Another source told the Post that a bone in Vanderbilt’s pinky broke skin as a result of the play the injury occurred.
Vanderbilt suffered the finger injury midway through the second quarter while attempting to block an alley-oop for Chet Holmgren, with Vanderbilt’s pinky hitting the backboard as he swiped for the ball.
The 6-foot-8 forward immediately went to the ground in pain, holding his right hand near the Thunder bench, with Oklahoma City players reacting in disgust when they saw Vanderbilt’s hand.
“I had to go check on him because it just looked bad,” coach JJ Redick said postgame. “I mean, he was audibly screaming, and you knew he had done something. So we’re obviously disappointed that happened. It’s just a freak injury.
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt had an early exit from Tuesday’s Game 1 against the Thunder because of a right finger injury. Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesVanderbilt suffered the injury while attempting to block an alley-oop for Chet Holmgren, with Vanderbilt’s right pinky hitting the backboard as he swiped for the ball. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) is defended by Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) in the second half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers erased an 18-point deficit to tie the Detroit Pistons midway through the fourth, but an inability to get stops and scores when they needed them wound up in Detroit escaping with a 111-101 Game 1 victory.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents that player performing to our expectations for them.
James Harden
22 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds
Harden was brought in to help with games like this. They needed someone who could provide consistent ball-handling, playmaking, and relieve some of the pressure off Donovan Mitchell. Throughout the regular season and parts of the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, he did that. However, there’s also been too many times he seems a step slow and isn’t able to take care of the ball. We saw that latter version far too much in Game 1.
Turnovers are painful in any context, but they hurt so much more against a team that struggles with its half-court offense. The amount of giveaways allowed Detroit to get out in transition and pick up easy baskets.
To be clear, turnovers were a team-wide issue. Harden isn’t the only one to blame. At the same time, there’s no excuse for your starting point guard to have seven giveaways.
Harden turned things around in the fourth quarter. Seven-straight points allowed the Cavs to tie the game. However, if he takes care of the ball like he should’ve they don’t find themselves in the hole they were in.
Grade: D
Donovan Mitchell
23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Mitchell hasn’t been himself since Game 2 of the first round. He’s registered fewer than 25 points in his last six games and hasn’t been forceful in getting to the basket. This game was no different, as he took just one shot in the restricted area and had only two free-throw attempts.
There isn’t much else to Mitchell’s game if he isn’t a premier scoring threat. Additionally, Cleveland’s margin for error is so thin if he’s not scoring at an elite level. This team was built around him taking games like this over.
Twenty-three points on 9-19 shooting just isn’t going to cut it in a road playoff game.
Grade: D+
Evan Mobley
14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks
The Cavs needed a big game from one of the members of the core four to steal this one. There were times in the first half where it felt like it was going to come from Mobley, but that didn’t pan out.
Cleveland needed Mobley to step up with Allen in foul trouble, and he didn’t. Detroit’s offensive rebounding helped win them this game. And even though it’s unfair to pin that all on one person, Mobley could’ve done a better job of keeping Detroit’s bigs, particularly Jalen Duren, off the glass.
There were some positive signs from Mobley. I thought the passing was quite good. But this is a game they needed their big man to set the tone in the paint, and he couldn’t.
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Max Strus
19 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Strus’s 10-point third quarter got the Cavs back into a game. His shooting and grit helped turn the momentum and were much needed on a night that Cleveland struggled to get any offensive consistency.
Sometimes Strus’s impact isn’t felt on the box score. It was tonight with his efficient 19 points on 13 shots.
Grade: A+
Keon Ellis
3 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists
Ellis got his first real minutes of the postseason since he was benched after Game 4 against the Raptors, after Sam Merrill left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury.
He performed adequately in his role. Ellis picked up Cade Cunningham full court and showed his active hands, registering two steals. That’s exactly what you want to see from Ellis if he’s forced into minutes.
Grade: B-
Jarrett Allen
2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Allen picked up three fouls in the first quarter, which limited his minutes the rest of the game. Head coach Kenny Atkinson should’ve given him more than just 16 minutes after the first quarter, but Allen also can’t put himself in that position in the first place.
The Cavs needed Allen’s rebounding and the rim pressure he provides. Neither was possible due to foul trouble.
Grade: D
Dennis Schroder
9 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound
Schroder provided some scoring punch and energy off the bench. That was needed. What wasn’t was the four turnovers he also committed.
Giveaways were what cost them this game. Schroder was the team’s second biggest offender. That’s going to knock his grade significantly.
Grade: D+
Dean Wade
5 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds
The Cavs needed Wade’s defense on Cade Cunningham. Conversely, they also struggled offensively whenever he was on the floor due to Detroit cheating off him and his inability to make them pay with either his outside shot or attacking off-the-dribble.
Grade: C-
Thomas Bryant
4 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists
I’m not sure why Bryant got meaningful minutes in the second half of this game. He hasn’t made a positive impact in the previous postseason games he’s played in, and didn’t do so again tonight. Once again, Bryant was a step slow defensively, wasn’t able to clean the glass, and didn’t provide anything on offense.
I get that they needed some additional minutes at center with Allen in foul trouble. But there wasn’t room in this game to give him 10 minutes of run.
Grade: D
Sam Merrill
0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist
Merrill left the game in the first half with a hamstring injury. He was limited to under seven minutes in Game 1.
Grade: Incomplete
Jaylon Tyson
0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Tyson didn’t make an impact as a scorer, but he did a good job of staying with Detroit’s wings — including Cunningham — defensively. That, combined with being a reliable rebounder, made him a useful player.
The injury took place with 5:51 left in the first half, when Vanderbilt’s fingers swiped against the left side of the backboard as he attempted to block a shot by Thunder center Chet Holmgren.
As soon as Vanderbilt made contact into the padding, he went down to the court in visible discomfort and was yelling as he was grabbing his hand.
According to ESPN, Vanderbilt suffered a full dislocation of his right, pinky finger.
“I just talked to him,” Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters after the game. “He’s in as good of spirits as you can be in this situation, obviously frustrated with what happened.”
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It’s unclear how long this might keep him out, but it’s worth noting that Vanderbilt is a left-handed shooter.
The NBC broadcast reported the injury was “gruesome” and indicated that Lakers trainers had to put a towel over it to conceal the injury.
In fact, the NBC broadcast showed the moment when it happened, and the Oklahoma City bench had a visible reaction when players got a closer look at Vanderbilt’s hand as he was being ushered off the floor.
“I went to go check on him (during the game) because it looked bad,” Redick said. “He was screaming and knew he had done something. We’re obviously disappointed that it happened. It’s just a freak injury.”
The Lakers ruled Vanderbilt out for the rest of the game.
His injury comes as the team continues to be without All-Star guard Luka Dončić (left hamstring strain) and is only a week or so since Austin Reaves returned from his oblique injury.
May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles defended by Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson (9) in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Well, I missed the first few minutes of this game because we had to take our puppy to the pet urgent care after she found some chocolate on the floor of the pantry – just to turn right back around as soon as we got there to find out she didn’t eat enough chocolate for it to be toxic. Fun times!
Now, back to basketball.
Cleveland big man Jarrett Allen picked up three quick fouls early and Detroit was able to take advantage. After Cleveland started the game 5-0, Detroit responded with a 30-9 run to take a 30-14 lead late in the first quarter. Javonte Green drilled a buzzer-beating three to give Detroit a 37-21 lead after one.
Donovan Mitchell looked good early as he was the focal point of the Cavs offense. They opened the quarter on a 7-2 run, but James Harden was struggling against Detroit’s defense as the Pistons held a 49-35 lead with five minutes left in the half. Ausar Thompson chased down Keon Ellis in transition with one of the nastiest chase-down blocks I’ve ever seen:
Detroit was up 59-46 at halftime after leading by 18 late in the first quarter. Cleveland turned the ball over 11 times in the half as Detroit’s defense was giving the Cavs issues, particularly for Harden as he was guarded mostly by Cade. Cunningham led the way for the Pistons with 14 points while Tobias added 10 – the two combined to shoot 11-for-13 from the free throw line. Donovan Mitchell had 14, but no other Cavs player was in double-digits.
The Pistons opened the second half with back-to-back threes from Duncan Robinson, but Cleveland was battling back despite more Harden turnovers turning into Detroit points. After being up 16 early in the third, Cleveland cut the Detroit lead to four after a 23-10 run. The momentum looked to be shifting in the Cavs direction until a Ron Holland three at the buzzer ended the third with Detroit up 83-76.
In what should be an incredibly fun series, things got chippy after Dennis Schröder got a technical foul for standing over Robinson. Detroit responded with some incredible play from Jalen Duren. He had a great block at the rim on Thomas Bryant, then snagged an offensive rebound off a missed free throw to find Duncan for an open three. After Robinson followed that up with an and-one layup, both of them let James Harden hear about it – this picture captures it in all its glory:
Cleveland responded with an 11-0 run behind some Harden floaters and flopping free throws to tie the game at 93, but that’s when Cade and Duren took over. Cunningham found JD on three consecutive possessions for dunks, including two pretty drop off passes after Cade collapsed the Cleveland defense. It was too much for Cleveland to come back from and Detroit would go on to win Game 1 111-101.
Cunningham led the way for Detroit with 23 points despite not shooting it well, but five other Pistons were in double-digits to help him out. Tobias “Unc” Harris had another 20-point game along with eight rebounds and continues to wear the #2 scorer’s hat for the Pistons this postseason. Duncan Robinson had 19 points and added five threes while Daniss Jenkins provided some quality backup PG minutes off the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren both had 11 points, but Detroit does not win this game without their effort, rebounding, and defense. Duren added 12 rebounds and four assists while Thompson had eight rebounds and five assists. If you only check the box score, it’s going to severely underscore the impact that Duren had on this game. He had some fantastic contests at the rim and had multiple sequences that helped Detroit maintain the lead – the few that come to mind are the block on Thomas Bryant, the offensive rebound and pass to Duncan for three, and his three consecutive dunks late in the fourth. This was JD’s best game of the postseason.
It was way more of a team performance for Detroit in their first game of Round 2. They were able to force 19 Cleveland turnovers to turn that into 31 points, and I believe them turning their defense into offense was what carried them to beating the Cavs tonight. We’ll see if they can repeat this performance in Game 2 Thursday night on Amazon Prime.
Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown is pictured during the final minutes of Game 7 in a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Saturday, May 2, 2026 in Boston.
If failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs was bad enough, Jaylen Brown’s wallet is also taking a loss.
The NBA announced Tuesday that the Celtics star has been fined $50,000 for comments he made about referees on his Twitch livestream after Boston was eliminated by the 76ers on Saturday.
Brown’s point of contention was over push-offs and offensive fouls, the latter of which he was called for 10 times during the seven-game series. Brown speculated the reason behind the calls against him could have been because of prior comments he made against officials.
Jaylen Brown is pictured during the final minutes of the Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the 76ers on May 2, 2026 in Boston. AP
He went as far as to say the refs had an “agenda.”
“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said. “‘If Jaylen does this move, call the offensive foul and follow him every time.’ I don’t know if it’s because I pissed the refs off. I’ve been critical about them, and I called them out a bunch of times. So, they were like, ‘You know what, I got you in the playoffs. Watch this.’ [Because] that’s exactly what they did.
“It’s clearly an agenda. Look at the same move. Some referees that if I had to choose, if I had to, like, say there’s some referees that need to be investigated. We had three of them in the last three games.”
Brown also had some strong words for 76ers star Joel Embiid.
“Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. [But he] flops. He know it,” Brown said. “This ain’t breaking news. It is what it is.”
Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown embrace after the 76ers’ Game 7 win. Getty Images
Without Jayson Tatum, Brown scored 33 points with nine rebounds and four assists in a 109-100 season-ending loss. In Games 5 and 6, though, he was held to 18 and 22 points, respectively.
Ex-Celtics star and current ESPN NBA pundit Kendrick Perkins called out Brown for his rant and said the reason the Celtics got bounced was that they “died by” the 3-pointer and lost three games at home.
“You can miss me with all this s–t,” Perkins said during an appearance on “Road Trippin’ Show.” “You were up 3-1. Motherf–ker, yo ass flops at times. I don’t want to hear that. There was no agenda whatsoever.
DETROIT — Cade Cunningham scored 23 points, Tobias Harris had 20 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their second-round series.
Duncan Robinson added 19 points for the top-seeded Pistons, who ended an NBA record-tying 12-game postseason losing streak against a single opponent, a drought that dated to the 2007 Eastern Conference finals.
Game 2 is Thursday night in Detroit.
Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, ending his NBA-record streak of scoring 30-plus points in nine straight series openers.
James Harden had 22 points and Max Stus scored 19 for the No. 4-seeded Cavs, who pulled into a tie midway through the fourth quarter after trailing for most of the night and by as much as 18 points.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen was limited to two points and three rebounds, coming off a 22-point, 19-rebound performance in an elimination game against Toronto.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 5: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons during Round Two Game One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 5, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have yet to win a playoff series in the Donovan Mitchell era after losing Game 1. They hope that trend ends after they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons 111-101.
Cleveland had plenty of chances to win this game, but a poor start and too many turnovers allowed Detroit to come away with the win.
The Cavs found themselves down early. They opened the game on a 5-0 run, but quickly relinquished all the momentum from there. The Cavs turned it over six times in the first quarter, which led to 12 points going the other way.
Meanwhile, Detroit didn’t turn it over once in the first quarter.
This meant that the Cavs had to work for everything offensively in the half-court, while the Pistons were able to supplement their offense with easy transition baskets. This all added up to Detroit taking an 18-point lead in the first quarter and closing the frame up 16.
Cleveland settled down a bit in the second quarter. They closed the gap to nine midway through the quarter, but couldn’t get it lower than that. Turnovers, particularly from the guards, remained an issue.
The Cavs got back into the game in the third. A 7-0 run at the start and middle of the quarter allowed Cleveland to chip away at the deficit.
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Max Strus provided a scoring spark in that frame. He had 10 points on 4-6 shooting, which included going 2-3 from beyond the arc with a steal.
The Cavs cut the Pistons’ lead down to three, but a strong close to the quarter, which included a Ronald Holland buzzer-beating triple, gave Detroit a seven-point lead heading into the fourth.
Cleveland carried the momentum into the fourth quarter. They pulled even midway through the final frame with seven-straight points by James Harden, after he had an awful first three quarters.
Detroit’s offense responded from there. After coming up empty on their next trip down the court, the Pistons scored on their next six possessions. The Cavs couldn’t keep pace as the Pistons came away with a 10-point victory.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has stressed the importance of winning the possession battle all year. This game showed why.
The Cavs lost this one with their careless turnovers and inability to secure defensive rebounds.
Cleveland gave it away on 21.3% of their possessions (5th percentile). This translated to 20 turnovers, leading to 31 points for Detroit.
Harden was the worst offender. He gave it away seven times of his own. That’s unacceptable from a veteran starting point guard who was brought in to help in high-leverage situations.
This was coupled with the Pistons retrieving 34% of their missed shots (77th percentile). This allowed them to win in second-chance points 19-11.
The Cavs weren’t able to overcome these issues with their star backcourt
Donovan Mitchell wasn’t great by his standards. He was held to just 23 points on 9-19 shooting and had just two attempts at the free-throw line. Mitchell has yet to register 25 or more points or shoot better than 50% from the field in a road playoff game this season.
Harden provided 22 points, seven assists, eight rebounds, and seven turnovers in the loss. He shot just 6-15 from the field, which included going 1-7 from three. Most of Harden’s scoring came at the line, where he went 9-9.
Strus had 19 points on 7-13 shooting with five rebounds and two assists.
Evan Mobley was good for spurts, but couldn’t establish a consistent scoring rhythm. He had 14 points on 6-11 shooting with nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Foul trouble limited Game 7 hero Jarrett Allen to just 18 minutes. He had just two points on 1-4 shooting.
The Pistons were led by 23 points from Cade Cunningham on 6-19 shooting with seven assists. Tobias Harris and 20 points on 6-14 shooting, while Duncan Robinson provided 19 points on 5-8 shooting from three.
The Cavs had chances to win this game, but they couldn’t make the plays on either end when they needed to.
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown $50,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston's first-round exit from the playoffs.
The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for "pushing off" when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.
“There’s some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream Sunday, a day after the Celtics' 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.
“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.
Brown was previously fined $35,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston's loss to San Antonio.
Turns out smack-talking officials on Twitch comes with a cost.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown learned this the hard way.
The NBA announced Tuesday, May 5 that Brown has been fined $50,000 for comments he made during a Twitch livestream Sunday, May 3, one day after the Celtics fell in Game 7 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
NBA executive vice president, head of basketball operations James Jones announced the fine in a statement.
Brown expressed his displeasure about several specific plays from Boston’s 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and insinuated that he was being officiated differently from his competitors.
“They clearly had an agenda, maybe because I spoke so critically of them in the regular season,” Brown said during the livestream. “I actually spoke to some refs, and they told me there’s an agenda going on each game, every time Jaylen puts his arm up, just call it.”
Brown said that it was a simple basketball play that several other players do.
“Philly took advantage of that and the officiating and it cost us to some degree,” he added.
During the livestream, Brown even replayed film of the plays in question and also called out 76ers center Joel Embiid by name, accusing him of embellishing contact to get to the line.
“Flopping has ruined our league,” Brown said. “Joel Embiid is a great player. One of the best bigs in basketball history. Flops. He knows it.”
The first-round elimination was Boston’s earliest exit in the postseason since 2021.
The back half of the NBA conference semifinals tipped off with another pair of series openers.
In the first game Tuesday, May 5, the No. 1 Pistons built an early lead against No. 4 Cavaliers, extending it to as many as 18 points, but Detroit needed to fend off a Cleveland rally in the fourth to defend homecourt.
Oklahoma City’s bench is one of its several strengths, and the group was ready in Game 1. The Thunder bench outscored L.A.’s by a 34-15 margin, which put intense pressure on the Lakers when their starters sat.
Jared McCain led the way with 12 points, but Isaiah Joe chipped in 9 and Alex Caruso and Cason Wallce added 5 points apiece. It’s not just offense, however, where this group makes its mark. Wallace and Caruso are excellent defenders and Wallace — as he has most of the season — was a menace; he swiped 3 steals and also recorded 1 block.
So on a night when the Lakers threw bodies at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the role players delivered.
How does a team shoot a worse percentage than its opponent, have only one more field goal yet win by 10? Get to the free throw line.
The plan for the Pistons early in the game was clear: attack the paint and put Cavs defenders in compromising positions. The Pistons went to the line 35 times and converted 27 of those for a solid 77.1% from the stripe.
And for all the free throws the Pistons shot, the Cavaliers were on the opposite end, going 15-of-16 (93.8%). That means that, in a 10-point game, Detroit’s advantage from the line created a +12 edge.
“I want to separate this from the game,” Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the loss. “The free throw disparity is not why we lost tonight — I want to make sure I say that, but I don’t know, I’m trying to get downhill.
“A friend of mine (Jaylen Brown) got fined for talking about flopping, so I’m not going to try to double down, but, like, I feel like that’s what I’ve got to do at this point. I’m trying to get downhill, get to the bucket and sometimes people are in my way and I’m trying to fight through contact and I’m not getting these calls.”
The other reason Detroit launched massive runs was because it turned defense into offense. Detroit’s perimeter players smothered Cleveland’s guards, jumping passing lanes and forcing tough passes in pick-and-roll actions. That flustered the Cavs and led to easy Pistons points in transition.
The Pistons forced 19 turnovers (compared to only 11 committed), which led to a 31-16 edge in points off turnovers.
Not surprisingly, Detroit also sprinted to a 15-6 advantage in fastbreak points.
They’ll still want more offense out of Jalen Duren (11 points on 4-of-11 shooting), but the Pistons didn’t need to rely entirely on Cade Cunningham. And, for Detroit, that’s a recipe for success.
Tobias Harris (20 points) continued his hot start to the playoffs, Duncan Robinson (19) drained 5 3-pointers and Daniss Jenkins (12) provided a spark off the bench.
Essentially, with Dončić out, the Lakers need to play as close to perfect hoops as possible to have a chance against the defending champs. Austin Reaves is playing in just his third game since returning from an oblique injury, so some initial struggles are to be expected. Los Angeles, however, cannot afford that.
Reaves was harassed by Oklahoma City’s perimeter defense and he shot just 3-of-16 from the field, finishing with only 8 points.
One issue Reaves may face in this series is the size and length of the Thunder defenders. Whether it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso — all excellent defenders in their own right — their physicality made it tough for Reaves all night long.
Simply put: there’s no way the Cavaliers will have a chance in this series if their top two scorers struggle through three quarters the way they did Tuesday night. Mitchell showed some promise in the first half, scoring 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Yet, he scored only 3 in the third quarter.
The night for Harden was even worse. After averaging 23.6 points per game in the regular season, Harden had committed more turnovers (5) through three quarters than he had made field goals (2).
The pair did pick it up in the fourth to combine for 19 points, but playing from behind is a tough task against Detroit.
He was, arguably, the biggest reason why Cleveland topped the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 in the first round. Allen was a force Sunday, May 3, scoring 22 points and hauling in 19 rebounds, eight of which were offensive.
Tuesday night it was a different story. The Pistons went right at Allen in the first quarter, drawing three early fouls on him in the first 5:58 of the game. That took him out of the game completely, and he finished the night with just 2 points and 3 rebounds in 18:22 on the floor.
Backup forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a right hand injury when his fingers swiped against the left side of the backboard as he attempted to block a shot. The NBC broadcast reported the injury was “gruesome” and indicated that Lakers trainers had to put a towel over it to conceal the injury. The Lakers ruled him out for the rest of the game.
It was one of the biggest questions ahead of the series.
Who on the Knicks would get the responsibility of guarding the explosive and dynamic Tyrese Maxey?
Josh Hart spent the end of the first round guarding the Hawks’ most dangerous guard, CJ McCollum. OG Anunoby often guards the opponent’s best scorer, regardless of their position. But Maxey’s quickness isn’t a great fit for Hart or Anunoby.
So Mikal Bridges, back as the Knicks point-of-attack defender, got the assignment. When he came out of the game, it was Miles McBride who matched up with Maxey.
Mikal Bridges played a key role in the Knicks’ Game 1 blowout win over the 76ers on May 4, 2026 at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
And they both aced the test.
“That was huge,” Josh Hart said after practice Tuesday. “Both of those guys obviously are blessed enough athletically to be able to keep up with them, use their physicality, use their length to their advantage. Maxey obviously is an offense unto himself, being able to break out in transition. He’s tough to guard off those handoffs and ball screens so they did an amazing job on him and just have to continue it.”
Maxey finished with just 13 points on rough 3-for-9 shooting from the field while missing all three 3-pointers he took. None of those three field goals came against Bridges or McBride. He committed four turnovers.
It was his lowest point total since Jan. 26. In the first round against the Celtics, he averaged 26.9 points on 46.4 percent shooting from the field and 41.8 percent shooting from 3-point range.
“I feel like the whole team was just locked in, honestly,” McBride said Tuesday. “Mikal started off on him really well and then I came in, but there were times where other guys were matched up with him, and all of our antennas are up just guarding him as a team.”
It was clear the Knicks placed an emphasis on slowing down Maxey, often having a second defender ready to help Bridges or McBride. They were physical with him — particularly when the 76ers tried to get him going in the pick-and-roll. The only concern was that he was able to get to the free-throw line more than the Knicks would have wanted — he took seven free throws, making all of them.
His usage was also a bit perplexing — there were long stretches where he was not assertive. He didn’t make a field goal until midway through the second quarter. His nine shots were by far the fewest he took so far in the postseason — and fewest in any game since Feb. 3.
Tyrese Maxey and Miles McBride (right) chase a loose ball in the first quarter of the Knicks’ Game 1 win over the 76ers. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks expect that to change.
“We know Maxey is going to be more aggressive,” coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. “So we have to be more alert than we were in our last game.”
They also acknowledge they perhaps benefited from a bit of luck.
“He missed some shots, too,” Brown said. “We know his aggression is gonna be at a higher level in Game 2. Like we told all our guys, it’s five guys guarding the basketball, but at the point of attack, we have to be pretty good. The biggest thing with guarding Maxey at the point of attack is, he just moves so well and he can score at all three levels. His quickness, his athleticism for his size is second to none, because he’s able to score from all three levels. So you have to give a multiple effort on every single possession because when he gives it up, you can best bet that he’s gonna get it back at some point on that possession, if not right away.”
The 76ers will certainly have countermoves they try in Game 2 to get Maxey going. Because if he’s as poor as he was in Game 1, they have little chance.
But in Bridges and McBride, the Knicks might have the answers.
The 2026 Defensive Player of the Year finished with 12 blocks on the night, passing the previous mark by two. He also was one swat shy of Dwight Howard’s record for blocks in one half of a playoff game in what ended up being a triple-double performance with 11 points and 15 rebounds.
A day after the remarkable outing in San Antonio, members of the Timberwolves decried Wembanyama’s final stats after even they they earned a 104-102 road win. After coaches and players looked at the game tape, they came to the conclusion that several of Wembanyama’s blocks were not actually blocks, but uncalled goaltending.
“Obviously, he had a historic night, but when we looked at ‘em, at least four of ‘em were goaltending, maybe even a fifth,” Minnesota head coach Chris Finch told reporters Tuesday, May 5. “To me, it’s a little alarming that none of ‘em were called.”
Timberwolves center and Wembanyama’s fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert agreed that not all of the blocks should have registered as such on the box score.
“He fouled me on the first one,” Gobert told reporters. “But I mean, if you look at them, probably three or four (goaltends).”
Finch continued by saying the game officials should have “heightened awareness” of Wembanyama, “a generational shot-blocker” and his style of play. He noted that if Wembanyama, who is known as “the Alien,” had the estimated four goaltends called instead of blocks, that would add up to eight points for the Timberwolves.
“You know the value of eight points in an NBA game? It’s massive,” he said. “That’s also 33 percent of his blocks were goaltending, uncalled. If I were to give you a 33 percent raise, you’d like that, right? That’s a huge number.”
Finch assured that his squad, which includes four-time All-Star Anthony Edwards, isn’t fazed by the disparity. The conference semifinals continue with Game 2 Wednesday night in San Antonio.
“We’re gonna keep coming,” he said. “And we got to make some better decisions in how we attack the rim. All credit to the guys for not being discouraged.”
Gobert showed how the team was keeping a lighthearted attitude.
“I wish I had that type of treatment, too,” he laughed with reporters.
Victor Wemanyama Game 1 highlights
Watch extended highlights of Wembayama's historic triple-double on May, 4, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey goes up for a shot against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns in the second quarter.
The discrepancy was startling.
So much so that, just looking at the box score, it’s hard to believe it existed along with the final score.
The Knicks took half the number of free throws as the 76ers — 17 to Philadelphia’s 34 — during their 137-98 Game 1 rout Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
Joel Embiid scored eight of his 14 points from the free-throw line. Tyrese Maxey scored seven of his 13 points from the line.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (R) is fouled by New York Knicks center Ariel Hukporti (L) in the first half during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, game one in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, on May 4, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
It went under the radar given the margin of victory. But Knicks coach Mike Brown knows it would behoove the Knicks to not let it continue.
“Maxey and Embiid are really, really good at drawing fouls,” Brown said after practice Tuesday. “Maxey’s speed, he’s gonna drive and he’s gonna attack the chest. I thought our guys did on some of the calls, but most of them, you can’t lead with your hands, you gotta lead with your chest and hope that the referee sees that at times we’re not initiating the contact. But we can’t put ourselves in the position to put the whistle in the referees’ hands. Make them call a no call. So we gotta do better leading with our chest and showing our hands.
“And then with Embiid, he’s really crafty. Shot fake, shot fake and he can still shoot it, whether it’s from 2 or 3. So we have to be disciplined, we have to stay down and figure out how to be a second jumper while having contests from behind and stuff like that. But we can’t send those two guys to the free-throw line, and the rest of their team, 34 times and expect to get a win, especially if we only go 17.”
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey goes up for a shot against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns in the second quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brown began his news conference Tuesday by sending his wishes to 76ers coach Nick Nurse.
“I heard about his brother, Ian, and I’d like to pass my condolences along to Nick Nurse and his family, his brother’s family and all their friends,” Brown said. “Life is precious. You don’t wish that upon anybody. So I’d like to pass along my condolences to him and his family while they’re going through these times.”
Miles McBride believes that, given the 76ers’ lack of depth, the Knicks’ physicality can have a cumulative effect over the course of the series.
“It can definitely play a part if you’re being realistic,” McBride said Tuesday. “If you have more guys running them, being physical can definitely play a big factor.”
Knicks owner James Dolan was having some fun during a Sphere Entertainment earnings call Tuesday when he cracked a joke that alluded to a star of another team.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Dolan made the joke when he was asked about the SG&A costs — the costs related to running the business day to day that exclude direct production expenses — during the call.
“Boy, I’m really tempted to crack a joke here,” Dolan said. “So I guess I will. So SG&A is a great basketball player. And when we get to the Finals, I’m sure we’re going to beat them.”
Knicks owner James Dolan sitting in the front row during Game 6 against the Hawks. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks and Garden boss was alluding to the nickname for Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is commonly referred to as SGA for short.
Head coach Mike Brown earned a technical foul during the game after he complained to the referees about a missed foul on Gilgeous-Alexander that would have been his third of the game late in the first quarter.
Afterward, Brown used his postgame news conference to call out the way Gilgeous-Alexander plays.
“SGA, he’s a tough cover, and he does a great job of convincing the referees — probably better than anybody in the league — that he’s getting hit,” Brown said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during the game against the Phoenix Suns. NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks are currently in the middle of a second-round playoff series with the 76ers, whom they defeated handily Monday night, 137-98 in Game 1.
Dolan may have been joking on the earnings call, but the Knicks could end up facing SGA and the Thunder if Oklahoma City reaches the NBA Finals.
The Knicks will have to knock out the Sixers and the winner of the Detroit Pistons-Cleveland Cavaliers series, and Oklahoma City has to defeat the Lakers in a best-of-seven series and then dispatch the winner of the Minnesota Timberwolves-San Antonio Spurs series for it to happen.
New Yorkers are planning to storm Philadelphia for this weekend’s NBA playoff games between the Knicks and 76ers — despite the City of Brotherly Love’s efforts to try to block an orange-and-blue takeover.
Xfinity Mobile Arena is limiting direct sales to buyers with addresses in the Philadelphia metro area, while Sixers fans are promising not to resell their tickets to the Knicks faithful, but some New Yorkers say they’re heading south to Philly anyway.
An X fandom account, @BigKnickEnergy_, announced a $75 roundtrip bus fare from Madison Square Garden to Xfinity when the NBA’s Eastern Conference Semifinals series switches from the Big Apple to Philadelphia on Friday and Sunday.
Knicks fans watching Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals outside of Madison Square Garden on May 4, 2026. William C Lopez/NY PostA mob of Knicks fans celebrating the Game 1 win. William C Lopez/NY Post
The en masse migration the will depart Friday at 4:00 p.m. from MSG and return at 10:30 p.m.
On Sunday, departure is at 12:30 p.m. at MSG and return at 7:00 p.m.
New Yorkers said the city of Rocky should pull a Rambo the policy because they’re only hurting themselves.
A group of Knicks fans have announced a roundtrip bus trip to take New Yorkers to Philly for the games on Friday and Sunday. William C Lopez/NY PostNew York’s Karl-Anthony Towns dunking on the Sixers during the Game 1. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The (Philadelphia) businesses downtown definitely want the New York fans coming,” Morristown resident Morristown resident Keith Gehm, 54 told The Post. “If you’re selling [cheese]steaks, you want the New York fans spending their money.
“But it’s a second city,” he added. “They’re just too fragile!”!’”
Some fans remain optimistic the self-buyout scheme would ultimately fail.
The Post’s cover on the Game 1 rout.
Anile Melwani, a fan who attends both the New York and Florida games told the Post, “People will find a way to go.”
“Everyone who has a friend or family in Philly, they’re still gonna show up,” he continued, adding that despite the “unfair” treatment of Knicks fans, “there’s still gonna be a lot of New York fans.”
