Category: NBA

Well, that was some turnaround. After an absolute disaster in Game 1, the Sixers improved in just about every way possible to beat the Celtics in Game 2, 111-97.

Now, heading into Game 3, there’s even some promise for a Joel Embiid return. If not Friday, then soon, as he’s officially listed as doubtful. It’s encouraging he participated in practice on Thursday, and when speaking with media afterwards, Nick Nurse emphasized that obviously Embiid is eager to take the floor and that there’s progress to him returning.

Nick Nurse on Joel Embiid, who participated in parts of today's practice.

"I think we're going to know a lot more probably by the end of today where he is…He wants to play and we want him to play. I don't know how close we are to that at this point, but I there's some progress… pic.twitter.com/yQYVuS3MPV

— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) April 23, 2026

Apart from the fundamental improvements like hitting more shots and taking much better care of the ball in Game 2, the Sixers also made some stylistic tweaks to help. The main story being them putting far more emphasis on attacking the Celtics’ drop defense with a host of high pick-and-rolls (credit to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond for plenty of strong picks) to get Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe freed up at the arc for pull-up threes in space or room to dribble in for clearer mid-range attempts and drives.

VJ Edgecombe is very comfortable w the space he's seeing.

Empty side PnR here, like the re-screen & angle flip from Adem Bona to get VJ downhill.

Great patience on this drive, waits for Vuc to retreat before getting a layup. pic.twitter.com/rAKx798RCj

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 22, 2026

The Sixers’ guard duo was electric in this one. Edgecombe was effective from all over the floor whether he was exploding on drives off closeouts or pulling up from three (and winking to the camera for good measure). He became the youngest rookie in NBA history to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. And even though Maxey wasn’t his most efficient, finishing 11-of-28 overall, he still buried five triples and had some impressive drives to the rim.

The Celtics didn’t have an answer as the duo dropped a combined 59 points and 11 threes.

It’ll be important to monitor if the Celtics make many adjustments in an attempt to contain the Sixers’ backcourt, like using more blitzes or bringing bigs higher against the screen in pick-and-rolls more often to reduce space at the arc. The downside for Boston there, though, is that Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic don’t have the lateral quickness to hang with Philly’s guards creating space at the perimeter, or prevent them flying downhill into open drives around high closeouts.

The Celtics leaned on their deep drop scheme in Game 2 and it didn’t work whatsoever. One option could be running Jayson Tatum at the five a bit more, so they have a more agile center who can actually step up higher against drives and have a chance to hang with Maxey and Edgecombe.

But apart from changing that matchup, trying to send in more aggressive stunts to help from the strong-side wing (although this then opens up easy extra passes to shooters in a “make someone not called Tyrese or VJ beat us” strategy), higher closeouts, or blitzes, the Sixers have personnel advantages here.

At least, as long as their shooters stay hot. They only need it to last for a few games… The Celtics may just leave them to it and trust that the Sixers’ shooters can’t sustain it.

If Boston does get more aggressive in sending help from a strong-side defender on the wing like they do here, it’s hard for them to recover to their original assignment against shooters firing as quick as Maxey, Edgecombe and Paul George right now. On this second-quarter play, it’s so easy for Maxey to catch and drive off the pin-down screen from Bona, pull in Edgecombe’s defender (Sam Hauser) from the wing and then kick to VJ for an open three:

George showing off his IQ through his communication, sharp passing to exploit the attention he drew on the ball, and defense, plus hitting timely shots was also important in Game 2. Along with Maxey and Edgecombe killing it in pick-and-rolls, George did his fare share of quality work there too, including as a passer. Nothing too fancy. Just remaining calm, patient, and making the right reads to open shooters when defenders collapsed on him.

Another video from Sixers-Celtics Game 2, looking at Paul George. In addition to his typical solid defense, PG hit some timely buckets + had a few great assists, taking advantage of the C's def collapsing in on him.

19 PTS (7-13 FG, 2-5 3PT), 4 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
📽️ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fKOn4dOalS

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 22, 2026

More of the same from George going forward would make such a difference to give the offense some balance if/when Maxey and Edgecombe receive more defensive attention. Having all three guys in a rhythm, getting to their spots, passing fluidly and playing off each other when they’re off the ball takes the Sixers’ chances to a new level in this series.

Even if Embiid is back in Game 3, we can’t know how he’ll look. But the bright side is he won’t need to carry the offensive load. He’ll still change the team just by providing far better finishing than his backups, creating some opportunities at the free throw line, and adding better spacing. Either way, the Sixers should keep leaning into spamming pick-and-rolls. Use Embiid as a screener too and let Maxey and Edgecombe in particular create when the Celtics have a drop scheme and personnel at center that can be exploited.

It’s unlikely the Celtics shoot as poorly again in Game 3. Unless the Sixers really are blessed by the basketball gods, Boston won’t shoot 26.0 percent from three every night, and Tatum and Derrick White won’t only go a combined 4-of-18 all the time. If the Sixers cool off a bit in that regard too, or any potential adjustments to better contain Maxey and Edgecombe come into play, momentum could easily shift away from the Sixers again.

But the fact that Philly turned in that level of performance without Embiid to make this a tie series, even if it’s right at the start at 1-1, is something to enjoy. And as our Sean Kennedy wrote, why don’t the Sixers just try to ride this small sample shooting variance for a few games to win the series? Let Maxey, Edgecombe (and PG) spam high screens and pull-up threes against drop coverage and hope the shots keep falling.

Let’s see if the renewed energy and efficiency continues Game 3, and if these scrappy Sixers can find a way to steal a series lead.

Game Details

When: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Prime Video
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

It’s time to check LeBron James’ birth certificate. Is he really 41?

James, the NBA's oldest player – unless we discover otherwise – is the first component of the Los Angeles Lakers’ secret code. The code they’ve used while taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, with Game 3 set for Friday, April 24 in Houston.

You did see LeBron’s reverse windmill jam in Game 2, right? He’s flying high, all right. In Game 1, he turned in a double-double (19 points and 13 assists), and in Game 2 he scored a game-high 28 points.

The Lakers are getting big-time performances from one-time role players while Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves remain sidelined with injuries. In fact, without their two leading scorers, the Lakers seemed more likely to be trailing the Rockets 2-0 than leading them 2-0.

Bottom line: the Lakers would not be thriving without James excelling.

Weeks ago, he agreed to play a supporting role that allowed Dončić and Reaves to get the shots they need for the Lakers to be at their most potent. But at least through two playoff games, James has proven he still has what it takes to lead a team in the postseason.

Stifling defense

The second component of the secret code is impressive defense.

Credit Lakers coach JJ Redick for devising the plan. It called for double teams, triple teams and traps on Kevin Durant in the second half of Game 2 that helped hold the Rockets star to three points. Not to mention his nine turnovers.

Heading into the playoffs, the Rockets were averaging 115.2 points per game. In Game 1, they managed 98 points. Yes, Durant was out with a knee injury. But in Game 2, with Durant on the floor, the Rockets produced only 94 points. The Rockets shooting percentages also have dipped below their regular-season levels.

Redick and his assistants are responsible for the X's and O's. But part of the Lakers' defensive success has from the hustle and grit exemplified by Smart.

New sources of offense

The third component of the secret code is finding new sources of offense.

During the regular season, Dončić and Reaves averaged a combined 56.8 points. With those two sidelined indefinitely, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart have emerged.

They combined for 42 points in Game 1 and 48 points in Game 2. Not Dončić-Reaves levels, but the kind of production the Lakers needed to survive.

Kennard ranks second on the NBA’s list for career 3-point field goal percentage at 44.2%. The numbers don't lie. In Game 1, he made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 27 points, a career playoff high. In Game 2, he was 3-for-6 from 3-point range and finished with 23 points.

Meanwhile, Smart is channeling the best days of his nine-year stint with the Boston Celtics. He had 15 points in Game 1 and 25 points in Game 2.

Experts fueled Lakers

The fourth component of the secret code is responding to external doubt.

The NBA experts made themselves clear: The Lakers had virtually no shot against the Rockets. After their victory in Game 1, the easy explanation was, duh, Durant was out. The Rockets were return to form in Game 2.

Think again.

Now the experts are having to rethink their predictions with the Lakers off to this unimagiably hot star to the playoffs.

The Lakers are only too happy to thank those experts. The dire predictions appear to have strengthened their determinatioiin to overcome adversity and prove the doubters wrong,

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers head into Game 3 vs Rockets with secret code in NBA playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers have a 2-0 lead against the Houston Rockets without top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as they enter Game 3 on April 24 (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video).

LeBron James has led the Lakers alongside inspired efforts from Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton. They hope to maintain their level of play as their leading scorers work their way back from injury.

Los Angeles has got to feel good about where it is currently, especially given the latest news on its stars.

Doncic, ruled out of the first round with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, was able to get some shots up during the Lakers' practice on Thursday. He was seen completing controlled, light movement and shooting with assistant coach Greg St. Jean.

Doncic first injured his hamstring with days remaining in the regular season, during a blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. He was ruled out for the rest of the regular season following an MRI. \

Although he reportedly "gingerly" performed those shooting drills from inside and around the perimeter, it's still got to be a good feeling for Los Angeles to see Doncic making strides to a return.

Some Guardians players were at the Cavs-Raptors game in Toronto ahead of their series vs. the Blue Jays last night.

🤩 Cleveland supporting Cleveland. Any time, any place. @CleGuardians | #LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/8UrF6YHwSo

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 23, 2026

Sadly, the outcome was not in Cleveland’s favor. Hopefully, tonight will be different for the baseball guys.

Myself and Matt Seese talked about the baseball guys on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast last night.

Zack Meisel has 10 things that we have learned aboit the Guardians in April for the Athletic.

AROUND MLB:

Tigers walked off the Brewers and the Twins lost to the Mets who have won TWO IN A ROW!

The Hawks pulled off a thrilling 109-108 victory to climb to a 2-1 record in this series against the New York Knicks.

After going up by as much as 18 points, the Hawks let their orange and blue rivals chip away slowly until they took a 3-point lead late. Frankly, the Hawks largely defended well down the stretch, but nothing could stop OG Anunoby from raining down a pair of miracle threes to raise everyone’s heart rates.

But then CJ McCollum’s and Onyeka Okongwu’s clutch heroics saved the day for the good guys.

Let’s mix things up and go player by player to grade them on their performances in Game 3.

Starters

CJ McCollum:

The professional bucket getter just kept plugging along, getting into his bag almost at will. He had the entire Knicks defense practically on a string all game long.

Even when he was defended well, he pulled rabbits out of his hat and displayed some incredible shot-making:

Towards the end of the second quarter, his gameplay devolved into an overreliance on isolation — a lot of dribbling for a not-so-good look at the ends of the shot clock. But sometimes you have to let an artist craft their art and not interfere.

He slowed down scoring-wise some in the second half — and he was often a target on the defensive end — so it wasn’t all good. But honestly, who cares when you have the onions to make a clutch pull up jumper to give the Hawks the lead. When duty calls, McCollum the veteran absolutely delivers:

“Quin drew up a winner for us,” McCollum remarked about the final basket. “Great pin [down from Kuminga]. Great [after timeout] guy. Great all-around coach. Executed just how we drew it up. Those are the things we work on in practice, after practice, post shootaround.”

“He can create his shot,” coach Snyder put succinctly. “And that’s unique thing. And he had the opportunity to do that tonight. And we had a ton of confidence in him to make those plays.”

Grade: A

Nickeil Alexander-Walker:

‘NAW’ still didn’t look comfortable out there just as has been the case all series. He lost his dribble against no pressure a couple of time and forced a few too many shots in traffic.

But he was still active on team defense as usual and nailed his defensive assignments when needed. Also, that man never takes a closeout off — even if it’s not his assignment.

In the second half, he hit two big transition threes to shake off the rust and remind everyone why he’s the single season franchise record-holder in made threes with 251 in regular season play.

On this third one, I have to credit the entire team for getting the ball inbounded after a Brunson make to not squander their 5-on-4 advantage. Alexander-Walker does the rest, draining his third transition triple of the period.

From there, he was fairly quiet, but his hustle and team defense still made an impact in helping the Hawks get this game over the finish line.

He’ll look to improve on his 14 points on 4-for-12 (33%) including an ugly 1-for-5 (20%) mark from two-point range on Saturday.

Grade: C-

Dyson Daniels:

Daniels pushed the ball in transition and found a couple of openings in the Knicks transition defense with his passing. He continued to make Jalen Brunson’s life tough on the other end and slowed down New York’s entire offensive pace with his elite ball pressure.

There were a few possessions he absolutely wrecked possessions with digs for steals or simply a monster block at the rim.

And he also proved why he’s maybe the best rebounding guard in the game with 13 rebounds tonight. Just Dyson Daniels things.

On the negative side of things, he did pass up a couple of wide-open layups and muff a couple of attempts through contact at the rim — as did Jalen Johnson who I’ll talk about next. Although in the third, he made up for those turndowns with a calm catch-and-shoot three after penetration and a kick from Johnson:

But, man, did he have some brutal turnovers (five in total) during the game. Multiple times, he tried to kick out some blind passes that went directly into Knicks’ hands. And he wasn’t able to punish the Knicks for putting Karl-Anthony Towns on him offensively.

So, for the second consecutive game, coach Snyder opted to have him on the bench in crunch time — minus the final defensive possession. You can’t argue with the results, however.

Ultimately, it wasn’t his best effort on Thursday night. But he still showed how indispensable he is in making Brunson’s life hell at times.

Grade: C+

Jalen Johnson:

The All-Star came out more aggressive than in either Games 1 or 2, and even though some of his shot selection was questionable, he still got to the line with regularity and put pressure on the Knicks defense.

This drive off a ‘twirl’ action with two pin downs was too easy once the Knicks inexplicably vacated the paint:

After a hot start, however, he couldn’t convert on some good looks from three and started to disengage a bit from the game. He had a tough time finishing through contact on drives in particular. And then there were some bad off ball lapses on defense.

But in the fourth quarter, the aggressiveness picked back up. On two consecutive possessions, he dropped off Josh Hart for a step back three:

And then he screened and rolled to draw a foul the next time down, splitting the two at the line.

But ultimately, he left a ton of points on the floor and at the free throw line. He finished 6-for-10 from the free throw line, including a couple of brutal misses on a trip to the line with a few minutes remaining. Johnson did respond with a couple of good takes in the closing two minutes when the game could have slipped away entirely — very encouraging after he showed clear signs of frustration on his face after some easy misses.

Down the home stretch of the game, the Hawks ran this action with Johnson bringing the ball up the floor with a stacked set waiting for him multiple times. Either Kuminga or Okongwu set an up screen while ‘NAW’ flared out the opposite way to open up the lane.

This play in particular was wild to see in real time, however. Johnson tried to yam it over ’KAT’, but the ball somehow slams off the bottom of the backboard right back to him for the easy lay-in to cut the lead to one point:

“It was good to see [Johnson] play through a lot and stay even keeled,” his head coach had to say about his mindset.

It was an up and down performance for Johnson, whose 24-point, 10-rebound, 8-assist night flatters him. But I’d have to say it was his best performance of the series — a performance closer to his typical regular season play.

And the Hawks needed every bit of that from him in Game 3.

Grade: B-

Onyeka Okongwu:

It was overall a fairly muted game from Okongwu. He played solid defense on Towns early and throughout the game, and he registered a monster help side block early in the first quarter.

But ‘KAT’ largely got the better of him on the glass in the first half. He also wasn’t used much in the halfcourt offense but used a ‘pick-2’ and a couple of deafening putback dunks to get himself on the board in the first half:

Ultimately, he was pretty quiet on a play-by-play basis (nine points and seven rebounds), but his team defense at the center position was pretty effective all throughout the night.

His biggest play, however, came on the final possession when he switched onto Jalen Brunson and slid his feet to push him to the baseline. As you saw, the Knicks never even got off a shot:

DIDN'T EVEN LET THEM GET A SHOT OFF CLAMP CITYYYYYYYY 🔒🔒🔒 pic.twitter.com/A0pPXVD0L8

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 24, 2026

Grade: B+

Bench

Gabe Vincent:

Vincent came in and immediately provided some great ball pressure on Brunson and Jose Alvarado.

On offense, he relocated for a big three after a flare cut across the top of the key in the first quarter. His ball handling under pressure remains underrated as well — with the Hawks bench needing his steadying presence against an aggressive Knicks perimeter defense.

His contributions are almost imperceptible, but he’s such a fundamentally sound defender on and off the ball and is willing to get off the ball to space the floor on offense that he fits in just about any with playmakers at the wing and forward spots.

All those little things added up to a team-high +12 on the night in under 14 minutes. You can’t ask for much more from a seasoned NBA role player.

Grade: B

Jonathan Kuminga:

I can’t knock a 4-for-4 shooting performance for 10 points in the first quarter, plus he contributed on the glass as usual. These early contributions helped the Hawks race out to a 33-21 advantage after one quarter.

Everything after that was a bit more mixed, however. He had some erratic shot selection choices — twice turning down open threes for tougher midrange attempts in the halfcourt — but he still had a couple of good leakouts for scores.

His energy and physicality these past two games are just something the Knicks haven’t been ready for, and that’s help boost a Hawks bench that needed the punch:

His defense was a less impactful than in the previous two games with him inexplicably trying to take charges in the lane on a handful of occasions. Still, with him playing small ball defense on Karl-Anthony Towns, he frustrated the Big Purr just enough by pushing him off his comfort spots. And that crossmatch allows the Hawks to play a small ball brand on the other end with all five guys spacing the floor.

Kuminga’s quickly fit into the Hawks’ team defense, and his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed in his short time here.

“I’m going to give my praise to Draymond [Green],” Kuminga responded about a Game 2 play instructing where Alexander-Walker should be on defense. “Growing up around him, watching him as much. I’ve seen him do that so many times. […] He’s one of the best at doing small things that won’t go on the [stat] sheet.”

Overall, it was a great performance off the bench for him with 21 huge points on 9-for-14 shooting. He has essentially become the team’s sixth man down the stretch of this season, with coach Snyder trusting him enough to close a tight playoff game over Dyson Daniels.

“Jonathan’s just been all-in,” coach Snyder had to say postgame. “Are you prepared to sacrifice what needs to be sacrifice on a given night in a playoff game? Whatever that looks like. Is it shots? Is it minutes? Is it rotations? He’s embraced that. Tonight he did some things that gave our team a lift. I think the biggest thing he’s done is he’s just defended.”

Needless to say, it’s remarkable that in his short time here he’s earned that level of trust from his coach.

Grade: A

Mouhamed Gueye:

Gueye had a tough time keeping Mitchell Robinson off the glass early on, but he repaid the favor with a catch-and-shoot triple and a late first quarter crosscourt pass for a Kuminga triple as well.

And then there was a minster putback dunk on the first possession of the second quarter — plus his usually disruptive switching defense stamped his name on the box score and the highlight reels alike. That’s how you feelin’, Mo?

Grade: A-

Corey Kispert:

He was just…there. Krispert Kispert got cooked by Jordan Clarkson once. He did have a nice outlet pass to Kuminga in the fourth quarter, however.

Grade: D+

There’s a certain confidence that follows a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoffs. The air tightens. The margin for error disappears. And when LeBron James is the one holding that two-game lead, history is always on his side. 

Over 23 seasons, across three different franchises and countless postseason runs, James has built a playoff series record that borders on untouchable. When LeBron’s team wins the first two games of a best-of-seven series, the result is literally automatic: 24-0. No exceptions. No series collapses. No Game 7 heartbreaks. 

Let’s adjust the lens and extend it further … anytime James has secured a two-game cushion in a series — whether that’s a 2-0 lead or stretching it to a 3-1 advantage — his team’s record is 32-0. Think about that for a second. The man responsible for coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals has never lost a 3-1 series lead himself. That’s not just dominance. That’s an absolute killer instinct. 

Now that same script is unfolding again in real time with the Lakers holding a 2-0 first-round series lead over the Rockets. That lead is in spite of the fact that the Lakers have been stripped of their top two leading scorers: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. 

“It means nothing,” James said, brushing off the weight of history after Game 2. “The series is not won until you win four. It’s the first to four. Our only mindset is Game 3.”

Now you know why he’s never lost a series when up by two games. That mindset is the blueprint. 

Because what separates James in these moments isn’t just his talent, it’s his temperament. That closeout mentality when grabbing a two-game lead isn’t a catchphrase. It’s a habit. Once he gets leverage over an opponent he doesn’t manage it. He tightens it. Possession by possession, game by game, until that opponent runs out of breath. 

For context, James’ perfect record when taking a 2-0 lead is impressive, but it’s not too far off from the overall numbers.

Across NBA history, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series go on to win 93.7% of the time. The record stands at 433-34. Narrow that to the first round alone and the percentage doesn’t budge. Still 93.7% at 192-13. The last team to climb out of an 0-2 hole in the first round of an NBA series was the Warriors in 2023. They were the reigning champions, and they stormed back to beat the Kings in seven games.

For LeBron and the Lakers, this 2-0 lead feels different. Entering the series, Houston was the heavy favorite. Even now, after two games in Los Angeles, the odds barely lean toward the Lakers. Hovering around -135 for the series. This LeBron-led team is not a juggernaut rolling downhill. They have to navigate a narrow path with limited margin for error. 

According to Opta Stats, over the course of NBA history, a team missing two players who each averaged over 20 points per game while making 100 or more 3s during the regular season have only won a playoff game twice. That was the Lakers in Games 1 and 2. 

By securing those first games at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers have guaranteed at least a Game 6. That means the series will stretch to early May, giving Doncic and Reaves over four weeks of recovery time. 

Not only do the Lakers have the numbers on their side, time is on their side as well. 

“Our group is an incredibly resilient group,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said after Game 2. “That’s why we have the confidence and belief … to be on this stage against a great basketball team like Houston.”

Meanwhile, the cracks on the other side are widening.

Kevin Durant returned in Game 2 but looked out of rhythm, finishing with nine turnovers — more than his made field goals — and struggling to find balance against a swarming defense.

In the second half, he had more turnovers (5) than points (3). The Rockets, once defined by cohesion and defensive identity, have drifted to visible frustration, missed assignments and finger-pointing. 

“I just gotta be more aggressive,” Durant said after the Game 2 loss. “There’s plenty of time.”

Time is exactly what history says he doesn’t have.

For the Lakers to continue LeBron’s perfect record, they’ll need to repeat the same formula. They’ll need their role players to continue to step up. In Game 1, that was Luke Kennard. In Game 2, it was Marcus Smart. James will continue to anchor everything. He’s got 47 points, 16 rebounds and 20 assists through the first two games. 

At 41 years old, the question will always linger: How much does he have left? The postseason is way more demanding on the body. Look no further than James’ knee collision against the Timberwolves in Game 5 of last year’s playoffs. Durability is not guaranteed come playoff time. 

But history suggests one thing is guaranteed. 

When LeBron James takes a 2-0 lead, that series doesn’t extend, it ends. 

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault’s pregame press conference before Game 2 of the First Round of the NBA playoffs was like every other press conference. Reporters asked questions, the PR staff was calling on people, and it came 90 minutes before tip-off. To the naked eye, it was no big deal, despite the fact that it was the playoffs; the layout looked no different than an important regular-season game.

But to me, it created one of the most symbolic moments of my early career.

As I looked to my left and my right, I realized something: I was by far the youngest person in the room. Being the youngest person in an NBA media room is not a foreign experience to me. In fact, in the 15+ NBA events I’ve covered since 2023, it’s been the case for most occasions, but covering the NBA Playoffs while still in school is objectively a different beast.

It’s one of the only times of the year opposing teams will make players available to the media outside of the locker room, and unlike in the regular season, where many beat writers don’t travel to cover their team’s road games, all of them are in attendance to do live shots and get exclusive interviews. You need to be trusted to be in the media scrum for a nationally televised broadcast with playoff implications. There is no textbook to understand how things work. You just need to know how things roll, or you’ll get lost or appear out of place—the last thing you want to be when you look and are a college student in a room full of seasoned professionals. If I’m a distraction in any measure, I’ll be asked to leave or get my credentials revoked. I need to fit in while being visibly different than everyone else.

From Suns PR accepting my credential request without me needing to fill out any forms, to that when I connected with new reporters, I could tell them we had mutuals, the night for me was completely built on the fact that just because I’m still in college, I can be trusted to be a professional, which has gotten me more opportunities. Something I’ve realized is that the more opportunities I take advantage of, the more that the next one comes—with more stakes.

One of the hardest parts about being young or having a small following (or both!) is getting people to trust you, understandably. It’s why I’m ecstatic when I get popular creators or broadcasters on my podcast, Holden Conversations, where I interview Gen Z on their media experiences. The opportunities for more popular guests are continuing to grow for me because of how I’ve handled myself, and people trust me with their network to have guests with even larger followings—this helps me stay level-headed and patient with more than just growing my podcast.

I’m graduating from Syracuse University in 15 days, and more and more of my friends are getting jobs, but I still don’t have one. Getting to experience covering the playoffs and why I was able to reminds me of all the progress I’ve made as a professional, as well as reminds me that finding my first job isn’t everything. There are experiences to be had no matter what point of my life I’m in, and I can’t let what my future may or may not hold take distract me from experiences like getting to cover the defending champs pursuit of repeating, experiencing a completely new city and getting to meet great writers, reporters and broadcasters like Tim MacMahon, Joel Lorenzi, Nick Gallo, Doris Burke, Jorge Sedano and Dave Pasch.

Covering the NBA Playoffs, being a paid, traveling journalist while still in school doesn’t make me feel like I “made it,” or that I’m better than my peers, but it reminds me of how far I’ve gotten since I started college and started intensely pursuing my career aspirations. If I’m tracking my dream of hosting my own version Hot One’s like a 48-minute basketball game, I’ve finished the first quarter strong with some new momentum as I head into a new quarter of the journey.

The Philadelphia 76ers are preparing for a crucial first-round Game 3 in their NBA playoffs matchup against the Boston Celtics, but uncertainty looms over the availability of their star center, Joel Embiid.

Embiid has been upgraded to doubtful ahead of Friday’s pivotal Game 3 at home against the Celtics. The star center underwent an emergency appendectomy two weeks ago while in Houston, and he has not played since the procedure. His status remains uncertain, as the 76ers hope for his return to bolster their chances in this tightly contested series.

The Eastern Conference first-round matchup stands tied at 1-1. After suffering a lopsided 123-91 defeat in Game 1, the 76ers responded with a strong performance in Game 2, securing a convincing 111-97 victory to even the series.

More: NBA games today: Schedule, odds, how to watch for April 24

Is Joel Embiid playing tonight?

The Philadelphia 76ers' star Joel Embiid is currently considered doubtful to play in the first-round playoff Game 3 against the Boston Celtics on Friday, April 24.

How to watch Game 3: Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics on Friday

• Date: Friday, April 24
• Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
• Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena
• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• TV: Peacock and NBC Sports Network
• Streaming: Peacock and NBC Sports Network

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Joel Embiid playing tonight? Injury update for 76ers center

In Wednesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks went up 2-1 on the New York Knicks with a 109-108 thriller. RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram helped the Toronto Raptors to a 126-104 blowout over Tyrese Proctor and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And finally, the Minnesota Timberwolves took out Tyus Jones and the Denver Nuggets, 113-96.

Jalen Johnson was very close to a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists vs. the Knicks as CJ McCollum put the game away with a dramatic fadeaway, with 12.5 seconds left on the clock.

Meanwhile, RJ Barrett had a great game against Cleveland, racking up 33 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brandon Ingram had 12 points and broke out of his recent shooting slump, hitting 5-9/1-2.

Tyrese Proctor had 2 points in 3 minutes.

Finally, Tyus Jones had 2 points in 4 minutes against the T-Wolves.

On Friday, we’ll get Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics against the Philadelphia 76ers. Luke Kennard will help lead JJ Redick’s Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Rockets. And in the nightcap, Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs take on the Portland Trail Blazers.

• Hawks’ Jalen Johnson: Secures strong double-double
• Jalen Johnson posts 24 points, 10 rebounds in Hawks Game 3 win
• Jalen Johnson, Jonathan Kuminga make Hawks history in Game 3 win over Knicks
• Hawks’ Quin Snyder can’t stop gushing about CJ McCollum after vanquishing Knicks in Game 3
• Quin Snyder on Kuminga:
• “RJ is destroying the narrative and leading our team” Scottie Barnes Uplifts RJ Barrett After Game 3
• Barrett, Barnes each score 33, revive Raptors’ hopes in Game 3
• Raptors’ RJ Barrett: Buries six treys in win
• Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett help Raptors take Game 3 against Cavs
• NBA playoffs 2026 takeaways: Brandon Ingram remains M.I.A. for Raptors as potent Cavs trio emerges
• Dean Wade Stifles Brandon Ingram Again as Cavaliers Grab 2-0 Lead

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

April 24, 1994.

When you think of single player high scoring games, one name comes to mind – Bam Adebayo. Just kidding. Of the top 110 highest single game outputs, one name continually appears. Wilt Chamberlain is on that list 110 a record of 40 times. He has the highest, a whopping 100 points, acquired on March 2, 1962.

There have only been thirteen games where a player has scored more than 70 points. Six of those belong to Wilt.

The others belong to Bam Adebayo (83), Kobe Bryant (81), David Thompson and Luka Doncic (73), Elgin Baylor, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and David Robinson with 71 points apiece.

David Robinson had an amazing game on the last day of the regular season to steal the scoring title away from Shaquille O’Neill.

The Spurs are in Portland tonight for game 3 of their series. They are once again looking like the dynasty era Spurs, of which Robinson was a key member.

Go Spurs Go!

---

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

The only thing that would make the job JJ Redick is doing better is if he were wearing a suit.

If the Lakers’ coach looked the part.

The part of a lawyer, walking down his opposition in the open court. He delivered an airtight opening argument that was stunning for how much stronger it was than opposing coach Ime Udoka’s. And evidence of how far Redick has come.

Now, look, your honor: The short-on-star-power Lakers winning both games at home to take a 2-0 series lead over the heavily favored Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs? That’s a compelling start.

But Redick, James and Associates are only halfway there; they’re still proving their case.

They still need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their top role players can perform as persuasively on the road as they have at home.

Read more:Lakers' 'Swiss Army knife' Marcus Smart sets the tone against Kevin Durant, Rockets

And they’ll probably have to prove they can effectively rebut the Rockets’ adjustments, though those are merely conceptual at this point, they’re so overdue.

Two games into this series it looks to us, the members of the jury, as though Redick has taken this allegedly open-and-shut case, this slam dunk of a trial — and thrown down a reverse.

The Lakers look like the better team. Like the better-constructed team, even. And that’s without injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who are hustling back as fast as their bodies will let them from hamstring and oblique injuries, respectively.

They look like the better-coached team.

It’s the opposing counsel who looks dressed for the part, Udoka in a sweatsuit like a dad at a Saturday morning youth league trying to get his players to get along, with just one play in his pocket: Give the ball to Kevin.

Meanwhile, the legal team minding the game in the Lakers’ huddle is running laps around the guys on the other bench.

Exhibit A: One of the game’s greatest scorers, Kevin Durant, has been forced by his own team to do a lot of ballhandling chores too. So the Lakers have been double-teaming and blitzing Durant all over the court, compelling him into nine turnovers in Tuesday’s 101-94 Game 2 victory at Crypto.com Arena. Using the same strategy, they’ve turned him over 20 times in his last three meetings with the Lakers, going back to the regular season.

Exhibit B: By playing drop, hedge, man and mixing zone defenses, the Lakers also have been, according to Marcus Smart’s postgame testimony, “throwing different packages” at the Rockets. It’s working: Houston has failed to score 100 points in either game of the series.

Exhibit C: The Lakers are putting the ball in Smart’s hands, using him in a way that forces the Rockets to defend honestly, instead of sagging off him. They’ve also been intentional with how they leverage Luke Kennard, running actions that overrule his reluctance to shoot. It should please the court to see the man shooting 65.4% (17 for 26) from the field in the first two games!

With these tactics and others, the Lakers seem almost to be creating new precedent for the laws of basketball, because what do you mean the Rockets have taken 44 more shots but have been outscored by 16 points?

What makes it so wildly impressive is that before the Lakers brought this thing to trial, it looked as though it would be thrown out on the grounds of insufficient star power.

With just 41-year-old LeBron James to carry them without Doncic and Reaves, Houston seemed so much stronger. Physically, on the boards, in just about every way — except in terms of chemistry, camaraderie and communication.

Even Udoka's record seemed superior. In 2021-22, his first (and only) season as the Boston Celtics’ coach, he led them to the NBA Finals.

Redick, in his first playoffs as a coach last year, showed such contempt for his own team and made an absolute mockery of the game plan that got the Lakers to the postseason in the first place. Remember how he panicked, refusing even to approach the bench to give his preferred five a breather for a full losing half in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves? The little tantrum he threw when asked about it before the Game 5 finale?

The Duke graduate and self-proclaimed “basketball sicko” has appeared much more prepared this time, much more composed.

He seems to be in his element, problem-solving alongside his former podcast host, James, who has stepped right up with 47 points, 20 assists and 16 rebounds — including some highlight-reel dunks and passes — through the first two games. We are all witnesses.

Still, this thing is going to last at least two more games, and possibly more, before we get a verdict.

And if it goes the Lakers’ way?

Congratulations, JJ, you will have earned the reputation as a coach who can take on the toughest cases and win them. And do we have an impossible challenge for you next on the docket.

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are young, deep, and up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns. The defending-champion Thunder have run the Lakers out of court in every meeting this season, beating them by an average of 29 points. And they’re clever too; referees — those judges on the court — always seem so sympathetic to OKC.

Would the Lakers have any chance? Redick is proving he might be able to make a case.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

If you were to draw up the worst-case scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 — that didn’t involve injuries — it’d look pretty similar to what we saw. The Cavs couldn’t keep control of the ball, had awful games from their star backcourt, missed clean looks, and weren’t putting up good contests on three-point shots.

This all came to a head in the fourth quarter when the Toronto Raptors ran them off the floor. They outscored Cleveland 43-23 in the final frame to cruise to a lopsided 126-104 victory to trim their deficit in the series to 2-1.

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has consistently talked about wanting to win the possession battle. To do that, you need to take care of the basketball. The Cavs simply didn’t do that.

Cleveland turned it over 20 times, which accounted for 22.9% of their possessions (2nd percentile). This led to 23 points for Toronto.

James Harden was the worst offender. He coughed it up eight times, which included six in the second half when the game was getting away.

The Cavs have gone as Harden has offensively. He’s been at the center of their resurgence on that end to close the season. And when things go wrong — as they did on Thursday — he deserves the blame.

The Raptors made cutting off lanes to the basket a priority — especially when Harden drove. They completely sucked into the paint to close avenues for Harden to score or pass inside. Given how switchable and how much length Toronto has at the wing, this led to turnovers.

Just look at how crowded the lane is on some of these drives.

Atkinson mentioned that the spacing wasn’t great, which led to some of the miscues. Part of that is due to the clunkiness of playing two non-shooting bigs. Part of that is due to not having a good offensive process.

A situation like the one below, where everyone is below the free-throw line, and four are either in the paint or one step removed, is only going to end one way.

Collapsing this hard made it difficult for the guards to score inside.

None of Harden’s 13 shots came in the restricted area, while only three were in the paint. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell took just three of his 16 shots at the rim and only seven in the paint in total. That all led to no free-throw attempts for Mitchell and six for Harden.

It’s difficult to keep Cleveland’s guards from getting to the basket, even when you’re making a concerted effort to do so. The Raptors deserve a ton of credit for this. All five defenders were competing hard, communicating, and executing the game plan at a high level. This included Scottie Barnes, who was hands down the best player on both sides of the ball.

Additionally, the Raptors did a good job of making Harden and Mitchell work when they didn’t have the ball. They weren’t allowing easy catches above the arc, and denied them the ball whenever they could.

At the same time, playing this way is incredibly risky. Toronto’s entire game plan was predicated on the hope that the Cavs, particularly their guards, would miss wide-open threes, and that’s exactly what they did.

Mitchell went 1-7 for deep. Many of those were clean looks that he got through pull-ups or from spotting up.

Harden went 3-10, and it was much the same story. Toronto went under on screens to cut off the drives to the hoop that were so effective in the first two games of the series.

Collapsing the paint this aggressively lends itself to open catch-and-shoot threes as well. Some made the most of those opportunities, like Max Strus (4-8) and Jaylon Tyson (3-6). Others couldn’t, such as Dean Wade (1-4) and Evan Mobley (0-4).

As a team, the Cavs went 14-45 from three (31.1%). Those looks accounted for 50% of their shots (94th percentile).

While it’s easy to say the Cavs should’ve gone inside more, they’re a good three-point shooting team. If you’re going to get that many open looks for your best players, you simply need to knock them down.

It’s a make-or-miss league, and the Cavs missed.

The Raptors were the opposite.

They didn’t generate many threes, but they knocked down the ones they took. They also hit 14 triples, but needed 21 fewer attempts to hit that number as they converted 61% of their looks. This included RJ Barrett going 6-8 and Jamison Battle connecting all four of his looks.

One of Toronto’s biggest disadvantages is the fact that their offense comes from much less efficient places on the floor. The three best spots to score from are at the rim, the free-throw line, and from three.

The Raptors were an efficient offense in Game 3, but in a somewhat roundabout way.

Toronto converted just 50% of their looks at the rim (5th percentile), had a free-throw rate in the 17th percentile, and took less than a quarter of their shots from three (2nd percentile). However, that didn’t matter because of how well they shot from three, and the fact that they connected on 62.5% of their midrange shots (96th percentile).

Once again, the Cavs kept the Raptors from really hurting them in transition, despite how many turnovers they committed. Toronto was in the second percentile for points added in transition and had just nine fast-break points. That’s impressive given how much the Raptors emphasize playing fast.

The Cavs’ defense wasn’t perfect. The looks they gave up from deep were clean, and they overall didn’t play with the sense of urgency you’d like to see. At the same time, the Raptors executed a very difficult game plan to absolute perfection.

Cleveland’s rotations should be shrunk.

The minutes distribution feels off. Tyson played well and provided exactly what the Cavs needed physically in this matchup, but was limited to less than 16 minutes. There’s no excuse for that happening, especially given how this hasn’t been a favorable matchup for either Dennis Schroder or Keon Ellis.

It’s time for Atkinson to go away from the 10-man rotation.

The Cavs’ lack of fight in the fourth quarter was a problem.

Letting go of the rope while up 2-0 in the first road game of a series isn’t exactly something new. Teams that we consider good and mentally tough can do so. We even saw the Indiana Pacers — a team that never let go of the rope last season — do so at home when they had a 2-0 lead on the Cavs last spring.

At the same time, the Cavs haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt. They’ve consistently shown a lack of fight when things get difficult in the playoffs. That cropped up again as they completely folded in the fourth quarter after continually battling back through the first three quarters to make it a two-point game heading into the final frame.

That said, there isn’t a reason to panic for the Cavs, at least not yet.

Any playoff loss is a cause for concern to some degree. The Cavs have been upset too many times in the Mitchell era to take anything for granted. But there’s not a lot from this game that feels repeatable from Toronto’s perspective.

The margin for error is considerably smaller for a team that plays the way Toronto does. Where they get their offense from puts them at a disadvantage. If they can’t get out in transition — like the Cavs have kept them from doing — they need to rely on hitting inefficient midrange shots and canning a good portion of the limited threes they take.

As an example, Toronto scored 18 more points from three than they would have if they shot their season-long average from three. That was more than the margin of victory (which speaks to how poorly things went in the fourth quarter), but also shows how much of an outlier this performance was. Can you reasonably rely on making that many jumpers in three of the next four games?

On the other end, Toronto had the right game plan defensively. You can’t let the Cavs have their cake and eat it too. Preventing Mitchell and Harden from wreaking havoc inside is a win, and it speaks to how well Toronto’s defense was.

That said, you can’t take everything away. The Cavs missed so many open three-point looks and turned it over an uncharacteristic amount. It feels like at least one of those things would need to continue if the Raptors are going to steal this.

Anything can happen in a short series. Trends that wouldn’t last over 82 games can produce unexpected results in a seven-game sample. So yes, maybe this is a formula that Toronto can use to win three of the next four games. But I’ll need to see it work out again before putting my faith in it.

Five flaws Warriors must address to upgrade their roster this NBA offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Too old, too small, too little athleticism, too little accountability and inconsistent secondary scoring. The Warriors’ shortcomings, so visible throughout the 2025-26 season and amplified in the absence of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III, are being magnified in the NBA playoffs.

Even at their healthiest, the Warriors’ roster is incapable of running with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s army of deep shooters and aggressive, switchable defenders.

Even though Golden State won twice at San Antonio last November, the Spurs afterward responded with rapid improvement to post the best record in the league over the last five months.

The Warriors were 12-23 against Western Conference teams that finished ahead of them in the regular season, and it won’t get any better without extensive roster upgrades.

“To compete in the West next season, Golden State will have to do some serious roster maneuvering,” one Western Conference scout told NBC Sports Bay Area. “They’ve got to plan for Butler to miss maybe 50 games. They can’t know if (Moses) Moody will make it back. They don’t have enough offense, even with Steph, to scare anybody.”

This is not news to CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy. It’s not news to coach Steve Kerr. And, if he departs, it won’t be news to the next coach.

The Warriors are facing their most consequential offseason since a new ownership group, led by Lacob, bought the team in 2010. Considering the heights the franchise has reached since then, the personnel adjustments this summer are even more significant than signing free agent Kevin Durant in 2016.

Whereas Durant bolstered a team in flight, this summer is about the front office rescuing a team treading water. A few tweaks won’t make an appreciable difference.

Here is a look at the five factors that must be addressed for the Warriors to have any chance of rejoining the contenders in the West.

Too Old

Curry is 38. Butler will be 37 when he returns. Draymond Green is 36. If that is the core, as it was last season, it won’t be enough to chase the mission – a deep postseason run – they failed to complete last season.

Curry is a lock to return next season and, presumably, beyond. Green knows there’s a chance he’ll be moved. Butler isn’t going anywhere, according to Dunleavy, but what was said in January could be retracted in July.

For the Warriors to make any noise in the West, an infusion of reliably productive youth must be added. And at least one of the newcomers must have enough NBA All-Star characteristics to join the existing core, if not replace one of the seasoned trio.

If this remains the core and the Warriors don’t add an impact player, they’ll have only the slimmest chance of rising above the NBA play-in tournament.

Too Small

The Warriors are miniature by current NBA roster standards. Small teams have no chance of thriving unless blessed with elite speed, intellect, discipline and tenacity. Their “death lineups,” before adding Durant, were smallish – averaging a shade under 6-foot-6 – but had all four of those components.

Golden State’s current roster has tenacity but lacks the other three. Curry and Green don’t move as they did 10 years ago. They were supported by a roster with one switchable young rotation player, 6-foot-7 Gui Santos, standing taller than 6-foot-5.

No one in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation is under 6-foot-4. The only Spurs rotation player under 6-foot-5 is hiccup-quick De’Aaron Fox at 6-foot-2. The Minnesota Timberwolves’ only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is speedy 6-foot-2 Bones Hyland. The only Los Angeles Lakers rotation player under 6-foot-5 is 6-foot-3 Marcus Smart, a defensive beast who plays closer to 6-foot-6. OKC’s only rotation player under 6-foot-4 is 6-foot-3 Cason Wallace.

“And he’s in the top tier of athletes in the league,” a Western Conference assistant coach said of Wallace.

Too Little Athleticism

When the Curry-less Warriors stumbled through March jacking up 3-pointers against teams vulnerable in the paint, I was puzzled enough to ask Kerr about shot selection.

“Without Steph and Jimmy,” he said, “we really don’t have anyone we can count on to break down a defense. It’s hard for them to dribble and shift their way past someone. I don’t like all the threes we take, especially early in the shot clock, but sometimes it’s our best chance to score.”

Seven of the top 10 teams in total dunks are in the West, and the Warriors ranked dead last. They ranked 27th in shots within three feet of the rim. Kerr believed too few players on the roster possess the handle and wiggle to get to the rim – and the bounce to consistently finish. It’s hard to argue.

Their lack of quickness was no less notable on defense.

If next season’s Warriors can’t better manipulate defenses – and prevent penetration on the other end – they’ll be home before May.

Too Little Accountability

How hard it must have been for Lacob and Dunleavy and any citizen within Dub Nation to watch, game after game, the Warriors literally throwing away chances to win.

Their turnovers were spread across the roster and throughout the season. January was the only month Golden State didn’t post multiple games with more than 20 giveaways.

Kerr seemed to take the edge off his typical bristling and barking when Golden State victimized itself with sloppy ballhandling and passing. Maybe he was acknowledging the team’s greatly diminished talent level with Curry and Butler sidelined. He generally praised the effort and mentioned the need to be smarter, but any demands went unmet.

The roster was not deep enough to bench Player A and expect an upgrade with Player B.

Whether it’s Kerr or another coach, there must be a lower tolerance for turnovers.

Inconsistent Secondary Scoring

Curry and Butler established themselves as the top two scorers, Curry averaging 27.2 points and Butler an even 20, but the offense generally ran dry if they weren’t stacking buckets.

None of the youngsters averaged more than 13.8 points per game (Brandin Podziemski), even with the additional minutes and opportunities afforded when Curry and Butler were sidelined. Podziemski led the team in minutes, scoring at least 25 points on five occasions but topping it only twice.

Kristaps Porziņģis, acquired in February, managed to average 16.7 points, but his availability was a model of inconsistency. De’Anthony Melton’s 12.3-point average came with strong highs and extreme lows; he shot 40.7 percent from the field, including 29.4 percent from deep. Moody averaged 12.1 points, shooting a team-high 40.1 percent from deep before sustaining a severe knee injury.

If the Warriors were without Curry and Butler, it’s hard to guess which of them would be at the top of an opponent’s scouting report.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Game Two of the San Antonio Spurs’ first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers went about as poorly as it could go. Not only did the team lose at home, surrendering home-court advantage, but they also lost their superstar big man, Victor Wembanyama, to a concussion. Now, Wembanyama’s status becomes the big question for Game Three.

Wembanyama traveled with the team to Portland and is listed as questionable for Game Three. There is a chance he can play, but being just 72 hours removed from the initial incident, it will be a long shot for him to pass the league’s concussion protocols and suit up on Friday night.

If Wembanyama is out, the Spurs will rely on Luke Kornet as their starting center. They’ll look to the rest of the supporting cast to replace Wemby’s scoring in most of the team’s first playoff experience in hostile territory. San Antonio won its only game in Portland this season, 115-102. De’Aaron Fox scored 37 points in that game, and Kornet held down the paint with 3 blocks. That game could be the perfect blueprint for stealing a game on the road and re-taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

San Antonio Spurs (1-1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (1-1)

April 24th, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT

Watch: Amazon Prime Video | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: Jordan McLaughlin – Out (ankle), Victor Wembanyama – Questionable (concussion protocol)

Trail Blazers Injuries: Damian Lillard – Out (achilles)

What to watch for:

Backup center minutes

Congratulations, Carter Bryant! You are the Spurs’ de facto backup big man! When Wembanyama went down, Mitch Johnson went to Bryant as the backup center when Kornet needed a spell. The results were mixed. Bryant plays with excellent energy and made some winning plays on the offensive end. However, the Blazers attacked the basket with even more force when Bryant was playing the five. He was -14 in his 12 minutes. He simply lacks the size to play big minutes at center. Assuming Wembanyama is out, Bryant will probably need to play backup center again. The Spurs will need to hope the advantages he creates offensively outweigh the problems his lack of size makes defensively.

Or, Johnson may need to go to his big man depth for at least a few minutes while Kornet sits. Mason Plumlee seems like the most likely candidate to get spot minutes. He was largely ineffective in the regular season, but at this point, the Spurs may need another big body. All Plumlee needs to do is grab rebounds and hold his own against Robert Williams III and Donovan Clingan in short spurts to help San Antonio withstand the non-Kornet minutes.

Can the guards step up?

It has not been the best start to the series for the Spurs’ guards. Fox has played the best out of the three, but went ice-cold in the fourth quarter of Game Two when San Antonio needed him the most. Stephon Castle has been wildly inefficient, going 11-33 from the field in the first two games. Things seemed to click for Dylan Harper in Game Two, but he has made some rookie mistakes as well. San Antonio will need all three of them to play at the top of their games to beat Portland on the road.

Fox should have the ball in his hands frequently. He’s been great when Wembanyama doesn’t suit up this season. There is no reason to doubt his ability to rise to the occasion on Friday. Castle is needed in a major way on both ends. Whether it’s slowing down Scoot Henderson and Deni Avdija on defense or scoring efficiently around the rim, San Antonio needs Castle to get back on track. Harper can be a spark plug for a Spurs’ bench unit that has lacked some punch in the series so far. Either he or Keldon Johnson needs to add some scoring off the bench.

Three-point shooting

One of the biggest differences from Game One to Game Two was the Spurs’ three-point shooting. San Antonio shot 15-33 (45%) in Game One, and 7-24 (29%) in Game Two. Portland has shot below 35% in both games and was 28th in three-point percentage in the regular season. If San Antonio continues to play tough perimeter defense, they can hold Portland at bay from deep. They need to hit their threes, especially while the Blazers have been so effective at protecting the paint.

San Antonio could use some hot shooting from its best shooters. Julian Champagnie has been efficient on low volume, hitting 4 of his 6 attempts from three in two games. Devin Vassell went 0-5 from deep in Game Two’s loss. Harrison Barnes has yet to hit a three-pointer in the series. One or multiple of these three will need to be a threat from outside in what will most likely be a very tough Game Three.

ATLANTA - Mikal Bridges has been a Knick for two years. So he understands what’s going to be said/written about him over the next two days. 

“I’ve got to take it on the chin, handle it how I’m supposed to and be ready for the next one. You know, it’s going to suck. It is what it is. I’ve just got to be better to help my team out there.”

That was Bridges’ response to a question about how he can bounce back from a truly forgettable game on Thursday. 

The Knick wing missed all three of his shot attempts and had four turnovers in Game 3. New York was outscored by 26 in Bridges’ 20 minutes on the floor. Bridges was benched for nearly all of the second half as Mike Brown replaced him with Miles McBride. 

McBride delivered in all the ways Bridges fell short: he hit five threes, had two steals and helped stabilize the Knicks defense. It obviously wasn’t enough in the end. But McBride’s performance leaves Brown and the coaching staff with an interesting decision ahead of a must-win Game 4. 

Should Brown shake up his starting lineup and replace Bridges with McBride?

The Knicks got off to a terrible start on Thursday, falling behind by as many as 13 in the first quarter. So maybe Brown and his staff believe McBride can help them avoid another start. Maybe they think Bridges can get going off the bench. 

Whatever decision Brown comes to will be crucial. 

The Knicks can’t afford to get off to another slow start in Game 4. A loss on Saturday would put the Knicks on the brink of a disaster. 

As you know, this is a team that is supposed to reach the NBA Finals, not fall out in the first round. 

A loss to the Hawks would almost certainly lead to major changes – whether they be to the roster, coaching staff or front office. 

It would also lead to heavy criticism of the decisions to trade for Bridges and Towns and fire Tom Thibodeau. 

The Knicks gave up five first-round picks to acquire Bridges. Team president Leon Rose & Co. saw him as the perfect complement to their core. 

They certainly didn’t see him being a non-factor in a pivotal playoff game. 

But that’s what happened on Thursday. If you go back to the second half of Game 2, Bridges is 0-for-7 with four turnovers and a -37 net rating against the Hawks. 

He acknowledged that it was tough to be on the bench in the fourth quarter of a close game. 

“But I’ve just gotta be better so I can be out there,” Bridges said. 

In his news conference after Game 3, Brown said he believes Bridges will bounce back. 

“I’m not concerned. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there,” Brown said. “He’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine.”

Maybe Brown is right. But the more important question is whether Bridges will be in the starting lineup on Saturday. 

The answer to that may define the rest of this series – and the rest of this season – for the Knicks