Category: Basketball

Victor Wembanyama left Game 2 of the Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers after falling and smacking his head on the court with 8:57 left in the second quarter. He was driving when Jrue Holiday pulled the chair, and he fell face first. He slammed his chin on the court and appeared to lose consciousness for a split second. As he tried to get up, he appeared dazed and sat back down before heading to the locker room. He did not return after being entered into concussion protocol.

While there is no set timeline for return from a concussion, a player who enters protocol must pass certain tests and by symptom free for at least 24 hours before being cleared to return. The average return time is usually between 5-7 days, which means it could be at least Game 5 before he returns. If there is a silver lining, it’s that the Spurs played all their regular season games against Portland without him and still went 2-1, but the playoffs are a different animal.

Wemby had played in 12 minutes with 5 points and 4 rebounds before exiting. The Spurs were down 32-34 when he left and tied 57-57 at halftime.

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion.

Wembanyama left Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday, April 21, following a fall in which he hit his head on the floor.

“He has a concussion and he’s in the protocol, and we’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game.

Johnson added that Wembanyama was not being examined for anything beyond his assessment in concussion protocol. Johnson did not have any information for a possible timeline for Wembanyama to return to the court.

“You know, it’s tough,” Johnson added. “The protocol is the protocol, so we’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”

The Blazers eventually would come back from a 14-point deficit with a little more than eight minutes to play to win the game, 106-103, tying the series at one game apiece.

NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Latest scores and full schedules for every first-round series

The Golden State Warriors have a number of decisions to make this offseason, including whether or not to part ways with head coach Steve Kerr after 12 seasons and four NBA championships.

Questions loom about Kerr's future with the Warriors. His contract expires this summer. Even he was uncertain on what would transpire in the next days, weeks or months.

"I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching, but I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date," Kerr told reporters after the Warriors ended their season with a 111-96 loss to the Phoenix Suns on April 18 in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

"There's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that. And if that's the case, I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in The Bay, and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray, the whole group. So it might still go on. May not, I don't know at this point, but we all need to step away a little bit and then reconvene."

However, it seems that signs are pointing towards Kerr not working out a deal to return to the Warriors, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole. Poole reported that the Warriors' coach would not be brought back unless Kerr had a "renewed faith in his role as the franchise shifts toward the future."

The Suns took a heavy loss on Sunday against a very strong Thunder team (which makes sense, they’re the champions…), and even though Phoenix got outclassed in many areas (again, nothing surprising…), I felt there were some good things throughout the game. And before that, I thought the staff actually prepared the matchup correctly, especially with the intention of limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring impact as much as possible. So I’m proposing we analyze a few sequences together to better understand all of this.

Already, a quick statistical note: Shai finishes with a nice line: 25 points, 7 assists, and 0 turnovers. But behind that, you’ll find a rough 5-for-18 shooting night (including 0-for-4 from three) and a 96.2 PSA. Numerically, both in terms of volume and efficiency (you have to go back to Game 7 of the NBA Finals to find another SGA game under 30% shooting), this is his 5th-worst scoring performance of the season. Sure, he didn’t need to force anything, sure he got the win, but for the Suns, that’s respectable.

I think the best way to understand a tactical approach is to look at what happens during the first 4–5 minutes of a game. Before any adjustments are made or fatigue/pace come into play. And the game plan on Shai during this Game 1 was clear: the guards are placed on him one by one with the objective of being aggressive and forcing him into tough midrange shots. But they’re also asked to help and fill the paint as much as possible to contain him.

On this play, for example, Shai gets by Goodwin with his first step, but he has no driving lane because all five Suns players have a foot or more in the paint: Booker and Goodwin pressure him together, Ighodaro is in second-layer help, Brooks and Green are in the third layer. SGA is forced to pass to Lu Dort in the corner.

Unfortunately, despite a very good closeout from Brooks, the three still goes in.

Another situation, this time it’s Brooks who’s on him, very high, it almost looks like a (1-2-2) zone defense set up by the Suns. Dillon fights through the screen and you’ll notice that Oso prioritizes Shai over Hartenstein, the Thunder guard draws four Suns players: Booker is watching, waiting and ready to act (as we see at the end); Oso is still there as the low man; and Green comes to help to stop the drive, Brooks (even if a bit late) manages to bother the shot.

Basically, this same defensive pattern was repeated several times in this first quarter: high defensive activity to force him to drive left, then help to stop the drive and force a contested midrange shot. SGA goes back to the bench with 8 points on 2-for-6 shooting — the plan to limit his scoring worked, maybe even too well, because the team forgot that the Thunder are overflowing with offensive talent, starting with the lack of response to Chet Holmgren’s performance (13 points).

Then, the defensive trend was completely different in the second quarter: Jordan Ott left Ryan Dunn on him during the last four minutes of SGA’s time on the floor. And I understand it, and I found the choice interesting — Dunn is bigger, stronger, less quick than a guard, but mobile and long enough not to fall too far behind.

In reality, it’s just a variation of what was done in Q1: Dunn pressures high, Shai obviously beats him with speed, but Brooks is there to help and force him to stop his dribble, Oso is also there to provide support and contest if SGA gets through. Dunn is positioned well enough to contest this midrange shot once again.

In Q3 the team continued with the same game plan but Shai played differently, more intelligently: by forcing less on the tough midrange shots that didn’t seem to fall during this game (1-for-7), by drawing a few fouls, by playing with the aggressiveness imposed by the Suns. But also by playing more collectively — he understood it, and it was surely studied at halftime, but Shai took advantage of the excessive help to be more of a distributor (4 assists in Q3). He finishes the game with catastrophic percentages, but with offensive rhythm control worthy of a future two-time MVP.

This brings us back to what I said earlier: by focusing too much on one thing, you often end up forgetting the rest. It wasn’t the big three’s points that created the gap, but the baskets from players like Wallace (6 points), Mitchell and Joe (9 points each), or even Dort (8points). In itself, this tactical setup was good, but it was too focused on a single player. So, for the next games, why not let him finish a bit more at the rim instead of feeding his teammates? I think a middle ground can be found before the end of this series to limit the Thunder’s entire offense.

Victor Wembanyama has concussion after falling face-first in loss to Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after tumbling face-first to the court in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s playoff loss to Portland.

“He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after San Antonio fell 106-103 to even the Western Conference first-round series at one game apiece. “We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.”

Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France.

Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive a final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.

Game 3 is Friday in Portland. It seems improbable that Wembanyama would be cleared by then, but Johnson wouldn’t speculate about his status.

“The protocol is the protocol,” Johnson said. “We’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”

The Spurs went 12-6 during the regular season without Wembanyama.

“We’ve all got to step up,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table. We’ve played without him for a couple games this year. It’s going to be next man up. Everybody’s going to have to step up. That’s a huge void to fill. We can’t get bogged down by it.”

Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after he spun around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint. He was not able to brace himself on the fall, and his jaw hit the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Wembanyama remained on the court for about 30 seconds before rising to a seated position for about a minute and speaking to teammate Stephon Castle. Johnson called timeout to check on Wembanyama, who immediately ran through the tunnel after getting to his feet.

Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one assist in 12 minutes. Veteran Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and started the second half at center, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

“It was scary. I saw the images. It was not good,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said of the play where Wembanyama got hurt. “With him out, Kornet, I think he did a tremendous job. We still have to figure out how to play better when Kornet is on the court.”

San Antonio is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and beat Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series behind 35 points from Wembanyama. Without him, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, a span of 76 games.

On Monday, Wembanyama became the unanimous winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.1 blocks this season.

Vassell said he didn’t have a chance to talk with Wembanyama immediately after the game.

“We’ll definitely check in on him. Our prayers are with him,” Vassell said. “We just want him to be good.”

Victor Wembanyama has concussion after falling face-first in loss to Blazers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after tumbling face-first to the court in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s playoff loss to Portland.

“He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after San Antonio fell 106-103 to even the Western Conference first-round series at one game apiece. “We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.”

Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France.

Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive a final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.

Game 3 is Friday in Portland. It seems improbable that Wembanyama would be cleared by then, but Johnson wouldn’t speculate about his status.

“The protocol is the protocol,” Johnson said. “We’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”

The Spurs went 12-6 during the regular season without Wembanyama.

“We’ve all got to step up,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table. We’ve played without him for a couple games this year. It’s going to be next man up. Everybody’s going to have to step up. That’s a huge void to fill. We can’t get bogged down by it.”

Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after he spun around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint. He was not able to brace himself on the fall, and his jaw hit the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Wembanyama remained on the court for about 30 seconds before rising to a seated position for about a minute and speaking to teammate Stephon Castle. Johnson called timeout to check on Wembanyama, who immediately ran through the tunnel after getting to his feet.

Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one assist in 12 minutes. Veteran Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and started the second half at center, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

“It was scary. I saw the images. It was not good,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said of the play where Wembanyama got hurt. “With him out, Kornet, I think he did a tremendous job. We still have to figure out how to play better when Kornet is on the court.”

San Antonio is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and beat Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series behind 35 points from Wembanyama. Without him, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, a span of 76 games.

On Monday, Wembanyama became the unanimous winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.1 blocks this season.

Vassell said he didn’t have a chance to talk with Wembanyama immediately after the game.

“We’ll definitely check in on him. Our prayers are with him,” Vassell said. “We just want him to be good.”

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

The Spurs are now 15 wins away from their sixth championship, and the first order of business is taking care of home court in Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Silver and Black won the first game by double digits, but the Blazers were competitive throughout—and with two road teams taking upset victories last night, a victory for the home team is not a foregone conclusion. The Nuggets are looking at a long series against the Timberwolves, and either team could be the Spurs second round opponent if the Spurs advance. It would be optimal for Alamo City hoopers to take care of business and make it to the second round with a rest advantage, and that would start with a victory tonight.

Deni Avdija was impressive for Rip City on Sunday night, as he used his strength to get to the hoop and scored 30 taking the ball right at Wembanyama and Spurs defenders. Toumani Camara did a good job defending against Spurs drives to the hoop, at least until halfway through the third quarter, when the Spurs fought off a Blazers surge to create a comfortable margin after the lead had been cut to a single point.

Both teams were a little tentative at the beginning of Game 1, but they quickly embraced playoff intensity as the game progressed and it was a fun game to watch. Victor Wemanyama had a historic playoff debut with 35 points, with a balanced effort from the rest of the cast, with Devin Vassell making key baskets, and Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox doing work. The bench was relatively quiet, except for Luke Kornet, who scored 10 and made key defensive plays. As good as the first game was for the Spurs, you get the feeling that they could play much better, and hopefully they will tonight.

I’m looking for a good game tonight from Keldon Johnson, in his second career playoff game. The Blazers could try to play a more physical game tonight than they did in Game 1, and if the game is called fairly, that should result in foul trouble for the visitors. The Spurs need to adjust to the intensity, weather the storm, and take care of business. If they do, it’ll be another fun night for the Frost Bank Center crowd as they cheer their team to a 2-0 series lead. GO SPURS GO!

Game Prediction:

The Trail Blazers have to wear the dirty uniforms from Game 1 as the Portland owner refuses to pay for laundry services.

San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers, First Round, Game 2
April 21, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: Peacock
TV: Peacock, NBC
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There’s a difference between being snubbed…and inconvenience. 

The fact that Lakers superstar Luka Doncic missed out on being named an NBA MVP finalist falls into that category. He was the inconvenience that voters didn’t quite know how to handle. Because his historic season doesn’t fit neatly into the box they’ve spent years building. 

So instead, they chose to close the lid.

Was that the right decision? We can make the argument either way, but perhaps there’s a solution at the end of all this that can appease everyone. 

Let’s start with the finalists: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic. 

All three are deserving. They all play on the No. 1, No, 2, and No. 3 seeds in the Western Conference. They are all the best players on their own team with elite level production on both ends of the floor. They check all the boxes. 

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But MVP isn’t supposed to be an exercise performed with a Sharpie and a checklist. There’s more gravitas to it. There’s the eye test. There’s the feeling in your gut when you know you’re seeing one of the best players in the world do what they do best. There’s how opposing defenses throw the kitchen sink at one player just to try and slow him down only to discover they can’t. 

And nobody made us feel that way this season quite like Doncic. 

“I’m disappointed. I think he deserved to be there,” said Lakers’ head coach J.J. Redick. “All three guys that did end up being finalists all have a strong case. A lot of this is media momentum, unfortunately.”

Let’s start with the obvious.

He led the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game. More than 2.4 points more than SGA. Pair that with 8.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and over 100 steals. Night after night, Doncic wasn’t just producing. He was dominating. No player in NBA history has ever averaged 30+ points, 7+ assists, and 7 + rebounds on a team that won 50 games or more and not won the MVP. Doncic will have now done it twice (2024). 

And let’s not forget that he had to carry the Lakers on his back for most of the season. 

The Lakers takeoff this season did not come with a clean runway. There was turbulence on the tarmac. An early sciatica injury to LeBron James saw him miss the first 14 games of the season. Doncic led them to a 10-4 record. Midway through the season their second leading scorer Austin Reaves went down with an injury. So did other role players. The Lakers roster felt like it was constantly being rearranged mid-flight. But through it all, Doncic was the pilot that guided them through the turbulence. 

So when his teammates that were on this journey with him were asked their thoughts on Doncic not being an MVP finalist they didn’t hesitate with their answers. 

“You can see he’s the MVP,” said Lakers’ forward Rui Hachimura. “I can see he’s the MVP of this league. What he does, what he brings to the game every game.”

That’s not analytics. That’s lived experience. 

But unfortunately, analytics and advanced metrics is where the divide and the case against Doncic begins. 

The anti-Doncic crowd will point to his plus-4 net rating. They’ll stack that next to Jokic’s plus-10.4, SGA’s plus-14.8, and Wemby’s gaudy plus-17.3 and call it decisive. They’ll bring up the defensive metrics as well, where admittedly, Doncic lags behind. They’ll remind you, correctly, that the other finalists are all two-way players, including Wemby who at 22 years old just became the youngest and first ever unanimous player ever to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

All fair points. 

But when did the MVP award become less about overall value to a team and more about the completeness of an individual player?

Not since Russell Westbrook in the 2014-15 season has a player ever led the league in scoring and not finished as a top three MVP finalist. 

Doncic’s MVP campaign is messy. He’s ball-dominant. He’s emotional and racks up technical fouls like dishes. He’s defensively inconsistent. He doesn’t check every box. 

And yet, in the month of March, Doncic dominated the entire league. The Lakers went 16-2 over an 18-game stretch. Doncic was the undisputed Player of the Month, breaking Kobe Bryant’s franchise record, and finishing second only to Michael Jordan with 600 points. His MVP odds surged. He went from out of the race, to second behind SGA by March 31. 

“If we continue to finish the season the way we’re playing right now, and he continues to play that way — to me, he is the MVP,” said Lakers’ head coach J.J. Redick at the time. 

Even Doncic was asked about his MVP case. 

“The better I play, the more I go down in ratings,” he said in Spanish, half-joking, fully aware of the dialogue going on in the sports talk world. 

Then came April.

In a head-to-head matchup against SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Doncic had a golden opportunity to put a final exclamation point on his MVP campaign. Instead, he suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain and the Lakers lost to OKC by 43. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Doncic would miss the final five games of the season, just as voters were getting ready to make their final selections. 

And there’s the rub. Sometimes MVP races aren’t just decided by numbers. They’re decided by moments. And in that moment in OKC, Doncic’s MVP slipped away.

Because the truth is, had he stayed healthy, had the Lakers lit up OKC in those two late-season matchups, had the Lakers surged to the three-seed, then we’re having a very different conversation right now. Not only would Doncic be the finalist, but maybe he’s the favorite. 

So was he snubbed?

Not exactly. 

But he was minimized. 

Voters didn’t ignore him entirely, but they did find reasons to prioritize players who fit the evolving definition of MVP: efficient, elite on both ends of the floor, and attached to team success from start to finish. 

Still, the omission exposes something bigger. And that’s that the league needs to make some changes. 

Changes not just to the 65-minimum games played threshold, that’s obvious. But other changes as well. 

How about an NBA Offensive Player of the Year award like the NFL has? 

If that award existed, then there wouldn’t even be a debate. Doncic would be holding the trophy.

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers

Game 2 – April 21, 2026

Location: Crypto.com arena, Los Angeles, CA

TV: NBC/Peacock

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)

Online: Peacock

Time: 9:30 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Lakers: Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Jake Laravia, Lebron James, Deandre Ayton

The playoffs continue tonight for the Rockets. The biggest question is the status of Forward Kevin Durant, as he is listed as a game time decision with his knee bruise. Honestly, even without Kevin Durant, this Houston team should win over a depleted Lakers team, but then again, Houston could put up another stinker offensively.

Hopefully Sengun, Jabari, and Amen Thompson all bounce back from their lackluster Game 1 performances. ( I am excluding Reed because to give him grace since it was his first real NBA playoff game). If not, the Rockets could be in trouble, and facing an 0-2 deficit before the series shifts to Houston this Friday.

Here are the NBA playoff games for Tuesday, April 21, 2026:

• Boston Celtics at Miami Heat — 7:30 PM ET (TNT)
• Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder — 8:00 PM ET (NBA TV)
• Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns — 10:00 PM ET (TNT)

Enjoy the basketball!

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The Lakers and Rockets are back in action today in Los Angeles for Game 2 of their first-round NBA Playoff series.

The Lakers didn’t need anything fancy in a Game 1 that made history in more than one way. Even without two key players, Los Angeles defended, controlled the tempo, and let their veterans handle the rest.

Houston heads into Game 2 down a game to the Lakers after the 107-98 loss on Friday, and another loss tonight would put the series in a tough spot before it even shifts back to Texas.

It’s possible they’ll continue to be without Kevin Durant, too; the forward is listed as a game-time decision tonight after missing out on Game 2 with a knee contusion.

Following tonight’s game, the series moves to Houston for Game 3 on Friday, April 24 and Sunday, April 26.

Rockets vs. Lakers start time:

Tonight’s (April 21) Rockets vs. Lakers playoff game tips off at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Rockets vs. Lakers for free:

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

DIRECTV is our top pick for watching basketball live for free — its five-day free trial includes NBC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the NBA playoffs including local channels). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.

Sling TV is another affordable way to stream NBA games; its Select plan includes NBC and starts at $19.99/month.

Rockets-Lakers first round playoff schedule

• Game 1:Lakers 107, Rockets 98
• Game 2: April 21, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 3: April 24, 8 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
• Game 4: April 26, 9:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Game 5: April 29*
• Game 6: May 1*
• Game 7: May 3*

* if necessary

NBA Playoffs key dates:

• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins
• June 3: Game 1 of the NBA Finals

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

The Los Angeles Lakers host Game 2 of their first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, April 21, and while the Lakers will be without two of their most important players in Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, one of them is inching closer towards a return.

It was revealed during a report on ESPN's NBA Today that Dončić and Reaves both began practicing with the Lakers on Monday, April 20. While Dončić is still considered out indefinitely, ESPN reports Reaves has been progressing, and there is optimism in the building that he could return towards the end of the series.

"The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that's further along than Luka Dončić in their respective rehab processes," Shams Charania said on the broadcast. "... Remember early April here, he had a four-to-six-week timetable. So theoretically, that puts him on track late in this series, potentially early in the next series."

KEVIN DURANT INJURY UPDATE: Will Rockets star play vs. Lakers Game 2?

The latest on the rehabs of Lakers star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/HA4sfuckrN

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 21, 2026

NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Odds today, schedule and scores for every first-round series

Charania added that Reaves has begun one-on-one on-court work and is expected to continue his progression to three-on-three and five-on-five before a return to game action.

Dončić, meanwhile, is currently not expected to return in the first round.

Neither has played since April 2 due to a grade 2 left hamstring strain (Dončić) and a grade 2 left oblique strain (Reaves). Dončić flew to Spain in the last week of the regular season to undergo an injection procedure in hopes of accelerating the healing process in his hamstring, while Reaves remained in Los Angeles to rehab his oblique.

The Knicks find themselves in a 1-1 lock with the Hawks in their first-round matchup, as they head to Atlanta following an embarrassing defeat at home. While they’ve given themselves no shortage of issues to address before Game 3, one factor likely to be high up on New York’s list: stopping CJ McCollum.

The 6-foot-3, 34-year-old veteran guard has smoked the Knicks in back-to-back games at MSG this series. He scored 26 in Game 1 on 11-for-20 shooting, 4-for-9 from three, then added 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including 3-of-10 from three.

No other Hawk has managed to hurt the Knicks to McCollum’s degree and consistency thus far, making him the current biggest threat to end this New York playoff run early. 

With that in mind, let’s break down how he’s cut through their defenses and what can be done to switch things up.

McCollum’s primarily been guarded by Jalen Brunson, who, for all he’s done on the offensive end, is the Knicks’ biggest weak point defensively. Normally, New York would hide him on a favorable matchup, but with Karl-Anthony Towns on the non-shooter (Dyson Daniels) in Atlanta’s lineup, head coach Mike Brown doesn’t have much of a choice.

To be fair, McCollum got a lot of his Game 1 buckets off silly Knicks mistakes and semi-transition stuff that’s easy to clean up. He’s also burned every other Knick that ends up guarding him via switch or changed matchup in those few attempts.

But he’s also identified Brunson as an easy target and is taking advantage. He’s 9-for-12 from the field when guarded by Brunson, and went from singling him out in Atlanta’s offense a little in Game 1 to all the time in Game 2.

From the middle of the second quarter of Game 2 on, if McCollum was on the floor with Brunson, that was the matchup he was playing to. Repeated isolations and pick-and-rolls, punishing every way Brunson and the roll man tried to play him.

His double-cross got Brunson way out of position multiple times. If he rejected a screen, Brunson slammed into it; if he used it, Brunson couldn’t recover in time.

Sometimes, even the slightest move gave McCollum a walking lane to the paint. Brown tried switching Brunson with Mikal Bridges, who was guarding Nikeil Alexander-Walker, down the stretch, to no avail.

McCollum would call for an Alexander-Walker screen, which Brunson would switch, giving Atlanta the matchup they wanted. McCollum would dance and usually score.

It should go without saying, but the first adjustment is for Brunson to show much better defensive effort. This is a uniquely tough matchup for him, an explosive guard that’s much quicker, but isn’t giving up size or strength.

That doesn’t matter. Brunson isn’t expected to be a lockdown defender, but he has to be better than he’s been and has proven it before.

His bouts with Andrew Nembhard and Tyrese Maxey looked similar at points, but they weren’t routinely walking right by him. He can make up much of this gap by fighting harder through screens, actually trying to stay attached to McCollum’s hip, and not giving in to switches so easily.

Brown will do his part and try different matchups, as well as throwing more aggressive schemes at McCollum if he’s rolling again. If Brunson is on NAW and McCollum is calling over screen after screen to pick on him, Brown needs to have his guards trap or another alternative to mix things up.

There’s also doing nothing. 

For as tough as McCollum has been, if the rest of his team remains subdued, this defensive approach may end up fine.

Remember, the Knicks had a double-digit advantage and played a great defensive fourth quarter, but couldn’t convert on the offensive end. If they had, maybe they win, and this McCollum conversation isn't something to worry about, especially given the Hawks scored only 107 points. And it's not much of an offense when it rests on a 34-year-old zero-time All-Star.

However the Knicks choose to react, they’ll be doing so under immense pressure on the road. Win one in Atlanta and the series is in your hands again, don’t and it’ll be much more than Brunson taking the heat.

10 insane Roob stats from the 76ers' improbable upset win over the Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

They didn’t just upset the Celtics in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference 1^st-round series. They played so well they provided us with a full array of insane stats.

After losing by 32 points in the opener, the 76ers beat the Celtics 111-97 at TD Garden to even the series at one game apiece. The 76ers were 3-17 in their 20 previous playoff games in Boston.

Everything they didn’t do in Game 1 they did Tuesday night. And we’re here with all the details.

With a hat tip to Stathead, here’s a fresh batch of 76ers stats off their most improbable wins of the year.

IT ONLY TOOK A HALF: By halftime, VJ Edgecombe had already set a franchise record for most 3’s in a playoff game by a rookie with four. The previous record was three, set by Charles Barkley in a 102-100 loss to the Celtics in Game 5 of their 1985 Eastern Conference finals series and matched by Evan Turner in a 94-73 loss to the Heat at American Airlines Arena in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference 1^st-round series in 2011. Edgecombe finished 6-for-10 from 3.

RECORD-SETTING QUARTER: Edgecombe’s 16 points in the second quarter are the most in any quarter of a playoff game by a 76ers rookie. The previous record was 10, set by Raja Bell in the second quarter of a 108-91 win over the Bucks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals at the First Union Center in 2001 and matched by Evan Turner to the Heat in a 94-73 loss at American Airlines Arena in the second quarter of Game 2 of their Eastern Conference 1^st-round series in 2011.

AN ANDREW TONEY THROWBACK: Edgecombe’s 30 points are the most by a 76ers rookie in a playoff game in 45 years, since Andrew Toney had 35 in the 76ers’ 118-99 loss to the Celtics (of course) in Game 2 of their 1981 Eastern Conference finals at Boston Garden. The only other 76ers rookies with more points than Edgecombe are Lee Shaffer, who had two 30-point games in the Syracuse Nationals’ 1962 Eastern Division Semifinals series against the Philadelphia Warriors, both at Convention Hall in West Philly and Mo Cheeks, who had 33 at the Spectrum in a 115-112 loss to the Spurs in Game 4 of their 1979 Eastern Conference semifinal series (the Spurs were in the East from 1977 through 1980 after moving from the ABA to the NBA).

IT GETS EVEN BETTER: Edgecombe is the first rookie in NBA history with 10 rebounds and six 3-pointers in a playoff game. His six 3-pointers tie the 2^nd-most in history by a rookie. Matt Maloney of Haddonfield High and Penn had eight in the Rockets’ win over the Supersonics at Key Arena in Seattle in their 1997 Western Conference semifinal series. Maloney, Luguentz Dort and Michael Porter also had six. None of them had 10 rebounds. 

MORE VJ: Edgecombe is the second 76ers rookie ever with 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game and the first in 64 years, since good ol’ Lee Shaffer in that 1962 Syracuse Nationals series against the Warriors. 

BURYING THOSE 3’S: After shooting just 4-for-23 from 3 in Game 1, the 76ers were 19-for-39 from 3 in Game 2. That equals the 2^nd-most 3’s in franchise history in a playoff game. They had 21 in a Game 1 win over the Nets in their 2023 Eastern Conference 1^st-round series. Their 49 percent shooting from 3 is 8^th-highest in franchise postseason history (minimum 20 attempts). The 39 attempts are their 4^th-most ever.

IT’S BEEN 49 YEARS: The 76ers’ 37 points in the second quarter were their most in any quarter in a playoff game against the Celtics in 49 years, since Game 4 of their 1977 Eastern Conference semifinal series, when they scored 39 in the fourth quarter of a 124-119 loss at Boston Garden.

THE DUDE IS 35 YEARS OLD: With 17 points in Game 1 and 19 in Game 2, Paul George – who is 35 years, 354 days old – became the oldest 76er in 39 years with consecutive games with at least 17 points. Dr. J – at 37 years, and 68 and 70 days – had back-to-back games with 22 and 24 points in the 76ers’ Eastern Conference 1^st-round series against the Bucks at the Spectrum and MECCA Arena. 

CLANK! The Celtics hoisted up 50 3-point attempts, 16^th-most in NBA history. They made just 13 for 26 percent from 3. That’s the 2^nd-worst percentage in playoff history by a team attempting 50 3’s. Last year, the Celtics were 15-for-60 from 3 in an overtime loss to the Knicks, also at TD Garden.

THIS HAD ONLY HAPPENED ONCE: The 76ers shot 48 percent from the field and the Celtics shot just 39 percent. The only other time the 76ers shot at least 48 percent and held the Celtics below 40 percent in a playoff game was in 1981, in a 91-90 loss in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series at Boston Garden. The 76ers shot 49 percent in that game and the Celtics shot 38 percent. The 76ers lost anyway, and the Celtics went on to win the NBA Championship.