Category: Basketball

In the playoffs, one play can chance the outlook of an entire series. For the San Antonio Spurs, that play was Victor Wembanyama smacking his face against the hardwood after tripping over Jrue Holiday. Wembanyama would play just 12 minutes in Game Two, and is now in concussion protocols, meaning he could miss more games.

The Spurs didn’t get blown away without Wembanyama. In fact, they built a 14-point fourth-quarter lead without him. However, a breakdown of late-game offense led to a 106-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2. With the series tied at 1-1, the Spurs will head to Portland looking to reclaim home court advantage. The margins without Wembanyama are slim. FanDuel has the Spurs as a -120 favorite in Game Three. The Spurs will need the supporting cast to play even better in Portland if they don’t want to go down 2-1.

It was a mixed bag from San Antonio’s supporting cast on Tuesday. They’ll be the main focus for Game Two’s player grades. As a quick reminder, these grades are based on each player’s on-court performance, going beyond just the stat sheet. A “B” grade represents the average performance for an individual. If a player logs fewer than 5 minutes or plays only in garbage time, their grade will be incomplete.

Victor Wembanyama

12 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, -7

Wembanyama has to be graded on his 12 minutes of play, and not the impact his injury had on the team. The Blazers were doing a lot to deny him from getting the ball in the first half. They sniffed out the Spurs usual flex screens and dribble handoffs to get him the ball. When Wembanyama is back, San Antonio needs to get creative with how they get him the ball. The Spurs desperately need him if they want to win this series.

Grade: B

De’Aaron Fox

34 minutes, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, 4 fouls, 6-for-16 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, -14

Fox looked good for the majority of the game. He disappeared late in the game when San Antonio needed him most. The Spurs insisted on spamming dribble handoffs at the top of the key with Fox and Vassell, which the Blazers obviously knew was coming. They jumped everything and blew up the action, causing the Spurs offense to completely break down. Part of the blame for the bad late-game offense is on the coaching staff for a lack of creative offensive sets, and the other part falls on the Spurs guards for failing to create separation like they had earlier in the game.

A large part of the offensive load now falls on Fox’s shoulders. He has proven in the past that he can rise to the occasion. Whether or not he can do it against Portland could decide the series.

Grade: B-

Stephon Castle

38 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 7-for-20 shooting, 2-for-6 threes, –1

Castle missed some key shots late, including an air-balled mid-range jumper that would have tied the game. He still seems to be forcing it a bit offensively. Castle is at his best when he’s able to get downhill and either score with power around the rim or get fouled. He got to the free throw line five times in Game Two, but only converted two free throws. It’s become clear that Portland’s strategy for guarding him with a big is working, as it’s keeping him out of the paint fairly consistently. The Spurs have to find a counter.

He’s doing a lot of work defensively trying to stay in front of Deni Advija, and held him to just 14 points in Game Two. Without Wembanyama roaming the paint, his role on the defensive end becomes even more important.

Grade: B–

Julian Champagnie

27 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 5 fouls, 3-for-4 shooting, 2-for-3 threes, -14

Champagnie once again hit some big shots. He attacked the rim for a contested layup and hit some big threes. He was in foul trouble for most of the game, finishing with 5 fouls. Champagnie has bene playing decent defense, but the Blazers are definitely hunting him on that end. They brought him into the action late trying to attack him in the half court.

Grade: B

Devin Vassell

34 minutes, 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-for-16 shooting, 0-for-5 threes, -1

Vassell continues to be one of the Spurs’ best offensive players in the series. He maynnot have hit a three on Tuesday, but he is getting to his spots in the mid-range and hitting some tough shots. He was a major reason the team was able to build that big fourth-quarter lead. Vassell grabbed a ton of tough boards but missed the most important one, letting Jrue Holiday get around him for the go ahead put-back late in the game. Vassell was a few inches away from an A+ grade. His game-tying three-point attempt was oh-so-close to going down.

Grade: B

Dylan Harper

23 minutes, 10 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, 4-for-7 shooting, +4

Harper looked much more confident in Game Two. He and Scoot Henderson were going at each other all game long, and talking smack while doing it. He showed great poise knocking down paint jumpers over the top of the Blazers’ bigs. He still is making a few too many rookie mistakes, including an odd double dribble while switching hands on a floater late in the game. He’s going to have the Scoot assignment when he is in the game, and the Spurs need to pick up his defensive effort to slow him down.

Grade: B

Luke Kornet

28 minutes, 10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 4-for-5 shooting, +11

Kornet now becomes a key player in this series. Without Wembanyama, he’s the Spurs’ only playable big man. He did exactly what San Antonio needed him to do on Tuesday. There wasn’t a huge drop-off when Wembanyama went out. In fact, the Spurs played better with Kornet on the floor. He stood his ground around the rim and was active on the glass, grabbing 5 offensive boards.

Strategically, Kornet’s starting changes a lot for Portland. They can’t just put a big man on Castle and have him sag into the paint, because Kornet will hurt him inside and on the offensive glass. The real question becomes what the Spurs do to back him up.

Grade: A

Harrison Barnes

15 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1-for-3 shooting, 0-for-1 threes, +13

Barnes also exited the game with an injury late. It’s been reported that he will be back for Game 3. The Spurs will need all of the big bodies they can get without Wembanyama. San Antonio looked more under control with Barnes in the game. He made some smart decisions, including following his own shot and getting fouled after an offensive board. Now the Spurs just need him to hit some outside shots.

Grade:B

Keldon Johnson

18 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-for-7 shooting, 1-for-3 threes, +7

Johnson hasn’t made the same impact he did in the regular season. Where is the paint scoring we’ve seen all year? He’s getting to the rim, just struggling to finish. There seems to be a tentativeness from Johnson on both ends that didn’t exist earlier in the year. The Spurs need more aggression from KJ, especially now that they could be without their best offensive player.

Grade: C

Carter Bryant

12 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 fouls, 3-for-5 shooting, 1-for-2 threes, -13

Bryant played well in his 12 minutes. His role is now crucial to the Spurs’ chances in this series. He is San Antonio’s de facto backup big man, since Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo have not proven to be able to provide much value off the bench. Bryant spaces the floor and provides excellent energy as a small-ball 5. The problem is… he’s not a center. Especially not on a playoff team. Portland is going to go right at Bryant in small-ball lineups. It’s a tough position for Bryant to be in, but so far, he has risen to the challenge.

Grade: B+

Inactives: Harrison Ingram, David Jones-Garcia, Emanuel Miller

The Detroit Pistons will try to even their first-round playoff series in Game 2 against the Orlando Magic. Paolo Banchero scored 23 points as Orlando took Game 1 in Detroit. The over/under for Game 2 is set at 218.5, with Detroit favored by 8.5 points on the spread.

How to watch Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons

• Date: Wednesday, April 22

• Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

• Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

• TV Channels: ESPN

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

Odds

• Spread: Detroit Pistons -8.5

• Moneyline: Detroit Pistons -400 (76.6%) / Orlando Magic +310 (23.4%)

• Over/Under: 218.5

Series schedule

Game 1:Magic 112, Pistons 101
Game 2: Wed., April 22, at Detroit (7 p.m., ESPN)
Game 3: Sat., April 25, at Orlando (1 p.m., Peacock)
Game 4: Mon. April 27, at Orlando (time and network TBD)
*Game 5: Wed., April 29, at Detroit (time and network TBD)
*Game 6: Fri., May 1, at Orlando (time and network TBD)
*Game 7: Sun., May 3, at Detroit (time and network TBD)

*if necessary

A playoff series is never easy for the Knicks. The team hasn’t played in a series that went fewer than six games since the 2023 first round against the Cleveland Cavaliers. After blowing a 12-point fourth quarter lead in a 107-106 Game 2 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, that streak has a good chance of continuing. And the Knicks have a variety of issues to address.

With the series tied, 1-1, New York will be in Atlanta for Game 3 on Thursday night. 

Here are the keys to the game...

Stagger-less

Head coach Mike Brown’s decision to not stagger Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson has proven to be a fatal mistake through two games. Units with four bench players and starter OG Anunoby were passable during the first game, but Monday night’s loss was a different story.

In Game 2, lineups without Towns and Brunson played 11 minutes and 22 seconds together. That’s too long in a playoff game to not have an offensive initiator or a player capable of bending the defense. The Knicks have been outscored by 13.5 points per 100 possessions in 20 minutes with both of their All-Stars on the bench, according to PBP Stats.

Though it didn’t seem like Brown felt the decision to not stagger the minutes of his two stars greatly affected New York’s loss, continuing this strategy would be a critical mistake. The Knicks were already burned once with the decision. Trotting out lineups at this point without either Towns or Brunson would be borderline malpractice. 

Less involved 

In two years with the Knicks, the number one storyline for Towns has been the inability of the offense to function when the All-Star center is defended by a wing. Towns scored 18 points on just 12 shots in Game 2. He was limited to just two shot attempts in the fourth quarter.  

There were several times Towns wasn’t involved in the offense, as wings like Dyson Daniels and Jonathan Kuminga guarded him throughout the game. When Towns isn’t involved, New York’s offense bogs down and leans too much on Brunson. On nights when Brunson is flourishing, it can work, but the Knicks’ All-Star guard was 10-for-26 from the field on Monday night.

As mentioned before, this was supposed to be the series for Towns to thrive. The Hawks are extremely small, playing just one traditional center in Onyeka Okongwu. New York should allow Towns to initiate more of the offense at the top of the key, where he can excel as a passer in off-ball split cut actions.

Vintage performer

New York has largely done a good defensive job in the first two games on the Hawks. Atlanta’s top two regular season scorers -- Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker -- were held to a combined 26 points on 9-for-24 shooting.

But 13-year veteran CJ McCollum picked up the slack, torching the Knicks for 32 points in Game 2. 

The 34-year old guard has been defended by Brunson for much of the series. Even when the Knicks have moved Brunson to another player, Atlanta has worked to get the Knicks point guard switched on him over and over again. The Knicks waited too late to throw a trap McCollum’s way in Game 2, and by the middle of the second half, he caught fire.

McCollum also scored 26 points in Game 1. His tight handle and ability to pull up in the midrange makes him a tough player to defend.

How the Knicks guard McCollum the rest of the series will be interesting. Will they trap? Will they blitz? Can they avoid switching?

The offense is the bigger issue, but New York has to try to limit McCollum going forward.

Marcus Smart’s assignment in Game 2 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets was as challenging as it gets. 

Guard Kevin Durant, the greatest scorer of all-time.

What was going through his mind?

“Oh s–t,” Smart told the California Post, chuckling. “Literally, oh s–t.”

Smart responded by transforming into a gnat that Durant couldn’t swat. He pestered him. He swarmed him. He made his life miserable. 

He held Durant to 23 points, including just three points on 1-for-5 shooting in the second half of the Lakers’ 101-94 win over the Rockets. Durant, who was returning from a right knee injury, committed nine turnovers. 

“Oh s–t worked out,” Smart told the California Post. “…He just makes me better as a defender. He tests me as a defender.”

Smart didn’t just get an “A” on that assignment. He was the best version of himself. He was a ball of energy. He was a sharpshooter. He was a paint attacker. He was a leader. 

He had the second-most points of anyone on the court behind LeBron James (28), finishing with 25 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, including going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. He also had seven assists, five steals and one blocked shot. 

“Smart, he just had a killer game today,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Funny enough, when the Lakers’ season was swirling the drain after Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) suffered injuries that could sideline them 4-6 weeks, Redick turned to Smart. 

“We had a conversation in San Francisco,” Redick said. “I’m not going to share with you the details, but the biggest thing was just, because he has the voice he has, he can help create the belief and the confidence in our group.”

Redick tasked Smart with the impossible: Convince a disheartened team that they had a shot in the playoffs without their top two scorers. 

Smart took that responsibility seriously. 

Ever since the Lakers acquired him in July on a two-year, $11 million deal following a contract buyout with the Washington Wizards, he was hellbent on resuscitating his career. 

The former Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 had atrophied into irrelevance amid two injury-riddled seasons with the Grizzlies and Wizards.

This was his chance to turn things around. 

“Coming into this season, with all the doubts that everybody had about me, then our two best players go down and everyone’s looking around, like, ‘What are we going to do?” Smart told the California Post. “For JJ to say, ‘We have a guy over here that can make plays for us, that can take up some of that slack and we’re going to use him,’ that speaks volumes about the work that I’ve been putting in, the trust that they have in me and the trust that this team built.”

Smart convinced his teammates they could win. And on Tuesday, he demonstrated what unbridled effort looks like on both ends of the court. 

He boxed up Durant. And he unleashed himself.

Smart’s journey to this moment was winding. 

Back in January 2018, he nearly lost use of his right hand after punching a picture frame following missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Celtics in a 108-107 loss to the Lakers. 

Then, after helping carry the Celtics to the playoffs in all nine of his seasons with the team, including the 2022 Finals, he was dealt to Memphis in 2023 as part of a three-team deal for Kristaps Porzingis. 

That sent his career into a tailspin alongside floundering franchises. 

When he was at his nadir, the Lakers came calling. Doncic wanted to team up with him. Redick was also intrigued by the 32-year-old after playing against him in the playoffs and then closely studying his impact during the 2022 Finals when the now-coach served as a television analyst.

“It’s easy to write somebody off as being older or not being as good,” Redick said. “But all of the analytics defensively, the analytics as a secondary playmaker, they were all really favorable. So, we felt really comfortable bringing him on board.”

It was a smart gamble.

He has thrived in Los Angeles. He’s the cornerstone of the team’s defense. He was a finalist for the Teammate of the Year Award. 

And with the Lakers’ backs seemingly against the wall in the first round of the playoffs, he has shined.

“I mean, he’s battle-tested,” James said. “The guy’s been to the Finals, been in multiple playoff games, big games in his career. So, obviously, he’s not afraid of the moment. He’s always been assigned some of the best players that ever played this game in his career. So, to have someone like that, you know, it just brings a lot [of] composure to our team as well.”

Things have turned around for Smart.

He’s showing what he can do. He’s reminding everyone he’s an elite defender. And he’s savoring every moment of it.

When asked what this opportunity means to him, he flashed a wide grin.

“Everything,” he told the California Post. “I thank God everyday for it. This is a dream. This is my dream. This is how I take care of my family. This is something that I love to do. It’s my safe space when things are going haywire for me in my regular life.

“And to be able to say, I have another chance to go out here and redeem myself is the best feeling you can have.”

Pop quiz one focused on Giannis Antetokounmpo, while pop quiz two featured Ryan Rollins. Up next is the most divisive Buck, Kevin “Sakuta” Porter Jr. 

Season in a snippet

38 GP, 33.2 MPG, 17.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 7.4 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG, .465/.322/.878

Kyle’s end of season grade: B-

Porter ended last season on such a tear that Jon Horst waived and stretched Damian Lillard’s contract to sign Myles Turner and hand him the keys—and I wrote a screenplay about it! Everything looked good early too. Porter was officially named starting point guard in late November, and through the first nine minutes of opening night he already had 10 points, two assists, and a steal. Then, in what would end up being a harbinger of things to come for both Porter and the Bucks, he rolled an ankle stepping on Bobby Portis’ foot that caused him to miss several games. Things only got worse for KPJ when he sustained a meniscus injury during on-court return-to-play training that kept him sidelined for another four weeks. Still, I was so convinced that this was his “rebirth” season that I doubled down and wrote anotherscreenplay in preparation for his return. 

When he did return, KPJ’s play vindicated my efforts; the Bucks immediately snapped a seven-game losing streak and Porter started posting monster stat lines—thirty-point nights, triple-doubles, nearing the league lead in steals. However, as has been the case throughout his career, his play didn’t always translate to wins, with the Bucks hovering around .500 until he was forced out yet again, this time with knee swelling. His return from this was much more successful from a winning standpoint—the Bucks went 7-2 as Porter put up 21.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 7.9 APG, and 2.7 SPG—but it didn’t last long. The Bucks spiralled and Porter underwent season-ending knee surgery, leaving him to spend the off-season rehabbing and mulling over his player option for 2026–27.

Tantalising totals

(1) Porter finished with nine double-digit assist performances in just 38 total games. How many did the rest of the team have combined? 

Click to reveal answer Nine (Rollins 4, Giannis 2, Dieng 2, Sims 1).

(2) Porter led the Bucks with two triple-doubles on the season. Against which Eastern Conference teams did he achieve these?

Click to reveal answer Boston (18, 10, 13) and Orlando (18, 10, 11). Both wins.

(3) Porter hit 35/92 three-pointers (38%) in his first 19 games of the season. How many did he hit in his final 19 games? 

Click to reveal answer 11/51 (22%).

Atypically advanced

(1) True or false: Despite being maligned for over-dribbling and shooting, Porter had a higher assist-to-usage ratio than Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Devin Booker, and Donovan Mitchell.

Click to reveal answer True, 1.21 compared to Holiday’s 1.18, White’s 0.94, Booker’s 0.89, and Mitchell’s 0.80.

(2) True or false: Porter’s true shooting percentage this season (56.7%) was a career high? 

Click to reveal answer True, besting his previous career-high of 56.5% in 2021-22.

Obscure optics   

(1) Planning for this season, the Bucks put a lot of stock in last season’s Porter-Trent-Green-Giannis-Portis five-man lineup, which finished with a +56.0 net rating. Substituting Portis for Turner, this lineup was again highly successful, finishing with a +42.9 net rating. How many total minutes did they play together: 17, 55, 99, or 174?

Click to reveal answer 17 (technically, 16.42).

---

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?

BOSTON — For many Celtics fans, Tuesday’s Game 2 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers might feel like a catatrasophe.

But for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, it’s part of the difficult journey that is the NBA playoffs, a journey they both know quite well as they begin their 9th playoff run as teammates.

“That’s a good team over there,” Tatum said. “The NBA is hard. Bunch of guys over there that are prideful and obviously wanted to come out and play better, and that was to be expected, and you got to give them credit. They did.”

After a 32-point Game 1 win, it appeared that the Celtics were in control of the series, and that the three-point shooting gap between the two teams would be difficult to close.

But in Game 2, things flipped. Philadelphia shot 19-39 (48.7%) from three and the Celtics shot just 13-50 (26%) from beyond the arc. And, Boston got outworked, a rarity this season.

“I just thought they out-competed us tonight,” Brown said. “I think our intensity level could have been better. Defensively, we could have been better. We died on some screens. We just got to be better. It’s the playoffs. They got ball players over there, and they came to play. Any given night, you could lose a game if you don’t come out with the right mindset.”

Despite that, Brown was relatively upbeat at the podium after the 111-97 loss. There have been losses this season after which the Celtics’ star was overwhelmingly frustrated; this was not one of them.

Why was that?

“I trust our group,” Brown said. “We’ve grown a lot over the course of the season. Obviously, this is the ultimate test, playing in the playoffs, and we got players who have gotten better and developed, and we’re gonna rely on them. I trust them to come out, make those plays, and contribute to the game. We just got to continue to have the right mentality, have each other’s back, just breathe.”

That unflappable sentiment was shared by Jayson Tatum, too. Tatum, who returned from an Achilles rupture six weeks ago, has a renewed perspective on what it means to even be in this position.

“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said. “Sounds cliche, but man, I’m back in the playoffs, and for me, it’s a win every day that I get to come back from what happened last May, and been able to play at this level for the last month. And, obviously going to continue to get better, but I get to walk out the court with my own two feet. And, as long as I do that every day, I win a little bit.”

Losing undoubtedly sucks. But, Tatum said he’s processing this type of adversity a little bit differently in the context of his injury.

“Especially since it’s just so fresh,” Tatum said. “And that’s not to say — obviously, frustrated after a loss. I wish I would have played better, wish we would have played better.”

But, even irregardless of the Achilles tear, Tatum has learned not to overreact to losses in the playoffs. En route to the 2024 title, the Celtics lost Game 2 at home twice — in the first round to the Miami Heat and in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers — and they went on to win both series in five games.

“Even before getting injured, I think just being through it so many times, the playoffs is a roller coaster,” Tatum said. “And I think what I’ve learned throughout my 9 years in the playoffs is just stay even-keeled throughout, right? And I think the team that sticks together and does that from an emotional standpoint will be fine.”

Tatum and Brown have played in 117 playoff games together. Only once — last Spring — has their season ended before the Eastern Conference Finals.

They’re going to need more from their supporting cast. Derrick White (3-12 FG), Payton Pritchard (2-8 FG), and Sam Hauser (2-8 FG) all struggled in Game 2. The Celtics’ trio of sharpshooters combined for 42.7 points per game during the regular season, but just 18 combined points in Tuesday’s loss.

Brown said the team will continue to work to get them going.

“Just keep finding them,” he said. “Keep trusting them. I thought Sam and Payton both got good looks tonight. Both got some open shots. That’s what we want. So continue to trust that process. But just continue to play Celtics basketball — it starts on defense, and then getting down and running. I think it also leads to the type of energy that we need. So we trust Payton, we trust Sam, we trust Baylor, we trust all of those guys to come in and impact the game. So, we just got to continue to stay consistent with that, and we’ll be okay.

They knew going back to Philadelphia won’t be easy; the 76ers have the momentum, home-court advantage, and much less to lose.

But, they’ve been in these kinds of high pressure situations many times before, and most of the time, they’ve responded.

“It’s gonna be a journey,” Brown said. “It’s gonna be some ups and some downs, but I’m looking forward to it with my guys.

This game started off bad when Portland jumped to a 15-4 lead, became terrible when Wemby went down with a concussion, softened somewhat when the Spurs led by double digits in the fourth, and then landed like bad egg salad when they squandered that lead in the final minutes. Let’s be blunt: the Spurs are better than the Blazers even in the absence of Victor, as they proved earlier this year and for a big chunk of playing time in this game. However, this iteration of San Antonio is sorely lacking in playoff experience, and that absolutely showed down the stretch. Having said all of this, last night’s game did produce some interesting (albeit often disappointing) box score stats, and I hope you all will take solace in reviewing the highlights:

Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of April 21, 2026, this group include 1,135 games.

Factors that decided the game

• Portland held minor edges in offensive boards (+3) and turnovers (-2), but these advantages had a minimal effect on offensive opportunity. In fact, while the Blazers did have three more field goal attempts, they also fouled the Spurs more often and at worse times, resulting in a FTA margin of +5 for San Antonio.
• Unfortunately, the Silver and Black logged a disappointing free throw percentage of 71.43%, leaving eight crucial points on the table.
• Given that San Antonio did outscore Portland by three at the charity stripe, the game ultimately was decided from the field. Interestingly, both teams made exactly 38 shots, meaning that the Spurs actually held a small edge in FG% (+1.49 percentage points).
• However, the Blazers leaned much more heavily into shooting from distance, with a 3PA margin of +14. The Spurs’ terrible efficiency from three also gave Portland a +5.04 percentage-point edge in 3P%. Taken together, these forces generated a +6 3PM differential for the Blazers, resulting in Portland outscoring San Antonio by six from the field.

Rare Box Score Stats

• There were quite a lot of steals and blocks in this game, and they were really unevenly distributed. In fact, this was just the eighth playoff games since 2012-2013 in which the winning team had a block differential of +6 or more while having a steal differential of -5 or less (that’s a frequency of once in every 142 games).
• In the 1,135 playoff games since 2012-2013, this was just the 11th time that a team won while notching FGM and FTM differentials as bad or worse than +0 and -3, respectively.
• Even though he finished with just 18 points, Castle was the Spurs’ leading scorer. This is not a great recipe for success, as there have only been 74 playoff games dating all the way back to 1996-1997 in which the winning team’s leading scorer register a point total at least this low. Furthermore, this event has become increasingly rare over time, with the last occurrence prior to last night being in 2021.

What are Team Graded Box Scores?

Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).

Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.

Keys to a bounce-back: Five areas of focus for Celtics entering Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Curse of Game 2 continues to haunt the Celtics. Boston fell to 3-5 in its last eight home Game 2 playoff tilts after falling to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

The positive spin: Boston dropped early round Game 2s against both Miami and Cleveland in 2024, then finished both series in five games en route to Banner 18.

The harsh reality: The Celtics shot themselves in the foot throughout Tuesday’s loss and activated a Sixers team that ought to feel confident as the series shifts back to Philadelphia. 

The Celtics have some obvious defensive issues to shore up after watching “VJ Maxx” get way too comfortable on the parquet. But here are five more things the Celtics might need to tidy up ahead of Game 3 in Philly on Friday night:

1. Limit the live-ball turnovers

After giving up just three points off three live-ball turnovers in Game 1, the Celtics had a handful of ill-timed live-ball giveaways Tuesday that helped activate Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. 

The one that sticks in our mind was late first quarter, with the 76ers already walking down an early double-digit deficit, when Payton Pritchard got trapped above the 3-point line.

Maxey looked like a cornerback jumping a comeback route when he peeled off from Derrick White and jumped in front of Pritchard’s haphazard pitch intended for Nikola Vucevic. Maxey waltzed in for a dunk that made it a one-possession game.

Tyrese Maxey read this pass PERFECTLY for the easy steal and slam. 👌 pic.twitter.com/eYhoxym2mk

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 21, 2026

The Celtics finished with six live-ball turnovers leading to nine points. They had 13 turnovers overall leading to 15 points. None of those numbers are egregiously bad, but when the offense is sputtering and every possession feels important, the Celtics certainly complicated their lives.

The other turnover that’s hard to forget came after the Celtics crawled within two with 6:25 to play in the fourth. The Garden got playoff loud only for Maxey to get free for consecutive pull-up 3-pointers.

Coming out of a timeout with a chance to steady themselves, Tatum threw another haphazard pass to a cutting Neemias Queta that Edgecombe easily picked off.

2. Eliminate backbreaking second-chance points

Despite Tatum’s late-game giveaway, the Celtics got back and set in the aftermath … only for Maxey to accelerate past Pritchard and Queta to elevate for a leaning layup while Tatum and Jaylen Brown watched.

The ball kissed off the glass too hard, but despite three green jerseys under the basket, it was Andre Drummond who swooped in with the tip-in that pushed Philly’s lead to 10 with 4:36 to play.

The 76ers turned 11 offensive rebounds into 19 second-chance points. Yet again, that’s not an egregious number, and the Celtics actually won the second-chance battle (18 offensive rebounds for 22 points).

But those second-chance points felt like momentum-sappers each time the Celtics couldn’t limit the Sixers to one shot. And all the attention that Maxey drew allowed Drummond and Edgecombe (seven combined offensive rebounds) to feast on the offensive glass. 

3. Stay attached to shooters

The Sixers shot 32.2 percent on pull-up 3s during the regular season, so the Celtics will live with some of the shots that Maxey and Edgecombe knocked down off the dribble. (That number jumped to 42.9 percent for Game 2). It’s the 3-pointers where Boston defenders strayed a bit too far that Boston needs to clean up.

Quentin Grimes got a quality look when Pritchard wandered to help on Maxey in the first quarter, then got another wide-open catch-and-shoot opportunity when Sam Hauser went to help Pritchard in isolation against Paul George.

Baylor Scheierman got caught flat-footed when Drummond zipped a cross-court pass to Edgecombe for a corner 3 midway through the second quarter. 

Too many times the Sixers got a great look when the Celtics were scrambling an extra defender in Maxey’s direction, and Boston has to be more disciplined in those moments.

.@qdotgrimes for three

⏬@TyreseMaxey steal & score pic.twitter.com/php3xT4LLO

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 21, 2026

4. Get White and Pritchard back in attack mode

During the regular season, Payton Pritchard ranked second on the Celtics with 11.9 drives per game. White was fourth at 7.5 per game. In Game 2, the duo combined for seven drives total, per NBA tracking.

Yes, both players have to be better knocking down shots. White has been in a season-long shooting funk, and it’d be nice to get that 3-point percentage back at previous playoff levels.

Things undeniably get tougher when White, Pritchard, and Hauser combine to go 4 for 22 on triples like they did in Game 2. The Celtics as a whole went 9-for-40 (22.5 percent) on open or better 3-pointers (4+ feet of space) in Game 2, per NBA tracking. 

But good things happen when White and Pritchard attack the basket. Queta, who was a beast in the teams’ final regular-season meeting while largely subsisting on offensive rebounds and alley-oops, gets activated too when Boston’s guards commit to driving the ball. 

Boston’s offense felt bogged down for much of Game 2 as the team settled for perimeter shots. Even when Pritchard did drive, he felt oddly hesitant instead of muscling room to finish like he normally does.

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5. Is small ball an option?

The Celtics logged just 14 total minutes of center-less play after Tatum’s return in March. Lineup combinations with Tatum/Brown/White/Pritchard + any wing were outscored by seven points in that limited sample.

The question lingers: Could the Celtics go small with Tatum at the five and sustain against a team like Philadelphia?

The Celtics went small for a whopping one possession in Game 1 (and a got a bucket out of it). Going small might put a tremendous amount of stress on Tatum to joust with the likes of Drummond and Adem Bona, but it’s an intriguing curveball that Boston might need to explore at times in non-Queta minutes.

In Tuesday’s Brotherhood Playoff Action, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 111-97; Mason Plumlee and the San Antonio Spurs fell to the Portland Trail Blazers 106-103, while Luke Kennard helped lead JJ Redick’s Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-94 win over the Houston Rockets.

Tatum just missed a triple-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists in Boston’s loss.

For his part, Kennard had another outstanding game filling in for Luka Doncic with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Plumlee, however, got a DNP.

On Wednesday, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter will lead Orlando against Trajan Langdon’s Pistons, while Jared McCain and OKC face off against Mark Williams, Grayson Allen, and Khaman Maluach.

• Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Joe Mazzulla diagnose top problem that led to Game 2 loss vs. 76ers
• A small win: what Jayson Tatum took from Celtics Game 2 loss to Sixers
• Why Celtics’ Jayson Tatum doesn’t care about ‘outside noise’ after Game 2 loss to 76ers
• Jayson Tatum has raised the Boston Celtics ceiling since his return
• Daniel Jones, who had same surgeon as Jayson Tatum, is dropping back and passing 4 1/2 months after Achilles tear
• NBA Playoffs Surprises: Luke Kennard Shines, CJ McCollum Steals the Show, and Brandon Ingram Struggles
• Lakers beat Rockets in Game 2 with a new Big Three

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line

Well, that was a brutal Game 1 in the Thunder/Suns series! I could make excuses like how the Suns were without starting center Mark Williams, and Grayson Allen is still too hurt to trust. I could point out that the Thunder are healthy and have been resting for over a week. The Suns beat the Warriors, hopped on a plane, flew to Oklahoma City, and then had about a day to mentally and physically prepare to take on the defending champs.

All of those are factors, sure, but I think back to what Dillon Brooks wrote about in his article “No Way in Hell They Wanna See Us” in the Player’s Tribune.

He described this Suns team as the monster under the bed. There was more to it than just having players who scare others. A theme was that players like Brooks were doubted, and they used that motivation to instill fear in the league. That’s what they need to re-capture. Let’s consider what a lot of the Suns players have no doubt heard about themselves, a villain origin story, if you will.

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Dillon Brooks

Let’s start with the inspiration behind the article!

Narrative: He is just a just a defender. He will be out of the league and playing in China. He can’t control himself. He poked the bear. His mouth writes checks his game can’t cash. The most “punchable face in the league”. He is a “negative to every team he has been on…”.

What the Suns NEED to do this offseason

1) Fire Jordan Ott. Self explanatory. He kills players confidence and doesn’t know how to build a rotation

2) Trade Dillon Brooks for a wing or a good point guard. Bro is a negative to every team he’s been on and ISOs his teams to…

— Book’em (@dbookownsyou) April 20, 2026

Truth: Brooks brought a hustle and confidence this Suns team has not had since Chris Paul helped guide them to the NBA finals. He set a career-high in scoring and can channel his energy into the game to help his teammates. The Suns needed this pitbull of a player who knows how to fight.

Devin Booker

Narrative: Empty stats player. Can’t hit three’s unless it is in the All-Star game. A weak defender. Not a leader. Often injured. Can’t handle the double team. Point Book doesn’t work. He is too tentative and won’t take over a game.

Truth: Devin Booker is the leader of the Suns. He has averaged over 21 points per game for 10 straight seasons. He doesn’t force shots and will dish to open teammates to the tune of 6 assists a game. He is one of the top players in the game. Oh, he is totally homegrown as well. The #13 overall pick in the 2015 Draft, he has spent 11 seasons and counting with the Phoenix Suns. If you need a basket to win the game, you go to Book.

Jalen Green

Narrative: A bust! He is too streaky. He can’t hit the 3 consistently. Worst defender in the league. Can’t stay healthy. Fails in the playoffs

“Core 7” Update:

1. Jalen Green, 2021 (#2): Bust and total sunk cost. No improvement in four years. Rightfully dumped, but he had enough trade value to get KD.

2. Alperen Sengun, 2021 (#16): The gem of the rebuild. Extended. All-NBA. The team’s backbone. Former backup to Bruno…

— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) January 18, 2026

Truth: Jalen did have terrible luck with injuries this year, but he is finally healthy now. He had huge games in the Play-In tournament, nearly sealing the win against the Blazers and then pummeling the Warriors to make the playoffs. He is averaging a career-high in steals per game and has turned his athleticism into a major asset on the defensive end.

Mark Williams

Narrative: Dude is made of glass. Poor defender. Only a rim runner. The Lakers actually got cold feet and rescinded a trade for him, leading them later to believe DeAndre Ayton is better.

Truth: Mark has played a career-high 60 games this season. His defense has been much improved as well. His motor is far better than Ayton’s, and he doesn’t play nearly as soft with fadeaway jumpers that Ayton seemed to love.

Grayson Allen

Narrative: Dirty player. All he can do is shoot 3’s. Overpaid. Trade him!

I'll ask again for those not listening:

How in the world do you send a guy like Jordan Goodwin & Gillespie to the bench in favor of Jalen Green and Grayson Allen?

Trick question, you don't and trade Grayson Allen for a TRUE power forward while he has value.

This is the way.

— Benjamin Garcia (@BenGarciaShow) January 5, 2026

Truth: No player had more Twitter fans calling for a trade than Grayson. In response, he sets a franchise game record for most three’s made in a game and sets career highs in assists per game and steals per game. Grayson can do a little bit of everything and torch the net while doing it.

Royce O’Neale

Narrative: He is undrafted for a reason. Too small to play forward and too slow to play anything else. A streaky shooter. Only brought in because he is friends with Durant from the Brooklyn days. Trade him!

Royce O’Neale: NO DUMB PASSES LEADING TO TURNOVERS IN TRANSITION. Take spot ups with his normal confidence. Try to make some impact defensively while not fouling too much. pic.twitter.com/TSKcJlF9iz

— riley☀️ (@valleyriley) April 19, 2026

Truth: “Big Meal” O’Neale is a Swiss army knife for the Suns. He agitates bigger players and is long enough to stay in front of most guards. He set career highs in three-point shooting percentage and steals per game.

Collin Gillespie

Narrative: Who?? This guy is a cast-off, minimum contract hustle guy. Couldn’t stay with the Nuggets, and they didn’t even have a true point guard. Undrafted for a reason.

Truth: Collin is the Villain Jr. to Brooks. He has career highs in points, steals, and assists this season. He now holds the Suns franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single season.

Jordan Goodwin

Narrative: Not this guy again! He couldn’t hang with the Suns last time. He can’t hit a three-point shot. All he does is play defense. Undrafted for a reason! Should have kept Jared Butler.

Jordan Goodwin u are staying in China unfortunately u and Jared butler

— cooper (@coopoorme) October 10, 2025

Truth: Goodwin has continued his three-point shooting success from last year with the Lakers. He is one of the top rebounding guards in the game and has matched a career high in 1.5 steals per game while doing that in 7 fewer minutes per game. Goodwin has become a massive fan favorite, and his energy is infectious.

Oso Ighodaro

Narrative: Who?? This guy isn’t on anyone’s draft boards. He is blocking Maluach’s playing time. He is getting owned inside, and he can’t shoot outside. Terrible push shot.

Truth: There might be no player that Suns Planet Podcast fan KingNacho says we should get rid of more than Oso. However, what if I told you he is having a career year in points, shooting %, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks? Oh, he stayed healthy and played all 82 games. For a 2nd round pick, Oso has been phenomenal as a backup big!

Jordan Ott

Narrative: Who?? This man has no head coaching experience. He runs bad rotations. Too in love with the small ball. Not another Michigan State guy…

Fire Jordan Ott.

— Xin Varlock (@XinNBA) April 15, 2026

Truth: Ott would have been a coach of the year candidate had the Suns stayed healthy. He helped put the team in a position to play aggressive and grinding defense. A major upgrade over Bud and Vogel.

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So, what Jake? So, some people doubted these guys.

That, my friends, is the essence of this Sun’s magical season. A lot of these players have been given second chances of sorts. We had some tremendous excitement with this team earlier in the season. We were defying all expectations and succeeding.

Then injuries piled up. Key players didn’t have time to gel. Now they face some adversity, and they are afraid of blowing it.

They need to share the fear with each other, become friends with it, and put that fear into the Thunder.

Steal a game in OKC, win another in Phoenix. We could see the OKC foundation crack a little. I am not predicting we win the series. However, I want to see these villains show they belong. They need to play hard, play smart, and be near perfect. That’s what will change the mood of the series.

It reminds me of that scene in Rocky IV when Rocky cuts the Russian. The Suns need to prove they are the monster under the bed to themselves again. That’s how they show they each deserved this second chance.

No pain, no pain!

“This team will flip the switch in the playoffs”.

The infamous switch! The magical, mythical thing that was supposed to exist for the Minnesota Timberwolves to grab hold of, completely change who they are, and become a team much closer to their two years ago-selves on the floor when the games mattered more.

WRONG!

If the indescribable, exhilarating mile-high win on Monday night told me anything, it was the fact that this switch was just an idea all along. It doesn’t exist. It never did exist. It was a Trojan horse to excuse the bipolar nature of a team that saw jaw-dropping lows followed shortly by some of the best regular-season (and now playoff) moments this franchise has ever seen.

All of that is ok. It’s who they are, and for better or for worse, what they are going to be for the remainder of this season. On Monday night, it was certainly for the better.

Donte DiVincenzo clutch catch-and-shoot 3, assisted by Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/oLEr9WIOfF

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) April 21, 2026

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How Much is Too Much?

Throughout the season, every player on the roster alluded in some capacity to how the team identity has procrastination and “winning time” baked into it. Prone to slow starts, letting leads slip, and poor stretches of effort over the last two seasons, a Western Conference Finals appearance last year quickly had many people forgetting about just how inconsistent the Wolves are prone to be throughout the course of an 82-game season.

With continuity being the message heading in, a pattern emulating 2023-24 was expected; a methodical, dominant season after a turbulent prior year that had a new group trying to figure each other out.

As we all know, it didn’t happen. In fact, throughout the season, it felt as though a group branded as continuous tried to test that label and see just how far they could extend their margin of error before holding onto a win or coming back to achieve one.

Enter Monday night.

Just how all-over-the-board did things get?

The Wolves wrapped the first quarter with a -53.8 net rating. Rudy Gobert had the worst of the bunch with a -68. A disaster start that looked like it would culminate in an early exit for the Wolves.

What happened in the very next quarter? You guessed it. a 53.8 net rating, with Gobert leading the way at a 96.7.

Carmelo Anthony was full of praise for Rudy Gobert's defensive effort on Nikola Jokic in Game 2. pic.twitter.com/UpJLlntCLr

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 21, 2026

They would go on in ostentatious fashion to extend the numbers on paper to a thrilling win in game two. Donte DiVincenzo led the way from a net rating standpoint in the second half, and Gobert would go on to play his now-famous defense on Jokic to seal the deal.

But given time to reflect on a win that wasn’t going to let anyone come back down to earth anytime immediately after, it made me wonder just how continuously close this Wolves team can get to the edge before it does them in.

In a series with Oklahoma City, this level of variance would not get you far. Hell, we’ll see how far it gets them in a series with Denver. We’re two games in, and a great win only goes as far as the next game.

But the “switch” of consistently disciplined basketball that we were all waiting for simply doesn’t exist. In a more intermittent fashion that flips on and off three or four times a game? Sure. I’ll give you that.

But we also have a new factor coming into play.

Throughout the pre and postgame media sessions in games one and two, there seems to be a touch of moxie percolating throughout the team. Living in ambivalence and shrugging their shoulders for much of the season when asked to explain why so many ebbs and flows occurred, it became mind-numbing at points to ask the same questions and see the same results.

But especially Monday? Rudy Gobert puffed his chest out at his Defensive Player of the Year snub, Chris Finch took aim at the entire institution of NBA officiating, and Jaden McDaniels capped it all off with one of the bigger mic drop moments this team has ever produced after a win.

Jaden McDaniels, deadpan delivery, on what worked for the Timberwolves offensively.

Jaden: Go at Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, their whole team.”

Q: They’re all bad defenders?

Jaden: “Yeah, they’re all bad defenders.” pic.twitter.com/Lbjq7je9Fo

— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) April 21, 2026

How will something like that look in the long run? Only time will tell.

But more so than an on-court switch being flipped, it’s fair to say that there very well could be an attitude switch being flipped on this team. Denver likely brings this side out of them as one of the best rivalries in the league over the last 10 years. I think the Thunder also bring this side out of them – look no further than Chris Finch’s December ejection and the myriad of trash talk aimed at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Anthony Edwards.

Finch raved about the in-huddle leadership and togetherness of the team on Monday. Donte DiVincenzo backed everyone up in the locker room, calling Gobert “our Defensive Player of the Year” and Anthony Edwards “Our MVP”. 84 games in, a sudden tone shift in approach looked to be taking shape.

A…switch you could call it?

Perhaps the one being flipped after all, when things have started to hit the fan, isn’t immediately one that’s reflected on the floor, but one in the locker room. Right now, trying to separate from being a prisoner in the moment, it does feel a little different. There does seem to be a wave of nastiness setting in with this team.

Will the one on the floor come next, or will the intangible tone switch fade in and out like the tangible on-court one did for much of the regular season?

Let’s find out.

At times it was almost easy to forget Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were sitting on the Los Angeles Lakers bench Tuesday, April 21.

The Lakers did it again, beating the Houston Rockets, 101-94, and taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series with their two top scorers sidelined with injuries.

LeBron James was a brute. Luke Kennard was a sharpshooter. And Marcus Smart an emotional leader, welcoming floor burns, throwing his 6-3 body at 6-11 Kevin Durant, doing whatever was necessary.

Smart's impact was easy to discern. What was impossible to witness is a conversation Lakers coach JJ Redick said he had with Smart.

Redick brought it up after the game. He said the conversation took place earlier this month. After the Lakers lost three straight games, including two shellackings against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I'm not going to share (with) you the details," Redick said during a postgame press conference at Crypto.com Arena, "but the biggest thing was just, because he has the voice he has, he can help create the belief and the confidence in our group. And I think he's done that."

Said Smart, "I think I was living for this moment."

It was scintillating, as Smart finished with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range, seven assists and five steals. He also played his signature physical defense. He also made key contributions in Game 1 with 15 points, eight assists and two blocks.

And since that conversation between Redick and Smart? The Lakers are 5-0.

Very favorable analytics

After nine stellar years with the Celtics, Boston shocked Smart by trading him to Memphis before the 2023-24 season. Less than two seasons later, Smart was packing yet again, this time traded to the lowly Washington Wizards.

He was humbled again after the 2024-2025 season when Wizards bought Smart out of his contract.

In the offseason, the Lakers signed Smart to a two-year deal even though injuries had limited him to 54 games the previous two seasons.

"It's easy to sort of write somebody off as being older and not being as good," Redick said. "But all the analytics defensively, the analytics as a secondary playmaker, they all were very favorable. So we felt really comfortable bringing him on board."

Said Smart, "…I could have been out the league, right? Injuries and things like that. So to be able to be back on this stage again, making the plays that I'm making with these guys, with this team, this organization, I'm just grateful."

This season he has played in 64 games and reasserted himself as a team leader. He finished the regular season sixth among the Lakers in scoring with 9.3 points per game, fourth in assists with 3.0 per game, second in steals with 1.4 per game. He also is sixth in minutes played with 28.5 per game.

And as of April 2, he ranked second in the league with 20 charges drawn, according to a story published by NBA.com.

In the first two games in the Lakers’ first-round playoff series, Smart showed he can fill up box scores. He has combined for 40 points, 15 assists, six steals and three blocks in the team’s two victories.

Marcus Smart's full impact

But Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said the box scores do not reflect Smart’s full impact.

"… I think he get us going as a team, especially in the start of the game," said Hachimura, who later added, "He make all the big plays that doesn't show on the stats, too."

Smart said everything has been heightened with Doncic and Reaves out and the Lakers in need of players who can help fill the void.

"And my whole life, I've been that guy that you can just throw in certain spots whenever you need," Smart said, calling himself a Swiss Army knife. "That's me filling in the gaps, whatever we need, whenever we need it."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JJ Redick cites private talk with Marcus Smart as Lakers win again

Who knew?

LeBron James flying down the lane unchecked for a pumping over-the-shoulder slam.

Marcus Smart diving and scrapping and leading cheers with a scream.

Luke Kennard stepping to the free-throw line and hearing the chant, “MVP! … MVP! … MVP!”

Who knew?

Without their two best players, facing the quicker and more bruising Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, who knew the Lakers would do what they did Tuesday night at a roaring Crypto.com Arena?

LEBRON BLOWS BY KD AND THROWS DOWN THE REVERSE!

📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/cvF7VtfdeL

— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) April 22, 2026

They’re shorthanded but big-hearted. They’re lacking in skill but overflowing with hustle. Their two leading scorers are on the bench, but that doesn’t matter when everyone else is flying around the court.

They should be losing but keep winning, two nights and counting now after a 101-94 victory over the Rockets gave them a two-games-to-none lead.

Some predicted they would be swept, but they could be doing the broom bit. Some predicted they would be bullied, but they’re doing most of the punching.

They say a series doesn’t start until the home team loses a game, but, believe it, this series is already over.

In two games the Lakers have proven that even without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they are a better team than the Rockets.

They’re tougher. They’re smarter. They’re better coached. They’re more complete. What more do you need to see?

Read more:Lakers beat Rockets in Game 2 with a new Big Three

“We’re just getting this thing started,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, and who’s going to argue with him?

Three days after beating the Rockets without Kevin Durant, they beat the Rockets with Kevin Durant.

Three days after James led them by being the facilitator, he carried them by being the scorer.

Three days after Kennard made every big shot, he made every big shot. Three days after Smart’s intensity filled the Lakers with energy and inspiration, well, he did it again.

The Lakers need this sort of team-wide fight just two more times in the next five games, and, while Houston might steal a win or two, aside from Durant the Rockets don’t seem composed enough to clear that sort of hurdle.

“Our group has, in aggregate, been an incredibly resilient group,” said Redick. “We have the confidence and belief and certainly the collective competitive spirit to be on this stage.”

Houston is done, just like Durant was done Tuesday night after scoring 20 points in the first half. No, he wasn’t eventually hampered by the knee contusion that kept him sidelined for the opener. He was knocked silly from the body blows the Lakers applied from all sides, holding him to just one basket in a second half that was a defensive coaching masterpiece.

“Obviously it takes a full team effort to guard Kevin,” said Redick. “Our activity was as good as it could have been.”

Read more:Plaschke: Can Lakers steal series? Anything is possible after Game 1 win

Durant said the Lakers couldn’t have played better, claiming that this gives the Rockets hope.

“They’ve presented the best version of them so far, the first two games, and we haven’t played well,” he said. “So hopefully we get back home, play well.”

Houston is done, even though the Rockets will indeed be home for Game 3 Friday and Game 4 Sunday. What the Lakers are doing well, it travels. Defense travels. Hustle travels. Tough screens travel. Ball movement travels.

“I thought our guys at least matched their desperation,” said Redick. “You’ve got to win a bunch of little fights. This team required you to win a bunch of little fights.”

They won most of those little fights, particularly after the Rockets pulled within three with 5:58 remaining. Houston never got closer as the NBA’s best clutch team — the Lakers were 22-8 in tight quarters — put their foot down and stomped out any Rockets hope.

The finish was epitomized in the final minutes when, leading by five, Smart had a lunging, slapping steal before throwing a perfect bounce pass to a driving James, who finished with a dunk.

Smart had five steals to go with his seven assists and 25 points, his playoff experience is showing and his work ethic is contagious.

“He just had a killer game,” Redick said of Smart, later adding, “Because he has the voice he has, he can help create the belief and confidence in our group.”

Smart said it’s all about, as his coach often says, meeting the moment.

“The word is, ‘elevate' for us, and that’s all we’ve been trying to do, is elevate our play on both ends,” he said.

James, meanwhile, had 28 points in 39 minutes, an amazing workload for a 41-year-old, especially considering he played 38 minutes in Saturday’s opener. And to think he still operates with such brute force that he was shoving Rocket defenders all over the court.

“He’s literally a Mack truck,” said Redick. “He forces you to match his physicality.”

Read more:Luke Kennard provides a jolt of Luka magic, helping the Lakers beat the Rockets

Then there was Kennard scoring 23 points after scoring 27 on Saturday, a revelation that, given his shooting history, everyone should have seen coming.

Face it, he would be mostly invisible if Doncic and Reaves were playing. But Kennard said the team has bought into the feeling that they can survive without them.

“I know we just kind of flipped the switch,” he said. “We told each other, this is what we got right now. We’ve got to believe in what we have.”

What they will eventually have is a shocking first-round win.

Houston is done.

Who knew?

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Spurs are heading to Portland for games 3 and 4 of the best of 7 series. While they are away, fans are invited to gather at The Rock at La Cantera to cheer on the Silver & Black with fellow fans.

Friday, April 24th, Game 3- San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers

The party starts at 9:00 p.m. CST with tip off taking place at 9:30.

There will be a DJ, giveaways, and more.

Text PLAZA to 210-444-5940 for more information.

“While the Spurs are on the road, we bring the Frost Bank Center energy to Frost Plaza! Join us for the Official Spurs Watch Party experience including:

• Appearances from The Hype Squad & The Coyote
• Sets by DJ Quake and the energy of Zay Zay to keep the vibes high
• Exclusive Giveaways: Win official Spurs gear and prizes throughout the night.
• Special Activities & Photo Opportunities

Fans are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. There is food for purchase and beverages from Ice Ice Dady, Lil Bros BBQ Shack, and the CrawDady kiosks, and Roca & Martillo.”

Go Spurs Go!

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With Victor Wembanyama out, the fourth quarter was very different.

The Portland Trail Blazers erased a 14-point deficit with a little more than eight minutes to play to upset the San Antonio Spurs, 106-103, tying their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

Wembanyama was diagnosed with a concussion, and, since Game 3 is just two days away, on Friday, April 24, San Antonio should prepare to be without its All-Star phenom at least one game – if not longer.

So, how does that change things for the Spurs?

Well, the fourth quarter on Tuesday, April 21, was pretty indicative. The Trail Blazers made half of their 20 attempts in the period, and they weren’t shy about working the ball down low; six of their field goals were in the paint and five were literally at the rim. They doubled the Spurs’ output in the paint, scoring 12 points to San Antonio’s 6.

It’s a safe assumption – the safest assumption? – that Portland would not have been so aggressive in attacking the rim had Wembanyama been posted down low; Wembanyama led the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game and just became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner in league history.

Just look at the on/off numbers from this season, when the Spurs allowed 103.6 points per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the floor, versus 113.7 when he was off.

So, presuming Wembanyama misses Game 3, the first priority for the Spurs will be to shore up the interior.

"Obviously, that’s a big piece that’s going to be missing, but we’ve played games without him," Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters after the game. "We’ve played games without a plethora of guys. …

"You say ‘next man up mentality’ but the entire team has to step up because he leaves a big hole in the lineup, both offensively and defensively. And obviously we don’t know how long he’s going to be out, but we’ve got to be ready to play without him."

Although the Spurs played very well this season in games Wembanyama missed, going 12-6, the playoffs do present different challenges.

For one, teams have the ability to make micro adjustments game-to-game to neutralize a team’s strengths or attack its weaknesses.

So, what might San Antonio do?

Backup center Luke Kornet would almost certainly start in Wembanyama’s place, and he would be tasked with establishing the tone for San Antonio’s low-post defense. But because Wembanyama is a singular talent, Kornet alone cannot fill that void.

The Spurs guards and wing players will need to be hyper-aggressive and will have to try to prevent paint touches to make Kornet’s job easier. But also look for rookie forward Carter Bryant to take on a bigger role.

At times this season when the Spurs have been without Wembanyama, they’ve also deployed a small-ball unit to change the pace of the game, with Bryant – who is officially listed at 6-foot-6 – as the center in those lineups.

Those units have relied more on speed and tempo, but it’s unclear whether the Spurs would want to resort to that style of play for the majority of a game.

"We definitely have gone to it, and we’ll kind of have to sit down as a staff and really think about the game holistically," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game of Bryant as a small-ball center. "Can we get through a game doing that, or do we need to play somebody else? So that will be the conversations we’ll have.

"But I do think those guys have – throughout the year and even tonight – showed some good moments doing that."

Either way, Fox’s point from above stands. Whether Kornet or Bryant (or both) take on more responsibility, San Antonio’s success without Wembanyama will require all its players to operate a little differently. All the while, however, they must maintain the same culture and intensity that got them here.

"It’s the playoffs," Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said after the game. "Even if we didn’t play a lot without him, we’ve got to figure it out. But we have, so we just stick to what we do, honestly. We fall back on our habits. We’ll clean some things up and we get ready for a good game in Portland."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Victor Wembanyama injury changes what Spurs do vs Trail Blazers