Category: Basketball

PHILADELPHIA — It was almost cruel. 

The Knicks gave the 76ers a few glimmers of hope. But, just as they kept beginning to believe they could actually make it a series, the Knicks kept yanking it right away, like a big brother toying with his little brother. 

After absorbing an early double-digit deficit, the Knicks completely took over in the second quarter. They let the 76ers pull within four near the end of the third quarter and early in the fourth, but quickly reestablished double-digit leads both times. 

The second time elicited a loud “Let’s go Knicks” chant from the plethora of their fans taking over Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 76ers’ PA announcer didn’t even try to hide it — he responded with a “C’mon, 76ers fans” plea to drown them out. 

But it was a useless effort. The Knicks soon after rattled off a 13-3 run to take a 16-point lead. Jalen Brunson put the 76ers away. There was nothing left for 76ers fans to yell about. Xfinity Mobile Arena became a Knicks party. 

And they brought themselves within touching distance of reaching the conference finals for the second straight year with a 108-94 victory Friday night in Game 3 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. 

“They jumped out and they kind of punched us in the mouth to start the game,” coach Mike Brown said. “Our guys settled down and they figured it out the next three quarters after that first one went by. Great response by our group. 

“They’re resilient, they’ve been through a lot as a veteran group and it showed tonight.” 

The Knicks have won six consecutive postseason games, their most since 1999. 

They did it without OG Anunoby, who was out with a right hamstring strain. And they did it with minimal contribution from Karl-Anthony Towns, who again was glued to the bench for large stretches of the game due to foul trouble. 

Brunson, after starting 0-for-4 and 2-for-8 from the field, largely carried the offense and finished with a game-high 33 points — on 11-for-22 shooting from the field — along with nine assists. Nine of those points came in the fourth quarter. 

Mikal Bridges, without Anunoby, stepped up and delivered 23 points — 10 of which came in an impressive second quarter. His defense on Tyrese Maxey was terrific, and he also spent significant time on Paul George. 

Josh Hart had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. 

Miles McBride started for Anunoby, but it was Landry Shamet — reentering the rotation — who provided huge minutes in his place. He recorded 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting and closed in the fourth quarter. It was part of a huge bench advantage for the Knicks, who held an 18-point edge in bench points. 

“It was definitely a team effort,” Brunson said. “Obviously, we want everyone back healthy. But it was important for everyone to step up and have the right mindset. To do whatever you gotta do to win.” 

Towns played just 26 minutes and finished with eight points and 12 rebounds. 

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The Knicks trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter. George was torching them and had 15 points (6-for-9 shooting) in that first quarter. The Knicks committed six turnovers as the game threatened to get away from them. But they weathered the storm and only trailed by four heading into the second quarter. 

Within four minutes of the second quarter, they took the lead. And they went on to dominate the second quarter, outscoring the 76ers by 12 points. It came with a key defensive tweak, at times switching Bridges onto George as opposed to Hart.

George went scoreless the rest of the game, missing all nine shots he took. 

“We had to mix up coverages on him,” Brown said. “…Obviously with OG out, we were down a big wing. Mikal had to take that part over.” 

Mitchell Robinson caught a lob from Brunson off an inbounds and dunked all over Joel Embiid to give the Knicks a five-point lead with 7:09 left in the second quarter. It was around then they took control and never looked back.  

After they took the lead with 8:20 left in the second quarter, they led the rest of the way. 

“That’s just what our identity is,” Hart said. “We continue to give something game after game and that’s energy. That’s what we strive to have, that energy, that physicality, that attention to detail and focus. We try to have that every game. We need to do that game after game after game.”

Much of the third quarter was defined by Robinson’s free-throw shooting. The 76ers went Hack-a-Mitch, and he was also fouled twice going up for a lob and layup. He went 4-for-8 from the line in the quarter. 

Embiid had 18 points for the 76ers, while Maxey added 17. But the Knicks made them footnotes. 

“We withstood the first punch,” Towns said. “That’s a great team.” 

The Knicks have made them look extremely ordinary.

Yeah, this is going to be a harder one to come back from.

The Sixers were outclassed again by the New York Knicks, falling 108-94 in Game 3 and into a 3-0 series deficit.

After missing Game 2, Joel Embiid never looked quite right, finishing with 18 points shooting 7-of-17 from the floor along with six rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Maxey had another passive first half, going for 17 points along with seven assists shooting 8-of-12 from the field.

Paul George couldn’t score after the first quarter, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting. VJ Edgecombe had 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists.

Kelly Oubre Jr. led the Sixers with 22 while Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 33.

OG Anunoby was out with a hamstring strain.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

• Boston had it thoroughly scouted, but the Sixers were able to hit the opening tip off right to Oubre in the frontcourt for an easy layup. It was a solid start, as picking up Brunson full court helped the Sixers get stops on the first four possessions of the game. Embiid found George open twice passing out of double teams as the Sixers started on a 9-0 run.
• Even with that, Embiid started the game furious at the refs for the calls he wasn’t able to get. He and Karl-Anthony Towns were so physical to start the game they might as well have been wrestling. Once he seemed to settle down he got on the board with a midrange jumper. Defensively the Sixers threw a lot at the Knicks. On top of picking up full court, Embiid would occasionally be assigned to Josh Hart so he could roam. Three of their first four baskets were putbacks, and the Sixers were able to force four early turnovers. Brunson and Mikal Bridges hitting back-to-back threes felt like their first good looks of the night.
• Maxey and Edgecombe used those turnovers well to control the game in transition, but George’s shotmaking gave them the biggest lift early as he had 15 in the first. The Knicks were slowly able to catch up as they continued to crash the glass. They grabbed four offensive rebounds and got 10 second-chance points in the quarter. Quentin Grimes’ layup attempt at the buzzer was no good, keeping the Sixers lead at four.

.@Yg_Trece is FEELING IT! 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/8YC7IEZHFh

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

Second Quarter

• Andre Drummond was again the backup for Embiid. Dominick Barlow got some earlier playing time, checking in alongside Embiid as they replaced Drummond. Barlow picked up two early fouls which put an abrupt end to this shift. Between Embiid being unable to draw the fouls he wanted and the Sixers missing a ton of layups, they were playing a lot tighter on offense than they were to start the game. As detrimental as the tussling between the centers was, Embiid was at least able to draw Towns’ third foul relatively early in the quarter thanks to a challenge.
• Mitchell Robinson throwing down a lob over Embiid really got the Knicks fans in the building loud. Maxey knocked down a much needed jumper, but the Sixers were struggling to stop the bleeding. Brunson answered that by drilling a three just in time toe beat the shot clock. Nick Nurse mixed things up again pulling Drummond for Adem Bona a couple minutes into his second shift. On his first offensive possession George turned it over when Bona didn’t know a pass was coming, then he fouled Bridges on the transition layup to make it an and-1.
• The Sixers just looked like they were in their own heads as the Knicks kept pouring on baskets, which was jarring to see given the start they had. Maxey had only missed once, but he had only taken five shots, and he continued to be sloppy with the ball at an alarmingly casual rate. Embiid had a couple free throws rim out on him and telegraphed a moving screen badly. George had to sit for the final minute and a half of the quarter in foul trouble. Oubre trying to pressure the rim was really their most consistent offense in the quarter. He got a three to bounce in at the buzzer that cut the Knicks lead to eight.

A much needed three for the Sixers stubbornly falls for Kelly Oubre after a nice fake pass from VJ Edgecombe pic.twitter.com/UAwGsfEfCS

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) May 9, 2026

Third Quarter

• Fittingly, the first points of the second half came after Towns grabbed an offensive rebound over Embiid, giving Miles McBride a second chance to bury the corner three. The Sixers did have a response by finding Oubre near the basket and Edgecombe knocked down a three. George, who was still looking for his first points since the first quarter, missed his first two jumpers of the half. Embiid’s struggles continued from three as he hit the front of the rim. Brunson ended any chance of a run by beating Oubre for an and-1.
• Maxey finally showed some aggression. His first three didn’t fall but he was able to create a couple baskets getting to the rim. Embiid hitting another midrange seemed to settle him as he was able to drive down the paint and hit Oubre in the dunker on the next possession. The offensive process had dramatically improved, the problem was they weren’t able to slow Brunson down on the other end.

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

— Drew Peltzman (@dapeltz13) May 9, 2026

• Oubre had appeared to draw an offensive foul on Brunson, but a challenge overturned the play and the foul was called on Edgecombe. The Sixers were still able to get that stop as the Knicks sailed an inbounds pass, Edgecombe was able to chase it down, cutting it to four with a fast break dunk. They got Robinson on the line who split a pair of free throws, but that was in the midst of two straight turnovers for the Sixers.
• Embiid cut it to three at the line, but he took a hard foul in the process and was favoring his hip. After that the Sixers went back to hack-a-Mitch. It backfired on them with Robinson making three of his four attempts. The Sixers were unable to answer that, and a pair of Brunson free throws followed by another three from Landry Shamet put the Knicks back up by nine.

Fourth Quarter

• Still looking for their first bench points of the game, Barlow returned, this time as a small-ball five. This quarter also started with the Knicks grabbing an offensive rebound and hitting a three on their second attempt. At least the Sixers finally got those elusive first bench points when Grimes hit a three on his fourth shot attempt. 
• After that first possession the Sixers were able to take advantage of some Brunson-less minutes. After a few stops, Grimes was able to drill another three to pull them within four and force a Knicks’ timeout. They put Brunson back in the game and ripped off an 11-2 run in response. Things only continued to look precarious as Grimes turned it over coming out of a Sixers’ timeout.
• A loose ball finding its way to Maxey had him take another three and it fell, giving the Sixers a glimmer of hope. Brunson got right down the floor and answered with a bucket. Bridges beat everyone down the floor off a miss, the fast break layup putting the game away for good. The Sixers didn’t have any of the requirements to win this game. Not the effort, the shooting, rebounding, defense — none of it was good enough to get this one done.

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has a knack for speaking his mind, whether warranted or not.

Barkley on Friday continued his back-and-forth with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, which initially began during Green's May 6 appearance on "Inside the NBA" on ESPN.

Barkley had expressed his opinion on the Warriors, saying their dynasty run is over and that Green and Stephen Curry should consider leaving if their career goals are to win more NBA championships.

"It’s over for the Warriors,” Barkley said on May 6. “No disrespect. It is for every old team. You have your run, you get old … it just passed you by. Y’all had one of the greatest runs ever.”

Green's response: "I think the goal is to not look like you in the Houston Rockets uniform. That is ultimately the goal."

Barkley was later backed by the guys he's been on the show with for three decades. Later in the show, they discussed how James Harden had more turnovers than field goals against the Detroit Pistons.

Green defended Harden, only for it to be a setup as producers had a stat that blew even Green's mind. Green has had 43 playoff games where he's finished with more turnovers than field goals made, tied with Kendrick Perkins for the most since 2003.

The "feud" continued on Friday, with Barkley going on a spree of radio interviews. Here's what he had to say in response to Green, doubling down on his stance:

Charles Barkley responds to Draymond Green jab

Barkley stood on what he said about the Warriors and Green. He went on a couple radio shows on Friday, May 8 to reiterate his stance.

During an appearance on the "Bickley & Marotta Morning Show" on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, he praised Green but said the two of them aren't on the same level.

"Hey man, I never punch down," Barkley said. "Draymond's a good player. We're not on the same level. I can hear, but I don't have to respond every time somebody says something about me. Draymond's a really good player, he's had a hell of a career, but we're not on the same level."

"I never punch down. Draymond's a good player, we're not on the same level."

Charles Barkley had his shot to clap back when Draymond Green poked fun at Barkley's final NBA years in Houston but chose not to.

Watch the full interview on @Bickley_Marotta: https://t.co/Hpa9Dc5nabpic.twitter.com/Aei2VSp5yh

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 8, 2026

Barkley also went on "The Dan Patrick Show," where he continued to elaborate about Green's attempts to take personal shots at the Hall of Famer.

"He took a shot at me but I don’t get offended because ― I’ve said things about guys, they took personal shots at me,” Barkley said. “You know, it’s so funny, last time you had me on the show, I told you I regretted those Rocket years, especially the last two where I sucked as a player. But I wasn’t turning down no free money, I had two years left on my contract."

Turning the attention back to the Warriors, Barkley lamented how their run seems over, as he did to Green.

"He made it personal," Barkley said. "The Warriors haven’t been relevant for three or four years. They been in the play-in. When you’re in the play-in, you’re not in the playoffs."

He continued: "The play-in is something they just made up to add more games to put on a different network. The Warriors have been in the play-in I think four straight years. So they (have) been irrelevant. And I know he don’t want to say it. ... It's over for Golden State, they had a great run. He took a personal shot at me, but I'm not sensitive. But it's been over in Golden State. If Golden State was relevant, he wouldn’t be in the studio with me."

"If Golden State was relevant, he wouldn't be in the studio with me!" 😅

– Charles Barkley on Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/ajyOjQQwEX

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 8, 2026

Charles Barkley's Houston Rockets stats

Here's the thing that many don't realize. Barkley was traded to Houston at 33 and played there for four seasons, from 1996 to 2000, retiring at 36. In those four seasons, he averaged 16.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 152 games.

Barkley was named to the All-Star Game in 1997, but didn't play due to injury. Barkley joined a team with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon; playing with those Hall of Famers, he averaged under 20 points per game for the first time since his rookie season in 1984-85. He averaged 19.2 points that season.

The 1996-97 campaign marked Barkley's last real chance at winning a championship, as the Rockets lost to the Utah Jazz in the 1997 Western Conference finals in six games. Barkley averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds in the series.

Injuries would derail the tail end of Barkley's career, ending with a ruptured his left quadriceps tendon during the 1999-2000 season.

Unless Green was referring to career-ending injuries, maybe looking like Houston Barkley isn't so bad, after all.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Barkley responds to Draymond Green with joke about Warriors

I like to wake up each morning and, before either logging into work remotely or driving into the office, spend about 30 minutes reading new stories, scrolling my Twitter feed, and getting a gauge on what’s going on in the sports world at large. Some people need coffee to get themselves going in the morning. All I need is information. That’s the fuel, for once I start consuming it, the brain starts firing.

One story I continually see is the theory about Giannis Antetokounmpo coming to the Phoenix Suns because Phoenix is supposedly a preferred destination. We don’t know how much merit there is to any of this actually occurring, seeing as the sources never feel consistently reputable.

Still, over and over again, media outlets keep pushing it, fans keep talking about it, and every corner of Suns discourse somehow circles back to Giannis. People wonder if it’ll happen. Some are so damn excited that the possibility even exists.

The Valley jersey looks too clean on Giannis for this not to happen.

Second Giannis swap in 10 days, expect plenty more until he's a Phoenix Sun 😉 https://t.co/1KRcNRbDN8pic.twitter.com/L0akayNpjF

— Aryton Temcio (@FreckledMamba) May 7, 2026

It gets the clicks. I get why the remote possibility of acquiring the 10-time All-Star is discussed. I guess I’m part of the problem as well, as I sit here and type this out. But I do so more out of frustration than fantasy.

If you want to talk about things that get my blood pumping, this is one of them. Because I can’t. I genuinely can’t do this again. I cannot go through another aging star with a massive price tag coming to Phoenix, getting everybody hyped as if the parade route is already mapped out, then watching the team fall flat on its face as everyone scrambles around pointing in every different direction trying to explain why it failed instead of acknowledging the glaring goddamn reason sitting right in front of them.

We lived it with Kevin Durant. We lived it with Bradley Beal. So why the fuck would we willingly hop back on the same goddamn carousel again? I truly do not understand the mindset.

Let’s say that it happens. Let’s say that somehow, someway, the Phoenix Suns are able to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo. I’m not even going to start contemplating what we’d have to give up, because you know and I know that it’s highly unrealistic. The Suns simply do not have a trade package you could piece together that would be desirable enough to land him.

Sure, there are other teams out there that can offer better packages. We know that. We also know, thanks to the cases of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, that players can force themselves to a desired destination even if other offers are objectively better.

The problem is those two moves completely nuked the Suns’ cupboard. That thing has an old box of Cheerios and some honey in it (because honey never expires). And if you think the team would give up Devin Booker for Giannis, that in and of itself is certifiably insane. Booker is younger. Booker has given this city 11 years of dedication. Booker is the identity of the franchise. I highly doubt the organization would pivot away from that for an aging, injury-prone power forward as a replacement.

Still, let’s play the “what if” game. Let’s say this team acquires Giannis. Then what?

The assumption is you’d have to give up enough assets that your depth is completely shot to shit, and now you’re running veteran minimums out there night after night trying to patch together a rotation whenever somebody inevitably misses time. Chimezie Metu, anyone? And you know what that does? It puts extra strain on both Giannis and Booker, which equates to injuries and exhaustion because there’s zero margin for error. Every game becomes a survival exercise. And I don’t know if people realize this or not, but neither Booker nor Giannis exactly comes with pristine bills of health anymore.

Since coming to Phoenix and destroying our dreams in the 2021 NBA Finals, Giannis has averaged 61.2 games played per season. He played only 36 games last year. Time typically is not kind to older big men who play with the level of aggression that Giannis does. Remember Dwight Howard? He was dominant early in his career. Then the paychecks got bigger, the body started wearing down, and the production slowly followed. You do not want to become the 2017 Atlanta Hawks, stuck paying for what a player used to be.

That’s the challenge facing any team pursuing Giannis. Because wherever he goes, the expectation is that he gets another extension. He’s slated to make $58.5 million next season and has a player option worth $62.8 million the following year. He’s going to want one more massive bag before retirement. Phoenix should not be the team left holding it for a player who could be on the back nine of his career, halfway to the clubhouse for a nice Arnold Palmer.

Maybe that’s part of why Phoenix appeals to him. Mat Ishbia has shown in the past that he’s willing to spend for talent. The hope is that ownership has been learned from those mistakes. The reminders are already sitting there staring everybody in the face. Go look at the dead cap money.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo honestly were to come to Phoenix, I would not be a happy fanalyst. It’s one thing to bring in somebody who is overpriced and injury-prone. It’s another thing entirely to bring in the guy who ripped your heart out in the NBA Finals. Why in the name of John Paxson would we want that? Are we that masochistic? Do we need him to not only fuck us in the Finals, then come here and fuck our cap sheet for the next few years too?

We’ve got to get out of this mentality that every player who bats their eyes toward the Valley of the Sun needs to be Photoshopped into a Phoenix Suns jersey and admired like the Wolverine meme holding a picture frame.

Every damn day lately, it’s another “Giannis to Phoenix” rumor. I genuinely cannot do the “aging superstar + zero depth + pray for health” experiment again. We already lived it.

Meanwhile, some Suns fans: pic.twitter.com/jQB1M1ubWM

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) May 8, 2026

I understand there are sections of the fan base that view everything at surface level. I recognize that. Still, I’ve seen way too much conversation about Giannis coming to the Suns over the past week, and it finally got me to the point where I had to write something about it.

Because, for everything this organization and its leadership keep saying about continuity and development, this move would be 25 steps backward. People need to start understanding that. They need to accept it. They need to stop getting hypnotized by the name on the back of the jersey and start appreciating the one on the front.

And maybe that’s the disconnect in all of this. Fans are still conditioned to think the next big name automatically equals the next big leap, even after the past few years have shown exactly how fragile that equation can be. Star chasing sounds exciting in May. It looks great in graphics packages and rumor cycles. Then the season starts, depth disappears, injuries pile up, and everybody acts stunned when the math no longer works. Phoenix does not need another shortcut disguised as ambition. It needs sustainability, identity, and a roster that actually fits together around Devin Booker instead of constantly asking him to survive another experiment.

Ah. That worked. The blood is coming down.

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites, especially sites of the opposing team. Be polite and don’t insult your hosts.

The Spurs played their most dominant game of the season on Wednesday night, blowing out the Timberwolves 133-95, and now the tally for the series is 1-1, with Minnesota having stolen home court advantage with their Game 1 two point victory. If playoff series were decided by point differential, this series would be over, but it’s wins that count, and each team has one. The Spurs have to win at least one of the next two games to take back home court advantage and avoid a 3-1 deficit. Only 15 teams have come back from 3-1 deficits in 303 total seven game series in the NBA, although two of those happened in the first round this year, but the young Spurs don’t need that drama. Tonight isn’t a must-win, but it’s about as close as it gets for the young Silver and Black team, because if they fail, the next game definitely will be.

The Spurs need to continue with the improvements they made in Game 2, with attacking quickly on offense and not getting bogged down in the halfcourt one-on-one game that Minnesota excels at defending. The return of Carter Bryant to the lineup really helped the Silver and Black defense, and Keldon Johnson seems to be adjusting to playoff intensity after a slow start. The Spurs offense runs through it’s talented trio of young guards, and if Stephon Castle can stay out of foul trouble, he can have good night for the visitors.

With Donte DiVincenzo gone for the season, the Spurs have been double teaming Randle and Edwards as soon as they get the ball, a strategy that was very effective on Wednesday night because both of those players aren’t great at passing the ball. The Wolves might try to give more minutes to Naz Reid to improve their offensive movement but if that happens, the Spurs can take advantage on defense. If San Antonio can keep up the pressure on both ends of the court, it could be a great night for Spurs fans, but that’s always hard to do on the road. Anyway, GO SPURS GO!!

Game Prediction:

Chis Finch goes on a hunger strike to protest unfair treatment from the officials. Nobody notices.

San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves, Second Round, Game 3
May 8, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT
Streaming: Prime
TV: Prime
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There is nothing better than playoff basketball. Yeah, the NBA regular season has taken a public relations hit in recent years, but when the snow thaws and the postseason begins, there’s still no drama quite like it.

The storylines. The overreactions. A narrative can totally change in a matter of 48 hours. Legacies can shift on a dime.

The Detroit Pistons were a quarter and a half away from being dubbed frauds, chokers. You name it. J.B. Bickerstaff may have heard the “can’t get it done in the playoffs” chatter get louder. Cade Cunningham would have moved from your favorite player’s favorite player to the “are we sure he can carry a team all the way?” narrative.

Then, in the pressure cooker of it all, the Pistons looked themselves in the mirror and figured things out, staving off a pesky Orlando Magic team. A beautiful thing that is a microcosm of all that is right about postseason hoops. Fast forward a week, and the momentum has carried over to the second round, where the Pistons have won two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in workmanlike fashion, seizing control of the series in the process. Here are a few thoughts about what we’ve witnessed so far.

Tobias Harris. That’s The Tweet.

Speaking of a narrative-changing, look no further than Detroit’s elder statesman, Harris, who developed a reputation in Philadelphia for producing playoff no-shows. Less than two years ago, he recorded a zero point performance in a potential closeout game against the New York Knicks. He was practically run out of town shortly after. Yet, in just a couple of weeks, he has rewritten history and completely overhauled his reputation.

There were questions all year long about who the Pistons would turn to as a second option outside of Cunningham. And for the first half of the Orlando series, those questions remained unanswered. But then something happened along the way. Harris, who hadn’t scored 20 points in consecutive games all season, proceeded to do so in seven straight games, including three must-win games against the Magic.

His post-ups have become one of Detroit’s most efficient and reliable plays. Furthermore, he has endeared himself to Pistons fans and has stated his case as one of the great Motor City playoff performers. Not too long ago, he was getting booed out of Philly. Now, the Little Caesars Arena crowd buzzes with anticipation each time the 33-year-old receives an entry pass in the short corner. This is the beauty of the playoffs, where years of mental, and emotional turmoil and scrutiny can be shed with signature moments on the biggest stage.

Many people groaned when Harris re-signed with the organization two years ago. Since then, he has become one of its most important figures, and by all accounts has been instrumental in the culture shift that has occurred over the last two years. Now, the icing on the cake is him emerging as a real second option at the perfect time on the sport’s biggest stage. It has been a redemption story for the ages, as Detroit as it gets.
Give Unc his flowers; he’s earned them.

Physicality On Display

There is no doubting how much Orlando prepared the Pistons for this moment. The players and coaching staff have candidly acknowledged as much. The Magic series was full of sloppy turnovers, offensive rebounds, and loose balls being won by Orlando. They proved to be the perfect primer for facing the Cavs to this point, as Detroit has flat-out owned the boards and “50-50 balls” through two games.

The Pistons have won the total rebounding battle, but equally importantly, have bested the Cavs in offensive boards in both matchups. Early against the Magic, that was far from the case. Wendell Carter, Paolo Banchero, and co. gave the Pistons all they could handle in the paint, forced them to look in the mirror, and double-downed on their culture of toughness that led to 60 wins this past season.

While you can make the case that Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are more skilled than Orlando’s frontline, it is a different kind of skill, and they clearly pack less brute strength. Time after time through two games, Duren, Ausar Thompson, and Isaiah Stewart have gotten second-chance opportunities that just weren’t consistently there a series ago.

This has extended to the perimeter as well. Daniss Jenkins looked like a deer in the headlights through the first four Orlando games. Duncan Robinson reminded fans of Malik Beasley’s no-show against the Knicks last year. They got next to nothing on the perimeter outside of Cunningham. Certainly, some of this could have been attributed to rust or first-round jitters. But there’s no doubt that going against elite perimeter defenders like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black has made it easier to go against the Cavs wing defense. Cunningham, Jenkins, Thompson, and even Robinson and Caris LeVert have practically gotten into the paint at will through the first two games. The spacing and movement have been crisp, and the team has even figured out how to leverage the opponent’s choice to ignore Thompson to their advantage.

Have The Pistons Found Their Closing Lineup?

Against the Magic, it was clear that Bickerstaff was trying to figure out who would remain on the floor with Cunningham, Harris, and Duren in crunch time. It took a fair amount of juggling. But as the playoffs have rolled on, Thompson’s defense has usually warranted him being out there in addition to the aforementioned three. With Robinson being hunted defensively far too often against the Magic, everyone from Caris LeVert to Daniss Jenkins to Javonte Green got their shot at being the final piece of the puzzle.

But it’s become clear through the last four games that Jenkins has cemented himself as that guy. He’s offered spacing next to Cunningham, combined with secondary playmaking, scoring, and pesky defense. This has given the Pistons their best possible shooting lineup without overly sacrificing shooting or defense. Jenkins has been trustworthy with the ball in some tight spots, and not to mention, has been a clutch free-throw shooter. He is good enough defensively and has shot it well enough that the team could have the opportunity to go offense/defense with Thompson and Robinson when applicable as the playoffs go on.

What other observations stand out to you so far?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have played awfully through the first two games of the series. The guards haven’t lived up to their standards, the defensive communication hasn’t been good, and the team is simply missing wide-open shots. That isn’t going to get the job done on the road against a 60-win Detroit Pistons team.

Yet, despite how bad things have looked, the Cavs had chances to steal both Game 1 and 2. The Cavs were either tied or had a brief lead in the fourth quarter in each outing, but poor late-game execution cost them. We’ll see if that changes as the series shifts back to Cleveland.

Technically, this isn’t a must-win game. The season isn’t over if the Cavs drop this game. However, no team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. We’ll see if the Cavs have what it takes to get off the mat and keep their season alive.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2) vs. Detroit Pistons (2-0)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Sat., May 9 at 3 PM

TV: NBC, Peacock

Point spread: Cavs -4.5

Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill, – QUESTIONABLE (hamstring)

Pistons injury report: Kevin Huerter – DOUBTFUL (abductor strain)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Pistons expected starting lineup: Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren

Previous matchup: The Cavs fell apart down the stretch of Game 2 in a way that felt all too familiar.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	118.9 (8th)	115 (15th)	+3.9 (9th)
Pistons	118.3 (10th)	109.5 (2nd)	+8.8 (3rd)

Roob Stats: The 76ers lost again and we've got some demoralizing stats … again originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Here’s the good news. Yes, there is good news.

The 76ers are down three games to none, but five of the seven times in franchise history they’ve been down 3-0 in a seven-game series they’ve won Game 4.

That’s 1969 and 1985 vs. the Celtics, 2000 vs. the Pacers, 2011 vs. the Heat and 2018 vs. the Celtics.

The only times they’ve been swept in a seven-game series are 1999 vs. the Pacers and the 2020 Celtics series.

In 2000, they even won two games against the Pacers before losing that series in six games.

So history says maybe the 76ers won’t get swept. And around here lately that does pass for good news.

With that, on to the stats off Game 3 of the 76ers’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Knicks, a 108-94 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 76ers have now lost four games this postseason by at least 14 points, tying a franchise record. That’s bad news.

Running out of steam in the 4th quarter: After scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter in Game 2, the 76ers scored just 18 in Game 3. The 76ers have played 498 playoff games in franchise history – including their days as the Syracuse Nationals – and they’ve never scored 30 or fewer combined points in consecutive fourth quarters. This is also the first time they’ve scored 18 or fewer points in consecutive postseason fourth quarter in their last 160 playoff games. In 2000, they had back-to-back 17-point fourth quarters in their series against the Charlotte Hornets.

Those 3’s aren’t going so well for Joel: Joel Embiid was 0-for-4 from 3 and is now 3-for-26 from 3-point range in his six playoff games this year. That’s 11.5 percent. Only seven players in NBA history have shot that poorly from 3-point range in a single postseason (minimum 20 attempts). The only 76er to shoot worse in a single postseason is Charles Barkley, who made two of 20 3’s in 1990-91 for 10 percent. In his career, Embiid is now 68-for-251 from 3 in the playoffs for 27.1 percent. That’s 5th-worst in NBA history among 197 players who’ve taken at least 200 career postseason 3’s. In the last 20 years, only Giannis Antetokounmpo is worse than Embiid at 25.9 percent.

Can’t stop Brunson: With 33 points Friday night, Jalen Brunson now has scored 25 or more points in seven consecutive playoff games against the 76ers, the longest streak of consecutive 25-point games against the 76ers in the playoffs in 35 years, since Michael Jordan did it in 10 games in a row. Only Wilt Chamberlain and Jordan have scored more points in any seven-game span vs. the 76ers than Brunson’s 261 in his last seven games.

Running out of steam: In the first quarter, Paul George made six of nine field goal attempts and three of four 3’s in 10 minutes, scoring 15 points. He played 28 more minutes and went 0-for-9 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3 and didn’t score. He’s the first player in 76ers history to score 15 points in a postseason first quarter and not score again. The fewest points in a game by a 76er who had 15 in the first quarter is 20 by Allen Iverson in Boston in Game 1 of their 2002 Eastern Conference First-Round series. He scored 15 in the first quarter and five the rest of the game.

We need more from No. 0: Tyrese Maxey is minus-39 so far in the Knicks series. Maxey was minus-28 in Game 1, plus-zero in Game 2 and minus-11 in Game 3. This is the worst three-game plus-minus span of his postseason career. His previous worst was minus-36 in Games 4, 5 and 6 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Heat in 2022.

Knicks lighting it up: The Knicks have shot 63 percent, 51 percent and 50 percent from the field in these three games. This is the first time in 21 years the 76ers have allowed a team to shot 50 percent or better in three straight playoff games and only the second time ever a team has made 50 percent of its shots against the 76ers in the first three games of any series. In 1984 the Nets did it in their Eastern Conference First-Round series, and in 2005 the Pistons made 50 percent of their shots in the first three games of their Eastern Conference First-Round series. The Knicks have shot 50 percent or better in a franchise-record five straight games going back to their Atlanta series. There’s only been one longer streak since 1986, and that was the Suns’ eight-gamer streak in 2022.

Joel Embiid pleaded with 76ers fans to keep their home playoff tickets against the Knicks.

One diehard 76ers fan named Matt, as uncovered by the Philadelphia Inquirer, is taking extreme measures to keep Knicks fans from making Xfinity Mobile Arena a de facto Madison Square Garden South, or at least make New Yorkers pay more.

His plan?

Get Sixers fans to buy fully refundable Amtrak tickets ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 before canceling the train trip shortly before the 3:30 p.m. ET tip-off in order to increase the prices for New Yorkers. According to the Inquirer, he posted his idea to Reddit on r/Sixers to get fans to join in on his ploy.

For curious Knicks fans, the estimated cost — as per a search conducted by The Post on the Amtrak website on Friday evening — is just shy of $300 for a round-trip ticket.

But compared to the $500-plus tickets for potential Games 5 and 7 at the Garden — according to the resaler TickPick — New Yorkers who want to trek to Philly won’t be breaking the bank for game tickets, or at least have to give an arm and a leg, comparatively.

TickPick has prices as low as $159 for Friday night’s Game 3 and $170 for Game 4. As The Post’s Zach Braziller reported as of Thursday night, 59 percent of tickets sold on TickPick for Game 3 came from accounts linked from New York and New Jersey.

Embiid, after the 76ers beat the Celtics in the first round, wanted to make sure Philly fans were doing their part to make Xfinity feel like a home.

Because in 2024, when the Knicks beat the Sixers in the first round, New Yorkers were loud and made their presence felt in the City of Brotherly Love.

“Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like [Philadelphia] was Madison Square Garden East. We’re going to need the support,” Embiid said then. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys.

“Knicks fans travel, they buy tickets. There’s going to be people who will sell the tickets because they need the money. Don’t do it, we need you guys. We need the support, and we need them to be extremely loud. If you need money, I’ve got you.”

The “war” between the two cities has even transferred to other spaces, as a few New York eateries have rebranded Philly Cheesesteaks with different names for the duration of the playoff series.

And though the 76ers are down 2-0 in the series, Philadelphia scored a win this week when members of The Post picked cheesesteak over New York’s chopped cheese in a taste test.

Here are the NBA playoff games for Friday, May 8, 2026:

• New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers — 7 p.m. ET (Prime Video)  
• San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves — 9:30 p.m. ET (Prime Video)  

In addition, the Washington Mystics are playing tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET on ion when they take on the Toronto Tempo. Enjoy the basketball tonight!

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid returned to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night after he missed the previous game against the New York Knicks with a sprained right ankle and a sore right hip.

Embiid struggled through a short night in the Knicks’ 137-98 romp in Game 1, scoring 14 points on 3-for-11 shooting before the starters were benched with the game out of reach.

Embiid had been listed as probable to play in that game and the Knicks repeatedly took advantage of his lack of mobility to create open shots.

He had been expected to play Game 2 but was ruled out hours beforehand.

Embiid had an appendectomy late in the regular season. He returned during Game 4 of Philadelphia’s first-round series against Boston and helped the 76ers overcome a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Celtics.

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

Ready for a curveball?

The latest NBA Mock Draft from Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor not only has Malachi Moreno going in the first round, but even ahead of Jayden Quaintance.

Yes, this projection has Moreno going 24th overall to the New York Knicks, while Quaintance goes 29th to the Cleveland Cavaliers, nearly falling out of the first round altogether.

This would be both a shocking rise for Moreno and a stunning fall for Quaintance, though perhaps an earned one for the latter after he missed most of this past season due to the longest case of knee swelling ever recorded (we think).

I don’t agree with this projection, but if it turns out that this is how NBA executives view Moreno and Quaintance, you’d think there’s actually a chance Moreno stays in the draft and Quaintance returns to college.

The real story here is these recent mock drafts and rankings continue to suggest there’s a very real chance Moreno could hear his name called toward the end of Round 1. Could that be enough to sway him into keeping his name in the draft?

Next week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago could go a long way in deciding where Moreno is playing basketball next season.

Elsewhere, Iowa State transfer and Kentucky recruiting target Milan Momcilovic went 46th overall to the Phoenix Suns. While Momcilovic reportedly prefers to stay in the draft, if that’s the kind of projection he’s getting from NBA decision-makers, then it’s hard not to see him returning to college and collecting an NIL paycheck that could cross $5 million.

Saying this, it only takes one team to fall in love with you, and with Momcilovic’s ability to shoot scorched earth from deep, it won’t be a surprise if someone in the first round will take the gamble on him.

Also, there’s likely going to be a host of players ranked ahead of Momcilovic who return to school, including Andrej Stojaković, Matt Able, Billy Richmond, Flory Bidunga, Rueben Chinyelu, Tyler Tanner, and potentially Moreno.

It’s going to be a process, one that I’d now expect to go into deadline day on May 27 for Moreno and Momcilovic (and Quaintance if his stock really is this bad right now).

Finally, new UK graduate Otega Oweh hears his name called at pick No. 59 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the second-to-last pick of the draft. There haven’t been a lot of mock drafts with Oweh being drafted, so this is nice to see for a guy who’s undoubtedly been the MVP of the Mark Pope era thus far in Lexington (and I selfishly hope we get to see him again playing for La Familia one day).

Be sure to check out the full projection here!

Tonight, the Knicks (2-0) visit the Philadelphia 76ers (0-2) at Xfinity Mobile Arena for Game Three of the Eastern Conference semifinals. It’s a chance for New York to take a commanding 3-0 lead on the road, but it won’t come easy. Although ESPN.com etting sites peg the Sixers as slight favorites at home. That’s mainly because the hosts will get Joel Embiid back, while the guests may be without OG Anunoby (hammy) and Josh Hart (bum thumb).

Game time is at 7 p.m. EST on Prime Video. This is your game thread. This is Liberty Ballers. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Show those Philly fans what good behavior looks like. And go Knicks!

The New York Knicks will be without star forward OG Anunoby for Game 3 of their series against the Philadelphia 76ers with a hamstring strain.

The news comes after Anunoby scored 24 points in a 108-102 win in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.

Anunoby has been a key factor in the series so far for the Knicks, so not having him in the first road game against Philly could hurt their chances of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead.

With Anunoby on the sidelines, there is a good chance the Knicks will go with Miles McBride in the starting lineup as he had the most minutes off the bench in Game 2 with 21.

For the Sixers, they might also be dealing with some injuries of their own. All-Star center Joel Embiid missed Game 2 with a litany of injuries and is deemed questionable for Game 3 against the Knicks. If he were to play, it might benefit the Knicks to give Mitchell Robinson more minutes and slide Karl-Anthony Towns to the power forward slot in placement of Anunoby.

Ultimately, regardless of who the Sixers trot out on the court, the Knicks have to focus on how they execute their game plan. They had a good idea going into the game that Anunoby might not be available, so they have to respond accordingly and try to pull out a win despite the tough circumstances.

P&T Community, what do you think of the news regarding Anunoby? Chime off in the comments section below.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — OG Anunoby was ruled out for Game 3 on Friday night with a strained right hamstring, but the New York Knicks forward appears to have avoided a serious injury and remained day to day in the second-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Anunoby was injured late in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, in which he scored 24 points.

The Knicks hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Anunoby was having another strong game Wednesday before appearing to suffer a leg injury and motioning to come out of the game. He went to the locker room area and did not return to the bench before the end of the Knicks’ 108-102 victory.

Anunoby is averaging 21.4 points per game in the postseason while shooting 61.9% from the field and 53.8% from 3-point range.

The 6-foot-7 Anunoby, who is considered the Knicks’ top defender, injured his hamstring two years ago in the second round as the Knicks were taking a 2-0 lead over Indiana. He missed the next four games and played just a few minutes in Game 7 as the Pacers rallied to win the series.

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