NBA News
The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to regain the momentum going as they take on the Toronto Raptors in Game 4.
Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!
Go Cavs!
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
Victor Wembanyama's status looms over Game 4, but our NBA player prop projections have found six other players you can bet on for this afternoon's matchup.
Looking to add to your NBA picks? Our comprehensive Spurs vs. Trail Blazers predictions for April 26 have you covered.
 Spurs |  Trail Blazers |
|---|---|
| Champagnie o7.5 points -130 | Henderson o2.5 assists -150 |
| Fox o17.5 points -115 | Camara o9.5 points -130 |
| Harper o2.5 assists -145 | Williams o7.5 rebounds +110 |
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!
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Projection: 10.27 points
Julian Champagnie has cleared this modest points total in six of his last 10 games, and if Wemby ends up sitting, this will look like a bargain.
Champagnie scored nine points in Game 3, and his outside shooting will be depended on as the San Antonio Spurs look to take a 3-1 grip.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet champagnie Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 18.37 points
De'Aaron Fox has been a steady force for the Spurs over the last several games, clearing this point line in four of his last six, and finishing with exactly 17 in the two other games.
Fox will have plenty of time with the ball to eclipse this number.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet fox Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 3.51 assists
Dylan Harper was a stud in Game 3, dropping 27 points in 29 minutes of play. He also collected three dimes while manning the bench unit, and he'll play a similar role this afternoon.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet harper Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 5.03 assists
Five-star projection alert! Our model calls for Scoot Henderson to double this assist total, creating an excellent opportunity for a milestone market.
Scoot will get ample playing time, looking to set up his teammates as the Portland Trail Blazers look to even the series.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet henderson Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 11.73 points
Toumani Camara put up a stinker in Game 3, but he finished with 10 points a game prior in Portland's lone series win. If the Blazers want to tie up the series, they'll need Camara to contribute. He'll get enough volume to go past this modest points total.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet camara Now at bet365!/span
Projection: 8.56 rebounds
Robert Williams is a ferocious rebounder, pulling down nine boards in back-to-back outings off the bench. RW3 knows why he's on the floor, and that's to attack the glass. Our model likes him to haul in at least eight more rebounds this afternoon.
span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet williams Now at bet365!/span
| Location | Moda Center, Portland, OR |
| Date | Sunday, April 26, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 3:30 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.
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.
HOUSTON — When the calendar turns to February, an urgency is felt around the NBA. It’s one last opportunity to improve your team before the final stretch of the season. Front offices chase it. Fans demand it. Talking heads in sports try to speak it into existence.
We’re talking about the blockbuster trade that creates the illusion that one transaction can completely change the course of a season and take a team that wasn’t a contender and somehow deliver it a championship.
That was not the case when the Lakers pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, flipping Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. Doncic, who had dragged the Mavericks to the NBA Finals a season earlier, could not get the Lakers back to the mountaintop.
So when Feb. 5 rolled around this year, everyone in Lakers Nation expected another seismic shift to the roster.
Instead, general manager Rob Pelinka made one quiet move.
No Giannis Antetokounmpo. No Walker Kessler. No roster overhaul. No panic swing fueled by last year’s first-round exit to the Timberwolves. Just one relatively minor move on paper: Gabe Vincent out. Luke Kennard in.
That was it.
Fans in Los Angeles groaned and moaned at the restraint shown by Pelinka. They wanted more stars.
And let’s not pretend the lack of moves by the Lakers wasn’t heavily criticized in the sports world, too. It was. Loudly. Prior to the deadline there were rumors of a reunion with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, potential targets of Andrew Wiggins and Lauri Markkanen. Even role players like Ayo Dosunmu or Saddiq Bey made sense.
Critics pointed at the Lakers’ lackluster defense and said they needed “more three-and-D players.” The chorus echoed across every sports studio show and social media timeline.
Why was Rui Hachimura, playing on an expiring contract, still on the roster?
Why was Dalton Knecht, who was traded at the deadline last year, still on the team?
If the Lakers don’t re-sign Austin Reaves, why not trade him for a superstar?
The reason is because Pelinka decided to bet on continuity. On chemistry. On the reality that sometimes the roster you already have deserves the chance to become something more than the sum of its parts.
And in their first-round playoff series against the heavily favored Rockets, that bet looks a lot smarter than the noise that buried it back in February.
Kennard was acquired to be a 3-point specialist off the bench. Someone who could space the floor for Doncic and give him another shooter to pass to when defenses collapse on him. A clean, reliable, catch-and-shoot option on a team that had too many point guards, making Vincent expendable.
But the NBA postseason doesn’t care about your job description.
With Doncic and Reaves sidelined, Kennard has morphed into something more valuable than a sniper off the bench. He’s a stabilizer. A secondary creator and ball handler. A calm pulse in moments that usually unravel teams — like the Rockets did in the final 25 seconds of regulation in Game 3. Kennard is initiating the Lakers’ offense and making decisions that won’t necessarily show up in the box score. Oh, and by the way, he still leads the league in 3-point percentage.
And let’s not forget about Hachimura — the same player fans were ready to ship out in February. Instead, he’s back in the starting lineup with Reaves out and doing what he’s quietly done in past postseasons: producing. Efficient scoring. Physical defense. And making game-winning plays when they matter most.
It’s funny how patience sometimes gets rewarded with playoff wins.
In keeping Reaves, Knecht, Hachimura and others at the deadline, the Lakers maintained the belief in their system. In the idea that development doesn’t always have to come from outside the building. Bronny James is contributing in the playoffs, too.
And this idea isn’t some accidental success story. It’s a philosophical one.
Last year, the Thunder made no moves at the trade deadline. They stood pat while everyone else scrambled. No flashy superstar additions. No desperate swings for the fences. Just trust in their timeline. In the players inside that locker room, and the identity and chemistry they had built together.
And that’s why they walked away with a championship.
The Rockets made their blockbuster deal in the offseason — acquiring Kevin Durant from the Suns — and they’ve won fewer postseason games than they did last year.
There’s a lesson in that, one the Lakers clearly studied.
Some trades can swing a season, like the Lakers in 2023. Others are for the future, like Doncic in 2025. But the reality is that most deadline deals don’t save you.
The Lakers understood they weren’t one trade away. Not from a title or from relevance. So instead of chasing a shortcut that didn’t exist, they chose to keep the core and add Kennard.
And now? They’re about to be one of the final eight teams still standing.
Will they win the championship? Probably not. Let’s not get carried away. But that was never guaranteed, no matter how many names you stapled onto the roster in February.
But what they have done is given themselves a puncher’s chance. An opportunity built on chemistry and cohesion, not chaos.
In a league obsessed with constant movement, the Lakers chose stillness.
At the time, it looked like hesitation. Now, it looks like conviction.
It’s a lesson in that sometimes the smartest front office move isn’t the one that dominates all the headlines. It’s the one that resists them.
And in a season in which everyone expected another blockbuster, the Lakers may have proved something far more dangerous.
They didn’t need one.
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Boston Celtics regained control of this series with a road win in Game 3 and can put the Philadelphia 76ers on the ropes with another in Game 4.
That's exactly what our Celtics vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks expect to happen at Xfinity Mobile Arena tonight.
The Boston Celtics thrive as the road favorite. Boston is 16-9 ATS in that position this season and 26-16 ATS overall in road games. The Philadelphia 76ers are below .500 ATS both as a home dog and in all home games.
The Game 3 result added to both trends.
Boston bounced back from a Game 2 loss by clamping down on the two players who burned them. VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined for 59 points on 23-for-48 shooting and 11-for-22 from deep in Game 2.
Boston put Jayson Tatum on Edgecombe in game three, and both Philly shooters paid the price. They combined to hit just 17 of 47 shots and went 5-for-20 from beyond the arc.
I'm also targeting the Under. Boston plays at the slowest tempo in the NBA, and Philadelphia is at No. 15. All three games in the series have gone Under.
Philly has gone Under in 10 of 15 games as a home dog this season, while Boston has been Under 16 of 25 as a road favorite.
Lastly, Jayson Tatum is averaging 23 points in the playoffs and has scored 23 or more in nine of the last 10. He's a better bet than Jaylen Brown, whose points prop is 2.5 points below his playoff average, because Brown is less consistent with his scoring.
In his last eight, he has three games over 35 points and five at 26 or lower.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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.
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.
Ninety seconds into the second half of last night’s 112-98 Knick win in Atlanta, cosplay analyst Reggie Miller declared the Hawks “on a heater.” In that minute and a half, they’d scored five points, cutting a 14-point deficit to nine.
Reggie Miller is full of shit. Was as a player, is as an announcer. He gets away with it because no one who works with him really cares. His name and his game are his CV. And we’re stuck with it. There’s too much bullshit everywhere to know where to start shoveling.
Had the Knicks lost, they’d have nearly completed digging their own grave. Instead the series is all square heading back to New York for Tuesday’s Game 5. If you know anything about the 1960 World Series, you know one team can dominate a series and still lose. That’s been the story this series, with CJ McCollum twice reprising the role Bill Mazeroski made famous.
For once, the Knicks won a playoff game without any real tension or drama. The Hawks only lead of the game was a one-point edge in its early days; the Knicks led by double-digits most of the way. Besides OG Anunoby, no Knick played more than 34 minutes, yet heroes abounded. I’m focusing on Towns today because I’m still trying to make sense of the bizarre points Reggie Miller kept making.
A major pet peeve of mine (is that redundant?) is when sports media people say “People don’t realize how good Jalen Johnson is.” Of course we do. He was a first-round draft pick from a major college program, is an All-Star and by the end of his current contract will have earned over $160 million. You’re the media. If news need be spread, start spreading it.
After a nice drive by Towns, Miller: “Everybody just thinks he’s a stretch big.” Naz Reid is a stretch big. Steve Novak was a stretch big. Wanna go way back? Terry Mills. In KAT’s two years in New York his 3-point rate’s fallen to its lowest levels since the Knicks’ leading scorers was Kevin Knox. Towns is a six-time All-Star who led the league in defensive rebounds this season and finished just two behind Ivica Zubac last season. We know who he is.
The undersized Hawks know it, too. Five years ago when these teams met in the playoffs, the Mitchell Robinson-less Knicks showed up to a knife fight with Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson. Now Atlanta’s the team looking light up top. Towns led both teams in points and assists, had only two turnovers, tied OG Anunoby for most rebounds and got to the line nine times. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen him push this team over the finish line in a big spot. It won’t be the last.
The third (but by no means final) stupid thing Miller uttered came in the fourth, after Towns set a pick and Dyson Daniels collided with . . . maybe his solar plexus? Once playing football I got completely flipped over in mid-air and came down hard directly on the ball, which was pointing upwards and went right into my solar plexus. The weirdness and intensity of the pain swelled into my whole universe. I couldn’t talk or think or process; all I could do was hurt. A lot. After the Daniels collision, Miller noted, sagaciously, “Towns instantly knew it, too.”
Evidently KAT’s nerves are working just fine. Hopefully his team’s are better after a win as convincing as any the Knicks have had in a while. Humans are humans; we never know what goes on behind the scenes in the lives and interactions of the athletes we follow, but I couldn’t help watching the intensity New York played with last night and think, “If they’d just play like this every night, they’d win it all. Why don’t they play like this all the time?”
That question applies to Towns as much as any New York athlete I’ve watched since Jorge Julio. In one first-half stretch he committed an absurd offensive foul, missed an uncontested lay-up alone under the basket, rebounded it and missed the five-foot follow. What came next? A gorgeous off-hand and-one high off glass, natch. Soon after he made another tough Euro/hesi runner, right before his best sequence of the night: joining the offense as the trailer, wide-open for his favorite 3, only instead he dished to a cutting Josh Hart, who found OG in the corner, who swung to Brunson for the uncontested triple.
Certainly helped that Mike Brown was willing to sit Mikal Bridges the last 20 minutes in favor of Deuce McBride. I remember when Quentin Grimes seemed pointed toward a role in the starting backcourt, only he seemed too timid or unsure how to run with it. Immanuel Quickley did not. Neither did McBride. I’m not saying Bridges is timid. I’m saying we have two years of evidence that replacing him with Deuce is like Popeye getting his spinach.
I don’t sports-hate Bridges at all. But even last season he struck me as ideal coming off the bench — better for the team and for him, letting him get going offensively against non-starters. I don’t care how many late first-round picks he cost. He may be their least essential starter, but he’s still a good player who does a lot for them. If they’re getting to or winning the Finals, they need Bridges.
Quoth The Antisola: “[KAT] was fantastic.” If this year ends up as a success, it’ll mean KAT was fantastic much of the rest of the way. I’d like to project he and the Knicks to have figured out everything they needed to after Game 3, and that they roll over the Hawks the next two games. I’m afraid he’ll commit two dumb fouls in the first 90 seconds of Game 5 and have to go to the bench. Machiavelli said it’s better to be feared than loved. If that’s the case, I’m afraid I’ll never love Towns as much as I’d like to.
But Machiavelli’s dead! Worm food long ago. Towns and the Knicks are still very much alive. Hopefully that’s the feeling they’ll leave their fans with after tomorrow’s Game 5.
Wow, what an odd few days for Spurs fans, including this one. First, we saw our best player live out an expression that never actually happens in real life: “he fell flat on his face”. The Spurs then lost that game, which ESPN claimed they had a 98% chance of winning with 8 minutes and 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. At home.
We then had to try to determine how long Victor would be out of action. Would his youth overcome the average seven day layoff for players who suffer concussions? Or would the fact that his face fell over seven feet before hitting the court overwhelm his youth so that he would be out more than the seven day average?
Would he even be on the team plane to Portland? I even looked at whether it would be better to rent a big RV and drive Victor to Portland, until Google maps told me that it would take 31 hours to drive to Portland. Yet another reason the Spurs would have preferred to play Phoenix in the 2-7 match-up: it’s only a 14 hour drive.
We were relieved to learn that Victor was well enough to travel with the team to Portland (in the plane, not in my imagined RV). And then the internet showed him at the team shoot-around in Portland, shooting threes, messing around with his teammates, and looking healthy and happy. In my mind, that increased his odds of playing from 2% to about 20%, but no more. Of course, the 80% or 98% prevailed, and the Spurs correctly held Victor out of Game 3.
Now, a personal detour. For reasons not relevant to any other Spurs fans, I could not watch Game 3. Don’t ask. Anyway, I was in a place with spotty internet connections, and was forced to check in on the game with occasional access to ESPN and the score of the game. It looked OK when I checked in early and game was close. I lost contact for a while, and my last opportunity to see the score showed the Spurs down 14 points late in the third quarter. ESPN showed Portland with an 87.5% chance to win, and that was the last score I could see for several hours.
During those hours, I played out the rest of the series in my head. I assumed Victor might be able to play Sunday’s game, but it was at best 50/50. If he didn’t play, the Spurs would likely lose, and go down 3-1 in the series. While the Spurs might be able to come back from that deficit, the odds are that they would not. And our joyous regular season would turn into a “we could have been a contender” instead of any of the possible much better outcomes.
When I got home, I checked Pounding the Rock just to see the final score of the Spurs’ loss, only to see that the Spurs had won! All the scenarios I played out in my head disappeared. The best “late night check of your phone” ever. I slept much better than I expected to, and my Saturday flight to Mexico City with my wife and daughter was much more pleasant than I expected. I was surely much more pleasant to travel with.
But the Spurs surprising win over the Blazers was not the only odd thing in those 24 hours.
The Lakers came back from down 6 points in the last minute of regulation to beat the Rockets in OT on Friday night, taking a 3-0 lead over the Rockets without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. No one had that on their bingo card.
And on Saturday night, the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets despite losing two starters, including Anthony Edwards, in the first half. He reportedly avoided ligament damage but is expected to miss a few weeks. It looks like the other injured starter, Donte DiVincenzo, has a torn achilles and out for a very long time — possibly all of next season. But just as no one predicted, some guy named Ayo Dosunmu came off the bench to score 43 points on 13-17 shooting, including 12-12 from the line and 5-5 from three. The broken Wolves are now up 3-1 over the Nuggets.
In about 24 hours, the Spurs went from possibly going down 3-1, and even if they won, having to go through Denver and OKC to get to the NBA Finals to being up 2-1 and possibly having to go through a Wolves team without Edwards and DiVincenzo to get to the Western Conference Finals.
To cap it off, we had chorizo, guacamole and grasshopper tacos for dinner. As I said, an odd few days. Let’s see what odd things happen in Game 4 against the Blazers.
It is Sunday, April 26. Here are today’s NBA playoff games and times.
That’s your full Sunday slate—four games, ESPN early and NBC handling the night games. Be happy that you don’t have to have Amazon today (if you don’t like Amazon), and enjoy the basketball.
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to make quick work of the Houston Rockets with a win in Game 4 tonight.
We break down Kalshi’s win probability markets and deliver some Lakers vs. Rockets predictions to help guide your NBA picks for Sunday, April 26.
Lakers win probability:62% (-163)
Rockets win probability:40% (+150)
Even at a 3–0 deficit, Houston is once again the favorite, trading at 62¢ to stay alive against Los Angeles.
Our prediction:Lakers to win
It’s time to put the Rockets out of their misery and wrap up the series early.
The Lakers will surely value rest for the players who fought through the series while they anxiously anticipate the return of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.
Expect the Lakers to put the final nail in the coffin of a highly dysfunctional Rockets season.
Read more in Zak Hanshew's full Lakers vs. Rockets predictions.
Sign up now using our exclusive Kalshi promo code 'COVERS' and get a $10 trading bonus after you trade $10 on any other event contracts — including Lakers/Rockets!
*Eligible to ALL states + DC, (excluding Nevada)
You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Lakers vs. Rockets at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.
You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Rockets -5.5 spread means the Rockets will cover, while "No" means the Lakers will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using the Covers odds converter).
| Outcome | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Rockets -5.5 | 46¢ (+117) | 55¢ (-122) |
| Over 206.5 points | 53¢ (-113) | 48¢ (+108) |
Our predictions: Over 206.5 points — Yes
After Friday’s 220-point total, the number has moved up just one point to 206.5, making it a value selection.
Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts," which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Rockets win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.
In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.
Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:
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.
Victor Wembanyama's availability has been the story of this Round 1 series between the Spurs and Trail Blazers.
With him trending towards playing this afternoon, our Spurs vs. Trail Blazers predictions and SGP picks expect San Antonio to take full control of this series with a win.
The San Antonio Spurs are 24-17-1 ATS on the road and 14-12-1 ATS as the road favorite. The visiting team covered the spread in 25 of 45 games when favored by at least 5.5 points, including a 10-7 mark when favored by that many on the road.
The Spurs were one of the best two-way teams in the Association this season. San Antonio boasted the second-best net rating (8.4), the third-best offensive rating (118.7), and the third-best defensive rating (110.4).
Five of six head-to-head matchups between the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers have gone Under the total, and with tonight's number sitting at 219, I expect that trend to continue in Game 4.
With Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama back in action, the Spurs can lock down Portland’s offense and keep this matchup low-scoring.
Wembanyama delivered 35 points in Game 1 before getting concussed in Game 2 and missing most of the contest. Including that shortened stint on the court, Wemby has averaged 29.7 points over his last 18 games, scoring 28+ 10 times.
He’s cashed the Over on this scoring line in five of his last six healthy games.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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.
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 San Antonio Spurs face the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The Spurs rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to win Game 3. San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama has not played since suffering a concussion in the second quarter of Game 2.
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
TV Channels: ESPN
Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports
Spread: Portland Trail Blazers +5.5
Moneyline: Portland Trail Blazers +180 (34.2%) / San Antonio Spurs -220 (65.8%)
Over/Under: 218.5
Game 1:Spurs 111, Trail Blazers 98
Game 2:Trail Blazers 106, Spurs 103
Game 3:Spurs 120, Trail Blazers 108
Game 4: San Antonio at Portland on Sunday, April 26 (3:30 p.m., ESPN)
Game 5: Portland at San Antonio on Tuesday, April 28 (9:30 p.m. ESPN)
*Game 6: San Antonio at Portland on Thursday, April 30 (time and network TBD)
*Game 7: Portland at San Antonio on Saturday, May 2 (time and network TBD)
*if necessary
The Boston Celtics took care of business in Philadelphia with a 108-100 win in Game 3. Boston leads the series 2-1, but remains in Philadelphia for a pivotal Game 4.
Boston was much warmer from distance in Game 3 with a 43% mark from three (20/43) after going 13/50 (26%) in Game 2. Jaylen Brown has led Boston in scoring all three playoff games with 26, 36, and 25 points, while Jayson Tatum in assists with 7, 9, and 7. The Celtics have won five straight Game 4's in the first round.
Philadelphia has the chance to tie up the series 2-2 or go down 3-1 when they travel to Boston for Game 5. The 76ers have been led by 25-year-old Tyrese Maxey (27.0 PPG) and 20-year-old VJ Edgecombe (17.7 PPG). The 76ers are setting themselves up for success in the near future with the duo as the two have combined for 44.7% of the teams' playoff points. The 76ers are 1-4 in the last five first round Game 4's.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game opened Celtics -7.5 with the Total set at 215.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Wolves' Anthony Edwards likely to miss weeks with knee injury, AP source says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The left knee of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards remained structurally intact when he was injured during Game 4 of his team’s Western Conference first-round playoff series, but he is likely to miss multiple weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.
Edwards has a bone bruise and also hyperextended the knee, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced details or a return-to-play timeline.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the diagnosis on Edwards.
Edwards was hurt in the first half of Minnesota’s 112-96 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, a victory that gave the Timberwolves a 3-1 lead in that series. But the Wolves also lost fellow starting guard Donte DiVincenzo in that game with a torn Achilles tendon, meaning his season is over and his 2026-27 season is likely in great jeopardy as well.
Game 5 of the series is Monday night in Denver.
DiVincenzo was having surgery to repair the Achilles on Sunday in New York, the Timberwolves announced. That timeframe — surgery one day after the injury — follows what Boston’s Jayson Tatum did after he sufferend the same injury in last season’s playoffs. Tatum started rehab quickly and missed about 10 months, returning for the final stretch of this season. If DiVincenzo follows the same timeline, he could be back before the end of next season.
Edwards is one of the NBA’s most dynamic players, someone who — if he had met the league’s eligibility criteria by playing in a few more games — would have been a lock to make the All-NBA team for a third consecutive season.
He averaged 28.8 points in the regular season, third best in the NBA behind Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Edwards also averaged five rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Edwards was fourth in scoring for the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal at the Paris Games in 2024. He missed 21 games this season, by far the most of his career.
This injury happened with him on the defensive end, while he was contesting a layup attempt by Denver’s Cam Johnson. Edwards leaped in an effort to block the shot, and when he landed his left leg appeared to be at an unusual angle. His knee buckled, and when he hobbled off the floor he seemed unable to put much if any weight on that leg.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said he didn’t see DiVincenzo before leaving the arena, and he had a quiet exchange with Edwards when he saw him in the locker room.
“I just dapped him up,” Randle said. “There’s not much to say in those moments. … Somebody who’s going through those situations is processing a lot.”
Wolves' Anthony Edwards likely to miss weeks with knee injury, AP source says originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The left knee of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards remained structurally intact when he was injured during Game 4 of his team’s Western Conference first-round playoff series, but he is likely to miss multiple weeks, a person with knowledge of the situation said Sunday.
Edwards has a bone bruise and also hyperextended the knee, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced details or a return-to-play timeline.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the diagnosis on Edwards.
Edwards was hurt in the first half of Minnesota’s 112-96 win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night, a victory that gave the Timberwolves a 3-1 lead in that series. But the Wolves also lost fellow starting guard Donte DiVincenzo in that game with a torn Achilles tendon, meaning his season is over and his 2026-27 season is likely in great jeopardy as well.
Game 5 of the series is Monday night in Denver.
DiVincenzo was having surgery to repair the Achilles on Sunday in New York, the Timberwolves announced. That timeframe — surgery one day after the injury — follows what Boston’s Jayson Tatum did after he sufferend the same injury in last season’s playoffs. Tatum started rehab quickly and missed about 10 months, returning for the final stretch of this season. If DiVincenzo follows the same timeline, he could be back before the end of next season.
Edwards is one of the NBA’s most dynamic players, someone who — if he had met the league’s eligibility criteria by playing in a few more games — would have been a lock to make the All-NBA team for a third consecutive season.
He averaged 28.8 points in the regular season, third best in the NBA behind Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Edwards also averaged five rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Edwards was fourth in scoring for the U.S. Olympic team that won a gold medal at the Paris Games in 2024. He missed 21 games this season, by far the most of his career.
This injury happened with him on the defensive end, while he was contesting a layup attempt by Denver’s Cam Johnson. Edwards leaped in an effort to block the shot, and when he landed his left leg appeared to be at an unusual angle. His knee buckled, and when he hobbled off the floor he seemed unable to put much if any weight on that leg.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said he didn’t see DiVincenzo before leaving the arena, and he had a quiet exchange with Edwards when he saw him in the locker room.
“I just dapped him up,” Randle said. “There’s not much to say in those moments. … Somebody who’s going through those situations is processing a lot.”
The good news: Anthony Edwards suffered no ligament damage from the kind of injury that can easily lead to ACL or PCL tears.
The bad news: Ewards is going to be out "multiple weeks" due to the bone bruise from the left knee hyperextension he suffered on Saturday against Denver, reports Shams Charania of ESPN. For comparison, when the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic suffered this injury during the season, he was out for a month, and on that timeline not only is Edwards out for the remainder of this first-round series but likely the second should the Timberwolves advance.
The injury occurred when Edwards went up to challenge a shot by Denver's Cameron Johnson and just landed wrong, hyperextending his left knee. This is the opposite knee from the one with runner's knee, which had been bothering him for weeks, and he had played through in this series.
Anthony Edwards was helped to the locker room after an apparent knee injury. pic.twitter.com/rMAHGMK1ie
— ESPN (@espn) April 26, 2026
Edwards' knee injury occurred in the same game in which Minnesota's starting guard, Donte DiVincenzo, tore his Achilles and will be out for the remainder of the playoffs, as well as most or all of next season.
Even without two of their starters, the Timberolves rallied behind reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu and his 43 points — 27 in the second half, 15 in the fourth quarter — and pulled away to beat the Nuggets 112-96, giving Minnesota a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.
Edwards was averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists a game through the first three games of these playoffs. He is the team's primary scorer and shot creator and their offense will not be the same without him.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have dodged a serious blow to star guard Anthony Edwards, but his status for the rest of the NBA playoffs remains in question..
Medical imaging tests revealed that Edwards, the NBA’s third-leading scorer this season, suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee on Saturday, April 25, in Game 4 of Minnesota’s first-round playoff series against the Nuggets.
The results were first reported by ESPN.
Although sources tell the network Edwards is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks, he did avoid a more serious ligament injury that would’ve ended his postseason.
The news comes as the No. 6-seeded Timberwolves have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead in the first round over the No. 3 Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves are also dealing with depth concerns in the backcourt, after guard Donte DiVincenzo suffered a torn right Achilles tendon one quarter before Edwards sustained his injury.
The Timberwolves have ramped up their defense and are playing their best basketball of the season. After making consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals, Minnesota is looking to break through this season with its first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. Although the Western Conference is stacked with talented teams, the Timberwolves have been very impressive to open the 2026 playoffs. To pose a legitimate threat, however, they will need Edwards to be healthy, especially now that DiVincenzo will be out indefinitely.
The injury ocurred with 2:45 left in the first half, when Edwards jumped vertically to defend a Cameron Johnson layup during a fastbreak drive. When Edwards landed, his left knee appeared to hyperextend as his weight came down, and he immediately grabbed at the area, writhing in apparent discomfort. Edwards slapped the court a few times in obvious frustration.
Athletic trainers rushed over as Edwards popped up to his feet. The trainers helped Edwards hobble off the floor, as he did not put any weight on the injured leg.
The trainers helped him toward the tunnel, though they didn’t immediately usher Edwards to the locker room, momentarily examining him in the tunnel.
After Minnesota’s 112-96 victory in Game 4, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch didn’t have any updates on the severity of Edwards’ injury, noting that he was being evaluated.
"I saw Ant (at halftime) and kind of dapped him up," Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said after Saturday’s game. "There’s not much to say in those moments. I’ll give him a call tonight, or a text and just check up on him."
In 61 games this season, Edwards averaged a career-high 28.8 points (which ranked third in the NBA behind only Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage (48.9%) and 3-point percentage (39.9%) were also career bests.
In February, he was selected to his fourth consecutive All-Star team.
Contributing: Steve Gardner
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anthony Edwards injury: T-Wolves star expected to miss multiple weeks
