Averaging 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, Alpern Şengün was the most impactful player for the Rockets against the Lakers this postseason.

So, slowing him down and disrupting what makes him effective became critical for the Lakers in Game 6.

In previous contests, the Lakers tried to double Şengün, which led him to find open shooters and give Houston offensive advantages they capitalized on.

The counter the Lakers went with in Game 6 was to trust their bigs to handle him in one-on-one situations. It worked as the Lakers went on to win and close out the series.

“Jaxson and [Ayton], with the adjustment we made going into Game 5, made a small tweak to some Şengün stuff this morning, those guys were just phenomenal defensively and really did a great job of protecting the rim,” head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “The adjustment we made was [Ayton] was going to guard Şengün one-on-one and we were going to crossmatch if [Ayton] was not on the floor. That allowed us to keep our big at the rim on most possessions.”

Thanks to Redick’s adjustment and the player’s execution, Şengün struggled. He had just one assist, turned the ball over four times and had a game-worst plus-minus of -27,.

Containing Şengün isn’t an easy task, and it’s even harder to do alone on an island, but Ayton did well, and Hayes also was able to defend without fouling. With no doubles, there were no open players for Şengün to find and he couldn’t score over the Lakers centers enough to force another adjustment.

“I went up to him right after the game and told him he was one of the biggest factors in us winning tonight,” Austin Reaves said of Ayton. “His physicality guarding Şengün, the way he rebounded the ball offensively, defensively. Sixteen rebounds is a big number. Just his presence and his physicality and the way that he can guard in the post one-on-one and if we’re getting hurt with something else, he can switch one through five.”

Ayton overall did a great job defending Şengün. The latter had his moments, but for the most part, Ayton got the better of him.

The key in Game 6 was Ayton handling Şengün and Jaxson Hayes matching that intensity. Ayton can’t play every moment, so with Hayes holding his own, the Lakers got good defensive minutes at the five for the entire contest.

The credit goes to Redick for making the adjustment and his players for being good enough to get it done.

This was in stark contrast to last year’s playoffs, when it seemed Redick didn’t trust any bigs and the ones who played did a poor job.

Fast forward a year later, and Ayton is thriving and the Lakers are moving on to the second round thanks to their efforts.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Luka Garza, Ron Harper Jr. and Baylor Scheierman started a combined 29 games all season.

2026 Coach of the Year finalist Joe Mazzulla began the Boston Celtics’ season-ending Game 7 loss Saturday night with all three of them in the starting lineup once All-NBA staple Jayson Tatum was ruled out prior to gametime with a calf injury.

Tatum, who returned in March after rupturing his Achilles almost exactly one year ago to the date, injured his other leg during Boston’s Game 6 loss on April 30, forcing him to be day-to-day.

Mazzulla decided, without Tatum, that the team would also bench starting center Neemias Queta for Garza, and add Harper Jr. and Scheierman on the wings in place of Tatum and sharpshooter Sam Hauser.

“I thought it was a couple things we saw tactically we wanted to test out,” Mazzulla said in defense of his bizarre starting five in Game 7. “Obviously, give the series a little bit of a different feel and take advantage of the roster that we had, and take advantage of the guys that can impact plays and whatnot. So that was great by the guys, and we came up short.”

There was a stretch where Scheierman did start over Hauser during the season, so that change wasn’t as eyebrow-raising considering that the latter had been struggling — shooting under 35 percent from three over Games 2-6 — for most of the series.

Scheierman also shared 20 of the 29 starts mentioned above.

But Harper, who had 11 career appearances in three seasons before 2025-26, started three of his 29 showings during the regular season, and he only played in the first four minutes of Game 7.

Garza, who had six starts all year, averaged about eight minutes per game this series and logged just over eight in Game 7 while starting at center for Queta, who ended the series with a playoff-best 73.5 effective field-goal percentage and one of the most efficient rebounders with 8.6 boards in just 21.7 per contest.

Queta, in Game 7, had 17 points and 12 rebounds in just over 32 minutes, shooting 7-for-8 from the floor.

The Celtics, known primarily for their live-by-the-three, die-by-the-three style of play, shot 13-for-49 from deep, which Mazzulla also defended post-game.

“I love the looks that we got. I love the process that we had. Hate the result,” he said.

By virtue of the loss, Philly will take their momentum to Madison Square Garden for the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Monday for a seven-game series with the Knicks.

The 76ers, who lost to the Knicks in six games during Round 1 of the 2024 playoffs, haven’t made it to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, where they made it to the NBA Finals behind Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo.

The Knicks are favored to go to back-to-back conference finals, which they haven’t done since 1999 and 2000.

First, the title says NBA playoffs, but we have a local team playing today so I’ll start with this. The Washington Mystics play their last preseason game today at 3 p.m. ET against the Atlanta Dream. Watch Monumental Sports Network for that game.

Now for NBA playoff games, there are two Game 7s all in the Eastern Conference. The Detroit Pistons play the Orlando Magic at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC (WJLA-TV in the DMV). And then at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Cleveland Cavaliers will play the Toronto Raptors. Watch Peacock or NBC for that game.

Enjoy the basketball!

Waking up this morning was not a dream for Sixers fans, but it sure feels like that. Philadelphia’s perennially maligned basketball team vanquished the hated Celtics, mounted a 3-1 series comeback and pulled out yet another victory on the road in Boston. I can’t believe I typed out all of that, but here we are!

Let’s get right to it with my first ever “5 Sixers thoughts” column following a Sixers playoff series win over the Celtics…

Celebrating a Game 7 victory felt like a weight off my shoulders

My wife and I moved into our first-ever house a couple of days ago. We’re still living out boxes a bit. I did, of course, make sure to immediately set up the TV(s) in our “sports cave” for these Sixers and Flyers playoff runs. That’s the most important thing!

As f-bombs bounced off the walls left and right for 48 minutes of basketball, I was left feeling completely relieved when that final buzzer hit. I did one of the most freeing Twitter scrolls of my life after, cracked a cold one and listened to a live performance of “Stars” by Hum on Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1995. I felt entirely at peace with the world. I hope the faithful readers of this website that have been checking out my work since I was literally in college did so as well.

Do not let anyone tell you that this was “only” the first round. We all deserve to be happy and over the moon about this.

The Sixers stopped getting punished on the glass

The most infuriating thing about the Sixers’ three (and only three!) losses to Boston this series was the way they were getting destroyed when it came to rebounding. The Celtics were getting offensive board after offensive board before kicking it out to their stable of shooters for yet another back-breaking three. I shave my head a couple times per week because balding comes for us all eventually, but if I did still have a hair, I would’ve ripped it all out watching that unfold.

That flipped as the series progressed and turned in the Sixers’ favor.

The Sixers out-rebounded the Celtics in Game 6 and the margin was tied in Game 7. The Sixers were able to consistently control possessions and make good on their defensive stands. For a team that had lacked even an ounce of toughness for so long, they grinded and gritted these last three wins out.

Jaylen Brown is a sore loser

Jaylen Brown hasn’t even turned 30 yet and already has a Finals MVP to his name, but his clown show postgame presser was downright embarrassing. Brown, after the Game 7 loss, complained about the officiating and the calls that Joel Embiid received:

Aside from the fact that having guys like Hugo González guard Embiid is going to lead to a ton of fouls, that’s so rich coming from Brown. The dude throws forearm shivers every time he drives to the cup like he’s Deacon Jones. He hits the Heisman Trophy pose like he’s Desmond Howard. Look inward and contemplate on this before next season, Derrick Henry!

Quentin Grimes is the exact type of irrational confidence guy that contenders need

In Game 7, Quentin Grimes went up for a posterizing dunk on the Celtics that seemed ripped from a 2003 Tracy McGrady highlight reel. He didn’t connect. If this wasn’t a Game 7 against Boston of all teams, it would’ve been hilarious to watch.

Still, Grimes was a key cog in the Sixers’ upset win over the Celtics in the first round. He played the most minutes of any Sixers reserve. He shot 42.1 percent from deep. The Sixers needed him! They need one guy (just one!) who thinks he’s much better than he actually is, but is still nevertheless talented. Can Grimes be a diet version of 2016 J.R. Smith during this playoff run? A bigger, bouncier 2011 Jason Terry? I could see him having a 22-point heater off the bench at Madison Square Garden this week!

‘The king is gone, but he’s not forgotten…’

“We’ll all know.”

Joel Embiid finally beat the Celtics in the postseason — and Jaylen Brown is not happy.

Embiid poured in 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Philly’s Game 7 win as the Sixers stunned the Boston crowd at the TD Garden.

And following the Celtics’ season-ending defeat, Brown accused the 2022-23 MVP of “flopping around.”

“Embiid put a lot of pressure on us, on all our bigs and our guards. We didn’t really have an answer for him, Brown told reporters.

“We tried a bunch of different things. He’s a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and they rewarded him for that, but that’s the league we’re in.”

Brown did not reference a specific call that he had a gripe with, though Embiid shot 37 free throws in the series — including 11 on Saturday. He also missed the first three games of the series following an emergency appendectomy last month.

Brown, meanwhile, was tasked with shouldering the Celtics’ offensive load with Jayson Tatum out injured in Game 7.

He scored 33 points but needed 27 shots to get there, and also committed three turnovers.

Interestingly, Embiid and Brown were seen having a friendly embrace following the conclusion of the game.

The series win is the first time that Embiid has defeated the Celtics in the playoffs after defeats in the 2018, 2020 and 2023 postseasons.

Now, he’ll shift his focus to the Knicks after New York dispatched the Hawks in six games.

Thirty-two times. That’s how many times the Celtics held a 3-1 series lead and won. Until Saturday.

The Sixers hadn’t beaten Boston in a playoff series since 1982. On Saturday night they ended that too, taking down the secon- seeded Celtics in a series Philadelphia had no business winning on paper.

The Celtics were 32-0 all time when holding a 3-1 series lead. The Sixers were 0-18 in the same spot. Both of those numbers changed in one night. It’s 32-1 and 1-18 now.

But the franchise history is only part of the story.

Tyrese Maxey & Joel Embiid

Maxey and Embiid were the first duo in NBA history to each record 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7. They combined for 17 of Philadelphia’s 21 fourth-quarter points and essentially willed this team to a victory.

Per ESPN Insights, they’re also just the third pair in NBA history to each put up 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7. The only others were Elgin Baylor and Jerry West in 1963, and Baylor alongside Wilt Chamberlain in 1970. The last time two players put together that kind of production in a Game 7 was over 50 years ago.

Maxey’s series as a whole deserves its own recognition. He’s been grinding with a decimated roster all year, playing through a finger injury and a splint, and consistently drawing Boston’s best defenders. Derrick White and Jordan Walsh were primarily tasked with slowing him down. It didn’t work. His assist to turnover ratio across the series tells the story best: 46 assists to just 9 turnovers in 286 minutes of basketball at a 27.6% usage rate. Maxey showcased elite ball security in this series.

VJ Edgecombe

Edgecombe had a strong closeout game in his own right. The 20-year-old finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists with a game-best +19 in a nine-point victory. Per Statmuse, he’s now the first rookie in NBA history with 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ made threes in a Game 7.

What made his night more impressive was the defensive adjustment he made on White. White was cooking early, scoring in double figures and hitting threes. Postgame, Nick Nurse noted that Edgecombe called his shot: “‘I got White and I’m gonna do better on him.’” The tape backed it up. White shot 3-of-13 in the second half, 1-of-9 from three, and Boston’s offense largely devolved into Jaylen Brown isolations.

Paul George

George’s time in Philadelphia has been rocky, dealing with injuries and a regular season suspension. But he’s been an impactful player since his return and was a major part of this series. He took on the tough perimeter assignments and made guys work for every shot. Offensively, he was equally impressive, shooting 55% from three on 40 attempts while averaging 17.4 points per game through the series.

Joel Embiid

Even Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged what changed things: “What changed the series is Joel Embiid came back and they’re a completely different team.” He averaged 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 44.3% shooting across his four games. His scoring carried them through stretches, but his playmaking might have been the most underrated part. He finished the series with a 28-8 assist to turnover ratio, and the turnovers being down feels just as important as the assists being up.

The Sixers weren’t supposed to win this series. They did anyway. Next up is the Knicks in the second round, the second time in three years these two teams have faced off in the playoffs.

Could it get any better?

I bet it couldn’t.

New York Knicks. Philadelphia Numbers. Bring it on.

Mike Brown

On the Game 6 scuffle and his glasses:

“When I got in the middle of it, [those thoughts] all went out the window for some reason. And the only thing I could think of was [the fact that] all I had was one pair of glasses.

“I cannot — I can’t see anything. Like, I can’t even see if you’re smiling at me or not. I’m blind as a bat. So I was like, ‘My glasses! My glasses!’ Because I didn’t have another pair with me, and it was too long, too much of game left for me to coach blind. So [the altercation] helped me because now I will carry a second pair of glasses in my backpack.”

On Robinson’s fine and playoff physicality:

“The playoffs are a lot more physical than the regular season. Stuff happens. Everybody is human, we just have to keep making sure that for us we don’t do anything that costs us the rest of that game or the next game. I applaud all of our guys, our security guys . . . and then our players because again everybody is human and sometimes things happen and to get help from everybody else is huge. Then, even our assistants. When I went and turned and looked at the bench, I don’t know what Atlanta’s bench was but I know our entire bench was on the sidelines. It’s extremely important in that situation to not have anything result in a future suspension or anything like this.”

On the double-big lineup:

“They helped us get better. We had to continue trying to think of different ways to help put our players in the best possible position to win, and part of that is how can we try to throw the double-big out there — because both Mitch and KAT are starters on any team out there. And it’s — how can you try to get those guys on the floor? Because it makes us unique with the size. How can we get them out on the floor together? And as the series went along, we started to figure it out — and based on your opponent, it may change, I don’t know. But we do feel like Atlanta helped us get better, and we’re in a better spot now because of them.”

On the need for improving no matter the opponent:

“Well, you can always get better. It’s about us. And a lot of times, it’s about us even if we know who we’re playing. There’s plenty that you can work on without knowing who your opponent is because you’re trying to get better, or sharper, in the areas that make you who you are.”

On comparing this group to past Finals teams:

“The first thing is they’re resilient because in the playoffs you’re going to have a lot of highs and a lot of lows, which means you’re going to face some adversity, so when [that happens], can you stay connected? And this group can. So the connectedness that this group has is similar. The sacrifice that this group has is similar, the competitive spirit that this group has is similar and then the belief is similar as well.”

On Brunson’s screening being on par with some elite’s:

“Steph is good, but there’s one other person. John Stockton. He was good. Especially for a little guy, John.”

Jalen Brunson

On blocking out noise:

“I haven’t heard of it. And I don’t care.”

On potentially having home-court advantage through the ECF:

“I haven’t really thought about it. It’s one of those things where you can’t really worry about. You have to control what you can control. Focus on one day at a time and focus on the task at hand. Those things you try not to think about, because you just can’t control those things.”

On using the iPad during games:

“It’s reminding myself of technique stuff, for me. Small things can make a big difference when it comes to shooting or reads. Just being able to see things and learn from them quickly.”

On playing off-ball more:

“We had done it before. The frequency we were doing it, obviously, it was asked to do more of. Knowing if I get a good hit on somebody’s defender, it puts my defender in the position to switch. They were trying to keep bodies on bodies and not switch off me, and a good screen puts them in position to have to make a decision.”

On Robinson’s importance:

“He’s more important than I think we realize, hence why we had coaches and security and players doing whatever we could to try and stop him from doing any more damage than he did in Game 6. He’s very important to what we do on both sides of the ball. He’s way more important than I think a lot of people realize.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On Robinson’s value to the Knicks:

“I forgot he wrote that on his ankle tape. I mean, Mitch is a big part of our locker room. What he does on the court, obviously I know he impacts winning, and he does a lot of things that sometimes don’t end up on the stat sheet but makes us come out with a W. So, Mitch is very vital for our locker room, for our team, and we’re always going to support him. We’re always going to stand behind him when he wants to, I guess, quote unquote ‘Stand on business.’”

On the need for resetting before Round 2:

“Just resetting. Understanding that we got to get ourselves ready for the next series. Obviously, today we don’t know, so we watch tonight, like all of us. But just making sure that we get ourselves ready to be the best version of ourselves first.”

On blocking out the East-best talk:

“Nah, we not listening to no noise. At the end of the day, we just got to continue to work on being the best version of ourselves. When we step on that court and give ourselves a chance to win every night, the only thing we got to do is in our locker room, continue to believe in each other.”

“No, no. I know you really want me to say yes, but unfortunately for you, it’s a no.”

On his day off after the Game 6 win:

“[The off day is] not as exciting as I think fans think. Yesterday was a great day to just rejuvenate the soul and mental. I just spent the whole day with my family. I took my niece to the mall in Jersey and took her to the park, took them on a pizza day, my niece and nephew. So kinda really just spending time with the family. I didn’t really do anything that people would think is exciting or anything, but to me it was the greatest day. It was the greatest thing to do on a day off, especially after a big win. I would love to celebrate it with no other people than my family, my niece and nephew.”

On his cameo in The Devil Wears Prada 2:

“It was an honor. It was an honor and it was awesome to just see the masses of work at work in the acting world, and to be able to see them just do what they do at the highest level, it was such an honor.”

Nick Nurse

On facing the Knicks:

“Listen, I think they’re very good. I think their starting lineup’s incredible, I think they continue to bolster their bench… I think they’re very, very good. I think it’s going to be a tremendous challenge.”

Joel Embiid

On Knicks fans in Philadelphia:

“I just have a message for our fans. Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like [Xfinity Mobile Arena] was Madison Square Garden East. So, we’re going to need the support. Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere that we’ve had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one, pushing it to Game 7. We need all of it. If you need money, I got you.

“Knicks fans, they travel. They’re going to buy the tickets and there’s going to be some people that need the money and are probably going to sell tickets. But don’t do it. We need you guys. We got a pretty good chance. We’re going to need our support. We’re going to need them to be extremely loud.”

On beating Boston once and for all:

“It feels good to win. Obviously we got a bigger goal in mind. But finally beating these guys feels pretty good.”

On his knee health after the Game 7 injury scare:

“I felt great, I feel amazing. I was faking it.”

On his team’s mindset:

“We have a lot that we want to accomplish. We have a lot of work to do. No shades to the guys that have played here, but this is different. The fight is just there. I’ve been a part of some of these teams, and this team is different.”

V. J. Edgecombe

On the Knicks:

“The Knicks are a really great team. A really great team. Obviously, they’ve played together for a minute. They have a lot of great chemistry. They have one of the best starting five groups in the league and they play really hard.”

On his thoughts on MSG:

“I’ve played at the Garden. I love the Garden.”

Tyrese Maxey

On the Sixers’ confidence:

“We’ve had this weird swag about us all year. We’ve had this confidence in that we know who we can be. And, we know who we are. We have never wavered. This group has always believed in each other. This group really likes each other, and we want to see each other succeed.”

Oof.

I need a minute to unfold myself and get some air back in my bruised lungs. That one hurt.

I think the reason it hurt so much is because it was so unexpected. I predicted a sweep for the Celtics. I dismissed the Sixers as first round fodder. I did not expect MVP Joel Embiid to show up. I did not expect Playoff P to show up. I was fully expecting Maxey to play the way he did, but everything else was shocking. Hats off to Philly that became the fully actualized version of themselves before our eyes.

As for the Celtics, I don’t know exactly what went wrong. I’m sure that smarter basketball minds (on this blog and elsewhere) will break down the film and let us know what worked and what didn’t. All I know is that the scrappy, overachieving team that we had come to know and love throughout the year, faltered under the bright lights. I would love to chalk this up to the younger players getting exposed to the crucible of the playoffs. However, I’m haunted of memories from the previous year. It is easy to discount the Knicks series because of the Tatum injury, but the defending champs were well on their way to losing that series before his injury made it official.

It boggles my mind that the core of a championship team is still in place, the roster that the Executive of the Year put together is still in place, and the presumed Coaching Staff of the Year is in place, and yet we’re sitting here after an epic collapse — the first series loss in history after being up 3 games to 1.

So much of this feeling of loss and frustration is tied to expectations. By now you know the story and you could write the rest of this paragraph verbatim. The Celtics headed into this year with zero expectations. Gap year. Develop the kids. Give Jaylen Brown a chance to be the main guy. See what happens with Tatum’s injury but don’t rush him back. Then everything started falling into place. The team achieved way above expectations. Just about everything that could have gone right went very right. The rest of the East looked entirely beatable. Tatum returned and looked so much better than anyone could have hoped. Everything was lining up and suddenly the Celtics were seen as one of the favorites (if not THE favorite) to win the East.

For 3 of the first 4 games of the series, everything seemed to be continuing down that road. But something happened along the way and here we are. Lamenting the missed opportunity and wondering what exactly happened. Those raised expectations make this all so much worse. We let ourselves believe. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with that. Belief is healthy and good. I couldn’t be a fan without that belief. I know that many media folks say that at some point they leave their fandom behind and treat their subject like a job. I could never.

So, what now? Well, I guess we do what we always do. Take a minute to reflect and process, then start thinking about the next journey. What does the team do next? What are the needs on this roster? Are there bigger moves the team needs to consider? Who stays and who goes? Who’s available to add? What skills do players need to work on in the offseason. We’ll cover all of that and much, much more in the long months ahead.

However, as painful as the ending was, I’m going to look back fondly on this regular season. We learned so much about so many of the characters. Like any good story, there were ups and downs, trials overcome and adversaries vanquished. The team bonded together over board games and nicknames and a lunatic coach. It was tremendous fun to watch and the season was a joy.

The ending was abrupt and painful. I just hope that the next installment of the series provides us with a triumphant return to glory. Because belief is good, and its what we do. Go Celtics.

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The Detroit Pistons will look to complete the 3-1 comeback over the Orlando Magic this afternoon.

We have a plethora of NBA player prop projections for you to use when making your NBA picks.

We also have complete Magic vs. Pistons predictions for May 3.

Magic vs Pistons computer picks for Game 7

Magic	Pistons
Cain o5.5 points -130	Duren o12.5 points -105
Black o11.5 points +100	Thompson o9.5 points -105
Suggs o13.5 points +100	Harris u17.5 points +105

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Magic Game 7 computer picks

Jamal Cain Over 5.5 points (-130)

Projection: 7.96 points

Jamal Cain made a name for himself after putting Duren on a poster, and he's played 20+ minutes in three straight for the Orlando Magic. 

A total of 5.5 is very obtainable, especially when playing that many minutes.

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Anthony Black Over 10.5 points (+100)

Projection: 13.35 points

Anthony Black has had a rough series against the Pistons, but Orlando will need him to score with Detroit putting all the pressure on Banchero.

Black posted 9 points in Game 5, and our model sees a similar game from Black this afternoon.

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Jalen Suggs Over 12.5 points (+100)

Projection: 14.69 points

Jalen Suggs cleared this line in three of the first five games of this series, but he — along with everyone else — has failed to score often since.

Our projections expect the guard to return to form in this do-or-die game.

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Pistons Game 7 computer picks

Jalen Duren Over 12.5 points (-105)

Projection: 16.27 points

Our player prop projections indicate Jalen Duren will go Over today's point line with relative ease. The big man hasn't been himself this series, but he'll step up when the Detroit Pistons need him most.

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Ausar Thompson Over 9.5 points (-105)

Projection: 11.62 points

Ausar Thompson has played heavy minutes for the Pistons over the last three games, resulting in positive outcomes for the team. His rebounding ability makes him a necessity, and he'll get plenty of floor time to pass this number.

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Harris Under 18.5 points (+105)

Projection: 16.51 points

Tobias Harris has been a stud for the Pistons this series, but our model calls for regression. The vet only averaged 13.3 points per game in the regular season, and he's playing over his head.

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How to watch Magic vs Pistons Game 7

Location	Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI
Date	Sunday, May 3, 2026
Tip-off	3:30 p.m. ET
TV	ABC

Not intended for use in MA.
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We’ve got two more Eastern Conference Game 7 matchups on tap, and there are plenty of big names at the heart of the action to target for player props.

I’m looking at stars like Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, and Donovan Mitchell to make their mark in these critical games.

Read on to see how I’m backing each of these players in my free NBA picks for Sunday, May 3.

Best NBA player props today

Player	Pick
Cade Cunninhgam	Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists	-115
Paolo Banchero	Over 5.5 assists	-105
Donovan Mitchell	Over 4.5 rebounds	+120

Prop #1: Cade Cunningham Over 44.5 points + rebounds + assists

-115 at bet365

Cade Cunningham has played beyond his regular-season numbers in this series, averaging 32.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.

Cunningham has mostly acted as a primary scorer but has also served as a primary playmaker when he’s needed to, as he’s put up nine or more dimes twice in the series. Overall, Cunningham is putting up 45.3 PRA per game in this series.

And while that might seem unsustainable given his regular season output (39.4 PRA), we have to consider he’s logging serious minutes, being on the court for 40.5 minutes per game in this series compared to 33.9 during the season. 

The Detroit Pistons aren’t going away from Cunningham in Game 7.

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

Prop #2: Paolo Banchero Over 5.5 assists

-105 at bet365

If the Orlando Magic are going to score an upset in Game 7, it will come on the back of Paolo Banchero.

The 23-year-old forward had an inconsistent season — which led to some discourse about how good he really is — and that has shown up again in this series, where a 45-point explosion in Game 5 was followed by a 4-for-20 shooting performance in Game 6.

One area where Banchero has remained relatively consistent is his ability to get the ball to his teammates. He’s averaging 6.3 assists per game in this series and has dished out six or more assists in four of the past five games.

Whether or not Banchero gets his shooting touch back in Game 7 (and maybe especially if he doesn’t), he should be able to distribute the ball to his teammates the same way he has throughout this series, which makes the Over on his assists total a smart play.

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

Prop #3: Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 rebounds

+120 at bet365

There are a lot of ways we could approach tonight’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, and even Donovan Mitchell himself has a lot of enticing props on the board.

But with the odds available, I’m being drawn to his rebounding total, which is offering plus money at a reasonably low number.

Mitchell has averaged 5.2 rebounds in this series after grabbing 4.5 boards per game in the regular season. In each of the last five games, he’s picked up at least five rebounds.

That continues a trend that started late in the regular season, as he finished strong with 6.3 rebounds per game in April.

Toronto isn’t a particularly effective team on the boards — ranking 16th in the NBA in rebounding rate this year at 49.5% — and Mitchell has had a big edge on the defensive glass when battling with the less physical Ja’Kobe Walter. 

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock/NBC

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

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Orlando Magic will try to rebound from their historic Game 6 collapse when they take on the Detroit Pistons in a Game 7 that will decide the series. The Pistons have won the past two games, including a 93-79 victory on Friday in which they limited the Magic to just 19 points in the second half. The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals to face the winner of the Toronto Raptors-Cleveland Cavaliers series. The Pistons are favored by 8.5 points.

How to watch Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons

• Date: Sunday, May 3

• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

• TV Channels: ABC

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Detroit Pistons -8.5

• Moneyline: Detroit Pistons -328 (73.4%) / Orlando Magic +260 (26.6%)

• Over/Under: 202.5

Series results, schedule (all times Eastern)

Game 1:Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2:Pistons 98, Magic 83
Game 3:Magic 113, Pistons 105
Game 4:Magic 94, Pistons 88
Game 5:Pistons 116, Magic 109
Game 6:Pistons 93, Magic 79
Game 7: Sun., May 3, at Detroit (3:30 p.m., ABC))

*if necessary

The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers meet in a winner-take-all Game 7 in their first-round playoff series. The winner will face the winner of the Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons series in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The home team has won all previous six games in the series. Cleveland is favored by 8.5 points.

How to watch Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

• Date: Sunday, May 3

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT

• Where: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

• TV Channels: NBC, Peacock

• Live Stream:NBA League Pass | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Odds

• Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -8.5

• Moneyline: Cleveland Cavaliers -301 (71.9%) / Toronto Raptors +241 (28.1%)

• Over/Under: 211.5

Series results, schedule (all times Eastern)

Game 1:Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113
Game 2:Cavaliers 115, Raptors 105
Game 3:Raptors 126, Cavaliers 104
Game 4:Raptors 93, Cavaliers 89
Game 5:Cavaliers 125, Raptors 120
Game 6:Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110 (OT)
Game 7: Sun., May 3 (7:30 p.m., NBC/Peacock)

*if necessary

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The two best words in sports are “Game 7.” When the Cleveland Cavaliers went up 2-0 in this series, there was little thought that the Toronto Raptors could rally. After all, both wins came by double digits.

But when the home team wins every game of a series, Game 7 is assured. These Raptors vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks quietly bet on the role players on Sunday, May 3.

Best Raptors vs Cavaliers props for Game 7

Player	Pick
James Harden	Under 20.5 points	-120
Collin Murray-Boyles	Over 12.5 points	-135
Donovan Mitchell	Over 4.5 assists	+125

Game 7 Prop #1: James Harden Under 20.5 points

-120 at bet365

This is not intended as mere fodder, though there is nothing wrong with laughing at James Harden in a Game 7. There is further thought here, mainly that Harden has not shot well enough inside the arc in this series to make up for not getting enough looks from deep.

Harden is 17-for-43 (39.5%) from beyond the arc through these six games, but his attempts have fallen to just 18 in the last three games. Taking six 3-pointers per game, while then presumably making two to three of those, is not a recipe for a scoring outburst.

Thus, Harden has fallen short of this modest points prop in three of the last four games, all three being Cleveland Cavaliers losses.

The Toronto Raptors have emphasized getting the ball out of Harden’s hands, correctly recognizing that doing so lowers the Cavaliers’ offensive ceiling.

Game 7 Prop #2: Collin Murray-Boyles Over 12.5 points

-135 at bet365

The recipe for the Raptors has been simple: When Collin Murray-Boyles plays well, the Raptors win. One might even argue that when Murray-Boyles plays much, the Raptors win.

When the rookie forward has played at least 27 minutes, Toronto is 3-0 in this series. Of course, nothing in life is that simple.

But the fact remains, the Raptors should lean into Murray-Boyles. The Cavaliers have not found an adequate counter to him through six games, so he's cleared this prop five times in six games. Just as pertinently, Murray-Boyles is shooting 66.1% in this series.

He may be a rookie. He may be an afterthought in this rookie class. And he may be behind Jakob Poeltl more often than not. But in this series, Collin Murray-Boyles has been a reliable piece of offense for Toronto.

Game 7 Prop #3: Donovan Mitchell Over 4.5 assists

+125 at bet365

If and when the ball is forced out of James Harden’s hands, it is time for Donovan Mitchell to shoulder more of the playmaking load. That worked to start the series, with Mitchell totaling nine assists in the first two games as the Cavaliers went up 2-0.

In the four games since, Mitchell has not managed more than three assists in a game. But three of those four games were on the road, where role players are always more likely to struggle.

No, Mitchell is not a role player. No no. But his passes are usually to role players. If they make their shots, he notches more assists. At home, there is value in betting on that process.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Minnesota Timberwolvesclosed out their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets in six games with a 110-98 home victory Thursday, April 30. Now they'll get to cool their heels until Monday, May 4, when they open second-round play in San Antonio against the No. 2-seeded Spurs.

The Wolves won without star guard Anthony Edwards, who suffered a significant injury in Game 4 against the Nuggets, landing awkwardly after a play that caused his left knee to bend unnaturally.

Edwards has been diagnosed with a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee. As a result, he is expected to miss multiple weeks, leaving a major gap in the Timberwolves' lineup as they look to advance in the playoffs.