Category: Basketball

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22.5
VJ Edgecombe – 16
Joel Embiid – 11.5
Paul George – 8
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5
Justin Edwards – 4
Andre Drummond – 3
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Porter Martone – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

The Sixers welcomed the Celtics to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday night for a massive Game 3 in South Philly. The teams came in dead locked at a 1-1 series tie after the Sixers stole Tuesday night’s Game 2 in Boston.

This game was highly contested from start to finish as the Celtics got out to a five-point lead after the first quarter behind an early onslaught from three.

The Celtics continued their hot shooting from three into the second quarter, but the Sixers stellar two-point defense kept them in the ball game despite some struggles of their own offensively. The Celtics took a 54-47 lead to the intermission.

The Sixers won their first quarter of the night in the third 27-25 behind a steady dose of Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. The Celtics held just a five-point advantage going to the fourth.

The Sixers took a brief 85-84 lead early in the final frame and the crowd was as raucous as it’s been in years in hopes that maybe this would be a breakthrough moment in this rivalry that has haunted the Sixers so much over the years. The Sixers trailed by just one with two minutes to go before a Jayson Tatum three coming off a Sixers defensive breakdown gave the Celtics a four-point lead. A George bucket with 1:40 to go cut the lead to two yet again. Another defensive breakdown and Pritchard three stretched the Celtics’ lead to five points. After two Sixers free throws that made it a one-possession game, the Sixers forced a miss but an offensive rebound and kick out that led to a Tatum iso three would be the nail in the coffin.

The Celtics went on to take a 108-100 win and a 2-1 series lead.

Time for the Bell Ringer.

Tyrese Maxey: 31 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 12-for-31 from the field

Tyrese Maxey went out on his shield in this one firing until the bitter end. Maxey hit multiple big momentum swinging shots to keep the Sixers in it all night and even momentarily give them the lead in the fourth. A couple late misses while Boston hit three consecutive threes ultimately buried the Sixers, but not in fault of the efforts of the star guard.

Paul George: 18 points, 5 assists, 3 steals, 7-for-14 from the field

Paul George is still really good at basketball, even if he’s not the explosive near 30-points-a-night scorer he once was at his peak. The Sixers ran a lot of their late game offense through George who either found space for himself or found his teammates for high percentage shots. George is still far and away the best and most impactful defender on this Sixers team, who struggled to contain the Celtics’ perimeter onslaught when George isn’t directly involved in the action.

Dave Portnoy was not amused by the amount of passion from the Amazon Prime Video broadcast booth during Friday’s NBA playoff game between the Celtics and 76ers.

Portnoy was livid by the announcing crew’s enthusiasm during the first-round Game 3 matchup, posting a video on X captioned, “This may be the worse annoucing (sic) crew I’ve ever heard. They are going bananas every shot.”

The firebrand sports personality eviscerated Eric Collins — who is known for his intense calls as the Hornets play-by-play caller — for being too passionate for a game that was still far from being over.

“Dude what are these announcers doing?” Portnoy said in the video as Collins went wild for a 3-pointer by Sixers big man Andre Drummond with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. “They’re acting like it’s Game 7, final shot. It’s an open three, what are we doing?

“Eric Collins, f–king put your d–k back in your pants there’s three minutes. Every shot he’s acting like it’s Game 7 at the horn to win it. This is unnacceptable announcing.”

Collins, who has been the voice of the Hornets for over a decade, has established himself as one of the NBA’s premier announcers for his energy he brings to each game, oftentimes loudly screaming during certain stretches of play.

NBA insider Bill Simmons said earlier this month that the Hornets have the best broadcasts in the league because of Collins.

“He really cares,” Simmons said on his self-titled podcast, “and like somebody will make a shot against them, it’d be two minutes left, they’re down one. And then some f–k up, and somebody will hit a three against them, and he’ll just say some crazy sentence like, ‘Oh, isn’t that a chainsaw on the tibia?’

“He just has this endless thing of crazy comments. The Hornets are hanging on like a hat on a screen door. He’s a ten out of ten.”

A miracle close to regulation saw the Lakers force overtime before controlling the extra session to steal Game 3, 112-108, and take a commanding series lead.

Houston trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but was the aggressor for the entire second half. Up six with just under 30 seconds left, the Rockets capitulated, allowing the Lakers to tie the game and even have a chance to win it before overtime.

LA never trailed in overtime, built a multi-possession lead in the final minutes and knocked down clutch free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The Lakers’ bench outscored the Rockets 24-3, a huge flip from Game 2. That helped LA overcome allowing 18 offensive rebounds.

It was a 3-pointer party early as both teams drained a pair of long-range efforts each. Rui Hachimura was leading LA with a fast 11 points while LeBron James and Luke Kennard were the only other Lakers to score with three points each. Jabari Smith Jr. had six points for Houston.

At the 6:53 mark, Los Angeles was up by four. 

Smith Jr. picked up two fouls and a technical foul, forcing him to the bench. It was an evenly matched affair with neither team able to grab a commanding lead. Jaxson Hayes’s seven points off the bench provided a massive spark that led to an 11-0 scoring run. 

With 2:20 left in the quarter, LA was up by 11. 

Houston then hit back, cutting the deficit to four. Hachimura responded with one of his signature midrange jumpers. He had 16 points, which was a career high for him in a quarter.

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by seven. 

Smith Jr. opened the second period with a triple for the Rockets. Jarred Vanderbilt responded with a tip-in off a Jake LaRavia missed shot on the other end. LeBron began taking over, scoring seven points. 

LeBron also threw a lob to Bronny James, who had five points off the bench, for a layup that had everyone buzzing.

The Lakers pushed their run to 14-4 and built their biggest lead of the half at 15 points. Amen Thompson tried to stop some of the bleeding with an easy dunk. LA suddenly went cold from the field, missing five shots in a row. 

LeBron converted on a pair of free throws and Kennard also converted on a midrange jumper that helped Los Angeles keep a double-digit lead of 11 at halftime. 

Marcus Smart’s layup opened the second half. The Rockets then slowly started chipping into LA’s lead, making it a single-digit deficit. Los Angeles was forced to call a timeout as the lead shrank to six. 

Out of the break, Deandre Ayton scored his first points of the night on a layup. 

Reed Sheppard completed a three-point play to make it a five-point deficit. Thompson then grabbed an LA turnover and dunked on the other end. Los Angeles’ offense was suddenly completely non-existent. 

Kennard scored on a much-needed midrange jumper. 

Thompson was the driving force for Houston as his five-point surge cut the deficit to one. Hachimura drained a triple to give the Lakers some cushion, his first points since the first quarter. 

Both teams ended the quarter trading buckets with LA holding onto a five-point lead going into the fourth. 

LeBron converted on a layup off the assist from Vanderbilt to open the final frame. Houston missed their first two shot attempts before Smith Jr. drained two 3-pointers, helping the Rockets inch even closer.

At the 6:50 mark, Los Angeles was up by four. 

Thompson then tied the game on back-to-back buckets thanks to Lakers’ turnovers. Smart tried to help LA stay in the lead with a layup, but Sheppard drained a triple that gave the Rockets the lead by one with 4:59 left. 

Houston’s lead grew to four with 3:32 left. 

Hayes threw down a dunk that made it a two-point deficit for Los Angeles. LA was having the absolute worst time keeping the ball in their hands and couldn’t convert on shots. Alperen Şengün made it a four-point lead for Houston with 49 seconds left.

LeBron turned the ball over, and it led to another two from Şengün. After a rushed 3-pointer from LeBron missed, Smart came away with an improbable steal and was fouled from behind the arc. He converted on all three free throws.

In the most insane turn of events, LeBron forced a steal on the next possession and drained a triple that tied the game with 13 seconds left. Houston missed their shot attempt, and LeBron caught the ball and called a timeout with 1.2 seconds left. 

LeBron had the ball and missed the shot, leading to overtime. 

Smart started the scoring in overtime with a corner three. After one free throw from Hachimura, Los Angeles was up four. Şengün scored again, but Hachimura answered on the other end with a layup. 

The teams traded baskets with LA’s leading by two with 1:46 left. The game turned scrappy and ugly with multiple jump balls and missed shots but few points. Smart broke the seal with a pair of free throws off an offensive rebound, making it a four-point lead for LA with 46 seconds left. 

Smith Jr. took a 3-pointer and missed it. Smart rebounded the ball and was fouled before converting on two more clutch free throws. 

With 35 seconds left and Los Angeles up six. Sheppard connected on a triple. The Rockets then fouled Smart again and he split the pair.

Houston missed a series of threes and shots in the final seconds as LA pulled off an improbable win.

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Hachimura ended with 22 points, shooting 8-14 from the field. Smart logged 21 points with four rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and two blocks.

Kennard had 14 points, six rebounds and six assists. Hayes pitched in with 12 points off the bench. Bronny scored five points in nine minutes of play. Vanderbilt notched five points with six rebounds. 

Game 4 will be on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at 6:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The Golden State Warriors will enter the 2026-27 NBA season with the second-longest tenured coach in the NBA, unless they enter it behind a new voice and a new leader, who will seek to re-open the championship window for Steph Curry’s final years and build a post-Curry future.

After last Friday’s season-ending loss to the Phoenix Suns, Steve Kerr told reporters that he would take “a week or two” to decide on his future. There have been few reports, as Kerr seems genuinely unsure as to what his next step is, though there’s been plenty of speculation. Per the latest updates, Kerr won’t be making a decision until next week, at the earliest.

So what, exactly, is on his mind? What is he weighing as he decides whether to return or cruise into retirement (or perhaps a job in the media)?

It’s impossible to know exactly what Kerr is thinking, but we do, at least, have a fairly good idea. Let’s start with what we know.

The job is his if he wants it

Let’s start with the important facts: the Warriors are not contemplating moving on from Kerr. They are waiting to see if Kerr is moving on from them. We can speculate all we want about whether Joe Lacob and Mike Dunleavy Jr. think Kerr is the perfect coach for the team, and my guess is that if Curry were retiring, there might not be an offer on the table for Kerr.

But Curry is not retiring. He two-time MVP has another year left on his contract and, after the season ended, reaffirmed his desire to play “multiple” more seasons, and indicated that he is open to contract extension talks in the coming months.

Lacob may pay the bills, and Dunleavy may make the decisions, but Curry runs the show. His stated preference, both publicly and privately, is for Kerr to coach the team. And as long as that is true, there’s a job offer on the table for Kerr.

That doesn’t mean it’s without stipulations (more on that in a moment). But there are no meetings being held to determine whether or not the Warriors should bring back Kerr. This is his decision, not the team’s.

But…

The Warriors want some changes

The postmortem reports from the season indicate that the front office — and the analytics team — want Kerr to make some changes. There’s been a frustration with the team’s turnover rate, which was the fourth-highest mark in the NBA this year (and while there are plenty of good teams that turn the ball over regularly, the best usually don’t — the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and San Antonio Spurs all ranked in the top five lowest turnover rates this season). There’s a desire to be less reliant on the three (the Warriors finished first in the NBA in three-point attempt rate, despite Curry missing 39 games and the team finishing just 19th in three-point percentage). And, presumably, there’s a hope that the Dubs can find a better way to flourish in the minutes when Curry sits, which has plagued them ever since Kevin Durant left town.

Furthermore…

Golden State wants a longer-term commitment

It seems evident that the stress of Kerr’s contract status weighed on many people throughout the year, and it’s not the first time that that’s happened. And it’s equally clear that the team wants to build a foundation that is fairly stable.

All of that makes for a funny situation. The Warriors surely will have a contract offer on the table for Kerr … but only if it’s for multiple years. I would guess that if Kerr re-signs, it will be for a deal that matches the length of whatever Curry’s timeline is. Perhaps a three-year deal for the former, and a two-year extension for the latter.

And then, of course, let’s not forget…

Kerr is still having fun

If you had told me a few months ago that Kerr would walk away from the team, I would tell you it’s because the job is no longer fun for him. It’s a taxing industry, and even the sunniest people can get worn down by it. Remember how unhappy and stressed out Klay Thompson appeared by the time he left town? And that’s Klay Freaking Thompson!

The Warriors have been absent a large amount of joy in recent years, and it would be understandable if it took its toll on Kerr.

But it seems like it hasn’t. Kerr appeared energized late in the season by players like Gui Santos and Pat Spencer. He appeared optimistic about the future of the team with Jimmy Butler III in the fold. And most importantly, when talking with the media after the season-ending defeat, Kerr stated emphatically that he still loves coaching.

Kerr is fairly transparent. If his holdup was that he wasn’t sure he still enjoyed this, he would have stated as much. But he didn’t. Instead, he said simply, “These jobs all have an expiration date.” And that gives us the insight we need to determine the biggest thing at play.

Does he think he’s right for the job?

Kerr does not always follow the book. He’s been a part of tension in the locker room, and, more notably, in the front office. Recent reports suggest that some at the top of the organization have grown frustrated with his continued expression of left-leaning political opinions (a bold stance for a team that has had no issue employing players with domestic violence histories).

But he’s still a company man at heart. And, like his star player, he is as selfless as he is ruthlessly competitive.

It feels abundantly clear that Kerr is not going to pull the Curry card. He could, to be clear. But he won’t. He’s not going to return simply because he can.

In short, if Kerr is to coach the Warriors next year, it will be because the Warriors want him to coach the team, not just because he can.

That means making the aforementioned concessions. He’ll need to be willing to modernize his offensive system, and possibly upgrade his coaching staff. He’ll have to commit to at least two, and probably three years. He’ll have to show a plan for how to develop young players, including the team’s upcoming lottery pick.

The Warriors would likely begrudgingly sign Kerr to a deal without those concessions, but Kerr is big enough to show himself out rather than back ownership into a corner.

So what it really comes down to is this: can the two sides find a happy compromise? Kerr will meet with Lacob and Dunleavy and, in all likelihood, he’ll mostly be sussing out whether those two actually want him back, or if they’re just willing to bring him back to appease Curry. They likely do want him back, as long as some concessions are made, and Kerr will have to determine whether he still wants to coach with those concessions.

It’s a little reminiscent of Bruce Bochy leaving the San Francisco Giants. The organization had just made a dramatic front office shift, and while Bochy could have used the legacy card to stay around longer, he understood that the team was ready to move in a new direction, and he spared everyone the awkwardness that could have ensued.

No one knows what Kerr will choose, least of all himself. But that, it seems, is what it will come down to. As much as he still enjoys this, as much fun as he’s having, and as much as he wants to be around Curry and Draymond Green for a few more seasons, he has to check the expiration date.

We’ll soon learn what he finds.

While jack-of-all-trades prospects are tantalizing, the players who become special at the highest level were very often uniquely gifted at one skill or another as prospects. If you want to be great in the NBA, you need something to hang your hat on, a talent that teams will seek out and incentivize them to work around your weaknesses. Hannes Steinbach has one of those talents, as he is, without hyperbole, one of the best and most projectable rebounders to enter the league in years. And while rebounding dominance is far from the sexiest trademark skill a prospect can have, I believe Steinbach brings enough to the table to firmly be considered a lottery-level player.

On The Surface

Team: Washington Huskies

Height: 6’11

Weight: 220

Wingspan: Unconfirmed, likely 7’0-7’1

Age on draft day: 20.1

Counting Stats: 18.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG (4.2 ORPG), 1.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 58/34/76 shooting splits

Strengths

Steinbach’s rebounding on film is even more impressive than the Big 10 leading 11.8 rebounds he snagged per game would suggest – his combination of size, fluidity, and generationally soft hands create perhaps the most startlingly impressive rebounding highlights I have ever seen. Hannes is German-born, but if he grew up somewhere with American football we would be talking about him as the best tight end prospect of an era. Once he gets a finger on the basketball, you can guarantee that he’s pulling it down. He isn’t ground-bound either; while no one would call him an electrifying athlete, he moves around the court very fluidly and is quite quick off of the ground. Additionally, for someone who’s only 220 pounds (this is his last listed weight, I would bet that he comes in as heavier at the draft combine), he’s physically firm, and strong enough to reach and keep his spots on the court. This helps his rebound-radius to be remarkably wide – nearly every ball that comes off of the rim is well within Steinbach’s jurisdiction.

As the 18 points per game as a high major Freshman would indicate, Steinbach’s offensive value extends beyond rebounding his teammates misses. Most of his scoring is opportunistic, to be fair, but Steinbach is so good at those looks that it isn’t a slight at him to say that. His two most efficient play-types are immediately after rebounds or in transition – he tends to be in the right place at the right time, and when combined with his fluidity and strength, that creates highly efficient scoring opportunities. the transition scoring is something I expect to translate exceptionally well to the next level. While you wouldn’t want him dribbling too much in the half court, he functions well as rebound-and-run player, using his gazelle-like strides to do his best poor-mans Giannis impression.

The shooting is still a work in progress – he doesn’t play too similar to his German power forward predecessor – but there are lots of positive flashes. The form is solid and compact, lacking unexplained or unnecessary motions. A free throw percentage of 75.9% is promising as well, and when judged in tandem with his really solid touch in the paint (70% at the rim, 44.8% on non-rim twos, many of which were floaters and hook shots), I would be surprised if he wasn’t serviceable as a jump shooter once he hits the prime of his career.

His defense is likely where I am highest on Steinbach compared to consensus. Without a great vertical, commanding strength, or a height about 7’0, expecting him to develop into a paint anchor appears to be unfair. However, he’s surprisingly quick on his feet, be in the form of chasing a guard off of a switch or covering ground to help at the rim. It’s rare for smart, big, and positionally agile defenders to wind up being bad defenders at the NBA level, even if Steinbach is far from perfect at that end.

While this strength is more theoretical than actualized at this point, it would be remiss to not mention the flashes he shows as a passer. He misses a read here and there, and is far from a hub, but his vision and accuracy are generally impressive for a player at his size and age.

Weaknesses

Steinbach’s biggest weakness isn’t any one of his skills, but whether or not they combine to create a cohesive role in the NBA. If you look up “tweener” in the dictionary, it very well may be a picture of Hannes – too small to be a center and lacking the lateral quickness and ball skills that some modern day power forwards possess. These problems are present on offense and defense – if he plays center, he is neither an intimidating paint defender or as overwhelming an offensive rebounder. And, until he’s a more proven shooter or ball handler, can you really afford to play him at the power forward in a motion-based NBA offense? While his rebounding brings intrinsic value whenever he walks on the court, to best take advantage of Hannes as a player a coach must be intentional with how he plays him. However, that isn’t always realistic for a prospect likely to be picked somewhere in the mid teens to early twenties.

Additionally, much of Steinbach’s future appeal is largely theoretical in the present. Am I optimistic about his passing in the long run? Sure, but that passing comes and goes in the present – there’s a legitimate chance that it stagnates. A similar contention arises with his shooting. There are indicators that he can be a better shooter than he currently is, but that is betting on improvement that has not yet happened. He has a lot of the pieces of a really well-rounded offensive player, but don’t mistake me – it will take time and developmental priority for Steinbach to reach his potential, more so than a Cameron Boozer or Yaxel Lendeborg, two other strong prospects at his same position.

While strong post scoring is becoming less important as the years go by, it would be nice for Steinbach to be more impressive with his back to the basket. A simplistic handle and uncreative post moves lead to some bad shots – projecting Hannes to develop into an on ball scorer or becoming anything more than the opportunistic scorer that he is now isn’t the smartest bet.

Conclusion

Steinbach’s success at the NBA level depends a lot on what role he is asked to play. If he is casted as a center, his strengths are mitigated and his weaknesses are magnified. He lacks positional size for the 5 and his dominant rebounding, while still being impressive, is less comparatively impressive against other centers. However, at the power forward? I believe that NBA teams should always be looking to play the most size that they can without sacrificing versatility on either end. If Steinbach can develop as a shooter and passer, a team doesn’t lose the spacing or quick decision making necessary to operate a modern-day NBA offense. Instead, his rebounding is only additive – most forwards would be incapable of dealing with his size, and Steinbach’s team would always win the ever-important possession battle.

On defense, you can tell a similar story. If a coach sees a 6’11 rebounder and assumes he’s most fit to play center, Steinbach becomes very unimpressive. He won’t ever be a strong primary rim protector, and he loses the positional size that makes him so enticing. However, if he can be flying in from the weak-side, impacting pick-and-rolls and gobbling up the rebounds his center misses, Steinbach becomes a unique weapon that perfectly fits in the direction of large+mobile that the NBA is moving in.

Does he fit on the Jazz? That is harder to say. If we didn’t pick up Jaren Jackson Jr. – a player very similar to Steinbach in that his skills are maximized at the 4 instead of the 5 – I would be overjoyed at the possibility to draft Hannes. Guaranteeing strong rebounding over 48 minutes with a front court combo of Steinbach, Nurkic, and Kessler allows us to compete in the positionally-large Western Conference. However, with the roster as is? Steinbach would be beneficial but the cost to obtain him (trading into the second half the first round) might be greater than the benefit he would provide – power forward isn’t exactly our position of weakness. But his imperfect fit on the Jazz doesn’t speak too much on his value as a prospect; expect to see Hannes nearing the top of the rebounds per 36 minutes rankings for years to come.

Current Draft Projections (most recent big board/mock draft)

No Ceilings: 29

Sports Illustrated: 12

ESPN: 15

The Ringer: 14

CBS Sports: 20

Quite a wide range of projected outcomes for the Washington freshman, but what do you think? Discuss in the comments below where you would select Hannes Steinbach!

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

Game 2 didn’t go off as planned, in fact it turned into a nightmare for the Silver and Black when Victor Wembanyama tripped when Jrue Holiday pulled the chair on a drive to the basket and hit his head hard on the Frost Bank Center’s hardwood early in the second quarter. Victor suffered a concussion, and it looked like he might have briefly lost consciousness. The Spurs could have folded after watching their best player have to be taken to the locker room with a serious injury, but they continued to play hard and were able to take a double digit lead midway through the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the home team, they could not hold on as the Spurs offense went cold for the last 5 minutes and the Blazers made clutch shot after clutch shot. Portland is not a good three-point shooting team, but you couldn’t tell that by their late game performance, as Scoot Henderson played out of his mind for the entire fourth quarter. Conventional wisdom is that you only need to worry about Deni Avdija on offense, but they got great performances from Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara as they took a three point lead with just a few seconds left to play. Devin Vassell had an opportunity to tie the game with time running out, but he was well guarded, and the shot missed, allowing the team from Rip City to walk away from San Antonio with a 1-1 series tie in the first pair of games, securing home court advantage for the rest of the series.

Victor Wembanyama has been making an excellent recovery from his initial concussion diagnosis, and he was allowed to travel with the team to Portland yesterday. He’s listed as questionable on the injury report this morning, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be cleared to play in time for tonight’s late-starting game. My guess is that even if he were officially able to enter tonight’s game, the Spurs may be reluctant to throw him out without having participated in practice since his injury. In my mind, it’s more likely that we’ll see him play on Sunday, and that would be subject to his continued improvement and a positive evaluation from the doctors that are monitoring his condition.

The Spurs should be prepared to play tonight without the super tall French guy, and if they play their normal game, they should be able to win tonight without his services. Luke Kornet will be fine against the Portland bigs, but it gets dicey when he has to sit. Mitch Johnson has shown that he likes to go small with Carter Bryant when Luke is out, and that has had mixed results so far. We might see some Kelly Olynyk in non-garbage time minutes to limit the time for small lineups. Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox will have to step up tonight after being somewhat inefficient in Game 2, especially late in Game 2. Dylan Harper has been effective, and doesn’t get too rattled by the physical play of Portland defenders and inconsistent calls from the refs, including a double dribble call that was totally a figment of the official’s imagination. The team will have to keep their composure as the Blazers will throw everything they have at them to try and take a lead in the series. It’s up to Mitch to have the team mentally prepared and ready to handle adversity. It’s a test, and I think it’s one that they’ll pass. There are at least three games left in this series, and each one of them is an opportunity for the team to learn. LET’S GO SPURS!

Game Prediction:

Scoot Henderson’s Magic Johnson votive candle burns out during shootaround, and he goes back to playing like just a guy for the rest of the series after his atypical game 2 showing.

San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers, First Round, Game 3
April 21, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT
Streaming: Prime
TV: Prime
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

After a rough Game 2 loss the Celtics needed a bounce back win in Game 3. They got it, thanks to clutch shots by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the fourth. Each Jay scored 25 points as the Celtics won a great game against the 76ers, 108-100.

There were no injuries to report for the Celtics and they started their usuals of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Joel Embiid is nearing a return, but it was not in Game 3. Philadelphia started Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George and Adem Bona.

It was back and forth for the start of the game. Just like in Game 1, Neemias Queta picked up 2 quick fouls, so he had to go to the bench. Nikola Vucevic was once again the first big off of the bench for Boston.

The Celtics led 29-24 at the end of the first quarter. Jaylen Brown led the team with 7 points while Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic all had 6 points.

Baylor Scheierman and Luka Garza were brought into the game to start the 2nd quarter. Both players made impacts with offensive rebounds and a made three.

BAYLOR "NO DIP" SCHEIERMAN 😎 pic.twitter.com/49i28HwVd8

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) April 24, 2026

The Celtics got hot from three in the 2nd quarter, but the Sixers were still hanging around. The Celtics led 41-35 with 7:42 to go in the 2nd quarter after a VJ Edgecombe dunk led to a Joe Mazzulla timeout.

Boston did have the lead, up 54-47 at the end of the first half. It was still Brown leading the way in scoring with 11 points while Tatum and Vucevic were behind him with 8 each.

Vucevic started the 3rd quarter over Neemias Queta.

Paul George really got going in the third quarter;he had the Sixers first 8 points of the quarter and matched his first half total in the first 2 minutes of the quarter.

The Celtics built up a 9-point lead, but 7 straight Sixers points cut the lead to 2 and a Joe Mazzulla timeout.

The third quarter was back and fourth as the Celtics could not pull away from the Sixers, in large part due to their turnovers.

The Celtics led 79-74 at the end of three. Jaylen’s 15 and Jayson’s 14 led the team in scoring but Payton Pritchard also needs to be shouted out, through 3 quarters, he had 12 points and was a +15.

It was the Tyrese Maxey show to open the fourth quarter for the 76ers. He had 8 points in the first 3:18 of the period as the Sixers took an 85-84 lead.

Just too many turnovers for the Celtics. They had 17 with just over 7 minutes to go in the 4th while giving up 21 points off of those turnovers.

The Celtics need more from Derrick White on offense. He has been so great on defense all season but he just hasn’t made his threes. He was 3/12 from the floor and 1/8 from three with just over 4 minutes to go in the game.

The Celtics took a timeout after a Kelly Oubre Jr. layup cut what was a 7 point lead down to 2 at 92-90.

Neither team was getting a lot of stops late in the game. Clutch threes from Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard kept the Celtics in the lead but the Sixers were running Paul George and Andre Drummond pick and roll and getting buckets every time because Nikola Vucevic was struggling to guard it.

After a pair of Kelly Oubre Jr. free throws cut the lead to 3, Nikola Vucevic missed an open three but a Derrick White offensive rebound and kick out to Jayson Tatum leading to a three put the Celtics up 6 and they did not look back.

Game. pic.twitter.com/8vm6N909Rqhttps://t.co/dbjNpjEpi6

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 25, 2026

The Celtics won the game 108-100 with 25 points from each Jay leading the way.

Boston shot 44% from the field and 43% from three while Philly shot 44% from the field and 34% from 3. Game 4 is Sunday night from Philly at 7 EST.

Rebounds, got to grab those, guys.

The Sixers fell short 108-100 to the Boston Celtics in Game 3 Friday night, falling down 2-1 in the series.

Tyrese Maxey, off an electric third quarter, led all scorers with 31 shooting 12-of-31 from the floor along with six assists. Paul George shot it well once he started attacking, finishing with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting.

VJ Edgecombe’s jump shot came down to earth. He finished with 10 points shooting 5-of-17 from the floor with 10 rebounds.

Despite being upgraded to doubtful on the initial injury report, Joel Embiid remained the only injured player unable to suit up.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Edgecombe was able to pick up where he left off, beating his defender and going right at Neemias Queta, hitting a contested layup for the Sixers’ first points of the game. The Sixers took advantage of their paint touches early as Maxey was able to kick to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a wide open corner three. Their effort on the glass was good early with Edgecombe and Adem Bona poking free two defensive rebounds while Bona got an early putback on the other end.

• Brown opened the game for Boston by getting switched onto Bona in space and was able to beat him pretty easily with a pump fake. After that the Celtics went on to miss their next six shots. The Sixers started to settle into jumpers though and none of them fell. Four straight misses prevented them from getting any type of space.
• The Celtics found their three-point stroke, hitting seven to round out the quarter. The Sixers were able to get to the rim a couple of times, but their offense looked pretty gummed up. There was no better example of that than Andre Drummond accidentally bumping into Maxey and knocking him over mid-jump shot attempt. Free throws from Maxey and Oubre were answered by another Nik Vucevic three to put the Celtics up by five after the first.

Second Quarter

• It was a very quiet first for PG. He had only taken one shot attempt. He started the second with a pull-up three for his first points of the game, but struggling to rebound had the second unit in trouble. Two quick offensive rebounds led to six Boston points. A couple more threes gave the Celtics the first double-digit lead of the game.
• A big difference from the first two games in this series was how much better the Sixers were with Bona on the floor than Drummond. Bona struck the balance of being much more under control while being in good position to contest shots. He had two blocks, the second leading to a much needed fast break when the Sixers needed some life.

• George really got the worst of it drawing an offensive foul as Brown hit him in the groin trying to create space. Despite the crowd’s protests, the play was rightfully not upgraded to a flagrant. Bona took a hard fall and was favoring his left wrist but also stayed in the game.
• Bona did sub out though when he picked up his third foul, two of them coming on moving screens. Drummond started the shift well, but giving up an offensive rebound, an open layup, and turning it over to lead to an open three was a brutal five-point swing. Derrick White hasn’t been able to hit anything in this series, but he hit a tough midrange fadeaway to push the Celtics lead at seven before the break.

Third Quarter

• PG making his first three shots of the half was exactly what the Sixers needed. Two Boston threes thanks to a blown switch and an offensive rebound weren’t though, as well as Bona picking up his fourth. Edgecombe could not buy a three. He missed two more to make him 0-of-5 from deep. Maxey though was able to hit one after putting Sam Hauser on skates. George finding an open Bona rolling for a dunk cut the lead to two and prompted a Celtics timeout.
• The Sixers’ defense did a great job rotating over and forcing a turnover coming out of that timeout. Maxey tied the game up with a midrange and took the lead on the next possession with a stepback three over Tatum. Things really came to a halt though when Drummond was T’d up for a hostile act fighting for a rebound with Queta. It was a weird whistle in a playoff game.

• The Celtics turned it over on the following two possessions but the Sixers weren’t able to score off either of them. A few trips to the line for Boston and a Drummond three swung the game on the seesaw. Quentin Grimes made a great stand to block a Brown pull-up, but the Sixers’ confusion when play wasn’t stopped led to a Payon Pritchard three. That gave him enough confidence to come off a screen and hit another one from about 35 feet, keeping the Celtics lead at five.

Fourth Quarter

• It didn’t take long for the game to get back on the seesaw. Maxey drilled another jumper from the top of the key to start the quarter with replay showing that his foot was in fact behind the three-point line. Bona split a pair of free throws and Edgecombe floated in for another impressive layup before Maxey came off a screen to hit another three at the top of the key, putting the Sixers back up by one as the Celtics called timeout.
• The Celtics went back in front thanks to a controversial goaltending call on a Tatum layup. The Sixers then turned it over twice in a row, then jacked up a three that didn’t come close and Boston took full advantage with an 8-0 run. Drummond getting fouled on a roll didn’t stop the run, but the corner three he got on the following possession did.

• Oubre and Maxey were both able to get to the basket to get it to two, but both of those were answered by baskets from Brown. George led the offense for two possessions that both led to Drummond dump-offs. Tatum had split a pair of free throws in between them, but a defensive breakdown on the following possession gave him an open three.
• George took the ball again and hit a tough floater, but Pritchard was able to outlast Maxey on the other end and answer with another three. Oubre cut it to three at the line. Vucevic missed a corner three but no one tagged White flying in from the corner. He grabbed the offensive rebound, the Celtics’ 15th of the game, and found Tatum who hit the dagger three.

History was made in Houston on Friday night at the Toyota Center when LeBron James tossed an alley-oop to his son Bronny James Jr. for a reverse layup in the second quarter of Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. 

The play, which occurred with 7:14 remaining in the second quarter was the first ever father-to-son assist in NBA Playoff history.

Bronny made the most of his six-minute burst in the second quarter, scoring five points, including a stepback three that ignited the crowd, turning the Toyota Center into a home game for the Los Angeles Lakers. The arena was half-empty for arguably the most important game of the season for the Rockets. 

LEBRON TO BRONNY.
FATHER TO SON.

BRON ASSIST BRONNY REVERSE. pic.twitter.com/OHEWmQuw1O

— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2026

The Rockets arena is EMPTY pic.twitter.com/zoDZuJ427K

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 25, 2026

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LeBron recently called playing with his son in the NBA Playoffs in front of his mother, Florida, and his wife, Savannah, and daughter Zhuri, surreal. 

“I was on the floor with my son in a playoff game. That’s probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me in my career,” said James after Game 1 in Los Angeles last Saturday. “My mom got to watch her son and her grandson during the playoffs. That’s crazy.” 

The Lakers lead the best-of-seven series 2-0, and currently lead at halftime of Game 3, 63-52.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Spurs' Victor Wembanyama will not play in Game 3 against Portland while he continues to recover from a concussion.