Category: Basketball

INDEPENDENCE — Brothers Jaylon and Jordyn Tyson have a friendly wager on whether Jordyn will be a top-10 NFL Draft pick. Unfortunately, Jaylon won’t be able to go to the draft or even watch it on TV live to find out who wins the bet. The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Toronto Raptors at the same time the Draft is set to start.

The Cavs can’t let Jaylon watch the start of the draft, but they are working on a plan to keep him updated on what’s happening.

“We’re going to make sure he gets the news somehow,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said after practice on Wednesday. “I know it’s the playoffs and all, but that’s your family and your brother. So we’re going to get that to him.”

We’ll see where Jordyn ends up going in the draft. Many see him as the best wide receiver in this year’s draft class. ESPN’s latest mock draft has him landing in the fifth spot with the New York Giants. However, there’s speculation that he may fall down the board due to some injury concerns.

Although Jaylon doesn’t see a fall happening. He’s been steadfast in his belief that Jordyn is going to go high.

“JT has been telling me he’s a top-10 pick, so I’m going with that,” Atkinson said. “That would be awesome.”

Jaylon is expected to have a big role in Game 3 for the Cavs. Atkinson thinks that Tyson has played well in the minutes he’s gotten in the first two games of the opening round series and believes that he will have a breakout game. It’s not a matter of if, just a matter of when.

“I told him today he’s next up,” Atkinson said. “Max had that big game, core four had their big games. [Next] it’s going to be Jaylon Tyson. I can almost guarantee that he’s going to have one of those games.”

The deadline for men's college basketball players to enter the transfer portal has come and gone (April 21). And while five of USA TODAY's top-six ranked portal entrants remain available, many players have already found new homes.

Which schools have done the best business so far this offseason? We're glad you asked. Here are USA TODAY Sports' portal class team rankings so far (as of 10 p.m., Wednesday, April 22).

These rankings take into account just incoming players, not players who are leaving.

1. Indiana

• C Aiden Sherrell (Alabama)
• C Samet Yigitoglu (SMU)
• PG Markus Burton (Notre Dame)
• SG Bryce Lindsay (Villanova)
• SF Darren Harris (Duke)
• SG Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech)

Incoming by the numbers: 66.3 ppg, 24.1 rpg, 11.3 apg, 47.7% FG, 34.9% 3FG, 245 career starts

Indiana is going hard in the transfer portal — because it has to. Darian DeVries' first season was a complete waste as the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament yet again, and DeVries was left having to rebuild nearly an entire roster again (only freshman Trent Sisley is coming back). His bosses are figuring out spending big in the portal is probably cheaper than more coach buyouts. Ryan Carr arrived from the Pacers front office to help build this roster, and so far the results are encouraging. This group includes something of everything: a point guard, multiple bigs, wing depth and perhaps most important — players with multiple years of eligibility so Indiana doesn't have to do this all over again next year. Sherrell (No. 13), Burton (No. 21) and Yigitoglu (No. 39) all land inside the top 40 of USA TODAY's portal player rankings.

2. Tennessee

• SF Jalen Haralson (Notre Dame)
• PG Dai Dai Ames (Cal)
• SG Tyler Lundblade (Belmont)
• SG Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU)
• PF Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago)

Incoming by the numbers: 75 ppg, 18.5 rpg, 11.7 apg, 48.6% FG, 38% 3FG, 256 career starts

It's a total reboot in Knoxville for Rick Barnes, who has to replace his top six scorers from this past season, assuming freshman standout Nate Ament (16.7 ppg) declares for the NBA Draft. J.P. Estrella's transfer to Michigan hurts, and Bishop Boswell's decision to head to Maryland removes another starter. But the Vols have done some good work in the portal. There's no star in this group, though all five of their additions averaged at least 11.3 ppg last season and bring substantial starting experience (except Hill, who was VCU's microwave off the bench). Haralson is a do-everything small forward (except hit 3s), with room to grow. Rubin is your Estrella replacement, but with a defensive edge (2.3 blocks per game). Ames, a third-team All-ACC pick, will run the point, while Lundblade, the MVC Player of the Year, and Hill, the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year, provide the shooting. It's a strong class, that likely isn't done yet.

3. Louisville

• C Flory Bidunga (Kansas)
• PG Jackson Shelstad (Oregon)
• SF Karter Knox (Arkansas)
• PF Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa)

Incoming by the numbers: 45.4 ppg, 20 rpg, 9.8 apg, 52.3% FG, 33.5% 3FG, 200 career starts

Bidunga, USA TODAY's No. 2 ranked player in the portal, was one of the biggest gets of the entire offseason. He's still raw offensively, but his defense changes games. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year averaged 2.6 blocks per game, fourth-most in the NCAA last season. Shelstad, No. 15 in USA TODAY's portal rankings, had his season cut short after just 12 games, but was a double-digit scorer in each of his three seasons in Eugene and was making nearly three 3-pointers a game before his injury. Knox hasn't quite lived up to his recruiting hype and was limited with injuries last season, but the talent is there. Folgueiras started just one game for Iowa last season, but he broke out in March Madness. His last-second 3 knocked Florida out of the tournament and he averaged 14.7 points per game in Iowa's three NCAA Tournament wins. Even if Folgueiras doesn't start for the Cardinals, having a scoring forward off the bench who can spread the floor will be of great value to Pat Kelsey.

4. Duke

• SG John Blackwell (Wisconsin)
• PF Drew Scharnowski (Belmont)

Incoming by the numbers: 29.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 4.9 apg, 50.3% FG, 38.5% 3FG, 98 career starts

It's just a two-person class so far, but it's more about fits and quality than quantity. Blackwell was arguably one of the biggest fish in the portal after the former Wisconsin guard averaged 19.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season, earning third team All-Big Ten honors. Blackwell, the No. 8 player in USA TODAY's portal rankings, will fit in seamlessly if Isaiah Evans enters the NBA Draft. Scharnowski is a big pickup in the frontcourt to offset the loss of do-everything Cameron Boozer and Maliq Brown. The 6-9 Scharnowski was a first team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick, averaging 10.7 points (68.1% FG), 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists during his sophomore season at Belmont.

5. Texas

• PF David Punch (TCU)
• PG Isaiah Johnson (Colorado)
• SF Elyjah Freeman (Auburn)
• SG Amari Evans (Tennessee)

Incoming by the numbers: 44.3 ppg, 18.1 rpg, 7 apg, 47.3% FG, 32.7% 3FG, 99 career starts

Start with Punch and Johnson, who both earned Big 12 honorable mention last season. Punch is the 10th-ranked player in USA TODAY's portal player rankings, while Johnson landed at No. 17. Johnson averaged 16.9 points for the Buffaloes, while Punch provided 14.1 ppg, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Horned Frogs. Freeman averaged 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in his lone season at Auburn after transferring in from Division II. Evans played 14.4 minutes a game as a true freshman for Tennessee and his addition, along with Johnson, will be key to replacing Dailyn Swain's production.

6. North Carolina

• SG Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech)
• SG Matt Able (NC State)
• SG Terrence Brown (Utah)
• PF Maxim Logue (Florida Atlantic)

Incoming by the numbers: 45.6 ppg, 12 rpg, 9.3 apg, 44.3% FG, 32.9% 3FG, 111 career starts

Three of Michael Malone's first four transfer additions landed inside USA TODAY's top 40 portal player rankings: Avdalas, No. 11; Brown, No. 29; Able, No. 35. Brown, Able and Avdalas are all combo guards and perhaps offer a glimpse into the style Malone will bring to Chapel Hill. Brown was All-Big 12 honorable mention, averaging 19.9 ppg for Utah after arriving from Farleigh Dickinson. Avdalas and Able had decent freshman seasons in the ACC last year, but Avdalas will need to improve his 38.6 FG% and 2.2 turnovers per game.

7. Houston

• PG Dedan Thomas Jr. (LSU)
• SG Corey Hadnot (Purdue Fort Wayne)
• PF Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State)
• PF Braden East (Lamar)

Incoming by the numbers: 66.2 ppg, 27.1 rpg, 12.4 apg, 50.9% FG, 32.7% 3FG, 192 career starts

Houston had plenty of holes to fill, primarily in the backcourt with Kingston Flemings headed to the NBA and Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp out of eligibility. Thomas , the No. 16 player in USA TODAY's portal rankings, will slot into the point guard role. He was averaging 15.3 ppg and 6.5 apg before a foot injury ended his season in January. A first-team All-Horizon League pick, Hadnot exploded last season improving his scoring from 9.0 ppg as a sophomore to 20.4 as a junior. Gillespie was a do-everything for Kent State, averaging a double-double (17.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg) and East nearly averaged a double-double at Lamar (12.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg). Except for Thomas, the Big 12 will be a major step up in competition for this transfer class, but Kelvin Sampson should be able to coach them up.

8. Providence

• SG Ryan Sabol (Buffalo)
• SG Devin Vanterpool (Florida Atlantic)
• SG Miles Byrd (San Diego State)
• PG Malik Mack (Georgetown)
• PF Arrinten Page (Northwestern)
• PG Gavin Hightower (South Florida)
• C Samson Aletan (Yale)

Incoming by the numbers: 80.7 ppg, 29.2 rpg, 17.1 apg, 44.5% FG, 34.3% 3FG, 344 career starts.

Bryan Hodgson is getting the financial backing Providence promised when he chose the Friars job over interest from Syracuse. Five of the seven incoming transfers averaged at least 10.2 ppg last season, and all but one (Hightower, the lone USF player to follow Hodgson) were starters at their previous school. Vanterpool was the American Conference's Most Improved Player, and Hodgson knows the scouting report on the third-team all-league pick. Sabol is one of the best shooters in the country, his 3.8 made 3s per game were third-most in the country last season. Mack (13.6 ppg, 4.1 apg) will run the point, with 90 career starts under his belt. Byrd was the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 2.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. The 6-11 Page will be on his fourth team in four years, but had his best season last year, averaging 10.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg for Northwestern.

9. Iowa State

• PG Jaquan Johnson (Bradley)
• SG Ryan Prather Jr. (Robert Morris)
• PF Tre Singleton (Northwestern)
• SF Leon Bond (Northern Iowa)
• PF Taj Manning (Kansas State)

Incoming by the numbers: 56.3 ppg, 22.4 rpg, 11.1 apg, 45.1% FG, 34.3% 3FG, 185 career starts

The Cyclones are losing their top scorer (Milan Momcilovic, portal), top rebounder (Joshua Jefferson, graduation) and top guard (Tamin Lipsey, graduation). So it's no surprise T.J. Otzelberger has been busy in the portal. This is a class built on depth and less on star quality. Johnson, a first-team all-MVC pick and the conference's Most Improved Player, will try to fill Lipsey's shoes. He was the MVC's No. 2 leading scorer (16.9 ppg), while also earning the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Bond joined Johnson on the MVC All-Defensive team in keeping with Otzelberger's rugged style. Singleton started 31 of 34 games as a true freshman at Northwestern and has plenty of room for growth in his game after averaging 7.6 ppg and 4.8 rpg last season. Prather was a second-team All-Horizon League selection after averaging 15.7 ppg last season with 84 made 3s.

10. Cincinnati

• C Riley Allenspach (George Mason)
• SF Tyler Tejada (Towson)
• SG Myles Colvin (Wake Forest)
• PG Tylen Riley (Tulsa)
• G Trevian Carson (North Dakota State)
• SF Eric Mahaffey (Akron)
• PG Elijah Perryman (Utah State)
• PF Adlan Elamin (Utah State)
• C David Iweze (Utah State)

Incoming by the numbers: 88.7 ppg, 36.7 rpg, 17.3 apg, 46.8% FG, 32.8% 3FG, 275 career starts

New Bearcats coach Jerrod Calhoun brought three Utah State players with him from Logan who will help teach his impressive offense to the rest of the roster, which is basically a complete reset. In addition to the incoming former Aggies, Cincinnati's haul includes plenty of mid-major all-conference picks. Riley was a second-team All-American Conference selection at Tulsa and will likely be the Bearcats' primary ball-handler. The 6-11 Allenspach will help anchor the post. He earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors averaging 13.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Tejada was sixth in the CAA in scoring (17.7) and a third-team all-conference pick. Carson did a bit of everything at NDSU and was a first-team All-Summit League and All-Defensive team pick, while Mahaffey was MAC All-Freshman. Colvin is an explosive athlete, who averaged 11.6 ppg in his lone season at Wake Forest after two seasons at Purdue.

Honorable mention: Pitt, Xavier, DePaul, Creighton

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball transfer portal team rankings, best classes, signings

A former Met helped play the role of peacemaker between Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, Sir Charles said during a radio appearance Wednesday on a Chicago sports talk station. 

Vince Coleman, who played three seasons from 1991 to 1993 in Queens, brokered the truce when he randomly called Barkley while with Jordan, putting the two on the phone together. 

Ironically, Barkley told this story while appearing on ESPN Chicago’s “Waddle & Silvy” show, the very same radio program on which he made his critical comments about Jordan’s ownership of the then-Charlotte Bobcats. 

“It’s interesting,” Barkley said on the show Wednesday, according to The Athletic. “I was just chillin’ at the house last week, and one of my good friends is Vince Coleman, the great baseball player. When we answer the phone, we (jokingly) say some unkind words to each other … he says, ‘Yo, I’m down here at The Grove. I’m sick of you and MJ’s BS. He’s right here. Y’all need to talk.’ And we had a conversation, but Vince Coleman’s the person who’s responsible. We [Barkley and Jordan] talked for a couple minutes. He said, ‘Man, let’s get together and play golf.

“And as soon as I get a break, we’re gonna fly down there and spend a couple days playing golf.’”

The comments Barkley made in 2012 fractured his friendship with Jordan when he said on the show that he loves Jordan, “but he has not done a good job” when discussing the NBA legends’ ownership of the Bobcats. 

Barkley recently revealed on Chris Russo’s Mad Dog Unleashed on SiriusXM on Friday that he and Jordan had talked and that they’re going to play golf after the NBA season. 

The NBA commentator added on Wednesday that “we’ll be fine.” 

“I tell people it’s not like we’re Prince Harry and Prince William, who hate each other. Honestly, I think we both missed each other, because we’ve had this conversation with other friends, and we’re both too stubborn to pick up the phone, to be honest with you. But I think both parties missed each other a great deal,” he said.

It was a competitive, physical Game 2 between the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder, as most postseason battles are. And when you get two teams with a reputation for an aggressive style of play, the officials sometimes jump the gun on attempting to regulate it. We witnessed this early on Wednesday night when Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort were given double technical fouls during a box out on a made free throw.

FULL MOMENT: Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort get double techs and then Devin Booker gets a tech for saving the ball pic.twitter.com/NFk1xNT4EY

— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) April 23, 2026

Yeah. There wasn’t much there. But this wasn’t an isolated occurrence. There were multiple calls throughout the game that felt off, confusing in the moment and even more confusing after the explanation. It got to the point where Devin Booker addressed it postgame. He called out the officiating crew, knowing what comes with that. A fine is coming. He said it anyway. The official at the center of it was James Williams.

The first play he referenced was the technical foul assessed to Booker with 2:05 left in the third quarter. Booker was driving left above the break toward the corner when Jaylen Williams bumped him off his path. Booker was headed out of bounds and flipped the ball back in, trying to save the possession. It hit Williams. After a crowd formed around the official, a technical was called.

Devin Booker got a tech for this play while trying to save the ball.

What am I missing here? Why was this a tech?pic.twitter.com/KqwDd6VuaX

— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) April 23, 2026

When asked if he had received an explanation of the play, Booker responded, “I still haven’t got one.”

“It’s definitely something that has to be looked into,” he continued. “I heard Caruso tell him to call the tech and, you know, he ended up doing it.”

Then there was the earlier offensive foul assessed at the 2:31 mark of the second. Booker rose for a jumper with Alex Caruso on him. It looked like a normal shooting motion, but his elbow made slight contact with Caruso’s face. Caruso went down, the whistle came, offensive foul. Jordan Ott challenged it. The call stood. It felt like marginal contact, the kind you see on jump shots all the time, with no change in motion and no added force.

Offensive foul on Devin Booker vs free throws for SGA

🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/6lgcX3uuSU

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 23, 2026

That added to the frustration.

“[The officials] said ‘unnatural shooting motion’ that hit Caruso, ” Booker said of the play. “But Caruso is moving forward on that. And if that’s unnatural shooting motion compared to what guys are doing to get fouls nowadays, like you can play them side by side. And you know, I’ll let you guys be the judge. Like, pull the clips, run it back. I’m surprised this is happening on national TV in playoff games.”

Oklahoma City plays aggressive defense. That is their identity. They press, they bump, they hold on the perimeter, and they live in that gray area where you dare officials to call everything. Most nights, they do not. That style works when the whistle stays quiet.

“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James [Williams] was terrible tonight,” Booker stated. “Through and through. It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as a WWE, you know, if they’re not held responsible.”

WOW. Never heard Devin Booker call out the refs like this..

"I'm surpsied this is happening on national TV during playoff games. It feels disrespectful. This is my first time in 11-years (calling out the refs).. It's needed." pic.twitter.com/4eUuCqbQS8

— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) April 23, 2026

In this game, a few of those moments stood out more than usual. They were noticeable. And it raises the question that always comes up in these spots. Who holds the officials accountable? What happens after a call that feels clearly wrong in the moment and does not get corrected?

“It just feels disrespectful. I haven’t won a championship in this league, but you know, I have been in it for 11 years now. So to get to this point, to be treated like that, for me to even be saying something out loud. It’s bad.”

“It’s my first time in 11 years,” he added. “But it’s needed. Like I said, whatever I get fined for, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration comes from.”

Booker will likely be fined. The series will move forward. The playoffs will keep rolling. But the conversation does not go away. The integrity of the game, as Booker pointed out, continues to sit under a microscope when moments like this pass without clarity.

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The NBA Draft Lottery is a wonderful event. Using the latest in retirement home bingo technology, the wealthiest and most advanced basketball association in the world leaves the order of the upcoming draft up to chance. For some invitees, this is the event of the season — the singular moment where they learn if their year of self-sabotage and anguish has finally reached its merciful end, or if Adam Silver sees his shadow and promises another season of competitive purgatory.

The lottery is a beacon to the flies and gnats that survive on the pitiful crumbs of Oklahoma City’s dinner table. The most broken and destitute organizations in all of North American professional basketball hitchhike their way to the podium, where they are privileged to watch helplessly as their future is decided.

14 franchises hold back tears and stiffen their upper lip as they receive an answer to the question they dare not ask: Will I walk away with the jackpot, or is my ticket hardly worth the paper it’s printed on?

For some participants, the lottery will become a milestone in their history. The moment they knew that the next surefire superstar was theirs. For others, an unfortunate draw will be remembered as another grain of sand dropped in an endless desert of failure.

You can’t control how the lottery will shake out — you can tank for greater odds, but even then, luck has to be on your side. There is one thing that every team has 100% control over, however, and that is who your team sends as a representative.

Ah, yes, the lottery representative. Every team goes about selecting the face of their franchise for this historic night in their own unique ways. Some teams opt to trot out their most recent lottery pick as a symbol of the team’s future. Others place a coach or a member of the front office behind the podium as a steady, stable figure to accept the news with grace. You’ll see a team dig up a historic legend or Hall of Fame inductee on occasion. And quite commonly, you’ll see completely random and hardly-connected representatives appear on the stage.

No matter who is representing your organization, the individual you choose makes a statement. For the Utah Jazz, approaching what the front office anticipates to be their last lottery appearance for the foreseeable future, they have an opportunity to go out in a blaze of glory. With this in mind, these are the candidates I would select, and the message I hope their appearance would deliver.

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The best candidates to represent the Utah Jazz at the NBA Draft Lottery

Ace Bailey

Ace is the optimistic choice. He’s the bright, smiling face you want out there as a physical manifestation of Utah’s successful tank. Despite falling from the first odds down to the fifth overall pick, the Jazz still managed to come away with one of the most exciting young players in the draft class. Ace represents resilience and strong drafting return, but he is also a manifestation of how poorly the draft lottery has treated Utah, a franchise that has never moved up in the order.

Most importantly, Bailey is the ideal candidate to vouch for Utah — both the team and the location. A player who the media heavily portrayed as a disgruntled draftee, unhappy with his new home, and who would rather suit up for a bigger market organization. The media was wrong, and Ace Bailey is the future for the Utah Jazz.

This is the good karma pick.

Derrick Favors

…but good karma is boring.

The man who started it all. The reason why the Jazz had to tank for one final season. The reason why winning the coin toss with Sacramento was monumental. The reason why Utah’s first-round pick was top-8 protected in 2026. As one final “screw you” to Oklahoma City, Utah is represented by the player whom the Jazz paired with their protected first in a trade to the Thunder all those years ago.

In an effort to dump the lifelong Jazzman’s contract back in 2021, Utah stapled a protected first-round pick to Favors in return for cash and a 2027 second-rounder courtesy of the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC has more than enough picks — they even have LAC’s lottery pick this season — so the Jazz may as well rub it in that the Thunder will never get to use that draft pick, because this was the final season it could have conveyed.

Sweet victory.

One of Ryan Smith’s five children (or all five, whatever)

Last year, the Utah Jazz were represented by owner Ryan Smith’s wife, Ashley. It didn’t work out too well. Now, there are two potential avenues to take. The Jazz could: A) avoid going the family route altogether after one failed attempt, or B) double down and send in the children.

A quick Google search will tell you that Smith has five children, any of whom would be a fantastic option to represent the Jazz. Hey, NBA! Do you really want to make a child cry? Is that what you like to do? Because if you don’t give Utah the number-one pick, you’re going to bring out the waterworks. Send one, two, or even all five of the kids — whatever would pressure the NBA into tilting the odds most into Utah’s favor.

The Zammoth

The team formerly known as the Utah Hockey Club has benefitted from a remarkable amount of success in just its second season in Salt Lake City. Perhaps some of that good juju could grace the Utah Jazz if the representative is the behemoth Zamboni that has captured the admiration of the hockey world?

Bonus points if it’s being ridden by Clayton Keller or the Mammoth mascot, Tusky. Or better yet, Clayton Keller dressed as Tusky.

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BONUS ROUND: NAME THAT LOTTERY REPRESENTATIVE!

Do you remember when I mentioned how some teams will send complete unknowns to their podium on lottery night? Well, it’s a much more common occurrence than you might think. With this in mind, I want to play a little game with you.

I’ve dug through the recent history of the NBA Draft Lottery and picked out some of the strangest lottery representatives I could find. Your task is simple: using only a picture, you will tell me who they are. You’ll have four rounds to name these individuals, with each round increasing in difficulty (you can find the answers at the bottom of the article).

Round 1: Easy

An NBA MVP, Hall of Famer, and champion, this player led the Houston Rockets through their golden age and represented his team at the 2025 lottery.

Round 2: Medium

Representing the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025, this promising recent draftee would be traded for practically nothing to the best team in the NBA later that same season.

Round 3: Hard

The face of evil, as the Dallas Mavericks unjustly won the lottery behind impossible odds, on the heels of the increasingly horrible Luka Doncic trade that sparked countless conspiracy theories. This individual is a former player who spent the majority of his career in Dallas.

Level 4: Impossible

This individual is the Governor of the Boston Celtics, and I know literally nothing else about him.

(Answers: Hakeem Olajuwon, Jared McCain, Rolando Blackman, Wyc Grousbeck)

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Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

Los Angeles Lakers (53-29, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (52-30, fifth in the Western Conference)

Houston; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT

LINE: Rockets -9.5; over/under is 205.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Lakers lead series 2-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Lakers won the last matchup 101-94 on Wednesday, led by 28 points from LeBron James. Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 23.

The Rockets have gone 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Houston is 23-8 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 14.4 turnovers per game.

The Lakers are 33-19 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is 8-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Rockets are shooting 47.9% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points lower than the 48.3% the Lakers allow to opponents. The Lakers are shooting 50.2% from the field, 4.2% higher than the 46.0% the Rockets' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is scoring 26.0 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 18.9 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 59.5% over the past 10 games.

James is averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 7-3, averaging 117.5 points, 46.1 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points per game.

Lakers: 7-3, averaging 111.7 points, 39.9 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.8 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.5 points.

INJURIES: Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (oblique), Jake LaRavia: day to day (leg), Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Philadelphia; Friday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 215.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics are in a 1-1 series tie in the Eastern Conference first round. The 76ers defeated the Celtics 111-97 in the last matchup on Tuesday. VJ Edgecombe led the 76ers with 30 points, and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 36.

The 76ers are 9-7 against the rest of their division. Philadelphia ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 50.1 points per game in the paint led by Tyrese Maxey averaging 14.0.

The Celtics are 10-6 against the rest of the division. Boston ranks third in the league averaging 15.5 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.7% from deep. Derrick White leads the team averaging 2.7 makes while shooting 32.7% from 3-point range.

The 76ers make 46.2% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.0 percentage points higher than the Celtics have allowed to their opponents (44.2%). The Celtics are shooting 46.7% from the field, which equals what the 76ers' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Maxey is scoring 28.3 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the 76ers. Paul George is averaging 19.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 47.5% over the past 10 games.

Brown is averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Celtics. Sam Hauser is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 5-5, averaging 110.7 points, 44.9 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 7.9 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points per game.

Celtics: 7-3, averaging 119.3 points, 45.8 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.5 points.

INJURIES: 76ers: Joel Embiid: day to day (abdomen).

Celtics: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds to lead the top-seeded Detroit Pistons to a 98-83 win over the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, evening their first-round series and ending the longest home losing streak in NBA playoff history.

The Pistons had lost 11 straight home postseason games, a drought that started in 2008.

Game 3 is Saturday in Orlando.

Detroit dominated the third quarter, turning a tie game into a rout by outscoring the Magic 38-16 in the period with six players scoring at least five points.

After Cunningham scored a career playoff-high 39 points in Game 1 and didn’t get much help, the All-Star guard had plenty of support, with five teammates scoring in double figures.

Jalen Suggs scored 19 points and Paolo Banchero had 18 for the Magic. They combined to miss 14 of 25 shots as the team shot 33% and was held to a season low in points.

Detroit’s Tobias Harris scored 16 points, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson had 11 each, and Duncan Robertson and Isaiah Stewart each scored 10. Robinson made three much-needed 3-pointers for a team that struggles with outside shooting.

Orlando’s Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane had 12 points apiece and Wendell Carter Jr. was limited to three points on 1-of-6 shooting after he scored 17 in the opener.

THUNDER 120, PHOENIX 107

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 37 points and nine assists, and Oklahoma City defeated Phoenix to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in the series-opening win on Sunday, going 5 for 18 from the field. He bounced back in Game 2 with 13-for-25 shooting after being presented the NBA Clutch Player of the Year trophy before the game.

Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each added 19 points for Oklahoma City, though Williams left the game in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and did not return. Williams, an All-Star in 2024-25, missed 30 games this season with a right hamstring injury after missing the first 19 games of the season following surgery on his right wrist.

Five higher-seeded teams had lost home games in the first week of the playoffs before Wednesday, including the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference, Detroit, Boston and New York, and the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the West, San Antonio and Denver. Oklahoma City avoided that fate by shooting 47.3% from the field and forcing 21 turnovers.

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 30 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Devin Booker scored 22 points and Jalen Green added 21 for Phoenix, which will host Game 3 on Saturday.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Phoenix Suns lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, 120-107. The team put together a much more balanced offensive approach, but just like Game 1, the team committed too many turnovers and allowed the Thunder’s big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Wiliams and Chet Holmgren to have efficient offensive games. Gilgeous-Alexander led the game in scoring with 37. Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and Devin Booker combined for 73.

The game was a single digit contest at half, but as the second half went on, Oklahoma City started to run away with the game. Nothing looked easy for the Suns. Even baskets were going in. It felt like the Thunder were on the verge of blowing the game open and they did exactly that, except for a little run that the Suns made late.

Phoenix is now down two games to zero in the series before it shifts to Phoenix for Game 3. Undermanned and undersized, the Suns continue to get outmatched as elimination creeps closer and closer in on them.

The Suns were once again without Mark Williams and Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin missed the game with a calf injury. In Williams and Goodwin’s places, Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro started.

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Game Flow

First Half

Just like in Game 1, the Suns kept pace with the Thunder early on, taking a 12-10 lead. Phoenix hit six of their first nine shots with Dillon Brooks leading the way with a quick seven points. When the first timeout was called midway through the first, Oklahoma City led 17-14. Phoenix was doing a better job on the offensive glass, which didn’t allow the Thunder to get second chance opportunities. What prevented the Suns from taking a lead was turnovers. Oklahoma City pressured Phoenix’s ball handlers into tough decisions and errant passes.

At the end of one, the Thunder led the Suns 30-29.

A Royce O’Neale three gave the Suns their first triple gave Phoenix their first lead outside of the first quarter in the series. Right after, Phoenix had a costly offensive turnover and the Thunder went on a 8-0 run to force the Suns into a timeout, which helped the Suns settle down. Oklahoma City’s lead hovered between 2-7 points because the Suns were hitting tough shots and capitalizing on second chance points, but the Thunder were matching them. Jalen Green started to get it going, he had 12 in the quarter.

JG4 through the defense 💪@Kia | #SunsUppic.twitter.com/KfCoIooK5S

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 23, 2026

What continued to hurt the Suns was turnovers. The Suns got down double digits for the first time when they started turning the ball over, and the Thunder were capitalizing. The Suns had 11 turnovers in the first half.

After two, Oklahoma City led Phoenix 65-57.

Second Half

The Thunder started the second hot out of the gate with a 12-6 run that got Jordan Ott to call a timeout. Oklahoma had its largest lead of the night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started to get it going, and the Thunder were having a block party inside.

As the quarter went on, the Thunder’s lead only expanded thanks to turnovers and not capitalizing on second-chance opportunities. Jalen Williams exited the game for Oklahoma City midway through the third, but it didn’t impact their lead; they kept on strolling without him, picking up their first 20+ point lead of the game.

OKC got their lead up to 26 to start the fourth, but Phoenix went on a 20-4 run to get the deficit cut to 10 with 3:46 left. The rest of the game, the Thunder cruised away with minimal disruption.

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Up Next

The Suns will head home for Game 3, likely as heavy underdogs for the matchup. No NBA team has ever come back from down 3-0, so for the Suns to want to make a comeback, it’s going to have to start with a Game 3 victory.

The Knicks head to State Farm Arena tonight for Game Three against the Hawks, tied 1-1 in their first-round playoff series. New York needs to reclaim momentum after blowing a 12-point fourth-quarter lead in Game Two and giving the series a queasy, slippery feeling. The Knicks entered Game Two with a 40-1 record when leading by 12 or more points entering the final period, the sole blemish being Reggie Miller’s infamous 1994 choke-sign game. Monday’s loss made it 40-2.

In Game Two, Atlanta’s 107–106 victory resulted from a fourth-quarter surge that seemed to catch the Knicks by surprise. CJ McCollum took over late, finishing with 32 points, while Jalen Brunson’s 29 weren’t enough to hold off the run. For the second straight game, Karl-Anthony Towns was iced out of the offense in the first half. And plenty of blame lies at the feet of Knicks coach Mike Brown, who made some curious lineup and timeout choices.

The keys to victory remain the same, and our heroes know what to do. In fact, aside from one 15-point fourth quarter, the Knicks have executed a winning game plan so far and led for 91% of both Games One and Two. 

They must control the tempo, continue to dominate the glass (they’re +14 on the boards in the series), limit turnovers, and hang their wings on Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Making free throws would help: ten points were squandered at the charity stripe.

Another smart move, or so it would seem from the cheap seats, would be to integrate Towns earlier into the offense and make hay where the Hawks are most vulnerable (namely, the frontcourt). This series should belong to Towns; let Brunson take the next one. 

On the subject of New York’s All-Stars: for the rest of the series, Mike Brown must keep at least one of them on the floor at all times. The postseason is not the time to roll out untested lineups that never played together during the regular season. Keep that up, Mike, and Leon Rose will be interviewing Billy Donovan this summer.

On the injury front, the Knicks are largely intact, with Anunoby playing through a minor ankle issue. The Hawks remain without Jock Landale, and Okongwu has been dealing with knee inflammation, though he’s expected to go. 

Atlanta’s core group—McCollum, Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu—is talented and versatile but outclassed by the Knicks when the ‘Bockers play their best. They stole one on Monday. It won’t happen again tonight. Expect another close finish, but New York has learned their lesson about letting go of the rope. If they haven’t, then their postseason train will run out of steam in a hurry. Prediction: Knicks by six.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (1-1) vs Atlanta Hawks (1-1)
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 7 PM ET
Place: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: Amazon Prime Video
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams may have hit another speed bump in what has been an injury-plagued year.

The 2025 All-Star exited during the third quarter of the defending champions' April 22 game against the Phoenix Suns with an apparent hamstring injury. He grabbed at his left hamstring immediately following a layup attempt with 6:28 to go and was subbed out a short time later, at 5:53, for Cason Wallace.

He didn't return to the game.

Williams, who played just 33 games this season, had scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting in 23 minutes when he exited the game.

Jalen Williams left Game 2 vs. the Suns with an apparent hamstring injury. pic.twitter.com/P47wjF0c9T

— ESPN (@espn) April 23, 2026

The Thunder lead the series 2-0 now after defeating the Suns 120-107 at Paycom Center.

"We think he aggravated his left hamstring," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "We'll take a look at him here over the next couple days and we'll update you guys appropriately."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Williams injury update, status for Suns vs Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams left in the third quarter of Wednesday night's playoff game against the Phoenix Suns with a left hamstring injury.

Williams held his leg as he left the court. He missed 30 games with a right hamstring injury this season. He also missed 19 games at the beginning of the season as he recovered from offseason surgery on his right wrist.

Williams, an All-Star in 2024-25, had 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field when he left the game.

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

That’s more like it. The Detroit Pistons used a dominant 30-3 third-quarter run to turn a knotted-up slugfest into a 98-83 win over the Orlando Magic that ties the first-round series at one apiece. The Pistons were led by Cade Cunningham’s game-high 27 points. Really, though, they were led by a ferocious team defense that led to Orlando’s lowest point total of the season.

In doing so, they broke the longest home playoff losing streak in the NBA at 11 games. Perhaps even better news? There is still a lot the Pistons can improve on as they move to Orlando for a pivotal game three.

Entering the game, everyone was saying the same thing — Jalen Duren had to play a lot better in Game 1 if Detroit was going to take this series. Duren did play better than his truly dreadful performance in Game 1. But he still hasn’t played a typical Duren game. He scored 11 points and nine rebounds with four assists and three turnovers. He can still play a lot better than he’s shown.

The rest of Detroit’s starters helped pick up that slack, with all five starters scoring in double figures. Tobias Harris chipped in a 16-point, 11-rebound night, Ausar Thompson added 11 and 8, and Duncan Robinson had 10 points, including three three-pointers.

The Pistons also turned the ball over 22 times against the Magic. Look, Detroit is always a high-turnover team, but 22 is way too high. They can and should cut that down as the series goes on. They also missed 10 free throws. They hit those and a comfortable win turns into a true blowout.

The lead got as high as 27 points late in the third, and there was certainly some highlights to go around. I’ll point to two as Pistons fans bask in the win — one on offense and one on defense.

The first is an absolutely filthy hesi from Cade at the top of the key that flummoxed poor Paolo Banchero.

CADE CUNNINGHAM DID PAOLO BANCHERO SO DIRTY 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/12DmHLVG6N

— nick (@nsitto2) April 23, 2026

Even better was Isaiah Stewart’s block in the fourth quarter on, let me check my notes, Paolo Banchero.

ISAIAH STEWART MEETS PAOLO AT THE RIM

BEEF STEW BLOCK PARTY. pic.twitter.com/61HAZBF5Yp

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 23, 2026

The Pistons defense had highlight plays against Banchero, but they stifled just about every Magic player. Orlando shot 32% from the field, including a combined 7-for-28 from the trio of Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Wendell Carter Jr.

Banchero scored 18 points, but he needed 17 shots to do it and one game after hitting plenty of tough long twos and some threes, tonight, he did almost all his damage near the rim.