While Austin Reaves is nearing a return, the same can’t be said for Luka Dončić.

He has been out since Apr. 2 with a hamstring strain and despite a trip to Spain to speed up his recovery, he has yet to do significant on-court work.

The Lakers have figured out how to win games without Luka and are just one victory away from advancing to the second round. However, if they do eliminate the Rockets and play the Thunder next, don’t expect Luka to be ready to start that series.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Dončić will be out at least for the beginning of the second round and there is no timetable for his return.

Reporting on the injury statuses of the Lakers' Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and Rockets' Kevin Durant for @GetUpESPN: pic.twitter.com/eYtiIQb2Gw

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2026

For the Lakers’ immediate future, this is not good. The Thunder are the best team in basketball and the Lakers got annihilated by them even when Luka was available. Luka is needed for the Lakers to have the best chance to win.

Hamstring injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from, so while it’s disappointing that Luka hasn’t made a faster recovery like Reaves, it’s not surprising. Clearly, Luka is doing everything to return, but hasn’t made enough improvement to have any kind of timetable for his comeback.

The Lakers’ mission will remain the same: keep on winning games and extend the season long enough for Luka to return.

That’s only going to get harder the deeper they go into the postseason, but that’s the task at hand.

The only good news from all this is that Luka hasn’t suffered any setbacks, and the hamstring strain is a short-term injury, not a long-term one. The timing couldn’t be worse, but this isn’t the kind of injury that will signifcantly impact Luka’s future in anyway.

For the present, though, it means Lakers fans shouldn’t expect a Luka return any time soon.

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

If the Los Angeles Lakers aren't careful, the Houston Rockets could still make this an interesting series. 

These Rockets vs. Lakers props and NBA picks expect Los Angeles to emphasize the importance of Game 5 on Wednesday, April 29.

Best Rockets vs Lakers props for Game 5

Game 5 Prop #1: LeBron James Over 7.5 assists

-135 at bet365

All facets of the Los Angeles Lakers’ offense failed in Game 4. Or, perhaps more charitably, every aspect of the Houston Rockets’ defense succeeded in Game 4.

Either way, LeBron James tallying nine assists stood out.

No Laker scored more than 13 points aside from Deandre Ayton, who was ejected after just 25 minutes of action. No Laker knocked down multiple threes either, outside of Dalton Knecht’s two makes in garbage time.

As a team, Los Angeles shot 50% from the field and 23% from deep. Yet, James set up nine buckets for his teammates.

If LeBron can do that amid such a paltry offensive showing, it should be trusted that James will continue playmaking, even as Houston dials up its defense.

Game 5 Prop #2: Tari Eason Over 13.5 points

+102 at bet365

As the Rockets routed the Lakers in Game 4, Tari Eason deserves particular credit. 

Eason finished with a +31 mark in only 30 minutes, buoyed by 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and eight rebounds.

More Eason will make sense in Game 5. Leaning on him in Game 3 didn’t pay off offensively — the Houston forward finished with just five points — but he still posted a +6 across nearly 46 minutes in a game where the Rockets ultimately lost by four in overtime.

When Eason is on the court, Houston is better. So, logically, Eason should be on the court more.

Game 5 Prop #3: DeAndre Ayton 10+ rebounds

+200 at bet365

He may have been (questionably) ejected, but DeAndre Ayton was just about the only piece of the Lakers that worked in Game 4. 

The Rockets are likely willing to take that risk again, knowing Ayton’s offensive ceiling is limited compared to someone like LeBron or even Luke Kennard.

LA's starting center went 9-for-12 from the field for 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes. He’s the Lakers' best source of size, and getting +200 odds on him to record another double-double in rebounds offers great value. 

Ayton grabbed 11 rebounds in Game 1, a similar showing to Game 4 in many regards. This is simply a foolish price.

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.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Our NBA player prop projections are ready for Game 5 between the Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons, with the model highlighting several high-value spots.

By analyzing the data against current market lines, we’ve identified where the strongest edges exist.

These Magic vs. Pistons predictions are driven by numbers instead of guesswork.

If you’re building your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Wednesday, April 29.

Magic vs Pistons computer picks for Game 5

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.

UPDATE: While it’s a game of semantics, it sounds more and more encouraging that Austin Reaves will make his return in Game 5. On Wednesday morning, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Reaves expects to play.

Reporting on the injury statuses of the Lakers' Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and Rockets' Kevin Durant for @GetUpESPN: pic.twitter.com/eYtiIQb2Gw

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2026

Here’s his full report on Reaves:

“My understanding is Austin Reaves expects to play tonight in Game 5 against the Rockets barring any setback. He’s gone through his progression — 1-on-1s, 3-on-3s, 5-on-5s. He’s had no setbacks.”

For now, it’s unclear if he will be on a minutes restriction or if he will start or come off the bench. But simply getting him back is a huge boost for a Lakers team that needs it to close out the series.

Original story follows.

---

Have no fear, Lakers fans, Austin Reaves is almost here.

After a couple of games where Reaves was listed as questionable but didn’t play, it seems that he is likely to make his return to the court for Game 5 vs. the Rockets.

Shams Charania of ESPN is reporting that, barring a setback, the Lakers expect their star guard to return.

Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves is optimistic to return to action in Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night after missing about four weeks with a Grade 2 oblique strain, sources tell ESPN. Reaves will be a game-time decision for the third consecutive contest. pic.twitter.com/gT6nYaEPY1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026

Charania did say he will be a game-time decision, so it’s not absolutely certain that Reaves will play, but it certainly seems to be trending in that direction.

.@ShamsCharania reports Austin Reaves and the Lakers are "optimistic" for Game 5 in the Lakers-Rockets series 🏀 pic.twitter.com/bX48pQ9cOe

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 28, 2026

While the Lakers have done well without Reaves, their offense has been struggling in the last couple of playoff games against the Rockets. His return and production could help the Lakers secure the final win they need to eliminate Houston.

Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game this season. His rebounding and scoring totals are career-highs for the five-year guard.

Returning so soon from an injury that can often take well over a month to heal from is a clear indicator of how hard Reaves worked to get back. The Lakers reportedly thought Reaves and Luka Dončić wouldn’t be able to play in the opening round. While Luka is still out, they’ve at least gotten back one of their best players in Austin.

While Reaves ‘ potential return is good news, it isn’t a shock. Recently, Reaves had begun on-court work with the team and was upgraded to questionable before Game 3 and Game 4.

It took multiple weeks, and the Lakers had to win some playoff games without him, but Reaves will be joining the team for competitive matchups once again.

It’s been nearly a month since Reaves has played in a Lakers game. He suffered his injury during a loss against the Thunder. Afterward, his MRI confirmed that he had a Grade 2 oblique strain, and the projected recovery period was 4-6 weeks.

Despite the Lakers’ short-term success, long-term wins will only come with Reaves on the floor. And now that he is likely back, this will only increase LA’s chances of a successful postseason run.

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ postseason performance is as sweet as his new favorite flavor of Gatorade: Glacier Cherry Freeze.

If you bet on KAT to top his points prop last time out, however, you have a different taste in your mouth. I call it, “Bitter Bad Beat Blue”.

Towns did it all for the New York Knicks on Tuesday and earned them a 3-2 series edge over the Atlanta Hawks as this Round 1 set swings south for Game 6. 

But after scoring 14 points in the first half and looking like a lock to top his scoring total of 19.5 O/U, Towns attempted only one field goal (a missed 3PA) and scored just two free throws in the final 24 minutes. Womp womp.

My Knicks vs. Hawks predictions aren’t passive on Towns’ production for Thursday, April 30, with our NBA picks padding his efforts with a combo prop for Game 6.

Knicks vs Hawks prediction

Knicks vs Hawks best bet: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points + assists (-112)

Karl-Anthony Towns’ disappearing act in the second half of Game 5 was a tough pill for prop bettors to swallow, especially considering how much the Atlanta Hawks struggled to contain the New York Knicks center.

Atlanta switched up its defensive plan on Towns and started the game with 6-foot-7 forwards Dyson Daniels and Jonathan Kuminga checking the 7-footer. The bigger Towns took advantage down low and proceeded to torch defenders as the Hawks threw the kitchen sink at him to no avail in the first half.

More double teams and the benefit of resting the limping KAT in the second half of a blowout (he played only 12.5 minutes) led to just two more points in the final two frames. Despite that sudden power outage in scoring, Towns continued to be a conduit for the New York attack.

KAT had four assists at the halftime break and dished out six total dimes in the win, working primarily as a passer out of the high post. He finished with 10 assists in Game 4 and continued to find cutters and shooters coming off screen action in Tuesday’s victory.

Towns’ points prop has dipped to 18.5 O/U, while his assist line remains at 3.5, with the Over juiced again for Game 6.

Given KAT's dominance in the first half of Game 5, he could top this total on scoring alone. However, we can pad that with his passing, as the assist market is undervaluing his surge in playmaking over the past two games.

Knicks vs Hawks same-game parlay

The Hawks will dig in on defense and find their shooting form in this do-or-die game back in the ATL. New York looked great at home in Game 5, but the Knicks are just 10-19 ATS as road favorites this season.

C.J. McCollum was MIA at MSG. The veteran sharpshooter has cooled off over the past two games, going a combined 0-for-6 from beyond the arc after opening the series 9-for-23 from distance.

McCollum is a much better shooter at State Farm Arena, knocking down more than 40% of his triples compared to just 34% on the road.

Knicks vs Hawks SGP

• Hawks +2
• Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points + assists
• C.J. McCollum Over 2.5 threes

Knicks vs Hawks odds for Game 6

• Spread: Knicks -2 (-110) | Hawks +2 (-110)
• Moneyline: Knicks -130 | Hawks +110
• Over/Under: Over 214 (-110) | Under 214 (-110)

Knicks vs Hawks betting trend to know

New York is just 10-19 ATS (34.5%) as a road favorite this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Hawks.

How to watch Knicks vs Hawks Game 6

Knicks vs Hawks latest injuries

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.

NBA guard Jaden Ivey and his wife, Caitlyn, put up a united front after he claimed she wasn’t answering his texts following his release from the Bulls last month due to conduct detrimental to the team.

The pair shared a joint Instagram post on Monday, including a smiling photo together with Ivey’s arm around her, and a bible verse.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favour of the LORD,” the caption reads, quoting the bible verse, Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭22‬ ‭KJV.‬‬

“Thank you Jesus for saving us. Thank you for your mercy and goodness towards us.”

It comes after Ivey made claims about his household following his release — which came after he posted a video rant online about religion and made anti-gay remarks.

“My wife in here, and she not even texting me,” Ivey said in a live stream video after his release. “Those who are around me, those who are my family members betraying [me] because of what I spoke. The truth.

“Betraying me. Saying that I’m losing my mind. Saying that I’m crazy. … Those are my own household. All because of the Gospel. All because I said the truth.”

Taking to her social media, Caitlyn denied abandoning her husband amid the fallout from his controversy.

“If you know me you know I have never once abandoned that man through all the trials.. and I still haven’t now,” she wrote in an Instagram Story post. “There is obviously a lot going on, so leave your conspiracies and your guesses to yourselves.”

Caitlyn also shared hateful messages she had received after the NBA player claimed she had cut him off. 

Ivey and his wife, who met at Purdue University, have three children: son Noah, 3, daughter Shiloh, 2, and son Isaiah, 13 months.

Ivey, who was limited to 30 games last season due to injury, missed the start of this season before being dealt from Detroit to Chicago.

Last month, the Bulls shut him down for the season because of a sore left knee.

Ivey previously said it was a “lie” that his conduct was detrimental to the Bulls.

The expansion of the men's and women's NCAA Tournament has been a hot-button issue for fans, as the mentality of "more is more" continues to permeate ideas previously held sacrosanct.

One such idea is the thought the tournament shouldn't expand 70-plus teams, one that is imminently going to be broken. As reported on April 28, March Madness is on the final runway to add eight teams for a grand total of 76, expanding for the first time since 2011 when the First Four was added to make it 68 from 65. The change will be made for both men's and women's basketball, with a formal announcement anticipated in May.

REQUIRED READING: NCAA Tournament set to expand to 76 teams. What will it look like?

The move, to take hold in 2027, continues the NCAA's trend of expansion in its biggest sports. Football moved from four teams to 12 beginning in 2024, and there has been more conversation around expansion since. For college basketball, however, the motivations are slightly different. In theory, the expansion should favor mid-majors rather than the Big Ten and the SEC as football does. After all, conference commissioners and NCAA president Charlie Baker have stumped for the accessibility an expanded field would bring.

"And so, from my point of view, the more teams we can get into the tournament and make it work logistically and mathematically, the better," Baker said in February, per ESPN. "It gives more kids the opportunity to experience that."

But does that logic hold water? Oklahoma is a perennial fringe case, whereas Auburn vs Miami (Ohio) was one of the most hotly contested one-to-one topics last season. On the women's side, the difference is even more stark, where the top-heavy nature of the tournament creates huge disparities in early rounds. No. 16 Harvard defeated No. 1 Stanford in 1998, whereas No. 10 Virginia made a run this year that included a win over No. 2 Iowa. But there needs to be consistent competition to make the changes worthwhile.

With that in mind, here's a look at how the brackets would have shaken out in 2026 had this format been adopted. Assume the first 68 seeds would have remained the same. Here are the eight teams who would have gotten in for men's and women's.

2026 men's teams to get in with 76-team NCAA Tournament

Four of the eight teams who would get in under the new format are already known. No. 69 Oklahoma, No. 70 Auburn, No. 71 San Diego State, and No. 72 Indiana would all get in. Seton Hall and New Mexico would ostensibly be next on the list. Virginia Tech would be another fringe case, with Stanford rounding out the field. That would make Cincinnati the biggest question mark on the list, and team No. 77. Cincinnati, of course, had fired coach Wes Miller leading into Selection Sunday. But the butterfly effect of a 76-team field is drastic, so we're going assume all things equal here.

This would create four No. 12 play-in games, two No. 15s, and four No. 16s. 12 seeds would be relegated to 13-seeds. Notably, the only non-power adds would be San Diego State and New Mexico, two teams with recent success. When access is brought up, it is brought up for at-large power schools for the most part.

2026 women's teams to get in with 76-team NCAA Tournament

The first four out on the women's side were BYU, North Dakota State, Mississippi State, and Stanford, setting half of that field.

Texas A&M is almost undoubtedly in in this format, despite a sub-.500 conference record. Utah is another likely addition, alongside Kansas and Indiana.

That makes Indiana the biggest winner across the board, but again, outside of North Dakota State it is named teams getting the nod.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As NCAA Tournament expands, a look at what 2026 March Madness could have been

For the last 41 seasons, the NBA has conducted a draft lottery to determine which non-playoff team will receive the No. 1 overall pick. From 1985 to 1989, all non-playoff teams had the same odds to win the top pick, but in 1990, the league adopted a weighted draft lottery where the worse your record is, the better chance you have of getting the top pick.

The odds for the worst team have shifted over the years — 16.7% from 1990-1993, 25% from 1993-2019, and 14% from 2019-now — but have been consistent in one aspect: the worse your record is, the higher chance you have of securing one of the top picks, but according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, that may soon change.

The NBA disclosed to its 30 teams Tuesday that it intends to bring forth a rule change at the league’s upcoming Board of Governors meeting in late May. The memo outlined a drastic new draft lottery system that aims to discourage tanking by penalizing the league’s worst teams.

The proposal, which the NBA calls the ‘3-2-1 lottery’, lays out a draft lottery where there are three tiers of team and each team receives a different number of ping pong balls for the league’s drawing.

3: The fourth through 10th worst teams will have the best odds to receive the No. 1 overall pick because they will receive three ping pong balls each.

2: The three worst teams, as well as the 9 and 10 seeds from each conference, will receive two ping pong balls each.

1: the loser of the 7-8 play-in game from each conference will receive one ping pong ball.

Perhaps the most severe part of the new proposal is the new floor for these teams. In the current system, the league’s worst team has a 14% chance to win the lottery, but can fall no lower than fifth overall. The second-worst team can fall no lower than sixth.

In this world, the league’s three worst teams don’t just have a worse shot at getting the No. 1 pick, their floor drops — significantly. The league’s three worst teams could pick as low as 12th in this system.

Now, there’s a lot to unpack here. For starters, the rules for this draft lottery are ridiculously complicated. I’m at 430 words in this article and I’ve barely scratched the surface. The league will need to do a better job of explaining exactly what this system is and, more importantly, why such a drastic change was needed.

But make no mistake: a drastic change is very much needed. The proposal has been met with a lot of backlash, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.

The NBA has always publicly denounced tanking, but we’ve watched it happen frequently over the years. We watched Philadelphia “Trust the Process” for years as the team and its fans suffered through three straight 60-loss seasons, including an abysmal 10-72 2015-2016 campaign.

But NBA teams have taken a darker turn in recent years, and I think the NBA is right to be worried about the message it sends to its fans. This year, an NBA-record eight teams — a whopping 32% of the league — finished with a winning percentage below .333. Eight teams lost at least 55 games this season. Five teams lost at least 60.

Utah and Washington were two glaring examples that league sources often brought up throughout the season. The Jazz, despite trading three first round picks and talented prospects for Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., chose to tank at the end of the season and sometimes in blatant fashion.

Jackson played just three games following the trade, but played in 45 contests pre-All Star break. Utah decided the big man needed surgery on his left knee less than three weeks after unloading a war chest to trade for him. The Jazz also sat All-Star Lauri Markkanen for the last two months of the season with a “hip injury.”

Before these injuries appeared, the Jazz had already shown they had little interest of winning games with the pair this season. Utah was fined half a million dollars by the league after it benched Jackson and Markkanen down the stretch of a close game on Feb. 7, a game the Jazz lost after Orlando “overcame” a 17-point deficit.

Washington also traded for All-Stars at the deadline, netting Trae Young and Anthony Davis, but played the two a combined five games post-trade deadline before shutting both down with apparent injuries.

The league also fined Indiana $100,000 for benching three players it deemed were healthy enough to play in a Feb. 3 game against — you probably guessed it — the Utah Jazz.

The Pacers “lost” that night, 131-122, in Indianapolis.

The league’s commissioner, Adam Silver, has publicly commented on tanking a lot this season and said in March that fixing tanking was his top priority and furthered that stance in a call with the league’s competition commitee recently.

“”We should have a system where you should hate to lose,“ he said. ”It shouldn’t be a badge of honor. Losing should be uncomfortable.”

I fully agree. The flattened odds are a good first step to tell the teams in this league that losing is, in fact, bad, and you should avoid doing it at all costs. The NBA is a product at the end of the day and watching a third of the league not care about its success for a third of the season is very bad for that product.

Fans pay to go to these games to watch their team’s best players compete on the basketball court and these maneuvers by all of the league’s tanking teams send a clear middle finger to the league and its mission.

The NBA needs to find a simpler long-term solution — no one wants a draft lottery that needs 400 words and a two-minute clip from Shams to explain — but its goals and purpose behind this proposal are good and will improve the NBA’s product significantly.

I truly believe basketball is the best sport in the world, and I believe that because of the great athletes that have come through the game. From Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Magic Johnson to Larry Bird to Michael Jordan to LeBron James and everyone in between, the stars are what make the league what it is.

Watching those stars get benched in the name of future success spits in the face of what these legends built. If your team is “winning too many games” with your All-Stars playing, then maybe you should shift your focus from playing the draft lottery for the ninth time in a decade and maybe try trading for a player that can help you be better this year.

Also, you don’t need a top pick in the draft to draft a culture-shifting player. The league’s soon-to-be back-to-back MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was the 11th pick in the 2018 draft. Nikola Jokic was selected 41st. Jalen Brunson fell to the second round. Donovan Mitchell was taken 13th.

Obviously, I’m not saying that improved draft position has no effect on the caliber of player you get — most of the league’s all-time greats were high draft picks after all — but if you have a competent GM and front office, you can find good players later in the draft.

And if you have a bad GM, none of this matters anyway because he’ll just trade your franchise player you took No. 3 overall to the league’s biggest market in the middle of the night.

I kid, I kid (it will always haunt me) but the bigger point stands. Tanking to get a top draft pick will only get you so far. You need a system in place to sustain success, and if you don’t have that, getting a top draft pick does little to actually solve that problem.

I applaud the commissioner for taking a serious approach to the biggest problem facing his league and I hope the Board of Governors will approve some version of this proposal when it meets May 28.

No matter your prediction, it’s always the same story…

Knicks in Six.

Here’s the latest from MSG.

Mike Brown on the team's response to adversity:

"You've got to go through some adversity throughout the course of the year to see what you're made of as a group… our guys have been through a lot, there's nothing that will deter the group" pic.twitter.com/2qBvXcLyIU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 29, 2026

Mike Brown

On Brunson’s screen-setting ability:

“The thing about him, he’s a great screen setter. He has a really good change of pace where he slips and stuff like that which can cause confusion.”

On Anunoby and Towns on the glass:

“KAT and OG were monsters. The two of them, they were phenomenal – it was huge for us to be able to keep them off the glass and out of transition.”

On moving Brunson offensively:

“We’re just trying to move him around as much as we can so they can’t catch a rhythm with him. We want him to be aggressive and the biggest thing for us is to keep trying to find ways to move him around, because he’s impactful whenever he’s in the action.”

On sticking with his starters:

“Those guys have won a lot of games.”

On Towns’ impact of late:

“It’s been pretty good, you know. You gotta give KAT a lot of credit, he’s trying to rebound, trying to be up in the pick-and-roll. When he switches onto a small, he’s trying to sit down. He just has to keep pushing himself, including transition, like all of us. So we can be impactful and/or effective on that end of the floor.”

On the Game 5 win:

“We played a good game. I’m sure Atlanta feels they can play better. We know they can play better.”

On Brunson’s fourth quarter:

“Phenomenal, especially in that fourth quarter. He does it all for us.”

On the Knicks’ paint game:

“I love it. Our guys have to continue trying to take what’s available. And right now for us, it’s finishing in the paint.”

On the team’s resilience after going down 2-1:

“They’re resilient. We talked about it throughout the course of the year, you gotta go through some adversity throughout the course of the year to see what you’re made of as a group, see how you’re gonna respond. You just gotta keep fighting. Our guys have been through a lot so far this year and they continue to go through it. They’ve been through it as a group. There is nothing that will deter the group. They’re a veteran group that knows what they want and how to get it no matter what’s in front of them.”

On Brunson’s composure:

“Comes from his mom, his mom has got a lot of patience. Real sharp lady, hear that Rick?”

Q: "It looked like in the 4th quarter CJ might have kicked you in the [crotch] again?"

Jalen Brunson: "I didn't think anything of it" pic.twitter.com/8ZzXCCOoFZ

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 29, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the Game 5 mentality:

“It was just important for us to come out the way we did, regardless of who was doing the scoring or whatever. I think just us being on a string on both sides of the ball helped us. We were locked in mentally, the way we were playing. There’s still lot of things we can do better and not have lapses. I think our mentality locking into the game is something that we need to continue to have.

“I think it’s just constant adjustments and a constant chess game. You see what move they make and you come back with a different move.”

On the Knicks’ first-round bounceback:

“It’s been a multitude of things. I think we have picked it up as a unit. I also think they’ve gotten a lot of looks and we were lucky when they were missing. But just us being on the same page on both sides of the ball has been a factor.”

On his fourth-quarter play:

“The ball went in, but I was just happy that we were able to keep the lead and play well with it. They are a team that is capable of going on runs, as we know from earlier in the series, so I like how we played to keep the lead.”

On McBride’s impact in the first-round series:

“He’s been playing great. To be able to use him in certain actions and play off-ball and obviously his shooting capability, the way he plays defense and everything, he does a lot for our team. So, I think regardless of who’s on the floor, he’s gonna do a lot of great things.”

On the Madison Square Garden faithful:

“It’s really cool seeing them, the support they give us and everything, seeing them before and after the games. It’s always cool seeing former players come back and seeing how energetic they can get is cool. There’s no place like this place.”

On team unity:

“We’re tied together all on a string. Whenever something falls apart, we’re there for each other.”

On using Towns as an offensive hub:

“It’s another dimension that we’ve been able to do. KAT’s been making great decisions. I think us, playing off-ball, the screens that we’re setting, the pace that we’re cutting, has helped him with that. And also KAT has the ability to go by his defender. There’s a lot of things we can do off of that.”

"I feel like everybody's locked in…defense isn't one guy's job, it's the whole team so when the whole team's is locked in.. then we're not missing a beat, it just feels good"

Miles McBride on what it feels like when the team plays well: pic.twitter.com/T6FzFjKVxa

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 29, 2026

Miles McBride

On easing Brunson’s burden:

“Try to make his job as easy as possible, as well the rest of the teammates out there. Anytime I’m on the floor, I try to make everybody’s lives easier, whether that’s on the defensive or offensive end. Just bringing whatever I have, whatever my talents are, whatever I see in the game, and do it.”

On sharing the backcourt with Brunson:

“We’ve done it before and previous seasons, in the playoffs past. It’s just whatever I see in the game, try to get in it and if it’s working, keep going back to it.”

On Brunson’s footwork:

“It’s elite. Those Villanova pivots, step-throughs. It’s been elite since he’s been in college. I was watching him. It’s something that smaller guards [have to do]. He’s just worked at it, worked at it. He plays with such high confidence and he performs at such a high level, it just gets better and better.”

On the Knicks’ improved defense:

“I think we’re really just communicating and being physical at a high level. I feel like everybody’s locked in. Defense isn’t one guy’s job, it’s the whole team, so when the whole team’s locked in, when guys coming off the bench, we’re locked in and we’re not missing a beat, it just feels good.”

Shoutout KAT who despite his viral Gatorade obsession removed the bottles from the table when his captain––who is sponsored by a competitor–-sat down 🤣 pic.twitter.com/wB816KrQW3

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 29, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the need to keep closing games:

“The hardest game to win is the one that can end a team’s season.”

On his playmaker role:

“I feel like passing’s been my thing since I came into the league. Sometimes the scoring gets more noticed than the passing. But I’m glad I have the opportunity to show what I can do, passing-wise. I’ve just got to continue to stay disciplined, continue to make the right play, regardless if it’s the scoring play or the hockey assist.”

On impacting winning first and foremost:

“I’m always just thinking about impacting winning. As long as I can do that every single day I step on the court, I just think about that. How can I help my teammates be the best version of themselves with my game, and do whatever it takes to help our team be in a position to win. As long as I do that every single night, I’m happy with the man I see in the mirror.”

On Brunson’s level:

“He’s been one of the best point guards and players in the NBA, so I don’t know if I was the reason for that. When I watch the tape, and hopefully I can come back [Wednesday] when we watch the film and say I helped him be who he’s always been.”

On OG Anunoby:

“He’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA. This series has been great for him to show the world on a big stage something that we always thought he was. When you have someone like that who is that good offensively and even better defensively, weirdly enough, it’s special. I believe he’s going to be First Team All-Defense, and he deserves it.”

“I think it just gives us life. Gives energy to the basketball.”

On the Game 6 mindset:

“Confidence is built with work. For us, we understand what the situation is, toughest game to win is the one that ends a team’s season.”

On Gatorade:

“I’m not even gonna touch the Gatorade. I lied, I lied… I’m thirsty, bro.”

Trey Murphy on IG: pic.twitter.com/G2YLtF3s9V

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 29, 2026

Jose Alvarado

On defense fueling offense in Games 4 and 5:

“We get stops and we get rolling. Once we get our defense rolling, the offense is going to take care of itself. We know we can score the ball at a very high level. We need to get stops. And that’s what we try to do.”

On the MSG chants:

“It’s amazing. Can’t really put it into words. I’ve always got a Knicks jersey on and I always think about that, like this is crazy. But it’s a good feeling. Excited to be in the city that I’m from to compete for a championship.”

On staying ready and delivering in the last two games:

“It’s just part of the business: stay ready. 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.

“My teammates found me. I was open and then I made the shots today.”

On the Knicks’ bench:

“We know how good the bench is and how good the team is. We go out there and be ourselves and try to boost the energy. Whatever the team needs, the bench tries to provide that.”

On the nature of the playoffs:

“It’s the playoffs. Every little detail counts. We have to stay focused and keep the main thing the main thing.”

On Brunson’s footwork:

“That boy can probably dance, right? I don’t know. He got twinkle toes. You think you stopped him, and he creates another move, I guess.”

The Knicks dictated the pace in tonight's blowout win and Jalen Brunson leaned into the physicality with a 39 point performance. 🔥#AlwaysKnicks@McNuttMonica | @wallyball | @alanhahnpic.twitter.com/XsZLECejt8

— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) April 29, 2026

Jordan Clarkson

On OG Anunoby:

“He’s just a force. Defensively, offensively. He’s got a lot more in his bag than I thought, being on the outside. But now, being his teammate, being able to watch him play, I know he does a lot of things offensively that I didn’t notice being on the opposite side. Him rebounding, him being a force defensively, him knocking down timely shots. He’s a special player.”

On leaving and reentering Mike Brown’s rotation:

“[Being out of the rotation is] definitely challenging, but I’ve been in the league for 12 years. I know how it goes. Just continue to stay ready. There’s a locker room of young guys and other people, watching me and seeing how I react to those things. Set an example for that. Continue to stay locked in with my team and organization. Just waiting for my opportunity to go out there and play. Everybody setting that example and having everybody ready is big for the team.”

On the Knicks’ toughness:

“We’re all tough-minded. We love challenges. We continue to hold each other up. This team has been resilient all year. It’s not going to be smooth. Continue to lean on each and continue to fight one through 15.”

Talk yo shit Kolek pic.twitter.com/PzJg8a39mm

— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) April 29, 2026

Jalen Johnson

On the Game 5 loss:

“I think they just punked us. We just didn’t match their intensity from the jump. Guys like [Josh] Hart, we need to match their energy.”

Mitchell Robinson on X: pic.twitter.com/cPyJpiiwxB

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 29, 2026

We continue our pop quiz series with the Bucks’ non-Giannis forward corps. Only one of these guys played a full season with the Bucks, but all arguably exceeded expectations given how low those were due to prior underperformance or injury. Let’s first review their years before the questions.

Season in a snippet

Ousmane Dieng

30 GP, 26.8 MPG, 11.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG, .423/.331/.667

Kyle’s end-of-season grade: B

After three-plus years buried on the Thunder’s bench, expectations weren’t exactly high for the former 11th overall pick (drafted a spot ahead of Jalen Williams!), but there was initial interest surrounding Dieng among fans. Was he not playing because he was too young? Or because he wasn’t very good? OKC had plenty of better wings during his time there, and it’s not as if they were that much older than him at 20–21 years old. So skepticism existed alongside the intrigue.

That quickly turned into real optimism after his first two games in Milwaukee’s rotation, when he combined for 36 points, 14 boards, six assists, and four blocks while shooting nearly 60% from the field (8/14) from deep against the Magic and his former team. From there, he was a regular fixture down the stretch, and though his production wasn’t like that every night, he was in double figures more often than not. Pretty dependable 12/5/5 guy from March onward too. He even set a new career-high with 36 points (plus 10 dimes) against Houston on April Fool’s Day. All in all, someone with the makings of a productive rotation player, a floor he may have already reached. The ceiling may not be all that high, but definitely a great start to his time as Buck.

Kyle Kuzma

69 GP, 26.2 MPG, 13.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.4 BPG, .492/.347/.726

Kyle’s end-of-season grade: C+

Now for someone who didn’t have a great start to his Bucks tenure. Before the season, there was probably no Buck that fans were lower on than Kuz, thanks to an absolute dud of a series against the Pacers. But he put together a year reminiscent of his Laker years, when he also wasn’t a primary scoring option, unlike when he was a Wizard. Giannis’ injuries thrust him into a starting role more often than was probably hoped, but he had some very nice evenings when filling in (26 against Dallas and Charlotte in November, 31 against Boston in December, 31 against Chicago in February, 33 against Phoenix in March) for Antetokounmpo. Nothing sticks out positively or negatively for Kuzma this year, which is probably all you can ask for at this point in his career.

Taurean Prince

26 GP, 23.5 MPG, 9.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.2 BPG, .450/.436/1.000

Kyle’s end-of-season grade: C+

TP also had a terrible series last spring, so not everyone was keen on his return for another go-around. But Milwaukee was starved for wing talent to begin the year, and he was off to a solid start as they won five of their first seven games, shooting the ball excellently. Unfortunately, he went down with a neck injury and required surgery, keeping him out for over four months. The Bucks even applied—and reportedly received—a disabled player exception for him, which was ultimately unused since he was able to return to the floor on March 10. From then on, he was his usual self, shooting the ball very well with decent defense. He even scored in double digits each of the Bucks’ final six contests while receiving starter’s minutes. Moreover, it was just good to see Prince back on the court after a procedure that hampered a few other guys’ careers significantly.

Tantalising totals

(1) Before Dieng’s career-best 36 in Houston, how many times in his career did he ever score over 20?

Click to reveal answer Twice: 22 as a rookie and 21 against the Bucks last season.

(2) Believe it or not, but Kuzma established a new career-high this season in which major category, obliterating his previous best?

Click to reveal answer Field goal percentage at 49.2%, surpassing his 46.3% from 2023–24.

(3) True or false: Prince had more double-doubles in 2024–25 than 2025–26.

Click to reveal answer False, he had just one last season and two this season.

Atypically advanced

(1) When Kuzma was on the floor, did the Bucks’ assist percentage rise or fall?

Click to reveal answer It rose, though only from 62.4% to 64.3%.

(2) Did Prince have a better net rating last year or this year?

Click to reveal answer This year: the Bucks were four points per 100 possessions better when he played this year, and last year they were 6.9 points per 100 worse when he was on the floor as compared to off.

Obscure optics   

(1) When Dieng started, did his three-point percentage increase or decrease relative to when he came off the bench, and by how much?

Click to reveal answer As a starter: 29.5% As a reserve: 41.5% Nearly 12%!

---

How did you fare? Share your score in the comments, and don’t forget to drop your thoughts along with it—which stat stands out?

Adam Silver heard the outcry over tanking ahead of a loaded 2026 NBA Draft and was determined to find a solution. The league has now settled on its preferred system of lottery reform, and it essentially reduces the distribution of top young talent entering the league to complete randomness.

ESPN insider Shams Charania revealed the NBA’s new “3-2-1” lottery system on Tuesday night. Here’s what you need to know:

• The three worst teams in the league are in the “relegation zone,” which means they lose ping-pong balls.
• Teams that finish 4th through 10th in the reverse standings get three lottery balls in the drawing.
• Teams in the “relegation zone” get two lottery balls, and can’t fall further than the 12th pick
• “The Nos. 9 and 10 play-in seeds in each conference receive two lottery balls each, and the losers of the 7-8 play-in games receive one lottery ball each.”
• The lottery is expanded from 14 to 16 teams.
• Under the current system, lottery balls are only drawn for the top-4 picks. Now, the first 16 spots in the draft will be up for grabs in the drawing.
• Teams can’t land the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years, and they can’t pick in the top-5 three times in a row.

Got all that? Probably not, because it’s pretty complicated. When Adam Silver was weighing multiple options to reform the NBA Draft lottery last month, I wrote “in rushing to find a medicine to cure tanking, the NBA risks giving itself bigger problems from the side effects.” While this system likely will curb tanking to some extent, it opens up a ton of new problems for the league.

It’s pretty wild that Silver rushed this system through so hastily with it slated to take effect for the 2027 NBA Draft. Teams already made long-term roster decisions based on the incentives of the old rules. The Chicago Bulls traded Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White at the deadline after years of floundering in mediocrity to increase their chances at finding a star. This system rewards mediocrity. It would have been nice if Chicago actually knew the rules before making its February deals. The Memphis Grizzlies traded away Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane because they felt like they couldn’t get out of the middle of the Western Conference standings. Would Memphis had made the same decisions if they knew the lottery format would change like this?

It’s no surprise the league is giving itself the option to opt out of this plan after the 2029 NBA Draft, per Charania’s report. This lottery format feels like an extremely slippery slope for a few reasons. Let’s get into it.

The new lottery system kills hope for diehard fans of bad teams

Teams had the ability to go from worst-to-first under the current lottery system despite the fact that the worst team in the league literally never won the lottery since the last round of reform went into effect in 2019. The Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Minnesota Timberwolves all made the worst-to-first jump in the 2020s.

Those are all small market teams who used the draft to land their franchise player. They still had to get lucky to land the top pick. It’s just going to require way more luck for bad teams to get good under this system.

The risk of this system is that it creates a permanent NBA underclass. Now the worst team in the league can fall to the 12th pick. Given how rarely good players change hands in free agency these days (more on that later), it feels like bad teams could get stuck in a cycle of being bad for a long, long time.

If teams can’t sell wins, they need to sell hope. What hope would fans of bad teams have now knowing they could fall out of the top-10 in the draft? The risk here is that diehard fans of bad teams just choose to give up because there’s no path forward.

Lottery reform feels like it should be coupled with free agency changes

How are bad teams supposed to get good players if they can’t do it through the draft? Free agency and trades are the only other options, but the prospect of bad teams overpaying free agents to land them only offers more downside, especially in this more punitive CBA.

It feels like the league needs more good young players to hit free agency if it doesn’t want teams to tank for the draft. One idea I saw elsewhere that I liked was eliminating restricted free agency. Under the current system, the Pistons still have the ability to match any contract offer to Jalen Duren even after failing to reach an extension with him. What if Duren was just an unrestricted free agent this year, and could be had for any team?

Something like that would open up more avenues for talent acquisition outside of the draft. For now, it feels like bad teams that don’t get lottery luck are simply screwed.

The NBA already killed free agency. Will these changes kill trades, too?

Silver heard the outcry over Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors, and essentially made rule changes that kept superstars away from free agency. The last true superstar to change teams in free agency was Kawhi Leonard signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019. Since then, the biggest player to change teams in free agency is … washed Paul George in 2024?

The NBA gets a lot of attention from offseason player movement. I wonder if these changes will make teams more reluctant to trade their future first-round picks, thus diminishing the trade market, too.

First-round picks are the currency of trades. A team that was around .500 was more incentivized to trade a future first because it had a lower probability of turning into a premium pick. Now that’s been flipped on its head.

This is all pretty speculative for now, but it’s something to monitor. This new lottery system will have unintended consequences, and it would be a net-loss for the NBA if it resulted in fewer trades.

Tanking will still happen under these lottery rules, just in different ways

This lottery system should curb tanking, but it won’t eliminate it entirely. If the goal of these changes is to preserve the sanctity of March and April games, I’m not sure that’s going to happen.

Let’s say a team enters the All-Star break in 10th place in their conference. They might not want to risk losing a ping pong ball by making the 7/8 play-in game, so they will still rest players as long as they have a big enough cushion not to finish in the bottom-3. The sweet spot in this reform is the 4-10 range. Given how often injuries play a factor in team performance — and given how many significant injuries there are in the modern game — it feels likely a team can still rest players/try to lose on purpose from an organizational perspective and still enter the lottery sitting pretty.

Tanking was never the NBA’s biggest problem anyway

Adam Silver is a reactionary. He reads online criticism, and he acts quickly. My complaint with rushing through this tanking reform is that fans of teams that are tanking aren’t the ones doing the complaining. It’s usually coming from football fans after the Super Bowl who will just find another way to criticize the NBA even if tanking was solved.

The NBA’s biggest issue is that the regular season lacks anything resembling meaningful stakes. Silver thinks that these lottery reforms will fix that problem, but I’m extremely dubious. If the NBA wants to give the regular season more stakes, it needs to reduce the number of games. Play every team twice and call it a season. Once the NBA adds its two expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, that would create a 62-game schedule. It gives the players more rest in between games, and cancels a lot of the end of season games where tanking tomfoolery is happening.

The point of the draft is to give the worst teams the best young players. The NBA apparently doesn’t see it that way, and they’re instead leaving it all up to chance.

This lottery simulator shows how much randomness is in the new system. Play with it yourself:

I made an NBA Draft Lottery simulator based on the proposal. This is insane 😭

You can try the simulator out with the link below: https://t.co/ZMkIRmDvbgpic.twitter.com/2M3huAHM0A

— Dylan Jackson (@djdotmp4) April 29, 2026

On my first spin, the Miami Heat drew the No. 1 pick and the Washington Wizards fell to 12th. Is that the type of system the NBA really wants?

The biggest winner of these lottery changes feel like … the Oklahoma City Thunder. Check out all of the future first-round picks OKC owns here. Now their future picks coming from the Nuggets and their swap rights with the Clippers could be even more valuable, as those teams likely wouldn’t have been near the bottom of the standings, but could be in the middle ground that is now more fruitful.

Back in 2017, the great Tom Ziller wrote a column at this site titled “Kill the NBA Draft.” Subscribe to Tom’s newsletter here for more great NBA coverage.

Given how much randomness is in this new system, I find myself far more open to just killing the draft entirely starting in 2030. Give every team a rookie exception they can offer top players. Let teams with cap space offer them more money beyond that. It would make sense if a bad team has more open cap space and could hypothetically offer the next Cooper Flagg a max deal out of college. If Flagg prefers to sign with his childhood favorite Boston Celtics instead, so be it.

The NBA is opening up a whole new can of worms with this lottery system, and the people it hurts the most are loyal fans of hopeless franchises. The NBA really does not want a world where those people check out of the league entirely. I feel like it could happen after these changes.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

New York Knicks fans have already started trash-talking their potential Round 2 opponent, but they seem to be forgetting there’s still at least one more game against the Atlanta Hawks.

My Knicks vs. Hawks predictions aren't punching New York’s ticket just yet. Even with Karl-Anthony Towns stuffing the stat sheet, Atlanta could fight to see another day, especially if C.J. McCollum regains his form at State Farm Arena.

Here are my best NBA picks for Thursday, April 30.

Our best Knicks vs Hawks SGP for Game 6

SGP leg #1: Hawks +2

The Atlanta Hawks looked bad in their Game 5 beatdown. With their backs against the wall, the Hawks return home, where they’ve been a tough team all year.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks haven’t had the same success shooting on the road and have been a poor bet when laying points away from home, going 10-19 ATS as road chalk this season.

SGP leg #2: Karl-Anthony Towns Over 22.5 points + assists

Karl-Anthony Towns scored a quick 14 points in the opening half of Game 5, then cruised to the finish line, adding just two more over the final two quarters of the blowout.

The 7-footer not only has a scoring edge against the smaller Hawks, but he’s been a conduit for New York’s schemes, setting up his teammates for easy looks from the high post. 

KAT has dished out 16 total assists over the past two contests.

SGP leg #3: C.J. McCollum Over 2.5 threes

C.J. McCollum knocked down nine triples in the first three games of this series before going cold from deep, shooting 0-for-6 from beyond the arc over the last two outings.

He’s also a noticeably better shooter at home, converting at a 40% clip compared to 34% on the road.

Player projections lean toward C.J. sinking three triples in a must-win matchup for the Hawks.

---

Covers NBA betting tools

• NBA odds
• NBA picks
• NBA player props
• Best NBA betting sites
• Today’s NBA matchups

---

See our full Knicks vs Hawks Game 6 preview

Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Knicks vs Hawks predictions for Game 6.

More Covers NBA Playoff content

NBA Championship odds

Stay up-to-date with the latest NBA Championship odds for each remaining team, as well as NBA title splits, betting trends, and the previous list of teams that have won the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

NBA Finals MVP odds

See what the current line movement and updates are in the NBA Finals MVP odds race, along with Finals MVP betting trends, favorite analysis, and recent superstars to receive this award.

Live NBA Playoff bracket

Never lose track of where each series sits with our live NBA Playoff bracket, as well as the updated prices for each team to win their respective series — round by round. 

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.