Category: NBA

Victor Wembanyama was ejected for the first time in his NBA career after an elbow to the jaw and neck of Naz Reid as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the San Antonio Spurs to level their playoff series.

Wembanyama was whistled for an offensive foul as soon as he struck Reid, who had swarmed the Spurs star outside the paint along with teammate Jaden McDaniels after the 7ft 4in Wembanyama rebounded a missed three-pointer by the Spurs.

After a video review of the play, with the fans at Minnesota’s Target Center chanting, “Kick him out! Kick him out!,” the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 for excessive contact above the neck. The penalty triggered an automatic ejection, and the Timberwolves went on to win 114-109. The best-of-seven series is now level at 2-2. However, despite the ejection the Wolves never fully took advantage of the gift created by his absence. They’ve long had a tendency of losing their edge, particularly defensively, when an opponent’s star player is missing and the score was closer than many of their fans may have expected.

When the penalty was announced, Wembanyama appeared to ask teammate Harrison Barnes: “What does that mean?”

While Spurs coach Mitch Johnson did not condone Wembanyama’s conduct he said referees needed to do more to protect him.

“He’s going to have to protect himself if [the referees] are not … It’s disgusting. I just think that the amount of physicality that people play with him at some level you have to protect yourself,” Johnson said after the game.

After Wembanyama slapped hands with each of his Spurs teammates on his way off the floor, with the arena sound system blaring Michael Jackson’s Beat It!, Reid sank both free throws to give the Timberwolves a 38-34 lead. The reigning NBA defensive player of the year finished with four points, four rebounds and three fouls in 13 minutes.

With Reid, Julius Randle and McDaniels in their frontcourt, the Timberwolves have had plenty of muscle and tenacity to send at Wembanyama, even if he’s been good enough offensively to overcome the pressure. He had 39 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the floor in Game 3. On Sunday, Anthony Edwards led the way for Minnesota, scoring 66 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter. Reid finished with 15 points and nine rebounds to help the Timberwolves finish strong after some shaky stretches.

San Antonio host Game 5 on Tuesday, with Wembanyama’s status to be determined by the NBA on Monday. The league could decide to fine or suspend Wembanyama for his actions.

Johnson said he Wembanyama should be allowed to play. “There was zero intent,” he said. “I think it would be ridiculous [to punish him further].”

If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought 6abc’s Cheyenne Corin was standing on the concourse at Madison Square Garden. 

The reporter with the local ABC affiliate in Philadelphia was swarmed by Knicks fans who had taken over the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday, after the Knicks defeated the Sixers 144-114 in Game 4 to complete the sweep and return to the conference finals for the second consecutive season. 

The scene around Corin has now gone viral, as the studio anchor tossed to the reporter in the field, and she was quickly mobbed by cheering Knicks fans.

“Watch me get absolutely TROLLED by Knicks fans in Philly after the Sixers lost,” she wrote, accompanying a video of her news report from the arena that she posted to TikTok.

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She also shared a video on Instagram Stories of Knicks fans chanting “f–k Embiid” on the concourse after the Knicks win.

Responding to a post on X by Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy that “Philadelphia has fallen,” she wrote on her Instagram Story, “We still standing strong just how I was in this live shot.”

While Knicks fans were ecstatic over the win on Sunday night, 76ers fans were devastated to see their team swept out of the playoffs with little more than a whimper. 

One fan described the loss as a “Mother’s Day massacre.” 

“Sell the team, fire Nick Nurse, everybody gone, gone gone,” one young fan told the Philadelphia news station. “Let Kyle Lowry coach.”

One fan was even moved to tears as she cried over the loss and hoped that Joel Embiid would remain in the City of Brotherly Love. 

“I love the whole team. They did amazing, but it’s just heartbreaking, it really is,” she said.

The Knicks now will wait to find out their next opponent, with the Cavaliers and Pistons still in the middle of their best-of-seven series.

PHILADELPHIA — The first attempt fell 1:21 after the opening tip.

The next dropped 1:10 later.

On the ensuing possession, Jalen Brunson missed a 3-pointer.

What was special about that, you might ask?

It was a rarity Sunday for these rampaging Knicks, who returned to the Eastern Conference finals with a dominant 144-114 victory at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Mother’s Day.

They made their next nine 3-point attempts, on their way to hitting an incredible 25 from distance, a franchise postseason record that also equaled the all-time NBA mark set by the Bucks (2021) and Cavaliers (2016).

They equaled another NBA playoff record by hitting 11 3s in the first quarter and 18 in the first half, for their seventh straight win of this postseason.

“It’s definitely special. I didn’t even know, honestly,” Miles McBride said, referring to the record-matching 3-point shooting display. “To have anything like that on your name is a legacy you want.”

The brilliant shooting day was somewhat of a surprise, despite how easily the Knicks handled the 76ers in this series.

They entered the contest shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs, fourth among teams still alive.

They were a strong perimeter shooting team during the regular season, fourth in the league at 37.3 percent.

But they hadn’t lit it up of late.

They were 9-for-27 from 3 in Game 2 and 7-for-26 in Game 3.

But with a chance to advance, the Knicks looked like a team of Splash Brothers, mimicking the Steph Curry and Klay Thompson Warriors.

“Guys were sacrificing good shots for better shots, and when you do that, the ball has energy and we have to knock down shots,” Josh Hart said. “So playing a style like that is fun.”

Miles McBride hit seven 3-pointers.

Brunson dropped in six.

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Landry Shamet had four off the bench.

Hart, despite that sprained left thumb, made four.

Pacôme Dadiet tied the record with a 3 in the final minute.

“I mean, it felt great,” Hart said. “My right hand remembered that the goal was to make 3s, so happy to have her back.”

At one point late in the second quarter, the Knicks had made more 3-pointers (14) than the 76ers had field goals (13).

They led by 27.

For much of the afternoon, they were over 60 percent from 3 — video game numbers.

“Our sprays were tremendous, but the spacing part is what made them really good,” coach Mike Brown said. “We spaced the floor very good and when they committed two to the ball and/or we touched the paint and their defense collapsed, we did a great job of finding the open man and making one more pass without panicking. Guys stepped in and knocked shots down.

“Twenty-five 3s on 44 attempts, if I’m seeing that right, it’s unbelievable and it’s great basketball. But the group that I have in the locker room, they’re more than capable of doing something like that.”

The New York Knicks didn’t just embarrass the Philadelphia 76ers on the court Sunday, closing out a sweep of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals, but they humiliated them in the stands too. Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia was mobbed by orange-and-blue-wearing Knicks fans who made their presence known.  

Tyrese Maxey hated it. The 76ers’ All-Star guard did not mince words after the Knicks’ 144-114 victory eliminated Philadelphia. 

“It absolutely sucks, if I am being honest,” Maxey said. “It just sucks. That’s really all I can say about it, man.” 

The Knicks fans made the trip to Philadelphia in force. They drowned out the home crowd, and the players noticed.  

The San Antonio Spurs were without Victor Wembanyama for more than half of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, May 10. The star center was ejected in the second quarter for a Flagrant Foul 2 after he threw an elbow in Naz Reid's face while battling for possession of the ball after a rebound.

After the play was reviewed and the penalty was called, the Defensive Player of the Year was visibly upset. He could be seen on the bench asking, "What does it mean?" It was the first time in Wembanyama's three-year career that he was been ejected.

The difference between the first and second tier of a flagrant foul is that the offense is considered "unnecessary AND excessive" (emphasis added). The penalty for the second tier of a flagrant foul is two free throws by the player who the offense was committed against and the player is ejected, which is what happened to Wembanyama. The infraction also triggers a fine of $2,000, at a minimum.

Wembanyama made a statement in the series with a record 12 blocks in Game 1, all of which may or may not have been recorded correctly.

PHILADELPHIA — Miles McBride was, in his words, “extremely comfortable” with an expanded role as long as OG Anunoby was out.

He proved it on Mother’s Day.

Starting in place of Anunoby, McBride enjoyed a career-best playoff performance as the Knicks drubbed the 76ers 144-114 to return to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in as many years.

McBride scored 25 points and hit seven 3-pointers in nine attempts, four coming in an early onslaught that made it clear this series was going to end without a return trip to New York City.

In his 29 minutes, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by a team-high 33 points.

“I always feel like I’m going to make shots,” McBride said. “I trust my work, trust my preparation. They left me open.”

McBride had been in a shaky shooting stretch, entering the game 5-for-19 from 3-point range over the previous five games.

He didn’t let it affect his confidence, though.

“He’s just tough-minded,” coach Mike Brown said. “In order to have success in anything you do in life you need to have a short memory, and he definitely has a short memory.”

With a chance to sweep the 76ers out of the playoffs, McBride shined. He bombed away early, scoring 12 points in the game’s first 5:01.

McBride was also terrific, as usual, on the defensive end, and was a big part of the Knicks’ blistering shooting display.

They hit 25 3-pointers in 44 attempts, setting a franchise playoff record and equaling the NBA mark previously set by the Bucks in 2021 and Cavaliers in 2016.

There were loud “Deuce” chants after almost every one of his made triples from the pro-Knicks crowd.

“Deuce — he was unbelievable,” Brown said. “His ability to stretch the floor and create space for others is second to none. He’s got a confidence about him and in himself that just makes us take another level on both ends of the floor.”

It’s hard to hear after a division rival took over their building and swept them out of the playoffs, but the 2025-26 season was a pretty high-end outcome for the Sixers. They beat the Boston Celtics in a playoff series, Joel Embiid has felt as good as he has about his left knee since January 2024, but most importantly, they had a 20-year old rookie sensation.

VJ Edgecombe officially ends his rookie season having averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game shooting 43% from the field and 35% from the field. He averaged 14 points per game in his first 11 playoff games.

For all these reasons, the Sixers themselves felt pretty good about their season after their Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. During his exit interview, Embiid was talking about the example he tries to set for the younger players, and went on a long tangent about Edgecombe’s potential while doing so.

“VJ is up next. Philly got a good one in him,” Embiid said. “He’s the guy. I’m telling you guys, that guy is something different and this was only year one. Year two is gonna be better, year three even better.”

Embiid would go on to call him a “monster” later in his presser.

Every Sixer asked about Edgecombe is confident in his improvement year-over-year. It’s all the intangibles he flashed all season that impressed his teammates so much — and why they so often say he is not the average rookie.

“Usually, guys improve quite a bit from year one to year two,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “I would imagine with his work ethic and stuff, he’ll have a good summer.”

Edgecombe responded to Embiid’s comments the exact way anyone who’s been around him so far would expect him to.

“It’s great, but the work has to be put in, I have to continue putting in the work,” he said. “I really love my teammates and I really love all the good things they say about me, but yes, I gotta keep putting in the work, keep getting better.”

A young guard with a crazy work ethic drafted after a disastrous season is a familiar story with this team. Tyrese Maxey recognized those similarities as he sat next Edgecombe at the podium.

“Probably like two, three years ago I sat up here with Joel and I sat up here with James [Harden] and they saw something in me,” Maxey said, “and I guess I’m getting old now, because I’m sitting up here with VJ and I’m just happy to be a part of his journey.”

All three of the Sixers’ max contract stars have had their impact on Edgecombe in one way or another. Paul George did a lot of mentoring Edgecombe as a defender, but he feels the experience Edgecombe was able to get with a full playoff run as a rookie was invaluable.

“I’m kind of here to help improve the process,” George said, “but the parts that you want out of it, he’s experienced it, so that’s the positive. And I think he’ll know where he needs to take it and what we need from him going down for years to come.”

Edgecombe already has a list of things he wants to work on to improve for next year. He wants to get better on the ball. He mentioned his handle, but shooting is something he definitely wants to improve on.

“Go in the gym and just get better,” he said. “Coming into next year a team won’t ever leave me open, you know?”

All of his teammates are confident he will get there because of how hard he works, but it takes a real grinder for someone like Maxey to praise his work ethic.

“He works too hard and he wants it too much,” Maxey said. “You can’t ask for anything better than that, and the city should really just rally behind it and just be excited.”

It’s very unusual for a team to convey this much excitement after getting swept out of the second round of the play0ffs.

But as Edgecombe showed time and time again throughout his rookie season, he is not a usual player.

The San Antonio Spurs suffered a huge blow in Game 4 of the conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves after superstar Victor Wembanyama was ejected from the contest.

Wembanyama was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 after coming down with a rebound and swinging an elbow that connected with Timberwolves forward Naz Reid, striking him in the jaw with 8:40 in the 2nd quarter.

After a review, it was determined that the contact was deemed an unnecessary, non-basketball play with wind up, contact and follow through, resulting in the Spurs center's first-career ejection – regular season or postseason.

Minnesota held a slim lead, 36-34, at the time of stoppage. Following the elbow, Timberwolves fans at the Target Center were in unison chanting to the officials "kick him out" referring to Wembanyama.

If the Spurs are able to take a 3-1 lead on the Timberwolves, they’ll need to do so without Victor Wembanyama for the rest of Game 4.

Wembanyama, the San Antonio superstar, was ejected with 8:39 left in the second quarter after elbowing Naz Reid while fighting for possession and being assessed a Flagrant 2 in Minnesota on Sunday.

Status alert: Victor Wembanyama has been ejected Sunday after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul. pic.twitter.com/G02YylonQE

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 11, 2026

When Wembanyama initially made contact, Reid fell to the ground, and after the referees reviewed the play, the 7-foot-4 center was sent down the tunnel and to the locker room.

It marked a seismic shift in a critical juncture of the series, with the Spurs staring down a chance to take a commanding series lead over the No. 6-seed Timberwolves before play shifts back to San Antonio but now needing to adapt on the fly without their best player for the final 32-plus minutes.

Reid made both of his free throws, and Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama — who finished with just four points on 2-for-5 shooting across 12 minutes — on the court.

The Timberwolves led the Spurs by two points at the time of the ejection, and midway through the second quarter, they’d built a 44-38 advantage — led by 11 points from Anthony Edwards and 10 points from Julius Randle.

The Knicks seem to just keep getting better as the NBA playoffs go on.

New York put together yet another dominating effort on Sunday afternoon, as they demolished the 76ers in Game 4 to put the finishing touches on their second-round sweep. 

They used a hot start from three to open a double-digit advantage and never looked back from there, closing the seven-game set with a 144-114 beatdown on the road. 

“This was just a heck of a game from our guys,” Mike Brown said. “The focus, the attention to detail, while bringing the energy and effort not just tonight but throughout the course of the series was at a pretty high level.

“Close out games are always the hardest to play with the level of desperation, especially when you’re on the road -- I give our guys a lot of credit, I give our staff a lot of credit -- they’ve been unbelievable from top-to-bottom.”

The Knicks now head into the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year, having won seven straight games since falling behind the Hawks 2-1 in their first round matchup. 

Six of those seven victories have been by double-digits.

But with a meeting with the Pistons or Cavaliers awaiting, they know they can’t get complacent. 

“We did what we needed to do to beat a good Sixers team,” Landry Shamet said. “We handled our business, paid really good attention to details offensively, and just went out and did what we had to do. 

"But the beauty of the playoffs is all of that changes going into the next round -- there are a couple of different changes we have to make obviously, but group remains the same and we just have to play Knicks basketball."

"I think it’s really great to see our team in this mindset," Karl-Anthony Towns added. "The feeling that we have a lot more work to do, to see us not really relaxing, but in a way just look at these next few days as a way for us to realign ourselves and get ready for the next challenge."

You know the drill, this is part four of our “Fraternizing with the Enemy” Series with our Spurs sister site, Pounding the Rock.

I am joined by the ever-encouraging JR Wilco to discuss the things we saw in Game 3’s close loss and to set expectations for a critical Game 4 after back to back wins for San Antonio. Spoiler alert: I am not too bullish on Minnesota’s chances.

J.R. Wilco

In the middle of a series that feels like a movie from a director intent on subverting expectations above all else, Game 3 was a weird game. (We’ll get to it in a moment, but it was weird.) First, San Antonio was favored heavily, and it’s a true-ism that a series doesn’t begin until the road team wins. So we got a tight game that the visitors won, and so the series began  right away. Expectations subverted.

After Minnesota’s victory Coach Finch gripes about a lack of goaltending calls, setting up Game 2 to focus on how the refs treat Wemby’s defensive game, only for it to be a practical non-issue as Minnesota largely stopped driving. After a close opener, Game 2 was a blowout. Expectations subverted.

To start Game 3, the Spurs dominated the opening half of the first quarter and Minnesota couldn’t score at all. Wembanyama was playing out of his mind and dominating on both ends, which looked like the game they played two prior; let’s saddle up for another blowout. But San Antonio couldn’t build much of a lead because the Spurs couldn’t hit a three and all of their shots in the paint were rimming out. So, instead of getting a repeat of Game 2, we got a repeat of Game 1. Expectations subverted!

After going 0-fer, and 2-fer from deep, Victor goes off and combines his excellent defense with an offensive master class. Now San Antonio is up 2-1, and Minnesota is known for being an incredible team when their backs are against the wall. So what are the next expectations that we will see subverted? And what do you expect from Minnesota looking at potentially their last home game of the season?

Thilo

To start with, I would certainly be shocked if Jaden McDaniels started hitting his shots again. That would subvert the cratered expectations I have for him now.

On an individual level, the bar has recently gone through the floor for Julius Randle and McDaniels, while Ayo gets the most marginal amount of slack due to his injury status.

But God, I don’t know. On a surface level, the Wolves seem to have lost their identity entirely. They aren’t getting to the rim the way they had initially promised in Game 1. They’re talking a lot less trash (unless Tony Brothers is the target) and they’re backing up even less.

A subversion could be anything from shooting better to rebounding again. Any of that would be shocking.

If I sound pessimistic, it’s because I am. Friday night’s game was not one to inspire confidence. Naz Reid was the only role player on the Wolves that played up to standards. Anthony Edwards did what he could. 

I am quite simply shocked that the Wolves were able to stay in Game 3 the way they played. It seems like shooting variance decides whether these games will be close or an abject demolition in favor of San Antonio.

Unfortunately, what I’m getting at is that I’m not really sure what I expect to change that’s remotely realistic. 

Julius Randle could become the optimized version of himself from last year’s playoffs, but that would require him not facing the style of defense that has caused him the most trouble in the past few playoff runs. So that looks unlikely.

The Wolves roster could have a hot game from deep, but their shooting specialist and the only guy outside of Ant that can’t be dared to shoot is out for the year and more. That looks unlikely, albeit more possible.

That leaves the possibility of Ant going supernova, but that’s a LOT to ask of a guy playing on a lower body that reminds friends older than myself of Orlando Magic Grant Hill.

No, I think the winning formula was stealing a game and then pressing the pedal all the way down. The Wolves accomplished step one, but don’t look poised to reclaim that needed head start.

That being said, anything but a decisive win in Game 4 would be a huge red flag.

I guess I’ll flip the question on you. It feels like the Spurs have turned a corner after a shaky Game 1. What scares you the most in terms of ways the Wolves can muscle their way back into this bout? How possible/probably do you think those things are?

J.R.

While it makes sense given being down 2-1, I think you’re being overly harsh on your team’s prospects. Try thinking about it from this perspective: Minnesota has played San Antonio close for 8 quarters out of 12, including a decisive fourth quarter on the road. The Spurs played their best game in their second homer, so perhaps the Wolves will do the same. We talked before Game 3 about how some regression to the mean would be in favor of Wemby and Fox, and now that’s the case for McDaniels and Randle. 

I’d also like to draw your attention to something that you might be taking for granted. Your home crowd is amazing; in fact, I credit them for keeping the Timberwolves from cratering in the first. With San Antonio in the middle of throwing basketball’s version of a shutout (how better to describe yielding a single point over the first 6 minutes of a game) the Mill City audience was primed for something to cheer for. When Gobert got that first basket with a tip-in, there was this sustained response from the crowd that was way out of proportion. I noted it, but didn’t think it would go far as the Spurs scored a quick four points on a Vassell bucket and a pair of Castle freebies. But then Naz hit a three and there was that strange cheer again. It was longer that normal and had the feel of a crowd that had been rooting for a team that had been working their way back from a big deficit and was about to tie it up. But the Wolves were just starting to claw their way back into it. 

I’ve got to say, though, that the team really responded. The home team’s activity picked up, their urgency ratcheted up a couple of notches, and thought that if the Spurs could score, it would take the air out of the arena and both the team and the crowd might cave. What happened on the next possession? Timberwolves forced a shot clock violation and the crowd came unhinged. The rest of the quarter was a 17-4 run from the home team on the back of the energy that the fans decided to give before there was really much to cheer for. 

But none of that is really what scares me the most. It’s scary, but the truly terrifying bit is what all of that might enable – a tight game down the stretch with enough scoring and defense to put the ball in Edwards’s hands with just enough time on the clock to rip the hearts out of the Spurs. He’s done it three times already this year: twice in the regular season, and once in Game 1. Plus, he did it at the end of the 1st on Friday, and McDaniels closed out the 2nd in the same way. 

So that’s what I’m most afraid of. Your team sticks around, and Ant pulls a rabbit out of his hat again. It wouldn’t subvert expectations much, but it sure would even up the series. 

Which of those options do you think is more likely? A wire to wire dogfight like Games 1 and 3 or a blowout like Game 2? Or maybe it’s something else entirely…

Thilo

DISCLAIMER: My dear reader, I got home at 2:15 AM from a concert just in time to write the final bit of this Frat. I wish it made more sense, but I hope that my excitement is enough to carry what may be some faulty ideas. Thank you in advance.

It’s funny isn’t it? That you’re the one convincing me to have hope in my team, while I wallow in the self-pity of refusing to have my heart broken again. 

What you’re describing, ultimately, is a Wild-Westian gamble where the Wolves maneuver themselves, bet by bet, flop by flop, to an even game before letting Ant go all in on the final hand of the game. How fitting it is to be facing the Spurs in that regard.

To that end, what I am truly hoping for is a Game 4 victory that shatters the record for largest playoff win in NBA history in favor of the Timberwolves. I do unironically think Minnesota evens up the series tonight, as the second game at home is always the easier one to hold on to and dominate (vis a vis Game 2)

I think I will stand by some of my pessimism however. There is no escaping that the Spurs are an excellent team, and while the Wolves are quite good as well, they are neither at full strength nor particularly locked in right now.

I think that one of those things can change on a dime. I’d say that would enable pulling away in a close game. I think that’s what we’ll see in Game 4.

Still, if I think back to the first frat we did, I remember the focus we put on “well, the Spurs can’t just ‘play better,’ there’s always give and take.” It feels like the Spurs have had to give up very little to gain a ton. Minnesota probably needs to flip that script.

Give up nothing, and take back momentum. 

Winning two on the road is going to be a lot harder than just winning one. Losing two at home should be a lot harder than just losing one.

We’ll see tonight, and I hope we get a good one, because despite the loss, Game 3 was a lot more fun than Game 2.

In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they've used since the first day of training camp.

The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.

"Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we're facing being down 3-0. So it's just more of a mindset check than anything else."

No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.

Those are the long odds the Lakers face.

Read more:Without Luka Doncic, Thunder series is a lose-lose for Lakers

Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.

"These guys are good,” he said.

Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.

“Affirmation,” he responded.

Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.

Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.

Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.

"It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need," Hachimura said. "I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can't really make mistakes. ... We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do."

What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.

“I feel like every game we're getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night ... apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don't know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.

"So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. ... That's going to be our goal."

The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.

Read more:Plaschke: Where’s LeBron? As Lakers season vanishes, he again disappears

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.

But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.

That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.

"Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we're in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team."

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Joel Embiid pretty much begged 76ers fans not to sell their tickets and to show up for the home games during their second round matchup with the Knicks. 

The team tried its best to keep New Yorkers from being able to acquire them, as well. 

The organization went as far as donating tickets to local community groups in an effort to keep Knicks fans out. 

Spoiler alert: It didn’t work.

“I used to think Philly was a sports town, I don’t know anymore,” Josh Hart said after the Knicks defeated the Sixers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The orange and blue faithful absolutely dominated Xfinity Mobile Arena in Game 3, and it was even worse with a chance to close the series out on Sunday for Game 4.

New York fans once again showed up and showed out.

Cheers were so loud when the Knicks were welcomed to the court pregame that if you weren’t looking you would've thought the home team was being introduced. 

And those cheers only grew louder and louder as the Knicks jumped out to commanding double-digit advantage behind a historic three-point shooting opening quarter. 

“It’s one of the coolest things in the world hearing Knicks fans take over opposing arenas,” Jalen Brunson said.

They exploded again after Mitchell Robinson knocked both of his free throws when Philly turned to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy in an effort to slow things down late in the second quarter.

Minutes later, a contingent of Knicks fans behind the basket were shown holding up pictures of Robinson’s posterization of Joel Embiid as the big man attempted free throws on the other end.

And with the hometown fans making their way towards the exits, chants of ‘Knicks in 4’ and ‘Let’s Go Knicks’ rang throughout the area down the stretch in the blowout victory. 

Philly sounded like MSG West, once again.

“I got a lot of respect for you, Knicks fans,” Mike Brown said. 

“When you can take over a 'sports town,' that gives the guys so much confidence,” Hart said. “JB, myself, Mikal [Bridges] have ties here so it never felt like a road game, and they made sure to echo that.”