and their 20+ blown fourth quarter leads this year is the evidence.

The Rockets have been the arbiters of hope this season, constantly getting leads and then promptly blowing them in the most heartbreaking fashions imaginable. And it just kept happening. You figure that at some point they would learn from their mistakes, or that the sheer amount of experience would be a boon. “Hey, we’ve all been in this situation before and we’ve all been the reason we lost one of these games. So let’s just do our best and trust each other.” Something, anything that takes terrible experiences and uses them as fuel for the next time a similar event occurs.

And in sports, that’s usually what happens. Teams struggle to get over the hump but get better and more hardened and eventually either blow up or successfully summit the mountain. That’s the blueprint we’ve seen time and time again.

But no team has toyed with its fans’ emotions more than the Houston Rockets. Now 1-8 in overtime, the Rockets have blown just about every sort of game that is possible. 20-point fourth quarter lead? Yep. 99.9% chance of winning based on your favorite site’s analytics? They’ve blown that too. Up double digits in overtime? They lost. Up 6 with 30 seconds left at home in the biggest game of the season? They almost lost in regulation!

Every time we’ve been ready to give up on the Rockets, they show us their talent and put together a few games where you think, “Oh maybe they figured it out!” But then they promptly remind everyone that they have not, in fact, figured it out.

So I can’t decide which way to lose this series would be the most 2026 Rockets. I’m hoping for the sweet release of death when it comes to this season, so we know that won’t happen easily. Either the Rockets will once again blow a big lead just for old time’s sake, OR they will fight back in this series and win the next three games. They will look really good and give Rockets fans hope that they’ll become the first NBA team to ever overcome a 3-0 deficit. They’ll be up 20 in the fourth quarter of Game 7. Staples Center will be dead silent. Luka Doncic will be on the bench. Austin Reaves will not be 100%. LeBron James will look old and defeated by Father Time.

And then Luke Kennard will hit a 3. Then Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura will hit a couple. Jaxson Hayes will throw down a dunk and the lead will be single digits and the building will be rocking. LeBron will return, having gotten plenty of rest after JJ Reddick had originally thrown in the towel. And Houston will lose in overtime.

Yeah, that sounds like these Rockets.

Tip-off

8:30pm CT

How To Watch

NBC/Peacock

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Kevin Durant: questionable

Lakers

Luka Doncic: OUT

Austin Reaves: questionable

The Line (as of this post)

HOU -4.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

If necessary, Game 5 on Wednesday in Los Angeles

At the end of an emotional game in which the Minnesota Timberwolveslost two players to injury, tempers flared and a pair of stars were ejected.

It started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, when the outcome was already decided. But the Timberwolves, looking to burn the clock, tossed the ball up to forward Jaden McDaniels. Rather than dribble it out for the end of the game, McDaniels put up an uncontested layup to push Minnesota’s lead to 16 points.

Denver Nuggets All-Star center and NBA Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDaniels’ face.

NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHT

OH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026

McDaniels grabbed Jokić by the jersey as the two got tangled up, leading to teammates and assistants getting in between the pair to break it up. The incident took place right in front of the Timberwolves’ bench.

Eventually, both players were separated, and both Jokic and McDaniels were ejected.

“Because he scored when everybody stopped playing,” Jokić said after the game. “Come on, guys, you saw it, what happened.”

Asked later if he regretted running up to confront McDaniels, Jokić shook his head and stressed that he didn’t.

The Timberwolves won the game, 112-96, taking a 3-1 lead over Denver in the first-round playoff series.

“I’m proud of the guys stepping up and fighting for each other, literally and figuratively,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told reporters after the game. “These teams don’t like each other — it’s no secret. I mean, you play each other this many times when things are at stake … it’s just how it goes.

“When you play each other this many times, you’re gonna get these things. You just are.”

The NBA has strict rules about players who are not actively playing in a game leaving the bench area during altercations. Players who do leave the bench are subject to an automatic suspension of at least one game. Fines are also factored into the discipline for leaving the bench.

Initial video of the incident Saturday night showed that Nuggets star forward Aaron Gordon left the bench in an attempt to break it up.

“Obviously, I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game. “The game was over. The game was conceded both ways. In 2026 that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That stuff happened in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is. And so if that’s what they want to do, that’s what they want to do. It has nothing to do with the win or the loss.”

“More importantly, no suspensions for us,” Adelman said. “I didn’t see anything out of line. Obviously, they’ll have the Hawkeye view of the whole thing, but from what I saw, from my standpoint, I saw Jok get into it with (McDaniels) toward the middle of the scrum, and then both guys were ejected.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fight breaks out late in Timberwolves' playoff win vs. Nuggets

The Los Angeles Lakers will have the opportunity to complete a sweep of the Houston Rockets after taking a 3-0 lead in the NBA playoff first-round series.

The Lakers have found success in the postseason without Luka Doncic, who has missed time due to a hamstring injury.

He suffered the injury on April 2 in a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has not played in a game since.

Doncic led the NBA in points per game with 33.5 this season. He was also third with 8.3 assists per game. 

The Lakers have not swept a playoff series since beating the Utah Jazz 4-0 in the 2009-10 Western Conference semifinals.

Will Luka Doncic play Game 4 for Lakers?

Doncic was ruled out for Game 4 on Sunday, April 24, by the Lakers. He was with the team in Houston on Friday.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will play the Houston Rockets on Sunday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed on Peacock.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers star Luka Doncic ruled out for Game 4 vs. Rockets

Having lost the previous two games to the Atlanta Hawks to go down 2-1 in the series, the Knicks were in must-win territory on Saturday night.

If not, New York would’ve been on the precipice of ending its season prematurely and in danger of wholesale changes rocking the organization after a fourth consecutive postseason that didn’t lead to the NBA Finals.

Instead, the Knicks, with the same starting five head coach Mike Brown has used all season, came out ready and took care of business from beginning to end with a compelling 114-98 win to even up the series and take things back to Madison Square Garden all knotted up. 

“I thought we did a great job of coming out with more tenacity, more desperation I think is the proper word and our team did a great job of just weathering the storm and being the ones to initiate physicality today,” said Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns was right at the center of New York’s Game 4 win, recording his fifth career triple-double (first in the playoffs) and leading the team with a playoff career-high 10 assists. 

Towns is the fourth player in franchise history to record a triple-double in a playoff game, joining Walt Frazier, Dick McGuire and Josh Hart, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“That’s a great team over there, a very well-coached team so we understood in a pivotal game like tonight we needed to be our best,” Towns said. “I thought we not only met the challenge, but we exceeded the expectation and the moment and that’s what you expect a team that has experience like us do.”

It’s true, the Knicks played one of their better games of the season in Game 4. They limited the Hawks to 65 points through three quarters, had a lead as large as 24 points, held Atlanta to 24.4 percent from deep and kept CJ McCollum in check.

The start of the game was also completely different than Game 3 where the Hawks led by 12 in the first quarter which forced New York to play from behind all night. It was also different from Game 2 where the Knicks saw a big lead disappear in the fourth quarter resulting in a stunning loss.

Hart said after the win that New York gave away both of those games (both one-point losses) and so the urgency on Saturday had to be there from the start. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson thought the way they battled back in Game 3 set the table for the team’s performance in Game 4.

“I think the way we fought back in Game 3 helped us in this game,” Brunson said. “Obviously we didn’t win Game 3 but the way we played in that second half as a team propelled us to play the way we did tonight and we just gotta continue to push that forward.”

Then, of course, comes the topic of the Knicks’ starting five which was ultimately untouched after Brown said it would be a game-time decision.

Mikal Bridges, who had struggled mightily over the last two games, got things going back in the right direction on Saturday but he still only scored eight points on 3-of-4 from the floor and logged just 19 minutes, barely seeing the court in the second half and giving way to Miles McBride.

Brown discussed what went into those decisions after the game.

“We’ve won a lot of games with the starting group and so I didn’t want to panic and just change anything,” he said. “Obviously we changed some stuff strategy-wise, but I didn’t want to change anything with the starting group because I didn’t feel the need to.

“And then at the end of the day I just felt that Deuce had it rolling and they were gonna double Jalen and when they did Deuce hit some big threes so if a guy has it rolling he may have a chance to stay out on the floor, that’s all that was.”

As for Bridges’ impact on the game, Towns credits him for setting the tone early.

“I think everybody was special and honestly shout out to Mikal too, he did a great job of getting us going early and bringing that energy and that spark that was needed,” Towns said. “Who knows where our team would be tonight if it wasn’t for him bringing that kind of spark early in the game.”