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It has become quite clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder will not be bothered by the Los Angeles Lakers, especially with L.A. potentially without Luka Doncic for the entire series.

However, my Lakers vs. Thunder props and NBA picks actually question Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as Oklahoma City’s reigning MVP won't need to exert much effort for Game 2 on Thursday, May 7.

Best Lakers vs Thunder props for Game 2

Player	Pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	Under 29.5 points	-112
Austin Reaves	Under 18.5 points	-105
Jared McCain	Over 4.5 points	-110

Game 2 Prop #1: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Under 29.5 points

-112 at bet365

What happens when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is awarded only three free throws? He falls short of 20 points for the first time since last year's postseason.

The Oklahoma City Thunder star doesn't need to hurl himself into the floor in this series to produce offense. Given how outgunned the Los Angeles Lakers are, the Thunder will find offense regardless.

On top of that, the Lakers ranked No. 4 this year in foul rate. Opponents took fewer than one free throw for every four field goal attempts.

Perhaps that is a Los Angeles bias; perhaps it is quality defense. Either way, it is a reality.

And without renting space at the free throw line, Gilgeous-Alexander should fall short of his points prop for most of this series, something that will reverse quickly next round with the return of the free throw merchant.

Game 2 Prop #2: Austin Reaves Under 18.5 points

-105 at bet365

Austin Reaves really struggled in Game 1, going 3-for-16 from the field for eight points in 36 minutes.

With injuries working their way through the Lakers’ rotation, Reaves is likely to see even more of a workload, worrying oblique notwithstanding. The problem is that Oklahoma City is well aware of that Los Angeles necessity.

The Thunder have a bounty of defenders seemingly designed to bother a scorer like Reaves. With so few genuine threats in the Lakers’ rotation, Reaves never has a moment away from someone like SGA, Lu Dort, or Alex Caruso.

It is, not to be dramatic, a miserable existence, and it will be the case throughout this entire series for the ailing Reaves.

Game 2 Prop #3: Jared McCain Over 4.5 points

-110 at bet365

Did the oddsmakers not watch Game 1? Do they think the Lakers are suddenly going to solve the Thunder despite going 0-5 against the spread against them this season?

Jared McCain played 15 minutes in Game 1, going 4-for-7 from the field for 12 points, and there is no reason to think Game 2 will be close enough to limit his playing time.

Oklahoma City can't reach much further than McCain in a blowout. He is the ninth or tenth man on this roster, a reflection of the Thunder's embarrassment of riches.

There is even some logic in firing on the McCain 20-point milestone prop, available at +3500. He could get there in a blowout, and this should be exactly that.

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It’s easy to have camaraderie when teams are winning. Jokes are funnier, roles are embraced and the game of basketball is pure bliss.

How you respond to adversity, though, says a lot more about your team. So far, the Lakers remain united even after falling behind 1-0 in their series against the Thunder.

There are plenty of things the Lakers can do better as a unit and as individuals, but a lot of the criticism has been aimed at Austin Reaves. Which is understandable since he had a putrid performance, going 3-16 from the field, scoring just eight points.

With LA taking on the best team in the NBA on the road, their best player can’t be a no-show on this stage. However, after the loss, his teammates all advocated for him and reminded everyone of the situation Reaves is in.

“He was out a month,” LeBron James said. “We know he’s going to make shots and make plays but that’s tough. You’re out a month toward the end of the season. Obviously, we were trying to fast track him getting back on the floor and doing the things he was doing before the injury but he was out a month so rightfully so if he has some games where he’s missing shots or whatever the case may be. But his presence alone helps us, no matter what.”

It’s true that this is far from an ideal scenario for Austin. He did everything he could to come back from his Grade 2 oblique strain and returned earlier than anticipated. For him to get back so fast and immediately have to play in close-out playoff games is tough. He has no time to ramp up or get whatever rust he has off his game.

Instead of bemoaning his misses, his teammates are focused on how to get Reaves going.

“Just try to get him some easy shots,” Marcus Smart said. “Do a good job of putting him in spots to not only create for himself but create for others as well and just talking to him. We understand that he’s coming back. It’s only his third game back. We understand that. We understand it’s going to take some time. But we’re here and that’s why you got four other guys out there with him to help pick him up and we got to do a better job.”

Reaves wasn’t just missing wide-open shots against the Thunder, OKC worked hard to make him earn every shot he got.

Most of Reaves’ shots required a ton of on-ball activity before an attempt went up. Reaves took four shots, where he had to take seven or more dribbles. No other Lakers took as many shots, dribbling that much. In the paint, he was surrounded by OKC defenders, and they forced him to settle for tough twos. On his attempts outside of the restricted area, but inside the arc, Reaves went 1-6.

“He didn’t play well, but he’s going to bounce back,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “He’s a great player.”

Even superstar Luka Dončić chimed in on Reaves’ struggles and offered some vocal support.

“My message to him is just be yourself,” Luka said. “We all know he’s an amazing player, and we all know he’s going to bounce back. So I’m just here to support and whatever he needs I can help, but. Just, just be yourself. He’s an amazing player.”

We have years of data that Reaves is a special talent. Overreactions to Game 1 of a series are commonplace and always a bit too much.

Sure, Reaves was awful, but he’s played great games at this stage plenty of times before. He’s had a 23-point performance against the Grizzlies, Warriors, and Nuggets during the team’s 2023 Western Conference Finals run. He’s only gotten better since then, and one bad night doesn’t erase years of hard work.

His teammates have his back, and so does his coach. The playoffs are all about adjustments, and now that the Lakers have seen how the Thunder defend Reaves, changes will be made and it’s more likely than not that Reaves will bounce back.

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

When the offseason hits, part of me gets excited. The season is long, and anytime there’s an opportunity for a reprieve, I’ll take it. That feeling doesn’t last long, however. I get restless fast. I need to occupy my time, whether it be movies (I’ve watched 25 Marvel movies since the regular season ended as I prepare for Doomsday), video games (God of War is filling some time), or TV shows (have you checked out The Audacity?). Whatever it is, I have to be doing something.

Thankfully, even with the Phoenix Suns’ season over, there’s still work to do. Player reviews. Free agent lists. SunsRank. It almost feels administrative, and that’s kind of what this process is. We’re closing the book on the season while also creating a snapshot of how we currently view every player on the roster.

We’re halfway through, so where do we stand?

After going through the Wild Card tier, you can once again see the differences in opinion. Not massive gaps, still noticeable ones.

On to the Pillars tier. Five players landed here, and what’s interesting is how much changed from preseason SunsRank to postseason SunsRank. Before the season started, the community had Ryan Dunn and Royce O’Neale in the pillars conversation. Both slid down into the Wild Card tier. That tells a story. Some players grew, while others regressed.

That’s where the real value of this exercise lives. Once it’s complete, we can compare where the community stood before the season to where it stands now. From there, you can start building theories about what the Suns should do next. Who should stay? Who should go? Which assets does the community believe are trending in the wrong direction?

We’ll get there soon enough. First, let’s get to the Pillars tier. Definition? “Not quite cornerstones, but strong enough to hold weight. These are the stabilizers, the players who give structure to the roster. If they rise, the ceiling rises.”

Five players, with spots 4 through 8 up for grabs. Let’s delve.

Grayson Allen

It was a regression year for Grayson. His three-point percentage dipped, and his overall efficiency fell as he battled injuries, often limping around while trying to tough it out. Still, he averaged a career-high 16.5 points per game, surpassing his previous best by three points. Considering his production, experience, and skill set, it’s easy to see why he belongs in this tier.

Collin Gillespie

Collin took a massive leap as a player, setting career highs across the board. He’s firmly established himself in the Suns’ rotation and has significantly boosted his value on the open market, especially with unrestricted free agency looming this offseason. It’s a stark rise. Just two years ago, he ranked 17th in SunsRank, and now he’s in the Pillars tier, a clear testament to his progression.

Jordan Goodwin

To think that Jordan Goodwin was a castoff from the Lakers just makes you smile. He put together a stellar season and was one of the biggest surprises, especially considering he barely made the roster. Remember the Jordan Goodwin vs. Jared Butler debate? He pretty clearly put that to rest, and his place in the Pillars tier reflects that.

Oso Ighodaro

Whether you love Oso or not, his impact was certainly felt this season. For a team focused on development, his progression was a clear example of that approach paying off. Is he perfect? Far from it. Players drafted 40th overall rarely are right away, but he undeniably took a step forward this past season.

Mark Williams

It was nice to have a capable rim-running big, even if the team didn’t always utilize him as effectively as they could have. Still, Mark Williams showcased his value and reinforced the reasoning behind trading for him on draft night.

We turn to you, faithful readers of Bright Side, to assist in ranking The Pillars.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers made a late push, but the Detroit Pistons held on to secure the win in Game 1.

Our NBA player prop projections are littered with NBA picks involving star players on both sides.

If you're looking for deeper analysis, look no further than our Cavaliers vs. Pistons predictions for May 7.

Cavaliers vs Pistons computer picks for Game 2

Cavaliers	Pistons
Wade o3.5 rebounds +105	Duren o14.5 points -125
Mitchell o3.5 assists -140	Thompson o10.5 points +105
Harden o19.5 points -112	Harris u17.5 points -110

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Cavaliers Game 2 computer picks

Dean Wade Over 3.5 rebounds (+105)

Projection: 4.19 rebounds

Jarrett Allen looked unplayable in Game 1, meaning the Cleveland Cavaliers may have to mix up rotations. That will provide Dean Wade with more minutes, which will lead to more rebounds

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Donovan Mitchell Over 3.5 assists (-140)

Projection: 4.60 assists

Donovan Mitchell is known for his scoring, but he's a capable playmaker as well. Spida's shot hasn't been falling the way he's wanted to, and our model suggests he'll look to pass more in Game 2.

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James Harden Over 19.5 points (-112)

Projection: 20.40 points

No matter how bad he's shooting, James Harden has no fear. He still put up 22 points in Game 1 after shooting an abysmal 6-for-15 from the floor. His field-goal percentage will even out, getting him to this point total.

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Pistons Game 2 computer picks

Jalen Duren Over 14.5 points (-125)

Projection: 16.79 points

Jalen Duren is a must-have for the Detroit Pistons as they try to deal with Cleveland's size, which will keep his minutes up all series. Our models have him scoring close to 17 points after a rough shooting night in Game 1.

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Ausar Thompson Over 10.5 points (+105)

Projection: 11.28 points

Ausar Thompson scored 11 points in Game 1 on an efficient 4-for-6 shooting. He knows when to pick his spots, and he'll take enough shots to reach 10 points.

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Tobias Harris Under 17.5 points (-110)

Projection: 17.06 points

With our model expecting strong games for Thompson and Duren, it sees Tobias Harris regressing slightly in Game 2. He's had a good run, but Detroit will look to get everybody involved as it looks to go up 2-0.

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How to watch Cavaliers vs Pistons Game 2

Location	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date	Thursday, May 7, 2026
Tip-off	7 p.m. ET
TV	Prime

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

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Mitch was ill, Embiid was sore, and the Sixers are growing sour.

New York swept the home half of their second-round series, and it’s now time to do the same, only a few miles out southwest.

Here’s the latest from a delightful Game 2 victory.

Mike Brown

On Anunoby’s injury:

“I haven’t talked to anybody. He looked like he was hopping.”

On OG Anunoby’s overall impact throughout his career:

“He was freaking good back then, and he’s freaking good now. At that size and athleticism and IQ, feel, two-way player — you want a guy like OG on your team.”

On Anunoby’s feel for the game:

“As we continue to move along, you really get a better sense or a better feel of his feel for the game. He’s more than a willing passer at his size. He causes matchup problems because you can’t really always switch a smaller guy on him because he’s pretty big and strong and athletic around the basket, especially if the spacing is right. He could play pick-and-roll. He can come off a pin-down and make plays. So these are things that you learn more and more about him as you kind of go along and see him in different situations.”

On Anunoby’s never-ending sacrifices:

“He’s a quiet guy, so you have to observe more than anything else, like a few other guys on our team. The ultimate definition of sacrifice is where you just go and do your job as best you can to try to help the team win.”

On Mitchell Robinson’s illness keeping him out of Game 2:

“I don’t know. I know he’s sick and that will be up to our performance group, the doctors and then him at the end of the day. But I know just as much as you do.”

On Philadelphia’s scoring threats without Joel Embiid:

“We know that [Tyrese Maxey is] going to be ultra aggressive. Paul George is going to be aggressive. [VJ] Edgecombe is going to be aggressive. Those guys probably see it as an opportunity for more touches for themselves. Those guys are all capable of stepping their game up to another level.”

On defending Tyrese Maxey collectively:

“You’re gonna have to keep working and give multiple efforts and the team defense behind him is gonna have to be great in order to even think you’re gonna slow him down, because he’s a great player. But Mikal did what he could, as well as everybody else behind him. And then on top of that, Mikal hit some big shots for us down the stretch, especially when we looked a little discombobulated offensively. He got to his spot and knocked down some big shots. So great game on both ends of the floor for Mikal.”

On the need to avoid falling into foul trouble:

“We can’t put ourselves in the position to put the whistle on the referees’ hands of making a call or no call. So we gotta do a better job of leading with our chest and showing our hands.

“We have to try to do something about it, because they’re killing us from the free-throw line in this series. I know it’s only two games, but they had 34 and 28 tonight. So let’s add them up now. That’s 62, and we had 17 and 25, so that’s 42, right? Forty-two to 62. So, we have to do something right. I have to do a better job addressing it. Hopefully, it can get evened out a little bit more throughout the course of the series, but it’s tough to win a ballgame if you’re getting beat from the free-throw line like that versus a really good team.”

On Maxey’s ability to draw fouls:

“Maxey and Embiid are really, really good at drawing fouls. Maxey’s speed, he’s going to drive and he’s gonna attack your chest. I thought our guys did on some of the calls, but most of them you can’t lead with your hands, you got to lead with your chest. You hope that the referees see that at times, we’re not initiating the contact. We can’t put ourselves in the position to put the whistle in the referees hands of making a call or no call. We’ve got to do better of leading with our chest and showing our hands. With Embiid he’s really crafty … we have to be disciplined and we have to stay down … we can send those two guys to the free-throw line, and the rest of their team, 34 times, and expect to get a win.”

On the team’s defensive effort late on Wednesday:

“The shots are not going to always go in. And you’ve got to give Philly’s defense some credit. Just like you got to give our defense some credit. But we know we missed some shots that we normally make. And they missed some shots that they normally make. And it’s about trying to find a way to get a stop. That’s what you can control more than the ball going in. And I thought our guys did a decent job of that as we were going down the stretch without fouling.”

On Brunson’s play late in Game 2:

“They started switching a little bit and he got to his spots and scored. That’s what he’s expected to do for us.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the need for more discipline to stay out of foul trouble:

“I don’t ever want to lose the physicality. That’s done us well. I’ll look at the tape. I’ll get better, more disciplined. I don’t want to put my team in that position again, so I gotta do a better job. For better, for worse, I may not have been able to play many minutes in the first half, but I tried to use that as an advantage to have a more rested body than everybody else on the court and try to be a spark plug for our team coming out of halftime.”

On wanting to impact winning no matter what:

“I just want to [make] the right plays when the ball hits my hands, whether that’s driving, passing, taking the shot or slowing down our offense to get us organized. I just want to impact winning, and I was able to do that.”

Jalen Brunson

On closing the game:

“Most importantly just staying poised, staying composed, just figuring out one play at a time, one step at a time and not looking too far ahead. Just focusing and paying attention to the details and finding a way to make the next play.”

On the fourth-quarter defense:

“I think we made things difficult. I also think they missed some good looks, so we got away with a couple, but we strung some stops together down the stretch when we needed to.”

Josh Hart

On avoiding complacency after going up 2-0:

“This team just came back from 3-1, so you can’t sit here and be happy about where we are or complacent. There are 15 or 16 teams, ever, that have come back from 3-1, so we know what this team is capable of. We have to continue to be focused.”

On Anunoby’s status:

“Hey, man, I don’t know. You gotta holler at him on that one.”

Miles McBride

On how he feels about replacing OG in the lineup if he misses time:

“Extremely comfortable. I feel like the coaching staff trusts me, I know my teammates trust me and I trust myself overall. So if that happens, I know I’ll be ready.”

On how to replace OG:

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the league so it’s tough to replace that but you don’t replace him with one guy. Everyone is going to have to step up.”

On Bridges’ Game 2 defense:

“Honestly, it started with Mikal. He’s just been great for us at the point of attack. And the team has been locked in. He’s a tough player. And for Mikal, he’s just going to keep going at him. He’s going to step up every time.”

On the final minutes of Game 2:

“We’re really comfortable. We’ve got a bunch of leaders in this locker room, a bunch of guys who want this moment. And we’ve been here before, so we just got to attack it with an open mind, with an aggressiveness, and just trust it.

“I feel like we just had to lock in. It was a tough game. I felt like our focus could’ve been a little bit better. Sometimes it takes a little scare like that for you to lock in in the fourth.”

Nick Nurse

On how OG Anunoby and Kawhi Leonard compare:

“They’re not two completely different players because they’re both lockdown defenders. When they make up their mind to start guarding people, it gets pretty tough. OG’s a better shooter…Kawhi’s probably a better 1-on-1 player.”

On Anunoby’s career development:

“OG’s just continually, year after year, just keeps getting better and better. And he was amazing in our last series. He was really, really great and I thought he was really, really great in Game 1, too. He’s kind of always been really great at defense, and then the shooting came and now he’ll rebound heavily when they need him. His cutting game’s gotten a lot better. I think his starting and ending on drives have gotten better as well. So he just kind of keeps getting better year after year, and he’s just a hardworking guy.”

On Anunoby’s shooting improvement being the most impressive to him:

“When I had him, he was really fascinated with the art of shooting, and that was really cool to see him dig into that and just take his own journey on it to improve. He’s a guy you cannot leave open, so he’s really done a great job at just working, and so that’s what happens when you do that year after year, and you keep playing heavy minutes and all that stuff. You’re going to get better.”

On why Embiid missed Game 2:

“He woke up with a bunch of soreness. They were treating him during shootaround, etc., and then after shootaround, they determined he’d be out.

“I mean, listen, he’s really disappointed. He really wants to be out there. He has been doing — I mean I said this before — but coming back from that appendectomy so quickly was not easy for him to do. He’s worked extremely hard to get back and he continues to want to play badly and I feel really bad for him. He really wants to be out there and we want him out there.”

On the Sixers’ bigs gettting quickly into foul trouble:

“Yeah, I mean it’s a bit of a concern. All the bigs on both teams were in foul trouble tonight, so I don’t know what to tell you about that.”

On being forced to give extended minutes to the backups:

“Well, there was a number of things. I thought Barlow — excuse me, Bona — was impacting the game, especially early with the rim protection. He got in foul trouble. They went small, so there was a couple factors that at least get out there and look at it. We felt we could switch a little bit more too with him. We had a couple breakdowns on some of that stuff, but I thought again, I mean we played good enough defense to win that game, especially in the fourth. Yeah, that certainly had a factor of them being in there and then we — it’s like you go through the playoff series and you’re trying some stuff and we decided to throw Paul on Towns and he did a nice job so we just kind of rolled with it.”

Tyrese Maxey

On the Knicks’ coverage in Game 2:

“I shot, like, one shot in the third quarter. Mainly, they were just putting two on the ball. Every ball screen, every action, every switch, they would just put two on the ball, and I was just getting rid of it, getting off of it. That’s really it. I was just trying to create and do different things like that and use my gravity.”

On Dominick Barlow’s unexpected cameo:

“He was pretty good. He was pretty good. He got in, he was active, played the right way, so we appreciate him for that.”

VJ Edgecombe

On the Game 2 loss:

“We feel like we should have won it. It came down to shot-making at the end of the game. They were making shots. We weren’t.”

On the fourth-quarter misses:

“I think we got a lot of great looks. Wide-open looks. We just were missing.”

On the series development heading into Philly games:

“I think that’s what it is. It’s going to be a dogfight. They’re a really good team, and it’s going to come down to the wire almost every game.”

Two down, two to go. You gotta take it easy.

Cam Newton issues Warriors' Draymond Green, Austin Rivers a warning amid beef originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Draymond Green and Austin Rivers’ feud has become a hot-button topic, and a former Heisman trophy winner —  who knows a little bit about criticism — is adding their opinion to the fold.

Former NFL quarterback Cam Newton discussed the situation on his podcast, “4^th & 1 with Cam Newton” (h/t Awful Announcing).

“Every day you look up, it’s a new beef, it’s a new disagreement, it’s a new person in their feelings about another said person,” Newton said.

Rivers got Green’s attention after discussing the four-time NBA All-Star’s belief that Warriors coach Steve Kerr might have “hindered” his career, and Green snapped back comparing his NBA career to Rivers’.

“That’s what you’re going to keep getting from these athlete-led platforms who take offense to what’s said,” Newton said. “But to the athletes, you have to understand, you’ve got to be able to have diversity in your content. Because if you’re just going back and forth saying, ‘I, I, I’, ‘me, me, me,’ that’s not a sustainable recipe, brother.”

Green made the discussion personal when he stated Rivers’ career was bailed out by his father, Doc Rivers, signing him to multiple contracts. Rivers said he was disrespected in another follow-up via Instagram and said Green is as highly regarded as he is because of his situation and surrounding cast on the Warriors.

Newton explained on his podcast that the debate over who has done more than the other is one that athletes and former athletes have to be careful of when debating.

“Talk about the take, not the person,” Newton said as he wrapped up his thoughts on the matter.

Most recently, Rivers discussed the feud when he joined the “To the Baha” podcast and called Green out for a 1-on-1 game of hoops.

Who knows where the feud will go next.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

After an impressive win in Game 1, the Pistons have an opportunity to head to Cleveland up 2-0, which is still hard to process after how the series against the Orlando Magic went. It won’t be easy, as the Cavaliers will be motivated to bounce back after a sloppy Game 1 in which they turned the ball over 19 times.

The great thing about the NBA Playoffs is that each game can bring a whole new group of challenges. Maybe the Pistons are less successful in generating turnovers in Game 2 and now have to put up a better performance on offense in order to win. The Pistons offense was not great in Game 1, as Cade Cunningham struggled with his shot, but they did enough to come out on top.

Whatever happens, this should be another great game at home with a chance to put the Cleveland Cavaliers in a very difficult hole early in the series.

Game Vitals

Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
When: Thursday, May 7 at 7 pm EST
Watch: Prime Video
Odds: Pistons (-3.5)

Analysis

People have talked about how the Cavaliers were careless with the ball in Game 1 without giving much credit to the Pistons’ defense. The Cavaliers were definitely sloppy, but the Pistons are the best team in the league at generating turnovers, so it isn’t all that shocking that they were able to control the game through generating turnovers.

They are able to overcome many of their offensive short-comings by getting out in transition and the Cavaliers have turned the ball over the most out of every team in the Playoffs, so at some point you have to concede that this probably isn’t the best matchup for the Cavaliers, even if they are the superior team on offense.

I don’t want to downplay the Cavaliers and make it seem like Game 2 will be an easy win, but many of the things the Pistons did in Game 1 are easily repeatable since they have done it all season. The toughest part for the Pistons so far this postseason is actually going out and doing it every night, which they struggled with at times against the Orlando Magic. That is why it took them 7 games and a 3-1 comeback to take them down.

A noticeable difference for the Pistons on offense in Game 1 as opposed to their series against the Magic is that offense seemed a little bit easier to come by for every other player on the Pistons besides Cade Cunningham. Cade was put through the ringer by having to deal with physical defense all game by Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers don’t have quite the defensive infrastructure that the Orlando Magic do and didn’t pack the paint as much, so it opened things up a bit.

I wouldn’t even say that Cade had a more difficult time generating offense, as he still got up 19 shots and many of the looks he got were fine, he just only made six of those shots. Many of the missed shots were shots that he was making against Orlando, so I would suspect that he gets back to form in Game 2.

One notable player looking to get back to form for the Cavaliers is Jarrett Allen, who only played 18 minutes and scored 2 points due to being in foul trouble. Jalen Duren was able to attack him early against a more spaced out defense and draw a few fouls. It led to Allen not playing the rest of the 1st half, then Kenny Atkinson decided not to close with him despite him only having 4 fouls.

Although James Harden nearly led a 4th quarter comeback for Cleveland with some tough shot-making, he also helped the Pistons get the edge in the turnover battle by turning over the ball seven times. Many of his turnovers were also live-ball turnovers that allowed the Pistons to get out and run.

Donovan Mitchell also had a bit of an off-game as he only scored 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting. He made some comments after the game about the lack of foul calls, but he also didn’t do a ton of attacking the basket as he shot 4-of-10 from behind the arc and many of his drives ended in floaters. I would expect a much more aggressive Donovan Mitchell in game 2, so the Pistons may have to put other players besides just Ausar Thompson on him if he starts to get some foul calls.

It will be interesting to see who JB Bickerstaff settles with playing off the bench. Isaiah Stewart struggled mightily in Game 1 and the last couple games of the Orlando Magic series, so does he finally unleash Paul Reed off the bench? Ron Holland got the 3rd most bench minutes in Game 1 after not getting much playing time against the Orlando Magic, so will this be a Ron Holland series?

It is very clear that Daniss Jenkins is going to get a ton of minutes off the bench, and if he keeps playing how he has been the last couple of games it is completely justified. He helped swing Game 7 against the Magic with his shooting and helped swing Game 1 against the Cavaliers with a ton of hustle plays and 7 rebounds. He was also huge as a safety valve for Cade in the 4th quarter when the Cavaliers started to trap.

The Cavaliers played six different players off the bench, so I would expect that to get cut back as the series goes on and Kenny Atkinson is able to settle on which players work the best for this matchup. Thomas Bryant, in particular, probably got more minutes than was planned due to Jarrett Allen’s foul trouble.

The biggest takeaway I have from Game 1 is that the Pistons were able to get back to playing their brand of basketball and if that continues, I don’t see this series going longer than 5 or 6 games.

Lineups

Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1): James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Detroit Pistons (1-0): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

It’s all coming full circle for the Washington Wizards.

John Wall, the franchise’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, will represent the Wizards at Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery.

The 35-year-old retired in August after a decorated career that included nine seasons as Washington’s star point guard. Wall departed the Wizards as the franchise’s leader in assists (5,282) and steals (976) and led the team to three playoff series wins.

After finishing 17-65 — the NBA’s worst record — Washington owns a 14% chance of winning the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Wizards can fall no further than No. 5 and own a 52.1% chance of winning a top-four pick.

This isn’t Wall’s first time on the lottery stage. The five-time NBA All-Star represented Washington at the 2011 draft lottery when they owned the fourth-best odds at winning the top pick.

That time, the odds were not in Washington’s favor, the team instead dropping two spots to No. 6 before later selecting Jan Vesely.

Fifteen years later, Wall will take the stage once more, this time hoping for a better result in a monumental draft lottery for the Wizards, who just finished their third tanking season and appear one star player away from making real noise in the Eastern Conference.

The Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday will look to rebound from their Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their second-round playoff series. Once again, Lakers superstar Luka Dončić will not be available for the game.

Doncic indicated to reporters on Wednesday, May 6, that he was given an eight-week recovery timetable for his hamstring injury. It’s been five weeks as of Thursday, May 7.

He suffered the injury on April 2 in a regular-season blowout loss to the Thunder and has not played in a game since.

Dončić also confirmed to reports that he went to Spain shortly after the injury to receive specialized Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, with the intention of it accelerating his recovery. He stayed for an extended period to receive four separate injections that were spaced out four days apart and worked with specialists.

They predicted a firm Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Houston Rockets in the First Round of this year’s NBA playoffs. Without two of their three best players (Austin Reaves, out with an oblique injury and Luka Doncic, out with a hamstring strain), they had no chance against the talented young Rockets, most media members in an ESPN survey said. 

Actually, 15 of 16 believed that Houston would win comfortably. 

And you can’t really blame them. Statistically, their chances of winning was 14 percent, according to Polymarket. That equates to “no chance”, according to Legion Hoops. 

But the Lakers still won the series – and pretty convincingly at that – getting up 3-0, which is basically unbeatable historically. 

That begs the question of how much attention we should give numbers and stats, especially in the playoffs.

Here’s why. 

Numbers are great at calculating how to get the most efficient shots, finding weak points and so much more. But they can’t stand alone. They can’t tell you about chemistry and they can’t predict the big moments of a playoff series. In order to get a full picture of a player, a team, a series, you have to look up from the stats sheet. 

Momentum, the intangibles in between possessions, rivalries, chemistry between certain players, trust in each other – and the opposite – overall team connection, leadership, mental toughness – no one can measure these things. 

But it is, however, right here that the real story of a game takes place. The story of winning – or losing – of personalities and the biggest moments. 

Most things worth experiencing are not quantifiable. It is in between all the numbers we track that the greatness of basketball is found. 

Right there, when numbers just won’t cut it anymore, we have only emotions left. In those cracks and in between our logic and reasoning, basketball forces us to feel. The good, the bad, the sad, the disappointment, and the elation. 

All of those feelings which we often are afraid to feel in our normal lives, because it would mean we lose control. But when we watch basketball, all of these feelings are acceptable, even applauded. And in that, basketball becomes a vent for all of our big feelings, which most people spend so much energy bottling up to get through the day. 

According to a Freudian psychoanalytic perspective on fandom, sports provide a rare, socially acceptable place for behavior that would otherwise be unacceptable. Fans can be loud, boo and scream, and be hostile towards the opponent. That leaves a place to get the aggressive, primal urges of the id (from Freud’s theory) out in a way that’s acceptable by our social norms and the superego, in which our moralistic nature resides. The id’s raw energy is channeled into a civilized activity that we like to call fandom. Sports help us get an emotional release for pent-up tension. And basically, that’s why it feels so important – and gratifying – to be a sports fan. 

That leads us to the future of the NBA, and a pretty good representation of the next generation generally, it seems: Victor Wembanyama from another playoff contender, the San Antonio Spurs. Just last week, Wemby talked about how he isn’t interested in trying to hide his emotions or consider it a weakness, which has been the predominant culture in the sports world, and generally, up until now. But that may be about to change.

“I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions,” he said in an answer to a question about whether being emotional is weakness. 

If sports, fandom and basketball help us cope with life, find balance and release pent-up feelings of the past, that is a powerful conclusion and a meaningful purpose. 

This piece started as a reminder to look up from the stats sheet – and perhaps your phone, as well – and how basketball is less about numbers and more about moments and all that comes in between. But as it turns out, it’s a lot about feelings, too. 

Sure, for some, it’s about money mostly, but for fans, players and people around the teams, who put so much time and effort into this sport, it comes down to feelings. 

Like someone used to say all the time (it was me), basketball is all about feelings. And maybe I was right. One thing I know, though, is that numbers can’t predict heart – so look up, or you might miss it. 

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to rebound from their Game 1 loss and even their Western Conference semifinals series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder won the opener 108-90. Oklahoma City is heavily favored with a 15.5-point spread with an over/under of 209.5. The Lakers will again be without Luka Dončić, who has not yet been cleared for contact.

How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

• Date: Thursday, May 7

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• TV Channels: Amazon

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -15.5

• Moneyline: Oklahoma City Thunder -935 (86.6%) / Los Angeles Lakers +616 (13.4%)

• Over/Under: 209.5

Series schedule, results

Game 1:Thunder 108, Lakers 90
Game 2: Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (Thursday May 7, 9:30 ET, Prime Video)
Game 3: Oklahoma City at Los Angeles (Saturday May 9, 8:30 ET, ABC)
Game 4: Oklahoma City at Los Angeles (Monday May 11, 10:30 ET, Prime Video)
Game 5: Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (Wednesday May 13)*
Game 6: Oklahoma City at Los Angeles (Saturday May 16)*
Game 7: Los Angeles at Oklahoma City (Monday May 18)*

*if necessary

BOSTON — For 82 games, the Celtics’ depth — particularly at the wing position — was one of its biggest strengths.

“We just have 15, 16 guys that can impact winning,” Joe Mazzulla said before the playoffs. “At any point in time, people can help us win.”

When Mazzulla made that comment, it resonated. We’d seen it all year, after all.

Jordan Walsh started 25 games and showed flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball, demonstrating an ability to shut down some of the best scorers in the league.

Baylor Scheierman started 20 games and emerged as the perfect complementary role player who had a penchant for winning plays.

At just 19 years old, Hugo Gonzalez started three games, but made his mark in plenty more, drawing charges, diving for loose balls, and becoming one of the league’s top plus-minus guys.

Even Ron Harper Jr., who began the season on an Exhibit-10 contract, got three starts and helped swing several games, outplaying Kevin Durant on the second night of a back-to-back in Houston.

Depth, however you wanted to look at it, was an undeniably positive storyline. All four backup wings came into the season unproven, and all four finished it with big-time performances under their belt and undeniable potential.

But, while that player development was part of what made the 2025-2026 regular season special, the Celtics couldn’t sufficiently leverage it when it mattered most.

Walsh played the most substantial backup wing role, in large part due to his ability to guard Tyrese Maxey, but he played just 5 minutes in Game 7. Gonzalez didn’t play rotational minutes until Game 7, and though he helped key a critical first-half run, all in all, he played just 19 postseason minutes.

Harper Jr. played 21 minutes across the first six games, got an unexpected Game 7 start, and then went on to only record 4 minutes in that game, despite tallying two quick steals.

Throughout the series, fans clamored for more minutes for each of their favorite back-ups: more Scheierman minutes, Walsh in the starting lineup, any sign of life from Gonzalez.

Before Game 7, I posted a thread on X asking fans what they would change; most of the 500+ respondents urged for more minutes from one of the team’s young wings.

The reality, however, is that playoff rotations usually tighten up. By late March, Jayson Tatum was back playing (very effective) heavy minutes, and Sam Hauser had established himself as the team’s fifth starter.

Mazzulla’s rotation conundrum was not made easier by the fact that none of the young guys on the roster separated themselves from one another — while different players stepped up in different moments, there was no clear hierarchy going into the playoffs.

“It was an unusual roster in that we had a lot of unproven young players that had really not contributed at a meaningful level yet in their careers, and [they] really showed themselves capable of that,” Brad Stevens said at his end-of-season press conference. “Oftentimes, as a coach and as a staff, it’s a lot easier if some do and some don’t, because then there’s a clear demarcation line. But that’s a good problem to have.”

In this series, however, the Celtics didn’t really benefit from the fact that there was no set rotation the way they did all season. In the decisive Game 7, Gonzalez, Scheierman, Harper, and Walsh all went scoreless on 10 combined field goal attempts. None of the four players was able to develop an offensive rhythm against Philadelphia.

It’s easy to say that Mazzulla should have played Scheierman, given that he broke through as an all-around player shortly after the trade deadline. But one could also make the case that Gonzalez, who probably brings the most to the table from an athleticism standpoint, should have seen opportunities before Game 7.

But the reality is that there is limited on-court time, and it’s hard to blame Mazzulla for those decisions, considering there was no clear pecking order among the backups going into the playoffs.

Stevens emphasized that it is not the front office’s job to make rotational decisions: “The role questions, and when people play, and how many people play, that’s what a coach has to do — and it’s really hard when, again, there’s not a clear separation.”

At his end-of-year press conference, Stevens was specifically asked about Gonzalez’s growth and, in turn, he praised his rookie season. The 2025 No. 28 pick averaged 14.6 minutes across 74 games, shot 36.2% from three, and was one of the NBA’s plus-minus leaders.

“Hugo had a great rookie year, and is, I think, a critical part of us moving forward because his athleticism can meet the moment in the big games,” he said. “That’s a real thing. You can see it. You know it. His strength is off the charts. He’s probably the strongest — he’s one of the strongest guys on our team right now, pound-for-pound, as a 20-year-old. So, he’s got a bright future.”

Still, Stevens explained that Gonzalez hadn’t done enough during the season to clearly demand postseason minutes.

“That said, he didn’t separate himself from those other guys,” he said. “And so, as a front-office person, I can’t sit here and say that one person should have been playing over another, should have been playing over another. There wasn’t enough separation.”

It’d be hard to argue with that.

Gonzalez had great moments, but he also made rookie mistakes, couldn’t create as much offensively, and didn’t space the floor as well as someone like Hauser, who has been on the Celtics for five seasons and was in the rotation for the 2024 title run.

Now that the 3-1 series lead has been blown, it’s easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback and say this guy should have played, or this guy should have played, but the real challenge lies in the fact that all four wings — who had taken turns being so important during the regular season — came into the playoffs on relatively equal footing.

Mazzulla, for his part, denied that making those rotational decisions was difficult.

“It wasn’t,” Mazzulla said. “I think too many times, pushing the right button gets linked to a positive result. At the end of the day, it’s about pushing the right button [toward the] process of putting us in a position to win. And that’s always the goal. And the locker room, whoever is out there puts us in position to win.”

That’s Mazzulla’s perspective, and it’s obviously a valid one. Still, watching the Celtics-76ers series unfold, it became increasingly clear that the team’s regular-season depth and rotational unpredictability were no longer the asset it was in the regular season.

In Game 7, only five players scored — three of the team’s starters (Harper Jr., Luka Garza, and Scheierman) went scoreless. Walsh was effective in slowing down Maxey in stretches, but none of the other bench guys consistently left their imprint on the game.

That’s, in part, the result of a roster that hadn’t been there before. Nearly half of the rotation — Neemias Queta, Walsh, Gonzalez, Scheierman, Harper Jr., and Garza — had never before logged postseason action.

“There’s positives in that, because these are experiences that will then add up for these guys to take advantage of in the future,” he said. “But when you’re in the midst of it, and you have a chance, you wish you would still be playing.”

Gonzalez ($2.9 million), Garza ($2.8 million), and Scheierman ($2.7 million) are all under contract next season. Harper Jr. ($2.6 million) and Walsh ($2.4 million) have team options. It seems unlikely that all five guys will be back in green next season — and if they are, it seems even likely that, with another year under their belt, there will be a pecking order established earlier in the season.

During the 2024 title run, Mazzulla didn’t have to make these decisions. Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford were all going to see significant minutes. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser were on the edges of the rotation. Everyone who played had been there before, and the guys who didn’t hadn’t meaningfully contributed throughout the year.

A lot of that, to put it plainly, is just roster construction.

“As I look back, we didn’t have a team that was as experienced or as, certainly, as ready for that moment as you know we’ve had in the past,” Stevens said.

At the same time, in hindsight, it’s clear that one of the Celtics’ biggest regular-season strengths became a challenge when it came to the postseason. The 2025-2026 season was formative for so many players — that’s part of why Jaylen Brown has dubbed it his favorite-ever season.

But when it mattered most, that depth became a challenge.