Category: NBA

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

Denver Nuggets (54-28, third in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33, sixth in the Western Conference)

Minneapolis; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Nuggets -1.5; over/under is 229.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Timberwolves lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Timberwolves won the last meeting 113-96 on Friday, led by 25 points from Ayo Dosunmu. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 27.

The Timberwolves are 9-7 in division matchups. Minnesota is seventh in the league with 118.0 points and is shooting 48.1% from the field.

The Nuggets are 11-5 against the rest of their division. Denver is seventh in the Western Conference with 44.0 rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 12.9.

The Timberwolves average 118.0 points per game, 1.1 more points than the 116.9 the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets are shooting 49.6% from the field, 3.4% higher than the 46.2% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and five assists for the Timberwolves. Dosunmu is averaging 13.7 points over the last 10 games.

Jamal Murray is averaging 25.4 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Jokic is averaging 22.8 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 116.8 points, 41.1 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.

Nuggets: 8-2, averaging 123.6 points, 47.1 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 7.2 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.7 points.

INJURIES: Timberwolves: Terrence Shannon Jr.: out (illness), Jaylen Clark: out (illness).

Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: out (calf), Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18, first in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (45-37, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Saturday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Thunder -9.5; over/under is 214.5

WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Thunder lead series 2-0

BOTTOM LINE: The Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference first round with a 2-0 lead in the series. The Thunder won the last meeting 120-107 on Thursday, led by 37 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 30.

The Suns have gone 29-23 against Western Conference opponents. Phoenix has a 7-10 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Thunder are 41-11 in conference play. Oklahoma City leads the Western Conference giving up just 107.9 points per game while holding opponents to 43.7% shooting.

The Suns average 112.6 points per game, 4.7 more points than the 107.9 the Thunder allow. The Thunder score 7.9 more points per game (119.0) than the Suns allow their opponents to score (111.1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Collin Gillespie is averaging 12.7 points and 4.6 assists for the Suns. Devin Booker is averaging 23.5 points over the last 10 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander is scoring 31.1 points per game and averaging 4.3 rebounds for the Thunder. Isaiah Joe is averaging 2.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 4-6, averaging 108.5 points, 43.0 rebounds, 22.6 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.6 points per game.

Thunder: 8-2, averaging 121.0 points, 44.3 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 11.0 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.7 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Mark Williams: day to day (foot), Jordan Goodwin: day to day (calf).

Thunder: Jalen Williams: out (hamstring), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Detroit Pistons (60-22, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Orlando Magic (45-37, eighth in the Eastern Conference)

Orlando, Florida; Saturday, 1 p.m. EDT

LINE: Pistons -2.5; over/under is 214.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 1-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Orlando Magic host the Detroit Pistons in game three of the Eastern Conference first round with the series tied 1-1. The Pistons defeated the Magic 98-83 in the last meeting on Wednesday. Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 27 points, and Jalen Suggs led the Magic with 19.

The Magic are 26-26 in Eastern Conference games. Orlando has a 19-19 record in games decided by at least 10 points.

The Pistons are 39-13 against conference opponents. Detroit has a 10-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The 115.7 points per game the Magic average are 6.1 more points than the Pistons give up (109.6). The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Magic allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Paolo Banchero is averaging 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.

Cunningham is averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 7-3, averaging 115.1 points, 45.0 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 10.2 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points per game.

Pistons: 7-3, averaging 116.0 points, 44.7 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 10.0 steals and 7.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.1 points.

INJURIES: Magic: Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee).

Pistons: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference)

Atlanta; Saturday, 6 p.m. EDT

LINE: Knicks -1.5; over/under is 214.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Hawks lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Atlanta Hawks host the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Hawks won the last meeting 109-108 on Thursday, led by 24 points from Jalen Johnson. OG Anunoby led the Knicks with 29.

The Hawks have gone 27-25 against Eastern Conference teams. Atlanta has a 7-8 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference play. New York ranks fifth in the NBA giving up only 110.1 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.

The 118.5 points per game the Hawks score are 8.4 more points than the Knicks allow (110.1). The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 47.4% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Johnson is averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 18.9 points over the last 10 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 19.6 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 46.0% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 44.1 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 8.7 steals and 5.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.2 points per game.

Knicks: 6-4, averaging 111.5 points, 43.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.0 points.

INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).

Knicks: None listed.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ATLANTA — On his long list of things he believed went wrong, Mike Brown included the officiating.

When asked about the Hawks’ ability to close out on 3-point shooters after the Knicks’ 109-108 Game 3 loss at State Farm Arena, Brown explained how he wanted his players to drive past them and get into the paint.

But, when they got to the paint, Brown believes they weren’t getting deserved fouls.

“They’re closing out hard,” Brown said. “And when they close out hard, we gotta drive the basketball. I do think it’s a tough game for the officials to officiate. But I know we got fouled on a few of the drives that didn’t get called. It’s tough to see 20-26 [free-throw discrepancy] in a one-possession game when you know for sure there were a couple of fouls that should’ve been called.”

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The lineup Brown used for most of the fourth quarter as the Knicks mounted their comeback — Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, with Mikal Bridges benched — was plus-24 in 14 minutes across the whole game.

“They did a good job of taking care of the basketball,” Brown said. “They were pretty aggressive. Atlanta, they’re trying to get up in us, they’re trying to speed us up, they’re playing physical, and when you face that type of defense, you can’t play on your heels. You can’t be passive at all. You got to be able to rip that ball through and get to the rim. Or if they close out hard, you gotta be able to snap drive and get to the rim.

“That group did a pretty good job of it. They did a pretty good job of trying to get out in transition, too. And then they did a pretty good job of trying to get stops defensively. That’s something that we all have to recognize and embrace.”

Would Brown consider inserting McBride into the starting lineup?

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST NBA STANDINGS AND KNICKS STATS

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“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Brown said. “In the same breadth, I’ve said it before, we have to look at everything.

BREAKING NEWS!!! To absolutely nobody, while I’m sure many BYU fans out there were crossing their fingers, holding out hope AJ Dybantsa would run it back for one more year, that stuff simply doesn’t happen. Cooper Flagg played with the same gimmick last year as well. These top prospects need to give their fans a break and stop acting like there’s even a one percent chance they skip out on the NBA Draft.

Dybantsa will continue to take his classes at BYU online, although something tells me he won’t need that degree too badly.

🔗: https://t.co/Ez2IfUQj5E

“I might not leave college”

The projected No. 1 NBA draft pick, @AJ_Dybantsa, just dropped a bombshell on “Deseret Voices.” What’s behind him weighing a return to Provo for another season?

Listen to the @BYUMBB star and @mckaycoppins on the full… pic.twitter.com/xIjthCPKHs

— Deseret News (@Deseret) March 3, 2026

Dybantsa, clearly regarded as one of the biggest prizes in this historic 2026 class, with some even thinking he’s the clear choice to be selected number one. I would personally argue with you on Dybantsa vs. someone like Darryn Peterson, but there’s no doubt Dybantsa is an incredible prospect, and there is no limit to how far he can go in the NBA.

BYU AJ Dybantsa pic.twitter.com/khMwAOqTBm

— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 20, 2026

Honestly speaking, Dybantsa would be a perfect fit on almost any team that had the opportunity to draft him, but let’s be honest, he would fit especially well on the Jazz. Obviously, you have the BYU connection with Ryan Smith, Danny Ainge, and of course Austin Ainge. It’s not just college in which Dybantsa spent his time in Utah—he also spent his last year of high school at Utah Prep in Hurricane, Utah.

Dybantsa would slide right into this Jazz lineup, and honestly, he’d instantly make them one of the contenders in the Western Conference. Dybantsa and Ace Bailey on the wing would be like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown reincarnated! Thank you, Danny Ainge!!

There’s no doubt that if the Jazz do end up selecting Dybantsa, and he pans out how we all expect him to, he could go down as the greatest athlete in the state of Utah’s history. Obviously, we’re still a long ways from that—only about two weeks from now the draft lottery will take place, and we’ll all find out where the Jazz will be picking. If they do get the number one pick, there’s a very strong case for the Jazz to select AJ Dybantsa.

The Jazz have never moved up a single spot in the NBA Draft Lottery’s history.

Utah has also never selected at No. 1 overall.

If you’re looking for a team historically overdue for lottery luck, Utah stands out.

Full circle: AJ Dybantsa attended high school and college in Utah. pic.twitter.com/OEt7vTlpXD

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 16, 2026

We’ll see what happens, but it’s now official—Dybantsa will be playing NBA basketball next season, and only a few months from now in Summer League. Let’s cross our fingers for lottery night, Jazz fans!

Missing Aaron Gordon wasn’t the only issue the Denver Nuggets had in Game 3.

The Minnesota Timberwolves completely handled Denver, 113-96, Thursday, April 23, taking a 2-1 series lead over the No. 3-seeded Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.

Throughout the game, offense was the issue, with three starters — Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones and Christian Braun — combining to score just 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

It was a team effort, but Minnesota’s anchor down low, center Rudy Gobert, had a special night.

Gobert was a force on defense, especially on Nuggets All-Star and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić. This has come on the heels of Gobert publicly expressing his displeasure that he was not named a finalist for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award, which went to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Jokić did end up with 27 points, but it came on an inefficient 7-of-26 (26.9%) shooting night, including a 2-of-10 showing from 3-point range.

Gobert was a big part of that. It also means that Jokić has now gone 15-of-46 (32.6%) over his last two games against Gobert and the Timberwolves. By comparison, Jokić shot the ball at a 56.9% clip this season.

Here’s a look at some of the defensive and offensive highlights of Gobert getting the best of Jokić Thursday night:

Rudy Gobert highlights versus Nikola Jokić

RUDY GOBERT LOCKS UP NIKOLA JOKIC

ELITE DEFENSE

🔒🔒🔒 pic.twitter.com/FGB8KRev9n

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 24, 2026

Rudy Gobert block on Nikola Jokic replay pic.twitter.com/dKqqXZSgmV

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 24, 2026

OH MY RUDY pic.twitter.com/tRXcDNEnMJ

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 24, 2026

Gobert went NO-LOOK to Randle 👀 https://t.co/0omXkpZiYEpic.twitter.com/u7nFpx4j4D

— NBA (@NBA) April 24, 2026

Rudy Gobert ran thru Jokic then gave a camera stare 😭😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/NPvehxwqxi

— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) April 24, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rudy Gobert bests Nikola Jokic as Timberwolves beat Nuggets in Game 3

One of the most important elements of this site, the thing I find close to sacred, is that we don’t censor what we say or do. That is for other sites or reporters to do, whether it’s to stay in the good graces of the team’s PR department or of their sources. At SLC Dunk, we don’t sugarcoat.

But that doesn’t mean we just criticize (I’ve definitely said some things on my show, or written them here, in the heat of a terrible … win … during this rebuild). It means we also have to call out the good when we see it, and I have to show some appreciation for Ryan Smith.

This Tom Dundon situation in Portland is bad, really bad. It may not seem like it now, with him being a fresh owner, but the stories of him looking for cheap options for a wide array of options are not going to create the image he wants.

If you haven’t heard, here’s a list of things reported…

Looking for the cheapest option for head coach

Apparently, Dundon only wants to pay $1M for his next head coach.

New Blazers owner Tom Dundon is reportedly looking to pay his next head coach in the $1 million per year range — roughly 25% of the NBA market rate, per @billoram

"About those rumors… Some say Dundon, whose group is paying $4.25 billion for the franchise, wants to pay in the… pic.twitter.com/pH63wB6Sz0

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) April 14, 2026

By the way, Tiago Splitter is seeing all this while being the current head coach. Not great. And apparently, he’s fine just bringing in any sort of coach, and that will somehow work out for the team.

Tiago Splitter discussed a contract during the season but the salary presented to him to was far below a standard NBA head coaching salary, per @ramonashelburne

The Trail Blazers are now looking for candidates to replace him next season while they are tied 1-1 in the Playoffs pic.twitter.com/G7BACG6iRl

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 22, 2026

He’s also allegedly offering coaches the position at his cheap rate and getting turned down.

New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon allegedly offered SLU head coach Josh Schertz $1M to become the head coach in Portland, per @talkhoops

Schertz reportedly declined the offer, telling Dundon: “I make more than that at St. Louis. What are you doing?”

(Via… pic.twitter.com/7bR6T3UCZj

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) April 23, 2026

Ryan Smith deserves a ton of praise for finding a great head coach in Will Hardy, paying him market value, and signing him long-term when it was clear he was a great coach. Knowing that the Jazz don’t have to deal with this kind of nonsense is a great reflection on ownership that appears to learn, grow, and evolve with each decision they make.

Dundon isn’t flying his two-way players to playoff games

Dundon is apparently trying to save money on flights after paying billions for an entire basketball team.

In the latest of Tom Dundon's cost-cutting measures, the Blazers are the only playoff team that didn't send their two-way players (who are ineligible to play in the playoffs) on the road for Games 1 and 2 this weekend.

Story: https://t.co/zJtDxr3CnO

— Sean Highkin (@highkin) April 20, 2026

It’s pretty wild that a person could be willing to spend this amount of money on a team but then cut minor costs like this, especially with your own players. What kind of message does this send to them?

He’s also apparently not flying out team photographers?

Trail Blazers left team photographer, digital reporter home for road playoff games amid cost-cutting measures https://t.co/Exot2dOfkn

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 21, 2026

For Utah, we have an owner who has included all of these players. He’s allowed the front office to make multiple signings, and we don’t hear about players missing games for any reason other than to get playing time with the Stars. These are not things to be taken for granted, but they probably do. Thank you, Ryan!

Apparently, Dundon doesn’t even love Oregon

This one’s really not great if I’m a Blazers fan. To have an owner doing cheap-o cost-cutting like this, and you’re hearing he doesn’t even love Oregon? I’d be nervous.

Blazers owner Tom Dundon criticized for his approach to managing the team 👀 pic.twitter.com/8IRm1LNpqd

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 21, 2026

Could you imagine Ryan Smith saying anything other than “Utah is great”? It’s one of his most well-known missions to sing the praises of Utah. As a fellow lover of Utah, I appreciate it! I don’t know if Ryan Smith’s moves have made monumental changes, but there are signs that it’s going well, and more and more players are making it clear they enjoy it here. It’s good work by a very good owner!

Dundon wants to fire a mascot

The economy is bad, but I guess it’s really bad when you’re going to fire Blaze the Trail Cat or Douglas Fur.

A source told me that Dundon doesn't think the Blazers should have two mascots – Blaze the Trail Cat AND the secondary mascot Douglas Fur. He's looking at everything the team is doing & questioning whether or not it is necessary in his mind. #NBA#RipCityhttps://t.co/YrZKuAb1f2

— SportsBusinessRadio (@SBRadio) April 21, 2026

FWIW I have heard this same anecdote. https://t.co/BL25zuAFj6

— Bill Oram (@billoram) April 21, 2026

Jokes aside, firing a mascot is not a sign of caring about the fan experience. Who doesn’t like mascots?

This report comes a few weeks after the Utah Mammoth’s Zammoth unveiling. It’s a Zamboni that doesn’t actually … zambone …? Is that what it’s called? It’s purely cool and fun, and it improves the fan experience. And I bet it was expensive. This is another win for Ryan Smith and a sign that Utah has an owner who gets it.

This is a reminder not to take for granted when you have a good owner. Owners make more decisions and are more involved than fans probably realize. When you have an owner that doesn’t care, one that’s cheap, one that’s corrupt, or just a bad one, it can make it impossible for a team to get over the hump.

If there’s one moment in Jazz history that could go down as a hugely important one, it’s when Gail Miller set up a trust that eventually sold the team to Ryan Smith.

Now, this isn’t to say that Smith hasn’t made mistakes, because he has, but from my perspective, he’s always been willing to pivot quickly and evolve. It’s a great trait and one that I personally appreciate.

So, thank you, Ryan Smith, you’re doing great, and Jazz fans should appreciate you! I know I do.

Can someone explain to me how the Houston Rockets are 9.5-point favorites tonight in Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers?

Sure, I get that the game is in Houston. The Rockets are in desperation mode after dropping the first two games in LA. Role players almost always play better at home than on the road in the playoffs. The Lakers have shot exceptionally well while the Rockets have…not.

Yet all of those factors pale in the shadow of truth that the Rockets just aren’t a good basketball team right now. The problems are everywhere, including coaching, effort, basketball intelligence, and ability.

The Lakers come into this game (and Sunday’s) playing with house money. Thanks to a media blitz relieving them of all pressure heading into the postseason, just winning two games in this series has allowed them to have fun and be free. They are feeling the effects of having zero expectations. Meanwhile, Houston is in an embarrassing position after losing two games against an undermanned Lakers squad missing their two best players. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have turned into superstars and the Lakers have collectively decided that missing three pointers is so last year.

So what has actually changed between Games 2 and 3? How is Houston such a heavy favorite when all the evidence says they should be serious underdogs? And that doesn’t include the potential return of Austin Reaves (who is questionable) or the lack of Kevin Durant (also questionable). The Rockets haven’t been swept in a playoff series since 1996. That could change by Sunday.

Tip-off

7pm CT

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Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Kevin Durant: questionable

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Luka Doncic: OUT

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The Line (as of this post)

HOU -9.5

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Looking ahead because we can

Game 4 on Sunday in Houston

ATLANTA — The Knicks have a Mitchell Robinson dilemma.

Not with his production, though that also wasn’t strong during the Knicks’ Game 3 loss Thursday at State Farm Arena. But rather with his ability to play well with Karl-Anthony Towns while sharing the court.

And with Towns scoring 21 points and helping carry the Knicks’ offense down the stretch, that meant Robinson finished with just 11 minutes, two points and four rebounds during their 109-108 loss — and didn’t play for the final 9:25.

“We need something from everybody, and the reality of what happened was — we ended up going with KAT. KAT played a significant amount of minutes for us because he was rolling in that second half,” head coach Mike Brown said, when asked specifically about Robinson — who wasn’t available after the game.

It served as a stark contrast to Robinson’s Game 2, when he finished with 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting and seven rebounds. That was the blueprint.

That was a blend of rebounding — his strength — and what he could provide on offense, too.

But three nights later, that disappeared. His lone basket occurred with just under four minutes remaining in the first half, when Jalen Brunson hit him on a roll to the basket. Robinson didn’t attempt a free throw the entire game, either.

The Hawks didn’t need to use the hack-a-Mitch strategy when he wasn’t on the court late in the half to begin with.

Brown talked about the lingering issue pregame, too — with how Robinson and Towns have struggled to share the court together — and how one of the only ways for Robinson to play more is to have Towns on the bench.

“The combination of the two of them right now hasn’t been great,” Brown said beforehand, “and so I’m choosing to not play them together right now during the series a lot because of the matchups and stuff like that. At the end of the day, it’s a choice.”

Then, that issue materialized in real time.