Category: NBA

In today’s Dub Hub:

• In the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show, Draymond Green praised Jonathan Kuminga’s defensive impact in the Hawks-Knicks series.
• ESPN lists the Warriors as a hypothetical trade partner for Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.
• ESPN’s Shams Charania breaks down the NBA’s proposed lottery reform aimed at preventing tanking.

Draymond Green has always taken pride in his defensive mastery with the Golden State Warriors, down to the smallest details. His impact on that end has been generational—and it’s clearly rubbed off on others, including former teammate Jonathan Kuminga.

Now with the Atlanta Hawks, Kuminga made a heads-up defensive play in Game 2 of the team’s First Round Playoff series against the New York Knicks and gave Green a shoutout afterward.

Green returned the love during Monday’s episode of The Draymond Green Show, praising Kuminga’s growth and impact in Atlanta.

Via The Draymond Green Show:

“I love [Jonathan Kuminga] to death. That’s my young fella and to see him out there doing what he’s doing defensively, playing his role on the offensive end, it’s a beautiful sight to see. I know what he’s capable of, and he’s capable of giving you more on the offensive end, but he’s playing his role. I think as the series goes on, he’s going to give you more on the offensive end. But even watching that last play in Game 3, where he guarded the guy, switched, stopped it, chased the guy over, knocked the ball away, ran it, like what can you do when a guy is doing that?”

Kuminga has flashed two-way impact throughout the first-round series against the Knicks. In Atlanta’s two wins, he totaled 40 points on 16-of-26 shooting from the field, three steals, and two blocks to showcase how effective he can be when everything clicks.

However, consistency—much like during his time with the Warriors—hasn’t always been there. He’s struggled from deep in the Hawks’ last two losses, shooting a combined 1-of-11 from three in Games 5 and 6 while scoring 10 and 13 points, respectively.

Still, Green doesn’t seem too concerned as the Hawks now face a 3-2 series deficit. He believes Kuminga will eventually bounce back—if not now, then next season with a full training camp under his belt.

“He’s been in Atlanta for three months, so the offensive role will grow. When you get a training camp under your belt, the offensive role will grow. But he’s doing what he has to do to stay on the floor, and I love to see it.”

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Wednesday, April 29th:

Warriors News:

Those hoping Steve Kerr leaves Warriors should be careful what they wish for | NBC Sports Bay Area

Kerr did some of his best work when the Warriors were most compromised by injury. His overall record is impressive in ways both overt and subtle. latent. More on that later.

Group 2, which seems smaller in number but is particularly vocal in the disaffected chamber of social media, has decided Kerr – who presided over teams that reached the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons – has lost his touch or, worse, forgotten how to coach. Therefore, it is time for CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to recruit a replacement for Golden State. Someone they believe is more evolved in the ways of the NBA.

Kawhi Leonard trade: Four offers that could start a Clippers rebuild | ESPN

Golden State Warriors get:

Kawhi Leonard

LA Clippers get:

Jimmy Butler III
2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
2032 first-round pick

The Warriors have been connected more to Leonard than any other team in recent months, and for good reason. After Butler tore his ACL in January, the Warriors need a Plan B if they want to try to reopen their competitive window while 38-year-old Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-Star level.

Leonard would be a strong fit as a Butler replacement, with even higher upside after the best regular season of his career. The salaries of the two stars match well enough that no other player would need to be included in this deal.

Steph Curry’s sneaker free agency auction raises $1.7 million for Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation 

NBA News:

4 takeaways: Jalen Brunson stars, Hawks struggle shooting from 3 | NBA

The Hawks were a slightly better-than-average offensive team in the regular season, but they have scored an efficient 119.6 points per 100 possessions (sixth best) as they won 19 of their final 24 games.

In this series, they’ve scored just 106.9 per 100, the second worst mark for any team not involved in the Detroit-Orlando car crash. In four of the five games, the Hawks have scored well below league-average efficiency.

Some of that is some poor shooting from open 3-point shooters. The Knicks haven’t been perfect defensively.

But they’ve been very good. The Hawks had some success attacking Brunson down the stretch of Game 2, but Towns has passed the test. In fact, he had two terrific defensive plays against the Hawks’ two biggest offensive threats on Tuesday.

ESPN’s Shams Charania breaks down NBA’s proposed anti-tanking lottery changes

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

NBA shares newest draft lottery proposal with general managers

Instead, the proposal would expand the lottery to include 16 teams, comprising the 10 teams that miss the Play-In Tournament, the two losers of each conference’s 7-8 play-in matchup, and the four 9-10 seeds. Rather than giving the most lottery balls to the worst teams, the system would instead most heavily favor teams with the 4th through 10th worst records in the league.

Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

Back in 2021, the Lakers were deep into their title defense when LeBron James suffered an injury that changed the trajectory of not just that season, but the career of their superstar.

Los Angeles was hosting Atlanta when Solomon Hill dove headfirst at LeBron’s legs. Every Lakers fan likely remembers what happened next as LeBron crumpled to the ground and missed the next 21 games. By the time he returned, the Lakers had gone from contenders to a play-in team before ultimately losing to the Suns in the opening round of the playoffs.

That play involving Hill will haunt Lakers fans for decades to come, especially after LeBron admitted to Dave McMenamin of ESPN that he has never truly physically recovered.

“My foot and my ankle ain’t been the same since. Ever since that injury, I’ve been fighting uphill to get it back to normal. But it’s been a little blah ever since. What could have been, for sure. I was playing some of the best basketball of my career up until that point and leading this franchise in the right direction and then something like that happens, a high ankle sprain, and there’s nothing you can do about that.”

Even at the time, the dive Hill took was considered reckless by many. Lakers players Dennis Schröder and Montrezl Harrell both said it was postgame, and Hill had to defend himself.

Dirty or not, the impact has been significant, as it’s been years later and LeBron still doesn’t feel the same. Since then, LeBron has sustained additional injuries, making it impossible to be fully healthy.

In 2023, he tore a tendon in his right foot and went to “the LeBron James of feet” to get it fixed. He did come back, but his burst was clearly missing and LeBron hinted that perhaps only offseason surgery could fix it.

LeBron avoiding that injury from Hill’s dive is one of the “what ifs” of his career. Perhaps had that not happened, he would’ve kept a bit more of his burst and subsequent injuries to his right foot might have been avoided.

Luckily, it hasn’t stopped James from having a long and successful career, but it’s still frustrating to hear that such a reckless dive continues to impact his game to this day.

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

Betting on himself this season didn’t go nearly as well as Quentin Grimes may have hoped. A tumultuous restricted free agency saw him return to the Sixers on only the $6 million dollar qualifying offer in hopes of scoring a better deal the following offseason.

He started well, averaging 17 points per game, shooting 44.8% from the field and 36.9% from three through the first month of the season. Since Dec. 1, though, those numbers dropped to 12.2 points per game and, crucially, a 31% three-point percentage.

His start to the playoffs looked similar. After a great five games in March with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George all out, Grimes again looked like he was struggling to scale down into becoming a helpful complementary player. While he made 50% of his threes in the first three games of the Sixers round one series against Boston, he was only taking two a game as the Celtics’ bench exponentially outscored the Sixers’.

It didn’t prevent them from being blown out in Game 4, but Grimes taking seven shot attempts, his most of the series, ended up being a step in the right direction. He followed up the 12-point performance in Game 4 by dropping 18 off the bench in Game 5.

He did so by shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range. Not only did every single one of those feel like huge momentum shifts, but Grimes made the most important play of the game immediately after sinking one.

Embiid had kicked out to him out of the post. He drilled the three from the break to give the Sixers a six-point lead, their highest of the night to that point. Right after burying that he read the pass coming to Jaylen Brown and poked it down the court, nearly stealing it. Brown was able to secure the loose ball was down the other end of the floor, but Grimes stayed right in his face, forcing him to use the remainder of the shot clock to get the ball back into the half court. Brown got off a midrange pull-up, but with Grimes in his face the entire time the ball clanked off the rim and the Sixers got another stop to help build their lead.

The Celtics would only score three more points the rest of the game, missing their last 14 field goals of the night.

Not only was that the biggest play of the Sixers’ entire season, but it highlights two things about the Quentin Grimes experience. The first is why watching him on a nightly basis can be frustrating at times. The second, though, is why can be present value to a team even when he’s struggling offensively.

Grimes hasn’t shot it nearly as well or as frequently as anyone would have hoped. His decision making as a ball handler is frustrating at times — he averaged the second-highest turnover rate of his career this season, per Cleaning the Glass.

Even when he’s struggling with these things his effort is there on defense more often than not. Being strong, quick and on the bigger side for a guard allows him to take on some of the most important assignments, like guarding Jaylen Brown for stretches of games.

There have been plenty of games this year where Grimes couldn’t buy a shot, but needed to close out games because of how much the Sixers needed his defense. It worked out really well for both Grimes and the Sixers that in Game 5 they didn’t have to choose between one or the other.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Raptors and Cavaliers head back to Rocket Arena in Cleveland for a pivotal Game 5 tied at two games apiece.

There are plenty of NBA player prop projections and NBA picks worth targeting. Be sure to check out our Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions for more.

Raptors vs Cavaliers computer picks for Game 5

Raptors	Cavaliers
Walter o7.5 points -110	Mitchell o4.5 assists  +100
Barrett o19.5 points -110	Wade o4.5 points  -130
Murray-Boyles u6.5 rebounds +115	Mitchell u27.5 points  -105

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout!

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!

Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/2/bet365.svg" alt="bet365" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Raptors Game 5 computer picks

Ja'Kobe Walter Over 7.5 points (-110)

Projection: 9.16 points

Ja'Kobe Walter was held scoreless in the last two games but played much better in Cleveland, where he scored 21 points in the first two games. He also cleared this number in four of five games to finish the regular season.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet WALTER Now at bet365!/span

RJ Barrett Over 19.5 points (-110)

Projection: 21.9 points

RJ Barrett's 18 points in Game 4 were his lowest scoring output of the series after scoring 24, 22, and 33 in the first three games. His projection of nearly 22 points tonight aligns with how he played the first two games in Cleveland.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet BARRETT Now at bet365!/span

Collin Murray-Boyles Under 6.5 rebounds (+115)

Projection: 6.0 rebounds

Collin Murray-Boyles has gone Over his rebounding total in three straight games, but tonight's total sits at 6.5 rebounds after closing at 4.5 and 5.5 the first four games of this series. Now's the time to back the other side.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Murray-boyles Now at bet365!/span

---

Cavaliers Game 5 computer picks

Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 assists (+100)

Projection: 5.4 assists

Donovan Mitchell had just six assists in Games 3 and 4 in Toronto, but logged nine across the first two games at home and went over this number in Game 2. His projection calls for 5.4 tonight, and the +100 price makes it that much easier to hit the button.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet MITCHELL Now at bet365!/span

Dean Wade Over 4.5 points (-130)

Projection: 6.13 points

Dean Wade has cleared this low bar in three of four games in this series and logged a playoff-high seven points in Game 4.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet WADE Now at bet365!/span

Donovan Mitchell Under 27.5 points (-105)

Projection: 25.8 points

This is a big number for a guy who scored just 35 across two games in Toronto and lost his offensive rhythm entirely. Even if he's much better in Game 5, this projection gives us a ton of room to cash the Under.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Mitchell Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 5

Location	Rocket Arena, Cleveland, OH
Date	Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Tip-off	7:30 p.m. ET
TV	ESPN

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

MORE NBA PICKS

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Golden State Warriors announced that the team will host a trio of California Classic summer league games at Chase Center in July. The Sacramento Kings will also host three games at the Golden 1 Center. Golden State will host games on July 3rd, 5th, and 6th while Sacramento will host games on July 4th, 5th, and 6th. The Kings, Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks will compete in the three-day tournament in Sacramento while the Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs will compete in San Francisco.

While season-ticket holders often receive first dibs at tickets for summer league/preseason games, these games often remain the most affordable tickets to a Warriors game at Chase Center will ever be. Of course, anyone getting a ticket will also be attending a game without Golden State’s biggest stars. Nevertheless, Warriors guard Will Richard has said he will return to summer league play this summer, and the Warriors do currently have a lottery pick in the first round and a late second-round pick, both of which will conceivably become players that feature prominently during summer league.

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics saved their ugliest fourth quarter for the worst possible time, and it came at a steep price.  

Leading 3-1 and with a chance to close out their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, the C’s collapsed — in near historic fashion. Boston missed its final 14 shots over the last 12 minutes and finished 3-of-22 in the frame, tying a franchise playoff record for fewest field goals in a fourth quarter, per NBC Sports Boston’s Dick Lipe. The anticipation of ending Philadelphia’s season quickly turned into silence shared between Boston’s bench and a home crowd that began filing out before the final buzzer.

Instead of celebrating and catching its breath while awaiting a semifinal opponent, Boston squandered the opportunity and now heads back to Philadelphia for Game 6.

“It was just having an understanding of we were in a good situation and just didn’t execute,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So we just have to be able to bounce back from that. I think when you have empty possession, empty possession, and at the other end you’re not getting stops, it gets frustrating.”

Boston held a 13-point lead with 10:13 remaining in the third quarter before the meltdown. Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid — who missed the first three games of the series and was listed as probable an hour before opening tip — finally broke out. Embiid scored a game-high 33 points, grabbed four rebounds, and tallied eight assists. Celtics bigs had no answer for him as Neemias Queta, Nikola Vučević, and even Luka Garza struggled to subdue Embiid’s dominance.

Eventually, that caught up to Boston.

When Embiid took a trip to Philadelphia’s locker room limping with an apparent left knee injury late in the third quarter, only to return minutes later, the Celtics were in control. They carried an 86-85 lead into the fourth quarter, only to lose their grip.

“We played great up until that point, and then they made more plays down the stretch,” Mazzulla added.

It felt much like the postseason losses Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had endured for years before clearing the title hurdle in 2024 — but far, far uglier. Tatum attempted just two shots in the fourth quarter, while Queta and Sam Hauser accounted for Boston’s only three field goals, as the Celtics finished with as many made shots as turnovers.

“It was a stretch where we weren’t making shots, and they were coming down and hitting shots and getting fouled, and we just kept having to play against a set defense,” Tatum said. “So getting stops would’ve helped, for sure.”

The standard they’ve strived to meet all season simply wasn’t met. Boston’s 11 points in the fourth marked the fewest scored throughout the entire regular season and playoffs. The same energy that forced Philadelphia’s crowd to evaporate at Xfinity Mobile Arena and turn into a “We want Boston” chant from the traveling Celtics fans didn’t return with the team back home.

Even Brown admitted the performance wasn’t up to par.

“Just not good enough overall from the Celtics tonight,” Brown said. “The result was the result, but gotta move on, play in another couple of days and get a chance to respond. So we look at it, learn from it, and move forward.”

Brown continued: “Just can’t sum it up — a lot of different areas were just not good enough. We’ll watch it, and we’ll make sure we’ll come out with the right energy, the right mindset, the right mentality on the road in Philadelphia. So that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The Celtics entered Tuesday night with three chances to put the Sixers away for good. They’ll have their second chance in Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

While Austin Reaves is nearing a return, the same can’t be said for Luka Dončić.

He has been out since Apr. 2 with a hamstring strain and despite a trip to Spain to speed up his recovery, he has yet to do significant on-court work.

The Lakers have figured out how to win games without Luka and are just one victory away from advancing to the second round. However, if they do eliminate the Rockets and play the Thunder next, don’t expect Luka to be ready to start that series.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Dončić will be out at least for the beginning of the second round and there is no timetable for his return.

For the Lakers’ immediate future, this is not good. The Thunder are the best team in basketball and the Lakers got annihilated by them even when Luka was available. Luka is needed for the Lakers to have the best chance to win.

Hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from, so while it’s disappointing that Luka hasn’t made a faster recovery like Reaves, it’s not surprising. Clearly, Luka is doing everything to return, but hasn’t made enough improvement to have any kind of timetable for his comeback.

The Lakers’ mission will remain the same: keep on winning games and extend the season long enough for Luka to return.

That’s only going to get harder the deeper they go into the postseason, but that’s the task at hand.

The only good news from all this is that Luka hasn’t suffered any setbacks, and the hamstring strain is a short-term injury, not a long-term one. The timing couldn’t be worse, but this isn’t the kind of injury that will signifcantly impact Luka’s future in anyway.

For the present, though, it means Lakers fans shouldn’t expect a Luka return any time soon.

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

If the Los Angeles Lakers aren't careful, the Houston Rockets could still make this an interesting series. 

These Rockets vs. Lakers props and NBA picks expect Los Angeles to emphasize the importance of Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29.

Best Rockets vs Lakers props for Game 5

Player	Pick
LeBron James	Over 7.5 assists	-135
Tari Eason	Over 13.5 points	+102
DeAndre Ayton	10+ rebounds	+200

Game 5 Prop #1: LeBron James Over 7.5 assists

-135 at bet365

All facets of the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense failed in Game 4. Or, perhaps more charitably, every aspect of the Houston Rockets’ defense succeeded in Game 4.

Either way, LeBron James tallying nine assists stood out.

No Laker scored more than 13 points aside from Deandre Ayton, who was ejected after just 25 minutes of action. No Laker knocked down multiple threes either, outside of Dalton Knecht’s two makes in garbage time.

As a team, Los Angeles shot 50% from the field and 23% from deep. Yet, James set up nine buckets for his teammates.

If LeBron can do that amid such a paltry offensive showing, it should be trusted that James will continue playmaking, even as Houston dials up its defense.

Game 5 Prop #2: Tari Eason Over 13.5 points

+102 at bet365

As the Rockets routed the Lakers in Game 4, Tari Eason deserves particular credit. 

Eason finished with a +31 mark in only 30 minutes, buoyed by 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds.

More Eason will make sense in Game 5. Leaning on him in Game 3 didn’t pay off offensively — the Houston forward finished with just five points — but he still posted a +6 across nearly 46 minutes in a game where the Rockets ultimately lost by four in overtime.

When Eason is on the court, Houston is better. So, logically, Eason should be on the court more.

Game 5 Prop #3: DeAndre Ayton 10+ rebounds

+200 at bet365

He may have been (questionably) ejected, but DeAndre Ayton was just about the only piece of the Lakers that worked in Game 4. 

The Rockets are likely willing to take that risk again, knowing Ayton’s offensive ceiling is limited compared to someone like LeBron or even Luke Kennard.

LA's starting center went 9-for-12 from the field for 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes. He’s the Lakers' best source of size, and getting +200 odds on him to record another double-double in rebounds offers great value. 

Ayton grabbed 11 rebounds in Game 1, a similar showing to Game 4 in many regards. This is simply a foolish price.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Our NBA player prop projections are ready for Game 5 between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, with the model highlighting several high-value spots.

By analyzing the data against current market lines, we’ve identified where the strongest edges exist.

These Magic vs. Pistons predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.

If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Wednesday, April 29.

Magic vs Pistons computer picks for Game 5

Magic	Pistons
Suggs o13.5 points -125	Duren o10.5 rebounds +110
Bane o2.5 3-pointers  -170	Cunningham u28.5 points  -105
Carter Jr. o7.5 rebounds -140	Robinson o2.5 3-pointers  +130

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout!

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review!

Sign Up Now atimg src="https://img.covers.com/betting/sportsbooks/2/bet365.svg" alt="bet365" width="100" height="28" style="vertical-align: middle;"

21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Magic Game 5 computer picks

Jalen Suggs Over 13.5 points (-125)

Projection: 13.9 points

The Detroit Pistons have allowed the second-most points per game to opposing starting point guards this season (21.2), making this a strong offensive matchup for Jalen Suggs after a quiet five-point outing in Game 4.

With the Orlando Magic in position to close out the series, expect Suggs to bounce back and be more aggressive offensively.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet suggs Now at bet365!/span

Desmond Bane Under 2.5 3-pointers (-170)

Projection: 2.16 3-pointers

The Magic have struggled from deep on the road, shooting just 32.7% (the lowest mark in the NBA this season).

This matchup doesn’t help, either. The Pistons limit opposing starting shooting guards to the second-lowest 3-point rate (27.6%), putting Desmond Bane in a tough spot to find success from beyond the arc.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet bane Now at bet365!/span

Wendell Carter Jr. Over 7.5 rebounds (-140)

Projection: 7.87 rebounds

The Magic rank fifth in the NBA in offensive rebounding over their last 10 games (12.5 per contest), and Wendell Carter Jr. has capitalized with 17 and 11 boards in Games 3 and 4.

With Orlando building momentum, expect Carter to stay active on the glass and push this prop Over again tonight.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet Carter now at bet365!/span

---

Pistons Game 5 computer picks

Jalen Duren Over 10.5 rebounds (+110)

Projection: 11.7 rebounds

The Pistons rank third in the NBA in offensive rebounding, and in an elimination game, Jalen Duren should be anything but passive on the glass. If anything, expect him to ramp up the effort to create second-chance opportunities and keep Detroit alive.

After falling short of this prop all series, this sets up as the spot for Duren to elevate his impact when it matters most.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet duren Now at bet365!/span

Cade Cunningham Under 28.5 points (-105)

Projection: 27.21 points

This is the spot where the Pistons need a statement performance from Cade Cunningham. Outside of Game 1, he’s fallen just short of this points line, but if there’s a time for him to break through, it’s now.

If he hits the Under again, it likely means one of two things (or both): Detroit’s season ends early, or Cunningham finds other ways to make an impact despite not clearing the number.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet cunningham Now at bet365!/span

Duncan Robinson Over 2.5 3-pointers (+130)

Projection: 2.62 3-pointers

This is a favorable matchup for 3-point volume against Orlando. On the road, the Magic allow the most attempts per game to opposing starting shooting guards (7.2).

With Detroit needing a spark in Game 5, Duncan Robinson is a strong candidate to capitalize when he finds his rhythm from deep.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet robinson Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Magic vs Pistons Game 5

Location	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date	Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Tip-off	7:00 p.m. ET
TV	Prime Video

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

MORE NBA PICKS

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

UPDATE: While it’s a game of semantics, it sounds more and more encouraging that Austin Reaves will make his return in Game 5. On Wednesday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Reaves expects to play.

Here’s his full report on Reaves:

“My understanding is Austin Reaves expects to play tonight in Game 5 against the Rockets barring any setback. He’s gone through his progression — 1-on-1s, 3-on-3s, 5-on-5s. He’s had no setbacks.”

For now, it’s unclear if he will be on a minutes restriction or if he will start or come off the bench. But simply getting him back is a huge boost for a Lakers team that needs it to close out the series.

Original story follows.

Have no fear, Lakers fans, Austin Reaves is almost here.

After a couple of games where Reaves was listed as questionable but didn’t play, it seems that he is likely to make his return to the court for Game 5 vs. the Rockets.

Shams Charania of ESPN is reporting that, barring a setback, the Lakers expect their star guard to return.

Charania did say he will be a game-time decision, so it’s not absolutely certain that Reaves will play, but it certainly seems to be trending in that direction.

While the Lakers have done well without Reaves, their offense has been struggling in the last couple of playoff games against the Rockets. His return and production could help the Lakers secure the final win they need to eliminate Houston.

Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season. His rebounding and scoring totals are career-highs for the five-year guard.

Returning so soon from an injury that can often take well over a month to heal from is a clear indicator of how hard Reaves worked to get back. The Lakers reportedly thought Reaves and Luka Dončić wouldn’t be able to play in the opening round. While Luka is still out, they’ve at least gotten back one of their best players in Austin.

While Reaves ‘ potential return is good news, it isn’t a shock. Recently, Reaves had begun on-court work with the team and was upgraded to questionable before Game 3 and Game 4.

It took multiple weeks, and the Lakers had to win some playoff games without him, but Reaves will be joining the team for competitive matchups once again.

It’s been nearly a month since Reaves has played in a Lakers game. He suffered his injury during a loss against the Thunder. Afterward, his MRI confirmed that he had a Grade 2 oblique strain, and the projected recovery period was 4-6 weeks.

Despite the Lakers’ short-term success, long-term wins will only come with Reaves on the floor. And now that he is likely back, this will only increase LA’s chances of a successful postseason run.

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The New York Knicks need one more win to advance over the Atlanta Hawks, and Karl-Anthony Towns has played a big part in making that happen.

My Knicks vs. Hawks predictions and NBA picks expect more of the same from KAT in this April 30 tilt.

Knicks vs Hawks prediction

Who will win Knicks vs Hawks Game 5

Hawks: As Knicks fans poured out of MSG after a convincing Game 5 win, the Big Apple crowd chanted, “We want Boston”.

Ah, there’s still at least one more game, folks. New York won’t shoot 57% from the field again, and Atlanta’s outside touch should improve in the friendly confines of State Farm Arena, where it shoots nearly 38% from beyond the arc.

I can see the Hawks forcing a Game 7.

Knicks vs Hawks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points + assists (-112)

Karl-Anthony Towns’ disappearing act in the second half of Game 5 was a tough pill for prop bettors to swallow, especially considering how much the Atlanta Hawks struggled to contain the New York Knicks center.

Atlanta switched up its defensive plan on Towns and started the game with 6-foot-7 forwards Dyson Daniels and Jonathan Kuminga checking the 7-footer. The bigger Towns took advantage down low and proceeded to torch defenders as the Hawks threw the kitchen sink at him to no avail in the first half.

More double teams and the benefit of resting the limping KAT in the second half of a blowout (he played only 12.5 minutes) led to just two more points in the final two frames. Despite that sudden power outage in scoring, Towns continued to be a conduit for the New York attack.

KAT had four assists at the halftime break and dished out six total dimes in the win, working primarily as a passer out of the high post. He finished with 10 assists in Game 4 and continued to find cutters and shooters coming off screen action in Tuesday’s victory.

Towns’ points prop has dipped to 18.5 O/U, while his assist line remains at 3.5, with the Over juiced again for Game 6.

Given KAT's dominance in the first half of Game 5, he could top this total on scoring alone. However, we can pad that with his passing, as the assist market is undervaluing his surge in playmaking over the past two games.

Knicks vs Hawks same-game parlay

The Hawks will dig in on defense and find their shooting form in this do-or-die game back in the ATL. New York looked great at home in Game 5, but the Knicks are just 10-19 ATS as road favorites this season.

C.J. McCollum was MIA at MSG. The veteran sharpshooter has cooled off over the past two games, going a combined 0-for-6 from beyond the arc after opening the series 9-for-23 from distance.

McCollum is a much better shooter at State Farm Arena, knocking down more than 40% of his triples compared to just 34% on the road.

Knicks vs Hawks SGP

• Hawks +2
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points + assists
• C.J. McCollum Over 2.5 threes

Our "from downtown" SGP: Birds of "Trey"

The Hawks survive on home cooking in the ATL.

McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker get back to attacking from beyond the arc, and this final score goes Over the diminutive total of 214 points.

Games with closing totals of 214 or shorter have finished 4-2 O/U in the playoffs.

Knicks vs Hawks SGP

• Hawks moneyline
• Over 214
• C.J. McCollum Over 2.5 threes
• Nickeil Alexander-Walker Over 3.5 threes

Knicks vs Hawks odds for Game 6

• Spread: Knicks -2 (-110) | Hawks +2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Knicks -130 | Hawks +110
• Over/Under: Over 214 (-110) | Under 214 (-110)

Knicks vs Hawks betting trend to know

New York is just 10-19 ATS (34.5%) as a road favorite this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Hawks.

How to watch Knicks vs Hawks Game 6

Knicks vs Hawks latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

NBA guard Jaden Ivey and his wife, Caitlyn, put up a united front after he claimed she wasn’t answering his texts following his release from the Bulls last month due to conduct detrimental to the team.

The pair shared a joint Instagram post on Monday, including a smiling photo together with Ivey’s arm around her, and a bible verse.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favour of the LORD,” the caption reads, quoting the bible verse, Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV.‬‬

“Thank you Jesus for saving us. Thank you for your mercy and goodness towards us.”

It comes after Ivey made claims about his household following his release — which came after he posted a video rant online about religion and made anti-gay remarks.

“My wife in here, and she not even texting me,” Ivey said in a live stream video after his release. “Those who are around me, those who are my family members betraying [me] because of what I spoke. The truth.

“Betraying me. Saying that I’m losing my mind. Saying that I’m crazy. … Those are my own household. All because of the Gospel. All because I said the truth.”

Taking to her social media, Caitlyn denied abandoning her husband amid the fallout from his controversy.

“If you know me you know I have never once abandoned that man through all the trials.. and I still haven’t now,” she wrote in an Instagram Story post. “There is obviously a lot going on, so leave your conspiracies and your guesses to yourselves.”

Caitlyn also shared hateful messages she had received after the NBA player claimed she had cut him off. 

Ivey and his wife, who met at Purdue University, have three children: son Noah, 3, daughter Shiloh, 2, and son Isaiah, 13 months.

Ivey, who was limited to 30 games last season due to injury, missed the start of this season before being dealt from Detroit to Chicago.

Last month, the Bulls shut him down for the season because of a sore left knee.

Ivey previously said it was a “lie” that his conduct was detrimental to the Bulls.

The expansion of the men's and women's NCAA Tournament has been a hot-button issue for fans, as the mentality of "more is more" continues to permeate ideas previously held sacrosanct.

One such idea is the thought the tournament shouldn't expand 70-plus teams, one that is imminently going to be broken. As reported on April 28, March Madness is on the final runway to add eight teams for a grand total of 76, expanding for the first time since 2011 when the First Four was added to make it 68 from 65. The change will be made for both men's and women's basketball, with a formal announcement anticipated in May.

REQUIRED READING: NCAA Tournament set to expand to 76 teams. What will it look like?

The move, to take hold in 2027, continues the NCAA's trend of expansion in its biggest sports. Football moved from four teams to 12 beginning in 2024, and there has been more conversation around expansion since. For college basketball, however, the motivations are slightly different. In theory, the expansion should favor mid-majors rather than the Big Ten and the SEC as football does. After all, conference commissioners and NCAA president Charlie Baker have stumped for the accessibility an expanded field would bring.

For the last 41 seasons, the NBA has conducted a draft lottery to determine which non-playoff team will receive the No. 1 overall pick. From 1985 to 1989, all non-playoff teams had the same odds to win the top pick, but in 1990, the league adopted a weighted draft lottery where the worse your record is, the better chance you have of getting the top pick.

The odds for the worst team have shifted over the years — 16.7% from 1990-1993, 25% from 1993-2019, and 14% from 2019-now — but have been consistent in one aspect: the worse your record is, the higher chance you have of securing one of the top picks, but according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, that may soon change.

The NBA disclosed to its 30 teams Tuesday that it intends to bring forth a rule change at the league’s upcoming Board of Governors meeting in late May. The memo outlined a drastic new draft lottery system that aims to discourage tanking by penalizing the league’s worst teams.

The proposal, which the NBA calls the ‘3-2-1 lottery’, lays out a draft lottery where there are three tiers of team and each team receives a different number of ping pong balls for the league’s drawing.

3: The fourth through 10th worst teams will have the best odds to receive the No. 1 overall pick because they will receive three ping pong balls each.

2: The three worst teams, as well as the 9 and 10 seeds from each conference, will receive two ping pong balls each.

1: the loser of the 7-8 play-in game from each conference will receive one ping pong ball.

Perhaps the most severe part of the new proposal is the new floor for these teams. In the current system, the league’s worst team has a 14% chance to win the lottery, but can fall no lower than fifth overall. The second-worst team can fall no lower than sixth.

In this world, the league’s three worst teams don’t just have a worse shot at getting the No. 1 pick, their floor drops — significantly. The league’s three worst teams could pick as low as 12th in this system.

Now, there’s a lot to unpack here. For starters, the rules for this draft lottery are ridiculously complicated. I’m at 430 words in this article and I’ve barely scratched the surface. The league will need to do a better job of explaining exactly what this system is and, more importantly, why such a drastic change was needed.

But make no mistake: a drastic change is very much needed. The proposal has been met with a lot of backlash, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

The NBA has always publicly denounced tanking, but we’ve watched it happen frequently over the years. We watched Philadelphia “Trust the Process” for years as the team and its fans suffered through three straight 60-loss seasons, including an abysmal 10-72 2015-2016 campaign.

But NBA teams have taken a darker turn in recent years, and I think the NBA is right to be worried about the message it sends to its fans. This year, an NBA-record eight teams — a whopping 32% of the league — finished with a winning percentage below .333. Eight teams lost at least 55 games this season. Five teams lost at least 60.

Utah and Washington were two glaring examples that league sources often brought up throughout the season. The Jazz, despite trading three first round picks and talented prospects for Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., chose to tank at the end of the season and sometimes in blatant fashion.

Jackson played just three games following the trade, but played in 45 contests pre-All Star break. Utah decided the big man needed surgery on his left knee less than three weeks after unloading a war chest to trade for him. The Jazz also sat All-Star Lauri Markkanen for the last two months of the season with a “hip injury.”

Before these injuries appeared, the Jazz had already shown they had little interest of winning games with the pair this season. Utah was fined half a million dollars by the league after it benched Jackson and Markkanen down the stretch of a close game on Feb. 7, a game the Jazz lost after Orlando “overcame” a 17-point deficit.

Washington also traded for All-Stars at the deadline, netting Trae Young and Anthony Davis, but played the two a combined five games post-trade deadline before shutting both down with apparent injuries.

The league also fined Indiana $100,000 for benching three players it deemed were healthy enough to play in a Feb. 3 game against — you probably guessed it — the Utah Jazz.

The Pacers “lost” that night, 131-122, in Indianapolis.

The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, has publicly commented on tanking a lot this season and said in March that fixing tanking was his top priority and furthered that stance in a call with the league’s competition commitee recently.

“”We should have a system where you should hate to lose,“ he said. ”It shouldn’t be a badge of honor. Losing should be uncomfortable.”

I fully agree. The flattened odds are a good first step to tell the teams in this league that losing is, in fact, bad, and you should avoid doing it at all costs. The NBA is a product at the end of the day and watching a third of the league not care about its success for a third of the season is very bad for that product.

Fans pay to go to these games to watch their team’s best players compete on the basketball court and these maneuvers by all of the league’s tanking teams send a clear middle finger to the league and its mission.

The NBA needs to find a simpler long-term solution — no one wants a draft lottery that needs 400 words and a two-minute clip from Shams to explain — but its goals and purpose behind this proposal are good and will improve the NBA’s product significantly.

I truly believe basketball is the best sport in the world, and I believe that because of the great athletes that have come through the game. From Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson to Larry Bird to Michael Jordan to LeBron James and everyone in between, the stars are what make the league what it is.

Watching those stars get benched in the name of future success spits in the face of what these legends built. If your team is “winning too many games” with your All-Stars playing, then maybe you should shift your focus from playing the draft lottery for the ninth time in a decade and maybe try trading for a player that can help you be better this year.

Also, you don’t need a top pick in the draft to draft a culture-shifting player. The league’s soon-to-be back-to-back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was the 11th pick in the 2018 draft. Nikola Jokic was selected 41st. Jalen Brunson fell to the second round. Donovan Mitchell was taken 13th.

Obviously, I’m not saying that improved draft position has no effect on the caliber of player you get — most of the league’s all-time greats were high draft picks after all — but if you have a competent GM and front office, you can find good players later in the draft.

And if you have a bad GM, none of this matters anyway because he’ll just trade your franchise player you took No. 3 overall to the league’s biggest market in the middle of the night.

I kid, I kid (it will always haunt me) but the bigger point stands. Tanking to get a top draft pick will only get you so far. You need a system in place to sustain success, and if you don’t have that, getting a top draft pick does little to actually solve that problem.

I applaud the commissioner for taking a serious approach to the biggest problem facing his league and I hope the Board of Governors will approve some version of this proposal when it meets May 28.