PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 24: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In Tuesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Philadelphia mauled Boston, 113-97, New York hammered Atlanta, 126-97, and San Antonio eliminated Portland, 114-95.
Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and three steals for the Celtics. Boston is still up 3-2, but they could have closed the Sixers out. Too bad.
The Knicks are up 3-2 over Atlanta as well. Jalen Johnson finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, but Jalen Johnson had 39 in a brilliant performance for the Knickerbockers.
Meanwhile, the Spurs moved on to the next round, sending Portland back home, 4-1. Mason Plumlee got a DNP.
On Wednesday, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter lead Orlando aginst Detroit. Up 3-1, the Magic have a great opportunity here.
RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram lead Toronto against Tyrese Proctor and Cleveland. That series is tied up 2-2.
Finally, Luke Kennard and Los Angeles hope to eliminate Houston.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles against Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on April 26, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs can be an overwhelming time for analysts. With eight series taking place, you can’t possibly keep up with and do thoughtful analysis on all of them. So, you need to narrow down which ones require the most focus.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors, I thought I could put this series to bed. The Cavaliers only needed to win two of the final five games, the Raptors have struggled against top ten teams all year (7-22 against those groups, per Cleaning the Glass), and Toronto’s best spacer, Immanuel Quickley, was ruled out for the rest of the round.
Fast forward to today and the series is currently knotted up at two games a piece and the Raptors have completely flipped the script on the Cavaliers. The Cavs might be an 8.5-point favorite as they return home for Game 5 according to FanDuel, but it truly feels like this series is still up for grabs.
The Key Adjustment That Saved The Raptors’ Season
After two games of being demolished by James Harden and Donovan Mitchell in the pick-and-roll, the Raptors said, ‘hey, we were the fifth-best regular season defense and we are not going to stand for this anymore.’
James Harden had a solution for anything the Raptors threw at him in the PNR yesterday:
Punishing drop coverage, burning switches, and hitting the open man whenever he drew multiple defenders pic.twitter.com/duJ6UkmoPX
In Game 1, the Raptors went with some pretty standard matchup assignments. RJ Barrett on Harden, Jamal Shead on Mitchell, Brandon Ingram on Dean Wade, Scottie Barnes on Evan Mobley, and Jakob Poeltl on Jarrett Allen. Juxtapose those matchups with what we saw at the start of Game 4: Barnes on Harden, Ja’Kobe Walter (now starting in place of Shead) on Mitchell, Ingram on Wade, Poeltl on Mobley, and Barrett on Allen.
What this does is take away the pick-and-roll with Allen as the screener, as any time Harden or Mitchell try to initiate this action, the Raptors can nullify it with a simple switch – since Barrett, Barnes, and Walter are all long and athletic enough to handle a multitude of different player types.
So, if Harden and Mitchell want to hunt Poeltl (the weak link defensively in Toronto’s starting five), they have to use Mobley as a screener. This may not seem like a big deal, but look how little separation Mitchell is able to generate on Mobley screens:
The Raptors also did a great job of enhancing their gap help to clog up driving lanes, mitigate passing windows, and force Cleveland’s sketchier shooters to vanquish them (as a team, the Cavaliers shot just 25 perect from downtown in Game 4).
No bucket but a little tweak from Cleveland with how Toronto has wanted to show help vs. James Harden. Keep Sam Merrill one pass away, test if you want to hit or if he can hold two. pic.twitter.com/M3StTLKqYr
Cleveland should still be able to pull this one out. They have home court advantage, superior closers, and a lot of fat they can cut out of their process (they had 18 turnovers in Game 4). But credit goes to Toronto for turning what should have been a clean sweep into an instant classic.
PHOENIX, AZ - APRIL 27: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA on April 27, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. 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 Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
During the 2024-25 season, I tried something a little ambitious. After reading Liberty Ballers, the SB Nation site for the Philadelphia 76ers, I noticed they let their community vote on a player of the game after every matchup. It felt like something that could work at Bright Side.
I watch every game, and lord knows I always have thoughts. So I leaned in. It meant long nights, sure. After recording the podcast, I then sit down for another 45 minutes to an hour to write, pull the stats, and build the survey. It was a grind, but it was also worth it. It gives the community a perspective that the game recaps don’t, and I’m sure many of you woke up, put on a pot of coffee, and read the Bright Side Baller columns after each game.
Two seasons in, the value shows. It gives a clear picture of who the community believes showed up most often. It’s not a consistency rating, although it does serve somewhat in that capacity. Season-long stats tell part of the story. Bright Side Ballers tells another. It tracks night-to-night impact and who owned the moment when the game ended.
The Bright Side Baller for the 2025-26 season, for the second straight year, is Devin Booker.
The timing is interesting. It comes after a rough postseason and a Play-In that did not go as planned for the 11th-year player. Booker’s stats were down, although based on this, his consistency was up. After all, Booker won it last year as well, doing so by earning the Bright Side Baller a total of 19 times. This year, he did it with 21 despite playing 11 fewer games. That is 33%.
In 67% of his games, someone else earned that nod. There are reasons for that. Turnovers, outcomes, and the way the community views a loss. Booker carries the weight of expectations (and the weight in his wallet), so when the team loses, Booker can become more of a lightning rod for what went wrong rather than an acknowledgment of what he did right. A turnover late in the game can negatively affect your Bright Side Baller vote count, despite the fact that the team wouldn’t be in the game without you. ‘Tis a fickle system, one based on bias and emotion.
The larger point remains. Devin Booker is the best player on the Phoenix Suns. That part is not up for much debate. This exercise reinforces it, while also adding texture to how often he carried that title on a given night.
Appreciate everyone who voted all season. Truly. I am also looking forward to getting a few nights back. Writing until midnight or later, night after night, it adds up. Still, it produced exactly what I hoped for. Clarity.
TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 26: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Toronto Raptors on April 26, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten away from what’s worked in games 1 and 2. The Toronto Raptors deserve a ton of credit for that. Their physicality with Cleveland’s star backcourt has made it difficult for the Cavs to establish any kind of momentum. At the same time, the Cavs simply need to be better.
Let’s get into what exactly they need to do in Game 5.
1. Reestablish the James Harden pick-and-roll
The pick-and-roll has been a mainstay for the Cavs’ offense since the James Harden trade and was at the start of the series. In Game 1, Harden accumulated four assists out of the pick-and-roll with a big. By contrast, in Game 4, he only had one assist out of that action.
Going smaller and playing less drop coverage has hurt Cleveland’s ability to run the pick-and-roll. Instead of having Jakob Poeltl on Allen, RJ Barrett is the primary defender in the starting lineup. This easily allows the Raptors to switch the action, mitigating any advantage you’re trying to create with the screen.
The Cavs have countered by relying on more guard-on-guard screens. If you’re going to switch everything, you might as well use the guards to create favorable matchups. There’s solid rationale for this. The issue is, guards don’t have gravity going toward the rim. If you cause a momentary mismatch, it doesn’t break the defense because it’s always easier to recover side-to-side than it is to collapse and then try to get back out to shooters.
In short, the guard-to-guard screens don’t generate looks going to the rim. Just somewhat stagnant outside looks.
It’s incredibly difficult to have a good offense if you can’t get anything going inside. Creating clean looks from the outside is predicated entirely on your ability to get to the basket. The Boston Celtics wouldn’t be the three-point shooting juggernaut they are if they didn’t have multiple ball handlers who could beat mismatches and create advantages going to the hoop.
Right now, the Cavs aren’t doing that. They need to get actions going north and south. And they also need to find ways to get Jamal Sheed off Harden. Being able to reestablish the pick-and-roll with the bigs should help with both.
2. Get Jarrett Allen involved in the offense
The Raptors have conceded a mismatch inside by having Barrett guard Allen to start games. They’re okay with Barrett getting beaten inside if it means they can slow down the pick-and-roll and be versatile elsewhere defensively. But right now, they’re getting all the advantages of this strategy without having to worry about any of the consequences.
Cleveland tried to get the ball to Allen on a post-up with Barrett on one of the first possessions in Game 4, but a bad entry pass from Harden resulted in a turnover. For whatever reason, this caused the Cavs to stop looking for Allen altogether as he had just five field-goal attempts in Game 4.
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While we all acknowledge that post-ups aren’t necessarily what you want to construct an offense around, getting Allen involved more when he has Barrett on him would help in a couple of ways.
For starters, Barrett has been Toronto’s second-best offensive player. One of the most effective ways to slow someone down offensively is to make them work on the other end.
Guarding in the post is physically draining. Fighting for position, especially against someone bigger than you, takes a toll. Being intentional about getting Allen the ball is a great way to tire Barrett out.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson has instead opted to keep Allen in the dunker’s spot to use him as a play finisher and a rebounder. In theory, that makes sense. There’s more ways to punish a mismatch than by just posting up, but this more passive role allows Allen to get lost in the shuffle.
Allen’s energy on both ends is tied directly to how involved he is offensively. When he’s getting the ball with regularity, he’s more aggressive in how he fights for position, sets screens, and rolls to the basket. But when he’s only used sparingly, the focus and intensity aren’t there. Instead, he plays like someone who just doesn’t want to get in the way, as opposed to one who’s taking command.
The Cavs need an engaged Allen on both ends of the floor. Their size with their bigs is one of their advantages in this series. But that advantage only matters if they’re doing what they can to maximize it.
3. Win the possession battle
If you wanted to attribute Toronto’s Game 4 victory to one thing, it’d be how they won the possession battle. The Raptors attempted 10 more shots from the field and 13 more free throws. And even though they shot worse than the Cavs, getting more shots up helped overcome that disparity.
Securing defensive rebounds and forcing turnovers led to this.
Offensive rebounds happen for a few reasons, but usually, they can be the result of defensive breakdowns. Every rotation to contest a drive at the rim results in one person who isn’t boxed out. That — combined with the Raptors just playing with more energy — allowed them to control this category.
Turning it over 17 times doesn’t help. The Raptors’ offense in the regular season was predicated on running in the open floor. Giveaways, especially live-ball ones, invite Toronto to do that.
The Raptors have a great defensive team. Their length and switchability allow them to get more deflections than most teams, but Donovan Mitchell and Harden need to be better.
If you go back and look at the guard’s turnovers from Games 3 and 4, you’ll see that a good portion of them were simply from a lack of focus. That can’t happen in games that are this important.
If the Cavs can win the possession game, they’ll easily win Game 5.
4. Donovan Mitchell needs to finish at the basket
The Cavs absolutely do need Mitchell to score. And if he’s going to do that as efficiently as the Cavs need him to, it’ll be because he’s getting to the rim.
Mitchell took 24 shots in Game 4, but only four in the restricted area. He missed all four of them. Overall, he went just 2-10 on shots in the paint.
When he’s not able to beat teams at the rim, he becomes overly reliant on the outside shot. Mitchell is a good pull-up three-point shooter, but that is a much higher-variant shot than what you’d like if it’s going to be someone’s main form of offense.
Mitchell has talked about saving his body for the playoffs. He’s added more elements to his in-between game, particularly with the floater, so that he can be ready for the postseason.
Well, now is the time to show what he’s been saving his body for. The Cavs are two bad performances away from their season being over — and possibly this era of Cleveland basketball as we know it. There’s no reason to leave anything in the tank now.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
From my seat in press row at TD Garden, you can see the entire arena. The benches, the matchups, the way a possession starts to form before it fully develops. It’s a different way of watching the game, a little more removed than being down by the railing before tip, where everyone is leaning forward trying to catch a glimpse of warmups or an autograph from their favorite player.
My view for Game 5.
Just a few hours earlier, that’s where I was, moving along the baseline and talking to whoever had gotten there early enough to be close to the action. Different groups, different ages, different reasons for being here, but the conversations started to reveal similar themes after a while. Some people were born into loving this team. Some picked it up along the way. Some had a specific player that pulled them in. Others couldn’t really explain it beyond the fact that it stuck.
Now they’re all somewhere in the building, scattered across different sections, watching the same game unfold.
Everyone gets here a different way
About 45 minutes before tip, I had stopped near the sideline and talked to a father and his son, both born and raised in Boston. The father didn’t hesitate when I asked how long he’d been a fan. “I’m 42,” he said. “So we can say 42 years.” His 13-year-old son followed right behind him with the same answer in his own way. “You were born into it,” his dad said, smiling. That part didn’t need much explaining.
The kid was wearing a Tatum jersey, but it didn’t stop there. He lifted it to show the Tatum shirt underneath. Tatum socks. Tatum sneakers (“The new 4s”, he told me, a non-sneakerhead who still wanted him to think I knew and loved them). His dad laughed and said it didn’t matter the time of year or the time of day, he was probably wearing something with Tatum on it.
When I asked what stood out about this team, they answered right away. “We’re so deep,” he said. “Every single person that comes onto the floor can score, they can defend.” His son nodded. Same answer.
Early on, it didn’t look like that depth was going to matter. The Celtics opened cold, missing shots they usually make, the kind of start that brings a low murmur across the building before it builds into something louder. A Jaylen Brown dunk finally broke through and the place responded the way it always does, rising together, a quick reminder of how quickly things can change in here.
That idea of depth came back not long after. The bench started to chip in with Payton Pritchard pushing the pace, making things happen in a way that felt familiar after Game 4. Even when the shots weren’t falling from deep, the Celtics found ways to stay in front. They had more options. More answers.
A little further down the baseline before the game, I had talked to a group of college-aged guys, each with a half-full cup of beer, watching warmups. I learned that two of them were Celtics fans. Two of them weren’t, at least not yet.
“Depth goes crazy,” one of them said when I asked what he loves about the team, without much hesitation. His friends nodded, half agreeing, half laughing, likely about the fact his buddy was getting interviewed by a member of the media.
That depth showed up throughout the first half. It wasn’t one player carrying things. The responsibility and production moved around from possession to possession. One possession it was Brown getting downhill, the next it was Tatum creating space off the dribble, then Pritchard pushing the tempo, then Vooch throwing one down.
The ball didn’t stick. The game didn’t feel heavy. Not yet at least.
Before the game started, I stopped at one point to take a picture of two older-looking gentlemen, who I would learn were brothers. They had grown up in Boston after moving here from Uganda. They didn’t need much time to answer how long they’d been fans.
“Forever,” one of them said.
There wasn’t much elaboration beyond that, but in a way there didn’t need to be. They had been to games before, so they knew what this place felt like, especially during this time of year. That part came through in how casually they talked about it, like the Celtics had always been part of their lives, even though they were born 6,900 miles away.
Sitting up top in press row, it’s easy to forget how many different paths lead people into this building. Sure, you can see the whole arena, but the paths people took to get there aren’t always as clear.
This team is different
Game 5 settled into something tense by the third quarter. The Celtics had a lead, but the Sixers kept chiseling away at it, steadily and methodically. Philadelphia kept finding ways to keep the score close. Joel Embiid looked much improved from Game 4 and more like the former MVP version of himself, which certainly helped.
At one point, with the Celtics trying to create some separation, Jordan Walsh made a play that barely registers in a box score. A hustle steal, a sprint the other way, and a drawn foul.
The reaction from the crowd was immediate — loud in a way that didn’t match the scale of the play, at least not on paper. Walsh turned and embraced it, breaking the fourth wall between fans and players. That was all it took to set the crowd into a frenzy.
That exchange, small as it was, felt like a perfect example of how connected everything was in that moment. The crowd sees it. The player feels it. In TD Garden, the energy can often be a two-way street.
Later in the quarter, Pritchard hit a three right in front of the Sixers bench and held his stare for a beat, like he wanted them to sit with it. Another moment that doesn’t change the outcome on its own, but adds to everything around it.
By the end of the third, the Celtics were still in front, but the margin had narrowed to one point, 86-85. The building felt it. From way up high, I could hear the noise shift from confident to urgent. Still loud, but tighter than before.
Earlier in the night, I had talked to a family that made the drive up from Connecticut. The dad leaned into the conversation as soon as I brought up past teams, talking about Bird like he had been waiting for the chance. The passing, the feel, the way everything seemed a step ahead.
His daughters listened, one in a Tatum jersey, the other in a Brown jersey, exchanging looks that suggested they had heard some version of this before. Classic Dad.
When I asked what stood out about this team, he kept it simple.
“They all trust each other.”
That idea held for most of the night. It showed up in the way the ball moved, in the way players stayed with possessions even after something went wrong. Brown going over to Vučević after a couple missed threes, making sure he wasn’t dissuaded from firing away on the next open one. Tatum and Pritchard talking through something after a defensive breakdown, both of them coming at it from the same place, a shared desire to win.
It felt steady. It felt like the Celtics.
When it all falls down
The fourth quarter didn’t follow that pattern.
Philadelphia hit shots early, getting production from Embiid, Maxey, and even Grimes, who found himself at the line twice after being fouled on three-point attempts. The Celtics had an impossible time answering. A couple open looks missed, then another, and the rhythm that had carried them through the first three quarters started to slip.
At first, it didn’t feel like anything more than a bad stretch. That happens in closeout games like this. As a Celtics fan, you kind of expect it to turn back the other way eventually.
It didn’t.
Early in the fourth, the lead finally flipped in Philly’s favor. The crowd got louder, trying to pull it back and reacting to every defensive possession like it might be the one that starts a run. A Hauser three gave the Garden a jolt. Another miss took it right back out.
From up top, you can feel that shift even if you can’t quite hear individual voices. The noise tightens. Reactions get sharper. Every possession clearly starting to matter a little more than the one before it.
Somewhere in there, I started thinking about the people I had talked to before the game. The kid in the Tatum jersey there with his dad. The family that made the drive in from Connecticut. The brothers who said they’d been fans forever. The young girl who was at her first Celtics game in person.
My first instinct was to feel bad for them. Like this was going to be the part they remembered. But looking down at the floor, then back out into the crowd, that didn’t really line up with what was happening.
I caught myself reacting at one point, as a fan and not the version of me that was there as media. “FOUL!” came out of me before I could stop it after Grimes relentlessly hounded Jaylen Brown in the backcourt with a level of physicality that I clearly felt was inappropriate. I looked around, hoping fellow media members weren’t staring in my direction. Luckily, or maybe not, everyone couldn’t look away from the nightmare that was the fourth quarter of Game 5.
The Celtics couldn’t find a stretch where everything clicked again. Shots that had fallen earlier stayed out, and Philadelphia kept making enough to keep the distance. The Celtics would go on to finish with only 11 total points in the quarter.
Even as the outcome became obvious, people stayed in it.
They stood. Clapped. Waited.
After the game, Joe Mazzulla talked about perspective. He said it wasn’t all bad, that there were stretches they could build from.
Jaylen Brown kept it simple. They weren’t good enough, and they’d have to be better the next time out.
Both things can be true.
Perspective is important
After the final buzzer, I made my way down from the press section and onto the concourse. There were still fans lingering. Some standing in the aisles, some drifting closer to the court now that the game was over, others taking pictures, clearly not ready to let the night end.
Besides a small group chanting “Embiid sucks,” most people actually seemed surprisingly chipper. They were talking, smiling, taking it in before being told to go.
I’ve been to enough of these that my instinct after a loss is to get out quickly. Clear out, complain, then move on to the next one.
A lot of people didn’t seem interested in doing that.
Maybe it was their first game. Maybe it was the trip into the city. Or maybe it was simply something they’d been looking forward to for a long time. Whatever had brought them there, they stayed for as long as they could.
I wondered if the father and son I had talked to earlier were still somewhere in the building, or the family from Connecticut, or the brothers who had grown up here after coming from somewhere else. The college bros had probably already moved on to Tavern in the Square by then.
On my way to the postgame press conference, I caught myself changing my tune.
A few minutes earlier, I had been sitting in press row, frustrated like everyone else, watching Game 5 slip away in a way that was so un-Celtics-like. Now, I was walking into a room where Jaylen Brown was about to answer questions a few feet away, Jayson Tatum not far behind him.
Trying to steady my hand and take a picture while Jaylen looks in my general direction. I mean, come on.
It’s a strange shift. You spend the whole night thinking about the game the way a fan would, then you find yourself in a position you could only dream of from the outside.
I started thinking about the people I had talked to before tip. What they would’ve thought if they were in that room. If they were sitting where I was sitting.
The result still mattered. It always does.
But so did this.
Nights like this happen
Still, the result of Game 5 didn’t give them what they wanted. It didn’t give any of us what we wanted.
Sometimes it goes the way you hope, and sometimes it doesn’t. The people who have been around long enough understand that, and the ones who are new to it will learn. Either way, we all come back just the same.
Before the game, I took another photo of a group of three adults, beaming with excitement to the point where I knew I had to talk to them. After snapping their photo, I realized English wasn’t their first language, so the woman in the group smartly pulled out her phone and began translating my questions in real time.
After some back and forth, I learned that one of them had attended Boston College when he was younger, and fell in love with the Celtics during his time here. He was now here with his two friends, who had never stepped foot inside an NBA arena until that night.
In an effort to keep my questions simple, I looked at the woman, gestured around us, and asked, “What do you think?”
She looked out across the floor, took it in for a second, and gave the same gesture back.
Then she said one word, her first in English during our brief conversation.
“Magic,” she said.
Even after a tough loss, I couldn’t agree with her more.
Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on from the court in the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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I typically believe where there is smoke, there is usually fire in these types of situations, but it all remains to be seen. Durant’s reputation precedes him, so it’s an easy leap to make.
Anyway, what would you like the Rockets to do? Do you want them to trade KD? Not what will they do, what do you want the Rockets to do?
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — Joel Embiid conquered his postseason demons on Tuesday night. He overcame the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in a do-or-die Game 5 to keep the Philadelphia 76ers alive to see another day.
Down 3-1 following back-to-back Boston victories in Philadelphia, Embiid was ruled probable when Sixers coach Nick Nurse took to the podium pregame. It wasn’t until less than an hour before opening tip that Embiid was inserted in Philadelphia’s starting lineup, eager to prove a point. Despite the unfavorable 4-12 playoff record that has historically made the Sixers a punching bag for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to take turns hurling warm-up punches at, Embiid was determined.
“I just wanted to impose myself a little bit more inside, and it worked out,” Embiid said after Philadelphia’s 113-97 win to force a Game 6.
To do that, Embiid needed to make an adjustment. He recognized that searching for offense in the perimeter wasn’t working after going 0-for-5 from 3-point range in the first half. So it was time for a tweak. With 15 points at halftime as the game’s leading scorer, Embiid knew he could elevate his impact by abandoning the perimeter and attacking the interior instead.
He stuck with that plan throughout the second half, going right after Celtics center Neemias Queta.
“I feel pretty good about my chances going one-on-one against anybody in this league, and I don’t think that can be stopped,” Embiid said.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 28: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Struggling to contain Embiid’s offensive revival, Queta quickly found himself in foul trouble. Two minutes into the second half, Embiid ran a pick-and-roll with V.J. Edgecombe. Queta stayed with Edgecombe as Embiid trailed from behind, and Boston’s defense briefly fell apart, allowing Kelly Oubre Jr. to finish a contested layup with a chance at the free-throw line.
That marked Queta’s fourth personal foul with 9:57 left in the third quarter, and forced coach Joe Mazzulla to make an immediate substitution.
For the first time in this series, the Celtics saw a different, more confident version of Embiid. Over time, that snowballed into a problem that prevented Boston from punching its second-round ticket at home, leaving TD Garden half-empty and dead silent for the closing minutes of regulation. The Celtics held an 86-85 lead to begin the fourth quarter, giving Embiid a clean slate to decide either to fall to Boston again or to turn the tables and make a statement.
Ultimately, he chose the latter.
Embiid finished with 33 points, four rebounds, and eight assists. In the final two frames, he shot 7-of-10 from the field and didn’t attempt a single 3-pointer. Embiid took two trips to the foul line and knocked down all four free throws, logging a plus-21 rating in the second half.
Boston went from a Tyrese Maxey plus Edgecombe problem in Game 2 — without certainty that Embiid would even play this series — to desperately needing to account for another possible Embiid masterclass in Game 6.
“He was dominant. He was dominant, especially in the second half,” Maxey said. “He was extremely dominant, and he did a really good job of inserting himself. I was proud of him tonight, man. That’s the dominance you go into a playoff game with, and he did that.”
Embiid missed only one layup in the second half, which he recovered with an offensive rebound and putback over Nikola Vučević in the third quarter.
“I feel like he had too many easy baskets,” Jaylen Brown said. “Like, we need to make him work. It was just too easy for him. Even though we trust our guys to guard certain matchups, you gotta make it a little bit tougher. Tonight he got a lot of easy baskets, and I feel like that propelled them.”
Five of Embiid’s makes came against Queta, five against Vučević, and the remaining two with Luka Garza defending. And while Embiid tucked the 3-pointer away in his back pocket, he still managed to knock down three fadeaway mid-range jumpers over Boston’s bigs.
Looking back, Jayson Tatum couldn’t refrain from tipping his cap to the 2023 league MVP.
“Give him credit,” Tatum said. “He played well. He put a lot of pressure on us, especially on the defensive end. We’ll go back and watch the film and make some adjustments and be ready for Game 6.”
As the Celtics discovered over six months ago on Opening Night, defending Maxey and Edgecombe is tough enough. On any given night, they can become the hardest to stop backcourt duo in the league — as was the case in Game 2. But now, the Sixers have Embiid added to that mix. He’s not only healthy, but he’s also healed enough, less than three weeks after undergoing emergency appendectomy surgery on April 9, to make an example out of Boston’s interior defense.
“When the pace slows down, he’s hard to cover one-on-one, and we played right into his type of game,” Payton Pritchard said.
In the final five minutes of the third quarter, Embiid even survived an injury scare. After falling for Brown’s pump fake, spin move under the basket, Embiid hobbled and immediately grabbed his left knee. The signs weren’t promising as he hunched over before slowly making his way toward Philadelphia’s bench and into the locker room.
But moments later, for the final two minutes of the third quarter, Embiid returned — and didn’t miss a beat.
“I’m good,” Embiid said with a smile.
Embiid continued, opening up about the narrative he’s battled: “I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career. I don’t complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor I want to play as hard as possible.”
The Celtics have 48 hours to reflect. After finishing tied (with the New York Knicks) for the second-most home wins (30) in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, Boston has dropped two of its first three playoff games at TD Garden. It’s nothing Tatum, Brown, and Mazzulla haven’t seen before, but as Embiid proved in Game 5, history is nothing more than a track record that can turn meaningless on any given night.
Boston has seen this position before. However, Tuesday night made it clear the series has changed. What once looked like a smooth-sailing path to the semifinals has now turned into a puzzle. Embiid delivered his response with a strong performance in Game 5. Now, it’s up to the Celtics to respond and redeem themselves on Thursday night in the City of Brotherly Love.
It appears the Warriors will attempt to reel in another big fish or two this offseason.
Golden State, in an effort to surround superstar Steph Curry with more top-end talent in the final seasons of his NBA career, has pursued trades for star players for years, oftentimes coming up short.
One name the Warriors came up short in pursuit of before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline this year was LA Clippers star forward Kawhi Leonard, who Golden State reportedly targeted and nearly acquired in the wake of their failed Giannis Antetokounmpo pursuit.
The Warriors are rumored to be interested in pursuing Leonard again this summer, and ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Zach Kram, in a recent article, proposed a possible trade package that could land Leonard in the Bay Area this offseason.
Warriors get:
Kawhi Leonard
Clippers get:
Jimmy Butler III 2027 first-round pick (lottery-protected) 2032 first-round pick
“The Warriors have been connected more to Leonard than any other team in recent months, and for good reason,” Kram wrote. “After Butler tore his ACL in January, the Warriors need a Plan B if they want to try to reopen their competitive window while 38-year-old Stephen Curry is still playing at an All-Star level.
“Leonard would be a strong fit as a Butler replacement, with even higher upside after the best regular season of his career. The salaries of the two stars match well enough that no other player would need to be included in this deal.”
“Considering Butler is out indefinitely, the Clippers certainly would want the top-14 protection removed from the 2027 first-round pick or amended,” Marks wrote.
“An injured star, a pick that might not convey and a selection six years into the future should be a nonstarter for Frank and LA. From the Warriors’ viewpoint, swapping Butler for a healthy All-Star makes too much sense — even if the 2032 first-round pick ends up in the lottery.”
The 34-year-old Leonard is coming off the best scoring season of his 14-year NBA career, having averaged a career-high 27.9 points with 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game on 50.5-percent shooting from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range in 65 games for the Clippers.
Butler, who suffered a torn ACL on Jan. 19, likely will be out at least for the first half of the 2026-27 NBA season, and might not make it back to the court until February next year.
His extended absence next season likely will be a big reason why Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy will search high and low this offseason for star talent to pair with Curry next season, either until Butler returns, or in place of him.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 28: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s just after one o’clock a.m. I have been in the Frost Bank Center for seven hours. After an eight hour work day. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. This has been the best year of my life as far as all things Spurs go. I’ve been to more games, sat in on press conferences, and hobnobbed with journalists I admire while the team has elevated to a contender and revealed some of the sports brightest stars.
And now they have advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals.
As I have to get up in four hours for my daytime job, I will share some of what I captured once the Spurs cleared the hurdle of their first series.
Once the Spurs won, they went into the drum call-and-response that Wemby started with the Jackals. As Keldon was honored before the game for his Sixth Man of the Year award, he was the man of the hour when it was time to lead the postgame ritual.
The Spurs will have a couple of days off as they await an opponent. The Denver/Minnesota series is currently heading back to Minneapolis for game 6. Denver is in a must-win situation. With Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo both out, their task is less arduous, but no less critical.
Are you rooting for or against anyone in this series as the victor stands in the way of the Spurs destination of the Western Conference Finals?
That’s all for now, must get some sleep. Just a honk of the horn as I pass through downtown and then straight to bed.
Go Spurs Go!
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As Steve Kerr contemplates his future and whether the Warriors will be a part of it, the team’s fan base continues to debate his worthiness. This is normal, the complementary sideshow that accompanies any lame-duck coach regardless of achievement.
While most seem supportive of Kerr heeding the voices of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green and re-signing for at least two more years, the more restless members of Dub Nation have champagne on ice anticipating their farewell celebration.
Group 2, at least from here, has the weaker case.
Group 1 considers Kerr an excellent coach, even if there were times last season when excellence did not surface. Truth told, Golden State occasionally appeared clueless about such basic NBA principles as purposeful passing, executing a fast break and scouting-report comprehension.
Kerr did some of his best work when the Warriors were most compromised by injury. His overall record is impressive in ways both overt and subtle. latent. More on that later.
Group 2, which seems smaller in number but is particularly vocal in the disaffected chamber of social media, has decided Kerr – who presided over teams that reached the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons – has lost his touch or, worse, forgotten how to coach. Therefore, it is time for CEO Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to recruit a replacement for Golden State. Someone they believe is more evolved in the ways of the NBA.
A few folks in that camp might better accept Kerr if he were to suppress the political tragedy in his personal background. The life experience that compels him to exercise free speech by confronting the sociopolitical issues roiling America and, by extension, the planet. Zip it and coach. Such “advice” was rarely offered during championship seasons.
Most in Group 2 are less concerned with Kerr’s off-court pursuits than with his perceived shortcomings as a coach. To them, he is too tolerant of the dark side of Green’s temperament.
Too enchanted with Brandin Podziemski. Too enamored with small lineups. Trots out too many puzzling rotations and lineups. Can’t develop young players. Is inconsistent with the distribution of Curry’s minutes. And was too intolerant of Jonathan Kuminga’s inconsistency.
Or, perhaps, all the above.
Which misses Kerr’s greatest attribute as a coach. He excels at people management, and that generally allows him to get the most out of those throughout the roster.
It took Kerr a couple months to fall in love with Curry’s spectacular but at times carefree style. After winning back-to-back MVP awards in Kerr’s first two seasons, Steph rested his case and Kerr fully embraced the singular brilliance of the player he inherited.
Kerr realized Curry, a one-of-one talent, was his surest path to prosperity – while understanding a coach can be no better than his best player(s). Red Auerbach had Bill Russell. Pat Riley had Magic and Kareem. Phil Jackson had Michael and Scottie, and the Kobe-Shaq duo. Gregg Popovich had Tim Duncan. Kerr visualized Curry’s impact, designing the offense around his catalyst. He tweaked it only slightly for an MVP named Kevin Durant.
But Kerr’s insight didn’t stop there. He inherited David Lee – who in 2013 was Golden State’s first All-Star since 1997 – but recognizing the need for better defense, replaced Lee with Draymond Green. Draymond anchored the defense of the fabled “Death Lineup” and became the most effective small-ball center in NBA history.
Kerr moved veteran starter Andre Iguodala to the bench for Harrison Barnes because it allowed for a more rational use of the roster’s rotations and depth. Iguodala was the tie that bound the Death Lineup, which averaged 6-foot-6 but used defense to extinguish opponents and transition offense to bury them.
Kerr didn’t invent Small Ball – credit for that generally goes to Don Nelson – but he took it to levels neither Mike D’Antoni nor Nelson ever reached.
Kerr’s prudent manipulation of rotations and minutes allowed Shaun Livingston to finish a vagabond NBA career with one team and five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. Kerr and his staff coaxed Andrew Wiggins to his full potential when it mattered most, altering the “underachiever” narrative that followed him before and after the Warriors.
Gary Payton II’s three previous NBA franchises failed to figure out a way to utilize his unique set of skills. Kerr somehow shepherded Payton, then 29, into an essential member of the 2022 championship team.
Kerr’s greatest accomplishments might have been his ability to summon the best of players who rewarded the Warriors with the most successful years of their careers: Jordan Bell, Quinn Cook, Damion Lee, Otto Porter Jr., Marreese Speights, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nick Young were key contributors to championship teams. All seven faded from the NBA picture shortly after their time with Golden State.
Kerr followed the blueprint of all coaches who succeed at the top. He partnered with his best player, Curry, to lift all teammates and build a monument that will stand forever.
Those hoping Golden State has a new coach next season should be careful of what they wish.
Victor Wembanyama recently became the NBA's first unanimous winner of the defensive player of the year award [Getty Images]
Victor Wembanyama claimed a double-double to help the San Antonio Spurs secure their first series win in the NBA play-offs for nine years.
The Spurs led by as many as 28 points as they cruised to a 114-95 victory in Texas and a 4-1 series win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Wembanyama registered 17 points and 14 rebounds while De'Aaron Fox scored a game-high 21 as six San Antonio players reached double figures.
"It was as sharp as we've been," said Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, whose team are the Western Conference's second seed and join top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the Conference semi-finals.
"[They are] a great basketball team," added Portland coach Tiago Splitter. "They have a superstar that changed the game. They deserve it."
The Spurs will face either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves next, with the Timberwolves leading the series 3-2.
In the Eastern Conference, Joel Embiid scored 33 points as the Philadelphia 76ers won 113-97 at the Boston Celtics to keep their series alive.
Embiid was playing his second game since undergoing an emergency appendectomy on 9 April and helped the Sixers cut their series deficit to 3-2.
If they can win game six in Philadelphia on Thursday, the series will go to a decider at second seed Boston on Saturday.
"I found my rhythm in the second half," Embiid said. "We adjusted some stuff at half-time and got a win. That's all that matters.
"We're going to need everybody to come back to Boston."
The winners will face either the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks, with third seed New York leading 3-2 after a 126-97 home win.
Jalen Brunson scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Knicks clear while London-born team-mate OG Anunoby claimed 17 points and 10 rebounds.
If Atlanta win at home on Thursday, they will return to New York for a series decider on Saturday.
BOSTON — There’s a tall tale, Mad Libs nature to Joel Embiid’s injury history. A snake bit him somewhere along the way and just kept biting.
Embiid’s perspective on it all is telling. As he shared following a season-saving 33-point, eight-assist night Tuesday in the Sixers’ Game 5 win at TD Garden over the Celtics, Embiid is guided by a desire to play.
That’s it, really.
“The one thing about me is I’ve dealt with a lot of stuff over my career,” Embiid said after the Sixers trimmed their first-round playoff series deficit to 3-2. “I don’t complain. I just want to give as much as I can every single time I step on the floor. I know a lot of people might have takes that I might be lazy or whatever, but every single time I’m on the floor, I want to play as hard as possible. I want to do whatever it takes to win a basketball game, whether it’s on offense, on defense.
“I just want to play basketball, whether (or not) I’m in good shape physically, mentally or whatever. I just want to enjoy these moments being part of a basketball team that’s trying to accomplish something, and that’s to win every single game.”
Embiid’s norm of playing through pain and discomfort popped up again in Game 5. He added an injury scare to his infinite list when he exited with a limp in the third quarter, but Embiid only missed a little under three minutes of action. Jaylen Brown appeared to inadvertently bump Embiid’s knee after driving and pump faking inside.
“I just heard that he kind of banged knees with somebody,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said. “Knee on knee contact.”
Asked about the moment, Embiid gave a straight-faced reply: “I’m good.”
So … what happened?
“I don’t remember,” he said with a bit of a mischievous grin.
Postseason health trouble is habitual for Embiid. Right knee; left knee; orbital fractures; concussions; Bell’s Palsy; gastroenteritis; appendicitis. While not immune to pain, he must have his own definition.
Sidelined for 17 spring days this time around as he recovered from an appendectomy, Embiid returned Sunday in the Sixers’ woeful Game 4 loss. Despite a cold shooting start to Game 5, he was dominant. Embiid logged 39 minutes, scored efficiently on a night he went 0 for 5 from three-point range, and anchored the Sixers’ much-improved defense.
“Give him a lot of credit, man,” Nurse said. “He worked really hard to get back from this procedure that he had and played a lot of minutes. And I was super impressed by him on the defensive end tonight.”
“When we have him, we’ve got a trump card,” Paul George said. “There’s no one that can guard him. I don’t care who it is, there’s no one that can guard him. … He can take a game over. And obviously, we have to adapt when he doesn’t play. It’s a collective thing to find those baskets, those easy opportunities. But when he’s on the floor, he’s going to create a mismatch.”
At his free-flowing peak, Embiid draws immense attention. He then shoots over a crowd, feeds open teammates or powers through the clump of bodies trying to stop him.
“You’ve got to find the right mix,” he said. “To start the game, it was a little bit more outside than in. In the second half, it was both. Inside, I feel pretty good about my chances of going 1-on-1 against anybody in this league and I don’t think I can be stopped. So I just took advantage of what they were giving me. And then once they made the adjustment, do the best job posssible and just be aggressive.
“And me being aggressive, it opens up shots for everybody. It’s finding the right balance. It wasn’t all just post-ups. There was a bunch of mid-range. I still feel like my touch is not there. … Got to keep working on it so I can have a better game next game.”
Game 6 will be Thursday night on the Sixers’ floor.
Barring any extreme issues between now and then, Embiid has more basketball in front of him.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I pushed very hard to come back and try to help as much as I can. I’m glad we won (tonight). I didn’t want to go home and think all summer about what could’ve been if I was healthy going into the playoffs. So one more day and one more game to try to make it back here.
“That’s the mentality. I’m just thankful to be in a position where I get to play. I don’t know how long I can do this, so I just want to enjoy as much as possible.”
Jose Alvarado arguably has been the biggest surprise of this first-round series.
He appeared to be out of coach Mike Brown’s playoff rotation ahead of the postseason.
He did not play in Game 1.
By now, he has firmly reestablished a role.
Jose Alvarado celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ 127-97 Game 5 blowout win over the Hawks on April 28, 2026 at the Garden. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Seven of those points came during a key six-minute stretch to start the second quarter, when the Knicks padded their lead and pulled away.
“It’s just part of the business: stay ready,” Alvarado said. “Whatever the team needs. We’re a really good team. They communicated with how it was gonna go. Just stay ready, that’s what I did mentally.”
Brown previously explained that, because Landry Shamet and Miles McBride struggled as backup point guards earlier in the series, he gave Alvarado a shot to have a more natural point guard on the floor. He has rewarded Brown for that decision.
Alvarado’s spotty 3-point shooting had become a weakness and was the primary reason he was not in the rotation at the end of the regular season. But he went 2-for-3 from deep Tuesday.
“My teammates found me,” Alvarado said. “I was open and then I made the shots today.”
Josh Hart subbed out with 6:27 left in the fourth quarter, went to the locker room and did not return.
Earlier in the game, he had been holding his back in a bit of pain after a hard fall.
The Knicks did not have an update postgame.
Mikal Bridges remained in the starting lineup as expected, but he was the first Knicks starter to get subbed out, with Miles McBride replacing him with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
The Knicks led by one at the time. But by the end of the quarter, they led by 13.
Bridges finished plus-11. McBride was plus-19.
CJ McCollum, during the fourth quarter, again kicked Jalen Brunson in the midsection while taking a jump shot.
Brunson grabbed at the area briefly but did not go down to the ground in pain like he did in Game 1.
Afterward, Brunson said, “I don’t make anything of it.”
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks are one win away from the conference semifinals, but there might be an injury concern to watch.
Forward Josh Hart, 28, seemingly bothered by a possible back injury, left New York’s 126-97Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, April 28 in the fourth quarter and did not return to the bench.
After the game, Knicks coach Mike Brown did not have any information on Hart’s status, and a team public relations spokesperson indicated that the medical staff had not provided any information about a possible injury.
Hart appeared to suffer a back injury in the first half of Tuesday’s contest, though he remained in the game. Hart was officially subbed out with 6:27 left in the game, and he went through the tunnel and didn’t emerge for the rest of the game. The substitution might have been more precautionary, however, as the Knicks were up by 24 points when Hart left the game.
Known for his grit, physical play and toughness, Hart has often played through minor issues, and he has become a key figure in New York’s title hopes. Throughout this series, he has served as a versatile defensive wing, alternating his assignments from game-to-game.
Even if Hart is forced to miss some time, though, the Knicks still have excellent defensive wings in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. In fact, Brown has deployed Hart in a way that allows the Knicks to switch all pick-and-rolls, giving New York excellent matchup versatility on defense.
In 30:14 on the court Tuesday night, Hart scored 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting, adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday, April 30 in Atlanta, with the Knicks holding a 3-2 series lead. The Knicks are expected to issue their first injury report Wednesday, April 29, during the evening.
Apr 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) raises his arms and acknowledges the fans before leaving during the second half of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
As it was the theme for most of the Spurs’ and Trail Blazers’ first-round series, the final matchup was a game of two halves. San Antonio cruised to a huge lead before the break in what seemed destined to be a blowout, only to almost allow a surprising comeback. In the end, the play of De’Aaron Fox on offense late was enough to hold off Portland and close the series for the Silver and Black with a 114-95 win in Game 5.
It was hard to predict a somewhat close game, considering how prepared the Spurs looked early. One of the big question marks heading into Game 5 was whether Tiago Splitter would continue to start Donovan Clingan or go with the more effective Robert Williams III. Splitter stuck with Clingan, and Mitch Johnson’s guys made him pay for it by hitting jumpers over the paint-bound big man. It helped that the defense was clicking and allowed the home team to push the pace and attack before the Portland defense was settled, but even in the half-court, the Spurs targeted him on guard-to-guard screens to get him off Castle or with hand-offs that resulted in open looks. It wasn’t just Clingan’s fault that San Antonio came out of the gates roaring and built up a significant lead, as the Trail Blazers’ offense bricked threes and seemed to have no way of putting up points consistently. After one, the lead was 12.
The issues continued for Portland on the offensive end in the second, even as Splitter tried to get more offensive talent on the floor after doubling down on defense with Sidy Cissoko minutes earlier. The only guy wearing red that could get buckets consistently was Deni Avdija until turnovers from the Spurs gave the visitors some hope. Soon after the sloppy stretch occurred, however, there was foreshadowing of what would happen late in the game, as De’Aaron Fox took control of the offense away from Castle and settled the troops, creating good shots. There were some mistakes to close the second quarter, as San Antonio often overdribbled in hopes of getting to the rim instead of taking jumpers when open and fouled Avdija despite being incredibly disciplined earlier, but in general, it was close to a perfect half for the home team, which led by 20 heading into the break.
The initial two quarters were fun to watch from a San Antonio perspective, so Splitter made sure to prevent that from happening the rest of the way. The Blazers came out of the locker room with increased physicality, almost daring the officials to call fouls on most plays. They did, especially after the Silver and Black tried to match it. What at one point was a high-paced, fluid affair became mired with constant interruptions and ineffective half-court offense from both teams. The reasons for Portland’s struggles were not surprising: they just couldn’t hit threes despite taking plenty of them. For the Spurs, it was a combination of playing slow and having an erratic Stephon Castle trying to find Wembanyama, which resulted in turnovers and stagnation. It wasn’t a pleasant watch, but in the end, the hosts still managed to win the low-scoring frame by one.
By this point, it seemed like the Blazers, which had tried a lot of different lineups and wasted energy mucking things up in the third, were out of ways to make it a game late. Alas, the Spurs seemed too convinced that the job was done and started to play lazily just as Portland was gearing up to make one last push. Instead of moving their feet, they fouled a lot. Instead of starting their offense early and moving the ball, they walked it up, at one point committing an eight-second violation, while looking lost. Fortunately, De’Aaron Fox was there to bring them out of their stupor with 13 fourth-quarter points. On the other end, Wembanyama made his presence felt with a couple of ferocious blocks that shut the door on the comeback attempt, and that was it. After an immaculate first half in which everything looked easy, San Antonio closed out an ugly second half to advance to the next round.
Game notes
The Trail Blazers are tough. They are not the most talented team, and their lack of consistent shooting is a major flaw, but they played San Antonio well for most of the series. It will be hard for them to add more shooting without losing their defensive identity, but they could be back in the playoffs next season. The series ended up in a gentleman’s sweep and probably would have been an outright sweep had Wembanyama been healthy, but it will prepare the young Spurs for the challenges ahead.
Victor Wembanyama only took seven shots, but his impact on the game was massive. He just forces opponents to change their normal matchups, and even when it works to a degree, as it did in Game 5, other problems emerge. Everyone knows how great Wembanyama is on defense, but the fact that his mere presence changes the game on offense when he doesn’t force things is hugely important.
The guard trio had two standouts: De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper. Fox has been essential to making units work by playing off-ball, but in the last two games reminded everyone that he can be a big-time scorer when he needs to. Harper is such a tenacious defender and terrific finisher that there’s no question whether he belongs on the floor in a playoff game as a rookie. Those two were great, which made up for a largely poor Stephon Castle night.
Julian Champagnie had his first double-digit scoring game of the series in the clincher. He got free in transition and worked handoffs well, finally preventing the Blazers from limiting his scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Keldon Johnson still couldn’t offer much scoring, finishing in single digits for the fifth time in as many games.
Play of the game
Instead of focusing on clutch plays that shouldn’t have been necessary, here’s Devin Vassell blocking Donovan Clingan at the rim.
Vassell had 10 points in 11 shots and missed all four of his three-pointers. In past seasons, he would have hurt the team if that were his offensive output. This year, however, Vassell has been finding ways to contribute even when he doesn’t have it going on offense.
The Spurs will face the winner of the series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves. Currently, Minnesota is up 3-2 and will host Game 6, but is missing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, likely for the rest of the postseason.
