Category: NBA

We’ve finally made it.

The NBA Playoffs are (kind of) here, and the Pistons open Sunday against whoever survives the Magic/Sixers/Hornets play-in on Friday. This isn’t a full preview, just some thoughts and observations ahead of the Pistons’ biggest postseason in 19 years.

Let’s dive in.

I’m not concerned with the Play-In
The Pistons are the No. 1 seed for a reason. None of Orlando, Philly, or Charlotte should scare you.

Detroit went 9-2 against that trio this season, and one of the Orlando losses came last week without Cade Cunningham, Tobias Harris, Duncan Robinson and Isaiah Stewart.

Charlotte is volatile because of their shooting, but that kind of 3-point variance is more dangerous in a one-game setting than a seven-game series. It’s hard to see them staying hot over the course of a playoff series.

Philadelphia, for now, doesn’t have Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey is still an All-NBA dude, but the rest of the roster lacks punch. Even if Embiid returns, he’s not the same guy who tormented the Pistons during his MVP era.

Orlando is just… off. The talent is there, but between the late-season slide, the Paolo Banchero situation, and locker room noise, it’s hard to take them seriously. Vibes are badddddd.

Detroit should handle this series in five games. Not a sweep, but a gentleman’s sweep.

Are Detroit sports fans a little damaged?
There’s a weird level of local skepticism around this team.

Nationally, sure, I get it. No. 1 seeds without a deep playoff track record always get a side-eye. But locally? It feels like people are bracing for disaster.

Maybe it’s last year’s Tigers collapse or the Lions’ flameout over the past two years, but there’s a lot of “they could lose to Charlotte” or “there’s zero chance they make the Conference Finals.”

It’s just odd. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I think the Pistons will win the title (they won’t) nor that they’ll make the Finals (they might), but this isn’t a team walking into the playoffs blind.

They got their playoff indoctrination last year. That matters.

A shorter rotation is coming
I caught a lot of flak on Twitter recently over this, but I think the Pistons are going to cut down their rotation come Sunday. We’re not going to see 10-11 guys playing.

Maybe we will if the series isn’t close, but if it’s a real, down-to-the-wire series, we’re going to mostly see the starters playing more with Ron Holland, Daniss Jenkins, Stew and Kevin Huerter carrying the load off the bench.

This scheduling is weird
Boston and San Antonio, the No. 2 seeds, will know their opponent for Sunday’s Game 1s by the end of the night.

The No. 1 seeds won’t know until Friday night.

That’s a little wack. The top seed still gets home court and an easier path on paper, but the play-in muddies that advantage a little bit. It’s not a huge deal, but feels like a quirk the NBA should look at.

It’s Jalen Duren’s time
Duren took the leap this year.

Made the All-Star team, likely making All-NBA — should but won’t win the Most Improved Player award — but I think there’s still more to come.

Detroit will need his offense in these playoffs, but the real swing is his defense. If he can hold up on switches in the playoffs as he has in the regular season, it makes a deep run possible. He had moments against the New York Knicks last year, but struggled overall on D. I think he’s going to click on both ends this year.

If it’s Charlotte, he should dominate. Same against Philly sans Embiid. Even against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, the numbers are hard to ignore: 21.7 points and 12.3 rebounds vs. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen this season, including 28.5 points and 15 rebounds per game in two matchups after the All-Star break.

He’s a mismatch and massive advantage for Detroit.

Three X-Factors
I couldn’t pick one, so you get three and a half very important dudes:

Ron Holland — He looked like a deer in the headlights against the Knicks last year, but the game has slowed down for him recently. His numbers (10 points per game, 46% from the field, 48% from three on 21 attempts) in six games this month sans Cade back it up. He’s ready to roll.

Daniss Jenkins — As far as I’m concerned, he’s a rookie. Jenkins has had highs and lows, but overall, he’s just produced. He’s not afraid. His playmaking and shot creation could swing a game or two. It’s easy to get sped up in the playoffs; the key for him is staying aggressive without losing control.

Duncan Robinson — We saw Detroit struggle when Malik Beasley went cold last postseason, so Robinson’s shooting is obviously critical. He brings real playoff experience (61 games, 40% from three). The question is whether Detroit can protect him defensively or if they can trust Jenkins enough to close in his place.

We’re gonna say, “Woo”

I don’t know when.

I don’t know how.

I just know Javonte Green is going to have his moment. I don’t have him in the truncated playoff rotation right now, but there’s going to be a spot where the Pistons need a jolt or big play on defense or dunk to wake up the LCA crowd.

I’m gonna bet Woo is the guy who delivers.

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What are you all feeling headed into Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

After the NBA closed a season with rampant tanking and record ratings — wait, those things can coexist? — now comes the postseason.

With the attention mercifully turning away from lottery positioning to playoff competition, here are 10 storylines that will define the next month or two.

1. Are the Pistons ready to honor their seed?

Two years ago this week, Detroit capped off five straight years of tanking with a 14-68 campaign. Now they’re 60-22 and the top seed in the East.

Can they close the deal and reach the NBA Finals without a viable No. 2 scoring option behind Cade Cunningham, who averaged 24.2 points and has come back from a collapsed lung?

That’s what the playoffs will show. But their defense looks title worthy; the Pistons are only the third team in the last 15 years to lead the league in both blocks and steals.

2. Can anyone other than the Spurs stop the Thunder from repeating?

San Antonio is a real threat — plus-50 against OKC in five games with Victor Wembanyama on the court averaging just 25 minutes — but is anybody else?

If Denver gets past the Spurs in the second round, they have the NBA’s top offense and Nikola Jokic. He led the league in rebounds and assists, the first to do so since 1969-70. And Boston could come out of the East as another proven champion.

3. What can LeBron do without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic?

King James — in his record-tying 19th playoff appearance — now must shoulder ballhandling and shot-creation duties against the Rockets’ withering defense and outduel Kevin Durant.

At 41, JJ Redick was right when he said the Lakers are best with James as the third option. Now he’s the only option with Reaves (oblique) and Doncic (hamstring) felled by Grade 2 strains.

They need Marcus Smart at his best, other role players to get on a heater, and Durant to go ice cold. Good luck.

4. Which player has the most to prove in the playoffs?

Tie: Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

Mitchell’s 28.3 ppg career playoff average is seventh all time, but in eight postseasons he’s never made a conference finals.

The Cavs traded for Harden to change that and are 19-6 when he plays. But his playoff disappearing acts are legendary, and Cleveland’s defensive woes — 17th in defensive efficiency in the second half — make it tough to have faith.

5. Can the Celtics turn a gap year into a championship?

Indiana lost Tyrese Haliburton and chose to tank. Boston lost Jayson Tatum and chose violence, riding Jaylen Brown’s 28.7 ppg, winning DNA and great player development.

Now with Tatum back from his Achilles tear, the Celtics have the star power, depth and balance to make a run at another ring — even with Neemias Queta, Nikola Vucevic and Luka Garza at the five.

6. Can the Knicks succeed?

Team owner James Dolan crowed in a January radio interview that they “should” win the title, and reaching the NBA Finals is something they “absolutely have to do.”

But even getting back to the conference finals — a feat that got Tom Thibodeau fired — requires not only beating the red-hot Hawks (who closed 19-5) but likely Boston, the betting favorite to win the East. That still likely only earns them a rematch with the Pistons, itching for playoff payback.

7. Which star shakes loose after a playoff disappointment?

Even ignoring the absent Giannis Antetokounmpo, early exits prompt unexpected departures.

If the Cavs go out in the first or second round with the league’s priciest roster, will Mitchell want out?

Will Knicks “failure” result in a roster shake-up and Karl-Anthony Towns being moved? And with Paolo Banchero not on the same page as coach Jamahl Mosley all season, the Ringer’s Raheem Palmer reported the Magic star is set to demand a trade if Mosley isn’t canned at the end of this season.

8. Who are some of the X factors who could swing a series?

Role players often swing a series with unexpected contributions.

Denver was supposed to be deeper this year. While Cam Johnson hasn’t been great, Peyton Watson can attack the rim and provide needed wing defense. The Pistons have needed a second scorer, and Daniss Jenkins’ emergence while Cunningham was out with a collapsed lung helped them go 9-3 until his return. Payton Pritchard, AJ Mitchell and Mitchell Robinson are also likely X factor heroes.

9. Is there a sleeper team?

By the true “March Madness: 16 over a 1 seed” definition of sleeper, that might be No. 6 Atlanta.

Atlanta has benefited from addition by subtraction after getting rid of Trae Young, and won 19 of 24 going into a first-round matchup vs. the Knicks.

But in terms of a lower seed that can actually go all the way, that would be the No. 3 Nuggets, who could certainly go out in the second round against San Antonio, but could just as easily knock off the Spurs and then end OKC’s title defense en route to playing for a championship if their defense can hold up.

10. Are any of the young bucks for real?

We don’t mean Milwaukee. They clearly aren’t. But between Atlanta, Portland and Charlotte, can any make noise?

Rookie of the Year front-runner Kon Knueppel’s Hornets are in the play-in, having closed 28-10 after a 16-28 start. The Hawks had climbed just high enough to clinch the sixth seed against the Knicks, having closed 19-5 behind the emergent Jalen Johnson, 24.

And Portland took 10 of their final 14, but their only victories over winning teams came against the Clippers and Minnesota (without Anthony Edwards). As the competition levels up, can they?

Mike Brown has noticed something important about himself. 

He made a Finals appearance as a head coach, back in 2007 with the Cavaliers. He won four championships as an assistant — in 2003 with the Spurs and in 2017, 2018 and 2022 with the Warriors. He’s certainly used to coaching teams with high expectations. 

But he’s changed his approach. And he believes the Knicks can benefit from it. 

“More mature, more experienced, more seasoned,” Brown said after practice Wednesday. “If you want to get specific about it, I didn’t message great back then. It was more about the work. That’s the one thing I always knew I had control over, is I can outwork this guy if I want to — it’s my call, that’s easy. Therefore, if I’m gonna do something with our team, our team is gonna outwork that team, it’s easy. 

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“Now it’s based more on feel, a little bit smarter with my work and the team’s work. I do feel like I message better. I learned all these things being around great players and great coaches and just over time, learning from your mistakes I feel like I have a better opportunity now, because I’ve been through a lot, to be more present than before. When you’re present, it helps you be able to make adjustments more timely on both sides of the ball.” 

Having been around those championship teams, what were the common traits and similarities between them? Do the Knicks share them? 

“It’s what our standard is about,” Brown said. “They were different teams. I was the head coach of Cleveland and we got to the Finals with a young team. Assistant coach in San Antonio with a veteran team. Assistant coach in Golden State with a veteran team. If there was something that was similar with all those different teams, they all somehow, someway sacrificed throughout the course of the year.They found a way to be connected, especially at the right time. They all had an unbelievable competitive spirit and the belief in the process and each other was always there. And everybody was OK holding one another accountable. They all embraced that. 

“I feel that this group has trended towards that way.” 

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Everyone, including OG Anunoby, practiced Wednesday, Brown said. Anunoby exited the penultimate game — a win over the Raptors last Friday — with an ankle injury, but it didn’t appear to be serious. He, like the majority of the main rotation players, sat out the meaningless Knicks finale Sunday. 

Wednesday’s positive update means he should be good to go for Game 1 on Saturday. 

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Jalen Brunson described Madison Square Garden’s playoff atmosphere simply. 

“It’s something that we could sit here and explain,” he said Wednesday. “But no one really knows it unless they experience it.”

Jalen Brunson sat at the podium, moments after the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in the conference finals last year, and acknowledged how much had to happen just to get back to where they were. 

They wouldn’t just start again in the conference finals. They’d have to go through the preseason, through the regular season, then climb through the playoffs once again. So many things would have to go right along the way. So many potential pitfalls would stand in their way. 

Now comes the defining part. 

“At the end of the day,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Wednesday, “We’ll be judged on what we do on this run.” 

All that matters is what comes next and how far the Knicks go this postseason. And just getting back to the conference finals won’t be good enough — Tom Thibodeau was fired after reaching the conference finals, after all. Owner James Dolan explicitly issued a Finals-or-bust mandate this season, despite Mike Brown being in his first season with the team.  

There is no escaping that pressure. There is only embracing it, or folding under it. 

What makes them believe they’re equipped to live up to it? 

“To be honest, there’s a lot of things that go on that you guys don’t see,” Brunson said Wednesday. “A lot of things we talk about, a lot of things we do that we don’t even say publicly. For a reason — because we want to keep everything in-house. We want to make sure the people inside this building, inside that locker room, we’re all we got, no matter what. 

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“I have the utmost confidence in them.” 

The trap, of course, is looking ahead to the final piece of that mandate — reaching the Finals — and overlooking the immediate challenge right in front of them in the Hawks.

Flash back to last year, and the Celtics and Cavaliers were widely expected to meet in the conference finals. Neither did. There were much bigger doubts surrounding the Knicks and Pacers, who ended up being the two teams in the conference finals. 

They must perform every step of the way, meticulously delivering high-stakes results just to get back to where they were last year before they have a chance to exceed it. 

“I enjoy that,” Brunson said. “I enjoy the process every single day. Yes, it’s tough. Yes. There’s times, there’s ups and downs and self-doubt creeps in maybe sometimes, but this is something that I enjoy doing and it’s something I worked my entire life for. So I embrace the opportunity.” 

Those ups and downs were the theme of the regular season. With the Finals-or-bust mandate hovering over everything, their polarizing performances at times made it seem believable and at times made it seem inconceivable. 

In truth, that pressure is not just starting now. It’s been a constant all season. They’ve known for a while now that if they fall short, all options are on the table in terms of what changes could be made. 

“The highs are high and the lows are lows,” Towns said. “You just weather the storms, you stick with each other. That’s when team bonding and unity are so important, when things aren’t going well. It’s never when things are going great that team bonding is lacking. You test each other when things are going bad. We’ve had those highs of highs this year with the [NBA] Cup. We’ve had the lows of lows with the losing streak. And this team has stuck together. The locker room has been great. So it’s good for us to know that if things are not going well, we’re going to lean into each other and get closer.”

That volatility has also helped the best version of the Knicks emerge. 

“We started off the year playing one way on offense and one way on defense and we made some pretty big changes throughout the course of the year,” Brown said Wednesday. “I don’t know if I’ve ever gone through a season with a team, as a head coach or as an assistant coach, making the changes that we’ve made with a group of guys. And them continuing to try to stay the course and believe and buy in and all that, to see that from a veteran group, when we’ve hit some adversity even during that time, has a lot to do with their makeup.” 

From the moment Brunson delivered his message at the podium, close to midnight May 31, the only thing that has mattered is getting at least one step farther. 

They’ve completed the preliminary steps in the preseason and regular season. Finally, here comes the defining part.

Steph Curry drops one-word key to Warriors beating Suns in play-in game Friday originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry has one simple key for the Warriors’ play-in matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

Spoiler alert: It’s the same X factor that was pivotal in Golden State keeping its season alive on Wednesday, as Curry led a 126-121 comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome.

After a game-high 35 points, Curry explained what it will take for the Warriors to advance out of the play-in tournament and into the NBA playoffs for a matchup with the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.

“The same resiliency,” Curry told Allie Clifton of NBA on Prime. “Coach [Steve Kerr] talked about it in the locker room before, these win-or-go-home scenarios, we think we know the team, but you got to be able to withstand the runs and stay in it emotionally, because it was … back and forth all game. And then we got over the hump the last three minutes. So, stick with it; no, it’s not going to be perfect but just try to find a way to win.”

As Curry said, the Clippers delivered several blows throughout the game, but the Warriors fought back each time. And with the game in reach down the stretch, Curry, Al Horford and Draymond Green lifted Golden State over the top.

The Suns likely will go on some runs as well in another win-or-go-home game on Friday, and the Warriors will need to replicate that same mentality to avoid elimination.

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With both the NCAA Tournament and NBA regular season done and dusted, it’s now time to turn our attention to the NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks are set to have multiple first-round picks and three selections in the draft overall. The process over the next few weeks gets a bit murky, but these are the important dates you might want to keep in mind.

• Now through April 21st: The NCAA Basketball transfer portal is open. Players do not have to have their destination selected by the 21^st, but they must enter the portal by 11:59 p.m. ET on April 21st. You will see several players declare for the draft while leaving the option open to return to school while entering the portal at the same time.
• The early entry deadline for underclassmen to declare the NBA Draft is April 24th. Any player who is not a senior must declare for the draft by this date.
• The NBA Draft Combine will take place from May 8^th through the 17^th from Chicago. Most players who declare for the draft but leave open the return to college will make their decision during this time, based off of feedback from NBA teams.
• The NBA Draft Lottery is May 10th. There are several tiebreakers that need to be worked out in both the Lottery and the remainder of the first round. The NBA will break those ties on April 20th.
• The NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline is May 27^th, meaning any player that declares for the draft on or before April 24th must decide whether they are staying in the draft or returning to college by this day.
• The NBA Draft will take place June 23rd and 24th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The draft will be televised on ESPN, starting at 7:00 p.m. CT on both nights. The first round of the draft on June 23rd will also be televised on ABC.
• NBA Summer League in Las Vegas runs from July 9^th through the 19^th.

With that housekeeping out of the way, here is a running list of some notable NBA Draft decisions that have been or will need to be made between now and then.

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Top end guys expected to declare

• AJ Dybantsa (F, BYU)
• Darryn Peterson (G, Kansas)
• Cam Boozer (F, Duke)
• Kingston Flemings (G, Houston)
• Darius Acuff (G, Arkansas)
• Brayden Burries (G, Arizona)

It would be a genuine shock if any of these guys came back to school. All six of them should be gone in the top ten selections.

Notables who have already declared

• Caleb Wilson (F, UNC)
• Keaton Wagler (G, Illinois)
• Mikel Brown Jr. (G, Louisville)
• Labaron Philon (G, Alabama)
• Yaxel Lendeborg (F, Michigan)
• Christian Anderson (G, Texas Tech)*
• Dailyn Swain (F, Texas)*
• Ebuka Okorie (G, Stanford)*
• Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)*
  • Also entered NCAA Transfer Portal
• Juke Harris (F, Wake)*
  • Also entered NCAA Transfer Portal
• Chris Cenac (F, Houston)*

*Legitimate chance that they return to school.

There are some really interesting scenarios here for Dallas, especially with their 30th overall pick. If the Mavericks go guard early, a player like Swain or Graves could be very intriguing with pick 30. Swain is a do it all slashing wing, while Graves translates as a four or small ball five who can step out and shoot. If the Mavericks strike out on guard early, a player like Anderson or Okorie makes much more sense. There are many options here, but we likely won’t know what is fully available until after the May 27th deadline for these guys to return to school.

Yet to make a decision

Koa Peat (F, Arizona)

I think Peat could use another year of seasoning, but we’ll see if the forward gets the guarantee he’s after.

Nate Ament (F, Tennessee)

Originally thought to be one of the five best players in the class, Ament largely didn’t live up to expectations this year. Could that lead to him returning to school?

Braylon Mullins (F, UConn)

The Elite Eight hero has a legitimate decision to make, as the sharpshooter was much more up and down this year than you’d want.

Mo Krivas (C, Arizona)

Krivas likely falls in the twenties of this draft, whereas he could easily be a lottery guy next year in a weaker class.

Morez Johnson and Aday Mara (bigs, Michigan)

This duo is also in that twenties range. Michigan is operating as if they’re gone, so we’ll see if they do actually come out.

Tyler Tanner (G, Vanderbilt)

Expect to see Tanner declare soon, but there’s a good chance that he returns to Nashville if he doesn’t get a strong guarantee somewhere in the first round.

Game No. 83 has arrived. The Golden State Warriors are starting the postseason where they ended the regular season: at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, visiting the LA Clippers. It’s a win-or-go-home game for both teams: the loser is eliminated, while the victor will advance to Friday’s road game against the Phoenix Suns.

Thankfully for the Warriors, they’re as healthy as they’ve been in the last three months. Steph Curry, Al Horford, and Kristaps Porziņģis are absent on the injury report, with only one name accompanying the players the team lost to season-ending knee injuries. Though as a reminder, two-way players are not eligible for playoff games, which is why LJ Cryer isn’t listed here (they are, however, allowed to travel with the team and sit on the bench).

Here’s the full injury report for both teams.

Warriors

Out — Quinten Post (right foot injury management)

Post’s foot injury really lingered. He’s only played once since mid-March, and only played a few minutes in that game. He’ll need the Warriors to win — likely at least twice — if he wants to play again in his sophomore year.

Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)
Out — Moses Moody (left patellar tendon surgery)

Nothing to note here. We’ve known these two will be out for the rest of the year — and much of next year — for quite a while.

Clippers

Out — Bradley Beal (left hip fracture)

Beal’s first season with the Clippers didn’t go well, as he played just six games before suffering a season-ending injury. He signed a two-year deal with LAC after working a buyout with the Suns, so he’ll get a chance to run it back next year.

Out — Yanic Konan Niederhäuser(right lisfranc ligament tear)

The final pick of the first round in the 2025 draft played exactly half of LA’s games before suffering a season-ending injury.

Probable — Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain)

Jackson has played sparingly this year, and hasn’t appeared in a game since March. So if he plays in this game, it’s likely because the outcome has already been decided.

Enjoy the game, Dub Nation! It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video.

When Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) suffered their regular-season-ending injuries April 2, with just 2 ½ weeks before the NBA playoffs started, coach JJ Redick immediately made the Lakers’ mission clear. 

“Both those guys are going to try to come back,” Redick said April 5. “And it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back.”

Even with Redick saying Tuesday afternoon that Doncic and Reaves are out “indefinitely” and there won’t be an update on either of their statuses for the remainder of the week, the Lakers’ first-round playoff series schedule against the Rockets gives them the best shot of accomplishing their original goal. 

Game 1 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena (5:30 p.m. tipoff) was already known.

But the league announced Tuesday night that Game 2 is set for April 21 in Los Angeles and Game 3 is scheduled April 24 in Houston — giving the Lakers the maximum amount of time between games for their injury-riddled roster to get closer to whole before what could be a pivotal Game 4 on April 26 at Toyota Center. 

There will be another two-day break before a potential Game 5 on April 29 at Crypto.com Arena — almost four weeks after the injuries to Doncic and Reaves — before the series shifts to playing every other day for potential Game 6 (May 1) in Houston and Game 7 (May 3) in Los Angeles. 

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The spaced-out nature of the Lakers-Rockets series isn’t surprising — and not because of conspiracy theories that the NBA is favoring the Lakers to give them the best shot they can at getting their star guards back during the first round. 

Let’s not forget that the Lakers’ schedule for their first-round playoff series against the Timberwolves — a series Doncic, Reaves and LeBron James were all healthy — followed the same format as this year’s Lakers-Rockets series. 

And don’t ignore the fact that the Cavaliers-Raptors matchup also has the same number of two-day breaks (three) before their potential Game 5 as Lakers-Rockets. 

Nonetheless, the schedule undoubtedly helps the Lakers.

Doncic is attempting to speed up a recovery that typically takes three to six weeks (and on average 35 days) by traveling to Spain to receive special treatment before coming back to the United States on Friday. The average recovery timeline would have Doncic miss the series entirely, even if it lasted seven games. But a combination of the Lakers’ first-round schedule and a sped-up recovery could see Doncic back on the floor in either Game 4 or 5. 

And with Reaves’ injury, which is expected to sideline him four to six weeks, about pain management in addition to recovery, a sped-up return in which he’s back on the floor in the earlier part of his recovery window could have him playing as soon as Game 5. 

There aren’t any guarantees Doncic and Reaves will be back during the Lakers-Rockets series — let alone be able to play at the MVP-caliber level Doncic was at and the All-Star level Reaves was showing before the injuries.

Reaves’ shooting after practices this week is providing optimism for a return.

More time will be good for Doncic and Reaves, even if some players said they don’t know how the schedule looks, with Rui Hachimura saying Wednesday, “I wasn’t looking at it, I’m not going to lie. … I’m just focused on this first game. So I haven’t really seen it.”

Austin Reaves (oblique strain) shooting threes after Lakers practice today. pic.twitter.com/XK2jEE5pJY

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 15, 2026

The overlooked benefit of the schedule is how it’ll help the rest of the Lakers as they hope to extend the season so the star guards can return.

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers shot more efficiently from the field after multiple days between games compared with one or zero days. 

Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia, all of whom will be counted on more offensively to start the series, were more productive offensively with two full days between games during the regular season compared with one or none.

And with Doncic and Reaves sidelined, the rest of the team will have to carry a heavier load — both in terms of minutes played and on-court responsibilities — which becomes more physically taxing the longer a series lasts. 

“Just seeing what days are available, getting extra work in,” Ayton said. “What’s the practice like? When do I have a free day for myself? Things like that. So I’m always looking at the schedule.”

During a series that’ll be defined by physicality and the ability to maintain focus when fatigue settles in against a Rockets team that led the league in offensive rebounding for the second year in a row, the Lakers will need as much time to rest, recover and adjust their game plans as they can get. 

Playing hard will be necessary. With narrow margins, they don’t have any other options. 

“That’s why the playoffs are so hard,” Ayton said. “You play these hard games, but we got enough time to rest up and rejuvenate ourselves to play hard again. That’s why they’re so tough to win games in the playoffs because we’re all alphas, and we bring it 110% every game. It’s gonna be fun.”

Even though the numbers don’t back it up, James is arguably the individual who’ll benefit the most, with the 41-year-old having to be back in the driver’s seat and at the forefront of the Lakers’ playoff hopes until they can get their star ball handlers back — if they’re able to extend the series long enough.

“He’s 41,” Redick said. “So any extra time off is good.”

Roob on 76ers: Kelly Oubre discovers long-range stroke when 76ers needed it most originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Let’s be honest. The worst thing that can happen with Oubre is that he makes his first 3 because then he thinks he’s all of a sudden good at it, and he keeps shooting.

He did that Wednesday night. Made his first two. Kept firing.

Only this time, he was really good. Better than he’s almost ever been.

Oubre made five of 10 3’s in a 12-point win and to put that in perspective, he’s played in 730 games in his career and this was only the 14^th where he took at least 10 3’s and made at least half of them. And only the second in the last two years.

This wasn’t technically a postseason game – play-in games aren’t regular-season games or playoff games – but for all intents and purposes it was a postseason game because it propelled the Eagles into the seven seed and a showdown with the Celtics. It was Oubre’s 25^th career “postseason” game and the first time he’s made more than three 3’s. And the first time he’s taken more than four and shot at least 50 percent.

So this was out of nowhere, and on a day when Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Paul George all shot below 45 percent from the field and were a combined 5-for-20 from 3, the 76ers needed every one of Oubre’s long-range bombs.

I didn’t have Kelly Oubre Jr. making as many 3’s as Maxey, Edgecombe and George in half as many attempts, but here we are.

Oubre finished with 19 points and three rebounds and was plus-19 in the most important game of the year.

In his defense, Oubre has shot better from 3 this year. His 36 percent shooting from 3 wasn’t good – it ranked 112^th out of 191 players who took at least 200 3’s this year. But it was a career high and you have to give the guy credit for having his best season shooting 3’s in his 11^th season.

And you have to give him credit for coming up huge Wednesday night when there were long stretches where nobody on the team could make a shot.

Oubre’s last 3 was his biggest. 

The Magic had cut an 10-point deficit to five, and it was 94-89 76ers with 5:45 to go in the fourth quarter. The game wasn’t quite slipping away, but it was a critical situation. 

Quentin Grimes passed to Oubre 28 feet out on the left wing.

Swish.

Ballgame.

Oubre may never make five 3’s in a game again and the 76ers certainly need all the other guys to shoot better just to stay with the mighty Celtics.

But for one night the 76ers won a game in a fashion they’ve only won once before. With Oubre taking double-digit 3’s and making half of them. 

This was about the last way anybody could have imagined them beating the Magic. With Oubre going off from deep.

But without Oubre and his unlikely 3’s, the 76ers don’t win this game.

Chris Paul humorously roasts Clippers after devastating play-in loss to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Former Warriors guard Chris Paul still is bitter about his ugly breakup with the Los Angeles Clippers.

So, despite spending the prime of his illustrious 21-year NBA career in the City of Angels, the future Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was repping the Bay, once again, in spirit on Wednesday night.

Paul, who spent the 2023-24 NBA season with the Warriors, took to his Instagram story after Golden State’s electric 126-121 win in the do-or-die play-in game at Intuit Dome to give the business to the Clippers he once carried.

You alright in my book @CP3 🤝 pic.twitter.com/U5zAqdWnJ3

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 16, 2026

The classic meme Paul posted is about attending an enemy’s funeral to make sure they’ve truly passed on.

And CP3 sure did tune in to Wednesday night’s thriller to make sure the Clippers went night night for good.

Los Angeles, in case you didn’t know, stunningly and literally sent Paul home early in the 2025-26 NBA season — which was supposed to be his farewell tour — and ultimately dealt him to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline; Paul retired before the regular season’s end.

The “Point God” literally played over 400 games with the historically lowly Clippers and helped them become the franchise that now boasts a state-of-the-art arena with a larger footprint in the city that always has been a Lakers town.

So, while Paul might’ve played just 58 games with the Warriors, he surely was loving every second of Golden State’s come-from-behind victory over Los Angeles, which extended the 10th-seeded road team’s lifespan by at least one more game.

Paul seemingly was a proud member of Dub Nation on Wednesday night.

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INDEPENDENCE — The Cleveland Cavaliers had 41 different starting lineups throughout the regular season. That was mostly due to injuries and major trades that shook up the roster at the deadline. But of those 41 different combinations, one has yet to stick out with the playoffs starting on Saturday.

As of now, head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t ready to name a fifth starter to go alongside the core group of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. He was asked again after practice on Wednesday who the starting small forward would be, and declined to name one.

“I don’t want to say something [now and then] we change [it],” Atkinson said on Wednesday.

Atkinson mentioned that who that fifth starter would be is matchup dependent. And those matchups depend on who’s in the lineup for their opponent.

The Raptors’ starting point guard, Immanuel Quickley, has a hamstring injury. He participated in individual work on Wednesday, but his status is still day-to-day heading into the series. Quickley’s availability could impact who the Cavs insert into the fifth starting role.

Atkinson has been steadfast in not naming a permanent starting small forward. Dean Wade, Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson have all gotten looks this season in that role. Each brings something different to the table that could be useful, depending on who the opponent is.

Based on those comments, it seems like we won’t get an answer on who will start at the three until just before Game 1 on Saturday. And whoever starts isn’t guaranteed to do so throughout the entire postseason.

“That position is going to be flexible in terms of starting and finishing,” Atkinson said earlier this month. “You have to earn it.”

The Play-In game against the Portland Trail Blazers was a tough loss, but was it unexpected? All of us Suns fans were optimistic going into the game and the Suns definitely could have won. It wasn’t a blowout and came down to the final possession. But the Suns didn’t pull it out in the end, and along the way, they gave up 41 points to Deni Avdija, just two points shy of his career high.

Deni spent the most time in the game being guarded by Jordan Goodwin. In the six minutes that Goodwin, the shortest player in the Suns’ starting lineup, was guarding Deni Avdija, the Trail Blazers’ star was held to just 1-of-3 from the field. Portland as a whole scored 25 total points in those minutes.

The tallest non-center in the starting lineup, Dillon Brooks, guarded Avdija for the second most amount of time. In the three minutes Brooks was guarding him, Avdija scored 14 points on 75% shooting from the field. Portland also scored 25 total points in those minutes.

Jordan Goodwin was the best defensive forward on the court against Deni Avdija last night, and Goodie is almost half a foot shorter than him.

The Phoenix Suns are just too small and every Suns fan knows it. The guys who are almost tall enough to compete with the elite forwards of the NBA just aren’t good enough to compensate for the size disadvantage. There has not been a reliable power forward option on this team all season, and Phoenix is paying the price.

Even before the season began, the power forward weakness was known. On October 9th, 2025, thirteen days before the Suns tipped off the season, Bright Side Managing Editor John Voita wrote this: 

“Among the biggest question marks is the power forward position.

No matter how you view it, the Suns appear either undersized or underskilled at that spot. Ryan Dunn lacks the size to battle with the league’s elite forwards. Royce O’Neale, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Dillon Brooks fit the same mold. Oso Ighodaro brings energy and intelligence, but his offensive game remains raw. If you are identifying a weak link in the lineup, power forward stands out before any other position.”

If I had to write an assessment of the current state of the power forward position at the end of the season, I would write almost the exact same thing.

We knew coming into the year that this team had a profound weakness. Against Portland, Jordan Ott started a guard that plays like a wing, three actual wings, and a center. Why did he do this? Because he is working with a roster where somewhere between six and nine of his fourteen players would probably best fit into the “wing” category.

Here is Tuesday night’s starting lineup and their listed heights on basketball reference:

Guard 1: Jordan Goodwin – 6’ 3”

Wing 1: Devin Booker – 6’ 5”

Wing 2: Jalen Green – 6’ 4”

Wing 3: Dillon Brooks – 6’ 7”

Center: Mark Williams – 7’ 1”

And here is Portland’s starting lineup from the same game:

Guard 1: Scoot Henderson – 6’ 3”

Guard 2: Jrue Holiday – 6’ 4”

Forward 1: Toumani Camara – 6’ 7”

Forward 2: Deni Avdija – 6’ 8”

Center: Donovan Clingan – 7’ 2”

Portland came into the Play-In with balance. They have guards, they have forwards, they have bigs. They have defensive-oriented players and offensive-oriented players. They have jump-out-of-the-gym athletes (I thought Shaedon Sharpe was going to hit his head on the rim on that alley-oop over Royce O’Neale), and they have shooters.

The Suns have one of the worst rosters in the NBA among teams that made it to the postseason. Phoenix has leaned into the wing-heavy roster construction that was popular 8-10 years ago, but they have done so in the era of ultra-talented bigs and forwards. Whether that was by choice or because the players they have are the best players they could get during each individual transaction, the point remains true.

The Suns’ shooting guard cast is the best example of the profound roster imbalance. Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Grayson Allen are all starting-quality shooting guards in the NBA, but holding on to all three past the deadline did not put the Suns in a position to succeed. Trading Allen, for example, for a fringe starting caliber power forward at the deadline may have been an overall reduction in talent, but it probably would have resulted in an overall better team.

What the Suns needed to find at the deadline was their PJ Washington. Washington was a very important trade acquisition that the Mavericks made during the season en route to their 2024 NBA Finals appearance against the Celtics.

Would the Suns be favorites to make the Finals this year if they had traded for Jalen Smith, Santi Aldama, or Jonathan Kuminga? No, definitely not. But the roster balance and the lack of a reliable power forward are holding this team back.

Maybe that power forward is already on the roster. Maybe next year, we’ll see Rasheer Fleming or Ryan Dunn make the leap that solidifies them in that spot. Maybe Oso Ighodaro becomes a reliable three-point weapon, and the Suns can run a double-big lineup. Or maybe the Suns finally go out and get the power forward they so desperately need.

But they aren’t going to make it far next year without a serious upgrade.

---

The Golden State Warriors play the Los Angeles Clippers tonight in a win-or-go-home play-in game, and Anthony Slater just told us Steve Kerr’s coaching future won’t get resolved in the immediate aftermath of the season. He’s taking time for “bigger picture conversations” before any ultimate choice gets made.

So let’s be clear about what we’re watching tonight: This might be Steve Kerr’s final game coaching the Golden State Warriors.

There won’t be clarity on Steve Kerr’s coaching future in the immediate aftermath of the season. He intends to take time to have the necessary bigger picture conversations before ultimate choice.

GSW segment on NBA Today including a bit on Kerr pic.twitter.com/H2C5SliTQi

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 15, 2026

The timing almost feels scripted. The man who pushed this franchise from feisty underdogs into a dynasty that redefined basketball is coaching on the last year of his contract, leading a banged-up 37-45 squad into Los Angeles for a game that ends their season if they lose. And we just found out there’s no fast resolution coming, no matter what happens.

Think about the position everyone’s in right now. Kerr’s been here for over a decade, winning four championships and the magical rollercoaster of the 73-win season. His deadly motion offense became the league standard. The way he maximized Steph Curry’s gravitational pull while creating space for everyone else built something that felt permanent even though nothing in sports ever is.

Now he’s coaching a team that wheezed out of the regular season missing Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to season-ending injuries. This entire season rests on tonight’s contest. And Kerr knows what win-or-go-home basketball feels like. He hit the series-clinching shot for the Bulls in the ’97 Finals. He won five championships as a player before coaching four more. He’s been in elimination scenarios his entire life, but this one carries different weight because it’s wrapped up in organizational uncertainty that won’t resolve quickly.

What makes this complicated is that Kerr wants to be here. He said it himself after the initial contract report that he’d love to continue with the Warriors beyond this year. But he also acknowledged it’s fluid, that the organization might look at where things stand and decide to move in a different direction.

So tonight becomes more than just Warriors versus Clippers for the right to advance. It becomes Steve Kerr coaching a team he built, possibly for the last time, in a game that could end their season before any of those bigger picture conversations happen. Watching Kerr navigate a win-or-go-home scenario while his own future remains unresolved adds another layer to what’s already the highest-stakes game of this season.

Championship pedigree doesn’t guarantee job security and Kerr knows this better than anyone. Tonight we find out if that pedigree can deliver one more time when everything’s on the line.

The last time Deandre Ayton appeared in the playoffs was in 2023, when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns and viewed in NBA circles as having the potential to be a force as a center in the league.

A lot has changed since then.

He’s on his second team since those days in Phoenix, playing two years for the Portland Trail Blazers and now the Lakers. He has been viewed by many as an inconsistent player who hasn’t reached his full potential.

Ayton has a chance to prove his worth, to show his critics he has the ability to be elite in the postseason when the Lakers open the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena.

“I love playing this game and I take great passion of playing on both ends of the floor,,” Ayton said after practice Wednesday. "I still believe just being a two-way player in this league, that's truly my second nature, and that's how I want to be noted as in this league. It's just being an all-around, two-way superstar. Just taking passion on both ends of the floor.

"I can play hard on offense. I can play hard on defense. So, that's just really my goal — running the floor always and closing out possessions with rebounds and protecting the rim. So, just trying to enhance everything I can coming into the playoffs.”

Read more:Lakers prepare for Rockets playoff series with emphasis on rebounding

Ayton averaged career lows in points (12.5), rebounds (8.0) and minutes (27.2) this season. But he did play a career-high 72 games and shot a career-best 67.1% from the field.

In the three seasons Ayton reached the playoffs with the Suns, he was a double-double machine, averaging 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 45 postseason games.

The Lakers will need that version of Ayton, especially with star guards Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain) out indefinitely.

“I've shown it,” Ayton said. “So, it's just me accepting the role I'm in and playing hard as hell in that role. That's about it. Every night.”

In seven seasons before he arrived in Los Angeles, Ayton averaged a double-double. When the Lakers signed him to a two-year, $16-million deal with a player option, they hoped to get that Ayton.

“The whole season for him has been about finding consistency,” coach JJ Redick said. “When he's at his best, we're an elite basketball team. That's just the reality. He raises our ceiling so much — and it's on both sides of the ball. It's not him being able to score 24 points, although when he scores and shoots, we typically win. ... He's just a really good basketball player and we're very happy with where he's at."

Ayton was asked to evaluate his season.

“I was challenged a lot this season and I feel like I embraced everything that was thrown at me,” he said. “It took some time, but I eventually got control of everything. And I think I got a hang of it and I like it. I got the guys on the team that helped me embrace everything that's going on.

"And just things we have going, with the dilemmas and the injuries, I feel like we've been through this the whole year. Just guys going out and guys having big games. And we're the team where you don't know who's gonna have the 30 points, or this or that. We're just going to play hard and just play together.”

Ayton will have his hands full with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds.

“It's the postseason, you know?” Ayton said. “It's called mano y mano and it's not always Xs, and O's. You got to stop the man and guard your yard.”

Read more:LeBron James takes the reins for Lakers entering playoffs

When the Suns reached the 2021 Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, there were times when Ayton was considered the second-best player on his team. Over six games he averaged 14.7 points and 12 rebounds and shot 53.1% from the field.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven series for the Lakers is on the horizon, and Ayton is excited to show what he has to offer now that he’s back in the playoffs.

“Almost speechless, especially being on this side of town now, you know, playing in L.A. when I was on the other side,” he said. “This place can get pretty loud. And I'm still trying to just go home and embrace everything. I know we haven't ramped up yet, but coming out of these practices, JJ gives you so much. And you have to dissect it sometimes, and you're thinking about the environment, you think about the fans, thinking about the first game as a Laker in the playoffs.

"So, I just try to find some time to catch myself and gather and just just relax. I've been here before, but I am truly excited. I want to do backflips. I'm in the purple and gold, and I just want to really just play hard as hell to contribute to wins.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.