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.

"It's a 7 game series for a reason"

Mike Brown says that this loss should "sting" but that the team will be locked in for Game 4 pic.twitter.com/K8L6ZLIptU

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 24, 2026

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.”

"Missed opportunity, for sure."

Jalen Brunson talks about Game 3 overall and the Knicks falling behind early: pic.twitter.com/tWVVxRwyRn

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 24, 2026

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’s trainer Marcell Scott on IG: pic.twitter.com/wHlYsiISEO

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 24, 2026

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 how he'll bounce back from a scoreless Game 3:

"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." pic.twitter.com/GX18c5Ozct

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 24, 2026

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 says the Game 3 loss "hurts":

"It's tough, we've got to keep our head up. It's okay to be disappointed, that means we care." pic.twitter.com/py3uoGjBJp

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 24, 2026

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.”

"We're down 2-1. Right now, there's no room to feel sorry for ourselves. We've got to make sure we regroup and go out and focus for Game 4."

– Josh Hart pic.twitter.com/kNNsHNWWdL

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 24, 2026

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.”

Blake on Knicks last play "Get ball right to your guy…Spacing also terrible…

Nash "Risk of multiple passes end-game plays
…
Dirk "Shocked Knicks lost both…4Q team

UD "But do they rly execute?…Wasted possessions…When Brunson out…KAT top of key & JK on him…get in paint" pic.twitter.com/Ujitobtjaq

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 24, 2026

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.

Last 10 Sportsmanship Award winners:

2026: Derrick White
2025: Jrue Holiday
2024: Tyrese Maxey
2023: Mike Conley
2022: Patty Mills
2021: Jrue Holiday
2020: Vince Carter
2019: Mike Conley
2018: Kemba Walker
2017: Kemba Walker

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 23, 2026

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.

Is AJ Dybantsa a lock to Chicago? 🔒@KevinOConnor's latest mock draft if the lottery brings us chaos 👀

More: https://t.co/vLhoalKZCbpic.twitter.com/UeesqUGiNF

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 23, 2026

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!

Whoa…. Devin Booker just WENT OFF on the NBA refs right now in the post game press conference:

"It's definitely something that has to be looked at. I heard (Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven't called a ref out by name,… pic.twitter.com/lfc7UBBue5

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 23, 2026

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.

Before Game 1, I chatted with Dave, my friend who runs PtR’s sister site that covers the Portland Trail Blazers, Blazers Edge. After Game 2, we agreed to pick it back up as the series shifts to the Pacific Northwest.

Dave

Well, the series is 1-1 and nothing is decided firmly, but the most important thing is Wemby and the concussion. Are you worried? Does it seem like Wembanyama is just a wee bit injury-prone at this point?

J.R.

I’ve decided that I won’t be worried until Game 7 and Wemby isn’t playing. I know it’s assuming a lot, jumping ahead five games but I don’t want to consider the team not being able to hang with Portland without the Alien. Still, since it’s best not to take too much for granted, I’ll amend my official stance to the following: I will not worry until it’s an elimination game and Wemby isn’t playing

As to him being injury prone, I’m not feeling it. He played 71 games his rookie year. He’s had his share of minor injuries, but sprained ankles happen to everyone and none of his have recurred. The big game-stealer was last year’s DVT which can come in a repeating version or a plain vanilla freak medical event style. And everything we know points to his being the latter. This season, the big challenge to him playing 65 games was a calf strain that happened when Podz went full Cobra Kai and swept Victor’s leg. The recovery took its own sweet time, but that was because after all of the Achilles tears last season, perhaps the most important medical term for franchises to pay attention to is “calf strain.” 

To summarize: I see a string of both normal and unusual situations that only have a single thing in common – that they all happened to the same guy. That’s not my definition of being injury prone.

So, as to Game 2, I saw a lot of awesome things happen for your team and a serious percentage of them had a double zero attached to them! Do you think coming through in the crucible of the playoffs is exciting for Henderson’s long-term outlook, or have the last three seasons already given you enough of a read on what he’s going to become?

Dave

Game 2 was good for Scoot’s personal brand and hopefully his confidence. He’s played 160 NBA games in his career now. That was his best all-around one. It showed the progress he’s made defensively. His three-point shot opened up drives. Scoot can be deadly with a head of steam and a little space off the dribble. It was all the best of Mr. Henderson, wrapped up in 38 minutes of fun.

Anyone who tries to get a read on Scoot’s future based on that game is either a totally optimistic Blazers fan or hasn’t watched him or the team much this year. Portland’s performances are repeatable, but never for long. They’ll sustain for 3-4 games, then flip to the polar opposite of what they were. It doesn’t even depend on the opponent that much. Sure, they did better towards the end of the season in a weaker schedule than they did in the middle months when it was brutal, but they’ve beaten some great teams and lost to some lousy ones inexplicably. Trying to analyze the Blazers is just like going to church. First comes the reading, then comes the prayer. And who knows whether it’ll be answered this week or not?

We shouldn’t minimize the progress Scoot has made. This version of him is impactful. Even the down parts are NBA-worthy (mostly). That’s way better than his rookie season. But you can flip a coin whether this is the start of something new or just an anomaly that shows his ceiling without being able to sustain it.

Well, we have an update on Wemby now. He traveled to Portland and has been listed as questionable. Are they really thinking about playing him? What are the chances that this is a little bit of gamesmanship on the Spurs’ part? If it were my franchise cornerstone against an opponent as beatable as Portland, I think I’d give it another game at least.

J.R.

First, I think it’s wise, whenever you’re dealing with a franchise that has an ex-spy like Gregg Popovich who’s had a hand in creating a culture that prioritizes winning above all things, including dealing with the media and filing injury reports (anybody remember Duncan’s DNP-Old?), to expect at least a modicum of gamesmanship and often quite a bit more.  

Second, I think there’s practically zero chance that Wemby is on the court for Game 3. San Antonio‘s process for returning a player from a serious injury does not include playing someone that they list as questionable. It goes from being unavailable, to being questionable for several games, to being probable for a night or two, and then playing. There are a lot of stages to it and it’s very predictable. The only question is whether they consider this to be a serious injury. And, I mean, it’s the franchise player’s freaking brain. That’s serious. Even Vic traveling with the team, I’d say I give it less than 50% chance of playing in Game 4. 

Now, what do you think about the way the Blazers turned the tables and overcame that double digit lead in the fourth? I liked the intensity of the defense, and the Spurs were certainly not prepared to attack in a way that surprised Portland. How regularly do you think they’ll be able to match that effort?

Dave

Honestly, I read the Spurs as overconfident after building up that double-digit lead. Yes, Portland’s defense was good. They can do that. But does anybody recall the Blazers basically letting you guys score on the break in the third period and/or early fourth because they couldn’t be bothered to take care of the ball or get back on defense? Both sides of that coin are very Portland in 2025-26. I think San Antonio smelled the win, thought they had it, then got disabused of that notion as the Blazers made one of their famous, death-defying runs. By the time y’all got your act together, the game was there for the taking.

There’s a huge difference between that scenario and playing 48 minutes of high-focus, pristinely-executed basketball. I’m not sure the Blazers can pull that off. And if they don’t, the Spurs will be right there, either even or building another 12-14 point lead.

You still have the deeper talent pool–I hear the Spurs were kicked out of community game night for getting a BINGO after three balls were drawn–and you have the advantage of having played together the whole season. The Blazers team you’re seeing right now is basically five weeks old, at best. I think this is the first time all year the injury list reads, “Damian Lillard” and nothing else. I’m not joking about that. Portland’s starting lineup is still in the talking stage. Their bench players are basically trying to speed date the first unit. More overall talent and more continuity for San Antonio will probably be the bane of any attempt by the Blazers to put together a superior complete game.

The Blazers could win two games if Wemby doesn’t play significant minutes. The Blazers could win one under any circumstances. I think the most likely outcome, factoring in injuries, is a 1-1 split over the weekend. The next most likely outcome is probably Spurs 2-0. Blazers 2-0 registers but it’s in third place on the odds table.

What’s your prediction for the outcome of the next two games?

J.R.

I predict Wemby plays neither game, but takes up space and churns all kinds of rumors with his presence alone. Whether that steals cycles from Portland’s coaching staff you’ll know better than I, but I’m preparing for the worst – coming home potentially down 3-1. Now that might not be the most probable outcome, but the Wemby-less Spurs haven’t proven that they can beat this version of the Blazers that’s reinventing themselves on the fly. Until they do, the series is up in the air. 

You say you expect 1-1 over the weekend and for me that’s a win, because it contains at least one win! This year, the Spurs have had their struggles in late-game situations against a defense that’s dug in and prepared for them. Early in the season, the team had a ton of success in clutch situations, but since February when they started blowing teams out and went 23-2 with Wemby playing, they rarely played close down the stretch but didn’t look great when they did. I’m concerned about how they generate offense in the last two minutes of a tight game on the road. 

Bottom line, these two teams playing without Victor seems pretty evenly matched, but I’d feel much better if you told me that it’d be 1-1 after two blowouts than I would be expecting that result if we get two close games. Hate to say it, but it’s true. 

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We have three games on the NBA Playoffs schedule this evening, and I’ve found value in my NBA player props. I’ll highlight Devin Vassell, LeBron James, and Tyrese Maxey. 

Read more in my NBA picks for Friday, April 24. 

Best NBA player props today

Prop #1: Tyrese Maxey Over 6.5 assists

+105 at bet365

Tyrese Maxey certainly did his part in Game 2, scoring 29 points and dishing out nine assists as the Philadelphia 76ers tied the series, 1-1.

Maxey’s hit the Over in dimes in back-to-back games in this first-round matchup, and the guard averaged 6.6 assists per contest during the regular season. 

The Boston Celtics are allowing 8.6 dimes per game to point guards, and Maxey is averaging exactly 6.5 assists this season at home.

He’s thriving as a passer at the moment, and his playmaking will help the Sixers keep Game 3 competitive on home court. 

• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Prime Video

Prop #2: LeBron James Over 8.5 assists

-115 at bet365

It’s pretty remarkable that the Los Angeles Lakers are up 2-0 on the Houston Rockets without their two best players, but that’s the case right now.

LeBron James is definitely a big reason for the series lead. He’s cooking in every way. The King dished out 13 dimes in Game 1, and while he had just seven in Game 2, Bron has hit the Over in four of his last six. 

In fact, in his last two road games, James has compiled a whopping 26 dimes.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remain out, which means the playmaking duties continue to fall heavily on LeBron’s shoulders. He’s making everyone around him better at the moment, and he’ll continue to pick apart an inconsistent Rockets defense. 

• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Prime Video

Prop #3: Devin Vassell Over 14.5 points

-115 at bet365

Devin Vassell is one of the players on this San Antonio Spurs roster who will need to step up heavily with Victor Wembanyama either out or playing hurt, and I believe he will.

The guard scored 16 points last time out, and he’s cashed the Over in both games of this series so far. He’s also played heavy minutes through Games 1 and 2, averaging 33 per contest.

There’s a big workload to make up for if Wembanyama is not on the floor, and Vassell will have the rock in his hands a lot more tonight. He’ll be one of the key guys in helping the Spurs stay afloat in the series. 

• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Prime Video

These props are available now at bet365, one of our best betting sites.

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The New York Knicks are looking to bounce back after dropping two straight games as they head into Game 4 on the road against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Jalen Brunson fell just short down the stretch in Game 3, but my Knicks vs. Hawks predictions expect him to respond with a signature scoring performance to help New York even up the series.

Here are my best free NBA picks for Saturday’s Game 4 from State Farm Arena.

Knicks vs Hawks prediction

Who will win Knicks vs Hawks Game 4?

Knicks: It’s do-or-die time for the New York Knicks, who are staring down a potential 3-1 series deficit. Coming back from a 3-1 hole is nearly impossible, and New York can reclaim home-court advantage and regain momentum with a victory in Game 4.

The Knicks had the ball on the final possession of Games 2 and 3, and they lost by one point in each on a missed Mikal Bridges jumper and a Jalen Brunson turnover. Brunson and the Knicks will clean up their mistakes from the last two games and win this one on the road.

Knicks vs Hawks best bet: Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points (-110)

When the NBA playoffs roll around, Jalen Brunson elevates his scoring to a new level. Since 2023-24, Brunson is one of just four players to average 30+ points per game, and he’s the only one to play in more than six games.

With an average of 30.4 points across his last 34 playoff games, Brunson has a proven track record in critical games.

Brunson has found success in Game 4’s in recent seasons. He’s averaged 32.6 points per game across his last seven Game 4’s, scoring 27+ six times. He’s reached that mark in four of his last five road games in that situation.

Over his last 21 playoff games overall, Brunson has averaged a healthy 29.2 points, and he’s scored 27+ 14 times, including two of three in this year’s postseason. He came up just shy of that mark in Game 3, finishing with 26 points.

Brunson averaged 28.5 points in six matchups against the Atlanta Hawks this season, including 30 points per game at State Farm Arena. Brunson reached 27+ points in four of six games against the Hawks.

In the regular season, Brunson recorded 27+ points in 38 of 74 games overall and in 21 of 38 games on the road. He hit a clutch “And-1” in the final minute of Game 3 only to watch as CJ McCollum hit a go-ahead bucket in the final seconds.

Brunson uncharacteristically turned the ball over on the final possession of the game, and he’ll be driven to atone for that mistake and lead his team to victory. This could be the blowup scoring game for which New York Knicks fans have been waiting.

Knicks vs Hawks same-game parlay

Each of the last two games of the series has been decided by one point, and four of six head-to-head matchups in 2025-26 have been decided by three points or fewer. Game 4 will be a dog fight, but I expect Brunson to lead the Knicks to a crucial victory.

A win for New York makes this a best-of-three series with home court advantage, but a loss means the Knicks will need to win three straight. After coming up just shy in Games 2 and 3, I expect the Knicks to play with urgency and get the job done on the road before coming back to the Garden.

This hasn’t been a high-scoring series, but the point totals keep creeping down, and we can find value in the Over. Three of six games between these teams have gone for at least 215 points, and two more went for 213.

Game 3 totaled 217 points despite two of New York’s starters combining for just two points. I’ll bet the Over as New York gets back on track offensively.

Knicks vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points
• Knicks -1.5
• Over 214.5

Our "from downtown" SGP: Villanova Three!

Josh Hart finished with just two points on 1-of-9 shooting in Game 3, and he’s got to be more productive. Improved scoring from New York’s starters is crucial, as the Knicks have lost two straight games by just one point.

Hart scored 12+ in 18 of 33 road games in the regular season, and he’s due for a bounce-back performance in a critical Game 4.

Mikal Bridges has scored 21 total points on 8-of-22 shooting through the first three games of this series. That’s dreadful for a guy who was brought in to be the missing piece on a contending team.

Bridges logged only 21 minutes in Game 3 in favor of Miles McBride (15 points), and I expect the benching and poor performance to motivate him in Saturday’s high-stakes matchup.

Knicks vs Hawks SGP

• Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points
• Knicks -1.5
• Josh Hart Over 11.5 points
• Mikal Bridges Over 10.5 points

Knicks vs Hawks odds for Game 4

• Spread: Knicks -1.5 (-115) | Hawks +1.5 (+105)
• Moneyline: Knicks -130 | Hawks +110
• Over/Under: Over 214.5 | Under 214.5

Knicks vs Hawks betting trend to know

The New York Knicks have hit the 4Q Moneyline in 35 of their last 50 games (+19.90 Units / 27% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Knicks vs. Hawks.

How to watch Knicks vs Hawks Game 4

Knicks vs Hawks latest injuries

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You might have passed the tests on Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ryan Rollins, and Kevin Porter Jr., but how will you fare with Myles Turner? A surprise addition to Milwaukee’s roster last offseason, Turner was supposed to catapult the Bucks back into contention. Instead, he arguably had his worst season as a professional.

Season in a snippet

71 GP, 26.9 MPG, 11.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.6 BPG, .440/.383/.740

Kyle’s end of season grade: C

Turner joined the Bucks in a stunning move last offseason, signing a four-year, $107m deal that brought buzz back to Milwaukee after consecutive first-round playoff exits. The move was the talk of free agency, mostly for the way it happened—waiving and stretching Damian Lillard’s contract—though we convinced ourselves it wasn’t the foolish move it was being made out to be. Doc Rivers even called the fit “perfect” in Turner’s introductory press conference. It was no surprise, then, when Turner assumed the position of Robin (aka second) in our Ranking the Roster series.

When the ball hit the hardwood, however, things weren’t so peachy. Turner struggled to find his position in the Bucks’ offence, finishing with fewer than 10 points four times in the team’s first seven games, and after averaging 30 MPG over the season’s first 20 games, his minutes started to decline. From games 21-60, Turner played just 26.7 MPG, and by mid March that dipped to the low 20s and he was losing minutes to Jericho Sims, a debate on which fans were divided. In all, while there were some highlights—23 points (with five threes), eight rebounds, and four steals in a win against the Chicago Bulls; 23 points, six rebounds, and four blocks in a win against the Charlotte Hornets—Turner simply didn’t live up to expectations.

Tantalising totals

(1) Turner led the Bucks in blocks, averaging 1.6 per game for the season. Where did this rank him in the entire league?

Click to reveal answer Seventh, behind Victor Wembanyama (3.1), Chet Holmgren (1.9), Jay Huff (1.9), Evan Mobley (1.7), Donovan Clingan (1.7), and Rudy Gobert (1.6).

(2) How many double-digit rebound games did Turner have for the season: 5, 13, 24, or 31?

Click to reveal answer 5 (with a season high of 14 against the Washington Wizards).

(3) Turner had a season-high 31 points in an away game against which Easter Conference team?

Click to reveal answer The Philadelphia 76ers.

Atypically advanced

(1) Player shooting frequency is tracked by location: at the rim, midrange, and from three. Match the percentage of Turner’s shooting frequency to each location: 54%, 22%, 23%.

Click to reveal answer Rim: 23%, midrange: 22%, three: 54%.

(2) True or false: Turner had a career-worst PER this season?

Click to reveal answer True, (14.2 this year vs. 15.4 in his rookie year).

Obscure optics   

(1) True or false: Turner made more three-pointers this season than he did free throws?

Click to reveal answer True (147 three-pointers vs. 131 free throws).

---

How did you fare? Share your score in the comments and don’t forget to drop your thoughts along with it—which stat stands out?

‘All of those things mattered': Inside Neemias Queta's breakout with Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Neemias Queta’s NBA future was murky at best when the Sacramento Kings cut him in September of 2023.

The Boston Celtics, despite an overstocked frontcourt that would soon deliver the franchise’s 18th title, were convinced they could mold Queta into the sort of player who could aid a championship quest.

“They told me right away, like, ‘OK man, you’re here, we’ve got these guys ahead of you, they’re really good, and you can become one of them. But you’ve got to put in the work,’” said Queta. “We’ve got to put you through these situations where we can develop you and try to get the best version of yourself.”

A dramatic frontcourt overhaul this past summer cleared a pathway for Queta to elevate to a starting role. But it was Queta’s relentless desire to improve, including over the course of the 2025-26 season, that confirmed Boston’s decision and helped Queta emerge as one of the best value contracts in the league.

On Friday, the NBA will announce the winner of this year’s Most Improved Player. Queta is not one of the three finalists — Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Portland’s Deni Avdija, and Detroit’s Jalen Duren will vie for the honor — but Queta should slot somewhere close behind that trio.

Queta and the Celtics have more pressing issues, anyhow. Queta’s postseason performance could play a major role in the length of Boston’s playoff stay.

Joel Embiid — the league’s reigning MVP at the time Sacramento cut ties with Queta — returned to Sixers practice on Thursday and soon could be back in game action. If the Celtics outlast Philadelphia in Round 1, Queta might be tasked with defending the likes of New York’s Karl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson or Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen — or maybe get his own MIP showdown with Duren.

It’s crazy to think that, less than three years ago, Queta wasn’t certain what the next step in his NBA journey would be. The Celtics were certain they could tap into his potential.

“From that point on, it was just a matter of putting in the work, being in the lab, watching film,” said Queta. “And, honestly, I think the structure made my life so much easier. And the setup from workouts every day, we were doing individual work, the film sessions as a group, the individual film sessions, [coach] Joe [Mazzulla’s] attention to detail, too — all of those things mattered.”

Mazzulla said it was a series of spot starts that Queta made last season when Celtics’ veteran big men were resting that helped Queta earn the trust of the coaching staff. After Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet all departed this offseason, Mazzulla made sure Queta knew he was going to be the starting big man for the 2025-26 Celtics.

“We had guys out [last season] and he won a game for us,” said Mazzulla. “There’s been a bunch of times where Al or KP had sat, or guys were out, and Neemi played, and the minutes that you give are so impactful. And I thought it was important to empower him to be the starting center of the Celtics after what he did for us over the last couple years in Maine, [and] in those games where guys are out. And he’s taken that responsibility and ownership very seriously.”

Queta and Mazzulla huddled early in the summer of 2025, and Mazzulla laid out the plan to elevate Queta to a starter.

Get your mind right. You have to figure it out. I don’t want to hear any s—.

Joe Mazzulla’s message to Neemias Queta after naming him a starter

“We went to dinner and we just chopped it up for a couple hours, and it was pretty special,” said Queta. “When we had that conversation, it was more about, ‘OK Neemi, you know what’s going on. You know what’s going to be ahead of you for the future. Make sure you get ready. Do your thing, work as hard as you can, but be prepared, because it’s a different level of expectancy, [and] it’s a different level of responsibility as well.’ So, knowing that I’d be counted upon every night to deliver was huge for me, knowing that the season was going to be big for us.

“My ability to go into the summer, knowing every day that I’d be counted on, and just going out there working as hard as I could, just opened up the mindset for me to come in every night and deliver.”

Mazzulla pulled no punches with his advice for Queta.

“Get your mind right. You have to figure it out. I don’t want to hear any s—,” Mazzulla said of his instructions after naming Queta starter. “I’m telling you now so that by the time the season starts, you have an understanding of what the expectation is, what we need from you.

“Credit to him, he cares, he wants to get better, pushes himself. He’s really quiet, so you don’t get to see the competitive mindset that he really has on wanting to get better and get it right, but he cares, man. He’s good.”

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Queta just wants to do all the dirty work to aid winning. He jousts with bigs and hunts rebounds. He finished second in the NBA in screen assists (274) and screen-assist points (668), trailing only Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in both categories.

Queta owned the best net rating in the entire Eastern Conference (minimum of 50 games played and 25 minutes per game) as the Celtics outscored opponents by 13.2 points per 100 possessions in his floor time. (Duren was second at +11.8). Queta also had the best defensive rating in the East at 105.6 (second: Detroit’s Ausar Thompson at 107.2).

Queta ranked 18th in ESPN’s new Net Points metric that uses box score data to quantify a player’s two-way impact. Queta finished third overall in Defensive Net Points, trailing only San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren. Wembanyama was the Defensive Player of the Year, while Holmgren finished second in the voting.

Queta doesn’t take the opportunity for granted and just wants to keep improving.

“It’s surreal still to me, being able to find my way in this league, finding a place where I’m believed in, a coach that trusts me and wants the best for me, is just huge for me,” said Queta. “And I want to come out here and do my best to deliver.”

Queta doesn’t need a Most Improved trophy to know just how far he’s come.

Nikola Jokic, three-time NBA MVP and in the running for yet another one this year, is not one to shy away from physicality. At 6’11, 284 lbs, the Denver Nuggets big man is hard to contain under the basket, but he has another asset that opponents fear more: His vision and playmaking. 

So in order to try to contain him, get to him mentally and tire him, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a type of hack-a-Shaq plan to try to stress him during the first games of the playoffs: hit him, poke him, hack him, jab him constantly. It’s a case of death by a thousand cuts. 

Nikola Jokić is an absolute professional for keeping his composure while literally being poked by Julius Randle hard af on his stomach and back. What an absolute joke of the referees right now. pic.twitter.com/KVLB5STH9D

— Tatiana (@Tatianaclinares) April 21, 2026

This clip from game two in Denver this week made its rounds because it clearly crosses a line. 13 hits, pokes, taps, hacks, jabs – whatever you want to call it – in a seven second possession. 

It’s not the straightforward hack-a-Shaq type tactics, where you foul a bad free throw shooter because you can’t defend him any other way. It’s a more subtle tactic. 

These tiny but constant hits are not just stressful, they tire you and distract you. Just playing through it as Nikola Jokic does here without even acknowledging it, is a power move in itself, but it is bound to wear on you and limit the energy you have for other things, like creating, playmaking and finishing. 

And it seems to have worked. Jokic has great touch but in this game he missed 12 field goals, his field goal percentage was down to 40 compared to 57 percent for the season. 

This is not a new strategy if you want to try to contain certain players. It was so used that they abolished handchecking in 2004. 

The question is: if this is handchecking, why aren’t they calling it? 

If this is not handchecking because Julius Randle keeps moving his hand, only to jab repeatedly, then why aren’t they calling the hits?

In game three, Jaden McDaniels is lauded for his great defense on Denver’s Jamal Murray, but he clearly steers him by the hip on multiple occasions just in this clip. That is how you define handchecking, and it’s been illegal since 2004. 

pic.twitter.com/a4oTCaWwJ2

— Mette L. Robertson (@M_Robertson100) April 24, 2026

If handchecking is illegal, why aren’t they calling a blatant example like this one?

If you compare what referees call on another player in the running for MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the contrast is glaring. He would have moved into a shooting motion right away as in this clip and probably not end in a similar situation as Jokic in the first clip. But overall, it’s an interesting comparison. What constitutes a foul, and why?

Free throws attempted tonight:

SGA: 25
Detroit Pistons: 23 pic.twitter.com/TdaUD1EZzU

— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) March 31, 2026

Though Jokic usually doesn’t refrain from talking to refs (Murray neither) he chose not to here. The smart and experienced player knows that the energy he has to expend complaining to the referees about this stuff amounts to energy not spent on the game. And opposing teams know it’s worth it to try to get under his skin like this. 

But is it ethical? Is it the kind of basketball we want in the NBA – or to develop into? 

There’s two ways to go here: we can either agree that the best players should be protected by the refs, ensuring longevity and less injuries during a long NBA season. And we can agree on what is legal and what is not. 

Or we can buy into the somewhat old-head argumentation that physicality is part of the game and that players today are too soft. And there is something appealing in that. ‘Let them play, it’s a smart strategy to win and it’s part of the game’. Whoever outsmarts the other wins, and they deserve it, right?

But don’t all players deserve to be treated more or less the same? Allowing this type of mental (and physical) game on one player and not the other seems unjustifiable. And it makes the NBA harder and harder to watch. 

Now, in the Balkans – like Serbia – these mind tricks and mental games and trying to get around the rules are not new. Jokic and his “I played in Serbia, brother” grew up with this stuff. He’s unfazed here and will probably tell you he’s tried worse.

But the question remains: Is it ok that Julius Randle gets to jab Nikola Jokic 13 times in 7 seconds with no whistle? 

And that Jaden McDaniels blatantly gets to handcheck Murray again and again?

If your answer is yes, then you have to consider the outcome of not protecting players and what that means for the league if they keep allowing this – in the case of Jokic. Less availability, more injuries, less minutes and games played by the most popular players. 

This is not a one time thing, the physical play allowed on most occasions fails to protect the players. If the referees would call this stuff and still allow for physical play under the basket, things would look different.

Often, they don’t. They miss it or don’t call it, and the game suffers on that account. This specific game two, but also the game of basketball. 

If they keep allowing things that were made illegal decades ago, why do we even have the rules? 

If we keep letting this stuff happen, imagine what it could turn into. I don’t even want to entertain that thought. And if the NBA wants its best players to play as much and as long as possible, they need to protect them better. 

Basketball is about moments. It’s about the biggest players taking over when it matters the most, of chemistry and connection and not shying away from pressure. But it’s also about strategy and tactics and coaching, about IQ and vision and defense. 

All of this is diminished, made pedestrian even, by this type of mind tricks and dirty plays. The great game of basketball becomes mundane. Normal. We can all get ahead by finding ways to trick and cheat. But that’s not what we want to see from the best athletes in the world. 

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Well, that was some turnaround. After an absolute disaster in Game 1, the Sixers improved in just about every way possible to beat the Celtics in Game 2, 111-97.

Now, heading into Game 3, there’s even some promise for a Joel Embiid return. If not Friday, then soon, as he’s officially listed as doubtful. It’s encouraging he participated in practice on Thursday, and when speaking with media afterwards, Nick Nurse emphasized that obviously Embiid is eager to take the floor and that there’s progress to him returning.

Nick Nurse on Joel Embiid, who participated in parts of today's practice.

"I think we're going to know a lot more probably by the end of today where he is…He wants to play and we want him to play. I don't know how close we are to that at this point, but I there's some progress… pic.twitter.com/yQYVuS3MPV

— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) April 23, 2026

Apart from the fundamental improvements like hitting more shots and taking much better care of the ball in Game 2, the Sixers also made some stylistic tweaks to help. The main story being them putting far more emphasis on attacking the Celtics’ drop defense with a host of high pick-and-rolls (credit to Adem Bona and Andre Drummond for plenty of strong picks) to get Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe freed up at the arc for pull-up threes in space or room to dribble in for clearer mid-range attempts and drives.

VJ Edgecombe is very comfortable w the space he's seeing.

Empty side PnR here, like the re-screen & angle flip from Adem Bona to get VJ downhill.

Great patience on this drive, waits for Vuc to retreat before getting a layup. pic.twitter.com/rAKx798RCj

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 22, 2026

The Sixers’ guard duo was electric in this one. Edgecombe was effective from all over the floor whether he was exploding on drives off closeouts or pulling up from three (and winking to the camera for good measure). He became the youngest rookie in NBA history to have 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game. And even though Maxey wasn’t his most efficient, finishing 11-of-28 overall, he still buried five triples and had some impressive drives to the rim.

The Celtics didn’t have an answer as the duo dropped a combined 59 points and 11 threes.

It’ll be important to monitor if the Celtics make many adjustments in an attempt to contain the Sixers’ backcourt, like using more blitzes or bringing bigs higher against the screen in pick-and-rolls more often to reduce space at the arc. The downside for Boston there, though, is that Neemias Queta and Nikola Vucevic don’t have the lateral quickness to hang with Philly’s guards creating space at the perimeter, or prevent them flying downhill into open drives around high closeouts.

The Celtics leaned on their deep drop scheme in Game 2 and it didn’t work whatsoever. One option could be running Jayson Tatum at the five a bit more, so they have a more agile center who can actually step up higher against drives and have a chance to hang with Maxey and Edgecombe.

But apart from changing that matchup, trying to send in more aggressive stunts to help from the strong-side wing (although this then opens up easy extra passes to shooters in a “make someone not called Tyrese or VJ beat us” strategy), higher closeouts, or blitzes, the Sixers have personnel advantages here.

At least, as long as their shooters stay hot. They only need it to last for a few games… The Celtics may just leave them to it and trust that the Sixers’ shooters can’t sustain it.

If Boston does get more aggressive in sending help from a strong-side defender on the wing like they do here, it’s hard for them to recover to their original assignment against shooters firing as quick as Maxey, Edgecombe and Paul George right now. On this second-quarter play, it’s so easy for Maxey to catch and drive off the pin-down screen from Bona, pull in Edgecombe’s defender (Sam Hauser) from the wing and then kick to VJ for an open three:

George showing off his IQ through his communication, sharp passing to exploit the attention he drew on the ball, and defense, plus hitting timely shots was also important in Game 2. Along with Maxey and Edgecombe killing it in pick-and-rolls, George did his fare share of quality work there too, including as a passer. Nothing too fancy. Just remaining calm, patient, and making the right reads to open shooters when defenders collapsed on him.

Another video from Sixers-Celtics Game 2, looking at Paul George. In addition to his typical solid defense, PG hit some timely buckets + had a few great assists, taking advantage of the C's def collapsing in on him.

19 PTS (7-13 FG, 2-5 3PT), 4 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
📽️ ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fKOn4dOalS

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) April 22, 2026

More of the same from George going forward would make such a difference to give the offense some balance if/when Maxey and Edgecombe receive more defensive attention. Having all three guys in a rhythm, getting to their spots, passing fluidly and playing off each other when they’re off the ball takes the Sixers’ chances to a new level in this series.

Even if Embiid is back in Game 3, we can’t know how he’ll look. But the bright side is he won’t need to carry the offensive load. He’ll still change the team just by providing far better finishing than his backups, creating some opportunities at the free throw line, and adding better spacing. Either way, the Sixers should keep leaning into spamming pick-and-rolls. Use Embiid as a screener too and let Maxey and Edgecombe in particular create when the Celtics have a drop scheme and personnel at center that can be exploited.

It’s unlikely the Celtics shoot as poorly again in Game 3. Unless the Sixers really are blessed by the basketball gods, Boston won’t shoot 26.0 percent from three every night, and Tatum and Derrick White won’t only go a combined 4-of-18 all the time. If the Sixers cool off a bit in that regard too, or any potential adjustments to better contain Maxey and Edgecombe come into play, momentum could easily shift away from the Sixers again.

But the fact that Philly turned in that level of performance without Embiid to make this a tie series, even if it’s right at the start at 1-1, is something to enjoy. And as our Sean Kennedy wrote, why don’t the Sixers just try to ride this small sample shooting variance for a few games to win the series? Let Maxey, Edgecombe (and PG) spam high screens and pull-up threes against drop coverage and hope the shots keep falling.

Let’s see if the renewed energy and efficiency continues Game 3, and if these scrappy Sixers can find a way to steal a series lead.

Game Details

When: Friday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: Prime Video
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers

It’s time to check LeBron James’ birth certificate. Is he really 41?

James, the NBA's oldest player – unless we discover otherwise – is the first component of the Los Angeles Lakers’ secret code. The code they’ve used while taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round, best-of-seven playoff series, with Game 3 set for Friday, April 24 in Houston.

You did see LeBron’s reverse windmill jam in Game 2, right? He’s flying high, all right. In Game 1, he turned in a double-double (19 points and 13 assists), and in Game 2 he scored a game-high 28 points.

The Lakers are getting big-time performances from one-time role players while Luka Dončić and Austin Reeves remain sidelined with injuries. In fact, without their two leading scorers, the Lakers seemed more likely to be trailing the Rockets 2-0 than leading them 2-0.

Bottom line: the Lakers would not be thriving without James excelling.

Weeks ago, he agreed to play a supporting role that allowed Dončić and Reaves to get the shots they need for the Lakers to be at their most potent. But at least through two playoff games, James has proven he still has what it takes to lead a team in the postseason.

Stifling defense

The second component of the secret code is impressive defense.

Credit Lakers coach JJ Redick for devising the plan. It called for double teams, triple teams and traps on Kevin Durant in the second half of Game 2 that helped hold the Rockets star to three points. Not to mention his nine turnovers.

Heading into the playoffs, the Rockets were averaging 115.2 points per game. In Game 1, they managed 98 points. Yes, Durant was out with a knee injury. But in Game 2, with Durant on the floor, the Rockets produced only 94 points. The Rockets shooting percentages also have dipped below their regular-season levels.

Redick and his assistants are responsible for the X's and O's. But part of the Lakers' defensive success has from the hustle and grit exemplified by Smart.

New sources of offense

The third component of the secret code is finding new sources of offense.

During the regular season, Dončić and Reaves averaged a combined 56.8 points. With those two sidelined indefinitely, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart have emerged.

They combined for 42 points in Game 1 and 48 points in Game 2. Not Dončić-Reaves levels, but the kind of production the Lakers needed to survive.

Kennard ranks second on the NBA’s list for career 3-point field goal percentage at 44.2%. The numbers don't lie. In Game 1, he made all five of his 3-point attempts and finished with 27 points, a career playoff high. In Game 2, he was 3-for-6 from 3-point range and finished with 23 points.

Meanwhile, Smart is channeling the best days of his nine-year stint with the Boston Celtics. He had 15 points in Game 1 and 25 points in Game 2.

Experts fueled Lakers

The fourth component of the secret code is responding to external doubt.

The NBA experts made themselves clear: The Lakers had virtually no shot against the Rockets. After their victory in Game 1, the easy explanation was, duh, Durant was out. The Rockets were return to form in Game 2.

Think again.

Now the experts are having to rethink their predictions with the Lakers off to this unimagiably hot star to the playoffs.

The Lakers are only too happy to thank those experts. The dire predictions appear to have strengthened their determinatioiin to overcome adversity and prove the doubters wrong,

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lakers head into Game 3 vs Rockets with secret code in NBA playoffs