Category: NBA

They didn’t have it last night in game five. The vet duo of LeBron James and Marcus Smart from the Los Angeles Lakers failed to regain the lead and outsmart the Houston Rockets Wednesday. Rockets’ Reed Sheppard took a page out of their book and turned the table on the Lakers in clutch time. But in order to win the series, the Lakers need to get back to what worked in the first three games, the one area where they kept coming out on top: basketball IQ. 

There’s a reason why people always talk about how important veterans are in basketball. In the playoffs, it’s even more the case, and we’re seeing proof of that right before our eyes in the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets first round playoff series.

As the Lakers went up 3-0 last week without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic (oblique and hamstring strain), it was in no small part due to the basketball IQ and experience of the two vets on the team: Marcus Smart and LeBron James. 

In the playoffs, the smallest details, margins and decisions can make or break a possession, a quarter or a game – ultimately a series. One possession can result in a change in momentum that ends up winning you the game. Being one game up can switch the momentum of a series completely. And here, playoff experience making quick decisions in that type of high-pressure environment can be a deciding factor. 

A great example is a much-talked about possession in game three. The Lakers were down three with 25.4 left of the game. LeBron James goes up to press and manages to poke the ball away. Marcus Smart secures the loose ball and passes it quickly back to James, who ends up making a three to tie the game and send it to overtime, which the Lakers comfortably win. 

SMART TO JAMES.
JAMES TO KENNARD.
KENNARD TO JAMES.

LEBRON JAMES SENDS THE GAME TO OT 🤯 https://t.co/1nFMhvLtXupic.twitter.com/z0Z9O1l38w

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

But what came before this was even more impressive. With 33 seconds left, the Rockets had a chance to close the game up six 95-101. Just listen to the commentators. The Lakers needed a stop at this point to even have a shot at turning the tide, and Smart knows. He starts to pressure and steals the ball, then shoots a quick three and gets fouled. Three free throws and the Lakers go from being down six with 33 seconds left to being down three with 25 seconds left. 

James’ three next possession tied the game and they eventually secured the win. And remarkably the vet duo was almost entirely behind the whole thing. An incredible example of how good decision-making, high basketball IQ and understanding of the game can affect winning directly. 

We were dead in the water, down 6 with 30 seconds left in the game. I think I can speak for most of the fanbase when I say that we thought this game was over…

And then Marcus Smart happened #TheStealhttps://t.co/C65P40203opic.twitter.com/dOSu4sKJEr

— 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 ♛ (@Igotburners) April 25, 2026

LeBron James, 41, famously won four championships with three different teams through his 23 NBA seasons. Marcus Smart, 32, may not be considered a superstar like James, but he has substantial experience and playoff acumen from his time on the Boston Celtics with multiple Eastern Conference finals and an NBA Final on his resume. All of that experience clearly has  translated well on this team of hard workers, as well as with an aging superstar. 

His connection with James has been nothing short of impressive, exemplified throughout this series. James made sure to point this out too after the viral meme of him communicating with only facial expressions during one of the first games. That was to Smart. 

“You guys seen the meme after Game 1. I can look at him and he can know what the hell I’m talking about.”

“You guys seen the meme after Game 1. I can look at him and he can know what the hell I’m talking about” – LeBron James reveals Marcus Smart was who he was making nonverbal communication with in the series opener 👀 pic.twitter.com/DsAZSZXiND

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 22, 2026

When someone knows what the hell you’re talking about without having to spell it out, it’s a sure sign of chemistry and basketball IQ. And the two of them have linked up in a way that other teams could only dream of. 

Just look at the connection that goes before this perfect lob from Smart to James in a crucial clutch possession in game three again:

Marcus Smart with the perfect lob to LeBron 🎯 pic.twitter.com/M4sM05sLM5

— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) April 25, 2026

Leading the defensive effort and getting stops, Smart has obviously been both very important to James and his performance during this round, as well as to the team. Knowing when to act and adjust, and having the trust of his teammates makes him invaluable to this team. 

When athleticism is dwarfed by IQ 

Only the best stay around long enough to become vets in the NBA, and as time passes they have to adjust their game and play style. Everyone will eventually lose the raw athleticism they may have had earlier in their career – or at least see it be diminished by age and injuries – and have to rely more on their basketball IQ. 

That’s one of the reasons most vets are considered intelligent basketball players, because just being able to stay in the league and then understanding how to adjust after your peak makes for high basketball IQ, as well as experience, which plays a large part, too. 

And players understanding the push and pulls of a game, the importance of when to pounce, when to slow down and how to change the momentum is that special sauce that makes a basketball game – and especially a playoff series – so exciting to watch. 

Here’s another clutch possession by the duo, but from game two. Marcus Smart with the steal, followed by an offensive possession where they slow down the pace, just to pick it up with a quick back door cut and a perfect pass by Smart to James. Again. 

LeBron James and Marcus Smart pretend to slow down, trying to bite more time from the clock, and suddenly Smart finds LeBron for the cutting dunk (with replays).

Lakers up 7, with less than a minute remaining in regulation pic.twitter.com/KJPBsuXdoR

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 22, 2026

Marcus Smart’s performance in the first games of the 2026 playoffs is a great example of how small intangibles that don’t always make the stat sheet can affect a game and winning directly. So if you’re looking at the box score to give you an impression of a game, let Smart be a reminder that it’s in between the numbers that the magic actually happens. 

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Crypto.com Arena fell silent during a sequence in the fourth quarter Wednesday night.

Trailing by ten points to the Rockets, the Lakers raced down the floor and Austin Reaves shot a three-pointer. He missed it. Deandre Ayton grabbed the rebound and threw it back out to Reaves. He shot another three. He missed that one too. Ayton grabbed yet another offensive rebound. After every player on the floor fumbled the ball, LeBron James drove to the basket and threw a shot off the top of the backboard.

That sequence epitomized Game 5 of the first-round playoff series between the Rockets and Lakers in a nutshell.

The last time Reaves stepped onto a basketball court, it was April 2 in Oklahoma City. Reaves tore his left oblique muscle early in the first quarter of that game and has missed the last four weeks.

“It’s been a grind,” admitted Reaves of the recovery process. “I’ve been running around Los Angeles doing everything I could possibly do to get to this moment.”

In his absence, the Lakers kept moving forward. They kept winning. Without Reaves and the NBA’s scoring leader Luka Doncic, they built a 3-0 cushion against the Rockets while their two stars watched in street clothes from the bench.

Reaves wasn’t in the Lakers starting lineup for Game 5, but when he checked into the game midway through the first quarter he quickly realized that practice in an empty gym can’t prepare you for the pace and urgency of a playoff game. There was no runway. No warmup games. No easing back into game shape. No soft landing. He was being thrown into the fire.

And it showed.

Reaves logged nearly 34 minutes in his return, but none of them were clean. They weren’t smooth. In fact, they were downright heavy.

After making his first basket of the game — a three-pointer from the logo that sent the crowd into a frenzy — he couldn’t hit the ocean if he was on a boat for the remainder of the game. He went 4-for-16 from the field, and 2-for-8 from deep.

“I haven’t played in a while unfortunately,” conceded Reaves. “I wish I could have gotten in more of a rhythm before jumping into the fire like that…I wish I could have played better and made more shots.”

Fatigue. Timing. Legs that don’t quite trust themselves yet. That’s all normal for a player who was thrust back into the middle of the postseason after missing the last four weeks with an injury.

The problem? The Lakers don’t have time for Reaves to find his way back.

They lost 99-93. Two straight losses after a commanding 3-0 lead. Suddenly, what felt inevitable feels fragile. Suddenly, this series has teeth again.

And suddenly, Reaves isn’t just returning—he’s carrying the responsibility of helping this team close out the series.

Head coach J.J. Redick didn’t dress it up.

“Go find the rhythm,” he said when asked about Reaves’ performance.

That’s not a suggestion. That’s a mandate. And the Lakers need him to find it fast.

“As I ran out tonight for the first time in a long time, I got chills,” said Reaves. “And then you get thrown into the fire like this.”

Reaves, a 36% shooter from beyond the arc, was supposed to lift the Lakers in that category in Game 5. Instead he mirrored the team’s biggest issue in the last two games. Through the first three games of the series, the Lakers averaged 47% from deep. In the last two games? That number has collapsed to 23%. And Reaves’ rustiness only contributed to the slide.

“I missed a lot of easy looks,” Reaves confessed. “We didn’t shoot great as a team.”

But this isn’t about missing shots. This is about missing an opportunity.

Reaves’ return was supposed to steady the Lakers. Right now, it hasn’t.

The good news for the Lakers, Reaves has been here before.

In late December, Reaves went down with a calf strain. He missed the next five weeks before returning in Brooklyn off the bench. He was rusty. His rhythm was off. He shot 3-for-9 and 1-for-5 from three.

But two days later, back in Los Angeles against the 76ers, he exploded in just his second game back. A team-high 35 points on 12-for-17 shooting and 5-for-8 from three.

We know that version of Reaves exists, and the Lakers are betting everything that it shows up on Friday in Houston.

Because if it doesn’t, this story stops being about rust and starts becoming about history. The wrong kind.

No team in NBA history has ever blown a 3-0 series lead. Only four teams in history have ever allowed a team to come back from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7. That’s the cliff the Lakers are walking toward now.

One more bad night on Friday, and you’re staring right over the edge.

---

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Just when you think the season looks like it’s over, they pull you right back in.

After a close loss in Game 3 and getting trounced in Game 4, the Sixers came back with a vengeance to take Game 5 on the road in Boston, winning 113-97.

It took until the start of the fourth quarter for the Sixers to take their first lead. There were some cold shooting spells in the first half as well as some fairly flat defense, yet they showed their resolve to keep competing and remain composed. In the second half they ramped up at both ends of the floor, and it was in the fourth quarter with elimination on the line that they executed excellently.

The Sixers dominated the final period 28-11, with the Celtics going an almost unbelievable 3-of-22 from the floor. Meanwhile, Philly shot 9-of-17, took good care of the ball, had key buckets from Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes when they needed them, and their defense locked in.

Put all that together, and the Sixers fought their way to the largest road playoff win in NBA history by a team that trailed entering the fourth quarter.

Now let’s talk about the man who dominated to turn this series around, and whose return could be enough to take this to seven games.

It was an all-time, character defining playoff performance for Embiid. Far beyond what you should expect from someone who just returned mid series after having an emergency appendectomy only 10 days before the start of the playoffs. As our Paul Hudrick wrote when reflecting on Embiid’s night, Jo’s toughness was certainly on full display.

Embiid finished with 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting in just under 39 minutes, eight assists to three turnovers, and a 9-of-10 mark from the free throw line. After struggling to get his jumpers to fall early on from range, he spent more time inside as the game progressed and put on a clinic in the post. Face-up drives, spins, fadeaway jumpers, nifty fakes under the basket to create easier finishes… You name it, Embiid had everything working against anyone the Celtics threw at him.

Joel Embiid with a VINTAGE performance in game 5 to force the series back to Philly

33 PTS | 12-23 FG | 8 AST | 1 BLK pic.twitter.com/3kSy7N2rGc

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) April 29, 2026

Clearly the Sixers could use more of the same heading into Game 6. Apart from how Embiid could get his own against the Celtics’ bigs, we also saw yet again how his gravity could open up space for others. When second defenders stunted towards him or he drew double teams, he calmly made extra passes to keep the offense humming and find the likes of Maxey, Paul George and Grimes in space.

How the Celtics approach him in Game 6, how they use double teams and where they send help from will be essential to monitor. Boston doesn’t have anyone who can comfortably handle Embiid one-on-one. And when he isn’t attacking in isolation, he can collapse the defense and generate open looks from three for his teammates or chances for them to attack late closeouts. It worked in Game 5 — the Sixers just need to keep taking those chances to take this series to Game 7.

Embiid’s return also brought back his two-man game with Maxey, which the latter sure could use after the offensive load he’s had to carry so far this series while struggling somewhat with his jumper. Whether it’s their pick-and-roll play, dribble hand-off action, or how Maxey can relocate into space as Embiid pulls in the defense, it’s easier for Maxey to get open.

Another huge difference maker in Game 5 was Grimes. He scored 18 points on only eight field goal attempts to lead the second unit and shot 4-of-7 from three, all while applying fierce pressure with his on-ball defense.

It was easily Grimes’ best game of the series so far, and after showing some improvement already with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in Game 4 after a quiet first three games, it’ll make a real difference if he can keep this going in Game 6. Beyond how his defense helped contain Jaylen Brown and others, Grimes simply hitting shots makes it much easier for the Sixers’ offense to stay balanced through quieter games from guys like VJ Edgecombe.

Just look at how Grimes smothered Brown on this possession. Grimes forced Brown to essentially waste the whole shot clock with his excellent movement on the ball and physicality.

pic.twitter.com/has31cCgvd

— JGrieb10film (@JGrieb10film) April 29, 2026

The Celtics ended up running a lot of isolation possessions in Game 5, and for the most part they had little success. Jayson Tatum was contained well enough with 24 points on 8-of-19 shooting, Brown finished with 22 points on 23 shots, and the Celtics’ cooler 28.2 percent shooting from three cost them as well.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Celtics change up their offensive approach much in Game 6, and if the Sixers can keep defending the perimeter as they did Tuesday. From Grimes’ play to how stellar George has been defensively all series (he also added 16 points, four triples, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in Game 5), there’s plenty of strong play at that end to build on. If the Sixers can remained focused on defense overall and consistently pay attention to the simple details like boxing out (which they haven’t always done yet this series), they’re in good shape.

Maxey made it clear after Game 5 how motivated the Sixers were to recover from the ugliness of Game 4.

“The performance we put on for our fans the last time at home was a disgrace and unacceptable,” he said. “They deserve for us to come back home and play well.”

Now, the Sixers have that chance to go back home and force a Game 7. And if they get this version of Embiid again, they may well do it. When he’s this good, it’s that hard to find an answer for him.

If that kind of Embiid performance remains, the Sixers stay warm enough from three, Maxey builds off his improved 10-of-18 shooting night on Tuesday, George keeps thriving at both ends, and Grimes steps up again, there’s a lot to like about the Sixers’ Game 6 chances.

Game Details

When: Thursday, April 30, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Peacock
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

The New York Knicks will be looking to close out the Atlanta Hawks, but they may have to do so without a key player.

Forward Josh Hart left New York’s 126-97 Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, April 28 in the fourth quarter and did not return to the bench.

After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown did not have any information on Hart’s status, and a team public relations spokesperson indicated that the medical staff had not provided any information about a possible injury.

With the Knicks holding a 3-2 series lead, Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. ET.

Here’s everything you need to know about the status of Knicks forward Josh Hart ahead of Game 6 against the Hawks:

Is Josh Hart playing tonight vs. Hawks?

It’s still unclear. In their first official injury report issued late Wednesday evening, the Knicks listed Hart as questionable with a lower back contusion. It was the first indication from the team that Hart was dealing with an injury, and the severity of it remains unclear.

Presumably, with a closeout situation at stake, Hart will do everything he can to suit up. But given that it’s still early in the playoffs, New York may also want to be cautious with Hart.

Known for his grit, physical play and toughness, Hart has often played through minor issues, and he has become a key figure in New York’s title hopes. Throughout this series, he has served as a versatile defensive wing, alternating his assignments from game to game.

Even if Hart is forced to miss some time, though, the Knicks still have excellent defensive wings in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. In fact, Brown has deployed Hart in a way that allows the Knicks to switch all pick-and-rolls, giving New York excellent matchup versatility on defense.

Josh Hart injury

Hart appeared to suffer a back injury in the first half of Tuesday’s contest, though he remained in the game. Hart was officially subbed out with 6:27 left in Game 5, and he went through the tunnel and didn’t emerge for the rest of the game. The substitution might have been more precautionary, however, as the Knicks were up by 24 points when Hart left the game.

In his 30:14 on the court Tuesday night, Hart scored 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting, adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 in Atlanta, with the Knicks holding a 3-2 series lead. The Knicks issued their first injury report Wednesday, April 29, during the evening.

How to watch Knicks vs. Hawks

• Date: Thursday, April 30
• Location: State Farm Arena (Atlanta)
• Time: 7 p.m. ET
• Channel: ESPN
• Streaming: Disney+, ESPN

Josh Hart stats

In 66 games this season, Hart averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Hart injury update, status for Knicks vs Hawks Game 6

Be honest wth me: do you remember Dereck Lively II playing a single game? I don’t. Or I didn’t. Not until I started looking way back into the season. In my memory, Lively played several games into January 2025, hurt his ankle/foot, and we haven’t seen him since. That, of course, is not true. He returned for a few games at the end of last season, played a few games to start this season, then shut it down and sought out medical opinions for another surgery.

Thus goes the story of Lively’s career today. Some bright, bright flashes, marred by deserts of missed games. In fact, through three NBA seasons, Lively has yet to play 100 regular-season games.

Season in Review

“It’s all about health for Dereck Lively II heading into his third NBA season.” That was the opening line of Matt Martinez’s Dereck Lively’s season preview way back in October.

In some respects Lively’s season was over before it began; he played just 10 minutes in the opening game against the San Antonio Spurs, where Dallas was run off the floor in the opening half. Lively would play the next two games, helping notch the first Dallas win over Toronto. He popped up on the injury report after, didn’t travel to Mexico City for the following game and wouldn’t play again until November 14th. Including that contest, he played just four more games all season, a total of seven for the 2025-26 season. He’d be shut down soon after to seek additional opinions on his previously injured foot/ankle, got surgery in December, and has just recently been seen without his walking boot.

In seven games, he averaged 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in just over 16 minutes a game.

Best game

Given minimal options, Lively’s best game was the wild and foreboding loss to the Washington Wizards in game two. He was one of the team’s few bright spots in his limited minutes, scoring eight on 4 of 5 from the floor, grabbing six rebounds, stealing the ball twice, and notching a block.

Contract status

Lively is entering the final year of his rookie contract, where he will make just over $7.2 million. He is eligible for a contract extension, but given his injury issues the Mavericks have likely only engaged in surface-level discussions.

Looking ahead

There is a lengthy and frustrating history of promising big men seeing their careers derailed by lower body injuries. Feet, in particular, are troublesome. What Dereck Lively is attempting to come back from is as much the weight of history as well as his own body on a troublesome foot. The Mavericks drafted Lively as their big man of the future and that future far too cloudy at present moment.

In short, what Dallas needs first is to see Lively play 60 games in the 2026-27 season. He’ll have both his games and minutes within games managed tightly, but at a certain point medical science can only do so much. He has to stay healthy first, and from that, we can then consider his effectiveness.

Outside of the run from All Star break to the NBA Finals in 2024, Lively has shown very little consistency. He fouls too much on the defensive end and hasn’t played enough without Luka Doncic on the offensive end to show what he’s capable of. The talent is there, of that there’s no doubt. But I believe the key development years for players come largely between 16 and 22 years old. Lively has now missed a huge chunk of that time due to injury.

This coming year is pivotal in what comes next for Lively.

Grade: F

Incomplete would probably be more fair here, but it’s a cruel world. Lively missed well over two seasons of his career to date due to a variety of reasons. This was an important year for Lively and he wasn’t able to perform. Hopefully, next year is a massive change.

Marcus Smart knows what it feels like to be on the other side. The last time the Lakers guard was in the playoffs, he was helping the Boston Celtics storm back from a three-game deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to force a near-historic Game 7.

Now he’s watched the Lakers’ seemingly insurmountable three-games-to-none series lead dwindle to 3-2 after a 99-93 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. Smart isn't flinching.

Whether defending a three-game lead or coming back from one, Smart knows the mindset is the same.

“We really got to literally go out there and be ready to die,” Smart said Wednesday after the Lakers failed to close out the Rockets for the second consecutive game. “... When I was on the other end, that was our motto: be willing to run through a wall and sacrifice your body for the betterment of the team. And that's what we're going to do now.”

NBA teams are 159-0 with a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series. Only four have even pushed it to the decisive Game 7. Smart’s 2023 Boston Celtics, when they clawed back against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, lost Game 7 at home after star Jayson Tatum turned his ankle on the first play of the game.

Hoping to avoid joining the historic list, the Lakers get a third try at vanquishing the Rockets for good in Game 6 on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PDT at Houston’s Toyota Center.

“Once we get on that plane and head down to Houston, we got to forget about it and understand what we are going for,” said LeBron James, who had 25 points and seven assists Friday. “It’s going to be even harder. Every game is hard. It’s so hard to close out a team in the postseason, to win a series, and this is our first time doing it as a unit.”

The Lakers built a three-game lead in the series despite playing without leading scorers Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves in the first four games. Reaves returned from a Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain Wednesday, scoring 22 points on four-of-16 shooting with six assists, but his presence couldn’t stop the gradual decline of the Lakers offense.

Read more:Plaschke: Danger ahead! Lakers loss to the Rockets pushes them closer to the worst kind of history

The Lakers have failed to reach 100 points in each of the last two games. From shooting 53.9% from the field and 51.7% from three in the first 10 quarters of the series, they have shot just 44.6% from the field and 29.2% from three in the last 10, excluding overtime of Game 3.

Luke Kennard, a flamethrower who scored 50 points in the first two games, has scored just eight in the last two. He was scoreless from the field Wednesday, including two missed three-pointers. A 91.2% free-throw shooter, Kennard even missed a free throw.

On the other hand, Houston has found its rhythm. The Rockets made 38.7% of their shots in the first 10 quarters — Games 1 and 2 and the first half of Game 3 — and have shot 46.3% in the 10 quarters since, excluding the Game 3 overtime period. Their three-point shooting has jumped from 30.9% to 34.1%.

“We just got to make shots,” Smart said of the offense's struggles. “... And we're not giving ourselves a chance by turning the ball over, which we can't get a shot up on the rim because of that.”

The Lakers had 15 turnovers that resulted in 18 Rockets points Wednesday. The game started slipping away in the second quarter when they had five turnovers with the Rockets scoring nine points off the miscues. The Lakers let their 11-point first-quarter lead turn into a four-point halftime deficit.

Smart, who was asked to handle more ball-handling responsibilities while Doncic and Reaves were injured, had six turnovers and just two assists Friday. He called them “unacceptable.”

“The turnovers come in all shapes and sizes, and it's about limiting them,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And you certainly have to give your guys freedom to make basketball plays. I would say in general though, turnovers of aggression are OK; turnovers of passivity are not.”

The Rockets only averaged 8.5 steals per game during the regular season, but had two players in the NBA's top 10 in total steals with guards Reed Sheppard (sixth, 122 total steals) and Amen Thompson (eighth, 119). They had three and four steals, respectively, in Game 5.

A defensive play from Sheppard stifled the Lakers’ late comeback. The Lakers trimmed a 13-point lead to three in less than three minutes. The cheer from the sold-out crowd at Crypto.com Arena was deafening when James kissed a left handed layup off the glass to pull the Lakers to within one possession with 2:59 left.

Sheppard immediately responded with a midrange jumper then picked James’ pocket on the next Lakers possession, going coast-to-coast for a two-handed dunk that pushed the lead back to seven with 2:20 remaining.

Read more:Lakers can’t close out Rockets series despite Austin Reaves' 22 points in return

The crowd went silent.

The Lakers had that same stunning effect on a road crowd already this series when they stormed back from a six-point deficit in less than 30 seconds in Game 3. The prospect of doing it again with even larger stakes brought an excited smirk to Smart’s face.

“We knew this was going to be a tough series,” Smart said. “I think everybody knew that, and it's turning out to be exactly what we expected. And now the fun begins.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The ink has barely dried on the 2025–26 Suns season. Hell, I published my season synopsis just yesterday. It’s only been a couple of days since they were eliminated from the 2026 postseason. And still, my mind is already moving forward.

So much is running through my hyperactive brain right now. The decisions that lie ahead, the conversations we’ll collectively have, the thought exercises that are coming, and the determination of what this Phoenix Suns team should look like come October. It’s too early to fine-tune specifics, the players to pursue, the players to draft, and the trades to make. That part will come.

For now, I want to lay out my initial thought process. How the Suns should approach the short term, how they should think about roster construction, and what this could look like long term. It will be interesting to revisit this at the end of the offseason. To see if they followed the roadmap I think they should. To see if I still believe it’s the right path.

I expect I will change my mind as the summer progresses. For now? This is how I see it.

It begins with patience with the process. Ah yes, patience. A word I’ve talked myself into since the beginning of 2025-26. A word I’ve had to remind myself of at times. Going from the largest bankroll the NBA has ever seen to a respectable cap sheet is a process, and maintaining that moving forward is a challenge. Shiny objects tempt us, but we should not fall for their fallacy.

I’ll start at the 50,000-foot view, looking across the landscape of the NBA. It might be 2026, but it feels eerily similar to 2016. Back then, the Golden State Warriors were evicerating the league, and any hope of stealing a Western Conference title from them felt unrealistic. Not from a Suns perspective alone, from anyone in the conference. Phoenix was deep in a rebuild, with no illusions of grandeur when it came to competing for the West.

Ten years later, the Warriors’ sun has set, and now two youthful juggernauts are sitting at the top. We just experienced who and what the Oklahoma City Thunder are. A team full of assassins, a defense with connective tissue that’s hard to replicate, and a pipeline of draft capital that keeps the machine moving as players get priced out. Add in their track record for scouting and development, and there’s no reason to think they won’t be a viable contender for the next half-decade.

Then there are the San Antonio Spurs. A team with a generational type player, surrounded by youth that fits. We don’t fully know what they are yet, as this is their first run through the postseason. But the trajectory is obvious. They’re ascending, and they create another blockade at the top of the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.

I’m not saying that because OKC and San Antonio are poised to own the next half-decade that the Suns should roll over and play dead. Quite the contrary. Those teams are where they are due to the processes they had in place, the strategy they deployed, some luck (a lot of luck in the Spurs’ case), and their willingness to stick to the plan. They allowed progression to occur and fostered the environment to grow. They took risks along the way it paid off. Yes, their stories are more complex than those four lines of text, but they exercised patience, and that is the foundational aspect that the Suns should follow.

But I am noting that due to their existence in the Western Conference, expectations must be adjusted accordingly. How far do you think the Suns will go next season? Or the season after that? Or the season after that? Defining expectations allows for an understanding of how the team should operate this offseason with the next half-decade in mind as well.

I bring up that half-decade timeline because it matters for the Phoenix Suns. Five years. It goes by in a snap; in NBA terms, it can feel like an eternity. For perspective, it’s been five years since the Phoenix Suns were in the Finals. When you look forward through that same lens, some timelines start to line up for Phoenix. The question becomes how they operate until those timelines come to fruition.

2030. Four years from now. That’s a big year for this franchise. At the end of the 2029-30 season, Devin Booker will be an unrestricted free agent. That same offseason, the Bradley Beal money comes off the books. His $19.4 million is no longer sitting there on the cap sheet. In 2030, the Suns will have a first round pick. The final destination is still up in the air since it has already been swapped, but the pick exists. And by that point, Phoenix could have a treasure chest of draft capital at its disposal if they choose to hold onto those assets over the next four years.

And that’s where I start thinking about the short term and the long term for the Phoenix Suns as we enter the 2026 offseason. All of these timelines run together, and the goal of this offseason and the ones that follow is patience, progression, and responsibility. I know that’s not what anyone wants to hear or experience. It’s not fun or exciting. But the long pathway to success rarely is. The goal needs to be stacking small wins over the next few offseasons rather than swinging for the fences, putting yourself in position to take advantage of where you are and where the NBA is five years from now.

Thoughts on short term & long term Suns’ roster construction:

3 timelines converge in 2030: Booker’s contract ends, draft capital matures, & dead cap clears. PHX won’t be better than SA or OKC in the next 4 years, so be smart. Don’t jeopardize the chance to do it right in 2030

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) April 29, 2026

There are a million things that can happen between now and then. Blockbuster trades, season-ending injuries, paths we can’t even see yet. For an organization and an ownership group that came in and initially operated irresponsibly fiscally, the next four seasons have to be about maintaining the ability to be responsible.

That starts with understanding who and what Devin Booker is.

There is a finite ceiling tied to Booker’s skill set, and age will start to show up sooner than later. His contract is going to feel heavy relative to production in a couple of seasons unless something shifts. That’s part of it. And within the context of this offseason, that’s okay. Trading him now and going full reset will not net the return you want. The picks won’t be premium. The players won’t be foundational. You are not building something better in a landscape where the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are sitting there for the next half-decade.

While he might be a depreciating asset, there is value in his presence and abilities. He is the stabilizing force that this team and organization need right now, in this moment. He assists in putting you in a position to win. That is valuable for the young players on this team. To win. We don’t need to go back to 2015, when the Suns had all of the picks but none of the foundation, and therefore, none of the wins.

So lean into it. Embrace the player who defines your culture. Booker is here, he is in his prime, and you should ride that out in an attempt to get better year after year. Next year? You make the best decision at the time, weighing the short-term and long-term health of your franchise.

One reality that we have to face is that this team did not hit its ceiling. Booker missed 18 games. Jalen Green missed 50. Dillon Brooks missed 26 and Mark Williams missed 22. That is a combined 116 missed games from just your starting lineup alone. And they still won 45 games. So it is not outside of the realm of possibility, knowing that the top tier of the NBA elite is unattainable, for this team to run it back again next season. That gives them more data points, more understanding of who is valuable and who exemplifies what being a Phoenix Sun is about.

With continuity comes a stronger culture, a clearer identity, and a sustainable path to winning. Those are organizational traits you need as you look toward 2030. You need to know what it means to be a Phoenix Sun, the same way players understand what it means to be a Spur. That doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with continuity.

I know nobody wants to hear that the team should be looking at 2030 as a pivotal point. But looking long-term is the right way to approach any decision. Mat Ishbia has said he plans to own this team for 50 years, and that comes with responsibility. There is still a path to being competitive and engaging over the next few seasons. There is still room for this team to get better.

You have young players like Khaman Maluach and Rasheer Fleming. If one of them pops, your ceiling rises. You have a 2027 first round pick. It’s a swap, the worst of three teams, but still a chance for that player to hit. That’s the bet. That’s what you’re leaning on.

It comes back to development. That’s part of your culture, too. Identifying the right talent, bringing them in, and developing them the right way so they can succeed and maybe exceed expectations. When 2030 arrives, that foundation matters. It shapes what the Phoenix Suns can be and how successful they can become.

I go back a decade, when the Golden State Warriors were stomping the league. The Phoenix Suns at that time had draft capital. They had chances to improve, and eventually they did. They reached the 2021 NBA Finals. But man, it was a long, arduous path. The culture wasn’t right, and the development system wasn’t right. That’s where the focus needs to be over the next few years. Get it right. Set the standards. And still strategically find that balance between fiscal responsibility and progression in the standings.

The foundation is set. The goal now is progression. Progression in development. Progression in scouting. Progression in management. Progression in culture and identity. Progression doesn’t mean burning all of your assets for a name like Giannis or trading Booker in an attempt to bottom out with late-round draft picks. Progression is patience, strategy, continuity, and fortifying the ideals you introduced an offseason ago.

I get it, everyone loves the home run. The big trades. The idea of moving Booker for a pile of assets sounds exciting. This past offseason showed that exciting doesn’t get it done. Being responsible, being smart, being patient, and sticking to a plan. That’s the path. They followed that approach last offseason, identifying pieces that pushed those areas forward. No chasing dingers. They played for doubles. They bunted the runner over. And we got 45 wins out of it.

That’s where they need to live now. This offseason and the ones that follow. So keep it simple. Stack some base hits. Build a roster that makes sense, a culture that holds, and a system that develops. Stay competitive, stay disciplined, and protect what 2030 can be. That’s the window. Don’t close it early. 

This is how I feel today, in late April, following the end of the 2025-26 season. It will be interesting to see how I feel in just a few short months. Suns basketball is just a summer away.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers consistently turned the ball over as the Houston Rocketsearned a 99-93 victory in Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series on Wednesday, April 29.

Now the series might be turning in the Rockets’ favor after winning two straight games and closing the gap after the Lakers built a 3-0 lead to start the series.

 As a former player, Lakers coach JJ Redick understands how turnovers can happen throughout the game, but he recognized how they impacted his team’s overall performance.

“It's hard because the players see stuff on the court and it's easy for us to look back on film or armchair quarterback it,” Redick said. “I do think we had two of those turnovers where we get a stop and we throw the ball ahead out of bounds. Those are the kind of ones that you wish you had back.

“But the turnovers, they come in all shapes and sizes and it's about limiting them and you certainly have to give your guys freedom to make basketball plays. I would say in general, though, turnovers of aggression are okay. Turnovers of passivity are not.”

Marcus Smart was responsible for the Lakers’ early start offensively, providing eight of the team’s first 10 points, but it was the guard being responsible for six of the team’s 15 total turnovers that was glaring on the stat sheet.

“I had six turnovers, and that’s unacceptable for me,” Smart said after the game. “Especially with only two assists, especially against this team.”

The Rockets would score 18 points off turnovers. Houston trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half against Los Angeles before closing the gap and outscoring the Lakers 30-19 in the second quarter.

The Rockets took a 51-47 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Lakers stumbled in the second half, allowing for the Rockets to build up a 13-point lead.

LeBron James tried to rally the Lakers in the final minutes of regulation but it was the team’s ongoing struggles that continued to make the difference.

Rui Hachimura nailed a 3-pointer that helped the Lakers try and gather some momentum as the crowd began to get loud, but Hachimura was called for a foul down on the other end of the court.

The cheers from the Los Angeles crowd quickly turned to boos as Tari Eason was at the free-throw line for the Rockets. He misses the first but makes the second.

The Rockets would lead the Lakers 88-81 with 4:13 left in regulation.

Houston overcame a late surge by the Lakers, with what was an 11-1 scoring run after, with four quick points by Reed Shepard.

“Reed Sheppard made a pull-up jumper to put them up five,” James said. “We come down, I turn the ball over, put them up seven. They’re just bang-bang plays.”

Austin Reaves returns from injury

In the loss, Austin Reaves' return was one of the only bright spots for the Lakers on Wednesday.

Reaves had 22 points and six assists off the bench after returning from a nine-game absence. He was sidelined with a left oblique muscle strain injury.

Reaves remained grateful about returning to the court, having even counted down the days in which he wasn’t able to participate.

While he did express how happy he was to return to the court, Reaves was not shy about critiquing his process toward returning for the Lakers.

“I wish I could get a little bit more of a rhythm before jumping into the fire like that, but I had a lot of fun out there,” Reaves said.

Will the Lakers clinch the series?

History is still on the Lakers’ side.

Teams with LeBron James on the roster have won 24 consecutive series when taking a 2-0 lead, according to ESPN.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will travel to Houston for Game 6 of the series. The game is set for Friday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET). The game will be streamed on Prime.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers watching 3-0 NBA playoff lead disappear as Rockets survive

In Wednesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Detroit beat Orlando, 116-109, Cleveland took down Toronto, 125-120, and Houston handled Los Angeles, 99-93.

The story of the night was Paolo Banchero’s 45-point eruption for the Magic. He shot 17-31/6-11 and also grabbed 9 rebounds, and handed out 7 assists. Wendell Carter had 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Brandon Ingram had just 1 point for the Raptors before leaving with an injury. RJ Barrett had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists, but that was somewhat overshadowed by a shoving match he had with Cleveland’s James Harden.

Luke Kennard did not play well for the Lakers, scoring just 1 point in 31 minutes.

On Thursday, Jalen Johnson and the Hawks, down 3-2, face elimination if the Knicks win. Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, up 3-2, have a chance to eliminate Philadelphia with a win.

Finally, Tyus Jones and the Denver Nuggets, down 3-2, need a win against Minnesota to get to Game 7.

• 4 takeaways: Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero engage in duel for the ages in Game 5
• Magic news: Jalen Suggs reveals best part of playing with Paolo Banchero
• Cunningham’s 45 points overshadow Banchero’s 45
• Cade Cunningham comes through for Pistons on the brink, outduels Magic star Paolo Banchero in Game 5
• Mike Bianchi: Even with Paolo Banchero’s brilliance, Magic can’t close out Pistons without Franz Wagner
• Magic star Paolo Banchero sounds off on bonkers playoff duel vs. Cade Cunningham
• Kendrick Perkins gives Magic HC Jamahl Mosley, Paolo Banchero props for outworking Pistons
• RJ Barrett Explains James Harden Scuffle in Video After ‘Disrespect’ During Cavs-Raptors Game 5
• RJ Barrett calls out James Harden after Game 5 heated skirmish
• RJ Barrett drops fiery take on James Harden after altercation
• Raptors running out of rope after Ingram injury, Game 5 loss
• Scottie Barnes believes Raptors need Brandon Ingram to beat Cavs
• Raptors’ Brandon Ingram leaves playoff game vs. Cavaliers with right heel inflammation
• Lakers are learning Luke Kennard lesson the rest of the NBA already knew
• How Many Times Has NBA Punished Lakers’ Luke Kennard?
• “You have to kill them” – JJ Redick details the L.A. Lakers’ mentality going into Game 5 vs. the Houston Rockets

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So that Game 3 overtime win Friday in Houston was fun, huh?

The Lakers needed it, of course. The Lakers wanted it.

The Lakers are paying for it.

Because LeBron James hasn't looked superhuman since playing those 45 minutes, including all five gutsy minutes of ovetime.

Read more:Plaschke: Danger ahead! Lakers loss to the Rockets pushes them closer to the worst kind of history

He hasn’t looked great.

Not even particularly good, not by his lofty standards.

And the Lakers need their not-quite-ageless wonder to be at least great to beat these Houston Rockets one more time. They need James’ best can-you-believe-he’s-41? act if they hope to close out this challenging best-of-seven first-round series without Luka Doncic.

The Lakers went up 3-0 largely thanks to James’ contributions.

After weeks of willingly playing third-wheel behind Doncic and Austin Reaves, James made it look like playing the alpha was like riding a bike in Game 1’s 107-98 victory: He got right on it and gave the Lakers 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.

Then James had 28 points in the 101-94 victory in Game 2. And there was his monster effort in Game 3, when he had 29 points and 13 assists and, in overtime, a key steal and block in the Lakers’ 112-108 victory.

But James has been much more mortal in the two games since, and the Lakers have lost both.

With a chance to finish off the Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday at the Toyota Center, James had almost as many turnovers as points: eight and 10, respectively.

With a second chance to finish off the Rockets in Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, despite a second day of rest, James had a jagged performance that looked like a lot of work in the Lakers’ 99-93 loss.

Read more:Lakers can’t close out Rockets series despite Austin Reaves' 22 points in return

He had a game-high 25 points on nine-of-20 shooting, but he missed all six of his three-point attempts. He smoked layups. And missed three of his 10 free-throws, short on those attempts like he was on many of his misses Wednesday.

And while he had only two turnovers, they were the type to turn a tide, the type we’re not accustomed to witnessing from James. That type the Lakers can’t afford for him to make.

If he were a quarterback, he could have been called for intentional grounding, he overthrew Rui Hachimura by so much in the second quarter, when the Lakers were trying — and failing — to hang onto their early lead.

And then James got rhe ball ripped away from him by Reed Sheppard, the Rockets’ 21-year-old, allegedly 6-foot-2 guard, who raced up the court for a fast break dunk with 2:22 to play. That made it 92-85 and effectively doused the Lakers’ comeback.

“Just bang-bang plays,” James said at his locker, with a shrug. “Try to flush this one … we got to be better on Friday.”

The Lakers will have just two more shots at winning a series they weren’t supposed to before it started.

Their third attempt at closing out the Rockets comes quickly, when they play Game 6 on Friday at Houston. The Lakers will need something resembling the best version of James if they’re going to win and avoid the spectacle of a Game 7 showdown Sunday.

That would bring the Lakers to the brink of becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 series lead. It would be an unavoidable blotch at the bottom of James’ 23-season resume that otherwise is highlighted by a 3-1 comeback against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Read more:Marcus Smart says Lakers must 'be willing to run through a wall' in Game 6

But James and the Lakers aren’t thinking about that now — or about whatever chatter is coming out of the Rockets’ now-confident camp (on Tuesday, Jabari Smith Jr. told reporters “We’re obviously the better team.”)

“Ask one of them young guys that question,” James said, unmoved. “I’m too old for that.”

But not too old — the Lakers hope — to carry them to one more victory and save them from infamy.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

I found this interesting.

The Spurs just hit the 2-1-1 Theory.

G1 — Wemby (1-0-0)
G3 — Castle (1-1-0)
G4 — Wemby (2-1-0)
G5 — Champagnie (2-1-1)
pic.twitter.com/JNjKQMRmA2

— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) April 29, 2026

In a nutshell, the 2-1-1 theory is a playoff philosophy that suggests the winning team requires specific contribution distribution: the best player (superstar) wins you 2 games, the second-best player wins you 1 games, and a role player wins 1, taking the team to the 4 necessary wins to take the series. It underscores the need for star power paired with critical role performances.

Justin Tinsley hypothesizes that Victor Wembanyama won the Spurs two of the games (Games 1 and 4), Stephon Castle won one (Game 3), and Julian Champagnie shined in the close out at home (Game 5).

Champagnie has been on fire from beyond the arc during the first round of the playoffs.

Julian Champagnie has been shooting lights out in the playoffs, emerging as one of the Spurs’ biggest X-factors. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/oTQKmesqLZ

— Spurs Nation (@SpursNationCP) April 29, 2026

I can also see how with Fox’s 13-point 4th quarter and 21 total points in Game 5, one consider it his game over Champagnie’s. As Julian said, “It’s [De’Aaron’s] world, we’re kind of living in it.”

Honestly, with so many weapons in their arsenal, the Spurs could have multiple version of the 2-1-1.

The question with swapping Fox for Champagnie is whether Fox is the second best player on the Spurs, or is Castle?

I guess it depends on the night.

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