Category: Basketball

Lakers guard Luka Doncic will be eligible for postseason awards after the NBA and NBA Players Assn. announced Thursday they ruled in his favor on his extraordinary circumstances appeal of the 65-game rule.

Doncic, a leading candidate for most valuable player and a lock for his sixth All-NBA team, played in only 64 games before he suffered a regular-season ending left hamstring injury on April 2. The league's latest collective bargaining agreement requires players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards, but Doncic and Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham both won appeals under the CBA’s extraordinary circumstances provision.

Doncic missed two games in December to attend the birth of his daughter in Slovenia and Cunningham, whose career season led the Pistons to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, missed 12 games because of a collapsed lung suffered on March 17.

“I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision,” Doncic wrote in a statement on social media. “It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark [Walter], Jeanie [Buss], Rob [Pelinka], JJ [Redick], and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there."

Doncic earned his second league scoring title this season with 33.5 points per game. He surged back into the most valuable player race with a magical March when he was just the second player to score 600 points in March, joining Michael Jordan. He had four consecutive games of 40 or more points and 12 of 30 or more before injuring his hamstring on April 2. He and guard Austin Reaves (oblique) are out indefinitely as the Lakers begin the playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Read more:Deandre Ayton knows the Lakers need him to be his best in the playoffs

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NEW YORK (AP) — Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham are eligible for awards despite the 65-game rule, NBA and players' association decide.

The end for an NBA coach can be brutal and sudden, even for teams that make the playoffs. Last year, twoplayoff teams even got rid of their coach right before the postseason began. It's not the profession for those seeking job security.

No such turmoil occurred to close the 2025-26 NBA regular season, but there is nonetheless a group of coaches still coaching as of Thursday, April 16 that could be fired soon if the high-stakes games of the 2026 NBA playoffs don't go their way.

A team's playoff ledger relative to expectations often supersedes the number of wins accrued over the months-long slog preceding the postseason. Those that fall short under these bright lights are eventually discarded, and NBA coaches have traditionally been among the most dispensable.

Here are five coaches currently in the NBA's postseason who are on the hot seat, especially if their team were to suffer an early exit from the playoffs:

NBA PLAY IN WINNERS, LOSERS: Steph Curry shows he's still great

1. Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic

The fifth-year coach could be coaching for his job when the Magic face the Charlotte Hornets to close out the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. Even a first-round exit to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons might lead to Mosley's firing after a disjointed season in which the trio of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane struggled to gel together offensively. Orlando spent four first-round draft picks on Bane last offseason to be a contender, not relegated to play-in fodder, and Mosley might pay the price in the days ahead.

2. Tiago Splitter, Portland Trail Blazers

The interim Blazers coach isn't on this list because of his performance. He just led Portland to its first playoff appearance since 2021 after starting the season with coach Chauncey Billups arrested following the first game as part of federal indictments related to illegal gambling. But new owner Tom Dundon has not committed to hiring Splitter, nor officially parted ways with Billups, and it will make for a complicated situation whenever the Blazers' season ends.

3. Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets

Among NBA teams to qualify for the postseason, only the Charlotte Hornets had a worse crunch time NET rating during the regular season than the Rockets. Despite the addition of Kevin Durant last offseason, their halfcourt offense has devolved at key moments and Udoka has thus far not adjusted well to the flaws or the absence of injured point guard Fred Van Vleet. Losing in the first round to the injury-riddled Los Angeles Lakers would mean Houston dropped a series in which it almost certainly got out-coached given the personnel discrepancies.

4. Mike Brown, New York Knicks

Brown is only in his first season with the Knicks and the team finished with two more regular-season wins than it did a year ago under former coach Tom Thibodeau. But the expectations are high in New York. A first-round exit against the Atlanta Hawks, combined with the reality that Brown was not the top choice for Knicks' brass to begin with last offseason, could lead to a quick change on the bench.

5. Nick Nurse, Philadelphia 76ers

Nurse hasn't succeeded with the Sixers like he once did with the Toronto Raptors, in large part because of injuries and roster construction. Getting out of the play-in tournament after a bounce-back regular season might be enough to give Nurse another year, particularly since Paul George and Joel Embiid again missed large chunks of the season. But Nurse would probably be wise to not get swept by the Celtics in the first round, just to be safe.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoff coach hot seat rankings: Why these coaches can't lose quick

Down in South Philadelphia last night, the crowd filled in slowly for the Sixers’ Play-In Tournament matchup with the Magic. Blame traffic concerns if you’d like given that the Phillies were hosting a game across the street too and the simple fact that it was a weeknight. Sitting at Xfinity Mobile Arena before tipoff, both levels of the stands were fairly dead. Would the fan base lay an egg for this one? I couldn’t blame them much if that was the case.

The Sixers were playing for the right to be the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference and likely lose to the Celtics in the postseason for the sixth time this century. Joel Embiid was sidelined as he recovers from surgery for appendicitis while his timetable for returning to the court remains unclear. The promises of the Process and those first handful of playoff runs in the Embiid era have evaporated. Most people in this city are bitter about the team, or, even worse, apathetic.

Things, however, shifted as the game progressed. The arena filled up. People were decked out in jerseys from across the decades for the franchise, from Julius Erving to Allen Iverson to even a lingering Dario Šarić that I saw. Fans fed off the energy of the Sixers’ dynamic backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. By the time Andre Drummond, the unsung hero of the evening, nailed a three-pointer with under a minute to go in the first half, the crowd popped. It was as if the clock turned back to a time where anything was possible for the direction of the Sixers as unlimited possibilities were staring at us for the next decade.

I remember being there for the Sixers’ first post-Process playoff game against the Heat in 2018. It may have only been six years since the last time the Sixers were in the postseason, but it felt closer to 60. The Sixers torched Miami in the 27-point victory as vets Marco Belinelli and Ersan İlyasova went supernova off the bench and rookie sensation Ben Simmons dished out 14 assists. It was everything I had dreamed of playing out in front of my own eyes.

I’m a Sixers pessimist. That has been abundantly clear for a while, likely dating back to the team’s 2021 collapse against Atlanta that I’ve never fully recovered from in terms of my fandom. Still, it’s nice to get wrapped up in something bigger than ourselves, right? That’s how it felt watching this team pull out that win. Roaring after yet another improbable Drummond three near the end of the fourth quarter that padded the Sixers’ lead with 20,000 people is what it’s all about.

This all may be fleeting. I am not entertaining a miraculous upset of the Celtics in the coming days. I also imagine quite a few Boston fans, both those from the New England area and the disgusting locals who root for them, will be present and diminish the Sixers’ home court energy. At the very least, this win over Orlando was a call back to what makes playoff basketball so special for the fans in attendance and, maybe, just maybe, a harbinger of brighter days for the franchise in the future (maybe the distant future…).

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale will miss at least the first two weeks of the NBA playoffs because of his sprained right ankle.

Landale averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 23 regular-season games with Atlanta. He sustained a high ankle sprain on April 1 at Orlando. The Hawks say he “is progressing in his rehabilitation” and “will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.” An update is expected after his re-evaluation.

Atlanta is the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and opens its first-round series at the third-seeded New York Knicks on Saturday.

The Hawks addressed a lack of depth at center — Kristaps Porzingis has been unavailable much of the season and N’Faly Dante is out for the year — by acquiring Landale from Utah for cash considerations in early February. He never played for the Jazz and was with them less than a day after being part of an eight-player trade involving Memphis.

The 30-year-old Landale averaged 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 45 games for Memphis.

The Australian is in his fifth NBA season. He made his NBA debut with San Antonio in the 2021-22 season and also has played for Phoenix and Houston.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

The Boston Celtics are going to be facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs this season after they beat the Orlando Magic 109-97 in the Play-In Tournament. This is the 23rd time that Boston and Philadelphia have faced off against each other, the most in NBA playoff history.

The Celtics have an all time playoff record of 66-50 against the 76ers that dates back to when Philadelphia went by the Syracuse Nationals in the 1950s. Boston is 15-7 all time in playoff series against Philadelphia, dominating the matchup especially in recent memory.

We meet again 😤 pic.twitter.com/cX7DaDHcxx

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 16, 2026

2026 Regular Season Series

Before we take a trip down memory lane, lets look at the 2026 regular season matchups between Boston and Philadelphia where they split the season series. The first matchup was all the way back to Opening Night on October 22nd where Philly beat Boston 117-116 in TD Garden. Tyrese Maxey led the way with 40 point alongside one of the best rookie debut performances in NBA History from VJ Edgecombe who dropped 34 points. Boston was led by Jaylen Brown and Derrick White who had 25 points each and the Celtics almost won if the game winning shot by Payton Pritchard went in at the final buzzer.

Game 2 was was only nine days on October 31st where Jaylen Brown gave the city of Philadelphia a Halloween fright, dropping 32 points in a 109-108 win for Boston on the road. This game was almost the opposite of Opening Night where it was Joel Embiid who missed the game wining three at the buzzer after Quinten Grimes dribbled out the shot clock. Anfernee Simons had a great game for Boston off the bench with 19 points while Maxey led the way for the 76ers with 26 points.

Boston played their third game against Philadelphia only eleven days later on November 11th where it finished as another close game, this time the 76ers winning 102-100 at home. Kelly Oubre Jr was the hero for Philly with a game winning put-back layup with 8.7 seconds to go and a Derrick White half court heave at the buzzer just missed. This was also known as the “Justin Edwards Game” where he led the 76ers with 22 points on 8-9 shooting from the field and 5-6 shooting from three. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 24 points but it wasn’t enough.

The final game of the season series didn’t come until four months later where on March 1st, Boston beat Philadelphia 114-98 in TD Garden, the biggest margin of victory between these teams all year. It was a close game with under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter before the Celtics rattled off an 11-1 run to close it out. This was the Neemias Queta Legacy Game where he dropped a career high 27 points and 17 rebounds on 10-14 shooting, dominating the 76ers underneath the basket. Brown also finished with 27 points for Boston while Maxey led the way with 33 points for Philadelphia.

Early Years: Celtics vs Nationals/76ers (1953-1969)

Back in the day when there was only 8 to 9 teams in the NBA, the Celtics and Nationals would face off almost every season from 1953-1961. In that time frame Boston had the upper hand in this matchup with a record of 15-13 in 7 different matchups in this span.

In 1953 we saw the Celtics sweep the Nationals in the first round in a three game series behind 50 points from Bob Cousy on 10-22 shooting and 30-32 from the free throw line in a Game 2 that had four overtimes. Syracuse would respond by winning the next three series from 1954-1956. Two of these matchups came in what is now the conference finals and ending in a championship in 1955.

Boston came back in 1957 in the first five game series of this matchup, sweeping the Nationals in the first playoff series of Bill Russell’s career. After taking down Syracuse, Boston made their first NBA Finals where they won win their first championship in franchise history over the St. Louis Hawks. Little did we know this would start the greatest dynasty in NBA history.

Boston faced off against Syracuse two more times in 1959 and 1961 ending in Celtics victories and two more championships. The Nationals would leave Syracuse in 1963 and move to the City of Brotherly Love, now called the Philadelphia 76ers and trading for a superstar named Wilt Chamberlain.

The rebrand did not change their luck against the Celtics however, as Boston beat them four times in five years from 1965-1969. The one time Philadelphia beat Boston was in 1967 where they won the championship but the other four times ended in the Celtics winning it all.

Lull Period: Celtics vs 76ers (1977)

Boston was in the process of restarting their dynasty in the mid-70s, winning the championship in 1974 and 1976 but didn’t face Philadelphia at all in this time. The 76ers on the other hand were struggling post losing Wilt Chamberlain but just acquired Julius Erving ahead of the 1977 season. This did wonders for Philly as they were back in real playoff contention and met Boston in the second round of the playoffs in 1977.

This series went all 7 games with Dave Cowens and John Havlicek doing their best to lead Boston while Erving dominated for Philadelphia. In Game 7, it was a close game but ended with the 76ers beating the Celtics in a playoff series for the first time since 1967. World B. Free led the way for Philadelphia with 27 points off the bench while Cowens struggled with only 11 points on 5-16 shooting. The 76ers went on to make the NBA Finals in 1977, losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in 6 games.

This was the end of the Celtics dynasty of the 70s but it was just the beginning of them seeing the 76ers in the playoffs on a yearly basis once the 1980s began.

Bird Years: Celtics vs 76ers (1980-1985)

The Celtics had a brand new star to lead them back to glory in the 80’s and his name was Larry Bird. Bird’s rookie year in 1980 saw him win Rookie of the Year and lead Boston back to the playoffs. After sweeping the Houston Rockets in the first round, Bird lead the Celtics into his first matchup against the 76ers in the second round of the 1980 playoffs. Sadly, Philadelphia would win the series in 5 games and 76ers would make the NBA Finals, losing to the Los Angels Lakers.

Boston would respond to this loss in 1981 by beating the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals in 7 game series. Larry Bird led the way with 23 points in Game 7 and the Celtics would take down the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals for their 14th championship. Philadelphia came back in 1982 and blew out Boston in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, once again losing to the Lakers in the Finals. Hopefully, the 76ers would enjoy this victory over Boston because it would be the last time they beat the Celtics in a playoff series.

The Celtics wouldn’t play the 76ers in the playoffs again until 1985 where Boston dominated Philly, winning the Eastern Conference Finals in 5 games but losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Boston wouldn’t play Philadelphia again for another 17 years, bringing the rivalry into the 21st century.

Pierce Years: Celtics vs 76ers (2002-2012)

The 90s were a rough decade for the Celtics but one positive that came out of it was drafting Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker to be stars of the future. The duo made their first playoff appearance together in 2002 and faced off against the 76ers in the First Round. They would destroy the 2001 Eastern Conference Champion 76ers led by Allen Iverson, winning the series in 5 games. Pierce went nuclear in Game 5, where he dropped 46 points on 16-25 shooting while Walker finished with 26 points on 11-22 shooting.

The Celtics would ride this momentum to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance after beating the Pistons in 5 games in the Second Round before losing to the New Jersey Nets in 5 Games. The Nets would go on to get swept by the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Paul Pierce wouldn’t face off against the 76ers again until the Second Round in the 2012 Playoffs and a lot had changed in a decade. He was the Finals MVP in the Celtics 2008 NBA Championship with new co-stars in Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. However, this was the Last Dance for this iteration of the Celtics and they faced off against a scrappy 76ers team who made it past the Chicago Bulls after Derrick Rose tore his ACL. They were led by All-Star Andre Iguodala and a young core of guys like Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and Lou Williams.

In theory this should have been an easy series for the Celtics to win but the 76ers put up a fight, forcing a Game 7 back in TD Garden after trading wins through the first six games. In that Game 7 the new core of Celtics were able to squash the 76ers Cinderella story, led by Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo who scored 18 points. Boston advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals but had a similar result from 2002, losing to the Big 3 Miami Heat in 7 games.

This would be the end of an era in Celtics history as Allen left to join the Heat in the offseason while Pierce and Garnett got traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013. Little did we know that the draft picks from this trade would bring the next iteration of stars to the rivalry.

The Jays Years: Celtics vs 76ers (2018-2023)

We have reached the Modern Day in Celtics History, with the team now being led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, they had to continue the tradition of their first playoff series coming against the Philadelphia 76ers. In the Second Round in 2018, the Celtics faced off against the 76ers young core of Joel Embiid and Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons.

Boston was not favored since they lost their stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving but that did not stop their young group from beating Philadelphia in 5 games. In that Game 5 we saw a glimpse of the future, with Tatum leading the way with 25 points on 8-15 shooting while Brown finished with 24 points on 10-13 shooting. This overachieving Boston Celtics team would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they would lose to the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers in 7 games.

Boston would face off against Philadelphia again in the NBA Bubble, in the First Round of the 2020 Playoffs. This is sort of a footnote in the rivalry with the Celtics sweeping the 76ers. Simmons was out for the entire series and that led Embiid to try and carry the load by himself. The Celtics blew them out through three games before Kemba Walker dropped 32 points in Game 4 to win the series. The Celtics would once again make it to the Eastern Conference Finals after taking down the Toronto Raptors in 7 games in the Second Round but ran out of gas and lost to the Jimmy Butler led Miami Heat in 6 games. Miami would end up losing in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games.

The most recent matchup of the Celtics vs 76ers rivalry came in the Second Round of the 2023 Playoffs and that was the best series of the Jays era so far. It went all 7 games, starting with Boston losing Game 1 at home behind 45 points from James Harden. The Celtics won the next two games before dropping the next two to go down 3-2 in the series with Game 6 on the road and this is where Jayson Tatum would cement his playoff legacy.

Tatum was awful to start Game 6, shooting 1-13 through three quarters before dropping 16 points in the fourth quarter on 4-8 shooting to lead Boston to the win. This set the stage for the main event of Game 7 back in TD Garden with the season on the line. Jayson Tatum would proceed to break the record for points in a Game 7, dropping 51 points on 17-28 shooting from the field and 6-10 from three to lead the Celtics to a blowout victory over the 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Once advancing to the Conference Finals, the Celtics would lose another series to the Heat, this time in a heart breaking Game 7. Miami would lose in the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets in 5 games.

2026 Playoff Prediction

After going over the very long and extensive playoff history between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers it is now time to make my prediction for how the 2026 First Round series is going to go. The 76ers are a very dangerous team going into this series.

Joel Embiid might be out but Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecobe are a scary combination to face after they combined for 50 points against the Orlando Magic in the Play-In Game. Paul George is also back from his suspension early in the season and could also be a difference maker as a third option in this series. Philadelphia’s depth also has potential to help with Kelly Oubre Jr and Andre Drummond being solid support pieces.

The one thing that the Celtics have that the 76ers don’t is Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. For years teams have had a hard time finding an answer to guard both of them and the Jays are playing some of their best basketball going into the playoffs. Philly’s center depth could also cause them some issues, leading to potentially a ton of drives by Boston to the basket and easy points for a guy like Neemias Queta. Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser also have the chance to light up the 76ers from deep and we’ve seen Baylor Scheirman and Jordan Walsh play some great defense against tough competition.

My Final Prediction: Celtics Win the Series in 5 games. For as much as I respect Maxey and Edgecombe, I think Boston is just the better team and have too much firepower for Philadelphia to handle. I think the 76ers might be able to steal a win in this series but the Celtics should be able to win this series in a Gentleman’s Sweep.

With the Spurs vs. Blazers series officially set, it’s time for us to go through what each team brings to the table. Today, we’ll start with a quick overview of some stylistic quirks to monitor, before releasing a full preview in the coming days.

First up: the turnover battle.

Turnovers 

These teams are polar opposites in the turnover game. San Antonio is great at protecting the ball on offense (12.9% turnover rate, 4th best) but struggles to steal the rock on defense (forces turnovers on 12.8% of defensive possessions, 28th), while Portland loves coughing up the ball (16.8% turnover rate, 30th) but is also very good at taking it away from opponents (forces turnovers on 15.3% of defensive possessions, 7th). In other words, it’ll be a battle of weaknesses on the Spurs end, but also a clash of strengths on the Blazers’ side. 

With that said, individual matchups will also matter, and Steph Castle could be an X-factor on both ends of the court. Castle averages over a steal per game and will likely spend lots of time guarding Avdija, who has both the highest usage and turnover rate (15.1%) on the Blazers. On the other hand, Castle himself is very turnover-prone (15.9%), which would play into the hands of Portland’s trifecta of elite perimeter defenders in Holiday, Camara, and Thybulle. 

Portland’s rim frequency   

Portland prioritizes shots near the rim, as 35.2% of their attempts come within four feet of the basket (5th highest league-wide). Thankfully, the Spurs have perhaps the greatest rim protector in league history in Wemby, whose presence alone deters opponents from shooting. In fact, only 26.2% of opposing shots come at the basket when he plays, and it’ll be interesting to see if the Blazers see a similar drop in rim frequency. 

Even if they decide to keep shooting, don’t expect many to go in. The Blazers are only making 66.3% of their shots in that area (18th league-wide), and with Wemby on the court, the Spurs are letting in just 60.8% of those attempts. If Portland struggles down low, they could pivot to shooting more threes, as they’re already top 5 in three-point frequency (43.2%) while San Antonio gives up an average number of attempts (37.8%, 14th league-wide). 

Portland’s pick & roll frequency

One way of pulling Wemby away from the rim would be putting him in as many high pick-and-rolls as possible, and Portland’s 17.1% P&R frequency ranks in the league’s top 10. However, the Alien is such a physical freak that he’s fast and long enough to contain both the ballhandler before recovering to the roll man. As a result, the Spurs actually welcome P&Rs, allowing 16.9% of defensive possessions to involve such a play from opposing teams, while conceding just 0.83 points per possession — the third-lowest number league-wide, and also the same scoring average for Portland on offense. In other words, the Blazers will have an extremely difficult time going against Wemby in P&Rs, and it’ll be interesting to see how they adjust. 

Rebounding

Another way for Portland to generate offense is to crash the offensive glass. The Blazers’ 34.3% ORB percentage was 4th league-wide, but that’s going up against the #1-ranked defensive rebounding Spurs team that grabbed 74.1% of its own boards. Expect Clingan and Robert Williams III to get physical with Wemby and cause as much havoc around the Spurs’ rim as possible, especially if they have trouble generating other forms of offense.

However, San Antonio could also counter by doing the same on the other end. The Spurs are also a good offensive rebounding team, grabbing 29.5% of their misses (9th highest). Interestingly, Portland actually struggles on their own glass, conceding 70.2% of rebounds to their opponents (21st). If the Blazers don’t manage to clean up on their own end, then any offensive rebounds they grab will be rendered moot.

San Antonio’s corner three-point volume

The Spurs’ 38.8% three-point volume is average (14th league-wide), but they’re tied for first with New York in corner three volume at 12.9%. This is mostly attributed to Wemby’s insane roll gravity, as San Antonio generates 13.8% of their shots from the corners when he plays, which is the highest in league history. The Blazers allow 10.2% of opponent shots to come from those spots, (right around the league average), but if they prioritize defending the corners, then it’ll open up Wemby’s rolls and drives from the Spurs’ guards. San Antonio is also shooting 71.3% at the rim (90th percentile) on 36.4% frequency (87th), so Portland is stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

Transition opportunities

16.5% of Spurs plays come in transition (6th league-wide), and their offensive rating on such plays is 128.5 (8th). The Blazers allow almost the same amount of transition opportunities on defense (16.4%, 26th) with a defensive rating of 126.8 (19th). San Antonio should dominate in fast-break points, especially since they’re also elite at preventing opposing transition opportunities, while Portland is bottom five in transition frequency. This could be a short series if the Blazers turn the ball over at their usual rate.

The Warriors are still alive.

After a thrilling 126-121 win over the Clippers on Wednesday, the Warriors will face the Suns in Phoenix on Friday night with the last Western Conference playoff berth on the line.

The No. 7-seeded Suns lost a nail-biter at home Tuesday to the Trail Blazers.

The winner of Friday’s game earns the right to face the defending champion Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which would begin Sunday in Oklahoma City.

No. 9 vs. No. 10 Western Conference NBA play-in game

Date: Friday, April 17

Time: 7 p.m. PT

Location: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix

TV: Amazon Prime

Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns breakdown

Warriors projected starting five(regular season stats)

G Steph Curry: 27 ppg, 46.8 fg%, 39.2 3pt%

G Brandin Podziemski: 13.7 ppg, 5.2 reb, 3.8 ast

C Kristaps Porzingis: 16.8 ppg, 5 reb, 1.2 blk

F Draymond Green: 8.4 ppg, 5.5 ast, 5.5 reb

F Gui Santos: 9.3 ppg, 3.9 reb, 50.5 fg%

Sixth man: F Al Horford: 8.3 ppg, 5 reb, 1.2 blk

Suns projected starting five

F Dillon Brooks: 20.2 ppg, 3.6 reb, 1.0 stl

C Mark Williams: 11.7 ppg, 8 reb, 64.4 fg%

G Devin Booker: 26.1 ppg, 6 ast, 8.1 fta (87.3 ft%)

G Jordan Goodwin: 8.7 ppg, 4.9 reb, 2.2 ast

G Jalen Green: 17.8 ppg, 3.6 reb, 2.8 ast

Sixth man: F Royce O’Neal: 9.8 ppg, 4.8 reb, 40.8 3pt%

Warriors X factor: How much do their stars play?

Curry showed what star power can provide in a postseason setting, delivering a 35-point performance while stretching himself to 36 minutes in his most playing time since returning from a knee injury.

Porzingis and Horford also played important roles in the Warriors’ first play-in win.

Can the Warriors count on them for another respective 28 and 22 productive minutes, or more?

Suns X factor: Can Dillon Brooks and Co. cause trouble?

Brooks, the perpetual Warriors menace, recently returned from a monthlong absence after fracturing his hand, which is good news for the Suns and not so much for their opponents.

Phoenix is 32-24 with Brooks, whose hyperactive defense has also helped the Suns become one of the league’s best at forcing turnovers. The Suns ranked fourth in steals and forced more turnovers than all but two other teams.

Brooks’ history with Golden State notwithstanding, it makes for a potentially dangerous matchup for a Warriors team that can be prone to mistakes. Golden State committed the fourth-most turnovers in the NBA, including a stretch of four games with 20-plus last month.

Who has the edge?

Regular season record: Suns 45-37, Warriors 37-45

Last 10 games: Suns 5-5; Warriors 3-7

Offensive rating: Suns 115.4 (16th), Warriors 115.0 (18th)

Defensive rating: Suns 113.9 (10th), Warriors 115.6 (17th)

Fast facts

• No team in the NBA is more dependent on the 3 than the Warriors, who take an average of 44.1 per game and make an average 15.7 (35.6%). 
• The Suns are one of the NBA’s best teams at defending the perimeter, limiting opponents to 34.7% from beyond the arc, the second-lowest in the league.
• The Warriors are 17-4 when they shoot 40% or better from deep.
• Golden State is also 14-25 when it commits more turnovers than its opponent.
• The Warriors have been one of the most turnover-prone teams in the NBA, committing 15.7 per game — more than all but three other teams. 
• Phoenix, meanwhile, ranked fourth in steals and forced its opponents to turn the ball over an average of 16.3 times per game, fourth-most in the NBA.

Season series: Warriors, 3-1

Nov. 4: Warriors 118, Suns 107 

Dec. 18: Suns 99, Warriors 98

Dec. 20: Warriors 119, Suns 116

Feb. 5: Warriors 101, Suns 97

Postseason history

The Suns are one Western Conference foe the Warriors didn’t bulldoze through at one point or another during their dynasty. The teams have met three times in the postseason, but the last time was all the way back in 1994, when Charles Barkley and Chris Mullin played starring roles.

Phoenix has won all three postseason series with Golden State.

The Warriors have more recent — and successful — history with Brooks.

Not only was he a core member of the Grizzlies team that played a hard-fought series on the way to the Warriors’ NBA title in 2022, Brooks was also part of the Rockets team that Golden State upset in the first round last year.

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With Game 1 of Knicks-Hawks coming up on Saturday, an Eastern Conference scout shares three things to watch during the series:

SLOWING ATLANTA IN TRANSITION

"They have been really good getting out on the break. Jalen (Johnson) is such a great rebounder and he gets it and goes. New York’s transition defense has been okay lately. But Jalen will put a lot of pressure on them. You (have to) pay attention to (Nickeil Alexander-Walker). He’s great in transition. (Jonathan) Kuminga can hurt you. Atlanta doesn’t need a turnover to get going – that’s what makes them so tough. It’s a rebound from Johnson and they are off. And they have multiple guys who can (push the ball off of a rebound). Even if you get back, their flow and the screening in their half court offense is tricky. 

"Maybe the Knicks give up something on the offensive glass and keep some people back to slow the Hawks. This, to me, is where the Knicks can get into trouble if they don’t execute.”

HAWKS VS. KAT

"So many teams have put a wing on (Karl-Anthony Towns) and put a center on (Josh) Hart. That’s obviously worked for some of (those teams). I don’t know if the Hawks will do that. I can’t see (Jalen Johnson) defending KAT. Maybe there is another wing who can do it? It’s one of the biggest factors, to me. If Atlanta defends Towns with (Onyeka Okongwu), I think that’s a potential series-killer for them. When a big (is guarding Towns) it just opens up so much for the Knicks. 

"The (Jalen Brunson-Towns two-man action) was strong the (last time the Knicks played Atlanta, which was a road win). Putting (Okongwu) on KAT gives them a chance to really get (the Towns-Brunson action) going. Tough call for Quin (Snyder) and the group."

DEFENDING BRUNSON

"The results have been up and down, but I like (Dyson) Daniels on Brunson. If they try to get Daniels off of him with a screen, the Hawks have other (versatile defenders) who can step in. You know Brunson is going to get to his spots but you want to make him work for everything and play him physical without fouling. Not an easy (job), but I’d take Daniels over just about anybody.

"On the other end, does (Brunson) guard CJ (McCollum)? Can Atlanta create mismatches by screening (and forcing Brunson to switch who he is defending)? That’s obviously what they want to do. But (Brunson) is tough and doesn’t die (on screens). That’s another (part of the) chess match I’m keeping an eye on."

PREDICTION

"I love Atlanta but I think the atmosphere at the Garden could be tough for them and I think they’ll struggle with Towns (and Mitchell Robinson). I don’t think this is going longer than six (games), so I’ll take Knicks in six."

Welcome to the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

For the third time in four years, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs. The two teams have become incredibly familiar with each other as they have played a total of 28 times over the past four seasons.

Three years ago, fresh off a trade for Rudy Gobert, the eighth-seeded Wolves lost to the eventual champion Nuggets in five games, a series that Nuggets players called the toughest of their playoff run. The next season, in possibly the greatest game in Timberwolves history, Minnesota came back from 20 points down in the second half of Game 7 in Denver to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.

For the two fanbases, the history goes back even further than that. In 2004, the Wolves’ first-ever playoff series victory as a franchise came against Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets. In 2018, Jimmy Butler and the Wolves beat the Nuggets, eliminating them on the final day of the regular season while clinching the franchise’s first playoff berth in 14 years.

“I don’t think there’s anything else to call it but a rivalry.” -Anthony Edwards on the Timberwolves-Nuggets matchup.

A new chapter in this rivalry is set to begin Saturday afternoon in Denver, and it’s sure to be electric. It always is with these two teams.

Playoff Anthony Edwards

Any discussion of the Timberwolves in the playoffs, but especially against the Nuggets, has to begin with the team’s superstar, Anthony Edwards.

Edwards comes into the playoffs as the biggest health question mark for Minnesota. Ant played in a career-low 61 games, 18 fewer than the past three seasons. Since mid-March, Edwards has only played in a total of three games, averaging just 25.3 minutes per game.

The most recent issue has been what is colloquially known as “runner’s knee.” It’s an injury that is unlikely to lead to further issues, but also one that can flare up seemingly out of nowhere and cause pain. The best thing an athlete can do to treat the injury is rest, something Edwards has gotten plenty of the past month.

Edwards was a full-go at practice this week, but his ability to play at 100 percent in this series likely won’t be known until the two teams step on the floor for Game 1. If Ant is limited physically in this series, the Wolves’ path to winning this series becomes a lot more clouded.

If Edwards is healthy, this Denver matchup should be an advantageous one for him. The Nuggets’ defense ranked 21st during the regular season, and they do not have a traditional rim protector or an All-NBA caliber wing defender, two archetypes that have given Edwards issues in the past.

Given Denver’s lack of point-of-attack defenders or an ideal matchup for Ant, the Nuggets will likely throw multiple defenders at Edwards as many as possible. That is what happened during the Wolves’ lone win over the Nuggets on March 1. The Nuggets consistently sent two defenders at Edwards in an attempt to get him off the ball, and by the end of the game were picking him up the moment he crossed the mid-court line.

How Anthony Edwards deals with Denver's different defensive coverages and double-teams is going to play a huge role in this series. Here's what that looked like in the Wolves lone win over Denver on 3/1

Finch said at practice today: “If they’re going to pick him up and pressure,… pic.twitter.com/gExYnkuz0r

— Ryan Eichten (@REichten) April 15, 2026

“My 4 is better than they 3,” Edwards said following that game. “We’re playing 4 on 3. So, I hit Rudy, and he makes a play, and I feel like we’re gonna win if they keep making us play like that.”

A month and a half later, Ant still feels the same way. “I’ve seen everything now. So nothing they’re going to throw at me that’s unexpected. I know they’re going to put two or three on the ball. I’ve just got to be willing to make the right play and take my shots and live with it.”

“Ant sees a ton of different types of coverages,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch explained. “We review them as the season goes along. This week gives us a chance to put him through a lot of live reps where he’s gotta make reads against what we think might be coming or just anything that’s out there.”

Speaking specifically about Denver picking up Edwards at halfcourt, Finch said, “If they’re going to pick him up and pressure, we just need him to make the easy play to the right guy and trust the open man to make the same decision.”

Ant’s ability to pick apart the Denver defense and dominate the series offensively is the Wolves’ most straightforward path to beating the Nuggets. If Edwards is merely good instead of sensational, that will likely not be good enough against a Nuggets team looking for revenge from what happened two seasons ago.

Game 1 should be an interesting litmus test for this. The Wolves’ margin of error in this series is already slim, so if Edwards is slow to find his legs or a rhythm in the game, that might be a bad sign for the Wolves in this series. Minnesota will need Edwards to step up his game right from the opening moments or potentially dig themselves into a hole.

Let’s see if Ant can rise to the occasion yet again.

The Tradeoff of Offense vs Defense

The Timberwolves’ largest challenge in this series will be containing the Nuggets on offense. During the regular season, Denver sported the league’s best offensive rating of 121.2, a full point better than second place.

Unsurprisingly, the two main drivers for Denver’s incredible offense this season were Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. This season, the pairing of Jokić and Murray led the NBA in scoring efficiency among qualified pairings with an offensive rating of 128.7. For comparison, the Wolves’ best offensive two-man pairing was Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with a 120.8, which ranked 102nd.

If Minnesota has any chance of slowing down the league-best Denver offense with possibly the best two-man game of the past half-decade, they are likely going to need to utilize Rudy Gobert in this series, both on offense and on defense.

While Gobert has been the foundation of a Timberwolves defense that has been one of the best units in the league since he arrived in Minnesota in the summer of 2022, the Wolves have struggled to maximize his impact on the offensive end. This season has possibly been the most extreme differential between the two sides of the court with Gobert.

With Gobert on the court this season, the Timberwolves have a defensive rating of 109.8, which would rank 3rd in the NBA as a team. The offense on the other end had a 114.8 rating, which would rank 16th. While the +5.4 net rating Gobert generated while on the court speaks positively of his impact, it also begs the question: Can the Timberwolves outperform their mediocre offensive numbers with Gobert on the court?

At many points this season, when the Wolves have been down in games, the first lever Finch has pulled is to take Gobert off the floor to generate more offense. While that move may make sense in the regular season or in a different

In the minutes with Gobert on the bench this season, the Wolves had a defensive rating of 118.8, a number worse than the 26th-ranked Memphis Grizzlies’ defense. While the offense often made up for that and more in those minutes, the Wolves’ inability to defend without Gobert on the floor would likely mean disaster if Minnesota decided to increase the minutes of the Julius Randle-Naz Reid frontcourt.

With Edwards set to receive an outsized portion of the attention from the Nuggets’ defense, the ball is more likely to end up in Gobert’s hands as it did down the stretch of the Wolves’ win over the Nuggets on March 1. Gobert was successful in that game in receiving the ball from Edwards and making the right play against the shifted defense, often finding open teammates either under the basket or on the perimeter.

“Just being poised,” Gobert said about the potential of increased offensive touches against Denver. “Take whatever the defense gives us. I’m going to have a lot of opportunities to find my teammates. I’m going to have a lot of opportunities to be aggressive. It’s the beauty of our team. Taking what the defenders give us and doing that as a team, and if we do that, we will have some success.”

“I feel like every series that we’ve been in when I play with Rudy, they’re like daring us to throw it to him,” Edwards explained about Gobert. “Just getting comfortable with throwing that lob, with getting downhill, with him getting to the dunker more instead of pick-and-roll, just getting to the dunker and allowing me to go by my man and them helping uphill, just throwing that lob, learning how to throw it, how much touch to put on the pass.”

To keep Gobert on the floor in this series, the Timberwolves will need to keep him involved in the offense, at least on a level that prevents Denver from completely ignoring him on that side of the court. Minnesota has not done well in that area this season, or really at any time during Gobert’s time with the Wolves. They have often been hesitant to throw him the ball with worries that he will either fumble the pass or be unable to finish near the rim.

To upset a dangerous Nuggets team, though, what the Wolves did during the regular season is not going to be good enough. They will need to either trust their franchise center on offense or look to find any defense with their other lineups.

What Version of Julius Randle Shows Up?

The Timberwolves have seen two different forms of Julius Randle this season.

The one from the first half of the season gave the Wolves exactly what they needed. Randle scored at a solid clip, defended his matchup well, and dished out assists whenever a second defender came to help. For most of the first couple of months of the season, it appeared Julius was on track to make the All-Star Game.

In the second half, all of that completely flipped for Randle. The scoring dipped, his defensive focus fell off a cliff, and the turnovers went up while the ball movement stopped.

The statistical splits from before and after the All-Star Break tell the story of Radle’s Jekyll and Hyde season. Before the All-Star Break, Rande averaged 22.3 points and 5.4 assists on 49.2/32.5/82.3 shooting splits with a net rating of +5.7 while he was on the court.

In the second half, all of those numbers went down. Randle had just 18.1 points and 4.2 assists per game while putting up rough shooting splits of 44.9/28.2/75.3.

A large x-factor in this Timberwolves-Nuggets series is whether or not Randle can return to his first-half form. One possible reason for optimism in that area is that Julius was outstanding in the first two rounds of the playoffs last season.

“First and foremost, health,” Randle explained as the reason for his success in the playoffs last season. “
Going into the playoffs healthy was big. Just a competitive nature. It’s the basketball you live for throughout the year. Just having that certain level of focus and sharpness and attention to detail and all that different type of stuff. I felt good. Coaches had a great game plan for us and myself. It’s really about trusting that and trusting your work. It’s no different than any other game.”

A positive sign for Randle is that he appears to be entering the playoffs healthy again. Julius played in the Wolves’ first 79 games before sitting out the last three once the Wolves’ seed was more or less solidified.

If the Wolves can get the first-half version of Randle, the Wolves will have a much easier time attacking the Denver defense, which is likely to focus a majority of their attention on Edwards. If the second half of the season is more indicative of what to expect from Julius, it might spell the end of the power forward’s time in Minnesota.

Can the Wolves Flip the Switch?

For the second straight season, the Timberwolves finished the regular season with 49 wins and in sixth place in the Western Conference. Unlike last season, though, there was not a big trade that was made right before training camp; instead, they returned all but Nickeil Alexander-Walker from their “seven starters” rotation.

There have been some solid stretches of play and wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. There have also been mind-numbingly poor stretches, including a five-game losing streak in January and a three-game losing streak by a combined 66 points in March.

There has been a sense all season that the Timberwolves have just been waiting for the playoffs to begin, and that when they do, they will be able to flip a switch and transform into a capable of beating anyone in any given series. In their minds, it seemed they had proven all they needed to by making the past two Western Conference Finals, the second of which as the lower seed following a lackluster regular season.

Edwards was asked if the team had been just waiting for the playoffs to begin: “It felt like that at times, like we was just trying to get through the season to get to the playoffs, but we’re here now, and all the other excuses are out the window. So it’s time.”

Ant is right about one thing: nothing from earlier in the season matters now. While there will be plenty of time in the offseason to debate the success or failure of the regular season, the entire context of the season changes if the Wolves can play as they have in the past two postseasons.

To do that, though, they are going to need to play with a level of intensity and consistency on the defensive end of the floor that was severely lacking during the regular season.

“We don’t have a choice,” Gobert said about the defense needing to find another gear. “When our group doesn’t have a choice, usually it shows up, and so once again it’s all in our hands. It’s all in our power. We’re facing a great opponent, and we know that if we don’t come out hungry, we don’t have a chance.“

Naz Reid echoed Gobert’s points, saying, “It has to. We have no choice. Defense wins games. They say that in football, and I think it translates to basketball, as well. You can score, but who’s going to get the stops? We have no choice.”

Whether or not the Wolves can pull it all together will be tested right out of the gates against the Nuggets. “It’s really on us to do it,” Randle posited. ”We gotta come in with that focus from Game 1. We can’t ease our way into the series.”

The Timberwolves have said all the right things. They’ve acknowledged their shortcomings, identified what needs to change, and spent the week at practice and in film sessions implementing their new game plan. Everything gets put to the test Saturday afternoon in Denver for Game 1. The Wolves can either back up their words and lock in for the next weeks and possibly months, or continue down the path of a disappointing season.

When asked if Finch believes the Wolves have a flip to switch, the Wolves coach stated through a chuckle, “We’ll see.”

The Charlotte Hornets beat Miami in a highly entertaining play-in game the other night, and it sparked a ton of conversation. Some of the themes: Kon Knueppel blew the Rookie of the Year race, the Hornets are in big trouble, and one more we’ll get to in a minute.

The Rookie of the Year business is stupid. It’s going to be Knueppel or Flagg, if not both. One game is not going to change that.

And secondly, for anyone who has paid attention to Knueppel, he’s not going to let that game control the next game. He’s too smart and too competitive to do that.

Third, Miami has one of the best cultures in the NBA, and in particular, one of the best defensive cultures in the league. They singled out the rookie, and took him down.

And fourth, while Knueppel had a bad game, Charlotte definitely didn’t.

On Friday, the Hornets will play the Orlando Magic for the final spot in the playoffs. Orlando has some talent, notably up front with former Dukies Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter.

The teams played four times this season, with the Hornets winning three of those. Orlando won the first one, in October, but the Hornets won the other three quite easily.

Knueppel averaged 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in those games. It doesn’t mean the Hornets will win a third time, but it is a clear pattern.

Okay, back to what we said we’d come back to. It turns out that LaMelo Ball had a key role in Charlotte’s drafting Knueppel. In fact, his analysis of Knueppel was so impressive that Hornets GM Jeff Peterson said this about Ball:

“[Ball] was very detailed in his evaluation of why he liked him. That was even more impressive that he was able to kind of highlight him because there were some other guys that he didn’t highlight. He may have a future in the front office if he wants.”

That’s pretty high praise.

That said, one other topic of conversation about Ball is his flagrant foul against Bam Adebayo. It was intentional and dangerous, and it may have cost Miami the game. He’s lucky to have only gotten a $35,000 dollar fine.

• LaMelo Ball helped convince the Hornets to draft Kon Knueppel
• Kon Knueppel’s disastrous finale is a double warning for the Spurs
• Mavs insider explains why Cooper Flagg should win Rookie of the Year
• Draymond Green selects Kon Knueppel as the Rookie of the Year for winning contributions
• The secret draft meeting where LaMelo Ball convinced the Hornets to take Kon Knueppel
• ‘Kon (Knueppel) Wasn’t Ready to Dance’ – NBA Champion Trolls Hornets Rookie After Tanking ROTY Race vs. Cooper Flagg
• How Luka Dončić’s appeal of NBA’s 65-game rule could cost Kon Knueppel rookie of the year
• Charlotte Hornets’ Youth Continues to Lead Franchise Turnaround
• NBA Rookies: Kon Knueppel can Bounce Back in Final Play-In Game
• “The Other Guy (Cooper Flagg) Is in Cancun”: Kon Knueppel’s ROTY Bid Remains Safe After Heat Game, Says Ex-Mavs Star
• Kon Knueppel’s wake-up call hits at the absolute worst time for the Hornets
• d

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And just like that, the 2025-26 NBA regular season has come to an end.

It’s been one of the weirder years in league history. We started with a tree-planting controversy in pre-season, to the tanking and 65-game rule discourse hitting overdrive, and most recently, the entire Wizards organization almost got cancelled for a misinterpreted April Fools joke.

Thankfully, that’s all in the rearview mirror. Before the playoffs start, though, we need to have a cordial discussion about awards.

Let’s start with the Big Kahuna.

Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Runner-ups: Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic

The MVP is Shai, and I don’t think it should be that close. His 55.3% FG is the highest out of every 30-point-per-game season in history, and his 66.5% true shooting is also the second-highest, only behind Steph’s outlandish 2016 season at a nice 66.9%. Shai also tied his own record for least turnovers per game in any 30ppg season at just 2.2, which he first set two years ago. Oh, and did I mention that the Thunder are the West’s one-seed for the third straight season?

The best argument against Shai is OKC’s elite supporting cast, as the Thunder still have a +4.8 net rating with him off the floor. However, they are also an absurd +12.3 with Shai on and Chet and JDub both off, and OKC has arguably been the most banged-up team amongst the MVP candidates. The case in favor of Wemby and Jokic is that they both have larger on/off splits than Shai does. However, Jokic’s lack of defensive effort is impossible to overlook, and while the Alien has a case as the most impactful player per minute, it doesn’t make up for the 400-minute difference between him and Shai (as shown by their overall plus-minus, with Shai at 788 and Wemby at 682).

If the award only takes into account the last three months, then Wemby and Luka would have a case. If it only takes into account the first two months, then Jokic would have a case. Unfortunately for those three, MVP encompasses the entire regular season, and none of them consistently played at their best for the whole year. Shai did, which is why he is the clear MVP. 

Defensive Player of the Year: Victor Wembanyama

Runner-ups: Chet Holmgren, Rudy Gobert

Uhh… do we even need to discuss this? It’s obviously Trae Young — his defensive prowess forced Ben Simmons into a pro fisherman!

Jokes aside, this year’s DPOY is the most obvious award pick since Steph’s 2016 unanimous MVP season, and Wemby should be the unanimous pick here too. San Antonio’s 105.1 defensive rating in Wemby’s minutes is 2.2 points lower than OKC’s this season, and many already consider the Thunder to be one of the greatest defensive teams ever. Unlike OKC, though, the Spurs only have one other elite defender in Castle, and the numbers bear that out too: San Antonio has a 117.4 DRTG without Wemby, which would rank 21st in the league. 

Surprisingly, Wemby isn’t the absolute best in any one rim protection stat, but that’s because opponents only take shots around the basket when they’re somewhat confident he can’t block it, and oftentimes, he still does. The more revealing number is the drop in opponent rim attempts when Wemby is on/off the floor: with him playing, 31.7% of opposing shots are at the basket (49th percentile), which drops to just 26.2% when he plays (94th percentile). Opponents are also making just 60.8% (93rd percentile) of their shots around the rim, even with those being very selective attempts. 

Wemby is well on his way to becoming perhaps the greatest defensive player ever, and he’s just getting started. 

Coach of the Year: Joe Mazzulla 

Runner-ups: JB Bickerstaff, Mitch Johnson

I didn’t have much hesitation picking Mazzulla over Bickerstaff, though the latter is very deserving of this award too. Ultimately, the decision came down to the following question: which team exceeded expectations more through the coach putting players in the best position to succeed? 

To me, the answer is Mazzulla. Boston lost 3/5 starters and their entire frontcourt rotation in one offseason, and none of their core players are young enough to make the leaps that the Detroit stars have. Mazzulla has gone from running 5-out with Porzingis and Horford to designing a scheme with a rolling big in the middle, while also rotating a bunch of former “who he play for?” guys to fill Tatum’s absence. Bickerstaff has done a great job maximizing Duren’s improved offensive game and role players like Jenkins too, but Mazzulla leading Boston to 56 wins following their roster turnover is simply more impressive. 

Most Improved Player: Nickeil Alexander-Walker 

Runner-ups: Keyonte George, Neemias Queta

NAW is the epitome of what this award is for: a player well into their career who takes an unexpected leap when everyone thought his role would never change. Yes, he’s been given more responsibility in Atlanta, but the Wolves were also desperate for another lead guard to play alongside Ant, and they moved on from NAW specifically because he never showed the ability to be that guy. 

This year, he’s more than doubled his scoring average from last season, going from 9.4 to 20.8 points per game. Remarkably, NAW has increased his efficiency too, and not by a little: his 61% true shooting is way above the positional average, and his previous career average was just 55.7%. Atlanta also has a +4.6 net rating with him playing, which drops to -1.8 when he sits, with most of that change coming from offense. Moreover, NAW has still been a good perimeter defender even with the increased offensive responsibilities, playing at an All-Star level on both ends of the court.

Rookie of the Year: Cooper Flagg 

Runner-ups: Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe

One of the tightest award races in recent history, ROY is truly a coin toss. However, if you base this off advanced metrics, it’s not even close. Kon is way ahead due to his three-point volume and efficiency, and he’s also been an underrated playmaker who’s been Charlotte’s connector at times. Leading the league in threes made as a rookie is absolutely bonkers, and Kon’s already one of the most efficient players at his position with a true shooting of 63.3%. 

With that said, my pick is Flagg because his season has been just as impressive, and I view him as the better player — not just moving forward, but right now too. Yes, his 54.8% true shooting is way below not just Kon’s, but also the league average, but I think he’s a better player in every facet of the game outside of shooting. Now, the gap between their shooting is much larger than the gap in every other skill that Flagg has an advantage in, but I also believe that Kon went to the absolute best team for his specific skillset while Flagg went to the worst: the Hornets would be just as good with Flagg in Kon’s place, while Kon wouldn’t be in this race if he were on the Mavs. 

Again, both players are absolutely deserving of this award and this pick was by far the most difficult one to decide on. I flip-flopped 10 times while writing and could regret this choice in the next hour, but as of this exact moment, I’m going with Flagg. 

Sixth Man of the Year: Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Runner-ups: Keldon Johnson, Naz Reid

No offense to Jaime Jaquez, but this is one of the worst sixth-man crops in recent memory. All other candidates either did not play enough minutes (off the bench) or had lackluster counting and/or advanced stats. Keldon Johnson, for instance, played all 82 games, but I didn’t even think he was the most impactful bench player on the Spurs. That belongs to Dylan Harper, who I would’ve picked if he played more minutes. Reed Sheppard also lacks the minutes, while Naz Reid isn’t as well-rounded a player as Jaquez is. The latter is the only player who has somewhat eye-popping stats (15/5/5) with positive plus/minus splits while also playing enough minutes. 

Congrats Miami! You can hang a new banner beside the #heatculture and #bam83 ones. 

All NBA First Team: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi has been the best player this year outside of the four MVP candidates, which is why he snagged that final First-Team spot over Jaylen Brown. It was a hard decision, though, given the Clippers’ turbulent season (and their tree planting), but Kawhi deserves almost all the credit for LA finishing above .500, along with help from Harden at the start of the year. Meanwhile, I would attribute Boston’s overachieving more to Mazzulla’s genius than Brown’s play since the Celtics are good no matter who’s been on the floor, though I’d also have no problem with the latter finishing on the First-Team given his borderline MVP-level play this year. 

All NBA Second Team: Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Jamal Murray, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant

Jamal Murray deserves a special shoutout. Contrary to popular belief, he never deserved to be an All-Star in previous seasons, and was overrated due to playing above his usual level during the 2020 and 2023 playoff runs. However, he’s finally played at that level for a full regular season, being one half of the most dynamic offensive duo in the league (Denver has a 130.6 ORTG with him and Jokic playing, the highest in league history) while also keeping the Nuggets’ offense afloat without Jokic (116.5, 61st percentile). Murray is also having the most efficient high-volume three-point shooting season in the league by making 43.5% on 7.5 attempts per game, vaulting his true shooting to 62.2% — the first time he’s been above 60%. 

All NBA Third Team: Jalen Duren, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey, Chet Holmgren, Deni Avdija

The Third-Team is composed of first-time All-NBA selections. Maxey leads the league in minutes per game and is fifth in overall points, Chet will likely finish second in DPOY voting, and Johnson is averaging 22/10/8 as the first option on a playoff team. Meanwhile, Duren went on a rampage after I foolishly left him off my All-Star team, averaging 23 and 10 with Cade out. I’m still not sure if he can be the second option on a true title team, but there’s no doubt that he’s blossomed into one of the 30 best players in the league and is still just 22. The last spot was a toss-up between KAT, Deni, and Toronto’s own, Scotland Barnes. KAT has by far the best advanced numbers and also improved his defense during the second half of the season, while Scottie is arguably the most well-rounded player of the three. I ultimately went with Deni, though, since he was essentially a one-man offense in Portland, averaging 24/7/7 and leading the Blazers to an above-average 116.7 ORTG with him on, which drops to 110.8 when he sits — equivalent to the 28th-ranked offense in the league. 

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This week, please check out Marilyn’sregular season recap! The Spurs have been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises this year and are ready to get their first taste of the playoffs.

Thanks for reading!

All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass and NBA Stats.

The first time Kevin Durant and LeBron James stepped on the basketball court together the NBA landscape looked a lot different. 

The Lakers and Celtics rivalry had been renewed featuring the “Big Three” against Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. 

The year was 2008. James led the league in scoring and Durant was named NBA Rookie of the Year for a forgotten franchise of green and gold, the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics. 

By the time they faced off against each other, James was already a force of nature and the future face of the league. He had been to one NBA Finals, and would soon run off a streak of eight-straight appearances. But through that first meeting a budding rivalry of future NBA legends was born. 

Because over the next two decades, Durant and James would become two of the greatest players in NBA history, and their playoff matchups are the stuff of mythology and lore. 

And it’s not finished yet. 

The 2012 NBA Finals

The early years weren’t so much a rivalry, but a warning sign. Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden were slowly turning the Oklahoma City Thunder into contenders. James finally left Cleveland to join forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. 

The first true collision between Durant and James came in the 2012 NBA Finals between the Thunder and the Heat. 

Durant was brilliant in that series. He averaged 30.6 points. But James was at the peak of his powers and still thirsting for his first NBA title. He finally got it. Miami won the series in five games, and even though Durant outscored him, James was named the Finals MVP. 

But it was that first playoff series that established the dynamic that would shape their future collisions. Durant could score and dazzle, but he needed more help to defeat LeBron. 

The Decision That Changed Everything

After James’ decision to leave Cleveland for Miami—only to return four years later—came another decision that created a seismic shift in the NBA. 

It was the Fourth of July in 2016, and the record-breaking 73-win Golden State Warriors had just blown a 3-1 lead to LeBron’s Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. 

Durant was a free agent, and he announced his decision in an article for The Player’s Tribune entitled “My Next Chapter.” Call it revenge. Call it opportunistic. Call it weak if you want. But Durant’s decision to join those Warriors and form a super team alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green titled the basketball universe. 

Now with Durant, the Warriors didn’t just beat LeBron and the Cavaliers over the next two NBA Finals, they overwhelmed them. A gentleman’s sweep in 2017, a four-game sweep in 2018. Durant was the best player on the floor in both series. Winning back-to-back Finals MVP Awards and his first two NBA championships. 

Lakers and Suns Rebirths 

James’ back-to-back Finals losses to Durant and the Warriors led to his decision to head west and join the Los Angeles Lakers. As James was busy trying to build a contender in Hollywood, Durant was cementing his legacy with a third straight Finals appearance. 

But in Game 5 of the 2019 Finals, Durant snapped his Achilles. Everything changed. He signed with the Brooklyn Nets that summer, and oddly the rivalry went dormant. They never played against each other when Durant was in Brooklyn. 

When it resumed in 2023, Durant and James were in the same conference for the first time in their careers. James had joined forces with Anthony Davis and won another title in the bubble in 2020. Durant had been traded to the Phoenix Suns. Their head-to-head matchups were more frequent now, less mythic, but still meaningful. They had a couple clashes in the NBA Cup, including a quarterfinal game in 2023 that proved to be a step in crowning the Lakers as the first Cup Champions. 

One More Chapter—Maybe the Last

Now the story shifts again.

Durant, in his first season with the Houston Rockets, faces LeBron’s Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Not the Finals. Not the grand stage we’re used to. 

Durant’s Rockets are heavily favored over the injury-riddled Lakers, who will be starting the series without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Durant is now the elder statesman on a young Rockets team that is young, deep, and athletic. 

James, at 41 years old, is trying to carry the Lakers on his back for one last career-defining playoff achievement. 

When they take the court on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena for Game 1 of the series, they will have played against each other a total of 46 times. James holds the overall edge at 26-20, but because of those back-to-back Warriors titles, Durant has the advantage in the postseason 9-5. 

If Durant and the Rockets win the series as expected, that advantage will only grow and it will likely close the book on their playoff rivalry. 

But if LeBron wins?

Strip away the nostalgia and mythology, because it might be one of the most remarkable feats in his 23-year career. 

Game 1 is scheduled for 5:30 PM PST on ABC.

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There are collapses, and then there are Clippers collapses. 

The latest chapter of the Clippers Curse was authored on Wednesday night at the Intuit Dome when L.A. unraveled in the fourth quarter, blowing a 13-point lead to the Warriors that ultimately ended their season.

The Clippers latest meltdown felt so familiar, so painfully on-brand, that it felt less like a loss and more like a highlight reel of the franchise’s greatest hits of heartbreak. 

LA led its do-or-die elimination play-in game by for 85% of the game. A majority of it by double-digits. They were up by 13 with nine minutes left, and they still found a way to lose. 

“I’m pissed off,” said Clippers head coach Ty Lue after the season-ending loss. “We had the game in our hands. To be up 13 in the fourth quarter we have to finish that game.” 

He’s right.

But finishing off a diminished Warriors team playing without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody is not what the Clippers do. It’s not in their DNA. This is a franchise that keeps changing jerseys, logos, and arenas more than leaves change colors. 

But in Los Angeles, the ending never changes. 

On Wednesday night the Clippers didn’t just blow a big fourth quarter lead to the Warriors, they surrendered it piece by piece, like a team unsure if they even deserved to win in the first place.

They committed 18 turnovers, gifting Golden State 26 points.

They allowed a 43-point fourth quarter. 

With their season on the line, they couldn’t even execute an inbounds pass. Possession after possession, chance after chance, it all slipped through the Clippers’ fingers like sand.

DRAYMOND GREEN WITH A PAIR OF INCREDIBLE STEALS IN THE CLUTCH.

WARRIORS KEEP THEIR SEASON ALIVE. https://t.co/8SITELoXjEpic.twitter.com/7Hre7jG5TX

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026

“On the inbounds we threw the ball away,” said Lue. “That was a big momentum shift for them.”

The momentum didn’t shift on that turnover, it shifted when No. 30 across the floor put on his cape and took over. 

Steph Curry, who only returned from a knee injury four games ago, scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half.

Each bucket louder than the last, until his dagger three with 50 seconds left echoed through a building that had turned against the home team. As he drilled the go-ahead three and fell into the front row, the arena erupted in chants of “MVP!” and “Warriors…”

STEPH CURRY GIVES THE WARRIORS THE LEAD!

GSW 120
LAC 117

50.4 TO PLAY IN A MUST-WIN GAME pic.twitter.com/HgYTHtLlOp

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2026

This may have been a road game on paper, but it sure as hell didn’t sound like it in the arena.

“When he’s on the floor, you always have a chance,” said Draymond Green of Curry.

The Clippers had every chance to win too. Maybe a dozen or more chances to put the game away. That’s what makes this sting. That’s what makes this different—and yet exactly the same.

Because we’ve seen this before.

We saw it in 2015 when a 3-1 lead vanished against Houston. We saw it again in the 2020 bubble when another 3-1 cushion disintegrated against Denver. We saw it last season in a Game 7 collapse in Denver. And now this—another double-digit lead, another fourth-quarter fade, another season ending not with a fight, but with a shrug.

Here in Los Angeles, we call it the “Clippers Curse.”

And it’s real. 

Even Kawhi Leonard couldn’t escape it. The stoic star, who had his best season in two years, looked shell-shocked in the fourth quarter. When the game mattered most, he disappeared into the margins, picked clean by Green on a possession that could have breathed life into the Clippers, instead they were left gasping for air. 

“Draymond is a hall of fame defender. It was hard to get shots up,” Leonard admitted.

Hard isn’t supposed to mean impossible. The Clippers didn’t lose because of bad luck or coincidence. This is who they are. 

Only the Clippers could start the season 6-21, and then complete the single greatest in-season turnaround in NBA history only to choke away a 13-point lead in the final minutes of it. 

And the embarrassment doesn’t stop at the final buzzer. The loss drops them into the lottery—except their pick belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder who now have a 9.4% chance of a top-four selection and a 2% chance of the number one overall. The rich get richer while the Clippers stare into another offseason with nothing but questions, and an NBA investigation into Leonard-Aspiration and salary cap circumvention looming over their head like a dark cloud. 

Even their past came back to mock them. Chris Paul—discarded midseason, unceremoniously shipped out before getting the retirement tour he deserved—watched from afar and posted the internet’s coldest meme, the digital equivalent of showing up in a black suit just to confirm the burial.

Chris Paul’s IG story tonight after the Clippers collapse against the Warriors in the play-in game. pic.twitter.com/st3u72hEAP

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) April 16, 2026

Petty? Sure.

Accurate? Absolutely.

This was supposed to be a new era for the Clippers. A new building. A new culture. A new hope. It was supposed to lift the curse, not continue it.

Benjamin Franklin once famously said that nothing can be certain in life but death and taxes. The Clippers have added a third certainty—finding the most painful way possible to lose when it matters most.

The curse didn’t just follow them to Inglewood.

It beat them to the door and let itself in.

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