Category: Basketball

A longtime Atlantic Division rival is standing in the Knicks’ way of returning to the Eastern Conference finals.

It’s just not the opponent everyone expected it to be.

There won’t be a rematch with the Celtics after all.

Instead, it’ll be the suddenly red-hot 76ers and the Knicks in the second round, starting Monday night at the Garden.

Philadelphia, the seventh seed, completed a rally from down 3-1 Saturday night, knocking off the Jayson Tatum-less Celtics at TD Garden.

These aren’t the same 76ers that went 45-37 during the regular season.

They are finally healthy.

Superstar center Joel Embiid returned after missing the first three games of the playoffs following emergency surgery for appendicitis that cost him the tail end of the regular season.

He was terrific in the series against the second-seeded Celtics, averaging 28 points and nine rebounds in four contests, although he did appear to hurt his left knee in the final seconds of Game 7.

“I felt great, I feel amazing. I was faking it,” he told reporters after the victory. 

The big three of Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey appeared in only 15 regular-season games together.

But they looked formidable against Boston.

Maxey, in particular, was brilliant.

He owned Game 7 down the stretch and finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

There is recent postseason history between the two teams.

They met in a thrilling first-round series two years ago, won by the Knicks in six games.

Five of those contests were decided by single digits.

It included what the Knicks called a “dirty” play by Embiid, in which he committed a flagrant foul on Mitchell Robinson by grabbing his leg while airborne.

It led to the Knicks’ center’s ankle injury worsening, and eventually ended his postseason early.

The Knicks began preparations Saturday for their next opponent, even though they didn’t know at the time it would be Embiid and Co.

The Celtics and 76ers were hours away from meeting in Boston in a winner-take-all Game 7.

Not that it mattered much to Mike Brown.

“It’s about us, and a lot of times it’s about us even if we know who we’re playing,” the Knicks’ coach said. “There’s plenty that you can work on without knowing who your opponent is because you’re trying to get better or sharper in the areas that make you who you are.”

The Knicks will enter the next round a confident group, after eliminating the Hawks in six games.

That’s not to say that the series was easy, Brown’s team trailing 2-1 at one point.

They responded like a champion, winning the last three games by a combined 96 points.

They demolished the Hawks in the clincher, winning by a team playoff-record 51 points.

Momentum changed in a flash.

Asked if the Knicks played at a championship level in those final three games, Jalen Brunson said they performed at a level capable of getting out of the first round.

The Knicks’ response was impressive, especially considering how much the other top seeds in the Eastern Conference — the top-seeded Pistons and second-seeded Celtics — have struggled.

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Detroit needed a massive comeback Friday night from a 22-point halftime deficit against the Magic just to force a Game 7 Sunday.

The Celtics didn’t even get out of the first round.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are enjoying a weekend off.

There is a chance that when the first round is complete, they will be the highest seed left in the conference.

“I haven’t really thought about it. It’s one of those things that you can’t really worry about,” Brunson said. “You have to control what you can control. Focus on one day at a time and focus on the task at hand.”

This is now four straight seasons the Knicks have advanced past the first round of the playoffs, the first time since 1992-2000.

The series win over the Hawks was different.

For one, Brown, and not Thibodeau, was the coach.

Plus, the Knicks rallied from a series deficit, a feat last accomplished in the 2000 postseason.

It led Brown to compare this group to some elite ones he has been a part of that reached the NBA Finals, such as the Spurs, Warriors and Cavaliers.

“The first thing is they’re resilient because in the playoffs you’re going to have a lot of highs and a lot of lows, which means you’re going to face some adversity, so when [that happens], can you stay connected? And this group can,” Brown said. “So the connectedness that this group has is similar. The sacrifice that this group has is similar, the competitive spirit that this group has is similar and then the belief is similar as well.”

The top-seeded Pistons — one year removed from being eliminated by the Knicks — need to win a third consecutive elimination game to advance to the second round for the first time in 18 years.

The Cavaliers — who haven’t been past the second round since LeBron James left Cleveland for the second time — are on the verge of underachieving again, needing to win Game 7 against the Raptors to keep their season alive.

And the Eastern Conference favorite was eliminated Saturday night when the 76ers completed their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit and defeated the Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 in Boston, setting up a rematch of the electric 2024 first-round matchup, when the Knicks beat Philadelphia in six games.

The Knicks — coming off three of their best efforts of the season, including a 140-89 beatdown of the Hawks to reach the second round for the fourth straight season — will have had three days off before Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden against the 76ers and oft-injured nemesis Joel Embiid.

They return a core that broke a 25-year conference finals drought.

Now, there is no question of the team to beat in the East.

“I haven’t heard of it,” Jalen Brunson said Saturday, “and I don’t care.”

He is supposed to ignore what Nick Saban long described as “rat poison,” the kind of premature praise that can make a team overconfident and underprepared.

The Knicks captain is supposed to embody the cliches they have perfected — getting one percent better every day, controlling the controllables, etc. — leading a group that has made the East’s most convincing case as a contender on both ends of the court.

Chemistry, health and momentum are on their side.

So is history, which has seen the Knicks defeat the conference’s biggest remaining threats (Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia) in the playoffs in recent years.

“I mean, I would hope that when we step on the court against anybody, I feel we could beat anybody,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So, [the past three] games shouldn’t be the reason we have confidence. We should have confidence because we put the work in and we put the time in in the gym. So, then we have trust in each other. I feel like our confidence was built way before the game was played.”

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Mike Brown is in his first season with the Knicks, but in his 17th postseason as an NBA coach.

In Cleveland, he led the Cavs to the NBA Finals.

As an assistant in San Antonio and Golden State, he won four rings.

Even without the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry or Tim Duncan, Brown sees similarities between these Knicks and some of the most successful teams of all time.

“The first thing is they’re resilient,” Brown said. “… The connectedness that this group has is similar. The sacrifice that this group has is similar, the competitive spirit that this group has is similar and then the belief is similar as well. 

“It’s been like that since the beginning of the year and this group is up there with those other groups.”

The Sixers are moving on to the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs!

There should be plenty of time for the fanbase to bask in the glory of this comeback and true signature playoff moment for Joel Embiid. There won’t be much rest for the weary, though. Their next opponent in round two will be the New York Knicks, and the first game will be Monday, May 4, at 8 p.m. at MSG.

The TV networks seem to be spinning on a wheel again as Game 1 will be on NBC and Peacock. Game 2, also in New York, will be on ESPN, and that one’s at 7 p.m. on Wednesday May 6. Game 3 will be on Prime Video as the series shifts back to Philadelphia — that one will be on Friday May 8, also at 7 p.m. Game 4 will be a Sunday matinee and another chance for the Sixers to ruin Mother’s Day as that one will be at 3:30 p.m. on ABC on the 10th.

If a Game 5 is necessary, that will be on the 12th, Game 6 the 14th. A potential Game 7 would be the first time these teams would have more than a day of rest as that would take place on May 17. TV networks are not assigned to games until they are sure to be happening.

Eastern Conference Semifinals schedule: New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/q1UMwKeGDu

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 3, 2026

So with such a quick turnaround, the Sixers will hope Joel Embiid’s knee didn’t get too banged up from the collision he had with Tyrese Maxey in Game 7 against the Celtics. It will take the Sixers’ best to pull off another upset against an Atlantic Division rival.

According to Jake Fischer, the Blazers will “field plenty of external trade interest in (Jrue) Holiday in coming weeks and months.”

There’s quite a bit of detail in here on Atlanta, Houston and Washington, but the item you’re going to see aggregated — and want to read more about — is the belief that Portland, sources say, wants to get back into this summer’s Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.

Story here:… https://t.co/yhV1lFadjA

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) May 2, 2026

Fischer also writes that Holiday hopes it doesn’t happen and wants to be a part of something and build.

Too bad.

Holiday might be the perfect addition for this Utah Jazz team, and if they want to make a bid for him, they should. Utah will need more ballhandling and defense, and Holiday would provide both. That said, Holiday is 35 years old and also has two years left on his contract ($34.8M for the next two seasons).

Would Utah be willing to make a trade happen? It might be difficult. Utah has a few big contracts to send, but they don’t make sense. The only ones close are Markkanen and Jackson’s contracts, and they’re obviously not going to do that. So the question is: is there a sign-and-trade that makes sense? Outside of that, it probably can’t happen. But it is worth considering moves like this going forward for the Jazz. Now that they are in win-now mode, there’s no reason they shouldn’t look at moves that could help them fill gaps in their roster. Maybe Jrue Holiday could be one of those additions at some point.

Mike Brown is bringing a second pair of glasses to the second round.

It wasn’t until the Knicks coach fell to the floor of State Farm Arena and veered toward Jeff Van Gundy-like infamy — while attempting to prevent Mitchell Robinson from fighting Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels in Game 6 — that Brown’s priority shifted.

“I had a lot of the right thoughts going in when I got in the middle of it [and] they all went out the window,” Brown said Saturday. “The only thing I could think of is that I had one pair of glasses … I’m blind as a bat … Once I went down, my glasses came off my head. I didn’t care about anything else. It was to get my glasses and protect them.

“It helped me because now I will carry a second pair of glasses.”

The incident was also a reminder that there is no replacement for Robinson, who was ejected in the second quarter and likely would have faced a suspension in the second round if coaches and teammates didn’t stop the 7-footer from his heated and desperate attempt to get Daniels.

Robinson, who also received a technical foul in Game 2 after walking over Daniels, was fined $50,000 for the altercation that nearly spilled into the crowd, with the league factoring in the Knicks center’s “inappropriate post on social media” following the scuffle.

Before the game, Robinson — who hasn’t been available to the media since the incident — wrote, “My mental just not the same. I’m just lost in the world at the moment.”

Previously, he posted, “Trying so hard to be calm.”

The challenge will be even greater for the 28-year-old in a second-round matchup against the 76ers and Joel Embiid, the former MVP who embraces the animosity he inspires at Madison Square Garden and infamously committed a dirty foul on Robinson during the 2024 playoffs.

“The playoffs are a lot more physical than the regular season,” Brown said. “Stuff happens. Everybody is human … [But] it’s extremely important in that situation to not have anything result in a future suspension or anything like that.”

The first-round series was another showcase of Robinson’s strengths and limitations.

The longest-tenured Knick averaged 6.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 16-for-18 on field goals and posting a plus-30 rating in less than 14 minutes per game, but Robinson also spent much of the series on the bench after failing to make Atlanta pay for its Hack-a-Mitch strategy — he was 5-for-13 on free throws — and having inconsistent success alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.

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Robinson remains an intimidating defensive presence and alley-oop threat, who led the league in rebounding percentage, but also ranked last in free-throw percentage (40.8).

He is the wild card — who wrote “Standing on Business” on his ankle tape before Game 2 against the Hawks — capable of swinging a series or taking a swing.

“What he does on the court, obviously I know he impacts winning, and he does a lot of things that sometimes don’t end up on the stat sheet but makes us come out with a ‘W,’” Towns said. “Mitch is very vital for our locker room, for our team, and we’re always gonna support him. We’re always gonna stand behind him when he wants to, I guess, quote unquote ‘Stand on business.’”

Two hours before tipoff, Boston learned they’d be without Jayson Tatum. Two and a half hours after tipoff, the Celtics traded punches with the 76ers all game and whittled 18-point deficit to 1 with two minutes left, but fell 109-100 in Game 7 to end their season.

In an effort to shift the energy, head coach Joe Mazzulla shook up the starting lineup with Ron Harper Jr., Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza joining Derrick White and Jaylen Brown for the clincher.

It wasn’t enough and Boston suffered the same fate they have in the back half of the series after going up 3-1.

In losses in Game 5 and 6, the Celtics did not win the possession battle, an edge they took an advantage of throughout their regular season campaign. Whether it was winning the turnover, offensive rebounding, or three-point differential, Boston was frequently on the plus side of those ledgers and finished a surprising 56-26.

Mazzulla tried everything, including inserting Hugo Gonzalez in the rotation, benching Nikola Vucevic, going small, and going zone. Unfortunately, it was a third straight game losing in the margins. While Boston did limit their turnovers to just five, Philly was just the better offensive team.

Tyrese Maxey (30 points), VJ Edgecombe (23 points), and Paul George (13 points) finished a combined 10-of-20 from behind the arc. Brown, White, Pritchard, and Sam Hauser buoyed Boston’s efforts hitting 13-of-38, but the Celtics again finished under 30% from 3 for the third straight game, include missed threes from all four in the final two minutes.

Joel Embiid was simply a force, finishing Game 7 with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 rebounds. Brown battled him in a war of words in the fourth quarter and led the Celtics in scoring with 33 points.

The Celtics will now enter the summer with available options to get better. After finishing second in the Eastern Conference in what many expected to be a gap year, they trimmed salary to avoid the luxury tax, opened up access to exceptions, and welcomed back Jayson Tatum to an earlier-than-expected return. They’ve got the 27th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and #40 in the second round. So, while an early exit is disappointing after such a promising year, Boston’s future remains bright under Mazzulla’s management and Brown and Tatum’s leadership.

BOSTON — Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals, beating the Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics 109-100 on Saturday night to complete the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 deficit.

Embiid finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

VJ Edgecombe scored 23 points and Paul George had 13.

Philadelphia, the No. 7 seed, will visit No. 3 Knicks on Monday night at the Garden in Game 1 of the second round.

The Sixers franchise, including its time as Syracuse Nationals, improved to 2-10 in road Game 7s. Its only other win came in 1982 at the Boston Garden. It’s a small measure of revenge after Boston blew out Philadelphia in Game 7 in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.

“We had a chance to beat them three years ago, didn’t do it. We came in and got it done,” Maxey said.

Embiid, who debuted in Game 4 after recovering from appendectomy surgery, is the first player in NBA history to score 100 points in a playoff series despite missing the first three games.

He and Maxey also became the third duo in league history to each have 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a Game 7.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 33 points and nine rebounds.

Derrick White had 26 points, including five 3-pointers. Neemias Queta finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The Celtics struggled from the 3-point line for the third straight game, finishing 13 of 49.

Brown said Embiid changed tenor of the series.

“He put a lot of pressure on us,” Brown said. “We didn’t really have the answers for him.”

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla shrugged off any notion that his team was too dependent on 3s in the series.

“I love the looks that we got. I love the process that we had.. But I hate the result,” Mazzulla said.

The second-seeded Celtics made their earliest exit from the playoffs since the 2020-21 season. Boston fell to 32-1 when leading a series 3-1.

The Celtics played without Tatum after he was ruled out about 90 minutes before tipoff with left knee stiffness. Brown said he didn’t find out until about 45 minutes before the game.

“Nobody told me anything. But my mindset was the same,” Brown said.

Philadelphia led for all but 31 seconds in the game, increasing a five-point halftime edge to 18 points in the third quarter. It was down to 13 at the start of the fourth and Boston opened the period on a 16-4 run to pull within 92-91.

The 76ers were leading 101-98 when Maxey got free for a layup with 1:15 remaining. Boston missed its next four shots and Philadelphia pushed it to 105-98 on a pair of free throws by Maxey.

Mazzulla said Tatum came to the team facility Saturday with knee discomfort, and the medical team decided for him not to play.

Tatum briefly left Game 6 in the third quarter for unspecified treatment to his left calf. Mazzulla downplayed the significance, saying initially Tatum would play in Game 7.

With Tatum out, Mazzulla made radical changes to the starting lineup, opting to start Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. alongside Brown and White.

It was the first time that group started together this season and the Celtics quickly fell into a 9-0 hole. Philadelphia led by 15 in the first quarter and 32-19 when it ended.

Unlike in their losses in Games 5 and 6, the Celtics weren’t as quick to fire up 3s, instead opting to attack the interior of Philadelphia’s defense to get easier looks.

Boston started the second on an 18-4 run to take its first lead of the night, 37-36, on a 3-pointer by Payton Pritchard. The 76ers led 55-50 at halftime.

The Knicks are officially headed to their first NBA Finals since 1999. 

Now they'll be looking to secure the third-ever title in franchise history, and the first since 1973. 

New York will play the San Antonio Spurs, who beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games with a 111-103 win on Saturday. The matchup is a rematch of the NBA Cup this season in which the Knicks beat the Spurs, 124-113, as well as a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals where San Antonio won in five games.

Here are the full dates and times for the series...

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FINALS

Wednesday, June 3

Game 1: at Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Friday, June 5

Game 2: at Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Monday, June 8

Game 3: vs. Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Wednesday, June 10

Game 4: vs. Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Saturday, June 13 *if necessary

Game 5: at Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Tuesday, June 16 *if necessary

Game 6: vs. Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

Friday, June 19 *if necessary

Game 7: at Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on ABC

CONFERENCE FINALS

Tuesday, May 19

Game 1: Knicks defeated Cavaliers, 115-104 in overtime

Thursday, May 21

Game 2: Knicks defeated Cavaliers, 109-93

Saturday, May 23

Game 3: Knicks defeated Cavaliers, 121-108

Monday, May 25

Game 4: Knicks defeated Cavaliers, 130-93

SEMIFINALS

Monday, May 4

Game 1: Knicks defeated 76ers, 137-98

Wednesday, May 6

Game 2: Knicks defeated 76ers, 108-102

Friday, May 8

Game 3: Knicks defeated 76ers, 108-94

Sunday, May 10

Game 4: Knicks defeated 76ers, 144-114

FIRST ROUND

Saturday, April 18

Game 1: Knicks defeated Hawks, 113-102

Monday, April 20

Game 2: Hawks defeated Knicks, 107-106

Thursday, April 23

Game 3: Hawks defeated Knicks, 109-108

Saturday, April 25

Game 4: Knicks defeated Hawks, 114-98

Tuesday, April 28

Game 5: Knicks defeated Hawks, 126-97

Thursday, April 30

Game 6: Knicks defeated Hawks, 140-89

The Cleveland Cavaliers had plenty of chances to end this series in Game 6 on Friday night. They didn’t come out with the effort they needed, the late-game offense was bad, and a costly turnover with the shot clock off cost them a chance to put the game away at the line.

They need to put all of those blunders behind them. Their season, and maybe this era of Cleveland basketball, comes down to just one game. Game 7 on Sunday evening against the Toronto Raptors.

This group, led by Donovan Mitchell, has only played in one other Game 7. That was back in 2024 when they defeated the Orlando Magic. Back then, they also had an ugly Game 6 loss where Cleveland failed to win a single game on the road that series. The Cavs are hoping history repeats itself on Sunday.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3) vs. Toronto Raptors (3-3)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Sun., May 3 at 7:30 PM

TV: NBC, Peacock

Point spread: Cavs -8.5

Cavs injury report: None

Raptors injury report: Brandon Ingram – QUESTIONABLE (heel), Immanuel Quickley – OUT (hamstring)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Raptors expected starting lineup: Jamal Shead, Jakobe Walter, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

Previous matchup: RJ Barrett’s overtime game-winner forced a Game 7.

Here’s a look at both teams’ regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	118.9 (8th)	115 (15th)	+3.9 (9th)
Raptors	116.8 (13th)	113.2 (7th)	+3.6 (11th)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley was adamant that his turnover in the closing seconds of overtime wasn’t off of him.

“I felt like it was our ball,” Mobley said afterward. “They called it different.”

He was then asked if it was off Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles. Mobley confirmed that Murray-Boyles “hit the ball out.”

The NBA didn’t agree with Mobley’s assessment. Nor did they think that Murray-Boyles fouled Mobley, which it seemed like he did when watching it live.

The league released its Last Two Minute Report on Game 6 and stated that the ball went off Mobley and that this was ruled correctly on the court.

The same was true for other controversial calls.

The league ruled that the ball did go off Donovan Mitchell on the late drive by Murray-Boyles. They affirmed the questionable shooting foul to Jamal Shead by Jarrett Allen. They also validated the offensive foul on Dean Wade in overtime that cost the Cavs a possession and allowed Shead to stay in the game.

There were strong arguments that each of those plays should’ve gone the Cavs way. The league didn’t think that.

The report did, however, confirm two missed calls that would’ve benefited Cleveland.

First, the Raptors should’ve been called for a three-second violation with 1:46 remaining in overtime. Murray-Boyles was in the paint for too long without guarding anyone.

If called correctly, the Cavs would’ve gotten a technical free-throw and kept possession of the ball. It’s worth pointing out that James Harden scored on this possession with a jumper that ended up giving the Cavs a brief two-point lead.

The second missed call was a five-second violation with 33 seconds left in overtime. RJ Barrett held onto this for far too long. You could see the referee keeping time was pretty deliberate with his count to say it generously.

This should’ve resulted in Cleveland regaining possession, with a chance to put the game away. Instead, the Raptors ended up with a point after Shead split his two free throws after a shooting foul by Allen.

In the end, the Cavs should’ve had an additional possession and should’ve had an additional free-throw attempt. This is the second time the Last Two Minute Report confirmed late-game calls that influenced the outcome negatively for the Cavs. In Game 4, the review showed that Cleveland should’ve been awarded four additional free throws to Toronto’s one.

The Cavs have no one to blame for this loss but themselves. They were the ones who failed to close out the game late when they had plenty of opportunities to do so. At the same time, it’s fair to acknowledge that if this game had been called correctly, the outcome would have been different, and we wouldn’t be getting ready for a Game 7 on Sunday.

The Lakers may have just extended their season by at least four games by advancing to the second round, but it does not mean a return for Luka Dončić is imminent. In fact, it sounds like he’s pretty far away from getting back on the court.

During Friday’s Prime broadcast of Game 6, sideline reporter Cassidy Hubbarth provided a bit of insight as to where Luka is right now in terms of his return.

"This remains a slow build towards a return."@CassidyHubbarth with the latest on Luka Doncic ✍️ pic.twitter.com/tRz4IMZ4mW

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 2, 2026

For those without Twitter/X, here’s her brief report:

“There’s been no timeline. There has been some progress on the court. He’s now doing some movement work in drills, getting up shots. But it is controlled. He hasn’t advanced to 1-on-1 or full-contact work yet. He’s not into any scrimmages so it’s a little than just spot shooting but still a step away from anything live…This remains a slow build towards a return, not an imminent one.”

To add to that a little bit, there was also a report of sorts going around Twitter/X last night that, while I could not find the original source to verify as it came from John Ireland as part of pregame radio coverage, it did fall in line with Hubbarth’s report.

John Ireland says Luka isn’t close to returning

“He’s not close. He’s not running yet.”

— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) May 1, 2026

None of this is much of a surprise given the reports about him throughout the first round. The most recent indicated that, at the very least, he would not be available at the start of this second-round series.

It’s very to note that things advanced pretty rapidly with Austin Reaves, who went from starting on-court work to questionable in only a matter of days. However, don’t expect that same type of progress with Luka as a hamstring injury is much different than an oblique injury.

Hamstring injuries generally are a much slower recovery and run a high risk of re-injury. The Lakers can’t rush the process. It does seem like the trip to Europe for Luka didn’t change his timeline all that much, though.

What also isn’t working in Luka’s favor is the pacing of the series. After the first round was spaced out with multiple days of rest between games on more than one occasion, that won’t be the case in the second round. The only time there will be more than one day of rest between games will be between Game 5 and Game 6.

While the Lakers and Rockets played 6 games in 14 days, the entire second round series will span 13 days even if it goes seven games.

None of this is painting a very promising picture for Luka’s return. Things can change, obviously, but the Lakers are almost certainly going to have to extend their season multiple games to get Luka back.

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

The Los Angeles Lakers are moving on to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

The Lakers put away the Houston Rockets in the first round on Friday, May 1, but have an unfavorable matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder ahead.

Los Angeles will enter the series fairly healthy, but the status of Luka Doncic remains uncertain.

He suffered a hamstring injury on April 2 in a blowout regular-season loss to the Thunder and has not played in a game since. He has missed 11 games, the Lakers going 7-4 during that span.

Doncic led the league in points per game with 33.5 during the regular season. He was also third with 8.3 assists per game.

Will Luka Doncic play vs. Thunder?

Doncic appears doubtful to start the series for the Lakers. The guard will likely have to take necessary steps to return — things like practice and 5-on-5 simulation games — before he's ready to play in a postseason environment.

Will Luka Doncic play Game 1 for Lakers?

Doncic was ruled out for Game 6 on May 1. The Lakers are expected to release a status report on Monday, May 4 with an update on the star guard.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will play the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 on Tuesday, May 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT). The game will air on NBC and can be streamed on Peacock.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic injury update, status for Lakers-Thunder series

As the Lakers were beginning their beatdown of the Rockets in Game 6 on Friday, the Raptors were helping them in a very dramatic way.

In the final seconds of overtime in Toronto, RJ Barrett channeled his inner Tyrese Haliburton and connected on a three to force a Game 7 against the Cavaliers.

RJ BARRETT WHEN TORONTO NEEDED HIM MOST 🔥

The hometown hero drains the game-winning bucket in overtime to force Game 7 🥶 pic.twitter.com/D2AJbSiA5M

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 2, 2026

For a variety of reasons likely involving broadcasting rights and money, the start date of the Lakers-Thunder series was tied to whether Saturday’s two Eastern Conference series. If only one of them ended, then LA and Oklahoma City would play on Sunday.

However, if both of them ended or both of them went seven games, then the purple and gold would be off until Tuesday.

With those stakes in mind and given what played out in Houston with the Lakers routing the Rockets, Barrett’s incredible game-winning shot carried a bit of extra weight. Instead of LA being one of the two Sunday games, there will instead be two Game 7s while LA will get a couple of days of rest.

And for that, LeBron James was thankful.

Lebron thanks RJ for the game winner lol

"Haven't seen a shot in Toronto like that since Kawhi. Something about those rims. I'm happy" pic.twitter.com/kacCAKxJVl

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 2, 2026

Now, you might wonder, what would LeBron do with that extra rest? Is it watch more game film? Sit back and enjoy Game 7? Well, if you’ve been paying attention to him this year, there was an obvious answer when he was asked if the extra rest helped him.

“For me? Yeah,” LeBron said. “We don’t play until Tuesday now. Yeah. Hell yeah. I can go on the golf course now. That’s what I’m thinking about.”

I wish a time machine existed and we could go back and tell 2016 LeBron that he would be excited about getting an extra day between rounds of the playoffs to golf 18 holes. It’s definitely a different mindset than he had when he was younger and focused on repeated trips to the Finals.

However, given how he played against the Rockets over the course of the series, and particularly in the closeout Game 6, it’s hard to be too upset with him. Let him go golf and then get locked back in on the Thunder.

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