Category: Basketball

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The Phoenix Suns should be satisfied with their season.

After effectively resetting the franchise in the offseason, they still found their way into the playoffs... and being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder is nothing to be ashamed about.

My Thunder vs. Suns predictions expect a sweep, one that featured Dillon Brooks because Oklahoma City has wanted it that way.

Read more in our NBA picks for Monday, April 27. 

Our best Thunder vs Suns SGP for Game 4

The Oklahoma City Thunder identified their biggest worry before this series. As long as Devin Booker doesn't beat them, the Phoenix Suns can't win. 

Let Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green shoot. Don't let Booker get going.

Thus, the Suns’ franchise cornerstone hasn't taken more than 17 shots in a game, while Brooks has attempted at least 21 in each, totaling 19 more shots than Booker.

The Thunder’s defensive plan has worked. Brooks has averaged 27 points while Oklahoma City has cruised in each game

Booker found some playmaking in Game 3, with his seven assists keeping things nominally close for a while. Those assists again, along with Phoenix’s last gasp, should keep this tight into halftime.

However, let’s all acknowledge what is coming for the Suns: time in the sun.

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Is this the best rivalry in the NBA?

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have now played each other 32 times over the last four seasons, splitting two previous playoff series.

My Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks expect the greatest antagonist in this rivalry to rise once more in Game 5 on Monday, April 27.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction

Timberwolves vs Nuggets best bet: Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points (-115)

Despite leading this series 3-1, the Minnesota Timberwolves are only listed at -150 to win it at bet365.

Surely, they have a much better chance than 60%, right? They just won three straight games, snapping the Denver Nuggets’ 13-game winning streak.

Nope, these are the worries when your franchise cornerstone goes down with an injury to his good knee. Without Anthony Edwards — and Donte DiVincenzo — Minnesota suddenly has much to still worry about.

Enter Jaden McDaniels. The Timberwolves’ wing has angered and humiliated the Nuggets in every way.

First, McDaniels pointed out how poor they are defensively after Game 2. Then he backed it up by scoring 20 points on just 13 shots in Game 3.

To outdo himself, McDaniels capped Game 4 with a last-second layup that drew all of Denver’s remaining ire, which had somehow been absent for about 24 minutes in the second half.

McDaniels’s deep shooting has been a liability of late — 1-for-11 from beyond the arc in this series and 2-for-19 in his last six games — but when Edwards is sidelined, the sixth-year wing tends to dial up his offense.

McDaniels averaged 18.7 points in 16 games without Edwards this season, compared to 13.8 in 57 games alongside Edwards. He takes 3.6 more shots per game with Edwards sidelined, including an average of one additional 3-pointer.

These are the reasons McDaniels has topped this prop in 10 of those 16 games without Edwards, with two of those exceptions falling short by only the hook.

McDaniels should emphasize his mid-range game to once again expose the Nuggets’ defensive weaknesses.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets same-game parlay

The Timberwolves should run in Edwards’s absence. McDaniels, Bones Hyland, and Ayo Dosunmu will have much of the duty getting the ball up the court, and they will never turn down a chance to push the pace.

Those transition opportunities will help McDaniels score without living beyond the arc, where he has scuffled to a 10.5% showing in his last six games. Those opportunities will also create easy assist chances, and he already averages 3.2 assists without Edwards compared to 2.6 with the shooting guard in the lineup.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP

• Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points
• Jaden McDaniels Under 1.5 threes
• Jaden McDaniels Over 2.5 assists

Our "from downtown" SGP: Wearing Out Jokic

Know who will despise the Timberwolves’ escalated pace without Anthony Edwards? Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokic.

He already looks exhausted. One might wonder if his temper tantrum at the end of Game 4 was in part the result of shoddy judgment thanks to fatigue.

Jokic will struggle to get up and down the court with Hyland, Dosunmu, and McDaniels — and their pace will only further sap his legs.

Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP

• Jaden McDaniels Over 16.5 points
• Jaden McDaniels Under 1.5 threes
• Jaden McDaniels Over 2.5 assists
• Nikola Jokic Under 30.5 points

Timberwolves vs Nuggets odds for Game 5

• Spread: Timberwolves +11 (-110) | Nuggets -11 (-110)
• Moneyline: Timberwolves +375 | Nuggets -500
• Over/Under: Over 222 (-110) | Under 222 (-110)

Timberwolves vs Nuggets betting trend to know

Denver has fallen short of its team total in every game of this series. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets.

How to watch Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 5

Timberwolves vs Nuggets latest injuries

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Joel Embiid made his return to the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday, April 26, after recovering from appendix surgery that kept him out of the first three games of the NBA playoffs and the Sixers' lone game in the play-in tournament.

Embiid started for the 76ers in Game 4 vs. the Boston Celtics and played 34 minutes. He led Philadelphia in scoring and rebounds, shots takend and shots made while posting a double-double. But Boston absolutely dominated the contest, notching a 128-96 victory. The Celtics got a huge game from reserve Payton Pritchard, who scored a game-high 32 points and made 6-of-12 3-pointers.

Embiid was initially ruled out indefinitely due to appendicitis, leaving a postseason appearance in doubt. The 7-time All-Star and the 2023 NBA MVP had not been on the court since the 76ers' loss to the San Antonio Spurs on April 6 during the regular season.

He scored his first points Sunday less than four minutes into the game with a monster dunk off an assist from forward Kelly Oubre Jr. on a fast break.

Joel Embiid SLAMS one home for his first FG in his return to action!

📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/p3STOmB5tl

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 26, 2026

The 76ers trail the Celtics 3-1 in the Eastern Conference first-round series. The Celtics have been responsible for eliminating the 76ers three times since 2018.

Philadelphia has not made it past the second round since 2001. Embiid and the 76ers are looking to advance past the first round for the first time since 2023, Embiid's MVP season.

Joel Embiid stats

(Stats after tw o quarters of play)

• Minutes: 34
• Points: 26
• Rebounds: 10
• Assists: 6
• FG: 9-for-21
• 3FG: 1-for-6
• FT: 7-for-9
• Blocks: 1
• Turnovers: 3

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joel Embiid 76ers stats vs Celtics in Game 4 after appendix surgery

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked ugly once again as the Toronto Raptors tied their series 2-2.

Let’s go over today’s losers.

LOSER – The Core Four

Yep, all of ‘em.

Winning in the playoffs can often come down to having the best player on the floor. In the case of the Cavs, they have an argument for four of the five best players in the series. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen should all be capable of dominating a game against the Raptors.

So, when none of them show up to play, that’s a concern. There’s really no excuse for some of the poor performances we saw in both Games 3 and 4.

Harden and Mitchell were totally disrupted by Toronto’s defense. The backcourt combined for 11 turnovers in Game 4 as their team scored just 89 points. The decision-making was highly questionable, and they didn’t make up for any of it with their defense.

Mitchell was especially bad. He didn’t have any positive impact on either game played in Toronto. He’s been far too content watching the ball. And when he does fight to get open, he’s settling for jumpers more often than not. There needs to be a greater focus on applying rim pressure. Right now, that extra effort just isn’t there.

The bigs are, of course, impacted negatively by the backcourt’s playmaking. It’s harder to get Allen and Mobley rolling offensively when… well, you aren’t getting them the ball.

That said, the bigs didn’t do enough to assert themselves or create advantages through their screening. A more dominant presence on defense could have swung things. Mobley can not get by with scoring only 8 points in a pivotal playoff game. Not when the backcourt is being hounded as heavily as they are. There has to be a release valve, and Mobley is supposed to be the guy.

Allen wasn’t much better. Though I think he deserves credit for grabbing 15 rebounds and anchoring Cleveland’s defense. He was largely responsible for all of their best contests at the rim. That’s his job, obviously, but it’s worth noting that he did it.

Offense was the issue. Allen was unable to punish Toronto for going small. Whether it’s failing to get a deep seal in the post, rolling hard to the rim, or crashing the offensive glass for a putback opportunity. As is the theme, the Cavs needed more from their best players.

To call a spade a spade, this series will end with four straight losses if the core four continues to play the way they just did. It’s time to meet the moment, or be defined by another early playoff exit.

April 26, 2026

Location: Toyota Center – Houston, Texas

TV:NBC/Peacock

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Online: Prime Video

Time: 8:30 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Lakers: Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, Lebron James, Deandre Ayton

Austin Reaves is a game time decision for the Lakers, with his oblique injury. Kevin Durant is out. Will he be, no doubt coincidentally, be receiving treatment for his ankle during the game, at 830PM CST? We will find out.

With just two days between games, the NBA has promptly sorted through discipline stemming from the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolvesaltercation, with no players drawing suspensions.

The NBA announced Sunday, April 26 that Nuggets All-Star center and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić has been fined $50,000, and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35,000, following a review of the incident.

NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones oversaw the league investigation and levied the fines.

Jokić’s fine was for initiating the altercation and shoving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and Randle’s is for escalating the event by “forcefully inserting himself into the scrum” and shoving Nuggets guard Bruce Brown.

The NBA conducts its investigations by reviewing footage from inside the arena and speaking to parties involved.

Although the NBA has rules for players drawing automatic suspensions for leaving the bench area during altercations, the league weighs the role those individuals play in any fight. That allowed players like Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who clearly left the bench area despite not being checked into the game, to avoid a suspension.

The fight started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, an eventual 112-96 Timberwolves victory Saturday, April 25, 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.

Jokić took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDaniels’ face and shoving him.

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.

NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHT

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

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026

Eventually, both players were separated, and both Jokić and Randle were ejected.

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

The Nuggets fell to a 3-1 series deficit with Saturday’s loss, though the victory didn’t come without some significant cost for the Timberwolves. Minnesota lost starting guard Donte DiVincenzo to a torn right Achilles tendon, and All-Star guard Anthony Edwards reportedly suffered a bone bruise and hyperextended knee that will sideline him for multiple weeks.

The altercation, though, somewhat marred what was a physical, hard-fought game, one in which backup Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu dropped a career-high 43 points.

“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.”

Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle disciplined after NBA playoff game fracas

NEW YORK (AP) — Denver's Nikola Jokic was fined $50,000 and Minnesota's Julius Randle was fined $35,000 for their roles in an altercation near the end of Game 4 of the teams' playoff series, the NBA announced Sunday.

Both will be eligible to play when the series resumes Monday with Game 5 in Denver.

The incident was evidently sparked when Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels took an uncontested layup with 2.1 seconds left and the Timberwolves already leading by 14 — a play the Nuggets took exception to, given how the game had been decided.

Jokic, the NBA said, “initiated the incident by confronting and shoving” McDaniels in reaction to that play. Randle, the league said, “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard-forward Bruce Brown.”

Jokic and Randle were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.

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

The teams are meeting in the postseason for the third time in the last four years. Minnesota leads the series 3-1, but will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the season because of a torn Achilles and will be without fellow guard Anthony Edwards indefinitely because of a knee injury. DiVincenzo and Edwards both got hurt on Saturday.

___

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

The Spurs had a rollercoaster of a Game 4 in Victor Wembanyama’s return to action. San Antonio was dreadful, especially on offense, in the first half and trailed by a wide margin heading into the break before making a roaring comeback in the second half, outscoring the Trail Blazers 73 to 35 to get the 114-93 win. Now, they’ll return home up 3-1 in the series and with a chance to close it out on Tuesday.

The start of the matinee game was predictably sloppy, with both teams struggling with turnovers and the Spurs showing some poor shot selection and questionable transition defense. As the minutes passed, things stabilized, and the two squads tried to play their games. San Antonio locked down on defense with a dominant Wembanyama deterring and altering shots near the rim and the perimeter defenders being active and energetic. The Silver and Black took a small lead that would, unfortunately, disappear when the bench checked in, as they struggled massively on offense. As they tend to do, after a drought, the Blazers went on a run to regain the lead, and the poor shot selection from earlier returned when the starters did for the visitors, allowing the hosts to stay ahead by two after the opening 12 minutes.

It was a low-scoring first quarter, and unfortunately for the Spurs, their offense would only get worse in the second. Mitch Johnson tried some strange lineups in hopes of getting a spark, but nothing worked. The Blazers’ defense was suffocating in the halfcourt, with Jrue Holiday doing a great job of containing Wembanyama on the perimeter and San Antonio showing the lack of variety and imagination in its attack that hurt them occasionally in the regular season. The bench got outscored 23-5 in the first half, showing that the entire team was struggling and there would be no unexpected hero to save it. They were helped by a Spurs defense that wasn’t sharp and by some outrageous shotmaking from unlikely sources, but the Blazers should be commended for running every chance they got and moving the ball until it found the open man. At the break, they led by 17, and they deserved that buffer.

As dominant as Portland was in the first half, they tend to be inconsistent, so it didn’t feel like the game was out of reach. The Spurs just needed to remember their identity, get some stops, and hit some threes, and the hope was that they could eventually chip away at the deficit, taking advantage of their often erratic opponent. There was room for optimism, but not even the most bullish fan could have predicted how quickly San Antonio would get on track and catch up on the scoreboard. The defense, which was lackadaisical earlier, became a blur of movement, with everyone in the perimeter showing energy and aggression. Stephon Castle was everywhere on both ends, playing through foul trouble, and Victor Wembanyama sealed off the paint. Even the second unit found some scoring. Everything went well for the Silver and Black and poorly for the Blazers, who only scored 16 points in the frame.

The score was tied heading into the final period, and the concern was that the Spurs might have spent all their energy climbing their way out of a hole. The opposite seemed to happen. If anything, the Silver and Black looked energized after the fantastic third quarter and only got more dominant in the fourth. Castle was finding Wembanyama for easy buckets inside, and when the young guard had to take a break, De’Aaron Fox took over the game. It didn’t hurt that the Blazers went through one of their turnover-filled droughts, but San Antonio’s defense was partly responsible for their poor play on that end. A close win felt possible even at the worst points, but it would have been hard to predict the Spurs running away with it, dropping 40 in the fourth, one shy of the amount of points they had in the entire first half. It was a terrific comeback that showcased how high San Antonio’s ceiling really is.

Game notes

• Wembanyama finished with an insane stat line in his return. He looked like himself on defense throughout and came alive on offense when he got to play off the ball more as a finisher instead of trying to create against smaller defenders with a lower center of gravity. Fantastic return for Wemby.
• Dylan Harper, the hero of Game 3, didn’t have it going on Sunday, but the two other guards did. Stephon Castle was limited by foul trouble but still managed to get 16 points and eight assists in 27 minutes while playing elite defense for stretches. De’Aaron Fox, seeing that the team needed him to look for his shot more aggressively, dropped 28 points in 17 shots and played almost 40 minutes, taking over when needed.
• It wasn’t just Harper who struggled off the bench. Luke Kornet and Carter Bryant, who were hugely important in Game 3, were not effective on Sunday. Harrison Barnes did well, but in a small role. And Keldon Johnson once again scored in single digits. The second unit wasn’t a major factor in the win.
• One possible reason for the struggles of some role players, apart from facing a deep opponent, might be due to experimentation by Mitch Johnson. Some of it has been forced by Wembanyama’s absence, but Mitch tried some strange lineups in the first half that simply didn’t work. He stuck with a more traditional rotation in the second half, and everyone seemed to feel more comfortable.
• After the Scoot Henderson and Dylan Harper verbal battle in Game 3, things got chippy between Stephon Castle and Deni Avdija. Castle put the ball in Avdija’s chest after scoring on him, the Blazers’ forward shoved him, Castle shoved him back, and then the two exchanged some heated words after being separated. The officials went with double technicals, and things didn’t escalate, but it’s clear that familiarity is breeding contempt between the two teams.

Play of the game

Luke Kornet, channeling his inner Wemby with the dunk of the inbounds pass.

LUUUUKE OMG 😱

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/AitibJqyXy

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) April 26, 2026

Next game: vs. Trail Blazers on Tuesday

The Spurs can end the series with a home win. Tip-off time is 8:30 CT.

PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid will make his series debut in Game 4 against the 76ers, after previously being listed as doubtful. Embiid missed the first three games of the series as he continues to recover from an emergency appendectomy surgery on April 9th.

Embiid was upgraded to questionable and went through his full warm-up. Philadelphia made him available about 30 minutes before tip-off.

Embiid will take some of the minutes away from Adem Bona, who has been starting this series, and Andre Drummond, who has been playing the majority of backup big minutes.

Joel Embiid will make his debut in Game 4

Embiid averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game this season, while shooting 48.9% from the field and and 33.3% from three.

Nick Nurse said pregame he did not know whether Embiid would be on a minutes restriction if he did become available.

Pregame, Joe Mazzulla declined to get into how different the Celtics’ game plan would be if Embiid did play, but Neemias Queta did say on Saturday that Philadelphia would get a boost if the big man made his return.

“One of the best players the last couple of years, so it can only be better than them when he’s out there helping,” said Neemias Queta. “I’m not really worried about that yet, nothing confirmed about it yet. But until then, we’re worried about what’s confirmed. But he’s a hell of a player, and he can make them a lot better. We’ll embrace the challenge if he comes.”

The San Antonio Spurs found themselves down by over 15 points for the second consecutive game. Much like they did in Game Three, the Spurs exploded in the second half, outscoring the Trail Blazers 73-35 after halftime to win Game Four 114-93. It was the largest playoff win by a team trailing by 15+ at halftime.

San Antonio was propelled by its All-Stars, De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. Fox led all scorers with 28 points on an efficient 11-17 shooting from the field, while adding in 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. Wembanyama was a major difference maker on the defensive end, keeping Portland from getting good looks in the paint. In his first game back after clearing concussion protocol, Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 7 blocks.

Portland made things tough in the first half, especially in the second quarter, when they shot 58% to build a 19-point lead. Deni Advija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points on 8-14 shooting.

The Spurs have taken a 3-1 lead in the series. They’ll head back to San Antonio for Game Five on Tuesday, where they will look to advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Observations

• Mitch Johnson should get a lot of credit for the Spurs’ turnaround. He used familiar lineups and strategies in the second half to pull ahead. He encouraged the team to pick up the pace offensively, which led to easy baskets while the Blazers struggled to get back. He relied on his guards and veteran experience to bring the team back. Harrison Barnes played more, Carter Bryant sat, and used Luke Kornet only in brief stints to give Wembanyama a short break.
• Stephon Castle picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. Johnson trusted him to play in foul trouble, and the gamble worked out. Castle was everywhere in the third quarter and made a big impact in his second-half minutes. He didn’t collect his 5th and final foul until the fourth quarter. Castle had 16 points and 8 assists in the win.
• Wembanyama’s defense was huge in the second half. San Antonio outscored Portland 52-38 on Sunday. When they couldn’t get clean looks inside, they were forced to shoot contested threes. The Trail Blazers shot 10-31 (32%) from three.
• The Spurs won the turnover battle, 18-13. They scored 29 points off turnovers, while Portland scored 18.
• The Blazers battle back at the end of the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point lead down to 12 points late. That run was ignited by some disruptive play by former Spur Sidy Cissoko.
• The game was effectively over when Castle got a technical foul for putting the ball in Avdija’s chest after an and-1 layup. Those two have been physically competing all series long. That felt like a boiling-over point from Castle. It was probably an immature moment from the second-year man, but hey, those are the emotions of playoff basketball.
• Scoot Henderson went scoreless on 0-7 shooting in his 27 minutes. Henderson has been a major difference maker in the first three games, but had a tough one on Sunday.
• There were Go Spurs Go chants echoing in the Moda Center in the final minutes of the game.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid in starting lineup for 76ers in Game 4 against the Celtics less than 3 weeks after appendectomy.

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to sweep the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series. The Lakers will advance to the second round with one more victory. Kevin Durant will be sidelined in Game 4 for the Rockets — the third game he has missed in the series.

How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

• Date: Sunday, April 26

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

• TV Channels: NBC, Peacock

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Houston Rockets +4.5

• Moneyline: Houston Rockets -185 (61.9%) / Los Angeles Lakers +150 (38.1%)

• Over/Under: 207.5

Series schedule

Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98
Game 2:Lakers 101, Rockets 94
Game 3:Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)
Game 4: Sun., April 26 at Houston (9:30 p.m., NBC)
Game 5: Wed., April 29 at Los Angeles (TBD)
Game 6: Fri., May 1 at Houston (TBD)
*Game 7: Sun., May 3 at Los Angeles (TBD)

*if necessary