Category: NBA

The San Antonio Spurs found themselves down by over 15 points for the second consecutive game. Much like they did in Game Three, the Spurs exploded in the second half, outscoring the Trail Blazers 73-35 after halftime to win Game Four 114-93. It was the largest playoff win by a team trailing by 15+ at halftime.

San Antonio was propelled by its All-Stars, De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama. Fox led all scorers with 28 points on an efficient 11-17 shooting from the field, while adding in 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. Wembanyama was a major difference maker on the defensive end, keeping Portland from getting good looks in the paint. In his first game back after clearing concussion protocol, Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 7 blocks.

Portland made things tough in the first half, especially in the second quarter, when they shot 58% to build a 19-point lead. Deni Advija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points on 8-14 shooting.

The Spurs have taken a 3-1 lead in the series. They’ll head back to San Antonio for Game Five on Tuesday, where they will look to advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Observations

• Mitch Johnson should get a lot of credit for the Spurs’ turnaround. He used familiar lineups and strategies in the second half to pull ahead. He encouraged the team to pick up the pace offensively, which led to easy baskets while the Blazers struggled to get back. He relied on his guards and veteran experience to bring the team back. Harrison Barnes played more, Carter Bryant sat, and used Luke Kornet only in brief stints to give Wembanyama a short break.
• Stephon Castle picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. Johnson trusted him to play in foul trouble, and the gamble worked out. Castle was everywhere in the third quarter and made a big impact in his second-half minutes. He didn’t collect his 5th and final foul until the fourth quarter. Castle had 16 points and 8 assists in the win.
• Wembanyama’s defense was huge in the second half. San Antonio outscored Portland 52-38 on Sunday. When they couldn’t get clean looks inside, they were forced to shoot contested threes. The Trail Blazers shot 10-31 (32%) from three.
• The Spurs won the turnover battle, 18-13. They scored 29 points off turnovers, while Portland scored 18.
• The Blazers battle back at the end of the fourth quarter, cutting a 20-point lead down to 12 points late. That run was ignited by some disruptive play by former Spur Sidy Cissoko.
• The game was effectively over when Castle got a technical foul for putting the ball in Avdija’s chest after an and-1 layup. Those two have been physically competing all series long. That felt like a boiling-over point from Castle. It was probably an immature moment from the second-year man, but hey, those are the emotions of playoff basketball.
• Scoot Henderson went scoreless on 0-7 shooting in his 27 minutes. Henderson has been a major difference maker in the first three games, but had a tough one on Sunday.
• There were Go Spurs Go chants echoing in the Moda Center in the final minutes of the game.

A handful of demoralizing stats off the 76ers' second 32-point loss in 8 days originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

It’s bad enough losing one playoff game in a series by 32 or more points. The 76ers on Sunday night lost for the second time in eight days by 32 or more points. 

Until this week, the 76ers had lost only six playoff games in franchise history by 32 points. Now they’ve done it twice in the same series.

Yikes.

Let’s take a look at a handful of utterly demoralizing stats off the 76ers’ 128-96 loss to the Celtics in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First-Round series, which the Celtics now lead three games to one. And thanks to the Stathead database for helping provide some of this insanity. 

ONE OF THEIR WORST PLAYOFF LOSSES EVER: The 32-point loss is the Sixers’ 7th-largest ever in a playoff game, the 2nd-largest ever at home and their most lopsided home loss in 56 years. The only worse home loss in 76ers postseason history was a 156-120 loss to the Bucks in Game 3 of their 1970 Eastern Division Semifinal series at the Spectrum. It’s also their second 32-point loss in the series after losing Game 1 123-91. The 76ers are the seventh team in NBA history to lose two games in the same postseason series by 32 or more points.

TOUGH NIGHTS FOR V.J. AND KELLY: After shooting 0-for-7 from 3 in Game 3, V.J. Edgecombe shot 0-for-4 in Game 4. He’s only the second 76er to take 11 or more 3’s in a two-game span in the postseason and miss them all. In 2001, Allen Iverson shot 0-for-8 vs. the Bucks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals series at the First Union Center and four nights later he was 0-for-5 in Game 4. (He didn’t play in Game 3). Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre shot 0-for-6 the 3rd-most misses ever by a Sixer without a basket in a playoff game. Robert Covington had an 0-for-8 against the Celtics in 2018 and Georges Niang was 0-for-7 at Miami in 2022.

OUT OF IT EARLY: After trailing the Celtics by 15 after the first quarter in Game 1, the 76ers trailed by 16 Sunday night after one quarter. Not only is this the first playoff series in 76ers history in which they’ve trailed more than once by 15 or more points after the first quarter it’s the first time it’s happened twice in the same postseason. In fact, before Game 1 the 76ers had only trailed by 15 after the first quarter six times in 488 all-time playoff games. They’ve now done it twice in four games. Similarly, the 76ers trailed by 18 at halftime Sunday night after trailing by 18 in Game 1. Those are tied for the 9th-largest halftime deficits in 76ers postseason history. And this is the first series in franchise history in which they’ve trailed twice by 18 or more points. The 18-point halftime deficit is 3rd-largest at home in the postseason behind a 36-point deficit vs. the Bucks in that Game 3 of their 1970 Eastern Division Semifinal series at the Spectrum and a 20-point deficit in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal vs. the Hawks at Wells Fargo in 2021. 

HOW DO YOU SCORE 38 POINT IN A HALF? The 76ers’ 38 points in the first half were their fewest in a postseason first half in 14 years, since they trailed the Celtics 41-33 at halftime of an 85-75 loss in Game 7 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals at TD Garden. The last five times they’ve scored fewer than 40 points in a postseason first half have all been vs. the Celtics.

MOST 3’S EVER VS. 76ERS: The Celtics made 24 3-pointers, the most ever against the Sixers in a postseason game. The previous high was 20 three times, including by the Celtics in Game 2. The 76ers have allowed 20 or more 3-pointers three times in a home game, including twice in the last three days. The Hawks had 20 in Philly in 2021. The 24 3’s are tied for 3rd-most in NBA history. The Cavs made 25 vs. the Hawks in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series in 2016 and the Bucks made 25 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference First-Round game in 2023. The Celtics shot 45 percent from 3, highest in NBA history by a team attempting at least 50 3’s. The previous high was the Rockets’ 44 percent on 22-for-50 in a win over the Spurs in Game 1 of their 2017 Western Conference Semifinal Round series.

HE DIDN’T EVEN START: Payton Pritchard’s 32 points tied the most ever scored in a playoff game against the 76ers by a player who came off the bench. In 1981, in Game 1 of the Bucks-76ers Eastern Conference Semifinal game, Junior Bridgeman scored 32 off the bench.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid in starting lineup for 76ers in Game 4 against the Celtics less than 3 weeks after appendectomy.

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to sweep the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series. The Lakers will advance to the second round with one more victory. Kevin Durant will be sidelined in Game 4 for the Rockets — the third game he has missed in the series.

How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets

• Date: Sunday, April 26

• Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas

• TV Channels: NBC, Peacock

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

Odds

• Spread: Houston Rockets +4.5

• Moneyline: Houston Rockets -185 (61.9%) / Los Angeles Lakers +150 (38.1%)

• Over/Under: 207.5

Series schedule

Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98
Game 2:Lakers 101, Rockets 94
Game 3:Lakers 112, Rockets 108 (OT)
Game 4: Sun., April 26 at Houston (9:30 p.m., NBC)
Game 5: Wed., April 29 at Los Angeles (TBD)
Game 6: Fri., May 1 at Houston (TBD)
*Game 7: Sun., May 3 at Los Angeles (TBD)

*if necessary

The Cleveland Cavaliers gagged away a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead. Their offense let them down as they dropped Game 4 to the Toronto Raptors93-89.

The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass. As a note, the percentiles are in comparison to other playoff games, which influences the sample size.

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Raptors had the lowest field-goal percentage (32%) from a postseason game winner since 1970, credit to Justin Russo. Toronto went just 31-97 from the field.
• If you go before the three-point era, this was the fourth-lowest field-goal percentage from a team that won a playoff game, credit to Justin Thomas.
• Jakob Poeltl is the only Raptor who had more makes than misses, going 4-7 from the field.
• Toronto went just 4-30 from three (13.3%). Unsustainably hot outside shooting carried the Raptors to the Game 3 victory. Their regression to the mean was harsh as they couldn’t buy a basket from deep.
• The Raptors had 10 more shot attempts than the Cavs. This is due to Cleveland losing the turnover and offensive rebounding battle. In a game where neither team could establish an offensive rhythm, the one that had more chances wound up the winner.
• Toronto had 21 offensive rebounds, grabbing 40% of their misses (92nd percentile). This led to the Raptors outscoring Cleveland 19-7 on second-chance points.
• Cleveland turned it over 18 times compared to Toronto’s 12. The Raptors won the points-off-turnovers battle 17-7.
• The Cavs shot an abysmal 15-23 from the line (65.2%). On a day they couldn’t generate any offense, they also couldn’t convert the freebies that they got. Jarrett Allen struggled most, going 1-4.
• James Harden turned it over seven times. This was the second time in as many games he’s had more turnovers than field goals (six).
• Donovan Mitchell scored 20 or fewer points for the second game in a row. He finished with 20 points on 6-24 shooting (25%). In the regular season, the Cavs were 7-11 when he played and scored 21 or fewer points and 25-9 when he scored 30 or more. In the playoffs, the Cavs won both games he’s scored at least 30 and have lost both games he’s registered fewer than 21.
• Mitchell went 0-4 in shots at the rim and 2-10 in shots in the paint overall.
• Only 28% of the Cavs’ shots came at the rim (33rd percentile). Getting to the basket is still the most efficient way to score. The Raptors have kept Cleveland from getting there. The Cavs went just 13-22 (59%) on shots in the restricted area.
• Cleveland registered just an 80 half-court offensive rating (9th percentile). The Cavs were outstanding in the half-court since the Harden trade in the regular season. That didn’t carry over to Game 4 as they couldn’t generate any consistent offense with their stagnant sets.
• The Cavs were outscored 17-11 in the final five minutes. The Cavs went just 2-10 from the field with a turnover in that span. Sam Merrill accounted for both field goals.
• Collin Murray-Boyles outscored Cleveland’s front-court 15 to 11, credit to NBACentral. The Cavs are paying $66.3 million for their starting front-court duo. Murray-Boyles is making 10% of that.
• Allen, with five points, failed to register double-digit points for the seventh time in 22 playoff games with the Cavs. Allen’s aggression and activity have consistently fallen off in the postseason. He came into this game averaging 12.8 points per playoff game with the Cavs after averaging 14.8 across six regular seasons with the team.
• Evan Mobley, with eight points, failed to register double-digit scoring in a playoff game for the fifth time in his career.
• The Cavs won the 28 minutes Dean Wade was on the court by 11 and lost the 20 he sat by 16. Wade wasn’t great offensively in this game, but he was still a net positive because of his defense on Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. The fact that the Cavs have struggled in the minutes without him isn’t surprising because they have no one capable of guarding Toronto’s wings. The lack of playable wings continues to hurt the Cavs in the playoffs.
• The Cavs’ bench outscored the Raptors’ 32-19. Cleveland’s role players weren’t necessarily great, but they weren’t the reason the Cavs lost this one. The blame falls on the stars. Merrill (14 points), Jaylon Tyson (nine points), and Dennis Schroder (eight points) provided some scoring for that group.
• The Cavs are now 3-10 on the road in the playoffs in the Mitchell era. Two of those wins came against the Miami Heat in the first round last season. They’re now 1-10 on the road against playoff teams that finished the regular season over .500.

TORONTO (AP) — Scottie Barnes hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute and scored 23 points, Brandon Ingram also added 23 points and the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 on Sunday, tying the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

The best-of-seven series shifts to Cleveland for Game 5 on Wednesday.

RJ Barrett scored 18 points and Collin Murray-Boyles had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who won despite shooting 4 for 30 from 3-point range.

Barnes added nine rebounds and six assists.

Donovan Mitchell scored 12 of his 20 in the fourth quarter and James Harden added 19, but the Cavaliers couldn’t overcome an 18-turnover performance.

Mitchell missed two shots in the final 25 seconds, including a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. He finished 6 for 24 overall and made 4 of 12 shots from long range.

Sam Merrill scored 14 points and Jarrett Allen had 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were outscored 10-2 in the final 1:54 of the fourth.

With NBA commissioner Adam Silver in attendance, both teams struggled from 3-point range. Cleveland finished 10 for 40 from distance, including 5 of 10 in the fourth.

SPURS 114, TRAIL BLAZERS 03

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks in his return from a concussion, and San Antonio took a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against Portland Trail with a victory.

De’Aaron Fox added 28 points for the Spurs, who will return home to San Antonio for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

The Spurs announced about an hour before the game that Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 Defensive Player of the Year, would play after clearing the league’s concussion protocol.

The Spurs trailed the Blazers by 17 points at the half, but the game was knotted at 74 going into the fourth quarter. Fox and Keldon Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointer to put the Spurs up 90-77 with 7:14 left.

Johnson’s dunk with 4:31 left made it 101-81 for San Antonio and all but sealed the win.

Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 26 points. There was tense moment with 2:13 left when Avdija and Stephon Castle exchanged shoves. They were given offsetting technical fouls.

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Some first-round series are better for being shorter.

No one needs to watch more games of the Oklahoma City Thunder walloping the Phoenix Suns.

Tonight's Thunder vs. Suns predictions have no faith in Phoenix, a doubt that is best encapsulated by ironically betting on one of its guards.

Read more in my NBA picks for Monday, April 27.

Thunder vs Suns prediction

Who will win Thunder vs Suns Game 4?

Thunder: Oklahoma City will be tested at some point this postseason, but it was never going to come in this first-round series against Phoenix.

We do not need to pretend otherwise. A 4-0 sweep always felt like the most likely outcome.

Thunder vs Suns best bet: Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points (-105)

While the Oklahoma City Thunder can probably start crafting their game plan for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns should at least go down swinging.

Consider that a compliment.

Phoenix has been a delightful surprise this season. There is no shame in the No. 8 seed getting swept by the defending champions. 

However, there would be shame in not playing through the whistle.

If anyone can promise that effort until the final whistle — something the Denver Nuggets could clearly learn from — it is Dillon Brooks. The Brooks-related headline has been that he has scored 30+ points in each of his last two games, averaging 27 points per game in this series.

The actual stat to note is that he has taken at least 21 shots in each game of the series. Meanwhile, Devin Booker has not taken more than 17 shots in a game. Brooks has taken a total of 19 more shots than the Suns’ cornerstone has, a reality created intentionally by the Thunder.

No matter how much he might want to chuck, Booker simply doesn’t have those openings. Oklahoma City is quite content to let him heave.

Brooks’s volume has a competitive ceiling, while a fully-engaged Booker could tilt any game against any opponent. Expect that defensive blueprint to indulge Brooks one more time before his offseason commences.

Thunder vs Suns same-game parlay

Booker dished out seven assists in Game 3 while taking only 16 shots. When one of the best pure scorers in the NBA goes just 6-for-16 from the field, it’s a clear reflection of the opposing defensive intention.

The five-time All-Star should lean even further into his playmaking; it may be frustrating to acquiesce to Oklahoma City’s defensive approach, but generating better looks for the Phoenix offense as a whole should take priority.

Doing so should give the Suns one last gasp before the beach nears.

Thunder vs Suns SGP

• Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points
• Devin Booker Over 5.5 assists
• Suns 1H +6

Our "from downtown" SGP: 1, 2, 3, Cancun!

Consider this to be the tune of, “1, 2, 3 — slight pause — Cancun!”

In front of a home crowd with three shooters in the backcourt, the Suns should start Game 3 competitively... but when reality becomes inevitable, Phoenix’s focus and drive will wander.

Margaritas await.

Thunder vs Suns SGP

• Dillon Brooks Over 18.5 points
• Suns 1H +6
• Thunder -10.5

Thunder vs Suns odds for Game 4

• Spread: Thunder -10.5 (-110) | Suns +10.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Thunder -500 | Suns +375
• Over/Under: Over 213.5 (-110) | Under 213.5 (-110)

Thunder vs Suns betting trend to know

Across the last three years, Oklahoma City is 7-4 ATS in the first round. Find more NBA betting trends for Thunder vs. Suns.

How to watch Thunder vs Suns Game 4

Thunder vs Suns latest injuries

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 Cleveland Cavaliers dropped their second straight game to the Toronto Raptors. The series is now tied 2-2, heading back to Cleveland.

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

Donovan Mitchell

20 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 turnovers

We’ve seen the worst of Mitchell across the last two games. An overliance on jumpers. Not having the size to break free from Scottie Barnes in the halfcourt. And, most of all, being an option for the Raptors to attack offensively.

Mitchell finished the game shooting 6-24.

The Cavs won’t win another game this series if Mitchell doesn’t adjust. He’s been at the core of all their problems, failing to score efficiently or handle the ball with care.

Grade: F

James Harden

19 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers

Harden had 6 turnovers in his first 14 minutes tonight. That’s what throwing a behind-the-back pass when you’re being double-teamed in the corner will do.

The decision-making on display was alarming. For a player who previously solved every problem thrown at him, it felt like Harden was blindfolded and throwing darts at a board in Toronto.

He eventually stabilized himself and had a strong second half. But I think more than enough damage was done in the first half to justify this grade.

Grade: D-

Evan Mobley

8 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

We’ve all agreed that Mobley will not lead this team in scoring, nor will he be the focal point of the offense. Yet, we all understand that if the Cavs want to go deep into the postseason — Mobely at least has to be capable of raising their floor on nights where the backcourt is struggling.

The grade speaks for itself.

Grade: F

Jarrett Allen

3 points, 15 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Allen is the only member of the core four who showed enough effort to fight defensively. His 15 rebounds and team-high plus/minus of +15 are a product of that.

Still, this was far from a good game. Allen went 1-5 from the floor and 1-4 from the free-throw line. The Cavs needed someone to elevate their offense by beating mismatches and finding easy opportunities. Allen didn’t come through.

Grade: D-

Dean Wade

7 points, 5 rebounds

Wade’s defensive impact is starting to be severely blunted by his role on offense. He doesn’t care to shoot the ball, so Toronto doesn’t care to defend him. This has made it easier for the Raptors to swarm the guards and pack the paint. The biggest problem is that the Cavs don’t have enough size on the wing to take Wade out of the rotation.

Grade: D

Max Strus

1 point, 7 rebounds

The Cavs sorely needed an offensive punch from Strus. He went 0-5 from the floor. A few three-pointers would have gone a long way to unsticking the offense.

Grade: D-

Keon Ellis

0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Ellis has still only made one field goal in this series. He played just 4 minutes tonight.

Grade: F

Jaylon Tyson

9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 turnovers

It felt like Tyson was making the wrong reads tonight. He drove a few closeouts that probably should have been catch-and-shoot three-point attempts. He also turned it over in the short-roll, throwing a predictable pass to the dunker’s spot that was picked off.

All that said, the Cavs shouldn’t be needing Tyson to produce at this level to keep the offense running.

Grade: C-

Sam Merrill

14 points

Merrill hasn’t performed great so far in the postseason. But he did help to unjam the Cavaliers’ offense in the second half.

His frenetic off-ball movement and complete lack of fear with the ball in his hands go a long way. The Raptors can’t ignore him the same way they ignored Wade, and that put Toronto into motion defensively. That led to Merrill being arguably the most impactful offensive player for Cleveland.

Grade: C+

Dennis Schroder

8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

Schroder played the best two minutes of anyone on the roster tonight. So, there’s that.

He scored 8 points in rapid succession, taking Jakob Poeltl off the dribble and looking like the only player who cared about running a proper offense. That didn’t last for too long.

Grade: C-

Observations after Sixers suffer blowout Game 4 loss to Celtics in Embiid's return originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Joel Embiid’s presence alone did not pull the Sixers even in their first-round playoff series with the Celtics.

The Sixers suffered a blowout Game 4 loss Sunday night in Embiid’s first action since undergoing an appendectomy on April 9. They fell to a 128-96 defeat at Xfinity Mobile Arena and now trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Embiid had 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 34 minutes.

Tyrese Maxey posted 22 points and six assists. Paul George scored 16 points.

Payton Pritchard torched the Sixers, scoring a playoff career-high 32 points. Jayson Tatum had 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds.

Game 5 will be Tuesday night in Boston. Here are observations on the Sixers’ 32-point Game 4 loss:

Embiid not a million miles from his norm  

Embiid drew two quick fouls on Neemias Queta. The Boston big man was whistled for his second personal on a swift Embiid drive from the right wing.

Embiid knocked down all four of his free throws off of Queta’s fouls. He also scored early on a fast-break dunk and a powerful post-up layup against Nikola Vucevic. Embiid didn’t look reluctant to invite contact, run the floor or do anything that’s normally part of his game. While he missed mid-range jumpers that he’s accustomed to hitting and showed other signs of rust here and there, he was relatively sharp out of the gates.

Until a VJ Edgecombe mid-range jumper with 5:24 left in the first quarter, no Sixer scored besides Embiid. Both sides had cold jump shooting starts. The Sixers and Celtics each missed their first four three-point tries.

Embiid subbed out and Andre Drummond replaced him with 5:11 to go in the first. However, Embiid was back in soon. He re-entered with 2:49 left after a subpar Drummond stint that included two fouls. 

Drummond exited early in the second quarter after appearing to hurt his right hip, but he was able to return in the third. 

Boston’s bench dominant in first half 

The Celtics made an unsurprising run in the night’s first Embiid-less minutes. Pritchard nailed two three-pointers. Drummond fouled Tatum on a shot beyond the arc.  

Pritchard had a massive first quarter, tallying 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting. In Game 3, the Celtics’ bench outscored the Sixers’ by 21 points. Boston had the first 27 second-unit points Sunday. 

Pritchard ended the quarter with an exclamation point, sinking a long-range, one-legged runner to put the Celtics up 34-18. 

Offensive rebounds remained another giant problem in the first quarter for the Sixers, who struggled to close out good defensive possessions and were caught ball watching on several occasions. The Celtics grabbed six offensive boards in the first quarter and the Sixers had zero.

The start of a new quarter didn’t snap the Sixers into a higher gear. Pritchard swished a three over Quentin Grimes and Sixers head coach Nick Nurse called timeout with his team trailing by 21 points. 

Maxey was quiet in the first half, scoring seven points on 2-for-3 shooting. He’s faced strong defense in this series from Derrick White, Jordan Walsh and the Celtics, but Maxey was too deferential to teammates at times in the first half. His backcourt mate dealt with early foul trouble and Edgecombe posted just two points over the first two quarters. 

As for the Celtics’ stars, Tatum and Brown combined to shoot 4 for 17 from the field in the first half and were defended effectively by Kelly Oubre Jr. and George. The Celtics still held an 18-point lead at halftime. 

Celtics leave no doubt  

Maxey canned a three to open the scoring in the third quarter.

The Celtics kept snuffing out any hints of a Sixers push, though. Edgecombe stole the ball and threw it ahead to Maxey, but White sprinted back and blocked his layup. Brown drained a fadeaway, and-one jumper on George. Tatum hit a three to extend Boston’s lead to 69-43. 

Embiid eventually settled into a nice shooting rhythm starting around the midpoint of the third quarter. He wound up going 9 for 21 from the floor and 1 for 6 from three-point territory.

Boston tossed up threes all night, including during a brief third-quarter stretch when the Sixers turned to zone defense. The Celtics attempted 23 more threes than the Sixers (53-30) and made 15 more (24-9).

The Sixers could never contain Pritchard, who did even more damage late in the third quarter. Edgecombe fouled him with 0.9 seconds left in the third and the 2024-25 Sixth Man of the Year made both his foul shots. Before Sunday, Pritchard had played in 72 career postseason games and his scoring high was 23 points.

The Sixers were a thoroughly deflated, defeated team in the fourth quarter. A Tatum four-point play stretched the Celtics’ advantage to 30 points.

That’s two blowout losses now for the Sixers in the series. They were great in Game 2 and close in Game 3, but there’s no question the Celtics have been the better, deeper squad and deserve to be up 3-1. As they did in Game 2, the Sixers will need a serious bounce-back performance to keep their season ticking.

HOUSTON — To Lakers coach JJ Redick, what mattered most about Bronny James’ first career NBA playoff points, a pull-up 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 50-40 lead midway through the second quarter of their Game 3 victory over the Rockets, wasn’t that James made the shot. 

It was the fact that after all the nerves James experienced entering the first-round playoff series, he had the confidence to take the shot in the first place.

“Without Luka [Doncic and Austin Reaves], we don’t have the luxury of turning down shots created and advantages created,” Redick said. “He did a nice job offensively in that first stretch. Certainly making shots gives you confidence, but I thought he was great defensively as well in that stretch and really has just improved a lot even in this season from when he was getting some rotation minutes earlier in the year to when he’s gotten rotation minutes late in the season.”

James, the younger son of Lakers star LeBron James who was the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, got an up-close view of the playoffs last season.

But having played just four minutes across two games during the Lakers’ five-game first-round playoff loss to the Timberwolves last spring, he didn’t get a true sense of what playing in the playoffs feels like. 

That changed this season, with the younger James being in the Lakers’ rotation during the postseason entering Sunday’s Game 4 at Toyota Center.

“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Bronny said. “I mean, in college I didn’t get to play in March, so that’s something that’s gonna irk me for the rest of my life. And got to do it in the playoffs, and that’s just the best feeling.”

Bronny admitted to being nervous before his first playoff game.

“I definitely think I’ve gained a little more confidence and relaxed myself … Looking forward to down the road, me getting more minutes and stuff like that. I feel like just me getting playoff time, second stints and stuff like that is just gonna help more and more.” 

James’ first playing stint resulted not only in his first playoff points but also his second. 

LeBron threw an alley-oop to Bronny for a reverse layup on the Lakers’ next possession in the second quarter of Game 3, which was the first father-to-son assist in NBA playoffs history. 

“I’m not sure when was the last time I got an oop from him,” Bronny said. “Probably in training camp last year, maybe this year. But it was just one of those things; he saw me and saw that I was making eye contact with him, so he threw it up and I can always go get it.”

Bronny’s first stint impressed the Lakers’ coaching staff so much that he played a second stint for the first time during the playoffs against the Rockets in Game 3 after being limited to one stint in Game 1 and Game 2. 

“It just says a lot about me and JJ’s relationship, the other coaches in the coaching staff,” Bronny said. “They believe in me. And I appreciate that. And I’m going to take advantage of every minute I get.”

Bronny got regular playing time to close the regular season while Marcus Smart was sidelined for nine games because of an ankle injury before being cemented in the rotation when Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (oblique) were sidelined to close the regular season.

“He has just gotten a lot better defensively,” Redick said. “His physicality’s been really good. His execution’s been really good and excited for him and just we got to continue to build him up. He’s obviously really important right now.”

After the electric atmosphere of the Toronto Raptors game three win, hopes were high going into Sunday’s game four that the Raptors could even out their series against the Cavaliers. While Thursday’s game was a must-win to keep Toronto alive in this series, Sunday was their last chance to get a win in a non-elimination game scenario, and just as important to their longevity in this series.

After truly one of the weirdest games of basketball, the Raptors were able to edge out the Cavaliers in the final minutes to bring the series to 2-2. With a final score of 93-89, it was a gritty, gruelling rock fight that often got physical and relied heavily on defense, rebounding, and taking advantage of every single possession.

The 1 pm start made this game a slog to start for both teams. A low-scoring first quarter led to a defensive battle from both teams, and the Raptors’ being active on the glass helped mitigate their lack of shot-making. They started to warm up as the second quarter dwindled, and Ingram’s buzzer-beater at halftime was the momentum they needed to go into the break up two points over the Cavs.

The real action came in the fourth quarter, though. In a game that kept flipping leads, every posession counted for both teams. Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles came up huge for the Raptors on most posessions — getting deflections, rebounds, and disrupting the Cavaliers offence enough that they started making messy decisions and fouls.

It also helped that the crowd at Scotiabank Arena was absolutely electric, despite the early start time. That noise and energy from the fans helped the Raptors find it in them to get this win.

One play in particular had Jamal Shead diving for the basketball to cause an 8 second violation on James Harden, a huge turning point for the game. In the final minutes, the Raptors ability to get stops and ensure that Cleveland couldn’t get ahead of them at the last second showed incredible poise in the moment. Barnes’s six clutch free throws were the deciding factor as Cleveland started fouling late in the game, and thr crowd propelled them to the end.

Ingram had a better game as well, and despite shooting 6-for-23 scored 23 points on the night. To be fair, everyone had a terrible shooting night — the Raptors shot 32% from the field while the Cavaliers shot 36.8% from the field. It was his defence that impacted the game the most, and he looked less discombobulated on the court than he has all series long. Hopefully the shot selection and accuracy improves more in the next game, but he showed up enough to help them get the win.

With the series now tied at 2 games per piece, we head back to Cleveland for game 5 on Wednesday. It will not be an elimination game, which relieves the pressure a bit for the Raptors, but it will still be tough. The first two games in Cleveland were hard, and the crowd will only be more intense as the series gets more competitive. Regardless of the result of Wednesday’s game, the series will return to Toronto for game 6 on Friday night.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are just one win away from punching their ticket to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 series lead with a with a 112–108 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets in Friday’s Game 3.

After the Lakers controlled the first half of the game, the Rockets came back in the second half and held a four-point lead in the final minute of regulation, but a game-tying three-pointer from LeBron James with under 10 seconds left forced overtime.

The Lakers have been without Austin Reeves this series, but the injured guard is officially listed as a game-time decision today, upgraded from questionable on Friday, and could make his playoff debut.

If the Rockets win tonight, the series will go back to Los Angeles for Wednesday’s Game 5.

Lakers vs. Rockets start time:

Tonight’s (April 26) Lakers vs. Rockets playoff game is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Lakers vs. Rockets for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes NBC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA playoffs including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

Sling TV is another affordable way to stream NBA games; its Select plan includes NBC and starts at $19.99/month.

Lakers vs. Rockets first round playoff schedule

• Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98
• Game 2: Lakers 101, Rockets 94
• Game 3: Lakers tk, Rockets tk
• Game 4: April 26, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 5: April 29*
• Game 6: May 1*
• Game 7: May 3*

* if necessary

NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

Kevin Durant will again be unavailable to help his Rockets team.

Durant has been out for two of the three games during the bewildering series between the Lakers and Rockets, as he will also miss Game 4 due to an ankle injury, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

Durant has a bone bruise that would typically sideline him for two to three weeks during the regular season, Charania reports, and the 19-year veteran will not be cleared in time for the Rockets’ possible final game of the season.

Durant, 37, has only been limited to one appearance during the playoffs, missing Game 1 due to a knee injury, and he was declared out of Game 3 with an ankle injury.

The Lakers are up 3-0 in the series, bordering a sweep behind the efforts of 41-year-old LeBron James as Luka Doncic continues to nurse a hamstring injury suffered late in the regular season, and Austin Reaves — who missed Game 3 despite being upgraded to questionable — has been dealing with an oblique strain.

Reaves is questionable to play in Game 4.

The Lakers have won Games 1-3 by a combined 20 points, notably stealing what looked to be a Rockets win in Game 3, forcing overtime, where they won 112-108 in Houston.

James is averaging 25.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the series while shooting over 47 percent from the field and hitting close to 44 percent of his threes.

In Durant’s only game played in the series, he managed to log 41 minutes, pouring in 23 points with six rebounds and four assists, though he did commit nine turnovers and four personal fouls.

The winner of the series, which will likely be the Lakers, will move on to face the NBA title favorite Thunder, assuming they don’t blow their 3-0 lead over the Suns.

On the verge of elimination, the Houston Rockets may once again be without their best player.

All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who missed Houston’s Game 3 loss with a sprained ankle, had been listed as questionable on the team’s injury reports leading up to tip-off, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Durant missed Houston’s 112-108 loss Friday, April 26 that dropped the Rockets to a 3-0 hole in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant sustained the sprained ankle in the second half of Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21. In that game, Durant scored 20 points in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting. After intermission, however, Lakers coach JJ Redick threw double-teams at Durant, forcing the ball out of his hands. In the second half, Durant scored just 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting.

But all eyes turn to Sunday’s game as the Rockets are trying to avoid a sweep.

Here’s everything you need to know about Kevin Durant’s status Sunday vs. the Lakers:

The first round of the NBA playoffs has produced a spate of injuries, and the San Antonio Spurs are facing one more.

On the day that Victor Wembanyama returned from a concussion, guard Stephon Castle, the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year, suffered an injured left hand during a drive to the basket Sunday, April 26 in Game 4 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

On the play, which came midway through the second quarter, Castle was driving against Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who tried to draw a charge. When Castle crashed into Grant, however, the two fell to the court, and Castle landed on his left hand.

He initially remained in the game, but repeatedly favored it, especially when it grazed against other players. Eventually Castle asked to be subbed out, and he headed into the locker room.

🚨Spurs rushed Stephon Castle to get X Rays on an injured hand. He was in pain after this play and asked to be subbed out so he could go to the locker room right away.

He has returned to the bench. pic.twitter.com/vTLzZJo2p4

— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) April 26, 2026

REPORT: Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards expected to miss multiple weeks

According to the ESPN broadcast, Castle received X-rays, though he eventually returned to the bench. Once seated, he continued to be in apparent discomfort, shaking his left hand.

Castle did have more tape on the hand, and he returned to the game briefly before being subbed out with 1:57 left in the first half.

Through two quarters, Castle played 11:48 and went 4-of-8 from the field for 10 points, adding 2 assists.

The Spurs struggled in the second quarter, as Portland has opened a 58-41 lead at the half.

The good news for San Antonio was that Castle was on the floor to start the third quarter, which coincided with a 13-0 Spurs run to start the period.