Category: NBA

Well, that wasn’t a particularly encouraging loss.

Despite facing a Thunder team coming off a week of rest, the Lakers were the ones who looked out of sorts for most of Tuesday’s Game 1 loss. While they didn’t trail by 30 at halftime — an improvement over the last two trips to Oklahoma City — it never really felt like they were in the game in the second half.

That is despite closing the gap to single digits numerous times. But each one of those runs was answered immediately by OKC, which not only had the solutions to what the Lakers threw at them but also had different players step up throughout the night.

The Lakers, meanwhile, were out of viable options two injuries ago. Now, they also have to figure out what to do with Jarred Vanderbilt’s spot in the rotation after his nasty injury in the second quarter.

Let’s take a look at the three biggest takeaways from Tuesday…

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The Austin Reaves conundrum

Austin Reaves was bad on Tuesday. There is no debate or conundrum there. In fact, it was one of the worst performances by a Laker in the playoffs in decades.

Austin Reaves' 18.8 FG% in Game 1 was the lowest by any Laker in a playoff game over the last 35 years (min. 15 FGA) 😳 pic.twitter.com/1o97wPL1tq

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 6, 2026

But this is a situation with plenty of nuance.

For one, the Lakers can’t win this series if he isn’t playing at an All-Star level. For much of this game, the Lakers were hanging around despite Reaves having one of the worst games of his career. Even an average game from him in this one would have made it a far more interesting contest.

At the same time, you can understand why Reaves isn’t playing well. There isn’t much more of a “thrown in the fire” situation than being put into two closeout games against the Rockets and then a series against the defending champions. He clearly doesn’t have his legs under him and is being forced to catch up on the fly.

Even when he was healthy, this was a defense and team Reaves struggled against. In three regular season games, he shot 42.9% from the field, 23.1% from three and had nearly as many turnovers (14) and made field goals (15).

The Lakers need Reaves to be better. It’s an incredible tall ask, but if he can’t get back to his regular season form, this is going to be a short series.

Not enough horses

LeBron James was fantastic tonight from the get-go. There was no feeling out for him in Game 1 as he was aggressive out of the gate, helped the Lakers jump out to an early lead and finished with 27 points on 12-17 shooting.

Rui Hachimura added 18 points on 7-13 shooting and 3-6 shooting from range, making it his 12th straight game of shooting over 50% from three. He continues to rise to the occasion in the playoffs.

However, after that, the Lakers lacked offensive firepower. Deandre Ayton was alright in his 27 minutes with 10 points as foul trouble limited his action. Reaves, as we discussed, was way off the mark. Marcus Smart was 4-15 and can not be relied upon for any level of consistent offense.

The Lakers’ bench, meanwhile, has been a liability all season. Only in the stretch where Rui serves as the sixth man did the team have any level of regular production from it’s reserves.

Compare that to the Thunder, who seemingly have an endless supply of role players who can step up. The Lakers made it their mission to limit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so you saw Chet Holmgren (24 points), Ajay Mitchell (18), and Jared McCain (12) step up at various points. Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort had various big moments and plays as well.

Part of this is the Lakers being limited by injuries. But the difference in depth between these two teams is stark. The Thunder have different players they can turn to each night while the Lakers simply do not have the horses to keep up.

Mixing up the rotation

You don’t want to overreact too much to one game, but the Lakers’ bench woes are not unique to Game 1 of this series.

Jaxson Hayes’ spot is pretty locked in as the backup center. But Luke Kennard is now on his fourth game running with seven points or fewer. Jake LaRavia had a good Game 6 but, otherwise, has struggled these playoffs, particularly offensively. And now Vando seems likely to miss at least some time.

So, does Redick look to mix things up a bit in Game 2? Bronny James provided nice minutes in the Houston series. Maxi Kleber could step into Vando’s minutes and give LA a two-big look. If you really want to get spicy, Adou Thiero is the only other athletic wing on the bench. Or Nick Smith Jr. could get some run to see if he’s got the shot going.

The Lakers have now gone four straight games without reaching 100 points. They are 1-3 in those contests. There needs to be some level of change. It’s not guaranteed to fix anything, but the Lakers can’t keep trotting out the same rotation hoping for different results.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

According to Michael Grange, the Utah Jazz outbid the Toronto Raptors for Jaren Jackson Jr. during the trade deadline.

The Raptors season was charmed, refreshing and encouraging. The off-season could be more challenging: https://t.co/31eEGDJqnC

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) May 4, 2026

From Grange:

leading up to trade deadline in February, the Raptors were working hard to try and make a deal that would land them Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies before he was ultimately traded to the Utah Jazz in a package that included three first round picks, according to multiple league sources. The sticking point was finding someone to take on Jakob Poeltl’s four years and $104 million the 30-year-old has owed to him. 

It’s a good thing that the Raptors made the signing for Poeltl because it likely helped make sure that Jackson would be on the Jazz. There are always stories that come out after trade deadlines, and this is one of them. A little luck appears to have helped the Jazz with this trade. Let’s hope the luck also carries over to the upcoming lottery night.

This is also a good example of why you need to be careful with giving out big contracts to non-all-stars. Utah is in the midst of deciding on a contract with Walker Kessler. Interestingly, Kessler wants more than what the Raptors gave to Poeltl. Kessler is a better player than Jakob Poeltl, but he’s not an all-star, and $30M a year for a rim-protecting center is a tough pill to swallow and could give the Jazz real headaches down the road if Kessler doesn’t live up to the money. Now, if Kessler can continue to develop different aspects of his game, it changes things. But you could argue that Kessler and Poeltl are pretty similar players. Now that Utah is competing for as many wins as possible, the decisions they make have much bigger consequences, they have to get things right. Otherwise, you have unintended consequences down the road you can’t foresee right now.

In the playoffs, rotations shrink, but perhaps Lakers head coach JJ Redick will have to open his up a bit. The Lakers had only eight players who logged at least 10 minutes and with so many subpar performances, someone else needed to be called upon.

The Thunder had 10 players play more than 10 minutes and they got great production from Jared McCain. LA could’ve put Nick Smith Jr. in the game for a stretch to see if he could ignite the offense, especially in a game where Austin Reaves gave the team nothing.

Yes, it’s a gamble, but clearly every option has to be explored if the Lakers are going to pull off an upset against the Thunder.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

36 minutes, 27 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-17 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-1 FT, -6

LeBron set the tone early for the Lakers, scoring immediately, knocking down threes, and getting LA ahead 7-0. He stayed aggressive and was efficient, scoring 27 points on 12-17 shooting.

Games like these prove just how valuable LeBron James is. When the games matter, he elevates his game, and others can't be counted on to do the same. If he leaves or retires, the Lakers will need to sign at least two players to even come close to his level of production/ impact.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 6, 2026

Once again, LeBron came to play and was far and away the best player in a purple and gold uniform. Hopefully, other starters follow his lead and up their game.

Grade: A

Rui Hachimura

37 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 1-2 FT, -21

Hachimura played at his expected level. He knocked down shots and was a three-level scorer for the Lakers. Despite the disappointing loss, Hachimura reached a satisfactory level of consistency.

Grade: B

Deandre Ayton

27 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 5-11 FG, -4

Ayton was aggressive early and had an overall nice game with a double-double. His defense against the Thunder bigs was good, and while many things went wrong for the purple and gold, Ayton wasn’t one of them.

Grade: B

Marcus Smart

32 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-15 FG, 2-8 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10

Smart was a bit of a roller coaster. He had some great defensive moments, was fighting for loose balls and knocked down some nice shots. He also had some silly turnovers and frustrating plays, taking shots he had no business taking.

There is no room for error against the Thunder, so he has to make better decisions.

Grade: C

Austin Reaves

36 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3-16 FG, 0-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10

Reaves was awful.

The Lakers need more from him. It’s understandable he’s not at 100%, considering he is just coming back from his Grade 2 oblique strain, but these are the defending champions.

If Reaves can’t score in bunches and Luka Dončić doesn’t return, then they have no shot of winning this series.

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

29 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT, -14

As the playoff intensity has increased, Luke’s production has gone the other way. He’s still the best bench player the Lakers have, but that’s kind of the problem. Nothing can be done now, as this is the team they have, so Luke just needs to be more aggressive and take advantage of the opportunities he gets.

Grade: D

Jaxson Hayes

16 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 1-3 FG, 1-2 FT, -12

Hayes did his job in this game. He was a ball of energy and a willing and able defender. How a blocking call was overturned and became an offensive foul for Hayes in the third quarter is anybody’s guess.

Grade: B

Jake LaRavia

13 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, -9

LaRavia’s offense was bad, his passes were suspect, and his defensive impact was minimal. He just isn’t playing well, and this level of competition seems a bit too much for him.

Grade: F

Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, Dalton Knecht

Vando likely would’ve played more, but his night was cut short due to a dislocation of his right pinky. He had to exit the game, and we don’t know what his status will be moving forward.

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger in a gruesome injury tonight, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 6, 2026

Everyone else played for just a minute in garbage time.

JJ Redick

While I would’ve liked some other backcourt looks once it was clear Reaves didn’t have it, Redick did a solid job. The way he was able to contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was brilliant, and he was smart with his timeouts, using them earlier than usual when he felt that OKC was going on a run.

His ATOs were very good. He had a brilliant one drawn up at the end of the second quarter that got LeBron a clean look at the basket. James missed it, but it was an example of how Redick can find an advantage and set his team up for success.

Grade: B

Tuesday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber

Tuesday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

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

DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.

Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers.

James Harden had 22 points and Max Stus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.

Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an elimination game against Toronto.

THUNDER 108, LAKERS 90

OKLAHOMA CITY, (AP) — Chet Holmgren had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Oklahoma City routed Los Angeles in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points for the Thunder. The defending champions improved to 5-0 in the playoffs, despite missing 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams with an injured left hamstring for the third straight game. The Thunder shot 49.4% from the field and made 13 of 30 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City will host Game 2 on Thursday.

Los Angeles struggled to find offense without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who has missed the past month with an injured left hamstring. LeBron James scored 27 points and Rui Hachimura added 18 for the Lakers. Austin Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points in the regular season, was held to eight on 3-for-16 shooting.

Lakers coach JJ Redick was succinct about what it was like for his group to face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder during the regular season.

“We sucked against this team,” he said pregame.

The Lakers lost all four regular-season games against the Thunder by double figures, making L.A.’s 108-90 defeat to Oklahoma City in Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs just another big loss to the talented Thunder.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points and six assists while Rui Hachimura had 18 points, but Austin Reaves had only eight points, shooting three for 16 from the field.

The Lakers doubled-teamed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander frequently, limiting him to 18 points and forcing him into seven turnovers.

But the Thunder just turned to Chet Holmgren, who had a double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

The Lakers shot only 41.7% (35 of 84) from the field and 30% (10 of 30) from three-point range while the Thunder shot 49.4% (42 of 85) from the field and 43.3% (13 of 30) from deep.

Game 2 is here Thursday night.

The Lakers didn’t help themselves at the beginning of the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on two of their first three possessions. When Marcus Smart, who finished with 12 points on four-of-15 shooting and seven assists, turned the ball over to Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso waltzed in for a layup, the Lakers went down by 15 points and had to call a timeout with 10 minutes and 41 seconds left to regroup.

The Lakers never did.

They fell into a 19-point hole in the final 12 minutes of play and never recovered.

The Lakers lost by almost 30 points per game in their four-game series against the Thunder during the regular season, and one of the games was a 43-point shellacking.

But the Lakers found their groove in the first round against the Houston Rockets and that has fueled their belief in this series against the Thunder.

“We've been able to execute, even just going back to the last three games of the regular season,” Redick said. “Again, we kind of had to reset with not a lot of time and build something a little bit new on the fly. I think our guys were able to find their way and find their way from an execution standpoint, and for the most part, did a good job of that on both ends in the Houston series.

"This is a different team and the best team, and it's going to require more. I think every round that you advance in the playoffs, you need to elevate all of the stuff even more. …That's our attention to detail, that's our belief, that's our poise. We got to be great in all those areas.”

The Lakers talked every practice about the runs the Thunder go on and how they had to limit them.

Well, it happened at the end of the first quarter, when Oklahoma City scored the last five points of the period, and it happened at the outset of the second quarter, when the Thunder scored the first five points to open a 10-point lead.

Redick leaped off the bench to call a timeout with 10:36 left in the second to get things back in order for the Lakers.

The Lakers recovered, but they then went down 56-43 in the second quarter and had to recover again.

They did, pulling to within 61-53 at the half.

Note: Lakers reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt injured his right finger in the second quarter and didn’t return. Vanderbilt tried to block a dunk by Holmgren, but instead hit hand on the backboard and went down in pain.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers were far from perfect with their game plan execution during Tuesday’s 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Thunder at Paycom Center.

But they did enough to hang around against the defending NBA champions. 

They disrupted Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive rhythm with aggressive defensive coverages.

They took care of the ball in the first half, which helped them keep the score close.

But it wasn’t enough to pull off the victory, with coach JJ Redick pulling his main rotation players with 1:45 remaining with his team trailing 105-87 after watching his team struggle to put together an effective offense for most of the second half.

“I don’t think there was a turning point,” Redick said. “It was a general theme throughout the night: When we made game-plan mistakes, it bit us.”

The Lakers scored just 37 second-half points after having 53 points in the first two quarters. 

LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting to go with 6 assists, 4 rebounds.

Rui Hachimura had 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting while Deandre Ayton added a 10 point-11 rebound double-double, but the offense was stuck in the mud for most of Tuesday night.

Austin Reaves (8 points on 3-of-16 shooting to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 turnovers) struggled. So did Marcus Smart (12 points on 4-of-15 shooting to go with 7 assists and 4 rebounds).

And the Lakers didn’t get much scoring from their bench, which only produced 15 points compared to the Thunder’s 34. 

The Thunder were led by a 24 point-12 rebound double-double from Chet Holmgren, while Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell both scored 18 points.  

What it means 

The Lakers are trailing in the second round playoff series, 0-1, after Tuesday’s loss.

Tuesday marked the fourth time in five matchups they lost to the Thunder by at least 18 points this season. 

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Turning point

When the Thunder went on a 7-0 run after the Lakers cut their deficit to four midway through the third quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pull-up jumper to start the Thunder’s run, with the Lakers getting a pair of missed 3s from Reaves and one from Smart during their scoring drought, before Lu Dort knocked down a 3 after a turnover from Jaxson Hayes.

After another turnover from Reaves, which was his fourth of the game, Cason Wallace made a layup to put the Thunder up 76-65, with Redick calling timeout at the 4:35 mark to slow down the run. 

The Lakers trailed by at least eight points for the remainder of the game. 

MVP: Chet Holmgren

During a game Gilgeous-Alexander uncharacteristically struggled with taking care of the ball (7 turnovers) as the Lakers sent multiple defenders his way, Holmgren stepped up with play finishing, serving as a release valve for the offense and providing a strong rim presence. 

Holmgren led the Thunder with 9 first-quarter points and had most of his scoring total (18) by halftime, helping his team take a 61-53 lead going into the third quarter.  

Stat of the game: 41.7%

That was the Lakers’ field goal percentage against the Thunder, a reflection of their offensive struggles. 

Up next

The Lakers and Thunder will match up again on Thursday at Paycom Center for Game 2 of the second round series.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT.

A nasty injury for Jarred Vanderbilt may have not just ruled him out for the game, but for an extended time.

In the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 1, Vando tried to block a fastbreak dunk attempt by Chet Holmgren and, in the process, smacked the backboard with his hand. He immediately doubled over in very obvious pain and exited the game.

That’s gotta hurt…

Jarred Vanderbilt heads to the locker room after a hard hit on the backboard.

Watch the #NBAPlayoffs LIVE on Disney+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/BgDcLiVJPc

— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) May 6, 2026

Late in the game, after Vando had already been ruled out for the contest, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that he had suffered a full dislocation of his pinky finger.

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt has sustained a full dislocation of his right pinky finger in a gruesome injury tonight, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 6, 2026

All dislocated fingers are not created the same. While Kobe Bryant memorably popped his back into place, that isn’t always the case with them, and especially one as gruesome’s as Vando’s was.

While the injury was never shown, the reaction of the OKC bench after the injury gives an idea of how nasty it was.

The Thunder bench reacting to Jarred Vanderbilt's injury:pic.twitter.com/OynXEDhDcNhttps://t.co/KdKU4g08S7

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 6, 2026

After the game, Charania confirmed that the bone broke through the skin, requiring stitches.

Vanderbilt needed stitches postgame because the bone in his dislocated pinky finger broke skin, sources said.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 6, 2026

The Lakers already don’t have much in the way of forwards as is, so losing Vando against an OKC with lots of them is a blow. If it is a dislocation, which it sure looks to be, then it’s also likely not just a one-game injury either.

That it’s on his non-shooting hand might help the situation, but it seems more likely the Lakers will have to figure out a new plan and potentially insert someone else into the rotation in Vando’s spot moving forward. That could be Maxi Kleber if they’re looking to replace him with another forward, or it could be Bronny James, who stepped into the rotation when Austin Reaves was out.

The most important thing, though, is that Vando is healthy after what appears to be a pretty nasty injury.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Pressure? 

Mike Brown scoffed at the notion. 

Even if owner James Dolan said in January he felt the Knicks “absolutely” had to reach the NBA Finals and “should” win them, the first-year coach had that mindset all along after taking the job. 

“People have talked about a mandate — like I’m coaching to win,” Brown said Tuesday. “It doesn’t matter what others say. I’m disappointed if we’re not in the Finals and having a chance to win it.”

They certainly look capable of getting to the NBA Finals now, after advancing in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in emphatic fashion and crushing the 76ers on Monday to start the Eastern Conference semifinal series. 

The Knicks are hitting on all cylinders, the first team in NBA history to win three straight playoff games by at least 25 points. 

When the Knicks moved on from Tom Thibodeau last spring after reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, Brown wasn’t their top choice.

But after missing out on a few targets, most notably Jason Kidd, they settled on Brown. 

It hasn’t necessarily been smooth sailing. The Knicks trailed the Hawks 2-1 in the first round, before dominating the rest of the series.

Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t have particularly strong regular seasons.

But both have come on in the playoffs, and Brown deserves some credit for how well this group is performing. 

“The opportunity for this job came open, and I was just intrigued by the players,” he said. “I was intrigued by being in New York, calling Madison Square Garden my home court, being around the fans, hanging with [team president] Leon Rose who I’ve known for many years. He’s just a fantastic human being. And being around the players on that roster, and that’s all I looked at it as. 

“The mandate and all that other stuff, like that’s what I expect, that’s what I want to do, and hopefully it can happen, but who knows.”

Brown isn’t ready to anoint this group just yet. While he likes how they are playing, he believes there is room for growth.

It is that same even-keeled approach that served the Knicks well in the Hawks series, when others outside the franchise were panicking. 

“He doesn’t listen to the outside noise and doesn’t let that affect him. And he’s focused every day on how he can come in and make this team better,” Josh Hart said. “He listens to his coaches and listens to us with our feedback and what we have to say and asks us questions and stuff like that. So I think it’s just a good line of communication with everyone within the organization. … And he’s doing an amazing job with that outside noise.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers missed an opportunity to steal Game 1 against the Detroit Pistons.

Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

LOSER – Turnovers

Cleveland turned it over 20 times tonight, allowing 31 points off those turnovers. That might be the fastest way to guarantee yourself a loss on the road.

The ball was especially slippery for James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, who combined for 10 turnovers to just 9 assists. Harden was the primary culprit, coughing it up seven times tonight and a whopping 43 times throughout the playoffs so far.

Harden has felt like an offensive stabilizer for the Cavs. Even more so when Mitchell was struggling in round one. But he’s got to be more careful with the ball, or these ugly turnovers will seal their fate. There’s no way around it.

As for Mitchell, the Cavs are waiting for him to spark back to life. He’s been dormant since Game 2 versus Toronto — and they can’t afford for their star player to finish games with more turnovers than assists. Cleveland is desperate for some efficient playmaking, and neither Mitchell nor Harden is ringing that bell at that moment.

WINNER – Max Strus

You can only afford so many record scratch moments in the NBA Playoffs. If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, imagine a perfect drive-and-kick opportunity that turns into a Dean Wade pumpfake that resets the offense.

That’s a record scratch.

The Cavs have loved having Wade on the floor with the core four, as his defensive versatility turns them from mediocre to elite. But Wade’s inability to shoot with volume or create off the dribble has severely limited his ceiling on the big stage. Strus doesn’t have that problem.

You won’t get the same defensive effort from Strus, but the Cavs offense has access to more options when he’s on the court. That’s because he’s a volume shooter who puts pressure on a defense to stay attached to him. The Cavs guard-guard screens are effective with Strus being a threat to pop for a three-point attempt.

Strus scored 19 points on 7-13 shooting tonight (4-8 from deep). He also added 5 rebounds. We know that Strus is a streaky shooter and could just as easily struggle in his next game. Still, added offensive production from Strus is something the Cavs can reasonably expect to get at various points in a playoff series. Tonight was one of those nights. They should have taken advantage.

LOSER – Rotations

There’s a reason that most teams shrink their rotations once the playoffs begin. You aren’t going to find more than eight or nine guys who can hang on the floor as the margins for error get smaller.

The Cavs played 11 guys tonight. That’s hard to explain.

Sure, Sam Merrill left the game with a hamstring after only playing seven minutes. So a spot in the rotation was opened for Keon Ellis to get his first run in four games. And, Jarrett Allen found himself in foul trouble, so Thomas Bryant was dusted off the bench for a few runs.

But the problem isn’t that Bryant and Ellis had to play minutes in a pinch. It’s that Kenny Atkinson chose to dig deeper into his bench rather than simply adding more responsibility to his star players. Again, there’s a reason most teams choose the latter in the playoffs. You’d rather lose with your best players deciding the game than start the fourth quarter with three reserves.

Seriously, the Cavs opened the fourth with Bryant, Ellis, and Dennis Schroder on the court. It didn’t go well, and all momentum from their third-quarter rally was lost.

No one played more than 36 minutes tonight for Cleveland. Allen, who was the hero in Game 7, played just 18 minutes with four fouls. Are we aware that fouling out doesn’t come with a suspension? Why not trust the Fro to play with two fouls to give instead of playing him just eight more minutes than Bryant?

Conversely, Cunningham played 43 minutes for Detroit. Tobias Harris played 39. There’s value in leaning on your best players. The Cavs will need to do that moving forward.

A rough offensive night for the Lakers left them struggling to find enough scoring to keep up with the Thunder in Game 1 as they fell to OKC, 108-90.

After a fast start to the contest, LA trailed OKC for the final three quarters. However, the lead would ebb and flow as the purple and gold had brief runs that seemed to get them back into the game.

Each time, though, the Thunder had a response to gain breathing room once more. By the end of the game, the Lakers had run out of gas as OKC had repeatedly found answers to the problems LA presented them.

The Lakers shot 41.7% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line. They turned the ball over 17 times, leading to 20 points for OKC.

LA started hot offensively, going up by seven early. OKC eventually caught up and tied the game, but LeBron continued his hot shooting. He was cooking with 10 points, the first player from either team in double figures. Chet Holmgren was leading the Thunder with seven points.

At the 6:56 mark, it was a tie game.

The Lakers did a great job defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who only had three points on two shot attempts. Los Angeles was shooting 47% from the field, while Oklahoma City was at 42%. 

At the 2:37 mark, LA was up by three. 

Jaylin Williams scored on a triple to tie it up again as part of a 9-2 OKC run to take a five-point lead going into the second. 

The Lakers led 24-22 with 1:44 left in the 1st Q, but allowed a 9-2 OKC run that put them down by 5 after 12 minutes of action.

LeBron's 12 points led all scorers.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 6, 2026

Both teams opened the second period missing their first shot attempts before Ajay Mitchell was fouled and converted on both free throws. Jared McCain then drained a 3-pointer, putting even more distance on OKC’s lead and forcing a timeout.

Ayton stopped the bleeding for LA with back-to-back baskets. 

The Lakers cut the deficit to three thanks to Ayton scoring again and Luke Kennard converting on three free throws. Cason Wallace stopped Los Angeles’ run with a triple. OKC responded well, giving themselves a bigger lead. 

Austin Reaves scored his first field goal on a layup. 

After a dunk by Holmgren, Jarred Vanderbilt, who was defending him, doubled over in pain and went straight to the locker room. He would eventually be ruled out for the game.

Marcus Smart splashed his first 3-pointer of the half. SGA started cooking, scoring a quick four points to make it a double-digit lead for Oklahoma City.

Smart stopped OKC’s 8-1 run with a triple. With the half winding down, Kennard knocked down a much-needed 3-pointer. On the other end, LeBron stole the ball and took it all the way for a dunk to make it a single-digit deficit. 

At halftime, the purple and gold were down by eight. 

The Thunder lead the Lakers 61-53 at the half. LeBron James has 16 points. Deandre Ayton has 10 and a team-high six rebounds. Luke Kennard has six points off the bench.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 6, 2026

Mitchell opened the third with a layup for the Thunder. After a few missed attempts from Ayton, Holmgren dunked on the other end. He was now up to 20 points. Smart got the Lakers on the board with a midrange jumper. 

LA continued to hang around with Smart scoring again, and Rui Hachimura knocked down his first 3-pointer of the game. 

It was a seven-point deficit at the 8:03 mark. Los Angeles was playing good defense and doing well, keeping themselves within striking distance. Hachimura drained another triple and made it a four-point deficit. 

SGA was up to five turnovers. 

It didn’t matter as OKC scored seven in a row, forcing a timeout from Los Angeles. Out of the break, LeBron scored a bucket in the paint. The quarter closed on a four-point play by Mitchell. Going into the fourth, the Lakers were down by 12. 

Instead of holding for the last shot of the quarter as is typical, Mitchell rose up for a contested corner 3 with 12.3 seconds in the 3rd … and hit it, plus the foul on Smart.

That gave OKC an 84-72 cushion heading into the 4th Q.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 6, 2026

A Los Angeles turnover started the final frame. Luckily for LA, the Thunder missed on the other end, which led to Hachimura being fouled and converting one of two free throws.

Oklahoma City then scored four in a row, which included a dunk by Alex Caruso, to make it a 15-point game. McCain drained two triples in a row as OKC built the lead to 19 points.

The Lakers tried one last time to get back into the game, pulling within 14 points with 6:08 left after a Hachimura triple. However, it’s as close as they would get as, with 3:50 left, Oklahoma City went up by 17, sealing the win for the Thunder. 

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists. Ayton had 10 points, 11 rebounds and two assists. Austin Reaves had a rough offensive game with eight points on 3-16 shooting to go with his five rebounds and six assists. 

Smart pitched in with 12 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Hachimura put up 18 points, going 7-13 from the field. Kennard ended with seven points and five rebounds. 

Game 2 will be on Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 6:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Luka Doncic is still building towards a return, but it won't come in time for the start of the Western Conference semifinals.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Doncic for the start of their second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported on "Inside the NBA."

Charania reports the Lakers are evaluating Doncic on a week-to-week basis, and he is currently on a "slow path" in his recovery from a Grade 2 hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined for the past month.

"He's doing more and more on the court," Charania reported. "But right now, still not full-fledged running or full-contact workouts."

Did Luka Doncic play Tuesday night vs. Thunder?

No, he was out for Game 1.

When is Luka Doncic returning?

The timeline for his return is also still unclear, according to ESPN.

Doncic was seen putting shots up during Lakers practice on Monday, May 4, but he has yet to progress to 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 drills. Lakers head coach JJ Redick had no update for reporters.

Doncic has missed 11 games since straining his left hamstring against Oklahoma City on April 2. The Lakers have gone 7-4 in that span and ran out to a 3-0 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Houston Rockets before winning the series in six games.

Luka Doncic, getting up shots Monday. When asked about his availability for Game 1, JJ Redick said, “no update.” pic.twitter.com/UZBw9x2E9R

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 4, 2026

The odds are stacked against Los Angeles yet again with a matchup against the defending NBA champion Thunder, who won a league-best 64 games in the regular season. The absence of Jalen Williams makes things slightly less lopsided, especially if the Lakers keep producing total team efforts with contributions from Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura.

Make no mistake, though: Doncic, who led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game and finished third in assists with 8.3 per game, will be needed this series, as evidenced by the result of Game 1.

It just remains to be seen when – or if – he'll be back in time.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When will Luka Doncic return? Status for Lakers vs. Thunder series

Two years ago, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by just one point (650-649) throughout their thrilling six-game first-round series.

The rematch began with the 76ers’ worst playoff loss since 1982, their most points allowed in a playoff game since 1970 and the ninth-biggest blowout of any series opener in NBA history. The Knicks’ 137-98 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals also resulted in the 76ers becoming the second team in NBA history to lose three playoff games by at least 30 points in the same postseason.

But the Sixers bounced back from similar beatdowns in the first round, responding to a series-opening blowout loss in Boston with a 14-point win in Game 2.

Then, after being embarrassed in Game 4 by the heavily favored Celtics, Philadelphia found rhythm and resolve, becoming the first team in franchise history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

“If we lose by seven points, or 70 points, it doesn’t really matter,” Tyrese Maxey said after Monday’s loss. “They won one game and we lost one game. We’re gonna make some adjustments and we’ll be ready for Game 2. Game 1 doesn’t carry over to Game 2.”

The Knicks started this series with advantages on paper, but also the edge of being off the previous three days, following three stress-free victories over the Hawks. 

The 76ers played their sixth game in 11 days, entering Madison Square Garden less than 48 hours after leaving Boston with one of the team’s biggest victories in decades.

“We can’t use the fatigue as an excuse,” Paul George said. “But it has been an emotional roller coaster. You go from a Game 7, you get one day off and then you’re right back into another matchup. I think there was some carryover of us trying to get up and trying to get prepared for this next matchup. But we definitely should have come out and did a better job.”

Rest and renewed purpose may not help against Jalen Brunson, who averaged 35.5 points in the 2024 series and just carved up the Sixers for 35 points in 31 minutes. Philly may have no answers for newly designated point center Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging eight assists in the past four games.

But the 76ers should expect more from Maxey, who attempted just one shot in the first 15 minutes of Game 1 and finished with his fewest points (13) since Jan. 26.

Embiid, who shot 3-for-11 from the field, scored his fewest points (14) since Dec. 4. And the 76ers — who rank seventh in fewest turnovers committed — gave away the ball 19 times in Game 1, leading to 25 points for the Knicks.

“We have to wash that one away and get back and provide a bunch more energy and physicality,” said 76ers coach Nick Nurse, who attended his brother’s funeral in Iowa on Tuesday, but is expected to be at the Garden tonight for Game 2. “I just felt like we were a full step slower defensively. We just seemed like we were chasing everything, didn’t guard the ball well enough, didn’t contest shooters well enough. They were obviously picking us apart, just moving a lot better than we were.

“I think it was a pretty tough night for everybody. I didn’t think we shot it particularly well, but I don’t think we generated good enough shots. We’re gonna have to figure out how to run more offense to get some of the same looks we got in the past series. Obviously it’s a new series. We gotta figure it out.”

DETROIT — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.

Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.

The Pistons forced 20 turnovers that led to 31 points in a strong performance against Cleveland’s potent backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.

“That’s what this series presents, but we’re up for a challenge,” Harris said. “I thought tonight we did a great job of that.”

Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers.

Harden had 22 points and Max Strus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.

Harden committed seven turnovers and pointed the blame at himself.

“You look within first,” he said. “Look at my turnovers and a lot of them are just on me and nothing they did.”

Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an elimination game against Toronto.

Two days after both teams won a Game 7, the Pistons started strong and led 37-31 after a quarter. Detroit took a 59-46 lead into the second half, when the cushion was no longer comfortable.

Cleveland pulled within three points late in the third and Ron Holland hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the quarter and put the Pistons up 83-76.

After the Cavs cut their deficit to three again early in the fourth, the Pistons responded with eight consecutive points to restore a double-digit lead.

Cleveland, though, wouldn’t go away.

Harden, playing the Pistons for the first time since Cleveland acquired him, scored seven straight points to pull the Cavs into a 93-all tie with 5:28 left.

Jalen Duren blocked Harden’s next shot and dunked on Detroit’s next three possessions — each off Cunningham assists.

The Pistons won the Central Division this year by eight games ahead of the defending champion Cavs, splitting four games during the regular season.

Detroit earned 60 victories and the top seed in the East just two years after losing 68 games and setting a single-season NBA record with 28 straight losses.

The Pistons rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the first round against Orlando to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Cleveland outlasted Toronto in seven games to reach the second round for the third straight year, a run that started with Bickerstaff, who was fired by the Cavs and hired a month later by the Pistons.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt had an early exit from Tuesday’s Game 1 against the Thunder because of a right pinky injury that was later diagnosed as a dislocation, a source confirmed to the California Post.

Another source told the Post that a bone in Vanderbilt’s pinky broke skin as a result of the play the injury occurred.

Vanderbilt suffered the finger injury midway through the second quarter while attempting to block an alley-oop for Chet Holmgren, with Vanderbilt’s pinky hitting the backboard as he swiped for the ball. 

The 6-foot-8 forward immediately went to the ground in pain, holding his right hand near the Thunder bench, with Oklahoma City players reacting in disgust when they saw Vanderbilt’s hand. 

“I had to go check on him because it just looked bad,” coach JJ Redick said postgame. “I mean, he was audibly screaming, and you knew he had done something. So we’re obviously disappointed that happened. It’s just a freak injury.

Better view of the Jared Vanderbilt injury

Likely right 5th digit (pinky) dislocation/and or fracture pic.twitter.com/81HG70NN4r

— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) May 6, 2026

He immediately went back to the locker room at the 5:51 mark of the second quarter.

“He’s tough as nails,” LeBron James said. “So if Vando was in pain, then something actually really happened. So, it sucks.”

The Lakers ruled Vanderbilt out for the remainder of the game at halftime.

“I just talked to him,” Redick said. “He’s in as good of spirits as you can be in this situation. Obviously, frustrated with what happened.”