Category: Basketball

It came easy to the Hawks for 24 minutes.

Then, the Knicks turned their water off.

It was the key to this 113-102 victory, the Knicks ramping up their defensive intensity and shutting down Atlanta after halftime.

“We just didn’t stop on plays,” Miles McBride said. “I feel like they were getting out and they were winning the space battle, getting open and getting to their spots. I feel like in the second half we really cut that off. We made catches difficult, and we got to loose balls.”

The Hawks managed just 47 points over the final 24 minutes, and a good chunk of that came after the game had been well decided in the final minutes of the final stanza.

The Hawks were held to 19 points in the third quarter as the Knicks took command.

They were forced into difficult shots late in the shot clock, and Atlanta went cold from 3. After shooting 8-for-16 from distance in the first half, they went 6-for-21 the rest of the way.

“Their small-small pick-and-roll is a problem. And our guys did a pretty good job of defending that the right way in the second half,” coach Mike Brown said. “It kinda got away from us early in the game, and they got some open looks from it, but our level of physicality without fouling was really good in the second half, as well as our communication with their small-small pick-and-roll.”

The Knicks talked a lot after the win about needing to be the more physical team for the entirety of this series, and having to be better on the glass.

They outrebounded the Hawks by five but were only plus-two in the paint (44-42).

Nickeil Alexander-Walker was held to 17 points on 6-for-17 shooting. Jalen Johnson scored 23 points but shot 8-for-19. The Knicks turned them into inefficient scorers.

The key is to consistently defend like they did in the second half and turn it into a habit.

“Every single night,” McBride, a team-best plus-12, said. “It’s nonnegotiable; we have to bring it every single night and be locked in.”

This performance was at least a good start.

The deck was stacked against the Lakers heading into the playoffs, but what awaited them was a tower of cards ready to topple over in the Rockets.

Kevin Durant being a surprise scratch pregame tilted the tower to the brink of falling and the purple and gold made it a mission to finish the job throughout Game 1. It wasn’t a perfect game and there’s room for improvement on both ends, but LA ultimately came out with a win that ended up being fairly comfortable in the second half.

It’s a great start to the series with tons of encouraging signs for the Lakers. Let’s dive into some of the biggest takeaways from the victory.

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A team effort

Coming into the series, the expectation was that LeBron James would need to have a big scoring night for the Lakers to have a real chance. While Durant’s absence alleviated some of that scoring burden, LeBron was certainly not the biggest scoring threat for the Lakers.

That’s not to say he wasn’t fantastic on the night. He had eight assists in the first quarter to set the tone from the jump and still finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. However, all five starters had at least 14 points and each had moments.

No one was bigger offensively than Luke Kennard, who was perfect from three and scored a playoff career-high 27 points. Back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter from Kennard put the Lakers up 16 and allowed them a cushion as they closed out the game.

Luke Kennard.

COOKING.

He's got 24 points on 8-11 shooting… a new playoff career high! pic.twitter.com/wcDgRlzS6O

— NBA (@NBA) April 19, 2026

Deandre Ayton looked like his early-season self and poured in 19 points, including icing the game with an and-one in the final minutes. Rui Hachimura was an efficient 6-10 from the field and hit numerous timely shots. And Marcus Smart mixed in some good in his chaotic night, scoring 15 points with eight assists.

The Lakers shot an astounding 60.6% from the field and 52.6% from three. They nearly shot better from the field than from the free throw line, but that’s a topic for another time.

They jumped ahead early with a fast start in the first quarter. After turning the ball over on the first possession, they had 13 assists before they committed another turnover. While they came in bunches later, LA set the tone from the start as a team, getting sustainable, high quality shots.

Stingy defense

Offense is always going to get the headlines, but the Lakers’ defense was fantastic in this one. Similar to the offense, it was also a team effort.

The Lakers held Houston to 37.6% shooting overall. They hit just 11 of their 33 attempts from range. They committed 13 turnovers and never found any rhythm offensively. The Lakers did a great job clogging the paint and forcing Houston to hit shots from outside.

The Rockets shot 22-53 in the paint, a conversion rate LA will absolutely live with. After some threes early in the game, they locked down Reed Sheppard, who went 6-20 from the field and 5-14 from the three. Amen Thompson (7-18), Alperen Şengün (6-19) and Jabari Smith Jr. (5-14) all had poor nights from the field.

The Lakers have been good defensively for some time now, but they showed it on the biggest stage yet. It wasn’t perfect, but playoff games rarely are. But, importantly, it was more than enough to give them a chance to win.

And on that point about not being perfect…

Turnovers and rebounding

This win was not a case of the Lakers playing a perfect game, either. In fact, the Lakers struggled in the two biggest areas head coach JJ Redick emphasized throughout the week in turnovers and rebounding.

After keeping things under control for much of the first half, offensive rebounding became an issue for LA in the second half. Houston finished with 21 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points. The Rockets stayed in the game in the second half because of their ability to create second and even third chances.

Similarly, turnovers were a problem for the Lakers. They finished with 18 giveaways that Houston turned into 24 points. While admittedly some crude math, nearly half of Houston’s scoring came from those two areas.

It was the nature of the turnovers that were confounding, too. On multiple occasions, the Lakers pushed in transition when they didn’t have numbers and turned the ball over. A number of turnovers were unforced, whether errant passes or passes to teammates who weren’t ready or looking.

The only time LA trailed after the opening minutes came after a disastrous close to the second quarter that included some very untimely turnovers. That the Lakers were able to overcome not just that stretch but generally not taking care of the two biggest areas of emphasis and still win handily should be encouraging about how this team has room to improve even after a win.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

So much of the dialogue leading into Saturday was about how the Lakers would withstand being without Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (left oblique strain) during their playoff series against the Rockets. 

But within 24 hours, the dynamic shifted, with Rockets star Kevin Durant popping up on the injury report because of a right knee contusion he suffered during practice earlier in the week. 

And the Lakers were the ones who took advantage of their opponent missing their leading scorer, beating the Rockets 107-98 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena. 

“We were really poised as a team,” coach JJ Redick said. “We had a great next-play mentality. Wasn’t a perfect game. None of these games are gonna be perfect. Got contributions from a lot of people in a lot of different ways, and made enough winning plays, despite the turnovers and the offensive rebounds.”

Offense didn’t come easily for the Lakers, either.

They turned the ball over 20 times, helping the Rockets stay in the game with 24 points off those giveaways. 

But the Lakers’ intentionality with their offense led to 60.6% shooting from the field (40 of 66) and 52.6% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc (10 of 19). 

“We did a good job,” Redick said. “The guys that were handling versus pressure, overall, did a nice job of getting us organized, and we ran a lot of the stuff we wanted to run, and we got a lot of good stuff. When we did shoot the ball, we were efficient. We missed some free throws. But again, it’s just this is going to be, can we take care of the ball. Over the course of seven games, can we take care of the ball and can we limit their offensive rebounds?”

Luke Kennard led the way with 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, making all five of his 3s. LeBron James finished with 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.

All five Lakers starters scored at least 10 points. 

“It has to be that way,” James said. “It has to be a collective group. When you’re missing so much firepower, like we are right now with AR and Luka being out, we all have to pitch in. We all have to do our job. And even do a little bit more. Protect one another offensively and defensively and I think we did that.”

Deandre Ayton had a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Marcus Smart had 15 points and eight assists and Rui Hahcimura scored 14 points

The Lakers won despite the Rockets grabbing 21 offensive rebounds for 23 second-chance points, outscoring them in the paint (44-40) and scoring 17 more points off turnovers.

Alperen Sengun had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Amen Thompson finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 

What it means 

The Lakers are up 1-0 in a playoff series for the first time since playing the Warriors in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals (second round). 

They haven’t been up 2-0 in a series since winning the 2020 NBA Finals against the Heat.  

Turning point

When Jake LaRavia drew an off-ball foul on Tari Eason at the five-minute mark of the third quarter. 

The foul was the Rockets’ fifth for the quarter, putting the Lakers in the bonus for the remainder of the third. 

The Lakers shot 10 of 12 from the line from that point.

This included Kennard splitting a pair of free throws after technical fouls on Rockets wing Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. 

The Lakers shot 11 of 15 on free throws in the third, helping them win the quarter 25-18. 

MVP: Luke Kennard

James set the tone early with his playmaking, dishing out eight first-quarter assists and 10 assists in the first half, which tied a playoff career high for his most assists in a half.

But it was Kennard who provided the steady dose of scoring in a game that didn’t feature a lot of it for either team.

Kennard’s scoring total set a playoff career high, surpassing the previous career high of 21 points he scored on April 14, 2019, while with the Pistons. 

“I just liked that he was aggressive shooting 3s,” Redick said. “He played a fantastic basketball gam. He just played really aggressive and did a nice job. I don’t know what our overall numbers were, but we came in at halftime and we had one of our highest paint touch rates in the entire season. And his ability to just kind of get to the next thing and turn the corner on off ball stuff and touch the paint for us, and it just, there’s a snowball effect to that. He played a really good game.” 

Stat of the game: 37.6%

That was the Rockets’ shooting percentage, highlighting how stifling the Lakers’ defense was.

It was the lowest shooting percentage the Lakers allowed in a playoff game since April 28, 2023, against the Grizzlies, according to Stathead.

“I know they took free throws, but we did a good job of contesting those six- to eight- foot shots without fouling, using our length,” Redick said. “Getting a contest is super important.” 

Up next

Game 2 of the Lakers-Rockets playoff series will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.

Durant’s status for Game 2 wasn’t known as of Saturday evening.

NEW YORK — In the first quarter, Jalen Brunson dropped 19 points on 8 field goal conversions. The rest of the game, he would make one more shot.

The bench contributed just 20 points the entire contest, well below their regular season average of 31.6 per game.

Yet, despite the imperfect offense, the New York Knicks toppled the Atlanta Hawks Saturday, April 18 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, 113-102, in a sign that this team is built to win in different ways; it can explode on offense, or it can grind teams down.

With OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, New York always had arguably the top duo of wing perimeter defenders in the NBA, but Saturday night showed the Knicks may have unlocked another element that can elevate this defense into a championship-caliber outfit. Forward Josh Hart, a high-energy utility player who can slide into numerous roles asked of him, has blossomed into an irritating defender who is now often tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player. In Game 1, that made him the primary defender on the Hawks' Jalen Johnson.

This started the last few weeks of the regular season, and it has freed Anunoby and Bridges to hound other players. It has also elevated the entire defense.

“Josh is very good at getting to the ball and trying to make the ball-handler uncomfortable,” coach Mike Brown said. “Having Josh, having Mikal, having OG, they allow us to be versatile defensively.”

That versatility gives New York something it can use in this series and beyond, particularly against teams whose players share ball-handling duties: it allows the Knicks to switch pick-and-rolls.

And since the primary function of a pick-and-roll is to create offensive mismatches, the ability to switch players — especially when they’re exceptional defenders — negates that.

This is a problem for Atlanta.

The Hawks, the hottest team in the Eastern Conference after the All-Star break, rely on a fluid, offensive system in which four players split ball-handling duties. Atlanta doesn’t rely on play calls as much as it does on general concepts and actions and asks its players to read the defense. The Hawks want their players to attack into open space.

Against the Knicks Saturday night, those four players — Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum and Dyson Daniels — were pestered and harassed.

The Hawks shot a respectable 43.7% from the floor, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

To that point, nine of the 12 Hawks turnovers were committed by the four ball-handlers.

The other thing this swarming, versatile defense offers the Knicks is instant offense; New York emphasized throwing the ball ahead, pushing it into the open floor and getting high-percentage points in transition.

New York generated a +9 advantage in fastbreak points Saturday night.

“I think we just have a great group of guys that are locked in,” Knicks guard Miles McBride told reporters after the game. “I don’t think it’s anybody individually, it’s just our whole team being locked in on trying to make everything tough on them.

“Every single night. It’s non-negotiable. We have to bring it every single night.”

So, how exactly do the Hawks combat this? Game 2 will tip Monday, April 20 here in Madison Square Garden, and the primary objective will be to source easier offense.

For one, they’ll need to find a way to break through that defensive pressure, perhaps abandoning pick-and-rolls in favor of an offense that’s more fluid. Because when the Knicks went on runs in the second half, it was when the ball stagnated for Atlanta.

“Walking away from the game, turnovers, I had 5 turnovers, there’s things that we can do better from a spacing standpoint,” McCollum said. “Moving the ball a little more, being intentional with ball and player movement — I think all those things can factor in to more success for us. …

“I think it’s all about responding. And I look forward to responding on Monday.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks are real NBA championship contenders. Here's why.

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line, and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 on Saturday in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Jokic had 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists and a bloody nose in a physical game between the Northwest Division foes. There were 42 fouls called, along with an unsportsmanlike technical on Jaden McDaniels for pushing Jokic in the back and a technical on Nuggets coach David Adelman.

Denver has won 13 straight since losing on March 18.

Murray and the Nuggets trailed by as many as 12 points early, but used a 17-2 run in the third quarter to build a double-digit lead. The Timberwolves, who were held scoreless for more than four minutes at one point in the third, trimmed the deficit to 97-95 with 6:23 left.

Jokic had a five-point stretch to hold off Minnesota. Murray had one of the biggest shots of the game from halfcourt. With the shot clocking winding down, he heaved it at the hoop and it grazed the rim to reset the clock. It eventually led to a dunk from Aaron Gordon that gave Denver a 108-101 lead with 1:50 left. Gordon had 17 points despite early foul trouble.

Game 2 is Monday night.

Anthony Edwards scored 22 points while playing on a sore right knee. Donte DiVincenzo had four 3-pointers.

CAVALIERS 126, RAPTORS 113

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Max Strus had 24 off the bench and Cleveland defeated Toronto in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

James Harden had 22 points and 10 assists while Evan Mobley had 17 and seven rebounds for fourth-seeded Cleveland, which hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in an NBA-record nine straight series openers.

RJ Barrett scored 24 points and Scottie Barnes had 21 for the Raptors, who were playing in their first playoff game since 2022. Toronto was missing point guard Immanuel Quickley because of a mild right hamstring strain.

Jamal Shead started in place of Quickley and had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

Barrett’s 3-pointer pulled the Raptors to within 45-41 before Cleveland broke it open with a 27-9 run over the last 1:11 of the second quarter and first seven minutes of the third.

Strus scored 11 points during the spurt and made all three of his 3-pointers as the Cavaliers went 10 of 16 from the floor, including 5 of 8 beyond the arc.

KNICKS 113, HAWKS 102

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 of his 25 in the second half and New York beat Atlanta in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

OG Anunoby added 18 points and Josh Hart had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks in their first postseason game under Mike Brown after making four trips in five years under Tom Thibodeau, capped by their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last year.

The No. 3 seed in the East again this season hosts Game 2 on Monday night.

CJ McCollum had 26 points and Jalen Johnson added 23 for the Hawks, who went 20-6 after the All-Star break to earn the No. 6 seed.

Brunson, who already owns the Knicks’ record with eight 40-point games in the postseason, was almost halfway to another in the first quarter. He made his first six shots and had 19 points as the Knicks led 30-24. McCollum had 12 points in the second as Atlanta cut it to 57-55.

Brunson didn’t do as much in the second half, but Towns took over after he was just 1 for 6 for six points at the break.

The teams got off to sizzling starts, with the Knicks opening 8 for 9 and Atlanta starting 6 for 7, before play eventually slowed to a crawl in the third quarter. McCollum was reviewed for a hostile act and called for a technical foul after kicking his leg up on a jumper into Brunson’s groin area, and the Hawks twice intentionally fouled backup center Mitchell Robinson, and the poor foul shooter went 1 for 4.

By the time the Hawks got going again, it was too late.

LAKERS 107, ROCKETS 98

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and short-handed Los Angeles capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a victory over Houston in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the fourth-seeded Lakers, who pulled off an impressive win without their top two scorers.

Both teams played the opener without their most important player. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have been out indefinitely with injuries since April 2, while Durant was a late scratch with a bruised right knee.

Los Angeles thrived by hitting 60.6% of its shots while holding the Rockets to 37.6% shooting with pesky defense.

Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Rockets, who finished one game behind Los Angeles in the regular season. Amen Thompson added 17 points, but Houston’s young core got off to an inconsistent start after becoming the firm favorite in this series due to the Lakers’ injury woes.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

A career night from Luke Kennard and a double-double from LeBron James powered the Lakers to a Game 1 win over the Rockets, 107-98.

After finding out pregame that Kevin Durant would be out due to a right knee contusion, the Lakers took full advantage of the opportunity. LA grabbed a lead in the first quarter and maintained control throughout.

While Houston outscored LA 23-6 in second-chance points, they shot just 37.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the 3-point line. LA, meanwhile, shot 60.6% from the field.

The Lakers started Game 1 off with a turnover that led to Josh Okogie getting fouled on the other end. He converted on both free throws, putting the Rockets in the lead early. That turnover would be the exception in the first quarter, though. 

Deandre Ayton opened the scoring for LA with a midrange jumper. Los Angeles had as great a start as they’d hope, making eight out of its first 10 shot attempts. 

Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with five points, Ayton and LeBron James were close behind with four points each. Okogie led Houston with five points. At the 6:11 mark, LA was up by three after the Rockets made a surge. 

Reed Sheppard added a quick five points for Houston. Luke Kennard suddenly ignited for five points, pushing his point total to nine and making him the leading scorer on the team. 

LeBron James, who has long held many NBA playoff records like games (292) and points (8,289, with Michael Jordan second at 5,987) opens his Year 23 playoffs with 8 assists in 9 minutes.

LA lead 28-24 with 2:52 left in the 1st.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

Kennard ended the quarter in double figures with 11 points. LeBron ended the quarter with eight assists, which was a new playoff-career high for him. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by four. 

LeBron and Jarred Vanderbilt opened the second period with five points for LA. The Rockets turned the ball over twice. Amen Thompson scored the first field goal for Houston in the paint. 

At the 6:22 mark, Los Angeles was up by eight. 

Hachimura and Ayton were both shooting 100% from the field, combining for 19 points. The Rockets did pick up their defensive effort, forcing a few missed shots from the Lakers. After having one turnover in the first, Los Angeles now had eight turnovers. 

LA turned the ball over and played frantic basketball down the stretch of the half. Houston started getting foul calls in their favor. Los Angeles shot 46% from the field in that quarter.

At halftime, Los Angeles was up by two. 

Two unforced Lakers turnovers, and two reach in fouls with Houston in the bonus helped the Rockets close the 2nd Q on a 6-0 run to cut LA's halftime lead to 2.

LeBron has 6 points and 10 assists, Ayton 12 points and 4 boards and Smart 7 points with 6 assists.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

Sheppard knocked down a triple to put the Rockets up by one to start the second half. Ayton scored on a tip-in of his own shot attempt to give the Lakers the lead again. Jabari Smith Jr. drained his third 3-pointer of the game. He was leading the Rockets with 13 points.

Hachimura knocked down a 3-pointer for LA, his second of the night. 

The defensive intensity was high for both teams as they blocked shots and fought for rebounds. Kennard drained his second triple of the game. Both he and Ayton had 14 points. 

An 8-0 scoring run gave Los Angeles a decent cushion. Much of the rest of the quarter saw a barrage of free throws being shot. The Lakers were shooting just 63% from the charity stripe, with Marcus Smart being a brutal 2-6 from the line. 

LA managed to close the third well, going up by nine. 

The Lakers held Houston to 18 points in the 3rd Q, scoring 25 to take a 75-66 lead into the 4th.

LeBron has 10 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds, Ayton 14 and 10 boards, Smart 10 and 7 assists, and Kennard 18 with 4 boards.

LA are holding HOU to 33.3% FG's.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 19, 2026

A 3-pointer from Sheppard opened the final frame. Hachimura responded with four points for Los Angeles. Kennard added two triples, and LeBron added one of his own as well, pushing the lead to 16 for the Lakers, forcing the Rockets to call a timeout. 

Out of the break, Alperen Şengün scored five straight. Kennard then drained another 3-pointer. Tari Eason responded with one on the other end for Houston, leading to a timeout from head coach JJ Redick.

Smart knocked down a 3-pointer out of the break. 

Eason was putting in good minutes for the Rockets, scoring another four points to try to keep Houston in it. With two minutes left, the Rockets kept inching closer, making it a nine-point game. 

At the 1:40 mark, it was an 11-point lead for LA. 

It was back to nine after Smith dunked the ball. Ayton was then fouled and converted on the three-point play, sealing the win.

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and two steals. Kennard’s huge night saw him finish with 27 points, a playoff career high, on 9-13 shooting. Ayton ended with 19 points and 11 rebounds. 

Hachimura notched 14 points. Smart logged 15 points, eight assists and two blocks. Jake LaRavia scored six points off the bench. 

Game 2 will be on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets at 7:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

The stars once again came out to watch playoff basketball on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, and we’re not just talking about on the court. 

The courtside seating, expanded for the postseason, was once again a who’s who of musicians, actors, and athletes for Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. 

Travis Scott was locked into the rhythm of the game like it was one of his own beats.

Singer Rotimi was there as well to soak in the action. On the other side of the court from Scott, sat the lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds. 

Timothy Olypant sat at halfcourt alongside his wife Alexis Knief. Ray Nicholson, the son of Jack Nicholson, sat in his famous father’s seats that have stayed in the family for decades. 

The athletes were well represented as well. L.A. Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack watched the action from the baseline.

Lamar Odom in the house! pic.twitter.com/UgoxVB5rJV

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 19, 2026

Former NBA player Richard Jefferson was there. Two former Lakers champions also mingled with the players and celebrities as Robert Horry and Lamar Odom took in the playoff action. 

And finally, the passing of the proverbial torch was there too. Current Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr., expected to be a top-5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft also watched the action courtside as if he was picturing himself playing against the game’s greats on that very court. 

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Music. Film. Sports. Fame. Legacy.

It all came together for playoff basketball in Los Angeles.

After nearly a decade of disappointing their fans in the spring time, the Sixers are in a no-lose situation as they open the NBA’s second season on Sunday afternoon in Boston.

Expectations couldn’t be lower for the Sixers as the Celtics are the consensus pick to win the East. It’s probably fair to say that most Sixers fans are just hoping that Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe can perform well enough to give the franchise optimism that building around the two guards comes with a championship ceiling in the future. However, in what everyone knows is a “house money” series for Philadelphia, who might be able to benefit the most from decreased expectations?

The obvious answer are Philly’s two centers who will get the minutes inside while we continue to wait and see if Joel Embiid can go. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona are at completely different phases of their careers. At 32, Drummond is now out to prove each season that he can still play in the NBA as a bench big. Once an All-Star in 2018, Drummond has been living the life of a nomadic veteran that has repeatedly played on short-term contracts and been shopped at deadlines.

But somewhat quietly, Drummond has strung together three straight double-doubles for the Sixers and even looks like a competent three-point shooter. At this stage in his career, it’s likely that even Drummond can be honest with himself when he looks in the mirror and comes to terms with the fact that he’s probably a backup somewhere in the NBA for as long as he wants to keep playing. But perhaps it’s exactly that peace of mind that allows Drummond to continue to punch above his weight with no real pressure on him regarding his NBA future. Although we should note that Neemias Queta dominated Drummond the last time the Sixers and Celtics squared off in the regular season.

It’s certainly not a “no pressure” kind of situation for Adem Bona, who is constantly in a mode of earning more minutes as is usually the case with second-round picks. In two seasons in the NBA, Bona has looked like an NBA rotation player thanks in large part to his defense, but he’s still a ways away from being a polished offensive player and probably will never get there. But it’s the glimpses with Bona that make you say “OK! There’s something there.”

We got a few of those glimpses on Wednesday in the play-in game when Bona had three blocks against Orlando. Most of Philly’s veteran role players are set to become free agents this summer, but Bona still has one more season plus a team option for 2027-28 remaining on his rookie contract. While fans are likely hoping Maxey and Edgecombe can be the leaders of the Sixers’ next true title contending roster, Bona is certainly trying to prove he can have a spot on that roster one day in the future as well. A good series against the Celtics for the young center out of UCLA would certainly go a long way for his future with the organization. Bona, unlike Drummond, truly doesn’t know any better about the stage he’s playing on as these will be his first playoff minutes in his young career. Maybe that makes it easier for him to just go out and play in a series no one is giving the Sixers a chance in.

The backup center minutes behind Embiid have always been an issue in postseason series for Philadelphia in the last decade. Who knows if the low-pressure postseason environments for the Sixers actually allow players like Drummond and Bona to thrive? But let’s just say no one is holding their breath this time around when Embiid isn’t on the court.

Could the Sixers upset the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs? It feels highly unlikely, but it would be revenge over four decades in the making.

This spring will be the NBA-record 23rd time the two franchises have met in the postseason. It’s a rivalry that favors Boston historically, and, really, in 2026 as well. Still, the Sixers have had some high points sprinkled through the years, too.

For my fellow basketball nerds, I’m going to take you a little trip through the past with a look at all of these matchups, dating back to 1953…

1953 Eastern Division Semifinals: Celtics win series 2-0

This is when the Sixers were still the Syracuse Nationals. I’ll be honest. As a prideful Philadelphian, I don’t care much about that aspect of the franchise’s history. I think it’s outrageous that the team counts Syracuse’s 1955 championship as one of their own. Ultimately, I don’t write the NBA’s history books though, so I’ll be touching upon these.

In the best-of-three series, Boston’s Bob Cousy was fully in control, dropping 20 points in Game 1 and then a whopping 50 points in Game 2, which went to four overtimes, to advance. Cousy played 66 minutes in that one, going 30-of-32 from the free throw line. The Celtics would lose, however, to the Knicks in the Eastern Division Finals.

1954 Eastern Division Finals: Nationals win 2-0

This was very much an outlier year in the league’s history. They had a round-robin format to begin the playoffs for the only time ever. When Syracuse faced Boston in those games, the Nationals won them both with Hall of Famer Dolph Schayes averaging 24.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

They then faced off again in the Eastern Division Finals with the Nationals prevailing in a two-games sweep. Schayes carried the Nationals with a 27-21-5 effort in a Game 1 home victory before closing things out in Boston in Game 2 two days later.

The Nationals would then advance to the NBA Finals before falling to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games.

1955 Eastern Division Finals: Nationals win 3-1

In a best-of-five format, the Nationals had six scorers average double-figures in the series win: Schayes, Red Kerr, Earl Lloyd, Paul Seymour, George King and Red Rocha.

Cruising to the NBA Finals, the Nationals would win the franchise’s first championship, beating the Fort Wayne Pistons in seven games. Syracuse went from being up 2-0 in the Finals to down 3-2 before righting the ship at home in Game 6 and Game 7 wins.

1956 Eastern Division Semifinals: Nationals win 2-1

After dropping Game 1 in Boston, Syracuse rebounded and took the next two contests. It would be the final time the franchise beats Boston in the playoffs while still playing in Syracuse. The Nationals would go on to lose to the Philadelphia Warriors in six games in the next round.

1957 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 3-0

With first-year center Bill Russell now suiting up for Boston, the Celtics would go on a decade of dominance over this franchise. The rookie averaged 15.3 points and 28.0 rebounds per game in the sweep on the way to Boston’s first championship.

1959 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 4-3

In a seven-game slugfest, the teams alternated victories before Boston won Game 7 130-125, putting them on a path to another championship. Given Russell’s presence, Boston out-rebounded Syracuse 525-431 in the series.

1961 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 4-1

The final specific Nationals-Celtics playoff matchup, Boston took care of things once more. Russell averaged an outrageous 20.6 points, 31.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the series. The Celtics would go on to win their third-straight title.

1965 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 4-3

The first Sixers-Celtics postseason series, this would put into place a five-year run where the teams would meet in the playoffs annually. The Celtics would have a one-point win in a decisive Game 7, which featured the legendary, “Havlicek stole the ball!” radio broadcast call. Boston’s John Havlicek’s steal off a Sixers inbound pass in the final seconds of the game preserved the Celtics’ lead and sent them to the Finals, where they’d win their seventh-straight title.

1966 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 4-1

Far less climactic than their matchup the previous year, Boston just controlled things so much that a 46-point, 34-rebound performance from Wilt Chamberlain in Game 5 didn’t matter. The Celtics would win the NBA title for the eighth year in a row, but the tide would turn the next spring…

1967 Eastern Division Finals: Sixers win 4-1

Revenge! Chamberlain averaged a triple-double with 21.6 points, 32.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game. Fellow Hall of Famers Hall Greer (29.2 PPG) and Chet Walker (20.6 PPG) also averaged more than 20 points per night. A closeout 24-point home win would send the Sixers to the Finals. They’d beat the Warriors, now out in San Francisco, to capture the franchise’s first Philadelphia-based championship.

1968 Eastern Division Finals: Celtics win 4-3

Well, the revenge was short lived! The Sixers became the first team to blow a 3-1 series lead in the NBA postseason in this one, falling in Game 7 at the Spectrum in South Philly. Chamberlain did not attempt a shot from the field in the entire second half. It would be his final game as a Sixer before being traded to the Lakers that summer.

Boston, naturally, would go on to win the title after moving past the Sixers.

1969 Eastern Division Semifinals: Celtics win 4-1

With Chamberlain no longer a threat, Boston made quick work of the Sixers. In what was Russell’s final playoff run in his final season as a player (though he served as player-coach for the time being), the Celtics would eventually win yet another championship.

1977 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Sixers win 4-3

In the first year following the NBA-ABA merger, both teams looked much different than the last time they met in the postseason. Julius Erving, now a Sixer, and Doug Collins, a fourth-year All-Star guard, would both average 23.7 points per game in the series victory. In Game 7, World B. Free would score a game-high 27 points off the bench to give the Sixers a six-point win.

The Sixers would reach the NBA Finals, taking a 2-0 series lead over Portland before embarrassingly losing the next four games by a combined 62 points.

1980 Eastern Conference Finals: Sixers win 4-1

Despite a valiant effort from a rookie Larry Bird, the Sixers once more took down Boston in this era on their way to the NBA Finals. Erving, who finished second in MVP voting that regular season, stuffed the stat sheet this series. Erving averaged 25.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.

The NBA Finals would see the Sixers face Magic Johnson, yet another superstar rookie, and the Lakers, who beat the Sixers in six games.

1981 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics win 4-3

An iconic matchup in NBA lore, the Sixers, just as they did in 1968, would blow a 3-1 series lead to Boston. Those losses in Games 5, 6 and 7 came by a combined five points. Brutality.

The Celtics would win the NBA Finals over Houston in six games after their comeback against the Sixers.

1982 Eastern Conference Finals: Sixers win 4-3

The legend of Andrew Toney was born here. Toney, in just his second NBA season, earned the “Boston Strangler” nickname with his clutch performances against the Celtics.

The Sixers bounced back from a 40-point Game 1 loss that could’ve been otherwise completely demoralizing. Toney would be the leading scorer in Sixers wins in Game 2 and 4 with 30 points and 39 points, respectively. In a winner-takes-all Game 7 at the Boston Garden with a Finals trip on the line, Toney totaled 34 points while shooting more than 60 percent from the field.

Facing Los Angeles in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year, the Sixers would fall in six games again. Sweeping the Lakers in the championship round the following season, after Moses Malone arrived in Philly, would make up for it though.

This remains the most recent time that the Sixers have beaten the Celtics in a playoff series.

1985 Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics win 4-1

The Sixers’ 1983 championship core was on the downslide and starting to display signs of age. The star trio of Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish had plenty of firepower for Boston and two-way guard Dennis Johnson, who joined the Celtics the year prior, made life difficult on the Sixers’ backcourt.

Boston would face the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but fell in six games.

This Sixers-Celtics series was really the end of an era. The two teams wouldn’t face each other in the postseason for another 17 years.

2002 Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics win 3-2

Hey, the first Sixers-Celtics postseason series I was alive to witness!

The Sixers were Eastern Conference Champions the year prior, but their regular season win total dropped from 56 in 2001 to 43. They just weren’t the same quality of team.

The home team won every game in this best-of-five set.

After two losses in Boston, Allen Iverson caught fire in a five-point Game 3 win with 42 points. In Game 4, Iverson provided late-game heroics, scoring eight points in the game’s final 72 seconds to give the Sixers a two-point victory.

The stage was set for a decisive Game 5 in Boston!

The Celtics won 120-87. As wild as it sounds even 24 years later, that game was actually a lot closer than the score would indicate. Boston out-scored the Sixers 43-20 in the fourth quarter due to a barrage of threes after it being a somewhat tightly contested game before that.

Paul Pierce finished with 46 points on the night for Boston while making eight of his 10 three-point attempts.

2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Celtics win 4-3

The Sixers weren’t supposed to be there, but they were. The eighth seed in the East during that lockout-shortened season, they upset Chicago in the first round after a career-altering injury to the Bulls’ Derrick Rose in Game 1. They then faced off with a Celtics team that was running on fumes a bit with an older group of stars that had won a title in 2008 and had made the NBA Finals in 2010.

I give these scrappy Sixers credit. They played over their heads against a Celtics team filled with future Hall of Famers and the rings to boot. The two teams split the first two games of the series in Boston with each game being decided by just a single point. The series ebbed back and forth, while also featuring approximately 400 moving screens from Kevin Garnett, before the Sixers improbably forced a Game 7.

In that matchup in Boston during Memorial Day Weekend, the Sixers fought hard, but talent inevitably won out as the Celtics advanced. Rajon Rondo had a triple-double. Jrue Holiday shot 5-17 from the field. Spencer Hawes got eaten up every second he was on the court. Evan Turner was a game-worst -23. It is what it is.

The series, strangely enough, has since been immortalized in the film Uncut Gems.

2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Celtics win 4-1

There’s no getting around it. This series loss sucked badly.

Ben Simmons had his first of several postseason disappearing acts. Al Horford had Joel Embiid playing the most inefficient basketball of his young career. Sixers role players who were key cogs during the stretch run to the playoffs, like Robert Covington, Marco Belinelli and Ersan İlyasova, all went cold.

After losing the first two games of the series on the road, the Sixers returned home. Could they even things up in South Philly?

Game 3 had the most infamous moment of the series. Belinelli hit a shot at the end of regulation that looked like it might have been a three-pointer, which would’ve given the Sixers the win, but was only a two-pointer, merely tying the game. Confetti erroneously went off in the arena, celebrating a win that was not meant to be. The Sixers would then lose in overtime, giving the Celtics an insurmountable 3-0 series lead that they would wrap up in five games.

The pure feel-good vibes of that season and that playoff push still have not returned for the Sixers.

2020 Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics win 4-0

This series was in the bubble. Simmons was out due to injury. Horford was awful in his one year as a Sixer after briefly leaving Boston. It was awful to watch.

We can just flush this one away, right?

2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Celtics win 4-3

The Sixers let this one slip away. It still sinks. I’m angry just thinking about it.

With Embiid sidelined, James Harden went off in Game 1 with 45 points for the upset road win. The Celtics crushed the Sixers in Game 2 121-87, but you could leave with that because they already stole one!

Game 3 saw the Sixers fall at home, but they evened up the series in Game 4 thanks to 42 points from Harden and 34 points from Embiid.

Headed back to Boston for Game 5, I assumed the Sixers would lose because that’s just what they do. I was wrong though! Embiid had 33. 22-year-old Tyrese Maxey had a star-in-the-making performance with 30 points. The Sixers won! They were up 3-2! They could close this bad boy out in South Philly and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 22 years!

Well, that didn’t come to fruition.

Game 6 saw Harden shoot 25 percent from the field while going 0-of-6 from deep. Tobias Harris pathetically shot 1-of-7. The Sixers actually held a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter. They couldn’t finish. It was crushing to watch it all unfold in real time.

Game 7 was a formality as the Celtics destroyed the Sixers 112-88. Everyone no-showed that one.

Those final two losses sum this entire era of Sixers basketball.

Well, I hope that all wasn’t too depressing. I imagine most Sixers fans are just numb to it now!

I always find myself wandering through the history of the Phoenix Suns. There is always something tucked away waiting to be found, some random nugget that makes you pause for a second and think, “Huh, I didn’t know that.” At this point I’ve spent enough time digging, writing, and obsessing, including putting together the whole All Time Pyramid project, that I feel comfortable calling myself a Suns historian. It’s not born completely from lived experience, but from pure curiosity and the inability to leave things unexplored. So when a postseason matchup pops up, it is like an open invitation to go back and see what the past has to say.

And now here we are. The Suns are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder in a best-of-seven first-round series that tips off tomorrow at 12:30pm. On the surface, you would think there is some kind of playoff history between these teams, something to pull from, and/or something to reference.

If we are talking Phoenix versus Oklahoma City, there isn’t.

Since the Thunder relocated from Seattle in 2008, these two franchises have never crossed paths in the postseason. Their timelines never quite lined up. Phoenix was rolling through the late 2000s and playing meaningful basketball while Oklahoma City was still finding its footing. Then the Thunder rose up with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, and the Suns slipped into that long, dark stretch where April basketball became something you watched other teams play.

The last time both organizations were in the postseason at the same time was 2024, and even then, nothing materialized. Phoenix exited early, and the Thunder were off on their own path, facing the Dallas Mavericks. So if you keep it clean and modern, Suns versus Thunder playoff history does not exist. No box scores, no series, no shared moments.

But history has a way of stretching if you let it.

Because the Thunder carry the city of Seattle with them, and if you choose to include that chapter, then suddenly there is a story to tell. The Suns and the SuperSonics met four times in the postseason, a total of 25 playoff games, a series of four meetings that actually meant something. Three of those series ended with the winner going on to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, which tells you everything about the weight those matchups carried.

So while this version of the matchup is new, the feeling around it is not entirely unfamiliar. There is history here, it is simply wearing a different jersey.

---

1976

The first time these two franchises crossed paths in the postseason takes you back to 1976, the season that put the Phoenix Suns on the Finals map for the first time and gave the franchise one of its defining early chapters.

Back then, the league looked different. Six teams made the postseason and the Seattle SuperSonics came in as the two seed at 43-39, coached by the legendary Bill Russell. The Suns slid in right behind them at 42-40 as the three seed.

The early round setup felt like a prototype of the modern Play-In, with a quick best of three for the lower seeds to survive and advance. That chaos did not touch Phoenix or Seattle. They were dropped straight into a best-of-seven against each other.

Seattle had firepower. Fred Brown dropped 28.5 a night, Tom Burleson added 20.8, enough offense to win most nights in that era. It did not matter. Phoenix had more answers, more contributors, more ways to tilt a game. The Suns took the series 4-2, riding the steady brilliance of Paul Westphal, who put up 24.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Gar Heard owned the glass with 9.3 rebounds, and six Suns averaged in double figures.

From there, the run kept rolling. The Suns took out the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game battle, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

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1979

The next time these two franchises met in the postseason came three years later, in 1979. The NBA had expanded, and the playoff format shifted again. The top two seeds received a first-round bye, while the third seed played the sixth and the fourth played the fifth. The Phoenix Suns went 50-32 and landed as the three seed. It was a strange setup. Phoenix had the second-best record in the Western Conference, but the Seattle SuperSonics won the Pacific Division at 52-30. The Kansas City Kings, at 48-34, claimed the two seed by winning the Midwest Division. That left the Suns playing an extra series.

They handled their business. Phoenix beat the Portland Trail Blazers 2-1 in a best-of-three, then took down the Kings 4-1 to reach the Western Conference Finals. Waiting there, once again, was Seattle. The teams had met four times in the regular season, and the Suns went 1-3. Their lone win came in the 77th game of the year in an overtime victory.

What followed was a battle. The home team took each of the first four games. Phoenix broke that pattern in Game 5, winning 99-93 on the road and taking a 3-2 lead back home for Game 6. It’s a game not many mention when they talk about Arizona sports and the games the state has choked away, but this was one of them.

It was Mother’s Day 1979. The Suns had not lost at home in 10 weeks. Sixteen straight wins at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. They led by eight in the fourth quarter, still up six with a little over seven minutes to play. Then it slipped. Seattle took the lead on a Gus Williams jumper with 52 seconds left. Phoenix never got it back. Walter Davis missed an 18-footer that glanced off Jack Sikma, giving the Suns one final chance with one second remaining. They could not get it to Paul Westphal or Davis. The ball went to Gar Heard, and the shot did not fall.

Game 7 went back to Seattle. The Suns lost 114-110.

It is a game that rarely comes up, that Game 6 against the 1979 SuperSonics. Hold serve there, close it out at home, and the path to a first championship feels real. Seattle took that opportunity instead, moving on to beat the Washington Bullets 4 to 1 in the Finals.

May 17, 1979: Seattle’s Gus Williams with a clutch block on Paul Westphal during the final minute in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

Williams had 29 PTS and Jack Sikma had 33 PTS/11 REB in a 114-110 win over the Suns, as the Sonics advanced to a 2nd-straight NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/28Ye4hDY5I

— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) May 17, 2022

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1993

The next time these two franchises met came in 1993. The Phoenix Suns were the number one seed at 62-20, facing the third-seeded Seattle SuperSonics, who finished 55-27. Another Western Conference Finals. Another trip to the NBA Finals on the line.

Phoenix got it done this time. It was a back-and-forth series, both teams trading wins, each punch answered with another. Neither team won two consecutive games in the series. It built all the way to Game 7, with the Suns holding home court.

And then Charles Barkley took over.

44 points. 24 rebounds. A full takeover performance. Kevin Johnson added 22 points and nine assists, steady and in control. Danny Ainge chipped in 13 off the bench, knocking down 3-of-5 from deep.

This game carries a reputation. You look at the numbers and it jumps off the page. The Suns went 57-of-64 from the line. Shawn Kemp fouled out. Nate McMillan fouled out. Suns’ announcer Eddie Johnson, playing for Seattle at the time, fouled out agianst his former team. The Sonics were hit with 38 personal fouls. It was constant pressure, constant whistles, Phoenix living at the line and making it count.

The final was 123-110. The Suns moved on to their second NBA Finals appearance.

June 1, 1993: Charles Barkley's putback dunk & excessive rim hang/pullup in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Barkley: 43 PTS (16-22 FG), 15 REB, 10 AST

Suns 120, Sonics 114. pic.twitter.com/dMVVnvpkQJ

— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) June 1, 2021

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1997

The last time these two organizations met in the postseason was 29 years ago. The Seattle SuperSonics came in at 52-25, facing a Phoenix Suns group that finished 40-42 and still found its way into the bracket. Phoenix entered as the seven seed, and they pushed. This was a best-of-five, and it went the distance. The Suns grabbed a 2-1 series lead and had Game 4 at home with a chance to close it out.

That Game 4 is the one people remember.

Phoenix trailed by as many as 11 late in the fourth, then ripped off a 19-7 run to force overtime. It came on one of the most iconic shots in franchise history. Rex Chapman, 22 feet, falling out of bounds, three in the air, tying the game with 1:07 left and sending it to overtime.

May 1, 1997: Rex Chapman's shot (assisted by Jason Kidd) sends Game 4 of the Suns' first round series with the Sonics into OT.

Chapman had 22 PTS, Kidd had 23 PTS/14 AST and Kevin Johnson had 23 PTS/11 AST but Phoenix lost in OT, 122-115. Seattle's Gary Payton had 28 PTS/14 AST. pic.twitter.com/h30OvlB4fh

— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) May 1, 2024

Seattle answered. They took control in the extra period, outscoring Phoenix 15-8 and evening the series at 2-2.

Game 5 went back to Seattle. The Sonics pulled away late, a 35-19 fourth quarter that put it out of reach, closing it out 116-92. Wesley Person led the Suns in scoring that night, a quiet end to a series that felt like it was right there for the taking.

Seattle would lose in the next round to the Houston Rockets, however, making it the only time that a series played between the Suns and Sonics did not produce a team that would represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.

Interesting historical factoid about the postseason history between the Suns and the Thunder (Sonics):

Phoenix vs Seattle/OKC has met 4 times in the postseason (1976, 1979, 1993, 1997). In 3 of those series, the winner advanced to the NBA Finals. Only exception? 1997.

— John Voita, III (@DarthVoita) April 18, 2026

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So there you go, a condensed playoff history between the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle SuperSonics, now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you are keeping tabs, across 25 playoff games, the Suns hold a 13-12 edge. The four series are split, 2-2. This upcoming series is the proverbial rubber match.

A couple more numbers to round it out. Oklahoma City/Seattle lead the all-time postseason scoring by 28 points. They have 2,679 points. Phoenix sits at 2,651.

Now we shift to the present. Two very different teams, one in a different city, both stepping into a new series. The gap this time stands out. Phoenix finished 45-37. Oklahoma City went 64-18. Two of those losses came against the Suns, a small reminder that matchups still matter.

Another chapter is about to be written. More history is about to be made.

Heroes and zeros from the Knicks’ 113-102 Game 1 win over the Hawks on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden:  

Hero

Jalen Brunson set the tone, scoring 19 first-quarter points en route to a somewhat comfortable Game 1 victory. Brunson finished with 28 points along with seven assists.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder had to be having flashbacks to the 2022 playoffs, when he was the Jazz coach and Brunson torched Utah as a member of the Mavericks. 

Zero

Nickeil Alexander-Walker had the best season of his seven-year NBA career, but he struggled in Game 1.

He managed 17 points, but needed 16 shots and wasn’t nearly as impactful a defender as he can be. 

Unsung hero

Karl-Anthony Towns was terrific in the regular season against the Hawks, and that continued in Game 1.

Towns was efficiency and productive, finishing with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 33 solid minutes. 

Key stat

28.5 — Hawks 3-point percentage in the second half, after shooting 50 percent from deep in the first half.

Quote

“It’s nonnegotiable; we have to bring it every single night and be locked in.”

— Miles McBride on the Knicks bringing their second-half defensive effort to every game of the playoffs.

OG Anunoby’s bothersome left ankle seems just fine.

The star Knicks wing injured the ankle in the second-to-last game of the regular season and sat out the finale, but didn’t slow him down in the Knicks playoff opener, even though he tweaked it Saturday.

“It’s OK,” he said. “I just rolled it; it just happened.”

This was classic Anunoby, making an impact at both ends of the floor, as the Knicks topped the Hawks 113-102 at the Garden.

Anunoby scored 19 points, added eight rebounds and helped shut down Atlanta after halftime as the Knicks broke open a close game with a dominant second half. The Hawks managed just 47 points over the final two quarters as they were outscored by nine.

Anunoby enjoyed a solid second season as a Knick, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and shooting 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He appeared in 67 games. This time of year, however, is what’s most important. Keeping him healthy is essential for the Knicks if they want to return to the Eastern Conference final.

He’s one of their best all-around players, a critical cog on the defensive end. They went 45-22 during the regular season this year with him on the floor.

On Saturday, he was efficient, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and hitting two 3-pointers, while playing his usual lockdown defense. With Anunoby on the court, the Knicks outscored the Hawks by nine. The only Knick with a better rating was Miles McBride, who was a plus-12 in 21 minutes.

“I think I played good. I could always be better,” Anunoby said.

Asked where he would like to improve for Game 2, Anunoby responded: “Everything.”

It was a very good start for the Knicks, who, aside from some brief slippage late in the fourth quarter, had their way with the Hawks in the first game of the series. Anunoby was a big part of that, as a scoring complement to Jalen Brunson and a defensive linchpin.

“OG hit some big shots,” coach Mike Brown said after picking up his first playoff win as Knicks coach.

CLEVELAND — White dress shirt, white sport jacket, white bowtie, white three-quarter-length dress shorts, white socks, and a pair of his own signature basketball shoes. Whether or not they were the same pair James Harden wore 45 minutes earlier during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 126-113 Game 1 win over the Toronto Raptors is unknown.

What we do know is that it takes a certain kind of superstar to have the confidence to make an outfit like this work on an overcast and rainy Cleveland spring day. And Harden is exactly that kind of star. The kind that the Cavs have needed in their last few postseason runs.

Being able to dictate the terms of a series doesn’t mean that you’ll win it. It does, however, force the other team to beat you at your own game.

The Cavs were able to do that in Game 1. They kept the Raptors from running in the open court and forced them to outscore them in the half-court. And you have to be a well oiled machine in the half-court if you’re going to beat a Harden-led team that way. The Raptors are not.

Harden made the difference here.

There are All-Star caliber players, and then there’s ones who’s presence causes the entire defense to shift. Every time Harden had the ball, the defense needed to adjust to account for what he could do. Whether it was sending players his way in the pick-and-roll or simply shading over to hopefully cut off his pathways to the hoop, the Raptors were aware of where he was on the court at all times.

“It’s the thing that makes everything click,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Harden. “He gets us clicking. It’s like a quarterback that’s super accurate. He’s just kind of picking them apart with short passes.”

That opened everything up for his teammates. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley didn’t have the gaudiest scoring totals, but they were incredibly efficient. Six of the duo’s 11 combined field goals were assisted by Harden.

The Raptors don’t have an easy way of stopping the Harden pick-and-roll.

Jakob Poeltl is more of a drop big in the pick-and-roll. Like most centers, he doesn’t have the footspeed to be at the level of the screen. Because of this, Cleveland decided to start these actions much higher than the top of the arc, just a few paces inside half court. This forced the defense to guard more space, and that meant there was more room for the offense to attack.

When the defense shifted over to contain the Harden drive, he was able to dump it off to one of the bigs.

And if they gave Harden an alley, he was able to float it in for a basket over the top.

Toronto’s best counter was to send extra help into the paint and force the ball to swing outside. But that invites a whole different problem with the Cavs’ shooters.

The extra attention Harden demands also created driving lanes for Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell’s ability to get downhill is what makes him a star. In the past, we’ve seen teams load up inside to make it difficult for him to finish in the paint. This strategy doesn’t completely stop Mitchell, but it can begin to wear him down, as we saw late in the Game 2 loss to the Indiana Pacers last season.

The Raptors tried to make Mitchell finish through bodies inside, but that task is much more difficult to do when your attention is split elsewhere. Mitchell finished with 32 points, which included going 7-13 on shots in the paint and having seven attempts at the free-throw line. It was the ninth straight time Mitchell has opened a series with 30 or more points in Game 1.

“It’s his job,” Harden said. “That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for.”

Mitchell has changed his offensive philosophy for the regular season. Instead of trying to get to the basket as much as he can, he’s opted instead for floaters in the lane to save his body for the postseason. But getting to the rim like this was always the plan for the playoffs.

“[I’m just trying] to continue to put pressure on teams,” Mitchell said. “That’s where I feel like I thrive, and making the defense have to react to that.”

The pairing between Mitchell and Harden feels comfortable in the playoffs. It was only one game — and not a particularly close one at that — but the duo did a good job of playing off of each other. That’s made possible because of the willingness each has to cede control to the other.

“We understand that,” Harden said when asked about Mitchell’s scoring. “So our job is to just go out there and fulfill the roles and do other things to impact the game. If he got it going, he’s going to give you 40, 50 (points). I think for us it’s just finding other ways.”

Max Strus changed the game with his scoring. He helped cap off a first-quarter run that saw the Cavs turn a five-point deficit into a four-point advantage by scoring five points in the final 25 seconds. He then poured in eight points at the start of the third quarter to help the Cavs turn a seven-point advantage into a 22-point one.

Strus is a streaky shooter. He had it going on Saturday afternoon as he poured in 24 points on 8-10 shooting, which included going 4-6 from three.

As good as the shooting was, Strus brings much more than that. If he makes shots, it’s a “bonus” according to Harden. The leadership that Strus provides and his ability to do the little things that impact winning are what make him invaluable. And it wasn’t always a guarantee that he’d be able to provide it, given the injuries he was dealing with throughout the season.

“One thing I learned is to never doubt that man,” Mitchell said. “He’s put the time and put the work in. … There was no doubt he was going to come back and make an impact.”

The transition defense was excellent.

The Cavs spent the lead-up to the series talking about how they need to match the Raptors’ speed. Toronto came into this game taking the third-most shots in transition in the league. You wouldn’t have known that if you just watched them here.

The Cavs were able to do this by hustling back in transition, stopping the ball in the open court, occasionally attacking the offensive glass, limiting turnovers, and generating clean offense. This all led to Toronto finishing with just three fast-break points. That’s nearly 16 points less than their season-long average.

The Raptors don’t have the firepower or the shot profile to easily hang with the Cavs.

Before the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković talked about wanting to have his team continue to stick to their identity going up against a group that shoots as well as the Cavs. “We cannot be changing, and we don’t want to be changing at this stage.”

That’s fair, and could be the correct game plan, but the Raptors don’t have the offensive weapons to stay in a game the Cavs are taking and making threes like this. That’s true even when the Raptors hit 48.1% of their own threes. The Raptors just aren’t taking enough looks from the outside.

The most efficient places to score on the court are the rim, free-throw line, and from beyond the arc. The Cavs did those things incredibly well. Cleveland took 42% of their shots at the rim (89th percentile) and 36% of their shots from three (36th percentile). Meanwhile, the Raptors split their shots evenly between the rim, midrange, and beyond the arc. That includes taking 13% of their shots between 14 feet and the three-point line (91st percentile).

The Cavs were hitting their threes — and that’s worth acknowledging — but it’s difficult to keep up with your opponent in most circumstances when the shots you’re forced into taking are simply much harder.

The pathway forward for the Raptors is more difficult than simply making more shots. They have to either change where they’re taking them or keep the Cavs from getting to their spots.

Despite how lopsided this game felt, the series isn’t over yet.

“We’ve got a long way to go,” Harden said. “Our job is to stay in the moment and take one game at a time. … Things happen fast. Our job is to focus on what we can do better, watch film tomorrow, and then come out in Game 2 and be ready to go.”