Category: NBA

That was a tough one. After a closely fought Game 2 without Joel Embiid, Game 3 felt like it was going to be a solid chance for the Sixers to get their first win of the series in his return. OG Anunoby, who’s been excellent all around in these playoffs, being sidelined with a hamstring strain was another big factor in Philly’s favor.

But things didn’t quite go to plan. The Knicks were simply the better team at both ends of the floor yet again, winning Game 3, 108-94. Now, as the early 3:30 p.m. tipoff of Game 4 approaches, the Sixers are back to facing elimination.

New York could stay shorthanded on Sunday, as Anunoby is only listed as questionable to return.

Philly got off to a fantastic start on Friday, and the first quarter shows what this team can be when they’re hitting their threes and their stars are firing. They went up by double digits eaerly and ended the period with a 31-27 lead, led by an electric 15-point quarter from Paul George. This turning step-back three was absolutely beautiful.

PG SINKS A TOUGH STEPBACK 3 🔥

What a move to create separation 😲

He's got 13 PTS in Q1 of Game 3! pic.twitter.com/MCmtwPWM3S

— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2026

VJ Edgecombe even threw down back-to-back alley-oops from Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers’ energy was buzzing early.

https://t.co/5OhXi1tn8Epic.twitter.com/sITlEtpYgY

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 8, 2026

They gradually lost steam after that, though. From then on, we saw plenty of reasons why these teams are on different levels right now.

Not being able to stop Jalen Brunson remains a major problem for the Sixers. He led the way again in Game 3 with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting and an 8-of-9 mark from the free throw line. A range of defenders have been thrown at him — from Quentin Grimes to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Edgecombe, with the latter two in particular being strong options who’ve guarded him highly well before. The Sixers have tried using different coverages on Brunson as well. Whether that’s Embiid showing high and recovering to the lane against pick-and-roll ball screens, Embiid in drop, Adem Bona coming high and switching onto Brunson as he did well sometimes in Game 2, or even smaller, switchier lineups like frontcourts with George and Dominick Barlow like we saw more of in Game 3.

But Brunson’s still getting to his spots from the arc, drawing a flurry of fouls (whether you approve of how he does it or not), cutting well off dribble hand-offs, and creating for himself from mid-range or getting to the rim. Embiid’s mobility being diminished right now makes it even harder for him to switch or press high in pick-and-roll coverage, too. It’s easier for Brunson to drive past Embiid or collapse the Sixers’ help defense and pass to shooters. Unless Brunson’s on-ball defenders can do even more to slow him in Game 4, there’s only so much the Sixers can do with Embiid in this state.

Another area the Sixers have to improve in Game 4 is their rebounding. After a great first quarter in Game 3, the tide started turning in the second, in part due to the Knicks getting five offensive rebounds in that period alone. They finished the game with 13 offensive boards overall, giving them 20 second chance points. While it’s understandable the Sixers have entered this series drained after their historic yet tiring 3-1 comeback against the Celtics, the simple difference in effort and intensity against the Knicks, especially on the boards, is costly.

One bright spot in Game 3 was Oubre, who scored a team-high 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He was cutting well, hit a pair of threes, screening effectively, and pressuring the rim with his finishing.

Oubre was involved in some of the crisper offensive possessions the Sixers put together, too. Like the play below, where Maxey draws two defenders in a pick-and-roll, Embiid gets the ball to roll down a clearer lane, and once Brunson steps up onto Embiid, Oubre is left with a wide-open baseline cut and dunk.

Maxey with the quick pass to Embiid while being blitzed leads to an easy dunk for Oubre pic.twitter.com/6lqyUbPPiS

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) May 9, 2026

Or the following play, using Embiid’s passing with some simple yet effective off-ball movement. Oubre screens for George this time to get the latter cutting inside, and forcing smaller defenders (including Brunson) to help protect the rim makes it easy for George to finish.

Sixers giving the Knicks a dose of their own medicine to a degree. Use Oubre as a screener for Paul George. Key is Jalen Brunson is in action. No show or switch, PG scores easy. pic.twitter.com/QkCN2ta0D4

— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) May 8, 2026

There have been some good offensive processes in place. It’s just outweighed by all the flaws right now.

We could get into more nitty gritty adjustments for Game 4 that could help get the Sixers their first win. They tried a George-Dominick Barlow frontcourt in this one, including opening the fourth quarter with them alongside Maxey, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes. They even pulled back within four points early in the fourth. This lineup gives them more switchability and speed on defense, which in theory could work better against Brunson.

Maybe they go back to Adem Bona in Game 4 and hope his size, rim protection and more aggressive pick-and-roll coverage shows up — and the fouls stay away. Maybe they ramp up their rebounding. Or find new ways to exploit Brunson’s lacking defense by forcing him to switch onto George or Oubre, or attacking him in pick-and-rolls more than they already have.

That said, what really matters most is the play of the Sixers’ stars and a weary defense that can’t stop these Knicks. It hardly looks like more tinkering with defensive coverages alone is going to turn this series around.

If Brunson remains a level up, Embiid continues struggling with his movement and shot-making (7-of-17 in Game 3), Maxey’s aggressiveness stays low, and George cools off (he’s been stellar these playoffs, but after his lights-out 15-point first quarter in Game 4 he failed to score another point), the smaller details don’t matter as much. If Maxey and Edgecombe are worn out by the fourth quarter because their minutes are so high and they can’t get a break from handling the ball outside of George’s help, then they just can’t keep up with a Knicks team of this quality.

It was smart for Nick Nurse to lean on a six-man rotation of his best guys through the first round. They wouldn’t have come back without it. Nurse doesn’t have many more options either. But the Sixers could clearly use more help off the bench to buy them some extra offense and rest for Maxey and Co. by this point.

The Knicks got an injection of 15 points from Landry Shamet in Game 3. With the low scoring of Grimes in pretty much every game of these playoffs, the Sixers have no player on the team — someone like, I don’t know, Jared McCain — who’s going to give them that production to ease the load on their backcourt.

Plenty needs to change for the Sixers to win Game 4. Let’s see if they can find a way to claw out a win in Philadelphia to build on the competitive spells they’ve had over the last two games.

Game Details

When: Sunday, May 10, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: ABC
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

PHILADELPHIA — It has been 24 minutes of ugly offensive basketball for the 76ers, two fourth quarters in which they managed a grand total of 30 points. 

Twelve points in the final quarter of Game 2, 18 in the final quarter of Game 3.

Both were winnable games that were lost because of Philadelphia’s offensive ineptitude, and now it will have to make NBA playoff history as the first team to rally from 3-0 down to advance. 

At least, that’s how the 76ers see it. It wasn’t the Knicks defense that did them in. It was their own doing. 

“We’re not making shots, we’re getting a lot of looks,” rookie VJ Edgecombe said Saturday. “We just watched the film. We’re generating a lot of good looks. Nothing is going in for us.” 

In Game 2, the 76ers shot 4-for-19 from the field over the final 12 minutes. In Game 3, it was 7-for-20. Both contests were well within reach before Philadelphia went ice-cold.

In Friday’s loss, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse pointed to a pivotal moment.

Trailing by 4 late in the third quarter, the 76ers got three consecutive stops but couldn’t take advantage. Joel Embiid and Edgecombe missed open looks from 3-point range. 

“There’s certainly an element of that for sure that has got us in the last two games,” Nurse said. “I don’t expect to make them all. But you make one of those, it’s a one-point game. Make two of them, you’re up two. I don’t know what else you can do other than create wide-open shots. Certainly, in Game 2, down the stretch there, all we did was have really good offensive creation. We just didn’t make enough. I can’t fault the guys’ effort and trying to do the right thing. We just need them to go in.” 

Perhaps most concerning is the right players have taken the shots. Paul George is 0-for-8 in those quarters, and Tyrese Maxey is 4-for-11. Embiid didn’t play in Game 2 and was only 1-for-3 in Friday’s fourth quarter. 

One potential issue is the Knicks are wearing down the 76ers. Philadelphia doesn’t have much depth to speak of, and the Knicks go deep into their bench.

Maxey, for instance, is averaging 40.4 minutes in the postseason, Edgecombe is at 37.7 and George is at 36.7.

“Obviously, fatigue is a factor. But fatigue’s a factor for every team this late in the season,” Edgecombe said. “If you want to win, that shouldn’t matter. We’ve just been missing wide-open shots.”

Steve Kerr isn’t moving on from coaching just yet.

The former Arizona great has agreed to a two-year extension as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN, ending speculation that he might retire from coaching.

Kerr will be entering his 13th season as head coach of the Warriors. He has led the franchise to four NBA championships since 2014-15 but has missed the postseason in two of the last three seasons.

Breaking: Steve Kerr has agreed on a new two-year contract to return as head coach of the Golden State Warriors, his agents told @shamscharania, @anthonyVslater and @ramonashelburne.

The new deal will keep Steve Kerr as the highest paid coach in the NBA annually, sources tell… pic.twitter.com/4MHlnCBG08

— ESPN (@espn) May 10, 2026

Kerr has a 957-604 career record as the Warriors head coach with eight playoff appearances.

Kerr is expected to remain the highest-paid coach in the NBA, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Anthony Slater and Ramona Shelburne. He made $17.5 million this past season.

Kerr’s decision to remain with the Warriors means he’ll get to coach Steph Curry for at least one more year, as Curry is signed through the 2026-27 season.

Kerr, at age 60, still has plenty more years in the tank, whether he wants to one day get into broadcasting or work in basketball in another capacity.

Kerr starred at Arizona from 1983-1988. He helped lead the Wildcats to their first Final Four in 1987-88 before embarking on a 15-year playing career.

We all know what the problems are for the Sixers against the Knicks and we all know they can’t be fixed during this series. After losses in Games 2 and 3 against New York, we can no longer simply point to the sub-48-hour turnaround from the first round to the second round as a reason for Philadelphia’s fatigue. The Sixers’ star players are getting outplayed by the Knicks starters and New York has several more bodies it can trust off the bench. When you put it like that, it’s kind of hard to fathom Philly was even competitive in Game 2, having lost Games 1 and 3 by double-digits.

No one should be pointing the finger at head coach Nick Nurse for the Sixers’ struggles in this series, and, to be fair, it doesn’t seem like anyone is. With the exception of maybe playing Dominick Barlow a little more in Game 2 when Joel Embiid was not available, Nurse has not had any levers to pull. Nurse finally emptied his bench in Game 3 when New York had the game won, but that’s about the only time he’ll ever do so. Frankly, who can blame him?

It begs the question, why are so many useless players on Philadelphia’s roster? Surely, Daryl Morey will be asked that question in some fashion at his end-of-season media availability. For as much focus gets put on trading Jared McCain away at the deadline this year, the issues are bigger than one subtraction anyway. In the last two drafts, Philadelphia spent picks in the top half of the second round on Adem Bona and Johni Broome. Bona has seen some meaningful minutes in this year’s postseason but has been far from a regular rotation player for Nurse to rely on. Broome only appeared in 11 NBA games in the regular season so he was never going to see playoff minutes. Not all second-round picks become playoff rotation players, but those bigs are taking up NBA roster spots.

Last season, Justin Edwards was playing a lot of minutes for a bad Sixers team. He hasn’t seen those same minutes for a better Sixers team in 2025-26. In the summer, Morey gave Trendon Watford a two-year minimum contract (2026-27 is a team option). Watford had a bench role for the Sixers in the regular season but his only postseason action has been in garbage time. Part of this year’s trade deadline was converting Jabari Walker’s contract to a standard deal. Like Watford, Walker saw bench minutes in the regular season but has been phased out in the playoffs.

Then there’s the veterans. Kyle Lowry has been lauded for his leadership role, but he’s taking up a roster spot without giving any on-court contributions. Andre Drummond has had his moments from time to time in these two playoff series with Boston and New York, but has been far from consistent. When you add this all up, you end up with six-to-eight players on a nightly basis for Philadelphia that are either sitting on the bench until garbage time or are never taking their warm-up clothes off.

It’s fair to wonder what meetings have looked like this season between Nurse and Morey or what they will look like when the season is over. Nurse would be well within his right to tell Morey “I can’t play these guys!” in reference to his reserves if he hasn’t done so already.

Nurse’s actions this postseason tell us that he agrees with the loudest complaint fans have had about the team during the Knicks series. The roster just isn’t deep enough. So what is Nurse left to do? Play his starters 40 minutes a night and cross his fingers they can outplay the Knicks starters. That hasn’t happened and so you get a 3-0 deficit.

To be completely fair, there were moments in third quarter of Game 3 where you might have been able to talk yourself into it being one that would go down to the wire. We got some glimpses of fight in the third quarter from Philly after an abysmal second quarter saw a four-point lead after one turn into an eight-point deficit at the half. The Sixers trailed by just two with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter. But the Knicks were not at all fazed, and quickly grew the lead back to nine by the end of the quarter and coasted to a victory in the fourth.

Despite some signs of fight in the third quarter, when the quarter was over, the Sixers had gone 36 minutes without a single point from their bench. When it’s that jarring for three full quarters of a playoff game, that’s a sign that the head coach doesn’t believe he can win games with the players he has on his bench. We know this. Nurse knows this.

As a result, Nurse runs his stars into the ground. Embiid’s availability is always in question and even when he plays he does not always look 100%. Tyrese Maxey could very well still be dealing with complications from his pinky injury. Paul George is 36 and just not going to regularly perform at the level he performed against Boston. Sometimes, VJ Edgecombe will look like a rookie. When even one of these things happens, the Sixers are bound to lose the game because they don’t have a way to compensate for their stars underperforming.

It’s all left Nurse with one of two options. Would he rather watch this season die by playing bench players he doesn’t believe in or allow his star players to wear down? He’s chosen the latter and I think we all would do the same if we were in his shoes.

Just four days after suffering a gruesome injury, Jarred Vanderbilt was available to play again.

Vanderbilt was upgraded from questionable to available for Saturday’s Game 3 against the Thunder.

The 6-foot-8 forward suffered an open dislocation to his right pinky during the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 1 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. 

Medical personnel were able “to put his finger back together,” according to Lakers coach JJ Redick, who added that Vanderbilt’s status was day to day.

Vanderbilt was doubtful before being downgraded to unavailable for Thursday’s Game 2 loss.

“We just had to kind of make sure that the tissue and the stitches were good to go so that the bone wouldn’t pop out again. But, I mean, he’s certainly tough-minded and wants to give it a go,” Redick said.

Redick added on the left-handed Vanderbilt: “Glad he’s never taken a shot right-handed in his life.”

Sources told The California Post on Tuesday that a bone in Vanderbilt’s pinky broke through the skin after he attempted to block an alley-oop for Chet Holmgren during the second quarter of Game 1, with Vanderbilt’s pinky hitting the backboard as he swiped for the ball. 

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The 6-foot-8 forward immediately went to the ground in pain, holding his right hand near the Thunder bench, with Oklahoma City players reacting when they saw Vanderbilt’s hand. 

He immediately went back to the locker room at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter.

The Golden State Warriors appear ready to run it back — at least with one key piece of the puzzle reportedly locked in.

Steve Kerr has agreed to return as head coach of the franchise after both sides agreed to a two-year contract extension, his agents told ESPN. Kerr will remain the highest-paid coach in the NBA on a yearly basis, ESPN reports.

This comes after weeks of speculation that Kerr was considering stepping down. Kerr, whose contract was set to expire, had been engaged in meetings with the Warriors over his future with the team.

“I still love coaching, but I get it,” Kerr told reporters after the Warriors lost in the Play-In Tournament. “These jobs all have an expiration date. There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that.”

In fact, in the closing seconds of the Warriors' season-ending loss April 18 against the Phoenix Suns, Kerr embraced Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the sideline.

“I don't know what's going to happen next,” the Amazon Prime Video mics picked up Kerr telling his star players. “But I love you guys. Thank you.”

Steve Kerr returns: what does it mean?

This is a clear indication that the Warriors are looking to run it back once more with Stephen Curry (38 years old), Jimmy Butler (36) and Draymond Green (36) — all of whom will be on expiring contracts in 2026-27, assuming Green exercises his player option.

Green could decline the option and seek a multi-year deal, but the Warriors will need to carefully consider their future beyond the next two seasons.

It’s also an indication that Kerr and the Warriors feel they can win; presumably, Kerr wouldn’t want to be part of a rebuild. And, along a similar thread, if the Warriors were looking to build for the future, they would presumably want a coach earlier in his career than the 60-year-old Kerr.

In any case, the Warriors likely need to add some pieces to stay competitive in the Western Conference.

In January, Butler suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and his status for the start of the 2026-27 season could be in doubt. Either way, it became clear that this Warriors roster was deficient, so Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. could use this closing window to compete to seek out a star.

Prior to the February trading deadline, the Warriors had been linked to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and as Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee will be assessed this offseason, Golden State could once again become involved in that pursuit.

In any case, one thing that will benefit the Warriors is if Kerr can get some of their younger players to develop and take steps forward.

Steve Kerr coaching record

Since taking over in 2014, Kerr’s record at Golden State is 604-353 (.631). He’s the second longest-tenured active head coach in the NBA behind only Erik Spoelstra, who has been head coach of the Miami Heat since 2008.

The 2025-26 season marked the first time in Kerr’s 12-year run that the Warriors finished with a losing record (37-45) in an 82-game season. Golden State went 15-50 in 2019-20, but they played only 65 games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

How many championships has Steve Kerr won?

Not counting his five rings as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs, Kerr has won four NBA championships as the head coach of the Warriors.

Kerr took over in 2014-15 for previous head coach Mark Jackson and led Golden State to the Finals in his first season. Eventually, the Warriors knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers, ending a 40-year title drought. The team won a regular-season record 73 games the following year but ultimately lost a Finals rematch against the Cavs in seven games after Golden State blew a 3-1 lead.

That offseason, the Warriors shifted the balance of power in the NBA by signing Kevin Durant and proceeded to win consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018 before losing their bid for a three-peat to the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

The Warriors captured their most recent championship in 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Steve Kerr contract with Warriors reached: Coach staying in Bay Area

PHILADELPHIA — It seemed like a throwaway comment at the time, but it’s the perfect encapsulation of how Mike Brown has the Knicks on the front foot. 

When asked how the 76ers might adjust to the Knicks playing without OG Anunoby in Game 3, Nick Nurse said, “I guess I gotta see what happens, which way they go.” 

Throughout these playoffs, it’s been Brown who is dictating things, and opposing coaches who are reacting and trying to keep up. 

Brown used the regular season to experiment — a major departure from his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau — and it is paying major dividends in the postseason.

The Knicks have been nimble in making needed adjustments, whether with the rotation or with scheme. 

The biggest adjustment has been with the offense. Midway through the first round, the Knicks began running their offense through Karl-Anthony Towns at the elbow. It allowed Jalen Brunson to play off the ball and set screens for his teammates. It gave OG Anunoby more freedom as a cutter, rather than having to stand in the corners for kickout 3s. It brought the best out of Towns and his playmaking ability. 

In the first round, Quin Snyder tried to combat the new offense by having Dyson Daniels guard Towns instead of Brunson. It was a complete failure, and he quickly abandoned the plan. 

“I feel like the real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta,” Towns said Saturday. “I think that’s when we really changed our offense. It’s been great. It’s been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys more. We made the right moves. [Brown] set the table for us to have this kind of run.” 

And in this second-round series, the Knicks decided to completely target Joel Embiid, when he’s playing and on the floor, in pick-and-rolls to expose his lack of mobility. Nurse and the 76ers have had no answer for it. 

On the defensive end, Brown and his staff — in collaboration with the players — have made huge impacts on the game with their matchup decisions. The move to have Josh Hart guard CJ McCollum completely neutralized McCollum and changed the course of the first round. In Friday’s 108-93 Game 3 win over the 76ers, they at times shifted Mikal Bridges onto Paul George, who torched them for 15 points in the first quarter and then went scoreless and 0-for-9 from the field the rest of the way. 

Nurse and the 76ers had no successful countermove to get George going the final three quarters. 

“It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord,” Towns said. “There’s no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed.” 

Even before the Knicks played without Anunoby in Game 3, the rotation looked different than expected. Jose Alvarado, who appeared to be out of the playoff mix when the postseason started, now has regular minutes. It was a tweak Brown felt was needed to have a more natural point guard on the floor rather than having Miles McBride or Landry Shamet handling that responsibility. 

It meant Shamet was buried on the bench, a major departure from the key role he played in the regular season. But, without Anunoby in Game 3, there he was, providing a huge lift with 15 points in 26 minutes Friday. It didn’t matter that he had basically been on ice since early in the first round. He stayed ready. 

“When guys are engaged like that 24/7 throughout the course of the year,” Brown said, “it bodes well for the environment, for the culture and guys are actively trying to keep their mind present because when they get an opportunity, they want to perform well.” 

It’s part of a culture of professionalism Brown has established where there are contributions up and down the roster. Every coach talks about players being ready for when their number is called. For the Knicks — because Brown gave them all a chance in the regular season — it’s actually reality. 

“As a coach, you love to see it,” Brown said. “That’s why you give different guys opportunities at different times. Sometimes, you start Landry. Sometimes, you start Mo. Sometimes, you start this guy. And what hopefully it shows at the end of the day coming from me is that I have confidence in them, and not only that, your number can be called any time, so be ready. And our guys have taken that to heart. We’ve got a lot of good guys that are resilient. They’re fighters. And they’ve done a good job of keeping their mind on staying present in whatever we’re doing, and it’s showing when they go out there and get the opportunity.” 

Whether with schematics or rotation, Brown is pressing the right buttons. 

And it has the Knicks surging at the perfect time. 

Many reasons explain why the Lakers are trailing their best-of-seven second-round playoff series against the Thunder.

The Thunder’s depth has overwhelmed the Lakers, evident by the 82-39 combined margin the Thunder’s reserves outscored the Lakers’ in Game 1 and Game 2.

Or the fact the Thunder outscored the Lakers by 22 points across the 33 minutes that Thunder superstar and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t play in the first two games.

The Lakers have struggled taking care of the ball: The Thunder averaged 23 points off the Lakers’ 19.5 turnovers in the first two games.

The Thunder also averaged 19 second-chance points despite only grabbing nine offensive rebounds per game — highlighting how efficient they were with an extra scoring opportunity.

These are the areas the Lakers were better during the first round, especially toward the end of their series victory over the Rockets.

And were significantly better throughout the regular season.

But the Thunder also exploited an old Lakers’ weakness during the first two games in Oklahoma City: The Lakers struggle against teams that deploy drop coverage defensively. 

The issue is far from new.

It was a talking point from coach JJ Redick after the Lakers’ Feb. 22 home loss to the Celtics, a team that deployed a deep drop coverage to stifle the Lakers’ offense, which mustered 89 points in defeat — their third-lowest scoring total of the season.

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The Lakers became less efficient against drop coverage throughout most of December and January before improving throughout February, March and the end of the regular season, utilizing the proper counters.

That wasn’t the case in the first two games against the Thunder.

The Thunder had their big men in drop for most of Game 1, with the Lakers not creating quality looks against the coverage — in part because of poor shotmaking but also the team and players not using the proper counters.

Too many drag screens that didn’t create quality offense. 

Not enough stack sets. Not enough pull-up 3-pointers. Not enough Gortat screens. 

“Our options out of early offense, specifically, we ran so many just early drags,” Redick responded ahead of Game 2 when asked what stood out from the offensive film of Game 1. “Which has been a great play for AR [Austin Reaves], but was not a great PPP [points per possession] play for us [Tuesday] night. So just trying to be organized with early offense.”

The Lakers struggled against the Thunder’s drop in Game 2, but they also faced it less often because the Thunder decided to hedge/blitz more — specifically when Reaves handled the ball coming off a screen.

The Lakers are very comfortable in this situation.

The counters are more natural for them after seeing these types of coverages more since Luka Doncic joined the franchise in February 2025.

But the Thunder’s decision to go away from what was working masked an issue that it looked like the Lakers had overcome toward the end of the regular season.

If the Lakers don’t consistently tap back into those counters from the late winter/early spring against the Thunder’s drop, their season will likely end this week.

CLEVELAND — After collapsing in the clutch in the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers got timely plays in the final three minutes from James Harden and Max Strus to get back into their series against the Detroit Pistons.

Harden hit three big shots and Strus came up with the steal and go-ahead basket in the Cavaliers’ 116-109 victory on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1.

“We know how important it is to get this first win to make it a series. So, really a team win where a lot of guys contributed tonight,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.

The Cavaliers will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Harden finished with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18.

There were 11 lead changes, with the final one occurring with 2:28 remaining when Strus jumped to snare Cade Cunningham’s inbound pass to Daniss Jenkins near midcourt. Strus then drove past Cunningham and Jenkins to make a layup and give the Cavaliers a 106-104 advantage.

Atkinson called it the winning play of the game.

“That was a game changer right there. It gives us a lead, get a couple stops and a couple buckets and that’s the game,” Harden said.

Strus said it was about 3-4 seconds into the inbound play that he timed his jump and made the play.

“My job is to help win in any form or fashion,” said Strus, who finished with seven points, five rebounds and one steal. “Some nights it’s going to be shooting. Some nights it’s going to be defense. Some nights it’s going to be rebounds. The ball didn’t find me tonight, but I don’t care. As long as our team wins, I just want to make an impact and find a way to win.”

It was also the first of three straight turnovers by Cunningham, who had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers.

“I don’t want to say they were careless turnovers because I care about it a lot. They were just bad turnovers,” he said.

Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots. The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history. He said Harden’s performance showed why he wasn’t worried after two tough games in Detroit.

“I think the biggest thing is just he’s always consistent. He’s not result based. I think the biggest thing is we’ve seen him thrive and for me and for the group just continue to be like, ‘Hey, we know who you are. Keep being yourself.’ We’ve seen him play at a very high level, so we have no doubt that he’s going to continue to be great,” Mitchell said. “Every game might not be that way for him, for me, for whoever. But it’s just how do you continue to stay even keel and find ways to impact the game.”

Tobias Harris added 21 points for Detroit, which had its five-game playoff win streak snapped.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thriller over the Detroit Pistons behind some heroic shot-making from James Harden.

Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER – The First Quarter

Hey, it turns out the Cavs can start a game ahead every once in a while. Not everything has to be an uphill battle.

The Cavs won the first quarter 32-30. Nothing special. But it felt a whole lot better than falling behind by double digits as they did in the previous two games. Sometimes, just giving yourself a chance is all it takes.

Shooting above 70% from the floor didn’t hurt. Cleveland began the game red-hot. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen each scored 9 points in the opening quarter, shooting 8-for-11 combined. James Harden also chipped in with 5 points, starting this game significantly better than he did the previous one.

Again, no one wins a game in the first 12 minutes. But you can certainly kneecap yourself early, making the rest of the game a slog. The Cavs finally learned that lesson and started Game 3 with the appropriate energy.

WINNER – Donovan Mitchell

I don’t think it’s an overreaction to say this entire Cavs team is built around the idea of Donovan Mitchell being one of the best playoff performers in the league. If you take that away, the Cavs aren’t a serious contender.

But when he’s playing like the superhero we know and love? This team feels like it has a fighting chance.

Mitchell web-slinged his way to 20 points on 8-12 shooting in the first half. He cooked in isolation, burning Duncan Robinson to a crisp with his step-back jumper. Then, moments after throwing an impressive alley oop to Evan Mobley, he worked his way downhill and dropped a dime to Allen in the dunker spot.

This type of efficient scoring and processing speed as a playmaker is what we’ve been missing from Mitchell. He established himself as a threat and then used that against the defense to create opportunities for others.

Spida finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists.

LOSER – Offensive Rebounding

Detroit beat the Cavs 17-5 on the offensive glass.

While that’s a problem, it wasn’t as glaring as it might have seemed.

For further context, the Cavs were only outscored 19-11 on second-chance points. And, they somehow ended the game with more defensive rebounds than Detroit, winning that battle 28-23.

So what happened?

Well, the Pistons finished the game shooting 45% from the floor, and spent most of the day below that number. Meanwhile, the Cavs sat above 60% for a majority of the game and finished just below at 58%. The more shots you miss, the more offensive rebounds you have a chance to grab. The inverse is true, as well.

That doesn’t make it okay. Of course, giving up nearly 20 offensive rebounds is what allowed the Pistons to creep back into this game and take a momentary lead in the fourth quarter. They might have shot 8-18 on those second-chances, which is a credit to the Cavaliers’ defense, but that’s still eight field goals that shouldn’t have gone in, and 18 attempts that should have never had a chance.

WINNER – James Harden

Can I take back everything I’ve ever said?

Not really. The limitations in Harden’s style of play are still worth highlighting when he has games like the previous one in Detroit. But darn it, it looks great when he saves the day.

Harden took full control of Cleveland’s offense in the closing minutes. He picked his poison, working for a mismatch and then dictating the rest of the possession with his on-ball creation. The results? A step-back jumper from the mid-range. Then a crossover into a floater.

Finally, his patented three-point dagger.

“You know who you are, keep being yourself,” said Donovan Mitchell on his trust in Harden after the game. “The outside world can turn on you like that, but if you watch [Harden’s] face or demeanor, you can’t tell if he’s playing well or shooting poorly.”

We can talk about whether or not the Cavaliers’ offense needs to be more inclusive, or if Harden’s got enough gas in the tank to go the distance in a deep playoff run. But not tonight. Save that discussion for another day. Uno came through and put his team in a position to tie this series on Monday.

LOSER – The Starting Small Forward

The Cavs have an impossible decision to make. Worse, it’s a decision they’ve spent multiple years trying to solve. No matter what they try, it always feels like the wrong move.

Max Strus competently filled the starting small forward spot for years. Though he always felt undersized as the Cavs moved deeper into the postseason. Package that with a matchup versus the Toronto Raptors in round one, and it’s no wonder the Cavs pivoted to Dean Wade.

Only, Wade has given diminishing results as the playoffs go on.

Wade looked great in Games 1-2 versus Toronto. He’s had scattered moments since. But the Raptors eventually stopped defending him. The Pistons haven’t even pretended to care about him. That’s cramped Cleveland’s spacing and effectively blunted any defensive impact Wade can offer.

It went poorly the last time the Cavs tried adjusting this by starting Strus versus the Raptors in Game 5. Should that discourage them from trying it again? I’d say no, but I also think one can argue that Strus is better suited to being the sixth man than the starting forward. I think you could have argued that for years now.

Not having a better option isn’t an indictment on Strus or Wade, to be clear. This is a roster construction issue that’s bigger than either of them. Wade is a fine eighth man. Strus can be electric, if not streaky, off the bench. The issue is that both players have been overextended by trying to fill a round hole as square pegs.

Then there’s Jaylon Tyson, who many fans (including myself) have nominated for the job. He theoretically splits the difference between Wade and Strus. Just enough size to compete at the forward position, with just enough offensive skills to avoid being a detriment.

But starting lineups are earned, not given. The Cavs aren’t going to grant Tyson the starting position because of what he can do on paper. This actually has to translate to something tangible. And so far, that hasn’t happened in a strong enough way to take a chance on a sophomore wing in his first playoff run.

Note:I wrote a decent chunk of this before Max Strus stole an inbound pass and went coast-to-coast during a pivotal junction of the fourth quarter. While I do not want to delete everything I wrote before, I would like to formally give Strus my recommendation for the starting job, and perhaps even a key to the city of Cleveland, if I have that authority (I don’t).

Off the heels of an award-winning rookie season, Cooper Flagg has put his feet up on vacation and has seemingly hard-launched a relationship.

New pictures on Instagram showed the Mavericks star and Duke women’s basketball center Arianna Roberson having fun in the sun.

While the two did not share pictures of one another on Instagram, they both posted photos of themselves enjoying the same swings over the ocean at Noah’s Ark in Turks and Caicos on Friday.

Flagg, 19, sat in one of the swings while Roberson posed holding the swing and her sunglasses for her photo op.

The two seemingly met through their Duke connection.

Roberson overlapped with Flagg for a year at the school when they were freshmen in the 2024-25 season.

After Flagg’s impressive lone college season, where he won numerous accolades, including ACC Rookie of the Year, he declared for the NBA draft and was taken as the No. 1 pick by Dallas.

Roberson is no stranger to the game nor the demands of the pros.

Her brother is former NBA guard Andre Roberson, who spent six of his seven years in the league with the Thunder. His last NBA season was in the 2020-21 season with the Nets.

This past year as a redshirt freshman, Roberson averaged 8.0 points per game on 41 percent shooting across 33 games for the Blue Devils.

In his first professional season, Flagg averaged 21 points on 46 percent shooting. He also logged 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals throughout 70 starts.

The season culminated in him winning Rookie of the Year.

Flagg also joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to lead their respective teams in points, rebounds, assists and steals since the latter was first logged in the 1973-74 season.

Despite Flagg’s early NBA stardom, Dallas missed the playoffs entirely.

It’s the second consecutive year the Mavericks missed the postseason since losing the NBA Finals in 2023-24.

We’ve arrived at the middle of the conference semifinal round, and the better squads out of the remaining eight teams have started to emerge.

There were two Game 3s Saturday, May 9, the first between the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons and No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers. In the nightcap, the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers took on the defending NBA champions in the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder.

In both cases, the lower seeds played their first games of their respective series at home, and both looked to avoid falling into debilitating 0-3 deficits.

The Cavaliers did their part, fending off a Pistons rally in the second half to win, 116-109, with guard Donovan Mitchell leading the charge with 35 points.

Here are takeaways from Saturday’s Game 3s from the conference semifinal round:

Re-affirming the general vibe in the East, the Knicks remain the team to beat

No team is playing better hoops in the Eastern Conference than the New York Knicks, who are rolling through the 76ers, even as OG Anunoby is battling a hamstring issue that forced him out of Game 3 Friday, May 8.

While New York is excelling on both offense and defense, the Pistons have some vulnerabilities that have been exposed over the postseason. For one, All-Star center Jalen Duren (11 points and 4 rebounds in 29:17 on the floor Saturday) has become a role player, and is simply not a reliable No. 3 option, let alone a No. 2 threat.

In fact, his backup, Paul Reed (11 points and 3 rebounds in 9:46 on the floor) nearly matched Duren’s production in nearly 20 fewer minutes on the court. The Pistons lost 116-109.

The Cavaliers need the James Harden from the final two minutes of Game 3

James Harden did nail a trio of massive buckets inside the final two minutes Saturday — a step-back jumper, a floater in the lane and a step-back 3 to score 7 consecutive points for Cleveland in the clutch — but the Cavaliers cannot simply rely on Donovan Mitchell carrying this team back into the series with 35-pieces every game.

But consider this: prior to the final 1:29 of the game, Harden was sitting on just 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Harden does deserve credit for not forcing shots and letting the game come to him, but a dose of aggression earlier in these games will go a long way to tying the series up.

Coach Kenny Atkinson did show an immense amount of trust in Harden by putting the ball in his hands down the stretch. The Cavs should hope it can carry over into Game 4.

In make-or-miss league, Pistons need to find other outlets of offense

Like many teams, when the shots are dropping for Detroit, it can be tough to beat. Also like many teams, when they’re not falling, the Pistons can be vulnerable.

In the first half, the Pistons shot just 2-of-14 (14.3%) from 3-point range. And while Detroit was fortunate to catch fire and hit 7-of-11 (63.6%) from deep in the second half, a 16-point deficit at the half proved to be too much to overcome.

This has been Detroit’s weakness all season long, so the Pistons need to find ways to generate easier looks in transition to help open up the 3-point shooting.

On Saturday, both teams committed 15 turnovers. Yet, the Cavaliers turned those giveaways into 27 points, while Detroit produced only 19.

The Cavaliers are a perfect 5-0 at home this postseason. They need to do it on the road, too.

Cleveland’s inability this postseason to win away from the Rocket Arena is a significant concern. Granted, the Cavs obviously need to take care of Detroit in Game 4 to make this a series. But the Cavaliers have struggled to find offense outside of Cleveland.

In five home games this playoffs, Cleveland is averaging 119.2 points per game. On the road, that number plummets to just 100.2.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers shot the ball at an absurd 58.1% clip. In order to have any shot to come back and make a run, Cleveland needs to perform on the road.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA scores, takeaways from today's playoff games: James Harden clutch?

The journey home is supposed to feel warm, familiar and forgiving. For Lakers guard Austin Reaves, it felt anything but during the team’s first two playoff games of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Lakers’ second-round matchup with the Thunder was supposed to be a full-circle moment for Reaves. Born and raised in Newark, Ark. — population 1,000 — Reaves played most of his college ball at nearby Norman, where he sharpened his game at the University of Oklahoma, just a 20-minute drive from OKC.

So for Games 1 and 2 of this series, Reaves had a plethora of friends, family and familiar faces make the drive from Arkansas or Norman to watch the kid they used to call “Hillbilly Kobe” back on the playoff stage.

But for Reaves, his homecoming did not get off to a good start. Game 1 was a collapse you could feel happening in real time. Reaves missed shots he normally buries in his sleep. By the end of the night, he scored eight points on 3-of-16 shooting, 0-for-5 from deep. His 18.8 FG% was the lowest in Lakers’ playoff history by a player with at least 15 attempts.

“I had a lot of people here,” Reaves said after the game. “When you don’t play well, it sucks.”

The weight of his historically bad performance lingered into Game 2, but it didn’t break him. Reaves has built a career on something he calls his “delusional confidence.” He’s had it since he was a kid, and it’s allowed him to believe in himself when nobody else does.

In Game 2, he used that delusional confidence to come out firing, dropping a playoff career-high 31 points. But even that bounce-back performance came with a cost. Reaves had five turnovers and several confrontations with officials that spilled into a postgame spat that went viral.

Austin Reaves and the Lakers team talking to the refs after the final buzzer. pic.twitter.com/kTwa88fr6f

— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) May 8, 2026

Austin Reaves full postgame comments after his playoff career-high 31 points in the Lakers loss 125-107 to the OKC Thunder tonight pic.twitter.com/XlCW1PHOUg

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 8, 2026

“He turned around and just yelled in my face … I just thought that was disrespectful,” a visibly frustrated Reaves said after the game. “We’re grown men. If I did that first, I would’ve gotten a tech.”

The game itself unraveled in a similar fashion. A five-point Lakers lead midway through the third quarter dissolved into a 22-4 Thunder run that was fueled by whistles and free throws. A historically awful officiating crew called 10 fouls on the Lakers, handing 14 free throws to the Thunder during a particularly bad stretch that saw them miss several obvious calls. Reaves found himself caught in the storm.

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When the dust settled, the first two games for Reaves and the Lakers were back-to-back 18-point losses and a 2-0 series deficit.. And a “homecoming” that never quite felt like home.

“Not really,” Reaves told The California Post when asked if Oklahoma still carries that meaning.

He hasn’t lived there since 2021. Life moved on. He’s been in Los Angeles for five years now, and in the offseason he returns home to Arkansas to stay with family and play golf. So Oklahoma, at this point, means something else to him entirely. Another stop on the NBA’s grueling 82-game schedule. A memory.

Now that the series has shifted to Hollywood, where the noise is different, the faces less familiar, but the expectations just as heavy. The Lakers need production if they want to extend this series.

They need Austin Reaves.