As the Knicks gear up for another playoff run, we’ve learned a few strengths and weaknesses of the club. But still, questions remain about how the team will fare in the postseason.
After New York’s 111-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night, there are just seven games left in the regular season. With the playoffs on the horizon, here are four questions the club is facing as the postseason rapidly approaches.
Is Towns ready for the postseason?
The 2025-26 season has been an adjustment for Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks All-Star center is averaging 20.0 points, the lowest scoring average of his career since his rookie season, and a career-low 30.9 minutes.
But recently, Towns has improved his play. His defense has taken a step in the right direction, he’s cut down fouls and his offensive efficiency has risen. In March, Towns is averaging 20.6 points on 57.1 percent from the field and 12.9 rebounds.
But Towns can still be susceptible to having stretches of ineffectiveness. In New York’s 114-103 loss against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night, Towns scored just 13 points. He seemed uninvolved for most of the game, scoring just two points in the first half. On Sunday night, Towns had just four points in the first half as the Thunder had smaller defenders like Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso guard him.
If the Knicks are going to make any noise in the postseason, they will need Towns to be productive and consistent.
Does the club have enough depth?
One of the top priorities for the Knicks heading into the season was shoring up the bench. New York has added depth to the roster. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride have been integral pieces of the rotation. Landry Shamet has emerged as a valuable reserve. Jordan Clarkson has seen a recent boost in minutes. Young players like Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek have shown flashes at times.
Despite these positives, the Knicks bench hasn’t been exactly electric. New York’s reserves have the third-lowest scoring output in the NBA. They also are ranked just 28th in total minutes.
In the postseason, many teams stick with a short rotation. That favors the Knicks. But any injury to its core players could be hard to recover from.
Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Can the Knicks limit opponents from three?
All season long, the Knicks have struggled to defend the three-point line. New York is giving up 38.9 three point attempts per 100 possessions, the fifth-highest mark in the NBA. The Knicks are tied for 19th in opponents three-point, percentage.
The three-point defense issue was a factor in the loss to Charlotte. The Hornets connected on 16-of-41 threes (39 percent). Even in wins against the Washington Wizards and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Knicks gave up 18 and 15 trifectas, respectively.
Under head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks defensive strategy leans on helping in the paint and then recovering back to the perimeter. The extreme help around the basket is giving opponents easy looks from three.
New York’s overall defense has been much better over the past two months. The club has risen to fifth overall in defensive efficiency. But in the wrong matchup, the three ball could become pivotal.
Will the team fix first quarter struggles?
A trend for New York throughout the season has been the club getting off to slow starts. During its recent seven-game win streak, the Knicks trailed in the first quarter of three games.
The Knicks starting lineup has been passable, outscoring opponents by 3.3 points per 100 possessions in 459 minutes before Sunday night per NBA Stats. But the group has struggled in the first quarter. In 184 first quarter minutes, New York’s starting five has a net rating of -4.5 points per 100 possessions.
It seems too late to make a change to the starting lineup. But falling behind at the start of games creates a tough task to have to make the uphill climb of getting back into a game. And in the playoffs, where every moment matters, that’s even more important.
For every iconic moment we see on television during March Madness, there are many other captivating subplots going on at the same time.
Weaving them all together is what makes the best in the TV production business so great at what they do.
During CBS's coverage of UConn's improbable 73-72 comeback win over Duke in the Elite Eight, Braylon Mullins' 35-footer to beat the buzzer was obviously the focal point. But the network's camera operators also had to be ready for the reaction shots.
One angle that didn't make the cut there was a reaction shot of CBS announcers Bill Raftery and Grant Hill as they joined play-by-play man Ian Eagle on the call.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 29: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against Kris Dunn #8 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 29, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The undermanned Milwaukee Bucks lost 127-113 at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers yesterday in what was their first “meaningless” game after being eliminated from play-in contention. The game was trending toward embarrassing blowout territory, but a fourth-quarter rally from Milwaukee made the final score look respectable. The Clippers sealed a 2-0 season series victory over the Bucks with this win. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
Trent was lights-out in this one. He started off hot, scoring 11 of Milwaukee’s first 15, and he never lost his groove. The veteran delivered 16 points in the fourth quarter as part of a late rally for the Bucks. Awesome performance from a guy who keeps stacking good days. Gary’s 36 points were a season-high and the most he’s scored in a game since March 11th, 2022, when he had 42 against the Suns.
Usually, you don’t want a player like Prince playing such a featured role, but to his credit, he was good in this one. TP hit timely shots and kept the ball moving, tying his career-high with eight assists. Five turnovers isn’t ideal, but he wasn’t the only guy coughing it up too much.
AJax continues to look more aggressive on the offensive end. He made solid plays within the team’s sets and disrupted a bit on defense. More and more, he’s showing flashes that justify Milwaukee’s decision to keep him around.
Nance’s offensive production has begun to tail off lately, and it’s limiting his ability to impact the game. He does enough on defense and as a hub at the five to make himself a factor when he isn’t hitting shots, but he’s gotta start doing that again.
This was one to forget for the young Frenchman. Dieng forced some tough shots, missed all his triples, turned it over too much, and fouled out. This feels like a needed reminder to some fans who jumped the gun with him. Ous is still raw and young with a lot of development left.
Dairy Bird was aggressive, but maybe a little too much, as he also fouled out. But on the positive side, he set a new career-high in free throws made with five.
Somewhat pedestrian game for Sims, relative to the heightened standards he’s beginning to set for himself. Two of his three baskets came in the first two minutes of the game, both of which were impressive finishes over Brook Lopez.
The rookie had the first double-digit outing of his young career yesterday. He looked comfortable, confident, and energetic. He hit a three as part of a big fourth-quarter run that got the few faithful fans in Fiserv jumping. Fun game for the kid.
Grade: B
Doc Rivers
“Playing the right way” has been Doc’s go-to buzzword phrase this season, but honestly, it’s the most accurate way to describe how the Bucks played in this game. Every guy on the floor kept the ball moving and played unselfishly. The offense really felt connected from start to finish, with each player (save maybe Dieng) hunting the best shot for the team. They turned it over too much, but that’s a natural byproduct of having no point guards in the lineup (where’s Mark Sears when you need him). So, assuming the structure of the game plan can be attributed to Doc, he did a solid job.
Grade: B
Inactive: The Antetokounmpos (Giannis, Alex, Thanasis), Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr.
Bonus Bucks Bits
Doc on Brook Lopez, who made his return to Milwaukee yesterday for the first time since he left in free agency:
“I wasn’t here when he won the title. I can just tell you what he meant to me, and I texted him and this, after everything went down, you know, I hate ranking cause every time I rank somebody I get some blowback, you know, but he is a top five character person, by far, I’ve ever been around in the NBA, forget coaching, player. Brook was, I fell in love with the guy as a human being. He did everything right. Prepared right. He’s emotional about the game. You know, people don’t see that because he’s so stoic, but Brook is fiercely competitive. He hates… last year, when we were struggling, that one stretch with all the injuries, every time we lost a game, he would text me, ‘what can I do more?’ That was all. Not, what someone else is not doing, I want more shots, it was ‘what can I do more to help you help the team?’ That’s, I’ve never got that text from any player in my career, like that, and he did it every time, and he meant it, and so he was amazing. This city should embrace him every time he comes to the city.”
Tyronn Lue on one thing that’s surprised him about Brook Lopez in his first season with the Clippers:
“His work ethic. I mean, every single day, coming in with JVG, doing his shooting every day, doing his defensive stuff every single day, and no days off. You know, a guy who’s been in the league that long and that’s solidified as a great player this whole time, to just see him come in every single day and work, and so the same routine every single day, you can see why he’s had a long career. He’s a really good player.”
Gary Trent Jr. on what he does to stay positive and loose regardless of the outcome of games and how many minutes he’s playing:
“Again, you can only really control what you can control. I’m going into the eighth year of my NBA career. I’ve starred in games, I’ve been benched, I’ve been behind the bench in a suit, I done started and scored 40 before, so again, I done touched every aspect that you can be a part of, good and bad, so really just over those years, throughout my course of my career, helped me how to deal with things, how to stay sane, how to continue to keep working, little things like that.”
Cormac Ryan went down chasing after a loose ball in the fourth quarter, and two Clippers helped him up. Always fun seeing little displays of sportsmanship like that, and Ryan’s overall energy has been very noticeable since he joined the team. He’s constantly standing up on the bench and cheering his teammates on.
Up Next
The Bucks will continue their homestand on Tuesday night, March 31st, against the Dallas Mavericks. Catch that one at 7:00 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 28: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates his shot against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half with teammates Joel Embiid #21, Trendon Watford #12, Kelly Oubre Jr. #9 and Quentin Grimes #5 at Spectrum Center on March 28, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Helen McGinnis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things are looking up for the Sixers. Their stars are finally healthy, Paul George is suspension free, and they’ve won their last two games to start getting on track as each win becomes increasingly important in the Eastern Conference standings.
After beating the Bulls and Hornets, next up the Sixers are heading to Miami to take on the 39-36 Heat, now down at ninth place in the East.
The Heat will also be at a rest disadvantage, as they’ll be finishing a back-to-back following a hefty 135-118 loss to the Pacers on Sunday.
Meanwhile for the Sixers, I can write a phrase that’s rarely been uttered for a long time: Philly will have their full rotation for this game. The recovering Johni Broome is the only player on the team’s injury report.
The Sixers are coming off the kind of win we needed to see in Charlotte. It was a glimpse of what this team was meant to be this season, before injuries, suspensions and bad vibes (from all the above and things like the Jared McCain trade) derailed it. George looked good physically on both ends and tallied 26 points and 13 rebounds, Joel Embiid got to the line like his usual self and scored 29 points, and Tyrese Maxey easily dropped 26 points and eight assists on 10-of-18 shooting (3-of-6 from three).
Throw into that the accompanying performances — from Kelly Oubre Jr. off the bench, to Andre Drummond’s strong minutes and VJ Edgecombe’s sharp complementary play at both ends — and the strong finish late in the third quarter and through the fourth to overcome a 15-point deficit, and it was actually a fun night.
It’s been hard to remember what a healthy and fun team looked like, so let’s see if they can keep it rolling. The Sixers should have another winnable game ahead of the them.
Norman Powell, the Heat’s All-Star, has been having a quality season. He’s taken on more on-ball duties, especially during all Tyler Herro’s absences, and has put together the best year of his career as a result. He’s put up 22.1 points per game with a 61.1 true shooting percentage, while gunning away from three with 7.1 attempts per game at a 38.4 percent clip.
However, Powell was out on Sunday with a upper respiratory infection. We’ll need to wait until closer to tip-off for Miami’s injury report, but Powell is the clearly the biggest name to look out for.
If Powell is available, it’ll be particularly helpful now that Kelly Oubre Jr. and George are back to help contain him. George was spry and moving well on Saturday, while Oubre’s agility and size advantage over Powell making him a pretty good defensive matchup too.
Another good matchup will be Jaime Jaquez Jr. against George and Oubre whenever they’re squared up. The Heat’s sixth man has been having a very well rounded year, putting up by far the best numbers of his young career with 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game with a 56.3 true shooting percentage (albeit lacking three-point efficiency) and reliable defense.
Handling Bam Adebayo is the other main challenge for the Sixers in this one. With Embiid back, though, the frontcourt battle in this one goes from being tough to a clear advantage. Embiid has always had the upper hand against Bam when they’ve faced off, utilizing his plethora of face-up and post-up moves and superior size and strength. Even if Embiid doesn’t have a big scoring night, he only needs to bully Adebayo a bit to force help and double teams to come in order to free up the extra three-point shooting the Sixers have again now George and Maxey are back.
The Herro matchup will be an interesting one to watch, especially if Powell’s out and guys like Herro (plus Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson) get more touches as a result. Even though Herro’s been scoring an efficient 20.9 points per game this season (on 60.5 percent true shooting), his defense still remains an issue for an otherwise strong Miami defense that ranks ninth in the league. Especially now that Maxey is back alongside Edgecombe, it’ll be fun to see if/how they use ball screens to get matched up against Herro more often and use their explosive drives to attack him downhill.
To avoid better defenders in Davion Mitchell, and wings with more size like Jaquez Jr. and Wiggins, let’s see what Maxey and Edgecombe can cook up.
Hopefully for the Sixers, Saturday’s game against Charlotte was a sign of more positivity to come. Now that they have star power, health, and some depth on their side again, it’s time to see if they can start making that more of a regular thing.
Game Details
When: Monday, March 30, 7:00 PM ET Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, FL Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic Follow:@LibertyBallers
The San Antonio Spurs are surging toward the playoffs like an express train, and the Chicago Bulls have nowhere to hide in tonight’s matchup.
Gathering speed every week, San Antonio is 13-1 in its past 14 outings, so my Bulls vs. Spurs predictions don’t give Chicago much chance here, especially with the hosts going 0-3 so far on this road trip.
Get the lowdown on this clash on Monday, March 30, with my NBA picks and betting angles.
Bulls vs Spurs prediction
Bulls vs Spurs best bet: Stephon Castle Over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists (-115)
It’s a no-brainer to say that Victor Wembanyama is the No.1 reason to take the San Antonio Spurs seriously as a title contender. But Stephon Castle’s development as a two-way stud has to be second.
Castle is coming off a 22-10-10 triple-double against the Bucks on Saturday, and he’s walking into another favorable matchup tonight, with the Chicago Bulls limping towards the regular season finish line.
There’s been a ferocity to Castle’s play all year, but this month has provided some new peaks, and he’s gone past this combo O/U number in seven of his last nine contests.
Big scoring nights are just a bonus when you consider Castle is averaging 8.5 APG and 5.8 RPG in March. But he’s still very capable as a bucket-getter, and he’s shooting 41% from 3-point range across his past 13 outings. That’s perhaps an inevitable outcome of all the attention that Wemby attracts in the paint.
A visit from the Bulls can only boost those stats. Chicago has coughed up 124+ points in four straight games, including a horror show in Philadelphia last Wednesday, where Billy Donovan’s squad allowed 157 points.
Castle feasted in the teams’ prior meeting this season, with 19 points and 11 assists back in November. A massive spread suggests one-way traffic here, but don’t expect the Spurs to ease up. With Castle at the controls, the hosts should be at their relentless best.
Bulls vs Spurs same-game parlay
With Castle playing at such an elite level, the Spurs are big favorites for a ninth straight victory. San Antonio is 28-7 straight up at home, while Chicago is just 11-25 SU on the road.
I’m doubtful about the Bulls’ chances of posting a big total against an in-form Spurs defense, so the Under offers nice value to round out my SGP. It’s 43-32 for San Antonio this season, and the hosts have held their past two opponents under the 100-point mark.
Bulls vs Spurs SGP
Stephon Castle Over 29.5 points + rebounds + assists
Spurs moneyline
Under 242.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Nothing Else Matas
If the Bulls are going to put up a fight here, it starts with Matas Buzelis filling the box score. He’s grabbed 8+ rebounds in three straight, and he’s got the size to shoot over the Spurs’ smaller guards. For all Chicago’s struggles lately, the visitors are a respectable 6-4 ATS in their last 10, so this spread feels a little inflated.
Bulls vs Spurs SGP
Matas Buzelis Over 6.5 rebounds
Matas Buzelis Over 1.5 assists
Matas Buzelis Over 2.5 made threes
Bulls +18
Bulls vs Spurs odds
Spread: Bulls +18.5 (-115) | Spurs -18.5 (-105)
Moneyline: Bulls +1000 | Spurs -2000
Over/Under: Over 244.5 (-110) | Under 244.5 (-110)
Bulls vs Spurs betting trend to know
The Bulls are 6-1 ATS in their last seven matchups against the Spurs. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Spurs.
How to watch Bulls vs Spurs
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Monday, March 30, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Bulls vs Spurs latest injuries
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St. John's amazing return to national prominence in men's basketball has earned the architect of the renaissance a new contract.
School officials confirmed to ESPN on Sunday, March 29, that Rick Pitino has signed a new contract that will make him the Big East's second-highest paid-coach behind UConn's Dan Hurley.
"Coach Pitino has changed the culture of our community and we want his presence to be felt on this campus for years to come," athletic director Ed Kull said in a statement. "We look forward to more Big East championships and NCAA tournament runs with Coach Pitino at the helm."
Pitino led the Red Storm to a 30-7 record and their first appearance in the Sweet 16 this century before a season-ending loss to Duke on Friday, March 17.
In his third year at St. John's, the 73-year-old Pitino made history as the Red Storm became the first program ever to win back-to-back Big East regular season and tournament titles.
The Hall of Fame coach has an overall record of 915-318 (.742) over 38 seasons. He has taken three different schools (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to the Final Four and won two national championships.
The torrid stretch of play Luka Dončić has been on during March will cool down, at least for one night, when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Lakers guard Luka Dončić during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles. William Liang-Imagn Images
Dončić averaged 36.5 points (49.3% shooting, 39% on 3-pointers), 8.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.3 steals during the Lakers’ 14–2 stretch going back to Feb. 28 before the league announced on Saturday that he’d be suspended for Monday’s game.
He’s the reigning Western Conference player of the week, receiving the honor back-to-back weeks.
“He’s disappointed,” coach JJ Redick said after Sunday’s practice. “He wants to be there for his teammates, and again, I’ve talked about this all year, he plays. He’s not a guy that takes games off. He can be banged up and he’s gonna play. He was like that when I was his teammate in Dallas.”
With the way the Lakers have leaned on Dončić, their game plan against the Wizards will have to look different.
More time for Austin Reaves to be the primary ball handler with Dončić out.
Possibly more playing time for Bronny James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleber, with starting guard Marcus Smart and Adou Thiero both being “day-to-day,” in addition to Dončić’s absence.
Smart has missed the last three games because of a right ankle contusion, while Thiero has been sidelined for the last couple of days because of left knee soreness.
“For [Monday], we’ve gotten some great contributions from guys that haven’t necessarily been in, like the nine-man rotation when we’ve been fully healthy,” Redick said. “Bronny’s had some good moments. Vando’s had some good moments, Maxi’s had some good moments. But we’re gonna need everybody.”
Austin Reaves drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons, March 23 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NBAE via Getty Images
Jersey swap
When Reaves conducted his post-practice media availability, he had centers Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes by his side.
But Reaves was wearing Ayton’s practice jersey. And Ayton was wearing Reaves’.
Hayes was wearing second-year wing Dalton Knecht’s jersey during a practice nobody wore their own number.
“We all just traded,” Hayes explained. “Dalton, I saw he was still wearing his jersey, so I gave him Vando’s. I had Vando’s jersey on, we traded. Everyone had on a different jersey.”
Reaves and Dončić do what looks like a pinky swear during a time-out against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena. Getty ImagesLakers coach JJ Redick during a play stoppage against the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. David Reginek-Imagn Images
Golf time
Reaves joked that Redick needed to quickly finish his post-practice availability so Reaves could go so he wouldn’t be late for his tee time.
Golf has quickly become one of the frequently-discussed topics among Lakers, a significant amount of the team playing.
“It’s funny, because when I first got in the NBA, there were a lot of guys that golfed and then nobody golfed for a long time,” Redick said. “And then post-bubble [in 2020], guys started getting back into it, and it became more common. For our team, we have 3–5 guys, at least three, that this time last year, have never played golf before: Bronny, Luka, LeBron, kind of Dalton, I think Jaxson started to work on his game.
“It’s a good team-bonding thing. For our team in LA, I talked about this in a press conference recently, it’s really hard in LA to bond. You live in Manhattan Beach, you live in Calabasas, you live in Westside, whatever. You’re hours, sometimes, away from your teammates. So finding tee times, being with each other for four hours where you can shoot the proverbial S-H-I-whatever and not have to be in a high pressure moment or on a team bus and kind of be away from the facility, I think it’s great.
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PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 24: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a three-point shot during the final seconds of the NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center on March 24, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 125-123. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Week 23 comes to a close, you take a step back and ask what did we learn about the Phoenix Suns? And the answer is not something new. It is more of a reinforcement of what has already been there all season. This team competes.
Even during that 1–6 stretch, the effort never disappeared. The pressure was there, the identity was there, the foundation of what we call Suns basketball was still present. What was missing was the ability to close. Late in games, the execution slipped, and when you are missing key pieces due to injury, that margin becomes even thinner. It is hard to finish when the other side has its full arsenal, and you do not.
That reality carried into the conversation this week, especially after the loss to the Denver Nuggets. Devin Booker had a clean look from three late, a wide-open shot that would have flipped the outcome. He missed it, and that moment lit the fuse on a familiar debate. Why does it always end in isolation? Why does the ball always find Booker? Why is he the one taking that shot?
It is an interesting conversation, and it always seems to surface when the shot does not fall. There is a push from some to see more movement, more sharing, a search for the next pass and the next open look, regardless of who ends up taking it. The idea sounds clean. The execution is not always that simple.
In that moment, the Suns created a clean look for their best player. Booker was open, the shot was there, and those are the situations you live with. The debate lingers because of the result, but the process itself was sound. And that is where it becomes a little puzzling, because sometimes the difference between the right play and the wrong outcome is nothing more than a made shot.
Let me start here. Isolation is part of basketball. It always has been, and it always will be. When games get tight, when you hit those final possessions, offenses across the league slow down, become more deliberate, and the ball finds one player. That is not a Suns thing, that is a basketball thing. We all love the flow. The ball whipping around, transition opening up shooters, sets unfolding the way they are drawn up. That is the beauty of the game over 48 minutes. But late in games, it becomes about control. It becomes about putting the ball in the hands of your best player and living with the result.
For the Phoenix Suns, that player is Devin Booker.
You can debate where he sits among the league’s elite, you can stack numbers, you can build arguments on both sides, but the reality inside that locker room and on that floor is clear. He is the guy. He is paid like it, he plays like it, and he has earned that responsibility over time. That is not about forcing shots because of a contract, it is about trusting the player who has carried that load night after night.
Does it always work? No. But the objective in those moments is simple. Get your best player a clean look and give him a chance to win the game. And when you do that, when the process is right, you live with the outcome, make or miss.
"Great shot. Probably won't get one that good at the end of a game."
Devin Booker as he missed a late 3 for the win in Phoenix Suns 125-123 loss Tuesday night to Denver Nuggets. #Sunspic.twitter.com/Ak2xTTmvm0
What gets lost in all of this is the simple truth that games like Denver only matter because Devin Booker is on the floor. He is the reason you are in that moment to begin with. He is the one carrying possessions, bending defenses, creating something out of nothing when things stall. Without him, this team drifts. We have seen it. There is no direction, no steady hand guiding it. So when it comes down to that final shot, it should not feel complicated. The same player who got you there should have the chance to finish it. He earned that. Through the work, through the production, through the responsibility he has taken on all season. You live with the result, but you do not take the opportunity out of his hands.
Yes, other Suns’ players have hit big shots this season, and that is what good teams do. It is a sign of depth, a sign of trust, a sign that multiple guys are capable when the moment arrives. But it is always interesting how the conversation shifts when Devin Booker misses. The immediate reaction becomes that someone else should have taken it, that the ball should have moved one more time, that there was a better option waiting somewhere else. It turns into the ‘disease of what if’, a loop that never really ends.
“But Booker is only shooting 26.1% from deep in clutch situations.” True. And Grayson Allen is at 22.2%, Collin Gillespie is at 31.3%, Jalen Green is at (hides eyes with hands) 14.3%, and Royce O’Neale is at 33.3%. Every player on the Suns regresses in those situations, which is a greater conversation to be had in my opinion.
There is a comfort for some in imagining a different outcome. If the ball swings to Grayson Allen and he misses, it feels easier to accept. You shrug it off, say it was a bonus opportunity, and move on. But that same scenario would spark the opposite reaction from others, the question of why Booker did not take it. That is the catch. There is no version of it that satisfies everyone.
The reality is simple. Booker is the best player on the Phoenix Suns, and the offense should be geared toward getting him the best look possible in those moments. Defenses know it, they load up for it, they try to take it away. And still, that is where the ball is supposed to go. That is how this works across the league. Nikola Jokic gets that shot for Denver. Victor Wembanyama gets that shot for San Antonio. They convert, and it reinforces the idea. When they miss, the noise is there too.
There are levels to this. Booker sits within that hierarchy, even if he is not at the very top tier occupied by generational players. But for Phoenix, he is the guy. He is the one everything runs through, the one who carries the weight of those moments. This team goes as far as he takes it, and we have seen both sides of that this season.
Sometimes he delivers, like he did against Oklahoma City. Sometimes the shot does not fall, like it did against Denver. That is the nature of it. No one is perfect in those situations. Nobody is batting 1.000. And at the end of the day, if the Suns are going to live with anyone taking that shot, it should be Devin Booker.
Week 23 Record: 1-1
vs. Denver Nuggets, L, 125-123
Possession Differential: +2.1
Turnover Differential: -6
Offensive Rebounding Differential: -4
The Phoenix Suns did a stellar job competing against a team that, quite simply, is better than them right now. They stayed in it, they pushed, they gave themselves a real chance. And you cannot help but wonder how it looks if they are whole, if the full roster is available, if the margins shift even slightly. Maybe the outcome does too.
vs. Utah Jazz, W, 134-109
Possession Differential: +0.9
Turnover Differential: -2
Offensive Rebounding Differential: +10
Yeah, it’s only the Utah Jazz. But it felt good. It felt right. Watching the Phoenix Suns play that kind of basketball again, connected, sharp, purposeful, moving the ball, defending with intent, it reminded you what this team can look like when it all clicks.
Inside the Possession Game
Weekly Possession Differential: +3.0
Weekly Turnover Differential: -8
Offensive Rebounding Differential: +6
Year-to-Date Over/Under .500: +8
And now, the graph that I soon will no longer have to make…
Week 24 Preview
Week 24 arrives, and with it comes April basketball. You can feel the end of the regular season getting close now, as the runway is shortening. Four games on the schedule, all on the road, and all sitting there as winnable if the Suns handle their business.
It starts with a back-to-back. Monday brings the Memphis Grizzlies, a group that has shifted its focus and is playing out the string. That is one you have to take care of. No messing around, no letting it linger.
The next night, the Suns head to face the Orlando Magic, a team that has found some life. Phoenix needed double overtime to get past them after the break, a 113–110 win fueled by 27 points from Grayson Allen, and you know this one will have a similar feel. Competitive, physical, the kind of game that tests your legs on the second night of a back-to-back.
Thursday sends them to Charlotte against the Charlotte Hornets, a team they have already beaten once, but one that can still sting if you lose focus. They play loose, they play free, and that can create problems if you are not locked in. Then it wraps on Easter Sunday in Chicago against the Chicago Bulls, a chance to clean up a loss that did not sit well earlier this month. That one carries a little extra edge, a little extra motivation.
Four games, all on the road, all right there for the taking. This is where you sharpen things, where you build rhythm, where you make sure you are ready for what comes next.
65% of voters called the 1-1 record for the Suns this past week. A little bit harder to predict in Week 24. How do you think the team will do?
Feb 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) shoots against the Utah Jazz in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Hawks have surged to a 16-3 record since the All-Star break and 12 straight wins in a row at home. That streak will be put to test tonight against the Boston Celtics as they look to salvage a 2-2 season split against the rivals up north.
But elsewhere, there are other positive developments. Let’s quickly go through the status of the draft picks for the Hawks in the 2026 NBA Draft
In essence, the Hawks gained the right to choose whichever 2026 first-round pick between the Pelicans and the Bucks was more favorable to them. While at the time it seemed unlikely that the Pelicans would find their way into the muddled West playoffs, it seemed very possible that Giannis Antetokounmpo could nearly singlehandedly drag the Bucks into the East playoffs.
Well, with his injury issues this season plus a surprisingly competitive Eastern Conference in 2025-26, the fortune gods have smiled upon the Hawks.
On Tuesday, the Knicks dealt the Pelicans a loss which officially eliminated them from the postseason. And then on Saturday, the Spurs body slammed the Bucks out of the postseason as well. Those two events today (just about) means that both the Pelicans and Bucks will finish out of the playoffs with two of the ten worst records in the league — delivering two solid chances for the Hawks to strike it rich in the lottery.
As of Sunday morning, the Pelicans tentatively owned the seventh worst record and the Bucks the 10th worst record (with no real path beyond winning out to pass the Warriors in 11th). That equates to just over a 40% chance of jumping into the top four on lottery day, May 10.
This could give the Hawks an elite talent from one of the most loaded draft classes in recent memory. Pretty good if you ask me.
Other picks that involve the Hawks
The Hawks dealt first-round pick swap rights to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the package to acquire Dejounte Murray back in 2022. If the Hawks make the playoffs (either outright or through the Play-In Tournament), then logically the Spurs can’t get any higher than the 15th overall pick. With the Hawks currently in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference, that would mean the 19th overall pick for the Spurs.
The least favorable pick swapped with the Spurs (who have the second-best record in the league) was later flipped to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the De’Andre Hunter deal. That means, the Hawks get the most favorable between the outcome of the Spurs swap and the Cavaliers’ first-round pick.
As of Sunday morning, the Cavs’ record would give the Hawks the 23rd overall pick — and there’s virtually no chance of them falling into the lottery given the high chance they qualify for the playoffs with a top six record in the East.
The good news: the Hawks also acquired a 2026 second-round pick during the 2025 draft week in trading for Kristaps Porzingis by sending out Terance Mann and Georges Niang (something that cost them the 22nd overall pick in last year’s draft — Drake Powell of the Nets).
The bad news: it’s a complicated pick swap that will see the Hawks get the least favorable of a bunch of teams and the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are surprisingly quite good this season, so this pick will end up being one of the final ones in the entire draft (right now 57th overall).
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 28: Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three point basket during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 28, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
On Saturday, the Spurs had an afternoon matinee against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game was significant for both teams. For the Silver & Black in locked in the second seed. Unfortunately for the Bucks, it sealed their fate by fully eliminating any postseason options.
As the Spurs plan their postseason strategies, they are sure to have some tricks up their sleeve. One of those could involve activating Luke Kornet from beyond the arc.
Once upon a time, Kornet was known for his three-point prowess. Part of the big man’s journey, which he documented in his blog, divulged his insecurity with his NBA career and reinventing himself as a role player while giving up the three-point shot.
Often times, Kornet receives the ball on the outside the three-point line and holds, waiting for Castle or Fox or Harper to take the hand off. Rarely does Kornet dribble excessively or push his way to the basket the way, say, Keldon does.
As the Spurs postseason became a reality, I hypothesized on adjustments that could be utilized in the postseason catching their opponents off guard. Think Pop changing the starting line up in the 2014 NBA Finals by adding Boris Diaw and having Tiago Splitter come off the bench. It gave the Spurs a boost and disrupted the Heat’s rhythm.
With that in mind, the idea of having Kornet take threes forces defenders to cover him further out. And if he can hit a couple of threes at key moments, then there is a shift in momentum or the possibility for a cutting player to receive a lob in the paint for a close range shot.
Alas, Kornet had only three attempts from beyond the arc in his last season in Boston, one in the Celtics championship season.
But after his attempt in Milwaukee, Sean Elliott stated that he had seen Kornet shooting threes in the pregame warm up. That was new to his routine and something to be observed in the days and (hopefully) weeks to come.
As I was researching Kornet’s three-point shooting history, I noticed he hadn’t been credited with the attempt on Saturday. I confirmed with Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News that the shot came after the third quarter buzzer engaged and therefore did not count.
Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities for Kornet to roll back the clock on his three-point game.
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Mar 29, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics forward/guard Jayson Tatum (0) reacts to the crowd after making a basket during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images | Brian Westerholt-Imagn Images
1. Jayson Tatum is Unbelievable
In his 11th game back from a torn Achilles, Jayson Tatum dropped a season-high 32 points with 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 0 turnovers on 12-23 shooting from the field and 5-10 from three. He also scored his 14,000th career NBA Point in this game, becoming the youngest player in Celtics history to reach this mark, passing Paul Pierce.
Tatum scored or assisted on the first 10 points of the game for the Celtics, setting the tone for what was going to be a big night.
He didn’t stop there, finishing with 20 points in the first half. Picking apart an elite Hornets defense with an arial assault from beyond the arc. Any concerns of his jump should be put aside with the he was able to get them off over some pretty great Charlotte contests.
The second half saw Tatum continue to hit some ridiculous shots coming from the midrange and driving to the basket. He went back to the old reliable to ice the game for the Celtics, hitting a three between the eyes of Miles Bridges to punctuate an incredible performance.
This game was the closest he has looked to the old Jayson Tatum. From the explosiveness, the playmaking, and the three point shooting, this was an all around great game. Tatum is averaging 20.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.1 steals in 31.0 minutes per game since his return which doesn’t even sound real. He really has lived up to the nickname as The Anomaly.
2. Hospital Celtics Supremacy
Something I didn’t mention about Jayson Tatum’s incredible performance was that he did it with both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White out with injury. Brown missed his second straight game with Left Achilles Tendinitis and White was out with a Right Knee Contusion.
The Hornets going into this game had been the best team in the NBA since the start of the New Year with a record of 28-13. In a more recent sample size, Charlotte was 7-3 in their most recent 10 games before facing Boston, with wins over the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and New York Knicks, three teams who have a better record than them in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte also dominated Boston in their most recent matchup, beating the Celtics 118-89 on March 4th in TD Garden.
The Celtics were looking for revenge and even without two of their starters, they were able to dominate the Hornets for pretty much the entire game, winning 114-99 in Charlotte. Boston is now 8-1 in games with Jaylen Brown out this year, showing how incredible they are when it comes to overcoming adversity.
3. Payton Pritchard Encore
In the Celtics win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Payton Pritchard had one of his best games of the season, leading Boston with 36 points and 7 rebounds on 12-23 shooting. He followed up this performance with another big game against the Hornets, finishing with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists on 10-18 shooting. He came up huge in this game when Tatum went to the bench as the primary scorer on the floor for the Celtics and Boston didn’t skip a beat.
Pritchard did most of his scoring from beyond the arc against Atlanta, finishing with 6 three pointers in that game. He only had 2 threes against Charlotte but did most of his damage in the paint and in the midrange.
It didn’t matter who the Hornets threw at him, Pritchard was going to get inside on his defender and rise up over them to make the basket. It was giving me shades of prime Steve Nash back in his MVP days with the Phoenix Suns with his ability to score over anybody.
This summer, Neemias Queta represented Portugal in Eurobasket and was essentially the number one option for them. In these games, he was a force inside with an array of back to the basket moves and play finishing that were able to work in international competition.
With the Celtics he isn’t necessarily replied upon when it comes to his ability to create offense but we saw a glimpse of that Eurobasket Queta in this game when he finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds on 8-13 shooting. This is really impressive considering Charlotte have some really good defensive big men in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Queta was great as a play finisher in this game against the Hornets, getting set up for a lot of great opportunities underneath the basket. There have been times this season where he has had a hard time when it comes to catching these passes, sometimes looking lost and just not putting the ball up. That was the opposite in this game, stepping up big time with the Celtics missing two of their top scorers.
One guy who got a big time opportunity with Brown and White out was Baylor Scheierman and he played a great game. In 28 minutes off the bench he finished with 14 points and 3 assists on 4-11 shooting from the field and 3-7 from three. He might have only made 4 shots but all of them came in some of the most ridiculous ways possible.
Whether it was a floater that touched the sky with the shot clock running down or hitting pull up threes from 30+ feet, Baylor Scheierman hit some big shots for the Celtics when they needed them most in some cases. He played some huge minutes for Boston in this game and his ability to make a positive impact on the game was big when it came to stabilizing the rotations.
Anytime Ron Harper Jr gets a chance to play big minutes for the Celtics it always feels like he makes a big impact. He did that against the Hornets where he only played 14 minutes but had 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal on 3-3 shooting and a +10. Harper Jr left the game midway through the second quarter with an ankle sprain but before that it looked like he was going to have another big game.
Overall though I just enjoy watching Ron Harper Jr get a chance to play with the Celtics rotation. Grinding his way through Maine and being able to make a legit impact in sparse minutes isn’t something a lot of NBA players can do. I will be very happy if he ends up with a standard contract with Boston so he can play in the playoffs because he has earned it.
For the first time since January 1st, Jordan Walsh was in the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics. It looked like he was rewarded for his performance against the Atlanta Hawks where he played 27 minutes off the bench and had 5 points and 3 blocks. Against Charlotte, he had another solid game, finishing with 3 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 34 minutes and a +14.
Although he shot 1-7, his impact was felt the most with his defense on LaMelo Ball. Walsh made Ball work for everything on offense, being a big part in him finishing with only 19 points on 7-19 shooting and 4 turnovers. His constant pressure forced LaMelo into some tough shots and made him miss some pretty good looking three point attempts.
With Brown being out day-to-day, I hope we continue to get to see Jordan Walsh get minutes and get to see him play his hounding defense.
A big reason as to why the Celtics were able to win this game despite the talent disparity was their ability to shoot the lights out against the Hornets. Boston finished shooting 42-83 (51%) from the field and 14-34 (41%) from three point range. In contrast, the Celtics held the Hornets to 36-83 shooting from the field (43%) and 12-43 (28%) from beyond the arc.
Charlotte’s poor shooting night could be explained by the face they were on the second half of a back to back but that discredits the great defense that Boston played. They held Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball to a combined 12-32 shooting, slowing down the main cogs in the Hornets high powered offensive machine.
Celtics Shot Zone Chart (Via NBA.com)
9. Won the Turnover Battle
Boston’s defense is most effective when they can generate turnovers while limiting them on offense. In this game, the Celtics forced 11 turnovers on the Hornets while only allowing 5. Boston finished with 6 steals and 11 points off of the turnovers they generated from Charlotte.
They were super aggressive in the passing lanes, putting pressure on the Hornets’ ball handlers to force their steals. A very impressive performance against a top 5 team in offensive rating this season.
At the beginning of the season it looked like this season for the Boston Celtics was supposed to be what they call a “gap year.” Some people saw the losses the team had plus Jayson Tatum coming back late in the season and just expected the Celtics to take the year off. Well, if 50 wins for the 5th straight season and clinching a playoff spot as the second seed in the Eastern Conference is considered a “gap year,” this has to be the best one in NBA history right?
I predicted Boston to finish with around 45 wins this year and a top 4 seed in the East but I don’t know how many people even thought they were going to finish that high after the 0-3 start to the season. It really is a testament to the culture that Boston has cultivated to be able to always be competitive no matter the roster. There really is nothing better than being a fan of the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics clinched a spot following a 114-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
The New York Knicks had an opportunity to clinch a spot, as well, but fell short in a 111-100 loss to the Thunder.
The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers also secured a spot in the play-in tournament after the Houston Rockets' 134-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
NBA standings
*- clinched playoff berth
^- clinched at least play-in berth
e- eliminated from playoff/play-in contention
NOTE: While a team may not be able to fall lower than 10th place in its conference, that does not mean it has clinched a spot in the playoffs. The (* - clinched playoff berth) designation will only be awarded to teams that have already clinched a spot in their conference's top six.
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference
(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Orlando Magic
(9) Miami Heat vs. (10) Charlotte Hornets
When do the NBA Playoffs begin?
The NBA's play-in tournament begins on Tuesday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 17. The traditional NBA Playoffs format starts Saturday, April 18, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
Which NBA teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
Will Riley challenges a Scoot Henderson shot in the Wizards blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. | Getty Images
The Wizards got utterly blasted by the Portland Trail Blazers, trailing by as much as 39 before finally losing by 34. While the score was close into the second quarter, there was no point where the game felt truly competitive. Once again, it felt like when Portland started making the abundant open looks they were getting, the margin would expand. And it did. Like a mushroom cloud.
At one point in the second quarter, the Wizards were 1-9 from three-point range, and Portland was 0-10. Washington shot 4-13 (30.7%) the rest of the way. The Trail Blazers: 12-26 — 46.2%.
Will Riley of the Washington Wizards- drives to the basket during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers. (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This kind of outcome was mostly to be expected. They started the “Tank Towers” of 6-9 JuJu Reese in the middle with Tristan Vukcevic alongside. Despite pairing two “centers,” the lineup was thoroughly incapable of contending with Portland’s size and athleticism.
That deficit was matched on the perimeter where the Wizards were unable to stay in front of opposing ball handlers or even direct penetration to a spot where they’d at least theoretically have help. Oh yeah, they also missed lots of rotations, over-helped, and ball-watched. All stuff they’re working on, of course, but there are serious talent deficits, even when the roster is at full strength. And they’re not at full strength.
It was one of those “almost no one played well” kind of butt-kickings. The closest guy to “good” was probably Will Riley, and I thought he was only okay.
Leaky Black had what was probably his best game as a pro (8 rebounds, 4 on each end) in 22 minutes, though I was once again appalled by his defense.
Bright side: the Wizards get the Los Angeles Lakers Monday night and then get to go home to take on the Philadelphia 76ers later in the week.
Brighter side: Only eight games left in the season.
Thoughts & Observations
It was an absolute treat to watch the Portland broadcast. Kevin Calabro is excellent on play-by-play, and Lamar Hurd is one of the best analysts around. Tom Haberstroh is a fully integrated provider of meaningful and interesting stats and analysis. Brooke Olzendam is good in the courtside reporter role. They also do some fun things with graphics — putting up numbers and then having them “sticky” on the stands so that they pan to the side as the camera follows the action. The Wizards could do worse than copy the format with good people.
Recurring entry in last night’s notebook: Clingan overpowers JuJu. It happened on the boards and inside. On several possessions in the third quarter, Reese sought to attack inside. Clingan erased the shots repeatedly while barely leaping. He was just that much bigger and stronger.
Yes, that preceding bullet is something of a subtweet who thinks Reese is any kind of roster solution for next season. I like that he’s competitive and plays hard, but he’s not big enough, strong enough, athletic enough, or skilled enough to play in the middle.
One more on Reese: I had some notes in the first half about Bilal Coulibaly having a brutal game. One of the big reasons — Portland bigs didn’t have to defend Reese away from the basket. They ignored him, let him set screens and then waited in the lane for Coulibaly (or whoever) to drive. I think Reese could be an interesting high-post passing hub, but he has to be able to shoot well enough to bring the big out from under the basket. Otherwise, the lane is clogged, and he’s just dishing to teammates for contested midrangers and worse.
Any regular reader knows I’m not a fan of midrange field goal attempts, except when necessary. Bub Carrington is getting close to “exception” range. For the season, he’s inching closer to 50% on two-point attempts outside 10 feet, which is pretty dang good. He’s also around 40% from three this season. I have some issues with his game, but his shooting has become a strength.
At the 6:20 mark of the first quarter, Deni Avdija just trucked Vukcevic on a drive. On the court, the refs called it an offensive foul, which was the correct call. Portland challenged and the officials reversed the call upon review. I think they more or less applied the rule properly, but the rule itself is bad. Vukcevic beat Avdija to the spot, Avdija veered into him and blasted him into the stanchion. Calling what Vukcevic was doing “still in motion” is an absurdity that gives way too much advantage to the offensive player.
Riley was okay overall, but had a lot of trouble attacking when Toumani Camara was defending.
The Wizards needed a three on the final possession to get to 15 points in the 1st quarter. According to Haberstroh, that was the fewest scored in a quarter against Portland this season.
Another cool stat from Haberstroh — he reported on a Damian Lillard workout the previous day in which Lillard shot 1,000-1,090 from three-point range. That’s 91.7%. From three-point range.
One more from Haberstroh — he said Camara leads the NBA in defensive miles covered. Camara is approaching 100 miles for the season, a feat he achieved last season, as well.
The game ended weird. Yang Hansen and Reese got double technicals with 28 seconds remaining and Portland up by 34. The Portland big boxed out Reese, Reese apparently didn’t like it much. He put Hansen in a kind of half nelson, at which point Hansen went limp, at which point Reese dropped him to the floor.
A few seconds later, Sharife Cooper decided he absolutely had to get a steal while Portland was trying to run out the clock and committed a foul instead. And then complained (a lot) to ref Bill Kennedy, whose body language said he just wanted the game to end.
This was Washington’s worst offensive game of the season, by the way.
Four Factors
Below are the four factors that decide wins and losses in basketball — shooting (efg), rebounding (offensive rebounds), ball handling (turnovers), fouling (free throws made).
The four factors are measured by:
eFG% (effective field goal percentage, which accounts for the three-point shot)
OREB% (offensive rebound percentage)
TOV% (turnover percentage — turnovers divided by possessions)
FTM/FGA (free throws made divided by field goal attempts)
FOUR FACTORS
WIZARDS
TRAIL BLAZERS
LGAVG
eFG%
39.7%
58.1%
54.5%
OREB%
19.1%
26.8%
26.0%
TOV%
14.8%
13.8%
12.7%
FTM/FGA
0.218
0.267
0.207
PACE
101
99.3
ORTG
87
122
115.6
Stats & Metrics
PPA is my overall production metric, which credits players for things they do that help a team win (scoring, rebounding, playmaking, defending) and dings them for things that hurt (missed shots, turnovers, bad defense, fouls).
PPA is a per possession metric designed for larger data sets. In small sample sizes, the numbers can get weird. In PPA, 100 is average, higher is better and replacement level is 45. For a single game, replacement level isn’t much use, and I reiterate the caution about small samples sometimes producing weird results.
POSS is the number of possessions each player was on the floor in this game.
ORTG = offensive rating, which is points produced per individual possessions x 100. League average so far this season is listed in the Four Factors table above. Points produced is not the same as points scored. It includes the value of assists and offensive rebounds, as well as sharing credit when receiving an assist.
USG = offensive usage rate. Average is 20%. Median so far this season is 17.7%.
ORTG and USG are versions of stats created by former Wizards assistant coach Dean Oliver and modified by me. ORTG is an efficiency measure that accounts for the value of shooting, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers. USG includes shooting from the floor and free throw line, offensive rebounds, assists and turnovers.
+PTS = “Plus Points” is a measure of the points gained or lost by each player based on their efficiency in this game compared to league average efficiency on the same number of possessions. A player with an offensive rating (points produced per possession x 100) of 100 who uses 20 possessions would produce 20 points. If the league average efficiency is 115, the league — on average — would produced 23.0 points in the same 20 possessions. So, the player in this hypothetical would have a +PTS score of -3.0.
Players are sorted by total production in the game.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks sits on the bench during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 17, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It took some time to memorize the name. The N before the M will get you. Now, it’s muscle memory. Antetokounmpo. Ann-Tito-Kounmpo, or On-Tito-Kounmpo. Anti-Tokounmpo is less helpful.
He’s the best player who isn’t the best player in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic will both stay where they are – likely for their entire careers. The Thunder will win enough championships to secure Gilgeous-Alexander’s permanent fealty, and Jokic doesn’t seem interested in being anywhere but Denver or on a horse ranch.
Victor Wembanyama looms, but a healthy Antetokounmpo is still better right now (in my opinion). That could change as soon as next year, but even still, Antetokounmpo would be the fourth-best player in the league. You know where this leads:
Should the Houston Rockets acquire him?
Rockets linked to Antetokounmpo again
If you think the answer is obvious, you probably haven’t thought about it enough.
Let’s start with the pros. A common argument I’ve heard is “If you think these Rockets are an Antetokounmpo-for-Sengun swap away from title contention, you’re delusional”.
You sure about that?
There’s a tendency to overstate this team’s flaws. They’re aesthetically glaring. Yet, for as unpleasant as the Rockets are to watch, they’re a sixth seed in the West that’s one game behind the fourth seed. The Rockets have the NBA’s 11th-best Offensive Rating (116.3) and 7th-best Defensive Rating (112.3).
There’s no value in a statistical analysis on whether swapping Antetokounmpo for Sengun would improve the defense. It’s self-evident. The more pertinent question is whether the offensive improvement juice would be worth the trade asset squeeze. Before we get any further, let’s talk about the trade particulars.
Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and as many picks as needed to have the best offer on the market should do it, right? Houston has a lot of tradeable, valuable unprotected firsts to offer. If they want to walk away without moving Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard, it should be achievable. Sengun, Smith Jr., and five unprotected firsts ought to be as good as the Bucks will do.
So, I circle back – why wouldn’t this deal make Houston’s offense better? For argument’s sake, assume Rafael Stone approximates Smith Jr.’s value elsewhere. Maybe Bobby Portis is involved in the trade. Let’s not get hung up on particulars. For argument’s sake, assume that the total roster change is Sengun, Smith Jr. out, Antetokounmpo, a floor spacing big (more on this later) in.
OK. So, the Rockets would run the same stuff they run now, with Antetokounmpo in Sengun’s place. Why wouldn’t the offense climb from 11th to, even 7th or 8th, exactly?
They’re functionally similar in terms of being primarily interior scorers. In 2025-26, Antetokounmpo takes 61.0% of his field goals between zero and three feet, and 16.1% between three and 10. He hits 80.0% (not a typo) from zero to three, and 42.7% between three and ten.
Sengun, somehow, takes just 28.0% of his field goals between zero and three. A whopping 41.6% of his attempts come from three to ten. He hits 72.5% between zero and three, and and 42.5% between three and ten. In the aggregate, Antetokounmpo’s 65.8 True Shooting % (TS%) towers over Sengun’s 56.4%.
Am I missing something?
Why wouldn’t that swap improve the team? Surely the argument isn’t that Sengun’s midrange proclivities open up some space for Amen Thompson. Antetokounmpo can post-up between three and ten to open up space for Thompson to cut. I hope the argument isn’t that the Rockets’ offensive environment makes it harder for Sengun to get in the paint. Antetokounmpo is getting in the paint, which is kind of the point: He’s better.
Someone, in the comments, tell me what I’m missing. If the Rockets have the 11th-best offense in the NBA, why would it be that swapping out a non-shooting big for, in terms of offensive functionality, another, much better non-shooting big not result in sufficient improvement?
By now, it feels close to consensus that Sengun is a talented-but-problematic piece. He doesn’t seem defensively viable alongside Reed Sheppard, or offensively functional next to Thompson. Antetokounmpo readily solves one of those issues. He should moderately improve the other, even if the functionality is still somewhat limited.
I just think the theory is flawed. “The Rockets are more than a Sengun-for-Antetokounmpo swap away from title contention”. Why? The team is already quite good. Why wouldn’t making it much better get them to title contention?
It is fair to say that Antetokounmpo isn’t precisely the first player you’d plug-and-play here. A shooter / ball-handler would more immediately fix the problems. Still, an Antetokounmpo for Sengun and Smith Jr. trade makes a good team better, provided that the Rockets can find at least a nominal starting stretch big.
No, they won’t be the best team in the NBA. That ship has sailed. The Thunder own that spot. Acquiring Antetokounmpo isn’t even likely to help Houston usurp San Antonio. There is nothing that can be done to accomplish either of those goals.
All Houston can hope to do is build a squad that has a chance in the event of injuries. Acquiring Antetokounmpo should do that. That’s not to say they should do it. There are good reasons not to:
They just have nothing to do with the team’s 2026-27 projection.
Rockets would sacrifice flexibility in Antetokounmpo deal
Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and three-to-five first-round picks. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard, or Amen Thompson, and two or three firsts.
No matter how you slice it, the price will be exorbitant.
It also probably won’t result in an NBA championship. It will give the Rockets a real share in championship equity – something they do not currently have, and likely will not without an (eventual) major change – but they probably still won’t win.
There are a couple of reasons for that. Firstly, Houston would need some type of stretch big. The simplest solution would be to bring Portis in with the same trade – Houston should not sneeze next to Myles Turner’s contract. They could scour the market for a low-cost, nominal starting big under the assumption that Antetokounmpo closes games at the 5.
Either way, you are still pairing two non-shooters in Antetokounmpo and Thompson. Again, I think the assertion that Antetokounmpo doesn’t “fix the Rockets’ problems” is overstated. They’re top-10 in offense or defense, so the path to title-caliber improvement isn’t so perilous. That said, it is fair to say that they’re not plugging Antetokounmpo into an optimal roster. It’s fair to argue that if you’re going all-in, you want to go all-in on an optimized hand.
He’s also injury-prone – although that’s a bit overstated as well. This is the first season in which he’ll play fewer than 60 games, ever. It’s not fair to assume that’s his new baseline, although it’s reasonable to worry at his age.
More than anything, the bar is just prohibitively high. The new-look Antetokounmpo Rockets likely won’t win next year because the Thunder or Spurs will. It’s as simple as that.
So, you’re gutting the future only to build something that likely still doesn’t accomplish the goal. From that perspective, it’s a pretty unattractive proposition.
This “cons” section is going to be shorter, but that’s not because it’s any less salient. It just requires less dissection. The Rockets currently have tremendous flexibility, and after an Antetokounmpo deal, they’d have little to none of it. They’d be truly all-in on a roster that has no case as the best in the NBA.
How could they even consider it?
Rockets’ Antetokounmpo answer is complicated
Ultimately, “build the best team in the NBA” is not a reasonable bar. It’s nearly impossible. The goal is to build a team that has a chance to win an NBA title if luck goes its way. The Rockets do not currently have that, and they would after an Antetokounmpo deal.
Time for the unsatisfying conclusion: It’s a toss-up. The impetus for this piece was, admittedly, to dispel the “It won’t even make us better because Antetokounmpo isn’t a shooter!” argument. The team is already plenty good (if disappointing) with Sengun. You can plug Antetokounmpo into his spot and get a lot better. Smith Jr. is, regrettably, imminently replaceable. It feels intellectually dishonest, unless, again, I’m missing something basketball-related.
Still, it may not be worth the flexibility. That’s the tough thing. What are you preserving this flexibility for? It’s to build a title contender, right?
Yes – but you want as wide a window as possible. Let’s be clear. Pulling the trigger on Antetokounmpo gives the Rockets two or three seasons in which they have significantly higher-than-average odds of winning an NBA title.
By contrast, drafting, say, Jan Cerdan (look into it if you like) with the 2029 first-round pick that they didn’t trade for Antetokounmpo and watching him develop into a superstar could give them a decade of contention.
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 29: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ten months ago, the Boston Celtics faced a murky future. Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles and looming payroll cuts cast doubt on how the team would weather the storm. In Sunday night’s 114-99 win over the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise officially returned to business as usual.
Boston secured its 50th win of the season and clinched a playoff berth, doing so with starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White sidelined and replaced with Payton Pritchard and Jordan Walsh.
Tatum saluted everyone involved and expressed his gratitude afterward.
“It just speaks to the character of the organization, to the coaching staff, front office, to the players,” Tatum told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin postgame. “The standard, the culture that we’ve built since I’ve been here, you don’t take it for granted. It’s just how we approach every single day, and winning is hard in this league. But we’ve had the right mindset — they’ve had the right mindset — for the whole season. I’ve just tried to help. So you don’t take that for granted.”
Tatum finished with a season-high 32 points, leading all scorers in an effort that set a few milestones for the Celtics, including their fifth straight 50-win season and 12th consecutive trip to the postseason — both NBA-leading active streaks. For Tatum, facing a Hornets team that had won seven of its last 10 games and leads the league in threes per game (16.3) and, without Brown, allowed him to take full control offensively.
Charlotte gave Tatum room to step back, settle in, and slowly get back in the driver’s seat. In the first quarter, he got going in transition by splitting past Brandon Miller, Moussa Diabaté, and Miles Bridges for a two-handed dunk to get Boston on the board. Three weeks ago, Tatum missed a wide-open tomahawk dunk in his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks, showing how far he’s come just 11 games into his return.
Pritchard, right by Tatum’s side, delivered in his 50th start of the season. He scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out six assists as the team’s second-leading scorer. On short notice, Pritchard and the Celtics once again demonstrated their defining trait: their mindset.
“I think of myself as a winner. I think of this organization as winners,” Pritchard told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “And I just don’t think we ever live in the mindset of a loser mentality. It’s just not something we come to work every day thinking that, ‘Oh, it’s a gap year,’ or anything. We’re coming to win, and that’s the only mindset we have.”
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 29: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 29, 2026 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brock Williams-Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Apart from Brown’s MVP-caliber run, the Celtics have brought their mindset to life each night. Walsh hadn’t played more than 30 minutes since January, and despite shooting just 1-of-7, he impacted the game with seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Baylor Scheierman came off the bench to provide 14 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, while Ron Harper Jr., who logged only 11 minutes across Boston’s previous four games, shot a perfect 3-of-3 in 14 minutes, playing with a sprained ankle.
Boston improved to 8-1 in games without Brown, and Joe Mazzulla tied Bill Fitch and Doc Rivers for the most 50-win seasons by a Celtics coach — doing so in just four years.
“I think it’s a testament to the alignment of the organization and to the players,” Mazzulla told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “We’ve shifted players over the last five years a bunch of different ways, but winning still remains the most important thing.
“It’s a minor milestone. I wouldn’t say that it’s a true definition of success, but I think it’s a definition of consistency. And I think that starts with the players that put on the jersey and have an understanding that winning is the most important thing, and how serious they take it. So I think a lot of it has to do with them.”
The Celtics aren’t content with just avoiding the draft lottery or the play-in tournament. They’ve approached this season with as much urgency to win as in the previous three under Mazzulla. Tatum’s nearly 10-month absence forced some tactical readjustments, but it didn’t change their plans. Boston believes it has a legit shot at returning to the NBA Finals, and that confidence didn’t emerge on Sunday. It’s been a shared feeling throughout the organization — from players to coaches, front office members, and ownership — ever since the start of the season.
The expectation to compete each year inherently comes with being a Celtic.
“It’s a culture thing,” Pritchard told reporters.
“Everybody shows up. You’re not gonna have every guy play every game, so that means you’ll need a whole roster, and every guy shows up every game ready to compete and help winning. It’s definitely the culture we built here.”
