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As the NBA Playoffs transition to the conference semifinal stage on Monday, sportsbooks are still heavily backing the Oklahoma City Thunder to win their second straight championship.

While the Thunder are the outright leaders, the New York Knicks enjoyed the largest surge in Finals odds after the Boston Celtics were eliminated in seven games.

Key Takeaways

• The Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead in Finals and Finals MVP odds.
  
  
• Philadelphia’s 3-1 comeback propelled the Knicks to lead the East in Finals odds.
  
  
• BetMGM users are backing Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Finals and Finals MVP markets.

The Thunder began the year as a +240 leader in NBA Finals odds, according to BetMGM. They had closed to +115 when the playoffs began and are now down to -140 (58.3% implied chance) with a leading 19.3% of all money in the futures market behind them, along with 10.6% of tickets (third).

The San Antonio Spurs have shortened from +450 at the start of the playoffs to +325. They have 10.9% of tickets, first among remaining teams, and 16.8% of the handle, second only to the Thunder. 

One of the main reasons the Spurs have such a large share of the handle is that they have the largest reported futures bet at BetMGM, a $50,000 wager at +650 odds.

Over on the other side of the brackets, the Knicks (7% of bets, 6.5% of money) were only fourth in odds to win the Eastern Conference when the postseason commenced. Their title odds grew from +2200 to +900, the new leading mark in the East, after they dispatched the Atlanta Hawks in six games. 

While the Knicks are now the team to beat in their conference, they wouldn’t be in their current position without several unforeseen developments.

No result was more beneficial for the Knicks than the Celtics blowing a 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston was +550 in odds to win the NBA Finals (third) when the playoffs began and would’ve faced the New Yorkers in the second round had they advanced. Instead, Philly overcame their near-fatal position and will now battle the Knicks for a spot in the conference finals.

I know some people out there 100% believed in the 76ers' chances to come back after Game 4

Reveal yourselves 🧐 pic.twitter.com/D9OtGUmVLg

— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) May 3, 2026

The 76ers’ improbable victory shocked the odds board as they climbed from +25000 to +3500. Despite that, they only have 3.8% of tickets and 3.4% of the pot. 

🚨Notable Bet @DKSportsbook

A bettor placed $1,000 on the 76ers (+2500) on 4/27 to come back and win the series

Potential profit: $25,000 https://t.co/Yu0GcV9B9H

— DK Insights (@DKInsights_) May 2, 2026

The first-seed Detroit Pistons were also shockingly taken to seven games and needed to overcome a 3-1 deficit to get past the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic. Their title odds (+1700) are the same as they were at the start of the playoffs, but they have 10.4% of tickets, 8.5% of the handle, and one $25,000 wager at +1400 odds supporting them. 

Who else is in the picture?

Only three teams that are still alive have not been mentioned up to this point. One of those is the Los Angeles Lakers, who are both the biggest winners and losers of the postseason thus far.

LA was an enormous underdog against the Houston Rockets in the first round as both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were sidelined by injuries. Despite that, they raced ahead to a 3-0 lead and eventually closed the series out in six games. Their NBA Finals odds are down from +20000 at the beginning of the playoffs to +2500.

Unfortunately for the purple and gold, they now get to battle a Thunder team that won the Western Conference at 64-18, swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round, and is the largest series favorite of the second round (-2000). 

Reaves is back, but Doncic is still out and reportedly hasn’t begun running. Despite that, the Lakers have 9.1% of bets and 7.5% of money wagered backing them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were +1600 in odds to win the Finals at the beginning of the playoffs, but they fell to +2000 after being taken to seven games by the Toronto Raptors. They’re looking up at the Knicks and the Pistons in the East.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are the final team remaining. Although they upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round, their odds lengthened from +8000 to +10000 due to injuries suffered by Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu. Chris Finch's team has 5.5% of bets, and 5.2% of money is in favor of the Wolves.

NBA Finals MVP odds picture

While the Thunder are in pole position to win the championship, the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama is BetMGM bettors’ pick in the NBA Finals MVP odds market. A high percentage of tickets, 14.5%, and 7.5% of the handle are on the French sensation, who is down from +600 in the first round to +400 currently.

Only three players received more than 7.5% of the handle in this market. Two of them, Jamal Murray and Jayson Tatum, were already eliminated.

The third, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has 7.6% of tickets and 14.3% of bets behind him. He sits at -135 to win his second straight Finals MVP after beginning the playoffs at -105.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

I may not be very good at it, but I love chess. Not to the level that I love basketball, the NBA, or the Lakers, but it’s not too far off!

The strategy, the tactical decisions, the way every player seems to have their own style and approach that forces you to play them as much as what the board is telling you to play, the way you can instantly switch from defending to attacking and back, the way a great move exhilarates and a blunder totally deflates you…there’s just not really another game quite like it.

In fact, after reading the above graf again, maybe I enjoy the game as much as I do exactly because it does remind me of basketball in a bunch of ways.

No, it’s not physically taxing in the same way as, say, defending Luka Dončić coming off a pick and roll or trying to fend off LeBron James in the post, but playing chess at the highest levels can put a massive toll on your body, and some believe that “a chess grandmaster’s stress reactions can mimic what elite athletes experience…based on breathing rates (which triple during competition), blood pressure (which elevates) and muscle contractions before, during and after major tournaments”.

What does any of this have to do with the Lakers right now, you might ask?

Well, first, in the aftermath of the Lakers’ upset win over the Rockets my mind reflexively goes to how much of the series mirrored a high-level chess match, with JJ Redick taking a lead in the opening with his superior game planning to help get his team an early lead, the Rockets getting their footing the middle game to try to come back, and then the Lakers leveraging their better position to execute a check mate and close things out.

And then, second, in a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast, Austin Reaves recalled a story about having to carry around a chessboard on road trips his entire rookie season, courtesy of Rajon Rondo. This then led me to the biggest chess connection to the Lakers, which is Luka Dončić’s love of the 64 squares.

Dončić is a well-known lover of the game and once even had an AI-driven chess bot created in his likeness by chess.com. The Luka-bot would improve the more games it played, learning the tendencies of players who tested it and ultimately becoming good enough to beat elite players. It’s now one of the best bots on the site and nearly impossible to beat.

In any event, this has all led me to think about this year’s team and how they relate to chess. And, what better way to do that than to compare the players themselves to actual chess pieces?

If you’re not familiar with the game or the pieces themselves, don’t worry too much. I’ll do my best to explain my reasoning below. You can also learn more about the pieces and how they move here. With that, here we go…

Luka Dončić

Clearly, Luka is the queen — the game’s most powerful piece. Like the queen, Dončić is the game’s most ferocious attacking piece and is equally a threat from long distance and in close quarters and everywhere in between.

The queen also has full reign of the entire board, moving in whatever direction it likes for as far as it wants to go, which aptly describes how Luka traverses the court, getting to whatever spot he pleases, whether through craft, skill, or brute force. There’s no more dangerous a piece than the queen and there’s no more dangerous player than Luka.

Just ask any opponent he faced during the blazing heater that earned him Western Conference Player of the Month for March.

I know Luka is still out with injury, but when healthy and at the top of his game, there are few players in the league who can match the diversity of his skill set and all the ways he deploys it to take down opponents.

LeBron James

With Dončić out injured, LeBron put his crown back on and took on that same role to dominate the Rockets series and push the Lakers into the second round. That said, when everyone has been healthy this season, the man whose nickname is “The King” is more of a rook in the way he’s asked to play on these Lakers.

Rooks are an incredibly powerful piece whose forceful, straight-line, and limitless exploration of the board remind of LeBron streaking up court in transition for powerful dunks and (what remain) insane finishes at the rim.

Further, rooks are masterful end-game pieces who often take over games when both players’ queens come off the board and LeBron has long been a master in the clutch, making the right decision for the team to win the game instead of seeking out glory for himself. Again, ask the Rockets about how Game 3 ended.

Lastly, because they’re so powerful and important, Rooks can also greatly impact the game by giving themselves up in a sacrifice in order to open up space for another piece to attack and checkmate the opposition, which almost perfectly describes how LeBron, in the last part of the regular season, took on a lower usage role for this team so Dončić and Austin Reaves can cook.

Austin Reaves

Some might find this controversial, but I see Austin as a knight. Knights are tricky pieces that move in unorthodox ways and excel in tight spaces. They often deceive opponents, particularly in end-game situations, where their ability to hop around the board can lead to taking down queens and rooks just as easily as they would a pawn.

If this doesn’t perfectly describe how Austin manipulates defenses with quick changes of direction, playing in tight quarters and finishing in the paint under and around bigger defenders, I don’t know what does. Also, just like a knight, he is great in end-game situations, particularly when teaming up with a rook to control a bounty of space on the court — just as he has for so long with LeBron.

Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard

Okay, so this one is as obvious as it is easy — these guys are the Lakers Bishops. Bishops are long-range snipers who help control the game from long distances, but can also do damage in close quarters when protected by their mates. This is exactly the role that Rui and Kennard fill on the Lakers, spacing the floor and targeting opponents from behind the arc.

But if they get pressured, they are also adept at moving in closer while maintaining their deadly accuracy.

Kennard and Rui were both deadly in this exact way vs. the Rockets, with Luke’s outside shooting driving the team’s success early in the series, and then Rui’s hot-shooting Game 6 helping to clinch the series and send the Lakers to the 2nd round.

Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia

It might sound pejorative, but these two rugged wings are like center pawns. The two pawns directly in front of the king and queen control critical space in the middle of the board, often serving vital roles on both offense and defense.

These pawns help deflect opponents and keep them at bay, preventing them from penetrating past a certain point to protect the back line. The nature of them being the middle of the action give them great responsibility as defenders, often absorbing much of the offensive pressure from the other team and, if doing their job well, forcing the opposition to attack from different parts of the board.

Offensively, they help anchor in your main pieces, serving as complementary forces who can bring value when they create an outpost for your Knights and Bishops or when they advance in tandem up the board to protect each other.

These are the types of roles Smart and Jake serve for the Lakers, helping protect their teammates with their hard-nosed defense while also showing enough offensive utility to help win games. This is especially true of Marcus, who, as he did against Houston, showed enough two-way ability to help win the team games both by knocking down shots and working out of the post and by thwarting the Rockets’ offense with steals and drawn charges.

Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes

If Smart and Jake are manning the center of the board, I see Ayton and Hayes operating more as flank pawns, serving in complementary roles to the pieces who operate in the middle of the action but are also critical to the rest of the game.

Flank pawns work in tandem with their mates in the middle, protecting them when they advance up the board for defensive stability but also can sneak outside near the edge of the board to pose practical problems on offense. And then, when they do advance up the board, they can anchor themselves in near the edge of the board, ready to sacrifice themselves for the Queen or a Rook to deliver the death blow.

For these Lakers, this is how Ayton and Hayes operate.

Defensively, they back up their perimeter partners to deny driving lanes and protect the rim, but sometimes have to step up themselves and defend on an island while others assist them. Ayton is particularly adept at holding up in this exact way, defending post players one-on-one on the block while also venturing further out to check perimeter players on switches.

On offense, they are constantly trying to sneak behind the opposing defense to get closer to the rim, either to finish themselves or to screen a defender so Dončić, James or Reaves can score. There’s a thankless nature to the work they do, but without their efforts, the team would not be nearly as successful. In this way, they’re very similar to a flank pawn who, if the board shifts a certain way, can become the most dangerous passed pawn that pulls attention there way for a more critical piece to do damage on another part of the board.

There are many more analogies to make regarding the Lakers and the other game I love. But I think the most basic one is that, just as in chess, a key to the Lakers’ success is as much mental as anything they do physically. By locking in, playing with discipline, and leaning into the nuances of their own gameplan — while also being smart enough to know how to disrupt their opponents — the Lakers can position themselves to win any game in front of them.

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

The Orlando Magic fired coach Jamahl Mosley one day after the team was eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs in a Game 7 against the Detroit Pistons.

The eighth-seeded Magic had a 3-1 series lead over the Pistons, who are the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, before losing three games in a row.

"We're grateful to Jamahl for all he's done for the Orlando Magic," said team president Jeff Weltman in a statement. "We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it's time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best."

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Game 1 of an NBA playoff series is a tricky spot for prop bettors. And that’s what we have tonight, with the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks tossing up the ball on their Round 2 set.

In the postseason, team tactics change game-to-game, and bettors who can get ahead of those adjustments can find value in the player props. But in series openers, there’s an aura of mystery around each team’s approach.

With regular-season meetings and carryover from the previous series swaying the market, the Game 1 unknowns level the playing field between bookies and bettors. Hopefully, we can take advantage of it.

Here are my best NBA picks and prop predictions for our 76ers vs. Knicks predictions on Monday, May 4.

Best 76ers vs Knicks props for Game 1

Player	Pick
Joel Embiid	Under 9.5 rebounds	-135
Mikal Bridges	Over 1.5 threes	+130
Josh Hart	Over 4.5 assists	-112

Game 1 Prop #1: Joel Embiid Under 9.5 rebounds

-135 at bet365

Joel Embiid's return was the turning point in the Philadelphia 76ers' series win over the Celtics, specifically on defense.

Embiid played drop coverage on screen action and plugged up the paint, allowing his teammates to put pressure on the perimeter with little threat from Boston’s bigs from outside.

Against the New York Knicks, however, Embiid matches up with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, who are comfortable playing away from the paint and can stretch the floor. The Knicks are running Towns as a point forward out of the high post, and Hart has an active engine on offense.

While Embiid was a beast on the boards vs. Boston, recording double figures in three of four games, he won’t be in the primary rebounding position in this Round 2 series. And with a sore hip (plus bum knees and a recent appendectomy) along with a quick turnaround to travel to MSG, Embiid’s mobility won't be great in Game 1. 

Player projections sit between 7.2 and 11.5, but most models are short of nine rebounds, with my number at 8.6 boards from Philly’s big.

Game 1 Prop #2: Mikal Bridges Over 1.5 made threes

+130 at bet365

No one caught more flak in the first round than Mikal Bridges.

New York’s shooting guard was MIA for most of the series with Atlanta, scoring 11 or less in the first five games before suddenly showing up with 24 points on 10-for-12 shooting in Game 6. That includes a 2-for-2 mark from beyond the arc.

Bridges, who shot just 6-for-17 from 3-point range in Round 1, brings that momentum in this matchup with Philadelphia. 

The 76ers did a great job clamping down on Boston’s studs from outside, and while the Celtics struggled from distance, it wasn’t all Philly’s doing. Almost 83% of Boston’s 3-point attempts came without a defender within at least four feet, as the C’s just whiffed on open looks.

Philadelphia presents a tougher interior defense than the smaller Hawks, which will push New York to the perimeter and force the Knicks to fire up from deep. Bridges, who shot less than three triples per game in Round 1, averages more than five 3-point attempts per home game on the year.

Player forecasts range between 1.4 and 1.9 makes for Bridges, with the bulk of models short of two triples. But this is a bet I’m willing to go against the grain with, given the matchup and plus-money return.

Game 1 Prop #3: Josh Hart Over 4.5 assists

-112 at bet365

As mentioned above, Hart could draw Embiid as his primary defender should the 76ers opt to throw smaller forwards at Towns. 

Hart is very active on offense and isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint, but he won't find a clean look at the rim with the Sixers’ 7-footer shadowing him. 

New York will try to draw Embiid out, and Hart will be a conduit for spot-up shooters or cutters to the rim. He dished out five or more assists in the first three games against Atlanta and finished the series averaging 4.3 assists on 5.5 potential dimes.

In three regular-season matchups with Philadelphia, Hart enjoyed some of his best passing performances. He recorded six, seven, and nine helpers in those outings. His projections for Game 1 bounce between 4.6 and 5.4 assists, with my number at five dimes tonight.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The playoffs are officially lit, and our beloved Knickerbockers just mostly demolished the Atlanta Hawks on their way to the second round. Can they keep it rolling? Will the vibes stay electric deep into June? As usual, the Posting & Toasting crew has squeezed back around the round(ball) table to cut through the noise and tackle the juiciest questions surrounding New York’s second-round showdown with a hungry, rising Philadelphia 76ers squad. Our panel of basketball geniuses tackled the following questions:

How many games will the Knicks-76ers series last, and who advances?

Antonio: Six. I preferred the Celtics to the Sixers in the second round, so I don’t expect it to be easy, let alone after what the Hawks did to the Knicks early, as little as that means at this point. Embiid is going to have one game where KAT can’t handle him, struggles with fouling, and gives Philly enough. And I just don’t believe Maxey/Edgecombe/George won’t combine for at least one strong game, making that two wins for the Sixers.

Miranda: Five. Joel Embiid is in the middle of a stretch of playing one playoff game every other day for at least two weeks. You get a flat tire, a donut can get you to the next rest stop, but push it beyond that and it’s gonna pop.

Zeno: I actually think the Knicks matched up better with the Celtics, should they have advanced, but there are still plenty of reasons to believe that the Knicks will prevail. Atlanta pushed the Knicks to six games, but it was perhaps the least competitive six-game series ever. This one will also go six, and the good guys come out on top, but it’ll look a lot like the 2024 clash that sent heart palpitations across the entire Northeast.

Kento: Like the first round, this series will go six games. But unlike the first round, there won’t be that many blowouts. The 76ers aren’t your traditional seventh seed. They have two players in Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, who are All-NBA level talents, have Paul George, who is still a very capable player, especially as a third option, and rookie standout VJ Edgecombe has given this team some much needed youth, and athleticism. That being said, the Knicks have rebounding, depth, rest, and home-court advantage on their side.

Polaniecki: Sticking with Knicks in six again. However, all six are going to be dog-fights until the final buzzer. We should be in for a very fun week-and-a-half of Knicks basketball that will have us screaming and cursing back and for the a whole lot.

Beyond Jalen Brunson, who is the most important Knick in this matchup?

Antonio: Given what percolated through the first round, there’s no answer to this question other than Towns. The Knicks flipped a switch, turned KAT into an uber-hub, and he didn’t even have to score more than 10 points to still look delightful and do whatever he pleased. Now, for the important and more concerning/why-he’s-key part: It’s Embiid in front of him, and that doesn’t only mean talent, but also dealing with shithousery. This feels like the ultimate test for KAT and his easy-whistle tendencies.

Miranda: Karl-Anthony Towns. The last thing Embiid or the Sixer defense wants is Embiid away from the hoop. Their leading shot-blocker was Adem Bona, which sounds like a punchline. Number two in rejections? Maxey. Philadelphia bossed Boston in Game 7 because the Celtics have no real centers. The Knicks have two. If they guard Towns with someone else, he can shoot and see over the top of them. If they try Embiid . . . good luck.

Zeno: This one isn’t as cut and dry as Atlanta. I’ll go with Mitchell Robinson. He’ll surely be motivated after how things went in 2024, and he might be the Knicks’ best option to guard Joel Embiid. After a series where the Knicks didn’t use him much due to the way they used Towns and an inconsistent double big lineup, he should get serious run in this one.

Kento: Josh Hart. Philadelphia has two options. Put Joel Embiid on Karl-Anthony Towns, and allow the Knicks to play the offense they want to, or put Embiid on Hart, and try to limit Towns’ effectiveness. If they, after having seen the big man’s dominance in the first round, go the latter route, that will mean Hart will be forced to make plays either via the jump shot, or by attacking a physically compromised Embiid. Hart shot the lights out from three when these two teams met up in the playoffs last season, and if he can even come close to repeating that, New York will have a much easier time beating Philadelphia.

Polaniecki: Mitchell Robinson. His minutes off the bench are going to be huge, especially on the defensive end, and his timing matters just as much as the minutes themselves. If the Knicks get pulled into a Hack-a-Mitch situation and he can’t convert at the line, it limits how much they can keep him on Joel Embiid, which then puts more of that burden on Karl-Anthony Towns.

There’s a part of me that wouldn’t mind experimenting with Mikal Bridges coming off the bench, sliding Josh Hart and OG Anunoby from the 3 and 4 down to the 2 and 3 to create more chances to keep Robinson on the floor when they’re not in the foul limit.

What must New York do to win this series?

Antonio: Play Josh Hart for 48 minutes and teach Philly what’s the real meaning of gritty. Also, don’t trust Paul George’s old rearend and leave him alone all day. Dude can still put it in with gusto, and the Sixers have an underrated four-man unit.

Miranda: Don’t get in any benches-clearing brawls. Win one of the first two games in Philly. Make. Their. Free. Throws.

Zeno: Limit Tyrese Maxey any way possible. With Embiid’s injury history, they’ll lean on Maxey to initiate offense, and he’s capable of winning a game on his own the same way Brunson is. The initial matchup should be Mikal Bridges, but he should also see a lot of Deuce McBride. He’s much more dynamic than CJ McCollum, but the strategy of showing him a lot of different bodies and looks could be effective.

Kento: Win by committee. The 76ers top two stars presents some difficult challenges for the Knicks. Embiid will get his. Mitchell Robinson may be able to slow him down more than anybody else in the league, but it’s not like the Knicks are going to get 40 minutes of Robinson holding Embiid to 15 points. Tyrese Maxey will likely also get his. He’s become one of the league’s premier guards, and we’ve seen just how dominant he can be, especially against a Knicks defense that isn’t particularly well-equipped to handle him. Jalen Brunson, and Towns may not outscore those two, but if they can get a balanced offensive effort from those two, as well as OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, and Jordan Clarkson, they should have enough firepower to withstand Philly’s big two.

Polaniecki: Control the pace and stay out of early foul trouble. Stick with what worked in the second half of the series against the Hawks, but let the offense run through Karl-Anthony Towns. They also have to avoid early fouls, because that will cut into Mitchell Robinson’s minutes.

What concerns you most about the Knicks entering Round 2?

Antonio: Said it above, kinda. The Sixers have a very vivid memory of what happened the last time these two met. They have had a few good years for Embiid to teach their kids his tricks. And we all know what will happen in at least one, likely two games when things will inevitably go extracurricular. Starting 2-1 to Atlanta was manageable. Falling one game behind Philly (I’d concede not counting Game 1) could be hella dangerous territory, and the team might reach that point hella unsettled by the Sixers’ tactics. Not saying these Knicks are “soft” anymore, but I always have this fear they’ll suffer a mental short circuit if such a scenario comes to fruition.

Miranda: As great as the Knicks are at center, they’re also kinda thin. Between KAT’s gift for fouling and Mitch’s shall we say “fluid durability,” New York is only a dumb foul or a turned ankle away from needing Ariel Hukporti out on the floor. If at any point in this series the Knicks “need” Hukporti, uh-oh. Not ‘cuz I’m down on Huk. Just ‘cuz Embiid is one of one.

Zeno: Their tendency to lose focus. They played well enough to sweep the Hawks, but got lulled into a six-game series after taking their foot off the gas in Game 2 and crumbled late in both Games 2 and 3 after leading late. We’ve seen just how good they are when every man on the roster is dialed in, but can they keep that focus 24/7?

Kento: Tyrese Maxey is the easy answer. Not only is he really good, as I mentioned above, the Knicks just don’t really have a great answer for him. And to be honest, right now, not many teams do. But if I was to give a less popular answer, it would likely be VJ Edgecombe. The rookie has been among the best to defend Brunson during the regular season. I do believe in Brunson during the postseason, but Edgecombe won’t make it easy for the captain.

Polaniecki: Going back to how they played against the Hawks through the first three games, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns need to reestablish that old-school point guard–big man connection we saw in the second half of that series, where the offense flows through Towns instead of defaulting to Brunson pounding the ball until the final seconds of the shot clock every possession.

What gives you the most confidence about New York after the Round 1 victory?

Antonio: After 88 games, it looks like the Knicks know who they are and how to unlock their best version. Took them a minute, and it’s not that they will win every game by 80 points after the slaughter in Atlanta, but if they can carry the momentum into one or two wins to start this series, I see no way they end up collapsing. Also, if you are brave enough, check Philadelphia’s 6-through-14 players, then have the audacity to tell me that the bench unit can beat any Knicks five-man squad.

Miranda: Their adjustments. Last year, we watched them struggle all year against elite teams refusing to switch, then against the Celtics they did something different, and it worked. This year Towns struggled notably (and publicly) about finding his place in Mike Brown’s offense. Against Atlanta, it looked like KAT might’ve been playing rope-a-dope with the fans and the media. Seeing an offense that went beyond “Jalen, save us” is extremely encouraging.

Zeno: The depth disparity. The Knicks trust nine guys in their rotation fully, and will probably use a 10th in Landry Shamet at some point. The Sixers are legitimately running a 6.5-man rotation, only leaning on Quentin Grimes and sometimes Andre Drummond off the bench. Maxey, George, and Embiid will be on the floor so much that the condensed schedule could wear out Philly early.

Kento: Depth. The 76ers have one bench player they really trust, and that’s Quentin Grimes. I’m convinced that if Embiid could give them 48 minutes, Andre Drummond, their only other rotational player, wouldn’t even play. The 76ers come into game one having just played a physically, and emotionally draining game seven against a conference rival, and will do so on less than 48 hours rest, while the Knicks have had three full days to rest up. New York has more depth, and more rest, and the longer this series go, the less I faith I have in a 36 year-old Paul George, and a banged up Embiid to physically hold up.

Polaniecki: They’re so close they can taste it. Of the remaining 4 teams in the East, the Knicks are the best, and the know it too. They just need to avoid an upset at this point to get the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Tip-off time can’t come soon enough.

But hey, it’s just less than 10 hours away, so hang in there.

Here’s the latest ahead of Game 1 tonight.

https://x.com/i/status/2051131319984234549

Mike Brown

On OG Anunoby’s defensive versatility:

“OG is just unique and special. He gives us, like Josh, the ability to throw different defenses at our opponents. He can guard [all five positions], and we always try to mix it up with him. He did that the last series guarding [Hawks center Onyeka] Okongwu at times, and we’ll continue to try to do it going forward. So wherever we need to adjust, no matter who he’s guarding, at this point in the season, we have a pretty good feel of what we need to do to shore up this area, shore up that area or help him when he’s guarding this point guard or guarding this center.”

On the 76ers’ guards posing problems:

“They’re athletic, quick, dynamic, explosive. They can score from all three levels. They can play the pick-and-roll, they can get out and finish in transition. Maxey is the No. 1 guy in transition in the league. They pose a big problem for us with them on defense.

“They’re really good in passing lanes. Great anticipation, long arms, quick, explosive, great at all those things, which equates to a lot of turnovers for teams. Their guards can give anybody a handful of problems on both ends of the floor.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s importance this series:

“[Robinson] can be big [for us]. Mitch is unique, so no matter who we play, Mitch is extremely important to what we’re trying to do — the way he offensive-rebounds, the way he’s a vertical threat in the pick-and-roll game, the way he protects the rim, his versatility guarding — he can switch onto some ones and some twos. He can’t guard those guys whole possessions, but he can switch onto those guys and make it tough. All that stuff is extremely important for us this series or no matter who we play, so we need him to bring it at a high level, as well as everyone else.”

Jalen Brunson

On building from first-round lessons:

“When you go through a playoff series and you find a way to win, you’re moving on, you see where you’re pushed. You see where you have to get better. You build off that. I think we found a way to build off the two losses that we had. Even going back to Game 1 (of the Hawks series), the way we finished that fourth quarter was how we lost Game 2. When you lose, it’s all about how you evolve and adjust to get better.”

Josh Hart

On Knicks fans traveling to Philadelphia:

“I expect it to be similar, because Knicks fans travel. They’re probably the best fans in the NBA in terms of traveling and going to games. It might be cheaper to do that than go to the Garden. They love New York Knick basketball, they’re passionate about it, and we love it. We need them to come out and support.”

“Knicks fans travel. They are probably the best fans in the NBA in terms of traveling and going to games. Might be cheaper to do that than to go to the Garden. That’s our fans. They love New York and basketball and are passionate about it. We need them to come out and support home games, but obviously on the road.”

On New Yorkers’ persistence:

“Good thing about New Yorkers, man, they’re persistent. They don’t care, bro. They’re going to do it, man. And for a lot of people, everything revolves around money. So, you know, if they get a good price for those tickets, they’re going to sell them, and New Yorkers are passionate about the Knicks and they’re going to come out and show love.”

“Good things about New Yorkers, they are persistent. They are going to do it, man. For a lot of people, everything revolves around money. If they have the tickets, they are going to sell them. New Yorkers are passionate about the Knicks. They are going to come out and show up.”

On how to stop Tyrese Maxey:

“Probably just asking Tyrese to slow down a little bit. That’d be nice. The style defensively is gonna be totally different. CJ, he doesn’t have that quick acceleration at his old age, so you can be a little bit more physical with him. He’s an Unc. Tyrese and Edgecombe, they’re on the young side. They’re quick, they’re explosive, so there’s definitely a different style of defense. Gonna tell them to slow down a little bit so I can get my hands on them and be physical. It’s a fun matchup.”

On first-round wins meaning nothing:

“Not a damn thing, ‘cause that’s not the goal. The goal isn’t to advance through one series or two series. That’s not a goal that we have individuals or as a team. So to be honest, that’s pretty irrelevant. We’ve gotta make sure do what we’re supposed to do and we focus on advancing through this series. Down the road, hopefully we can appreciate that stat but as of right now it’s pretty irrelevant.”

Mitchell Robinson

On the NBA’s reprimand for his post after the Game 6 ejection:

“Honestly, I forgot. I wasn’t paying attention.”

On Joel Embiid ‘dirty player’ talk:

“No, I don’t. I really don’t live in the past. It is what it is. I just move on.”

Nick Nurse

On scouting the Knicks after eliminating Boston:

“What did we go 2-2 against [the Knicks]? Nobody could win at home? Yeah we’ve played them a lot. It seems like it’s been a while now, though, this season. I mean, listen: I think they’re very good. I think their starting lineup is incredible. I think they’ve continued to bolster their bench. I think they can play in a variety of ways: They can play one-big, two bigs. Brunson’s obviously a big problem. The rebounding’s a big problem. [They’re] a much bigger team in general all-around than [the Celtics]. I think they’re very, very good, and it’s gonna be a tremendous challenge.”

Hours after losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Orlando Magic have fired head coach Jamahl Mosley.

And you can fire up those Dusty May rumors … now.

Despite entering the NBA Playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, Mosley and the Magic built a 3-1 series lead over the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons. But Orlando blew that series lead in historic fashion, collapsing in Game 6 after building a 24-point advantage early in the game. Over the final 23 minutes, the Magic were outscored 55-17, and outscored 31-8 in the fourth quarter alone.

The collapse was completed on Sunday, as the Pistons rolled to a 116-94 victory to complete their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

Now Mosley is out, and early reports indicate Orlando is focusing on Michigan head coach Dusty May. According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, “[l]eague sources say that the Magic are admirers of Michigan’s Dusty May and would have a level of interest if he were indeed available.”

There are, however, some significant potential hurdles. First, as Stein notes, is the notion that the “expectation at this point in the college game is that May will stay” at Michigan, who knocked off Connecticut for the national championship. In addition, the Magic could have some potential rivals for May’s services, as there are other jobs available in the NBA. New Orleans, Portland, and Chicago all have open spots, and the NBA world is waiting on a decision from Steve Kerr, who could step away from Golden State.

Then, of course, there is this question: Does May even have NBA aspirations, after winning a title at Michigan?

May led Michigan on a romp through March Madness to win the program’s first national championship since 1989. The Wolverines are expected to lose Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson to the 2026 NBA Draft, where all three are projected as top-20 picks. Only Johnson could return. Michigan already has an impressive transfer portal haul lined up, but it’s going to be a completely new team, which is par for the course in this era of college hoops.

May reportedly won’t sign a contract extension at Michigan until July. Is Michigan a better job than the Magic at this point? It feels that way coming off the national championship run, but the NBA will always have allure.

If the Magic can’t land May, expect former Bulls coach Billy Donovan to also draw interest.

As this season played out, most Sixers fans were probably unmoved or even disappointed with head coach Nick Nurse.  The ones that were unmoved were probably set in their ways that the team was stuck in a holding pattern, waiting out the big contracts of Joel Embiid and Paul George and there wasn’t much the head coach could do. While the calls for Nurse’s firing were never overly loud, the growing amount of skepticism amongst the fanbase that Nurse could pull the Sixers out of the rut of mediocrity they had fallen into were enough of an indictment.

Had the Sixers fallen in the first round to Boston, it would have been three straight years without winning a playoff round for the franchise. A team that was known for second-round exits was on the cusp of not even getting to the second round with regularity and fading back into NBA purgatory. That’s the same spot they were in back when they lost to Boston 14 years ago in the second round. Say what you want about the last 8-10 years of Sixers basketball, they’ve at least been nationally relevant and worth talking about come May. They just haven’t done a lot of winning in May. Armed with a fully healthy rotation by the time Embiid returned last weekend against Boston, it was up to Nurse to maximize his roster and at least see if his team could strike some fear into the Celtics, if not win the series.

By the time the series was over, there wasn’t much doubt as to who the better team was. Sure, Jayson Tatum didn’t play in Game 7, but the Sixers thoroughly outplayed the Celtics in their three wins in the series prior to Saturday night. They led most of the way on Saturday and withstood every push the Celtics made to steal the game. You don’t win three games on the road in a best-of-seven playoff series as the lower seed by accident. The narrative had flipped completely from Game 1 to Game 7 as the Sixers went from heavy underdogs to just flat-out better than the Celtics. It was a shocking twist that can mostly be attributed to Nurse coaching circles around Joe Mazzulla.

A lot of people will tell you that basketball is the sport in which coaching matters the least. You can only have five players on the court at one time and often times the team with more talent is the one that prevails. While there is merit to that, it shouldn’t diminish the amount of credit owed to Nurse for Philly’s surprising rally from 3-1 down against the Celtics.

Development of young players and maximizing the usage of role players are often times two things a coach in any sport can score some points with his fans over. VJ Edgecombe looked timid in Philadelphia’s blowout loss at home in Game 4. The rookie was anything but those two adjectives for the rest of the series. He scored in double figures in all three of the final three games in the series. His field goal attempts increased in each game as did his three-point attempts. He rebounded well for a guard for the entire series. The rookie was playing with a lot of confidence as the series reached its conclusion and contributing immensely on both ends of the floor. Edgecombe had a +19 rating in Game 7, making him the team leader in the +/- department in the series-clinching win.

It’s fair to still have questions about Philadelphia’s bench after the series win. But the Sixers might have bowed out in five games had it not been for an outstanding Game 5 from Quentin Grimes as a reserve. Andre Drummond didn’t stuff the stat sheet, but for the first time in a playoff series it didn’t feel like the minutes without Embiid on the floor were a nightly sweat. If you do want to look at the statistical performances of Drummond, be sure to circle his 26 minutes with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting, eight rebounds and +12 rating off the bench in the Game 2 victory before Embiid returned. Philly might not be the deepest team left in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, but if Nurse can hit the right buttons out of the ones he does have to push, the Sixers can be successful with a shorter rotation.

Another key for Philadelphia in the first round was Paul George deciding to turn back the clock. It is possible that the 25-game suspension George served allowed the veteran wing player to recharge a bit and he came back with a renewed focus that resulted in him locking in on basketball in ways we’ve never seen him do in a Sixers uniform. However, a veteran like George, who’s played on teams in both Los Angeles and Indiana that went to the conference finals, might not have recommitted himself to this Sixers team if he didn’t think they were capable of a deep playoff run. Nurse has cultivated an environment of cohesion that has resulted in a more connected Sixers team. That has made it easier for everyone to buy into what their roles are. At least some of that culture has to be responsible for George’s recent uptick in production.

With all of this said, we must still acknowledge the obvious that Embiid was the best player in the series. The big man became the first player in NBA history to score at least 100 points in a playoff series he did not play the first three games of. Of course, you need talent to win in any sport. But Nurse has raised the ceiling of his roster in the blink of an eye. A world once existed in which Nurse was the fall guy for problems that could primarily be attributed to Daryl Morey and Elton Brand. That world no longer exists. Nurse has exceeded all of our expectations this season.

The Cleveland Cavaliersemerged from the rock fight against the Toronto Raptors. It was far from the prettiest series on the first-round slate. The number of times I thought this team was dead in the water was more than two hands can count.

After RJ Barrett’s moonshot homage to Kawhi Leonard, it seemed like this Cavaliers team was bound to also pay homage to previous iterations of the franchise’s past and fold in Game 7. However, just when it looked like the Cavaliers were going to succumb to the pressure, they came out in the second half led by Jarrett Allen and others to show that this Cavs team will not be lumped together with those shortcomings of years prior.

Allen and the Cavaliers’ recent playoff outings share a common thread. One that can be summarized by shortcomings. Allen has been the poster child for the Cavaliers being called a soft team. Ever since the Cavaliers were bounced by the New York Knicks in 2023, the label of weak-minded has followed this team through the years. The following year, it was the Celtics, last year it was the Pacers, and for all intents and purposes, it looked like it was going to be the Raptors this time.

Then, coming out of the half tied at 49 apiece, Allen emerged like a man possessed. He single-handedly authored a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds in the third quarter alone, that sparked a 38-19 run.

This, alongside others like Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, and Dennis Schroder, the Cavaliers came out with an edge. Those guys just understood the mentality shift the team needed after the first half of the Cavaliers succumbing to the moment. The team was too talented to be meandering at the level of the Raptors. Those guys understood this and really energized the group.

As the Cavaliers look ahead to a series against the Detroit Pistons starting Tuesday night, they should use their second half as a sign of turning the page. Riding the high would be the wrong take to walk out of Game 7 with. That edge we saw from Cleveland is something they really haven’t shown in the postseason — that counter punch was never in their arsenal.

The beauty of a series is that each one provides things to learn, but also things you can leave behind in the context of that series. Look no further than the 2025 playoffs; the Cavaliers, fresh off one of the more dominant round one series in recent memory, looked like a shell of that team, losing in the second round in short order. There is a chance to be reborn, so while the Cavaliers should carry over the mentality they showed in the second half of Game 7, they should leave behind the version of themselves that saw them fall to the Raptors in several games due to mental lapses.

If Allen’s narrative-changing outing can provide a template and inspiration for the Cavaliers, then this team has the chance to live up to its potential and talent level. The Eastern Conference is far from touting clear title contenders as it currently stands. In this parity era, anything is possible if a team gets hot. The Cavaliers certainly have a runway to the NBA Finals if they can meet the level of play we saw in the second half of Game 7.

There is always time in life to reinvent yourself, changes can always be made, and series in the playoffs are more of a snapshot than being emblematic of who a team will be. To match the physicality of Detroit, the Cavaliers will need to turn the page from the Toronto series, while keeping that edge that showed them what they are capable of.

Just wanted to highlight this post, which was well thought out and presented in an organized fashion.

In particular I liked the section on living and dying by the 3. I think most would agree that the 3 pointers have served us very well over the years and this isn’t a “they are shooting too many 3’s” critique. Rather, it is pointing out that we need to address the need of having another option to go to when they aren’t falling. Porzingis was the example given, but it doesn’t just have to be a big man. It might be a great downhill attacker or perhaps just a guard that is more skilled at feeding the rolling bigs.

That’s just one topic covered in this post, so check out the rest and jump into the discussion.