NEW YORK (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic are the finalists for NBA MVP.
5 thoughts following a dominant Game 1 victory for the Celtics
If this Celtics season has taught us anything so far, it’s that culture, tradition and collective buy-in truly matter.
Those terms aren’t just buzzwords coaches, players and executives throw around for the heck of it. They encapsulate what separates the franchise from so many others in the NBA, and this Celtics team embodies those mantras as much as a group possibly could.
They took a collective bite into the term gap year, chewed on it for a few seconds, then spit it out in disgust. They weren’t going to let the rest of the Eastern Conference off that easily. The East runs through Boston every year until further notice, and they’ve made it abundantly clear that this year is no exception.
Sunday’s dominant 123-91 Game 1 victory over the 76ers didn’t carry much drama, but it did offer fans an opportunity to think back to how far this team has already come. Many expected the Celtics to be somewhere around a 7-seed, outmatched on the road against a superior opponent trying to fend for their playoff lives.
Instead, the Celtics are the No. 2 seed, demolishing inferior opponents and fully capable of winning the whole thing. It was just one game, but this win illuminated how far they’ve come and how far they can go.
Here are five thoughts on the state of the series and the Celtics’ potential path:
1) JOYFUL JAYSON
Just like the Celtics weren’t supposed to be here, Jayson Tatum wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be watching from the bench, cheering his teammates on and desperately wishing he could be out there.
Instead, he attacked his rehab with conviction and didn’t settle for anything less than the best-possible outcome. It’s still hard to fathom how close to pre-injury Tatum he looks. He’s scoring with ease, finding his teammates, rebounding at a high level and playing lockdown defense.
Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, and he could have potentially had a triple-double if it were a closer game. When asked about his journey, Tatum made it clear he doesn’t take the experience for granted.
“I understand the magnitude of the injury and the narrative around me coming back and everything in between,” Tatum said. “I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish and return to play and all those things. There were many days where I wasn’t even sure I was going to play this season, let alone get a chance to play today.”
2) MANAGING MAXEY
The only way the 76ers have any chance in this series (they don’t have a chance, but just for kicks) is if Tyrese Maxey goes nuclear. Even if he catches fire in a game or two, the Celtics will still likely win in five or six. If he doesn’t, it could be a sweep.
The Celtics limited him to 8-of-20 shooting and 1 of 4 from distance. Maxey finished with a respectable 21 points and eight assists, but he had to work for nearly everything and often took contested, off-balance shots.
Give the Celtics a lot of credit for their defensive execution as a whole. The 76ers shot 39 percent from the floor and 17 percent from 3-point range. That’ll do it.
“We did a good job with our positioning and our activity, and some of the things that we can control,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “It kind of goes back to that focus on the stuff that we can’t control, both ends of the floor.”
3) RED PANDA-MONIUM
Let’s take a moment, at the midway point of this article, to acknowledge the greatness of Red Panda. Tatum set the tone in the first half, Red Panda followed suit at halftime and Jaylen Brown finished the job in the second.
She’s quite gifted, and seeing it in person adds a whole other level of appreciation. Simply the best.
People come to sporting events to watch a show, and they watched two shows Sunday afternoon.
4) BENCH MOB
Outside of Tatum’s return and Brown’s ascension, the consistency of the Celtics’ bench is the biggest story of this season.
Guys like Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez were all fringe NBA players and are now consistent contributors on one of the best teams in the league.
The coaches deserve a lot of credit for that, and the players do as well for meeting the moment. As the playoffs progress, I expect the Celtics to continue to have a clear edge when it comes to bench production.
In every series outside of a potential Thunder matchup in the Finals, which I’d consider a wash, the Celtics should continue to win those minutes.
Brown said his message for the newcomers logging their first significant playoff minutes was to breathe and manage their emotions.
“They might go on a run, they might not go on a run, but just stay together,” Brown said. “Win the fight. Be a hard-playing team and guard.”
5) NO COMPLACENCY
The Celtics know they’re the better team, but they also know this was just one game and anything can happen in a playoff series.
While it’s highly likely Boston will advance, it’s important that the Celtics continue to not underestimate the 76ers. This team seems to really understand that, which goes back to the culture, tradition and collective buy-in that define the franchise.
Everything they desire is right there in front of them, but their focus is on Game 2. It’s not a gimmick; it’s a mind-set.
“They’ve got some really talented guys and guys that played hard,” Tatum said. “So you have to show them that respect and know that by the next game they’re going to make adjustments and just preparing for that.”
LeBron James ready to do ‘a little bit of everything’ for Lakers this series
With two of the Lakers’ big three out, LeBron James finds himself once again asked to be anything and everything for the purple and gold.
That would normally be a ton of pressure to put on one player in the postseason, but LeBron is not your typical athlete.
In Game 1 against the Rockets, he didn’t throw up a bunch of shots to try to make up for the production Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves typically provide.
Instead, he activated his point guard mode and got everyone involved. LeBron had eight assists in the first quarter, which was the most assists he’s had in any quarter in his playoff career.
As the contest progressed, LeBron began looking for his shot. He dominated inside the paint and shot 9-15 from the field. James also had a pair of steals, a block, eight rebounds and the best plus-minus on the team at +11.
Thanks to his all-around game, the Lakers beat the Rockets 107-98 and are 15 wins away from a title.
After the victory, LeBron talked about his role on this team and how he can help uplift the shorthanded Lakers.
“Well, for me, I got to do a little bit of everything,” LeBron said. “That’s what the job requires. So it’s being a triple threat, being able to rebound, being able to pass, being able to shoot, also defend, put myself in a position where I can bring value to this ball club, bring value to this team throughout this series.
“It’s going to be a game-to-game situation to see how the game plays out. I don’t predetermine what I’m going to do. The only thing that’s predetermined in my game is how I prepare. I’ll prepare before I get to the game and then once I get out there, it’s all about reading and reacting, understanding situations. I’ve been in every situation you could ever imagined as a basketball player, so there’s nothing that can surprise me.”
As the league’s oldest player and a four-time NBA champion, LeBron is an amazing option as your leader. He’s seen all the highs and lows and isn’t just a vocal leader but also an All-Star player producing on the court.
The Lakers had a nice break between their last regular-season game and their first playoff contest, and James was a big reason why the Lakers looked so sharp after some time off.
“He displayed great leadership throughout,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “We talked all week about being connected offensively and trusting the pass and he led us there in the first half, getting 10 assists and then was able to make some scoring plays down the stretch. Just a fantastic overall game from him and he gave us all he had on the defensive end. He really exerted himself on both ends and that’s what the playoffs are.”
LeBron led the charge, and the rest of his teammates followed. Luke Kennard had a playoff career-high 27 points, Deandre Ayton had a double-double and Rui Hachimura shot 60% from the field, scoring 14.
It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Lakers to win this series, but this was as good a start as anyone could ask for. If James can keep this up and his teammates follow, then the Lakers will maximize what they can do this postseason.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
Hawks vs Knicks Same-Game Parlay for Tonight's NBA Playoffs Game 2
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The Atlanta Hawks were excellent against the spread down the stretch, and despite getting crushed in the second half of Game 1 vs. the New York Knicks, they will be competitive in this series, particularly in Game 2.
My Hawks vs. Knicks parlay picks are banking on Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is coming off an uncharacteristically poor shooting night, bouncing back.
Read on for my full Hawks vs. Knicks predictions ahead of tip on Monday, April 20.
Our best Hawks vs Knicks SGP for Game 2
I picked the Atlanta Hawks to cover the same 5.5-point spread in Game 1, and they lost by 11. But I’m not deterred, as Atlanta has a clear path to making this one more competitive.
The Hawks were a putrid 12 of 19 from the charity stripe, falling well below their season average of 77.4%.
The New York Knicks hit 25 of 30 free throws, and Atlanta can do a better job at limiting opportunities there. The Hawks went 18-8 against the spread between the All-Star break and the end of the season, and I expect them to keep this one close as they look to avoid a 2-0 hole.
The Hawks and Knicks faced off four times this season, finishing with combined game totals of 215, 213, 210, and 253. Game 1 finished just a bucket shy of hitting the Over, and I’m betting on that extra bucket in Game 2.
Atlanta’s shooting was off, as the team hit just 44% of their field-goal attempts, and leading scorer Nickeil Alexander-Walker finished with only 17 points on a miserable 6-for-17 shooting. A slightly more efficient offensive attack from the visitors should push this one to hit the Over.
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Game 2 Preview: Timberwolves at Nuggets
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets
Date: April 20th, 2026
Time: 9:30 PM CDT
Location: Ball Arena
Television Coverage: NBC, Peacock
Game 1 in Denver was the kind of playoff loss that sticks with you.
Not because the Timberwolves got run off the floor. Not because they looked hopelessly outclassed. In some ways, that would have been easier to process. No, what made Saturday afternoon so maddening was that Minnesota showed us enough to make the loss feel avoidable. They came out looking like the sharper, faster, more urgent team. They built a 12-point lead. Nikola Jokic looked winded. The Denver crowd had that nervous, unsettled murmur that only comes when a favorite realizes the underdog may have actually shown up with a knife.
And then, little by little, possession by possession, whistle by whistle, the game slipped.
You can tell the story of Game 1 in two ways.
The generous version is the one Wolves fans have been angrily rehearsing ever since the final buzzer. It starts with the officiating, which was not just bad, but the kind of bad that makes you start wondering whether the refs were trying to set a record for most momentum-killing whistles in one afternoon. From the jump, it was obvious Minnesota was going to have to play this game while wearing ankle weights. Five team fouls within minutes of the opening quarter. Denver in the bonus before either team had really found an offensive rhythm. Jamal Murray living at the free-throw line like he had purchased a condo there, finishing with 16 attempts by himself, nearly matching Minnesota’s entire team total. The Nuggets shot 33 free throws to the Wolves’ 19, and in a game that was there for the taking late, that is not a side note. That is central to the story.
Then there was the Jaden McDaniels flagrant, which belonged in a museum exhibit titled How to Completely Misread a Basketball Play. Murray leapt forward, clearly initiating the contact, clearly landing inside the three line after starting his shot outside, and somehow the result was a flagrant on McDaniels. It was absurd. Worse than absurd, it was deflating. A well-defended miss converted to three points and the ball for Denver.
And yes, that stuff matters. It matters in the box score, where Denver got a pile of free points despite not shooting especially well. It matters in the defensive intensity, because once Minnesota realized every hard contest might become a foul and every foul might become an escalation, they were forced to defend with one hand tied behind their back. It matters emotionally too. You could feel the frustration building. You could see it in McDaniels shoving Jokic in the back. You could see it in the body language. You could feel a team trying not to boil over and, in the process, losing some of the edge it needed to survive.
Then there is the second part of the generous version: Anthony Edwards’ health.
Wolves fans spent the last couple of weeks convincing themselves that the late-season rest was going to be a blessing, that Ant’s knee would heal, that the version of him we would see in the playoffs would be the fresh, spring-loaded monster this team needs. And to his credit, there were flashes. He had some pop. There were moments where he attacked and you could see flashes of his greatness. But if you watched closely, you also saw the pain. The flinch on landings. The moments where he clearly was not fully himself. And when you are playing Denver, when the other side has Jokic operating at full power and Murray getting every whistle known to mankind, “not fully yourself” is a major problem.
That is the generous version.
It is also incomplete.
Because if Minnesota wants to get back in this series, it has to spend a lot less time talking about what happened to them and a lot more time correcting what they did to themselves.
The officials were awful. Edwards is clearly less than 100 percent. Both things can be true. But neither of those facts explains why the Wolves, after building that early lead, let the game turn into exactly the kind of half-court slog Denver wants. Neither of them explains the stagnant second quarter, when the pace dropped, the ball stopped moving, and the offense began to look like a collection of individual errands instead of a coordinated attack. Neither explains the third quarter, when Minnesota more or less donated the game by allowing a 17-2 run in which the offense shriveled into lazy isolation possessions and the defense cracked just enough for Denver to smell blood.
That stretch decided the game.
Not the first-quarter whistles. Not the Jaden flagrant. Not even Ant’s knee, really.
The Wolves looked like the better team when they were pushing tempo, playing in space, and forcing Denver to sprint. They looked like a team pushing Jokic to his limit, making him run, making him work, making him defend. Then they just… stopped. They let Denver catch its breath. They let the ball stick. They settled for ugly shots. They stopped making the Nuggets move defensively. They essentially invited a more composed, more experienced team back into the exact game environment it wanted.
And Chris Finch, to be honest, did not do much to stop the avalanche. That part matters too.
So now here they are, down 0-1, heading into a Game 2 that has all the emotional subtlety of a car crash. This is the swing game. Lose it, and you are asking this team to beat a very hot Denver squad four times in five games, with the Nuggets riding what would then be a 14-game winning streak. Sure, anything is possible. Kevin Garnett taught us that. But that is not a sentence you want to be clinging to when you are staring down a giant in the first round.
Game 2 is not technically must-win, but emotionally and mathematically, it sure as hell feels like it.
So with that, here are the keys to the game.
1. Push the pace.
This is non-negotiable.
The first quarter told the whole story. When the Wolves were flying, Denver looked vulnerable. Jokic looked human. He was huffing. He was laboring. He was being forced into the kind of game he does not love: one played at a pace where his genius still matters, but his conditioning gets tested and his margin for error narrows.
Minnesota cannot let this become a walking game.
The altitude is real. The temptation to conserve energy is real. But the Wolves are younger, longer, and more athletic than this Denver team, and if they are going to win this series, they have to weaponize that advantage. Every miss has to become a sprint. Every rebound has to turn into an opportunity. They need to run after makes if they can. They need to turn this into a game where Jokic has to log extra miles, not just extra touches. You beat Jokic by making him carry an exhausting burden for 48 minutes and then asking him to do it again two days later.
Minnesota eased off that pressure after the first quarter. It cannot happen again.
2. Move the ball like your season depends on it, because it kind of does
Denver’s defense is not some impenetrable wall. This is not 2004 Detroit. This is a unit that can be manipulated, stretched, and made uncomfortable, but only if you make it work.
The Wolves did not do that consistently in Game 1.
Too much of the offense became stagnant, especially once the initial burst wore off. Too many possessions ended with Ant or Julius Randle dribbling into a crowded floor and trying to solve the problem themselves. Too many possessions died before they really started. And the tragedy of it is that Minnesota has too many capable offensive pieces for that kind of nonsense to be necessary.
Donte DiVincenzo was feeling it, starting 4/4 from beyond the arc. But Minnesota never capitalized on his hot hand because the ball would not move. The Wolves are at their best when the rock is snapping around, when they force the defense to rotate twice instead of once, when the offense feels like five guys participating in the same idea instead of one guy improvising while everyone else watches.
This team cannot afford sticky offense. It needs drive-and-kick, swing-swing, relocate, attack-closeout basketball. It needs to make Denver guard every inch of the floor, every second of the shot clock.
If the Wolves do that, they will get clean looks. If they don’t, they are making life far too easy on a defense that should be under more stress than it was in Game 1.
3. Close out with purpose.
The Nuggets did not torch Minnesota from three in Game 1. In some ways, that’s the scary part.
Because if you rewatch the game, you see all kinds of open or semi-open looks that Denver simply did not cash in at its normal clip. And if you are the Wolves, that should terrify you more than it comforts you. You cannot build your survival plan around the idea that Denver will keep missing makeable shots.
The closeouts were not good enough. The urgency was not sharp enough. The Wolves were so focused on the interior pressure from Jokic that they sometimes lost the thread on the perimeter. That is understandable. It is also deadly.
Denver’s wings and guards need to feel crowded. Jamal Murray cannot be allowed to rise into clean rhythm shots. Cam Johnson cannot be casually stepping into open threes. Bruce Brown cannot be operating like this is a warmup line. If Denver is going to hit shots, fine. Make them hit them over hands, over bodies, over full-speed closeouts that force them to actually earn it.
Soft perimeter defense is how you lose to Denver in five. Contested, miserable, exhausting perimeter defense is how you make them sweat.
4. Get all three bigs involved, not just Rudy
Rudy Gobert was magnificent in Game 1. He was exactly what the Wolves needed, present, physical, engaged, and more than willing to throw his whole body into the problem that is Nikola Jokic. For all the Rudy discourse that inevitably bubbles up around playoff time, this was one of those games where he reminded everyone why he matters so much. Without him, this thing could have gotten ugly fast.
But that is also the problem.
Minnesota cannot waste that kind of Rudy game. It cannot get one-third of the frontcourt equation right and expect that to be enough. Julius Randle has to be better. He has to be more disciplined offensively, more engaged defensively, and more connected to the overall flow of the game. He cannot spend possessions trying to force his way into a contested look when a kick-out or secondary action is there waiting. He needs to keep the bully-ball aggression while stripping out the nonsense. Attack with purpose. Rebound with force. Defend like the game matters.
Naz Reid has to show up too. The bench was too quiet, and Naz is too important for that to happen. This is the exact kind of series where he can swing a quarter, with his scoring, his spacing, his size, his general Big Jelly skills. The Wolves need him aggressive, not passive. They need him hunting offense, not floating around the perimeter waiting for someone else to rescue the possession.
One big monster game from Rudy will not carry this series. Minnesota needs the three-headed monster it built for exactly this kind of matchup.
5. Anthony Edwards has to seize the series, even if he is hurting
This is the hard one, because it is the least fair and the most true.
Yes, Edwards is hurt. Yes, it is obvious. Yes, he deserves credit for playing through it. But the Wolves are not winning this series with the version of Ant they got in Game 1. They just aren’t.
He has to be better. He has to impose himself on the game offensively, and he has to do it in a way that does not devolve into desperate hero ball. He needs to attack. He needs to get downhill. He needs to draw two defenders and create for teammates. He needs to hit enough jumpers to keep Denver honest and enough free throws to keep the scoreboard moving. He needs to defend like a star who understands that this is not just about scoring.
And most of all, he needs to make everyone leave Game 2 thinking he was the best player on the floor.
That is a gigantic ask when Jokic exists. It is still the ask.
Because that is what stars are for in a series like this. Not to keep you respectable. To change what feels possible.
This is where Ant’s postseason reputation gets sharpened or stalled. If he comes out aggressive, explosive, and fully engaged on both ends, Minnesota can absolutely steal this game. If he drifts, if he settles, if the knee prevents him from attacking with conviction, then the entire burden falls on a team that has not shown enough consistency to survive without him at full tilt.
This is his moment whether it feels fair or not.
And now for the big picture.
The Wolves got a rotten whistle in Game 1. That is real. They got a less-than-healthy version of Edwards. That is real too. But none of that changes the central fact: they had opportunities, and they let too many of them slip. That is why they are down 0-1. That is why Game 2 feels like a cliff edge.
You can point at the refs. You can point at the knee. You can point at the variance. At some point, though, every finger has to turn back toward Minnesota. Because this series is still right there, but only if they decide to take hold of it. Only if they play the kind of locked-in, apex Timberwolves basketball they have teased often enough to make all of us crazy.
If they do that, if they clean up the offense, sustain the pace, support Rudy, and get a true Ant game, then they can absolutely walk out of Denver with home-court advantage and turn Target Center into a madhouse for Game 3.
If they don’t, then they have painted themselves into the corner they spent all season pretending they could always escape from later.
It is gut-check time now.
Not in theory. Not in some abstract “eventually this team will need to grow up” way.
Right now.
Monday night. Denver. Season hanging in the balance more than anyone wants to admit.
We’ll see what kind of Wolves show up.
Victor Wembanyama named finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, Keldon Johnson for Sixth Man of the Year
The NBA announced the first batch of finalists for regular-season awards, and two Spurs made the cut. Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama is one of the three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, while Keldon Johnson is among the finalists for Sixth Man of the Year.
Wembanyama is the prohibitive favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, but will have to beat out the Pistons’ Ausar Thompson and the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, who were also named finalists. All three of the top defenses in the league are getting one representative. The biggest snub is Rudy Gobert, who kept an inconsistent Timberwolves team in the top 10 in defensive efficiency and has won the award four times in the past.
Things are different for Keldon Johnson. He clearly deserved to be named a finalist, but his chances are not as good as Wembanyama’s to claim the award. He’ll be competing with the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., who appears to be the favorite to get the hardware. Jaquez’s edge comes in offensive production, while Johnson’s case relies heavily on team success. Either would make a good pick.
Other finalists announced for awards:
Most Improved Player:
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Deni Avdija
Jalen Duren
Clutch Player of the Year:
Anthony Edwards
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jamal Murray
The finalists for Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Most Valuable Player of the 2025/26 season will be announced at halftime of the Pistons – Magic game. Mitch Johnson and Victor Wembanyama have decent chances of being named finalists in two of the categories, while it’s likely Dylan Harper is going to miss the cut on Rookie of the Year, largely because of his small role on a contending team.
Victor Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, one steal, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game in the 2025/26 season.
Keldon Johnson averaged 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from the floor and suiting up for all 82 games.
Who are the finalists for NBA awards? Victor Wembanyama, SGA headline MVP list
The 2026 NBA MVP will be decided between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic or Victor Wembanyama.
Finalists for all of the league's end-of-season awards were announced on April 19 during NBC's "NBA Showtime" broadcast on April 19. Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year and Most Improved Player were announced before tip-off of Game 1 of the playoff series between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, while the most prestigious honors — MVP, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year — were revealed at halftime.
In addition to MVP, Wembanyama is also a finalist for DPOY, while Gilgeous-Alexander is in the running for Clutch Player of the Year.
Neither Luka Doncic nor Cade Cunningham made the top three for Most Valuable Player despite each being granted an extraordinary circumstances waiver, though they will likely round out the top five in the final voting.
Here are the finalists announced for the NBA's individual awards:
NBA MVP Finalists
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Rookie of the Year
- VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers
- Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
- Kon Knueppel, Charlotte Hornets
Coach of the Year
- JB Bickerstaff, Detroit Pistons
- Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
- Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
Defensive Player of the Year
- Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
- Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Sixth Man of the Year
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Denver Nuggets
- Keldon Johnson, San Antonio Spurs
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
Clutch Player of the Year
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Most Improved Player
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Atlanta Hawks
- Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers
- Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
Who is ineligible for NBA awards this season?
Here are some notable players who were ineligible for end-of-season individual awards and All-NBA teams due to not meeting the league's 65-game requirement:
- LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
- Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (more on him below)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
- Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Though Edwards only played in 59 games this season, Clutch Player of the Year does not have a 65-game requirement.
Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham both fell just short of 65 games, but are eligible for awards after being granted an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge exception.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA individual awards finalists announced
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Same-Game Parlay for Today's NBA Playoffs Game 2
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The Minnesota Timberwolves had a vision when they traded for Ayo Dosunmu in February, but that vision was not realized much in Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets.
If Minnesota wants to spring the upset in this series, it needs to run.
My Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions and this same-game parlay expect Minnesota to focus on transition opportunities on Monday, April 20.
Our best Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP for Game 2
Anthony Edwards emphasizes rebounding in the postseason, averaging better than seven boards per game in each of the last two postseasons. Not coincidentally, the Minnesota Timberwolves ran to the Western Conference Finals each of the last two years.
Against the Denver Nuggets, the Timberwolves as a whole need to emphasize transition opportunities.
How many players do the Nuggets really want to play? Jonas Valanciunas saw less than eight minutes in Game 1, while Spencer Jones played nine. Effectively, Denver had a seven-man rotation, led by Nikola Jokic at more than 40 minutes.
Minnesota goes at least eight deep and could stretch to 10 if Kyle Anderson and Bones Hyland are given some runway. Both Anderson and Hyland help the Timberwolves in transition, the former via quick thinking off rebounds and the latter via a general helter-skelter approach.
More Anderson and Hyland will not necessarily come at the expense of Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu. In fact, more transition opportunities will highlight the duo.
The best Minnesota adjustment from Game 1 should create a pathway to cash this same-game parlay that already came home once in this series.
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Gilgeous-Alexander scores 25 as reigning champion Thunder open playoffs with 119-84 win over Suns
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder began their title defense with a 119-84 rout of the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series on Sunday.
The reigning league MVP made just 5 of 18 field goals but went 15 of 17 at the foul line before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Jalen Williams scored 22 points and Chet Holmgren added 16 for the top-seeded Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday.
Devin Booker scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks scored 18 on 6-of-22 shooting for the Suns, who shot 34.9% from the field.
Phoenix broke out to a 5-0 lead as the Thunder started cold following a week off.
Oklahoma City heated up quickly. Brooks was called for a flagrant-one foul in the first quarter for hitting Holmgren in the face. The Thunder went on a 12-2 surge after that to take a 24-14 lead.
In the closing seconds of the quarter, Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams threw a pass about three-quarters of the length of the court. Holmgren caught it with his back to the basket, took one dribble to his right, then turned and drained a 3-pointer as time expired to put Oklahoma City up 35-20.
Oklahoma City extended the advantage to 65-44 at halftime. Holmgren had 16 points and Gilgeous-Alexander had 15 at the break.
Gilgeous-Alexander converted a three-point play to push Oklahoma City’s lead to 90-63 late in the third quarter, and the Thunder took a 97-66 edge into the fourth.
Game Recap: Thunder overwhelm the Suns in a one-sided Game 1, 119-84
The Phoenix Suns, after earning their way in through the Play-In, opened their postseason on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It went about how you would expect. The game was never close, as Oklahoma City handled business and rolled to a 119-84 win.
There were issues everywhere you looked. The Thunder dominated the possession battle, outscoring Phoenix 34-2 on points off turnovers. They added 18-2 in fast break points, 52-24 in the paint, and 40-24 in bench scoring. The Suns shot 34.9% from the field and turned it over 17 times, while Oklahoma City had six turnovers.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Dillon Brooks had 18, and Jalen Green added 17. Brooks and Green combined to go 12-of-38 (32%) from the field. Nothing came easy. The Suns could not find it from deep, and when they tried to attack inside, the Thunder were waiting. Oklahoma City finished with seven blocks, controlling the paint on both ends.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 25 points, 15 of those at the line. Jalen Williams added 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists as Oklahoma City took Game 1.
Phoenix now trails the series 0-1, with Game 2 set for Wednesday, back in Oklahoma City.
Game Flow
First Half
The news came about an hour before tipoff that the Phoenix Suns would once again be without Mark Williams, which meant another start for Oso Ighodaro.
Phoenix opened on a 5-0 run, but the early possessions felt loose. Turnovers crept in right away, the kind that live in the middle of the floor and turn into easy points the other way. The Oklahoma City Thunder cashed in, pushing in transition and flipping those mistakes into quick buckets.
Dillon Brooks brought the expected edge. With 7:04 left in the first quarter, after a turnover, he swiped at the ball and caught Chet Holmgren across the face. The whistle came quick. Flagrant foul, penalty 1.
With 6:47 left in the first quarter, the Thunder were already at the line. Meanwhile, the Suns were still waiting for a whistle to go their way. It fed into a 9-0 run for OKC, and before Phoenix could settle in, they were staring at a double-digit deficit.
The offense went cold in a hurry. Phoenix had 8 straight misses. That opened the door for a 17-2 Thunder run in the middle of the quarter, and the lead kept climbing.
Phoenix finished the quarter with 4 turnovers, and those turned into 8 points for Oklahoma City. Every mistake had a consequence. The Thunder also lived in the paint, piling up 18 points inside. After that early 5- 0 start, the Suns were outscored 35-15 the rest of the way.
Devin Booker had 8 in the quarter. Jalen Green added 6. On the other side, Chet Holmgren poured in 13, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 8.
After one, Phoenix trailed 35-20.
The second quarter opened with a flagrant on the Oklahoma City Thunder, as Isaiah Hartenstein caught Royce O’Neale in the face. Two free throws and the ball. And of course, Royce split the pair.
Another run came from the Oklahoma City Thunder, this one an 8-0 burst while Devin Booker sat, and the Phoenix Suns were a -8 in that stretch. Booker checked back in around the nine-minute mark, but the run kept going. It grew to 12-0 before Phoenix could make a shot. The offense never found a rhythm. The Suns went 3-of-20 from the field across the end of the first and into the second, and the Thunder’s lead pushed out to 25.
We did see some Khaman Maluach minutes in the second, although he was part of the Thunder offensive onslaught and was a -6 during his time on the court.
Dillon Brooks gave you that familiar stretch in the second quarter, the one where most of it makes you nod, and a small part makes you pause. He knocked down a three and drew the foul, finished the four-point play, trimmed the deficit to 20, brought a little life back into it. Then the next trip down, he reached in on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and picked up his third. That’s the full Dillon Brooks experience, all packed into two possessions.
There were not many bright spots for the Phoenix Suns in that half, but Oso Ighodaro was fighting on the interior. He grabbed 9 rebounds before the break, 7 of them on the offensive glass, creating second chances that were hard to come by everywhere else.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took the second quarter 30-24 and carried control into halftime. They shot 48.9% from the field, while Phoenix managed 30.4%. The damage showed up inside and from mistakes. Points in the paint were 32-12, and points off turnovers sat at 21-2.
At the half, the Suns trailed 65-44.
Second Half
The second half opened with the kind of update you never want to hear. Jordan Goodwin, who had left earlier and was moving a little gingerly, was ruled out with a calf injury. It is a familiar one. That same calf has bothered him throughout the season, and it cost him time late in the year.
Phoenix came out of the half with better intent on offense. The looks were there. The problem stayed the same as the shots did not fall. They opened 3-of-9 from the field and missed all four attempts from deep, every one of them uncontested.
Head coach Jordan Ott went to his second challenge early in the third on a play where it looked like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knocked the ball off Devin Booker. The challenge worked. The funny part, Ott was not even trying to challenge. He was asking for a 30 second timeout. Marc Davis, the lead official, heard something else and triggered it.
For a stretch, the Phoenix Suns held their ground. They traded baskets with the Oklahoma City Thunder through the first part of the quarter, even edging them 19-18. Then it flipped again. Oklahoma City closed the third on a 14-3 run, capped by another buzzer beating three, the second time they hit one to end a quarter.
Booker had 10 in the period, going 3-of-6 from the field. The rest of the group went 5-of-12, and Dillon Brooks was 2-of-7. On the other side, SGA put up 10 points. Only one field goal. He lived at the line, going 8-of-9.
The Thunder took the quarter 32-22. Going into the fourth, it was 97-66.
The gap kept stretching early in the fourth as the Phoenix Suns still could not buy a shot. The deficit climbed to 34, and with about 7 minutes left, the bench was emptied. And then, right on cue, Rasheer Fleming came in and knocked down two corner threes like he had been waiting all night for that exact moment.
That was about it as far as highlights go. Phoenix scored 18 in the fourth and lose by 34.
Up Next
The Suns and Thunder will be back at it on Wednesday at 6:30pm on ESPN. We shall see you then.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 2
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The Minnesota Timberwolves opened the playoffs by putting the Denver Nuggets on their heels in Game 1’s first half. Unfortunately for Minnesota, basketball games have two halves.
Rather than hope this series is about to become interesting, my Timberwolves vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks lean on an underrated part of Anthony Edwards’ game, one that should shine once again on Monday, April 20.
- UPDATE: Added a prediction for who will win tonight.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets prediction
Who will win Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 2?
Nuggets:My therapist tells me it is healthy to acknowledge likely coming pain. Do not dwell on it, but be mentally ready for it. Do not assume it is inevitable, but accept it when it does come to pass.
Anyway, as a Timberwolves season-ticket holder, I fully expect the Nuggets to go up 2-0 in this series. When healthy, this Denver rotation may be the second-best team in the NBA, something not enough people recognize because it was healthy so rarely this season.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets best bet: Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds (+102)
To put it plainly: Anthony Edwards did not play particularly well in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets. His shooting was poor as he scored only 22 points, and his defense was inconsistent, at best.
Chalk at least some of that up to Edwards’ rust as he recovers from a knee injury. It is distinctly possible we do not see him at 100% this postseason.
But Edwards still contributed. He filled out the stat sheet with seven assists, nine rebounds, and three blocks. The boards, in particular, fit a consistent postseason trend from Edwards.
As the Timberwolves have made the Western Conference Finals in each of the last two years, their franchise cornerstone has crashed the glass more aggressively in the postseason.In 2023-24, Edwards averaged 5.4 rebounds per game in the regular season. In 2024-25, he averaged 5.7.
In the 2024 playoffs, Edwards grabbed at least six rebounds in 10 of 16 games, averaging seven per game across three series. In the 2025 playoffs, he grabbed at least six rebounds in 12 of 15 games, averaging 7.8.
Snagging nine boards in the Game 1 loss was not a surprise. The only surprise is sportsbooks not ticking this prop upward for Edwards in the postseason.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets same-game parlay
The Timberwolves did not spend enough time in transition in Game 1, one of their possible edges against the Nuggets. Minnesota is both deeper and, at times, faster. It leaned into transition opportunities following the trade deadline acquisition of Ayo Dosunmu. Leaning into those in the postseason is more important than in March.
If a balky knee slows Edwards, then that should mean only more transition opportunities for Jaden McDaniels and Dosunmu.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP
- Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds
- Jaden McDaniels Over 15.5 points
- Ayo Dosunmu Over 12.5 points
Our "from downtown" SGP: Mid-Range McDaniels
This makes far more sense than it looks at first blush.
McDaniels also missed some of the closing stretch due to a knee worry. In his two games before the postseason, McDaniels went 1-for-8 from deep. For someone who otherwise shot 42.1% from beyond the arc this season, a 1-for-8 stretch stands out.
It is safe to assume McDaniels’s rhythm is a bit off. However, he scored 18 and 16 points in those two games, just as he scored 16 points in Game 1 while going 0-for-4 from deep.
The second-most important piece of the Timberwolves’ rotation still scores even when his 3-point looks are not falling, perhaps the best compliment to give to his ever-developing offensive game.
Timberwolves vs Nuggets SGP
- Anthony Edwards Over 5.5 rebounds
- Jaden McDaniels Over 15.5 points
- Jaden McDaniels Under 1.5 made threes
Timberwolves vs Nuggets odds for Game 2
- Spread: Timberwolves +6.5 (-110) | Nuggets -6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Timberwolves +205 | Nuggets -250
- Over/Under: Over 231 (-110) | Under 231 (-110)
Timberwolves vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Minnesota Timberwolves have covered the 1H Spread in 20 of their last 30 away games (+9.65 Units / 28% ROI), including in Game 1. Find more NBA betting trends for Timberwolves vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Timberwolves vs Nuggets Game 2
| Location | Ball Arena, Denver, CO |
| Date | Monday, April 20, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC |
Timberwolves vs Nuggets latest injuries
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Luke Kennard calls Game 1 ‘a special moment’ after having career night
There was little faith amongst NBA experts that the Lakers could do much of anything against the Rockets. With no Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves to start the postseason, LA had a ton of offensive production unavailable.
However, their absence creates opportunities for others, and Luke Kennard got the start in Game 1 and brought his NBA-best 3-point shooting percentage to the playoffs.
The LA crowd went berserk for Kennard as he was hotter than fish grease in this opening round game. He went 9-13 from the field, a perfect 5-5 from deep and scored a career playoff-best 27 points.
Thanks to his efforts, the Lakers defeated the Rockets 107-98.
Kennard not only brought elite offensive play but was also a showman in his moment under the sun in Southern California. In the fourth, he hit back-to-back threes, roaring like a lion on his first and got a patented Mike Breen “bang” call on his second as an unavailable Kevin Durant watched from the bench.
After the win and his best game as a Laker, Kennard talked about what this moment meant to him.
“It’s definitely a special moment,” Kennard said. “I’ve been in the NBA for nine years. I’ve had some big plays, big games, but this is up there for sure. Like it, it means a lot. It builds confidence going into the next game. Like I said, to do it, especially at a place like this playing for the Lakers on the biggest stage in basketball, like it means a lot to me and what I’ve done. Just credit to the work I’ve put in and how I’ve prepared leading up to this. Again, it builds confidence going to the next one and hopefully, we can continue to be on the right path.”
Winning Game 1 and protecting home court was incredibly important for the Lakers and they got it done with all of their starters stepping up. Every Lakers starter was in double figures, and four shot above 50% from the field. The Lakers weren’t able to win the rebounding battle as they’d hoped, but thanks to their 61% shooting, they won this first contest.
Deandre Ayton was on the floor with Kennard for 29 of his 38 minutes on Saturday night and was at a loss of words for how the guard produced.
“He is the number one shooter in the NBA so there’s not much to say, but he’s doing it in the playoffs where it really counts,” Ayton said. “My word is speechless, to be honest. Five for five [from three] in a playoff game as a Laker, yeah, it hits different.”
It was just one game, and the Rockets were certainly surprised when their superstar, KD, was a late scratch, but LA found a way to win and that’s all that matters.
Kennard won’t always be this incredible throughout the series, but he has it in him and brought it out when it was needed most.
As long as he stays aggressive, takes his shots and remains willing to embrace his defensive challenges, he is giving the Lakers a chance to extend their postseason run so that Luka and Austin can return.
And in Game 1, he did even more than that, bringing LA one win closer to their first playoff series victory since 2023.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
Kim English decides not to pursue UNC basketball assistant coach role
Kim English reportedly will not be joining Mike Malone's coaching staff at North Carolina after all.
According to multiple reports, including Pete Thamel, the former Providence men's basketball coach informed UNC officials on Sunday, April 19 that he is not pursuing an assistant position with the Tar Heels.
English had accepted a position on the former Denver Nuggets' head coach's staff last week and even arrived on campus and began working on the staff, according to On3. English joined the staff after three seasons with Providence, where he posted a 48-52 record.
He was fired by the Friars at the end of the 2025-26 season on March 13 after a season-ending loss to St. John’s in the Big East Tournament. Providence went 21-14 in his first season but then struggled each of the last two years.
Before taking the role with the Friars, English spent two seasons as the head coach at George Mason and coached under Rick Barnes as an assistant at Tennessee from 2019 and 2021.
English played for Missouri basketball for four seasons, where he averaged 11.1 points and three rebounds per game, earning Third-Team All-Big 12 honors twice. He was selected with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Following a three-year playing career — which included stints overseas — English transitioned to a coaching career.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim English reportedly decides not to pursue UNC basketball assistant role
Clint Capela on Deandre Ayton’s jab: ‘I was surprised’
Two months ago, Deandre Ayton was frustrated he wasn’t getting the respect he felt he deserved.
After talking to the media following a 21-point, 13-rebound performance against the Magic on Feb. 24, he made an offhanded comment as he walked toward the shower. “They’re trying to make me Clint Capela,” he said. “I’m not no Clint Capela.”
Funny enough, Ayton is now facing Capela in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Rockets, which the Lakers lead 1-0 after a 107-98 win in Game 1 on Saturday.
As for Capela’s thoughts on the jab?
“I was surprised,” Capela told The California Post. “I don’t know why I’m in someone else’s head. I don’t talk to the guy.”
Capela heard about Ayton’s comment after it went viral in an ESPN story. He responded over Instagram by pointing out that the Lakers’ center plays alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James, writing, “U got 2 of the best floor general in the game dawg Lockinnn.”
The 31-year-old Capela, who was the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by Houston, has made a career out of being a successful role player. He has transitioned into being a backup vet after signing a three-year, $21.5 million contract with the Rockets in June 2025.
He’s a gifted rebounder, shot blocker and rim protector. During his prime, he was an important piece on a Rockets team that made it to two Western Conference finals in 2015 and 2018. He averaged a double-double over seven seasons, including a league-leading 14.3 rebounds and 15.2 points per game in 2020-21.
“Yeah, I mean for me, in my career, I did what I did for my team, had a lot of success,” Capela told The Post. “So, it worked out for me.”
Capela is great at what he does. He never tried to be a superstar. He has made a 12-season career out of being a blue-collar worker who’s a reliable rim-running big man.
That’s not what Ayton wants for himself.
Ayton was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft by the Suns, selected ahead of Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He was supposed to become a superstar. Ayton has only lived up to those expectations in moments and has struggled with consistency and maturity throughout his eight-season career.
Some games, he’s a force on both ends of the court who can effortlessly produce double-doubles. He’s DominAyton.
Other games, he’s a 7-foot placeholder.
When the Lakers acquired Ayton on a two-year, $16.6 million contract in July after a buyout from the Trail Blazers, he was hoping to resuscitate his career. His reputation had taken hits for his professionalism during stints with the Suns and Blazers, and he viewed joining the Lakers as a big stage to reinvent himself.
The 27-year-old Ayton has had an up-and-down season, averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game. But things began turning around for him during the Lakers’ recent 16-2 run this spring. His motor was high. He bought into his role.
“Felt like I picked up my energy and my focus,” Ayton said March 12. “And, you know, I finally caught up with the team. That’s about it.”
When the Lakers played the Rockets on March 16, Ayton (seven points, 11 rebounds) and Capela (nine points, eight rebounds and two assists) had similar stats. That type of production sufficed for the Lakers back then.
But now, with Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) sidelined indefinitely, the Lakers need him to take his game to another level.
Ayton responded in Game 1, finishing with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, 11 rebounds and one blocked shot in 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Rockets crumbled without Kevin Durant, who was sidelined Saturday after knocking knees with a teammate at Wednesday’s practice.
“Nobody can replace KD,” said Capela, who had two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes. “So we did what we did with what we had. And hopefully we can have him for the next one.”
As for Capela, he’s focusing on the task at hand.
Not on any verbal shots.
And he’s choosing to take Ayton’s words as a compliment.
“If people are thinking about me while I’m just doing my thing, I guess it’s a good thing,” Capela told The Post.
Edgecombe named a finalist for Rookie of the Year award
Edgecombe named a finalist for Rookie of the Year award originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
BOSTON — The Sixers have rookie representation on the list of finalists for 2025-26 end-of-season awards.
VJ Edgecombe was named Sunday night as a Rookie of the Year finalist along with the Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg and the Hornets’ Kon Knueppel. Voting results will be announced at a later date.
Since being drafted out of Baylor with the No. 3 overall pick, Edgecombe has been valuable for the Sixers on both ends of the floor and displayed alluring tools to build on.
The 20-year-old led all rookies in minutes played. Over 75 games, he averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals. Among rookies with at least 20 games played, Edgecombe ranked third in points per game, third in assists per game and first in steals per game.
Of the three finalists, only Edgecombe’s team reached the playoffs. The Sixers suffered a blowout Round 1, Game 1 loss Sunday to the Celtics.
Knueppel and Flagg were teammates last season as Duke freshmen. Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the 26-56 Mavs. Knueppel posted 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest for the Hornets, who couldn’t advance out of the Eastern Conference’s play-in tournament. He carried over his sharpshooting to the NBA, hitting 42.5 percent of his three-pointers.
The Sixers have had three Rookie of the Year winners in their history. Allen Iverson earned the honor in 1997, Michael Carter-Williams in 2014 and Ben Simmons in 2018.