NBA News
It’s do or die time.
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI
When: Sunday, May 3 at 3:30 PM EST
Watch: ABC
Odds: Pistons (-8.5)
Game 7, baby – IT’S TIIIME!
Detroit Pistons (3-3): Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren
Orlando Magic (3-3): Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Jamal Cain, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr
What’s your score prediction?
Go Stones.
For the first time in the history of the franchise, the Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 lead in a series, losing Game 7 to the Philadelphia 76ers, 109-100. This is the 14th time in NBA History that a team has come back down 3-1 in a series and the first time since the 2020 NBA Bubble Playoffs when the Denver Nuggets did it against the Los Angeles Clippers. Although not for a lack of effort in this game, Boston not being able to close the series out in Games 5 or 6 was really their downfall. Jayson Tatum was ruled out prior to this game with left leg stiffness that he suffered in Game 6 and despite their best efforts, the Celtics couldn’t overcome it.
For Philadelphia, this is the first time that they have beaten Boston in a playoff series since 1982. There are 76ers fans that were born, graduated college, had a career, and probably have tenure right now that hasn’t seen them beat the Celtics since the Reagan administration. LeBron James, who is the oldest player in the NBA this season, wasn’t even alive the last time the Celtics lost a playoff series to the 76ers.
Game 7 really had me conflicted, because on one hand the Celtics felt like the underdogs trying to take down the mighty 76ers at full strength but then you also remember that this series should have already been over by now. As much as Boston overachieved this season, it will always be looked at as the first 3-1 series choke in Boston Celtics history.
The Celtics were down 88-75 going into the fourth quarter of Game 7 and there was a feeling that this game was all but over. However, Boston didn’t role over and die, starting the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run and cutting the deficit to one point with 5:02 left in the game. The Celtics would then proceed to miss 10 straight shots and kill all momentum they gained to potentially make a comeback in a deflating way while Tyrese Maxey finished Boston off with blow by layups. Boston did something similar in Game 5 when they missed 14 straight shots to lose that game, showcasing the Celtics awful lack of execution in clutch situations.
The final five minutes were a big issue but it was masked just an awful shooting performance by the Celtics in the second half. For the game Boston shot 13-49 (26%) from three, in the second half they shot 6-30 (20%) from beyond the arc including a brutal 2-13 (15%) in the fourth quarter. In a way I wish it ended as a blowout, instead of a slow, agonizing, painful death that it ended up being. Sadly it showcased the problems the Celtics had in the final 3 games of this series.
It looked like Joe Mazzulla theoretically threw darts at the dart board for the starting lineup in this game, giving Ron Harper Jr, Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza the start in place of Jayson Tatum, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta. This idea didn’t make a whole a lot of sense in the moment since this lineup had never played together but it looked like Mazzulla was rewarding those guys for the effort that they played with at the end of Game 6 in garbage time.
This stretch of the starting lineup only lasted about 4 minutes but in a way it kind of cost them the game. Philadelphia started the game on a 9-0 run in a game the Celtics lost by 9 points. Although the Celtics took the lead one time in this game, it felt like Boston was constantly playing from behind from the start. Joe also ended up playing 10 different players in this game which is pretty unusual for a playoff game.
We saw Mazzulla also run out a lineup in the third quarter where Jaylen Brown was playing the small ball center and guarding Joel Embiid when Neemias Queta was in foul trouble. A good idea in theory, but when it came to execution it looked like Embiid was playing over a bunch of little kids, constantly being able to shoot over Brown and anyone else they threw at at him during this time. This also feels like an idea that would have worked better if Tatum was playing, given the fact the Celtics have had success with him at the five a lot more in the past.
It definitely felt like Mazzulla was trying everything he could when it came to putting out different looks but in a way it felt irritating at the same. I was constantly wondering why we didn’t see any of these different coverages earlier in the season? Why didn’t Hugo Gonzalez play rotation minutes at all in these playoffs? Why are we just now trying a small ball five? I don’t think Joe Mazzulla should be at risk of losing his job or anything but this is now the second postseason in a row with a disappointing exit as the favorites in the Eastern Conference to some and the third in four years.
With Jays0n Tatum being ruled out for Game 7, Jaylen Brown was then given the task of leading Boston into battle for this game that could define his career. Sadly, Brown did not get the victory but that wasn’t for a lack of effort. In 40 minutes he finished with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 12-27 shooting from the field and 3-9 shooting from three.
Despite a slow start, Brown found his groove midway through the first quarter and did a great job making tough shots. He had 13 points in the third quarter where he dominated Philadelphia primarily in the midrange but Boston was down big. Brown didn’t give up and looked like he was going to lead Boston back in this game with 7 points in the fourth quarter, but he missed 4 shots in the final four minutes, being part of the reason the Celtics fell short.
Despite finishing as a -16 in the game I really feel like Brown played better than the box score indicated. Outside of the disappointing ending, this was an incredible season for Jaylen Brown and he said said this year “is probably my most fun years playing basketball.” I’m not sure what the future holds for Brown but I do know he made his mark as the number one guy for the Celtics this season.
Derrick White was a topic of discussion through the first six games of this series for his three-point shooting being a real problem. He shot 26% from beyond the arc and Boston really needed a big time performance from him shorthanded in Game 7. In the first half it looked like we were going to get another Kelly Olynyk or Grant Williams Game 7 performance from White as he finished with 19 points on 4-7 from three point range.
He was carrying the Celtics offense but it wasn’t sustainable because he shot 1-9 from three in the second half, missing some big shots down the stretch that could have given Boston a chance. This was by far the worst playoff series Derrick White has ever had for Boston in the worst offensive season of White’s career with the Celtics. It sucks to see because he had such a great season in every other department and he is a fan favorite. I wonder what his future holds as well.
Neemias Queta is another guy who had a rough playoffs when it came to getting into foul trouble. He was making bad mistakes through the first six games of this series and it was really hurting the Celtics without him on the floor. Game 7 showed what could have been in this series if Queta was able to be on the court more, despite finishing with 5 fouls, he had 17 points and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes while having the highest +/- on the team at +9.
Queta was a dominant force inside and showed some incredible bag work that we haven’t seen since he was playing for Portugal in Eurobasket. He showed so much touch and finesse when it came to blowing by Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid that showed how much of an offensive X-factor he could be. It makes me happy to see Queta finally be able to put together a good game in these playoffs with his future also up in the air with a club option coming up this season on his contract.
Hugo Gonzalez did not play a minute of meaningful basketball through the first six games of the series but Joe Mazzulla trusted him to provide energy in Game 7 when he started the second quarter for Boston. He was able to draw a big offensive foul on Paul George and play some really great defense to allow the Celtics to go on an 8-2 to open up the quarter and eventually take their only lead of the game at the 6:52 mark of the second.
Offensively he was 0-3 shooting from three and 0-2 at the free throw line but for playing in his first real playoff game as a rookie, Gonzalez held up really well and it makes me excited to see what he can provide in the future. It also makes me wish we saw more of him in this series but that is just hindsight.
After averaging only 6.2 points, 4.3 rebounds on 38% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from three, Joe Mazzulla benched Nikola Vucevic for the entirety of Game 7 in what feels like the end for his time in Boston. I can’t say I necessarily disagree with the decision given the fact he was so much of a defensive liability in the minutes he got in this series but it was a little surprising.
This was the big trade deadline acquisition that the Celtics made this year and to start it looked like he was going to be a perfect fit. But once Tatum came back and he got injured it just felt like Vucevic could never find a rhythm with the team. In this game he might have been able to come in at some point in the third quarter but they chose to run Jaylen Brown at the small ball center instead. I don’t know if it would have been a big difference but it feels telling of Joe’s mindset in this game. It might be safe to say this was the first really bad move of the Brad Stevens GM Era.
Ever since Joel Embiid was profiled in the ESPN article “Joel Embiid sees you” by Dotun Akintoye where he talked pretty openly about his personal life and his career up to this point I found myself becoming more of a fan of him. I wasn’t a die hard fan of his but I definitely appreciated his game a little bit more despite how unethical it can be at times. He has a MVP for a reason and the fact that he came back off appendicitis surgery and became the big reason the 76ers beat the Celtics in this series is just something to respect.
Embiid finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists on 12-26 shooting in Game 7 and was once again a puzzle the Celtics had no answer to. He really feasted when the Celtics ran the small ball lineups and went directly at Jaylen Brown every chance he got, not backing down in the slightest. I would say this is his first real signature playoff moment in a victory in his career and although it disgusts me, it also feels fitting.
After he came out with the infamous “This is not a rivalry they always kick out ass” quote in 2018 it felt like the Celtics were his boggy man. Embiid lost to Boston three times before in the playoffs in 2018, 2020, and 2023. I guess it was about time he got his time in the sun.
Watching Boston miss shot after shot in the fourth quarter was an awful feeling but afterwords I couldn’t help but be in a feeling of shock. This is the first time since the 2021 season that the Celtics were bounced in the first round but it feels so much longer ago. I was used to watching this team make deep playoffs runs that take up most of my time in the month of May and June that I don’t know what I am going to do now. I guess it’s time to watch the Red Sox? Surly they are having a good season.
Back to the Celtics, this season really was just an incredible surprise all year long. From the beginning when they started 0-3 and it felt like they were going to tank for AJ Dybantsa, to Jaylen Brown taking an incredible leap as the number one option, to Jayson Tatum eventually returning early, and to this team finishing as the second seed in the Eastern Conference with 56 wins in a “Gap Year.” I can say it does feel a little ironic that the season ended the same way it started, a loss to the 76ers at home without Jayson Tatum.
This season will always end in heartbreak but the process of getting here really was a wild ride and I can say I am happy to have been able to experience it. Big change is due to happen in the offseason I’m sure but what should the 2025-26 Boston Celtics be remembered for? In my mind, it was them showing up and working for everything they had despite the talent gap.
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics began their season with three straight losses. Six months later, against the same Philadelphia 76ers they faced on Opening Night, their season ended with three straight losses in a historic fall from grace at TD Garden.
“We knew it was going to be a fight, and we didn’t expect nothing less,” Jaylen Brown said.
Until Saturday night’s 109-100 Game 7 loss, the Celtics had never lost a playoff series after leading 3-1. They had never failed to advance after multiple 30-point victories in a series, nor had they been eliminated by the Sixers in 44 years. For the first time — in both franchise and NBA history — the Celtics had three starters finish scoreless in a playoff game, since starters were first tracked in the 1970–71 season.
Operating in the absence of Jayson Tatum, who was ruled out by the team’s medical staff less than two hours before opening tip, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was forced to get creative. So, he inserted Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza, and Ron Harper Jr. into the starting lineup alongside Brown and Derrick White, allowing the trio to make their first-career postseason starts on short notice.
None of them scored.
The Sixers began the do-or-die battle on a 9-0 run, magnifying the importance of scoring production. Scheierman had two wide-open looks from the corner, Garza misfired twice from the top of the key, and Harper came up empty on his lone attempt as the trio combined to go 0-for-7 from the field. It was clear early on that rolling the dice on a lineup featuring five players who hadn’t played together during the regular season was a gamble unlikely to pay off.
During the final seconds of regulation, as the Celtics hurled desperation shots, fans turned their backs and raced for the nearest exit. To Mazzulla, the feeling was no different than any other he’s experienced this time of year since becoming Boston’s coach four years ago.
“There’s a duality to everything,” Mazzulla said. “The year we won, I felt just as empty as we did when we lost.”
The Celtics spent the final five minutes of their season shooting an abysmal 1-of-12 from the field, including a stretch in which they missed 10 consecutive shot attempts. In the last 2:22, they had their best chance to take their first lead since midway through the second quarter. Trailing the Sixers, 99-98, Brown found Payton Pritchard wide open in the corner, but he missed. Instantly, the thousands of hands raised in anticipation came back down with an elongated sigh.
It was at that moment that everyone in the building accepted reality.
Boston caved, and it wasn’t as simple as Philadelphia being the superior team. Everything that went wrong could be traced back to the Celtics and their failures. They had three chances to close out the Sixers, and instead delivered their most uncharacteristic three-game tumble at the most important point of their season. They weren’t just bad — they lacked energy, urgency, and discipline, the very traits they spent 82 regular-season games building for moments like this, only to crumble in humiliating fashion.
They desecrated the last 79 years of Celtics basketball and the standards set by generations of legends who paved the way for them. It wasn’t a learning lesson. It was a painful look in the mirror. The consequence of taking your foot off the gas and expecting everything to somehow work out is an undeserved arrogance that caught up to Boston in the most brutal way.
It’s a feeling of embarrassment nobody in a Celtics uniform has ever experienced before.
Those who stuck around to watch Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey embrace the final moments of their historic comeback were left in utter disbelief. Even after the final buzzer sounded and Embiid and Maxey remained on the court for their walk-off interview, silence overtook the building. You could hear the sound of a pin drop from the rafters, no matter where you stood, as Boston’s greatest nightmare — briefly dismissed in Game 5 — came to life.
“It’s disappointing,” Pritchard said. “Very disappointing to be up 3-1 and then end up losing the series, but definitely motivation going into the offseason to get better and to come back stronger.”
That same feeling that spread across TD Garden’s concourse and poured onto Causeway Street also disseminated to the Celtics locker room.
“It’s emotional,” Pritchard said of the locker room’s mood. “You know, you pour your heart out into this, and to lose like that is tough. But everybody in here is your brother; you love them, and everybody did what they were supposed to do.”
Boston shot 39.8 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three, knocking down only 13 of 49 attempts. They didn’t deserve to advance. The instances in which the Celtics showed life — or any resemblance to the group that won 56 games in the regular season, became the league’s third team to clinch a playoff berth, and shifted their narrative from underdogs to an Eastern Conference threat — were few and far between.
Quickly, as the series progressed, the Celtics became unrecognizable. Their lack of depth meant that aside from Tatum and Brown, Philadelphia didn’t need to account for anybody else. Pritchard scored 32 points in Game 4, and White sparked a brief revival with 26 points in Game 7, but that was about it. Neither of them produced consistently, much less enough to give the Sixers the same problems Maxey and Edgecombe were causing the Celtics throughout the series.
White shot 15-of-55 from three, becoming a liability and doing more harm than good. Mazzulla and the Celtics stuck with him, hoping he’d turn a corner after he scored six points on 2-of-5 shooting in Game 4. He instead totaled 17 points across Games 5 and 6 while struggling on the other end of the floor when guarding Maxey.
Whether wide open from three or with space six feet from the rim (twice) in the first quarter of Game 6, White couldn’t get going.
“Obviously, there’s a lot to be proud of,” White said, reflecting on the year. “I’ll definitely remember a lot of the great times that we had, but we also remember the bad times and this moment right here. It’s gonna be a long summer, and I gotta get better.”
He owned up to his shortcomings and vowed to do his part this upcoming offseason.
“I gotta go to the gym this summer and come back better,” White emphasized.
The Celtics had every opportunity to avoid this fate. They’ve made those slow walks back to the locker room while the opposing team celebrated behind them on the court. They’ve stood at the podium, reflecting on what could have been done differently while digesting the weight of elimination. But this one feels different. In the past, they could point to inexperience or roster flaws. This time, they had experience of winning a title, the hunger, and a roster prepared for the postseason — one instilled with principles that made Boston the harder team to beat most nights throughout its campaign.
It can be said that the Celtics overachieved, but that doesn’t exonerate a first-round exit — certainly not after taking a 3-1 lead.
Falling to the Sixers in seven after taking three of the first four adds a stain to Boston’s history that will linger and force the front office into action. The Celtics exposed themselves in more ways than one, warranting a return to the drawing board for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.
While Mazzulla frequently praised the work this group put in throughout the season, it wasn’t enough — not for a franchise that measures itself against championship standards and the pride embedded in its uniform and history.
The demand is what it’s always been, and that isn’t going to change.
“When you don’t win a championship for the Celtics, there’s always going to be a level of ‘We have to do better,’” Mazzulla said. “But at the same time, regardless of what was going on, we came in with that type of mentality. I thought that we came in with a championship mentality from the beginning of the year, and I thought the guys just put their head down and went to work. And I’m grateful that I got to coach them.”
Enduring the franchise’s greatest collapse may ultimately fuel the next step in repairing that standard.
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
Game 7 between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers is upon us, and our same-game parlay is all in on the underdogs.
RJ Barrett will continue his strong play and help guide his team to cover a spread that's much too big.
If you're looking for more NBA picks, check out our full Raptors for Cavaliers predictions for May 3.
RJ Barrett finished with 24 points in Game 6, and he’s averaging 24.3 points per game overall in this series on 51% shooting. Including the final game of the regular season, Barrett has gone past this points prop number infive of his last seven outings.
With Immanuel Quickley sidelined, Barrett has attempted 19+ shots in each of his past four contests, and he can continue to hunt James Harden and Donovan Mitchell and bully his way into the paint.
While Barrett is one of the keys for the Toronto Raptors offensively, Collin Murray-Boyles’ two-way impact is another big X-factor for the visitors.
CMB has grabbed at least seven rebounds in four of his last five outings, and he logged 40 minutes in Game 6 as the Raptors leaned into smaller lineups down the stretch.
He'll see a similar workload in another do-or-die scenario, which will give him enough time to clear this line.
Given the Cavs’ struggles to create good looks and Harden’s history in elimination games, this line is surprisingly high.
Toronto has covered the spread in the last four games of this series, and I expect Darko Rajakovic’s young core to bounce back faster following Friday’s slugfest.
Cleveland may have the best player in this series, but Toronto's two-way play is good enough to keep it in just about every game with the Cavs. They can force Harden and Mitchell into bad shots, which will burn possessions for the home side.
Get Tom Oldfield's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Raptors vs Cavaliers predictions for Game 7.
Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.
Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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.
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.
After an eventful first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks wrapped up with a historic beatdown on Thursday, the Knicks got to kick their feet up and enjoy an exciting Game 7 at TD Garden in Boston, where the underdog shocked the powerhouse Celtics (without Jayson Tatum) to set up an unlikely second-round clash.
It’s the No. 3 seed New York Knicks (53-29) against the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers (45-37) for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, kicking off on Monday night at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
You know how the Knicks’ season has gone. After all, you’re reading this on a Knicks site, but just to sum it up.
After firing Tom Thibodeau, engaging in a long coaching search, and keying in on Mike Brown, the Knicks mostly ran back the same team, albeit with new faces Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, while drafting Mo Diawara. It was supposed to be a deeper, offensive powerhouse, and, for the most part, it was. The Knicks started 23-9 and even got some hardware along the way, beating the Spurs in the NBA Cup Final in December. Everything was coming up New York as 2025 turned into 2026.
And then everything fell apart. Starting with a New Year’s Eve collapse in San Antonio, the Knicks lost nine of their next 11 games, capped off by a terrible effort on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at MSG against the tanking Mavs. The sky was falling, we had podcasters saying he couldn’t wait to blow up this core, we had loud calls for Mike Brown’s job, the defense was abhorrently bad, and the season was in a tailspin.
Then, they mollywhopped the Nets by 54 and everything calmed down. After going from 23-9 to 25-18, the Knicks won 28 of their final 39 games, powered by the NBA’s second-best defense over the final 2.5 months of the season. They swapped the disappointing Yabusele for Jose Alvarado and finished the season strong. After struggling through three games with the feisty Hawks, they made the last three games look like varsity playing JV.
The Sixers season has been defined by the status of Joel Embiid. After a lost season in 2024-25 and a slow start, his constantly nagging knee injuries knocked him out for much of November, where the Sixers predictably struggled. The emergence of Tyrese Maxey as the franchise’s face and the tremendous rookie campaign of VJ Edgecombe could only do so much to weather the storm.
But Philly started to find their stride after Embiid seemed rejuvenated once returning in December, getting up to 30-22 in early February before shin and oblique issues, on top of load managing his knee, caused them to stumble back into the play-in as his availability waned in the second half. It didn’t help that Paul George got a 25-game suspension for PEDs.
A three-game losing streak in early April solidified their play-in fates in a tough Eastern Conference, but a pitiful Game 82 performance by the Magic allowed them to obtain home-court advantage in the 7-8 game and won them a date with Boston.
With Embiid sidelined with an appendectomy, the Sixers stole Game 2 in Boston before going home and losing Game 3. With Embiid back, the Celtics blitzed the Sixers in Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead, only for the proverbial East favorites to continue to struggle at home and lose Tatum to a knee injury in Game 7, sealing their fate in the first round to a rejuvenated Sixers team.
12/19/2025: Sixers win 116-107 (H)
1/3/2026: Sixers win 130-119 (H)
1/24/2026: Knicks win 112-109 (A)
2/11/2026: Knicks win 138-89
The first meeting between the two teams, just before Christmas, saw the Sixers snap a six-game winning streak as the Knicks were coming down from the high of winning the NBA Cup a week prior. It was the second game of a back-to-back after a shorthanded Knicks team survived the undermanned Pacers in Indiana the night before.
The two teams were even through three quarters, but Philly pulled away thanks to a fantastic game by the backcourt duo of Edgecombe and Maxey, who combined for 53 points on 50% shooting and nine threes with Embiid sidelined. The mostly-healthy Knicks got 20 apiece from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, as well as a 21-16 masterpiece from Mitchell Robinson, but they struggled late defensively.
The next meeting was also the second game of a back-to-back during the three weeks of hell that the Knicks experienced in January. A healthy Sixers squad outmatched a Josh Hart-less Knicks team that was playing as bad defense as humanly possible, spending much of the second half down by 15+ points. After a rough first matchup, Brunson scored 31, but it didn’t matter with Embiid, Maxey, and Edgecombe all scoring at least 26 points on a combined 62.2% from the field.
After losing both games at MSG, the Knicks went on the road to Philadelphia for the third meeting after that bludgeoning of the Nets, and it marked the first game against a real team that sparked a turnaround. A 23-point turnaround in the second half had the Knicks rolling and up by 17 in the fourth quarter, but the offense completely shut down at the eight-minute mark of the fourth, allowing the Sixers to claw back.
While the Knicks hit a number of timely shots (particularly from OG Anunoby and Landry Shamet) to go up eight with 42 seconds left, an epic meltdown ensued that gave the Sixers two different chances to tie in the final ten seconds that went awry. Brunson scored 32, Anunoby scored 23, and Towns was limited to just 16 minutes as he struggled with foul trouble.
Embiid put up an efficient 38-11-5, but Maxey and Edgecombe were relatively muted as the Sixers shot just 9-for-29 from three.
The final meeting of the year was on par with the Hawks and Nets blowouts. The Knicks were without Anunoby, while the Sixers didn’t have Embiid or Paul George as the team readied for the All-Star break. It seemed like Philly left early, as the Knicks completely demolished them from buzzer-to-buzzer. This was the game in which Alvarado made eight threes in his first week as a Knick and was one of the biggest wins in franchise history.
(Note: Prior to 1963, the Sixers were known as the Syracuse Nationals)
1950 Eastern Division Finals: Nationals win 2-1
1951 Eastern Division Finals: Knicks win 3-2
1952 Eastern Division Finals: Knicks win 3-1
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin: Nationals won both meetings, advanced with Boston
1959 Eastern Division Semifinals: Nationals win 2-0
1968 Eastern Division Semifinals: Sixers win 4-2
1978 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Sixers win 4-0
1983 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Sixers win 4-0
1989 Eastern Conference First Round: Knicks win 3-0
2024 Eastern Conference First Round: Knicks win 4-2
Sixers:
Offensive rating: 114.3 (16th)
Defensive rating: 114.4 (17th)
FG%: 46.2% (23rd)
3pt%: 34.9% (23rd)
FT%: 80.9% (4th)
Pace: 100.4 (15th)
OREB%: 30.6% (11th)
TOV%: 13.4% (6th lowest)
Points in the Paint: 50.2 (16th)
Opponent PITP: 49.6 (13th)
Opponent 3pt%: 35.3% (10th)
4th Quarter Net Rating: +4.6 (7th)
Clutch Record/Net Rating: 23-18, +16.6 (4th)
Knicks:
Offensive rating: 118.7 (T-3rd)
Defensive rating: 112.3 (7th)
FG%: 47.8% (11th)
3pt%: 37.3% (4th)
FT%: 79.2% (T-10th)
Pace: 97.5 (25th)
OREB%: 32.8% (7th)
TOV%: 13.9% (T-10th lowest)
Points in the Paint: 47.8 (22nd)
Opponent PITP: 43.4 (3rd)
Opponent 3pt%: 36.2% (20th lowest)
4th Quarter Net Rating: +11.7 (1st)
Clutch Record/Net Rating: 21-13, +20.5 (3rd)
Trends:
Knicks since 1/20: 118.5 ORtg (6th), 108.2 DRtg (2nd), +10.3 net rating (3rd)
Sixers with Joel Embiid: 27-16, 121 ORtg, 115.8 DRtg, +5.2 net rating, +7.7 On-Off
Mike Brown (NYK):
Season with team: 1st
Season as head coach: 12th
Career teams coached: CLE, LAL, SAC, NYK
Career record: 507-333 (.604)
Career playoff record: 54-42 (.563)
Best finish: 2007 Cavaliers (Finals appearance)
Mike Brown is entering the postseason as the head coach of a third different team. He’s never won a game past the Eastern Conference Finals, but he’s certainly experienced deep playoff runs as an assistant under Gregg Popovich from 2001-03 and an assistant under Steve Kerr from 2017-22, winning four championships as an assistant coach.
Brown’s philosophy is a stylistic change from former head coach Tom Thibodeau, in that he prioritizes ball movement, spacing, and a drive-and-kick to open shooters (which he calls “sprays”). He was mostly unsuccessful in increasing the Knicks’ pace, showing that the team’s slow play is rooted in the way their captain operates in the offense, rather than the scheme. His biggest success has been increasing three-point attempts, but those have slowly decreased as the season has gone on.
Defensively, Brown has been flexible in his scheme. While Thibodeau always required a true rim protector on the floor, Brown has been more willing to mix up lineups in certain areas. After starting the season with a scheme that funneled the ball towards the middle of the floor into the help, Brown switched the scheme to look to send the ball towards the sidelines after the Knicks endured a month-plus stretch of abhorrent defense, powered by other teams driving and kicking to open shooters.
Nick Nurse (PHI):
Season with team: 3rd
Season as head coach: 8th
Career teams coached: TOR, PHI
Career record: 343-293 (.539)
Career playoff record: 30-23 (.566)
Best finish: 2019 Raptors (NBA Champions)
Nurse served as an assistant under Dwane Casey for several years and took over after the Raptors canned the one-time Coach of the Year in 2018. In his first year as a head coach, Nurse lifted a Larry O’Brien Trophy as Kawhi Leonard’s memorable one year in Toronto. Even after losing him, he led the Raptors to a 53-19 record in the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, but that would prove to be a one-off. Aside from a 48-win season in 2021-22, Nurse’s final three years in Toronto were mediocre and he was out the door in 2023.
He’s spent the last three years as the head honcho in Philly, previously coaching against the Knicks in the playoffs two years ago before surviving a lost year in 2024-25. He’s back this time playing a very thin rotation that is heavily reliant on his stars, which he’ll look to deploy over and over again. There are no stylistic oddities with Nurse, who will most frequently be seen in his spats with the referees.
Knicks:
Jalen Brunson
Mikal Bridges
Josh Hart
OG Anunoby
Karl-Anthony Towns
–
Jose Alvarado
Deuce McBride
Jordan Clarkson
Mitchell Robinson
Situational: Mo Diawara, Landry Shamet, Ariel Hukporti, Jeremy Sochan
Sixers:
Tyrese Maxey
VJ Edgecombe
Kelly Oubre Jr.
Paul George
Joel Embiid
–
Justin Edwards
Quentin Grimes (OAKAAK Alert)
Dominick Barlow
Andre Drummond
Situational: Adem Bona
For the Knicks, they had a few players get nicked up in their six-game series with the Hawks, but Jalen Brunson (ankle), Mitchell Robinson (ankle), and Josh Hart (back) all seemed to be in good shape by the end of Game 6 and should be good to go.
For the Sixers, it all revolves around Joel Embiid. The appendix surgery is in the past, but that knee continues to be a major issue. He banged his knee repeatedly and came up hobbled over and over again in Game 7, including a scary hyperextension in the final minute. I assume he’ll be good to go, but he’ll be one to watch all series long.
(The full schedule has yet to be released, this will be updated)
Game 1: Mon, May 4, 8 pm (NBC)
Game 2: Wed, May 6, 7 pm (ESPN)
Game 3: Fri, May 8, 7 pm (Prime Video)
Game 4: Sun, May 10, 3:30 pm (ABC)
Game 5*: Tues, May 12, TBD (TBD)
Game 6*: Thu, May 14, TBD (TBD)
Game 7*: Sun, May 17, TBD (TBD)
In a Game 7 to decide their first-round playoff series, the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers will meet Sunday night on NBC and Peacock at Rocket Arena.
History favors the home team, which has won the first six game games of the series. Toronto has never won a playoff game in Cleveland (0-10).
It's been a tight series with the Cavaliers and the Raptors notching identical scoring totals (669 points) thorugh six games. They have similar field goal and 3-point shooting percentages, and their margins are scant in rebounding (Cleveland leads 253-249) and steals (Toronto leads 54-50).
Cleveland is 6-2 in Game 7s, including 4-0 at home, and have won their past four appearances in Game 7s. This will be the second Game 7 on the road for Toronto, which is 3-3 in series finales. In their last Game 7 as the visiting team, the Raptors fell 88-87 to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 Eastern Semifinals.
The Cavaliers are seeking to advance from the first round for the third consecutive season, and the Raptors are tying to reach the Eastern Semifinals for the first time since 2020. Cleveland eliminated Toronto from the playoffs in three consecutive seasons from 2016-18.
Sunday's winner of the series will face the winner of Game 7 between the Orlando Magic and the Detroit Pistons. The other Eastern Conference semifinal will be played between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, who beat the Boston Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 on Saturday.
This is the first time since the first round was expanded to best of seven in 2003 that three series in the East have gone to seven games. It's only the second time since the 2002-03 season that at least three series have gone seven games (there were five Game 7s in 2014).
See below for additional information on the Celtics-76ers game and how to watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs on NBC and Peacock.
Click here to sign up for Peacock!
Hometown hero RJ Barrett made the game-winning 3-pointer Friday in a 112-110 overtime victory over Cleveland. The Canadian's shot hit the back of the rim, bounced above the backboard and then dropped through — conjuring memories of Kawhi Leonard's game-winning shot hat bounced four times on the rim in a Game 7 victory over Philadelphia in 2019 (Toronto would win the championship).
“Kawhi bounce. Kawhi bounce… I make nothing the whole fourth quarter, whole overtime," said Barrett, who had 24 points but made only 3 of 13 shots in the second half. "So for that shot to drop. Yeah.”
Scottie Barnes had a game-high 25 points and 14 assists (his playoff career high tied a Toronto playoff record). Toronto leads all playoff teams in assists per game (26.5) and was ranked third in the regular season (29.5 apg).
Toronto will be trying to overcame the inexperience of a roster with only 180 playoff games and two Game 7s (vs. 597 and 18 Game 7s for Cleveland). The Raptors might have to do it without forward Brandon Ingram. Their leading scorer during the regular season at 21.5 ppg, Ingram left Game 5 with a right heel injury and missed Game 6. His Game 7 status is uncertain.
“Forget everything that's happened so far," Barrett said. "We've got one game to decide it all. This group has been tough and resilient, and we've fought through the toughest of tasks all year long. Going to Cleveland, Game 7, is going to be a tough task, but that's what we're built for."
Cleveland's hopes largely rest on twin superstars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who was acquired in February from the Los Angeles Clippers (for Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick.
This is Harden's 17th playoff appearances, and he ranks 13th all time in postseason scoring (4,021 points). His 179 playoff games is the third most without a championship behind Karl Malone (193) and John Stockton (182).
Harden, who averaging 25 points and 7 assists in the first two games of the series but has slipped to 19 ppg and 6.5 apg, is playing in his eighth Game 7 and enters with a 3-4 record.
In his ninth season, Mitchell is in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season since joining the Cavaliers but has yet to advance beyond the semifinals. He ranks seventh all time in playoff scoring average at 27.9 points per game. At home in this series, Mitchell is averaging 27 points and four assists while shooting 51.7% from the field (and 50% on 3-pointers).
"There's nothing to be deflated about," said Mitchell, who scored 39 points to lead Cleveland past Orlando in a Game 7 over Orlando in 2024. "Just got to protect home court. Now, if this was Game 7 and that happened, then (you feel) a little different. But we had an opportunity. Didn't happen. We've got to protect home court. Doesn't matter if we lost by 30. Two. Protect home court. That's all you can do.”
Said Harden: "There's no frustrations. I was frustrated for five minutes [after the game]. There's one more game, can't let it live too long. It's the playoffs, great things happen. That's why I tell the guys to never get too high or low. Focus on your job and go out there and win."
NBC Sports will present up to 23 games in the First Round and 11 games in the Conference Semifinals across either NBC and Peacock, or Peacock and NBCSN. Playoff programming concludes with exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock.
RELATED:Ludacris, NBC Sports team up for ‘It’s Time’ spot promoting NBA Playoffs return to NBC
Peacock’s NBA Playoffs coverage spans multiple rounds, including Round 1, the Conference Semifinals, and the Western Conference Finals, with coverage evolving as the postseason progresses.
Yes. During earlier rounds such as Round 1 and the Conference Semifinals, Peacock will carry a mix of Eastern and Western Conference playoff games.
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You'll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC & Bravo hits—Peacock is here for whatever you’re in the mood for.
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
RJ Barrett received one of the friendlier bounces you'll see from a rim and nailed the game-winner versus the Cavaliers in Game 6. The win for Toronto tied up the series 3-3 with a Game 7 in Cleveland. The home team is 6-0 in this series entering the final battle. The winner of this series will face the winner of Orlando or Detroit.
Cleveland continued its struggles on the road with a 27% three-point outing in Toronto and 70% from the free-throw line. At home, Cleveland has averaged 43.5% mark from three, which leads the playoff field. Five different Cavaliers scored 10 or more points with Evan Mobley leading the way at 26 points.
Toronto had a chance to win at the buzzer in regulation, but couldn't deliver until OT. Barrett's three-pointer will be an iconic shot in Toronto, especially if they win this series. The Raptors had four different players score at least 17 points and three at 24 or more (Barrett, Barnes, Walter). They will need that balanced scoring in Cleveland if they want to win the series Sunday night.
Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game spread opened with Cleveland favored by 8.5 points and the Game Total set at 212.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
The Detroit Pistons rallied from down 24 points in Game 6 at Orlando to win, 93-79. Detroit outscored Orlando, 31-8, in the fourth quarter after trailing by 22 at halftime. The series is tied up 3-3 and Game 7 is at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Orlando missed 23 consecutive shots from the field in the loss and completely fumbled down the stretch. The Magic became the first team since 1996-97 to blow a 24-plus point lead in a closeout game at home. Detroit went on a 35-5 run in the second half and simply couldn't be stopped.
Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and Tobias Harris added 22 points. The rest of the Pistons combined for 39 points (bench scored 13) on 15-of-35 from the field (42.8%) and 5-of-15 from three (33.3%). Detroit shot 40% from the field as a team and 33% from three compared to Orlando who went 35% from the field and 25% from deep in Game 6.
Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content.
Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
The latest odds as of Sunday courtesy of DraftKings:
This game opened Pistons -9.5 with the Total set at 205.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
How the 76ers' figured it out on defense at the last possible moment originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
We waited all year for this 76ers team to show up. We knew it was possible, we just kept wondering if it would really happen.
It took the 76ers 86 games to figure it out – 82 regular-season games and the first four games of the Celtics series – but they figured it out at the last possible moment.
How to defend at a consistently high level against an explosive offense for 48 minutes. And how to do it three games in a row, two of them on the road, when a loss ends your season.
This was one of the most remarkable, improbable, incredible three-game stretches in 76ers history. And it happened because they stifled the Celtics’ offense like very few teams ever have.
The first 86 games of the season, the 76ers allowed 116 points per game and they allowed opposing teams to shoot 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. Middle of the pack across the board.
Those are not championship numbers. Those are not numbers that scare a team like the Celtics, who averaged 115 points per game during the regular season and made 37 percent of their 3’s.
But once Joel Embiid returned, an amazing thing happened.
The 76ers turned into a defensive force, and there was nothing the Celtics – with all their offensive weapons – could do about it.
Embiid’s first game back was Game 4 and that was another Celtics blowout, the one that put the 76ers in a 3 games to 1 hole.
But these last three games were a model in how defending at a high level can propel an underdog No. 7 seed that hadn’t won three straight road games against playoff-bound teams since 2023 past a No. 2 seed that never loses at home.
This is a Celtics team that averaged 115 points per game, shot 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3, and the last games they averaged 97 points, shot 41 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3.
Ballgame.
The 76ers really wore the Celtics down these last three games, and by the fourth quarter the Celtics couldn’t get good shots, forced 3 after 3 and just got run off the court in the final minutes.
In these last three fourth quarters, the Celtics shot 33 percent from the field and 19 percent from 3. The Celtics are built on burying 3’s. They made 1,268 during the regular season, 9th-most in NBA history, and they shot 37 percent, tied for 5th-highest in the league this year.
But when they needed them the most, the 76ers kept denying them. They kept bombing away and missing and it turned out when the 3’s weren’t falling they didn’t have an answer.
The Celtics attempted 323 3’s in this series, 2nd-most ever in any postseason series, behind the Rockets’ 357 in their 2020 Western Conference First-Round series win over Oklahoma City.
You only take that many 3’s when you can’t do anything else.
Most of those 3’s were contested but they also missed a lot of open looks (I’m looking at you Derrick White) just because the 76ers had them so beat up by the end of the game thanks to a physicality and intensity we rarely saw in the regular season.
And you know what happens when one team keeps missing 3’s. Long rebounds and fast breaks, and that’s how the 76ers outscored Boston by an average of 55-41 in the fourth quarter of these last three wins.
The Celtics never went three games in a row scoring 100 or fewer points during the regular season and they actually haven’t done that in the regular season since 2021. Then the 76ers held them to 93, 90 and 100 in three straight elimination playoff games.
The 76ers’ neutralized the Celtics’ two studs, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, late in the series. Tatum missed Game 7 but shot 43.8 percent and 33 percent from 3 from the field in Games 5 and 6 and was minus-20, and Brown shot 42 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3 the last three games with a minus-57, the worst plus-minus of his 10-year career over any three-game span.
Last time the Celtics had a three-game stretch in the regular season scoring fewer than 300 points and shooting below 41 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3 was 2021.
So this was the Celtics’ worst three-game offensive stretch in five years, and it came at the hands of a 76ers team that was mediocre defensively during the regular season and needed to win a play-in game just to reach the postseason.
Nick Nurse preached defense all year, but with injuries and the Paul George suspension, he just never had the people to play the brand of defense he wanted. It took 86 games and Embiid returning to action 2 ½ weeks after an appendetomy for it all to come together.
But when it did, it was beautiful.
The 76ers won this series by denying the Celtics what they do best when they needed it the most.
If reports are to be believed, the Houston Rockets have already made a decision on one of the biggest questions of the offseason. According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Rockets have “no plans” to move on from either Ime Udoka or Rafael Stone.
The report says:
“At this juncture, there are no plans to move on from either Udoka or general manager Rafael Stone. Ownership has remained steadfast in its belief in a three-pronged leadership sector because of a combination of the turnaround in recent years and consecutive 50-win seasons, the latter of which was marked by major injuries, resulting in confidence from the top down.
“One of the prevailing internal beliefs concerning this roster is assuming that Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are healthy, along with Durant, the Rockets aren’t too far removed from Western Conference powers Oklahoma City and San Antonio.”
So there you have it, folks. It’s sounding like the coach and GM are staying. I’m not ready to give up on Rafael Stone just yet, but Udoka is trying my patience — like he is for many Rockets fans. It would be nice to see Udoka welcome an offensive coordinator, but I wonder if he’s too much of a control freak for that to be sucessful.
That leaves any potential Rockets changes to come via the lineup, and my biggest fear is sounding like it might also be close to coming true — that the Rockets make no roster changes and simply run it back with Adams and FVV and keep their fingers crossed.
The team needs more ball handling and shooting and less forwards, and I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone. They also need another big, since Clint Capela isn’t used much by Udoka. I’d personally love to see the Rockets trade Durant. With KD not getting any younger, how many years does he have left at this level? One? Two? I think the one thing we learned this year is that the Rockets are more than one or two years away. For this reason alone, I’d like to see the Rockets move KD for assets that allow the Rockets to retool in a sort of soft rebuild. That’s to say nothing of the KD burner incident that compromised another locker room, especially since it’s essentially been released that it was all true.
While we wait on roster changes, however, get ready for more Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka. It appears that they’re not going anywhere.
Ah, yes, it’s the Spurs-Wolves second-round clash that everyone anticipated! No one around here penciled in a Spurs-Nuggets tilt, and there’s also no evidence of yours truly crashing out following San Antonio’s final regular-season loss to Denver.
Now that we have our matchup set, it’s time to dive into some stylistic battles that could take place. Given the small sample size of the first round, the stats used will come from the regular season, and Minnesota’s numbers will reflect data from lineups without Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards — although the latter could come back later in the series.
Let’s start with the Wolves’ shot diet.
The Wolves take 36.3% of their shots at the rim (top 5 league-wide) while converting on just 64.5% of those attempts (bottom5). It goes without saying that Wemby will make their lives much tougher, as opponents are shooting just 60.8% in that area with him playing. More importantly, only 26.2% of attempts are at the rim when Wemby’s on, and the Alien’s presence will force Minnesota to shoot from farther out.
Assuming Wemby camps in the paint due to Gobert’s lacklustre offensive game, the Wolves will focus on pull-up 3s and long 2s. Some of their guards caught fire in round 1, but the full-season stats indicate that Minnesota is a below-average shooting team from every area of the floor except above-the-break 3s, and even that came on extremely low volume. The Wolves will need to find other sources of offense if their shooting reverts to the norm, and one potential solution is to crash the boards.
The biggest matchup advantage Minnesota has over San Antonio is their size at the forward positions. None of the Spurs’ forwards can match up physically against Julius Randle and Naz Reid, which could allow the Wolves to fatten up on the offensive glass. Still, that is easier said than done, as the Wolves’ 28.6% OREB is decidedly average, while the Spurs’ 74.1% DREB ranked first league-wide.
If they decide to go down this route, Minnesota will need to be comfortable taking shots deeper in the paint to force Wemby to commit, leaving the backline more exposed. Even so, there’s a good chance that the Alien will either block the shot or recover fast enough to grab the rebound. The Wolves might be forced to play lineups featuring all of McDaniels, Reid, Randle, and Gobert — a quartet that saw minutes in the Denver series but only logged 71 possessions together in the regular season.
If the Wolves prioritize the offensive glass, then they’ll be giving the Spurs easier opportunities to run. Minnesota would be playing into a strength of San Antonio’s, as they rank 6th and 8th, respectively, in transition frequency and points per play. On the other hand, the Wolves could decide that the defensive tradeoff is not worth the potential offensive gain, and they could go big to prioritize defensive boards instead. Minnesota increased their DREB from 66.7% in the regular season (9th percentile) to 79.2% in round 1 against Denver (95th), and they’ll prevent the Spurs from getting easy second-chance points if this continues.
The Wolves could push the pace themselves if defensive rebounding remains a priority. They ranked 6th in transition points per play in the regular season, and both teams were top 10 in preventing opposing transition opportunities too. Fast break points are clearly an emphasis for both teams, and the winner in that category could be determined by the size of Minnesota’s lineups and which side of the rebounding battle they prioritize.
This one is very simple: both teams are better when they play fast. Minnesota and San Antonio ranked 10th and 12th, respectively, in pace in the regular season, and are now tied for 1st and 3rd in the playoffs. The Wolves were able to take Denver out of rhythm by speeding them up, but doing so against the Spurs would only benefit the black and silver.
For San Antonio, Stephon Castle specifically needs to play with speed and purpose. Portland cut the Spurs’ large lead down to single digits in game five of round 1 because Castle started walking the ball up without getting into any action until the shot clock almost expired. However, San Antonio’s offense is almost impossible to stop when he’s running handoffs and attacking closeouts, which is how the Spurs built their lead.
When Gobert’s been played off the floor in the past, it was always due to issues with his offense, not defense. That problem could rear its ugly head again in this series if his lack of a post game and shooting allows Wemby to camp in the paint, allowing the latter to shut off Minnesota’s drives and rim attempts. Given the ability of the Spurs’ guards to fight through screens and defend, Gobert won’t be able to make as big an impact as a screener either, which could render him close to a zero on offense.
Defensively, Gobert’s matchup with Wemby will be the polar opposite of the one he had against Jokic. Wemby’s lob threat as a roll man and his ability to come off screens will force Gobert to guard in space, which is why I expect him to be assigned to Castle instead. Similar to what Portland did, Gobert can sag off the second-year guard (who quietly hit over 40% from three on five attempts a game against the Blazers) and stay in the paint, while physical forwards like Randle and Reid match up with Wemby instead. The Spurs found counters to this strategy by running hand-offs with Castle (as was shown above), but that might be the lesser of all evils given the offensive versatility that San Antonio has.
Another wrinkle in the Gobert-Wemby matchup is the number of corner threes the Spurs generate. In the regular season, Wemby’s roll gravity helped San Antonio take 13.8% of their shots from the corners when he played, which was one of the highest recorded numbers ever. However, the Wolves are elite at preventing shots from the corners, conceding just 8.6% of such attempts to their opponents, which was one of the five lowest marks league-wide. If Gobert can guard the paint alone, the other Wolves players can focus on playing man defense and prevent open looks instead of worrying about packing the paint to stop lobs to Wemby.
Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we revisit every player who suited up during the 2025–26 campaign through the lens of expectation, reality, and what it ultimately meant.
*SunsRank is based on Bright Side writers’ ranking.
From undrafted to two-way to waived to two-way, the rookie year for CJ Huntley was full of earning opportunities and the establishment of his personal foundation.
| GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | BLK | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | OFFRTG | DEFRTG | +/- (TOTAL) |
| 4 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 54.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 122.4 | 104.7 | +15 |
Let’s take a look at his stats with the Valley Suns.
| GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | BLK | FG% | 3PT% | FT% | OFFRTG | DEFRTG | +/- (TOTAL) |
| 29 | 27.4 | 16.0 | 8.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 62.3% | 33.8% | 69.0% | 111.6 | 118.0 | -162 |
There were not many expectations for CJ Huntley entering the season. When you are the last man on the roster, that is the reality. He signed a two-way contract with the Suns after he went undrafted. Not long into the season, Phoenix waived him to create space for Jamaree Bouyea. Huntley cleared waivers and stayed in the mix. Later in the year, after a few subsequent moves, the Suns brought him back on a two-way deal.
From an expectations standpoint, the goal was simple. Get reps. Learn in the G.
The reality with Huntley is that he is a solid foundational piece to have at the back end of a roster. There is room to grow, but the tools are there. He has size, he plays with a motor, and over five years at Appalachian State, he showed steady improvement from three. Around the rim, he has a natural feel for finishing.
The challenge shows up on the defensive end. In his Valley Suns run, there were flashes offensively that stood out. Defensively, there were lapses in positioning, slower reactions, and moments where the read was a beat late. Those are areas that can develop, but at 24, you are also weighing how much growth is still coming.
Could he become a rotation piece? It feels unlikely. As a deep bench option, someone you keep in your system and turn to when needed, he makes sense.
Having him under contract on a two-way through next season is a smart move for Phoenix. Is he turning into the next great power forward? Probably not. But what he can provide — size, effort, and the potential to space the floor as a 3-and-D wing — has value. You want those kinds of guys in your organization. Because they may hit, and if they don’t, they are ideal players to sharpen the iron of those around them.
The best moment of the season for Huntley came with the Valley Suns on the day he signed his two-way contract. He went off that night and gave you a glimpse of what he can be offensively.
Huntley is the kind of player you like having in your system, and based on expectations coming into the season, I land on a B-.
That is what makes these grades interesting. It depends on what you are measuring. If this were based strictly on his impact with the Phoenix Suns, it would be an F. He did not factor in at that level. The B- reflects what he showed in the G League and how that aligned with what I expected. You could even argue for an A. There were no real expectations attached to him. He met the moment that was there.
What we saw in Summer League carried over. He popped. The question was always sustainability, and the G League gave a clearer answer. There is something there. There is also a ceiling. And it feels finite.
HOUSTON — Austin Reaves couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened.
But he remembered what sparked the Lakers’ defensive turnaround, which has carried over for 3 ½ months, through their first-round playoff series victory over the Rockets, which ended with Friday’s 98-78 Game 6 victory at Toyota Center.
Nearly midway through the regular season, the Lakers ranked 26th in defensive rating, performing even worse on the less glamorous end of the floor than even their biggest detractors expected entering the season.
Only a few of the worst teams in the NBA (Kings, Pelicans, Wizards and Jazz) ranked worse than them defensively at the time.
The Lakers knew a change was needed, and it came during their 110-93 win over the Raptors on Jan. 18, when they started playing more zone defense than they had up to that point in the season.
Positive results immediately followed, with the Lakers ranking as an above-average defensive team (13th) in their 14 games leading into the All-Star break en route to ranking 12th in defensive rating over their final 42 games.
“Our voices, we were talking more, we were rotating more — that was like a starter for us to kind of get the feel of what that communication looks like,” Reaves said. “And then we could change defenses, we could throw different schemes.”
Even though the Lakers barely played zone defense against the Rockets, the carryover from what coach JJ Redick and his staff were looking to emphasize was evident.
“When we started first playing zone, it did force everybody to communicate with one another and force guys that other teams probably wouldn’t see as communicators to be able to communicate, which ultimately put them in the right position because now they’re talking,” Marcus Smart said. “Now, they’re keeping their head on a swivel, they’re seeing things. So, I definitely have to agree with [Reaves] on that when we started to play that zone. And obviously we didn’t play that much zone in this series, but it helped us when we did play our man, to understand that everybody out there has to talk, and you don’t want to be the weak link.”
It was a collective defensive effort that got the Lakers their first playoff series victory since 2023, starting with Smart and LeBron James (in Year 23) setting the tone.
“In the NBA, you need to have an openness,” Redick said. “And whether that’s LeBron who’s been an All-Defensive player, arguably should have been Defensive Player of the Year multiple times, Smart’s been Defensive Player of the Year; they just buy into whatever schemes that we come up with. When you get buy-in from those guys, it’s easy to sort of execute because then the accountability piece is there.”
Deandre Ayton controlled the interior, whether it was strong 1-on-1 defense as the primary matchup against Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun or closing out possessions with defensive rebounds.
Sengun scored 32 points on 15-of-37 shooting (40.5%) when Ayton was the closest defender to him and only drew one shooting foul, according to the league’s matchup data.
The Lakers were a significantly better defensive rebounding team when Ayton was on the floor, even if he wasn’t the one grabbing the board.
He led the Lakers with 7.3 defensive rebounds per game, including 9.3 in the final three games of the series against the Rockets, who were the best offensive rebounding team in the league.
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
“You have to have some type of stop sign where enough is enough,” Ayton said. “You have to match their physicality in a way where it’s contagious to your teammates as well. So I just tried to play as I am, the biggest dude on the court, and just go out and get every damn rebound. It got to a point where I didn’t even know I was hitting guys and giving certain blows, just off boxing out and to where you keep hitting them, hitting them, they eventually break.”
The Lakers flipped the script on expectations.
Not just entering the playoffs with Luka Doncic and Reaves sidelined before Reaves played in the last two games of the series.
But even going all the way back to last offseason when the roster was put together.
The Lakers weren’t expected to be the kind of team that could ride their defense to postseason success.
The series against the Rockets showed the progress they made.
“It means everything,” Smart said. “It shows our resilience, and it shows the belief that we have in the next man up. It shows the belief that the coaching staff has in us to be able to, you know, put us in the right position. It just shows that no matter how depleted we are, we’re always going to go out there and compete and give everything we got and our trust in each other.”
Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.
Fans of "old-school basketball" must be loving this series, with both the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons leaving it all on the floor.
Our SGP for Game 7 expects more defense, with Cade Cunningham doing all he can to complete the 3-1 comeback.
We've also got you covered with more NBA picks and analysis in our Magic vs. Pistons predictions for May 3.
In the playoffs, Cade Cunningham ranks second in points per game, first in field goal attempts, third in free throw attempts, and fourth in minutes.
His 23 field goal attempts are up from 18.6 in the regular season. His free throws have increased from six per game to 10.7, and his minutes have shot up from 33.9 to 40.5.
Cunningham leads all players in postseason usage at 35.3%. The Detroit Pistons go as far as Cade takes them, and the team will need him to stuff the stat sheet in order to complete the series comeback and avoid an upset by the No. 8 seed.
The Orlando Magic have outplayed the Pistons for most of the series, but the psychological aspect of competition comes into play here.
The Magic were up 22 points at halftime in front of the home crowd before suffering a historic meltdown, blowing their chances to complete the upset and advance to the second round.
The Pistons were clearly feeling themselves at the end of Game 6, and they’ve got swagger and momentum to go with home-court advantage. Orlando has got to be reeling, and I’ll bet on Detroit to win this one by double digits.
Scoring has come at a major premium in this series, and the game total Under has hit in four of six matchups. The game total has gone Under 203.5 in three of six, including two of the last three.
Both teams failed to record 100 points three times in the series, and I’ll take the Under in what should be a gritty, physical dogfight, 2004-style.
Get Zak Hanshew's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Magic vs Pistons predictions for Game 7.
Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.
Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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.
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 Toronto Raptors aren’t supposed to be here.
But they are anyway, and it’s the best-case scenario for a team surviving mostly off their instincts. They’ve learned to live with injuries to key players and miraculously adapted to the harsh environment of playoff basketball.
They have one last mountain to climb in their Game 7 matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that’s mandatory for any team playing with house money.
With a monumental upset now potentially in play, here are six things the Raptors must overcome ahead of the 7:30 p.m. EST tip-off:
The Raptors are 3-3 in Game 7:
That’s not a bad winning percentage compared to the rest of the league. Legacy organizations like the Boston Celtics (0.729) and Los Angeles Lakers (0.666) rank the best, especially amongst those with the most experience. Modern-day contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder (8/13) and the New York Knicks (7/16) offer a more realistic spectrum of results.
The real concern lies with the fact that home teams have won 74 per cent of the time throughout the history of the NBA. For all of the discourse surrounding the length of the regular-season, there’s still tremendous value in putting in the work during the marathon of a grind.
After averaging 35.3 points in the fourth quarter throughout the first four games of the series, the Raptors have mightily struggled in the final frame during the last two contests. Cleveland has figured something out or is playing with more urgency. They’ve limited Toronto to an average of 14.5 points in Games 5 and 6. The Raptors are also a combined -19 during this stretch. A part of their issue can be attributed to the loss of Brandon Ingram.
Assuming Ingram won’t be available despite his status being upgraded to questionable, this won’t cut it in Game 7. Even if the Raptors get off to a great start and figure out how to maintain it, it’ll all come down to whether they can produce in the final 12 minutes.
A part of the problem with the team’s late-game offence stems from RJ Barrett. The Canadian knocked down one of the greatest shots in Raptors history, but the road to that legendary moment was a bumpy one. In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers fully lean into a strategic decision to put length (either Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen) on Barrett to negate his drive. While Barrett found success earlier in the series, credit Mobley and Allen for doing a better job of absorbing contact and making it difficult for any over-the-top finishes.
Even with his wrecking-ball style limited, what’s further complicating things is that Barrett’s outside shooting has abandoned him late in games. The Cavaliers are daring Barrett to beat them from the perimeter late in games. It ultimately worked out in the Raptors’ favour to win Game 6, but will it carry over to Game 7?
Another symptom of the Raptors’ offensive struggles traces back to Jamal Shead. The point guard is the most obvious Raptors bulldog. It’s easy to spot the Kyle Lowry mannerism. Unfortunately, like Lowry, Shead has battled with his outside jumper during his young career. While he was never the sub-30 per cent shooter that Lowry was during his first four seasons, Raptors fans understand that anything Shead provides from beyond-the-arc is a breath of fresh air.
The Cavaliers have hedged their bets on the law of averages, often leading to wide-open shots for Shead in the fourth quarter. He frustratingly missed multiple attempts from the corner in Game 5 and went 2-for-7 in Game 6.
Toronto has done a few things to counter this, like putting the ball in Shead’s hands more, which leverages his strengths as a ball-handler and set-up man. But there will be pivotal moments when the ball is in the hands of Barrett or Scottie Barnes, and chances are Shead will be called on to hit a series-clinching type of shot.
After being labelled as the primary reason for Cleveland dropping the first two games in Toronto, Mobley has quieted the doubters. Mobley averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 0-for-7 from deep during Games 3 and 4. Since then, the big man has averaged 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. He has also knocked down six of his 10 three-point attempts.
He confidently attacked Collin Murray-Boyles to send the game into overtime on Friday and nearly knocked down the game-winner in overtime.
Mobley is getting strong as the series progresses and another stellar performance could mean trouble for the Raptors.
Mobley’s running-mate in Allen has also answered the call over the last two games. Allen drew criticism for how he handled the Raptors’ decision to guard him with a smaller player. While Toronto survived hiding players like Barrett, Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter on Allen earlier in the series, the Cavaliers centre has done a better job of exploiting the size mismatch.
The Raptors’ most physical bigs (Barnes and Murray-Boyles) also happen to be their two best perimeter defenders. Toronto has understandably declared Donovan Mitchell and James Harden as the more dangerous threat, which means getting creative with Allen and Mobley.
In Game 6, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic had no choice but to deploy Jakob Poeltl. The Austrian centre played a series-high 21 minutes. This isn’t necessarily a sustainable option. Extended minutes for Poeltl mean other schematic issues could – and typically do – materialize.
Unfortunately, the Raptors may not have a choice after being out-rebounded 65-48 (19-10 on the offensive boards) in Game 6.
Kurt Helin