Victor Wembanyama was “very unhappy” with how the NBA handled his concussion protocol during the Spurs series against the Trail Blazers, which forced him to miss Game 3, and saying that the way the situation “was handled was very disappointing.”
“I had lots of emotions in me before the game — obviously, excitement, frustration — so I let a lot out tonight,” he told her before Andrews asked about clearing the concussion protocols.
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) is introduced before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
“The Spurs have done an amazing job,” Wembanyama said. “I’m very unhappy about the way the protocol has been handled by other parties. But my staff has been amazing. I’ve been really healthy, starting on Day 1 after the injury. The injury, it was weird, though. It was funny.”
The Spurs’ star fell hard to the floor during Game 2 against Portland and went into concussion protocol before San Antonio confirmed that Wembanyama had suffered a concussion after the game.
Wembanyama was given another chance to address the topic after the Game 4 win. Though he didn’t give much more detail on what upset him about the process, he reiterated his frustration.
“I won’t get into the details. I don’t want to become a distraction,” he said. “Ask me again after the end of the season. But again, all the doctors, especially on the Spurs, we have the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me. But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs, again. But as I said, I won’t get into the details.
“I’m not saying that not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad, but the way the situation was handled, very disappointing.”
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) encourages a teammate to be smart during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Wembanyama finished the game with 27 points and shot 9-of-17 from the field, while pulling down 11 rebounds, three assists and seven blocks.
The Spurs’ big man also had three steals by the end of the game.
HOUSTON — Amen Thompson scored 23 points, Tari Eason added 20 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 115-96 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoff series Sunday night.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
The Rockets got their first win in the series after falling into an 0-3 hole despite missing Kevin Durant for a third game thanks to a balanced scoring attack. Durant sat out a second straight game with a sprained left ankle after missing Game 1 with a bruised right knee.
Houston’s entire starting lineup scored at least 16 points with Alperen Sengun adding 19, Reed Sheppard 17 and Jabari Smith Jr. 16.
The Lakers were led by Deandre Ayton, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds before being ejected with about 5½ minutes left in the third quarter for a flagrant foul 2 on a hit to Sengun’s head. His output wasn’t nearly enough to allow the Lakers to close the series out on a night when LeBron James didn’t have his best game.
He had 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting with nine assists and eight turnovers before sitting with about 7½ minutes to go after scoring 19, 28 and 29 points in the first three games. But he wasn’t the only Laker who struggled. Los Angeles made just five 3-pointers after combining for 35 through the first three games.
James was 0 for 3 from long range, Marcus Smart missed both of his attempts and Luke Kennard was 0 for 3.
Houston looked good from the start in this one after squandering a six-point lead in the final 26 seconds of regulation in a devastating 112-108 overtime loss Friday night.
The Rockets led by nine at halftime and used a 12-4 run to start the third and make it 68-51 with about 8½ minutes to go in the quarter.
Sheppard had two 3-pointers in that stretch and Thompson added four points.
The Rockets led by 19 later in the quarter before going on a 9-3 run to end the quarter and push the lead to 90-65 entering the fourth.
Houston led by 23 with about 7½ minutes remaining when coach JJ Redick cleared the Lakers’ bench.
Ayton was ejected with about 5½ minutes left in the third quarter after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Sengun in the face with his elbow and forearm. The referee announcing the foul called the contact “unnecessary and excessive.”
Durant was on the bench Sunday night to support his team after he was absent Friday night because coach Ime Udoka said he was receiving treatment on his injured ankle.
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and Houston guard Amen Thompson chase after the ball during the Lakers' loss in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Sunday. (Karen Warren / Associated Press)
The Lakers still have control of this first-round series, even after the blow they took from the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
As ugly as their 115-96 loss was, the Lakers still hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.
All the Lakers have to do is win Game 5 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena and they will advance to the second round.
But they will have to play better than they did in Game 4.
LeBron James, who played a stellar 45 minutes during the Lakers’ overtime win Friday night, wasn’t as spry. He had just 10 points, reaching double figures on a floater with 8:37 left and the Lakers down 26.
He was just two for nine from the field and he had eight turnovers. James also had nine assists and became the first player in NBA history to record 3,000 field goals in the playoffs.
Luke Kennard was quiet with seven points, and Marcus Smart had nine, both on three-for-eight shooting. Rui Hachimura had 13 points on six-for-10 shooting.
As James iced his knees in the locker room after the game, he said the Lakers can't afford to underestimate the Rockets.
“Hell naw, there is no such thing as being comfortable until a series is done,” James said. “Naw, none of us are.”
The bigger concern was the Lakers' inability to take care of the ball. They turned it over 24 times, their most in the series, and they've had 20 or more in three of the four games.
All of Houston's starters scored in double figures. Amen Thompson had 23 points and seven assists, and Alperen Sengun finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
But it was the Lakers' miscues that stood out the most.
“Obviously we know coming into the series we have to protect the ball and not have too many pick-sixes, which we did all night,” James said. “It started with me. Obviously my turnovers are unacceptable. But we’ll do a better job with that on Wednesday. We understand that offensive rebounds for them and pick-sixes is not going to be good for our ballclub. You give credit where credit is due. They won the game tonight.”
When the Lakers went down by 17 points in the third quarter on a Thompson basket that was part of Houston’s 12-4 run to open the frame, Lakers coach JJ Redick called a timeout to allow his players to collect themselves.
Lakers star LeBron James drives to the basket over Houston's Reed Sheppard, left, and Alperen Sengun during the first half Sunday. (Karen Warren / Associated Press)
It didn't help, as the Lakers' deficit swelled to 26 points.
It got harderfor the Lakers when Deandre Ayton was ejected midway through the quarter because of a flagrant foul for his left elbow striking Sengun on the side of the head.
Ayton was having one of his best games in the playoffs, bouncing back from two quiet efforts to post 19 points and 10 rebounds before he was ejected with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
“I was really just trying to brace for the contact with Sengun and we both are sweaty guys,” Ayton said. “I just slipped off his shoulder. My elbow hit him right there above the shoulder. It looked crazy on camera, but I’m not no guy who is a dirty player or who plays like that.”
Austin Reaves shot before the game in an attempt to play for the first time since being injured April 2 at Oklahoma City, and again he was downgraded from questionable to out because of a left oblique muscle strain.
In the end, the Lakers saw no need to rush Reaves back considering how they had dominated the series. Two days off before Game 5 will give Reaves more time to get healthy.
“It's fair to consider everything,” Redick said. “Austin and I had a conversation yesterday for a long time, and I think ultimately the athlete has to feel confidence, and that's always the final hurdle coming back from an injury, is the psychological component of it.”
For the Rockets, Kevin Durant missed his third game of the series because of a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle.
Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) continues to work out on the court, but there's no timetable for his return.
"[He] was able to move a little bit today on the court, which, you know, most of the stuff had been stand-still," Redick said. "So he's progressing, but no update on any timeline or anything like that.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) goes to the basket against Houston Rockets’ Reed Sheppard, left, and Alperen Sengun (28) during the first half in Game 4 of a...
HOUSTON — One team played like its season was on the line.
After falling behind in the series by three games, the Kevin Durant-less Rockets were the more urgent and aggressive team in their 115-96 blowout victory over the Lakers, who consistently struggled to generate offense the entire game.
The Lakers shot 50% from the field (37 of 74), but only made 5 of their 22 3-point attempts, with three of their 3s coming after coach JJ Redick subbed out the rotation players with 7:25 left in the game.
It was their fewest made 3s in a playoff game since making four 3s on April 26, 2013 (Game 3 of 2013 first round series against Spurs).
“[The Rocket had] a top-10 defense the entire season,” Redick said postgame. “It’s obviously very challenging without your two leading scores to generate offense. We’ll take a look at the process again on that end as well. And I know our points per shot and our expected points per shot were slightly below our season average. So to me, again, it goes back to the two keys: Take care of the ball. And we’ll look at that and how we can be better there.”
Deandre Ayton (19 points and 10 rebounds) and Rui Hachimura (13 points) were the only Lakers who found any sort of offensive rhythm in Game 4 – and Ayton was ejected in the third quarter after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul after elbowing Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun in the head.
LeBron James finished with 10 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds. AP
Ayton and Hachimura combined to shoot 15 of 22 from the field.
LeBron James finished with 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting to go with 9 assists and 4 rebounds, but was one of many Lakers who struggled with taking care of the ball, having a team-worst 8 turnovers/
Marcus Smart (9 points, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocked shots), had 4 of the Lakers’ turnovers.
What it means
The series will head back to Los Angeles for Game 5 with the Lakers leading 3-1.
Turning point
When the Lakers committed three turnovers on four possessions early in the first quarter.
They were still leading at the time, but it set a poor tone for the remainder of the game, with the Rockets ramping up their defensive pressure from there.
“Just a little bit of lackadaisical from us,” Smart said. “We’ve been playing our asses off these past three, four games, right? They came out, they did their job.”
The Kevin Durant-less Rockets were the more urgent and aggressive team. NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Lakers committed 24 turnovers on Sunday, their most in a playoff game since 2020. NBAE via Getty Images
MVP: Amen Thompson
Thompson has been the Rockets’ best player in the series and was their most important on Sunday.
He finished with team-highs of 23 points and 7 assists, with all five Rockets starters scoring in double figures.
Tari Eason added 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Sengun has 19 points and 6 rebounds.
Stat of the game: 24
That’s how many turnovers the Lakers committed on Sunday, their most in a playoff game since having 24 turnovers on Sept. 20, 2020, which was their win over the Nuggets in Game 2 of the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
The Rockets scored 30 points off the Lakers’ giveaways.
“We knew coming into the series, we have to protect the ball versus them and not have not have too many pick-sixes, which we did all night,” James said. “It started with me, obviously. My turnovers were unacceptable
Up next
Game 5 of the Lakers’ playoff series against the Rockets is scheduled for Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
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Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) grabs a rebound during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
On the heels of a grueling Game 3 win, the Lakers came out flat and were subsequently routed by the Rockets, 115-96.
From the jump, it was pretty clear the Lakers didn’t have the right level of effort and played as such throughout. LA turned the ball over a staggering 23 times with the Rockets tallying 17 steals and 30 points off turnovers.
On the possession where they didn’t turn it over, they weren’t connecting on outside shots, going only 5-22, including some garbage time makes. Across the board, it was a lackluster showing for the Lakers, who looked like a team eager to get back to LA and finish the series in Game 5.
Rui Hachimura and Reed Sheppard exchanged midrange jumpers to open the game. LA built a lead of five early, with Luke Kennard leading the team with three points. Three other starters had two points each. Houston had four players with two points.
At the 6:28 mark, Los Angeles was up by three.
LeBron James was now leading LA with six points with Kennard close behind with five. There were a lot of foul calls between the teams, with Los Angeles making seven of their nine free-throw attempts and Houston making three of four.
The purple and gold were up by three at the 3:53 mark.
After a quick four-point surge, the Rockets jumped ahead by one. A layup by Jake LaRavia put the Lakers back in the lead. Jaxson Hayes had rough minutes, picking up two fouls.
Houston retook the lead by five at the end of the first.
The Rockets lead the Lakers 26-21 after one quarter of play. LA's offense is nonexistent. They went 7-18 from the field and haven't made a three.
Jabari Smith Jr. further extended the Rockets’ lead by draining a triple to start the second period. The Lakers already had eight turnovers with Houston playing defense. The Rockets continued their desperate, strong play, extending their lead to 10.
LA was struggling from behind the arc, shooting 17%.
A sudden 10-3 scoring run found Los Angeles down by three, after Houston had built a lead as big as 10. Jake LaRavia, who had been having a tough series, had a much-needed six points off the bench.
Deandre Ayton had a strong quarter, scoring 12 points, trying to keep the Lakers close enough. At halftime, the Rockets had a nine-point lead.
The Rockets lead 57-46 at the half. Deandre Ayton is the only Laker who has it going. He went 7-9 from the field and has 15 points.
Amen Thompson started the third period with a layup for Houston. Sheppard then knocked down a triple to make it a quick 14-point lead.
LA missed all three of its shot attempts. Marcus Smart then stole the ball, and it led to a layup by Kennard. Sheppard then drained yet another triple in response.
The Rockets continued to play with serious desperation, overwhelming Los Angeles, who now found themselves down by 17. Ayton was the only saving grace for the Lakers as he was now up to 19 points after scoring another four points.
In a ridiculous turn of events, Ayton was ejected with 5:41 left after making contact with the back of Alperen Şengün’s head, which was deemed a Flagrant 2 foul.
Everything spiraled from there as the Lakers continued to turn the ball over and the Rockets kept making them pay, building their lead to 25 points at the end of the third.
LA did start the final frame a little better offensively with Jarred Vanderbilt notching four points, but the deficit was too large.
With 7:25 left, the Lakers waved the white flag. With 1:11 left, the ejections continued with Adou Thiero and Aaron Holiday getting tossed because it was important for everyone to remember the refs were the important part of this game.
Key Player Stats
LeBron finished with 10 points, four rebounds and nine assists but shot just 2-9 from the field and had eight turnovers. Ayton was the Lakers’ best player prior to his ejection, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Hachimura pitched in with 13 points and three rebounds. Kennard ended with seven points and three rebounds. LaRavia scored six points off the bench.
Marcus Smart logged nine points with two rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks. Vanderbilt put up eight points largely in garbage time.
Game 4 will be on Sunday against the Houston Rockets at 6:30 PM PT.
After an underwhelming presence in Game 3, Knicks fans turned State Farm Arena into Madison Square Garden South in Game 4.
They were not as raucous or as strong in numbers during the Knicks loss in Game 3. In Game 4, however, it was a different story.
They certainly were loud.
“It’s one of the coolest things that I will always remember when I’m done playing, is how crazy these Knicks fans travel,” Jalen Brunson said. “Whether they live here now or whatever, they know how to attack an away stadium. And it’s a really cool sight to see.”
Knicks fans in the crowd before Game 4. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
There were noticeable crowd pops when the Knicks scored and went on runs. You could hear them chanting “de-fense” when the Knicks were on that end of the court. They even booed CJ McCollum, who was playing in what was supposed to be his home arena.
Hawks fans tried to drown them out. But given the one-sided nature of Game 4, that proved difficult.
“Knicks fans travel all around the world,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “It’s even more special — I already knew how special the Knicks fans were from last year, but to be going to Abu Dhabi in preseason and see the stadium packed with Knicks fans is crazy. So, they travel around the world. They bring us so much love and energy and just passion that you can just feel that kind of passion in the building and it helps us feel like every game we play, no matter if it’s away or in Abu Dhabi, around the world, it’s a home game.”
Jalen Brunson (11) and Karl-Anthony Towns (32) of the New York Knicks look on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks during Round 1 Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
After their Game 4 win, the Knicks had wings from Magic City Strip Club, a staple in Atlanta, in the locker room.
Later, Magic City posted on Instagram: “We don’t wanna take credit for the win…. But …”
Ex-Knick Carmelo Anthony, a studio analyst for NBC, has been critical of Towns this year.
But after his Game 4 triple-double, Anthony gave Towns his flowers.
“We talk about KAT, about what we always want to see from KAT,” Anthony said on the network. “From him today to lead the team by his passing, by his aggressiveness and then took advantage of the defense when he could. He just played a complete game.”
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the first half in Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs...
Midway through the third quarter of Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets inside the Toyota Center, Ayton hit Alperen Sengun flush across the face with a left elbow.
A foul was called and the officials went to check the replay. At first glance, it felt like a sure-fire flagrant one foul. It was hard, and a little reckless. But after a few minutes, the officials determined it did reach the criteria of a flagrant two foul and Ayton was immediately ejected from the game.
The officials determined that the elbow contact rose to the level of intent, not just careless, but punitive. Ayton and several Lakers players were shocked by the decision, even pleading to the officials that it was not intentional.
Ayton was escorted off the court and headed back to the Lakers locker room. Rockets’ forward Kevin Durant, who has missed the last two games for Houston, waived goodbye as he left.
The Lakers were already unraveling in Game 3, trailing by as many as 26 points. Ironically, Ayton was the lone bright spot for the Lakers offense. He had 19 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes before he was ejected.
Now, instead of building off the momentum of their Game 3 surge, the Lakers look ready to head back home to Los Angeles for a Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night.
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With 1.3 seconds left in a decided game, Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels made a layup. That was well within the rules and nobody was going to get injured, but it violated an unwritten rule in the NBA — and Nikola Jokic took exception. Jokic sprinted down court (maybe the fastest he ran all game) to get in McDaniels' face, and there was a minor altercation. Jokic, as well as Minnesota's Julius Randle, were ejected.
Tensions were high at the end of Game 4 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves
Both Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. pic.twitter.com/U7Pg8ULO1J
On Sunday, the league came down and fined Jokic $50,000 for instigating the incident and Randle for escalating it. From the league's release announcing the fines:
"Jokic initiated the incident by confronting and shoving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels. Randle escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard-forward Bruce Brown."
Neither player was suspended, and both will play in Game 5 on Monday in Denver. The league also chose not to fine several players who left their bench area during the altercation, a group that included Aaron Gordon and Jonas Valančiūnas.
The Timberwolves lead the series 3-1, and it may be frustration over that — and the fact that Rudy Gobert has played fantastic defense on Jokic and made him work for everything — that led Jokic to confront McDaniels that way. Denver needs to win three straight to advance, a tall task, but Minnesota lost starters Anthony Edwards (knee bone bruise) and Donte DiVincenzo (torn Achilles) in Game 4.
NEW YORK — Denver’s Nikola Jokic was fined $50,000 and Minnesota’s Julius Randle was fined $35,000 for their roles in an altercation near the end of Game 4 of the teams’ playoff series, the NBA announced Sunday.
Both will be eligible to play when the series resumes Monday with Game 5 in Denver.
The incident was evidently sparked when Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels took an uncontested layup with 2.1 seconds left and the Timberwolves already leading by 14 — a play the Nuggets took exception to, given how the game had been decided.
Jokic, the NBA said, “initiated the incident by confronting and shoving” McDaniels in reaction to that play. Randle, the league said, “escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets guard-forward Bruce Brown.”
Jokic and Randle were assessed technical fouls and ejected from the game.
“He scored when we’d stopped playing,” Jokic said. “You guys saw what happened.”
The teams are meeting in the postseason for the third time in the last four years. Minnesota leads the series 3-1, but will be without guard Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the season because of a torn Achilles and will be without fellow guard Anthony Edwards indefinitely because of a knee injury. DiVincenzo and Edwards both got hurt on Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots a three point basket during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings: Tyrese Maxey – 23.5 VJ Edgecombe – 16 Joel Embiid – 11.5 Paul George – 8 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 5 Justin Edwards – 4 Andre Drummond – 3 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Porter Martone – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Celtics put the Sixers on the brink of elimination with a 128-96 victory on Sunday, claiming a 3-1 series lead as the teams head back to Boston for Game 5.
The Celtics three-point barrage was firing on all cylinders and their defensive gameplan all but suffocated the Sixers in the first half. By the time the Sixers found an offensive rhythm, the Celtics were hitting threes consistently, with most of the damage coming off the bench. Payton Pritchard notched a game-high six threes and 32 points.
There was not much to sort through for Bell Ringer-worthy performances.
The big fella is the Bell Ringer tonight with a clear case over everyone else. The Celtics came out with a defensive intensity for which most of the Sixers were not ready. It just so happens the man just a little over two weeks removed from an appendectomy was able to withstand Boston’s energy and produce on the offensive end.
He opened the game immediately attacking Neemias Queta and drawing two early fouls to force him to the bench. He notched the team’s first field goal converting a transition dunk following a Paul Goerge steal and continued playing forcefully against Nikola Vucevic tallying the first eight points for the Sixers in his return.
Unfortunately, everywhere Embiid looked for help on offense, he got none. That is, at least for the first half, as Tyrese Maxey did spring to life offensively in the second half after only taking three shots by halftime. Paul George went 2-for-7 from the field in the first half, and VJ Edgecombe continued to struggle from deep. Embiid’s ability to draw fouls and his gravity were the only sources of offense for long stretches. By halftime, the Sixers had only 38 points.
In the third, the Sixers began hitting shots but were unable to get stops on the other end. Embiid found his touch from the midrange and even hit a straight ahead three-pointer. He went 6-for-11 from the field in the second half and theoretically shook off the rust. Despite the poor shooting night from the team, Embiid corralled only two offensive rebounds, and did not provide enough of a barrier to the Celtics’ persistent offensive rebounding.
Given it was his first game back, and that he played 34 minutes, it was a commendable outing for Embiid. However, a more polished performance may be the only thing to keep the Sixers from elimination.
The aftermath of the Nikola Jokic and Jaden McDaniels moment at the end of Game 4 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets has settled, but it is still worth unpacking. If you missed it, McDaniels broke one of basketball’s quiet codes. When the game is decided and the clock is bleeding out, you do not go hunting for an easy bucket.
That is exactly what he did.
After a dominant showing at the Target Center that pushed Minnesota to a 3-1 series lead, McDaniels finished a late layup to make it 112-96. Nikola Jokic did not appreciate it. He sprinted down the floor and let McDaniels hear about it, and that is when things escalated.
Jaden McDaniels scores the layup instead of running out the clock, Nikola Jokic runs all the way from the other side of the court to face him, bumps him, as McDaniels grabs Jokic's jersey, a kerfuffle ensues.
Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle get ejected from the game
No punches. Nothing out of control. Still, it crossed the line enough for Jokic and Julius Randle to get tossed with 1.2 seconds left. Why did Jokic take exception to this? “Because he scored when everybody stopped playing,” he said in his post-game presser.
Today, the fines came out following the altercation. $50,000 for Jokic, $35,000 for Randle. But no suspensions, despite players coming off of the bench.
NBA discipline for Denver-Minnesota scuffle in Game 4:
Nikola Jokic fined $50,000 Julius Randle fined $35,000
So why no suspensions? Why does everyone suit up for Game 5?
You know where this goes. The precedent is there. Go back to the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals when Robert Horry hip checked Steve Nash into the boards late in Game 4. The league suspended Amar’e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw. They were not in the altercation. They simply stepped over the white line, which was enough for then-commissioner David Stern to enforce accountability for “leaving the bench” and ensure that this game, which is ever so sacred, was not violated by the abhorrent act of stepping over a line after one of your players gets unnecessarily thrown into the boards at the end of the game.
Here’s the video, which is extremely hard to find on the ‘ole internet despite it being a precedent-defining moment.
But hey, perhaps I’m just a scornful Suns fan. Maybe the national conversation has no appetite for hearing it again after this series with Oklahoma City and the noise around officiating. Maybe every fan base feels this when they are on the wrong end of enforcement. It can start to feel personal.
The rules are the rules. Or at least they are supposed to be. I am not pounding the table, asking for suspensions here. I am filing it away. Noting how some things get applied in one moment and not in another.
Game 5 between the Timberwolves and Nuggets is tomorrow at 7:30pm. Tune in. And watch all the players play.
Joel Embiid was back on the court for Philadelphia, returning from an appendectomy less than three weeks ago to give the 76ers a needed bump in a critical first-round game against Boston.
Except there was no bump. Kind of the opposite.
Philadelphia's other stars, like Tyrese Maxey, had to adjust to the big man in the paint and seemed to defer to him early on. The result was an offense that just did not work and missed a lot of shots.
Meanwhile, Boston just kept doing what they do. Pritchard scored 32 off the bench and knocked down six 3-pointers, while Jayson Tatum scored 30 with five from beyond the arc, plus he had 11 assists.
Boston led by 16 after one quarter, and its lead never touched single digits again as the Celtics cruised to a 129-96 win on the road.
The Celtics have a commanding 3-1 series lead as the series shifts back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.
The 76ers are unquestionably better when Embiid is on the court, on both ends, but putting a superstar back in the lineup can mean an adjustment period. In this case, the combination of Embiid and the Celtics' defense meant Tyrese Maxey had just three shot attempts in the first half, as he seemed to defer to the big man, who had 10 (and Paul George had seven).
The 76ers also just could not buy a bucket in the first half. As a team, Philadelphia shot 12-of-36 (33.3%) and 3-of-12 from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes, and if that wasn't enough, also gave up nine offensive rebounds to the Celtics.
The result was Boston racing out to a 21-point first-half lead and seemingly hitting every key shot.
PAYTON PRITCHARD THREE OFF ONE LEG BEFORE THE HORN AND THE CELTICS BENCH IS LOVING IT! pic.twitter.com/ArprVIFa9u
Boston was up by 18, 56-38, at halftime, led by Pritchard with 18 off the bench. The Celtics were rolling, and it proved to be too much to ask the 76ers to overcome that, especially for a 76ers defense that struggled to get a stop much of the night (Boston had a ridiculous 139.1 offensive rating through the non-garbage time part of this game, according to Cleaning the Glass).
In addition to Pritchard and Tatum, Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds.
Embiid finished with 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting with 10 rebounds. Maxey was more assertive in the second half and finished with 22 points, and Paul George had 16.
Nick Nurse has some work to do to see if he can get these 76ers on the same page — on both ends of the court — by Tuesday, or Philadelphia's season is going to come to an end much earlier than they hoped.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics shoots a three point basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Payton Pritchard’s 32 points led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 128-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night despite Joel Embiid’s return from an appendectomy.
The win gives the Celtics a commanding 3-1 lead as the series heads back to Boston for Game 5, when the C’s will have a chance to clinch an Eastern Conference Semifinals berth.
Boston had a clean bill of health for Game 4 and started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta.
On the other side, Joel Embiid returned to the court for the first time since April 6 and Kelly Oubre Jr., who was listed as questionable with right adductor soreness, suited up, too. They both started the game alongside Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Paul George.
At the start, the game was all about the centers. Neemias Queta scored the Celtics’ first 5 points on a couple dunks and a 1 of 2 trip to the free throw line. When Nikola Vučević subbed in early for him about 3 minutes into the game, Vooch scored Boston’s next 4 points.
At the same time, Embiid looked like he always does. He immediately drew a couple fouls and hit all four free throws during his first 7-minute stretch on the court. He had 8 out of the Sixers’ 10 points when he sat, as the Celtics were up by 1.
While the centers were going off, the game was clunky and nobody else could hit anything. Maxey didn’t even have a shot attempt until there were about 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
When George hit a three-pointer to put the Sixers up 13-12, the Payton Pritchard show began, as he immediately answered it with a 3 of his own, then hit another after Andre Drummond (finally!) missed a corner attempt.
Late in the first quarter, the bench went on an 8-0 run of its own. Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh kept a play alive with 3 offensive rebounds off of missed shots and each hit a three-pointer. By the end of the quarter, the C’s bench had 24 points — more than the Sixers’ total 18.
Part of that bench scoring total was a ridiculous one-legged on-the-run three-pointer from Pritchard to beat the buzzer and put Boston up 34-18.
Jaylen Brown started the second quarter clearly trying to get more involved and, despite missing a pair of free throws early, he hit a corner 3 for his first made shot of the game.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before it was the Pritchard show again. He hit his fourth three-pointer a few minutes into the quarter, then drove into Adem Bona for a midrange score to get to 18 points — 13 more than any other Celtic at that point.
After Hauser hit a three-pointer of his own, the Celtics were up 45-24 and Xfinity Mobile Arena started getting quiet. While the Sixers started hitting shots and built up some momentum, a Luka Garza three-pointer and a Brown step back 3 over George helped maintain a solid lead.
By the end of the half, Boston was up 56-38, with Pritchard’s 18 points leading the way. No other Celtic finished with double-digit points, with Brown coming closest with 8.
Both Jays struggled shooting in the first half, with Tatum only hitting 1 of 8 shots and Brown going 3 of 9 from the field. The starters as a whole only had 24 of Boston’s 56 points.
On the other side of the court, Embiid led the Sixers with 12 points, but nobody else had more than 7 — Maxey, on only 3 field goal attempts — and the team looked far less potent than they were over the first three games of the series.
As the second half began with Pritchard on the bench, the Jays got a chance to build some rhythm and both capitalized, as Brown and Tatum quickly scored 7 points and 6 points, respectively.
While the Sixers made an effort to get Maxey more involved — an effort that resulted in a three-point make on Philly’s first possession of the third quarter — the Celtics did a good job of making his life difficult. When Maxey got a breakaway in transition, White turned on the boosters and blocked him from behind to erase an easy basket.
The rest of the Sixers offense struggled to start the half as well, especially Edgecombe, who seemed to have lost all the confidence he displayed in Game 2 after starting the night shooting 1 of 7 from the field.
With about 7 minutes to go in the third quarter, the Celtics were up by 24 points, 71-47. The Sixers started hitting some shots, but could not get stops, so the lead hovered around 20 points for the rest of the quarter.
By the end of the quarter, Brown and Tatum had 18 and 20 points, respectively, but the Pritchard show wasn’t over. He hit two more three-pointers, a tough fadeaway, a pair of late buckets and a couple free throws to finish the third with 32 points — 10 more than anyone else in the game.
By the time the fourth quarter began, the Celtics were up by 21 points and the game was all but over. Then, less than 2 minutes in, a Tatum 4-point play extended the lead to 30 and put it even further out of reach.
Another Tatum three-pointer sealed the deal with about 6 minutes left to go, and less than a minute later the Sixers called it quits and emptied the bench.
Pritchard, Boston’s undisputed MVP of the night, finished with 32 points on 57.1% shooting from the field, 6 three-pointers, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal.
Tatum finished with 30 points on 50% shooting, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Notably, after shooting 1 of 8 from the field in the first half, he shot 7 of 8 in the second half.
Brown finished with 20 points on 40% shooting, 7 rebounds and a pair of stocks.
In his return, Embiid played 34 minutes and racked up 26 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. His playoff record against the Celtics is now 3-13.
Maxey and George put up 22 and 16 points, respectively. Edgecombe finished with only 6 points on 22.2% shooting.
Overall, the Celtics shot 48.3% from the field and 45.3% from three-point range, with 24 three-point makes, while the Sixers shot 41.3% from the field and 30% on threes.
The C’s also won the rebounding battle 51-30 and put up more shots than Philadelphia, 87-80, but finished the game with more turnovers, 12-8.
Game 5 will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, at TD Garden in Boston. It will be broadcast on ESPN.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball while defended by Paul George #8 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the game during Round One Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As we saw in Game 1, playing poorly while missing every shot possible is a bad combination.
The Sixers got blown out again 128-96 by the Boston Celtics in Game 4 Sunday night, falling to a 3-1 series deficit.
In his first game back since appendectomy surgery, Joel Embiid looked like the only Sixer ready for this game. He finished with 26 points shooting 9-of-21 from the floor with 10 rebounds and six assists.
Tyrese Maxey was just way too passive to start the game, going for 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting with six assists. Paul George had 16 points and four rebounds going 6-of-13 from the floor.
VJ Edgecombe again didn’t have it, finishing with six points on 2-of-9 shooting. Payton Pritchard led all scorers with 32.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
The Celtics scored their first two baskets of the game with the ball handler getting Embiid into space and finding a wide open Neemias Queta near the rim. On the other end, it took the Sixers nearly four minutes to hit their first field goal of the game, but Embiid had already forced the Celtics to go to Nik Vucevic, drawing a quick two fouls on Queta.
The Sixers really couldn’t buy a jumper to fall out of the gate. That first made field goal was a transition dunk. Embiid made their first basket in the half court as well taking Vucevic down to the post. Edgecombe was the first Sixer not named Embiid to score and that came at the 5:24 mark.
Embiid only sat for a couple minutes and yet the Sixers couldn’t survive a second of them (insert the “first time?” meme). Pritchard got lost for a couple of wide open threes before Jayson Tatum steamrolled down the lane for an open layup. Andre Drummond fouling Tatum on a three-point shot was the last straw for his shift.
It’s not like Embiid was a cure all for their problems. The Sixers surrendered four straight offensive rebounds on a single possession. This was also in the middle of a stretch where Embiid was responsible for two turnovers and an offensive foul. The Celtics ended the quarter on a 11-2 run to storm out to a 16-point lead.
Second Quarter
The Sixers continued to generate good looks that continued to clank off the rim. They kicked to Edgecombe for a wide open corner three that didn’t fall, George missed a driving floater, and Embiid missed two open midrange jumpers. There were other problems but none of them really mattered if the Sixers couldn’t put the ball in the hoop.
Nick Nurse was forced into trying both options at backup center when Drummond went down with a leg injury. He was just passing out of the post when he went down grabbing his hamstring area without much seemingly happening which is not a great sign.
Quentin Grimes following up a three with a steal and a fastbreak dunk was the first sign of life the Sixers had shown in about 10 minutes of game time. They strung together some baskets and stops to get the lead under 20 but again killed their momentum with bad mistakes. Edgecombe threw a pocket pass way over Embiid’s head, then Grimes and Embiid botched a fast break, one that Nurse challenged for some reason and lost.
Quentin Grimes with an excellent behind-the-back pass to Adem Bona who finishes at the rim over Queta pic.twitter.com/2l7I4sEqqb
After Luka Garza hit a three coming out of the challenge the Sixers closed the half well defensively. They had dug themselves such a hole though that Jaylen Brown hitting a contested stepback three felt backbreaking. The same goes for Embiid missing two of his four latest free throws and having another open midrange jumper rim out. Brown hit another tough turnaround, this time in the midrange, to keep the Celtics’ lead at 18.
Third Quarter
Another concerning part about the first half is that the Sixers got smoked with both of the Jays shooting very poor. They combined to go 4-of-16. Tatum started the second half with a midrange that became an and-1. Brown knocked down a three before doing the same. Meanwhile, the Sixers continued to shoot themselves in the foot on the other end — Maxey appeared to slow up on a fast break, giving Derrick White time to block his layup attempt.
It’s not surprising they looked like they let go of the rope with how poorly they shot. It was still jarring to see the only player show any life all night was the guy who had to have an emergency appendectomy less than three weeks ago. This stat tweeted by ESPN’s Tim Bontempts was sent out less than halfway through the third quarter.
The Sixers have missed 32 shots and don't have a single offensive rebound tonight.
Ironically, the Sixers finally had a stretch where their three-point shots were falling. Maxey had a couple fall earlier in the quarter before George and Embiid found something of a groove. The Sixers couldn’t make any progress though because of another flaw getting them in trouble — their overhelping. Pritchard was the leading scorer in the first half, and yet the Sixers continued to help off of him one pass away. The Celtics were more than happy to kick it to him and let him convert the open shots. The Sixers went into the fourth trailing by 21.
Fourth Quarter
As if things hadn’t gotten embarrassing enough, the Celtics quickly pushed their lead to 30 for the first time of the game. As Tatum was at the line finishing off a four-point play, the Celtics fans who had made the trip loudly mocked Sixers fans with “We want Boston” chants.
It seemed like the only battle left was whatever the arena could do to drown out the Celtics fans. There were two karaoke sing-a-longs during timeouts, which is two more than I remember happening at all during the regular season. The renditions of “Baby” and “A Thousand Miles” were quite loud, but not as loud as the Boston fans once the Celtics got back on the court and started draining threes again. The “We want Boston” chants rung out again as Embiid checked out for the final time.
The Phoenix Suns should be satisfied with their season.
After effectively resetting the franchise in the offseason, they still found their way into the playoffs... and being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder is nothing to be ashamed about.
My Thunder vs. Suns predictions expect a sweep, one that featured Dillon Brooks because Oklahoma City has wanted it that way.
Thus, the Suns’ franchise cornerstone hasn't taken more than 17 shots in a game, while Brooks has attempted at least 21 in each, totaling 19 more shots than Booker.
The Thunder’s defensive plan has worked. Brooks has averaged 27 points while Oklahoma City has cruised in each game
Booker found some playmaking in Game 3, with his seven assists keeping things nominally close for a while. Those assists again, along with Phoenix’s last gasp, should keep this tight into halftime.
However, let’s all acknowledge what is coming for the Suns: time in the sun.
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