Category: NBA

The Knicks tightened the screws on the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter to win a back-and-forth battle to grab a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with a 108-102 win in Game 2 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Sixers, playing without Joel Embiid (hip, ankle), totally lost any semblance of offensive rhythm they had in the game’s final period, going 4-for-19 (21.1 percent) from the floor.

New York outscored the visitors 19-12 in the fourth and closed the game on a 12-3 run over the final 6:50 of action.

Here are some takeaways...

- After a blowout in Game 1, neither team managed to build much of a lead through the first three quarters, with the largest lead being seven for the 76ers and three for the Knicks. New York opened the fourth by committing three turnovers and a missed jumper in four possessions, before Miles McBride connected on his first jumper in four attempts to tie the game as Philly started cold (1-for-6).

The story of the Knicks may be the key players always popping up at just the right time: First, Jalen Brunson's jumper and OG Anunoby's layup to give them 20 and 24 points, respectively, forced a Nick Nurse timeout with the Knicks back in front. Then Josh Hart, who had struggled all night, connected on his first three, stemming a 5-0 Philly run. After four straight empty possessions for Philly, Mike Brown called a timeout with 4:01 to play and his side up two. 

A Brunson turnaround jumper and another Sixers' missed bucket (3-for-16 in the quarter) led to another Brown timeout with 3:14 to play. After the Knicks nearly turned it over and missed a dunk, Mikal Bridges, who was having a great game, hit a jumper to give him 18 on the night and a 9-0 lead. The Sixers ended the drought with one from the line, but Brunson answered with two of his own with 66 seconds to play. And despite a few nervy moments, the visitors never found their legs.

- Foul trouble was an issue for Knicks’ big men in Game 1, and that repeated itself in the first: Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his second foul with 4:29 left in the first, forcing him to the bench with seven points and two assists. Ariel Hukporti entered (as Mitchell Robinson was unavailable due to an illness) but picked up three fouls of his own on the defensive end and had to sit with 46.7 to play in the first. (Jeremy Sochan got a cameo to close the period.)

And 46 seconds into the second quarter, Towns stuck a leg out against a driving Tyrese Maxey and went to the bench with his third foul. That put Anunoby at the five, and the Sixers’ Adem Bona took advantage with three offensive rebounds before Hukporti checked back in as Philly kept a slight lead. It wasn't long for Hukporti to pick up his fourth foul on a terribly silly one, 80 feet from the basket, and he hit the bench with 4:47 left in the quarter with Anunoby back at the five.

- The Sixers' ability to draw fouls was something the Knicks' head coach was concerned about heading into the contest after the Sixers attempted 34 free throws in Game 1. The Sixers picked up where they left off with 20 in the first half (converting just 14 of them). The Knicks, who went 9-for-10 from the line in the first, didn’t make a trip to the line in the second until a loose-ball foul with 3.9 to play. The Sixers managed to play 9:23 of the quarter without a foul. The foul count through the first half was 14 for New York (plus a Hart technical) and 10 for Philly.

The tight officiating continued in the third, with Hart picking up his third foul on what looked like a clean pick of Paul George. But Andre Drummond, in for Embiid, picked up two quick ones and forced him to the bench with four. Bona was forced to sit with under five left in the third after Towns got him for his fourth and fifth fouls of the game.  

The Knicks held the Sixers to just four free throw attempts in the third, but the deficit was unchanged from the half. There were just two free-throw attempts (both by Philly) through the first 11:27 of the fourth before Maxey went 1-for-2 at the line late. Philly closed 21-for-28 from the free-throw line. New York was 21-for-25, with the visitors out-fouling them 23-20.

- Towns played just 8:17 in the first half due to the fouls, with nine points (3-for-3 shooting, 3-for-4 from the line) with one rebound, two assists, and a steal. He entered the third with an impetus, connecting on his first three attempts, on his way to scoring 10 points in the first five minutes, while drawing three fouls. Towns picked up his fourth foul on a play without much contact with 4:31 to play in the third, and, despite arguing with Brown, was subbed out. 

He finished with 20 points (6-for-8) with 10 rebounds (two offensive), seven assists, and was a plus-6 in 27 minutes.

- Brunson started slow, missing his first three attempts, before connecting on a three, two at the line, and a baseline jumper to get off the snide and finish with nine points and three assists in the quarter. He finished the first half with 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting. 

He finished with a team-high 26 points (9-for-21) with six assists and was a plus-7 in 41 minutes.

- Bridges, who has had quarters of passivity, had 16 points (8-for-11 shooting) with two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block, and had at least three field goal attempts in each of the first three quarters. 

He finished with 18 points (9-for-13) as he slipped to the periphery a touch in the fourth, but still came up huge, adding five rebounds and two assists, and was a plus-7 in 38 minutes.

- Both teams were looking to push the pace, and that led to some turnovers (four for the visitors and two for the home team), but the Knicks were the only team to score off those miscues (5-0) in the first six minutes.Anunoby continued his two-way dominance with two steals and put in his seventh point to give the Knicks a lead, 18-17, erasing a one-time seven-point deficit seven minutes into play. He popped up with another such instance late in the third, grabbing two offensive rebounds in the same possession, which ended with him hitting from three. 

The Sixers' offense was much improved from the first contest, but the turnovers hampered them as the Knicks punished their mistakes with 13 points off 10 turnovers in the first half, which helped keep it a one-point game at halftime. New York outshot Philly in the first half, 53.3 percent from the floor (24-for-45) to 48.8 percent (20-for-41), but the visitors owned the outside: 47.1 percent (8-for-17) to 25 percent (3-for-12).

The Knicks finished with 23 points off the Sixers' 18 turnovers. And held the Sixers to just nine points of their 13 turnovers. After the good first half, Philly went 5-for-17 from deep in the second. New York went 4-for-14.

- In Embiid’s absence, the Sixers were spreading the floor and taking advantage of the space. George really picked up the slack on the offensive end, connecting on his first four shots for 11 points. And Kelly Oubre Jr., who had been struggling from three, connected on his first two from the corner, as Philly was 6-for-9 from three for a 33-31 first quarter lead. 

George found the touch again in the third with two more from deep. George finished with 19 points (7-for-18), six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks and was a minus-4 in 43 minutes.

Maxey started slow (1-for-4) in the opening quarter, but he righted the ship in the second, hitting four of his first four five to give him 15 in the game just four minutes into the second. Maxey finished with 26 points (9-for-23) with six assists, three rebounds and was even in his 47 minutes.

- Towns was left sprawling twice in the game’s early goings. First, when he picked up his first foul with an illegal screen and knocked knees with V. J. Edgecombe. Two possessions later, Towns took a huge shot to the head and neck area as Oubre fouled him right at the basket. (The foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1.) 

Game MVP: OG Anunoby

Anunoby finished with 24 points (9-for-17 shooting) with five rebounds, four steals, two assists, and was a team-best plus-12 in 37 minutes. He continues to be everything the Knicks need him to be at all the right times. Anunoby missed the game's final moments, but Brown did not have any injury update after the game.

Highlights

Jalen Brunson 👌 pic.twitter.com/24BebYDJZK

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 6, 2026

OG block, Alvarado triple! pic.twitter.com/A9igihnZJ1

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

Josh Hart up to Mikal Bridges! pic.twitter.com/ED3FdiJcuo

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns from long range! pic.twitter.com/NilVraFsHC

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

KAT + the foul 💪 pic.twitter.com/DdpaxYZwAu

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

OG for three 🎯 pic.twitter.com/Bqua1zEEW0

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 7, 2026

What's next

The series moves to the City of Brotherly Love for Game 3 on Friday's 7 p.m. tip.

It had been a struggle and a slog all game. This was a whole different vibe than what existed the past few games. 

The Knicks had trailed after the first, second and third quarters. The 76ers were playing more freely — and more efficiently — without Joel Embiid. Jalen Brunson was having a clunker. 

Then the NBA’s best fourth-quarter team emerged. 

It’s something that had not been needed for some time. Two straight historic blowouts meant Knicks starters hadn’t played a single minute of the fourth quarter the past two games. 

There were no records this time. There was no extended garbage time. It was the first late-game test for the Knicks since the middle of the first round. And they aced it. 

With the game in the balance, the Knicks put their foot down and took over with a 108-102 win over the 76ers in Game 2 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. 

“It was just us executing, being disciplined,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Finding a way to get a gritty win. Something that, for better or for worse, haven’t been in our cards the last four games. But this showed a lot about our locker room and our team.” 

After the 76ers took a 3-point lead with 6:52 left in the game, the Knicks closed with a 12-3 run. Brunson had six of those points — on two jumpers and a pair of free throws. Josh Hart drilled a 3-pointer, Mikal Bridges hit a midrange jumper and Miles McBride had a free throw in that stretch. The 76ers, meanwhile, went 1-for-10. 

And the Knicks largely did it without OG Anunoby, who had been terrific but was in the locker room with a suspected hamstring injury down the stretch. 

In total, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by seven in the fourth quarter, holding them to just 12 points. Once the Knicks took the lead — which was the 25th lead change of the game, the most in a playoff game in 13 years — they never relinquished it. 

It was something unique so far this postseason. The Knicks had actually lost both close games they were in previously — Games 2 and 3 against the Hawks. All their wins had been blowouts. 

Without Embiid, it meant a faster and more connected 76ers offense, and the Knicks struggled with it. For three quarters, at least. 

Maxey had 21 points after three quarters, but finished with 26. Paul George had 19 after three quarters, and went scoreless after that. Edgecombe had 17 after three quarters and also went scoreless in the fourth quarter. Bridges’ defense, in particular, was excellent on Maxey down the stretch. 

“At the end of the day, it came down to who’s gonna get more stops in that fourth quarter,” coach Mike Brown said. “They missed some shots, we know that, but to have them only score 12 points in that fourth quarter is huge.” 

Brunson finished with a team-high 26 points — eight of which came in the fourth quarter — along with six assists. 

Towns was dominant — but the only thing that stopped him was himself. He picked up his second foul with 4:29 left in the first quarter, picked up his third foul less than a minute after checking back into the game to start the second quarter and picked up his fourth foul with 4:31 left in the third quarter. And he didn’t even have Embiid to deal with on the defensive end. 

It meant he was limited to 27 minutes. But when he was actually on the floor, the 76ers had no answer. He finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Eleven of those points came in the third quarter. 

And without Mitchell Robinson, who was out with an illness, Towns’ foul trouble meant minutes for Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan. But Hukporti picked up four fouls in seven minutes, forcing Brown to give Landry Shamet his first meaningful minutes — since the middle of the first round — in a small-ball lineup. 

Anunoby, before exiting, continued his superb postseason with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field. But it’s a major concern that he may now have to miss time. 

Bridges finished with 18 points, continuing his resurgence since his first-round benchings. Hart had just five points but added seven rebounds and six assists. 

“Most importantly, staying poised and staying composed,” Brunson said. “Just figuring out one play at a time, one stop at a time. Not looking too far ahead. When they make a basket, when they go up one, when we take the lead back, just focusing and paying attention to the details. 

“Find a way to make the next play on either side of the ball.” 

No Embiid meant the Knicks had no defensive weak link to torment. They shot just 26.9 percent from 3-point range as a team. The shot selection overall was worse. 

But they were at their best when their best was needed. That’s their specialty.

NEW YORK — Shooting 4-of-19 from the field in the fourth quarter isn’t going to get it done.

The Sixers ran out of steam, falling 108-102 to the New York Knicks in Game 2, falling to an 2-0 series deficit.

Tyrese Maxey started the game great as a scorer but struggled taking care of the ball. He finished with 26 points shooting 9-of-22 from the field along with six assists and six turnovers. Paul George had another three-point heater to start the game but cooled off, going for 19 points shooting 7-of-18 from the floor along with six rebounds and four assists.

VJ Edgecombe was also great with the exception of turnovers, finishing with 17 on 6-of-13 shooting along with five rebounds, three assists and four turnovers. Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 as well while Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 26.

Joel Embiid was ruled out earlier in the day with an ankle sprain and hip soreness. Mitchell Robinson was also a late scratch with an illness.

Here are some thoughts from MSG.

First Quarter

• George was certainly feeling it to start the game. After the Knicks’ first miss he got up the floor quick, catching the outlet pass from Andre Drummond and setting up Kelly Oubre Jr. for an open dunk. He walked into a couple pull-up jumpers and buried them both. A turnover followed by a flagrant foul called on Oubre gummed up the Sixers’ offense a bit, but as soon as the ball found George again he buried two more threes.
• It wasn’t the easiest start for Drummond, who picked up two fouls in his first six minutes of play. Four of the Knicks’ first six baskets of the game came right at the rim as he had his hands full with Karl-Anthony Towns. There were also a couple possessions early on where the Sixers’ defense was so keyed in on Brunson or Towns they lost OG Anunoby cutting wide open to the basket. Like Drummond, Towns was also called for a moving screen. Quentin Grimes was able to send him to the bench with two fouls, drawing the second on a drive.
• The George heater was much needed, but no one needed to see a pair of open threes go down more than Oubre. On top of that he was also able to steal the ball from Brunson as the Sixers started off much better against him, forcing him to miss his first three shots. While the threes were falling for the Sixers, they shot 4-of-8 on twos, missed three free throws, and turned the ball over four times in the quarter. That meant Grimes’ three to close the quarter only gave them a slim two-point lead.

Second Quarter

• Towns came back, but had to sit immediately when Maxey was able to draw his third foul. That put the Knicks’ big rotation in trouble with Ariel Hukporti also picking up three in less than four minutes of action. Speaking of, Adem Bona was one of several Sixers to look better to start this one. He had two impressive recovery blocks, one on Brunson and the other on Jose Alvarado.
• As he needed to be, Maxey was much more aggressive to start — his seven free throws (one technical) in the first half were a big part of getting New York’s bigs in foul trouble. Some of the jumpers he was settling for were certainly tough looks but he was getting them to go. Defensively, the help he and the other perimeter defenders were showing on Brunson were making it much harder on him at any point in Game 1.

Tyrese Maxey with a beautiful post spin fade to help quiet the MSG crowd pic.twitter.com/OMz4JhsFFe

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) May 7, 2026

• Drummond was already struggling in his second shift, allowing the Knicks to get their first four second chance points of the night. When the Knicks went to a center-less lineup they started running circles around the Sixers’ defense. They ripped off a 6-0 run that tied the game before Nick Nurse called a timeout and went back to Bona.
• For as brilliant as Maxey was scoring the ball there were just too many passes he had in the first that were just a step too late. He accounted for three of the Sixers’ nine turnovers at the break. The Knicks’ defense had also forced the Sixers into a lot of tough jumpers, some of which didn’t come close to falling. Edgecombe was able to drill a three right before the half, but Bona bulldozed Brunson trying to crash the glass, picking up a brutal third foul of the night. Luckily, Brunson split the pair so the Sixers were able to cling to a one-point lead at the break.

Third Quarter

• The passes the Sixers were trying to execute were real mid-February game level of sloppiness. Edgecombe’s inbounds to no one at the beginning of the second half at least wasn’t a live ball turnover, so they didn’t give the Knicks another fast break. The hot three-point shooting remained as Edgecombe and George each drilled one early in the half. Maxey was able to get a nice layup taking Brunson off the dribble.

Make that FIVE 🖐️ triples for Paul George so far tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/os9w2L7zwG

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 7, 2026

• Towns had a response just about every time, drawing fouls three and four on Drummond in the process. Bona checked in and picked up his fourth when Towns caught him with a rip through. A few minutes later a Towns drive was able to draw Bona’s fifth. Dominick Barlow checked in for the first time with a little less than five left in the third.
• Offensively the Sixers were leaving too many points on the board for how much of a struggle it was to get stops. They still struggled to cut down on bad looking turnovers, and Grimes let a wide open layup slip through his hands when he couldn’t corral the pass to him.
• The sloppiness caught up with their shotmaking ability as they went nearly four minutes without a field goal. It was snapped by Barlow being able to get open in the dunker. Edgecombe briefly re-took the lead with a three, but just after that happened George picked up his fourth foul of the night. Allowing two offensive rebounds in the same possession led to a huge Anunoby three. Another find of Barlow in the dunker and Grimes getting to the line pulled the Sixers back in front by one after an even quarter.

Fourth Quarter

• The Barlow minutes continued to look great as Edgecombe was able to hit him on a roll to start the quarter. Despite the Knicks turning it over on their following two possessions the Sixers weren’t able to take advantage as George’s jumper had cooled off.

Dominick Barlow now up to 6 points on 3-for-3 FG shooting pic.twitter.com/aLrIsCj4M0

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) May 7, 2026

• Coming off another missed midranger by PG, the Sixers desperately needed some defense and they got it when George was able to strip Towns, then Barlow was able to block an Anunoby three. After trading five points the Knicks gave the Sixers three empty possessions Philly was unable to capitalize on. Maxey and Edgecombe each missed wide open threes too — they just couldn’t make ‘em pay.
• In the moment that felt like a massive missed opportunity, even more so when the Sixers again looked like they had run out of gas, despite a timeout happening after every other play down the stretch. The six-point lead the Knicks had been able to stretch it out to suddenly felt insurmountable as the Sixers went over five minutes without scoring.
• The Sixers had one last gasp for air when Barlow nabbed a steal with 2:19 remaining, but gave it right away when Barlow turned it over on the ensuing possession. They forced a missed corner three and Maxey got to the line, but another split only allowed him to cut it to five. The teams traded baskets before a rushed George three missed with 25 seconds remaining, ultimately sinking them. A tough loss to stomach off the heels of the Embiid news.

NEW YORK (AP) — When the ball got stuck behind the basket in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, the New York Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns proved that if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself.

The 76ers' Andre Drummond failed on a few attempts to dislodge the ball, drawing loud boos from the crowd at Madison Square Garden. Towns then took over and did it himself on the first try, getting raucous cheers from fans — including actor Timothée Chalamet.

Towns had just been fouled and the ball got stuck between the backboard and what appeared to be camera equipment mounted to the back of it. With the stick end of the broom that's used to clean the court, Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey first tried to move the ball before realizing a taller man was needed.

Drummond was unable to finish the job, so Towns — who had been waiting at the free-throw line to get the ball so he could shoot — eventually left his spot to get it himself.

A few minutes later, the ball got stuck in the exact same spot. A fan shooting for $75,000 from halfcourt launched his heave over the backboard and it landed there.

___

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

The tension during Game 2 of the Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks series briefly melted away in a lighthearted moment during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.

The ball got stuck in the framing below the shot clock with 7:54 to go in the third, with the Sixers leading 74-71. Philadelphia big man Andre Drummond, listed at 6-foot-11, was handed a floor mop but his attempts to dislodge the ball with it proved to be unsuccessful.

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns, listed at 7-foot, took the mop from Drummond and managed to dislodge the ball on his first attempt, to great cheers from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

KAT to the rescue 😂@RealChalamet was fired up after the NBA All-Star retrieved the ball! pic.twitter.com/El2MT0ks7t

— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2026

The 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid, led 90-89 after three quarters but the Knicks went on to win 108-102. New York now holds a 2-0 lead.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns saves ball in funny moment during 76ers vs Knicks

Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has no reason to feel satisfied — and he isn’t.

Just four days after the team’s Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a defeat that marked the first blown 3-1 playoff lead in franchise history, Stevens spoke at his end-of-season press conference at the Auerbach Center. He didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about the team’s brief postseason run, making it clear that getting bounced in the first round isn’t a spot the organization wants to be in.

“I’m pissed,” Stevens told reporters on Wednesday, per NBC Sports Boston. “I’d rather be playing New York tonight. We all would.”

The Celtics set their bar after winning 56 games in the regular season and locking the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Even without Jayson Tatum through their first 62 games, they found a way to adapt and adjust their system to cater to the plethora of roster additions made in the offseason. It allowed for an open-mic-styled rotation where anybody, on any given night, could get an opportunity to contribute.

Some nights, rookie Hugo González got the start. Other nights, it was Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza, or Baylor Scheierman.

Early on, the Celtics unlocked their cheat code. Instead of tanking for the draft lottery — which nobody would’ve blamed them for — they chose the tougher path. They shook off their 0-3 start to the season, built their identity from the ground up, and went from underdogs to contenders while many other teams in similar positions across the league pulled the plug.

But once the playoffs began, the Celtics reverted to old, unhealthy habits against the Sixers.

They lost three games at home, putting their win percentage at TD Garden since their 2022 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors at .568 (25-19). Their issues weren’t anything new. They expanded a concern that we thought the team had resolved in its 2024 championship two years ago, yet still lingers.

“The reality is that we came up short,” Stevens said. “So now the job is to do an honest assessment. I’ve got a little sign above my desk that says, ‘What do you want? What’s true? And how do you get there?’ And there’s no question what we want. There’s no question, when you look at what’s true, that though we did a lot of good things, we lost in the first round, and we’re also 3-11 against the top three seeds in the West and the other top two in the East. So we’ve gotta get better.”

It’s encouraging for Stevens to demonstrate the kind of frustration that everyone in the organization should’ve expressed after Game 7. At the end of the day, Stevens calls the shots and understands the next steps after falling short.

Three years ago, when the Celtics fell to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in the conference finals, Stevens immediately got to work. He made the difficult decisions of trading away Marcus Smart, a year removed from being named Defensive Player of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon, the then-reigning Sixth Man of the Year, and fan-favorite Robert Williams III — in exchange for acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday.

Those moves were banner-motivated, but more importantly, they reflected Stevens’ awareness. He knew the Celtics couldn’t run it back with the same group, and that their postseason failures were an indictment of that. This time around, with an albeit overachieving group that lost sight of its identity, Stevens doesn’t feel all that different. He noted that with teams getting better and healthier going forward, the challenge of competing next season and beyond will only become more difficult for Boston.

“This is where the honest assessment part’s gotta come in, right?” Stevens said. “We’ve been to six Eastern Conference Finals, a couple of Finals in the last few years. We’ve won one (championship). And when you get beat in the first round, you’re not there. I think that the moves to get there — obviously, you have to consider the other teams that are at those levels — and I think the other thing that you have to consider, especially for next year, is there were a lot of teams in the NBA that were playing for draft positioning this year. That will not be the case next year. So the league’s gonna be a lot better. The regular season could be a lot harder, and it will probably give you a better indication of what everybody really is.”

Last offseason, the agenda was shedding payroll. Stevens did that, and, due in large part to a stellar job by head coach Joe Mazzulla in the regular season, kept the team on track without Tatum for most of the year. They built González into the league’s most underrated rookie. They turned Garza into a legit 3-point shooting threat (career-high 55 makes on 43.3 percent) and developed Queta into an impactful starting center after parting ways with Porziņģis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.

The problem became sustaining that formula. Jaylen Brown admitted after Game 5 that Boston just wasn’t “good enough” to close out Philadelphia. It wasn’t the foul-baiting by Joel Embiid or the officials or any other underlying factor that dragged the Celtics. It was them. They had their chances — three, in fact — and caved.

One way or another, Stevens intends to hold the team accountable for that.

There’s no question that roster improvements are vital if the Celtics plan to compete next season. The path to a return trip to the Finals has been squandered, but Stevens has been in this position before. He’s already turned the distraught emotions of a Game 7 loss to Miami into a flooded two-mile celebration after hoisting the franchise’s record 18th Larry O’Brien Trophy the following year. So this isn’t anything new to him.

What matters most is that the hunger for more hasn’t left Stevens one bit.

“I just want to win,” Stevens said.

“I don’t think play style comes before roster. You gotta figure out who you have and then play to the strengths of your team. But that’s on both ends of the court, and I thought our coaching staff did an amazing job this year. The series, I think, we all could’ve done better. There’s no question about it, and we’re all looking forward to improving off that. But it starts with we have to put the best roster we possibly can together, and we need to maximize the strengths of that group.”

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

A lot of writers say that a series doesn’t become interesting until a team loses on their home court. The Spurs are in the unenviable position being in a series that became interesting right out of the gate, as the Timberwolves bullied theirselves¹ to a 1-0 lead with a road win by shutting down the offense of the Spurs key players, and scoring just enough to hold onto a two point when Julian Champagnie’s last second three-point shot clanked off the rim.

The Spurs are going to have to adjust to the pressure of the second round of the NBA playoffs, while the Timberwolves are fully acclimated, having been to the conference finals the last three season. I expect a better game tonight from Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox tonight, but the Chris Finch will also try to throw some more wrinkles at the Silver and Black to keep them off balance, so they will have to both adjust to Game 1, and anticipate that the opponent will try some new things to gain any advantage they can.

For some reason, Finch has chosen to spend his time in front of the press to play mind games with Victor’s record-breaking performance on Monday, claiming that it was due to a series of bad and missed calls. Leaving aside the fact that referees always miss calls, I don’t think that playing mind games with the tall French dude is a worthwhile use of energy, because Victor’s mind is as strong as the rest of his game, and he’s not going to be distracted by Finch’s antics.

The Spurs’ assignment for tonight is simple. Contain Randle. Don’t let Gobert shut down the paint by using more offensive motion to move him away from the basket. Use better shot selection and hit some damn shots. Don’t let Ant go crazy. Carter Bryant, if he’s available to play (Questionable), may be able to help with that. Keep blocking McDaniels’ shots. Get Wembanyama’s offense uncorked early, and don’t play him so many minutes that he’s worn out at the end of the game. Wow, this stuff is easy, I should be a basketball coach. Just kidding … Anyway, GO SPURS GO!!

1. Google says that this word is grammatically incorrect. Suck it, Google.

Game Prediction:

Finch tries to tutor the referees on how he expects them to call fouls and is quickly assessed two techs and ejected from the game.

San Antonio Spurs vs Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 2
May 6, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Streaming: ESPN App
TV: ESPN [NOTE: since this the second game on ESPN, it may start on another ESPN-affiliated channel to start if the first game runs long. Which channel to watch should be announced during the broadcast if the first game runs past about 8:42 PM]
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

Luckily for Ben Stiller, the Met Gala is only one night.

The actor and director was back at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night for the Knicks’ 108-102 Game 2 win over the 76ers after missing the second-round series opener on Monday night due to his prior commitment at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

At the gala, Stiller supported his Knicks when he wore an orange tie, while his wife, actress Christine Taylor, donned a royal blue gown designed by Bibhu Mohapatra. Stiller put up six fingers while he entered the gala, signifying he believed New York would beat Philly in six games in the series. New York did its part with a Game 1 rout of the 76ers.

He had a much more toned-down look at the Garden with a black Knicks hoodie. Sitting not too far from him along the first row was actor Timothée Chalamet — who did skip the Met Gala to attend Game 1 — and his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.

Jenner attended the gala without her beau. On Tuesday, Chalamet posted a video of him draining a 3-pointer at MSG, prompting the Knicks to reply in the comments: “check your dms we just sent you a 10-day,”  jokingly offering him a contract.

Jason Bateman, Sam Rockwell, Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet chat courtside at Knicks vs 76ers Game 2 at MSG pic.twitter.com/S8WiQweu6O

— Page Six (@PageSix) May 6, 2026

Actors Jason Bateman and Sam Rockwell were seated near the couple and were spotted chatting during the first quarter of the action.

The actors were only part of the equation for the Game 2 celebrity scene, as rapper and mogul Jay-Z — the former Nets part-owner — posed for some pictures with Knicks legend and MSG Network analyst Walt “Clyde” Frazier.

Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, Spencer Haywood, Chris Childs and Kurt Thomas rounded out the Knicks alumni contingent for the evening.

As hilarious as it would have been to send one final middle finger in the direction of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Derrick Favors will not be the Utah Jazz’s representative for the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. I know, I know. How poetic would it have been to display the long-tenured Jazzman on the podium as a physical reminder that OKC will not be getting Utah’s lottery pick this year, nor any year for the forseeable ever.

Face!

In Favors’ place, the Jazz have elected to send the smiling face of breakout point guard Keyonte George (along with the rest of his body). George was selected 16th overall in the 2023 draft — the year that Utah officially began to reconstruct from the ruins of the Gobert-Mitchell explosion. He has developed into a borderline All-Star in just three years with the Jazz, and he orchestrates Will Hardy’s offense better than any of Utah’s many, many selections since ‘23 — with the tantalizing talent of Ace Bailey still pending.

Keyonte George will represent the Utah Jazz at the NBA Draft Lottery. 🔑#TakeNote#NBADraftpic.twitter.com/1JRxIYHRtz

— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) May 6, 2026

Keyonte is living proof that the rebuild was a success. Breathing evidence that a team can build through the draft, and that these SLC Punks (hey, kinda like the name of the site!), will not conform to Adam Silver’s backwards regime, nor will they relent when the losses flip to wins in under a year’s time. A beautiful decision, and one deserving of my applause.

Utah currently holds the fourth-best odds thanks to boasting the fourth-worst record league-wide, plus a coin flip to nudge ahead of Sacramento. With just an 11.5% chance of claiming the number-one overall pick, the basketball world will watch with bated breath as we send a solemn prayer to the hooping heavens:

“Please, please, please
I have never asked for much
Except for last year. And the year before that
But I pray not for the number-one pick.
I ask for only this:
Don’t give it to Golden State
And especially don’t give it to Dallas
Amen.“

Cancel your Mother’s Day plans. The NBA Draft Lottery will air on Sunday, May 10, at 1:00 PM MT.

---

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

Part of me feels like it’s too early to start diving into free agency, then I look at the calendar and realize it’s already May. We’re in the middle of Bright Side’s SunsRank and player recaps for the 2025-26 season, and it’s already time to start looking ahead to 2026-27. The draft lottery is this weekend. We’re already in the second round of the playoffs. The Finals will be here before you know it, then the draft, then free agency. So let’s start breaking down the free agent market by position and eligibility.

First up, point guard.

Ah yes, the point guard position. It’s not what it used to be. There was a time when the point guard was the table setter. Every successful team had someone orchestrating the offense, creating opportunities for everyone else. As the game evolved and spacing took over, the traditional point guard slowly gave way to combo guards. Scoring exploded. Every position is now expected to contribute offensively and fill up the box score.

And with that shift, true floor generals became harder to find. Players don’t always see the whole floor anymore. Most see the rim first. That evolution has completely changed the point guard position over the last decade.

It’s one of those interesting notes that you hear whenever people talk about what needs to be fixed on the Suns. “We need better point guard play. We need a better facilitator, somebody who understands distribution and who focuses on setting up those around them.” Not wrong. But also, becoming extinct. It’s like me asking for a Schlitz at dinner. It’d be nice to have, but no one has it.

You can tell that our fan base was raised on quality point guard play. Because we’ve had Steve Nash, Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Don Buse, and Paul Westphal. Yeah, he was a starting point guard on the 1976 NBA Finals team. My point? Were conditioned to the old-school way of thinking. But it’s a new NBA, and the current Suns administration is fully embracing that by having both Devin Booker and Jalen Green on the roster. They leaned into still having Collin Gillespie, however, thus creating undersized small-ball three-guard lineups this season.

So when we look at the upcoming unrestricted free agents at the point guard position, the natural question is whether the Suns should explore signing any of the guys listed below, excluding those who played for the team this past season. It’s almost the punchline in Phoenix right now. If you propose a name like Collin Sexton, the instant response is “Oh, another guard?”

So, who’s gonna be available on the free agency market at the point guard position? Here’s the list provided by Spotrac.

Player	Age	Exp.	Previous Team	Previous AAV	Status
Collin Sexton	27.3	7	CHI	$17,737,500	UFA / Bird
Coby White	26.2	6	CHA	$12,000,000	UFA / Bird
Gabe Vincent	29.8	6	ATL	$11,000,000	UFA / Bird
Ayo Dosunmu	26.2	4	MIN	$7,000,000	UFA / Bird
Aaron Holiday	29.6	7	HOU	$4,784,700	UFA / Bird
Kyle Lowry	40.1	19	PHI	$3,634,153	UFA / Early Bird
Russell Westbrook	37.4	17	SAC	$3,386,366	UFA / Non-Bird
Gary Payton II	33.4	9	GSW	$3,303,774	UFA / Bird
Jordan McLaughlin	30	6	SAS	$2,874,436	UFA / Early Bird
Nah’Shon Hyland	25.6	4	MIN	$2,461,463	UFA / Early Bird
Collin Gillespie	26.8	3	PHX	$2,378,870	UFA / Early Bird
Jordan Goodwin	27.5	4	PHX	$1,286,648	UFA / Early Bird
Jevon Carter	30.6	7	ORL	$1,168,625	UFA / Non-Bird
Brandon Williams	26.4	3	DAL	$1,159,362	UFA / Bird
Mike Conley	38.5	18	MIN	$1,148,727	UFA / Non-Bird
Tyus Jones	29.9	10	DEN	$814,552	UFA / Non-Bird

The two obvious names that jump off the list are Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, and we already know the organization will prioritize bringing them back. Both are eligible for Early Bird, which gives the Phoenix Suns an inside track to retaining them.

I would expect the Suns top priorities this offseason to be
1. Retaining Collin Gillespie
2. Retaining Jordan Goodwin

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) April 30, 2026

Looking at the rest of the list, I’m curious who you all think the team should target, if any one. If both Gillespie and Goodwin return, and you factor in Jamari Bouyea on a team option next season, that’s a lot of players capable of handling point guard duties. The depth is there. Maybe too much depth. Because with that comes the temptation to keep rolling out three-guard lineups.

If there’s one thing the Suns should prioritize next season, it’s getting bigger and finding more ways to consistently finish at the rim, so I’m not sure how appealing any of these names are. Who do I like?

I like the idea of Collin Sexton in a vacuum because he applies pressure at the rim and has that quick-twitch athleticism. At the same time, he’s essentially Jalen Green, only smaller and older. That kind of defeats the purpose. Although he would be cheaper. If there’s a scenario where the Suns move Green and redistribute that incoming $36.3 million salary into multiple assets, then I wouldn’t mind pursuing someone like Sexton.

There’s also Ayo Dosunmu, who is finally getting some shine with the Minnesota Timberwolves this postseason after years of fading into the background in Chicago Bulls land. The problem is postseason shine usually equals postseason money, and that’s not a road Phoenix should go down in my opinion. He’s a solid all-around guard, still, if you’re bringing back both Goodwin and Gillespie, the skill set becomes redundant.

And that’s really where the conversation lands for Phoenix at point guard. It’s less about finding another ball handler and more about understanding roster balance. The Suns already have enough players capable of initiating offense. What they lack is complementary size, interior pressure, and lineup versatility that doesn’t force them into playing small every night. That’s why this free agent market feels more like a test of restraint than aggression.

There are intriguing names available, sure. Still, adding another guard simply because he can dribble, pass, and score misses the bigger picture. The Suns do not need more redundancy. They need fit.

When Mousa Cisse was signed as a two-way player before the season, no one had any expectations for the rookie big-man.

But Cisse was a pleasant surprise all season, as his energy and rim protection were felt anytime he stepped on the court. But with the Mavs frontcourt being so crowed, should the Mavericks bring him back next year?

Well, they should, and it would be malpractice not to.

Season review

Cisse began the season as an afterthought, but as the Mavericks big-men suffered repeated injuries, it forced Cisse into the spotlight.

He would receive inconsistent minutes for most of the first few month, with some games where he wouldn’t see the floor at all. But his minutes were always impactful, the relentless effort on the glass, and eye-popping athleticism always showing up.

But then he stopped playing, all because of a decision the Mavericks made.

After the trade deadline, the Mavericks had the option to convert one two-way player, and chose Ryan Nembhard over Cisse. This led to Cisse brushing up to the two-way limit for games, meaning he played only 8 games post trade deadline.

Despite the weird end, Cisse thrived when his number was called. While the box-score numbers don’t jump off the page, the underlying metrics suggest that Cisse may have real rotation potential.

One number that highlights this is his RAPM (Regularized adjusted plus-minus).

Cisse posted a +0.8 RAPM, which is in the 70th percentile across the league, all per Databallr.

But my favorite part of Cisse’s game is his offensive rebounding, with a 16.2% OREB rate, which is 96th percentile. With extra possessions becoming so much more important in recent years, Cisse projects as one of the true elite offensive rebounders in the NBA.

Best game

My choice for Cisse’s best game is easily his performance on Jan. 19 against the New York Knicks.

Cisse scored 15 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots, all leading to a Mavericks win. This game specifically showed off his offensive rebounding, as he grabbed 4 offensive rebounds against a Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson front-court.

Contract status

Since the Mavericks did not convert Cisse at the deadline he will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Mavericks can match any offer he receives.

The Mavericks can offer Cisse up to a 4 year deal, most likely at around the league minimum, or just above.

Looking towards the future

Moussa Cisse is not yet a true rotation player, with his rawness offensively holding him back.

He often chases blocks on the defensive end and racks up fouls at a very high rate. But these are things that can be ironed out, with his strengths being very important in the NBA.

Cisse’s is somewhat similar to players like Neeimas Queta and Moussa Diabete, who are both high energy big men who dominate the offensive glass. Cisse slots in perfectly as a third center within a rotation; not relied upon to close, but able to give a team solid minutes throughout the season. And if he takes a large leap offensively, he could even become a true starting quality center.

Grade: B+

Moussa Cisse was able to showcase real potential this season, and with his strengths becoming sought after league wide, the Mavericks should bring him back.

Cisse should be cheap, with him being able to fill in Dwight Powell’s role if he decides to retire.

No matter the future, it was fun to watch a young player like Cisse find a role in the NBA.

Game 1 against the Thunder was the biggest game of the season for the Lakers, and Austin Reaves didn’t show up.

He was historically bad, shooting 3-16 from the field, which was the worst shooting night a Laker has had in a postseason in over three decades.

Austin Reaves' 18.8 FG% in Game 1 was the lowest by any Laker in a playoff game over the last 35 years (min. 15 FGA) 😳 pic.twitter.com/1o97wPL1tq

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 6, 2026

It’s just one game, and there can be plenty of reasonable reasons why Reaves had a bad performance.

For starters, the Thunder have the best defense in the NBA, so they make plenty of players look bad. Also, he is still just coming off his Grade 2 oblique strain. He returned for Game 5 against the Rockets, and while he’s now played in three matchups, it’s unlikely that he is anywhere close to 100%.

However, if fans expect Reaves to make excuses, he isn’t taking that option.

“Nobody cares about that,” Reaves said after the loss. “I got to go out there and play better.”

The good news is, Reaves has plenty of ways to improve. He can focus on protecting the ball and not having four turnovers as he did in Game 1, or he can just get back to his regular-season average offensively, scoring 23.3 points per game.

“Obviously, the easy thing is to make more shots,” Reaves said. “I got to my spots multiple times and just missed a couple of easy shots. But, for the most part, got to limit the turnovers. They pressure the ball really well. Just got to give us an opportunity to get a shot on goal each possession.”

In a seven-game series, players typically perform what their averages are. So, Reaves should have better games ahead of him.

With such a quick turnaround between games, Reaves just needs to take what he can from this experience and quickly move on to Game 2.

“Watch film,” Reaves said. “See what the game gives you and learn from that and move on. It’s not going to do us any good to think about that.”

Reaves will have all eyes on him after this loss.

He is currently LA’s No.1 offensive option and didn’t play like it. He has to be better, and Reaves, to his credit, made it clear in his comments that he’s well aware of this.

If he is the franchise player everyone thinks he is and wants the big payday this summer, then the response from him will be a great Game 2 performance.

And the Lakers will be hoping for just that, or else this series will be a short one.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Taylor Jenkins era officially began this afternoon, as the Bucks formally introduced him to a crowd of fans, media, and a few players, including Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, and AJ Green, at the Milwaukee Art Museum. The 16th head coach in franchise history (not including interim head coaches like Joe Prunty) was flanked by general manager Jon Horst and co-governor Jimmy Haslem, and the trio covered several topics, including Giannis’ situation, the hiring process for Jenkins, and their plans for the NBA draft.

The Latest on Giannis

Anytime anyone from the front office or coaching staff speaks, the topic of Giannis is undoubtedly bound to be raised. The biggest bit of news regarding the two-time MVP came from Haslem, who said he doesn’t know whether Giannis will stay and that they’ll have conversations with him to figure it out.

“We never had any problem communicating directly with Giannis at all. We always knew where he stood, and I think he always knew where we stood. We’ve had those kinds of conversations since the season was over, and as I said, the draft is June 23, so sometime over the next six or seven weeks, we’ll decide whether Giannis will sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s gonna play somewhere else. Jon, Taylor, Wes (Edens), and I will make that call, and we understand the gravity of that call.”

Regarding Jenkins’s hiring, Horst said Giannis was not involved in bringing him to Milwaukee. There might be some doubt about that answer, though, with Giannis in the city during the same week, a reported meeting between Jenkins and the Bucks front office was taking place. Bobby Portis also chimed in, saying he doesn’t believe Giannis wasn’t involved either. Whether that is true or not, Jenkins did confirm that he has talked to Giannis and the rest of the Bucks roster since his hiring became official.

“Great communication with Giannis, he’s expressed tremendous excitement for me and my family. Even only being here for one season, he and I established a really good relationship and maintained that respect even from a distance. It’s been amazing to be able to communicate with all of these guys, over the phone, and now in person. So yes, I’ve had conversations with Giannis, but I’ve been able to touch base with the entire roster.”

Why Jenkins, and what does he bring to the table?

Right from the get-go, the Bucks were laser-focused on bringing in Jenkins, with Horst even saying that this was all about hiring him. They did have a list of candidates, but Horst said that the first step of their process was to reach out to Jenkins and then go from there. As for why Jenkins opted to take up the helm, it was all about people for him.

“Obviously, I know Jon, for many years now, so I have high regard and respect for him, not just professionally, but also personally. As I got to spend time with Jimmy and Wes, intimately at our home it became very clear these are individuals that I want to partner with. I’m obviously very familiar with many other members of the Bucks organization, so when this opportunity became available, I was like, I know the people, I know what they stand for, I know what their standards are going to be on a day-to-day basis.”

Jenkins spent a year out of coaching after being fired by the Grizzlies toward the end of the 2024–25 season. During that time, Jenkins not only spent more time with his family but also studied a ton of different teams across the association. When it came to the Bucks, in his eyes, there were some things they he liked quite a bit.

“A lot of it was to grow as a basketball coach, but when I did tune in on the Bucks, and especially when they said we [the Bucks front office] want to spend time with you and I dove in deeper, I love the depth of this team. Even in small sample sizes, not just seeing the amazing talent, but there’s a competitive nature there and that’s what I want to unlock even more.”

“When we talk about building a culture and identity, those aren’t just loose terms that we’re gonna throw out there, it’s going to be the embodiment of who these guys are and as coaches, who we are as teachers. I can’t wait to unlock even more, the versatility both offensively and defensively.”

The Bucks have struggled to find any identity since they fired Jenkins’ former boss, Mike Budenholzer. The cultures that Jenkins’ two predecessors tried to build didn’t work out well. Especially under Rivers, there was no clear picture of what kind of team Milwaukee would be. There was also a lack of accountability, with Doc at times deflecting blame and responsibility onto the players. Based on what Jenkins said about how he wants to start his culture with the Bucks, it’s a breath of much-needed fresh air.

“In my time in Memphis, my mentality was always ‘we’re building something.‘ We’re trying daily to get better and that’s me. If I’m going to lead the charge here with these guys up here [points to Horst and Haslem] I’ve got to look in the mirror first and figure out how I’m going to get better every single day, because I want them to feel that from me. It’s the day-in, day-out working and living together that I’m going to make top priority number one and that’s what we’re doing right now. I want (the players) to know I’m going to be on them from the get-go and how we’re going to build this together.”

Plans for the NBA Draft

With four days until the NBA Draft lottery, the Bucks currently have the 10th-best odds of winning the lottery (though that pick would go to Atlanta in a swap). It will be the first time Horst, in his tenure as GM, has a lottery selection, with his previous highest picks at no. 17 in 2017 and 2018, selecting forward D.J. Wilson and guard Donte DiVincenzo, respectively. Horst discussed the excitement about this selection and potential plans for its use.

“There’s a lot of exciement for what it can do for the orginzation, this oppurtunity represents Taylor talked about, to add a player to our roster who can make a big impact quickly. It’s also an oppurtunity to have an asset that we can consider using to build the team another way. I think the position we’re in, wether it ends up being two or it ends up being 11, it’s going to be important having that asset no matter what. It’s really exciting to go through that process. Taylor and I we’re just talking about on the way over here, to say we’re going to be very intentional about the person.”

As for the kind of player they will bring in, whether it’s a draftee or a trade, Jenkins said that they are still having meetings on how they’re going to build this team and the style of play that they want. Yet Jenkins echoed Horst’s sentiment about bringing in the right type of person to the organization.

“I watched a fair amount of college basketball and acutally a little of international basketball as well, over the course of last season. We’re having meetings on-going right now in coming weeks as Jimmy said to sit down and talk about what is the vision, what is the playstyle, what are the type of people we want to bring into this orginzation to represent this city. Those are ongoing dialogues, I’m getting emails left and right, getting downloads on players and I’m excited about that. I can’t put a crystal ball out there and say this is going to be the person who we’re targeting, we’re doing our due diligence to study every part of the player and the person because we want this to be an important addition to a great roster. We want to get this right.”

---

What did you think of what Jenkins, Horst, and Haslem had to say? Do you think that Jenkins can turn the Bucks’ ship around? Let us know in the comments below.