Category: NBA

Who: Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

When: 12:300pm Arizona Time

Where: Mortgage Matchup Center — Phoenix, Arizona

Watch: NBC

Listen: KMVP 98.7

The 2026 postseason rolls on, and for the first time since May 7, 2023, playoff basketball returns to downtown Phoenix as the Suns welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first two games have been a journey. The top-seeded Thunder have made mincemeat of a depleted Suns team, and while there is an opportunity tonight for Phoenix to grab one at home, nothing about it will come easily. The playoffs bring a different level of basketball. More physical. More intense. Every possession carries weight. Those are the exact reasons the Suns needed to get here, because a team that has turned the cultural corner needs to give its players a chance to feel these moments.

It is unfortunate that the opponent looks like a complete buzz saw, and sure, it feels like Phoenix is fighting with one arm tied behind its back. There is still room to surprise them. There is still room to learn.

That applies to head coach Jordan Ott as well. The Suns have lost the first two games by a combined 48 points, and the reasons why create the opportunity for adjustments. That becomes the main thing to watch tonight. Can the Suns adjust?

Probable Starters

Injury Report

Suns

• Grayson Allen — QUESTIONABLE (Left Hamstring Soreness)
• Mark Williams — OUT (Left Foot Soreness)
• Jordan Goodwin — QUESTIONABLE (Left Calf Soreness)

Thunder

• Isaiah Joe — DOUBTFUL (Personal Reasons)
• Thomas Sorber — OUT (Right ACL)
• Jalen Williams — OUT (Left Hamstring Strain)

Tale of the Tape

All statistics are ranked against all other 16 teams playing this postseason.

What to Watch For

Jalen Williams will not play in this one, and that matters. He has been a firecracker through the first two games of the postseason. While Shai Gilgeous Alexander is putting up 31 points on 49/50/79 splits, the support from Williams has helped drive everything. He is averaging 20.5 points, and that includes Game 2 when he tweaked his hamstring.

His absence is worth tracking. It shifts touches, it shifts rhythm, and it opens space for others to step in. Those ancillary pieces tend to rise at home, fed by the crowd and the energy in the building. Can Phoenix take advantage of that opening?

Key to a Suns Win

I laid out a few keys yesterday, and they still hold. Push the pace whenever you can. Catch Oklahoma City before they get set, because once they do, it turns into a problem.

Take care of the ball. The turnover discrepancy, 41-18, has crushed Phoenix through two games, and that cannot continue. And make the threes. The volume will be there. It always is. They have to convert. Get to 18 made threes and you give yourself a real chance to win this game.

Prediction

Maybe it’s optimism. Maybe it leans a little unrealistic. Game 3s have a way of tilting toward the home team, and that belief is hard to shake. Oklahoma City is a giant. No one is denying that. But David still has a couple of rocks in his pocket.

Suns 127, Thunder 122

What’s a night of playoff basketball without the Brotherhood?

It doesn’t happen very often, and it didn’t happen Friday night.

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 108-100. Luke Kennard helped JJ Redick’s Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets, 112-108. Finally, Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs knocked off the Portland Trail Blazers, 120-108.

Tatum scored 25 against the Sixers, including a 3-point dagger to put Boston up 106-100. He also had 5 rebounds and 7 assists, as one of the greatest comebacks in NBA history continues to unfold.

Although he had an off-night from behind the line, shooting just 1-6 on three-pointers, Luke Kennard still scored 14 and had 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Mason Plumlee got another DNP for San Antonio, but the Spurs won without big man Victor Wembanyama, who is in the concussion protocol.

• The Celtics might be seeing the best of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
• Jayson Tatum reflects on clutch return in Celtics’ Game 3 win
• Celtics-76ers takeaways: Jayson Tatum delivers dagger 3, haunts Philadelphia once more
• “Nothing but Trust”: Jayson Tatum’s Clutch Display vs 76ers Has Jaylen Brown Praising Celtics Star’s Growth
• A Year After Devastating Injury, Jayson Tatum Leads Celtics To Game 3 Victory
• Jayson Tatum says he’s not at his best yet. He sure looked the part for Boston in a Game 3 win
• Kevin Garnett shuts down Paul Pierce’s “wild” suggestion to replace Austin Reaves with Luke Kennard
• NBA Playoffs: LeBron James explains exactly why his teammate has exploded against the Rockets
• Lakers News: Luke Kennard Explains Why JJ Redick Partnership Has Been So Great
• Luke Kennard punishing Clippers for not making a trade they needed
• Austin Reaves return gives JJ Redick the best kind of Lakers problem
• Luke Kennard silencing the biggest criticism of his play ahead of Lakers’ Game 3

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Our NBA player prop projections are all set for tonight's Game 3 matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic, with the model flagging several high-value opportunities.

By breaking down the data and stacking it up against current market lines, we’ve identified where the strongest edges lie.

These Pistons vs. Magic predictions aren’t based on feel — they’re backed by the numbers.

If you’re building out your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Saturday, April 25.

Pistons vs Magic computer picks for Game 3

Pistons	Magic
Cunningham u28.5 points  -117	Banchero o20.5 points -165
Duren u10.5 rebounds  -132	Suggs o4.5 assists -139
Thompson o2.5 assists -120	Wagner o4.5 rebounds -114

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Pistons Game 3 computer picks

Cade Cunningham Under 28.5 points (-117)

Projection: 26.7 points

As the series shifts to the Sunshine State, the Detroit Pistons are aiming to steal at least one game on the road against the Orlando Magic. Playing at the ninth-slowest pace in the league over their last 25 games, Detroit will look to control the tempo while carefully managing Cade Cunningham’s workload due to health concerns.

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Jalen Duren Under 10.5 rebounds (-132)

Projection: 10.4 rebounds

Jalen Duren averages 10.5 rebounds per game on the season, but he’s fallen short of that mark in each of the first two games of the series.

Now heading on the road, the Magic present another tough matchup on the glass, making it difficult for him to clear this number especially with Duren hitting the Under in eight of his last 10 games at a 10.5-rebound line.

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Ausar Thompson Over 2.5 assists (-120)

Projection: 2.7 assists

The Pistons could see an uptick in possessions in this matchup against Orlando, who rank as the fourth-fastest offense over their last 10 games.

That added pace should create more opportunities for Ausar Thompson to facilitate and make plays, especially after clearing his 2.5-assist line in seven of his last 10 outings.

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---

Magic Game 3 computer picks

Paolo Banchero Over 20.5 points (-165)

Projection: 21.6 points

The Magic have been productive offensively, averaging 117.4 points per game over their last 25 outings (10th in the league), but they’ll need more from Paolo Banchero to keep that momentum going—especially at the free-throw line.

This matchup against the Pistons sets up well for drawing contact, with opposing starting power forwards attempting 5.0 free throws per game over the last 10 (sixth-most in the league). The opportunity is there for Banchero & it just comes down to capitalizing and turning those chances into points in front of the home crowd.

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Jalen Suggs Over 4.5 assists (-139)

Projection: 4.8 assists

Jalen Suggs has been quietly effective as a facilitator, clearing his 4.5 assist line in five of his last 10 games, and this matchup sets up well for him to do it again in Game 3 against the Pistons.

With Orlando playing at a faster tempo lately, there should be more possessions to go around, giving Suggs additional opportunities to create.

His role as a secondary playmaker alongside Banchero and Wagner puts him in prime position to rack up assists, especially when defenses collapse on those primary scoring options.

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Franz Wagner Over 4.5 rebounds (-114)

Projection: 4.9 rebounds

Franz Wagner has been reliable on the glass in this series against the Pistons, clearing this line in both Game 1 and 2. Now back on his home floor, expect an extra boost of energy that could help him cash the Over once again.

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How to watch Pistons vs Magic Game 3

Location	Kia Center, Orlando, FL
Date	Saturday, April 25, 2026
Tip-off	1:05 p.m. ET
TV	Peacock

Not intended for use in MA.
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I am 52. Most of my friends are around my age. On a regular basis, someone I know turns fifty.

And this is what I send them:

Five-Oh!

Today Tim Duncan turns the big 5-0!

Tim Duncan is one of the GOATs of the game, one who exemplified Spurs Culture and said more with his gaze than most do in a soliloquy.

In some cases, it got him in hot water.

He also had a great sense of humor.

Oh, yeah, and Tim was a killer basketball player.

May you have the best year to come, Big Fun. May you be surrounded by friends, and have lots of laughs.

Happy birthday, Timmy.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

LeBron James was exhausted. Marcus Smart was drained. Luke Kennard was invisible.

The Lakers were cooked, the playoff magic finally drained from a team without its two leading scorers, a team in the process of making every conceivable mistake, reality bouncing off their feet and ricocheting off their hips and falling out of their hands.

On a jarring Friday night at Houston’s Toyota Center, the Rockets led by six with 30 seconds remaining and had possession of the ball. They just needed to get it upcourt. They just needed to play catch.

The Lakers were done.

And if you believe that, then you don’t believe what they believe.

They believed Smart would steal a terrible backcourt pass, absorb a terrible shooting foul and make three free throws.

Read more:Marcus Smart leads Lakers to commanding 3-0 lead over Rockets in playoff series

They believed James would knock away a dribble on the next possession, run to beyond the three-point line, take a pass from Kennard and sink a game-tying trey.

They believed in the miracle of forcing this game into overtime, then believed in the destiny of a 112-108 victory to take an historically insurmountable three-games-to-none lead in a first-round playoff series they should have lost.

How frantic was that finish? In the postseason over the last 29 years, NBA teams that led by six or more points in the last 30 seconds are now 1,713-2.

“It was just a gutty win for us,” James said.

Gutty, gritty, growling, great, great win.

“Everything that we needed to do, even when it wasn't pretty, we just kind of found a way to do it,” said coach JJ Redick. “And ... we're playing hard. I mean, that's what you have to do to put yourself in a position to win."

They are true believers, this bunch, as much as any Laker team has believed since the 2020 championship run, perhaps more than any other Lakers team in history.

They believe in their legendary leader, LeBron. They believe in the playoff-tough Smart. They believe in their connectivity, in their desperation, in their destiny.

They believe this is a special team. Once they get their two injured scorers back — and Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are apparently returning faster than anyone imagined — they believe this could be a championship-contending team.

They will find out in the next round, when their opponent will be either the defending champions from Oklahoma City or the the Phoenix Suns.

Even if they finish off the Rockets in a sweep — and this series is already over considering NBA teams are 159-0 with a 3-0 lead — they will be considerable underdogs moving forward.

Surely they were lucky that star Kevin Durant didn’t play in two of these three games, including missing Friday’s Game 3 with a sprained ankle.

Surely they can’t keep winning games with 21 turnovers and half as many offensive rebounds and blown 15-point leads.

Surely that even if Reaves and Doncic return, they will revert to being the same team that lost to Oklahoma City by 43 points and lost to San Antonio by 16 in their most recent meetings while at full strength.

Surely they’re not this deep and committed and inspired as they’ve shown in these first three games.

Right? Wrong. Were you watching?

The Rockets used numerous Lakers mistakes and defensive mistakes to take the lead in the final five minutes and seemingly hold it for a series-changing victory. The dagger appeared to be a fastbreak dunk by Alperen Sengun to give the Rockets a 101-95 lead and eventually the ball with the crowd roaring and barely 30 seconds left.

Little did they know the Lakers had them right where they wanted them.

“We've talked ... about elevating everything,” said Redick, later adding, “You have to elevate your poise, you have to elevate your composure, recognizing that there's going to be moments where the crowd's going crazy or you get down, they make a run, whatever it may be. We weathered a lot tonight. ... And then, in that moment, just to have the poise to just keep playing."

The Lakers had that poise. The Rockets lost their cool.

In that moment... what was Jabari Smith Jr. doing throwing a looping backcourt pass to apparently nobody? And after Smart grabbed it and threw up a desperate three... what was Jae’Sean Tate doing fouling him?

“I see Tate running really fast and I’m like, 'OK, he probably not going to be able to stop in time,'" explained Smart. “So, I just pulled up right away and he ran right under me, exactly what happened. So, it was a smart play. That’s part of my vet, being a vet and my vet savvy. Been in the league for 12 years. I picked up some tricks from some guys.”

Even after the vet’s three free throws, the Rockets still could have easily won this, but... what was Reed Sheppard doing casually dribbling the ball upcourt without noticing James behind him? James knocked the ball away for the steal, eventually got it back, and drained a trey with 13 seconds remaining for the eventual overtime-sending gut punch.

"We don't have the luxury of being passive or being complacent," James said. “Our whole mindset is we have to do everything it takes in that particular game and that particular moment in that particular possession in order for us to win basketball games, because we don't have a long leash of error. We don't have a lot [of room] for error."

Once they reached the extra period, well, it was over the moment an angrily stunned Sengun threw a towel to the floor in front of the Rockets' bench moments after the end of regulation.

The Rockets were unnerved and eventually undone.

Smart started the extra period by hitting a three, then kept the Lakers' mojo going with a flying save of a rebound that became a Rui Hachimura layup.

Soon thereafter James went to the floor fighting for a ball, then missed a shot that Smart came out of nowhere to grab the offensive rebound, leading to two free throws that eventually put the game out of reach.

Even on a night when James scored 29 points, had 13 rebounds, and threw an ally-oop pass to son Bronny for a reverse layup — so cool! — the hero here was Smart.

He was signed by the Lakers last summer for his postseason toughness and savvy, and he showed every bit of it Friday, with 21 points, 10 assists and five steals. Not to mention, eight points in overtime.

“You got to leave it all on the court, because you never know," Smart said. ”Because you never know. It can be taken away at any moment, right? And with two of our best players down, we got to play desperate. We got to be the most desperate team and that’s how we have been playing and that’s how we are winning, right? The chemistry has been built because of that.”

It’s a chemistry that works. It’s a chemistry that has built a faith even amid Friday night’s immeasurably high hurdle, a faith that should persist beyond the framework of this finished first-round series.

Down six. Thirty seconds left. Steal the game. Steal the series.

Believe.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

1. TATUMadelphia

After years of hitting clutch shots and beating the Toronto Raptors in playoff series, LeBron James eventually got the nickname “LeBronto.” At what point do we come up with a nickname for Jayson Tatum against the 76ers? In my mind I will go with “Tatumadelphia” but I’m sure there’s a better one that roles off the tongue. Either way we saw Tatum once again come up clutch against the 76ers, finishing with 25 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds on 9-17 shooting from the field and 5-9 shooting from three.

Tatum took over in the fourth quarter, playing all 12 minutes and finished with 11 points on 4-5 shooting. Tatum looked incredibly aggressive in the fourth quarter, he just put his head down and attacked the 76ers defense to the basket any chance he got. That opened up his three point shot, where he hit 2 threes in the final two minutes with no shot being bigger than the dagger three he hit with 26 seconds left to give Boston a 6-point lead.

This big Game 3 from Tatum was nothing new for him as he has shown up big in the third game of series over his career with averages of 24.3 Points, 7.1 Rebounds, 4.7 Assists, 43% FG%, and 32% 3P% in 23 games. He also joined Larry Bird, John Havlicek, and Kevin McHale as the only other player in Celtics franchise history to reach over 3,000 Playoff points scored in their career.

2. Jaylen Brown Energy Shifter

Jaylen Brown is known for his iconic “The energy is about to shift” tweet he made back in 2022, but this game really showed that Energy Shifting in full force in the fourth quarter. Brown finished the night with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 9-16 shooting. He also passed Robert Parish for 7th on the Celtics all-time playoff points scored list.

Brown took a short break to begin the fourth quarter after playing the entire third quarter but once he checked in at the 8:41 mark, his impact was felt immediately. With both teams fighting to take the lead, Brown stole the ball way from Tyrese Maxey and took it down the other way to find a streaking Derrick White for a layup.

This one play ignited Jaylen Brown who had a 8 points on 3-4 shooting in the fourth quarter. Brown’s defense and ability to keep the Celtics above water in a close game was what made the difference. We don’t see Tatum hit that dagger three with 26 seconds left if Brown doesn’t keep Boston in the game.

3. Payton Pritchard Stepped Up

Through the first two games of this series, the Jays averaged 53.0 Points, 18.0 Rebounds, 11.5 Assists, and 3.0 Steals. This was great for Boston, but the main reason why they lost in Game 2 was due to the rest of the team not being able to help Brown and Tatum on the offensive end.

Payton Pritchard was one of those guys who were struggling through the first two games, averaging 8.0 Points on 2-13 (15%) from three point range. Pritchard was able to bounce back and answer the call in Game 3, finishing with 15 points on 5 three pointers. Three of those shots from beyond the arc came in the second half when the Celtics needed them most. The biggest came at the 1:17 mark of the fourth quarter when Tatum passed him a grenade at the end of the shot clock and Pritchard buried a side-step three from the corner to keep the Celtics at a two-possession lead.

4. Never Doubt Derrick White

Similar to Payton Pritchard, Derrick White was another player who struggled offensively in the first two games for Boston, averaging 9 points on 4-17 (23.5%) shooting from three. Unlike Pritchard, White’s offensive struggles continued in Game 3 where he finished with 11 points on 3-12 shooting from the field and 1-8 from three. There were points in this game where I seriously thought the Celtics should take him out entirely because it looked like White was just struggling to be productive on both sides of the ball.

I can’t believe I even thought benching Derrick White was a good idea because he once again, found a way to make winning plays in the fourth quarter. White grabbed a monumental offensive rebound off a missed three by Vucevic that directly led to Jayson Tatum hitting the dagger three with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter. It is incredible that no matter what White is doing when it comes to shooting the ball, he will always find a way. That is the definition of a winning basketball player and although the shot is still a concerned that should be monitored, I have learned to never doubt Derrick White.

5. The Big Man Dilemma

Neemias Queta has had a hard time staying on the court in this series, finding himself in foul trouble way too often. Nikola Vucevic, who had a pretty solid first half, started the third quarter over Queta and once picked up his fourth foul with 1:05 left in the third quarter, Queta didn’t end up playing for the rest of the game. Vucevic meanwhile, played really well in 31 total minutes, finishing with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks on 4-10 shooting from the field and 3-9 shooting from three.

This brings back a dilemma, because although Vucevic had 3 blocks, he still isn’t the best defender in the world. This was mostly seen at the end of the game where he doubled Paul George on back-to-back plays when he didn’t need to and it ended in wide open Andre Drummond dunks late in the fourth quarter. At the same time, Queta is clear and away a better defender and can be a more impactful offensive player inside for the Celtics but he can’t stop committing dumb fouls.

It makes me wonder how the Celtics are going to continue to handle the big man rotation. Vucevic is the more experienced player of the two, having more experience playing big time minutes in the playoffs but Queta is very clearly the better player overall. Maybe we see more Luka Garza minutes? He played 4 minutes in Game 3 and finished with 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist on 1-3 shooting. This is a situation that we knew was most likely going to play out but I am still interested to see how Mazzulla continues to handle the center rotation.

6. Need More Baylor Scheierman

Baylor Scheierman has not played a ton of minutes for the Celtics so far in the playoffs but when he ahs, most of them have come in the second quarter. This is often a case where either Brown or Tatum can get a breather and Boston can use Scheierman as a Hauser replacement on the court. Even in only 8 minutes in Game 3, we saw Baylor stuff the stat sheet, with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 2-3 shooting from three.

Scheierman was able to make winning plays from his first shot attempt, hitting a no-dip three from the corner and grabbing a big offensive rebound where he threw a dart to Derrick White for a three-pointer. Baylor showed his hustle mid way through his run after Jaylen Brown blocked Paul George, he was able to steal the ball away from Philadelphia on the rebound.

We saw Scheierman get shown a little bit more trust later in the game when he started the fourth quarter for the Celtics to give Brown a breather. He showed off why it was a good decision by Joe Mazzulla to put him out there, immediately playing lockdown defense on Paul George and forcing a steal. I wonder if we see more of Baylor Scheierman in the rotation moving forward because he is really starting to open some eyes with his impact on both ends of the ball.

7. Too Many Turnovers

The Celtics were the best team in the regular season when it came to taking care of the ball, only averaging 12.4 turnovers per game. However we have seen Boston get consistently more sloppy with the ball in the playoffs. They had 8 turnovers in Game 1, 11 turnovers in Game 2, and in Game 3 we saw the Celtics turn the ball over an astonishing 17 times.

The ball handling from Boston in this game was not great and they committed so many careless turnovers that Philadelphia was able to translate on more often than not. The 76ers finished with 21 points off of turnovers and was a big reason why they were able to keep pace with the Celtics throughout the game. Boston needs to clean up the turnovers moving forward because there isn’t a guarantee they win a game the next time they turn the ball over 17 times.

8. Three-Ball Returns

In their Game 2 loss, the Celtics shot 13-50 (26%) from three and shot 25% from three in the second half. It looked like they were just chucking up threes on almost every possession and with the 76ers shooting 19-39 (49%) from beyond the arc, it was a recipe for disaster. Game 3 saw the Celtics bounce back from distance, shooting 20-47 (43%) from three and you could tell they were generating good shots. In the fourth quarter alone they shot 4-8, compared to Philadelphia who shot 3-10.

9. Paint Presence

Boston finished with 11 blocks in this game as a team and it was a testate to their paint defense holding up. Brown, Vucevic and White all had 3 while Queta had 2 of his own. The first two games saw the Philadelphia mostly focus on shooting from beyond the arc to generate their baskets. However, they went away from their three point heavy approach in Game 3 and decided to take 31 shots in the paint where they shot 68%. The Celtics don’t have the most vaunting paint presence with Queta in foul trouble and Vucevic not being the best defender, but Boston was able to hold up.

The rebounding department saw more success for the Celtics, out-rebounding the 76ers 45-37. Out of those 45, 15 of which came on the offensive end for Boston. Although it felt like Philly was able to grab a ton of offensive boards down the stretch, Boston was able to once again hang on. It is encouraging to see Boston be able to hold up against a team primarily attacking the paint.

10. Responding to Adversity

Following the Game 2 loss, the only thing I personally wanted to see from the Celtics was just being able to respond in Game 3 with a victory and they lived up to expectations. It’s a testament to the experience guys like Brown, Tatum, and White have in these moments, finding a way to win. Tatum said in his postgame interview “I’ve been here before” when keeping his composure down the stretch of this game and it is a sentiment I see with this entire team.

Although a lot of the pieces are new, the Celtics as a whole are not new to playing playoff basketball. They have guys who know what it takes to face adversity after a loss in the playoffs and what they have to do to bounce back. Shoutout to the main guys on this team for responding and shoutout to Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff for having the rest of the team ready to play.

As the NBA enters its postseason crescendo, its carefully cultivated image as one of the most progressive leagues in sports is once again in the spotlight due to its partnership with Rwanda, which has long been accused of human rights abuses and war crimes.

In March 2026, the Trump administration announced sanctions targeting Rwanda’s military and four senior officials for its role in abuses and military aggression in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Shortly after the announcement, one of the top teams competing in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) – a premier continental league co-founded by NBA Africa – suddenly withdrew from the competition. As it turned out, that team had deep ties to Rwanda’s sanctioned military.

“APR will no longer participate in the 2026 BAL season,” read a statement published by the BAL on 13 March.

Armée Patriotique Rwandaise Basketball Club, commonly known as APR, is a prominent Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali that dates back to the Rwandan genocide in the 1990s. The team is owned and funded by the Rwanda Defence Force – a fact that is proudly stated on the team’s BAL profile page. In January 2026, the RDF even hosted a luncheon for APR players and staff to celebrate their victory in the local Super Cup.

Under US treasury sanctions, any assets held by the RDF within American jurisdiction are frozen, and US entities are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the military or individuals connected to it. Because the BAL operates under the NBA – a US-based organization – permitting a team directly tied to a sanctioned military body to compete could expose the league to serious sanctions compliance risks. While the sanctions are limited to the RDF and do not extend to other sectors of the Rwandan government, it brought renewed attention to the NBA and its friendly ties with Rwanda’s infamous president, Paul Kagame.

Serving as the de facto ruler of Rwanda since 1994, Kagame drew international praise for commanding the rebel force that ended the Rwandan genocide. However, he has since ruled his country with an iron fist, allegedly committing severe and systematic human rights abuses both within Rwanda and beyond its borders. This includes forced disappearances, assassinations of political opponents, torture and state-imposed censorship. In 2024, Kagame topped his own record by winning the presidential election with more than 99% of the vote, reflecting his totalitarian grip over the African nation.

The NBA’s relationship with Rwanda officially began in August 2015, when some of the top coaches from the league hosted a basketball camp in the capital of Kigali as part of the Giants of Africa program. The following year, Kagame attended an NBA Africa luncheon with league commissioner Adam Silver as part of the All-Star Game festivities. In 2018, he delivered a keynote speech at a reception hosted by the NBA in New York City.

At the time, Kagame’s regime had already helped launch two wars in the DRC, which led to the deaths of millions of people in the region. Thousands of Kagame’s soldiers and allied M23 militia continue to operate in eastern DRC, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, plundering mines rich in strategic mineral resources and leaving a trail of massacres, rapes and other gross human rights abuses. Nevertheless, the NBA continued to deepen its ties to Kagame. When NBA Africa and Fiba launched the BAL, Rwanda secured the hosting rights for the inaugural season in 2021.

By positioning Rwanda as a key hub for basketball and the NBA in Africa, Kagame was able to frame himself as a leading African figure in a sport that was among the most popular in the United States and was gaining traction across the African continent. He has since made regular appearances at NBA games – flanked by an entourage of friends and family – attended NBA summits as a guest of honor, and made Rwanda a key player in Africa’s basketball aspirations.

In December 2023, Kagame’s former aide and cabinet minister, Claire Akamanzi, was appointed CEO of NBA Africa, further consolidating Kagame’s influence over the sport on the continent. Less than two years later in September 2025, Visit Rwanda – the official tourism brand of the Rwanda Development Board – announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with the Los Angeles Clippers, further cementing its presence across the sport. The deal further expanded Visit Rwanda’s global sports portfolio, which also includes deals with Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid.

In February 2026, Kagame once again attended the NBA All-Star Game before meeting with top NBA officials to discuss the future of the game in Africa. Among those present at the discussions was NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who had previously defended the NBA’s ties to Kagame in an ESPN story. When two US senators later accused the NBA of “putting profit over principle”, Tatum once again defended the league by stating that the NBA follows “the lead of the US government as to where it’s appropriate to engage in business around the world”.

“If American policies were to change regarding business activities in and relating to Rwanda or any other BAL market, our actions would of course change accordingly,” Tatum wrote in response to the senators. After the withdrawal of the RDF-funded APR, the BAL announced that APR would be replaced by another local team called the RSSB Tigers, which is owned by the Rwanda Social Security Board. The team has since qualified for the BAL playoffs, which are set to take place in Kigali in May.

When contacted by the Guardian, the NBA reiterated that the league continues to comply with US government guidance regarding its engagement in Rwanda, and pointed me to Tatum’s previous statements on the subject.

For now, the NBA remains in compliance with US foreign policy, which has so far targeted only Rwanda’s military and a handful of officials. But whether its relationship with Rwanda, and with Kagame, will pose greater risks down the line remains an open question.

LeBron James tapped the ball away from Houston’s Reed Sheppard. Marcus Smart fired a two-handed pass to James, who bobbled it and slapped it to Luke Kennard. Kennard faked a shot. He whipped a pass back to James.

Down three with 14 seconds left in regulation of Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Friday, James lined up a three. Two Houston players ran into each other while desperately trying to defend the shot.

With the ball hanging in the air and the game on the line, was there ever a doubt on the Lakers' bench?

Read more:Marcus Smart leads Lakers to commanding 3-0 lead over Rockets in playoff series

“Absolutely not,” guard Bronny James said. “It's the Lakers.”

Already one of the league’s best clutch-time teams, the Lakers stirred up magic again Friday, overcoming a six-point deficit in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter to earn a 112-108 overtime win over the Houston Rockets. The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and will go for their first playoff series sweep since the second round in 2010 on Sunday in Houston.

The Lakers already won two nervy road games over the Rockets during the regular season. But the hero from those wins was dressed in a crisp white T-shirt and gray pants Friday. Luka Doncic, nursing a left hamstring injury, even took off his white jacket during the dramatic overtime. He had no reason to worry with James at the helm.

The 41-year-old played 45 minutes and four seconds, hit the game-tying three-pointer with 13.6 seconds left in regulation and had a team-high 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Smart had 21 points, 10 assists and, for the second straight game, five steals, including one with 27.8 seconds left in regulation that set up three critical free throws.

The veterans have played in 406 combined playoff games and, hoping to add another win, showed the mentality shaped through each one.

“We're just trying to have that killer mentality right now,” said Smart, who had eight of the Lakers' 11 overtime points. “We got them on the ropes and then it's our job to try to finish.”

The Rockets were desperate to avoid the dreaded 0-3 hole. They stormed back from a 15-point first-half deficit and took a one-point lead with 4:59 remaining on a three-pointer from Sheppard. The Houston crowd, which did not fill up until well into the first quarter, erupted.

James turned the ball over for the fourth time in the fourth quarter when Alperen Sengun tipped a bounce pass away from Kennard. Sengun appeared to punctuate the season-saving win with a one-handed dunk over James with 40.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

In the moment, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura admitted later, the Lakers felt a slight dip in their energy. They needed something to turn the tide.

Smart intercepted a lazy pass by Houston forward Jabari Smith Jr., and Jae’Sean Tate fouled the Lakers guard on a three-point attempt with 25.4 seconds left. He made all three free throws. The crowd grew restless. When James hit the game-tying three, those wearing the Rockets’ red T-shirts stood in stunned silence.

A vocal minority of Lakers fans were buzzing.

“Next play. Next play,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the Lakers' mindset during the critical stages of the game. “I mean, look, there's a lot of things that happened tonight that were not perfect. ... But you just kind of get onto the next play. And that, to me, is a hallmark of poise; that's a hallmark of composure.”

While the Lakers had the league’s best record in clutch time games during the regular season (22-8), the Rockets ranked 16th. With a 22-23 record in games within five points in the final five minutes, the Rockets had the fifth-most clutch-time losses. Only Indiana, Memphis, Brooklyn, Dallas and New Orleans had more such losses.

Houston coach Ime Udoka called the foul on Smart “terrible.” Instead of passing to a wide-open Sengun, Sheppard tried to split a double-team on the decisive turnover. Sengun’s attempt at a game-winner when he got stood up by Jaxon Hayes on a turnaround baseline floater wasn’t the play the Rockets drew up, Udoka said.

Read more:Rare Kobe Bryant trading card 'at the top of every wish list' sells for record sum

“Horrendous mistakes,” the third-year Rockets coach said. “I don’t want to say youth or scared of the moment or whatever the case.”

The Rockets, who lost in seven games in the first round of the playoffs last year, were without star Kevin Durant for the second time this series. He missed the game with a sprained left ankle, an injury he sustained in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He was sidelined for Game 1 because of a knee contusion he picked up in practice. The 37-year-old was remarkably durable this season, ranking second in the NBA in minutes played. His presence was a lifeline for a team that lost point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn anterior cruciate ligament last September.

Durant was ruled out about 90 minutes before tip off. When told of the injury update during his pregame news conference, Redick was not fazed. The Lakers know who they have on their side.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Celtics led for most of the night, but it never quite felt secure. The energy was definitely leaning more toward Philadelphia. Their fans were engaged, and the Sixers continued to feed them with explosive shotmaking and momentum swinging moments.

Boston’s lead never grew to more than 10, and the Sixers chopped it down each time with a flurry of quick buckets. It consistently felt like they were a few possessions from losing their grip, and then the Sixers broke through with an 85-84 lead with 8:42 to go.

A moment like that can turn a crack in the dam into floodgates. It wouldn’t have been surprising if mistakes started compounding, and the atmosphere of a high intensity road game was too much to overcome. The entire crowd was on their feet and erupted as Maxey delivered for the lead, his face breaking into the unmistakable look of a player that might’ve just seized control.

Immediately after that, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown took the game back.

In the fourth quarter, the Jays scored or assisted on 27 of the Celtics 29 points.

After Tyrese Maxey’s go ahead three, Tatum carved through the defense and grabbed the lead right back.

Then it was Brown who intercepted Maxey’s pass to Paul George, stayed patient, and set up White for the layup.

On back-to-back possessions, they quieted the crowd and snatched the lead back. This was only the start of some absurdly clutch play from Boston’s star duo.

Brown spent the next three minutes stringing together buckets and parrying each of the Sixers attacks.

He went on a personal 9-point run. A driving bank shot (90-85), two free throws after drawing a foul on Edgecombe (92-85), a 17-foot pull-up jumper that answered an Oubre bucket (94-90), and a driving finger roll past Maxey (96-92). Every time Philly clawed within two, Brown answered.

Brown — the energy-shifter — kept the emotional advantage alive, allowing Tatum to swoop in for the kill.

Drummond’s dunk made it 97-96 with 2:19 left. In a one-point game, the ball swung to Tatum. His fake sent Maxey flying by. He took a quick dribble, gathered himself and sank a crucial three to open up a four point lead.

Paul George answered quickly, Pritchard sank a clutch late clock three, and then a pair of free throws from Oubre made it a 103-100 game with a minute left. Tatum had a center switched on him, and told Vucevic to clear out so he could attack the mismatch. With 27 seconds to go, Tatum pulled up over Adem Bona and sunk the dagger in.

On the road in a pivotal Game 3, it was Boston’s stars that rose to the occasion. Years of playoff reps have sharpened their composure, and it showed when the game tightened.

No matter what came before, it felt like they treated the final minutes as a fresh start. Two players who have seen every version of this moment were calm and methodical in dictating how it would end. Every push back from Maxey and George was met with an answer, and they couldn’t keep pace.

This is what Boston can tap into at a level that few teams can match. They have a one-two scoring punch that can create at all three levels, off the dribble, in the most stressful moments. They’re comfortable in the chaos of a crunch time battle.

Not bad for a duo that critics and pundits alike spent years insisting couldn’t work.

For Sixers, the ‘little stuff' stings from Game 3 defeat to Celtics  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Celtics’ deep jumpers and many moments of individual brilliance all stung Friday night for the Sixers.

At the end of the evening, they were also left regretting the less glamorous plays that fueled Boston’s 108-100 win in Game 3 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Sixers will try to even their first-round playoff series at 2-2 on Sunday night. 

“It’s like offensive rebound, three-ball,” Tyrese Maxey said after scoring 31 points. “Turnover, three-ball or layup. Missed box-out, layup. But when you play good teams, that’s what it is. You’ve got to be extremely sharp in the playoffs, man. You’re seeing it.”

As Maxey noted, just about every area of the game seems very meaningful in the playoffs. For instance, the Celtics were a bit better than the Sixers on the boards in Game 3. Derrick White crashed from the corner and grabbed a critical offensive rebound between Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. with about 35 seconds left. Maxey had shifted toward the middle of the floor on Jayson Tatum’s drive against Sixers center Adem Bona, leaving White unmarked.

Boston finished with a 22-17 advantage in second-chance points against a Sixers team still without Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery).

“I think it’s checking our man,” Andre Drummond said. “The bigs aren’t really getting many rebounds. It’s the guards coming in from the corners, getting those loose ones. So I think we’ve just got to check our man, block them out and then the rest will take care of itself.”

Unlucky sequences and debatable whistles also tend to be magnified in the postseason. The Sixers need to focus on what’s in their power, but that’s certainly not everything. 

“Some of them are bad bounces,” Paul George said. “We’re boxing out, we’re going in to try to help rebound, and the ball flies over our head right back to them. Some of those situations have been tough. But knowing that, we’ve got to be better there. We feel like we’re playing great half-court defense. We’ve just got to limit them to one shot.”

The Sixers’ half-court defense has indeed been a bright spot the past two games. 

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Celtics scored 101.5 points per 100 half-court plays during the regular season. Boston posted only 89.5 points per 100 half-court plays over Games 2 and 3.

“It’s a competitive series, first of all,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “I thought we played extremely, extremely hard. I thought we made a few mistakes that you probably just can’t make in these games. … I like the way we competed. We’re going to have to rebound better, we’re going to have to shot contest better, we’re going to have to shot make better if we’re going to win.”

In terms of bench scoring, the Sixers were second best by a sizable margin. The Celtics had a 34-13 edge in that category. Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic, Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza all made three-pointers off of Boston’s bench. 

Meanwhile, the Sixers used an eight-man rotation. Quentin Grimes attempted one field goal and missed it. Justin Edwards’ only shot attempt was rejected by Jaylen Brown. 

The Sixers ranked 27th during the regular season in bench points per game and were inferior there Friday. The Celtics have looked like the deeper team thus far in the series. 

“Q had one kind of opportunity,” Nurse said. “We ran a little thing and he squirted it out for a wing three. Didn’t have many other ones. Justin usually gets more kind of random opportunities. … He had one that got blocked. Usually, he’s got a few more. With some of (the Celtics’) over-help and collapsing, there’s probably some kick-out opportunities for those guys.”

The Sixers will review the film and see a lot more to like than from their blowout Game 1 loss. 

They’ll notice plenty of decisive factors beyond stars and shotmaking, too. 

“It’s little stuff … you just can’t have it,” Maxey said. “That’s a hell of a basketball team over there. We are too, but there’s certain mistakes we just can’t make. …. The attention to detail is really, really small. 

“I learned early on in my playoff career that the playoffs are broken down into single-possession games. Every single possession matters. You don’t want (any) possessions to come back to bite you.”

LeBron James made a three-pointer to force overtime before the Los Angeles Lakers moved to the brink of a series victory in the NBA play-offs.

The NBA's four-time Most Valuable Player levelled the score with 13 seconds left against the Houston Rockets and almost clinched victory as he hit the rim with a three-pointer on the buzzer.

But the Lakers went on to win 112-108 in overtime to claim a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round of the play-offs.

James, 41, again stepped up in the absence of the injured Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, claiming a team-high 29 points and 13 rebounds.

Marcus Smart also recorded a double-double, scoring eight of his 21 points in overtime and adding a team-high 10 assists.

"With two of our best players down, we've got to play desperate," said Smart. "We've got to be the most desperate team.

"That's how we've been playing, and that's how we're winning, right? The chemistry has been good, and you're starting to see guys' confidence go up because of that."

An ankle sprain ruled out Houston's leading scorer Kevin Durant for the second time in the series.

The Rockets also host game four on Sunday and must win to prevent the Lakers earning a sweep of the series and booking their place in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Conference rivals San Antonio lead the Portland Trail Blazers 2-1 after fighting back to claim a 120-108 win on the road.

Stephon Castle scored 33 points for the Spurs while rookie reserve Dylan Harper added career bests of 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Victor Wembanyama was on the Spurs bench but could not play as this season's defensive player of the year remained in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in game two on Tuesday.

The Boston Celtics took a 2-1 lead over Eastern Conference rivals Philadelphia as they claimed a 108-100 win at the 76ers.

Jayson Tatum scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter while Jaylen Brown also scored 25 points for Boston.

• James shines for Lakers while Wembanyama concussed

Nique Clifford reveals positives of being at ‘rock bottom' with Kings in Year 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 2025-26 NBA season was not kind to the Kings, who finished the year with a 22-60 record.

Although it was a long season with plenty of ups and downs, rookie guard Nique Clifford revealed on a recent episode of “The Young Man and The Three” that it he tried to remain positive about his first year in the league.

“I tried to view it as a positive,” Clifford said when asked if he took away a lesson. “Starting at rock bottom, honestly, it can only go up or us. Being one of the worst teams in the league, that’s not what I expected coming into my first year. So, I feel like it’s good to start at rock bottom, because I can only get better as an individual and as a team, so I try to view it as that.

“So honestly just looking at it through the lens of like yeah it sucks we lost, but it also gave me an opportunity to just play a lot and get adjusted and used to the NBA.”

Selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of Colorado State, Clifford played in 75 games and started in 28 this season for the Kings. The 24-year-old rookie averaged 8.6 points, 2.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.

The Kings’ plans for the upcoming draft and next season in general remain a mystery at this time, as the franchise again faces plenty of tough decisions. However, Clifford might have solidified himself as a player who is worth retaining as they look to rebuild.

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Whew. After 48 hard fought minutes of basketball, the Boston Celtics scraped out a gritty 108-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. With the win, the Celtics regain control of homecourt advantage and now lead the series 2-1.

The Celtics were dominating for the first 54 minutes of the series, but the Sixers have put together a hell of a response since then. It’s been back-and-forth, punches being thrown left and right, and at the end of three rounds, both teams are still standing. We’ve seen some haymakers, but no knockout punch just yet.

Philly has had a balanced scoring series so far with Tyrese Maxey leading the way with 27 points per game, followed by Paul George at 18, VJ Edgecombe at 17.7, Kelly Oubre at 13, and then Drummond at 8 ppg. Boston, on the other hand, has been very top heavy. Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points per game, Jayson Tatum at 23, and then the only other double-digit scorer is Payton Pritchard, who squeaks through at 10.3 ppg.

Notably, Boston hasn’t gotten nearly enough from Derrick White in the scoring department. He’s just below the double-digit threshold, currently averaging 9.7 points per game, but he’s third on the team in field goals attempted, and is shooting an abysmal 29.4% from the floor (3.3 FGM/11.3 FGA), and 20% from three (1.7 3PM/8.3 3PA). It’s been easy to get frustrated with White’s production, or lack thereof, but he will always make winning plays at the end of the game, just as he did last night.

Sixty seconds left on the game clock, Celtics up by 3. Pritchard takes his time bringing the ball up, dishing it to Tatum after crossing half-court. Fifty seconds left on the game clock, Tatum waits patiently as the play develops.

Forty-three seconds on the game clock, 6 seconds on the shot clock; Tatum makes his move, driving against Adem Bona, and then kicks it to Nikola Vucevic in the corner. Thirty-nine seconds on the game clock, 3 on the shot clock; Vuc takes the corner three. The ball taking it’s time in the air. It’s off.

Thirty-seven seconds left on the game clock. Derrick White, after crashing in from the opposite corner, skies over the top of two Sixers players to grab the offensive board and keep the most crucial possession of the game alive. He takes a second to catch his balance and kick the ball over to Payton Pritchard to avoid falling out of bounds with the ball.

Thirty-three seconds left on the game clock; the Celtics reset the possession with Tatum at the top of the key. He burns some time. Twenty-eight seconds left on the game clock; Tatum sizes up Adem Bona. He pulls up for three.

Bang.

25.3 seconds left on the game clock, Celtics up by 6. Tatum hit the dagger. Philly timeout. The rest is history.

Obviously, JT is the one who put Boston up and the game away, but he doesn’t get that opportunity without Derrick White’s awareness. There’s no doubt that White had a really rough showing, 3-12 from the floor, 1-8 from three. It would be easy for most coaches to leave a player having a game like that on the bench at the end of the game, but White has proven time and time again that he will show up and make the right play, and that he did.

If Derrick doesn’t get that rebound, Philly is only down 3 with a perfect chance for a 2-for-1 opportunity. Instead, The Celtics get to limit the Sixers to one last meaningful possession while they hold a two-possession lead.

That also wasn’t the only time White showed up when the Celtics needed him. As hard as Philly was to contain, White managed to pick up 1 steal and 3 blocks over the course of the game. He fought through his own struggles, and gave his full effort on each and every play.

After the game Tatum had this to say about White: “We need him. I can say it 100 times. We need him, we need him, we need him… D-White is an unreal basketball player that still just has his imprint on the game, and makes plays on both end of the floor… When he’s open, we’re going to pass it to him, we want him to be aggressive.”

Joe Mazzulla shared a similar message: “Anybody that ever doubts D-White, they don’t really care about winning. There’s a competitive confidence piece there, there’s a character piece there. He’s not defined by shot making… Those two rebounds were big-time rebounds, and he can impact winning in so many different ways. I’m always gonna double down on his competitive character and who he is.”

It’s going to be hard for Celtics fans to stomach every shot Derrick misses; believe me, I feel it too. But he has a long history of making the right play. The coaches trust him, his teammates trust him, and we should too.

PHILADELPHIA — A few feet behind my press row seat, a Philadelphia 76ers fan donning a vintage Allen Iverson jersey turned to his friend.

“This time, we’re going to pull it off.”

The score was 85-84 in favor of the Celtics with just under 9 minutes to play in Game 3, but inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, it felt like the tides were turning after Tyrese Maxey hit another three-pointer — his second consecutive, unanswered jumper, which evoked shades of his big fourth quarter in the 76ers’ Game 2 victory.

The Celtics called a timeout, and for a moment, as 76ers fans rejoiced, it felt like time stood still.

It’s in those moments that, as a writer, the story typically begins to unfold in my head.

Teams that win Game 3 end up winning around 80% of NBA playoff series.

Philadelphia looks really, really confident.

And finally, the most overarching thought:

Was this really how such a special Celtics season was going to end?

But, although I had already visualized a 76ers win, Maxey never scored again. The Celtics’ championship pedigree and undying belief in one another powered them to their most crucial victory of the year.

“I liked the mindset that we had, the competitiveness, the togetherness,” said Joe Mazzulla after the 108-100 win. “I thought there was great communication, great body language, great togetherness – just things that can help you get through stuff.”

Jaylen Brown checked into the game with 8 minutes to play

Brown, like most of the Celtics’ top performers, was in the midst of a night that came with plenty of highs and plenty of lows when he came back into the game to close out the fourth quarter. He had already turned the ball over 5 times — two of which came on offensive fouls.

But, with the season seemingly on the line, he delivered.

It started with a defensive play; he stole the ball from Maxey to find a streaking Derrick White, who laid it in to give the Celtics a 3-point lead with 7 minutes to spare.

Then he took over offensively; from the 6:10 mark in the fourth quarter to the 2:39 mark, Brown was the only Celtic to make a basket for Boston.

“This was like a Game 7 for us,” he said at the podium, after a 25-point, 7-rebounds, 4-assist, 3-block performance.

I kept going back to the four minutes in the fourth quarter in which Brown put the offense on his back and scored eight consecutive points, keeping the Celtics alive amid the many things that went wrong (17 turnovers, a Neemias Queta foul trouble, the list goes on).

During that whole time, I couldn’t help but think about all the discourse that has long surrounded Brown’s career: his on-off numbers, the advanced analytics, being pigeonholed as an NBA Robin, and all the inevitable noise that comes with being a star player on one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.

You could put away the spreadsheet; when it mattered most, Brown got bucket after bucket with his team’s season on the line.

“That’s what it comes down to,” Brown said. “All your preparation comes down to those moments. Both teams are tired. Your team is maybe, offensively, in a little bit of a rut. Gotta figure out how to get a basket. Gotta figure out how to create some momentum for your team. And I feel like I did just enough to shift things in our favor.”

Then, with just over two minutes to spare in the ballgame, he passed the torch to his co-star.

Jayson Tatum, clutch-time heroics, and playing with joy

In the final 130 seconds of the basketball game, Jayson Tatum got to the free line, hit two pull-up three-pointers, and found Payton Pritchard for a huge three-pointer to beat the shot-clock buzzer.

Tatum’s biggest shot — the unequivocal dagger — came after an offensive rebound from Derrick White. White passed it out to Brown, who had the ball in his hands with Kelly Oubre Jr. defending him.

Brown generally likes that match-up (he’ll take most). But, a few feet away, he saw that Jayson Tatum had Adem Bona guarding him. That was an even better match-up.

So, Brown didn’t hesitate before passing the ball to Tatum, who quickly called for the iso. After 118 playoff games together, the correct play was instinctive.

“In those moments, I got nothing but trust for Jayson Tatum,” Brown said. “When it comes down to it, we’ve been through it.”

The final three-pointer gave the Celtics a 106-100 lead with 27 seconds to go.

And, as the ball splashed through the net, the look on Jayson Tatum’s face conveyed one expression: joy.

“I just missed being a part of moments like that, where it’s just like a back-and-forth game,” Tatum said. “We had some moments where things didn’t go our way, and then we had to fight back and get the lead. And it was just a figure-it-out type of game, and make winning plays. The rebound that D-White got, the steal that JB got, P hitting that big shot. Just as a basketball player, being on the team where everybody’s just contributing and making plays.”

Tatum is still rehabbing, he reminded us after Game 1. It hasn’t even been a year since his Achilles rupture. Still, he finished the night with 25 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, scoring or assisting on all of the team’s field goals in the final two minutes. He played a whopping 42 minutes.

But, asked about other people’s expectations for his play, he smiled.

“Obviously, I’m not 100% yet and whatnot, but the expectations of what people want me to do is the last thing that has crossed my mind,” he said. “Just the amount of joy I’ve been able to find in just being back out there, and being out there with my teammates, is all I think about.”

Joy, as a matter of fact, was everywhere. It was all over Luka Garza’s face each time Nikola Vucevic hit a big three. Hugo Gonzalez practically represented it as he jumped up and down after his veterans made game-saving play after game-saving play.

It was all over Deuce Tatum’s face as he danced after his dad hit the dagger; the same dad he watched rely on crutches just months earlier.

But perhaps no one felt the joy more than Tatum.

“I just missed being a part of moments like that,” he said. “And it was just fun.”

For Joe Mazzulla, that fourth quarter stretch — which began with Brown and ended with Tatum — embodied the team’s championship experience.

But, really, it started with both stars’ even response to disappointment in Game 2.

“I trust our group,” Brown said at the TD Garden podium, pointing to the team’s growth throughout the season. “We just got to continue to have the right mentality, have each other’s back, just breathe.”

“What I’ve learned throughout my 9 years in the playoffs is just stay even-keeled throughout, right?” Tatum said. “And I think the team that sticks together and does that from an emotional standpoint will be fine.”

That unflappable demeanor, perhaps even more than their big fourth quarter, is what stood out most to their head coach.

“I think it shows up in how you handle playoff losses, how you handle a bad game, how you handle winning,” Mazzulla said. “I think the experience just kind of shows up in – they’re poised on a day-to-day basis – not getting too high, not getting too low, having a clear understanding of what’s at stake and what’s needed on a consistent basis. And I thought you saw that tonight.”

The other 2024 champions stepped up, too

It wouldn’t be fair to give all the Game 3 credit to the Jays, though the duo did score or assist on all of the Celtics’ fourth-quarter points (with the exception of two end-of-game free throws).

Derrick White has made headlines for his shooting struggles this season; in his series, he’s shooting 29.4% from the field and 20% from three.

But he secured two offensive rebounds in the final four minutes, both of which led to Celtics baskets. His second rebound is what led to the Tatum dagger three-pointer.

“We need him,” Tatum said. “I can say it 100 times. We need him. We need him. We need him. And, it’s tough as a basketball player. We’ve all been through it when you’re not hitting shots at the rate that you expect to or want to. It’s just sometimes you just don’t make them. But D-White is an unreal basketball player that still just has his imprint on the game and makes plays on both ends of the floor.”

Mazzulla said it best: “Anyone who ever doubts D-White, they don’t really care about winning.”

And, Payton Pritchard hit one of his most clutch shots as a Celtic, beating the shot clock buzzer with a deep three and talking smack all the way down the floor. That three-pointer — his fifth of the night — gave the Celtics a 5-point lead with just over a minute to play.

Mazzulla acknowledged that Pritchard hadn’t been super involved in the offense up until that point.

But, with the clock winding down, he delivered.

“We found him,” Mazzulla said, “and he made it.”

Nikola Vucevic doesn’t have the playoff experience that many of his teammates do. Still, the Celtics’ trade deadline acquisition became the team’s most oft-used post player on Friday, tallying 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks in 30 minutes.

And, he watched in awe as Tatum and Brown lifted the team to victory.

“Two great players, different players that have been in these situations so many times; you can just tell [when the] game is coming down to the wire, they’re just very poised,” Vucevic said. “They didn’t let the moment or physicality affect them. They knew what they wanted to do. They knew what spots they wanted to get to.”

By the time Tatum and Brown walked off the floor, Xfinity Mobile was mostly filled with Celtics fans, who cheered as they watched one of the NBA’s most successful duos walk off the parquet.

“This was a big win for us,” Brown said.

They just need 14 more.

Boston Celtics (56-26, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, seventh in the Eastern Conference)

Philadelphia; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT

LINE: Celtics -7.5; over/under is 213.5

EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Celtics lead series 2-1

BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Celtics visit the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The Celtics won the last meeting 108-100 on Friday, led by 25 points from Jaylen Brown. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31.

The 76ers are 27-25 against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference in rebounding with 43.6 rebounds. Andre Drummond leads the 76ers with 8.4 boards.

The Celtics have gone 36-16 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with 12.5 offensive rebounds per game led by Neemias Queta averaging 3.0.

The 76ers make 46.2% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.0 percentage points higher than the Celtics have allowed to their opponents (44.2%). The Celtics are shooting 46.7% from the field, which equals what the 76ers' opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Quentin Grimes is scoring 13.4 points per game and averaging 3.6 rebounds for the 76ers. Maxey is averaging 24.5 points and 3.4 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Derrick White is averaging 16.5 points and 5.4 assists for the Celtics. Brown is averaging 24.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 5-5, averaging 109.8 points, 44.4 rebounds, 22.0 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.6 points per game.

Celtics: 8-2, averaging 119.9 points, 45.5 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 6.7 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.3 points.

INJURIES: 76ers: Joel Embiid: day to day (abdomen).

Celtics: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.