PHILADELPHIA — Derrick White started getting ‘congratulations’ texts on Thursday afternoon. At first, he didn’t know what for.

Then, he realized he had won the NBA’s annual Sportsmanship Award, which is bestowed upon the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

“It’s pretty cool,” White said at Celtics shootaround on Friday morning. “I think I’m doing things the right way out there, and I think it’s a pretty cool honor.”

The selection was no surprise to White’s Celtics teammates.

Payton Pritchard smiled when asked about White earning the honor.

“Derrick is just a good human being, good teammate,” Pritchard said. “I don’t think anybody really talks crap to Derrick, so he don’t talk to anybody. But you can just tell by looking at him: he’s a good person.”

During games, White is oftentimes very chatty with opposing team’s players during dead-ball situations. At the free-throw line, he shares a laugh with whoever he’s guarding.

“We have respect for each other,” White said. “But, at the end of the day, you’re competing, you want to win. So that’s kind of when I’m at my best, is when I’m kind of doing different stuff, like that. And for other people, that doesn’t work, but I feel like it works for me.”

After the final buzzer sounds, he usually chats with his competitors longer than any of his Celtics teammates. From an onlooker’s perspective, it appears that White is friends with almost everyone in the NBA.

Each team nominated one of its players for the Sportsmanship Award. Then, from the 30 nominees, a panel of league executives selected six finalists (one per division). The five other finalists were T.J McConnell (Indiana Pacers), Harrison Barnes (San Antonio Spurs), Al Horford (Golden State Warriors), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder).

NBA players then ranked those six players, and White came away with the most total points (though McConnell actually finished with the most first-place votes).

“I don’t know if guys take those votes too seriously or not,” White said. “But, man, it was just cool to be nominated and go out there and do the right thing.”

Last year, Jrue Holiday won the award as a Celtic.

“I just learned a lot from Jrue,” White said. “So, shoutout Jrue.”

The Celtics and the 76ers will face off for Game 3 on Friday night. White said immediately after a playoff loss, it feels like the world is ending. But the team then reviews films and gets back to the drawing board of how to get better for the next game.

“That’s the playoffs,” White said. “I don’t think anybody’s ever not lost a game, so you kind of have to reset, figure out what you did wrong, figure out what you can do well, and make the adjustments. And that’s the cool thing about the playoffs — anything can change in one game. So it’s a big game tonight, and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

After a day of absorbing and analyzing Game 2, the focus shifts to Game 3 between the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Phoenix returns home for its first postseason game in nearly three years, and the challenge in front of them is real. The Thunder, through two games, look like a machine.

It feels like riding in a Tesla when someone flips it into sport mode and you are gripping the door as it launches down the highway. Your head sinks into the headrest as electricity drives you forward. That is what playing Oklahoma City feels like. It’s fast, efficient, and relentless. For some, that rush is the appeal. It is not for everyone.

So, how do you beat a team like this? What gives you a chance to take one back on your home floor? As we turn to Game 3, here are three things the Suns need to accomplish.

Push the Pace

I liked the idea from head coach Jordan Ott to lean into pace against Oklahoma City in Game 2. It tracks. If you let them sit in the half-court and load up defensively, they will eat. This is the best defense in the NBA. Any chance to push them back, get them on their heels, and keep them from getting set works in your favor.

It is not a natural style for Phoenix. They finished 24th in pace, so playing faster introduces some discomfort, reads you do not make as often, and decisions that come quicker than you are used to. Still, you are searching for edges wherever you can find them, and pace can be one.

After every rebound, after every make by Oklahoma City, get the ball out and get up the floor. Quickly. Force them to react instead of dictate. Oklahoma City will counter. Expect full-court pressure, expect them to try to slow you before you cross half-court. That adjustment is coming.

Game 2 showed a glimpse. Phoenix won the fast break points 14-11. It is something to build on and something to test again.

Hold on to the Rock

One of the byproducts of playing with pace, especially when it is not your natural rhythm, is mistakes. Against Oklahoma City, mistakes turn into points in a hurry. They finished third in the NBA in steals at 9.7 per night. Phoenix was right there at 9.5, fourth in the league, and still, the margin shows up in a different place.

Turnovers.

The Suns were 15th in the NBA at 14.5 per game, and that number has climbed through two postseason games. Oklahoma City has turned it over 18 times total, the fewest of any team in the playoffs. Phoenix has 41. That gap is as loud as the fans in Loud City. Did you know that’s what they call OKC? Loud City? Now you do.

The points off those mistakes are louder. The Suns have allowed 54 points off turnovers and scored 11. Loose handles, rushed passes, decisions made a beat too late; it all feeds into what the Thunder want to do. It fuels their runs, it creates separation, it turns competitive stretches into uphill climbs. If Phoenix wants a chance in this series, it starts here.

Protect the ball.

Threes, Anyone?

The path to a Suns win in this series is narrow, and it runs through the three-point line. There is a version of this where Phoenix catches fire and flips a game. That is the version you are chasing.

This is a Suns team that already leans on the three. They attempted the 5th most in the NBA and made the most by a Suns team in team history. Against Oklahoma City, it becomes essential. Phoenix hit 20 or more threes 10 times this season and went 9-1 in those games. They hit 18 or more 17 times and went 14-3. The math is clear. You have to shoot them, and you have to make them.

The looks are there. In this series, the Suns are shooting 34.3% from deep, 24-of-70, and half of those attempts are classified as “wide open”. They are hitting 37.1% on those. One out of every two threes is wide open, and those have to fall at a higher rate. Right now, that 37.1% on wide open threes ranks ninth among playoff teams still playing. That is not enough in this matchup. The process is working. The opportunities are there. Now you have to cash them in.

It is possible to beat Oklahoma City. We have seen it. The Suns did it in the regular season. It took a Devin Booker buzzer beater and came in a game with lineups that looked more G League than playoff rotation, but it still counts. It shows a path.

This season has already pushed past expectations. This team has overachieved. If they want to reach a little further, they grab one at home. Game 3 or Game 4. Extend this to five. That is progress. That is growth.

And it would be fun.

It was reported on Friday that North Carolina center Henri Veesaar is departing the program and intends to stay in the NBA Draft. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander had the report.

Shortly after, Norlander reported a bombshell. Prior to Veesaar’s decision to enter the NBA Draft, multiple schools tried to lure the Second Team All-ACC selection into the Transfer Portal. He was offered at least $6 million, although Carolina’s NIL negotiations never came close to that number. North Carolina‘s brass could have offered Veesaar in the ballpark of $4 million to stay, but he instead wishes to begin his professional basketball journey.

This news comes after Norlander reported that Florida star forward Thomas Haugh, who spurned the NBA Draft lottery to return to college, could make more than $10 million in NIL for the 2026-27 season. College basketball is bigger than ever, and programs are dishing out more money than ever.

More on Henri Veesaar’s decision to enter, stay in 2026 NBA Draft

Following the firing of Hubert Davis and shocking hire of former Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone, it remained unclear in the immediate aftermath what Veesaar planned on doing. If he returned to Carolina, there’s no doubt he’d be the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. If he entered the Portal, he likely would have been the No. 1 player available.

However, he is heading to the NBA, and will surpass a massive NIL payday from a potential National Championship contender. Veesaar is projected to be the No. 29 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Cleveland), in Yahoo Sports‘ Kevin O’Connor‘s latest Mock Draft.

In his lone season at North Carolina, Veesaar emerged as one of the most dominant players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tallin, Estonia native averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31 games for the Tar Heels.

His career began at Arizona, where he averaged 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 66 games. Veesaar’s best game at North Carolina came in an 80-79 loss to Clemson on March 12, in which he scored a career-high 28 points. He also grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds in the game.

The prized center heads to the NBA as North Carolina basketball heads into a new era. After five seasons at the helm, head coach Hubert Davis and the program parted ways after the Tar Heels fell in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Carolina hired former Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone to fill the opening, although that was not enough to entice the 7’0″ center to return to Chapel Hill.

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The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic take their Round 1 set to the “Sunshine State” with the series locked up at 1-1.

Game 3 has a tight spread, but my same-game parlay tips its hat to the visitors, with Detroit boasting one of the best road records in the NBA.

Beyond that moneyline pick, however, I like Jalen Suggs to keep hitting from deep while Tobias Harris’ inefficient offense comes back to earth.

Here are my Pistons vs. Magic predictions and NBA picks on April 24.

Our best Pistons vs Magic SGP for Game 3

The Detroit Pistons let homecourt slip away but can build on the momentum of a Game 2 win. Their smothering defense keeps this limited Orlando Magic offense away from the rim and turns the Magic’s miscues into easy buckets on the other end.

Jalen Suggs has made three triples in each of the first two games of the series but still isn’t making the most of the wide open looks offered up by the Pistons' perimeter defense. He’s a much sharper shooter at home and makes Detroit pay from distance in Game 3.

Tobias Harris has scored 16 and 17 points in the first two games despite poor shooting, especially from deep. Detroit is spreading the scoring around and Harris’ Game 3 projections come in short of his scoring prop of 15.5 points O/U.

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

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The scouting report on the Orlando Magic is no mystery—they struggle from beyond the arc.

That trend has carried into the first two games of their Round 1 series with the Detroit Pistons. Orlando, a 34% three-point shooting team on the season, has gone just 18-for-66 from deep (27%) as the series shifts back home for Game 3.

With the Magic unable to consistently punish defenses from outside, Detroit has been content to pack the paint and essentially dare Orlando to knock down perimeter shots.

Even so, our Pistons vs. Magic predictions aren’t completely fading Orlando’s outside game. In fact, our NBA picks see value in Jalen Suggs breaking out of the slump and finding his rhythm from deep at home on Saturday.

Pistons vs Magic prediction

Who will win Pistons vs Magic Game 3?

Pistons: The Detroit Pistons took six quarters to wake up from their slumber and looked like the top seed in the East in the final 24 minutes of Game 2. Detroit’s defense swarmed the Orlando Magic and flipped those stops and long rebounds into easy buckets on the other end. This spread is tight but gives the Pistons the nod as road chalk – a role that’s produced a 20-11 SU record this season.

Pistons vs Magic best bet: Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes (+102)

The Detroit Pistons know the Orlando Magic can’t make them pay from the perimeter and have given their first-round foes nothing but clean air on the outside. 

Of the 66 3-point attempts taken by the Magic through two games, 62 have come with no Detroit defender within at least four feet, including 29 long-range looks qualifying as “wide open” with no Pistons player within six feet of the shooter. Orlando has made only 16 of those open 3PAs.

Jalen Suggs is the Magic’s most consistent 3-point threat and has gone 3 for 10 from distance in each of the first two playoff contests.Nineteen of his total 20 shots from downtown have been either “open” or “wide open” with Suggs making good on just five of those attempts.

However, with the series swinging to the Kia Center this weekend, Suggs will make the Pistons pay for their passive perimeter patrol.
 
Alliteration aside, Suggs’ shooting sees a surge at home, with his 3-point success jumping from less than 30% on the road to 37.4% in Orlando. He attempts the same number of 3-pointers at home vs. away (6.3) but makes 2.4 triples inside the Kia Center compared to 1.9 in enemy gyms.

Game 3 projections aren’t bullish on Suggs’ shooting, pegging him for two 3-point makes. But with Detroit keeping its heels below the arc and Suggs shooting almost double his usual 3PAs, the opportunity is there to hit at least three treys – especially when you consider his shooting splits at home and a game script that has Orlando playing from behind.

Pistons vs Magic same-game parlay

The Pistons finally got dialed in on defense in the second half of Game 2, and that travels to Orlando on Saturday. Detroit is one of the best road teams in the NBA, with a 28-13 SU record as a visitor.

Tobias Harris has put up scores of 16 and 17 points in the first two games while shooting a collective 12 for 32, including 1 for 10 from beyond the arc. That catches up with him on the road, with projections short of 16 points in Game 3.

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Pistons Moneyline
• Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
• Tobias Harris Under 15.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Raiders of the Lost (3-Point) Arc

In a series featuring physical defense, these 3-point threats get hot and help push the final score past this low total. Duncan Robinson and Suggs have each made three triples in the first two games of this Round 1 series.

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Pistons moneyline
• Over 214
• Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
• Duncan Robinson Over 2.5 made threes

Pistons vs Magic odds for Game 3

• Spread: Pistons -2.5 | Magic +2.5
• Moneyline: Pistons -150 | Magic +125
• Over/Under: Over 214 | Under 214

Pistons vs Magic betting trend to know

The Detroit Pistons cashed in on the moneyline in 28 of their last 40 away games (+11.50 Units/9% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Magic.

How to watch Pistons vs Magic Game 3

Pistons vs Magic latest injuries

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Welcome to our Wizards player review series. We’ll go through each guy that played meaningful minutes and look back on their season. Here’s Julian Reese.

The last games of the Wizards’ season were a testing ground for borderline NBA talent. Nobody else made quite the impression that Julian Reese did, at least on the scoresheet. The young two-way center averaged a double-double, 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds, in 13 appearances.

Reese played big minutes in a few tanktastic exhibitions. But gobbling this many rebounds, including more than four offensive boards per game, has to mean something. We can at least conclude that Reese is a workhorse with a nose for the ball.

It’s tempting, from here, to elevate Reese as a promising diamond in the rough, even a candidate for a standard NBA contract. I’d pump the brakes a bit there.

Look a little deeper, and you’ll see a very raw collection of tools. As a 6’9 center who doesn’t shoot threes, he already has an uphill battle toward NBA relevance. He plays with a chaotic, shoulder-down approach, which helps him beat out guys for rebounds, but also translates to a clunky offensive game.

He committed an impressive 32 turnovers, compared to 24 assists, in his 154 minutes. His turnovers ran the gamut — illegal screens, dribbling foibles, swipe-downs on rebounds. To stick around as a threatening roll man, he’ll have to develop smoother hands:

His finishing, similarly, is a work in progress. He shot 52.9 percent from the field, mostly on shots near the rim and from floater range, a number that will have to improve. Overall, on shots inside eight feet, he converted 56 percent of the time, worse than all but two NBA big men (Derik Queen and Jusuf Nurkic).

A big reason for that: he made just 34 percent of his shots in the paint, but outside the restricted area, one of the worst numbers in the league. His floater looks a little mechanical, a line-drive last resort.

The shooting looks far away. He shot 63 percent from the line and generally avoided jump shots. He doesn’t have to be a threat from three-point range to stick in the NBA. But he does have to haul in passes and finish in a variety of ways near the rim. 

He’s still figuring out how he can be a threat on offense. He’s shown some flashes slipping screens and getting behind big men. (The flip side of that is the illegal screen calls.) Admirably, he likes to get ambitious with his passing at the top of the key when he has the chance. Off the dribble, he tends to lean into defenders with long, slow steps:

As he adjusts to the speed of the game, we could see him refine moves like that. But as it is, he doesn’t have enough feel and touch to offset a lack of pure downhill explosiveness.

On defense, he’s of course a ball of energy. The rebounding is a real NBA skillset. Like most rookie bigs, he tends to get jumpy near the rim and will take time to settle into NBA schemes and strategies.

The Wizards don’t have another big that fits Reese’s mold as it stands. (It’d be wonderful if you could combine the best of Reese and Tristan Vuckevic.) It’s worth monitoring Reese as a developmental project. His pure energy and effort is valuable, and we’ve seen guys around the league, like Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate, develop around that as a baseline.

Reese signed a two-year contract as a two-way guy, so we could see him start next season shuttling between the NBA and G-League. Best case, he shows enough to grab spot minutes a fourth big man.

Today it was announced that Henri Veesaar is officially going into the NBA Draft. Per Matt Norlander, Veesaar intends to stay in the draft, with no intent to return to UNC.

When Veesaar transferred to UNC last spring, observers saw the potential for a break-out season. Coming off the bench for Tommy Lloyd in Tucson, Veesaar played 21 minutes a game, logging nine points and five boards a game on 60% shooting, 33% from three. Paired with Caleb Wilson in the UNC frontcourt, Veesaar’s performance exploded, recording 17 points a game with 9 boards and shooting an absurd 43% from behind the line. The season put Veesaar firmly into the discussion for the NBA draft and lower third of the first round. Concerns about Henri’s stamina and physicality widened the range of draft projections into the second round.

UNC fans have been hoping Veesaar would return to UNC for a lot of money and the opportunity to play his way into a much better draft selection. The opportunity to learn from Coach Malone, who developed the NBA’s best center in Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, seemed a huge appeal for the big Estonian as well. At 22, Veesaar faced a huge decision: roll the dice on the dream of being a 1st round NBA pick now or defer that dream for another season.

The crazy state of college NIL complicated matters. NBA picks through 40 last year received two years of guaranteed money, with team options for years three and four. Just in terms of compensation for next season, however, a college player like Veesaar can earn twice as much as a first round pick in the range 20-30. Veesaar could in college earn four times as much Micah Peavy, 40th pick in 2025, earned in his first NBA season. Two guaranteed seasons, however, provides real opportunity to put down roots in the league and start the clock towards a potentially lucrative second NBA deal.

Finally, recent decisions by other college big men altered the calculus on what has been the conventional wisdom that the 2027 draft would be much weaker and a better option for Veesaar. Braylon Mullins, Alex Condon, and Patrick Ngonba, three centers ranked higher than Veesaar, opted to return to college. That simultaneously weakens the 2026 draft relative to centers but likely strengthens 2027.

Money and development pointed towards UNC. The dream pointed to the NBA.

With Veesaar opting to declare for the NBA, UNC likely moves on to find another starting center. The reporting around staff thinking on this has been that UNC can’t afford to wait another month to see whether Veesaar stays in the draft or opts out at the last minute.

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The Houston Rockets return home looking to steady the series as they enter Game 3 trailing 2-0 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

We break down Kalshi’s win probability markets and deliver some Lakers vs. Rockets predictions to help guide your NBA picks for Friday, April 24.

Who will win Lakers vs Rockets Game 3?

Lakers win probability:27% (+270)
Rockets win probability:74% (-285)

Although Houston finds itself with its back against the wall, the Rockets are trading at 74¢ to knock off L.A. at the Toyota Center tonight.

Our prediction: Rockets to win

Houston has enjoyed extra time to rest and reset, ironing out the offensive kinks in time for a win in Game 3.

The Rockets are laying close to double figures on Friday, and while that may be a tad too much, Houston will get right.

Read more in Jason Logan's full Lakers vs. Rockets predictions.

More Lakers vs Rockets prediction markets

You're certainly not limited to the main game outcome for Lakers vs. Rockets at Kalshi; you also have options to trade on the spread, total, and more, among other NBA odds markets.

You can buy either side of a market — for example, "Yes" on the Rockets -8.5 spread means the Rockets will cover, while "No" means the Lakers will cover — with each side priced based on the implied probability (which can be converted to American, Decimal, or Fraction odds using the Covers odds converter).

Lakers vs Rockets spread and total at prediction markets

Our predictions: Over 206.5 points — Yes

The Rockets’ offense will finally find its way and top this ultra-low total.

NBA playoff totals of 206 points or lower have also produced a 21-14 Over/Under record the past three postseasons.

Other Lakers vs Rockets prediction markets available

• Kevin Durant 25+ points (Yes: 49¢)
• Alperen Sengun 6+ assists (Yes: 56¢)
• LeBron James 8+ rebounds (Yes: 43¢)

What is Kalshi and how does it work?

Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts," which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Rockets win tonight?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.

How does Kalshi differ from sportsbooks?

In a sportsbook, you bet against the bookmaker, who sets fixed odds and takes a "vig," which is a kind of commission. On Kalshi, you trade against other users. This peer-to-peer model means prices are driven by supply and demand, often resulting in fairer odds. Additionally, because these are financial derivatives, you can exit your position early. If your team takes a 14-point lead, the contract price will rise, allowing you to sell your "Yes" shares for a profit before the final whistle even blows.

Why should I wager on Lakers vs Rockets at Kalshi?

Kalshi offers four unique advantages over traditional sportsbooks:

1. Flexibility: Unlike a "locked-in" bet, you can sell your contract at any time.
   
   
2. Transparency: You trade against other users, which can allow you to find better value.
   
   
3. Federal regulation: As a CFTC-regulated exchange, your funds are held in a secure, transparent environment.
   
   
4. Availability: Kalshi is available in 49 states (excluding Nevada) and D.C., including many regions where traditional sportsbooks aren't yet legal.

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Shout-out Mike Brown for losing Game 3 by one point, going four-against-five for the whole first half.

Shout-out Mikal Bridges, for helping folks forget about him and teaching the world that basketball was meant to be a four-player sport.

Here’s the latest from the ATL.

Mike Brown

On the Game 3 loss and the series outlook:
“The reality of it is, it’s a seven-game series for a reason. Stuff’s going to happen. Plenty of teams have been down 1-2, even OKC was down 1-2 last year and they ended up winning it. I’m not saying we’re going to win. … This should sting. We gave ourselves a chance knowing we didn’t play our best basketball, so it should sting. We need to feel it and be locked in for the next games.”

On his late-game play around Brunson:
“We cleared the side of the floor for him. That’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to zipper on the top of the floor and clear that right side of the floor for him ‘cause that’s what he’s comfortable doing and told him, ‘go win it.’”

On the free-throw discrepancy in Game 3:
“They’re closing out hard. And when they close out hard, we gotta drive the basketball. I do think it’s a tough game for the officials to officiate. But I know we got fouled on a few of the drives that didn’t get called. It’s tough to see 20-26 in a one-possession game when you know for sure there were a couple of fouls that should’ve been called.”

On his lineup decisions going forward and the possibility of benching Bridges:
“I mean, I’m not even thinking about that right now. But in the same breath, I’ve said it before, like you said, we have to look at everything, but I’m thinking still about the game and what we could’ve done better and all that other stuff before we get into that.”

On Bridges’ performance and the need for a bounceback:
“I’m not concerned. Mikal is a pro. He’s been there. He’s played hundreds of basketball games, so he’ll be fine.”

On choosing a small lineup for the final defensive play:
“The way the game was being played, the different runs we made and the different combinations I threw out there, I just went with what I felt the game called for at that time.This is what the game called for, and that’s what I went with.”

On what hurt the Knicks:
“They did a good job of taking care of the basketball. They were pretty aggressive. Atlanta, they’re trying to get up in us, they’re trying to speed us up, they’re playing physical, and when you face that type of defense, you can’t play on your heels. You can’t be passive at all. You got to be able to rip that ball through and get to the rim. Or if they close out hard, you gotta be able to snap drive and get to the rim. That group did a pretty good job of it. They did a pretty good job of trying to get out in transition, too. And then they did a pretty good job of trying to get stops defensively. That’s something that we all have to recognize and embrace.”

On why Robinson is barely playing:
“We need something from everybody, and the reality of what happened was — we ended up going with KAT. KAT played a significant amount of minutes for us because he was rolling in that second half.”

Jalen Brunson

On failing to execute the game plan:
“I think he’s been great in making sure we’re in the right positions to be successful. It’s just on us to execute them.”

On what went wrong at the end of Game 3:
“I wish I had a better answer for you. I don’t know right now. There are a lot of things I need to be better at. That’s a missed opportunity for sure.”

On Knicks fans on the road:
“Whenever we play and we see Knicks fans here, Knicks fans make it known. So it’s always a pleasure. It’s always a very cool thing to hear. When you’re in the opposing arenas.”

Mitchell Robinson

On the Knicks’ coaching staff getting them ready for everything:
“[Our coaching staff] gets to every detail of the game, literally everything. They break it down, see what needs to be changed, what doesn’t, what we need, you know: bring more intensity out of us and stuff like that. I mean it’s been great learning from him. It’s been amazing.”

On the lack of physicality in Game 2:
“Hell no, we weren’t physical at all. So physicality, make everything get physical. You know, just play ball and stay locked in and just fight.”

On embracing the playoffs:
“Hell yeah, I love this (expletive). This (expletive) is fun. This is what it’s about. Getting in, getting active. I’m ready to go.”

On the Hack-a-Mitch strategy:
“I mean, yeah, I feel like they want to get me off the court, so I know I’m threatening they ass and it be like that.”

On his free-throw confidence:
“I’ve been shooting a lot of free throws. I’ve been getting the ball in the air. Routine is straight. So I’ve been shooting it good. Sometimes, it go in; sometimes, it don’t. Confidence still high, so still ready to go.”

On playing posteason games on the road:
“I like playing away. I think I play better away than I ever do at home. I don’t know, the energy. It’s like me versus the world.”

Mikal Bridges

On his turnovers in Game 3:
“Had more turnovers than I had the two games combined. Just sloppy overall. But I’ve just got to be better so I can be out there.”

On taking accountability for his no-show job:
“There’s no other way…it’s a tough one, I’ve got to take it on the chin and handle it how I’m supposed to. It’s going to suck, it is what it is. I’ve got to be better and help my team out there.”

On his overall struggles in Game 3:
“Just a bad turnover day for me. Got to clean that up, it’s on me. We’ve got to put it all together. Starts with me, I’ve got to be better. We’ve got to play as a team and fight for all 48.”

Karl-Anthony Towns

On the Game 3 loss:
“It hurts when you give yourself a chance to win – last game, this game, it hurts that we put ourselves in a position to win and we just didn’t close – it’s tough, but we have to keep our heads up.”

On what his stats mean in a loss:
“It don’t mean anything if you don’t win, honestly. That’s the answer.”

Josh Hart

On the urgency in the first-round series:
“We’re down, 2-1. Right now, there’s no room to feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got another one on Saturday at 6 o’clock. So it’s a quick turnaround. We’ve got to make sure we regroup and go out focused for Game 4.”

On defending McCollum:
“I just tried to make it tough for him. That was the biggest thing, just try to make it tough for him, force him into tough shots.”

On his Game 3 shooting:
“I just…they just didn’t go. I thought the corner one was good. I gotta make ’em.”

On the 3-point shooting failing to work:
“I feel like we had good shots. We didn’t knock them down.”

Call this a make-up for the fact that we didn’t run a full story on this news item yesterday (no disrespect due to Derrick, who is perfect in every way – it just got lost in the shuffle).

I mean, what else is there to say. Derrick is a wonderful human being.

I guess it is also worth noting that this award has gone to a few players with ties to the Celtics in the past.

Caleb Wilson hasn’t gotten to go through the NBA Draft combine yet, but there’s already a lot of buzz that he could be drafted top three overall. What wasn’t expected, however, is Yahoo Sports projecting that he could go higher than that. In their latest mock draft, they have Wilson being picked second overall by the Atlanta Hawks.

For the better part of what we will call the NCAA/NBA basketball season, it was largely projected that Wilson would be drafted as the fourth overall pick. But there were moments throughout the 2025-26 UNC season when fans had to start wondering if he could climb even higher. He is one of the better athletes in the draft, has a really high ceiling, and most importantly, he could become one of the better players on a NBA team right now. It is hard to say that about Darryn Peterson, for instance, but it’s understandable to see AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson as interchangeable. But this is the first time Wilson has been projected as a top-two pick to our knowledge, which means this draft could get really interesting for the Georgia native.

Here’s what Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor had to say about the All-American:

“Front office executives around the NBA increasingly believe Wilson could be the second player taken in June’s draft. While his exact spot won’t be clear until after the Draft Lottery, once each pick is determined, some teams value the high-flying North Carolina freshman above the more ground-bound Cam Boozer from Duke. Others view Wilson as having similarly high upside as Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with dramatically lower downsides due to Peterson’s availability concerns.“

It is interesting that O’Connor stated that some teams would value Wilson’s aerial abilities over Boozer’s gravity-shackled game, but it is also not surprising. Objectively speaking, it would make more sense for some teams to take Boozer over Wilson, but there are some NBA teams that do not have a guy that is wired quite like Wilson. Where he is actually drafted will likely depend on what team has one of the top 2-3 picks, but hearing that front office executives are increasingly confident that Wilson can be the second player off the board is huge.

What do you think of Yahoo’s projection? Do you think Wilson could go #2 overall? Do you think there’s a possibility he can go #1 overall? Let us know in the comments below.

The NBA may or may not have an officiating crisis. But it definitely has a crisis of confidence, which is the only kind that matters.

Even in the age of big data and AI-generated LeBron songs, we still do not have a reliable way to track if an NBA game was officiated well. This isn’t automatic balls and strikes; we’re talking about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo’s elbow intentionally struck Al Horford in the head during that poster dunk, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander initiated contact when his defender stupidly jumped at a pump fake for the 19th time, whether Jaden McDaniels gave Jamal Murray adequate landing space on his shot despite every player jumping different distances when they shoot and McDaniels understandably is not staring at Murray’s feet when he’s shooting a three. That kind of stuff.

So people clamor for accountability. Players freak out, including Devin Booker saying in a press conference that Alex Caruso asked the ref to call a technical on Booker and he just did for some reason? Fans of teams that feel they got jobbed lose it, demanding changes (what changes?), oversight (how?) and to please please please stop allowing Gilgeous-Alexander to magnet-pull himself to a defender and get two free throws!

But refereeing is such a stupid concept that there is no possibility to improve, only to complicate. Sure, we have Last Two Minutes reports, but those are simply compiled by other referees offering a different interpretation with the assistance of slow-motion replay — or as I like to call them, completely useless since no referee could ever review every single call of the last two minutes in slow-mo in real time lest they want to make the game completely unwatchable. 

Refereeing basketball games is not an exact science; in fact, it’s probably not a science at all. When you consider all the contact, all the dust-ups, all the arm-flailing, all the pump-fake magnetism and all the floppity flops, officiating this environment is far closer to oil painting than it is mathematical proofs. Fouls are interpretations of a fluid game in which contact is legal, and referees must use words like “wind-up,” “follow-through,” “incidental,” and “reckless” (what does any of that mean?) to determine if something is a foul, a flagrant, a technical or nothing at all. 

In short, there is really no way to officiate a sport where contact is kind of legal. It’s not like football and hockey (which have plenty of officiating problems), where contact is mostly legal and something has to be fairly heinous to result in a foul for being too physical; basketball allows contact to a certain extent. What that extent is has evolved over time, such as throwing elbows, hand checking, the block-charge and more fun stuff we all complain about. All NBA refs are really doing is trying to keep the game safe and reasonably fair; an impossible task, but one they are heroically trusted with anyway.

The NBA has thus complicated officiating to no end, only watering the roots of an issue that have continued to grow. A blatantly incorrect reading of this situation is that the Oklahoma City Thunder foul-bait more than any other team — they were 17th in free throw attempts per game this season. Nor is it statistically provable to say that teams foul-bait more than ever, as team fouls-per-game has gone down sharply in recent NBA history. 

But teams have exploited the infinite complication of officiating to great effect, notably how pace, size and explosive super-athletes can create impossibly subjective interactions. Gilgeous-Alexander bears the brunt of this criticism, given that he’s likely about to be the league’s back-to-back MVP winner, but he wasn’t even first in free-throw attempts this season. Everyone does it, and I think we really peaked with 2022 Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, for two playoff rounds, barreled into Nikola Vucevic and Grant Williams and whoever else dared to oppose him with impossible speed, power and extreme arm-angles that were always some kind of foul. On who? On Giannis? Who knew.

The root problem is that a shooting foul is the most valuable offensive action in basketball. With league-average shooting percentages, two free throws have an expected point-value of 1.57, while a three-pointer is worth 1.08 points and an at-rim look worth 1.20 points (shoutout to Ian Levy for pointing this out to me; it changed my life). If you can get your free-throw percentage up above average (>78 percent), now we’re really cooking something spicy. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 88 percent from the line, so by far his best option on every possession is to get to the line. 

Like with tanking and the draft lottery, if the NBA’s rules provide a clear best option to succeed, smart players and teams will always figure out how to maximize their return. It’s like when the MLB figured out walks were actually good — whatever macho man mentality (and steroids) sustained the “always swing and swing for power” world died in the darkness wrought by sabermetrics and taking a 3-1 fastball that’s a little high.

The NBA public freaking out about officiating these playoffs doesn’t actually want fewer fouls, they just want fouls to feel like fouls — you know, things that aren’t allowed,rather than the calculated, orchestrated manipulations of a subjective rule set and mathematical reality that they have become. A fix would be a point of emphasis from officials that radically expands the scope of “who initiated contact” and categorically refuse to call fouls when the offensive player visually initiates the interaction. 

But we all know how that would end: teams and players would reset, take some time to analyze the situation and then find whatever the new best way to get to the free-throw line is. Short of a literal free-throw quota, an insane idea that would turn the game into gladiatorial combat, teams will figure out how to foul-bait even if foul-baiting is outlawed. But an emphasis against offensive player-initiated defensive fouls would be a good start, given that this is all a visual question anyway — as said before, the total number of fouls has decreased in recent years. We’re solving a crisis of confidence, not an actual crisis.

Sports have their own built-in honor codes that are unique and deeply personal, but not flopping is generally agreed upon as lame by the people of the world. And those same people will shed blood, sweat and tearful Tweets when they believe the sanctity of the game they love is under assault. Maybe it isn’t, but it looks like it is. And keeping up appearances is key.

After suffering another loss that came down to a final possession, the Knicks trail the Atlanta Hawks, 2-1, in the first round. 

In New York’s 109-108 loss to the Hawks, there were several moments to note. OG Anunoby emerged with 29 points. The Knicks outscored Atlanta, 56-40, in the paint. But the Hawks shot better from the three-point line (39 percent).

As New York tries to even the series on Saturday night, here are three keys to Game 4...

Absent starters need to come through

New York's starters scored 78 points on Thursday night, but 76 of those points came from the trio of Anunoby,Jalen Brunson (26 points), and Karl-Anthony Towns (21 points). The other two starters -- Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart --combined for just two points in 61 minutes. 

Bridges was scoreless in 21 minutes, attempting just three shots. He was also a -26 and had four turnovers, leading to him being benched for much of the second half in favor of Deuce McBride. That turned out to be the right decision as McBride was instrumental in New York’s comeback attempt.

The absent offensive performance was another notable moment in an uneven two-year stretch for Bridges. The external noise around the Knicks trading five first-round picks for Bridges only grows louder after performances like this. Hart had two points on 1-for-9 from the field and he missed all four of his attempts from the three-point line. 

Hart and Bridges have made significant contributions defensively in this series, and Hart did have nine rebounds and six assists on Thursday. But both players have played a part in New York’s substandard offensive play. New York will need more from both Bridges and Hart on the offensive end in Game 4.

The next logical step is head coach Mike Brown possibly making a change to the starting lineup. As SNY’s Ian Begley noted, one of the burning questions for Game 4 is if McBride will replace Bridges.

Limiting miscues

Creating turnovers on defense is crucial to the Hawks’ strategy. Not a great halfcourt offense, the Hawks have been able to thrive off playing fast and creating transition scoring opportunities.

As this series has worn on, miscues have become a concern for the Knicks. New York had 11 giveaways in the series opener, followed by 14 in the second game. In Game 3, the Hawks forced a series-high 18 Knicks turnovers and scored 21 points off those errors.

Atlanta has athletic finishers like Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga, who benefited from easy baskets that came from either turnovers or long rebounds. Johnson broke out for his best performance in the series on Thursday with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Kuminga had 21 points off the bench.

Keeping those two players in the halfcourt will be crucial for Game 4. Taking care of the rock is of significant importance, especially when thinking of how each of the last two games have gone.

The plan for Mitchell Robinson

The series was supposed to be made for Robinson. With Atlanta’s diminutive roster, Robinson was expected to dominate off the bench. But so far we’ve seen scant minutes for the seven-footer. Over three games, Robinson is averaging 14.7 minutes.

Two factors seem to be weighing on Robinson’s limited minutes. One is the potential for the Hawks to intentionally foul the notoriously poor free-throw shooter. Brown has also noted that lineups with both Towns and Robinson on the court haven’t been as effective.

When Robinson has played, he hasn’t dominated the offensive glass. Despite Robinson not seeing increased minutes, the Knicks have actually rebounded well on both ends of the floor. New York is sixth among the 16 playoff teams in offensive rebound rate, recovering 33.1 percent of misses, per NBA Stats.