Category: NBA

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers played an uninspired first 43 minutes against a tanking Indiana Pacers team that only had nine available players in early April. The final five minutes were different.

Cleveland was up four with five minutes to play before hitting the accelerator. They scored 11 points over the next three minutes to push their lead to 13 as they cruised to what became a stress-free victory.

Controlling the last few minutes has been a trend over the back half of the season. Since the beginning of February, the Cavs have registered the third-best offensive rating (131) and best net rating (+34.6) in clutch situations (when the game is within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime). Before February, Cleveland ranked 23rd in offensive rating and 13th in net rating in that setting.

According to their head coach, there’s one reason for their success: James Harden.

“Give him the ball and get out of the way,” Kenny Atkinson said.

That simple plan has worked. The Cavs had an outrageous 143 offensive rating and a +57.9 net rating in just over 40 clutch minutes Harden has played since the trade. That has resulted in a 13-2 record in clutch-time games during that stretch.

The Cavs have done a good job of incorporating some of Atkinson’s motion-based offense with the traditional, isolation sets that Harden is used to working with. However, at the end of games, they’ve opted to slow the game down and space the floor.

“We do some stuff and some sets, and it’s more him getting the right matchup,” Atkinson said. “We have really worked on our spacing in his iso situations or pick and roll, we have worked on that. But 99% of it is James Harden making the right play.”

The simple and effective plan has worked for the Cavs, but only because the team’s franchise player has been willing to cede control of the offense late.

“A lot of the times I feel like if you want to deny me the ball, go ahead,” Donovan Mitchell said. “This man’s done it for 17 years at the highest level, you know what I mean? And vice versa.”

The two have had conversations about how to best work in the postseason, which shows through in the results. Mitchell pointed to multiple clutch-time plays from earlier this year to prove how those discussions have paid off. The first was from their win over the Golden State Warriors on April 2.

The Warriors were denying Mitchell on the wing, so he allowed Harden to dictate that possession. “James gets to his stuff, hits Evan, Evan hits Max, I cut. That’s one.”

Next, Mitchell pointed to a play late against the Denver Nuggets shortly after the trade to help seal a road-win.

“Then you can go to Denver, where they blitz him. He hits me, I hit JA,” Mitchell said.

And lastly, Mitchell highlighted the following possession. The defense didn’t blitz Harden, allowing him to take the off-the-dribble three. Sequences like this are possible when you have two elite playmakers. The defense can really only try to take away one.

“Sometimes our best offense is letting him operate and being able to find a way to manipulate the game and trust him that it’s going to be the right play,” Mitchell said.

The spacing is the key to making these three plays work. Harden’s game is built on creating mismatches. Having everyone properly spaced forces the defense to commit to a double or leave individual players on an island. No matter which the defenses chooses the Cavs are betting their talent can win out in the end.

“The spacing is the most important thing,” Harden said, “and once we got the spacing, then everything else should take care of itself, which is very, very key going into the postseason because you’re in late-game situations; you’ve got to make sure you execute.”

“They know he’s got to have the ball,” Atkinson said. “They know where to space. Communicating with them all the time. He’s always communicating with our screeners on what to do. So he’s coaching it too. It’s not just making the plays. He coaches it with the guys out there, which is what the great quarterbacks do.”

Quarterback play often decides tight playoff games in the NFL. While it isn’t a one-to-one comparison here, it’s fair to say that the Cavs didn’t have great quarterback play last postseason. They dropped all three games in the second round against the Pacers that entered a clutch situation. When games got close, the Cavs weren’t able to generate efficient offense. That cost them, especially in Game 2 when they blew a seven-point lead in the final minute and were outscored 36-21 in the fourth quarter.

Harden should help in this equation. Despite his previous playoff shortcomings, he’s at the very least shown he can solve what was previously an issue for the Cavs in the regular season by consistently generating quality looks late in games. That will need to translate over to the playoffs if the Cavs want to reach their goals.

“We’re not going to have our best games [all the time], it’s just natural,” Mitchell said. “No one’s had a perfect playoff run. So when the going gets tough, when you have a guy like him alongside you, you’re very calm. We’re very calm as a group and understand that, hey, we’re going to get the best shot somehow, some way.”

The New York Knicks can take solace that Trae Young is nowhere to be found in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, and thus, Knicks fans don't have a chance to spit on him because he was torching their team.

Young is in a Washington Wizards uniform after a January trade, but when he was in Atlanta five years ago, he single-handedly led the Hawks to a five-game drubbing of the Knicks, leading to more postseason dread for New York.

Nothing has changed in the big picture for the Knicks, who are seeking their first Finals appearance since 1999, and welcome the visiting Hawks to kick off the best-of-seven series.

Here is a breakdown of the Knicks-Hawks series:

How the Knicks can advance

Of course, Jalen Brunson wasn't on the Knicks roster in 2021 and joined the team the next offseason after leaving the Dallas Mavericks and signing a four-year, $104 million free-agent contract.

The Knicks' playoff fortunes begin and end with Brunson, the reigning Clutch Player of the Year, so it is imperative that he gets going early and also gets his teammates involved. That means Karl Anthony Towns needs to be aggressive on both ends of the floor, and in his two games this season against the Hawks, he averaged 28.5 points and 13.5 rebounds. But the bench is the X-factor for New York, which ranked third in offensive efficiency and fifth in 3-point percentage, and can generally go nine or 10 deep during the postseason, which might give them an advantage the longer the series goes on.

New York, winners of 53 games, played at a faster pace and hoisted more 3-pointers this season than under predecessor Tom Thibodeau. But one disadvantage is that, looking ahead to Boston, a healthy Jayson Tatum could be staring them right in the face in the second round.

How the Hawks can advance

Atlanta has played outstanding basketball over the last two months, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them advance out of this round.

Their defense must be elite, and the Hawks have a top-10 defense, just like the Knicks, who are more than capable of turning stingy defense into instant offense. Job number one for Atlanta is to stop Brunson on the offensive end and make him a liability on defense, using their guards' height advantage. They must also win the rebounding battle and pound the ball inside, as New York's lack of rim presence, especially shot blocking, can be used to their advantage.

Jalen Johnson has turned into a star, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, and teaming with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a nearly 21-point-per-game scorer, the Knicks will have their hands full against one of the best distributing teams in the league. The addition of Jonathan Kuminga should help, especially when Atlanta struggles in the half-court. But the Hawks must run the Knicks out of the gym to have a chance, but they might not have the offensive firepower to stay in the series.

Prediction: Knicks in five

Knicks vs hawks Series schedule: TV, stream information

• Game 1: Atlanta at New York, Saturday, April 18, 6 p.m., Prime Video
• Game 2: Atlanta at New York, Monday, April 20, 8 p.m., NBC, Peacock
• Game 3: New York at Atlanta, Thursday, April 23, 7 p.m., Prime Video
• Game 4: New York at Atlanta, Saturday, April 25, 6 p.m., NBC
• Game 5: Atlanta at New York, Tuesday, April 28, TBD, (if necessary)
• Game 6: New York at Atlanta, Thursday, April 30, TBD (if necessary)
• Game 7: Atlanta at New York, Saturday, May 2, TBD (if necessary)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs Hawks NBA playoffs prediction, schedule, matchups, analysis

It feels like the difference between the NBA’s regular season and playoffs becomes more stark every year. While high-scoring games and tanking talk dominated the national discourse over the league’s 82-game slog, there was quietly a fascinating championship race bubbling beneath the surface. There are several viable contenders in both conferences this season, and if the play-in tournament is any indication, the product is going to be so much more competitive and engaging than the regular season ever was.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the playoffs as the favorites to win it all, and they’re fighting against the recent history of the league to do it. No team has won back-to-back championships since Kevin Durant was on the Golden State Warriors back in 2017 and 2018. OKC has the likely MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with the league’s best defense, but occasional outside shooting woes and lingering injuries to co-star Jalen Williams make the Thunder vulnerable.

The San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets are both dreaming of winning it all behindx their superstar big men Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. The race in the East is even more wide open with the top four teams in the playoff bracket all believing they have what it takes to reach the 2026 NBA Finals.

With the playoffs about to get underway, let’s rank every team in the field by their championship chances. We’ll update this story with the two No. 8 seeds once those are decided in the final round of the play-in tournament.

14. Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time in five years, and they have a strong foundation to continue growing for the future. Portland has a burgeoning star creator in Deni Avdija and a defense that ranked No. 3 in the league since the All-Star break. Avdija’s ability to take bumps on his drives to the rim and consistently get to the foul line gives this team a chance to generate consistent offense when everything else fails. Donovan Clingan feels like a star in the making for his rebounding and rim protection, but he’s about to have his hands full against Victor Wembanyama in the first round. I think Portland can take a game off the Spurs, but I’d be surprised with anything more than that.

13. Los Angeles Lakers

It’s a shame that the Lakers will head into the offseason without knowing how good this team truly is. Luka Doncic’s hamstring strain and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain will decimate Los Angeles’ chances in the playoffs with both expected to miss the start of their first-round series against Houston, if not the entire thing. LeBron James is the focal point once again for the Lakers, but he just doesn’t have enough help to advance even if Houston can get caught in the mud offensively. I would have picked the Lakers to win this series with Doncic and Reaves healthy, but that’s not the case, so I have to go with the Rockets.

12. Toronto Raptors

The Raptors deserve a lot of credit for jumping from 30 wins to 46 wins on the back of an elite defense. Scottie Barnes has taken a real leap on both ends, the Brandon Ingram addition has worked out reasonably well, and the front office has hit the jackpot with some value free agent signings (Sandro Mamukelashvili) and second-round picks (Jamal Shead). The catch with Toronto’s turnaround is they still can’t beat a good team, with most of their wins coming by taking care of business against bottom-feeders. The Raptors at least know who they are as a team, which should work to their advantage in a first-round series against a new-look Cleveland team that’s still coming together after the trade deadline. I’d be surprised if Toronto wins a series, but they should keep things competitive if nothing else.

11. Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid’s health has haunted the 76ers on just about every playoff run of his career, and it’s happening again. Embiid is sidelined after having his appendix removed earlier this month, but Philly didn’t need him to earn the No. 7 seed in the East by beating the Magic in the play-in. Tyrese Maxey has had a special season, and he can take over any game in crunch-time even if the Boston Celtics have some ideal defenders to throw on him. Embiid miraculously returning to peak form would give Philly a chance in this series, but Boston still feels like a comfortable favorite to advance, even if it takes six games.

10. Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks traded Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis ahead of the deadline, and suddenly morphed into one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Since the deadline, Atlanta ranks No. 6 in the league in net-rating, outscoring opponents by 7.4 points per 100 possessions. The New York Knicks have more talent on paper, but the Hawks are playing such good ball on both ends that there’s a real chance for an upset. Atlanta has the bodies to throw at Jalen Brunson on the perimeter, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels getting the assignment most of the series. Alexander-Walker will also be counted on to produce offensively as he shares the creation burden with C.J. McCollum. The fun thing about the Hawks is that almost everyone in the lineup can attack off the dribble, and it should put a Knicks team with a couple weak links defensively in an uncomfortable position. I still like New York to advance, but it won’t be easy.

9. Houston Rockets

The Rockets felt like they would be toast in the first round of the playoffs for most of the second half of the season, but a strong closing kick plus a favorable matchup against a Lakers team missing its two best players gives Houston a reason to believe. The Rockets aren’t the same team without injured starters Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet, but there’s still a pathway to advancing here. Kevin Durant has put up an All-NBA caliber year at age-37, and he’s again going to have to carry the offense for long stretches in this series. Alperen Sengun is a workhorse in the middle who should have his way with Deandre Ayton. Amen Thompson could be a breakout candidate with elite defense and transition scoring, but there are questions about his halfcourt offense. It’s hard to believe we’re getting another KD vs. LeBron series in 2026 — it would just be a lot more fun if everyone else around them was healthy.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves

Wolves vs. Nuggets might be the best rivalry in the NBA at this point as the two teams prepare for their third playoff series in four years. The Wolves remain something of a mystery even after 82-games with recent injuries to Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels, the trade deadline acquisition of Ayo Dosunmu, and the integration of Bones Hyland into a real rotation piece. Minnesota is still an elite defensive team with Rudy Gobert on the floor, posting a 109.4 defensive rating in his minutes that would have ranked third in the league. Of course, Nikola Jokic poses unique problems even for the league’s best defenders, and it feels like Minnesota’s only real chance is if it’s offense reaches levels it hasn’t hit during the regular season. Edwards will have to play at his best level to give Minnesota a chance, but the Wolves also need Julius Randle to repeat his inspired playoff run last year, and for Dosunmu and Naz Reid to stay hot as shooters. It feels like a long-shot the Wolves can win this series, but it’s hard to discount them after back-to-back conference finals trips.

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs traded Darius Garland for James Harden at the deadline to become bigger, tougher, and more durable for the playoffs. Harden turned in another All-NBA caliber season at age-36, but it’s hard to trust him in the playoffs after so many high profile failures. Cleveland’s biggest issue is that the team just hasn’t really been healthy all season, but it finally seems like they should have all their key pieces for this run. Harden has helped take Jarrett Allen’s offense to the next level, and their pick-and-roll combination could determine Cleveland’s offensive ceiling just as much as Donovan Mitchell’s shot-making. The Cavs’ defense has been a little spotty, and keeping Toronto in check in transition will be a good gauge of their overall level. It feels like the Cavs could be in for more changes if they go bust on this run (a LeBron reunion, anyone?), but there’s still significant upside here if it all comes together.

6. New York Knicks

The Knicks have tons of talent, but often leave their fans wanting a little bit more. The starting lineup has essentially played teams even for two years, and that’s not good enough given the cap space and future assets devoted to that grouping. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns should be a deadly pick-and-roll combination, and they’ve started to look a bit more in-tune to end the season. Miles McBride is back from injury and offers some sorely needed shot-making upside and lineup versatility. Mitchell Robinson always feels like an injury waiting to happen, but his offensive rebounding is dominant and can change a series. I want to see how the Knicks can defend against Atlanta’s transition offense and unpredictable pick-and-roll combinations. I want to see if Brunson and KAT can stay on the floor defensively together in the game’s biggest moments. The Knicks can absolutely win the East, but it feels like they should have been the favorite given preseason expectations, and I can’t confidently say that’s the case.

5. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons’ worst-to-first story is absolutely incredible. Two years ago, Detroit won 14 games. This season? 60 games and the No. 1 seed in the East. Cade Cunningham is back from a collapsed lung, and should be ready to carry this team in tough moments. The star point guard has a lot on his plate because Detroit just doesn’t have much shooting or halfcourt creation around him. The Pistons spent the regular season developing the league’s deepest bench, and players like Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed are about to be in the spotlight for big minutes. Jaren Duren needs to prove his offensive explosion can translate to playoff settings, while the wing combination of Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland must prove they are ready for primetime so early in their careers. Detroit’s model of an elite defense and a superstar guard worked pretty well for the Thunder in their championship run last season. A lack of trust in the offense is the one thing holding me back from picking Detroit to make the Finals, but they have as good a chance as anyone in the East.

4. Boston Celtics

Raise your hand if you believed the Celtics would be in for a gap year as Jayson Tatum recovered from a torn Achilles. I’m ashamed to admit I thought so, too. Instead, the Celtics enter the playoffs as the Eastern Conference favorites, with Tatum back in the lineup and a young and more athletic supporting cast around him. Joe Mazzulla got the most out of the patchwork front court, and now Neemias Queta needs to cement his breakout season in the playoffs. Jaylen Brown’s career year will also be under the microscope on this run, as will the shot distribution between him and Tatum late in close games. Derrick White getting hot with his shot would change everything for Boston, but he’s still somehow an elite player even when his jumper is cold. Boston’s offense always hunts great shots, and the defense is even tougher with Tatum happy to do the dirty work. This isn’t the best Celtics team of the Jays era, but it’s still damn good, and maybe even the best in the East.

3. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs’ preseason win total was set at 44.5 games by Vegas. Instead, San Antonio won 62 games and forced some uncomfortable questions about whether Victor Wembanyama is already the best player in the world. The Spurs put the rest of the NBA on alert by beating defending champion Thunder three straight times in Dec., and they kept rolling from there. Wembanyama is a problem without a solution for opponents; there are times where I think he’s the most talented player in league history thanks to his 8-foot wingspan, elite speed and coordination, high motor, and burgeoning skill. San Antonio was widely expected to have shooting questions around their young French superstar, but that didn’t really matter much as Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, and Devin Vassell all hit at least 38 percent from deep. The spotlight will be on Stephon Castle to prove himself as a future All-Star, and there are some questions about how his physical two-way player translates without proven shooting ability. The Spurs finally put a good supporting cast around Wemby just as he reached a new level of dominance. This team is absolutely going to win championships eventually, but there are a couple veteran teams in front of them that I think will be hard to get past this year.

2. Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic has been the best player in the world since the dawn of the 2020s, and this playoff run is shaping up to be a golden opportunity to continue adding to his legendary resume. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander feels like he’s finally started to pull away Jokic’s crown, and Wembanyama is coming for it if he doesn’t already have it. Jokic is simply too good of a player to retire with only one championship, and this is a real chance to win another one. The Nuggets improved their depth over the offseason, which came in handy as they were hit by a rash of injuries to key rotation pieces during the regular season. As the bench developed, Jamal Murray solidified his place as a worthy second banana by turning in the best season of his career. We’ve seen Murray have killer playoff runs before, and he feels primed for one this year. The health of Aaron Gordon and to a lesser extent Peyton Watson could determine Denver’s ceiling. If they can beat the Wolves, a potential second round matchup with the Spurs is looming, and the winner likely gets the Thunder. It’s an incredibly difficult road just to get to the Finals, but Denver has the offensive ceiling to do it. Will they defend enough? Will they stay healthy? Denver still has some questions to answer, but if it all comes together, it still has championship upside.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder felt like a potential dynasty after winning the championship last season, and now the basketball world is about to see if they’re up for it. OKC’s championship defense is every bit as good as it was a year ago. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander almost feels unstoppable at this point: he’s slippery enough to get wherever he wants with his handle, long enough to shoot over anyone, and his knockdown touch on mid-range pull-ups is suddenly now extending beyond the three-point line. Every other piece on the Thunder plays their role to support SGA, and there are multiple members of this supporting cast destined for stardom in their own right. Chet Holmgren is an elite two-way big with excellent rim protection and the perimeter skill of a wing. Cason Wallace is growing into a lockdown defender, and Ajay Mitchell is developing into the supplementary ball handler OKC needs when Shai sits. The shooting can be a little bit spotty, and Jalen Williams missing most of the season to this point is certainly unnerving. It’s easy to forget that the Thunder really didn’t look all that dominant on their playoff run last season, getting the benefit of opponent injury luck in their two toughest series. Still, this defense will travel in any matchup, they won’t have to play Denver or San Antonio until the conference finals, and SGA really is tracking as an all-time great. The Thunder are good enough to break the NBA’s no repeats streak. It’s going to take a Herculean effort to stop them.

There’s a strange, almost cruel symmetry to the way this first-round series between the Rockets and the Lakers has taken shape.

Three weeks ago, the Lakers looked like one of the NBA’s best teams, on the precipice of making a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, the Rockets were stumbling through March grasping for something to hold onto.

Now the roles have reversed, violently.

The Lakers limp into the postseason missing their top two scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — that’s nearly 60 points per game gone like smoke.

The Rockets enter the playoffs soaring, winners of nine of their last 10 games. They’ve rediscovered their identity, and it starts and ends on the defensive end.

The Lakers will try to hold onto the rope long enough for their two stars to try to come back later in the series. Until then, here are some of the matchups to look for:

LeBron vs the Machine

The Lakers’ only chance of getting past Houston without Doncic and Reaves hangs on the back of a 41-year-old LeBron James.

Houston won’t treat him like a king. The Rockets will treat him like the head of the snake. Stop him and let the role players try to beat you. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Houston has a lot of players on its roster who can do that.

Let’s start with Amen Thompson — long, relentless and unapologetically physical. He finished fifth for NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, and we expect another top-five finish this year. Thompson will take on the assignment of guarding James straight up at times, stripping away the need for help defense thereby allowing the rest of the players to stay home on their assignments.

When Thompson’s not on LeBron, the Rockets can also throw 6-foot-11 forward Jabari Smith Jr. on him with his over 7-foot wingspan. If they want a different look, Houston coach Ime Udoka can also put 6-8 physical forward Tari Eason on him.

Alperen Sengun vs DeAndre Ayton: The Battle Beneath

In a series defined by perimeter defenders and NBA legends, the most important matchup in the series might happen in the paint.

Turkish big man Alperen Sengun is now a fulcrum. He’s a two-time All-Star and a problem in the paint who demands constant attention. The assignment of guarding him belongs to former No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton.

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In his first season with the purple and gold, Ayton has been inconsistent, his focus and effort drifting at times — until recently. The last six weeks have offered a glimpse into what he can be when he’s engaged, physical, present and focused.

Ayton has the most difficult assignment of any Lakers player. Rebound everything. Keep the Rockets off the offensive glass. Contain Sengun as much as he can, be the rim defender when the Lakers switch to a zone defense and run the pick and roll with James and Luke Kennard in order to make a dent on offense as well.

Different Defensive Looks and Disruption

Not an individual matchup, but we expect the Lakers to give the Rockets different looks on defense throughout the series. The team frustrated its opponents throughout the season by switching to a zone defense during games. We expect some zone looks in this series as well.

Houston isn’t a strong 3-point shooting team outside of Reed Sheppard, which could allow the Lakers to play zone sometimes and dare the Rockets to beat them from distance. They also want to disrupt passing lanes, force turnovers and blitz Kevin Durant. Blitzing Durant when he had the ball worked in their last two matchups in Houston. In their first matchup March 16, they erased a six-point halftime deficit by blitzing Durant and holding him scoreless the entire second half until a last-second layup in garbage time.

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The Rockets have one of the slowest paces of play and will want to slow down the game and grind it to a halt in the half court. The Lakers, meanwhile, need chaos and to get out in transition. Quick strikes before the Rockets’ defense can even set up.

Houston will need Sheppard’s 3-point shooting in this series, but when he’s on the floor, look for LeBron and the Lakers to hunt him on defense. Drag him into screens. Force switches. Attack.

LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant: The Last of the Mohicans

Durant is the quiet storm that hovers over this series. Houston’s elite perimeter defenders allow Durant to expend his energy on the offensive end of the floor, where he can take over entire games.

The Lakers will likely throw the smaller Marcus Smart and stronger Rui Hachimura at him, hoping the combination can disrupt his rhythm. LeBron will even guard him at times as well. Help will inevitably come. It has to. But every second defender you throw at Durant allows someone else to be wide open.

If Houston finds those players and they make those shots, the Lakers are in big trouble.

Expect James to have the ball in his hands most of the time on offense, hunting mismatches and forcing Houston to make tough decisions. On defense, LeBron will lurk, providing help on Durant.

This might be the final chapter between LeBron and Durant and who wins the individual battles could be the player who leads his team to victory in the series.

Game 1 on Saturday will go a long way to decide who will win the series. Both teams will try to set the tempo early and impose their will. Houston has the momentum, the depth and the defense that travels.

The Lakers have LeBron, shooting and the hope that if they hold onto the rope long enough, Doncic and Reaves can return to rescue them later in the series.

We’re about 24 hours away from game one! Before the Minnesota Timberwolves begin on their postseason quest, let’s review their performance throughout the 82-game regular season. We had 42 voters chime in on their player grades as well as what they think will happen in the playoffs in…

Canis Pulsus Vol. 48 – Final Report Card & Playoff Predictions

(Note: Canis Pulsus Vol. 48 data was collected through 4/15)

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Anthony Edwards

A- (47.6%)

Quarter 1: A- (47.1%)
Semester 1: A (40.3%)
Quarter 3: A- (34%)

Ant finishes the season with an A- grade, right around where he was all season. It feels like while Edwards leveled up in certain areas of his game, while there’s still some glaring holes in other areas. Worst of all, this was the most amount of games he’s missed in a season. He missed 21 games with a good chunk of those coming near the end of the season. As they say, the Wolves will only go as far as Ant can take them.

Full voting results:

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Julius Randle

B (33.3% each)

Quarter 1: B+ (38.2%)
Semester 1: A / B+ (31.9% each)
Quarter 3: B (28%)

If you had to plot Julius Randle’s effectiveness throughout the season, it would look like a damn seismograph. High peaks early, immediately turning into low valleys, spiking up and down the rest of the way. Randle almost got the Andrew Wiggins “The Best Ability to Availability” award had he not been shut down for the final three games of the season for rest. His Hyde and Jekyll tendencies will be a huge factor in the postseason.

Full voting results:

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Jaden McDaniels

B+ (34.1% each)

Quarter 1: A- / B+ (35.3%)
Semester 1: A / A- (31% each)
Quarter 3: A- (34%)

It felt like Jaden was having a career-best season, especially early on. Despite some regression later in the year, Slim still finished with career-highs in scoring, shooting, and playmaking. The consistency must improve if he truly wants to emerge as that long-term second star next to Ant that many are hoping for. Perhaps most importantly, his mental game must keep improving. We had a fair share of “Jaden getting lost in the game” due the return of foul issues or other shenanigans.

Full voting results:

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Rudy Gobert

B+ (31%)

Quarter 1: B+ (35.3%)
Semester 1: A (33.3%)
Quarter 3: A (28%)

Rudy finished the season as the league-leader in field goal percentage. He was fairly consistent and reliable as that “floor raiser” the Wolves have become used to. Gobert will surely end up on another All-Defensive team after a solid season. Opponents keep trying him in isolation situations, and they keep failing. Rudy did struggle at the charity stripe this season though, reverting to his first sub-60% season in 10 years.

Full voting results:

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Donte DiVincenzo

B (35.7%)

Quarter 1: B (35.3%)
Semester 1: B (34.7%)
Quarter 3: B+ (36%)

The real Mr. 82 has been solidly “good” all season. Sometimes great, sometimes not so much, but for the most part, consistent. Donte saw a spike in playing time this season, averaging a career-high 30.4 minutes per game. He launched and sank more three-pointers than he did in his first season with Minnesota, but the efficiency has ticked down at all three levels. No matter how his stroke is feeling, the Big Ragu always is going to put his body on the line and make the hustle plays.

Full voting results:

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Ayo Dosunmu

A (42.9%)

Quarter 3: B+ (28%)

Ayo received the highest grade of any player and it’s much deserved. In just 26 games with the Wolves, Dosunmu notched 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on elite shooting splits (.521/.414/.925). He has simply been amazing and will hopefully be a part of the Timberwolves organization for a long, long time. He’s truly one of the biggest X-factors for Minnesota in their postseason run.

Full voting results:

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Naz Reid

B(50%)

Quarter 1: B- (35.3%)
Semester 1: B (40.8%)
Quarter 3: B+ (34%)

What a rollercoaster of a season it’s been for Naz. It began with a really tough start to the season on the heels of a heart-breaking family tragedy. He eventually found his form as the year progressed, but has been dealing with a bevy of injuries recently. Naz is trying to get right before the postseason starts because he will play a big role in Minnesota’s success.

Full voting results:

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Kyle Anderson

B+ (31.7%)

The Wolves welcomed back their Chinese-Jamaican King! SlowMo has been deployed early and often by Coach Finch. After playing just 24 of 57 possible games this season between Utah and Memphis, Anderson played in 19 of 21 possible games with Minnesota. He’s picked up almost exactly where he left off on the defensive end of the court. You can bet he’s going to see the court during the postseason.

Full voting results:

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Mike Conley

C- (28.6%)

Quarter 1: C (29.4%)
Semester 1: C- (23.9%)
Quarter 3: C (30.6%)

Minnesota Mike played in 46 of the Wolves first 60 games, which included a 2-3 week vacation during the NBA trade deadline. Then he essentially received 12 straight healthy scratches after that. Conley has since found opportunities on the court amid Minnesota’s injury spell, and he has taken advantage of those opportunities. Most importantly, he’s hit 45.2% of his three-pointers after shooting just 31.1% earlier in the season. Can he have one more magic (Mike) moment in the playoffs?

Full voting results:

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Bones Hyland

B (29.3%)

Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: B+ (30%)
Quarter 3: B / B- (26.5% each)

Bones has been a revelation for the Wolves this year. Not quite as consistent or versatile as the other half of Twin Turbos, Hyland has provided much-needed bench scoring amid Naz Reid’s struggles. He’s having the most efficient season scoring the ball and is a spark plug that galvanizes both his teammates and fans. The Skelly Celly has also taken a grip around all of Minnesota.

Full voting results:

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Jaylen Clark

C (23.8%)

Quarter 1: B+ (21.2%)
Semester 1: B- (31.9%)
Quarter 3: C (22%)

There were a lot of high hopes for Clark County’s role this year. The defensive hole that Nickeil Alexander-Walker left behind was one that many thought Clark could step into, and despite some early season success, has found himself in a bit of a doghouse. Finch has only played Jaylen in 14 of the team’s final 22 games, and under 10 minutes in half of those games. The infamous stat of the Wolves record when Clark plays 15 minutes of more concludes at 20-5, for now.

Full voting results:

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Terrence Shannon Jr.

B (24.4%)

Quarter 1: C+ (26.5%)
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete

TJ Shannon, similar to Clark, was expected to have a significant role with the Wolves this season. Unfortunately, he floundered early. He received just a C+ grade for the Quarter 1 Progress Report, then went missing in action due to a nagging foot injury for the next two quarters of the season. Shannon finished with a bang in this final quarter. Well, more like his final three games, where he averaged 27.3 points on 55.6% shooting from the floor. TJ sunk 3.3 threes and 7.3 free throws during that stretch, just a glimpse of his full potential.

Full voting results:

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Joan Beringer

B (26.2%)

Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: B+ (30%)
Quarter 3: B (22%)

The 19-year-old Frenchman appeared in 40 regular season games, but just double-digit minutes in seven of those games. Finch has been very selective with how he’s deployed the rookie much to the fans chagrin. There’s been enough flashes to be optimistic about his near-term and long-term future. Joan dominated by averaging a double-double in 11 G League games with Iowa, so hopefully we can see him continue next season with Minnesota.

Full voting results:

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Joe Ingles

A+ (33.3%)

Quarter 1: Incomplete
Semester 1: Incomplete
Quarter 3: Incomplete

Joe Ingles played basketball! Well, 5.7 minutes in 27 games may not seem like much, that’s actually more than the 19 games he appeared in a season ago. Joe is always bringing the good vibes and as the kids say, “Unc still got it!” In his only non-garbage time game of the season, Ingles posted 15 points, 6 boards, and 10 assists against the Pelicans in game 82! A+ for Joe.

Full voting results:

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Rocco Zikarsky / Julian Phillips/ Enrique Freeman / Zyon Pullin

Incomplete

The three two-way players and Julian Phillips each had strong seasons and performances with the Iowa Wolves, helping them end their 11-year playoff drought. They didn’t have any true opportunities to play a meaningful role with the Timberwolves, but if you want to hear more about their seasons, check out my Iowa Wolves coverage.

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Coaching staff

B (38.1%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)
Semester 1: B+ (33.8%)
Quarter 3: B+ (30%)

Every year, we hear the “Fire Finch” chants. Every year, he proves how silly that would’ve been. This hasn’t been a banner regular season for Chris Finch, but is it all his fault? There’s fervent voices on both sides of this argument, but he has notched the same record with the Wolves as he did last season. There’s been considerably more injuries and roster losses, though many still thought Minnesota should’ve taken a step forward.

Full voting results:

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Front office

A (28.6%)

Quarter 1: B (29.4%)
Semester 1: A- (31.9%)
Quarter 3: A (28.6%)

The front office did a great job at the trade deadline and putting together the Twin Turbos. Hindsight always makes it easy to nitpick though. Choosing Naz over NAW. Choosing Rob Dillingham. But in the meantime, the Wolves still have a lot of value on their roster and have the opportunity to keep the core together long-term this summer. There may be a lot of changes in the offseason, but Tim Connelly has done well once again.

Full voting results:

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Ownership

A (26.8% each)

Quarter 1: B (26.5%)
Semester 1: A (31.9%)
Quarter 3: A / B+ (20% each)

Wolves fans finally got to enjoy the return of Kevin Garnett at Target Center. It was a beautiful night of basketball with a ton of highlights from the young guys and good vibes all around. Ownership has done their part to make fans enjoy the overall experience this season, but they may need to consider how to get them in the seats with the decline of attendance and rising prices.

Full voting results:

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What will be the result of the round one Denver Nuggets matchup?

Wolves in 7 (28.6%)

The result is not too surprising with just 59.5% of voters going with the Timberwolves. There was a dueling pair of 21.4% of votes for Wolves in 6 and Nuggets in 6. Either way, fans are expecting a long and drawn out series between two teams who are 14-14 against each other in all-time postseason games.

Full voting results:

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The key for the Timberwolves to defeat the Nuggets is…

Defense and limiting Jamal Murray

More than half the responses included locking in on the defensive end and limiting the non-Jokić players, particularly Jamal Murray. In his four regular season matchups against Minnesota this year, Murray averaged 31.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. That’s pretty good. The Wolves cannot simply rely on one of two players to slow him down though, as it will be a total team effort.

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My hot take from the Wolves-Nuggets series is…

No ice packs will be harmed this time around

In case you forgot, Jamal Murray threw objects onto the court from the bench during a live play that could’ve severely injured players, yet received nothing but a fine.

I was glad to see there was a voter who felt certain that this wouldn’t be the case this time. Some other interesting answers included:

• Jokic will not get a triple double
• TJ Shannon will provide solid bench scoring
• Jaden McDaniels will average more than 20 points per game
• Ayo will be too much for Denver to handle
• Kyle Anderson will have a triple-double
• Jamal Murray crashes out
• Chris Finch will get out coached again and his seat will be burning hot
• Core vs non-core for next season will become obvious

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With the regular season over, my feelings on the direction of the Timberwolves are…

Slightly optimistic (61.9%)

Preseason: Very optimistic (63.3%)
Quarter 1: Slightly optimistic (61.8%)
Semester 1: Very optimistic (70.8%)
Quarter 3: Slightly optimistic (54%)

There’s reason to not be overly optimistic considering the difficult task Minnesota has ahead of them. This iteration of the Wolves hasn’t stormed the league, but anything is possible in the playoffs. Will Ant, Jaden, and Naz be at close to full health? Will a fully rested Julius pay dividends? How about the debut of playoff Ayo and Twin Turbos)? There’s plenty of questions ahead.

Full voting results:

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The Minnesota Timberwolves finish the season with a 3.19 GPA, just a slight dip from their 3.26 third quarter grades. That’s still an improvement from the 3.05 they finished with last season! Thank you to all who have participated.

This season, the Spurs played the Portland Trail Blazers three times landing with a 2-1 edge over Rip City. In each of those three games, Victor Wembanyama sat out with an injury or injury management.

On November 26th, the Spurs played in Portland. Wemby was sitting out the fifth of twelve games while nursing a left calf strain.

On January 3rd, Wembanyama was sitting out his second game as a result of hyperextended left knee obtained during the New Year’s Eve matchup against the New York Knicks.

And then as the season was winding down, Victor once again sat out on April 8th with a left rib contusion after colliding with Paul George two days prior.

Portland, coming off a game-ending upset in Phoenix, secured the 7th seed and now face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

While the Spurs didn’t have much trouble with the Trail Blazers in those three games, there are some logistical considerations.

For one, Portland’s head coach is Tiago Splitter. Splitter won the 2014 NBA title with the Silver & Black, the run of which included a gentleman’s sweep of the Trail Blazers. He knows the Spurs playbook and was an adept big man, so counter strategizing will be something to watch.

With Donovan Clingan as their starting center and Robert Williams III as back up, Wemby will have his hands full on the boards as well as physically in the paint.

Portland also features Sidy Cissoko and Blake Wesley. While neither is expected to be an X-factor, never put it past a competitve player to motivate against their former team.

Over the years, the Spurs and Trail Blazers have met four times in the posteseason. The Trail Blazers got the best of the Spurs in 1990, but the Spurs have been victorious in the latter three, two of which (1999 and 2014) led to successful title runs.

History says this matchup means something.

3 out of 4 times the Spurs met the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs…

A Finals run followed.

Twice? An NBA championship. pic.twitter.com/YxKNWRLlNX

— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) April 15, 2026

Tiago Splitter was asked if he thought Manu and Boris Diaw were rooting for the Spurs or for him as he leads the Trail Blazers.

He stated that he was confident Manu was all in on the Spurs, but that he’d be better off asking Boris Diaw after a couple of glasses of wine.

Series kicks off Sunday night.

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This is the third of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks as we approach the postseason. Today’s question: what’s the most difficult matchup that the Knicks pose for the Hawks?

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Wes: Mitchell Robinson stands out to me, especially in the wake of the news that Jock Landale will be re-evaluated in two weeks from his ankle injury (effectively eliminating him from this series). He’s still arguably the best rebounder in the league (21 rebounds — eight offensive — in 38 minutes played against the Hawks this season), and his overall physicality and disruption (four blocks and four steals in those 38 minutes) has been tough for the Hawks and their thin front line to handle.

Jackson: Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT has feasted on the Hawks’ defense throughout his tenure with the Knicks, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he, not Jalen Brunson, was New York’s leading scorer in this series. Onyeka Okongwu brings nice defensive switchability for Atlanta, but his lack of size to contend with Towns and backup Mitchell Robinson around the basket could be a major Achilles heel for Atlanta in this matchup.

Malik: Mitchell Robinson without a doubt. The last time these two played, Robinson controlled the glass on both ends of the floor and the Hawks didn’t have an answer. It will be interesting to see if Jock Landale can return at some point during the series, or will Quin Snyder try to play Tony Bradley a few minutes to try to offset Robinson. 

Graham: Karl-Anthony Towns is the easy answer. He averaged 28.5 points on 63% shooting from the field to go with 13 rebounds; he just dominated this matchup and the Hawks have absolutely no good answer to contain him. And if they did manage to limit him, I have no doubt that you’d see Mitchell Robinson pick up the slack with the attention on KAT; and there’s no good answer for the Hawks for Robinson’s rebounding either – it’s just a fundamental flaw of the roster the Hawks have to find some way to limit (because I don’t think offensive rebounding/second chance scoring can be stopped in this series). Elsewhere, whoever Jalen Johnson’s matchup is, he has to win it convincingly in order for the Hawks to win this series. 

Hassan: Jalen Brunson is New York’s best player, Karl-Anthony Towns has given Atlanta problems in each of their four matchups this season, but I’m going to go with OG Anunoby, New York’s best defender and their third-banana on offensive end. Anunoby has averaged 18.3 points per game on 52.5% shooting from the field and 43.8% from deep in New York’s wins this season compared to just 13.4 points per game on 39.1% shooting from the field and 28.6% from three in their losses. Keeping him in check is going to be crucial for Atlanta to win this series. 

Jalen Johnson drew the Anunoby assignment during the regular season series against the Knicks – with Dyson Daniels guarding Jalen Brunson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker on Mikal Bridges – and held Anunoby to just 5-for-15 shooting when the two were matched up. Will this defense hold up in the postseason? 

All in all, I’m going into this series with the assumption that Brunson and KAT are going to get theirs every night, so the swing factor for Atlanta (in addition to winning the rebounding battle, as noted by my fellow writers) is going to be limiting the ‘other guys’ – and Anunoby is at the top of that list.

Jaylen Brown just put together the best season of his career and it wasn’t particularly close. Averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, Brown showed that not only can he be the number one option on a playoff team, but he can be the number one on a really good playoff team.

Now, Brown is ready to prove he can be the number one option on an NBA Finals team, maybe even a championship team.

The way he has scored the ball in bunches has been among one of the most fun things to watch on the Celtics this season. He had 35 games with 30+ points and seven 40+ point games this season, not to mention the 50 he scored against the Clippers in January.

From Day 1 of training camp, JB set the bar for this team and led them to 56 wins. Now, he has the opportunity to do it in the playoffs.

One of the things we forget about last year’s playoffs is Brown played through a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, which clearly has not bothered him this year.

He has become one of the top-10 players in the NBA this season and the moment has arrived to prove it in the playoffs.

The return of Jayson Tatum makes the Celtics good enough to win the Eastern Conference and Brown is ready to guide them to that goal. He is the offensive engine with his mid-range shots being a big boost to the team. He will take the toughest assignment on defense from time to time and set the tempo for the game that way.

All season the Celtics have gone as Jaylen Brown has gone and it has been going pretty well for Boston since the start of December. The road won’t be easy, the Celtics should win in the first round but beyond that waits the Knicks and then likely the Pistons or Cavaliers.

“Losing to the Knicks feels like death,” he said after losing to New York in the second round. “But I was taught that there’s life after death. So, we’ll get ready for whatever’s next.”

Jaylen Brown on being eliminated by the New York Knicks

“Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But I was taught that there’s life after death. So we’ll get ready for whatever’s next.” pic.twitter.com/JzwUkSB0qk

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 17, 2025

Whatever’s next has arrived. The NBA Playoffs are here and the Celtics have a real chance to make a run at the title. A lot of that depends on Jaylen Brown continuing his high play from the regular season which I have every expectation that he will do.

Jaylen Brown has emerged this season in a way that no one expected him to and has become one of the best players in the NBA. It is time for him to prove that he is just that and lead the Celtics on another deep playoff run.

Who would you rather have in a Game 7: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić or Victor Wembanyama?

Wemby will no doubt be the answer to this question at some point in the (perhaps not-too-distant) future. But for now, I defer to those with at least some playoff experience. For my money, Jokić still reigns supreme as the best player alive, and for that reason, he’s my pick. CDL

Jokić. Not since peak Shaq has there been an offensive force this inevitable. He’s in the top 10 ever, already. 6ft 11in, 284lb, unguardable. Guard’s mind, center’s mass, wing’s skill. Makes everyone around him better, putting a battery in their back. Srećno. That’s Serbian for good luck. LE

Related: Sign up for WNBA 30: a limited run women’s basketball newsletter

There’s not a finer player on the planet right now than Jokić, who at 31 is on a course to be in my all-time top five by the time he calls it a career. You’d truly never hear the end of it if he played in New York or LA. But at the moment, in a one-off and even as a playoff debutant, I’d fancy a punt on the vertiginous upside of Wembanyama. Game 7s have a way of tilting on chaos and no one creates more of it by erasing shots, stretching defenses and warping opponents’ decision-making. If he hits his ceiling for one night, whatever that may be, it’s a fait accompli. BAG

You know what? Gimme Victor. I don’t think we’ve fully reckoned with the Jordanesque scale of his competition problem. The Frenchman spent the previous offseason training with Shaolin monks, a fact that can never be overstated. He marked the Spurs’ regular-season series triumph over the Thunder, who were threatening the 2016 Warriors’ single-season wins record, by absorbing their supporter chants and squad culture like Thanos. He remained a viable MVP candidate even while playing under a wholly legitimate minutes’ restriction. Put all that in a 7ft 4in alloy of Steph off the dribble and Shaq in the paint and, sure, I’ll take my chances. AL

Team that will be most missed in these playoffs

Call me nostalgic, but I’m still pining for last season’s Indiana Pacers. It seems cruel and unusual that we had that team ripped from us in such dramatic and devastating fashion, and a playoffs without the scintillating Tyrese Haliburton and his never-say-die supporting cast is an objective downgrade. CDL

Missed – as in absent? The Lakers are technically in the playoffs, but not really: Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are gone, and so is any illusion of the team being at full strength. LeBron James, once again, will drag what’s left of the roster for as long as it lasts, maybe for the final time in LA. LE

It’s Miami for me. Only three teams seeded fifth or worse have managed to scratch their way into the NBA finals since 2000. Six teams ever. Two of them were Erik Spoelstra joints: the 2020 and 2023 Heat. Even in down years, there’s an institutional culture in South Beach seemingly lab-made for postseason mayhem: adaptive, opportunistic, built for disorder. The East side of the bracket just feels less dangerous without Coach Spo scheming another batch of role players into playoff giant-killers. BAG

It still smarts to be denied the chance to see this newly emboldened version of Miami’s Bam Adebayo who can apparently go for 83 points on any given night. It further feels especially cruel that the Hornets got to play on after LaMelo Ball’s dirty defense on Adebayo in their play-in matchup on Tuesday – though Ball was fined, which, I suspect, comes as little consolation to Spoelstra’s crew. AL

High seed at risk of going out early

Conventional wisdom would say this is the Lakers, and that’s probably the correct pick. But it feels a little too obvious to choose the team who lost their top two scorers, Dončić and Reaves. So keep an eye on the second-seeded Spurs. They’re set to face the winner of Nuggets-Timberwolves in round two, and if that’s Denver, I’d pick the more experienced team to survive and advance. CDL

Interactive

The top-seeded Pistons, although this hinges on Charlotte making it through as the No 8 seed in Friday night’s play-in. Matchups are fate. Detroit can’t trade twos for threes with a Hornets team carrying the greatest shooting rookie ever and a pack of dawgs. That series could turn into carnage, fast. LE

I’m afraid it’s the Knicks. The first-round series with Atlanta is dicier than a 3-6 matchup suggests. The Hawks’ length, shooting and post-All-Star surge make them dangerous floaters who have already shown they can push New York to the brink in three tightly wound regular-season contests, including last week’s barn-burner played at playoff intensity. If Jalen Brunson gets crowded by Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Knicks’ deeper supporting cast stalls, it could get late early in Gotham. BAG

How about the Knicks drawing the short straw against Atlanta, one of the league’s most improved teams after the All-Star break? More impressively, the Hawks did so after turning over the core of their roster, making this a far trickier matchup for New York, who were lucky to make it out of Atlanta last week with a three-point win and keep themselves in the driver’s seat for the No 3 seed. The back-and-forth between Brunson and CJ McCollum has the potential to be box-office stuff. AL

Long shot to win

Take a walk with me, if you will, down Pigs-flying-with-dodo-birds Lane. An NBA folk tale for the ages: LeBron James, one last time, puts a woefully ill-equipped team on his back, for one round ... just long enough to facilitate the return of Dončić and Reaves from injury. The Lakers then go on a memorable playoff run, lift the trophy and send James into retirement as a five-time champion. Is it likely? No. Would it be fun? The most. CDL

The Spurs. I called it pre-season. They’re ahead of schedule now, but Wemby sniffing a title in year three tells you what he is already. Around him: a swarm of fearless two-way wings and guards, a swarm of killer instinct. LE

The Pistons. Can a No 1 seed that paced the Eastern Conference for the final 157 days of the regular season really be considered a long shot? When the oddsmakers are pricing them as the seventh favorite to win the title, the answer is yes. Nobody seems to believe in Detroit’s youth movement, even after the third 60-win season in the team’s 85-year history. Their edge is a workmanlike consistency: a deep, unselfish system that’s held through injuries and doesn’t beat itself. BAG

The Hawks have length, bounce and brilliant tactician in Quin Snyder – who may well have the best NBA roster he’s ever coached. What’s more, they’ve caused headaches for higher seeds in the past, pushing eventual champion Milwaukee to six games in the 2021 conference finals and spooking Boston in similar fashion in the 2023 first round. AL

Most important player this postseason

Jokić will, once again, face a gargantuan task. To get to the finals, he will probably have to overcome the thorn in his side that is the Timberwolves, take down Wemby and a red-hot Spurs team, and, ultimately, dethrone the reigning champions. But I believe if anyone is capable of such a task, it’s the Serbian superstar. CDL

Gilgeous-Alexander. If his MVP trajectory falters – or worse, he’s injured – it derails OKC’s ascendent dynasty and throws the field into chaos, where anyone can bag the crown. LE

Wembanyama. The 22-year-old from the Paris suburbs was breathlessly hyped as the NBA’s best prospect since LeBron when he was still a gangly teenager, but he’s somehow managed to exceed those expectations while growing mentally, physically (he’s 7ft 5in now?!) and even spiritually. The Spurs have emerged as a trendy pick to win it all after besting the Thunder in four of their five regular-season meetings and their cheat code at center remains the biggest potential spanner in the defending champs’ repeat bid. BAG

Narratively, it’s Anthony Edwards. The Minnesota star already shown he can drag a team deep into the playoffs, albeit with a roster that hadn’t yet peaked. But if he can manage the trick again – with a thinner supporting cast, in a return to the sixth seed – it sure would make a helluva statement. AL

Eastern Conference finals

Knicks over Pistons. CDL

Knicks over Pistons. LE

Pistons over Celtics. BAG

Celtics over Pistons. AL

Western Conference finals

Thunder over Nuggets. CDL

Spurs over Thunder. LE

Thunder over Spurs. BAG

Thunder over Spurs. AL

Your NBA champion will be ...

At the risk of dampening intrigue, I really do think the Thunder are likely to be repeat champions. They got healthy at the right time, their chemistry appears to be at an all-time high, SGA is favorite to win MVP and for some unknowable reason, Daryl Morey gift-wrapped them yet another perfectly suited bench player in Jared McCain. The Nuggets will give them a run for their money in the conference finals, but ultimately, I just can’t pick against this Thunder machine. CDL

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The Knicks. They already bloodied Boston and Detroit in last year’s playoffs. There’s the revenge for 1999 angle; even the Spurs don’t scare them. OKC, young and brilliant, wilt under MSG’s big city lights. Brunson, born to play basketball, takes the Knicks to the promised land, achieving sainthood. For a fanbase title-starved for more than five decades, this is more than a championship run. We’re talking generational spiritual repair, the kind people chase in deserts, dreams and God. LE

The Thunder. Let the dynasty chatter begin. Oklahoma City are the most complete team with the deepest rotation in the most adaptable system. There are no weak points to attack. SGA is the MVP-caliber talent who anchors everything, but it’s the collective that makes them overwhelming. They can win fast or slow, big or small, ugly or pretty. The question now is whether anyone can consistently disrupt them. The Spurs managed it in the regular season, but knocking OKC out of the playoffs will require near-perfect basketball for four quarters, four times. I wouldn’t bet on it. BAG

The Celtics. Less than a year after Jayson Tatum went down with a ruptured achilles and threw Boston’s future in doubt, he roars back and leads the Celtics to their 19th championship, rekindling dynasty talk and putting the rumors of unrest between him and Jaylen Brown to rest for good. Joe Mazzulla, now undeniably a mad genius, celebrates by getting a pet wolf – but his wife says he can’t keep it in the house. So the Celtics build a habitat outside the Garden, and fans make a tradition out of hurling the jerseys of their vanquished rivals, putting a basketball spin on the idea of being “thrown to the wolves”. AL

The turn this Lakers’ season took, it should go down as one of the franchise’s great what-ifs, coulda-woulda-beens, we’ll-never-knows …

Shared regret for a legion of Lakers fans who were, for the full 15-2 month of March, vibing with their team, screaming excitedly like 6-year-olds and riding hard on the MVP campaign trail for Luka Doncic.

But then things got twisted — Doncic’s grade 2 hamstring strain and Austin Reaves’ grade 2 oblique strain — and now it should be obvious: With two of their three best players sidelined indefinitely, we should expect the Lakers to shut the book on this season soon, unless …

Unless LeBron James can pull off the second-greatest feat of his 23-year career.

Unless he can carry the Lakers past the heavily favored Rockets in a best-of-seven series that starts Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.

Unless the Lakers’ last standing superstar — in what could be his last stand on this team or in this league, no one really knows — can hold the door long enough for Doncic and Reaves to recover and reenter the fray for Round 2.

Read more:Luka Doncic eligible for NBA's postseason awards after league, NBPA rule in his favor

Yes, the Lakers are leaning on a 41-year-old who started the season sidelined because of sciatica.

Their season rests entirely on the broad shoulders of the team’s willing third wheel.

It’s all up to the guy who capped the regular season by earning his 70th conference player of the week nod, who has won four NBA titles and three gold medals, but who wouldn’t have been able to finish the first round last postseason if it had taken the Minnesota Timberwolves more than five games to beat the Lakers. Recall, James suffered a grade 2 sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the deciding loss.

So you shouldn’t hold your breath. But you also shouldn’t count out LeBron; the kid from Akron has beaten the odds before.

He would tell you he’s been beating them the whole time, coming from where he started to where he is now, a billionaire basketball player-slash-businessman, he’s scored more points than anyone, ever. He makes history every time he steps on the court, including sometimes with his son Bronny.

If the famous meme is to be believed, even LeBron can’t believe this is his life.

He does, however, believe he’s the G.O.A.T.

Said so in a 2018 episode of ESPN’s “More Than An Athlete” as he reflected on leading the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals two years earlier: “I was like, ‘That one right there made you the greatest player of all time.’”

No team had won more regular-season games than Stephen Curry’s squad in 2016. And no team had rebounded from a 3-1 deficit in the championship round until LeBron’s Cavaliers. That was largely thanks to his back-to-back 41-point efforts in Games 5 and 6, and his meeting the moment in Game 7, when he scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and had the iconic, series-saving chase-down block that set up Kyrie Irving’s game-winner.

A beat-up, fourth-seeded Lakers team beating the ascending, fifth-seeded Rockets in the first round won’t top that. Nothing will.

Nor will it make a difference in the great G.O.A.T. debate; if that 3-1 comeback didn’t do for you what it did for LeBron in your personal pantheon of top players, there’s no point having the conversation.

But winning this series against an athletic, physical, long Rockets team that has won nine of its last 10 games? Slot that in as the second-most impressive achievement in James’ decades-long career.

Read more:How do the Lakers match up against the Houston Rockets entering their playoff series?

Creating a real problem for Houston and doing it without Doncic, who had 36 points and 40 points, respectively, in the Lakers’ most recent victories against the Rockets?

Rebounding from dreadfully depressing injury news to knock out the NBA’s best rebounding team?

Nothing but the 3-1 comeback would come close. This would be more astonishing an accomplishment than his other three championships, including the one with the Lakers in the challenging confines of the Orlando bubble.

It would rank higher than LeBron’s 45-point explosion to save the Miami Heat from elimination against the Boston Celtics in 2012, or the game in which he scored 29 of the Cavaliers’ last 30 points to topple the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. Or any other major victory on which your dart might land.

It would be that monumental of an upset. That unlikely an outcome. That epic.

And that’s why almost no one outside of the Lakers believes in them.

All six of CBS Sports’ experts picked Houston; NBA.com has the Rockets winning in five games, the Athletic has it happening in six games. Eleven of ESPN’s 12 prognosticators went with the Rockets, and the betting sites all have them as heavy favorites, with DraftKings favoring Houston by 4.5 points in Game 1 — in Los Angeles.

Let’s be real, rational thought portends the obvious: It’s a wrap.

Unless …

Unless James can juke Father Time and pull off another odds-defying dead lift for the ages.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

INDEPENDENCE — Basketball isn’t an individual sport, but you might not know that if you just watched First Take or listened to sports-talk radio. Individuals are judged solely on whether or not their teams come through in the postseason. And while that’s an important part of the conversation, one player can only do so much.

“You know the American way is championship or nothing,” Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “In our movies, we call the little kid, ‘Hey Champ.’ That’s the thing. Sure, we’d all love to win the championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re not successful.”

Few players have experienced the ridicule and criticism that comes from being a great individual player but not winning a championship more than James Harden.

Harden’s individual accomplishments over his 17-year career are astounding. He’s an 11-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA player, three-time scoring champ, two-time assist champ, Sixth Man of the Year, MVP, is ninth all-time in scoring, and he’s still adding to that resume. That should put him in the conversation for being one of the very best guards in league history, but it doesn’t for one simple reason. He hasn’t gotten it done in the postseason.

There aren’t many in the league more competitive than Harden. That’s how he’s been able to be such a high-impact player for as long as he has. Atkinson has called Harden’s dedication to the game obsessive. Someone who’s that committed to their craft wants to do everything in their power to win. But at the same time, Harden isn’t defined by the hole in his resume. He admits that he’s had a fulfilling career regardless of what happens from here.

“I’ve done so many things 95% of the world can’t even imagine,” Harden said after practice Wednesday. “I’m very, very confident. I’m happy. Life is amazing. I’ve impacted a lot of different people in a positive way. I’ve impacted the game in a positive way.”

There’s valid criticism for Harden’s playoff shortcomings. He hasn’t stepped up in the biggest moments like you’d expect someone of his caliber to do. But to pin all of his team’s losses on him is reductive. That isn’t how basketball works.

However, if you did decide to put those losses squarely on Harden, he probably wouldn’t mind.

“Honestly, I don’t care,” Harden said matter-of-factly when asked whether the forgotten context of his postseason losses bothers him. “There’s more detail and depth that I could go into as far as running up against a dynasty, injuries, that’s part of the game. There’s no excuse.”

Winning is the number one goal in sports. It’s why they play the games in the first place. But much more goes into winning than simply being the best player or having the most talented team. The margins are thin in closely contested postseason games. The difference between wins and losses can come down to inches and sometimes pure luck.

The Cavs aren’t the favorites to win the championship this season. There’s plenty of reasons to be skeptical of their postseason chances, given how little continuity this core has together. That being said, sports are weird. Anything can happen. This team has the top-end talent to piece things together and go on a magical run. And if that were to take place, no individual player’s legacy would change more than Harden’s.

But if the Cavs flame out, leaving Harden once again on the wrong end of a difficult playoff loss, that wouldn’t change who he is or his approach to the game. He’s still going to show up for training camp in the fall and do everything in his power to be ready for another deep postseason. Maybe in the end, the resiliency to keep coming back to the fight — even after things haven’t broken your way for over a decade and a half — is the mark of a true winner.

“I don’t feel bad. I don’t dwell on it. I don’t think back on it,” Harden said. “It’s part of it. It’s life. I’m sure we all could look at ourselves and think about certain things that happened over the course of our lives that just didn’t go our way, and feel bad about it. I just don’t think like that. I just keep pushing.”

The Phoenix Suns now await the Golden State Warriors tonight in Downtown Phoenix. It’s a game we didn’t want, but we got it anyway.

Phoenix finished the regular season 45-37, good for the 7th seed. Golden State finished eight games behind them at 37-45, which locked them into the 10th seed. As we all know, the Suns dropped their first play-in game to the Blazers, so they take on the winner of the 9-10 matchup.

The Warriors defeated the Clippers in a 126-121 thriller on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Steph Curry led the way with 35 points, and Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos each chipped in with 20 points each. Draymond had himself quite the defensive showcase as well. The Warriors will be a handful.

1) Are the Suns who they think they are?

The Phoenix Suns’ identity this entire season has been built on this new culture they latched onto during the offseason. Toughness. Grit. Resilliance. If they are who they think they are, this game is the time to prove it. So was the last game, but that’s in the past. Now, their backs are truly against the wall in an elimination game.

Will we get the Suns of old, or will this team show us one more time who they really are? We will learn exactly who they are one way or another tonight. It would be a LOOONG offseason if they lost this one tonight.

And this all starts with their leader, Devin Booker.

Booker needs to set the tone and protect his home floor. Getting beaten on your own court in consecutive games to get eliminated from playoff contention would be tough to live down for any star, especially considering they are the highest seed in this thing.

Dillon Brooks, this is your time to shine. Can he out-Draymond mister Green himself? These are the types of games that build legacy and reputation. Jalen Green is likely hungry for a revenge game against the Warriors. Those two (Brooks and Green) did lose to this Warriors team in the playoffs a year ago as members of the Rockets, and it’s a full circle moment as that series loss was a major reason the Durant-to-Houston trade happened in the first place.

2) Who guards Steph?

We’ve all seen what Steph can do in big games. Jordan Goodwin had his hands full with Deni in the last game; now it’s not so much a physical disadvantage he’ll have. Great news! Right? Well, instead, now he has to chase around the greatest shooter of all time.

Jordan Ott on Stephen Curry's 35-point blast in Warriors win over Clippers. “Looked like the same Steph Curry. You guard him for however many minutes you think you’re guarding him and then all the sudden, the explosion happens."

On playing small: "It's always the balance, but I… pic.twitter.com/UuglL0hxuS

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 16, 2026

But again, this isn’t a one-man job. It takes a team in sync to be connected defensively to slow someone like Steph down. Switching, hedging, helping, constant communication… disruption. All the things that made the Suns’ defense impactful all season long.

3) Small Ball?

One key matchup to watch will be the center rotation(s), especially if Mark Williams can’t go. Golden State boasts a Porzingis-Green frontcourt duo, along with veteran Al Horford off the bench. They are not afraid to play small and tend to thrive when they do. The polar opposite of the Portland team they just faced.

Oso Ighodaro will likely play a pivotal role in this one.

NEWS: Grayson Allen (left hamstring strain) AND Mark Williams (left foot soreness) are both QUESTIONABLE for tomorrow night's Play-In Tournament game against the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/qFq50bZjOP

— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) April 17, 2026

As coach Ott said above on playing small: “It’s always the balance, but I think Deni (Avdija) got in the paint no matter who we had in the game. His ability to drive is pretty unique. Tomorrow is a whole new geometry. It’s a different team the way they attack offensively. Similar, they want to shoot a bunch of 3s and how they attack is way different. They run a lot of off-ball screens to free up Curry and then they just react off of his gravity. Tomorrow will be a different challenge and in-game, you always have to be willing to adjust. You have a plan going into it. Got to be willing to adjust. Again, it’s all hands on deck.”

The rotations will be very interesting to watch in this one, as Steve Kerr and Jordan Ott play chess against one another.

4) Book must cook

There has been a lot of chatter about Devin Booker’s dud against the Blazers. He is a supermax player, so that comes with a higher standard.

I will not harp on this point too much. We all know the version of Devin Booker that we need tonight. The Warriors will throw plenty of wrinkles his way to make his life difficult, and he needs to be ready for it. Plain and simple.

Toumani Camara vs Devin Booker in the 4th quarter.

Devin Booker's average 4th Q usage% = 32.6%
In this game = 23.8%

No better defender at limiting a star's touches pic.twitter.com/Cle5PB57nc

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) April 15, 2026

5) “The Others”

The Suns and Warriors have a similar style of bench mob. Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton are there to cause chaos. Al Horford gives them a savvy vet who can stretch the floor. Gui Santos has stepped into a starting role to fill in for Jimmy Butler and shown the ability to produce in big moments. Podziemski hustles.

This is the type of game where Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie, and Royce O’Neale will need to be at their best.

To me, it feels like a perfect environment for Collin Gillespie to have a breakout game with both teams going small. Expect him to have the green light to shoot early and often. If he sees one go down early, that could be all he needs for the floodgates to open up.

That 29-8 run was the Suns' best defense in ages and it was sparked by Royce O'Neale and Collin Gillespie, the two guys that get picked on the most.

Both not only held up but upped the physicality. They needed that spark for themselves as much as the team needed it in the moment pic.twitter.com/1PXn5RUsqq

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) April 15, 2026

Let’s hope the recap I write later tonight is a positive one, and not the last of the season. Hang in there, Bright Siders. We’ve got one last chance.

The playoffs bring out something different in us. Suddenly, media and fans alike have takes they need to get on record — not because it’s right, necessarily, but because there’s a chance it might be. And if it is, well, you’ll be hearing about it for the next six months. The other 480 takes that didn’t quite land? Those quietly disappear into the void.

At CelticsBlog, we like to think we’re above that. Thoughtful. Measured. Responsible. But this time of year has a way of breaking even the strongest wills. So we gave in.

Everyone loves a hot take. Let’s hear one for the Celtics.

Jeff Clark: My hot take is that Baylor Scheierman is going to win us a game. Payton Pritchard is going to win us a series. And Derrick White is going to get us to the Finals. Then it is on the Jays to take us home.

Bill Sy: Hot take, you say? The cold, boring answer is that defense wins championships. The surface-of-the-sun take is where that D comes from. As we’ve seen all year, Mazzulla is going to task all the young wings to do some heavy lifting on that side of the ball. Expect Jalen Brunson and Cade Cunningham to get heavy doses of Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.

Rich Jensen: I don’t like hot takes. If you’d ever had the misfortune of waiting for me to decide where to eat, you’d know that I don’t make up my mind quickly. I don’t really have a hot take regarding the Celtics. But I might have a mild or medium take—one with no habaneros and only a few jalapenos. I think that the Celtics might break the tradition of tighter playoff rotations. I think that few championship caliber teams have been this deep—as evidenced by the team’s game 82 win, and I think Mazzulla might find a way to exploit that depth as the playoffs unfold.

“Everyone has a love language and mine is violence” – Joe Mazzulla

An icon that needs protected at all costs

(Via @PardonMyTake 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/OOnDdh1Ve2

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) April 15, 2026

Ian Inangelo: My hot take for the playoffs is that Nikola Vucevic has one game where he wins Boston a game with his impact off the bench like Kristaps Porzingis in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Mark Aboyoun: The Celtics don’t lose more than two games per series leading up to the Finals. Whether it’s Orlando or Philadelphia, New York or Detroit, the Celtics will win every series in six games or fewer.

Nirav Barman: Unfortunately, I’m superstitious, and I also know there are plenty of Green Teamers who see the team with shamrock tinted glasses, so I don’t have any particularly hot takes. I believe this team can hang with anyone in the league, including OKC and San Antonio. We won’t be the favorites in every matchup, but we shouldn’t be far from it, especially if Tatum and White find their strides.

Mike Dynon: This is the spiciest we can make it: Jayson Tatum will duplicate what Jaylen Brown did two years ago, winning Most Valuable Player of both the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, and leading the Celtics to yet another banner.

Ryan Paice: Queta is going to emerge as the team’s most impactful role player, even ahead of White. Especially with the lack of defensive depth at center behind Queta, I think he’s going to put up some impressive +/- numbers over the course of the playoffs and prove to be a vital key to the team’s success. His defensive impact will be noticeable at all times, both when he’s on the court swatting shots and swallowing up offensive boards, and when he’s on the bench and we have to watch teams repeatedly target Vucevic and Garza. 

White might still be the better overall player, but Queta is less replaceable on this current squad and will have a chance to show he’s a top-tier starting center in the league. I expect him to seize it.

Gio Rivera: Baylor Scheierman will make himself right at home this postseason.

That signature thumbs-up celebration will pop up often enough for the Causeway Street T-shirt vendors to get to work, rolling out a fresh design that floods North Station by the Eastern Conference Finals. Scheierman will rise to the occasion, shoot better than 45 percent from three throughout the playoffs, and even get Joe Mazzulla in on the thumbs-up celebration at some point (OK, maybe that last part is a stretch).

Grant Burfeind: Luka Garza is going to hit a huge corner three late in a tight playoff game, right in front of the opposing bench, and unleash an all-time mean mug. I can see it so clearly it’s basically a memory at this point. You’ll hear the screech of Garzilla before the ball even hits the net.

Three keys to Warriors defeating Suns in win-or-go-home NBA play-in game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

PHOENIX – Passing their first test, the Warriors’ season again comes down to one game. But this time, a win gets them into the NBA playoffs for a first-round series against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Warriors’ epic comeback road win Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA play-in tournament pushed them to Phoenix, where they will face the Suns on Friday night. The winner moves on, and the loser starts their offseason early. 

Unlike their regular-season struggles against the Clippers, the Warriors didn’t have many problems with the Suns. They went 3-1, and their only loss to them was by one point on a controversial foul call that gave the Suns free throws with 0.4 seconds left. But as the Warriors preached before their first game in the play-in tournament, the past is the past in single elimination.

How the Warriors beat the Clippers brought back memories of the good old days, telling everyone their time isn’t up quite yet. That was probably the most excited they’ve been since the last game the Warriors were in Phoenix and celebrated a crazy comeback like a Game 7 win. Two-plus months have passed, and each team is ready for another shot at one another. 

Here are three keys to the Warriors’ play-in game against the Suns.

Let It Fly 

The 3-point line played a key role in both Western Conference play-in games thus far. The Portland Trail Blazers came back to beat the Suns in a game they had a 24-point advantage from three. Both teams shot 36 percent from three, but it was the Blazers who took 22 more threes than the Suns (47 to 25) and made eight more than them (17 to nine). 

In LA, the Warriors set a record of 19 threes in a play-in game. The Warriors had five players who made multiple threes, led by Steph Curry’s seven, and the Clippers only had two players make more than one three. Golden State should be able to use the 3-ball to its advantage this game, too. 

From an accuracy standpoint, the Warriors didn’t light up the 3-point line this season against the Suns. They shot 36.2 percent, yet they also made 18 more threes than the Suns. The Warriors won the 3-point battle in all four games, and the one that was closest happened to be their one-point loss. 

The Suns’ defense was as good as it gets guarding 3-point shooters this season. Not against the Warriors, though. Let’s see what happens with the playoffs looming.

The Other Three

Warriors coach Steve Kerr kept saying going into Wednesday’s game that he was comfortable playing 10 or 11 guys. He played eight. When you wonder why the Warriors had the secret sauce to overcome the Clippers, remember that five of the eight players Kerr used have won a championship. 

The other three are Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton. Each contributed against the Clippers, and the Warriors will need that again. 

Who would have guessed Santos would score 20 points and lead the Warriors as a plus-16? The only playoff game he played real minutes in last season was a blowout loss to the Houston Rockets. The leap Santos has made now has him starting in do-or-die games as a trusted scorer. 

Podziemski also started against the Clippers. He led the Warriors in rebounds (seven), was second in plus/minus (plus-10) and third in points (17). When the Warriors last played the Suns, they held Podziemski scoreless in 12 minutes off the bench, but that isn’t the player he has been the last month and a half.

Between the three, Melton’s numbers jump out the least from last game. He’ll still be equally as needed. Melton’s defense on buckets like Devin Booker and Jalen Green can push the outcome one way or another. Nobody was better than Melton in the Warriors’ celebratory win in their most recent game in Phoenix. 

Dillon Brooks Vs. Everybody 

Specifically, Curry, Draymond Green and Kerr. 

“Steph and Draymond,” Brooks responded Thursday when asked why he wanted to play the Warriors next instead of the Clippers. “That’s it. And Steve Kerr.”

Brooks has so much beef with the Warriors that he’s been loathed by them on three different teams. That isn’t easy to do. After taking him down as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies and then the Rockets, the Warriors now get a postseason crack at him on the Suns. It starts with Curry, Green and Kerr, but the Warriors’ feelings on Brooks extend much deeper. 

It’s not like Gary Payton II will ever forget the dirty play by Brooks that broke his elbow in the 2022 playoffs. Brooks has a reputation and he doesn’t shy away from it. The Warriors will protect Curry from Brooks’ physical shenanigans, and Green will be right in the middle of the action. 

Don’t look away. Some kind of chicanery is coming to the desert. It’s up to the Warriors to let the head games fuel them into keeping their season alive.

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