After a resounding 114-98 win against the Hawks on Saturday in Atlanta, the Knicks regained homecourt advantage in their first-round playoff series. That wasn’t the only thing.
The Knicks rediscovered their mojo after two close losses. After notable performances from Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, New York has a chance to take a 3-2 series lead on Tuesday night.
Here are three keys ahead of Game 5 at Madison Square Garden...
Point KAT
It’s been a season of push-and-pull between head coach Mike Brown and Towns.
The All-Star has slowly become more acclimated to a role where he is more of an offensive hub with the power to score and facilitate. Towns had the first playoff triple-double of his career in Game 4, notching 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Towns has also been more under control over the last few months -- he had just two turnovers on Saturday.
It was clear from the jump that the Knicks wanted to emphasize Towns as an initiator of the offense, and he excelled. New York found comfort in repeatedly having the big man with the ball at the top of the key, and Anunoby making a lex cut off a screen from Jalen Brunson. Since Atlanta was looking to prevent Jalen Johnson from switching onto Brunson, it opened up several easy passes for Towns to make for Anunoby at the rim.
The trouble with performances like these is consistency. Can the Knicks continue to operate the offense through Towns on Tuesday night? Or will they revert to a bogged down offense?
Going into Game 5, the Knicks should continue running the offense through Towns. As we saw on Saturday, he doesn’t need to score on every play, but the attention he draws should continue to open up opportunities for his teammates.
Halfcourt series
When this series has been played in the halfcourt, the Knicks have the advantage.
After giving up 20 fast break points in Game 3, New York held the Hawks to just seven in Game 4. Many of those quick strike opportunities came after the game was in hand. One of the keys to controlling the pace comes from mitigating turnovers.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) works against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half at State Farm Arena. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
New York had 10 turnovers through the third quarter in Game 4. Four of the turnovers were live-ball miscues, limiting opportunities for the Hawks to run out. Also, in some of the live-ball turnovers, New York did a good job of getting back to limit easy scoring opportunities.
One concern has been Brunson’s struggles with full court pressure. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels gave the Knicks captain fits as he brought the ball up in Game 4. Brunson finished the night with six turnovers, as the Knicks made more of a concerted effort to have Hart bring the ball up.
If New York can keep Atlanta in the halfcourt, the team should have control of this series the rest of the way.
Scoring leap
Anunoby has been New York’s most consistent player in the postseason. Through four games, the Knicks forward is averaging 20.8 points on 56 percent from the field and 8.8 rebounds. It’s arguably the best stretch of the nine-year veteran’s career.
Anunoby has made an impact on both ends, making him a must-have on the court. He played a game-high 40 minutes on Saturday, scoring 22 points and collecting 10 rebounds.
Defensively, he’s been the defensive force that the Knicks have come to expect every night. With Hart moving over to guard CJ McCollum more often, we’ve seen an increased amount of Anunoby defending Johnson.
That two-way play has been successful. In 152 minutes with Anunoby on the court during the first round, New York has a net rating of plus-6.7, per NBA Stats. When he has been off the floor, the Knicks have been outscored by 1.2 points per 100 possessions.
Amid Mikal Bridges' struggles and subsequent decrease in playing time in the series, Anunoby’s continued production on both ends has been paramount to picking up wins.
May 6, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans player Rajon Rondo controls the ball against the Golden State Warriors for game 4 of the 2018 NBA playoffs in the Smoothie Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK
Former Kentucky Wildcat and two-time NBA champion Rajon Rondo is reportedly in the running to be a NBA head coach.
According to Marc Stein, the New Orleans Pelicans are largely considering Rondo for their HC position.
He spent the 2017-2018 season as the starting point guard, averaging eight points and as many assists in 65 games.
Clearly the Pelicans brass liked what they saw from Rondo during his time in New Orleans and throughout the rest of his career, as they’ve already interviewed him for the HC position.
Rondo most recently served as a special assistant on the staff of Doc Rivers in Milwaukee, having last played in the NBA during the 2021-2022 season for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was always a true floor general and locker room leader during his playing career, even dating back to his first few seasons when he was the starting PG for the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics where he was heavily mentored by Kevin Garnett.
Rondo’s basketball IQ has always been seen as one of the best, which should also help him in the coaching scene where the Pelicans have highly talented players such as Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson. He could also be a great mentor for someone like Dejounte Murray.
What do you think about Rondo’s chances of becoming the next young coach in the NBA?
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In Monday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram helped lead Toronto past Cleveland, 93-89. Mason Plumlee and San Antonio took care of Portland, 114-93. Jayson Tatum and Boston smacked Philadelphia around, 128-96. Finally, Luke Kennard and Los Angeles fell to Houston, 115-96.
Ingram had 23 for Toronto, while Barrett finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Neither shot well, with Ingram hitting 6-23 while Barrett was slightly better at 8-22.
Rookie Tyrese Proctor got a DNP for the Cavs.
Plumlee got in for 2 minutes for the Spurs but didn’t put anything in the box score.
For his part, Tatum racked up 30 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds to pace the Celtics.
And for JJ Redick’s Lakers, Kennard finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
On Monday, we’ll see Paolo Banchero and Orlando take on Detroit, Oklahoma City try to eliminate Phoenix, and Denver and Minnesota in the nightcap.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA — Payton Pritchard is sitting at his locker, his ankles submerged in ice.
“I need another win on the way home,” he says, grinning.
Neemias Queta chuckles and shakes his head.
Pritchard, after all, is just a few minutes removed from the best individual playoff game of his six-year NBA career, a 32-point, 5-assist masterpiece that saw him drain 6 three-pointers, including a ridiculous end-of-first-quarter buzzer-beater.
But, with the Celtics’ 128-96 Game 4 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the rearview, he’s already begun to think about his next conquest, which will come on the plane ride home. That’ll be a victory in the team’s plane-ride game of Catan, which Pritchard, Queta, Ron Harper Jr, Jordan Walsh, and Derrick White all regularly partake in.
The first time I heard Pritchard talk about Catan was a month ago, when he crashed my pregame interview with Hugo Gonzalez about the team’s obsession.
Gonzalez had been carrying a Catan board in several Celtics social media posts, so I mistakenly assumed he was passionate about the game (“I am the Catan hater,” Gonzalez clarified emphatically, explaining it was his rookie chore. “I am the Catan hater.”)
Pritchard, always one of the chattiest Celtics in the locker room, wanted to make sure I knew that he won more than anyone else on the roster.
That he was the ultimate Catan competitor.
That, really, the rest of them were just battling for second place.
“I’m the best,” Pritchard told me, explaining that Walsh sucked. “It’s more of a strategy game, more mental to it. You’ve got to be better.”
During that interview, in which Pritchard’s demeanor appeared hilariously serious, I tried my best to suppress a smile.
I just might be talking to the most competitive person in the world, I thought to myself.
Four weeks later, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, Pritchard yells at Reggie Miller, who is announcing Game 4, after each one of his made baskets.
“Reggie is my man,” he said afterwards. “It’s just a friendly banter. I get going off that, and I probably use it to my advantage to get going even more. I don’t even know. I black out in those moments, so I don’t really know what I say at times. But it helps.”
Jaylen Brown says he doesn’t know what it is that Pritchard is yelling, either, but he laughs at the question.
“Whatever it is, tell him to keep doing it.”
Jaylen Brown was asked by @JackSimoneNBA what Payton Pritchard yells when he’s on a heater and hitting 3s:
Four days before that, Pritchard felt he had let the team down
After the Celtics’ 111-97 Game 2 loss on Tuesday night, Pritchard was bummed out.
In the loss, he attempted 8 shots — making just two — and finished the night with just 4 points, 13 less than his season average.
“I was definitely very disappointed after Game 2,” Pritchard said. “Felt like I was kind of a shell of myself. Bad decisions. Shot making wasn’t great.”
“I did not give the game what it needed, or my team, and it hurt us.”
It was time to turn the page.
On the flight to Philadelphia, Pritchard took care of business: he handily beat his teammates in the plane ride Catan game, a reality that Derrick White conceded at shootaround on Friday.
Then, with the series back on the road, Pritchard was back in his element, in a hostile environment, faced with a whole sea of 76ers fans he could talk trash to.
In Game 3, the tides began to turn. He hit 5 three-pointers, including a massive one with just over a minute to play that gave the Celtics a five-point lead.
He claims he doesn’t remember what he said after that shot, though the words were flowing.
”I probably blacked out in that moment,” he said. (I’m honestly still not sure if Pritchard truly can’t remember what is that he’s bellowing after these big-time shots, or if he just knows that he can’t repeat it).
Still, though Pritchard said that Game 3 was a step in the right direction after a lackluster Game 2, he emphasized after that one that it still wasn’t his best.
He had another gear to reach.
Two days later, he reached it, pouring in 13 first-quarter points, and another 14 in the third quarter, en route to Sunday’s career night.
“When you get in that flow stage, it’s the rhythm: how you’re dribbling, the moves you can get to, the shot making,” Pritchard said afterwards.
It’s a feeling that he’s — intentionally — used to: “In my workouts, I try to hit that on the daily, so then when I get in the games, it’s a regular thing.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a basket with head coach Joe Mazzulla during the first half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 4 served as Pritchard’s ultimate bounce-back
Pritchard’s best game of the series came on a night when Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both struggled in the first half, combining for just 13 points on 4-17 shooting.
Brown didn’t score until the second quarter. Tatum started the game 1-8.
Still, the Celtics led by 16 points after one quarter, and never looked back.
“It’s a luxury to have a guy like that, that can score with the best of them, coming off the bench on your team,” Tatum said.
Brown felt that, two nights after he and Tatum combined to score 27 of the team’s 29 points, the 76ers made a concerted effort to take the ball out of their hand.
“They wanted to take away me getting to my spots, and also, JT — and make us play on the backside,” he said. “And we made the right rim read in the seam. Our bigs made the right plays, and then our shooters punished them, and then once you see a couple go down, it’s open from there. I thought we just did a good job of just trusting our system. And then everything took care of itself.”
On Sunday, Pritchard attempted 21 shots, his most attempts in a month. He’s only reached that number 7 times all year.
But, there’s a direct correlation between his shot attempts and the team’s success: The Celtics were 9-10 (47.4%) this season when Pritchard took less than 11 shots, and they were 45-15 (75%) when he took 11 or more shots.
“We’re at our best when he’s aggressive,” Joe Mazzulla said.
Mazzulla makes sure that the former Sixth Man of the Year knows that, too.
“He’s definitely in my ear all the time about being aggressive, especially since the playoffs have come around. He wants me to be in attack, and to be able to touch the point,” Pritchard said. “When you’re hearing your coaches say that — that gives you the ultimate freedom.”
And ‘free’ is a pretty good way to describe how Pritchard played on Sunday.
He beat the end of the first quarter buzzer with a wild three-pointer and drew a shooting foul at the end of the third quarter. Gonzalez, Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and the rest of the Celtics bench watched it all unfold in disbelief, chuckling to themselves at the shotmaking display.
Scheierman typically watches Pritchard play with a grin.
From my vantage as someone who’s been around this team almost every day this season, it’s long felt like the two have something unique in common: a seemingly unshakeable confidence that is rare even in the NBA, this belief that they’re destined to be on the court, a swagger, a showmanship.
Everyone is confident at the pro level — that’s how they got here — but Scheierman and Pritchard seem to be on another level.
After Pritchard’s 32-point masterpiece, I asked Scheierman if he felt that was an accurate representation, if he could confirm my perception that he and Pritchard were uniquely competitive.
He grinned. He agrees.
“We’re both just super confident in our abilities,” Scheierman said. “And I think that comes from being maybe under-looked, overlooked throughout our careers, and maybe just [playing] with a chip on our shoulder, just wanting to go out there and just kind of put on a show every night.”
All of Pritchard’s teammates are familiar with his almost ridiculous level of competitive spirit at this point.
“I’ve known P since we was in high school, same high school class,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he’s a better version of himself, but he’s always been that competitive. Doesn’t back down from anybody. Always takes on a challenge.”
They also know him as one of the most relentlessly hard-working people.
“The work ethic speaks for itself,” Brown said, “and when you see someone put in the work behind the scenes, moments like this are all the better.”
“He’s a gym rat,” Tatum said. “That’s one thing that is consistent and constant about him always, is he is always gonna be in the gym, working on his game, working on his craft, trying to get better. It shows in moments like tonight.”
On Saturday, a day before his monster Game 4, I asked Pritchard where his Game 3 three-pointer ranked as far as big shots made in his Celtics tenure.
He was reluctant to herald it as one of the biggest because he wanted it to be followed by many more.
“I knew it was a big shot,” Pritchard said. “It was needed in the moment. But, hopefully, I can hit more like that.”
A day later, amid the heater of all heaters, that line felt prescient.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 19: George Gervin looks on during the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs during Round One Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Today the Iceman turns 74.
That doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true.
He moved here in 1974 in after being traded to the San Antonio Spurs by the Virginia Squires. This was in the final years of the ABA.
Soon after the trade, Gervin became eligible for the NBA draft and was chosen 40th overall by the Phoenix Suns, but he turned down the NBA to stay with the Spurs. Two years later, the ABA and NBA merged, bringing Gervin into the NBA.
Gervin brought an offensive flair the Silver & Black that revolutionized the Spurs game. He was their centerpiece elevating them as contenders. He played with the Spurs until 1985, making the postseason for all but one year.
In his final NBA season, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. He played one season alongside a young Michael Jordan, then moved to playing in Italy with Banco di Roma, Continental Basketball Association Quad City Thunder, and TDK Manrese in Spain before retiring in 1990.
After retiring, Gervin returned to San Antonio as a community leader, creating safe spaces for underprivileged children. In 1991, he established the George Gervin Youth Center.
The following year he rejoined the San Antonio Spurs, this time as an assistant coach. He served for two years while David Robinson was the centerpiece of the Spurs, the mantle being passed as Gervin worked with the next player to revolutionize the franchise.
At the first Spurs playoff game since 2019, George and his sister Barbra Gervin-Hawkins were honored on the court in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the George Gervin Academy.
30 years in the community after retiring from basketball. And The Iceman chose to stay here in San Antonio. A reminder that this community embraces its players, part of the reason you can see George Gervin walking through a furniture store, or David Robinson sitting next to you in a Mexican restaurant, or bump into Bruce Bowen at H-E-B, or Monty Williams coaching high school ball, or see Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Gorgui Dieng watching a Spurs game, or Tony Parker on the front row, or Fabricio Oberto or Boris Diaw returning for a visit.
The community embraces them, the crowds love them, and they had great years here.
And if we’re really being honest, it started with Gervin. He came in with his winning smile, and his pinache and simply took over. He set the tone that brought the leadership of David Robsinon and Tim Duncan, and now Victor Wembanyama.
It started over fifty years ago.
That doesn’t seem possible, but it’s true.
Happy birthday, Iceman. I hope it is an epic day.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 25: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives against Onyeka Okongwu #17 and Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Hawks (2-2) had a listless Game 4 loss on Saturday meaning they’ve now squandered the home court advantage they picked up with their clutch win in Game 2.
Certainly, there have been some disappointing performances from an individual player perspective. But let’s zoom out a tad and focus on a trio of tactics the Hawks as a team could (and in my opinion should) address.
These three adjustments could be instrumental if the Hawks are to go at least 2-1 in the next two or three games and advance.
Punish New York for going under screens
The Knicks have consistently soft switched or bump switched most screen actions all series long. But even when they have fought through screens, they have pointedly navigated under a majority of these actions no matter the ball handler.
Their biggest goal has been to cut off drives into the paint at all costs.
One solution: take what the defense gives you. Empower your better three-point shooters into taking step back threes.
It may seem like keeping the ball moving and putting the defense in rotation is the move, but in reality, their usual offense hasn’t generated enough good looks in the halfcourt to this point.
The Hawks were 11th in the NBA in the 2025-26 season in three-point attempt rate (3PAr) — with 42.9% of their field goal attempts coming from behind the arc. Little has changed in the playoffs — fifth among the 16 teams at a 41.8% 3PAr.
Of course, they hit 37.1% of attempts from deep in the regular season, but that mark is down to 32.6% through four playoff games.
I will admit self-creating three-point attempts at volume is a bit of uncharted territory for these Hawks. In the regular season, they were 27th in the percent of unassisted threes made (9.1%), but they’ve had to double that rate in the playoffs. Of course, adding CJ McCollum — still one of the best self-creators around — for this late season run obviously altered that distribution some.
It may sound silly, but the unassisted three-point rate still isn’t high enough. Beyond McCollum, you would of course trust Alexander-Walker (who is largely scuffling, alas) and Vincent with those sorts of attempts.
But the elephant in the room is how disappointing Jalen Johnson has been this series. He could really benefit from launching instead of driving into traffic.
Here’s what it should like — an example from Game 3. After the screen-the-screener action, Josh Hart’s first instinct is to dive under the Onyeka Okongwu screen. It’s a great look for Jalen Johnson:
But on this possession, despite Dyson Daniels sealing off both defenders to the inside for an open wing step back or sidestep attempt, Johnson tries to beat all-world defender OG Anunoby off the dribble. He just never had the angle to get to the rim considering his All-Defensive First Team-caliber matchup:
Johnson and Alexander-Walker have to keep letting the three-ball fly as soon as they see this coverage in my mind. Otherwise, you’re playing right into New York’s hands.
Put Jalen Brunson in action from the opening tip
Clearly, Jalen Brunson provides little resistance as a defender. And yes, the Hawks have been diligent in attacking him late in close games.
But they need to step it up even more. It’s time to target Brunson relentlessly starting from 12:00 in the first quarter.
This particular line of logic is pretty straightforward. If you start wearing down Brunson from the beginning of the game, you get the benefits of both compromising New York’s defense and the exhaustion of his energy defending instead of attacking.
Overall, the Hawks have done a solid enough job on Jalen Brunson so far this series. He’s averaging 25.5 points per game but on a 52% true shooting — six points lower than his regular season mark.
After averaging 9.6 assists and 3.4 turnovers per 100 possessions in the regular season, he’s at 7.1 and 4.8 per 100 respectively during this series.
But Brunson has scored 10.5 points (on 58% true shooting) in the first quarter of these playoffs, the most of any NBA player who has played at least two postseason games. He has also played all 12 minutes in three of those first quarters.
The Hawks should expect this minutes allocation for Brunson the rest of the series and put him constant action on offense. Maybe he wears down by the end of the game. Maybe he picks up two — or even three — early fouls.
Atlanta has struggled with starting slowly so far. The Hawks have found themselves down at least six points at the end of the first quarter in three of the four playoff games so far.
Digging out of early holes every game is just not a recipe for success. It’s time to take the kiddie gloves off and be ruthless.
Make Karl-Anthony Towns a driver
Towns is obviously a gifted big man scorer — maybe one of the most skilled ever. So far this series, Towns is cooking the Hawks to the tune of 21 points per game on a blistering 72% true shooting percentage.
The shooting range speaks for itself, and he’s also got a soft touch near the rim. But still, the Knicks have received a lot of criticism for his offensive usage during his two-year stint in New York.
Or maybe his play style is just harder to incorporate into a team setting than it seems on the surface.
A big gap in his game is the combination of ineffective driving mixed with poor passing vision. Towns’ drives are often grindingly slow, and they rarely create significant separation to generate an uncontested look.
Towns not being able to get up a clean shot over Gabe Vincent, almost a full foot shorter than him, is pretty problematic:
Quite simply, he’s a poor passer out of double teams and drives. In the 2025-26 regular season he passed on just 18.8% of his 499 drives this season. And he was the league leader in offensive fouls committed — often driving straight into already set defenders.
The Hawks need to do their work on him both early and late. Early, in the sense that you can’t let him get low post position for easy shots and foul-drawing — especially given how few big men the Hawks have available.
But the late piece is critical.
Solutions? For one, Atlanta needs to make sure to go over inverted screen actions and trail drives when ‘KAT’ is the trigger man.
For two, close out on his pick-and-pop game as hard as humanly possible. From Game 4, Okongwu and Johnson scramble their coverage communication. After the pop to the corner, Okongwu can do a lot more to force ‘KAT’ to drive baseline towards help:
And finally, let Towns start his dribble before crowding him with a double team, preferably from the low man. The Knicks have been reluctant to play Towns at the four, so any pass into the restricted area behind the low man would be for a non-lob threat (so, not Mitchell Robinson).
None of these three tweaks are a panacea, of course. If the Hawks’ two leading scorers, Johnson and Alexander-Walker, don’t get it together soon, the above may not matter.
But there are still opportunities to squeeze out advantages in your favor from a Knicks team that, frankly, looks very beatable.
UNITED STATES - MAY 26: Basketball: NBA Finals, Philadelphia 76ers Julius Dr, J Erving (6) in action, making dunk vs Portland Trail Blazers, Game 2, Philadelphia, PA 5/26/1977 (Photo by James Drake/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (SetNumber: X21496 TK1)
The ABA and the NBA merged in 1976, and one of the big reasons was Julius Erving.
The ABA never really had any national television exposure, but everyone knew who Dr. J was. The afro, the kneepads, the dunks…everyone understood that he was a phenomenon, and that, once the 1976-77 season started, fans would get to see a lot of the Doctor.
He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after the merger, and that team was insane.
Aside from Erving, it had George McGinnis, a ball-dominant power forward, World B. Free, and Darryl Dawkins. They also had Doug Collins, Henry Bibby, Caldwell Jones, and Kobe Bryant’s dad, Joe, but the first four players really were the ones who drew the most attention, although at 6-6, Collins was an unusually tall guard for the day.
Philly got to the NBA Finals, where they met Bill Walton and the Portland Trail Blazers.
That series would be framed as a traditional NBA team vs. one that was more ABA-ish.
Portland ultimately won the championship 4-2, thanks largely to Walton’s exceptional brilliance, but before the series turned, the Sixers were up 2-0, and America got to see Erving’s brilliance up close and personal.
Why did the Brooklyn Nets select Egor Dëmin at #8 in the 2025 NBA Draft?
“I think the first and foremost was the IQ. We loved how he played the game, how he moved the ball, involved his teammates. He saw one, two plays ahead. Obviously the size for position, you know, is great, when you’ve got a 6’8” combo guard, point guard. He can play off the ball too, it’s really good. I think we enjoyed watching him at BYU, and then we had multiple opportunities to see him in Brooklyn up close and personal, getting to meet him. I think his defense is great, how he guards pick and roll. So, there’s a lot of attributes there.”
Sean Marks, speaking to reporters just after the first round concluded, gave us the laundry list of attributes that made the Russian guard their target at #8. He did not mention outside shooting.
Alas, a few minutes later, Marks was asked directly about Dëmin’s 3-point shot: “I think we saw flashes of what he can do over the course of the year, specifically the shooting. And I think shooting would be the easy thing to say, ‘hey, they can improve in shooting.’ I think that’s a skill that you can improve over time, you know, being diligent on that. I think there was a lot of other attributes in respect to Egor and why we wanted him … You know, I never want to pencil him into ‘hey, you’re going to fit in this little box.’ To me, it’s exciting to see what he does. I suspect the shooting is going to continue to improve, but he showed us out here at HSS that he can absolutely shoot the basketball.”
Dëmin started his BYU career on a hot streak, hurt his knee in mid-December, and never regained his form. Per Synergy Sports, he scored 0.78 points per jumper in his lone NCAA season, a 24th percentile mark across Division I basketball. He finished the year 27.3% from deep. Dëmin was more efficient than that in his pre-NCAA career — mostly with Real Madrid — and the Nets weren’t the only ones impressed by his pre-draft workouts…
Big audience of NBA executives courtside in Chicago to watch Egor Demin's pro day. 6'9 Russian guard showed his talent in a major way with scorching shooting and impressive confidence. pic.twitter.com/NBc1X7iHus
Well, Dëmin shot 38.5% from deep in his rookie year on over 12 attempts per 100, unprecedented volume and efficiency for a teenager in the NBA. In fact, only nine teenagers have ever taken at least ten treys per 100 possessions, and nobody has made more than Dëmin…
Dëmin turned 20 years old on March 3, but by then, he was already ruled out for the remainder of the season with plantar fasciitis. Sure, he’s only taken 322 total threes in his career and didn’t shoot well on the few middies he took, but his jumper is off to a flying start at the NBA level. They all feel like they’re going in, he’s not afraid to take big ones, and those numbers don’t lie. Dëmin’s shooting is the biggest positive any Nets rookie displayed in 2025-26.
It seems unfair to Brooklyn’s scouting department to term their belief in Dëmin’s shooting a “leap of faith,” but it’s jarring just how important it’s become. Nearly 72% of Dëmin’s shots this season were threes. Per Synergy, nearly 60% of his shots were catch-and-shoot looks. Given his play at BYU, where he led a top-5 offense in Division I basketball on heavy pick-and-roll usage, I understand why Marks initially mentioned so many of Dëmin’s other attributes. But we’re still waiting for those to pop.
My favorite Dëmin plays are passes like this…
The Nets suddenly have a 5-on-4 advantage thanks to a gamble that didn’t go NOLA’s way, Egor feels Zion Williamson rotating toward the rim, and boom, a fastball to the opposite corner. Williamson doesn’t have much interest in closing out on Powell, but this is an encouraging example of Brooklyn’s belief that high-level passing will play all over the court, even if Egor never becomes much of a primary ball-handler.
To that end, it was interesting to hear the #8 overall pick admit that he felt his role changed once he started sharing the backcourt with Nolan Traore.
In the midst of answer about his adjustment to the NBA during his exit interview, Dëmin said: “Being a rookie who has an opportunity to start as a starting point guard — which is even probably more responsibility than later on when Nolan would get on the court and I started playing more of a wing — I think that’s something that gave me a lot.”
Dëmin’s usage did dip slightly after the calendar flipped to 2026, around the time the two rookies were consistently starting in the backcourt together. I thought that was more due to Egor’s own limitations as a ball-handler, particularly compared to his catch-and-shoot ability, and/or him growing fatigued during a long NBA season, especially with plantar fasciitis.
Again, he just turned 20 years old. He will improve. Dëmin even limited these types of turnovers as the season progressed…
…but high hips and a lack of wiggle limit his effectiveness inside the arc.
One obvious goal is to live in the weight room; Dëmin has talked about packing on muscle since last summer. It may not solve all his problems on offense, but it should help him bring the ball up court and say, hold defenders in “jail” in the pick-and-roll. The question is how much some extra muscle will help his drives to the rim.
On these plays, Cade Cunningham (an extreme example) doesn’t bowl over his defender with a shove or shoulder, but crucially, he can dribble through contact…
Dëmin takes long, sweeping strides at 6’9”, but he can’t extend his dribble right now. That explains, in part, the lack of rim-finishing and ties into the most fascinating area of his game: the playmaking.
Egor Dëmin averaged 3.3 assists and 1.7 turnovers per game this season, nothing too crazy. He rarely tried to finish through multiple defenders, occasionally a bit conservative (and frustrating for fans) with his scoring, but he did create a ton of catch-and-shoot opportunities for teammates. Who knows how many assists Dëmin would have had if Noah Clowney and Nolan Traore and Terance Mann were league-average 3-point shooters?
That being said, in 52 games, Dëmin had just 57 assists that led to buckets at the rim. And after skimming through all of these assists on Synergy, there weren’t a ton of high-level reads to create these layups. I thought he missed a few of these admittedly tough plays this season…
Was Dëmin’s playmaking hampered by his plantar fasciitis? By a general lack of opportunity to drive downhill, which should be mitigated by muscle gain? How valuable is his kick-out passing for an offense that wants to shoot plenty of 3-pointers? Is his playmaking graded on an unfair curve based on the scouting reports coming out of BYU? Were his passing numbers at BYU juiced by regimented pick-and-roll reads?
These are all valid questions without easy answers. I don’t believe Dëmin’s lack of driving was entirely responsible for a lack of playmaking flashes, but there’s a balance somewhere. I’m excited to watch Dëmin up the aggression next season, and hopefully make some more complex reads.
His frame should help him see over defenders; likewise, he met expectations defensively in 2025-26 season, largely due to his positional size. Sean Marks emphasized this when Dëmin was drafted, and watching him post decent deflection/steal rates despite a lack of athleticism was encouraging. Of course, Dëmin occasionally got bodied down low and struggled to change direction, particularly on closeouts…
Collin Murray-Boyles was drafted one spot after Egor Dëmin, at #9 overall by the Toronto Raptors last June. This April, CMB has burst onto the scene by playing a tremendous playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers…
Egor Dëmin did not have a bad season. His 3-point shooting was utterly remarkable, and he had a real chance to make Second Team All-Rookie had he not been sidelined with plantar fasciitis in late February. While I’ve questioned just how talented of a playmaker he really is, the flashes were there as a teenager, and Dëmin’s size, feel, work ethic, and shooting will likely combine to make him a positive regular-season player moving forward, particularly on offense.
But watching these NBA Playoffs, I can’t help but worry about Dëmin’s ultimate ceiling while seeing a player like CMB, who has tremendous feel but also unteachable strength, thrive. Pardon the cliché, but the postseason, as disparate from regular-season ball as it has ever been, demands extreme physicality and explosion. It demands ball-handlers who can create offense from thin air and navigate traffic. This may not be a Dëmin complaint as much as it is a Nets front office complaint, a group that, under Sean Marks, has often faded physicality and explosion.
Dëmin can shoot the rock, and for that, the Nets deserve credit. He will be but 20 years old in his sophomore season, with ample opportunity to improve under an ideal head coach in Jordi Fernández. In any case, it appears Brooklyn selected a functional rotation player with the #8 overall pick, no small feat. But next season, we’ll have to see more besides impressive outside shooting.
That being said, Egor Dëmin has more charisma than he knows what to do with. For any flaws he night have, it’s tough not to believe in him.
“It feels safe,” said Dëmin of his current situation. “I would say. I just — I know exactly where I’m going to be. I know exactly what I’m going to be doing, and I know exactly what type of timing throughout the summer I’m going to have, right? So it kind of gives me confidence in my development, and that’s why I think this summer is probably one of the most important summers in my life.”
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26 : Jamal Shead (23) of Toronto Raptors steals the ball away from Donovan Mitchell (45) of Cleveland Cavaliers during the Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs between Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena on April 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t get the reputation of being playoff failures overnight. They’ve earned it through years of falling short in the biggest moments.
Although their first-round series with the Toronto Raptors isn’t over by any stretch, Game 4 showed all the telltale signs of what has plagued this team in previous postseason runs: lack of toughness, poor rebounding, the offense falling apart, and an inability to close out tight games.
Cleveland was up eight with just under five minutes to play, but once again couldn’t seal the deal. The offense got stagnant, Donovan Mitchell couldn’t make the one play he needed to, and the defense didn’t stay in front of a Raptors team that was having a historically bad shooting day.
This all culminated in a 93-89 loss. The series now shifts back to Cleveland tied at two.
One basket might’ve put the game away, but they couldn’t get the ball over the timeline.
Mitchell didn’t show any urgency at first. He tried to walk the ball up before Scottie Barnes applied token pressure in the backcourt. This wasn’t a trap or anything. James Harden wasn’t being covered; he was leisurely taking his time up the court as well.
Then, Mitchell saw that time was an issue, but he made the mistake of running to the sideline and right into where Harden was aimlessly standing. He had to double back, although at that point, he only had one second to get it over the line.
Toronto pounced.
Jamal Shead sensed the moment. He dove over the half-court line, forced Mitchell back, and poked the ball free. It was a heads-up play from a guy willing to do whatever it took to get the job done.
Shead’s effort isn’t what made this play possible. Instead, it was Cleveland’s lack of focus in the biggest moments — the thing that has come to define this era of basketball.
When we think of this core group, we don’t remember the big playoff wins — because outside of Game 7 against the Orlando Magic (a series the Cavs should’ve won in five) and the Game 2 victory over a sleepwalking Boston Celtics team in ‘24 — there haven’t been any. Just a steady stream of fourth-quarter collapses against teams they’re more talented than on paper.
Same story. Different year. Same result.
The Cavs are 4-10 in road playoff games in the Mitchell era. And if you take out two victories over a 37-45 Miami Heat team last season, they’ve only defeated two road playoff opponent that were over .500 despite being in their fourth year together. Just two.
This was Cleveland’s best chance to steal a road game. The Raptors were shooting as if they had Raptor-proportioned arms, going 4-30 (13.3%) from three. This wasn’t the case of the Cavs making incredible contests on these shots. Instead, it was just one of the worst shooting performances you’ll see from an NBA team.
The Cavs — who have been an elite offense since trading for James Harden — couldn’t get anything going. Their star guards couldn’t shake free of Toronto’s bigger wings, and Cleveland’s bigs couldn’t capitalize on the size advantage they did have. This led to a stagnant offense, the same one we’ve seen in the previous three postseason runs for this core.
Mitchell’s teams have consistently lost in the playoffs, but he’s generally scored well in the biggest defeats.
He hasn’t advanced to the conference finals, yet he’s also one of the best playoff scorers in league history. Those two facts would lead you to believe that Mitchell has just been stuck on teams that aren’t talented enough to win or that he’s run into bad luck. There’s been instances of both things being true, but there’s something much bigger at play as well.
The best playoff players can beat teams in a wide variety of ways. No matter how good you are, your opponent will inevitably figure out how to take away what you do best. The ones who can adjust to those adjustments and still impact winning are the most successful. This is why well-rounded players are rewarded more in the playoffs.
Mitchell is well-rounded, but only as a scorer. He’s not a plus defender, isn’t a good playmaker for others considering how much he has the ball, and isn’t disruptive away from the play. This leaves a one-note player whose effectiveness is tied completely and solely to his scoring.
When the scoring isn’t there, as it wasn’t in Game 4 when he went 6-24 from the field, there aren’t many ways he can impact winning outside of just being a decoy for others. But again, that isn’t as impactful as it could be since Mitchell doesn’t do much off-ball.
Can you win with someone like that as your best player? So far in Mitchell’s career, the answer has been no. And if that answer doesn’t change this postseason, is an undersized scoring guard that will be on the wrong side of 30 by the start of next season worth a super-max extension? That’s something the Cavs will have to decide in the summer.
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Harden continues to struggle with the Raptors’ length. After carving them up through the first two games of the series, he’s registered more turnovers than field goals in both contests in Toronto. This included coughing it up seven times on a day the Cavs couldn’t get anything going toward the basket.
The Cavs have become a one-dimensional jump shooting team during their worst playoff failures in the last four years. Harden was supposed to help that by getting downhill and force-feeding Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. That hasn’t happened.
The pick-and-roll game has completely dried up. Toronto simply switching that action has kept the Cavs from even trying to get downhill. Instead, they’re using guards to screen to create open three-point looks. That’s fine as a counter, but it can’t be used as a substitute altogether.
The Raptors’ defense looks impenetrable because they’ve never had to collapse. Rotating out to a shooter on the perimeter isn’t the same as scrambling inside. The Cavs should have talented enough offensive weapons to create and exploit mismatches. At the very least, they did in the first two games of the series.
Jarrett Allen needs to be better.
I asked head coach Kenny Atkinson if they need to do a better job of getting Allen involved when he has RJ Barrett matched up with him before Game 3. Atkinson said they did, but he also pointed to there being other ways to be impactful against a mismatch. This includes being used in the dunker’s spot to clean up misses or finish lobs.
Theoretically, those would be a good way to use Allen. It just hasn’t happened in a meaningful way.
In the last two games, the Raptors haven’t been punished in any meaningful way by putting a smaller player on Allen. The Cavs generated second-chance opportunities, and Allen did record six offensive rebounds in Game 4, but that hasn’t moved the needle.
In February, Allen was aggressive in punishing smaller defenders whenever he got an opportunity to do so. That simply isn’t happening anymore, even when he gets a 6’1” guard matched up against him.
Rooted out by 6-5 Ja'Kobe Walter and then stood behind 6-1 Jamal Shead. Has to be better than this. pic.twitter.com/vnE8sG2K2N
You can’t take away everything from your opponent in the postseason. You have to make concessions and dare certain players to beat you if it means you can better defend something else. The Raptors are conceding mismatches to Allen whenever he wants them. However, neither the Cavs nor Allen has any interest in taking advantage of it.
With seemingly every button the Raptors have pressed, they’re both having their cake and eating it too.
Scottie Barnes is running circles around Evan Mobley.
There’s no doubt as to who the best player in the series has been on both sides of the ball — let alone in this rivalry from the 2022 Rookie of the Year race.
Barnes has showcased a versatility as a scorer, defender, rebounder, and passer that has made him far and away the most valuable player on either team. Having an incredibly high motor helps as well. That all stands in stark contrast with Mobley, who still needs the perfect environment to be his most impactful self.
Mobley was phenomenal in Game 2. He was punishing mismatches and doing a great job of being a distributor whenever the defense rotated over to help. That effectiveness has waned. The Raptors have been better at sending late help at Mobley and walling him off before getting too deep into the post. This has thrown off Mobley’s timing and made him only effective at really going after Jakob Poeltl.
As is a theme with the Cavs, the lack of versatility from Mobley has limited his effectiveness. When his best skill is taken away by his opponent, he doesn’t have enough counters to turn to.
Barnes, on the other hand, can seemingly do whatever he wants. No matter who the Cavs put on him, he’s getting to his spot on the floor. And once there, he has the skills to hurt them with the shot, pass, or getting to the rim.
That versatility shows up on the defensive end as well. Barnes’s ability to shut down actions from both guards and bigs has disrupted Cleveland’s entire flow.
Cleveland isn’t matching Toronto’s toughness either physically or mentally.
Physically, Toronto pushed Cleveland’s bigs and guards off their spots. They forced Mitchell and Harden into being outside shooters and limited Allen and Mobley to a combined 11 points on 16 shots. This allowed them to control the glass, the paint, and more importantly, the tempo of the game.
Mentally, the Raptors never let up. They were focused throughout the full 48 minutes on what they needed to do. Mental errors didn’t happen. And when things got tough, they dug down even deeper.
Basketball isn’t always won in the trenches, but it can certainly be lost there, as the Cavs have shown in previous postseason runs and did again in Game 4.
They’ve provided no reasons to believe in this team. The Cavs may still win the series and could be expected to do so with two of the possible three games at home. But we’ve seen this movie too many times before to believe that’s guaranteed.
They don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt now, or frankly, any time in the future as long as this core group is together. They’ve continually shrunk in the biggest moments, with their best players failing to rise to the occasion when they need them to.
Game 4 was just another entry in a long line of disappointments.
It’s on the Cavs to change the narrative. And if Sunday afternoon was any indication of things, they don’t seem willing enough to put in the effort to actually do so.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 10: Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards goes to the basket against Simone Fontecchio #0 of the Miami Heat during the second half at Capital One Arena on April 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I was watching Game Three of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets series. My wife — who’s usually more interested in the National Anthem and the arena timeout entertainment — watched two possessions and said, “Do these guys understand this isn’t football?”
In other words, someone who pays more attention to what Britt Waters is wearing instantly noticed the difference between Wizards basketball and playoffs basketball.
Washington Wizards big man Anthony Davis is a proven postseason performer. | Getty Images
Nate Duncan and John Hollinger recently dedicated a podcast episode to assessing which players were likely to get “crucibled” — dropped from the rotation because of flaws that would get exposed by the intensity of postseason basketball. The assessment, of course, is not strictly about the athleticism, physicality, and mental focus (though it does include those factors) but the strategic as well.
In other words, if the opposing coaching staff looks at your guy and sees a target, your guy is going to get played off the floor.
As expected, former Wizards wing Corey Kispert has fallen victim to the postseason effect. Through his career in Washington, Kispert got significant playing time — 23+ minutes in every season except this one when he got 19.6. When he got traded to the Atlanta Hawks, he still got 18+. In the playoffs — 8.3 per game. His poor point-of-attack defense and lack of dimension to his game make it impossible to keep him out there much longer in a game with stakes.
So, with a hat tip to Duncan, Hollinger, and my wife, here’s a look at the Wizards and their likelihood of getting chased from the rotation if the team plays in truly competitive games next season.
Sure Things
These are guys I’m confident will be able to hold up to postseason rigors:
Wizards big man Alex Sarr was an excellent defender last season — something that should translate to postseason action. | Getty Images
Anthony Davis — Assuming he’s healthy enough to take the court, Davis has been one of the game’s best defenders for more than a decade. He’s an elite finisher around the basket who’s already been the second best player on a championship team.
Alex Sarr — A busy and effective rim protector who can also defend switches with competence. Sarr’s offense was a bit hit or miss (his overall efficiency was below average), but he has post-up skills, acceptable finishing around the rim, and can step out and hit the long ball enough to make him a threat. He needs to get stronger (normal for a 21-year-old), but there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t hold up in a playoffs series.
Probably
These are guys I’m pretty confident are able to compete in the postseason, but I have some doubts.
Can Trae Young become a good enough defender to remain a viable postseason player? | NBAE via Getty Images
Trae Young — First in line to disagree with me on this would likely be Will Dawkins and the Wizards’ front office. On the offensive end, Young would be fine — even though the league literally made rules to put an end to his specific style of foul grifting. On defense, he’s been one of the absolute least effective defenders, ever. This makes him a target and a potentially big strategic problem for the Wizards.
Kyshawn George — With George, I’m confident he’d hold up athletically. He won’t back down from physical play, and I think he has the skills to be good enough on offense. Why is he in the “probably” category? Excessive fouling and turnovers. Basically, the frequency of his mistakes is a potential problem that may render him unplayable in the postseason.
Bilal Coulibaly — I have no doubt about Coulibaly on defense. His poor three-point shooting and tendency to disappear on offense could grind Washington’s offense to a halt, especially when opposing coaches elect to dare him to shoot.
Justin Champagnie — I think I’m higher on Champagnie’s abilities than is the team’s coaching staff. I suspect they’re right — they see him in many more situations than I do. I still think he’s probably a player who’d be effective in a playoffs setting, though I do wonder about his relative lack of size.
Probably Not
Bub Carrington — Good shooter with a solid mid-range game. He also doesn’t generate paint touches — even against regular season defense. And he coughs up the ball when pressured. Worse: Carrington is a woeful defender who plays much smaller than his measured 6-4 height. He’s someone the opposition would view as a target, which means he’s a prime candidate for getting played out of the rotation.
Maybe, Maybe, Maybe
Will Riley — I liked some of what I saw from Riley last season, but I’d be lying if what he did down the stretch of games the team actively wanted to lose made me think he’s remotely close to being ready for the playoffs. Riley has height and potential, but he had trouble with regular season physicality. He’ll be a major target unless he gets much stronger. Force me to make a decision, and I’d put him in the “Probably Not” bucket for next season, with an eye towards bumping him into the “Probably” group in year three of his career.
Cam Whitmore — This is based on two things: 1) athletic tools, and 2) he suffered a health problem and missed most of the season, so I just don’t know. IF Whitmore’s head is right. IF he accepts coaching, buys into the team’s system (on both ends) and gets the message that it’s okay to pass the ball sometimes, I could see him being a valuable player someday. If forced to make a call, I’d put him in the group that follows.
Nope
These are guys most likely to get chased by the NBA postseason crucible.
Tre Johnson — Rookie who hopefully will improve. I think Johnson is a legit shooter. As a player type, he’s a lot more like Kispert than other elite shooters, which is to say he’s a major defensive target and he lacks dimension in his game.
Jamir Watkins — A worse version of Coulibaly, which is to say — good defender who doesn’t shoot well enough or contribute enough offensively to get anything other than emergency minutes in the playoffs.
Anthony Gill — Included here because he’s on the roster and was 10th in total minutes last season.
Tristan Vukcevic — Good shooter with leaden feet and glacial reaction times on defense.
Players like Leaky Black, JuJu Reese, Jaden Hardy, and Kadary Richmond are more likely to end up training camp cuts or playing overseas and are not going to be part of a postseason rotation.
If you want to get super-optimistic, I can see a reasonable case to bump Young and George into “Sure Things.” I think Young has the better case than George, by the way. I don’t see an argument for moving up Coulibaly until he proves he can be enough of an offensive threat that he has to be defended.
I’d also listen to arguments about making Riley a “Probably” instead of a maybe. I’m not there yet myself, but reasonable minds can differ. I’d also listen on Johnson moving into “Probably Not” with Carrington for next because he’s so young and there’s a strong likelihood he’ll get better if he puts in the work on his body and his game. He could follow a trajectory similar to what I envision for Riley, though I suspect it could take him a bit longer because he’s smaller and there’s a bit less to his game than Riley’s.
Next up: Wizards performance ekgs. Performance ekgs are essentially season-long production trackers that help visualize how an individual’s performance trended throughout the season. Let me know in the comments who you want me to run first.
But he was cleared to play on Sunday and scored 27 points as the Spurs won 114-93 in Portland to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The NBA's defensive player of the year added 11 rebounds, seven blocks and four steals on returning and later admitted to being "very disappointed" with aspects of the NBA's concussion protocol.
"I won't get into the details," he said. "Ask me again at the end of the season."
The 22-year-old added: "I had lots of emotions before the game - excitement, frustration. I let it all out tonight."
The concussion protocol requires 48 hours of rest followed by a gradual return to physical activity and daily neurological tests.
A player must then be cleared by his team and the NBA's concussion programme director in order to resume playing.
De'Aaron Fox scored a game-high 28 points for the Spurs, who are second seeds in the Western Conference and can clinch the series back in San Antonio on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Lakers can do the same as they return home on Tuesday, with the Houston Rockets having won 115-96 to prevent the Lakers sweeping the series.
Kevin Durant (ankle) missed his third game of the series for Houston but all five of their starters reached double figures, with Amen Thompson scoring a game-high 23 points.
Joel Embiid made his first appearance of the series for Philadelphia but could not prevent the 76ers losing 128-96 at home to the Boston Celtics.
Boston's Payton Pritchard scored 32 points off the bench - a career high for the play-offs - while Jayson Tatum claimed 30 points and 11 assists.
The Celtics, the Eastern Conference's second seed, now lead 3-1 and can clinch the series in Boston on Tuesday.
Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes each scored 23 points as the Toronto Raptors held on for a 93-89 win at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Eastern Conference rivals are now level at 2-2, with game five taking place in Cleveland on Wednesday.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers is ejected during the third quarter of a game against the Houston Rockets in Game Four of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ejections for Flagrant 2 fouls typically are pretty egregious and easy to understand. By definition, they involve excessive force, which rarely leaves doubt about an ejection.
Şengün and Ayton were battling in the post when the latter’s arm slipped up the former’s back and caught him in the back of the head. It was a pretty clear Flagrant 1 foul, even if it was also a bit of bad fortune for Ayton, who clearly was bracing himself for contact.
However, James Williams had other ideas and, after review, ejected him from the game.
After the game, literally nobody understood why Ayton was ejected. First, his teammates — led by Marcus Smart calling it “some BS” — and coaches defended him, as you’d expect.
“On the [Ayton] thing, [Ayton] has got such a sweet, just like kind soul,” head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “[I] know that wasn’t dirty or intentional. It looked, from our vantage point, like he was trying to brace himself with that off arm, I think it was his left arm, but trying to brace himself against Şengün’s body.
It looked like his arm just kind of slipped and, obviously, hit him in the head. I don’t know that a [Flagrant] 2 was warranted. I don’t think that [Ayton] would ever do anything malicious.”
“I think he was bracing for Şengün on the post-up,” LeBron added. “Then, obviously, you see that his arm slipped going up and then hit him in the head. The refs said they didn’t see it that way and made the call. You have to be pretty damn good at it to elbow someone like that on purpose.”
To his credit, Ayton was apologetic about the play, though he was also adamant it was an accident after his arm slipped.
“I really was trying to brace for contact with Şengün,” Ayton said. “We’re both sweaty guys. I just slipped off his shoulder. Literally, my elbow hit him right there above his shoulders. It looked crazy on camera. I’m not no guy who’s a dirty player or plays like that. If anything, me trying to play dirty, I’ll damn near hurt myself.
“I just hope he’s alright and didn’t think it was intentional…The outcome of what the results were, I accept it. But definitely wasn’t intentional. I don’t play like that.”
To make matters worse, even the Rockets didn’t understand or agree with the ejection.
Not even Ime Udoka agreed that Deandre Ayton should have received a Flagrant 2 foul.
"It looked intentional but I was surprised at a Flagrant 2. But that's the NBA nowadays and they call it a little softer than they used to."
Alperen Sengün said he also didn’t expect Deandre Ayton to be ejected for the elbow he threw. “I don’t want to make the officials crazy but I didn’t expect him to be ejected. I thought it was a little bit soft.” pic.twitter.com/pQG7Wi890O
For some reason, there was no pool report after the game, so there is no official comment from the officials or Williams.
A Flagrant 2 foul does not carry an automatic suspension, though a suspension can be added later if it’s a particularly bad foul. While the league will review the play, there’s a far greater chance it’s downgraded to a Flagrant 1 than Ayton being suspended.
But this speaks to a great issue the league has with officiating right now, as recently called out by Devin Booker. And do you know who the official was that Booker called out by name? James Williams.
This is now back-to-back games with officiating controversy from him. It’s unacceptable to keep putting him in playoff games.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton walks off the court after being ejected in the third quarter of the Lakers' 115-96 loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday night. (Karen Warren / Associated Press)
Deandre Ayton has a simple explanation for his first career ejection.
“We’re both sweaty guys,” the Lakers center said after his accidental elbow to the back of Alperen Sengun's head resulted in his ejection from Sunday’s loss to the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers center was assessed a flagrant foul 2 with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter of the 115-96 Game 4 loss. It “looked crazy on camera,” Ayton acknowledged, but it was not malicious.
Ayton said he was bracing for contact against the 6-foot-11, 243-pound Sengun and Ayton’s arm simply slipped off Sengun’s shoulder and hit his head. It didn’t affect Sengun at all: he finished with 19 points and six rebounds on six-of-12 shooting as the Rockets forced a Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. PDT at Crypto.com Arena.
“I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or plays like that,” Ayton said. “If anything, me trying to play dirty, I’ll damn near hurt myself. I just hope he’s all right and they don’t think it was intentional.”
Sengun and Rockets coach Ime Udoka both said the flagrant 2 call — which characterizes an act as “unnecessary and excessive” — was “soft.” Sengun said he didn’t expect Ayton to be ejected for the play. When crew chief James Williams declared that Ayton would be sent off, the Lakers center simply dropped his head and walked to the locker room. Injured Rockets star Kevin Durant, who missed the game with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, waved goodbye from the Rockets bench.
"We’re proud of the way he handled it, and I think that just speaks volume about who he is and his progression," Lakers guard Marcus Smart said. "He’s learning, he’s continuing — it probably would have been justifiable if he went off, right? But to keep his composure and stay positive, I think that’s only going to help him and this team.”
Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt (2) and Deandre Ayton (5) go up for a rebound against Houston forward Tari Eason during the first half Sunday. (Karen Warren / Associated Press)
It was the first time Ayton was ejected in his eight-year NBA career. The center, to the chagrin of many in the NBA, has long been known more for his finesse touch shots than physical play. Lakers coach JJ Redick called Ayton, “a sweet, just, like, kind soul.”
Lakers coaches and teammates have tried to encourage him to increase his intensity and aggressiveness. General manager Rob Pelinka even made a custom shirt with half of Ayton’s face next to the face of a lion.
Ayton answered the call Sunday with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He was one of the Lakers’ only forms of consistent offense in the blowout loss. Outside of Ayton and Rui Hachimura, who shot six for 10 with 13 points, the Lakers were shooting 31.3% from the field in the first three quarters. They trailed by as many as 26 points as Smart and LeBron James, veterans who led the team to a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, looked worn down with Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) still sidelined.
“It’s been tough for DA,” said Smart, who had nine points, five assists and four turnovers. “We’ve been hard on him. He’s been hard on himself. You guys have been hard on him. ... He’s been taking it, embracing it and trying to get better and better. Today he showed that. He came out, we relied on him a little bit more. He made plays for us.”
Ayton soon had company in the Lakers locker room after teammate Adou Thiero and Rockets guard Aaron Holiday were both ejected after receiving two technical fouls with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. They got tangled up under the basket and exchanged words briefly.
Thiero, who entered the game midway through the fourth quarter when the Lakers cleared their bench, made a memorable playoff debut by scoring his first postseason basket with an emphatic alley-oop dunk over Dorian Finney-Smith. But the premature ending to his first postseason appearance was “uncalled for,” James said.
“It made no sense,” said James, who had 10 points and nine assists but eight turnovers. “... I don't think that was warranted. Give him two technicals? The kid just got in the game.”
At the end of the physical game, players from both teams jawed back and forth at midcourt after the final buzzer. Much of the Lakers bench and some coaches approached to help diffuse the situation. Redick said he was simply poking his head into the situation the way people might turn their heads to gawk at commotion in a bar. When he determined nothing was happening, he left.
“Hilarious,” Smart said with a smirk of the postgame skirmish. “Very hilarious.”
Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Celtics -11.5; over/under is 215.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Celtics lead series 3-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics look to clinch the Eastern Conference first round over the Philadelphia 76ers in game five. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 128-96 in the last meeting on Sunday. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 32 points, and Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 26.
The Celtics are 36-16 against conference opponents. Boston leads the Eastern Conference in rebounding, averaging 46.4 boards. Nikola Vucevic leads the Celtics with 8.4 rebounds.
The 76ers are 27-25 in conference play. Philadelphia ranks ninth in the NBA scoring 16.9 fast break points per game. VJ Edgecombe leads the 76ers averaging 8.0.
The Celtics are shooting 46.7% from the field this season, the same percentage the 76ers allow to opponents. The 76ers average 8.7 more points per game (115.9) than the Celtics give up to opponents (107.2).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum is averaging 19.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists over the past 10 games.
Tyrese Maxey is averaging 28.3 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals for the 76ers. Paul George is averaging 16.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 118.0 points, 45.8 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.0 points per game.
76ers: 4-6, averaging 104.1 points, 43.3 rebounds, 20.8 assists, 7.9 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: None listed.
76ers: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -6.5; over/under is 213.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 2-2
BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Hawks visit the New York Knicks for game five of the Eastern Conference first round with the series tied 2-2. The Knicks defeated the Hawks 114-98 in the last meeting on Saturday. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 22 points, and CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 17.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York averages 116.5 points and has outscored opponents by 6.4 points per game.
The Hawks are 27-25 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is 7-8 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Knicks average 14.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.3 more made shots on average than the 12.9 per game the Hawks allow. The Hawks score 8.4 more points per game (118.5) than the Knicks allow (110.1).
TOP PERFORMERS: Jalen Brunson is shooting 46.7% and averaging 26.0 points for the Knicks. Anunoby is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Jalen Johnson is averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 3.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 7-3, averaging 113.5 points, 43.7 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 8.7 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.7 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 114.9 points, 43.4 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.4 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: None listed.
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
