Category: Basketball

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Sunday’s four-game slate is certainly not lacking in excitement. The Los Angeles Lakers can complete the sweep of the Houston Rockets on the road and head to the Western Conference semifinals with a victory. 

The other three matchups all feature home teams down 2-1, looking to even up their respective series. Today’s best NBA player props and NBA picks focus on those games, keying in on young players enjoying breakout postseason success.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
RJ Barrett	Over 20.5 points	-120
Scoot Henderson	Over 14.5 points	-130
VJ Edgecombe	Over 6.5 rebounds	+115

Prop #1: RJ Barrett Over 20.5 points

-120 at bet365

The Toronto Raptors wouldn’t have won Game 3 without RJ Barrett... plain and simple. He scored 16 points in the decisive fourth quarter, going off for 13 points in a blistering three-minute stretch to put Cleveland out of striking distance once and for all.

Over his last 14 games, dating back to the regular season, Barrett has averaged 22 points, reaching 21+ nine times. He’s hit that mark in four of his last seven at home and scored exactly 20 one more time.

Immanuel Quickley is out again, and Barrett’s scoring average increased from 19 points per game to 20.6 in eight games with Quickley on the sideline. Barrett scored 21+ in four of eight regular-season games without IQ this season.

Barrett has averaged a healthy 26.3 points per game while shooting 64.4% from the floor in this series. His efficiency is bound to drop off, but I don’t expect it to crater, and I’m counting on another strong offensive showing.

• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

Prop #2: Scoot Henderson Over 14.5 points

-130 at bet365

Scoot Henderson missed most of the regular season due to a left hamstring injury, but he averaged a career-high 14.2 points across 30 games to close out his third NBA campaign.

Dating back to the regular season, he's started 11 straight games, and he’s averaged 17.4 points in that span. Henderson recorded at least 15 points in eight of his last 11, going for exactly 14 once more.

Scoot has been phenomenal in his first-ever playoff series. He ranks third on the team in field goal attempts and minutes per game, and he leads Portland in points (23.3) and triples (4.0).

The 22-year-old microwave scorer is making the most of his opportunities, and his season-high 31 points propelled the Portland Trail Blazers to victory in Game 2.

They'll need all the scoring they can get against a stout San Antonio Spurs defense, and Henderson’s outside shooting will be key to spacing the floor and countering the daunting interior presence of Victor Wembanyama.

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ESPN

Prop #3: VJ Edgecombe Over 6.5 rebounds

+115 at bet365

Like Barrett and Henderson, VJ Edgecombe is another hungry, young player having a productive playoff run. With Joel Embiid expected to sit out Game 4, Edgecombe should continue to see increased rebounding opportunities.

Edgecombe recorded 10 rebounds in Games 2 and 3, and he’s finished with 7+ boards in three of seven total matchups with the Boston Celtics this season. In those seven games, the rookie averaged 6.1 boards.

Edgecombe averaged 5.6 rebounds per game on the season, but he’s taken his rebounding to a new level over his last eight appearances. In that span, Edgecombe has averaged eight boards and corralled at least seven in six of them. 

Playing at home and in desperate need of a win, I expect Edgecombe to continue his stellar inaugural playoff run and cash this plus-money player prop.

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC/Peacock

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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Our NBA player prop projections have been providing winners all season long, and now they have six NBA picks for today's Game 4 matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors.

We've also got you covered with in-depth analysis in our complete Cavaliers vs. Raptors predictions for April 26.

Cavaliers vs Raptors computer picks for Game 4

Cavaliers	Raptors
Mitchell u26.5 points -112	Walter o7.5 points -125
Mobley o0.5 threes  -135	Barrett o19.5 points -120
Harden o19.5 points  -112	Ingram u19.5 points -110

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Cavaliers Game 4 computer picks

Donovan Mitchell Under 26.5 points (-112)

Projection: 24.38 points

After two strong games at home to start the series, Donovan Mitchell put up just 15 points in this 6ix. The Toronto Raptors did a much better job of keeping him at bay, and our model expects them to have similar success.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet mitchell Now at bet365!/span

Evan Mobley Over 0.5 threes (-135)

Projection: 0.92 threes

Evan Mobley is by no means a sharpshooter, but he has a reliable stroke from deep when the Cleveland Cavaliers need him to. Mobley hit threes in two of the first three games, and his volume will be high enough that he'll knock at least one long ball down.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet mobley Now at bet365!/span

James Harden Over 19.5 points (-112)

Projection: 21.49 points

Similar to Mitchell, James Harden had a quieter Game 3 in Toronto. Still, 20 points is a lot more obtainable than 27, and our model believes "The Beard" will have enough volume to go Over this number.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet harden Now at bet365!/span

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Raptors Game 4 computer picks

Ja'Kobe Walter Over 7.5 points (-125)

Projection: 10.07 points

This is the top model play according to our projections. Ja'Kobe Walter delivered a stinker in Game 3, but he finished with 14 points in Game 2 and seven in Game 1.

He won't go 0-fer again, and he'll be able to knock down enough shots to hit this number.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet walter Now at bet365!/span

RJ Barrett Over 19.5 points (-120)

Projection: 21.90 points

RJ Barrett has played like a man possessed vs. the Cavs, going 3-for-3 on his points line. With Brandon Ingram struggling, Barrett has stepped up in a big way and will do so again in Game 3.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet barrett Now at bet365!/span

Brandon Ingram Under 20.5 points (-110)

Projection: 19.12 points

As mentioned, BI has been brutal through the first three games. The slick wing has 19 points combined in his last two outings, and our model expects those shooting woes to continue this afternoon.

span style="font-size: 14px;"🔥/span spanBet ingram Now at bet365!/span

How to watch Cavaliers vs Raptors Game 4

Location	Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Date	Sunday, April 26, 2026
Tip-off	1:00 p.m. ET
TV	TSN, ESPN

Not intended for use in MA.
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The Toronto Raptors needed a response in Game 3 and they got it, and they'll need another one against the Cleveland Cavaliers in tonight's Game 4 if they want to head back to Cleveland all tied up.

However, our Cavaliers vs. Raptors predictions suggest Cleveland should be eager to play much better tonight, and our SGP picks expect Donovan Mitchell to be at his best.

Our best Cavaliers vs Raptors SGP for Game 4

Coming off a Game 3 where he scored just 15 points and shot 1-for-7 from beyond the arc, Donovan Mitchell is a prime bounce-back candidate tonight.

Spida had poured in 30+ points in four straight outings before a quiet night on Thursday, and his 3-point shooting is a natural spark for his stat lines.

This is a guy who shot nearly 56% from the floor and 47% from beyond the arc through the first two games of this series. That shooting touch will return tonight.

Though Scottie Barnes has given Toronto a lifeline in this series, the Cleveland Cavaliers can lean on more playoff experience and a larger pool of counters, so I’ll lay the small spread and trust in the visitors’ 7-2 SU mark in their last nine contests.

Cleveland has also put together a healthy 25-17 record on the road this season.

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The Philadelphia 76ers will get a chance at home to even their first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday in Game 4.

The Celtics were able to reclaim the series lead on Friday, going up 2-1 after defeating the hosting Sixers in Game 3. It was a much closer affair though than Boston’s first win in this series — a 32-point victory in Game 1 — with Philadelphia putting up another valiant effort until simply faltering a bit too much at the end of the 108-100 contest.

Sunday is a new day however, and the Sixers will be back on their home court in front of their fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena with a chance to re-tie the series before things head back to Boston.

The main variable for Philadelphia coming into Game 4 is the status of Joel Embiid, who is currently listed as doubtful for the contest as he continues to work toward medical clearance following an appendectomy just over two weeks ago. If he is ultimately able to play, everything changes quite a bit. We all know how the Sixers’ strategy shifts when they are able to utilize Embiid on the floor, and his presence would certainly put some extra work on the Celtics’ defense and increase spacing for everyone else. That being said, right now, all we can do is wait and see. One can imagine Embiid is probably pushing pretty hard to get out on the floor, and now it’s just up to the medical staff to be satisfied enough with his recovery to clear him to play.

Another injury-related variable coming into Sunday is Kelly Oubre Jr., who is listed questionable as of Sunday morning with right adductor soreness. Oubre has been making some solid contributions throughout the series and is coming off arguably his best performance of these playoffs so far, posting 17 points on 6-for-12 field goal shooting in Game 3. His status, for now, is another situation we just have to wait and see about.

Something that could definitely make a difference in Game 4 for the Sixers would be a bounce-back performance from VJ Edgecombe. The rookie struggled quite a bit in the Game 3 loss, putting up just 10 points in over 41 minutes played shooting 5-for-17 (29.4%) from the floor and going 0-for-7 from long range. He continued to contribute in other ways, posting 10 rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block, but he simply couldn’t get going offensively.

The good news is that Edgecombe had a similar experience back in the Sixers’ crushing Game 1 defeat and was able to bounce back in a huge way. The rookie had just 13 points in that series opener, shooting 37.5% from the floor and 0-for-5 from long range. Just two days later, though, was a much different story. Rather than getting down on himself about the struggles of Game 1, Edgecombe looked like a star in Game 2. The rookie led the Sixers to victory with 30 points on 12-for-20 (60.0%) field goal shooting and 6-for-10 (60.0%) three-point shooting in that second contest. It was also his first career playoff double-double, grabbing 10 boards.

The Sixers in general actually had bounced back really well in Game 2. From game strategy adjustments down to individual performances, the two contests were night and day for Philadelphia. The fortunate thing coming into Game 4 is that they don’t even need that large of a turnaround again. The Sixers actually hung in there really well with the Celtics in Game 3 throughout the majority of the contest, even with Edgecombe struggling and minimal impact from bench players not named Andre Drummond. There are certainly adjustments to be made, but the situation is not nearly as dire and desperate as after Game 1.

The question is simply are they able to make those adjustments again and tighten up in the areas they so obviously have room for improvement in, such as limiting offensive rebounding and second-chance points for Boston, and to have the guys they need to step up to do so.

I’ll be honest, I personally have been extremely impressed with the level of fight this Sixers’ squad — especially without Embiid — has been able to put up against this Celtics team. Especially after Game 1, it looked like Boston had sincere potential for a 4-0 sweep with +20-point wins. Don’t get me wrong, there are no moral victories in the playoffs, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I simply mean that I now have a lot stronger of a “they could steal a win here” coming into these games post-Game 2 than I anticipated ever having in this series coming into it — whether they are with or without Embiid by the time tipoff comes around.

But… having Embiid certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Game 4 tips off at 7 p.m. ET.

Game Details

When: Sunday, April 26, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Peacock
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

Nikola Jokić and Julius Randle were ejected after Jaden McDaniels made a meaningless – and provocative – layup at the end of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

With Minnesota already all but guaranteed victory in a game that ended 112-96, McDaniels chose to make the layup with 2.1 seconds left rather than run out the clock, as is customary. That led to Jokić jogging down from half-court to confront McDaniels, and a shoving match ensued as other players became involved.

“I don’t know what [Jokić] said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell,” he said of the exchange with the 6ft 11in, 284lbs center.

“I don’t regret it,” Jokić said of his actions. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”

Jokić was ejected for his part in the melee, as was Randle, who joined in the shoving.

Related: NBA’s Rwanda ties face scrutiny after sanctions-linked BAL withdrawal

McDaniels was already unpopular with the Nuggets after calling Jokić and his teammates “bad defenders” earlier in the series, which the Timberwolves now lead 3-1.

“I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That’s something that happens in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is.”

Although McDaniels will attract attention for his part in the game, Ayo Dosunmu, who Minnesota acquired from Chicago in February, was the team’s hero.

Dosunmu scored 43 points, stepping up after injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with the highest-scoring playoff performance by a reserve in 50 years.

“Ayo was just out of this world, man,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Just play after play after play.”

Dosunmu made 13 of 17 shots, going 5 of 5 from three-point range, and all 12 of his free throws in a season-high 42 minutes. It was the best performance by a sub since Fred Brown scored 45 off the bench for Seattle in a 116-111 loss to Phoenix in April 1976.

Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points. Jokić added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets were just 6 for 27 from 3-point range.

The Wolves have won the last three games and can end the series in Game 5 on Monday night in Denver. “I expect us to have a great effort in Game 5,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I really trust our two best players will find a rhythm, and they have to find that at home.”

While Minnesota celebrate victory, the injuries to Edwards and DiVincenzo are real concerns for the Timberwolves’ playoff hopes.

Edwards, a four-time All-Star and the team’s top scorer, left in the second quarter after landing awkwardly and injuring his knee. Team officials helped Edwards to his feet and he placed his arms around their shoulders. He put little weight on his left leg as he hobbled toward the locker room.

Earlier in the first half, Timberwolves guard DiVincenzo headed toward the locker room after he injured his right leg on a non-contact play. Early reports indicated that DiVincenzo may have ruptured his achilles tendon.

In Saturday’s other games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff-career-high 42 points to lift Oklahoma City to a road win over Phoenix. The reigning NBA MVP finished 15 of 18 from the floor with eight assists to give the Thunder a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Elsewhere, Karl Anthony-Towns totaled 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career playoff triple-double as New York earned a victory over host Atlanta and evened their series 2-2. Meanwhile, the East’s No 1 seeds, the Detroit Pistons, are 2-1 down in their series with Orlando after Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece to give the Magic a 113-105 victory.

San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama missed Game 3 of San Antonio’s first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. Will he suit up in Game 4?

Wembanyama suffered a concussion on Tuesday, April 21 when he stumbled on a drive, leading to his face slamming into the court.

He lay on the floor for a few moments and appeared to lose his balance as he tried to get up. Trainers rushed over to examine him, and Wembanyama eventually rose to his feet and jogged to the locker room. The injury happened in the second quarter, and the Spurs ruled him out for the second half.

The Spurs eventually lost that game, 106-103, though San Antonio bounced back in Game 3 on Friday, April 24 to take a 2-1 series lead.

But with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday, April 26, Wembanyama’s status will loom large ahead of tip-off.

Here’s everything you need to know about the status of Spurs star forward-center Victor Wembanyama:

HOUSTON — Desperation, and the Lakers needing to play with a sense of it, had been a talking point during Lakers coach JJ Redick’s recent media availability.

Redick knew the Rockets would be desperate to avoid losing the first two games of the best-of-seven first-round playoff series, a deficit fewer than 10% of teams have overcome since 1984.

And after the Lakers beat the Rockets in Game 2 on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Redick knew the Rockets’ desperation would only heighten for Game 3, with no team in NBA history coming back after falling behind 0-3. 

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The Rockets were desperate Friday night. But the Lakers showed, through their words and actions, that they have been just as desperate. 

If not more desperate, helping them take a decisive 3-0 lead in the series after the 112-108 Game 3 victory in overtime. 

“Love it,” Marcus Smart said. “I’ve been talking to the guys since I got here: You got to leave it all on the court, because you never know. That’s been my motto since I got in this league — just play and leave it all on the court, because you never know. It can be taken away at any moment. And with two of our best players down, we got to play desperate. We got to be the most desperate team. That’s how we have been playing, and that’s how we are winning.”

Desperation can be loud. 

It was present when LeBron James backtapped his late steal against Reed Sheppard to Smart, which set up James’ game-tying corner 3-pointer toward the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. 

Or Smart and Rui Hachimura crashing the offensive glass and coming up with crucial boards that set up the Lakers’ crucial points in overtime to help maintain their late lead. 

Diving on the floor for loose balls, not wanting to concede anything.

But it can also be more subtle. 

It can be defensive low-man rotations, quickly closing driving and passing gaps. Securing the defensive rebounds with authority. Being disciplined defensively. 

“We’re all just playing with desperation,” Jaxson Hayes said. “We want to make it to the next round. We’re playing like this is our last game of the year. It’s not even a series like, if we lose today, we’re done, so everyone wants to play like that, and everyone wants to put their body on the line for each other right now.”

This isn’t to say the Lakers have been perfect during the series.

Far from it, which is something Redick acknowledged multiple times after the Game 3 victory. 

But they kept doing what was necessary to be the better team Friday night. 

“Everything that we needed to do, even when it wasn’t pretty, we just kind of found a way to do it,” Redick said. “We’re playing hard. I mean, that’s what you have to do to put yourself in a position to win. There’s some things we can execute better, but I thought from the beginning of the game we played with a sense of desperation, and we played like a team that was down, as did they. They played a great game as well, a hard-fought game, and I thought we matched that.”

Now, the Lakers are just as desperate to end the series in Sunday’s Game 4 at Toyota Center.

“Got one more, it’s not over,” Smart said. “We got one more. And we’re in their home, and nobody wants to get embarrassed in their home. And we got them in a nail-biter, so it’s one more. We can’t worry about what happens after that because we got to take care of that. So we’ll worry about that after the game. Right now, Sunday is the only thing on our mind.” 

For the Lakers, Sunday could be the knockout punch that secures their first playoff series victory since 2023.

“We’re just trying to have that killer mentality right now,” Smart said. “We got them on the ropes, and then it’s our job to try to finish. It’s their job to fight back. And that’s been JJ’s motto all year: Bend, don’t break. And I think we really took that to the head for us. We lived it. We instilled it into us, and you see it the way we played these three games, right? But we got to be like a lion. We got to have that killer instinct. We got them on the ground. We just got to finish them off and keep our foot on their neck.”

The Suns returned home on Saturday afternoon to host the Thunder, and the result felt familiar. I walked away with a deeper respect for who Oklahoma City is, what they do, and how they do it. That team is relentless.

They are without their second-best player, and it does not slow them. Their best player delivers an absurdly efficient 42-point night with eight assists, and when he sits, the machine keeps running. The next group steps in, applies the same pressure, creates the same disruption, and executes the same vision. It never lets up.

They are not the T-800. No, they are not a Ray Ban-wearing Arnold. They are the T-1000. Adaptive, relentless, better looking.

There is no clear answer for Phoenix. It feels like the Suns are being towed along, close enough to hang around, never quite in control. At any moment, Oklahoma City can press down and create separation.

That reality shapes how you watch this. The roster construction, the injuries, it all narrows the path. It is not built for this matchup. Few teams are. So the lens shifts. Less frustration, more appreciation for what the opponent is doing in real time.

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

The Villain notched his 10th Bright Side Baller after his Q4 takeover and 30-point performance in Game 2.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 87 (Game 3) against the Thunder. Here are your nominees:

Dillon Brooks
33 points (11-of-21, 4-of-9 3PT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 7-of-7 FT, 3 turnovers, -2 +/-

Jalen Green
26 points (8-of-19, 3-of-9 3PT), 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, +4 +/-

Devin Booker
16 points (6-of-16, 2-of-6 3PT), 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers, -14 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
15 points (6-of-8), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block, -2 +/-

Collin Gillespie
7 points (3-of-9, 1-of-5 3PT), 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers, 1 block, -6 +/-

Grayson Allen
7 points (2-of-8, 2-of-8 3PT), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 0 turnovers, -16 +/-

Cast your vote.

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to close out the first-round NBA playoff series with the Houston Rockets on Sunday, April 26.

LeBron James has helped lead the way for the Lakers, who hold a 3-0 lead in the series against Houston.

Los Angeles has played throughout the series without guards Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic.

Doncic was ruled out for Game 4, but Reaves could be a game-time decision.

Here’s the latest on Reaves for Sunday.

In Saturday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter helped Orlando to a 113-105 win over Detroit. Jared McCain and OKC took care of Grayson Allen, Khaman Maluach, and the Phoenix Suns, 121-109. Meanwhile, New York thumped Quin Snyder’s Atlanta Hawks, 114-98. Finally, Minnesota clubbed Tyus Jones and the Denver Nuggets, 112-96.

Banchero just missed a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. Carter had a great game for the Magic as well, with 14 points and 17 rebounds.

Orlando now leads, 2-1.

McCain had 7 points in 12 minutes for the Thunder. Grayson Allen is playing again after his hamstring injury and had 7 points off the bench. Maluach scored 2. Down 3-0, the series is all but over for the Suns.

Jalen Johnson had 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Hawks as the Knicks tied the series, 2-2.

Finally, Jones got a DNP for the Nuggets as Minnesota took a 3-1 lead.

Four games on Sunday as Cleveland takes on Toronto in Game 4, San Antonio challenges Portland in Game 3, Boston gets its old rival Philadelphia in Game 4, and Los Angeles faces the Rockets, also in Game 4.

• Magic’s Paolo Banchero sends message to Pistons after Game 3 win
• Paolo Banchero Recalls His Earliest Seattle Supersonics Memories
• Paolo Banchero Reacts After Orlando Magic Take 2-1 Series Lead Over Detroit Pistons
• ‘Not Afraid of the Moment’: Jamahl Mosley Credits Paolo Banchero’s Playoff Poise
• Paolo Banchero’s dagger trey gets a friendly bounce as Magic take Game 3
• Magic’s Paolo Banchero joins Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant with historic playoff stat line
• Magic’s Paolo Banchero Sends Blunt Message on Pistons After NBA Playoff Upset
• Wendell Carter News: Big day on glass in Game 3 win
• Wendell Carter Jr. rises up and throws it down
• Wendell Carter Jr. rises up and throws it down
• Jared McCain finishes through contact, 04/25/2026
• Jared McCain’s honeymoon phase is already over after 76ers trade
• Daryl Morey said the Sixers ‘sold high’ on Jared McCain. Now, McCain is thriving while the Sixers stumble.
• Jared McCain Builds Dual Identity as NBA Player and TikTok Star
• Thunder series has highlighted the season’s wear-down of Suns
• Grayson Allen dials from long distance, 04/25/2026
• Khaman Maluach ascends for the slam!
• Khaman Maluach is changing the Suns’ offseason plans in one big way
• The Suns should prioritize Khaman Maluach minutes over Oso Ighodaro
• Jalen Johnson somehow gets the and-1 to fall
• Hawks HC Quin Snyder gives Knicks credit for Game 4 aggression
• Hawks’ Quin Snyder Opens Up About Nickeil Alexander-Walker Winning Most Improved Player of the Year Award
• Hawks’ biggest adjustment Quin Snyder must make to bounce back after Game 1 loss to Knicks
• Quin Snyder reveals true reason why Zaccharie Risacher left the rotation recently
• Jerry Reynolds: Is Mike Brown Being Out-Coached by Quin Snyder in the Playoffs

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The Toronto Raptors are in a weird spot.

From a circumstantial point-of-view, they’re not supposed to win this series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is the franchise’s first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 season and the move they made at the trade deadline was for tax reasons. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers went all-in with the blockbuster acquisition of James Harden. Toronto is also without its starting point guard for the series, while its centre is fighting off a relentless back injury.

Yet, it still feels like this roster is expected to push the Cavaliers to the brink, or significant changes may occur in the off-season. The team’s payroll is similar to that of other true contenders, making it tricky to improve the questionable roster construction.

But here the Raptors are, one game away from resetting the series into a best-of-three.

Before the scheduled tip-off at 1:00 p.m. EST, here are three storylines to consider ahead of today’s matchup on TSN.

Familiar territory

Despite playing against only 23 playoff opponents during its 30-year history, Toronto is familiar with falling into an early 2-0 series deficit. It’s happened an astonishing 11 times. Ironically, the Cavaliers have won the opening two contests in each of their four playoff matchups against the Raptors.

When the Raptors win game three, they are 4-1 in the fourth contest of the series:

• Defeated the Detroit Pistons 89-83 (2001)
• Lost to the Orlando Magic 106-94 (2008)
• Defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-99 (2016)
• Defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 120-102 (2019)
• Defeated the Boston Celtics 100-93 (2020)

The rookie and the vet

When Collin Murray-Boyles was taken with the organization’s first top 10 pick since 2021 (Scottie Barnes), no one could have expected that he would look like a calm veteran in his first post-season experience. Murray-Boyles is averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists on a hyper-efficient 72.7 per cent shooting. He’s also adding nearly one block and steal per contest.

One thing Murray-Boyles was chastised for leading into the NBA draft was how his size would hold up against taller centres. While Cleveland has outrebounded Toronto in two of three games, Murray-Boyles looks like he belongs on the court. The Cavaliers arguably have the most dynamic defensive big man duo in the Eastern Conference with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, yet Murray-Boyles looks comfortable navigating through playoff defences.

While it’s likely that Mobley rediscovers some of his defensive aura, Murray-Boyles’ effectiveness in the paint, particularly with his push-shot, should cause Cleveland to second-guess going with a smaller line-up. As long as the Cavaliers believe their best chance at winning means playing both Mobley and Allen in meaningful moments, that opens up new options made possible by the emergence of Jamison Battle.

Another way Murray-Boyles can dramatically affect the outcome is as a fulcrum in off-ball actions designed to get Brandon Ingram the ball. During numerous instances in the second and third quarters, Murray-Boyles’ screens were visibly more effective at getting Ingram open. When the Cavaliers sold out to deny Ingram, the rookie looked comfortable serving as the connector with the ball in his hands.

Mobley matters

It’s reasonable to think that one of – and probably both – Donovan Mitchell and James Harden produce a supernova-like offensive explosion at some point in the remainder of the series. Toronto has proven it can weather those storms up to a certain point. The Raptors will need RJ Barrett to continue dominating and Brandon Ingram to rediscover himself, but both asks are within the realm of possibilities.

The X-Factor could end up being Mobley. The six-foot-11 big man is averaging 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 60 per cent. These are within the vicinity of his regular-season numbers. Where he could swing the momentum back in Cleveland’s favour is through his defence and shooting.

Mobley can’t let Barnes and Murray-Boyles push him around in the paint. That’ll have a direct impact on whether or not the Cavaliers can improve their spacing on the offensive end with an Allen-less lineup.

His shooting will also further complicate matters for the Raptors. In the first two games, Mobley went a combined 2-for-4 from three. In game three, he finished 0-for-4 from beyond-the-arc. Toronto can’t defend everything. With the Raptors exhausting several resources on containing Mitchell and Harden, they have to hope Mobley struggles from three for the rest of the series.

After Lucas’ look at Carlos Medlock Jr. on Friday, we’re continuing our preview series of new basketball players with a look at the Spartans’ only transfer (at least so far) for 2026-27: Anton Bonke.

Bonke’s background is pretty interesting. He was born in the Netherlands but moved with his mother to Port Vila, Vanuatu, when he was three. Bonke grew up in Port Vila and I had to figure out where that is:

So, it’s an island north of New Zealand and between Australia and Fiji:

And, apparently, it’s not easy to get to East Lansing from Vanuatu:

Making it even harder, Bonke comes to MSU by way of Eastern Arizona Junior College, Providence College, and the University of Charlotte.

One of our readers posted this Q&A with Bonke from his time at Eastern Arizona JC and there is this all-access video from the 2025-2026 season at Charlotte:

In both sources, Bonke discusses growing up in Vanuatu and how his mom got him involved in several sports as a kid. One of which was rowing – a sport most people don’t care about. I get it. But hear me out for just a moment, please.

Training for rowing often takes place early in the morning, requiring a lot of discipline from a younger person. Its repetitive motion requires those who want to be good at it to hone in on, and strive to improve, the finer details of the sport. Specifically this includes:

• How the blades of the oars enter and exit the water,
• The sequencing of body movements that propel the boat with oars in the water, and
• One’s ability to control the body to avoid disturbing the boat, allowing it glide when the oars are out of the water.

In addition to good endurance, rowers generally possess full-body strength, but specifically in the lower body, and leverage – things that could probably help greatly when trying to carve out space in the paint or cutting out for a rebound.

Despite being a good rower, Bonke’s passion shifted to basketball while in Port Vila. There just weren’t a lot of options to play hoops competitively. Bonke settled for watching NBA games until he could start playing on a team after graduating high school at age 16. He had a family connection in Davis, CA, so Bonke moved there and eventually caught on at Eastern Arizona.

After a year at the JUCO level, Bonke moved to Providence College where he had a pretty limited role. During the 2024-25 season with the Friars, he averaged 6.5 minutes, 1.3 points, and 1.2 rebounds per game over 16 appearances with one start.

Bonke’s production increased immensely last year at Charlotte, however, where he averaged 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game. Bonke played in all 34 games for the 49ers, with 32 starts. He shot 57.6% from the floor and 34.2% (13-38) on threes.

Charlotte finished the year an even .500 at 17-17 overall and 9-9 in the American Conference. The 49ers finished tied for fifth place in the 13 team league. South Florida, Tulsa, Wichita State, and UAB took the top four spots. So how did Bonke do against those teams and Virginia Tech – the only high-major out-of-conference team Charlotte played last season?

Bonke’s stat line in these nine games is pretty similar to the season overall.

His high minutes were the 41 in the double overtime win against Wichita State on January 3. Bonke scored 25 in a win at Temple on January 28, 20 in a loss to Temple on December 30, and 20 again in a loss at Florida Atlantic on March 1.

Overall, Bonke scored in double figures in 20 of 34 games for the 49ers last season. Charlotte was 10-10 in games in which Bonke reached double figures in points and 7-7 in games where he did not. It seems like the 49ers were just going to be a .500 team regardless last year.

So how will this translate to MSU and the Big Ten?

Size-wise, at least, pretty favorably. Bonke is 7 feet, 2 inches tall and either 260 or 270 pounds, depending on which source you look at. Comparing him to several centers he could square up against in the Big Ten:

• Daniel Jacobsen, Purdue: 7-4, 250
• Aday Mara, Michigan: 7-3, 255
• Samet Yigitoglu, Indiana: 7-2, 270
• Moustapha Thiam, Michigan: 7-2, 250
• Zvonimir Ivisic, Illinois: 7-2, 245
• Eric Reibe, USC: 7-1, 260
• Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois: 7-1, 255
• Aiden Sherrell, Indiana: 6-11, 255

Note that this list includes players who have transferred in to, or could return to, the teams listed above.

This interesting stat also puts Bonke in pretty good company:

Tom Izzo is obviously a believer and recently had this to say on the Drive with Jack podcast:

“We just think this kid has a little bit of everything. He’s tough, he’s got size, he can shoot the 3. We’ll see what happens but we feel like we got ourselves a very good player that is going to really help us.”

Also, according to Izzo, the Spartans had to beat out some competitors to land Bonke. In an article posted on Mlive, Izzo said he thought the Spartans might lose him to Kansas. So, Izzo apparently isn’t the only one who is high on Bonke’s potential. Interestingly, the same Mlive article from Matt Wenzel notes that Bonke has entered his name in the NBA draft (while retaining his college eligibility) – something that doesn’t seem to be mentioned much – but Izzo expects him to be in the Green & White next season.

Let’s close this out with a few video clips of Bonke in action for Charlotte last season and you can judge for yourself if you think his game will translate to the Big Ten.

Here is Bonke staying with his man and forcing him away from the basket as he attempts to drive and then ending the scoring threat for good with a nice rejection:

Here we see Bonke’s three point stroke:

And also a nice mid-range game:

Finally, we see that good lower body strength and some nice footwork pay off with some points in the paint:

I didn’t know anything about Anton Bonke before starting this article but I’m going to end it with some hopefulness. This guy seems to have come a long way in a short time playing organized basketball. Perhaps, in some ways, this is where the transfer portal can be good. A guy worked hard to get in a position to come to the United States and, in a few years, has worked his way from Eastern Arizona Junior College to a team with Final Four aspirations.

Izzo has called him “tough” and his demeanor in the all-access video from Charlotte seems to indicate that he’ll be able to take it if and when he experiences some “hard coaching” at MSU.

He appears to have an offensive skill set that can provide buckets in the paint and stretch the floor.

Perhaps Bonke will struggle initially with the defensive demands at MSU and in adjusting to the top-level of college basketball but he’s been making adjustments that have worked for him since he was 16 years old.

Welcome to East Lansing, Anton. Let’s make a run.

Last Tuesday, Victor Wembanyama went out of Game 2 early in the second quarter with a concussion. He has since been in the NBA concussion protocols. The Spurs have been working with the NBA to monitor Victor’s progress toward recovery. They are also in the process of evaluations to detemin when and if Wemby should return during this timeline of this series.

On Thursday, he flew with the team. On Friday, he worked out, participated in shoot arounds, and yet did not play once the time came.

Per league protocol, 24 hours after a player sustains a concussion, he can begin the process of returning to play. If symptom-free, he can be cleared to return by team doctors in consultation with a league policy director after 48 hours without full participation.

 Thirty minutes before tipoff for Game 3, the forward warmed up at Moda Center.

“He’s progressing every day,” Harper said. “All we can really do is pray for him and hope the trajectory he’s (on) keeps happening.”

Expect a game time decision to Wembanyama’s availability.

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Between the roughly 520 miles of driving, and the two hours sitting on the upper deck press row of Xfinity Mobile Arena, around 95% of my Friday night was spent sitting down while the Celtics battled in a down-to-the-wire thriller against the 76ers. 

The decision to drive from my apartment in Richmond, Virginia to South Philadelphia, and immediately head right back within a 24-hour period was ill-advised, and I kind of knew it. 

But this is the postseason — it’s the perfect time to make rash decisions. If I’m losing sleep over playoff basketball, I might as well do it because I’m there. From a 11:30 a.m. departure and an arrival back home at 3:30 a.m. Saturday, the entire day was spent in a sort of dream-like haze. You walk through the tunnel, and there Derrick White stands, signing autographs. 

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum breeze by the media for their postgame pressers, an hour after combining for 11 of the team’s 16 clutch points in front of a raucous Philadelphia crowd. There you are, witnessing a new chapter to one of the NBA’s greatest rivalries. That is why I made the drive.

The nighttime drive from Philadelphia to Richmond was a little over four hours on the road. Not terrible, especially with the Trail Blazers/Spurs radio broadcast to keep you company, but the drive from Richmond to Philadelphia was a slightly worse six and a half hours, featuring hours of stop-and-go traffic and a brief excursion into the heart of Baltimore that Google Maps deemed a “time-saving” maneuver. 

During that drive, half of the time was spent on series-adjacent thoughts: how do the Celtics defend the Maxey pick-and-roll? How do the rotations change from Game 2? Can Jayson Tatum find his touch from beyond the arc? 

The other half of the drive, spent on things like music and podcasts, ultimately evolved/devolved into basketball, in some way or another. I had spent a good chunk listening to Icelandic artist Björk for the first time (Her album Debut is incredible), which later turned into a bit where I tried my best to do an impression of Björk on the call with Mike Breen and Doris Burke (whether or not it was a good impression, I’ll leave to the imagination). 

I also got to thinking about playoff hype videos. We all love them, we all need them. It’s the perfect way to usher in a playoff run, and luckily we’ve got tons of talented content creators out there that have perfected the craft. But what is the best one from this year for the Celtics? 

For my money, it comes from @derekwkim (who I see on this blog pretty frequently!). This video, if you haven’t seen it, is absolutely Dy-no-mite. If this doesn’t get you absolutely locked in, check your pulse. It’s too good. 

When I finally parked at Xfinity Mobile, I was in a hectic state. On one hand, the traffic was so bad, I only had about an hour to get acclimated with my surroundings. That meant no opportunity to watch shootarounds, take additional notes, or listen to Nick Nurse and Joe Mazzulla’s pre-game pressers. 

On the other hand, for every 10 steps you walk, you’re hearing Celtics and Sixers fans just jaw at each other. A glorious rivalry, a tied up series, everyone is confident. This is what it’s all about. The atmosphere of a playoff game is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. 

This was my first live Celtics playoff game in any capacity, though it’s actually the second playoff game I’ve ever been to. 

In 2024, a friend and I drove over 1,200 miles to Dallas, Texas for a spur of the moment road trip to see Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves. It was a great game, and an even greater atmosphere, just for the fact that Dallas was a game away from their first Finals appearance since 2011. 

It was during that trip that I watched the Celtics clinch their second Finals appearance of the Jays era in possibly the seediest motel I’ve ever been in, so that gives me an interesting “where were you when the Celtics swept the Pacers?” experience for that championship season. 

If anyone else answers “fearing for bedbugs in Dallas, Texas” that’s a pretty crazy coincidence.  

In Philly, I was taking notes on a range of topics: pick-and-roll coverages, Maxey defenders, Jaylen Brown paint touches, to name a few. 

I really didn’t interact too much with anyone near me during the game, although I was given a rare, naturally-occurring jumpscare from the older Philadelphia writer that sat beside me, who had a second screen on with the Phillies game and slammed his fist hard on the table after what I assume to be a costly error or game-losing play. Here I am locked in on a Tatum pick-and-roll only to be absolutely shaken by the absolute rage of this man. He, too, was locked in, just on something completely different from the other 19,016 people in attendance.

After watching an electric clutch performance from the Jays and hearing them speak in front of the media, I was off on the road back to Richmond. Now with a shorter, smoother ride, I spent the time thinking over what I just watched.

If you’re reading this, that probably means you’ve also read the many wonderfully-written articles from the blog’s staff about the finer details of this win. I don’t want to harp on too many more details with another game on Sunday, but consider this a 10 Takeaways microdose. We’ll call it 3 Takeaways. 

1) Baylor Scheierman has made the most of his opportunities 

There’s a clear need for Jordan Walsh to also have an established role in this series, and I understand playoff minutes are hard to come by with Jaylen and Jayson both averaging over 36 minutes, but Scheierman has been so good in his time on the floor this series. If there’s room to expand his minutes, I’d like to see it. 

His 12 minutes on the floor felt like a sample of all the things he’s provided in the rotation this season. He hit a pair of threes, grabbed three boards, and hounded the ball on defense, coming away with two steals. 

The versatility Scheierman presents, it just feels like it’s going to save the day at some point. He is simply built for the moment. 

2) This was the clutch execution we needed to see 

There was just something not quite right with how the Celtics offense ran in Game 2, even as they drew as close as two points from the Sixers in the fourth quarter. Too many stalled possessions down to the final seconds, too much overdribbling to make something happen, and of course, not enough shooting execution when they did get a good look.

Game 3 was not the case. 

Not to say it was all perfect, after all Pritchard’s late three barely beat the shot clock on a well-defended possession, and the Sixers stuck around by attacking the basket, but through the pressure and the chaos, the Celtics were composed when it mattered. 

While it’s not the most important shot of the fourth quarter, Tatum’s 3-pointer with two minutes left shows that composure completely. The Sixers sell out on taking away his drive, so much so that they dare Vooch to pull it from deep. He doesn’t force it, he doesn’t push the ball to the first option he sees, he takes a dribble inside the arc, forces a reaction to collapse onto him, then makes the best read possible by getting it back to Tatum. 

And when Tatum took that extra dribble, you just knew that shot was going down. A smart play rewarded. 

Clutch execution is an understandable concern with this group, but we saw that the team can shine when it gets down to those final, intense moments of a game. We absolutely needed to see a closeout like this. 

3) We saw this core’s playoff experience at work 

Joe Mazzulla had a quote that resonated with me when he was asked if the way the team closed out the win was a testament to Tatum and Brown’s playoff experience and leadership. To him, it shows up in other areas even before you reach the clutch stages of this game. 

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

It’s a realization that, to those who have followed this team since the very beginning of this era, before we even considered it an era of this duo, we have seen so many battles, so many postseason journeys, so many lessons learned. They’ve reached the top of the mountain, they suffered devastating defeat, and everything in between. 

They’ve literally seen it all. 

Game 3 was a nailbiter, but it’s not new to this duo. That experience matters. 

It’s 3:30 a.m., and I’m finally back home. Face meets pillow, end of journey. Maybe next time I’ll book a flight.