Category: NBA

It’s hard to understand how Game 7 became necessary. The Celtics split the first two games of the series, but then went on the road and took both Games 3 and 4 – one close and one comfortably – in front of hostile crowds. They returned home for Game 5 feeling good and expecting to wrap up the series.

But in Game 5, the Celtics went cold from the floor and couldn’t seal the deal. Then they inexplicably let Game 6 get away, too. And suddenly they were facing a Game 7 against a team with two superstars that seemed to have figured out how to win the series.

How could Boston have collapsed? Where was the killer instinct? Where was the clutch shooting? The defense? Weren’t they motivated to win one last title for their coach before he retired?

“Hold on,” you say, “what is that about? Joe Mazzulla isn’t having the best series, but he’s not retiring.”

Correct, but that story wasn’t about the current Celtics. It’s what occurred during the 1966 Finals between Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers. That was during the Bill Russell-Red Auerbach era dynasty, in the year they were going for their eighth straight title. Auerbach had announced he would retire from coaching at the end of the season, and during the Finals he revealed that Russell would succeed him in the role of player-coach.

If you’re accustomed to winning it all every single year, and the coach that led you there had taunted the entire league that they had one more shot at having the last laugh, you would probably be hell-bent on protecting your mentor. And no doubt those Celtics had that attitude. Still, they were taken to Game 7.

The Celtics did win that game, 95-93, against a Lakers team led by all-time greats Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Boston built a 10-point lead with 30 seconds left, but in a flash West cut the lead to six. Only 16 seconds remained, so Auerbach lit up his trademark victory cigar, which he did whenever a game was safely in hand. When play resumed, the Lakers pressed, forced some turnovers, and got within two points with four seconds on the clock. K.C. Jones shook free for the inbounds pass and escaped a trap long enough for the buzzer to sound. The Garden crowd celebrated. Auerbach retired where he’d always been, on top.

The Celtics many times have been in series that started out 3-1 and wound up 4-3. A major difference: They’ve always been the team chasing the miracle comeback. Now they’re the team trying to hang on.

Back to today, Celtics Nation and probably the team members themselves are in shock about having to face survival in Game 7. No one imagined this after being up 3-1. There’s plenty of criticism and “how could they let this happen?” takes aimed at them now, and it’s not unwarranted.

But the reality is, if it could happen to a dynasty, it could certainly happen to the 2026 squad.

That’s the thing about the NBA. Anything is, indeed, possible. Just as almost everyone thought this would be a gap year, after 56 wins those same people thought the Celtics were favorites to capture the East. That notion is now in serious jeopardy. (How anyone bets on the NBA is a mystery to some of us; it’s absurdly unpredictable.)

The Celtics many times have been in series that started out 3-1 and wound up 4-3. A major difference: They’ve always been the team chasing the miracle comeback. Now they’re the team trying to hang on. That is admittedly a scary position, but it’s also worth remembering that competition is never over till it’s over.

Looking back, Boston has won some of those Game 7s and lost some.

In 1973, the Celtics fell behind New York 3-1 when captain John Havlicek was injured, and fought back only to lose Game 7 on the Boston Garden parquet (for the first time ever). Then in 2023, as we sadly remember, Miami went up 3-0 before the Celtics valiantly took the next three games (Derrick White at the buzzer!). They couldn’t close it out, however, in part because Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle on the game’s first possession.

Now, a 3-1 lead has again turned into a win-or-go-home showdown, the fourth time this scenario has occurred in the Boston vs. Philly rivalry. The previous three were epic.

1968

The Sixers, led by Wilt Chamberlain, were the defending NBA champs, having broken the Celtics’ eight-year string of rings in 1967. They met again in the Eastern Division Final, equivalent to today’s conference final. Boston won the opener in Philadelphia, but lost the next three, and it didn’t look good with Games 5 and 7 scheduled back in Philly. But Russell’s Celtics recovered to win Game 5 by 18 and Game 6 by six.

In a close, tense Game 7, Chamberlain – who once averaged 50 points per game for an entire season – oddly attempted just two shots in the second half. Russell made a couple of free throws in the final seconds to clinch the game, 100-96. It was the first time an NBA team had overcome a 3-1 deficit. Boston went on to defeat the Lakers for Banner 10.

1981

Boston and Philadelphia were loaded – they finished the regular season tied with 62 wins and just 20 losses. When they met in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics had home court advantage thanks to a tie-breaker. That proved crucial since five games in the series ended up decided by one or two points. The Sixers, led by Julius “Dr. J” Erving, won the opener in Boston, 105-104, on a late jump shot by lethal rookie scorer Andrew Toney. The Celtics responded in Game 2 by double digits. Game 3 went to the Sixers by 10 points, followed by a two-point win for the 3-1 lead.

Back home, the Celtics trailed by six points with under two minutes left in Game 5, but rallied for a two-point win that stunned the Sixers. In an eventful Game 6 on the road, Cedric Maxwell got into a fight with a fan sitting behind one of the baskets (not ejected!), and Kevin McHale blocked a late Toney jumper to preserve a two-point win.

Game 7 in Boston was the most physical battle imaginable. Survival of the fittest for 48 minutes. The Celtics won it, 91-90, on a last-minute bank shot by Larry Bird, one of the moments that helped him become known as Larry Legend. The Celtics went on to the Finals, beating Houston to raise Banner 14.

1982

Boston went 63-19 this season and again had homecourt advantage for the ECF. In Game 1, they obliterated Philly by 40 points. The embarrassed Sixers regrouped and won the next three games, only one of them close. Boston point guard Tiny Archibald injured his shoulder in Game 3 and was ruled out for the series.

The Celtics won a blowout Game 5 at home to keep hope alive. In Game 6 in Philly, they smothered the 76ers offense, winning 88-75, to force Game 7 in Boston yet again. Fans and media mocked Dr. J’s team as “the 75ers” and the consensus was they were headed for another crushing loss. Instead, they went on a mission to atone for the previous year. Toney and the Doctor combined for 63 points, Philly controlled pretty much the entire 48 minutes, and the Celtics were eliminated, 120-106.

That Sixers victory came 44 years ago, and they haven’t beaten the Celtics in a playoff series again. They’ve met six times since in the postseason, and Boston has won them all, including three during the Brown-Tatum era. Surely, today’s Sixers have heard all about that history. This Embiid-Maxey group has all the momentum now and will be motivated to avoid losing a seventh straight series in the rivalry. Beating the Sixers in Game 7 will take everything the Celtics have.

Understandably, many Boston fans are worried. The Celtics appear disjointed and their chances seem bleak. All of this has happened so quickly, going from a secure position to a potential worst-case scenario. Some fans are upset, some are stunned, and probably everyone is feeling the pressure.

Fortunately, the team remains confident. They have their own motivation to keep their streak going, to prove they can turn the series around, and to win and advance. What they’re looking for is to replicate the 1982 result, in reverse. Skeptics will point out these Celtics don’t have a Russell or a Bird; believers will counter that the Sixers don’t have Wilt or Dr. J.

The bottom line is that Celtics Nation still has hope. Buckle up for Saturday night and stay ready, because anything actually is possible.

Marcus Smart’s block. LeBron James’ dominant second quarter. Deandre Ayton’s relentless rebounding.

The individual performances in the Lakers’ ugly, but decisive 98-78 series-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday were almost too numerous for coach JJ Redick to focus on each one.

That collective spirit is also what makes him so confident heading into the Lakers' first Western Conference semifinal appearance since 2023.

“For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,” Redick said after the Lakers polished off their first-round playoff series in six games. “And it just speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team. They didn't let go of the rope.”

Read more:LeBron James leads Lakers' rout of Rockets to close out series

After winning a series in which they were underdogs for every game they won, the Lakers return to the scene of their lowest moment to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.

The last time they were in Oklahoma City, the Lakers lost by 43 points. Their two best players sustained regular-season ending injuries, with news of Luka Doncic’s hamstring injury and Austin Reaves’ oblique strain coming on consecutive days after the loss. Still dazed from the emotional hangover, the Lakers lost their next two games.

“There was a lot of question marks,” Reaves said. “And just the way that we responded as a group, I think it just tells you a lot about the people that we have in our room. There's no quit.”

The Lakers finished the regular season with three consecutive wins. They leapt out to a 3-0 series lead against Houston before letting doubt creep in again. After the Lakers squandered two chances to end the series, including a disappointing home loss Wednesday when Reaves returned from injury, critics wondered if the Lakers would really be the first team in NBA history to blow a 3-0 playoff lead.

James wouldn’t allow it.

The superstar forward dominated with 28 points on 10-of-25 shooting, seven rebounds and eight assists. He outscored the Rockets by himself in the second quarter 14-13 as the Lakers went on a 27-3 run to open a 19-point lead.

“We understand that he's the guy that brings energy, but also we have to help him,” forward Rui Hachimura said, “especially you know, he's old now.”

Hachimura tried to suppress a smile.

The Japanese forward did his part with 21 points, including five three-pointers. Smart leapt for a jaw-dropping block against 6-foot-8 Tari Eason and drew three charges. Ayton had 16 rebounds, helping the Lakers outrebound the best rebounding team of a generation 54-45.

Ayton, often maligned for his inconsistent effort, has been a force in the postseason, averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while often guarding Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun one-on-one.

“He's been saying it all year: 'Wait till I get to the playoffs,'" Smart said of Ayton. “It's a different side of him that fans haven't seen, that we expect, that we know he can give. He knows it and he's ready.”

In his second game back from injury, Reaves had 15 points on seven-of-14 shooting with three blocks. He missed all four of his three-point attempts, still searching for his shooting rhythm after a long layoff. But the way Reaves attacked his treatment and returned before the typical four- to six-week timeline was his own form of leadership, Redick said.

Reaves sometimes left his house at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t return until more than 12 hours later. He drove all over L.A. looking for different treatment options. He did everything short of following Doncic to Europe, Reaves joked.

Doncic’s status is still unknown for the beginning of the conference semifinals. He has yet to progress to live play on the court, although he recently started incorporating movement into his on-court drills instead of just stationary shooting. He is still out indefinitely.

Without the star point guard, the Lakers could confidently turn to James to steer them through choppy waters. He averaged 22.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the first-round series. At one point during Friday’s game, Reaves approached him to just tell him his performance was “insane.”

“I don't think you can say in words how special he was,” Reaves said, “not just tonight but this series, this year."

In the locker room after the game when the Lakers prepared to break their last huddle, the lights suddenly clicked off. Players started bleating, serenading James with sounds deserving of the G.O.A.T. — greatest of all time.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Whew. Sigh. LeBron!

History eluded. Embarrassment avoided. Belief restored.

The most secure legacy played with the most desperation. The most creaky veteran played with the most aggression. The winningest superstar played like he had everything to lose.

Wow. Gasp. LeBron!

So it went at Houston’s Toyota Center on Friday night when the Lakers, just two losses from becoming the first team in NBA history to blow a three-games-to-none lead, blew away the Rockets 98-78 to win their first-round series four games to two.

It was a night that prevented possibly the greatest meltdown in NBA history. It was a night that celebrated possibly the greatest player in NBA history.

Read more:LeBron James leads Lakers' rout of Rockets to close out series

“Started with LeBron,” said Marcus Smart. “The OG came out.”

When the shorthanded Lakers needed him most, their ageless 41-year wonder indeed showed up huge, LeBron James fighting down the lane, throwing in from deep, finding teammates like the sizzling Rui Hachimura and the surging Austin Reaves, leading with his entire massive being.

James wasn’t going to be on the wrong side of history. He wasn’t going to further stain his sterling 42-13 close-out record. He wasn’t going to let his final season end so early.

Wait a minute, this is not his final season? Not a chance. Bury any lingering doubt. After watching him dominate the youngest starting five in these playoffs Friday, it is impossible to imagine he’s going to call it quits.

He scored a game-high 28 points while enduring a team-high 37 minutes. He had eight assists, seven rebounds and only three turnovers. He even played defense, as the Lakers were a game-best plus-26 when he was on the court.

His night ended with him appropriately surrounded in the locker room by teammates who were bleating like goats. Because he’s the, well, you know.

“It speaks to his greatness,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, and, yeah, somebody must be great if they can induce grown men to imitate farm animals. “To me he’s had the greatest career of any NBA player … for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it’s … baffling in some ways.”

From the frying pan to the fire, the Lakers now travel to Oklahoma City to face the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.

This could get real ugly, real quick.

The Lakers won’t have injured leading scorer Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future. They will be playing a Thunder team that drubbed them in the regular season, including a 43-point stomping just last month.

The Lakers don’t stand a chance. They’ll be lucky to avoid a sweep. They should quit while they’re ahead.

Which is exactly what everyone said about them before this Rockets series, before they took advantage of a Kevin Durant injury and Reaves' return from injury, before they revealed a sense of focus and connection completely unexpected from this disjointed group.

Before James decided he wouldn’t let them lose.

“We had some obstacles obviously and I know they were without guys as well, but I thought we answered the call,” said James. “I thought we answered the challenge and for them to allow me to lead them, that means a lot to me.”

Truly, lost in all the criticism over the last two Lakers losses was the truth the Lakers never should have been in this position in the first place.

Consider this near miss one of James’ greatest postseason achievements. Consider this first career playoff series win a huge endorsement for Redick as a Lakers coach. Consider any positivity that comes from the Oklahoma City series as pure gravy.

“For us to be written off a few weeks ago and to win a playoff series is a big deal,” said Redick. “And it speaks to the character of our team and the leaders of our team that they didn’t let go of the rope."

James led the Lakers to a five-point lead in the first quarter, then absolutely dominated with a 14-point second quarter in which he outscored the entire Rockets team and gave the Lakers an 18-point halftime lead that was never challenged.

See if you can follow along …

James hits a fallaway. Jake LaRavia races down for a layup. Smart draws a charge. James hits a three. James hits a spinning layup. LaRavia connects on a fastbreak jam. James sinks another layup.

For those breathlessly keeping score, the Lakers began that second quarter with a 9-0 run that, dating back to the first quarter, was an incredible 21-2 smackdown. At one point the Rockets missed a dozen straight shots. At another point they were 0-for-15 shooting in the quarter.

The Rockets momentarily stopped the bleeding with six consecutive points late in the quarter, but on James’ last-minute trey, the Lakers finished the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 49-31 halftime lead.

”He just has this ability to set the tone for the entire group,” said Redick. “He did that again tonight and the guys responded.”

James scored on a jump shot just seconds into the third quarter and the route continued. Houston, which only made six baskets in the quarter, mounted a bit of a surge late in the quarter, but Smart ended any momentum by drawing his third charge of the night.

“I love charges,” said Smart. “They’re demoralizing.”

Redick angrily called a timeout with 6:28 remaining in the game after a defensive lapse with the Lakers leading by 19. James fittingly scored on a layup immediately after the timeout and the game was formally finished.

The Lakers defense was astounding, holding the Rockets to 13 points below their season low. The Lakers rebounding was astonishing, nearly doubling the offensive rebounds of the NBA’s best offensive rebounding team.

The Lakers offensive collective was also cool, Hachimura hitting five of seven treys, Reaves scoring 15 points with three blocked shots, and Deandre Ayton finishing a fine series with 16 rebounds.

But this was about the OG, who noted that he is finally comfortable celebrating small victories and said, “I think we should be proud of the way we handled this.”

The way he handled this.

Bleat … bleat … bleat.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Heartbreak only happens when you put yourself in a position to make it possible.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their souls crushed by an RJ Barrett three that bounced off the rim multiple times before falling through to give the Toronto Raptors a 112-110 victory and force a Game 7.

The Cavs shouldn’t have been in that position. They didn’t bring the effort and focus they needed to close out a playoff series.

The defensive process was bad for the first three quarters.

Toronto lacks players who can create advantages for themselves off the dribble, particularly with the absence of Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram.

Still, Cleveland’s defenders couldn’t stay in front of their assignment. And even if they did, one of the other four Cavaliers would find themselves stuck in no-man’s land, where they weren’t committed enough to cut off a drive, weren’t in the gaps to shut down passing lanes, and also weren’t close enough to their assignment to prevent an outside shot.

The Cavs' half-hearted help defense, where the defender is neither cutting off drives, nor close enough to their guy to influence the three-point shots, remains infuriating to watch. pic.twitter.com/ct95Ecs0k2

— Jackson Flickinger (@JacksFlickinger) May 2, 2026

The Cavs didn’t lose this game in the fourth; they lost it in the first three quarters when plays like this were commonplace. The Raptors connected on 11-27 (40.7%) from beyond the arc through the first three quarters, leading to 91 points overall.

Then, the defense flipped.

Cleveland locked in with the focus they should’ve had from the opening tip. They limited the Raptors to just 12 points in the fourth quarter on 4-17 (23.5%) shooting, which included going 1-7 (14.3%) from three.

It’s easy to look at the offensive outcome and judge how the defense played from there. However, limited scoring doesn’t mean there was good defense and vice versa. In this instance, the Cavs’ defense was actually good.

The help defense successfully cut off drives to the basket, as Toronto attempted just two shots in the restricted area and six in the paint overall. For context, they had an average of 9.3 shots in the paint per quarter before the fourth.

Cleveland did this while being able to rotate back to shooters to either contest outside shots or actually prevent looks from going up entirely.

The frustrating part isn’t that the Cavs aren’t capable of playing good defense. That would be understandable. It’s that they can’t focus enough mentally or show the willingness needed to actually do so, until it’s nearly too late.

If they supplied anywhere close to this level of effort for an extended stretch at the start of the game, they win this one going away.

Donovan Mitchell deserves the most blame for the loss.

The entire offense, and this era of Cavs’ basketball in general, is built entirely around him. They can’t afford for him to play below his standards for four straight games and expect to easily close out a series.

Once again, Mitchell couldn’t establish anything going toward the basket. Through the first three quarters, Mitchell attempted just six of his 13 shots in the paint and had no free-throw attempts. That can’t happen for someone whose game is built mostly on his explosiveness to the rim.

As with the defense, the frustrating part wasn’t that Mitchell was incapable of getting to the basket. In the fourth quarter and overtime, he attempted seven of his 12 shots in the paint, posting 13 points in that span to put the Cavs in a position to win the game.

Going to the basket is draining, especially against a team that is doing everything within its power to make it difficult to do so. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to try and get there in the first three quarters.

Mitchell’s teams have consistently underperformed in the playoffs, but he’s mostly escaped criticism. Being a high-volume scorer who puts up numbers has allowed him to do so. When you score 35+ points, it’s easy to point to other reasons why the team didn’t get it done.

These playoffs have been a referendum on that notion.

Mitchell’s scoring has completely dried up. Over the last four games of this series, he’s averaged 19.5 points on 37.3% shooting from the floor and 29.4% shooting from three while taking just 1.5 free-throw attempts per game.

The lack of scoring underscores the other parts of Mitchell’s game that aren’t up to snuff. The defense has been horrendous, he’s averaging more turnovers than assists in the last four games, and he doesn’t make an impact as a rebounder. This all adds up to the Cavs getting beaten in the minutes he’s played.

In the last four games of this series, the Cavs have been outscored in Mitchell’s time on the court by a combined 35 points. That comes out to an average of losing his minutes by 8.8 points per game, which included Cleveland being outscored by four in Game 6.

Losing Mitchell’s minutes wasn’t a common occurrence in the regular season. The Cavs outscored their opponents with him on the floor in 49 of the 70 games he played. And when they didn’t, they usually lost, with a record of 5-16 in those situations.

This was the fourth-straight game the Cavs have been outplayed with Mitchell on the floor. Unsurprisingly, that has led to them losing three of those games.

The warts that have held Mitchell back in the postseason have always been there. They were just masked by his incredible scoring.

If you think of the best playoff performers of all-time, they’re all incredibly versatile two-way players who can beat you in a variety of ways on both sides of the ball. That isn’t Mitchell. And until it is, teams that are built around him will continue to fall into the same issues year after year.

This wasn’t James Harden’s best game. He dribbled the air out of the ball a few too many times down the stretch, couldn’t get a couple of clean looks to go late, and had too many careless turnovers. This led to an inefficient 5-14 showing with four giveaways.

Even so, this loss wasn’t on Harden.

Harden has earned his reputation as a playoff underperformer. This game won’t do him any favors in that department. However, his more well-rounded skillset is why the Cavs played their most impressive basketball with him on the court.

There’s more to Harden’s game than just scoring. He set up his teammates well (even though the spacing remains horrid) and should’ve had much more than nine assists. In addition to that, he did an excellent job affecting the game as a rebounder.

Guard rebounding is incredibly important when the margins are this tight. Harden came down with nine rebounds, including five on the offensive end. He led the team in offensive boards, which is the one area the Cavs thoroughly dominated. Cleveland outscored Toronto 22-10 on second-chance points. Harden was a big part of that.

Single-game plus/minus can be misleading, but it sometimes does paint an accurate picture. The Cavs won Harden’s minutes by a game-best 11 points due to the numerous ways he positively influenced the game despite being a poor defender.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson made numerous bad decisions.

Sticking with Max Strus as a starter just hasn’t worked. There are several Cavaliers who’ve gotten lost helping off-ball, few more than Strus. This is part of the reason why the defense has typically struggled with him on the floor.

The starting unit with Dean Wade remains their best lineup. Atkinson went to it late to get back into the game, but maybe things wouldn’t have gotten out of hand if that unit had been given the time they deserved.

Then, there’s the fact that the Cavs wasted their challenge in the first half on a borderline foul that didn’t go their way on review. Having that challenge late would’ve helped as numerous questionable calls didn’t go the Cavs way and influenced the outcome of the game.

Finally, Atkinson’s play calls out of timeouts were bad in overtime. His decision to run their second-to-last possession to Schroder in the backcourt when he knew Toronto was going to foul was a head-scratcher with Mitchell and Harden on your team.

In addition to that, having Evan Mobley, who’s been a bad free-throw shooter for several months on the floor in that situation, also didn’t make sense. He shouldn’t have been in a position to lose the ball late.

And lastly, the final play call didn’t make sense. Using Harden, your second-best offensive player, as the inbounder is questionable. I understand that you want an on-target pass, but you’re taking a prime shooter and decoy off the court. If you want to ensure you get the ball in, you can always use a timeout and have Harden inbound the second attempt.

More importantly, the final play call made no sense. I’m not sure what the desired outcome was, but there was no chance that Mitchell could break free from this designed mess. Settling for an off-balance Mobley three probably wasn’t the ideal outcome there.

RAPTORS FORCE GAME 7 🚨

RJ GO-AHEAD 3.
DEFENSIVE STOP.

WHAT A WIN FOR TORONTO WITH THE SEASON ON THE LINE! https://t.co/q1bt3flOr2pic.twitter.com/ey2ko6bLKm

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026

Evan Mobley played one of the best games of his career, considering the moment.

The Cavs aren’t in a position to steal this if it weren’t for his efforts on both ends. Mobley continually beat up mismatches inside, took it to the basket when he had an opening to do so, and scored Cleveland’s last nine points of regulation to send the game to overtime. This included hitting a triple with under two minutes left and converting a game-tying finger roll in the final seconds of the fourth.

Cleveland has looked their best this series when Mobley has been involved offensively. Toronto doesn’t have someone who can easily combat his size and quickness. Scottie Barnes is probably the best bet in doing so, but they need him to cover one of the guards. This leaves Mobley free to attack in the post and in space as a cutter.

Mobley’s game doesn’t neatly fit into a number one or two role on a high-level offense. The handle isn’t tight enough for him to be entirely a self-creator. That said, he has constantly found ways to elevate his game in the playoffs after a rough postseason debut against the New York Knicks three years ago.

Still, the building blocks are there for him to grow into more. And even if he doesn’t, he’s proven to be a matchup problem in the playoffs. That’s an incredibly important skill to have in the postseason.

This heartbreak was only possible because the Cavs showed some fight. If they rolled over quietly, like it seemed like they would do midway through the third quarter, this loss might not sting as much.

This game wasn’t lost when Barrett hit the improbable three. The Cavs instead choked it away well before that. They didn’t come out with the energy they needed for a close-out game. Trying to steal it by finally exerting effort in the final 10 minutes like it was the second night of a back-to-back in January wasn’t, and never will be enough, to eliminate a playoff opponent.

So on one hand, the Cavs don’t deserve any credit for fighting back since that was the bare minimum that they could do.

At the same time, if you wanted to take the glass-half-full approach, you’re perfectly capable of doing so. The resilience the Cavs displayed late wasn’t something we’ve seen often in this era. They showed that they could be a high-level defensive team, and if a few more open shots fell down the stretch, the conversation would be entirely different.

We’ll find out which perspective is the right one on Sunday when this era of Cavs basketball is on the line.

The Boston Celtics are collapsing in on themselves, now having dropped back-to-back games against the Philadelphia 76ers. What was supposed to be a quick series for Boston has now turned into a slog, with Philly bouncing back from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7.

It’s do-or-die time. No more second chances. The Celtics had several opportunities to close out this series, but now their backs are against the wall, and momentum is not in their favor.

Boston held a 13-point lead in the third quarter of Game 5, a potential close-out game. It’s been all downhill from there, though. The Sixers turned Boston’s 13-point lead into as much as a 17-point deficit, ultimately stealing the game by 16. So, what changed? Why was Philly able to snatch control of the series?

Well, as my CelticsBlog colleagues have pointed out, from a tactical perspective, Boston is no longer playing Celtics basketball. The root cause of the issue becomes clearer when we look at how Boston’s bench closed out Game 6, but the problem isn’t with the bench.

In Game 6, Joe Mazzulla pulled the starters at the 10:24 mark of the fourth quarter when Boston was facing a 23-point deficit. Many saw this as a waving of the white flag, but I wasn’t so sure.

A lineup of Payton Pritchard, Baylor Scheierman, Ron Harper Jr., Jordan Walsh, and Luka Garza took the floor. Outside of Payton, no one in that lineup had a consistent role this season. They were thrown in to the fire at what almost felt like random stretches of a game, and they all had success in those stretches. They all gave every stint – every possession – their all. That’s what led to Boston’s 56-win season, obviously alongside the winning plays of the starters.

I had no reason to expect that it would be any different when they took the floor together in the 4^th quarter of Game 6. And what do you know? They faced off against Philly’s starters, and shaved off as many as 11 points from the deficit in just over 3 minutes, making it an 88-76 lead for the Sixers with 7:10 left on the clock.

Ultimately, Boston’s bench wasn’t able to take it any further, a 106-93 final score, but we were able to see exactly what the Celtics were missing that put them in the 23-point hole in the first place. Effort. Connectivity. Determination.

shoutout to the Celtics ‘stay ready’ group + Pritchard.

cut the lead down to 12 two different times. scored 28 points in a 10 minute stretch. pic.twitter.com/tNpNhF4DNz

— Celtics Performances (@BestOfCeltics0) May 1, 2026

The “Stay Ready” group earned their name for a reason. They don’t know when they’ll take the floor, but they know exactly what they’re going to give to the game when they do – everything. It’s what the starters have been missing in these past two games.

Now, let me be perfectly clear. I am not questioning the starters’ heart, skill, desire, or anything of the sort. Celtics fans are blessed to have a team of such high-character players, and that too, players whose only goal is to win. I’m not going to let one disappointing series make me start doubting that.

But the starters don’t seem to be playing with the same sense of urgency as the bench is. They have experience, no doubt, but it’s felt like they’ve been going through the motions. Jaylen Brown said he thinks that Boston is “playing into [Philly’s] hands a little.” Too much isolation and matchup hunting, lapses on defense, miscommunications – it’s all amplified under the spotlight when the shots aren’t falling.

When the bench came in, it felt like there was finally some flow again. There wasn’t any overdribbling, the ball moved from side to side, everyone was making the extra pass, and the Celtics were getting some very high-quality shots. Not all of them dropped, which happens, but you also can’t expect the bench to be perfect. If the starters played the same way, you’d imagine they’d at least find the same success, if not more.

When asked about why they were inserted into the game, Mazzulla had this to say: “Wanted to give the game a different feel. I mean, all year we’ve had 14-15 guys be able to impact winning. Just wanted to give the game a different look.”

Along with the improvements on offense, it also felt like there was more of a defensive presence. The Celtics were attacking loose balls, forcing turnovers, and crashing the boards. It was honestly a much-needed break for me as a fan of the game, finally seeing some more fight after a gut-wrenching first three quarters. It was the only thing that could take the sour taste of the rest of the game out of my mouth.

The thing is, we know the starters are capable of this too. This same group won a championship together just two seasons ago. We need that version of them in Game 7. Boston can’t afford to get off to a slow start. They have to come out swinging from the jump. They have to feed the TD Garden crowd, and put Philly on their heels.

I’ll take this moment to personally call out Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, and even Nikola Vucevic (because they’re all obviously reading this); I don’t care if the shots don’t go down if you follow the right process. If we go out, let’s go out fighting. I believe in you. Play the Celtics basketball we all know and love, and send Philly packing.

Joe Mazzulla has stuck to his guns with his starting lineup and who he plays off of the bench.

Well, expect a for at center but that is a different story.

The Celtics have started the same five of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta in all 6 games of the first round. That lineup is -15 in 58 minutes in the series.

All season, Mazzulla was flexible with his rotations, starting Josh Minott, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman for different stretches this season and now that we have reached the playoffs, he’s been fairly rigid. Why is that?

Hugo Gonzalez and Ron Harper Jr. just cannot get on the court and Scheierman has been the seldom used 9th guy the entire series. These are guys who played roles throughout the regular season because they all played very well for the Celtics. They have all shown they are solid NBA players.

I don’t know that I love the Tatum at center look but that is another thing that Mazzulla hasn’t tried it at all.

What advantage has Hauser given them in the starting lineup? What advantage has any of their bigs given them?

The Celtics best lineup in Game 6 was Payton Pritchard, Harper Jr., Scheierman, Walsh and Luka Garza, they were a +6 in 9 minutes. Sure, it was at the end of the game and that lineup isn’t sustainable, but Philly had their starters out there for a bit with those guys on the floor and they played well.

They are good players who played the brand of basketball you played all season, the brand of basketball that won you 56 games and took a 3-1 lead in this series.

No, you can’t pull Derrick White. He hasn’t played well but he is apart of the fabric of everything they do, they need him. However, they don’t need to go down on the Sam Hauser ship.

Yet, we need to question if it really matters. Is Harper, Scheierman, Gonzalez or anyone else really going to change anything? These are role players. If the Celtics best players don’t play well, it really doesn’t matter who plays or how much they play.

Before the playoffs, I wrote about how this was Jaylen Brown’s moment to prove he is one of the best players in the NBA, but he has more turnovers than assists in this series.

It is easy for us to look at a coach who keeps putting the same players on the court when it is not working and tell him to change it when there is a reason he started off with the guys on the court.

Yet, when you look back at the 2023 2nd round when the Celtics were down 3-2 heading to Philadelphia and Mazzulla made a change to his starting 5 by putting Robert Williams in there for Derrick White, it worked. When it stopped working in the Miami series, Joe went back to White and it worked until Jayson Tatum rolled his ankle in Game 7.

I do think Joe has been too stubborn with his rotations in this series. I do think he should have tried different guys as it became increasingly clear that what he has been trying have not been working.

Now, the Celtics are on the verge of being the 14th team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead. While it isn’t entirely due to Mazzulla not changing up his starting 5 or rotations, the Celtics are on the ropes and it is time for Joe Mazzulla to do something different.

LeBron James scored 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets to set up a Western Conference semi-final play-off against reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder.

James also added seven rebounds and eight assists to help the Lakers to a 98-78 victory, which secured a 4-2 series win against the Rockets.

The Lakers had led the series 3-0 and finally closed out the best-of-seven contest in convincing style away at Houston, whose top scorer was Amen Thompson with 18 points.

"A lot of our guys, quite frankly, have not been in this position, have not been in a close-out situation, especially on the road, so it was important for me to go out and set the tone," said 41-year-old James.

He told Amazon Prime: "The mission has always stayed the same no matter what my role has been throughout my career, and that is to go out there and try to dominate.

"Obviously, I have the most experience on the team and have the most play-off experience on the team so I know how a series can go. I just try to bleed that into them, bleed the confidence and tell them to go out and play."

Lakers coach JJ Redick was full of admiration for the performance of James, who is the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons and is also the league's record points scorer.

"To me, he's had the greatest career of any NBA player," said Redick. "You can argue all you want; I don't care to postulate on who's the greatest of all time.

"He's one of, if not the greatest of all time, and for him to do it again and answer the bell again, it's baffling in some ways."

The Lakers face a tough task against the Thunder, who finished top of the Western Conference and secured a 4-0 series win against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA play-offs.

The first game of their best-of-seven series is in Oklahoma on Tuesday.

Pistons and Raptors set up deciders

Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons, who finished top of the Eastern Conference, produced a stunning comeback to beat the Orlando Magic 93-79 to level their first-round series at 3-3 and set up a deciding game seven.

Detroit had trailed by as much as 24 points in game six, with the Magic having led 62-38 early in the third quarter when they looked to have moved themselves to the brink of a first play-off series win since 2010.

But Orlando missed 23 consecutive field goals and the Pistons, who were 3-1 down in the series, took full advantage to force a seventh game..

"Never say die, simple as that," said Detroit's Cade Cunningham, who top scored in the match with 32 points.

"I mean, Detroit grit, it's what we've been talking about all year."

The final game of the series will be on Sunday in Detroit and the winner will play either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Toronto Raptors, whose first-round play-off will also go to a deciding game seven.

RJ Barrett sank a three-pointer, which hit the rim of the basket and looped up in the air before dropping in, with 1.2 seconds left in overtime to give the Raptors a dramatic 112-110 victory in game six as they levelled the series at 3-3.

The home side has won each game so far and the decider will be in Cleveland on Sunday.

Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference)

Boston; Saturday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 205.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Series tied 3-3

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers square off in game seven of the Eastern Conference first round. The 76ers defeated the Celtics 106-93 in the last matchup on Friday. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 30 points, and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 18.

The Celtics have gone 36-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston leads the league giving up only 107.2 points per game while holding opponents to 44.2% shooting.

The 76ers are 27-25 against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia is sixth in the Eastern Conference with 16.9 fast break points per game led by VJ Edgecombe averaging 8.0.

The Celtics are shooting 46.7% from the field this season, the same percentage the 76ers allow to opponents. The 76ers are shooting 46.2% from the field, 2.0% higher than the 44.2% the Celtics' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Brown is averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Celtics. Jayson Tatum is averaging 18.7 points over the last 10 games.

Quentin Grimes is scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 3.6 rebounds for the 76ers. Maxey is averaging 25.0 points and 3.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 6-4, averaging 112.2 points, 46.1 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.7 points per game.

76ers: 5-5, averaging 105.2 points, 44.2 rebounds, 21.0 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.4 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: None listed.

76ers: Joel Embiid: day to day (abdomen).

___

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

All season long, when faced with adversity, the Lakers have responded.

When LeBron James missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, LA went 10-4 in his absence. After both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves went down late in the season, the Lakers fought hard to keep the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference.

LA started the playoffs without Austin or Luka, but just kept on winning. They went up 3-0 in their series against the Rockets, only for Houston to respond with two wins, forcing a Game 6. The purple and gold ensured there would not be a Game 7.

It was the Lakers who went on a dominant second-quarter run and took over, putting the game to bed.

Things will only get harder as they will now play the defending champs, but if we’ve learned one thing about the 2025-26 Lakers, they’ll fight as hard as possible to find success.

So, they’ll be underdogs again, but that’s a position they’ve excelled in under JJ Redick’s.

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

LeBron James

37 minutes, 28 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 10-25 FG, 2-5 3PT, 6-8 FT, +26

The Lakers needed LeBron to be great and he delivered. James started aggressively by scoring inside, knocking down threes and handing out a slew of assists with just one turnover in the first half.

Thanks to his play, LA got out in front early and never looked back. LeBron remained on the attack throughout the game, and yes, at age 41, he was the best player on the court.

Take a bow, king!

Grade: A+

Rui Hachimura

35 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 2 fouls, 8-15 FG, 5-7 3PT, +20

There is a reason Redick was so reluctant to bench Hachimura during the regular season. He is as clutch as they come, has good size, and is one of the best shot-makers in the NBA.

All of this was on display in Game 6.

This was one of the best games Rui has ever had as a Laker. With the series momentum leaning in favor of Houston, Hachimura tipped the scales back in LA’s favor.

He was an unstoppable shooter, going 5-7 from 3-point range. The only thing more demoralizing than his shot-making was the million-dollar smile he had while jogging back on defense.

Rui Hachimura walks it off pic.twitter.com/w0JGeVyISX

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 2, 2026

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

28 minutes, 7 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 5 fouls, 2-6 FG, 3-7 FT, +5

I had to triple-check the rebounding numbers for Ayton. It’s unreal that he had 16 boards in an elimination game. He did a solid job defending Şengün when he had that assignment and did the little things that impacted winning.

A hilarious moment came when NBA official Scott Foster tried to ensure Ayton didn’t get an unfair advantage in a jump ball and kept restarting the play. It didn’t matter, as Ayton still won the tip.

In this series, Ayton has been excellent, and Game 6 was no exception.

Grade: B+

Marcus Smart

35 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 2-7 FG, 2-4 3PT, 1-2 FT, +25

Smart proved he could handle some on-ball duties for this team in these intense games. This wasn’t the case in Game 5 when he had way too many turnovers.

Smart acknowledged this and improved dramatically in this contest. He had a plus-minus of +25, which was the second highest on the team.

Grade: B

Austin Reaves

31 minutes, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 7-14 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +3

Reaves showed flashes of who he is in this game.

He had a nice spin move layup, was driving inside and his three blocks demonstrated his aggressiveness defensively. Reaves is clearly not 100% just yet, but he found ways to impact the game and was a good offensive initiator for the team.

Grade: B-

Luke Kennard

29 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 1-6 FG, 1-2 3PT, +22

Okay, Kennard has regressed to his mean, but that’s not the worst thing. He can still be a positive on offense, but that monster Game 1 performance is likely a thing of the past.

Grade: B

Jaxson Hayes

17 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-1 FG, 3-4 FT, +21

After an awful Game 5, Hayes had a bounce-back performance in Game 6. He held his own on his defensive assignments and even got to the line and hit some free throws.

The Lakers needed Hayes to eat up some big man minutes, and he not only did so but was a net positive for the team during his shifts.

Grade: B

Jake LaRavia

16 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, 3-8 FG, 1-2 3PT, +2

This was the best game LaRavia has had this postseason. He held his own defensively, shot well from deep, and had some momentum-shifting plays like his dunk midway through the second quarter.

Grade: B+

Adou Theiro, Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Nick Smith Jr.

This quartet played a short shift in garbage time so they will not be getting a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick stuck with a tight eight-man rotation and it paid off. He did the right thing by taking Jarred Vanderbilt out and leaning on his offensive players to get this win.

No longer doubling Şengün, they dared him to win his matchups and he couldn’t. This was a tremendous improvement from last year, when Redick did ridiculous things like making no subs in the second half and effectively playing no bigs late in the series.

This is 2026, and Redick learned who to trust, not to panic and, instead of blowing a 3-0 lead, they won a series many, myself included, didn’t think they could win.

Grade: A

Friday’s DNPs: Maxi Kleber, Jarred Vanderbilt

Friday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

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

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back in a big way to avoid playing Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets.

James had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78 on Friday, May 1. It was his league-record 157th playoff game with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Lakers played with a sense of urgency and energy that was missing from their home loss on Wednesday.

“My mindset was to play with aggression,” James said during a postgame interview on Prime. “(The Rockets) changed the aggression level in Games 4 and 5. … Most of our guys haven't been in a close-out game situation. … So I had to come out and set the tone for my team and just try to find a way to close this thing out.”

The Lakers will be asked to produce the same level of energy if they want to compete with the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the second round.

The Lakers must continue to get strong contributions from players such as Rui Hachimura, who helped neutralize the Rockets and kept them from having any chance of battling back into the game with several big shots. Hachimura finished with 21 points and six rebounds. He shot 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers will need all the rest they can get before the series with the Thunder begins on Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City. The three days off won’t be enough time to get guard Luka Doncic back, though.

Doncic has not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 2 in a blowout loss to the Thunder during the regular season.

Without the guard, Los Angeles will be tasked with overcoming the Thunder's defense and finding a way to generate enough offense to match the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Austin Reaves will be asked to shoulder some of that offensive responsibility. He made his return to the Lakers on Wednesday for Game 5 after missing time due to a left oblique muscle strain. He returned to the starting lineup in Game 6.

Reaves has 37 points, eight assists and seven rebounds combined in his first two games back. He will need to round back into form at the 3-point line, where he's made just 2-of-12 this week.

The Thunder will enter the series well-rested, having swept the Phoenix Suns. OKC will enter the second round having had a full week off.

The Thunder could also see the return of Jalen Williams in the series. He has not played since April 22 due to a hamstring strain.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Lakers after win over Rockets? Thunder await

There will be no Game 7.

After dropping consecutive closeout games that simultaneously put the series in jeopardy and gave the Rockets real momentum, the Lakers took care of business in Game 6, dominating the Rockets and leaving no doubt on who the better team was with a 98-78 victory.

The Lakers have now punched their ticket to the second round and a matchup with the reigning world champs, but analysis of that series will need to wait. For now, the Lakers get a few days to regroup and game plan, while us fans get to reflect on what was a great performance up and down the roster to knock out the Rockets.

Here are three takeaways from the huge victory…

---

The Closeout King

LeBron James did not have his most efficient shooting night, hitting just 10 of his 25 field goal attempts. But in scoring a team-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, and eight assists (to just three turnovers), he controlled the action for nearly every moment of the 37:07 he played in this game and set his team up for victory with his focus, energy, and determination.

LeBron set the tone early, ducking into the post for power backdowns while exerting his strength advantage over Tari Eason. Positioning himself on the right block, LeBron consistently put the Rockets into situations where they would either need to send help or let him cook one-on-one. And when the help did not come, LeBron made the defense pay by scoring or drawing fouls.

When he was not posting up, he was setting up the action to attack via the pick and roll where he could either get downhill for himself or try to set up a teammate for an easy look. This sort of diversity helped keep Houston’s defense off-balance and allowed the Lakers to generate decent looks against a defense that had mostly stymied them for the better part of the previous three games.

But more than his efforts to keep the Lakers offense flowing in the halfcourt, it was LeBron’s hunting of transition and open court chances that helped the team generate the points they needed to separate and then keep the Rockets at bay.

The Lakers outscored the Rockets 19-8 in fastbreak points, with much of that difference coming from LeBron’s persistence in getting into early offense when the team secured a stop and there was a sliver of a lane to push the pace.

LEBRON'S GOT 18 PTS AT THE BREAK 👏

Lakers up 18 in Game 6! pic.twitter.com/RVeUaPwbaJ

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026

Again, though, this wasn’t solely about his production. After the Lakers did not play with enough force and focus in Games 4 and 5, LeBron reset the team’s approach through his individual approach and everyone followed suit. He did not do it alone, but he led the way.

Rui’s sharpshooting

If Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart were the difference makers early in the series with their shot making, it was Rui’s hot hand that made the difference in Game 6 to close out Houston. Hachimura hit five of his seven attempts from deep on the night, and eight of his 15 shots overall, en route to 21 points to go along with his six rebounds and two assists.

With the Lakers getting into their offense earlier, LeBron’s post-up and pick-and-roll play tilting the game towards him, and Austin Reaves’ drives creating more opportunities for advantage creation, the Lakers ball movement improved and it was Rui who was one of the main beneficiaries.

Time after time, the ball pinged around the court and ended up in Hachimura’s hands with him calmly stepping into jumpers that he knocked down over and over again.

RUI MF HACHIMURA 🐐

(via @MindOfBron) pic.twitter.com/zJ83EQbT02

— Lakers Lead (@LakersLead) May 2, 2026

On a night where the Lakers only shot 40.4% from the field overall, Rui’s accuracy and secondary scoring were a huge factor in giving the team the sort of offensive boost they needed to seize control of the game. And then, once they had the lead, every ensuing jumper dug Houston’s hole deeper, never allowing them to gain any sort of footing that could help foment a comeback.

Exactly the sort of role player performance the team needed on the road to get the win.

Deandre’s defense and rebounding

On a night where his shooting from the field (2-6) and the foul line (3-7) was not there, Deandre Ayton’s attention to detail and focus defensively and on the backboards were critical to the Lakers getting this victory. Of Ayton’s 16 rebounds, 13 came on the defensive end, allowing the Lakers to not only close out possessions but to help trigger their transition game that was so helpful all night to their offense.

Further, and more importantly, was that all night the Lakers left Ayton on an island to defend Alperen Şengün one-on-one rather than sending the sort of help and doubles that allowed Houston to get into such a good offensive rhythm in Game 5. Şengün shot just 5-12 from the field, but more importantly, had just a single assist after tallying eight in the last game.

Ayton’s ability to hold up in isolation allowed the rest of the defense to stay home and attached to shooters and cutters, gumming up the Rockets’ offense. Above all else, this was the major factor in Houston connecting on just 28 of their 80 (35%) shot attempts on the night, never allowing them to find a rhythm or climb back into the game.

And, as previously mentioned, when they did miss, it was Ayton who was the primary force in helping the Lakers to clean the glass, holding Houston to just eight offensive rebounds on their 52 misses, a fantastic number even if they cut down on crashing the glass as hard as they did earlier in the series.

The Lakers simply do not win this game — or the series — without Ayton anchoring their defense with the focus and force he displayed.

You can follow Darius on BlueSky at @forumbluegoldand find more of his Lakers coverage on the Laker Film Room Podcast.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made their bed. Now they have one game left to get out of it.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

24 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 3 turnovers

Mitchell should be the best player on the floor. That hasn’t been true for four straight games. Mitchell has finished with a negative plus/minus in each game since Game 2 — and wasn’t able to change that even with his strong end to this one.

Donovan Mitchell hasn't finished with a positive plus/minus since Game 2

Combined -35 in Games 3-6

— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) May 2, 2026

The Cavs nearly had enough to come back and win tonight. Mitchell’s in-between scoring helped bring them back, but his previous three quarters are what put them in the hole.

Grade: D+

James Harden

16 points, 9 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers

Harden’s turnovers are hard to defend. He’s often so careless with the ball that it drives you crazy. His 5-14 shooting didn’t help either.

Still, Harden’s command of the offense has felt night and day compared to Mitchell. The Cavs at least have a chance with the way Harden is playing. He’s generating advantages, even if he isn’t consistently converting on them.

Grade: C+

Evan Mobley

26 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

The last two games have been huge for Mobley’s reputation. After consecutive stinkers in Toronto, Mobley put up back-to-back heroic fourth quarters in games 5-6.

Mobley nailed a corner three-pointer in the fourth quarter to keep Cleveland alive. Then, he buried CMB in the paint for the tying bucket. His defense helped hold the Raptors to just 12 points in the fourth quarter, and his shot-making felt like the counterstrike that the Cavs have needed with Mitchell struggling.

Grade: A

Jarrett Allen

14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Allen deserves massive credit. He set the tone early by being aggressive on offense (even laying himself out on the opening possession). As the game went on, his contested rebounds were pivotal in Cleveland’s rally. Allen snagged some key boards and did all he could to get his team the weekend off.

I removed half a grade for his 2-6 free-throw shooting.

Grade: B+

Dean Wade

10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal

Wade’s the best fit next to the core four. He’s proven that in this series. He’s done a phenomenal job defensively and is doing enough to stay on the floor offensively. I think the Cavs need to revert to Wade in the starting lineup for Game 7.

Grade: A-

Max Strus

6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

Strus hasn’t gelled with the core four like he did in the past. I truly think that has more to do with Mitchell than him. Still, the Cavs can’t afford to keep him in this spot. Strus is undersized at the wing and hasn’t made a significant difference in how the Raptors defend the backcourt. He isn’t posing a big enough offensive threat to force an adjustment.

Grade: C–

Thomas Bryant

0 points, 2 rebounds

We’ve seen enough of Bryant in this matchup. He just doesn’t have it.

Grade: F

Jaylon Tyson

5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

Tyson did his thing, floating in the short-roll and making plays from there. The only problem was his 1-5 shooting from downtown. That’s not going to cut it.

Grade: C+

Sam Merrill

2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal

Merrill went 0-3 from deep and shot just 1-2 elsewhere. That caused him to play just 18 minutes as the rest of his game was tested by Toronto’s full-on attack.

Grade: D+

Dennis Schroder

7 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers

Schroder saved the day in Game 5. In Game 6, he partially threw it away. He shot 0-4 from the floor and flat-out made the wrong read at the end of the game.

Grade: D-

Well, if you were paying attention to the NBA Playoffs Friday night, you’ll most likely agree with us that there’s no question about what today’s Gold will be.

With the seconds running down in overtime, RJ Barrett got a pass out at the top of the key from Toronto teammate Scottie Barnes, and put up a long three.

It took a very high bounce off the rim, which was straight out of Hollywood. It seemed to go up, and up, and up…and by the time it came down, more than another full second had come off the clock, making it next to impossible for Cleveland to top that shot.

Making it even sweeter? Barrett is playing in his hometown. Okay, he’s actually from the suburb of Mississauga, but big whoop. He’s a hometown kid who people will be talking about for years after that shot.

You may remember that a few years ago, Barrett was criticized for his poor outside shooting. We linked to a video of him just grinding in the gym, trying to refine his shot.

What you saw against Cleveland was no miracle. It’s a guy who put in the time, and when he was called upon, he was ready.

Here are some other videos of what folks in Toronto will be calling The Shot.

• The decibel guy.
• Tyrese Haliburton nods
• The Titanic version
• Did it hit the camera?

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LeBron James knew what was at stake in this first-round playoff series and that it was on his shoulders to meet the moment and have his teammates follow his lead.

James simply elevated his play like he has so many times over his illustrious 23-year NBA career, playing with a purpose and willing the Lakers to a 98-78 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Toyota Center.

His 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds is why the Lakers won the best-of-seven series, 4-2, over the Rockets and why L.A. will meet the defending NBA champion Thunder on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

James and the Lakers had been on the verge of collapsing in these playoffs, their commanding 3-0 lead cut to 3-2.

But the Lakers and James let the Rockets know they were going to stay the course in Game 6 by building a 25-point lead in the third quarter.

Rui Hachimura let James and the Lakers know he had come to play, scoring 21 points on eight-for-15 shooting and a sizzling five for seven on three-pointers. Hachimura also had six rebounds.

Austin Reaves started in Game 6 and Luke Kennard, who had started the first five playoff games and the last five regular-season games, came off the bench. Reaves did his part for the Lakers with 15 points.

Deandre Ayton had just seven points, but his 16 rebounds and defensive presence was just as powerful.

Marcus Smart was the defensive catalyst for the Lakers. He had two blocks, one in which he just raised up to swat a shot by Tari Eason in the third quarter while then falling down backward in the process. Smart scored seven points, but it was his defense that helped the Lakers limit the Rockets to 34.2% shooting and 17.9% from three-point range.

After grabbing his last rebound with 3 minutes and 17 seconds left with the Lakers leading by 26 points, James raised his hand to come out of the game. He left with 3:07 remaining having played 37 minutes.

The Lakers built a 19-point lead in the second quarter, doing it behind James’ thrust and a strong defense that stifled the Rockets early in the period.

James had 18 points in the first half, shooting seven for 14 from the field and two for four from three-point range to help the Lakers keep a 49-31 lead at the half.

He also had four assists and three rebounds.

On the defense, the Lakers worked hard and put the Rockets on their heels in the first 24 minutes.

The Lakers held the Rockets to 28.6% shooting and 16.7% from three-point range. The Rockets turned the ball over 10 times in the first.

James then opened the third quarter with a turnaround move in the post to give the Lakers a 20-point lead.

Returning to Houston for another game was not the end of the basketball world for the Lakers.

Even if all the momentum had shifted away from the Lakers and to the Rockets, L.A. still had the lead in the series.

Even if the Lakers had failed to close out the Rockets twice and had seen their three-game lead drop to one game, L.A. had no choice but to be ready for the next moment.

In the eyes of Lakers coach JJ Redick and his group, being back here is “exactly where we’re supposed to be.”

“So, you certainly don't want to drop two games in a row,” Redick said. “You certainly don't want to feel like you've given the other team confidence and momentum. But prior to the series, and if you said we were up 3-2, coming here for a close-out game and AR would be back, we'd be ecstatic.

"So, I said this after Game 2, that this thing was just getting started. I don't think any of us expected a full sweep. We know they're a great basketball team and they were going to continue to play, continue to fight. We've got to match that tonight.”

The Lakers did.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.