Category: NBA

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakersfinished off their Western Conference first-round series against the Houston Rockets on Friday, May 1.

The 41-year-old superstar finished with 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Lakers beat the Rockets 98-78 in Game 6.

He produced 18 points and was responsible for seven of Los Angeles' 18 successful shot attempts from the field throughout the first two quarters of play.

During the game, James reached 1,500 career playoff points as a member of the Lakers.

He reached the mark with a 4-foot, two-point shot, giving the Lakers a 32-18 lead with 9:26 left in the second quarter. James entered Game 6 with 1,489 playoff points for the Lakers.

It was win or go home for the Toronto Raptors on Friday night as they hosted game six IN the 6ix against Cleveland. After losing game five, the Raptors either had to win to force a game seven or be eliminated from the playoffs. There were a few tough blows for the Raptors before the game even started, with Brandon Ingram being a late scratch due to a heel injury he’s been battling for a while now. He joined Quickley on the bench, meaning the Raptors were down two starters.

Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter filled those spots for the Raptors instead. The atmosphere in Toronto was absolutely rocking as the game started, and the Raptors fed into it immediately. They played tough defence, got stops, and were sharing the ball enough to gain a 10-point lead at halftime.

Despite the steallar play in the first half, the Raptors’ tired legs got ahead of them in the second half. The Cavaliers slowly inched back until it was a one posession game. Of course, because why not in this series, the game went to overtime. Overtime ended up being a gritty rock fight (shocker), but a highlight was Jamal Shead’s sixth foul being overturned by a well timed coach’s challenge.

It was a one-point game in the waning seconds as the Raptors had the posession, and who else to have the ball in his hands than RJ BARRETT? In another Raptors playoff moment that involved a gravity-defying rim bounce, the ball went in, giving the Raptors the lead. What a moment for the hometown kid.

According to Scottie, RJ looked at him and said “I got you Scott” before making the series-saving shot. The Raptors win the game 112-110. You can’t script it any better than that.

Scottie Barnes had a massive game, just coming up huge in every way with a 25 point, 14 assist, 7 rebound, 3 steal, 3 block stat line. The MVP chants he got were well deserved as the was everywhere for his team. RJ Barrett scored 24 points of his own along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Ja’Kobe Walter had 24 points as well, with 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.

So much about this game proved the growth of the Raptors in the past 12 months. A year ago, they were a lottery team — now? They are holding their own in a playoff series off of some incredible performances. They are winning these clutch game situations. No matter how game seven goes, there is so much to look on in this Raptors series as a success.

It’s not just the growth of Barnes either, though that’s a highlight. It’s the way Barrett has stepped up, the way Jamal Shead has been so important on the floor — so much so that Darko risked a challenge to keep him in the game. It’s the way Ja’Kobe Walter had that next man up mentality, or the way this team has stayed in the series despite being down two starters for most of the series. So much about this series has showed the progression of the Raptors, but also who they should focus their team building efforts on going into next season.

The Raptors have never won a playoff game Cleveland. Ever. How poetic would it be for this team to break that streak? They have proven time and time again that they are gritty, that they don’t give up. Of course, this series has far exceeded expectations of what people thought was possible from this team, but getting the win and going to round two would just be beyond any expectations. It would be fun. Raptors fans haven’t had much of that in the past few years. Let’s keep it going. Back to Cleveland we go.

The Cleveland Cavaliers blew a chance at ending the series. Now they’ll face the Toronto Raptors for a Game 7 in Cleveland.

Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

LOSER – Single Rims

I’ve seen enough. The NBA should invest in double rims, preferably ones that cause shots to rattle out more often.

Please, I’m begging you.

LOSER – Late Game Turnovers

Jokes aside, the Cavs had a golden opportunity to end the series. A one-point lead with the shot clock off and the ball in their hands.

They turned it over.

I understand having Dennis Schroder on the floor. He’s your slipperiest player who can dash into the backcourt and guarantee the ball is put into play. From there, however, problems emerge.

Let’s maybe use one of your timeouts before trying a jump pass? Especially when tossing a grenade to your team’s worst free-throw shooter (who also happens to be straddling the sideline and is smothered by an elite defender).

It’s not Schroder’s fault that Mobley lost the ball. But the process was questionable, and the results speak for themselves.

Worse, this isn’t even the first time the Cavs turned it over in a similar position. In Game 4, they choked away a late lead after Donovan Mitchell was forced into an eight-second violation.

LOSER – The Backcourt (for three quarters)

This has been the story of the series. The Cavs’ backcourt, to varying degrees, has thrown a 2-0 lead down the drain with some truly abysmal road performances.

We’ll start with the less egregious offender.

If you could magically remove the possessions where James Harden threw the ball straight to a Raptors defender, then I wouldn’t have many complaints. Hell, even cutting that number in half would be pretty sweet. But even with Harden raising the floor by keeping the offense alive in the non-Mitchell minutes, his erradic turnovers have led directly to Toronto’s fastbreaks, which have broken Cleveland’s back.

The Raptors had 25 points off turnovers tonight. Harden finished with 4 turnovers.

That pales in comparison to Donovan Mitchell. Who, by all accounts, has been awful since Game 2.

You can afford to have your best player struggle in the playoffs. That’s bound to happen for at least a game or two. But four out of six? That’s downright diabolical. That’s the stuff that causes you to rethink the future of your entire franchise.

Mitchell was once again out of sorts. Totally thrown out of whack by the Raptors’ swarming defense. He shot 2-10 from deep, mostly on desperation attempts — and failed to register an assist until the closing minutes despite commanding so much defensive attention.

These two would turn it around significantly. But the first three quarters are still important!

WINNER – The Fourth Quarter Rally

Alright, you don’t get within seconds of closing out a series without doing at least a few things right.

Mitchell turned it on in the fourth quarter. He finally broke free from Toronto’s shackles and found a nice home for himself in the mid-range. His floater helped fuel the comeback while Cleveland’s defense continued to ratchet up the intensity.

The Cavs held the Raptors to just 12 points in the fourth quarter. That’s as good as it gets defensively. If the Cavs could have been more effective on offense (only scoring 23 points themselves), they might have avoided overtime altogether.

This is where Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen deserve their flowers.

The two bigs came up huge throughout the rally. Mobley, in particular, scored 7 points in the clutch without missing a shot. He hit a corner three-pointer to cut into the lead, and then scored in isolation to force overtime in the final seconds.

Allen wasn’t as active in the scoring department but he applied maximum pressure on the glass. Allen grabbed contested board after contested board, helping the Cavs end possessions and extending them on the other side of the floor.

For a minute, this felt like the moment Cleveland was going to break through and prove they’re ready for the moment. Now they face elimination on Sunday.

LOSER – Wasting your challenge

WHY, KENNY? WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Sorry, I had to get this one out.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Orlando forward Paolo Banchero, when asked to explain what went wrong for the Magic in the second half against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, had a very succinct answer.

“They went on a pretty big run there,” Banchero said. “And we didn't score.”

It truly might have been that simple.

The Pistons — facing elimination and down by 24 points, on the road, in the second half, and about to join an ignominious club of No. 1 seeds who were ousted from the playoffs by No. 8 seeds — pulled off a comeback for the ages in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Magic.

The final score: Pistons 93, Magic 79.

“We weren't going to lay down,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. “For anything.”

A breakdown of how the comeback — or the collapse, depending on one’s perspective — happened:

The basic numbers

— The score over the first 25 minutes: Magic 62, Pistons 38.

— The score over the final 23 minutes: Pistons 55, Magic 17.

— The score in the fourth quarter: Pistons 31, Magic 8.

— Orlando's shooting percentage in the fourth quarter: 5%. The Magic were 1 for 20.

— That was the worst shooting percentage by any team, in any quarter, since Washington shot 5% in the fourth quarter against Charlotte on Nov. 25, 2015. Put another way, it was the worst shooting performance in any quarter by an NBA team in the league's last 20,238 games.

Orlando's shooting drought

The Magic missed 23 consecutive shots from the field, the most by any team in a playoff game during the play-by-play era (which started with the 1996-97 season).

— Banchero and Desmond Bane were both 0 for 6.

— Jalen Suggs was 0 for 4.

— In all, eight Magic players missed a shot during the drought and 13 of the 23 misses were from 3-point range.

— Orlando led 70-54 when the run of missed shots started. Detroit led 89-75 when it ended. That's a 35-5 Pistons run.

— In game time, the missed-shot stretch took 13 minutes, 50 seconds. In real time, it was about 41 minutes.

What the Pistons did

Cunningham had seven field goals in the second half and Duncan Robinson had four for the Pistons in that span.

The Magic — as a team — had four baskets, in the entire second half. And Cunningham outscored the Magic in the second half by himself, 24-19.

“I mean, we just have amazing spirit and never quit," Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “This is a testament to what we’ve built.”

Detroit didn't exactly get red-hot; the Pistons shot 40% in the second half. But the defense and a dominant show on the glass — the Pistons outrebounded the Magic 35-17 in the second half — was more than enough.

The final word

“It keeps us alive. It allows us to fight another day. And now it's about us going and finishing the job. None of this stuff means anything if we don't go win Game 7. But we'll be back at home, we'll have a lot of energy in there, and these last two games have given us a lot of life.” — Cunningham, on what the comeback and having a chance to play Game 7 means.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Imagine trying to explain this to a friend who doesn’t really watch the NBA.

The No. 8 seed Magic led the No. 1 Pistons 60-38 in a playoff elimination game at home with a 3-2 series lead.

On the brink of becoming the seventh No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in NBA history, the Pistons mounted a furious, defensive-minded comeback, outscoring the Magic 55-19 in the second half in front of their home crowd.

Orlando, despite its 22-point halftime lead, lost the game 93-79.

The Pistons outscored the Magic 31-8 in the fourth quarter, where Orlando shot 1-for-20 from the field and 0-for-10 from deep.

Detroit’s star player, Cade Cunningham, finished with the same number of points in just the fourth quarter (19) as Orlando had in the entire second half.

The Magic’s 19 points are the lowest ever for a team in a half during an NBA playoff game.

And during their collapse, the Magic missed 23 consecutive shots, 27 of their final 28 field goal attempts, and 37 of their 41 second-half tries from the floor.

The Pistons’ win forces a Game 7, which will be in Detroit on Sunday.

The Pistons, who trailed 3-1 entering Game 5, haven’t won a playoff series since 2008, while the Magic haven’t since 2010.

Cunningham, who found his offense late, finished the memorable evening with a game-high 32 points, along with 10 rebounds.

The winner of the series will face the winner of the Cavaliers and Raptors series in the Eastern Conference semifinals, which will begin this coming week.

Shortly after the Pistons victory, the Raptors outlasted the Cavaliers in overtime behind a game-winning three from RJ Barrett, who channeled Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton with an elevated bounce from back iron to drain the three.

That forced a Game 7 between the Cavaliers and Raptors on Sunday.

This era of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball has become synonymous with playoff collapses. How it happens changes. The final result doesn’t.

This time, it was RJ Barrett who broke Cleveland’s heart by hitting a game-winning three that careened off the rim, hung in the air for eternity, and then fell through the hoop with just over a second to play to keep the Toronto Raptors season alive. That bounce turned what would’ve been a 110-109 win for the Cavs into a 112-110 victory for Toronto.

For as good as that shot was, Barrett should’ve never had an opportunity to attempt it, at least not for the win.

The Cavs had the ball up one with 11 seconds to play. Head coach Kenny Atkinson subbed Dennis Schroder, the Game 5 hero, into the game for the crucial possession and decided to inbound the ball in the backcourt.

Toronto applied pressure, but Schroder broke it, bursting into the front court. Then, inexplicably, he attempted a pass to Evan Mobley — the worst free-throw shooter on the court — when the Raptors were going to inevitably foul and send Cleveland to the line. As bad as that decision was, something far worse happened. Mobley just let the ball be poked out of his hands.

If that inexcusable mistake doesn’t happen, that shot from Barrett might not have either. Or at the very least, it probably wouldn’t have won Toronto the game.

But to blame the defeat on just one play is disingenuous. The Cavs lost this game in the first three quarters due to their inattention to detail, incoherent offense, poor lineup decisions, and the inability of their stars to rise to the occasion.

The Cavs sleptwalked through the first three quarters against a Raptors team that was without their starting point guard and leading scorer from the regular season. They approached the game with the same intensity you’d expect from the second night of a back-to-back in January. Not a closeout playoff game.

The Raptors took advantage. They were the aggressors as they jumped out to a 10-point lead at the break, and then extended it to 15 midway through the third quarter.

This game had all the makings of any of the previous Cavs no-shows in the playoffs. Except this time, they counterpunched.

Defense, not offense, got the Cavs back into the game.

The attention to detail that wasn’t present at the start of the game was suddenly there. This resulted in the Raptors going three-and-a-half minutes without scoring and putting up just 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland’s offense wasn’t great, but it did enough to get them back into the game. Donovan Mitchell came alive, scoring 11 points in the final frame.

For as well as the Cavs played throughout the fourth, they couldn’t get over the hump. They found themselves down two with 16 seconds left, before Evan Mobley hit a clutch finger roll to tie the game.

A missed Jamal Shead three-pointer sent the game to overtime.

The Cavs then grabbed their first lead since the opening quarter off a James Harden midrange jumper. Then, a Mitchell finger roll with 34 seconds left in overtime gave the Cavs a two-point advantage.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, that would be the last shot attempt they would get.

Jamal Shead drew a shooting foul on the following possession. He split his free throws, making it a one-point game.

Cleveland grabbed the rebound on the missed shot. Mitchell advanced it into the forecourt and was then fouled. The Raptors had a foul to give, which meant the Cavs had to do it again before they could attempt free throws. Then Mobley fumbled it away, Barrett hit the three, and the Raptors escaped with the victory.

Mobley was the lone bright spot in the loss for Cleveland, even though he committed the turnover late.

Mobley played one of the best games of his career, considering the moment. He came up with numerous big shots, including a triple at the end of regulation and a game-tying basket just before the close of the fourth quarter that kept the Cavs in this game. Mobley finished with 26 points on 9-15 shooting with 14 rebounds, three assists, and a steal.

Mitchell struggled to get anything going until the fourth quarter. He ended the evening with 24 points, but it took him 26 shots to get there. He had just five rebounds, two assists, and three turnovers in the loss.

Harden struggled to find his scoring touch. He went 5-14 from the field for just 16 points. He did, however, provide nine big rebounds, including five on the offensive end, to go along with nine assists. Turnovers were once again a problem for the Cavs, and Harden was the biggest culprit as he committed four.

Toronto was led by 25 points from Scottie Barnes on 11-21 shooting to go along with 14 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter had 24 points apiece.

The Cavs are one loss away from their season ending. Game 7 will be back home on Sunday evening.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 32 points and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons pulled off an incredible rally Friday night, erasing a 24-point deficit and beating the Orlando Magic 93-79 to force a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Detroit trailed by 22 at the half and Orlando’s lead went to 62-38 early in the third quarter. The Magic looked absolutely poised to become the seventh No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the conference quarterfinal round.

And then everything went wrong for Orlando. Everything.

The Magic became the first team since 1996-97 — when play-by-play began getting tracked digitally — to lose at home after leading by at least 24 points with a chance to win a series.

Tobias Harris scored 22 points for Detroit, which will host Game 7 on Sunday. Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane each scored 17 for Orlando, which is now 0-2 in closeout opportunities in this series.

RAPTORS 112, CAVALIERS 110, OT

TORONTO (AP) — RJ Barrett hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime and Toronto pushed their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series to a seventh game by beating Cleveland.

Evan Mobley had a chance to win it for Cleveland but his 3-pointer bounced off the front of the rim.

Scottie Barnes had 25 points and 14 assists, Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter both scored 24 points and Collin Murray-Boyles added 17 as Toronto held on after blowing an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Game 7 is in Cleveland on Sunday. The home team has won all six games so far in the series.

Mobley had 26 points and 14 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and James Harden had 16 for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen scored 14 points and Dean Wade had 10.

LAKERS 98, ROCKETS 78

HOUSTON (AP) — LeBron James had 28 points and Los Angeles eliminated Houston in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series by holding the Rockets to a season low in points.

The No. 4 seed Lakers move on to meet the top-seeded Thunder with Game 1 Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

The Lakers used a 27-3 run in the first half to take an 18-point lead at halftime. They led by 22 with about three minutes left in the third quarter before Houston went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 71-55 entering the fourth.

But Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 10-3 spurt, with five points from Rui Hachimura, to make it 81-58 with about seven minutes left.

Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers.

Amen Thompson had 18 points and Alperen Sengun added 17 for Houston, which is heading home after a first-round playoff loss for a second straight season after losing to the Warriors in seven games last year.

The Toronto Raptors had to scrap after blowing a 15-point lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half, but guard RJ Barrett got the friendliest of bounces off the back rim on Toronto’s game-winning 3-pointer in overtime that extended the season to a Game 7.

With the Raptors facing a one-point deficit with 10.9 seconds left in overtime, Toronto inbounded the ball to forward Scottie Barnes, who brought it up the floor. Barnes faced a double-team when Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley collapsed on Barnes in the paint, leaving Barrett wide open at the top of the key. Barrett hoisted a 3-point attempt that hit the back rim and then bounced high in the air, reaching to the top of the shot clock above the basket, before it fell through the net.

RJ BARRETT HITS THE GO-AHEAD 3 IN OT TO WIN IT FOR THE RAPTORS AND FORCE GAME 7 🚨

WHAT A SHOT WITH THE SEASON ON THE LINE 😲 pic.twitter.com/FI6yKSWCaq

— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2026

The shot gave the Raptors a two-point edge, and Mobley missed the would-be, game-winning attempt on the other end to give Toronto a 112-110 victory.

The shot was reminiscent of another back-rim bounce from last season’s playoffs, when Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton tied Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals when his shot bounced high off the back rim.

This was a pivotal night in the 2026 NBA playoffs.

The slate on Friday, May 1 saw three potential closeout games, which meant that three series could have ended tonight – or the same three series could continue with decisive Game 7s.

The Eastern Conference featured two games, with the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic seeking to knock out the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, while the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers looked to end the season of the No. 5 seed Toronto Raptors. In the Western Conference, the Houston Rockets hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in a Game 6 showdown.

The night started with chaos, with the Pistons completing an improbable comeback. Conversely, depending on your perspective, the Magic fell apart in an epic meltdown.

Here are the winners and losers from Friday night in the NBA playoffs:

NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Scores and schedules from all first-round series

Vanessa Bryant posted a photograph of her daughter, Gianna, on Instagram Friday on what would have been Gianna's 20th birthday.

“Happy birthday to my sweet baby angel, Gianna," Vanessa said in the post. "Words can’t express how much I love and miss you mamacita. Mommy loves you so much!"

Gianna Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash six years ago along with eight other passengers, including her father, Kobe Bryant.

The crash happened en route to Kobe Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park, California, where he was scheduled to coach his daughter's team.

Vanessa Bryant’s tribute to Gigi on her 20th Birthday ❤️ pic.twitter.com/1fzNwGSSZr

— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) May 1, 2026

Vanessa Bryant's post had comments with heart emojis from basketball players such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu.

Other notable names such as Olivia Munn, Ciara and Kelly Rowland also left comments of support.

Kobe and Gianna have been honored with a statue that sits in front of Crypto.com Arena, which was unveiled in August 2024.

View this post on Instagram

There are nights in the NBA when the game feels secondary to the star power sitting courtside on celebrity row.

Like a kid walking through a museum of modern pop culture, the faces you grew up watching on stage and screen are suddenly right in front of your eyes arguing with referees like it’s a Game 7 of their own lives. 

And there’s no stage bigger when it comes to celebrity row than Los Angeles and New York. 

Crypto.com Arena, formerly Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, is where the top celebrities in movies, television, music, sports, tech and more flock to watch Luka Doncic, LeBron James and the Lake Show in action. 

The stars are out for Game 5 in LA! pic.twitter.com/Bi7fc5tyMv

— NBA (@NBA) April 30, 2026

"Sometimes you say celebrity row at a game and it's one or two people… this is an ENTIRE celebrity row."

pic.twitter.com/o3rUnA9xdU

— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2026

At Madison Square Garden, the celebrities aren’t scattered around like they are in LA. They’re seated shoulder to shoulder like a front-row orchestra that never misses a note. 

Both celebrity fan bases are loyal; they’re lifers and diehards. 

So, what would happen if we turned those courtside legends into two separate teams based on their fandom?

Let’s build it and find out. 

The Lakers

The head coach of the celebrity Lakers team is easy. Jack Nicholson, the godfather of purple and gold since the Showtime era at the Great Western Forum. He still looms over the franchise like a patron saint. He doesn’t come to games as regularly anymore, but his courtside seats have been passed on to his son, Ray. 

Here’s the Lakers’ roster of celebrities to choose from: 

Snoop Dogg, Flea (but the entire Red Hot Chili Peppers band), Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Dyan Cannon, Will Ferrell, Denzel Washington, Jack Black, Lou Adler, Michael B. Jordan, Kendrick Lamar, Jimmy Iovine, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Lawrence, Andy Garcia, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Dustin Hoffman, Paula Abdul, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Beyonce, David Arquette, Magic Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Mookie Betts, Odell Beckham Jr., Puka Nacua, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, Justin and Hailey Bieber, George Lopez, Salma Hayek, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Halsey, Tom Cruise, Anze Kopitar, Bill Maher, Adam Sandler, Bad Bunny, Emily Ratajkowski, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Steven Spielberg, Eddie Murphy, Lily Collins, Lil Wayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nicholas Hoult, Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin, Kate Hudson, Arsenio Hall, Nicholas Braun, Adele, Will.i.Am., Adam Levine and Maroon 5, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Kimmel, Pat Sajak, Jonah Hill, David Spade, Chris Rock, David Beckham, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Two Chainz, Kid Cudi, The Weeknd, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Courteney Cox, Steve Carell, Laura Dern, Chris Ivery, Jay Mohr, Jason Sudeikis, Saweetie, David Harbour, Hailee Steinfeld, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Corey Gamble, Kris Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Simon Baker, Lamar Odom, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Brie Larson, Charlize Theron, Usher, Jamie Foxx, Terrell Owens, Josh Brolin, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Kylian Mbappé, Tyga, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen — and so many more.

The Lakers’ Starting Five

Denzel Washington

Denzel would be your floor general. His voice in the huddle would command attention. Remember his performance in “Training Day”?

Leonardo DiCaprio

We came to learn recently that DiCaprio has struck up a secret friendship with LeBron James. The A-lister actor who is regularly seen courtside at Lakers games would be the silent assassin. Black hat and glasses, he’ll show up when you least expect it.  

Will Ferrell

Every team needs chaos, and Ferrell brings it in waves. He’s the emotional spark plug, the guy who takes a charge, dives into the stands and somehow makes it funny and heroic at the same time.

Flea

Flea and Ferrell are your energy guys. All motion and all heart. Flea could be a defensive menace, like Marcus Smart on the current roster. 

Justin Bieber

Bieber is your 3-point shooter and ball handler. He’s not afraid of the big moment or of the spotlight in Los Angeles. 

Bench mob: Mookie Betts, Eddie Murphy, Tobey Maguire, Dyan Cannon, Andy Garcia, Halsey and Dustin Hoffman.

The Knicks 

At the Garden, the head coach of the celebrity Knicks is Spike Lee. There’s nobody else. No debate. No discussion. He’s the pulse, the historian, the heartbeat stitched into every era.

Here’s the Knicks’ roster of celebrities to choose from: 

Ben Stiller, Adam Horovitz, Chris Rock, Howard Stern, Jon Stewart, Taylor Swift, Jimmy Fallon, Kal Penn, Ricky Gervais, Paul Simon, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, David Duchovny, Judd Hirsch, Norman Reedus, Adam Sandler, Niall Horan, Al Roker, Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner, Alan Alda, John Mulaney, Drew Barrymore, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Jay-Z and Beyonce, John Turturro, Ed Sheeran, Nicholas Turturro, Henrik Lundqvist, Martha Stewart, Mariska Hargitay, Ray Romano, Jeff Garlin, Christopher Meloni, Larry David, Susie Essman, Lorne Michaels, Leon Robinson, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Connolly, Fat Joe, Bette Midler, Maria Menounos, Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, John Hamm, Edie Falco, Christine Taylor, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Michael J. Fox, Pete Davidson, Anne Hathaway, Carmelo Anthony, 50 Cent, Emmy Rossum, Bill Murray, Julianne Moore, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Cardi B, Jerry Seinfeld, Leslie Jones, JB Smoove, Stephen A. Smith and more.

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The Knicks’ Starting Five

Ben Stiller

Stiller is the glue guy every team needs. No Knicks fan wears wins and losses quite like him.

Timothee Chalamet

Chalamet is the new wave, the bridge between generations. On the court, he’s young, flashy and effortlessly cool. He’s the player you build a franchise around. 

Tracy Morgan

Morgan brings heart to this team. He’s real, unfiltered and isn’t afraid to tell his teammates how it is. He’s the kinda player the city will wrap its arms around.

Tina Fey

Fey is the strategist on the court. She has a sharp mind and even sharper instincts. She’s the player/coach every great team needs. 

Jon Stewart

Stewart is the passion and the vocal leader of the team. He’d be the one taking charges and demanding more from his teammates. He’s the grit NYC is built on. 

Bench mob: John McEnroe, Mariska Hargitay, Larry David, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Fat Joe, Michael J. Fox.

Two cities. Two identities. But they both live courtside. 

These lists were composed of more recent celebrities who are seen consistently at games the past few seasons. 

Mitchell Robinson was not suspended, but his wallet is a little bit lighter. 

The Knicks center was fined $50K for his role in a heated fracas with Dyson Daniels during the Knicks’ Game 6 series-clinching win over the Hawks on Thursday night at State Farm Arena. 

“The amount of Robinson’s fine takes into account his inappropriate post on social media in reference to the incident postgame,” the league said in a statement. 

Robinson posted a vulgar video trolling Daniels on his Instagram story after the game. 

Daniels was fined $25K. 

As OG Anunoby took a free throw with the Knicks leading by 50 points with just under five minutes left in the second quarter, Daniels yanked Robinson’s arm. 

The alternate angle of this Knicks-Hawks fight is WILD.

Read more: https://t.co/QMCkiKOwvepic.twitter.com/oeDy8fTZbY

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 1, 2026

Robinson subsequently got in Daniels’ face, and Onyeka Okongwu came over and tried to pull Robinson away from Daniels. 

That’s when it ignited. 

Players and coaches from both teams ran in and separated the two, but Robinson tried to go back for more. 

Knicks coach Mike Brown fell while trying to get in Robinson’s way. 

Referee Kevin Scott fell in the beginning of the kerfuffle. 

Robinson and Daniels were ejected.

NEW YORK (AP) — Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks was fined $50,000 and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks was fined $25,000, those penalties coming Friday for their roles in an on-court altercation during Game 6 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series.

The incident happened with 4:39 left in the second quarter of the Knicks' 140-89 series-clinching win on Thursday night. Both players were assessed technical fouls and ejected.

Robinson and Daniels “became entangled while battling for position during a free throw attempt," the NBA said, and the altercation escalated from there. Robinson merited the larger fine, the league said, because of “his inappropriate post on social media in reference to the incident postgame.”

The fine and ejection will not affect Robinson's availability for Game 1 of New York's Eastern Conference semifinal series against Boston or Philadelphia.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA