Category: Basketball

While it doesn’t make the losses feel any more frustrating in the moment, there is something comforting in the long run knowing that the team you’re losing to is just a better team.

It was apparent before Saturday, but Game 3 made it abundantly clear that the Lakers are simply levels below the Thunder. LA has made mistakes at times, but OKC is relentless and punishes them every time.

Normal teams make mistakes. Normal teams do not take advantage of every one of them. The Thunder are an abnormality. We have rarely seen a team like this.

There’s a bit of bitterness that the Lakers won’t have Luka Dončić this series. But against many other teams, this effort would result in a competitive series. The scheme is there. The effort is there more often than not. It’s not been perfect and there are areas to improve, but it ultimately doesn’t matter because they’ve run into a buzzsaw.

The only question left is if they’re interested in taking a flight back to Oklahoma.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

37 minutes, 19 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 7-19 FG, 2-6 3PT, 3-4 FT, -24

This wasn’t LeBron’s best effort. He’s looked more tired as the series has progressed. He hit a couple of threes in the first half that were big, but he was much quieter in the second half.

He’s still attacking the rim…and not getting calls. The Lakers need that. But can we just let this man have continuation on one jumper?

Grade: B

Rui Hachimura

39 minutes, 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-14 FG, 5-8 3PT, 2-2 FT, -24

The biggest winner of this series for the Lakers is Rui. He’s been a playoff riser before, but he’s been unbelievable in this series. Even after all the attention on it after Game 2, Rui came out and had his best game of the series.

Imagine where they would be without his shooting.

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

24 minutes, 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 fouls, 5-9 FG, -8

This wasn’t a great Ayton game. That being said, it seems he became a bit of a lightning rod for blame for this loss. Oddly, that was led by the broadcast.

Blaming Ayton for the team not grabbing offensive rebounds felt out of order. He was battling Isaiah Hartenstein on most of those possessions and getting a hand on it. He isn’t solely responsible for rebounding.

Now, having said all that, he’s been outplayed by both OKC bigs and it’s made a steep hill even harder to climb.

Grade: C-

Austin Reaves

39 minutes, 17 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 fouls, 5-13 FG, 1-5 3PT, 6-8 FT, -23

It was a slightly mixed bag from Reaves.

The positive was that his playmaking remained strong. He set a new playoff career high with nine assists. However, eight of those came in the first half, a sign of how much the Lakers tailed off in this one.

The big negative, though, was his overall shooting. He started the game missing a lot of shots. He found his way a bit later on, but it was too little, too late. The Lakers just need him to be better, flat out.

It’s not realistic to expect him to average 30 points and be an elite playmaker. But it is what the Lakers need right now.

And when he’s not doing that, his defensive shortcomings look really loud.

Grade: C+

Marcus Smart

32 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 3-7 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3-4 FT, -22

These have been back-to-back frustrating Smart games. He’s doing a lot of the little things on both ends of the floor. He’s making things difficult defensively. His hustle created a couple of baskets on the offensive end.

Those things are great when Luka is around. When he’s not, the Lakers need more and he’s unable to provide it.

At the same time, he’s still doing some nonsensical things. His football pass to LeBron in the first half was a terrible decision that somehow worked and ended in a Luke Kennard three. OKC was forcing him to create as well, and you’ll never believe how that went.

Grade: C+

Luke Kennard

29 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 7-10 FG, 4-6 3PT, -8

Easily his best game since the start of the first round. The difference in Game 3 was that he was aggressive, both as a shooter and as a driver. The Lakers got multiple open looks off his drive and kicks.

There are still negatives with him — he plays small even as a small player, which gets him crushed on switches — but this was still a great showing.

Grade: A

Jaxson Hayes

9 minutes, 1 point, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 1-2 FT, -5

This wasn’t an outright bad game from Hayes, it was just a really unimpactful one.

Grade: C

Adou Thiero

13 minutes, 4 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-3 FT, +0

Adou got Jake LaRavia’s spot in the rotation and was largely good. There were some chaotic moments, like blowing a wide open dunk and then getting bailed out by a foul call right after. But he grabbed eight boards, played decent defense and wasn’t awful. I’d suspect he gets time again in Game 4.

Grade: B+

Maxi Kleber

8 minutes, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 0-1 FG, -1

It was a bit of a surprise to see Kleber get minutes. It was even more surprising that he got them without another big on the floor. And those minutes went terribly. He turned the ball over, bobbled a pass out of bounds and set an illegal screen in consecutive possessions.

So, enough of that.

Grade: F

Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.

Only minutes in garbage time for this group.

JJ Redick

Redick is coaching one hell of a series. For a third straight game, they got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of rhythm as he finished 7-20 from the field. They’ve found some things that work offensively in spreading the Thunder out and finding shooters.

He changed up rotations today and found something that worked in Adou and something that didn’t in Kleber. But given where the team was in the game and series, you can’t blame him for trying something.

At the end of the day, it’s just obvious the team isn’t good enough.

Grade: A

Saturday’s DNPs: Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia

Saturday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

It all comes down to this!

Tomorrow is the biggest of the season for all the teams at the bottom of the standings. The Utah Jazz did everything they could to set themselves up for the most successful possible outcome in the lottery. The lottery is one of the most fascinating nights in all of sports. With the drawing of four lottery balls, the NBA’s future is decided. Will it be the worst teams in the league getting elite prospects, or will we see some of the better teams get lucky like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Atlanta Hawks?

Tomorrow, and for some reason on a Sunday on Mother’s Day, the NBA will decide which teams will receive a franchise-altering talent and which fan bases will come up with coping conspiracy theories as to why their ping pong balls didn’t come up in the lottery machine.

How to watch the 2026 NBA Lottery

Channel: ABC/ESPN

Start Time: 3:00 PM ET

Date: May 10, 2026

Where: McCormck Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL

What are the odds for the NBA Draft Lottery?

The Wizards, Pacers, and Nets are the three teams with the best odds to win the NBA lottery, with the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings tied with the next best odds at the 4th and 5th spots, with the Jazz owning the tiebreaker.

Here are the odds for each team in the NBA Draft Lottery

TEAM	RECORD	ODDS for #1 Pick
Washington	17-65	14.00%
Indiana (May be conveyed to the Clippers if not top-4)	19-63	14.00%
Brooklyn	20-62	14.00%
Utah	22-60	11.50%
Sacramento	22-60	11.50%
Memphis	25-57	9.00%
New Orleans (to Atlanta or Milwaukee)	26-56	6.80%
Dallas	26-56	6.70%
Chicago	31-51	4.50%
Milwaukee^	32-50	3.00%
Golden State	37-45	2.00%
LA Clippers (to Oklahoma City)	42-40	1.50%
Miami	43-39	1.00%
Charlotte	44-38	0.50%

But what are the odds for the rest of the picks? Here are the odds for each team and the range of likelihoods where the land.

Below are the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery probabilities for each team ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/SPuHiKew7n

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 8, 2026

The lottery tomorrow could be a memorable one. Jazz fans just hope that it’s most memorable for them.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a 116-109 Game 3 win over the Detroit Pistons thanks to 35 points from Donovan Mitchell and clutch shotmaking from James Harden.

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

	Offensive Rating	Effective Field Goal Percentage	Offensive Turnover Percentage	Offensive Rebounding Percentage	Free Throw Rate
Cavs	122.1, 70th percentile	66.2%, 95th percentile	15.8%, 37th percentile	25.3%, 25th percentile	24.3, 69th percentile
Pistons	114.7, 48th percentile	50%, 24th percentile	16.8%, 28th percentile	40.4%, 93rd percentile	19.8, 47th percentile

Now, let’s dive into the numbers.

• The Cavs are now 15-1 this year when Donovan Mitchell scores 35 or more points. Cleveland has gone as Mitchell has all season. That trend has now carried over to the playoffs, as seen with his scoring outburst in Game 3.
• Mitchell went 6-8 on shots in the restricted area. He continually got into the teeth of the defense and finished inside. Detroit simply couldn’t stay in front of him. This performance came after he attempted just one shot in the restricted area during the first two games combined.
• Mitchell once again couldn’t get anything to fall from three as he went 2-8. He’s connecting on just 32.2% of his outside looks this playoff run.
• Cleveland won the minutes Mitchell was on the court by seven. Mitchell was in the 86th percentile for on/off splits during the regular season. The Cavs consistently played their best basketball with him on the floor. That trend hasn’t carried over to the playoffs. Cleveland has only won Mitchell’s minutes four times this postseason. They’re 4-0 when they outscore their opponent with Mitchell on the court and 1-5 when they don’t.
• Mitchell recorded 10 rebounds. This is the first time he’s reached double-digit boards in a game since Dec. 31.
• The Cavs took 40% of their shots at the rim (85th percentile). This has been an issue throughout the series. The Cavs were in the 2nd and 31st percentile in rim attempts over the last two games.
• Cleveland made the most of those looks as they converted 84% of their attempts in the restricted area (92nd percentile).
• The Cavs executed well offensively, posting a 113.5 half-court offensive rating (87th percentile). The offense hasn’t performed great against Detroit’s set defense in the first two games of the series. Strong showings from Mitchell and Harden helped turn that around on Sunday.
• Detroit missed 13 straight threes from the first quarter through the beginning of the third. The outside shot saved the Pistons in Game 2. Its absence for the first half of this game is what led to them trailing by 17 at the start of the third.
• The Pistons went 7-10 from three to close the game. Detroit dug out of its deficit and had a chance to steal it late. The emergence of the three-ball again is what allowed them to do so.
• Detroit had 16 second-chance opportunities to Cleveland’s six. This led to the Pistons outscoring them 19-11 in second-chance points and winning the possession battle overall. Afterward, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the Cavs can’t afford to lose this area, calling getting the victory without having more possessions “unsustainable.”
• The Cavs had 27 points off turnovers to Detroit’s 19. While Cleveland didn’t win the possession battle, they took advantage of the turnovers they forced. The Cavs committed one fewer giveaway than the Pistons.
• Cade Cunningham had eight turnovers. This was an overall good game from Cunningham as he finished with a 27-point triple-double. However, not being able to take care of the ball was an issue.
• Cleveland had a 130.4 offensive rating with Sam Merrill on the floor. He was limited to just 14 minutes as he returned from a hamstring injury. His shooting and off-ball movement helped open up what was a stagnant offense during the first two games of the series.
• The Pistons were outscored by 28 in the 18 minutes Daniss Jenkins played. This was mostly because Detroit registered a 168.4 defensive rating with Jenkins on the floor. It’s dangerous to read too much into single-game plus/minus, but it’s safe to say the Cavs offense was at its best in Jenkins’s minutes.
• The Cavs have held Jalen Duran to 11 or fewer points in all three games. He is a combined 11-26 (42.3%) from the field this series after converting 65% of his shots in the regular season.
• Dean Wade was the only Cavalier starter with a negative plus/minus. The Cavs lost the nearly 17 minutes that Wade was on the floor by six.
• Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley combined to go 10-10 in the restricted area. The offense is at its best when it’s attacking the basket. The most effective way to do that is to get the bigs involved going downhill. Both were able to make an impact there in the win.
• Ausar Thompson had five assists in a game for the second time this series. He isn’t a threat to score from the outside, but his ability to act as a secondary playmaker when the Cavs cheat off him has been an asset for Detroit. This is why the Pistons have had a functional offense with Thompson on the court this game, despite his limitations on that end.
• James Harden had nine points on 4-5 shooting in the fourth. He had three big shots late to help seal the game, including a triple over Tobias Harris in the final minute.

The Lakers are one playoff defeat from their season being over and from the conversation turning to LeBron James’ future.

They are in a hole no team has climbed out of in the history of the NBA, the Lakers’ 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 putting L.A. down 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.

Game 4 is Monday night here in Los Angeles, a night the Lakers will try to stave off elimination and a night that will determine how the conversations will go with James if they lose.

As James sat at his locker with both knees wrapped in ice, after he had scored 19 points on seven-for-19 shooting, two-for-six on three-pointers, handed out eight assists and grabbed six rebounds, he was asked if this group of Lakers should acknowledge that a loss Monday night could be their last time playing together as currently constructed.

“No, you really don’t talk about that,” Jame said. “You focus on the moment at hand and go from there.”

James and his teammates gave a gallant effort Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the defending champion proved to be more than the Lakers could handle.

James finished his night with 19 points on seven-for-19 shooting, eight assists and six rebounds. Rui Hachimura had 21 points and Austin Reaves finished with 17 points and nine assists.

The Lakers are fully aware that no NBA team has successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs, with those teams holding a 161-0 record. Only four teams have forced a Game 7 after trailing 3-0, all of which ultimately lost the series, including the Boston Celtics in 2023.

The Lakers have now lost all three games by double-digits, the 23-point defeat Saturday being the most lopsided of them all. They have lost the three games by an average of 19.6 points per game.

James was asked what kind of effort it will take for the Lakers to beat the heavily favored Thunder.

“I mean, obviously we gotta [give] everything … ” James said. “I mean, everything and more.”

James has been frequently asked this season about retirement, but he has not given any indication of what the future holds for him,

He’s 41 years old and playing in an NBA-record 23rd season.

James is in the final year of his contract that pays him $52 million, making him a free agent this offseason. He can retire, join another team or perhaps return to the Lakers next season.

"I wouldn't say I'm angry or disappointed,” James said. “I mean, obviously you're disappointed in the simple fact of, like, being down 3-0, obviously. But, I mean, we still got life and that's all you can ask for. And we gotta be much better on Monday. See what happens.”

The Lakers will see the same Thunder team that had seven players score in double figures, led by Ajay Mitchell’s 24 points and 10 assists and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 23 points and nine assists.

Oklahoma City shot 56.% from the field and 44.7 percent from three-point range. They will still see a Thunder team that forced them into 17 turnovers and took advantage of that to score 30 points off those miscues.

“Typically, if you can poke holes at a team in a playoff series, there’s a good chance they might have, like, a temporary solution or can sort of adjust maybe a little bit,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “This team, in-game, because of their personnel, can just adjust like that. They need shooting on the floor — great. They need multiple wing defenders on the floor — great. They need two bigs on the floor — great.

"It’s just … they're a terrific basketball team. I said that before the series. I've been very impressed with them. Still think we can beat them, but we gotta be better.”

The Lakers went down 13 in the third quarter and had to play catchup the rest of the way. They never the deficit just kept growing, topping out at 27 points in the fourth quarter.

They once again lost the game in the third quarter, getting outscored 33-20. The Lakers didn’t take care of the basketball in the third, turning it over six times, and they didn’t play good defense, allowing the Thunder to shoot 59.1% from the field and 55.6 percent from three-point range.

“You come and compete,” Reaves said. “Its a bunch of guys in this locker room that are competitors. And basically the message after the game was, ‘We’re going to come in here Monday and we’re going get a win.’

"Obviously this situation sucks, but that doesn’t give us the license to quit. We got to come in here and compete. We owe the organization that. We owe each other that. We owe our fans that. So, we’re going to come here on Monday and play as hard as we can.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The details were different, but the story of Saturday’s Game 3 between the Lakers and Thunder played out similarly as the previous two matchups in Oklahoma City. 

The Lakers were competitive early, even having a lead going into halftime just like they did in Thursday’s Game 2.

But the results were the same as before, with the Lakers once again running out of gas against the Thunder and losing 131-108 for their worst loss of the playoff series on Saturday in Los Angeles, putting them one loss away from being eliminated from the postseason.

“They’ve kicked our ass three straight games,” coach JJ Redick said. “They’re an incredible basketball team.”

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 74-49 in the second half after the Lakers had a 59-57 lead going into halftime.

The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in the third, continuing their struggles in the series with after halftime, before the game was put out of reach in the fourth.

The Thunder have outscored the Lakers by a combined 31 points in the third quarters of the series.

 “If I had the answers, we would not struggle with it,” Austin Reaves said.

Even though they combined for 17 assists, LeBron James (19 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds) and Reaves (17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 rebounds) both struggled, shooting a combined 12-for-32 from the field. 

Reaves (5) and James (3) also combined for 8 of the Lakers’ 17 turnovers.

They didn’t lead the way enough during a game the Lakers got a combined 39 points from Rui Hachimura (21 points on 7-of-14 shooting) and Luke Kennard (18 points on 7-10 shooting).  

The Thunder scored 30 points off the Lakers’ giveaways. 

Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 24 points, 10 assists and 4 rebounds. 

Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shot (7-for-20 shooting), but finished with 23 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds.  

What it means

The Lakers are trailing the Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven second round series.

No team in league history has come back from down 3-0 in a playoff series. 

“We’ve got to be better,” Redick said. “But I’m not giving up on the series, and we’re going to try to go win on Monday. We’re going to try to extend the series and we’re going to try to take this thing back to OKC.”

Turning point 

When Isaiah Joe made back-to-back 3s to close out the third quarter, giving the Thunder a 90-79 lead going into the fourth.

The Lakers cut their deficit to five with the help of a 7-0 run.

But the pair of open 3s – one was a pull-up and – put the Thunder back up by 11.

The Thunder led by double digits for the entire fourth quarter.

---

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MVP: Ajay Mitchell

The second-year guard once again did the heavy lifting for the Lakers during a game Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t have his best game. 

Mitchell shot 10-for-17 from the field, including 2-for-4 on 3s.

He had 18 points and 7 assists in the second half.

Stat of the game: 44

That was how many points the Thunder combined to score off turnovers and second-chance opportunities.  

They also scored a combined 105 points inside of the paint (64) and off of 3-pointers (51).

Up next:

Game 4 of the Lakers-Thunder is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT on Monday at Crypto.com Arena

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden hit three clutch shots in the final two minutes, Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Detroit 116-109 on Saturday to cut the Pistons’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Harden bounced back from two mistake-marred performances to finish with 19 points and Jarrett Allen scored 18 for the Cavaliers, who will look to even the series when they host Game 4 on Monday night.

Mitchell reached 2,000 career postseason points in his 73rd game, tied for third-fastest among active players and ninth in NBA history.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had his second career postseason triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but also committed eight turnovers. Tobias Harris added 21 points.

Duncan Robinson’s 3-pointer with 3:14 remaining tied it at 104 before Cleveland, which is unbeaten in five playoff home games, was able to seize control.

Max Strus intercepted an inbound pass by Cunningham at midcourt and made a breakaway layup with 2:28 left.

Harden, who drew plenty of criticism for turnovers in the clutch in the first two games, kept the Cavaliers in front with big shots. The 17-year veteran hit a 16-foot step-back jumper to extend the lead to 108-104. After a driving dunk by Cunningham, Harden made a floating 7-footer to put the lead back up to four.

Cunningham responded with a 3-pointer before Harden provided the decisive blow with 25 seconds remaining on a step-back 3-pointer while being guarded by Harris to make it 113-109.

Robinson was short on a 3-pointer after a timeout and Mitchell made three free throws down the stretch.

THUNDER 131, LAKERS 108

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ajay Mitchell had career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists, and Oklahoma City extended its unbeaten playoff run to the brink of another Western Conference finals with a victory over Los Angeles in Game 3 of the second round.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who coolly improved to 7-0 — both in these playoffs overall, and in their seven games this season against LeBron James and the Lakers. Oklahoma City is the NBA’s sixth defending champion to start 7-0 in the following postseason after three wins over short-handed Los Angeles by a combined 59 points.

Game 3 was remarkably similar to Game 2 in many respects: The Lakers again had to fight desperately just to keep up with the champs into the third quarter, only for the Thunder to run away with their usual merciless efficiency when LA finally faltered. Chet Holmgren had 18 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which outscored the Lakers 33-20 in the third quarter and wasn’t threatened at all down the stretch.

Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

James had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Austin Reaves had 17 points and nine assists. But both stars struggled from the field to a combined 12 for 32, and 21 points from Rui Hachimura weren’t enough to keep LA in contention with the champs.

Luke Kennard added 18 points for the Lakers, who have lost five of their last six games since midway through the first round against Houston.

CLEVELAND — James Harden was the last player on the practice floor after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lone tune-up between Games 2 and 3 of their first-round series against the Toronto Raptors. Everyone else was hurrying out of the team’s facility to prepare for the flight to Canada later that afternoon.

Harden picked up something while watching film from Game 2 of that series. He noticed that they were defending him a certain way, and he wanted to get as much practice as possible to combat Toronto’s scheme. I couldn’t tell what that specific thing was, only that he was meticulously working on various ways to generate three-point looks when coming off screens on his right.

All players go through individual drills with coaches to varying degrees. That isn’t unique. The level of focus he approached it with was — especially on an off day.

Every time Harden missed a shot or didn’t get the footwork how he wanted coming off the screen, he cursed. Some were under his breath that you would only notice if you were watching. Others you could hear from across the gym.

“There’s a cerebral part of the work he does individually,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said then.

Fast forward two and a half weeks to Game 3 of the second-round series against the Detroit Pistons. The Cavs coughed up what was a 17-point lead in the third quarter, and were trailing at times in the fourth. They needed baskets down the stretch to take and maintain the lead.

Instead of calling his own number, Donovan Mitchell deferred to Harden despite leading both teams in points with 35. And the reason was simple.

“You see the work,” Mitchell said. “He’s worked really hard on his game, and his resume speaks for itself.”

The resume does speak for itself.

Harden is one of the most accomplished guards in NBA history. He’s achieved nearly every individual accolade out there and has climbed the ladder in both all-time points (9th) and assists (12th). Even at 36 years-old, the skills that have allowed him to reach that point are undeniable.

The one hole in his portfolio is a lack of playoff success. His teams have faltered in the biggest moments, and so has he.

Harden has proved all the stereotypes about himself correct in the three months he’s been in Cleveland.

We saw what has led to his numerous postseason shortcomings during the first two games in Detroit. Turnovers, an inability to hit a big shot when his team needed one, and being picked on defensively were all present at the worst times for the Cavs. His play helped turn two winnable games into losses.

The other stereotype that he’s proven true is that he’s one of the hardest-working players in the league.

A week back, I asked Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković what causes certain players to rise in the playoffs while others fall. He attributed it to their preparation.

“I think that work is the baseline,” Rajaković said. “Players that really know that they put the right work in, they’re ready for this stage. … Those guys, they tend to fight through fatigue, through adversity, through whatever the playoffs bring. … I strongly believe it comes down to work.”

We don’t think of Harden as someone who’s fought through adversity, at least not on the court in the playoffs. We typically reserve that kind of thinking for players who we see overcome the obstacles thrown their way to emerge victorious.

At the same time, Harden has overcome obstacles.

He’s bounced back from every collapse and put himself in that position again the next year with the work he’s put in to still be playing at an incredibly high level in his 17th season in the league. Whether that motivation is monetary or for trying to win is unknown, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. The work ethic is the same regardless of the reason.

Sports often present this false binary. Everyone on the victorious team is labeled a winner, while those on the other are losers. There’s no room in between the two opposites.

Yet, if you judged whether someone is a winner by how they respond to challenges and shortcomings, you’d be hard-pressed to find many who have bounced back as consistently as Harden.

“You know the American way is championship or nothing,” Atkinson said before the playoffs. “In our movies, we call the little kid, ‘Hey Champ.’ That’s the thing. Sure, we’d all love to win the championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re not successful.”

Harden isn’t a winner in any way that we would typically define it, and understandably so because he’s fallen short in the playoffs too many times. Making crucial plays late in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals isn’t a big enough stage to alter that, even if his three-straight baskets and game-sealing triple over Tobias Harris after being hip-checked is why the Cavs’ season still has oxygen.

When asked why he wanted the ball late in Game 3 despite previous failures, his answer was simple.

“It’s something that I work on literally every day,” Harden said. “It’s basically repetition, and it’s the confidence to go out there and just do it.”

While this one two-minute stretch won’t change how he’s remembered, this game shows why it’s unfair to label him a loser or someone who will never be a part of a championship. The habits and work ethic that lead to winning have always been there.

And for one night, we saw that pay off in a way it typically hasn’t throughout his career.

“I’m not playing this long, at this high a level without putting the work in,” Harden said. “This is 17 years for me, and I work extremely hard, like, extremely hard on my body, especially since the last few years. … The confidence is always going to be there. It’s always there, and just put me in a position to be successful, and good things happen.”

It was deja vu all over again for the Lakers on Saturday as they battled early, led at halftime and lost in a blowout to the Thunder in Game 3, 131-108. LA now trails the series 3-0.

The purple and gold used red-hot shooting in the first half to hold a 59-57 lead at the break. But just as they did in the two prior games, OKC turned it up to a level in the second half that the Lakers couldn’t match.

Ajay Mitchell took over in the fourth to bury a clearly exhausted LA side, who looked out of gas and out of answers.

The Thunder jumped to a quick lead. Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein combined for eight points. LA responded by tying the game behind Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart 3-pointers. LeBron James and Deandre Ayton both had two points as well. 

Rui Hachimura, currently No. 1 all-time in playoff 3-point percentage (51.1% entering tonight), opens with another make to start Game 3.

He's now 8 for 14 in this series, and has a 13-game streak (5 regular season, 8 postseason) going at least 50% from 3.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 10, 2026

OKC was winning the points in the paint battle early, 10-4. 

Austin Reaves was off to a slow start, missing all four of his shot attempts. Hachimura, however, continued his incredible shooting from behind the arc, draining yet another triple. Los Angeles was struggling mightily on defense, leaving shooters wide open and giving players easy paths to the rim. 

At the 3:57 mark, the Thunder were up by seven. 

Cason Wallace splashed two 3-pointers that helped OKC get a double-digit lead. Hachimura nailed another three as well, giving him nine points for the game so far. The purple and gold cut the deficit to six at the end of the first. 

The Thunder lead the Lakers 31-25 after one quarter of play. Rui Hachimura has a team-high 9 points. However, Cason Wallace has been red-hot for the Thunder, scoring 11 points on 4-4 shooting. OKC is destroying LA in the paint with a 16-6 advantage.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 10, 2026

Luke Kennard and Reaves both knocked down 3-pointers early in the second quarter. Jared McCain’s instant offense continued with a triple of his own.

Holmgren had an easy time making shots in the paint, scoring six more points. LeBron and Hachimura both knocked down 3-pointers, forcing an OKC timeout.

LeBron tied the game with a 3-pointer out of the break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander responded with a triple on the other end before LA responded to jump ahead by four. SGA helped erase that deficit fast, but the Lakers held on to lead by two at halftime. 

The Lakers lead the Thunder 59-57 at the half. Rui Hcahimura leads all scorers with 16 points. Austin Reaves is struggling from the field, going 3-9, but has 12 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists. Still plenty of time left in this one.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 10, 2026

Lu Dort opened the third period with a 3-pointer for the Thunder. Deandre Ayton responded on the other end with a shot in the paint. The offense was strong for both teams, as they traded baskets until OKC went up by seven. 

Ayton had been keeping Los Angeles in it with six points in this quarter. 

Oklahoma City was on an 11-2 scoring run. The Lakers started piling the turnovers and were now at 12 for the game. LeBron stopped some of the bleeding with a midrange jumper. 

Kennard and Hachimura combined for five points to help keep the team in it. 

The Thunder kept hitting back at full force, keeping their lead in double figures with 3:11 left in the quarter. Reaves was up to five turnovers. Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero put in great minutes to make it a single-digit deficit until Isaiah Joe responded with back-to-back threes, which gave Oklahoma City a lead of 11 at the end of the third. 

The Thunder lead the Lakers 90-79 after three quarters.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 10, 2026

Hartenstein had two easy opportunities in the paint for four quick points to start the final frame. LeBron scored four points, trying to help the Lakers inch closer to make it a game, but they still had an uphill climb as they were down by 12. 

Oklahoma City’s offense was proving to be too much again as LA just didn’t have enough to firepower to match the Thunder’s depth, led by Ajay Mitchell. The Thunder blew the game open, as they did in the preceding games, before the two sides emptied their benches in the final minutes

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Hachimura ended with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. Reaves pitched in with 17 points and nine assists.

Kennard had 18 points off the bench. Ayton logged 10 points with six rebounds. Smart scored 10 points with three rebounds. Adou Thiero played rotation minutes and had a chaotic outing, finishing with four points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes.

Game 4 will be on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

Karl-Anthony Towns was in foul trouble early in Game 3. He played just 10 minutes in the first half and 25 minutes overall. But that was more than enough time for Towns to hurt the Sixers with his passing.

The All-Star center finished with seven assists in Game 3 -- six coming in the second half. It was the continuation of a remarkable passing stretch for Towns. The big man is averaging 7.7 assists in the Knicks' six-game winning streak. That's more than double his average in the opening three games against the Hawks (3.3); it's also more than double his regular-season average (3.0).

Some may be surprised by his passing. He is not.

"I feel like I've always had this my whole career," Towns said after Game 3 on Friday. "It's just I never had the opportunity to utilize that skill set. It's being utilized. My teammates have been in great positions for me to find them when they're open."

Mike Brown and the Knicks decided to use Towns as a passer on the perimeter starting in Game 4 against the Hawks. That adjustment is one of the reasons why New York has run off six consecutive wins with a 25.8-point average margin of victory. And it's one of the reasons why the Knicks are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Knicks trailed the Hawks, 2-1, when they first implemented the changes.

"The real change for us came before Game 4 in Atlanta," Towns said. "That's when we really changed our offense. It's been great. It's been something I’ve talked about for a lot of the season, to feel like we can help our guys (on offense) more. We made the right moves."

Towns knows that the Knicks have more work to do. He and his teammates have talked about staying in the moment as they look to close out Philly. But the Knicks may have missed this moment without those offensive adjustments.

"It was the perfect time for all of us to really get on the same accord," Towns said. "There's no better time to be playing your best basketball than right now. So shout out to Mike and really the whole coaching staff for putting us in the best position to succeed."

The changes were a product of conversations among Brown, his staff and the players.

"I feel like we all had an opinion and we were able to figure out what was best for our team, especially in a spot like that -- down 2-1," Towns said. "I had my opinion. I feel like we've done a great job adjusting to have all of us be our best."

If you go back to Game 4, the Knicks have the No. 1 offense among playoff teams in that span. They also have the second-best defense. In their opening three games, the Knicks ranked sixth in offense and seventh in defense among playoff teams.

Brown calls it an "equal opportunity" offense.

"Anybody can be in any position," he said Friday before Game 3. "Anybody can set screens. Anybody can initiate it, but it's going to take some time to expand on it."

The Knicks are "just scratching the surface" of what they want to implement on offense, Brown said.

They obviously don't have much time left in the season to make significant changes. NBA teams don't practice at this time of year. So maybe the Knicks can make some small changes here or there.

But in a big-picture sense, Brown believes Knicks are just "scratching the surface" on their offensive potential.

"What we're doing now, I think, can have great carryover next year and down the line because we'd be able to expand on it the right way through a training camp," Brown said.

BUILDING BRIDGES

Brown appreciates Mikal Bridges' ability to impact games in ways that may go unnoticed by the casual observer. What does Brown mean by that?

"One of the things is his ability to run, both directions," he said of Bridges. "I mean, he runs like a deer. His game is beautiful, which makes him fast, and it doesn't even look like it. (He) puts a lot of pressure on the defense because of his ability to run. He's got a good feel for what his pace needs to be in half court; he'll sprint into a ball screen and slip out. And when he slips out, he slips with vision.

"And the ball may not go to him for a score or for an assist, but when you generate something like that with pace and you're a threat to slip because you can score from the medium range or get to the rim, the defense has to (adjust). When the defense (adjusts), it opens up other opportunities for your teammates. And then he's always uplifting. He's extremely positive with his teammates.

"Those things are just a few of the things that go unnoticed to others throughout courses of games and throughout the course of year and we appreciate when he brings those to the table."

HART PLAYING THROUGH DISCOMFORT

Josh Hart suffered a sprained left thumb in Game 2 against Philadelphia. He played in Game 3 but will be playing through some discomfort in the thumb for the rest of the season. He said he had an X-ray during Game 2 and he learned he hadn’t broken his thumb. So he returned to the game, finishing out the Knicks' home win.

"It's something I'll revisit in the offseason," Hart said before Game 3. "There's people that played through this."

Hart pointed to Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia's veteran point guard, who did so while leading the Toronto Raptors to a 2019 NBA Finals win.

"They got someone on their team who played through it and won a championship," Hart said. "So it's something that's doable."

Ric Flair just took another shot at Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.

With the Lakers trying to avoid an 0-3 deficit against the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, the WWE Hall of Famer took to X yet again to voice his frustration — and direct it towards the injured superstar.

"@lukadoncic, There Is Only One Word That I Can Possibly Say, And That’s DISAPPOINTED," Flair wrote. "46 Million Dollars, And You Can’t Play. OMG, I Would Jump Off The Empire State Building With A Parachute For 46 Million Dollars A Year, And I Don’t Even Know How To Pull The Cord To Open It- But I Would Take My Chances."

.@lukadoncic, There Is Only One Word That I Can Possibly Say, And That’s DISAPPOINTED. 46 Million Dollars, And You Can’t Play. OMG, I Would Jump Off The Empire State Building With A Parachute For 46 Million Dollars A Year, And I Don’t Even Know How To Pull The Cord To Open It-… pic.twitter.com/Q4KsivXySB

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) May 10, 2026

Doncic has been sidelined with a grade 2 left hamstring strain since April 2 and recently revealed that he was originally given an eight-week timeline, which would mean a return isn't likely until the end of the Western Conference finals, should the Lakers get there. Doncic did travel to Spain to undergo platelet-rich plasma injections — a non-surgical treatment that uses a sample of the patient's own blood to accelerate healing in joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, according to Johns Hopkins medicine — in hopes to accelerate his recovery, though he is proceeding under the original eight-week timeline for the time being.

This is the second time this series that Flair has called out Doncic over social media. He previously wrote, "Luka, Please Get In The Game! Take A Shot Of Cortisone And Deal With The Pain! They Are Paying You 50 Million A Year, And You’re Not There! WTF! I Hope @JeanieBuss Trades You Next Year. Nobody Wants A Lame Duck On Their Team!" during the Lakers' 107-90 loss to OKC in Game 1 on Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ric Flair takes another shot at injured Luka Doncic

Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles brought all the stars of stage, screen, music, and sports for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

In a parade of power and influence, actor Leonardo DiCaprio sat along the baseline near the Thunder bench, flanked by friend and fellow actor Lukas Haas. To his left sat longtime actors Don Johnson and Noah Wyle, star of the hit HBO show “The Pitt.” 

Leonardo DiCaprio, sporting a new mustache, is sitting courtside for Thunder vs. Lakers Game 3 pic.twitter.com/yTnsrvAKNG

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 10, 2026

Industry executives and producers were well represented as well. Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg exchanged pleasantries with legendary TV producer Dick Wolf.

Across from them sat record producer Lou Adler, who was not joined by his friend Jack Nicholson, but instead his son, Ray Nicholson, star of the horror sequel “Smile 2.”

Longtime Laker season ticket holders Andy Garcia, Dustin Hoffman, and Dyan Cannon cheered on the purple and gold, as did former Lakers’ owner Jeanie Buss and her husband actor/comedian Jay Mohr. 

Speaking of comedians, that artform was also well-represented as Byron Allen and Adam Ray shared laughs during the game.

Academy Award nominee James Franco watched the game undetected, whereas Jaafar Jackson, star of the hit biopic “Michael” about his uncle, pop-star Michael Jackson, wanted all the attention in his courtside seats. 

Then there was other sports colliding with the NBA Playoffs, woven into the tapestry of the crowd like they belonged there. Former Laker, Sasha Vujacic, a champion of a different era, chatted up with the referees before the game. Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Eden Hazard took a break from watching Champions League to catch the Lake Show up close and personal.

Former Dodgers and Phillies second-baseman Chase Utley, forever tied to October nights, watched with his children. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, a frequent attendee during the NFL offseason sat one row in front of him. Even Nez Balelo, the CAA super-agent who represents Shohei Ohtani, was in attendance. 

Comedian Adam Ray, actor James Franco, Green Bay Packers LB Micah Parsons, former Dodgers/Phillies infielder Chase Utley, and actor/singer Jaafar Jackson are all at Game 3 between the Thunder and Lakers pic.twitter.com/wBoWOtAPUc

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 10, 2026

Rounding out the list was NBA superfan and real estate mogul, James Goldstein, And reality star Corey Gamble, but without his famous girlfriend Kris Jenner. 

Even LA Mayoral candidate and another former reality star, Spencer Pratt watched the show.

LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is sitting next to Linda Rambis in the second row here during Game 3 pic.twitter.com/KlhfljAkSF

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) May 10, 2026

Meanwhile, on the court the Lakers and Thunder battled for survival in the best-of-seven series. 

This story will continue to be updated…

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Steve Kerr will be remaining in The Bay for the near future.

Kerr agreed to a two-year deal to remain as head coach of the Warriors, ESPN reported Saturday.

The exact amount of the contract has yet to be disclosed, with league officials telling ESPN that the deal will keep Kerr as the highest-paid coach in the NBA annually.

Last season, Kerr made $17.5 million.

The contract came after three weeks of deliberations between Kerr and Golden State controlling owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy, in which they discussed the long-term outlook of the franchise.

“It was never going to be about money,” one team source said, according to ESPN. “We had to make the best basketball decision.”

It was a general consensus within the franchise that Kerr was going to stay with the Warriors since earlier this week.

Kerr re-signing was not always a foregone conclusion, however, as he announced during training camp in October that he would not seek a contract extension, opting to let his final season under contract play out and make a decision after.

The Warriors, who struggled with injuries throughout the year, finished this season with a 37-45 record and lost to the Suns in the play-in bracket.

“I still love coaching, but I get it,” Kerr told reporters the night they were eliminated in Phoenix, according to ESPN. “These jobs all have an expiration date. There is a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it’s time for new blood and new ideas.”

Kerr, who joined the Warriors ahead of the 2014-15 season, has been at the helm of all of Golden State’s success, coaching the team to four NBA Finals championships and holds a career 604-353 regular season record.

The deal also likely will see Kerr coach the final days of Warriors legend Steph Curry’s playing career, who just finished his 17th NBA season.

“I want Coach to be happy,” Curry said following Golden State’s elimination. “I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe he’s the right guy for the job.

“I want him to have an opportunity to enjoy what he does. … He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn’t even need to be said.”

That was a tough one. After a closely fought Game 2 without Joel Embiid, Game 3 felt like it was going to be a solid chance for the Sixers to get their first win of the series in his return. OG Anunoby, who’s been excellent all around in these playoffs, being sidelined with a hamstring strain was another big factor in Philly’s favor.

But things didn’t quite go to plan. The Knicks were simply the better team at both ends of the floor yet again, winning Game 3, 108-94. Now, as the early 3:30 p.m. tipoff of Game 4 approaches, the Sixers are back to facing elimination.

New York could stay shorthanded on Sunday, as Anunoby is only listed as questionable to return.

Philly got off to a fantastic start on Friday, and the first quarter shows what this team can be when they’re hitting their threes and their stars are firing. They went up by double digits eaerly and ended the period with a 31-27 lead, led by an electric 15-point quarter from Paul George. This turning step-back three was absolutely beautiful.

PG SINKS A TOUGH STEPBACK 3 🔥

What a move to create separation 😲

He's got 13 PTS in Q1 of Game 3! pic.twitter.com/MCmtwPWM3S

— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2026

VJ Edgecombe even threw down back-to-back alley-oops from Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers’ energy was buzzing early.

https://t.co/5OhXi1tn8Epic.twitter.com/sITlEtpYgY

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 8, 2026

They gradually lost steam after that, though. From then on, we saw plenty of reasons why these teams are on different levels right now.

Not being able to stop Jalen Brunson remains a major problem for the Sixers. He led the way again in Game 3 with 33 points on 11-of-22 shooting and an 8-of-9 mark from the free throw line. A range of defenders have been thrown at him — from Quentin Grimes to Kelly Oubre Jr. and Edgecombe, with the latter two in particular being strong options who’ve guarded him highly well before. The Sixers have tried using different coverages on Brunson as well. Whether that’s Embiid showing high and recovering to the lane against pick-and-roll ball screens, Embiid in drop, Adem Bona coming high and switching onto Brunson as he did well sometimes in Game 2, or even smaller, switchier lineups like frontcourts with George and Dominick Barlow like we saw more of in Game 3.

But Brunson’s still getting to his spots from the arc, drawing a flurry of fouls (whether you approve of how he does it or not), cutting well off dribble hand-offs, and creating for himself from mid-range or getting to the rim. Embiid’s mobility being diminished right now makes it even harder for him to switch or press high in pick-and-roll coverage, too. It’s easier for Brunson to drive past Embiid or collapse the Sixers’ help defense and pass to shooters. Unless Brunson’s on-ball defenders can do even more to slow him in Game 4, there’s only so much the Sixers can do with Embiid in this state.

Another area the Sixers have to improve in Game 4 is their rebounding. After a great first quarter in Game 3, the tide started turning in the second, in part due to the Knicks getting five offensive rebounds in that period alone. They finished the game with 13 offensive boards overall, giving them 20 second chance points. While it’s understandable the Sixers have entered this series drained after their historic yet tiring 3-1 comeback against the Celtics, the simple difference in effort and intensity against the Knicks, especially on the boards, is costly.

One bright spot in Game 3 was Oubre, who scored a team-high 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. He was cutting well, hit a pair of threes, screening effectively, and pressuring the rim with his finishing.

Oubre was involved in some of the crisper offensive possessions the Sixers put together, too. Like the play below, where Maxey draws two defenders in a pick-and-roll, Embiid gets the ball to roll down a clearer lane, and once Brunson steps up onto Embiid, Oubre is left with a wide-open baseline cut and dunk.

Maxey with the quick pass to Embiid while being blitzed leads to an easy dunk for Oubre pic.twitter.com/6lqyUbPPiS

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) May 9, 2026

Or the following play, using Embiid’s passing with some simple yet effective off-ball movement. Oubre screens for George this time to get the latter cutting inside, and forcing smaller defenders (including Brunson) to help protect the rim makes it easy for George to finish.

Sixers giving the Knicks a dose of their own medicine to a degree. Use Oubre as a screener for Paul George. Key is Jalen Brunson is in action. No show or switch, PG scores easy. pic.twitter.com/QkCN2ta0D4

— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) May 8, 2026

There have been some good offensive processes in place. It’s just outweighed by all the flaws right now.

We could get into more nitty gritty adjustments for Game 4 that could help get the Sixers their first win. They tried a George-Dominick Barlow frontcourt in this one, including opening the fourth quarter with them alongside Maxey, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes. They even pulled back within four points early in the fourth. This lineup gives them more switchability and speed on defense, which in theory could work better against Brunson.

Maybe they go back to Adem Bona in Game 4 and hope his size, rim protection and more aggressive pick-and-roll coverage shows up — and the fouls stay away. Maybe they ramp up their rebounding. Or find new ways to exploit Brunson’s lacking defense by forcing him to switch onto George or Oubre, or attacking him in pick-and-rolls more than they already have.

That said, what really matters most is the play of the Sixers’ stars and a weary defense that can’t stop these Knicks. It hardly looks like more tinkering with defensive coverages alone is going to turn this series around.

If Brunson remains a level up, Embiid continues struggling with his movement and shot-making (7-of-17 in Game 3), Maxey’s aggressiveness stays low, and George cools off (he’s been stellar these playoffs, but after his lights-out 15-point first quarter in Game 4 he failed to score another point), the smaller details don’t matter as much. If Maxey and Edgecombe are worn out by the fourth quarter because their minutes are so high and they can’t get a break from handling the ball outside of George’s help, then they just can’t keep up with a Knicks team of this quality.

It was smart for Nick Nurse to lean on a six-man rotation of his best guys through the first round. They wouldn’t have come back without it. Nurse doesn’t have many more options either. But the Sixers could clearly use more help off the bench to buy them some extra offense and rest for Maxey and Co. by this point.

The Knicks got an injection of 15 points from Landry Shamet in Game 3. With the low scoring of Grimes in pretty much every game of these playoffs, the Sixers have no player on the team — someone like, I don’t know, Jared McCain — who’s going to give them that production to ease the load on their backcourt.

Plenty needs to change for the Sixers to win Game 4. Let’s see if they can find a way to claw out a win in Philadelphia to build on the competitive spells they’ve had over the last two games.

Game Details

When: Sunday, May 10, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: ABC
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers