Category: NBA

The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks tonight at Madison Square Garden in Game Five of their first-round playoff series, tied 2–2. The winner takes command, while the loser will return to Atlanta pondering an elimination game.

Need it be said? The Knicks are the better team. They have led for 92% of the series, not counting their stumbling in Game Three. And even in that troubled tilt, they still rallied to take a lead in the final minute and lose by a single point. If not for two one-point losses, the series would have been yesterday’s news by now.

The book on Atlanta says they play fast, distribute the ball well, generate a lot of turnovers, and make a healthy percentage of three-pointers. Our heroes handled Atlanta easily in Game Four by disrupting their perimeter shooting, limiting it to 24% (10-of-41), while making 45% of their own longballs. The Knicks kept their giveaways to 15 while forcing 19, plus outrebounded (43-38) and out-dimed (23-20 assists). Big surprise, New York had their greatest success yet when they incorporated Karl-Anthony Towns most completely. The big fella chewed up the paint, made the most of his physical advantage over Atlanta’s diminished frontcourt, and finished with a 20-10-10 triple-double (a postseason first for him). More of that, please, Coach Brown.

The longer the series goes on, the more Atlanta’s deficiencies are exposed.

CJ McCollum has averaged 24.5 points in the series while shooting 51% from the field and 33% from deep. He also has made 58% of his free throws (and we give Mitch a hard time about it? This guy’s a guard). The 34-year-old vet is a fine player and delivered some great highlights in the series. His talent is insufficient to carry his team to the promised land—and the league knows it. Remember, he was traded to the Washington Wizards (yes, throwing some shade here) last off-season.

Meanwhile, “Mr. Triple-Double” (13 this season) Jalen Johnson has averaged 19.5 points, seven boards, and 4.8 dimes this series while shooting 29% from deep. He’s totaled a -34 plus-minus. New York’s wings, especially Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, have done an excellent job guarding him. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has averaged 13.8 points across the four games, making just 18 of his 52 field goal attempts.

Atlanta’s 6’10” center Onyeka Okongwu has averaged 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds through the series, totaling a -27 plus-minus. Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga has averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and almost 29 minutes. Continuing a narrative of inconsistency, the former Warrior helped his squad in Games Two and Three, but fizzled in One and Four. When he’s focused and playing well, he can be impactful. You just never know which version you’ll get. Can you imagine what it must have been like to have both this guy and Jordan Poole on the same team? Yikes.

There’s a fair amount of hand-wringing going on about Jalen Brunson’s performance in the series. To a degree, it’s warranted. Captain Clutch has markedly looked less clutch at times against the handsy Hawks defense. Nonetheless, he’s averaged 25.5 points and 5.3 assists in the four contests and has had a positive plus-minus in each game. He’s shooting 39% from deep this postseason, which is actually two ticks higher than his season average. So, maybe a little slack is warranted? Whattayasay?

And I’d be remiss not to highlight Anunoby, averaging 20.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals this postseason. He’s been a cold-blooded beast against the Birds. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges—who’s deserved much of the ire he’s received for a poor series (7.3 points, 1.5 assists)—might have turned a corner in Game Four with better shooting and more focus in his 32 minutes. We hope he’s on the upswing. New York will need solid contributions from all its starters to make it to the Finals.

But first, they have to get past the Hawks. ESPN gives the Knicks a 73% win probability tonight. That tracks. Prediction: New York enjoys a bellyful of home cooking, slaps the Peaches silly in Game Five, and wins by eight.

Game Details

Who: New York Knicks (2-2) vs Atlanta Hawks (2-2) 
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY
TV: Peacock / NBC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

In Monday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Orlando took a 3-1 lead over Detroit with a 94-88 win, Oklahoma City knocked Phoenix out, 131-122, and Denver whipped Minnesota, 125-113.

Paolo Banchero racked up 18 points, 8 boards, and 4 assists for the Magic, while Wendell Carter had 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Jared McCain got off the bench for the Thunder, but barely. He played just one minute and took one shot, which he missed.

Tyus Jones got 14 minutes for Denver, and scored 3 points and dished out 2 assists.

Denver came into this one down 3-1, and Minnesota is really vulnerable: starting guards Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo are both out with injuries, and Naz Reid hurt an ankle in this game.

Comebacks when teams are down 3-1 are rare, but Denver has a reasonable shot at it.

• Desmond Bane, left, scored 22 points and Paolo Banchero, right, added 18 for the Orlando Magic in an NBA playoff victory over Detroit
• How Paolo Banchero, Magic powered past Pistons in Game 4
• Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero lead Magic past Pistons for statement Game 4 win
• Paolo Banchero Shows that a Future #1 Pick Can Play Multiple Sports in High School
• Wendell Carter Jr. flies in for the alley-oop slam, 04/27/2026
• Jared McCain Joins Thunder Rotation Amid Jalen Williams Injury
• Thunder fan and wife overwhelmed by cost of IVF find creative way to raise money
• Thunder’s greatest Jared McCain wish is already coming true at the perfect time
• Jared McCain Could Continue to see Elevated Role with Thunder Injury Troubles
• Jared McCain had the worst flop attempt of the NBA playoffs
• Grayson Allen beats the shot clock with a rainbow three
• What does a successful rookie season look like for Khaman Maluach?
• Nuggets take big step toward another 3-1 comeback with 125-113 win in Game 5
• Mark Kiszla: Nuggets shut yap of Howlin’ Wolf Jaden McDaniels in blowout victory

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When Marvin Bagley III came to Dallas from in the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards as the 2025-26 NBA Trade Deadline approached, he represented pure salary cap relief.

He was a letdown second overall draft pick who came off the books when the season was over. He was a key part of the Mavericks’ ticket to getting off Davis’ albatross of a contract for its remaining two years. He was an underachiever who had been done no favors with the talent surrounding him in his seven-plus NBA seasons.

The reaction to Bagley’s arrival in Dallas was a resounding “meh,” and rightly so.

But what if there’s something there? Bagley showed a budding talent for stretching the floor and the ability to finish on the break and execute at the dunker position in his 22 games with the Mavericks. He also showed off a budding 3-point stroke, shooting 48.5% from beyond the arc on his final 33 attempts. The Mavericks’ broadcast crew repeated the talking point that the coaching staff was encouraging Bagley to shoot more from the outside after he arrived. All the while, Daniel Gafford, his mate in the Mavericks’ frontcourt, was a man in the throes of full-on decline throughout Dallas’ season in the wilderness.

It all adds up to Bagley being an interesting name as the NBA offseason approaches.

Season in review

After averaging 10.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game with the Wizards for 38 games to start the year, Bagley increased his production to 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds after being traded to the Mavericks. Modest gains, to be sure, but he turned some heads in his first few games with the team and throughout the rest of the season with his knack for knocking down timely 3-pointers.

Bagley has been good from the outside for stretches at a time during his eight years in the league. When he got to Washington for the last part of the 2023-34 season, he shot 8-of-17 from deep in his first 24 games with the lowly Wizards. He was shooting just over 42% from 3-point land in the first 38 games of 2025-26, albeit on fewer attempts per game than he saw once he arrived in Dallas.

It’s at least plausible to view his stunted development as a byproduct of being on bad teams for the entirety of his career. Dallas, as currently constructed, is no world beater, mind you, but what if this situation is a better fit for Bagley, and what if he could take the next step with Dallas on what should be an affordable next contract?

Bagley played 24 minutes, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in his first game in a Mavericks uniform, in a 138-125 loss at the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 7. Three games later, it was 15 and 13 in 24 minutes during a 122-111 loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Two games after that, Bagley scored 22 on 10-of-13 shooting in a 123-114 win at the Brooklyn Nets.

It’s hard to know what to make of these kinds of performances during the NBA Silly Season of February-April. But Bagley was a spark off the bench, where Gafford, hampered by various injuries including nagging ankle issues throughout the year, was largely a bump on a log.

Bagley wrapped up the season by scoring 20 or more points in three of four games as his minutes increased when March turned to April. He didn’t turn the ball over when it came to him, and on a team that finished the year 18th in the NBA in turnovers per game (14.5), that’s a point in his favor, too. He recorded more than two turnovers only once in his 22 games with the Mavericks to finish the year.

Best game

Bagley’s best performance for the Mavericks came as part of that four-game stretch late in the season against another Western Conference playoff contender. He poured in 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range and pulled down nine boards in 27 minutes in a 100-93 win at the Portland Trail Blazers on March 27. The opponent matters here because Portland still had hopes of securing the seven-seed in the west at the time with the dreaded play-in games looming. This was not a bottom-feeder with nothing to play for. As he showed earlier in the year in games at San Antonio and Minnesota, Bagley is up to the task against better than average competition.

He made three 3-pointers again three games later in a 112-107 loss at the Phoenix Suns. Bagley shot a collective 31-of-43 from the field in that four-game span. If he can be an efficient scorer playing with an effectively empty guard room running with him, is there even another step up he can make with better guards on the roster?

Contract status

Bagley is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. Retaining him after a few raised eyebrows to close out the 2025-26 season is by no means guaranteed. He made just over $3 million last year on his previous one-year deal. Even after showing improvement, he’s a guy you could get for under $10 million per year on another one- or two-year deal this offseason.

Looking ahead

Bagley’s potential return to the Mavericks may seem like a no-brainer, but with Dereck Lively II coming back after missing most of the year with swelling in his foot and with Gafford’s 3-year, $54-million contract extension kicking in next year, the Mavs may find it easier to chalk up Bagley’s improvement to Silly Season shenanigans and let him walk in free agency.

You want versatile bigs on your roster, though, and with the injury-prone Lively and a guy Luka Dončić made look a lot better than he may actually be in Gafford as the only two big ahead of Bagley in the Dallas pecking order, it may pay dividends to kick the tires on a guy like Bagley.

If a 15-point-per-game guy is hiding somewhere under all Bagley’s unmet expectations, why not try to be the team that solves the riddle of his first eight years in the league?

The 2026 NBA Draft class has been hyped for years. The big pay off is finally coming on May 10 with the drawing of the draft lottery, and now the odds for the ping-pong balls have been finalized.

The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets earned the top odds with a 14 percent chance at the No. 1 overall pick. The Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings each have an 11.5 percent chance at No. 1, while the Memphis Grizzlies have the next-best odds at nine percent. The Atlanta Hawks have a 6.8 percent chance at winning the top-pick thanks to their brilliant trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, and then Atlanta also has another three percent chance at the top pick thanks to swap rights with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Dallas Mavericks have a 6.7 percent chance at No. 1, the Chicago Bulls have a 4.5 percent chance at winning the lottery, and the Golden State Warriors have a two percent chance at the first pick. The Thunder (1.5 percent thanks to a swap with the Clippers), Heat (1 percent), and Hornets (0.5 percent) round out the lottery.

This draft class has already lost some talent to NIL money. UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s Patrick Ngongba, Florida’s Thomas Haugh, Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, and Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou were all projected first-round picks in our previous mock draft before deciding to return to school. Only Yessoufou left himself the option to still enter this draft.

The best thing about this draft class is you don’t need the No. 1 pick to find a future franchise player. Just landing in the top-4 should get the job done. Here’s our latest 2026 NBA mock draft using the lottery standings as the order.

Let’s dive into one of the biggest themes to watch on lottery night.

NBA Draft 2026 lottery odds to land a top-4 pick

It feels like every team in the lottery would be thrilled just to land in the top-4. Here are the odds each lottery team has to land in the top-4, via Tankathon:

Caleb Wilson might be rising into the top-3 — or higher

Caleb Wilson didn’t play in the 2026 NCAA tournament for North Carolina after suffering a broken bone in his left hand in February and then a broken thumb in his right hand in March. Those injuries shouldn’t and reportedly haven’t dulled NBA interest. In the last few weeks, there have been reports that some teams value Wilson more than Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and that he could even be the second player taken on draft night.

Wilson has the single best highlight reel in the class for my money. Sit back and enjoy:

There’s a compelling sales pitch for the UNC forward. He’s a freak athlete at 6’10 who dunks everything (67 dunks in 24 games), he’s a high-motor defender who guards all over the floor, he’s a good passer, and he has an ability to create scoring opportunities for himself away from the rim with excellent mid-range shooting touch. The two big knocks on him are his outside shooting and ball handling. Wilson is not a good three-point shooter right now after making 25.9 percent of his 27 attempts from deep in college. He also isn’t really a viable on-ball creator because his lack of handle refinement limits where he can get on the floor. For now, he’s an electric play-finisher on offense and a buzzsaw on defense who should be an absolute terror in transition from day one.

I’ve been consistent that Boozer is my top player in the class. Boozer and Wilson were teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit for Nightrydas, and there was never any question who the best player on the team was (it was Boozer). Wilson did arguably out-play him in the first Duke vs. North Carolina game this season, which was one of the best prospect matchups we got all year in college hoops.

I have liked Wilson for a while, even putting him on my 2023 list of the best NBA prospects in high school hoops. I’m considering sliding him up to No. 2 on my board, and I would not be shocked if he’s eventually picked in the top-3. Just moving up to No. 4 in the lottery — likely in position to draft Boozer or Wilson — would be an incredible boon for teams like the Bulls, Warriors, and Bucks, who all have long-shots odds entering the drawing. Wilson is so much better than the No. 4 overall prospect in a typical draft, and that’s a big reason why this class is so highly-touted.

Who moves up after the college basketball early entry deadline?

I thought Braylon Mullins and Patrick Ngongba were lottery-caliber talents. Instead, both are going back to UConn and Duke respectively. Thomas Haugh was considered a lottery pick on ESPN’s big board, but he’s going back to Florida for arguably the biggest NIL bag in college basketball history. Flory Bidunga’s decision to transfer to Louisville rather than enter the draft (though he is on the early entry list) is another hit to the depth of the class. It’s possible players like Tyler Tanner, Allen Graves, Juke Harris, Alijah Arenas, and Ebuka Okorie — who could all be drafted in the first round — eventually decide returning to school is their best decision. I named Graves as the best available player in the transfer portal, and there are some whispers that he could end up at Duke if he doesn’t enter the draft.

Here’s full early entry list, via Jeremy Woo:

The list of returners undeniably impacts the second half of the first round and the entirety of the second round. Expect plenty of seniors to hear their names once we get into the 20s, and new prospects are already emerging in pre-draft camps like the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. I enjoyed this YouTube breakdown from Ben Pfeifer on the biggest winners of the PIT.

I have Henri Veesaar moving up into the first-round in this mock draft thanks to all the players slated to return to school. The North Carolina center was one of the my favorite potential second-rounders in this class for his interior scoring efficiency and three-point shooting improvement, but now he might move up by default. It feels like Christian Anderson is likely staying the draft too, but there’s only so many potential landing spots for smaller guards. I’ve also projected Spanish guard Sergio de Larrea as a first-round pick at times during the year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts to generate buzz again in the lead up to the draft. Arkansas big man Trevon Brazile — an athletic play-finisher with floor spacing ability — was my pick for the senior who sneaks into the end of round one due to so many players being lured back to college by NIL money.

The withdrawal deadline is only 10 days before the draft on June 13 at 5 p.m. ET. The draft board will continue to evolve until then.

Michigan’s 3 stars all end up in the lottery

The Wolverines were a wagon on their way to a college basketball national championship. While I would expect Elliott Cadeau to return to school, I think Morez Johnson will be joining Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg in the draft.

• I spent March Madness following Michigan and reporting out a feature on how Yaxel Lendeborg grew up into a potential lottery pick. He told me about the NBA’s feedback at the combine last year, how he views his pro translation, and what this year at Michigan meant to him. I think you’ll like what he had to say:

• I also spent a lot of time chatting with Aday Mara throughout Michigan’s March Madness run. Read my feature on how Mara developed into a lottery pick after two years on the bench at UCLA.
• Morez Johnson is a Chicagoland kid who didn’t leave the area for a prep school like so many of his highly touted peers. In this mock, Mara and Johnson are reunited with the Chicago Bulls, who earned a second top-15 pick via the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to their 2021 Lauri Markkanen trade.

NBA Draft 2026 lottery date, TV time, and streaming

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s draft lottery drawing:

Date: May 10

Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: ABC/ESPN

Streaming: Watch ESPN

The Philadelphia 76ers’ 2025-26 season could be approaching its swan song, with the Boston Celtics just one win away from closing out the first-round playoff series and eliminating the Sixers.

Though, to be fair, I think “swan songs” are supposed to be beautiful or brilliant. This feels quite far from that.

The Sixers trail the Celtics 3-1 in the first-round playoff series that has been a rollercoaster of emotions. Game 1, an embarrassing defeat. Game 2, a triumphant and somewhat unexpected level of turnaround, stealing a win in Boston. Game 3, putting up a fight but back making old mistakes in a close loss. Game 4, the excitement of Joel Embiid’s return quickly marred by yet another crushing defeat.

Like I said, a rollercoaster for sure. One that could come to an end with a loss in Tuesday’s Game 5.

The Celtics’ injury report remains clean as of Monday night. For the Sixers, only Embiid appears, currently listed as probable (post appendectomy surgery recovery). One can imagine that, based on history, it would take a hell of a lot to keep Embiid off the floor for a game like this. On Sunday, he had been listed as doubtful before being upgraded to questionable in the afternoon and then ultimately played 34 minutes (for a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double) in that contest — just 17 days after having his emergency appendectomy.

We’re at Game 5 of this now, there’s not a whole lot new to say in terms of the matchup. We have all seen what the Celtics are capable of. Not just their starters, but their bench too. On any given night, there’s someone to carry the weight for Boston. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were nearly inconsequential through the first two and a half quarters of Game 4, and yet the Celtics were still already carrying a comfortable lead when those two got going thanks to Payton Pritchard repeatedly punishing the Sixers for giving him space behind the arc.

The Sixers had just one game of ever looking like they were one step ahead of the Celtics, utilizing a high screen pick-and-roll on repeat. It earned Philly their lone win in the series, but Boston adjusted effectively between games and the Sixers were out of luck again. It’s not just one thing that seems to be the Sixers’ particular weakness in this series — it’s everything. Poor shooting, non-existent rebounding, being completely lost on defense, puzzling rotation decisions and not adjusting to or learning from mistakes. All of those errors facing a stacked, effective Celtics lineup is simply not going to cut it.

The reality is that, even if the Sixers steal away a game (or maybe even two) from the Celtics, Philadelphia as an organization is so far behind Boston at this point. The Celtics have big name stars performing in the big moments, an incredible supporting cast down the depth chart filling in the gaps as well as proactive coaching. The Celtics are everything the Sixers organization has tried to claim they are. But they’re the real deal, while the Sixers continue to kick the can on the same issues season after season. This is where that strategy has taken us.

This is truly not me just indulging in baseless negativity. We at Liberty Ballers would all love to be writing about games of scrappy fight and fire like Game 2 and even parts of Game 3. I personally would love to be proven wrong and have them come out tonight looking like a different team than they did on Sunday. But these issues have been the same, evident and obvious, season after season.

Don’t get me wrong, I think we all knew coming into this series that the Sixers didn’t realistically stand a chance against this Celtics squad. Like I said, these are simply two organizations in two very different places. I just think maybe my expectations were at least a little higher than what we saw in Games 1 and 4. It’s one thing to lose a game to a much better team, it’s another to — for example — not grab a single offensive board (on a night you’re not making any shots) until well into the third quarter. It’s one thing to get beat, it’s another to basically not even step in the ring.

An upset win on Tuesday night would keep the Sixers alive another day, forcing a Game 6 in Philadelphia that would be played on Thursday, but it’s going to take a major, complete 180-degree turnaround from that last contest. I’d love to see it, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot.

You’ll need Embiid moving and dominating even with lingering affects of the appendectomy. You’ll need Tyrese Maxey to find a way to produce even with Embiid on the floor, while also clearly still dealing with the pinky issue. You’ll need rookie VJ Edgecombe to sink some buckets and especially some threes. You’ll need a bench unit that isn’t going to only put up 10 points total. You’ll need to actually rebound the ball and not give the Celtics six shot attempts in the same possession. And that’s not even all the stars likely required to align, I’m just stopping myself before it gets too redundant.

But, hey, it would be very Sixers to extend this series another game just to drag things out a bit, right? Can we at least get one more fun Edgecombe performance to get excited about?

Game 5 tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Tuesday, April 28, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Watch: ESPN
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

In this crazy season, Game 5 is a must-win for the Lakers. 

Why, you might be asking. 

They have a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. They’re going to have multiple chances to clinch. They’re firmly in control. 

Think again. 

Nothing has gone as expected for the Lakers this season. Nothing has made sense. Nothing is predictable. 

For a long time, the Lakers looked like they were a play-in team. Then they somehow figured things out and went on a stunning 16-2 run this spring. Suddenly they were title contenders.

Shocker. 

Just when we digested that wild turn of events, they lost Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) to injuries with five games remaining in the regular season.

Another shocker. 

That left our heads reeling. They had no chance in the postseason without their top-two scorers. Scribes were writing the Lakers’ obituaries before they even played Game 1. 

But wait, ready for another plot twist? 

About an hour before the series opener, we found out that Kevin Durant — who only missed four regular-season games — would miss Game 1 because of a knee injury he sustained in practice. He’d go on to also miss Games 3 and 4 due to a left ankle sprain. 

Yet another shocker. 

All of a sudden, the hapless Lakers featuring a 41-year-old LeBron James and a bunch of role players had a 3-0 series lead over the Rockets before losing Game 4 on Sunday, 115-96. 

Shocker.

So, here’s the deal right now. No team has ever recovered from a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history. Teams with that advantage are 159-0. 

But in this topsy-turvy, unpredictable season, wouldn’t it be the icing on the cake if the Lakers once again made our jaws drop and lost the series?

It would be the twist no one saw coming at the end of the movie. It would be the team’s worst nightmare. 

It would be the ultimate shocker. 

So, the Lakers need to slam the door on this series before the impossible can happen again. 

The Lakers fell apart in Game 4. They had 24 turnovers which led to 30 points for the Rockets. They shot 22.7% from beyond the arc. 

James, who has played superstar-caliber basketball this series, had one of his worst playoff performances in his 23-season career, finishing with just 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting and eight turnovers. 

Marcus Smart went from being a Rottweiler in Games 2 and 3 to devolving into a Maltese in Game 4, finishing with the worst plus-minus (-20) of anyone on the court. 

Luke Kennard went from having a coming-out party this postseason as a playmaking, sharpshooting star to having a complete disappearing act on Sunday, finishing with just seven points and two assists. 

The Rockets smell blood. 

The Lakers are tired. They’re weakened. There’s a dent in their armor.

And if the series is extended beyond Wednesday’s contest, games would be played every other day.

That’s a dangerous prospect for the Lakers’ exhausted legs, especially considering James has already carried this depleted roster on his arthritic-prone body more successfully than anyone anticipated. There are rumblings that Reaves could return for Game 5, but the Lakers can’t count on that.

Now is the time for them to be laser-focused.

They can’t let this young Rockets team believe they have a chance in this series. They can’t let the team’s shooters find their stroke. They can’t let Durant return and take over. 

They can’t crack the door open for what could potentially be the biggest upset in NBA playoff history.

In this wild season where the rug seems to constantly be ripped from under them, the Lakers need to treat Game 5 as though it were an elimination game. 

Or else they could set themselves up for their greatest shock yet.

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There’s a great event coming up that you’ll want to put on your calendar.

An Evening with the Spurs: Coyote Tales & Court Stories with Sean Elliott, Bill Schoening & Rob Wicall.

Spurs fans know Sean Elliott as the “Memorial Day Miracle” and as the longtime color commentator for Spurs broadcasts. Elliot was drafted third overall in 1989. Paired with the David Robinson, the Silver & Black began an upswing that continued through the drafting of Tim Duncan and culminating in the 1999 NBA championship.

Soon after the championship, Elliott announced that he had a kidney disease known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. He received a kidney from his brother, underwent a transplant, and became the first player in history to return after the surgery just eight months later.

Bill Schoening served as the voice of the Spurs for twenty-four seasons, retiring last summer. In August 2022, he was announced as an inductee into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Schoening is a four-time winner of the Associated Press “Top Texas Play-by-Play Award,” and also won the 2014 Texas Sportscaster of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Rob Wicall spent 20 years as the Spurs Coyote. He served as the Spurs’ backup Coyote before assuming the role full time in 2004. In 2005, Gameops.com named him Best Mascot of the Year. In 2014, the Coyote was named NBA Mascot of the Year. In 2016, he retired due to an arthritic condition, ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

The combined legacy of this trio will be on full display at the Brauntex Theater in New Braunfels on Thursday, May 28th as they share their personal Spurs stories.

“Come to the Brauntex Theatre for an unforgettable night of behind-the-scenes stories, laughter, and legacy. Coyote Tales & Court Stories brings together former Spurs player Sean Elliott, Bill Schoening, the voice who called the action, and the man inside the iconic Coyote mascot, Rob Wicall. These three will be sharing the stage in an intimate setting, answering your burning questions LIVE!”

Tickets and VIP Meet and Greet packages are available HERE.

I spoke with Bill at a recent Spurs home game and I’ve got to say, he has so many wonderful stories in his near quarter-century with the Spurs. He’s called over 2000 games and has been there for every twist and turn. If the few minutes we spent are a precursor to what the evening has in store, it will be a night you won’t want to miss.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

Attention to detail is one of Boston’s most overlooked strengths.

There are plenty to choose from — volume three-point shooting, defensive connectivity, late-game composure. But it’s the precision and thoroughness of the minutiae that often sets them apart.

Their preparation allows them to identify pressure points quickly, and then push on them until something breaks.

Their latest win over the Sixers was a clear example.

The Boston Celtics are no stranger to Joel Embiid. He’s been a recurring playoff antagonist for roughly a decade. Despite his individual dominance, Embiid has been open about how lopsided this non-rivalry has been.

Historically, Boston has found ways to exploit the cracks in his Sixers teams. In Game 4 with Embiid returning to the floor, they made him the focal point of their offensive attack.

On the very first possession, Boston brings Embiid directly into the action.

With Queta setting a high screen for Tatum, they force Embiid out beyond the three-point line, immediately testing his agility. Tatum causes confusion with his handle, and with both defenders drawn to him, he feeds Queta for a tone-setting slam.

Boston wants to make Embiid defend in space as much as possible. It pulls a dominant rim protector out of the paint and eliminates any chance for him to rest while trying to find an offensive rhythm.

A few possessions later, they put the pressure on him again.

Two minutes into his return from appendicitis, Embiid is responsible for defending both the ball and the roll man as Derrick White gets downhill off a pair of screens. To his credit, Embiid contains the ball fairly well, but Maxey gets lost in the play and White has too much room to find Queta again for the dunk.

Embiid had early success offensively, but it came with a growing workload on the defensive end.

Here, Vucevic screens and then re-screens for Tatum. Embiid is dragged all the way out to the logo before having to recover back to the corner. This isn’t sustainable, and it may have been the moment Philly started to rethink its coverages.

From that point forward, the Sixers became more deliberate about keeping Embiid out of switches, or removing him from the action entirely.

Later in the game, a string of possessions defined this cat-and-mouse dynamic.

On this first play, the floor is cleared for a Pritchard-Queta pick-and-roll. To avoid getting stuck on Pritchard, Embiid hedges the screen, extending it long enough for Grimes to recover before returning to Queta.

In most cases, this is a win for Philly. The advantage is gone, matchups are intact, and the clock is winding down. The process (pun intended) is good.

Unfortunately, so is Scheierman.

On the following possession, Queta comes up to screen for Tatum.

The Celtics once again look to involve Embiid, but this time he works to avoid it. Instead of following Queta, he removes himself from the play by calling for a switch with Grimes.

This keeps Embiid protected, but now he’s guarding Pritchard. To fix that, he calls for Maxey to switch, allowing him to stay closer to the rim. Tatum may have missed a brief window to hit Queta, but Embiid’s presence likely plays a role in that hesitation. The possession ends with Oubre drawing an offensive foul.

Boston doesn’t miss what’s happening here. They see the Sixers finding opportunities to give Embiid a breather and keep him out of the hunt.

The killer whale offense isn’t going to let that slide.

Boston begins the action the same way, with Pritchard screening for Queta, who then flows into a screen for Tatum. Embiid handles it similarly, having Grimes take Queta before swapping again with Edgecombe.

The biggest key to understand here is the movement path of Pritchard.

On the previous possession, he spaces to the wing, staying close enough for Philly to manipulate the matchups. This time, he cuts across the floor. That leaves Embiid on White, with no switch available. Tatum calls White into the action, and they’re surgical with a behind-the-back pass into a step-back three.

This wasn’t an accident. Boston is essentially a living, breathing flow chart. They see the game in stages of “if this, then that.” Embiid is avoiding the pick-and-roll? Take away his ability to do that.

To Philly’s credit, they weren’t passive. They identified the problem early on, and made adjustments to protect Embiid the best they could. For stretches, it worked or at least stalled the attack briefly. But Boston noticed the change, and found the next weakness to exploit.

Winning in the playoffs requires knowing your opponent, understanding their tendencies, and having a counter for their counters. Knowing yourself is part of the challenge, too. Boston’s self-awareness allows them to put players in positions to succeed, and those players know where they’re supposed to be at all times. They can coordinate their attacks with ease, and have the shared intuition to cycle through options until they find the right answer.

It’s going to be very difficult to win four games against this team.

Like Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving is a one-and-done Blue Devil and, like Flagg, a Dallas Maverick.

Irving sat out this season while recovering from an ACL injury, but he has sort of taken Flagg under his wing because he recognizes his massive talent and wants to help him reach his potential.

Irving told SI.com this: “Cooper is just an amazing player, and that’s not even just gassing it. At 19 years old, doing the things that he’s doing within our league is very special… He’s doing things that some of the greats, even before him, didn’t do. He’s chasing history.”

He also said this: “Listen, I understand. I’ve kind of been through this before. I don’t think there’s a lot of people around you right now that can tell you they’ve been through somewhat of a similar thing.”

Next year, for the first time, we’ll get to see them both on the court at the same time. After Flagg won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award on Monday, the Mavericks put out this video.

Narrated by Irving, the video features him talking about Flagg’s spectacular season and how he silenced doubters, which Flagg has done comprehensively.

And in a nice touch (or dig), Jamal Mashburn and Gilbert Arenas both went on the record early to express doubts about Flagg.

Those comments are included, and, in retrospect, they look like idiots.

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When the Celtics drilled an absurd 24 of their 53 3-point attempts during a blowout Game 4 win in Xfinity Mobile Arena Sunday night, I half expected the Twitter discourse to regain its steam. 

The Celtics are 3-point merchants! The Celtics don’t play fun basketball! 

Wrong, and wrong. 

On a night where Boston set a franchise playoff record for made threes in a game, breaking a previous record of 22 set three times (last done in Game 5 against the Knicks last year), the Celtics balanced beautiful ball movement (28 assists on 42 baskets) with pure isolation scoring, often having the Sixers defense 1-2 steps behind the action. 

After revisiting every possession that ended in a 3-point shot on Sunday night, I came away with the following observations: The Celtics exploited the 76ers’ help-heavy defense, and Payton Pritchard is a mad man. 

After two games of admirable perimeter and help defense, which did its part in making the Celtics work to touch the paint in both their Game 2 loss and clutch Game 3 win, Philadelphia’s help all of sudden hit a snag. The Celtics not only had success getting into the paint, but their patience once they reached the middle of the floor paid off.

With a less mobile big on the floor in Joel Embiid, the Sixers had to help collapse the paint, or pressure Boston’s stars as soon as the ball hit their hands, and the Celtics knew that help was coming, making a generous amount of kickout passes that either forced rotations, or led directly to an open shot. 

It started in the first quarter, even when the Celtics didn’t run out of the gate with a hot shooting faucet. 

This possession late in the first quarter is a good example of how they attacked defenders and moved the ball in space, even if the result wasn’t a made basket. Part of a possession featuring four missed 3-point attempts and three offensive rebounds, this part of the action sees Jayson Tatum establish the drive-and-kick game by getting into a spot deep in the paint, accompanied by two Sixers and another (Tyrese Maxey) going for a quick dig. He kicks to space in the corner, the extra pass is made to Nikola Vučević, and it’s a good look from distance. 

They punished this kind of help all game. The following clip is five different plays throughout the night, not all the same action, not all the same shooters, but notice how much attention the 76ers place on the ballhandler, how many Philadelphia defenders are in the restricted area to close around a paint touch, and how much space there is for kickouts to open shooters.  

Whether it’s a straight-line drive to the basket, a pick-and-pop, or a Jaylen Brown grind to the nail, the Celtics always looked ready for the help and were aware of where the ball should go once they committed to that help. 

This applies to mismatch hunting as well, like when Tatum got his much sought-after switch onto Embiid late in the third quarter. Paul George had no choice but to double the ball, giving up space for Vooch at the top of the arc, a shot that Sixers have lived with during this series. But as VJ Edgecombe cheats up a little from his spot across the floor to account for the expected swing to Vooch, Tatum surprises everyone, skipping the ball across the floor to a wide-open Pritchard. 

Great playmaking rewarded by a great shot.  

Back to Payton Pritchard. He simply put on a show Sunday night. Like, one of those performances, the ones not easily forgotten by a Celtics bench player on the big stage. 

Pritchard’s isolation creation could be found all over this win, and throughout his 32-point effort, it genuinely seemed like even the best defense didn’t really stand a chance when the shot left his hands. 

It started with his first three of the night with 4:30 left in the first quarter. The Celtics had been 0/4 from distance at that point in the game, and their first make came from their early offense. This is a basic double drag action, two screens set next to each other, and Philly takes the switch here, leaving Andre Drummond alone on Pritchard, who has enough space for a quick release three to beat Drummond’s contest. 

He then proceeded to finish 6/12 from three, hitting shots through a range of isolation handles, catch-and-shoot looks, and timeless buzzer-beaters against a helpless Sixers defense that sluggishly looked steps behind Boston throughout the night. 

On a historic shooting night, the Celtics gave themselves a chance to close the book on their first round series at home in five games, a luxury considering the state of the Eastern Conference, which will see two series guaranteed to extend to 6 games and another that is likely to do so between Detroit and Orlando. 

What to know about NBA playoffs second-round bracket as teams clinch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

NBA teams are starting to flip the page to the next round.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder were the first team to punch their ticket to the conference semifinals, completing a four-game sweep over the No. 8 Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Several other series could be on the verge of advancing, with the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs all leading 3-1.

Here’s what to know about the second round so far as teams clinch:

When does the second round of the NBA playoffs start?

The start date for the second round will depend on when certain first-round series conclude. The sooner teams on the same side of the bracket move on, the faster their next matchup will begin.

NBA playoffs second-round matchups

Here’s a look at who has qualified and which matchups are in store next:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Detroit Pistons/No. 8 Orlando Magic vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers/No. 5 Toronto Raptors

No. 2 Boston Celtics/No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 3 New York Knicks/No. 6 Atlanta Hawks

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers/No. 5 Houston Rockets

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs/No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 3 Denver Nuggets/No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves

NBA playoffs second-round schedule

Series information will be added once available.

When do the NBA Finals start?

The championship series will begin on Wednesday, June 3, with Game 1. If necessary, Game 7 would be on Friday, June 19.

The vibes weren’t great when the Spurs last left San Antonio. With the series tied 1-1 and Victor Wembanyama in concussion protocol, things looked bleak for the Silver and Black. Now, heading back home, the Spurs find themselves up 3-1 in their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, with Wembanyama fully healthy.

San Antonio is coming off two straight, gutsy comeback victories in Portland. Now they’ll have a chance to close out the series in front of their home crowd. It would be the Spurs’ first playoff series win since 2017.

The Spurs will need to protect the paint and take care of the ball against a desperate Trail Blazers squad. With their backs against the wall, expect Portland to come out playing physical, going right at the rim, and looking to force turnovers defensively. San Antonio has stepped up to the physical challenge so far in the playoffs. They’ll need to fend off one more effort from the Blazers to move on to the Western Conference Semifinals.

San Antonio Spurs (3-1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1-3)

April 28th, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT

Watch: ESPN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: None

Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard – Out (achilles)

What to watch for:

Pace of play

San Antonio has been at its best when it plays fast. Both of their big second-half runs in Portland were defined by pushing the ball down the floor and attacking the Blazers, who struggled with transition defense. Whether it was finding Wembanyama for lobs, hitting Devin Vassell early for threes, or one of Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, or De’Aaron Fox getting downhill, San Antonio’s prettiest offense has come with speed.

With Wembanyama locking down the paint, the Spurs’ guards have been able to take more chances on the perimeter. Portland had the worst ball security in the NBA this season, averaging 17.3 per game. They turned the ball over 18 times in Game Four. San Antonio will look to force giveaways and score easy buckets on the other end.

Stephon Castle’s offense

From Game One, the Blazers have been content with putting a big man on Castle and letting him shoot. Castle has responded by hitting 42.9% of his threes in the series. He is averaging 21 points and 6.3 assists in the series. In Game Four, the Spurs seemed to figure out the defensive scheme by setting more screens for Castle lower on the court, around the free-throw line, freeing him up or forcing a switch, leading to a Wembanyama lob. When he’s off the ball, he’s been hurting the Blazers by hitting open threes.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Portland will continue to guard him with a big man or go away from the strategy in Game Five. Either way, if Castle is scoring the ball as he has in the last two games, the Spurs will be tough to beat.

Wembanyama’s shot selection

The difference between Wembanyama’s offensive impact in the first and second halves of Game Four was night and day. In the first half, he was settling for jumpers. That essentially bailed out Portland for having a smaller defender on him. In the second half, he started to get to the basket, feasting on lobs and shots around the basket. The Spurs have to get creative with how they get Wemby the ball around the basket. Elbow post-ups against smaller wings are not going to get it done. Look for more flex screens and pin-downs to get Wembanyama the ball around the basket with space to operate. Then once he establishes a rhythm inside, he can expand things out beyond the three-point arc.

One of the biggest reasons people didn’t believe in the Celtics coming into the season was because of their centers and how little they had proven entering the season. As the season went on, it became clear that Neemias Queta is a quality starting center and that Luka Garza and trade deadline addition Nikola Vucevic were good enough depth.

However, as the playoffs started, we knew the center position was where the Celtics were going to be tested the most.

Yet through Boston’s first four playoff games, we don’t really know how Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the Celtics coaches want to deploy their centers.

So far in the postseason, Neemias Queta has started all 4 games and played 73 minutes, Nikola Vucevic has played the most minutes with 85 and Luka Garza has played the least with 31 minutes played.

It is clear that Garza is the third big and although he’s the third option, he has already played a lot more than I thought he would early in the series.

A lot of Garza’s minutes have to do with the fact that Neemias Queta just cannot stay out of foul trouble. In 3 of 4 games, Queta has picked up two quick fouls and needed to hit the bench quickly.

The Celtics need Neemias Queta to stay out of foul trouble, which has been a problem for much of the first round. Queta picked up 5 fouls in Game 1 and 4 fouls in both games in Philadelphia.

It is the fouls 94 feet away from the basket that Queta cannot pick up.

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— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) April 27, 2026

That has lead to an increase in the use of Nikola Vucevic, who gives the Celtics a different look than Queta does.

I have been pleased with the way Big Vooch has played in this series. The Celtics really needed him to pull out the Game 3 win with his 11 points and 6 rebounds off of the bench.

His defense leaves a lot to be desired. Late in Game 3, the Sixers ran the Paul George-Andre Drummond pick and roll a lot to get Vucevic in the action and it led to good results for the Sixers.

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— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) April 27, 2026

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— #LetsGoCeltics (@gobosceltics) April 27, 2026

That is a concern, which will led to the Luka Garza playing time. While I like Garza and think he has been solid in this series, his pick and roll defense also leaves a lot to be desired.

Vucevic being the backup center makes sense — he is a more skilled offensive player than Garza is and neither guy is going to guard a ton.

I do think that Queta is Boston’s best option at center and as the rounds go on, he will be the guy that the Celtics close games with. His rim protection, ability to move his feet enough on the perimeter, offensive rebounding and the threat of the lob are all so valuable to what the Celtics want to do.

With apologies to 4th string center Amari Williams, Queta as the starter (and closer), Vucevic as the backup and Garza filling in when needed is how I would divvy up the minutes.

It is notable that Mazzulla went with Vucevic at the end of a close Game 3. In the 4th quarter of that game, Vucevic played 11:35 while Queta (and Garza) didn’t play at all. I don’t think that will be the case as the playoffs go on but the precedent is there so we will see if that happens again as the playoffs wear on.

Eighty-one seconds into the fourth quarter of Game 4, Jayson Tatum dribbled passed midcourt and with the help of a Neemias Queta screen, walked into a three-pointer. Kelly Oubre walked into his landing space for an and-1.

With that, the lead ballooned to 30 points and statistically, it was proof positive of Boston’s priorities this season: limiting turnovers, attacking the offensive glass for additional possessions, and generating good shoots, preferably threes.

“It comes down to controlling the game, having an understanding of what’s going on. We did a good job managing the game even though our shots weren’t going down,” Joe Mazzulla said after the Celtics took a 3-1 lead with their second win in Philadelphia.

“Our offensive rebounds and our turnovers. Obviously, they’re going to make a run, but we were able to manage that with getting to the free throw line, being disciplined defensively, and some good offensive execution. We just gotta manage the game, being disciplined.”

With the game out of hand and Gino dancing somewhere near North Station, the scoreboard was obvious bottom line, but dig deeper into the box score and it was a game won in the margins.

Despite the return of big man Joel Embiid, Boston held Philly without an offensive rebound until midway through the third quarter. Andre Drummond, who once admitted that he intentionally missed shots to pad his rebounding numbers, didn’t grab any in Game 4.

After allowing a Game 2 blip — the 76ers hit 19-of-39 from behind the arc — the Celtics have absolutely used the three to bury Philadelphia. In a tightly contested Game 3, they were a +24 from 3 and with 10:39 left in the 4th of Game 4, they were already a +27 after hitting 17 of 38.

The turnover differential has not exactly been the edge they held in the regular season. With the Sixers packing the paint, Brown and Tatum have been drawing pesky double teams as soon as they get anywhere near the paint and that’s generated several loose balls and points on the other end. However, Boston leads the East in assists-to-turnovers ratio at 1.96. Comparatively speaking, the conference has been an absolutely slugfest; the Magic took a 3-1 lead over the one-seed Pistons shooting 32.6% from the field; the Raptors made just 32% of their shots to knot up their series with the Cavaliers. The Celtics, on the other hand, having been moving the ball well and so far, been making shots.

The postseason is all about making adjustments, but for the most part, Boston has stuck to their core principles and are on the brink of winning their first round series tonight for the same reasons they finished with 56 wins in a gap year.